the praise of the bright shining glory of Gods mercie His owne Sonne Iesus Christ is called Gods owne Sonne to distinguish him from all others who are his sonnes by adoption onely Christ is the Sonne of God by nature by that diuine inutterable generation whereof Esay saith Who can expresse it Thus is hee Gods owne sonne that is coeternall and coessentiall begotten of the Father before all time by the full communication of his whole essence vnto him in a manner that cannot bee expressed And in the fulnesse of time hee became man God being manifested in the flesh and in regard of his humane nature which was conceiued of the holy Ghost and vnited in a personall vnion with his diuine hee stands in the title of Gods owne sonne after so singular a manner that hee admits no companion The last of these two the Apostle makes the first point of the misterie of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh wherein he bridles our curiositie for if his manifestation in the flesh that is his incarnation be a mysterie that goes beyond our vnderstanding what shall we say of his diuine generation a mystery indeed to bee adored not to be enquired an article proposed to be belieued not to bee disputed The Arrians seeking to search out this vnsearchable mysterie with naturall reason by infinite degrees more foolish then if they had presumed to number the starres of heauen or measure with their fist all the vvaters in the Sea they stumbled and fell being neuer able to comprehend how the son that was begotten should bee coeternall and coessentiall to the Father who begot him therefore the worthy Fathers of the primitiue Church to expresse the presumption of these arrogant spirits drew them down from the dangerous speculation of these high mysteries far aboue their capacitie to consideration of things which are in nature Si in Creatura genitum inueniri potest coaeuum genitori an non aequum est conced as posse ista in creatore coaeterna inueniri if in things created that which is begotten may be found equall in time to that which begat it why should it be denyed that in the Creator the begetter and begotten are equall in eternitie When a candle saith Augustine is first lighted at once there are two things the fire and the splendor or light if it be enquired whether the fire come from the light or the light from the fire all men will agree that the splendor or light comes from the fire but if againe it be demanded which of them is first or last in time it cannot be determined But vvherefore shall vve vse these similitudes as the Creator is aboue the creature so is that mysterie aboue all the secrets of nature no similitude can bee found in nature so much as shadow that most high and supernaturall mysterie yet is the endeuor of these godly fathers commendable vvho haue laboured to bring downe men to the exercising of their wits in things vvhich are below like vnto themselues leauing curious inquisition of higher secrets vvhich as I haue said are to be receiued with faith reuerenced vvith silence not searched out by curiositie O man bee not high minded but feare In the similitude of sinnefull flesh Wee must not so vnderstand these words as if Iesus had onely the similitude of a naturall bodie no hee was very man made of the seed of Dauid he hath taken on our flesh indeed yet was he not a sinfull man but separated from sinners A holy One from the first moment of his conception conceiued of the holy Ghost A Stone cut out of the mountaine without hands The Flower of the field that groweth without mans labour or industry The second Adam very man as was the first but not begotten of man So then the word similitude is not to be ioyned vvith the word Flesh but with the word sinfull He tooke on mans nature without sin yet subiect to those infirmities mortalitie and death which sin brought vpon vs he appeared like a sinfull man being indeed without sinne in the shape of a Seruant content to be made inferiour not onely to Angels but to men of the vilest sort sold for thirtie pieces of siluer not so worthy to liue as Barrabas ranked vvith Theeues on the Crosse and reputed as a Worme of the earth thus being voyde of all sinne yet was hee handled as a sinner and most wicked malefactor Wherein wee are to consider so farre as vve may though vve cannot comprehend it that vvonderfull loue vvhich the Lord hath shevved vs in this vvorke of our saluation how deere and precious our life hath beene in his eyes perceiue by the greatnesse of that prise which hee hath giuen for vs for vvho vvill giue much for that vvhereof he esteemes but little it was not vvith gold nor siluer nor any corruptible thing that the Lord hath redeemed vs but vvith the precious bloud of his owne Son Iesus as of a Lambe vnblemished and vnspotted If Dauid considering the goodnesse of God towards man in the vvork of creation fell out into this admiration O Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him or the Son of man that thou doest visite him how much more haue vve cause so to crye out considering the riches of God his vvonderfull mercies shewed vs in the vvork of redemption It vvas a great kindnesse vvhich Abraham shewed to Lot vvhen he hazarded his owne life and the liues of his familie to recouer Lot out of the hands of Chedarlaomer but not comparable to that kindenesse which our kinsman the Lord Iesus hath shewed vnto vs who hath giuen his life to deliuer vs out of the hand of our enimies The Lord shed abroad in our hearts more and more abundantly the sence of that loue that wee may endeauour to be thankfull for it by this threefold dutie first of thanksgiuing secondly of seruice thirdly of loue toward those who are beloued of him As for the first our life should bee a continuall thanksgiuing and worshipping before him who hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud When the children of Israell had passed the red sea suppose they had a wast wildernesse between them and Canaan yet they praised God with a song of thanksgiuing and the Lord appointed an yearely remembrance of that benefit If smaller mercies are to be remembred with thanksgiuing what shall wee think of the greater As for the second which is seruice Zacharie teacheth vs that for this end God hath deliuered vs from all our enimies that all our dayes wee should serue him in righteousnesse and holinesse the reason why the Israelites bound themselues to giue subiection and obedience to Dauid was that he had deliuered them from the hand of the Philistins the same reason Ezra vsed to the Iewes returned from captiuitie to make them obedient to the Lord Seeing thou O Lord hath
Adoption we pray vnto God without that Spirit men may speake of God but without him they cannot speake vnto God Prayer is a proper action of the sons of God The Apostle describing them who are Saints by calling saith they are sanctified by Christ and call vpon the name of the Lord Iesus hee ioynes these two together to tell vs that they who are not called by God and sanctified in Christ cannot call vpon him as for prophane men it is certain they cannot pray though they repeat that prayer Our Father which art in heauen what else doe they but multiply lyes as they multiply words Onely the spirit of Adoption teacheth the Children of God to pray Prayer is vnto them like that fire Chariot in the which Eliah was carried from earth to heauen by it they are transported to haue their conuersation with God and speake to him in so familiar a manner that they know not those things which are beside them neyther see they those things which are before them being in the body they are carried out of the body they present to the Lord sighs which cannot be expressed and vtters to the Lord such words as they themselues are not able to repeat againe and that all this proceeds from the operation of the Spirit who bends vp their affections and teacheth them to pray is euident by this that when this holy Spirit intermits or relents his working in them they become senselesse and heauy hearted more ready to sleepe with Peter Iames and Iohn than to watch and pray with Iesus yea suppose it were in the very houre of tentation Wee cry c. The Apostle you see reckons himselfe among others who cryes by this spirit of Adoption though the children of God be many yet seeing they all are led by one spirit they should all cry for one thing vnto God the assemblies of the Church militant on earth should resemble as neere as they can the glorious assemblies of the Church triumphant in heauen many are they who followes the Lambe their voyce is like vnto the voyce of many waters yet they all sing but one song so should there be among vs that are Christians but one voyce specially when we meet in the publike assemblies of the Church though wee were neuer so many yet our affections and desires should concur in one and all of vs send vp one voyce to the Lord. Wee see that in nature coniunction of things which are of one kinde makes them much stronger many flames of fire vnited in one are not easily quenched many springs of water if they meet together in one make the stronger riuer but being deuided are the more easily ouercome Saint Iames saith the prayer of one righteous man auailes much if it be powred out in faith what then shall we thinke of the prayers of many Oh what a blessing might we looke for if wee could ioyne in one to call vpon God but now alas where one with a contrite hart cryes to God for mercy how many by continuance in sinne cryes to him for iudgement what meruaile then the arme of the Lord be shortned toward vs and hee doe not help vs As they who resolue to lift any heauie burthen ioyne their hands together vnder it and so by mutuall strength makes that easie to many which were impossible to one so when we are assembled together to lift from off our heads by vnfayned repentance that burthen of the wrath of God which our sinnes hath brought vpon vs if there be among vs no deceiuers but that euery man in the sinceritie of his hart ioyne his earnest supplication with the prayers of his brethren what a blessing may wee looke for Take heede therefore how you behaue your selues in the holy assemblies though they should neuer bee brought forth by speach of the mouth and this for their comfort who through extremitie of sicknesse or otherwise are not able to vse their tongues in prayer to God Father wee learne here that the Parent which begets Prayer is the Spirit of adoption the mother that conceiues it is the humble and contrite heart for no proud vncleane and hard heart can pray vnto God the vvinges whereby it ascends are feruencie and an heauenly disposition feruency is noted in the word of Crying for as in crying there is an earnestnesse of the powers of the body to send out the voice so in prayer should there bee an earnestnesse of the powers of our soule to send vp our desires As incense without fire makes no smell and therefore the Lord commaunded it to bee sacrificed with fire in the Law so prayer without feruencie sends vp no sweet smell vnto the Lord. Our heauenly disposition required in prayer is collected out of this that hee to whom wee speake is our Father in Heauen if our mindes bee earthly wee can haue no communing with him that is in heauen vvee must therefore ascend in our affection enter within the vaile if vvee would speake familiarly vvith our Father Prayer this manner of way sent vp and presented to our aduocate and intercessor the Lord Iesus out of the hand of Faith cannot but returne a fauourable answere if not at the first as in the very time of Prayer Daniell receiued his answer yea at the beginning of his supplication as the Angell Gabriell informed him the commandement came forth to answere him yet shall not the Lord faile in his owne good time to fulfill the desires of them vvho feare him Manifold examples of holy Scripture lets vs see that Prayer this vvay powred out vnto God is most effectuall At fiue sundry petitions did not Abraham bring the Lord from fitie to ten euery petition returnes to Abraham some vantage faine vvould Abraham had Sodome preserued for Lots cause at his first request hee got this answere that the Lord would spare it for fiftie righteous mens sake if they might be found in it but at the last from fiftie hee brings him to ten as long as Abraham prayed the Lord answered and for euery petition hee yeelded something to Abraham and most comfortable is it that the Lord ceases not from answering till Abraham ceased from asking any more When Peter prayed vpon the house top he fel into a trance and saw a heauenly vision when Iesus prayed vpon Mount Tabor he was transfigured and if at any time the children of God bee transformed from an earthly disposition to a heauenly they finde in their owne experience that it is in the time of prayer Sathan for this cause is a most troublesome enimie to the exercises of the word and of prayer because the one is the mother the other is the nurse of all the graces of God in vs either hee makes men lightly to esteeme the exercise of prayer or then doth what he can to interrupt them in it as that Pithonisse interrupted Paul while hee was going to pray
vnto vs for an example for so are wee exhorted Let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs looking vnto Iesus the author and finisher of our Faith these and such like are the workes wherein vve are commaunded to conforme our selues vnto him The other poynt wherein stands our conformitie with him is in patient suffering with him for righteousnes which wee shall not be able to doe except wee liue first after the similitude of his life what liker suffering to the suffering of Christ than the suffering of that reprobate theefe who dyed with Iesus at the same time the same kinde of death yet because his life was neuer like the life of Christ his sufferings shall neuer be accounted the sufferings of Christ. Similis in poena dissimilis in causa But as for the other whom the Lord Iesus conuerted vpon the Crosse to declare to all the world that euen in death hee retayned the power of a Sauiour able to giue life to them who are dead hee brought out in the last houre of his life the first fruites of amendement of life hee liued long a wicked malefactor but short while a conuerted Christian yet in that same space hee abounded in the fruits of Godlinesse confessing his sinnes giuing glory to the iustice of God rebuking the blasphemies of the other and pleading the cause of his innocent Sauiour thus being turned from his sinne hee began euen on the Crosse to liue with Iesus and therefore heard that ioyfull sentence This night thou shalt be with me in Paradise Now that wee may be moued to embrace this conformitie with Iesus let vs remember that the image of God by which wee were created conforme vnto him is the most auncient glory to which we can make claime and therefore if there be in vs any peece of manhood and spirituall wisedome wee ought to endeauour to recouer it which our enimie craftily and maliciously hath stollen from vs. O what a pittie is it to see that man cannot doe that in the matter of saluation which he can do in the smallest things pertaining to this life There is no man among vs vvho knoweth that any tenement of land or portion of earth possessed now vniustly of another did of old pertaine to his Fathers but if hee can hee vvill seeke to recouer it seeking by iustice to bring that home to himselfe which oppressors vniustly had taken from him Is it not then most lamentable that where the Lord Iesus the King of righteousnesse and Prince of peace offers to restore vs to our most auncient glory which is his owne image that vvee vvill not call the oppressours of our soule before him nor seeke to be restored to that glory which most deceitfully our aduersâ—ry hath stollen from vs but this commeth also vpon man by the subtiltie of Sathan that hauing once spoyled vs of the image of God hee doth what he can so to blinde vs that vve should neuer seeke it againe nor doe so much as receiue it when it is offered vnto vs. Iacob complained of Laban that hee had deceiued him and changed his wages ten times and Esau complained of Iacob as of a supplanter who first had stollen from him his birth-right and then the blessing also but more cause haue vvee to turne these complaints vpon Sathan who hath not onely stollen from vs the Image of God but daily stealeth away the blessing vvhereby it is restored vnto vs. Oh that vve had vvise and vnderstanding hearts that we might be stirred vp to an holy anger against the enimie of our saluation seeking in despite of him to be restored to that right vvhich by creation belonged to our fore father But alas what a beastly stupiditie is this that man will not doe so much for recouerie and maintenance of the image of God as hee will doe for preseruation of his owne portraiture drawne on a peece of timber if any man pollute it incontinent hee is offended and stomacks it as an iniuâ—ie done to himselfe but as for man who is the image of God he lyes downe like a beast content that Sathan should tread vpon him pollute defile him with all kind of abhomination all which proceeds from a pittifull ignorance of his own glory The second reason vvhich should moue vs to conforme our selues to Iesus is that hee hath first of all conformed himselfe vnto vs hee vvas not ashamed to take vpon him the shape of a seruant and to become man like vnto vs in all things sinne excepted and shall wee refuse to conforme our selues vnto him let it be farre from vs but rather putting from vs that foolish emulation by vvhich vvee striue to conforme our selues vnto this world let vs consider vvhereunto vvee are called euen to be pertakers of the diuine nature and may thinke it our greatest glory to be like vnto our head and husband the Lord Iesus Thirdly necessitie so craueth seeing vvee cannot be saued vvithout conformitie vvith him It is not Caesars money which hath not vpon it Caesars image and superscription he is not the Sonne of God vvho carryeth not the image of his Father for vvhom the Lord begets in the regeneration he communicateth to them his owne spirit which transformes them into the similitude of his owne Image No vncleane thing shall enter into heauenly Ierusalem neither shall any man see him in his glory who by grace is not made like vnto him That hee may be the first borne among many brethren The Apostle insists here in the explication of his former purpose adding that it is necessary wee should conforme our selues vnto him for ratifying that superioritie and priuiledge of the first borne vvhich God the Father hath estabished vnto his Sonne the Lord Iesus Christ and he maketh it very properly to serue his purpose for seeing it is so that Iesus our elder brother and Prince of our saluation hath beene consecrated by affliction and by suffering hath entred into his kingdome shall wee refuse to follow him in his tentations if so be vvee desire to sit vvith him in his glory The name of the first borne is ascribed vnto Iesus Christ three manner of wayes first as hee is God secondly as he is man thirdly as hee is both God and man our mediator and the head of his misticall body vvhich is his Church As hee is God hee is called by the Apostle Primogenitus omnis creaturae the first begotten of euery creature and that by such a generation as none saith Esay are able to expresse Now before the creature was what could there be surely nothing but the Creator Secondly as hee is man S. Luke calleth him the first borne that opened the wombe of the Virgin Thirdly as Mediator and head of his mysticall body as Prince of that kingdome vvhich is the communion of Saints hee is here called the first borne among many brethren and in an other place
similitude of ingrafting wherein Christ is compared to the Vine and wee to the branches grafted into him Lastly by the similitude of feeding wherin Christ is compared to the foode and wee to the bodie which is nourished As for the similitude of Marriage the strongest bands of coniunction that euer was betweene two creatures was betweene Adam and Eue for Eue was his Wife his Sister and his Daughter his Wife being ioyned with him in marriage by God she became one flesh with him she was his Sister made immediately by the hand of that same Father who made Adam and that without Adams helpe shee was also his Daughter for of him shee was made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh All these wayes are we alyed vnto Iesus Christ we are his spouse in respect of that mutuall contract and couenant which is betweene vs he hath marryed vs to himselfe in righteousnesse iudgement mercy and compassion We are his Sonnes and Daughters in respect of regeneration which is our new creation we are also his brethren and sisters in respect of the spirit of adoption by whom we acknowledge God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ to be our father also in him and his sonne Iesus to be our elder brother Yet is our allyance with Christ so neere that all these whereof we haue spoken can not expresse it and therefore ye shall finde that there is not a way by which in nature two things are made one but from it the spirit of God borrowes similitudes to declare how Christ and we are one in him as the branch in the tree we are of him as Eue was of Adam we are of him as the house is built on the foundation wee are one with him and that many manner of wayes one with him as brother with brother as husband and wife as the body and the head as meat and that which is nourished what meruaile theâ— considering all these that the Apostle with boldnes breakes out in this glorious triumph there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ seeing we are in him as branches in the tree it is not possible that we can wither or decay for want of the sap of Grace so long as he doth retaine it and that shall be for euer seeing we are built on him like an house vpon a sure foundation what storme can ouerblow vs let the winde rise and the raine fall wee shall not be ouerthrowne because wee are the building of God standing vpon a sure foundation seeing wee are his spouse who can haue action against vs our debts fall to be payd by our husband he liueth to make answere for vs seeing we are his conquered inheritance who will take vs out of his hand My sheepe can no man take out of my hand saith our blessed Sauiour Most happy then and sure is the estate of all those who are in Christ Iesus But leauing other similitudes let vs consider that this phrase to be in Christ is borrowed from planting or ingrafting Our Sauiour vses this same similitude Iohn 15. And in it we haue these things to consider First who is the stock or root secondly who are the grafts or branches ingrafted thirdly what is the manner of the ingrafting fourthly some comfors and instructions arising hereof The root or stock whereinto this ingrafting is made is Iesus Christ called by himselfe the true Vine by the Apostles the true Oliue by the Prophets the roote of Iesse and the righteous branch this roote that great husbandman the eternall God prepared to be as a stocke of life wherein he ingrafts all of Adams lost posteritie whom he hath concluded to saue to the praise of the glory of his mercie After that in the fulnes of time God hath sent him into the world clad with our nature and he hath done the work for which he came the Lord laid him in the graue and as it were set him in the graue but at once like a liuely roote hee sprang vp and rested not till his branches spred to the vttermost ends of the earth and till his top mounted vp vnto heauen for there now he sits and raignes in life who before was humbled to death The branches or graftes ingrafted in him are of two sorts first all the members of the Church visible who by externall Baptisme are entred to a profession of Christ baptised with water but not with the holy Ghost this kinde of ingrafting will suffer a cutting off if thou continue not in his bountifulnesse thou shalt also be cut off For they haue not the sap of grace ministred to them from the stocke of life but are as dead trees hauing leaues without fruit they haue a shew of Godlinesse but haue denyed the power thereof these are no better then Esau who lay in the same wombe with Iacob borne and brought vp in the same Family of Isaac which was the Church of God marked also with the same sacrament of Circumcision Naâ— sicut ille ex legittima matre natus gratiam superbe spreuit reprobatus est it a qui in vera Ecclesia baptizantur gratiam Dei non amplectuntur cum Esauo reijciuntur For as hee being borne of a lawfull Mother proudely despised Grace and was cast off so they who are baptised in the true Church of God and embrace not the grace of God shall be reiected with Esau neyther shall it auaile them that by an externall kinde of ingrafting they haue beene adioyned to the fellowship of the visible Church The other sort are they who beside the outward ingrafting whereof we haue spoken are also inwardly grafted by the holy Ghost in Iesus Christ in such sort that Christ is in them and they in Christ and can say with the Apostle Now I liue yet not I any more but Christ Iesus liueth in me these haue in them that same minde which was in Iesus the onely sure argument of our spirituall vnion with him for if any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same is not his and they who are quickned and ruled by this spirit are assuredly his As for the manner of the ingrafting it is spiritual wrought by the holy Ghost who creating faith in our heart by hearing of the Gospell makes vs to goe out of our selues tranfire in Christum so to relie vpon him that by his light we are illuminated by his spirit wee are quickned by the continuall furniture of his grace we perseuere and increase in spirituall strength in a word so we liue that in our selues we dye Euery lampe of the golden candlesticke hath his owne pipe through which these two oliues that stand with the ruler of the whole world emptie themselues into the gold that is euery member of the Church of Christ receiues grace from that fulnesse of Grace which is in him through the secret conduits of the spirit whereby he causeth
are the Heyres of God heires annexed with Iesus Christ and the heritage whereunto they are borne is eternall life therefore of necessitie they must liue Here first wee haue to consider what action and operation of the spirit this is which distinguisheth the Sonnes of God from other men The operations of the Spirit are diuers hee hath an vniuersall operation by which he works in all his creatures conseruing leading and directing them to his owne determined ends for in him euery thing that is hath the being liuing and mouing as euery creature is made by God so is it ruled and led by the Spirit according to his appointment Hee hath againe a more speciall operation in man and them backe againe seauen mightie nations of the Canaanits are gathered before them to resist them and hold them out of Canaan but the shepheard and leader of Israell steps ouer all these impediments as if they had not beene in the way and places his people in the mountaine of his inheritance and afterward when he concluded to bring his people from Babell homeward to Canaan he prepared a way for them in the Wildernesse he commaunded the mountaines to bee made low and the vallies to be exalted he commanded the crooked to be straight and the rough places to become plaine and it was done This is for our comfort the Lord who hath taken vs by the hand to lead vs into his holy habitation shall remoue all impediments that are before vs though Sathan like a Lyon spoyled of his pray snatch after vs though he double his tentations vpon vs and with manifold afflictions compasse vs though terrible death and the horrible graue stand before vs threatning to swallow vs by the way yet shall we see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing and ouer all our enimies shall be more than conquerors through him that loued vs and hath taken vs into his owne hand to lead vs to that inheritance which he hath prepared for vs. For it is manifest that both the beginning progresse and perfection of our saluation is ascribed to the spirit of God in holy scriptures when we were dead in sinne he quickned vs when he hath quickned vs he gouernes and leads vs and worketh continually in vs till he perfect vs. Thus is he the author and the finisher of our faith and all the glory of our saluation is his as wee cannot begin to doe well without him so we cannot continue in well doing without him if he lead vs not we wander from him and wearie our selues in the vvay of iniquitie It should serue to humble vs that wee are pointed out here to be but babes and children such as cannot goe by our selues vnlesse we be led by another As that Eunuch answered Phillip when he asked vnderstandest thou what thou readest how can I saith he vnderstand without a guide so may we answere the Lord when he commaunds vs to vvalk in his way how can wee O Lord that are but children and new borne babes walke in thy way without a guide It is a point of good religion to turne the Lords precepts into prayers Send out Lord thy light and thy truth let them lead mee let them bring mee into thine holy mountaine and to thy tabernacles Let thy good spirit lead mee vnto the land of righteousnesse When the Lord threatned that hee would no more goe before the Children of Israel to lead them as hee had done Moses tooke it so deepely to heart that he protested he would not goe one foote further except the Lord went with him and certainely if wee knew the manifold inconueniences whereunto wee shall fall if the Lord forsake vs wee would neuer enter our feete into that way wherein wee saw not the Lord going before vs in mercy to lead vs. Our life on earth should be ordered as was the life of Israell in the wildernesse the Lord went before them by day in a cloud by night in a pillar of fire when the cloud remoued they remoued what way so euer it went they followed where the cloud stood they camped thus the Lord led them by two and fortie stations fortie yeeres in the Wildernesse though Canaan was not farre from them yet they entred not into it till the Lord directed them The Lord hath in like manner praysed be his name for it brought vs out of the land of our bondage he might if he had pleased long ere now haue entred vs into our Canaan but it pleaseth him for a time to exercise vs and to haue vs walking vp and downe this Wildernesse Let vs possesse our harts with patience and reuerence the Lords dispensation in the meane time take heed that the Lord goe before vs that his word shine vnto vs as a lanthorne to our feete and that his holy spirit be our guide to lead vs in his righteousnesse then shall we be sure of a happy end of our iourney when wee liue not as wee list but vnder the gouerment of the holy spirit when our rising and lying downe our Verse 15. For yee haue not receiued the Spirit of bondage to feare againe but the Spirit of Adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father THe Apostle to strengthen his former argument sets downe a short discription in this and the subsequent verse of a threefold operation which the spirit maketh in them whom he leadeth for first he is vnto them a spirit of bondage working feare Secondly he is a Spirit of Adoption working loue through the sense of Gods mercy for hee not onely makes them whom hee leades the Sonnes of God but intimates vnto their spirits Gods loue towards them which otherwise was vnknowne vnto them and thirdly hee is a Spirit of intercession making vs to goe with boldnesse to the throne of grace and call vpon God as vpon our Father Of the which the first part of his argument is made cleare that they who are led by the spirit of God are the Sonnes of God yea by the testimonie of the Spirit they themselues know that it is so and therefore in most homely and humble manner acknowledge him for their Father This the Apostle propones in such a manner that hee applyes it particularly to the Godly Romaines vnto whom hee writeth Yee haue not saith he receiued againe the Spirit of bondage vnto feare as yee did in the time of your first conuersion yee haue proceeded further and haue experience of his other operations then yee felt him casting you downe with the sight of your sinnes but now ye feele him comforting you and raising you vp with the sense of Gods loue and mercy toward you in Iesus Christ. The spirit of God is called a Spirit of bondage vnto feare not as if hee made them in whom hee worketh slaues or bond-men but because in his first operation hee rebukes them of sinne in whom hee worketh and lets them see that bondage
and seruitude vnder which they lye which works in them an horrible feare but in his second operation he is a spirit of Adoption making them free who were bound before comforting them with the sight of Gods mercy whom before he terrified with the sight of their owne sins to the one hee vseth the preaching of the Law which discouers our disease to the other the preaching of the Gospell which points out the Physition As the proclayming of the Law wrought a terrour in their hearts who heard it so doth the preaching thereof for who can heare himselfe accursed and condemned by the mouth of God and not tremble Iohn the Baptist began at the preaching of the Law Now is the axe laid to the root of the tree euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire then hee proceeded and poynted out the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world by the first hee prepared a way to the second for his auditours being cast downe in themselues with the threatning enquired earnestly what shall wee doe then that we may bee saued and were glad to heare of a remedy It is out of doubt that they who are not touched with a remorse for their sinnes nor a feare of the wrath to come and into whose hearts neuer entred that care what shall I doe that I may be saued haue not knowne as yet so much as the very beginnings of saluation Wee are not then to thinke here that the Apostle is comparing the Godly vnder the Gospell with the Godly vnder the Law but hee is comparing the Godly vnder the Gospell with themselues their second experience of the operation of the Spirit with the first it is true that once sayth hee yee receiued the Spirit of bondage working feare this was his first operation in you but now yee haue experience of another and are made pertakers of a more excellent operation hee is become vnto you a Spirit of Adoption by whom yee call vpon God as vpon your Father For the Godly vnder the Law were pertakers of this deny that Sarah was his Wife made Peter deny that Christ was his Lord this feare made Ionas refuse to goe to Niniue and made that worthy Prophet Samuel vnwilling to annoint Dauid for hee feared least Saul should slay him yet are they so subiect vnto it that the feare of God at length ouercomes in them The third sort is seruile feare the obiect whereof is the iudgements of God onely and this is proper to the wicked they feare the plagues of God but so that they loue their sinnes and hates and abhorres euery one that doth snibbe or restraine them in the course of their sinnes The fourth is filiall so called because it is proper to the sonnes of God they doe not onely feare him for his iudgements but loue him and feare him for his mercy mercy is with thee O Lord that thou mayst be feared As for the Diabolicall feare Saint Iames saith the Diuels know there is a God therefore they feare and tremble they haue receiued within themselues the sentence of damnation they know it shall neuer be recalled they seeke no mercy nor shall they obtaine it and the seruile feare of the wicked shall at the last end in this desperate feare of the damned finding themselues condemned without all further hope of mercy they shall tremble and feare continually Of this it is euident that the feare wherof here he speaks is the first part of filiall feare namely a feare of that punishment which is due to sinne and to the godly is an introduction to worke in them feare of God for his mercies conioyned with loue so then his meaning is cleere albeit in the time of your first conuersion you were striken with a feare of that wrath which is the recompense of sinne yet now the spirit of adoption hath not onely released you of that feare of damnation which you conceiued at the first through the knowledge of your sinnes but hath also made you certaine of saluation and assured that God is become your father in Christ Iesus In the wicked the feare of Gods wrath once begunne encreases daily till it proceede as I spake to that desperate feare of the damned but in the godly the feare of Gods iudgements is but a preparation to the loue of God feare shall not alwayes abide in their harts for when God shall crowne them with his mercies and his loue in them shall be perfect then perfect loue casts out feare therefore Augustine compares the feare of Gods iudgements in the godly to a Needle that goes through the seame and prepares in it a place for the thread which is to remaine so doth the feare of Gods iudgements goe through the secret seames of the hart and prepares a place for the loue of God which shall abide and continue for euer in the godly when feare shall bee away The Lord at the first deales hardly with his children as our Sauiour delt with the woman of Canaan whom hee comforted at the last and as Ioseph entreated his brethren roughly whom at the last for tender compassion hee imbraced with many teares but all these terrours and feares wherewith God humbles his owne are but preparatiues to his consolations at the length hee shall make it knowne to them that hee is their louing father as for the wicked though they haue not suffered from their youth the terrours of God it is because they are reserued for them Neither are they euen now exempted from their owne feares for albeit there were none to reproue them their owne consciences sends out accusing thoughts to terrifie them and if at any time they shall heare the word of God faithfully and with power deliuered vnto them then doe they much more tremble feare for the word strengthens the conscience to accuse and terrifie them but feare is both the first and last effect it workes in them and therefore is it that being so oft disquieted with hearing of the word as Felix was with the preaching of Paul they are no more desirous to heare it but rather hates it and abhors it because it testifies no good vnto them more than Micaiah did to Achab and so they neuer attaine to his other operation of the spirit they are not transchanged by hearing into the similitude of the sonnes of GOD neither receiues that but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not like the strong bloud of God but the blood of man But as for the Children of God they can not be deceiued of their generation they know that God is their Father and with greater homelinesse and more freedome of spirit yea and surer knowledge they call God their Father then any son in the world is able to call on his earthly Father Whereby we cry The Apostle here doth teach vs that it is by the spirit of
than if he had said the gall of bitternesse was in him and the spirit of God when he sayes that man is in his sinne or in the flesh doth thereby expresse a farre greater corruption of his wretched nature then if he did say that sinne and fleshly corruption is in him Syricius Bishop of Rome expounds this place of married persons affirming that they are in the flesh and so cannot please God flatly against the Apostles owne commentarie for hee wrote this Epistle to the godly Romanes among whom vvere many married persons such as Aquila and Priscilla whom afterward he commends for godlinesse and of whom hee sayes verse 9. yee are not in the flesh because the spirit of God dwels in you so doth the Apostle expound it himselfe and therefore the Pope is but a peruerse interpreter of the Apostles minde and his fauourers are but seducers who vvill haue vs to seeke out of the boxe of his breast the true sence and meaning of all scripture Alwayes leauing them let vs marke againe here the miserable estate of such as are strangers from Christ. What an vnhappy condition is this that a man should liue in that state of life wherein doe what hee vvill hee cannot please God Let Cain sacrifice with Abel the Lord shall not accept it let Esau his teares seeking a blessing from his father be shed as aboundantly as Iacobs were when hee sought a blessing from the Angell yet shall he not preuaile he shall not be blessed let the Pharise pray in the Temple with the Publicane he shall not goe home iustified and for worldly glory let him be neuer so high among men hee is but abhomination vnto God yea oftentimes worldlings to whom waters are wrung out of a full cuppe are counted blessed and happie yet is it but ignorance that makes men account much of them that are despised in the eyes of God Ideo malus foelix putatur quia quod sit foelicitas ignoratur for this cause is an euill man counted happie because men know not what happinesse is But what euer men be thought of by others eyther for his shew of Godlinesse or his shew of worldly glory vnder which two shadowes the most part of men deceiue the â—emanent it is certaine that hee onely is blessed with whom the Lord is pleased If the tree bee not good it cannot bring forth good fruite and if the person bee not Godly his actions cannot bee acceptable vnto God It is in Christ Iesus onely that the Father is well pleased except wee be in Christ neyther can our persons nor actions please the Lord. The Lord translate vs yet further out of this vnhappy estate of nature the Lord roote vs and ground vs in Christ Iesus and stablish vs to abide in him for euer Verse 9. Now ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit because the Spirit of God dwelleth in you but if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his THE Apostle hauing discouâ—sed of the miserable estate of them who walke after the flesh doth now turne him toward the godly to comfort them least they should bee discouraged with that remanent caâ—nall coâ—ruption which they finde within themselues he shewes them that what he hath spoken of the vnhappy condition of carnall men doth no way concerne them for they are not in the flesh but in the Spirit In this verse the comfort is first set downe and then a caution annexed vnto it the comfort is for the weake Christian the Caution for the presumptuous professor the Apostle so terrifies the vvicked that he reserues comfort for the Godly and he so comforts the Godly that he confirmes not the wicked in their sinnes No sort of men are sooner moued with the sharpe speaches of the word of God then are the children of God He hath said before they who are in the flesh cannot please God least this should terrifie the Godly he subioynes But as for you yee are not in the flesh for the Spirit of God dwelleth in you Againe no sort of meâ— are more ready to appropriate vnto themselues the comforts of God then they to whom they belong not and therefore for their sakes the Apostle subioynes the Caution If any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his Where first vvee may learne that the word of God ought so to be handled and receiued that it should be applied to the comfort of those who are the sonnes of consolation and to the conuiction of others the Apostle doth now yee see apply his former doctrine letting them to whom he writes see the comfort and admonitton which out of it riseth vnto them so ought wee alway to handle and heare the word of God as considering what is our part and interest in it for this word is written for vs and doth so neerely concerne vs that as Moses saith It is our life it giueth sentence eyther with or against euerie man that heares it being to the one the sauour of life to the other the sauour of death When Iohn the Baptist preached that word of iudgement Now the axe is laid to the roote of the tree euery tree that bringeth not out good fruit shall bee hewen downe and cast into the fire his hearers so receiued it as a word which touched them neerely and therefore both People Publicanes and Souldiers came to him and asked What shall wee doe then So the Iewes in like manner asked Peter being pricked in their hearts at the hearing of his Sermon What shall wee doe then the same was the voyce of the Iaylor to Paul and Silas and it should be the voyce of euery man as oft as hee heares the word of God condemning his sinnes What shall I doe then that I may be saued As meate brought to the table cannot nourish vnlesse it bee applyed to the mouth and from thence sent downe into the stomacke so the word of God cannot profit vs vnlesse we so heare it vt traijciatur in viscera quaedam animae nostrae transeat in affectiones nostras that it be sent into the bowels of our soule and enter into our affections If in this manner thou receiue the word of God out of doubt thou shalt be saued by it but in this part most part of men heares the word of God as they would heare an Indian storie or some other such discouâ—se as did not concerne them whereof it comes that at this day after long planting and watering there is so small a spirituall growth in grace and godlinesse among vs Now â—or the words yee are not in the flesh but in the spirit that is as yee heard it before expounded ye are not carnall men but spirituall Here it is to be inquired seeing no man knowes the things of a man but the spirit of a man hovv could the Apostle know that
these Romanes were spirituall Was not Eli deceiued in iudging of Anna she sought the Lord in the affliction of her spirit and hee iudged that she had beene a wicked woman and may not godly men be deceiued on the other extremitie to thinke well of them vvho are euill indeede I answere the Apostle doth here write vnto a Church and a publique fellowship or company of men seperate from the remanent of the world by the heauenly vocation called to be Saints and therefore might vndoubtedly write vnto them as vnto Saints and spirituall men it being alway most sure that where the Lord gathers by his word a Church he hath alway in the middest thereof a number that belong to the election of grace But to proceed further and to see how farre vve may goe in iudging of a priuate man we must know that first there is a iudgement of faith secondly a iudgement of fruits thirdly a iudgement of extraordinarie reuelation By the first we can onely iudge our selues and know our owne saluation according to that of the Apostle proue your selues if yee be in the faith know yee not your owne selues how that Christ is in you except yee be reprobates By the iudgement of fruits we may also proceed and iudge of others according to that rule of our blessed Sauiour Yee shall know them by their fruits no man gathers grapes of thornes or figges of thistles Euery good tree bringeth forth good fruit and a corrupt tree bringeth forth euil fruit These first two are common to euery Christian the iudgement of fruits being helped by the iudgement of Charitie Concerning the third Simon Peter knew by extraordinarie reuelation that Simon Magus was a reprobate a child of perdition by it the Apostle Paul knew that the same vnfayned faith dwelt in Timothie which dwelt before in his grandmother Lois and in his mother Eunice and by it Iohn the Euangelist knew that the Lady to whom hee wrote vvas an elect Lady but as for vs we are not to presume the election or reprobation of any man by such extraordinary reuelation Againe wee haue to mrke for our comfort how the Apostle calles them spirituall men in whom notwithstanding remained fleshly corruption The iudgement of the Lord and Sathan are contrary there is in you saith the deceiuer to the weake Christian fleshly corruption therefore yee are carnall there is in you saith the Lord through my grace a spirituall disposition therefore yee are spirituall Sathan is so euill that his eye sees nothing in the Christian but that which is euill the Lord is so good that hee sees no transgression in Israell hee iudges not his children by the remanents of their old corruption but by the beginnings of his renuing grace in vs. One dram of the grace of Christ in the soule of a Christian makes him more pretious in the eyes of God than that any remanent corruption in him can make him odious therfore is it that the Lord giues vnto them the names of his beloued his seruants his Sonnes his Saints who are so onely in part and by a beginning Both these are true hee that is borne of God sinneth not and againe if we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues Illud ex primimitijs noui hominis istis ex reliquijs veteris the one wee haue of the first fruits of the new man the other of the remanents of the old man Let vs therefore be so continually displeased with our inhabitant corruption that we dispaire not nor be discouraged neither let vs so complain of our sins that wee become false witnesses against the grace of God which is in vs. If there were nothing in vs but that wee haue by nature our estate were most miserable but seeing beside nature theâ—e is in vs a new workmanship of grace fâ—om the which the Lord accounts vs new and spirituall men wee haue thanks be to God matter of comfort As Sathan is a lyer in denying the name of spirituall men to men regenerate so his supposts aduersaries of the truth of Christ are lying deceiuers and vniust robbers when they restraine this name to such as are of their Cleargie which here the Apostle makes competent to euery man in whom the spirit of Christ dwelleth Spiritualem non facit vestis locus officium opus sed Spiritus it is neyther garment sayes one of their owne nor place nor office nor externall work that makes a man spirituall but the holy Spirit dwelling in him Because the Spirit of God dwels in you He subioynes here the confirmation of his former comfort hee hath said vnto them yee are not in the flesh hee proues it the Spirit of God dwels in you therefore yee are noâ— in the flesh not carnall but spirituall The necessitie of the consequence depends vpon this middest that the spirit of God where hee dwels is not idle but workes where he workes he workes not in vaine but effectuates that which he intends he transforms them in whom he dwels into the similitude of his owne Image hee is compared to fire that giues light euen to them who are farre of and heate to them who are neere hand but transchangeth those things into the nature of fire which are cast into it with so meruailous a vertue that yron which is cold by nature being put into the fire becomes hot and burning so doth that holy Spirit illuminate euery one who comes into the world but hee changeth all those in whom hee dwelleth hee transformeth them into his owne similitude and endueth them with an holy and heauenly disposition then his argument is sure the Spirit of God dwelleth in you therefore yee are not carnall but spirituall In the end of the last Chapter the Apostle said that sinne dwelleth in the man regenerate it is not I but sinne that dwelleth in me and here hee sayes that the spirit of God dwelleth in the man regenerate this is strange that two guests of so contrary natures should both at one time haue their dwelling in man I compare the soule of man regenerate to the house of Abraham wherein there was both a free woman Sarah and a bond woman Hagar vvith their children Ismael the sonne of the bond woman borne after the flesh is older and stronger then Isaac the sonne of the freewoman borne after the spirit that is according to the promise hee disdaines little Isaac as weaker and persecutes him yet the comfort of Isaac is that though Ismaell dwell in the house of Abraham for a while hee shall not remaine the sonne of the bondwoman shall be cast out and shall not inherit the promise with the sonne of the free woman such a house is the soule of a Christian there dwelleth in it at one time both old nature and new grace with their children the old man at the first being older and stronger than the new
man doth persecute him and seekes by all meanes to oppresse him but at the last hee shall be cast out This metaphor of dwelling doth also yeelde vnto vs exceeding great comfort in all other habitations the lodging is larger than the inhabiter but this is maruailous that the lodging here is so little and the inhabiter so great that infinite maiestie vvhom the heauen of heauens cannot contain vvho hath the heauen for his throne and the earth for his footestoole hath chosen for his dwelling and place of rest the soule of him that is poore contrite and trembles at his word A wonderfull mercy that the highest maiestie should so farre dimâ—t the selfe as that passing by all his other creatures hee should make choyse of man to be his pleasant sanctuary From this it is euident that this dwelling doth designe some speciall presence of God with his own children which he shewes not vnto others it is true hee is present in euerie place bounded within no place he containes all things vncontayned of any where hee dwelleth not as a Father there hee sits as a Iudge and is a terrour which manner of way the damned are continually vexed with his presence but in the Christian hee dwels as a maister in his owne familie as a Father with his children quickning ruling and preseruing them Worldlings may match the Christian in externall gifts but cannot compare with him in this internall glory though without hee be but an earthen vessell yet hath hee within an heauenly treasure for hee is the habitation of God in whom the Lord dwels by his spirit It was Beniamin his glory that the Lord should dwell betweene his shoulders and the glory of Ierusalem that there the Lord dwelt between the Cherubins but most of all the glory of a Christian that the Lord dwelleth betweene the secrets of his soule let worldling reioyce in their outward priuiledges and in their presumptuous minds leap like the mightie mountaines esteeming themselues high as mount Basan yet this is the glory of a Christian that God delights to dwell in him Let vs therfore make much of them who feare the Lord though in regard of their outward estate they were neuer so base we should not be ashamâ—d to doe them honour for his sake who dwelleth in them Dariâ—s preferred Daniell because the spirit was excellent in him and Pharaoh honoured Ioseph because the Spirit of God was in him yea the Angels are content to be Seruants and Ministers to them who feare the Lord they honoured Shepheards for Christs sake with their presence which they did not vnto King Herod for all his glory and shall not wee delight in Gods excellent ones vpon earth surely hee shall dwell in the Tabernacle of God in whose eyes a vile person is contemned but hee honoureth them who feare the Lord. Hereby wee know that wee are translated from death to life because wee loue the brethrâ—n Not onely doth this Metaphor of dwelling import a familiar presence but also a continuance thereof for he soiourns not in vs as a stranger that lodges for some dayes or Moneths in a place but hath setled his residence to dwell in vs for euer howeuer by temporall desertions he humble vs yet shall he neuer depart from that soule which once hee hath sanctified to be his owne habitation and this comfort is confirmed to vs by most sure arguments The first is taken from the nature of God Hee is faithfull saith the Apostle by whom wee are called to the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord hee will confirme vs to the end that we may bee blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus And againe saith hee I am perswaded that hee who hath begunne this good work in you will performe it vntill the day of Christ. That word which the Lord spake to Iacob stands sure to all his posteritie I will not forsake thee till I haue performed that which I promised thee The couenant of God is perfect and euerlasting and therefore with Dauid will wee giue this glory vnto God that he will performe his promise toward vs and bring forward his owne worke in vs to perfection The second argument is taken from the nature of that life which Christ communicateth to his members it is no more subiect vnto death We know that Christ being raised from the dead dyes no more this life I say is communicated to vs for it is not we that liues but Christ that liues in vs. And the third is taken from the nature of that seede whereof we are begotten for as the seede is so is the life that comes by it now the seed saith the Apostle is immortall wee are borne of new not of mortall seed but immortall our life therefore is immortall But against this is obiected that the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and that which Dauid prayes take not thine holy Spirit from me To this I answere that the spirit is taken sometime for the common and externall gifts of the spirit such as are bestowed as well vpon the wicked as vpon the godly as the gift of Prophecie gouernement working miracles and such like and these once giuen may bee taken againe in this sense it is said that God tooke the spirit that was vpon Moses and gaue it vnto the seauentie Elders and so also it is said that the spirit of God departed from Saul there it is put for the gift of gouernement sometime againe it is taken for the speciall and internall gift of sanctification this spirit once giuen is neuer taken away for this gift and calling of God is without repentance that is they neuer fall vnder reuocation To the second when Dauid saith take not thine holy spirit from me and restore me againe to the ioy of thy saluation this impoâ—â—s not a full departure of Gods spirit from him otherwise he could not haue prayed but that his sinne had diminished the sense and feeling of that operation of the spirit in him which he was wont to feele before and so is it with others of Gods Children that eyther the neglect of the spirituall worship or the commission of some new sins doth so impayre the sense of mercy in them that to their iudgement the spirit of God hath iustly forsaken them This I confesse is a very heauie estate and more bitter to them that haue felt before the sweetenesse of Gods mercy than death it selfe yet euen in this same estate wherein no comfort is felt let patience sustaine men let them learne to put a difference betweene that which they feele and that which is and remember that this is a false conclusion to say the spirit of grace is not in thee because thou canst not feele him for as there is a substance in the Oake or Elme euen when it hath cast the leaues so is there Grace in the heart
but phantasie and vanishing shewes nothing commends vs to God but this one to haue the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs. Againe wee see here that Christ and his Spirit cannot bee sundred except men will crucifie againe the Sonne of God Let no man therefore say that he hath Christ vnlesse hee haue the Spirit of Christ. As hee is not a man who hath not a Soule so hee is not a Christian who hath not the spirit of Christ no man counteth that a member of his body which is not quickned by his Spirit no more is hee a member of Christ who hath not the spirit of Christ hereby wee know that wee dwell in him and hee in vs because he hath giuen vs of his Spirit And as Christ and his spirit are not sundred so cannot the spirit be sundred from the fruits of the Spirit now the fruites of the Spirit are Loue Ioy Peace Long Suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meeknesse Temperance If the Spirit of Christ dwell in vs and if wee liue in the Spirit let vs walke in the Spirit this is the conuiction of carnall professors that while they say the spirit of Christ is in them they declare none of his fruites in their conuersation but to insist somwhat more in this same purpose Wee are to know that the effects and operations of the Spirit are twofold the one is a generall and common operation which he hath in the wicked for hee illuminates euery one who commeth into the world Neyther can any man say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Spirit euery spark of light and portion of truth bee it in whom it will flowes out of doubt from this holy Spirit That Caiaphas and Saul can Prophecie that Iudas can Preach all is from him but of â—his manner of operation is not here meant for this way he vvorketh in the wicked not for any good to them but for the aduancement of his owne worke The other kinde of the holy Ghosts operation is speciall and proper to the godly by the vvhich hee doth not onely illuminate their mindes but proceeds also to their harts and workes this threefold effect in it Sanctification Intercession and Consolation First he is vnto them a spirit of Sanctification renuing their harts by his effectuall grace hee first rebukes them of sinne he wakens their conscience with some sight of their iniquities and sense of that wrath which sinne hath deserued whereof arises heauinesse in their harts sadnesse in their countenance lamentation in their speech and such an alteration in their whole behauiour that their former pleasures become painefull vnto them and others who knevv them before wonders to see such a change in them From this he proceeds and leads them to a sight of Gods mercie in Christ hee inflames their harts with a hunger thirst for that mercie and workes in their hearts such a loue of righteousnesse and hatred of sinne that now they become more afraid of the occasions of sinne then they were before of sinne it selfe this resistance made to the â—entations this care to eschew the occasions of sinne is an vndoubted token of the spirit of Christ dwelling in thee This is the first operation of the spirit but it is not all he proceeds yet further by degrees for the kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seede into the earth which growes vp and vve cannot tell how first it sends out the blade secondly the eares and then the cornes so proceeds the kingdome of God in maâ— by degrees In the second place the holy spirit becomes to the godly a spirit of Intercession so long as vve are bound with the cords of our transgressions we cannot pray but from the time hee once loose vs from our sinnes hee openeth our mouth vnto God hee teacheth vs to pray not onely with sighes and sobbes that cannot be expressed but also puts such words in our mouths as we our selues who spake them are not able to repeat againe And thirdly hee becomes vnto them the spirit of Consolation if he be vnto thee a sanctifier and an intercessor hee shall not faile at the last to be thy comforter If at the first after that thou hast sent vp supplications thou find not his consolation descending vpon thee be not discouraged but be the more humbled for alas our sinnes shortens his arme and the hardnesse of our harts holds out his comforts we must fall downe vvith Mariâ— and lye still washing the feet of Christ with our teares before he takes vs in his armes to kisse vs with the kisses of his mouthâ— and if wee finde these effects of his presence going before humiliation of our hart and the grace of prayer wee may be out of all doubt that his consolations shall follow after Of this it is yet further euident against all those who deny that the Christian may bee sure of his saluation that hee vvho hath the spirit of Iesus knowes that hee hath him as he who hath life feeles sensiblie that he hath it and is able truely to say I liue â—o he who hath the spirit of Iesus knowes by feeling that hee hath him and is able to say in truth Christ liueth in mee Know yee not saith the Apostle that Christ Iesus is in you except yee be reprobates This shall bee further confirmed by considering those three names which are giuen to the holy spirit from his operation in vs hee is the Seale the Earnestâ— the witnesse of God the vse of a Seale is to confirme and make sure One of these two therefore must the Papists say that â—yther none are sealed by the holy Spirit or else they must confesse that they who are sealed are sure If they say that none are sealed by this Spirit they speake against the manifest truth of God grieue not the holy spirit by whom yee are sealed against the day of redemption And if they deny that they who are seâ—led by him are sure of that saluation which God hath promised he hath sealed they blaspheme calling him such a seale as makes not them sure who are sealed by him hee who hath the seale of a Prince rests assured of that which by the seale is confirmed to him aâ—d shall not the seale of the 〈◊〉 God the Spirit of promise confirme that man in the assurance of saluation who hath receiued him Neither is he onely the seale of God but hee is also the earnest of our inheritance and the witnesse of God he that beleeueth in the sonne hath a witnesse in himselfe what vvill the aduersarie of Christian comfort say to this if yee say that there are none to whom Gods spirit witnesses mercie from God ye speake against the Apostle the spirit beares witnesse to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God or if yee say that those vvho haue this testimonie of the
speaking in the name of the Lord not thy merits for if I should seeke thy merits thou shouldst neuer bee pertaker of my gifts When the Apostle Saint Paul had reckoned out how hee had laboured more aboundantly in the worke of the ministerie then all the rest of the Apostles hee subioynes as it were by correction yet not I but the grace of God in me learning vs when vve haue done all the good we can to be humble in our selues and giue the glory to God if he promise vs a crowne nihil aliud coronat nisi dona sua he crownes no other thing but his owne gifts if by promise hee bindes himselfe a debter vnto vs to giue vs a reward debitor factus est nobis non aliquid a nobis accipiendo sed quod ille placuit promittendo he is become a debter vnto vs not by receiuing any thing from vs but by promosing freely to vs that which pleased him and therefore when we are exhorted to mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit let vs first turne this and the like of the precepts into prayers that the Lord would enable vs by grace to doe that which he commaunds vs and then when in some measure we haue done it that we returne the praise and glory to the Lord. Mortifie c. Seeing the first part of our sanctification is called mortification vve are to consider hovv in this word there lurkes a rule vvhereby euery man may try hovv farre forth he hath profited in sanctification vve see by experience that the neerer a man drawes to death the lesse motion is in him but after hee is once dead hee moues not at all present him pleasant obiects they delight him not praise him yet he is not puffed vp speake euill of him yet he is not offended euen so is it with the spirituall man the greater progresse he makes in sanctification the motions of sin are euer the weaker in him the pleasures of the world moues him not as they were wont if thou praise him the breath of thy mouth cannot lift him vp if thou offend him the more he is mortified the lesse he is grieued As a man saith Basile being dead is seperate from those with whom he was conuersant before so hee who is mortified is instantly sundred in his affections from those who before were his familiar companions in sinne yea those actions wherein he delighted before are a griefe vnto him now it is a vexation of his soule to heare and see the vnrighteous deedes of the wicked which were wont to be vnto him the matter of his sport and laughter Therefore doth he wish and so should we that we might alwayes die this kind of death foelix mors quae alienum facit hominem ab hoc saeculo certainly it is a happy death which alienates and turnes away the hart of man from the loue of this world Bona mors quippe vitam non aufert sed transfert in melius for it is a good kinde of death which doth not take life away but changes it into a better But alas how farre are we from this spirituall disposition doth not the angry countenance of one in wordly authoritie terrifie vs the disdainfull words of men doe they not put vs out of the state of patience if the world flatter vs are we not puft vp if she frowne vpon vs are wee not cast downe and this our great weakenesse proceeds onely from the strength of sinne in vs this lets vs see what cause we haue to bee humbled considering that hauing liued long in this time of grace yet haue we profited little in the mortification of our sinfull lusts and affections Againe out of this same word of Mortification wee learne that the worke of our Sanctification is a worke of difficultie not accomplished without labour paine and dolour for it receiues these three names as to bee called Mortification Regeneration and Circumcision As no birth no death no cutting off the flesh can bee without dolour and sorrow so the conuersion of a sinner is not wrought without inward paine and sorrow The Infant that hath laid but nine Moneths in the wombe of the mother is not deliuered without great paine suppose shee conceiued it with pleasure and shalt thou thinke to part with sinne which in thee was conceiued with thee and which since so often thou hast nourished with pleasure and not to proue the dolours of the New-birth No assuredly In the worke of mans conuersion there is the contrite spirit the humbled heart the mourning weede the melting eye the pale countenance the voyce of lamentation let not such as feele them if they find therwith a rending of their affections from their old sins be troubled for these are but the dolors of their new birth and for others who know not these inward humiliations and wrestlings of the Children of God they haue iust cause to suspect themselues that they haue not so much as the beginnings of Mortification Regeneration and spirituall Circumcision By the Spirit Nature will not destroy our sinfull lusts they are mortified by the Spirit of Christ and therefore vve are to nourish and entertaine this Spirit by the meanes before prescribed As those Beasts which sacrificed to God vnder the Law were first slaine by the knife of the Leuite and then offered to God vpon the Altar so the Lord Iesus must mortifie our affections by the power of his word and Spirit before they can be presented acceptable sacrifices to the Lord our God Yee shall liue As I spake of death which is threatned so speake I of life here promised this temporall life cannot bee the recompense of righteousnesse for it is common both to the Godly and the wicked If in this life onely we had hope of all men wee were the most miserable but the life here promised is eternall life the beginning whereof presently vve enjoy by the Spirit of our Lord who hath quickned vs so that wee may say now I liue yet not I but Christ Iesus liueth in mee the accomplishment thereof wee looke for hereafter Thus hath the Apostle set before vs both life and death he hath shewed vs the way how wee may eschew the one and attaine to the other the Lord graunt that according to his counsell wee may make choyse of the best Verse 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sonnes of God IN this Verse the Apostle subioynes a Confirmation of his preceding argument in the last part thereof hee hath said If yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the Spirit ye shall liue now he proues it They who mortefie the deedes of the body by the Spirit or they who are led by the Spirit of God for these phrases are equiualent are the Sonnes of God therefore they must liue the necessitie of the consequence is euident of that which followeth the Sonnes of God
who saile in her that how euer they change their action yet goe they on in their course toward their wished hauen so is it with vs doe what wee will whether wee eate or wee sleepe wee are hasting alway toward our ends The Psalmist againe compares our life to a spanne or hand breadth to the grasse which groweth vp in the morning and is cut downe in the euening to a sleepe which slippes away before wee can know what were doing in it to a dreame which of all things is most fickle and vaine to a thought which is not well begunne when it is ended and last of all to a declyning shadow as is the shadow of the Sunne in the setting which a man shall see on the toppe of a mountaine lesse and lesse vanishing till it be no more The Apostle S. Paul compares our life to a race and S. Iames compares it to a smoke or vapour Thus we see how little the spirit of God esteemes of that whereof all the sonnes of Adam accounts so much Our sinne hath shortened our dayes and made them miserable the pleasures of this life are worme-eaten and the glory of flesh is but like the gourd of Ionas which the one day growes vp and the next day is consumed by the wormes If Salomon who proued all the pleasures this life could yeeld after tryall of them cryed out all is vanitie if Iob when his wealth had worne from him looking to his forepassed dayes was compelled to conclude I haue had for inheritance the months of vanitie what shall wee looke to finde more comfort in this wretched life than those men of God before vs haue found let vs not thinke it if wee seeke our comfort in her perishing gaine or glory we shall lament at the last we haue fished all night and haue taken nothing wee haue former seauen yeeres of plenty so shall the endlesse sorrowes of the vvicked make all their former pleasures to be forgotten the dayes shall come vpon them in the vvhich they shall say I haue no pleasure in them Oh that men could consider this double losse they incurre by continuing in their sinnes Esau sold his birth-right for a mease of pottage and Adam lost paradise for an apple and thou more to be lamented that becomes not wise by their example looses like a foole that glory to be reuealed for a floure for what better are the best things of the world than the floure of the Rose vvhich vvanteth not the owne thornes and vermine being plucked in the garden it vvithers in thy hand before thou canst bring it home to thy house and yet for the like of these thou doest forgoe those things which are aboue and more then that redeemes those shadowes by bringing vpon thy selfe that infinit weight of wrath vvhich is to be reuealed vpon all the children of disobedience Of the glory The end of our present sufferings here vve see it is glory Yee shall weepe and lament saith our Sauiour and the world shall reioyce yee shall sorrow but your sorrow shall be turned into ioy Sometime God giues his children notable comfort before trouble as Elias receiued a double portion before his forty dayes fasting Peter Iames and Iohn saw the glory of Christ transfigured on Mount Tabor before they saw his fearefull and bloody sweat in the garden it pleased the Lord by the sight of the one to confirme them that the sight of the other should not confound them Sometime againe the Lord in the middest of trouble giues his children such comfort as deuoures all their present sorrowes to Peter in the prison there appeared an Angell and a light shining round about him and Iacob banished from his fathers house sees a more comfortable vision at Bethel than any that euer he had seene at home but albeit the Lord deales not alway with al his children as he did with these yet are they all sure of this comfort glory shall be the end of their sufferings To be reuealed The Apostle calleth it a glory to be reuealed hee telleth vs in another place that it is prepared already yea it was prepared before the foundation of the world but it is not yet reuealed beatitudo illa comparari hic potest possideri non potest that felicitie may bee obtayned here but cannot be possessed here Ne itaque quaeras in via quod tibi seruatur in patria seeke not therefore that in the way which is keept for thee till thou come to thy country let vs possesse our Soules in patience waiting for that which in this life is neyther reuealed nor can be possessed Moses besought the Lord to shew him his glory and he receiued this answere No man can see it and liue and when that glory filled the Tabernacle it is said that Moses could not enter into it Seeing it is so that our wretched nature can not abide that glory and we cannot liue and see the Lord let vs prepare our selues with ioy and contentment to dye that wee may see him And in the meane time by that glory which God hath reuealed in his works let vs iudge of that which is not reuealed if these workes of God which wee see bee so beautifull what shall we thinke of those wee see not out of all doubt among all the workes of God those which are inuisible are most excellent as the body of man is a beautifull workmanship but not comparable to the soule This glory I account it the highest degree of eternall life the first is Righteousnesse the second Peace the third Ioy the fourth is Glory Righteousnesse breeds Peace and Peace breeds Ioy and our Ioy shall be crowned with glory if the doing of the workes of righteousnesse bring such comfort to the minde as the Godly find in experience how shall our comfort abound when we receiue the reward of righteousnesse which is Glory Si sic bonus es quaerentibus te qualis es assequentibus if thou Lord be so good to them who seeke thee what shalt thou bee to them who finde thee wee may be assured that these first fruites of the Spirit and the earnest of our heauenly inheritance wherin now stands our greatest the Lord face to face and shall in such sort behold his glory that wee shall be transformed into it This change as witnesseth the Apostle is begun by that sight of God which we haue in the Gospell for euen now we beheld as in a mirrour the glory of the Lord with open face and are changed from glory to glory by the same image by the spirit of the Lord but in heauen this change shall be perfected and wee shall be fully transformed into his holy similitude so that nothing shall be left in vs but that which is his owne workmanship O how hath the Lord magnified his mercy towards vs hee hath raised our honour from the dust and deliuered our soules for the lower
of man is not able to vnderstand those things which God hath prepared for vs and therefore will rest with Dauid Blessed is the man whom thou chusest and causest to come vnto thee he shall dwell in thy Courts and be satisfied with the pleasures of thine house This being spoken as concerning the excellency of that life in that it is called a life of glory the next thing to bee considered here is the eternitie thereof for there is here a secret opposition betweene our present sufferings of which the Apostle here saith they are but for now and betweene that Glory which 2 Cor. 4. hee cals eternall but herein wee insist not hauing spoken of it before The third thing concerning this Glory here touched is the claritie and perspicuitie thereof it shall be reuealed and not obscured any more as now it is Now our life is hid with Christ in God Now are wee the sonnes of God but it appeares not what wee shall be As our head being the God of glory came into the world in the shape of a seruant so his members yea and to reioyce in our present afflictions vnder hope of that glory to be reuealed in vs. There is no man vve see that will refuse to change for the better he exchanges siluer for gold and giues leade for pretious stones though the better he gets be but in opinion and shall not wee be content like the vvise men of God to forgoe the earth and the pleasures thereof that vve may enioy heauen As for worldlings it is no meruaile to see them take a dunghill of earth in their armes and say vnto it thou art my ioy and my portion for they not being illuminated with the light of the liuing make choyse of that which according to their light they esteeme to be best or if at any time they haue tasted of the powers of the life to come yet are they like those Marchants who hauing tasted wines vvhich pleases them well refuse to buy them being scared with the greatnesse of the price which must be giuen for them euen so haue they their owne ioy at the hearing of the word and hath also their owne desires to be glorified with Christ but when they heare that before they enioy that glory they must suffer with Christ deny themselues for sake their sinfull pleasures and cease from their gainfull trade of wickednesse they giue ouer the bargaine they stumble and fall backe to the former course of their vngodly life But assuredly if we all knew those things which belong to our peace but now are hid from our eyes ten thousand worlds could not keepe vs backe from them and therefore seeing all the cause of our slow running towards that price of our heauenly calling is in the darknesse of our minds let vs pray continually that the Lord would lighten the eyes of our vnderstanding that we may know the riches of his glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints and againe Lord remember vs with the fauour of thy people and visit vs with thy saluation that we may see the felicitie of thy chosen and reioyce with the ioy of thy people and glory with thine inheritance which the Lord graunt vnto vs for Iesus Christs sake Verse 19. For the feruent desire of the creature wayteth when the sonnes of God shall be reueiled WE haue heard hitherto the Apostles first principall argument of comfort against the Crosse taken from the end of our afflictions set downe in the end of the 17. verse If wee suffer with Christ we shall raigne with Christ. This argument hee hath amplyfied in the 18. verse We shall be glorified with such a glory as for weight and eternitie shall farre exceed our present sufferings Now he insists still in the same amplification and he proues that glory must be both a great and a certaine glory First because the creature by that instinct of nature which God hath put into it waites for the reuelation of that glory Secondly because the sonnes of God who haue receiued the first fruits of the spirit by instinct of grace waite also for it Now it can neither be a small thing nor yet vncertaine which God hath taught his creatures both by instinct of Nature and of Grace to long for but it must be some excellent and most certaine good wherevpon God hath set the instinct and desire of his creature This being the Apostles purpose the order of his proceeding is shortly this verse 19. he sets downe a proposition of the creatures feruent desire to see that glory reueiled thereafter he assignes two reasons why they are so desirous of it The first is verse 20. taken from the present hard estate of the creature The next is verse 21. taken from their future better estate vnto the which they shall be restored when the sons of God shall be reuealed and then he concludes this argument verse 22. And this purpose he handles at the greater length because in all the booke of God this subiect is not handled saue in this place onely For the feruent Here as I haue said he sets downe a proposition of that feruent desire whereby the creature waites for the reuelation of the sonnes of God and this earnest that day of our redemption notwithstanding that exhortation belongs vnto vs that wee should looke for that day and hast vnto it As the creatures were not made for themselues but for vs so they shall not be restored for themselues but for vs for the greater augmentation of our Glory and if they who shall haue but the second roome long for that day how should we long for it for whom that glory chiefly is prepared When the sonnes of God shall be reueiled The sonnes of God are now said not to be reueiled in two respects first because their persons are not reueiled secondly because their glory dignitie is not yet reueiled As for the persons of elect men it is true the Lord knoweth who are his and makes themselues also after their effectuall calling to know that they are his his Spirit bearing testimonie vnto their spirits that they are the sonnes of God he giues vnto them that new Name which none knowes but they who haue it but now they are not so reueiled that they are knowne of the world For this cause the world knowes you not because it knowes not him The good wheate of the Lord is now so couered with chaffe and his excellent pearles are locked vp in earthen vessels the vessell is seene and contemned for the basenesse thereof the pearle is not seene and therefore not esteemed according to the excellencie thereof beside this there are many of the sonnes of God not yet come into the world and many already gone out of it whom wee know not but in that genâ—rall assemblie all the Saints of God shall be gathered together into one at the right hand of the
Lord Iesus and shall be clearely manifested that the wicked their enimies shall know them and be confounded to behold them And of this ariseth a warning to vs all that none of vs despise another but that euen those who for the present are euill and contrary minded wee waite vpon them patiently proouing if at any time God will giue them repentance that they may come out of the snare of the Diuell The sons of God are not yet reuealed he that presently is an enimie in regard of his rebellious conuersation what knowest thou whether in the counsell of God hee be one of Gods chosen children or not and if hee be so thou maist bee sure that ere hee dye the Lord shall conuert him if not of a persecuter to make him a Preacher as he did Paul yet at least a Professour of that same truth which thou hast embraced Secondly not onely are the persons of Gods sonnes vnknowne but their glory also now is obscured and their life is hid with Christ they are accounted the off-scowrings of the earth and intreated in the world as if they were the onely men to whom shame and ignominie did appertaine yea their glory is not knowne vnto themselues euen those who haue receiued the new Name and the testimonie of the Spirit recording to them that they are the Sonnes of God when they looke to their contemptible bodies and abundant corruption in their soules they seeme vnto themselues to be nothing lesse than the sonnes of God I marke it that we may learne to beware of Sathans pollicie whereby hee carryeth vs to iudge of our selues by our present estate which cannot but breed in vs horrible feare and doubtings To this craft let vs oppone that comfort of the Apostle dearely beloued now are wee the Sonnes of God yet doth it not appeare what we shall be it is but the beginnings and and not the perfection of grace and glory which we haue in this life by the beginnings let vs know that we are the sons of God and where wee finde no perfection let vs not be discouraged remembring this is the time wherein the glory of the sonnes of God is not yet reuealed We are here againe further to consider that where the Lord giues vnto the rest of his workes the name of a creature he vouchsafes vpon vs the names of sonnes shewing vs that albeit in regard of creation we are his creatures and come vnder that same name with the rest of his workes yet now in regard of his grace communicated vnto vs wee are The sinne of man hath brought this curse vpon the creature and the daily increase of mans sinne makes a daily encrease of the curse The first man that sinned was Adam and for his sake God cursed the earth the second notorious sinner we read of was Cain and for his sake God cursed the earth the second time and albeit the Lord doth not alway tell in expresse words how euery abhominable sinner that hath succeeded Cain hath in like manner drawne on a new curse vpon the creature yet that one serueth for all to teach vs that as sinne growes so growes the curse and the multiplication of the curse brings with it a daily diminution of that originall vertue and beautie which the creature had in the beginning The other part of this vanitie is the abuse of the creature which is threefold first concerning God secondly concerning the godly and thirdly concerning the wicked Concerning God this is a fearefull abuse that the creature which God made for his glory is abused to his dishonour as when the Iewes tooke the gold and siluer which God gaue them and made vp of it Baal to themselues or when the Persians worshipped the Sunne and the Egiptians beasts insteade of God for his vanitie and bondage the creatures in their owne kinde they sigh and groane complayning they should be abused to another end then that whereunto the Lord did make them and wheeat by their naturall inclination they would be also themselues Secondly the creature is abused as concerning the godly when they are compelled to doe euill to those to whom they would doe good for euery creature in the owne kinde is naturally bent to be a comfortable instrument and a seruant to the seruant of God but otherwise where the fire is forced to burne them or the water to choke them or that they are in any such sort abused by the wicked to trouble the seruants of God it is against their will a vanitie and seruitude whereof they faine would be deliuered And thirdly the creatures are abused when they are compelled to serue the wicked rebels and enimies of God sore against their will The Sunne is weary of shining to the wicked who hauing their eyes open to see the workes of God had neuer their hearts nor mouths open to glorifie him the Earth in like manner is wearied of the heauie burthen of sinne which daily increases vpon her she cryes vnto God and desires to be releeued of this bondage yea if the Lord did not restraine her she would open her mouth and swallow the wicked as she did Corah Dathan and Abiram and in very deed when once the creature shall be set at liberty and no superiour power shall hold them vnder this seruitude then shall the creatures declare that they serued the wicked sore against their will for no creature shall render any more seruice vnto them the Sunne shall shine no more vpon them the Earth shall beare them no longer and the water shall not giue so much as one drop out of her treasures to refresh them To cleare this out of that one temporall iudgement inflicted vpon the stife-necked Egiptians we may take some notice how fearefull that last and vniuersall wrath shall be that shall be powred out vpon all the wicked being assembled into one Out of the third heauen came his Angell to fight against them and slew their first borne In the second heauen the Sunne withdrew his countenance from them as from a people of darknesse not worthie of his light In the third heauen the elements by course fought against them the Fire flashed out terrible flames into their faces the soft Water gushed out of the bowels of the clouds and was turned into hard stones to strike them who in the hardnesse of their harts rebelled against God the Aire became pestilentious to them and corrupted their bodies with Biles and Botches the waters beneath were turned into bloud the earth was poysoned with venemous flyes which made it â—ot abhominable Frogs made their land stinck for the lothsomnesse of their sinnes their sensitiue creatures which serued them were horribly plagued their flockes by land consumed with murrâ—ine their Fish in the Sea rots and dâ—es their vegitatiue creatures are also destroyed their Vines and Fig-trees are blasted the flaxe that should haue clothed them the Barly that should hâ—ue
which our sinnes hath subdued them should not we much more sigh and grone for our owne sinnes assuredly if wee doe not we are conuinced to be more sensles then the senslesse creatures themselues Concerning this metaphor of trauailing it is two manner of wayes ascribed to the wicked in holy Scripture and one manner of way to the godly For first their concupiscence is compared to a mother that conceiues and trauailes continually without rest till it bring out sinne and sinne being finished is compared in like manner to a mother that bringeth out death And secondly the imagination of their hart is compared to a mother which conceiues cruell counsels and mischieuous deuices against the godly all their dayes they trauaile with this birth and would fain haue it brought out to perfection but at length they bring forth a lye for the malice of the wicked shall slay himselfe his mischiefe shall turne vpon his owne head and his crueltie shall fall vpon his owne paâ—e But as for the children of God they trauaile in paine of the monstrous birth of sin that is within them not that they are desirous to perfect and finish it but to destroy and abolish it as being a monster within them which they abhorre and adulterous birth begotten by a most vnlawfull copulation betweene Sathan and their corrupted will the father that begot this monster being Sathan and the mother that conceiued it their corrupt Nature for this they sigh and cry vnto God with the Apostle O miserable man who shall deliuer me from this bâ—dy of death This was his voyce vnto God and should much more be our continuall lamentation seeing in sinnes we are more abundant and in grace farre inferiour to that holy Apostle The Lord therefore worke it in vs for his Sonne Christs sake Verse 23. And not onely the creature but wee also who haue receiued the first fruits of the Spirit euen we doe sigh in our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodyes NOw followeth the Apostles other argument wherby he proues the greatnesse and certaintie of that glory to be reueiled it is taken from that feruent expectation vvhich the sonnes of God haue of it It can neither be a vaine nor a small thing but by the contrary both great and certaine vvhereupon God hath set the desire of his best creatures by instinct of the Spirit of Grace So that vve haue here first a description of Gods children they are such as haue receiued the first fruits of the spirit secondly a twofold effect vvhich this holy Spirit workes in Gods children first a wearinesse of their present bondage and seruitude of sinne secondly a vvaiting by a constant expectation for a better And this doth very much confirme the Apostles purpose there being none on earth vvho can better iudge the excellencie of that glory to come than they vvho haue receiued the first fruits thereof Out of all doubt the testimonie of any one vvho hath tasted of that ioy to come is more worth to commend it than is the contrary iudgement of a thousand others to disproue it And not onely the creature The Apostle proceedes from the testimonie of the creature to the testimonie of the sonnes of God when he spake of the creature he said they sigh and grone with vs they trauaile together in paine with vs and when hee speakes of the godly hee saith we sigh in our selues As man was not made for himselfe but for the Lord and therefore should wait vpon him so the creatures were not made for themselues but for vs and therefore where they are at couenant with vs they in their kind wait vpon vs they goe with vs they grone with vs are grieued with vs and shall neuer rest till vve be deliuered let licentious men liuing in their sinnes marke this they sigh not in themselues with the godly yea they scorne their sighings and therefore shall not be restored with the godly they grone not with the creature and shall not be deliuered with the creature O miserable man how vnhappie is that end whereunto thy vvanton and hard heart which cannot repent doth lead thee thou shalt not stand in iudgement with the godly where they goe there shalt not thou goe thou didst not mourne with the children of the marriage chamber and therefore shalt not enter with them into it to be comforted thou shalt goe to another place and mourne without them the burthen of thy sins which now thou feelest not shall presse thee downe to hell and confound thee for euer the creature that groned with the godly shall be restored with them and thou shalt not be restored O how shalt thou be cast downe when the earth whereupon thou treadest shall be deliuered into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God and shall as a seruant stand in the day of restitution but thou as a rebell shalt be cast into vtter darknesse and shall not be so much as pertaker of the deliuerance of the creature But we also who haue receiued the first fruits of the Spirit In this description of the godly let vs consider these three things First that whatsoeuer grace we haue we receiued it Secondly that grace we haue receiued is not full but in part for we haue onely receiued the first fruits of the Spirit And thirdly that the first fruits which we haue are sufficient pledges to vs of the plenitude and fulnesse which afterward we shall receiue The first of these learnes vs humilitie what hast thou O man which thou hast not receiued The Lord dispenses grace to euery one according to his pleasure and we are but vessels filled and emptied as hee will Secondly it learnes vs thankfulnesse whatsoeuer Grace wee haue receiued wee should returne both the praise and the vse of it to him who gaue it as the waters by secret conduits come from the Sea returne againe openly into it through the troughes so that all men may see the returning albeit they saw not the comming so that Grace which the Lord by his Spirit secretly conuayes to the godly doth againe publikely returne vnto him by prayse and well doing And thirdly it doth teach vs diligence in prayer if we desire encrease of Grace vve should seeke it from him of vvhom vve haue the beginning and vse all the meanes such as hearing reading praying keeping of a good conscience by which Grace may grovv and be intertayned in vs. The next thing we obserue is that in this life we receiue not the plenitude and fulnesse of Grace but onely the first fruits thereof The vse of this is first to comfort the children of God who are oftentimes discouraged with the sense and feeling of their owne wants It is one of Sathans stratagems to try those by the rule of perfection who are yet but in the state of proficients and we had neede to beware of it Shall I giue that vantage
stretch out his affections toward the heauens Abraham sat in the doore of his Tabeâ—nacle when the Angell appeared vnto him Elias came out to the mouth of his Caue when the Lord appeared to him and we must also reioyce to come out of the caue and tabernacle of this wretched body if we would meet with the Lord yea euen while as we dwell in the body if in our affection we come not out and stand as it were in the doore of our tabernacle but like Ionas sleeping in the sides of the ship we lye downe in the hollow of our heart sleeping in carelesse securitie it is not possible that the Lord can be familiar with vs. The other day for which the godly are said to wait is the day of Christs second comming The Apostle giues this as a token of the rich grace of God bestowed on the Corinthians that they waited for the appearance of Christ and to the Philippians hee saith our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for our sauiour the Lord Iesus yea hee giues it out as a marke of all those who are to be glorified when he sayth there is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse and not for me onely but for all them who loue Christs second appearing And againe Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many and vnto them that looke for him shall he appeare the second time without sinne vnto saluation These and many moe places proues that there is great scarcitie of Faith and spirituall grace in this generation there being so few that vnfainedly longs for the day of his appearance suppose euery man in word mumble vp that petition let thy kingdome come yet are they few who when Iesus testifieth surely I come quicklie can in truth answer with the godly Amen euen so come Lord Iesus and all because we are neither weary of our present miserie nor certaine of that glorious deliuerance to come otherwise vve would long for it and reioyce at the smallest appearance thereof The woman with childe reckons her time as neere as shee can and albeit others haue no minde of it yet is it alway in her remembraunce because that then she hopes for deliuerance Among the Iewes as the day of their Iubilied awes neere so the ioy of them that were in prison encreased being assured that then they were to be releeued and should not wee much more reioyce the neere that the day of our eternall Iubilie draweth vnto vs wherein all teares shall be wiped away from our eyes and sorrow and mourning shall flye away for euer Where for the comfort of the weake Christian wee are to consider whether the Godly be alway in this estate that they dare lift vp their heads with ioy and pray for Christs second appearance or not To this I answere that their disposition herein is according to the estate of their conscience as the eye being hurt is content to be couered with a vaile and desireth not to behold the light wherein otherwise it reioyceth so the conscience of the Godly being any way wounded is afraid to stand before the light of the countenance of God till the time that it be cured againe And this made Dauid to craue that the Lord would spare him a little and giue him space to recouer his strength but after mourning and earnest calling for mercie the conscience being pacified then doe the Godly say with Simeon Now Lord let thy Seruant depart for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation For the Adoption He said before that we haue receiued the spirit of Adoption and now he saith that wee waite for Adoption but wee must vnderstand that there is a begun Adoption whereby wee are made the sonnes of God and that wee haue receiued alreadie there is in like manner a consummate Adoption whereby wee are manifested to be the sonnes of God and entred into the full possession of our fathers inheritance and that we waite for The redemption of our bodies As there is a two-fold adoption so also a two-fold redemption the first is defined by the Apostle to be the remission of our sinnes and that we haue receiued already the second is called in that same Chapter the redemption of the possession and here the redemption of our bodyes and this we looke for to come As the soule was first wounded by sinne and then the body with mortalitie and corruption so the Lord Iesus the restorer who came to repair the wound which sathan inflicted on man doth first of all restore life to the soule by the remission of sins which he hath obtayned by his suffering in the flesh and therefore the Herald of his first comming cryed before him behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world This is the first Resurrection blessed are they who are pertakers of it for vpon such the second death shall haue no power but in his second comming we shall also bee pertakers of the second redemption hee shall redeeme our bodyes from the power of the graue wherein now they lye captiued and deliuer them from the shame of mortalitie and corruption Let this comfort vs against the present base and contemptible state of our bodyes now they are but filthy sinckes of corruption and vessels so full of vncleannesse that the Lord hath appointed in the body fiue conduits to purge the naturall filth thereof and after this they are to be laid downe in the bed of corruption the wormes spread vnder them and aboue them as it is said of the King of Ashur shall deuoure and consume their flesh the earth shall eate vp their bones and turne them into dust the braine which was the seat of many proud and vaine imaginations becomes after death oftentimes the seat of the vgly â—oads the reynes that were the seat of concupiscence engendreth serpents and the bowels which could neuer be gotten satisfied with meate and drinke shall be replenished with armies of crawling wormes but against all these we haue this comfort that as presently we haue obtained remission of our sinnes so are we assured of a glorious redemption of our bodies qui enim resurgit in anima resurget in corpore ad vitam for hee that riseth now in his soule shall hereafter rise in his body to eternall life And of this euery man is admonished that if he loue his body he should in time take heed to the estate of his soule see that it be pertaker of the first redemption which is the remission of sinnes and be sure thy body shall be pertaker of the second redemption It is a pittifull thing to see what preposterous care is taken by men for conseruation of their bodily life there is nothing they leaue vndone vt differant mortem quam auferre non possunt that they may at the least prolong and delay death
the first fruites of them who rise from the dead The priuiledges of the first borne were two first excellencie of strength for hee had a double portion secondly excellency of dignitie for he vvas the Prince and priest of the rest of his brethren now both these most properly appertaines to our eldest brother Christ Iesus Excellencie of strength is his hee hath receiued the double portion for hee receiued not the Spirit in measure as wee doe but the plentitude and fulnesse thereof was communicated vnto him and the comfort thereof redounds vnto vs for he receiued it not for himselfe but for vs that of his fulnesse we might all receiue grace for grace Excellencie also of dignitie is his for beside that glory which hee had with his Father from the beginning hee is also as our head crowned with glory and dignitie all power in heauen and earth is giuen him and he is set ouer his brethren as the onely high Priest of the liuing God who makes attonement for the sinnes of his brethren as the onely Prophet and teacher of the whole familie of God for so hath the Father authorized him This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him Let vs therefore submit our selues vnto him seeing God the Father hath set him ouer vs let vs not be disobedient to that heauenly proclamation heare him Woe be to them that subscribes not vnto the excellencie of his dignitie But alas if the world proclaime such pleasures as shee hath to giue by any sport or play or such profits as she can yeeld at her fairest fayres and markets O what a frequent concourse of people is made vnto her but if the Priests of the Lord stand as they did of old in the west part of Ierusalems temple on their seuerall turrets to blow their two siluer Trumpets and warne the people to resort vnto the house of the Lord or if now any other manner of way signification be made vnto them to enter into the courts of the Lord with praise how few shall hee finde flocking vnto the house of God in respect of them who abides without and followes the world and which is yet more to be lamented there are many of those who heare the word of Christ and yet doth not change the manner of their conuersation for any commaundement he can giue them speake what he will they doe what they like they come to the holy assemblies of his Saints but are like those vncleane beasts which entred into the Arke of Noah they came in vncleane and went out vncleane Neither of these vnlesse they amend shall be pertakers of that saluation which Iesus the first borne hath purchased to the rest of his brethern But to let them alone and to returne to the instruction of Gods children though apostaâ—e Israell fall from him as a people that haue no portion in Ishai nor inheritance in the sonne of Dauid yet let Iuda cleaue to their king let vs acknowledge his supereminent excellencie reuerence him for our first borne elder brother Among other brethren the more the elder hath the lesse remaines to the younger whereof it falles out that many a time there is strife among them for diuision of the inheritance but here the more our elder brother hath the greater is our good seeing whatsoeuer he hath receiued as mediator he hath receiued it to be communicated vnto vs hee hath receiued strength not to subdue vs or ouergoe vs but to protect vs from our enimies which he hath also done for he hath broken the gates of hell and carryed them away more triumphantly vpon his shoulders than Sampson did the gates of Azzah Wee who are poore in our selues are made rich in him we who are weake are in him more than conquerours and therefore let vs resolue for euer to abide in him Among many brethren This brotherhood of our with Christ consists not in the communion of the same flesh and blood for so euery man were Christs brother but it stands in our spirituall vnion with him by regeneration those are the sonnes of God and consequently the brethren of Christ who are borne not of blood nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man but of God by the operation of his Spirit and immortall seede of the word In the carnall brotherhoode though the parents be one yet the inheritance is not one though the seede of flesh be one yet the soule that quickneth the body in both is not one but in the spirituall brotherhood the parents are one the inheritance one the seede whereof they are begotten is one the spirit which quickneth them all is one It is not then Baptisme nor externall profession which proueth a man to be the kinseman and brother of Christ it is the spirit of Iesus which whosoeuer hath not the same is not his and whosoeuer hath him it is certaine they become new creatures Great is that dignitie certainly whereunto we are called and matchlesse is that loue which the Lord Iesus hath carried toward vs who not content to make vs his seruants hath made vs his brethren If hee had shewed vs no more kindnesse then Abraham did Lot his kinseman yet euen for that had hee beene worthie to be loued for euer but behold what a greater loue our Lord hath shewed vnto vs we forsooke him more vnkindly than Lot did Abraham yet did hee still retaine his kindly affection toward vs when we were carried away captiue by spirituall Chedarlaomer he did not onely hazard but laid downe his life of our Redemption Moses is greatly praysed for that when hee was honourable in Aegipt hee left the court of Pharaoh to visit his brethren esteeming the rebuke of Christ in his people greater riches than all the treasures of Aegipt and Ioseph is also commended that being second person vnder Pharaoh in the kingdome of Aegipt yet he was not ashamed of his Father and brethren albeit they for their trade being sheepekeepers were abhomination to the Aegiptians But all these are not comparable to that loue which the Lord Iesus hath borne toward vs in that notwithstanding our base estate hee hath not beene ashamed to call vs his brethren The Lord make vs thankfull and shed abroad in our hearts the sense of that loue which hee hath borne toward vs that we neuer be ashamed of him for no Crosse that for his sake can be laid vpon vs. Verse 30. Moreover whom he predestinated them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them also he glorified THere is no part of holy Scripture which is not stored with the words of eternall life but as that part of earth which is rich of minerals of gold and siluer is more esteemed than other land were it neuer so fruitfull so ought this place of holy Scripture to be accounted of vs all as contayning in it a most
to Ioseph when she pulled the garment from him There are three notable things for which we striue and which the world is neuer able to take from vs the loue of God which he hath borne to vs the grace of God which hee hath communicated to vs in our calling the glory of God and eternall life which hereafter doth abide vs no power of man nor Angell is able to depriue vs of these things An example whereof we haue in that notable warriour of God Patient Iob whom the Lord set vp as an obiect of all Sathans buffets and against whom hee was permitted to vse all the strategems of the spirituall warfare that possibly hee could hee crossed him not onely in his goods in his children and in his owne body but also in his minde by his wife hee tempted him to blasphemie by his friends to diffidence yet by none of these could hee ouercome him In his outward troubles his resolution was the Lord hath giuen the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord for euer in his inward terrours his resolution was Albeit the Lord would slay me yet would I trust in him so impossible is it for Sathan by any tentation whatsoeuer to seperate from the loue of God his Children chosen called and iustified To cleare this let vs yet know that God is many manner of wayes present with his children in trouble first hee is with them by preuenting the danger so that hee will not suffer the intended euill of the enimie to come neere them so he brought Senacherib to see Ierusalem without but suffered him not to shoot so much as a dart against it within Somtime again the Lord enters his children into the trouble as Daniel into the den Ioseph into the prison the three Children into the fire but deliuers them in such sort that both his glory and their comfort is greater than if they had not beene in trouble at all Sometime hee suffers his children to end their mortall liues in trouble and yet is with them strengthening them by his glorious might to all patience and long suffering filling them with such a sense of his loue that in death they rest vnder the assurance of life The practise of this see in the examples of Eliah and Paul when Iezabel vowed to haue the life of Eliah yee shall see that the Lord is with him sometime to hide him that albeit Achab and Iezabel seeke him they cannot finde him sometime God lets Achabs captaines see where hee is but consumes with fire them that came proudly to take him Sometime hee presents him to Achab and Iezabel but bridleth the tyrants that they haue no power to stirre him The Apostle Paul in like manner being sent prisoner to Rome the Lord assisted him in such sort that hee deliuered him out of the mouth of the Lyon Nero and yet the second time suffered him to fall by the sword of the same tyrant shall wee thinke that the Lord was not with the Apostle to assist him the second time as well as the first let it be farre from vs. The Lord was with him indeed to make his death a seale and confirmation of that Gospell which hee had preached in his life The comfort then remaines that howeuer God worke with his children in trouble no aduersarie is able to take from vs that for which wee striue to wit grace and glory they may be vnto vs as the sharpe rasers of God to cut away our superfluities but shall neuer be able to bereaue vs of the end of our Faith which is the euerlasting saluation of our soules Verse 32. Who spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all vnto death how shall he not with him giue vnto vs all things also NOw followeth the second part of the Apostles generall triumph wherein hee gloryeth that the Christian can want nothing needfull for him for seeing the Lord hath giuen vnto him the greatest and most excellent gift to wit his owne Sonne is it possible that he will denie him any secondary or inferior gifts needfull for him Sathan who is a lyer from the beginning accused the Lord of two things first of an vntruth albeit the Lord hath said it yet ye shall not dye secondly of Enuy. In the first Sathan is proued false and the Lord is found true for are they not dead to whom the Lord said yee shall dye In the second Sathan is found a calumniator for what good tree will the Lord refuse to his owne who hath giuen vnto them this excellent tree of life which brings with it vnto them all things needfull for them To amplifie this great loue of God the Apostle saith not simply that hee gaue his Sonne for vs but that hee spared not to giue him O wonderfull loue the Naturall and onely Sonne of God is not spared that the adoptiue sonnes may be spared for our sins being imputed to him by the ordinance of God his Father and voluntarily accepted by himselfe so the punishment of our sinnes and chasticement of our peace was laid vpon him that by his stripes wee might be healed The bitter cuppe due to vs was propined to him for the which albeit hee prayed to his Father that if it were his will this cuppe might passe by him yet the Father spared him not but held it to his head till hee dranke out the vttermost dregs thereof So straite is the Iustice of God that sinne being imputed to the Sonne of God who had no sinne of his owne is pursued to the vttermost The greatest example of Iustice that euer the Lord declared in the world the drowning of the originall world the burning of Sodome the plaguing of Egypt were terrible proofes of the straitnesse of diuine Iustice but nothing comparable to this Which I marke partly for a comfort to the Godly and partly for a warning to the wicked it is our great comfort that the saluation which Iesus hath purchased vnto vs hee hath obtained it with a full satisfaction of his Fathers Iustice so that now wee that are in him are not any more to feare it The great Iudge of all the world will not doe vnrighteously to require that againe from vs which our Christ whom hee himselfe hath giuen vnto vs hath payed for vs. And as for the wicked who are not in Christ how miserable will their state and condition be for they must beare the punishment of their owne sinnes in their owne persons If the burden of that wrath due to our sinnes caused Iesus to sweat bloud and to say that his soule was heauy vnto the very death O how shall the burden of this wrath presse downe the wicked it is euen a horrour to think of it their faces shall be confused without and their spirits oppressed within with tribulation and anguish hee that spared not in his owne Sonne sinne imputed vnto him will hee spare in
13. Professors conuinced that serue him not Loue to those whom he hath bidden loue for his sake Christ came to destroy sinne cursed are they who nourish it 1 Peâ— 3. 18. How Christ hath condemned sinne Colos. 2. 24. Ambrose in hunc locum Two head or chiefe iustice Courts holden by God In the first the sinnes of all Gods elect are condemned In the second the persons of all the wicked shall bee condemned Ioh. 5. 24. Christ did greatest works when to mans iudgement hee was weakest Cyp. de duplici martirio August de temp ser. 7. Mâ—car hom 11. Chris. hom 2 in Math. Christ a power full Sauiour stronger then Samson yea stronger then that strong one Christs power yeelds vs great comfort 2 Kin. 18. 35 Deut. 28. 29 Psal. 143. 12 Here followes the second member of the explication wherein hee shewes how we are deliuered from the commanding power of sin Ephes. 5. 26. How the righteousnesse of the law is fulfilled in vs. The Iesuits collect here that the Law is fulfilled in this life This place prooueth no such thing Caietane That the law is not fulfillâ—d in vs nor by vs in this life is proued Amb. de paeniten li. 1. cap. 6 Ierem. 17. Aug. de verb Apost ser. 29 Ibidem A question for Papists 1. Ioh. 1. 9. Luke 17. 10. Aug. de verb. Apost ser. 29 Ber. in annuÌ„ Mariae Ber. in Cant. Serm. 23. Ber ser. cont vitiuÌ„ingrati Places of scripture wherein godly men are called Saints righteous makes not for their error of perfect obseruance of the Law In what sense Godly men are called perfect in holy Scripture August in Psal. 38. Ber. in Cant. serm 49. Ambros. in Rom. cap. 8. ver 9. August de temp ser. 49. How Zacharie and Elizabeth walked in all the commandements of God Luke 1. 6. Heb. 5. 3. Aug. Enchi The end of Christs death is our sanctification therefore it should not be abused to giue libertie to sinne 2 Cor. 7. 1. Christ hath freed vs from the curse of the law not from the obedience thereof Rom. 6. 15. Rom. 7. 12. Rom. 5. 17. Ambrose in Rom. cap. 8. Rom. 7. 22. We are sure our begun sanctification shall be perfected Application of his former doctrine contayning first a Commination of the wicked wherein is declared their miserable state who walke after the flesh The diuers disposition of the Christian and carnall man flowes from the diuersitie of their generations Iohn 3. 6. The contrary disposition of the christian carnall man appeares In their vnderstanding Iohn 3. 4. Act. 26. 24. Gen. 19. 1 Iohn 5. 20. Aug. de verb Apost ser. 17 In their affections Math. 8. Aug. ibid. 2 Cor. 5. 15. In the soule of a carnall man the blind leads the crooked The most excellent knowledge of the naturall man brings out death Neither naturall nor morall philosophie could profit men to saluation Naturalists are all blinde like Sampson Wisest among them cannot preuent their miserable end more then Achitophel farre lesse the wrath to come 2 Sam. 17. Iere. 4. 22. Luke 16. 8. Compared to Howlets Basil hexam hom 8. The carnall man and the Christian eyther of them iudgeth other to be foolish Psal. 8 5. August de tem ser. 200 Their securitie is like the securitie of Ionas A Christian hath peace with God and himselfe his brethren but not perfect in this Greg. moral in Iob. lib. 6. Aug. in Ioan. tract 77. Ibidem Inward outward troubles may interrupt our peace but cannot take it away Greg. moral in Iob. lib. 2. 2 Cor. 1. 5. Our life stands 〈◊〉 with God Hovv foolish man is when he entertaines inimitie with God 1 Cor. 10. 22 Psal. 2. 9. Psal. 50. 22. No good in mans nature before it be renued against the Semipelagians of our time A minde that neither sees nor can see 1 Cor. 2. 14. A will that neither is subiect to God nor can bee The praise of Gods power grace is the greter because it reforms nature it being so farre peruerted Iam. 3. 7. Mat. 5. 36. Ciril catec 2 Psal. 107. Psal. 103. Iudge not rashly of any mans reprobation The rebellion of the wicked against God exempts them not from his dominion Isal. 45. 9. Miserable is that man who maintaines a contrary to Gods Aug. de cor gra ca. 14 Mat. 26. 39. He concludes the miserable estate of them who walke after the flesh Acts. 8. 23. What it is to be in the flesh Syricius expounds this of the state of marriage wrongfully The best actions of wicked men please not God Gen. 4. 5. Gen. 27. 38. Heb. 12. 17. Gen. 32. 26. Hos. 12. 4. Luk. 18. 11. Luk. 16. Aug. in Ioan. cap. 7. tra 28 The second part of his application contains consolation for the godly that twofold Consolation against the remanents of carnal corruption that are in vs. The word of God should so be handled that it be applyed Math. 3. 10. Luk. 3. 10. 12 14. Act. 2. 37. Acts. 16. 30. Bernard How the Apostle giues iudgement of others that are spirituall 1 Sam. 1. A threefold iudgement first of our selues by faith secondly by fruits thirdly by reuelatioÌ„ 2 Cor. 13. 5 Math. 7. 16 Acts. 8. 1 Tim. 1. 5 2 Iohn 1. 1 Comfort that the Lord cals them spirituall in whom remained carnall corruption The Lord esteemes of hiâ— his children â—cording tâ— his new 〈◊〉 in them 〈◊〉 after their corruptioÌ„ 1 Ioh. 3. 9 1 Ioh. 1. 8 Augustine Papists wil haue none called spirituall men but their Cleargie Ferâ—â—s The spirit of God where hee dwels workes wher he works he workes not in vain therfore they cannot but â—e spirituall in 〈◊〉 he dwels Strange that two guests of so coÌ„trary naturs as sin and the holy spirit should dwell in one man Rom. 7. 17 The soule of man regenerate compared to the house of Abraham Meruailous that the inhabiter is larger thaÌ„ the habitation The speciall glory of a Christian is that God dwels in him Worldlings may exceede him in woridly gifts but can not match him in this Deut. 33. 12. They should be honoured in whom Christ dwels Dan. 6. Gen. 41. 42 Psal. 15. The Metaphor of dwelling imports a continuance of gods presence with his children Three argumeÌ„ts to proue that the regenerate are sure of perseuerance in Grace FroÌ„ the nature of God who begets vs. Phil. 1. 5. 6. FroÌ„ the nature of that life communicated to vs. Rom. 6. 9. FroÌ„ the nature of that seede whereof wâ— are begotten 1 Pet. 1. 23. How the spirit of God is said to depart from Saul 1 Sam. 16. 14. Psal. 51. 11. How Dauid prayeth that God would not take from him his holy Spirit In spirituall desertioÌ„s we must distinguish betweene that which is and which we feel Esa. 6. 13. Chri. in Mat. hom 14. What great benefits comes to the soule by the dwelling of Christs spirit in vs. He repaires the whole lodging of soule and body Isai. 13.
which he giues not to his superiour Redemption here consider first that we are bought seruants That which cost Christ full deare men sels good cheape Secondly Sworâ— seruants Thirdly wee haue receiued wages before hand for seruice to be done Mal. 1. 10. But many receiue that from the true God which they return noâ— to him but sacrifice to Idols Hos. 2. 8. Eph. 5. 18. A double debt lying vpon vs the one the debt of sinne which â—e must seeke to be forgiuen the other the debt oâ— obedience which we must seeke to performe A three-fold comfort for the godly for the debt of obedience The Lord to whom we owe it giues vs wherewith to pay it 1 Chron. 29. 14. He accepts for a time part of payment The more wee pay of this debt the more we are able to pay Good works are debts therfore not merits Luke 17. 7. 8 9. 10. No penman of the holy Ghost did euer vse the word of merit The Fathers thought it smelled of presumption Mac hom 15 Ber in Psal. qui habitat Ser. 1. In Cant. ser. 61. Serm. 66. De quadruplici debito Our life should declare whose Seruants and debters we are Philem. v. 19. Iam. 2. 18. Mal. 1 6. An accusation of the carelesse Christians of our time Nehe. 13. 24. Micah 7. 3 Math. 7. 21. Is is a difficult thing so to nourish the body that we nourish not sinne in the body Rom. 13. 14. Not like that Cherubin a minister of iustice to hold Adâ—m out of paradise Eâ—e 18. 32. Both the word and deed of the Lord declares that he craues not the death of a sinner That the spirit of God vseth threatnings is an argument of our rebellious nature The word should be vsed as milk to some as salt to others But now men cannot abide the rebuke of Gods word 2 Tim. 4. 3. Amos. 5. 10. 1 King 22. 8 Micah 2. 7. Aug. ser. 1. Zach. 7. 11. Either we must slay sin or sin shall slay vs. Aug. de temp serm 29. Euery sin is to vs the forbiddeÌ„ tree Men seeke on it that fruit which they shall not finde and finde on it that fruit which they would not haue Great wisdome to discerne betweene the deceit of sin and fruit of sinne Sinfull lusts compared to the streame of Iordan And to the locusts with womans hair lions teeth Scorpions taile Basil in verb. Mos. attende tibi Cirill catech 2. Gal. 6. 8. This life is a thorow-way or middle passage eyther to heauen or hell Eccles. 11. 3. They who liue in sin are dead and yet a worse death abides them in hell The least degree of their punishment shall be a feareful famine of all worldly comforts Ioell 1. 12. Reu. 18. 14. Why that secoÌ„d death is called a wrath and a wrath to come The place of the damned shews the greatnesse of their iudgement Reu. 21. 8. Esa. 30. 33. Iude verse 6. Mark 9. 48. 1 Pet. 3. 19. Math. 5. 22. The vniuersalitie of it Nothing in man shall be without paine all Gods plagues shall concur to punish him The eternitie of it In the most regenerate there is some thing that needes to be mortified For out of the stony rocke springeth noysome weedes Cyrill That which God works in vs he calles it our worke Phil. 2. 12. Therefore vve should be humble and giue God the glory 1 Chro. 29. 14 Presumptuous opinion of Merit damned Aug. de verb. Apost serm 2 1 Cor. 15. 10 Aug. hom 14 Aug. de verb. Apost ser. 14. A tryall of our Mortification Death to sinne takes not life away but restores it Sanctification is a work of difficultie for it is a birth a death a circumcision c. The knife by which beastly lusts are slaine to be sacrificed Mac. hom I. Temporall life is not the recompense of righteousnesse and why 1. Cor. 15. 19 Gal. 2. 20. He proues the last part of his preceding argument The operation of the Spirit is eyther vniuersall extending to all his creatures Comfort The beginning progresse and perfection of our saluation is from him Heb. 12. 2. In that we can not walk without a guide we â—re warned that we are but babes Act. 8. 30. 31 It is good religion to turne Gods precepts into prayers Psal. 43. 3. Psal. 143. 10 We ought to follow our guide as Israell did the Lord in the wildernesse A three-fold operation of the spirit in the Sons of God Why in his first operation he is called a spirit of bondage to fear By the preaching of the Law he discouers sin and wrath due to it which causeth feare Mat. 3. 10. Hee is not here comparing the godly vnder the Law vvith the godly vnder the Gospell A seruile feare A filiall feare Psal. 130. 4. A Diabolicall feare Iames. 2. 19. From what sort of feare are we exempted In the godly feare prepares a place for the perfect loue of God and then departs it selfe Mat. 15. But in the wicked feare of wrath once begun encreases till it proceede to despâ—rate feare No prayer to God without the spirit of God How the godly sometime are transported in Prayer 2 King 2. Mat. 26. 38. The godly should cry together not one against an other Vnion of desires in prayer commended Iames. 5. 16. As many hands lift a burthen importable to one so The Parents of Prayer The wings whereby praier ascends Dan. 9. 22. 23. Efficacie of prayer euery petition returns with profit Gen. 18. Acts. 10. Mat. 17. Sathan an enimie to the Word and Prayer Acts. 16. 16 Zach. 3. 1. Gen. 15. In all the scripture no prayer to Abraham Moses c. nor to Cherubin nor Seraphin Psal. 6. 1. Psal. 4. 1. Reu. 19. 10. It is not in the court of heauen as in the courts of earthly kings Euery tongue and language is sanctified for prayer if we vnderstand it They are builders of Babell who speake to the people in a language they vnderstand not A comfort for weake Christians who are moued by their wants to doubt of this testimonie A necessary admonition so to mourn for that which we waÌ„t that wee giue thanks for that mesure of grace which we haue Rom. 7. 24. Ibid. ver 25. This testimonie of the spirit is not alway perceiued in a like measure of them who haue it Rom. 8. 35. CoÌ„fort against spirituall desertions Isai. 1. 9. The Sons of God cannot but liue because they are the heires of God Gods goodnes is shewed to all his creaturs but his inheritance is resâ—â—ued to his Sonnes Gen. 25. Mat. 5. 45. Psal. 119. 57 Lam. 3. 24. All the sons of God are his heyres and yet the inheritance is not diminished Aug. de verb dom in Euan. Ioan. ser. 64. They who wer born in the first age of the world shall not be perfected without vs. Heb. 11. 40. In earthly inheritances the father dyes or the sonne inherit but here the sonne must dye or else hee cannot inherit Psal. 102. 26 Psal. 17.