to be free from it that hee might haue had no more of these assaults and why did not God grant his desire If he would haue giuen this freedome to any then why not to Saint Paul I answer the state of Saint Paul required it being a member of the Church militant that he should not be free least he might grow secure leaue off fighting and so cease to be a Souldier which we must not doe in this life for we must fight manfully and be faithfull Souldiers to the death that Christ may giue vs the Crowne of life Reuel 2.10 S. â—â—â—n 〈◊〉 â—â—rm Daemonis est mala suggerere nostruÌ„ est non consentire It is the propertie of the Deuill to suggest euill motions but it is our parts not to consent vnto them for as often as we resist them so often we ouercome the Deuill we honor our God who visiteth vs that we should fight who hâ—lpâ—th vs that we may ouercome who strengtheneth vs that we faint not in the combate as Saint Bernard excellently To be tempted by Satan is Satans sinne not thine but to yeeld and consent to temptations this is sinne in thee Christ was tempted as I said before but temptations to him were but like sparkes of fire falling vpon the waters quickly quenched But to vs they are like sparkes falling vpon tinder or dry row quickly set on fire and therefore we had neede to pray that our hearts may be wet with the dew of Grace that we may the better resist and ouercome them And comfort thy selfe with this that God who is thy louing Father in Christ hath the Deuill in chaines and as hee stayeth the waues of the Sea at his pleasure Iob 38.8 so he holdeth Satan as with bit and bridle that hee can tempt thee no otherwise nor any longer then God seeth for thy good as is euident by the example of Iob. Chap. 1.12 And if the children of God be tempted and ouercome by theÌ„ yet vpon true repentance and comming vnto Christ we haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes 1. Iohn 2.1 If we say that we haue no sin we deceiue our selues the truth is not in vs but if we acknowledge our sinnes he is faithfull and iust according to his promise to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse 1. Iohn 1. We must not then conclude that because we are subiect to temptations or because the seeds of sin are still in vs and the corruption of our nature not fully purged that therefore we are out of the fauour of God for these may be in Gods dearest Saints But wee must pray to God for help 2. Thess 3.16 Heb. 10.35 Incouragements from the state of a Christian to endure the combate Because he is the Lord of peace who giueth peace to his children Cast therefore thy care vpon God the finisher of thy faith 1 Pet. 1.2 And labour earnestly to resist these temptations and endure the combate with patience hauing an eie to our Captain Christ Iesus who is the Author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.1.2 And to strengthen thy faith and free thee from doubting the better let me entreat thee to remeÌ„ber that the state of a Christian in this life is but like a man on the top of a Simil. 1 tower so long as he lookes vpwards he stands sure without doubting but if once he looke downe his head begins presently to bee giddy and hee feares falling So whiles we looke vp to Christ and remember how God freely accepts vs as righteous in him we are confident of our estate and of Gods mercy in Christ but if wee cast downe our eyes vpon our owne corruptions our weakenesse of faith and holinesse then doubtings beginne to assault vs. We must not then seeke peace in our selues but in Christ who is our peace Ephes 2.14 Rom. 3.24 2. and in whom vpon repentance we are iustified freely by his grace Mat. 14.28.29.30.31 Or whensoeuer Simil. 2 thou art in temptatations or doubtings trouble thy soule remember that thy estate in this life is like Peter on the water whose faith at first was so strong that at the call of Christ hee came boldly to him on the water without doubting But when he saw the waues comming against him he presently doubteth feareth drowning begins to sink til finding himselfe vnable to saue himselfe he flyeth to Christ prayeth earnestly to him for help Master saue me J perish And then Christ giueth him his hand and bringing him into the ship saueth them from drowning And in like manner it is with a Christian at first when Christ calleth him to faith and repentance by the preaching of the Gospell being perswaded by the Spirit of God to beleeue hee comes boldly vnto Christ being moued by the excellency of Christs merit and the free promises of grace and mercy in him but when he once comes to see his vnthankefulnesse and the weakenesse of his faith and obedience the vnbeliefe and want of Sanctification in him then the waues of Satans temptations and corruptions of his owne nature assaulting him feares and doubtings sease vpon him and he is ready to sinke downe into the Sea of despaire for want of Faith If this be thy estate what must thou now do but confesse and acknowleâ—geth 〈…〉 4. Weake Christians shold imitate Peter Iam. 5.13 Iames 1.17 anâ— insufficiency and with Peter bâ—iâ—g reâ—dâ— to 〈◊〉 flie vnto Christ and pray vnto hiâ— for coâ—â—â—â—â— the Authoâ— and fountaine of life and peace Jf â—ny mâ—â—bâ—â—fflictâ—d l t him pray saith S. James Thus will Châ—ist giue thee the hand of his gracious assistance as he did to Petâ—r and deliuering thee in his due time from the wâ—ues of feare and Sea of despaire hee will bring thee safe into the ship of Comfort and re-assurance of his loue and fauour againe And to find out this assurance and perswasion of thy Election and Gods fauour to which S. Peter 2 Pet. 1.10 exhorts that by holinesse we may perfect our assurance as S. Paul exhorts to worke out our saluation with feare and trembling to keepe vs from security and presumption Phil. 2.12 As he that would find the Sea must take the Riuer by the hand and follow that So a Christian who would find out his Election and be assured of his Calling hee must goe to the golden Chaine of his Predestination and lay hold on those linkes first that are neerest vnto him He must beginne first to finde out the effects and fruites before he can finde the cause The Sunne rising is knowne by the light approching the fire by the heate the tree by the fruite and so our Election by the effects and signes of it If we go first to that vnsearchable depth of Gods secret counsell to that most glorious Sunne of his wonderfull decree as Satan will moue vs to doe hiding the effects and
needle in a sunne-dyall looketh two wayes not onely forwards to my Text but backwards to the occasion in the verse before which is the ground from which my text is inferred and vpon which the whole frame is builded Occasion Beza annotat Gualterus Cornelius Cornelij a lapide S. Châ—ysost Vatabl. S. August lib. 9 contra Faust caâ— 7 Câ—rnelius a lapide Henceforth saith the Apostle know we no man after the flesh that is we esteeme or approoue of no man that liueth carnally according to the corruptions of the flesh or according to the carnall observations and ceremonies of the old Lawe because we know that Christ is the end and fulfilling thereof Or we esteeme not carnall things nor of men according to these be they neuer so profitable or pleasurable riches beauty friends kindred or the like Our iudgements now are spirituall nor carnall as they were yea though wee haue knowne Christ after the flesh that is after a carnall manner glorying in him as our kinsman according to the flesh Chrysostom Theod. Synodus 7. General Act. 6. being of the same nation and stocke-with vs or esteeming of him but as of a mortall man subiect to infirmities yet now know we him so no more but spiritually as the Sonne of God and Sauior of the world and the reason is because we are changed our knowledge is changed and we are become new men in Christ So that hence doth appeare the excellency of the true knowledge of Christ The excellency of the true knowledge of Christ from whence the Apostle inferres our new creation Because ordinarily amongst other causes the true knowledge of Christ is a speciall cause and meanes thereof For our new creation is a fruit of faith God saith Peter put no difference betweene vs and them speaking of the Iewes and Gentiles which beleeued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purifying or regenerating their hearts by faith Act. 15.9 And so the word is vsed by Saint Paul Ephes 5.26 Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cleansing purifying or regenerating with the washing of water by the word this learned Zanchius Zanchius in Ephes cap. 5.26 Calvinus InstitutionuÌ„ lib. 3. cap. 3. Vtrumque fide consequamuâ— vita scil novitatem reconciliationem gratuitam neque tamen quuÌ„ resipiscentiae originem ad fidem referimus â—patium aliquod temporis somniamus quo ipsam partutiat c. coÌ„firmeth interpeting the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our regeneration in his CoÌ„mentaries vpon that Text indicious Calvin is a second witnesse to confirme this truth rightly averring that regeneration is a fruite of faith that we obtaine it by faith the spirit of God working by faith in our hearts that faith is before it in order not in time as he explaineth himselfe in the third booke of his Institutions chapter the third Now faith cannot be without knowledge How shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard Rom. 10.14 And therefore much lesse regeneration which is the the companion yea the fruite and effect of sauing faith Yea further as the blessed spirit himselfe is the internall efficient cause of our new birth kindling faith in vs and by the blood of Iesus apprehended and applyed by faith purging and washing our consciences from dead workes and framing in vs that image of Christ in the inner man as Saint Paul affirmes Titus 3. 5. so are the Sacraments also as Saint Peter 1. Pet. 3.21 Yea and the word of God and true knowledge thereof For we are borne againe not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liueth and abideth for euer 1. Pet. 1.23 As the Poets feigned of Medusaes head Hesiod Ovid. Metam 4 Aug. lib. 18. de Civit. Dei cap. 13. Diodorus lib. 4. that it was of power to turne the beholders into snakes so much more true is it of the true knowledge of Christ reveiled in the word it is a powerfull meanes by the operation of the Spirit to metamorphize our natural deformitie to change our corrupt affections and to raise vs from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse Therefore our Sauiour calles this knowledge life yea and life eternall Iohn 17.3 This is life eternal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they know thee the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ That is this is the meanes and onely ordinary means to obtain happines For there is no other name vnder heauen by which we can be saued Acts 4.12 It is the name the faith and the true knowledge of Christ that bringeth that life vnto vs. Via ad Deum est Scientia saith Hugo Hugo de instructione nouitiorum The way to God is by knowledge by knowledge we passe to holy discipline by holy discipline to heauenly goodnesse by heauenly goodnesse to eternall blessednesse for euermore And Saint Bernard S. Bernard de ordine vitae well obserues that vntill a man by faith do know his Creator ignorance the mother of all vices possesseth his soule and thereupon he noteth a twofold knowledge necessary to saluation The first is the knowledge of God the second the knowledge of thy selfe Because as from the knowledge of thy selfe there proceedeth a feare of the maiestie of God and from the knowledge of God a loue of him who is the chiefest good so from the ignorance of thy selfe there springs forth pride and from the ignorance of God there floweth desperation And what Saint Bernard attributes to the ignorance and knowledge of God in generall is true also of the ignorance or knowledg of Christ in particular from the true knowledge of Christ there proceeds a loue of Christ yea a reciprocall loue not only of thee to Christ but of Christ to thee and from the ignorance of Christ desperation destroyeth the soule Si Christum benè scis nihil est si caetera nescis Si Christum nescis nihil est si caetera discis If thou knowest Christ aright it is nothing though thou bee ignorant of all things else And if thou be ignorant of Christ all other knowledge is nothing auailable to attaine thy wished felicitie Wouldest thou walke the way to heauen Christ is the way by which thou maiest walke in safety Wouldest thou not be deceiued in thy iourney Christ is the truth to guide thee Wouldest thou not faint or dye in thy way Christ is the life to comfort and strengthen thee to life euerlasting as Saint Augustine sweetly vpon those words of our Sauiour Ioh. 14.6 August in Ioh. cap. 14.6 And thus likewise Saint Ambrose Ambr. lib. de virginitate excellently in his booke of Virginity If thou desirest to cure the wounds of thy soule Christ is the Physitian that can heale thee If thou bee scorched with the burning feuer of thy sinnes Christ is that fountaine of liuing water that will refresh thee If thou bee
eater remaineth in Christ because he receiueth life from him whose blood is drinke indeede and whose flesh is meate indeede not carnally to feede the body as the fleshly Capernaits and grosse Papists doe imagine Ludolphus in vita Christi part 2. cap. 56. Ioh. 6.55 but spiritually to feede and nourish our soules and bodies to eternall life For so Christ explaineth himselfe shewing against his fleshly hearers how his speech was to be vnderstood not after a carnall and fleshly as Bellarmine Bellarm. lib. 1. de Sacram. Eucharist cap 5. Tertul. lib. 4. contr Marcion S. Ambros de illis qui initiantur mysteriijs August in Psal 3. Chrysost hom 11. would haue it but after a spirituall manner as the Fathers agree Jt is the spirit that quickeneth saith Christ the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speake vnto you are spirit and life Ioh. 6.63 And by this vnion also you may see how our vnion with Christ is exemplified Againe Christ expresseth it in most liuely manner by the comparison of the vine and the branches I am the Vine saith Christ and ye are the branches as the branch cannot beare fruite of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me Ioh. 15.4 5. So that as there is a vnion betweene the vine the branches so is there betweene Christ and his Church and as the branches receiue the sappe and life from the vine so doe we from Christ Lastly 6. Simil. it is demonstrated yet more plainely by the Embleme and similitude of the graft and the stocke of the branches of the wilde oliue grafted into the good which S. Paul sets forth excellently Rom. 11. from 17. to 25. ver of the chapter for as the wilde oliue cannot be changed except it be first grafted into the good nor can it bring forth good fruite vntill it be partaker of the roote and fatnesse of the true Oliue tree so we who by nature are wilde oliues cannot spring out of this true Oliue Christ Iesus except wee be first ingrafted into him by grace and after so dressed and ordered by that heauenly Oliue-planter the blessed Spirit that by little and little leauing the bitternesse of our naturall corruption wee may bring forth and become sweete fruite for our heauenly Father Similitudo non Curâ—it quatuor pedibus Herein the similitude agreeth but it runneth not of foure feete as the prouerbe is but in some respect is different as are the rest For first in naturall grafting looke of what nature the graft is such fruite will the stocke nourish and bring forth because the stocke is turned into the nature of the graft But in this spirituall grafting it is not so for it is necessarie that we who are the grafts should be turned into the nature of the stocke Christ Iesus that we may bring forth such fruite as is answerable to his nature Luk. 1.75 in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life Secondly hence there is not to be imagined any confusion or transfusion of Christ or of his essentiall qualities into vs as may seeme to be of the stocke into the graft and as the Libertines did imagine but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quaedam a certaine power and vertue and efficacy by which Christ doth change vs by his Spirit being freely iustified and engrafted by faith in him and doth regenerate and daily renue vs vnto a spirituall and heauenly life And in this especially our vnion doth consist and is made manifest that being ingrafted by faith we doe spring vp in all holinesse and heauenly vertue and are conformed to the image of him 2. Cor. 3.18 euen of Christ vnto whom we are vnited Thus then you may see plainely the veritie and realitie of this vnion declared vnto you If you consider the manner and order of it you shall finde it spirituall and supernaturall as in part I have touched already It is a spirituall vnion Lanchius in Ephes because it is wrought by the Spirit and by faith by the spirit in respect of Christ because Christ worketh it by the spirit and by faith in respect of vs because true faith working by loue is as it were the bond and tie by which the blessed spirit doth as it were knit and Vnite vs to Christ It is the Spirit that workes faith and all other graces in vs and therefore questionlesse he workes and effecteth this vnion which is the fountaine and foundation of the rest All these worketh that one and the same Spirit diuiding to euery one seuerally 1. Cor. 12.11 We are made the spouse of Christ the members of Christ and flesh of his flesh by his spirit by whom he doth incorporate himselfe to vs and vs vnto him And faith is the instrument by which we are vnited Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith saith the Apostle Ephes 3.17 Therefore whether Christ be propounded in the word or in the Sacraments it is by his spirit and our faith that he is vnited to vs and we to him and this not in a carnall but a spirituall manner for the workes of the spirit are spirituall and spiritually to bee vnderstood De naturali in nobis Christi veritate quae dicimus nisi ab eo discimus stultè atque impiè dicimus saith Hilarie Hilary de Trin. lib. 8. pag. 141. of the naturall truth of Christ being in vs Those things which we speake we speake them foolishly and impiously except we first learne them of Christ And this is the scope of Cyrill Cyril in Ioh. lib. 10. cap. 13. on Iohn that we should vnderstand the words of Christ spiritually and not after a carnall manner Thus shall we see and know that spiritually we may receiue Christ and bee vnited vnto him though Christ be in heauen and we in earth as S. Augustine August Tract 50. in Ioh. fol. 368. declareth excellently in his Tractate vpon Iohn Let the Iewes saith he heare and lay hold on Christ who sitteth at the right hand of his Father in heauen But they will answer Whom shall I hold what he that is absent how shall I send vp my hand into heauen that I may hold him there This is done spiritually not after a carnall manner Fidem mitte tenuisti Send thy faith saith S. Augustine and then thou hast layed hold on Christ thy forefathers did hold Christ in the flesh and doe thou hold him in thy heart because Christ absent is also present For except he were present he could not be holden of vs absent in the flesh in his humanitie but present in his Deitie present in his Spirit working faith and loue in vs by which in a spirituall manner we may be vnited to Christ though he be absent and lay hold of him though he be in heauen And thus as plaine as I can I haue set forth vnto you both the substance and manner of our vnion with Christ If any man
creatures wee are â—re-made Answ Jf any man bee in Christ through the grace of God in him he is a new creature It is God the Father in Christ by the blessed spirit that worketh this new creation But what kind of creatures doth he make vs I answer that as God in his first creation did create Adam according to his owne image and similitude Gen. 1.27 So in our second creation hee doth renue and repayre in vs by little and little the excellency of that image which wee lost by the fall of oâ—â— first parents he re-makes vs like vnto himselfe in wisedome in righteousnesse in true holinesse alike in all heauenly vertues as much as it is possible as God in his wisedome thinkes convenient for finite creatures To expresse the excellency of an infinite Creatour this similitude he beginneth in this life and will one day perfect it fully in the life to come The absolute patterne of this image is Christ hee is the Idaea and liuely figure of our heauenly natiuity both of that which we must striue for here and that which we shall haue hereafter For as we haue borne the image of the earthy so shall we beare the image of the heauenly 1. Cor. 15.49 that is that image of the new man Which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Eph. 4.24 In righteousnesse that is in obedience to the first table Zanchus com in Ephes in the duty we owe to God and in obedience to the second Table in the duty which wee owe to our neighbour and in holinesse that is in that purity of life which we ought to haue in our own selues our soules and consciences in the sight of God And Beholding with open face as in a glasse the glory of the Lord we are changed into this same image from glory to glory euen a by the Spirit of the Lord 1. Cor. 3.18 So that the second creature shall be made like but beeing confirmed by grace in Christ more excellent then the first In the first creation God gaue vnto Adam rule and dominion ouer all the creatures and in our second creation the right of this Dominion is re-giuen vnto vs. And this Dominion we should labour to exercise Origen S. Chrysost in Gen. But as Origen and S. Chrysostome expresse it we should haue dominion ouer the fishes of the sea by ruling our appetites and lustfull desires ouer the birds of the heauen by pulling downe ambition with the cords of humility ouer the creeping things of the earth by keeping in avarice with the bounds of charity ouer the beasts of the field by holding in anger with the raines of temperance And thus if we doe we shall seeme to rule well and be rewarded with double honour as Saint Paul speaketh in another kind 1. Tim 5.17 Wee shall declare our selues to be new men in Christ such as haue our parts in the first resurrection and of whom the second death shall haue no power Reu. 20.6 For those who are new creatures are free men in Christ and those who are in Christ are new creatures If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 5. Quest But what meanes wee may attaine this newnes S. August Tom. 9. de decem chordis Whosoeuer desireth to be a subiect in the kingdome of Christ he must bee a new creature But by what meanes may a man attaine to this new Creation Or how may a man come to be a new man in Christ Saint Augustine obserues well that the old man in the state of nature cannot sing the new song in the state of grace but that hee may sing it he must striue to be a new man in Christ but how he may be a new man heare not me saith the Father but the Apostle Put off the old man and pâ—t one the new Eph. 4.24 So that as before grace we are like Lazarus dead in the graue of our sinnes vnable to rise from iniquity vntill Christ giue vs his hand and power of grace to reuiue and strengthen vs contrary to the error of Pelagians of which I haue spoken before so after this grace we haue a spirituall life giuen vnto vs our vnderstandings being inlightened and wills rectified and though it bee but weake yet must wee not thinke our selues as stocks and stones or like children sitting idle in the market place but we must worke in the vineyard beeing called and vsing the grace that God hath giuen vs labour to worke out and perfect this newnesse in vs on Gods part it is wrought by the blessed Spirit within and by the word and Sacraments without But there is somewhat required of vs that wee striue to cherish the sparks of grace which God kindleth in vs that we reiect not the Spirit but imbrace those speciall meanes of Faith and Repentance and Prayer and labour earnestly to obtaine them Because without Faith and Repentance none of this newnesse can bee found in vs. Faith upon sight of our sinnes meriting Gods iustice on the one hand and beholding the mercy of God in Christ on the other hand worketh in vs that godly sorrow which causeth repentance neuer to be repented off That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that dolour and griefe arising in the heart for sin committed against so good a God so mercifull a Father it is a meanes by the operation of the Spirit to beget in vs that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that change of the minde that newnesse which is so acceptable with God in Christ As the Eagle feeling her wings heauy doth plunge them into a fountaine and washing off her olde Feathers reneweth her youth So likewise a Christian feeling the the burden of the old Man must wash himselfe in the fountaine of repentance Ioel. 2.12 in a riuer of teares for his impuritie that by this meanes washing off the old Feathers of sinne hee may put on the new wings of righteousnesse by which hee may flie with comfort strengthened by grace to the heauenly Tabernacle It is related againe of the Eagle Barradius that when the vpper crooked part of her bill doth grow long that she cannot eate her meate she striketh her bill against a stone and breaking off the part that did hinder reneweth her strength After the same manner we must breake of the impediments of our sinnes by repentance that hinder vs from taking the heauenly food of our soules as Daniel Dan. 4.27 counselled Nebuchadnezzar that with the Eagle we may be renued and strengthened more and more by Christ in the inner man Ephes 3.16.7 that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith and our faith appeare in holinesse without which no man shall see God Heb. 12.14 Lastly S. Augustine S. August lib. 8. de Ciuit. dei in Psal 56. relateth of the Serpent that when she groweth old she draweth her selfe through a narrow hole and by this meanes leauing her old skinne she renueth her age Our
THE TRVE VVAY OF A CHRISTIAN TO THE NEVV IERVSALEM OR A THREE-FOLDE DEMONSTRATION First of the Excellencie of the true and sauing Knowledge of Christ and the meanes to attaine it with the Antiquitie necessitie and benefit of Catechisme Secondly of our Vnion and Communion with Christ and his Church Thirdly of our new Creation in Christ by the blessed Spirit With diuers Questions and Cases of Conscience most comfortable for a Christian Deliuered first in Briefe in a Sermon Preached at Paules-Crosse the first Sunday in the new yeere 1617. And newly reuised and enlarged by IMMANVEL BOVRNE Master of Artes and now Parson of Ashouer in the Countie of Derby LONDON Printed for George Fayerbeard and are to be sold at his shop at the North doore of the Royall Exchange 1622. TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVLL Dr. PEIRS THE NOW Reuerend and worthy Vicechancellour of the Vniuersitie of Oxenford and Rector of St. Christophers neere the Royall Exchange in London And to the Right Worshipfull and all the rest of the religious and well-willing Parishioners of the same A daily increase of sauing knowledge of that Vnion and Communion with Christ and his Church and of that new Creation in Christ by the blessed Spirit in the Canaan of Grace with the perfection of all these in the Ierusalem of Glory for euer RIGHT Worshipfull and the rest beloued It is a conclusion of St. Augustines S. August in Epist ad Marcellin That there is nothing can be spoken more briefely nor heard more ioyfully nor vnderstood more acceptably nor performed more fruitfully then the duty of thankfulnesse This is true of thankfulnesse to God of which St. Augustine speaketh and true of thankfulnesse to men as experience teacheth Of the first S. Chrysostome S. Chrysost Hom. 51. in Genes affirmeth Nihil tam gratum Deo vt anima grata gratias agens That there is nothing so acceptable vnto God as a thankfull minde nothing more pleasing in his eyes S. Chrysost Hom. 1 ad popâ—lum Antioch and therefore he calles thankfulnesse a rich treasure yea a heape of riches a fountaine of good and a tower of strength because by the memorie of benefits receiued we are strengthened that we fall not backe by Ingratitude then which nothing is more detestable in the eyes of God as S. Bernard St. Bern. serm 1. de septem miseâ—icorâ—ijs Sen lib. 2. de benefic cap. 22. Sabellic lib. 7. cap. 1. Exempl Baptista Fulgos Plutarch in Apophth testifieth And for the second thankfulnesse to men not only men as Augustus Caesar of whom Seneca Alexander of Macedon of whom Sabellicus Artaxerxes that King of Persia of whom Fulgosus with diuers others of whom Plutarch reporteth But euen the bruite beasts themselues may seeme to haue been delighted with it and as it were to take pleasure in it Witnesse that story of the Dragon which as Aelianus Aelianus de varia Hist lib. 13. relateth was nourished by a Boy in the Citie of Patras in Achaia and being growen bigge and driuen by the Citizens into the wildernesse not being forgetfull of him by whom he was nourished when in processe of time the Boy trauelling thorough the wildernesse was set vpon by theeues hearing his voyce he came presently to assist him and in thankfulnesse destroyed the theeues and conducted him safe on his iourney Witnesse that story of the Panther of which Geminianus Geminian de Exempl maketh mention which hauing her yong ones fallen into a pit and while she sought for helpe meeting with a man whom with feare and fawning she perswaded to follow her when he had deliuered her yong shee left him not but in thankfulnesse kept him from danger till hee came forth of the deserts Pierius Valerianus Hieroglyphicor lib. 19. Witnesse that of the Eagle which being saued by a Reaper who came to fetch water from the violence of the Serpent that had poysoned the Fountaine and almost killed her the Serpent being cut in peeces with his hooke and the Reaper carrying water to his fellowes the Eagle did flye after him and when his fellowes had drunke and were poysoned he being about to drinke himselfe shee hindered him from drinking labouring with her wings to breake the pitcher by which seeing his fellowes some dying some dead before him he perceiued her thankfulnesse vnto him for deliuering of her from the crueltie of the Serpent To conclude witnesse that famous Historie of Androdus the fugitiue seruant Aulus Gellius who by errour falling into a Lyons denne which had a thorne in his foote Androdus pulling it out the Lyon nourished him for a time with him and when he escaped thence being taken for his offence and cast to a company of Lyons where that Lyon also being taken by hunters was kept The Lyon knowing Androdus his old Chyrurgion would not suffer him to be deuoured and therefore both were set at libertie and the Lyon following him euery where like a Dog was pointed at by all men with this observatioÌ„ Ecce leo hospes hominis Ecce homo medicus leonis Behold a Lyon the Hoste of a man and behold a man the Physition of a Lyon Thus you see not only God but also men and bruite beasts haue beene delighted with the duty of thankfulnesse To acknowledge therefore those many fauours which I haue receiued both from you all in generall and from some in a more especiall manner For from you the learned Pastour I must confesse I not only sucked my first milke in the Vniuersitie but receiued my encouragement and furtherance to be planted in this Citie and by a free election in this place wherein by Gods gracious fauour for these foure yeeres and vpwards I haue happily continued And from you my worthy and euer honoured friends with whom I haue liued I haue obtained not onely a principall part of my liuelyhood for the present but by a most free and noble gift a Pastorall charge wherein I may exercise with much comfort my ministeriall office for the time to come Nor can I here end for from many other in particular I haue not wanted priuate fauours witnesses of their pietie to God and good will towards me How then can I be silent and suffer my selfe to be iustly branded with the coale of Ingratitude To preuent this I haue aduentured to offer as a Farewell these my weake meditations vnto you which though they be farre vnable to satisfie your deseruing yet may they remaine with you when I am gone as a testimonie of my desires They are a New-yeeres gift in respect of the time and in respect of the subiect not too high for any nor too base for the best fitting pleasurable and profitable for all if you reade and remember and practise them with Conscience They are a plaine and direct plat-forme of the state of a Christian shewing how we may walke from the true knowledge of Christ which is the foundation of all to the true Vnion and Communion with
amongst theÌ„selues for as all men were one in the first AdaÌ„ created alike of the dust of the earth so are all Christians one in the second Adam redeemed alike by the blood of the Lambe The Iewes before Christ they did all eate of the same spirituall bread and drinke of the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the rocke that followed them and that rocke was Christ 1. Cor. 10.3 And the beleeuing Iewes and Gentiles since Christ they are all partakers in the same communion of the body and blood of Iesus 1. Cor. 10.17 We are all one body in Christ and one spirit we are called in one hope of our vocation we haue one Lord one faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all who is aboue all and through all and in vs all Ephes 4.4.5 So that all the Saints are as one man in Christ not by a corporall but by a spirituall vnion not in respect of the persons which are innumerable but first in respect of that one head Zanchius Comment in Ephes cap. 2. which is Christ vnto whom all are annexed and vnited as the members of the body are to the head but in a spirituall manner And secondly in respect of that one and the same Spirit by whom we are quickned and in faith and holines vnited vnto Christ For as the body is said to be one though it hath many members because they are all quickened by one soule all knit together vnto one head and all making vp one and the same humane nature 1. Cor. 12.12 13. so are Christians one body being quickened by one and the same Spirit vnited to one and the same head Christ and hauing one and the same nature of grace in newnesse of life And hence in the primitiue times of the multitude of beleeuers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there was one heart and one soule Act. 4.32 not simply but in God and in Christ And so Christians though many yet are one new man in Christ one in spirit one in faith one in charity one in will and consent and one in newnesse of life Vnity required in Christians Eph. 2.14 And therefore beeing thus made one in Christ who is our peace wee should follow the Apostles exhortation Ephes 4.3 Endeauour to keepe the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace To bee at vnity with our brethren at one with ourselues at vnity in faith and religion which is the principall point S. August de spirit liter and the badge of a Christian What S. Augustine speakes of charity is true of this vnity it is the way of God to men and the way of men vnto God it is the queene of vertues the most excellent gift yea that very bond of perfection Coloss 3.14 The loue of God therefore that is shed abroad in our hearts Rom. 5.5 should vnite and cement the soules of Christians Oh thou diuine loue saith Anselme how great is thy bond Anselm lib. de simil that thou hast vnited not onely Angels to God but God and man after a wonderfull manner and much more should it be powerfull to vnite the hearts of men and Christian men one to another The Papists you know brag and boast much of their vnity Nicolaus Romaâ—s Iesuit contra Calvin pag. 426. Platina in Stephano 6. falsly applying these places of Scripture which concerne vnity vnto themselues For where hath there beene more discord then in the Church of Rome not onely in the members but in the Antichristian heads themselues After Pope Stephen saith Platina it hath beene the custome among the Popes that those who followed afterwards would either breake or abolish the Acts of the Popes that had gone before them Pope Iohn the two and twenty and Pope Nicolas in their whole decrees are contrary the one against the other yea and that in those things Quae videntur ad fidei negotium pertinere which seeme to belong to matter of Faith Erasmus in Annot. in 1. Cor. 7. Platina in vita Silvest Onuph addit ad Plat. in vita Greg. 12. as Erasmus obserues I might shew you how some of them haue beene forcerers Idolaters Arian Heretickcs Nestorian Heretickes Menothelite Heretickes Montanist Heretickes and the like all differing one from another as their Scotists and Thomists and diuers others their sects or at least differing from Christ Iesus who is the true head and gouernour of his Church Or if we grant them vnity Eph. 4.15 yet if we trye their spirits and put their vnity to the touchstone we shall finde it but counterfeite no Christian but an Antichristian vnity that is amongst them like that of Simeon and Leui who were brethren in euill or of Herod Gen. 49.5 Luk. 23.12 and Pontius Pilate who agreed together against Christ or like themselues of whom Saint Iohn prophecyeth that they haue one mind and should giue their power and strength vnto the beast and all to make warre against the Lambe Reu. 17.13.14 They agree together to defend their owne traditions of Purgatory prayer for the dead Inuocation of Saints Adoration of Images superstitious reliques and the like which contrary to the Scriptures to the Doctrine of the Apostles Conc. Nicen. Ruffin Eccl. Hist lib. 1. ca. 6. the consent of ancient Councels and Fathers of the Church they haue inuented to maintaine Concil Constantinop 2. ca. 36. the pompe and pride of the Pope his Cardinalls and themselues to fill his coffers and set vp his Antichristian Throne aboue the Thrones of Kings and Emperours as the History of times and their owne ambitious practise hath made manifest It is related of the Meletian Schismatickes Hist Eccl. lib. 8. cap. 46. and the Arrian Heretickes that at first they did much disagree in their seuerall opinions but not being able to effect their ambitious designes being separated at last they agreed together and made a league to make warre against the pious Clergie of Alexandria In like manner this broode of Antichrist though separated amongst themselues in their seuerall sects about matters of the life to come yet agree they well enough together to keepe their Temporall power and worldly honours vnto themselues And if Heretickes and Schismatickes can agree in euill how much more should the true professors of the faith of Christ according to the Doctrine of the Apostles and primitiue times practise a heauenly vnity amongst themselues How should we labour to keepe that vnitie which is wrought by the blessed Spirit in true faith and holinesse by which the Saints are knit and vnited vnto that one Head of the Church not the Pope as Hosius and others would haue it Hosius in Petri coven Confess ca. 27. Clem. 5. ad nost in Gloss Chrysost ad Col. Hom 6. August in Iohan Tract 6. 1. Sam 4.21 who being a man is and euer hath beene subiect to Errour but Christ who is such a head from whom Corpus habet vt sit vt bene
be in Christ I haue laid the foundation of our vnion at large I will once againe Catechise the point in briefe before I come to the vse That if it be possible you may yet more plainely vnderstand it The question Quest 1 may be demanded if Christ be in vs how are we in Christ or if we be in Christ how is Christ in vs I answer Answ First that Christ is in vs as the King is in his kingdome to rule ouer vs as the father of his family is in his household to ouersee vs as the bridegroome is in the bride-chamber to honour vs as the head is in the bodie to guide and direct vs in all our actions but all this in a spirituall manner Or otherwise Christ is in vs First by faith and charitie as a Sauiour in the hearts of those that are saued Secondly by his spirit of vertue and grace by which hee doth quicken illuminate feede gouerne and conserue his children After the first manner one friend may bee in the breast of another by affection and loue but after the second no mortall man can be in the heart of any man but onely Christ in vs which sheweth the excellency of this heauenly vnion Quest 2 Secondly How are we in Christ I answer Answere we are in Christ not carnally neither but after a spirituall manner For although our bodies are not carnally in Christ nor Christs in ours yet spiritually we are vnited to Christ and Christ to vs we are one with Christ and Christ with vs In the Booke of Common Prayer the exhortation at Communion Hosh 2.19 20. we dwell in Christ and Christ in vs as our Church doth witnes and this in a more neere manner as is admirably declared in that excellent vnion of the husband and wife For Christ is our heauenly Bridegroome and we are his Spouse Cant. 5.1 2. He hath married vs vnto himselfe in righteousnesse and in iudgement and in louing kindnesse and in mercies and in faithfulnesse and in the knowledge of the Lord An excellent wedding ring beset with sixe beautifull Diamonds to illustrate that most gracious and glorious vnion betweene Christ and his Church Quest 3 But Christ is righteousnesse and life it selfe in him is no sinne neither was death able to hold him in the prison of the graue How then is it possible that sinfull man who is subiect vnto death by sinne should any way be in Christ or Christ in him Like thing are woont to be ioyned to like but betweene so different and contrarie natures what communion or fellowship is any where to be found Are we in Christ as the creatures are in God After this manner not only all men are in him For in him we liue and mooue and haue our beeing Acts 17.28 but also all things that liue for hee is before all things and in him all things consist Coloss 1. verse 7. and this were a vnion common to wicked men and to the brute beasts as well as to vs. How then are we in Christ Quest I answer Answ wicked men haue not this vnion with Christ Wicked men haue no vnion with Christ but only the elect no not so much as the vnion of nature for howsoeuer in generall in that Christ was truly man as they are they may seeme to haue a kinde of communion yet in this there is a maine difference that Christ did not take vpon him our humane nature corrupted and defiled with the pollution of sinne August in Ioh. Sine peccato sine peccati macula S. Bern in vigil Natiuit serm 4. Mater est sine corruptione virginitatis filius sine omni labe peccati Esay 53.9 but sanctified and made most pure and holy in the wombe of the blessed Virgin by the power of the diuine Spirit he was conceiued without sinne and borne without the least spot of iniquitie he liued and dyed without sinne Neither was there any guile found in his mouth The wicked therefore being conceiued in sinne and borne in sinne liuing and dying in sinne they can haue no vnion with Christ neither in the qualitie of his nature nor in Grace It is only the Elect who are purified by the blood of Christ iustified by imputation of his merit and sanctified and regenerated daily by the power of his Spirit that haue this vnion and Communion with Christ Hee that keepeth his commandements dwelleth is him and he in him and hereby we know that he abideth in vs by the Spirit which he hath giuen vs. 1. Ioh 3.24 If any man loue me he will keepe my words and my Father will loue him and we will come vnto him and make our abode with him Iohn 14.24 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus who walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.1 who worketh a change in their hearts and by steppes and degrees conformes them to the image of Christ This vnion is a vnion of faith by which our hearts are purified Acts 15.9 which belongeth only to the Elect and therefore to them onely pertaineth this vnion not barely as they are men but Christian men not in respect of their generation but regeneration not according to the substance of the humane nature receiued from the first Adam but according as it is renued with sanctitie and heauenly puritie in the second by the power of whose Spirit dwelling in vs Our mortall bodies are quickened to nâ—wnesse of life Rom. 6.10 11. And thus Christ is in vs not in the wicked he is in vs by an internall a true and liuely co-adunation and vnion of the spirit which consists in a true and sincere faith and a true and vnfeined loue by which we are conformed to Christ our head for by faith and loue we are translated into Christ so that now we liue no longer in our selues but in him Our life is hid with Christ in God Coloss 3.3 I liue saith the Apostle yet not I but Christ liueth in me and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who loued me and gaue himselfe for me Gal. 2.20 We liue not by our selues but by Christ who liueth in vs And therefore first this is a most excellent benefit and comfort to the soule of a Christian It is profitable for vs that our life of grace is not in vs but in Christ For if our spirituall life of grace were our own and did consist onely in our selues wee should soone spend it like prodigals and die that spirituall death that brings death eternall But our life being in Christ and Christ in vs hauing once giuen this life of grace vnto vs for our eternall comfort in all temptations he will neuer take this life totally and finally from vs but though he may withdraw his breath for a time yet he will returne reuiue and quicken vs to life euerlasting And to this end Christ is in vs by his
easie matter to be made partaker of the externall sacraments and name of a Christian but not so easie thus to be in Christ for this requireth newnesse of life as I shall shew at large in the next circumstance If then thou wouldest know a Christian or know thy selfe to be in Christ looke not to the externall and verball profession but search into thy owne conscience Ioh. 5.5.6 M. Hooker Ecclesiast policie booke 5. pag. 306. and looke to the reall and actuall life of a Christian No man actually is in Christ but he in whom Christ is actually and in whom the life of Christ or of grace and newnesse from Christ doth appeare he that hath not the sonne hath not life and he that hath not life the life of grace wee may truely say he hath not the sonne The bird is knowne by her singing the tree is knowne by his fruits and a Christian is known by his life and conuersation He is pure by imputation of puritie from the merits of Christ and he is pure by the grace of regeneration wrought in him by the holy and blessed spirit for the perfection at which hee striues and labours truely according to the measure of that grace which is giuen vnto him and the effects of this purity is like a burning lampe shining forth gloriously in all his actions it is holinesse it selfe and not the name of holinesse that makes a Christian How then canst thou be called a Christian in whom no acts of a Christian doe appeare saith S. Augustine S. Aug. de vita Christiana of the life of a Christian Christianus nomen iustitiae est Christian is a name of righteousnes of integrity innocency chastity humility humanity patience prudence purity piety and other vertues and how canst thou challenge that name vnto thee in whom of so many vertues so few are to be found He is a Christian who is so not in name onely Aug. in Psal 33. but also indeed he is a Christian that accounteth himselfe to bee a stranger in his owne house for here we are pilgrimes our countrey is in heauen and there we shall be no strangers but citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Aug. de vita Christ Christianus vnctus est saith S. Augustine Christian is as much as annoynted and the learned know that in ancient time those who were annoynted were Holy men Kings and Priests and Prophets of an high and holy calling and thus was Christ himselfe annoynted spiritually Psal 45.7 and his Disciples and all Christians To teach vs that to whom there is so holy an annoynting there should also be a holy life and conuersation for what will it profite thee to be callled what thou art not and to vsurpe a name that belongs not vnto thee But if thou delight to be a Christian do those things that are fitting for a Christian then take the name vpon thee to thy comfort it is a name that is ancient giuen long since at Antioch and honourable better then the names of any other master whatsoeuer Act. 11.26 thou mayest reioyce therefore in the rightfull enioying of it but if otherwise thou desire to bee called a Christian and not to be so this is a punishment miserable and detestable enough that thou desirest to be an hypocrite and to be called that thou art not for no man can haue any benefit by Christ who will be called a Christian and not striue and labour to be a Christian in deede True Christians imitate the life of Christ Let no man then iudge himselfe to be a Christian who doth not truely endeauour to imitate Christ in purity of life Excellently S. Bernard S. Bern. lib. sent pag. 496. Christiani a Christo nomen acceperunt operae pretium est vt sicut sunt haeredes nominis ita sint imitatores sanctitatis Christians receiue their names from Christ and it is worth the labour that as they are heires of his name so they should bee imitatours of his holinesse Art thou a couetous man that makest thy mony thy God thou art a Christian but onely in name and thy mony shall not profite thee in the day of vengeance Aâ—t thou a voluptuous man that makest thy pleasure â—hy God thou art not a Christian but onely in name and thy pleasure shall not profite thee in the day of vengeance Art thou a blasphemer that delightest in wicked damnable oathes Thou art not a Christian but only in name and thy oathes shall condemne thee in the day of vengeance Art thou a glutton or drunkard that delightest in drunkennesse and makest thy wine or thy belly thy God Thou art a Christian but onely in name and thy abuse of Gods creatures shall certainly condemne thee in the day of vengeance To conclude art thou hard-hearted and makest no conscience of spoyling thy brother by deceite and fraud by robbery and violence by oppression and cruelty S. Augustine S. August de verb. Apost ser 21. will tell thee Cum tu qui Christianus es spolias paganum impedis fieri Christianum When thou who art a Christian by profession dost spoyle a Pagan thou doest hinder thy selfe from being a Christian and more art thou hindred if thou beeing a Christian doest spoyle thy brother and thy Hypocrisie shall one day condemne thee All these doe dishonour Christ and separate themselues from him by their wilfull impieties and therfore except they repent they cannot be saued Excellent was the example of famous Iulitta that blessed Martyr and seruant of Christ of whom S. Basil S. Basil in ser relates in his sermons who when she was condemned to death by her Pagan Iudges because she would not worship their heathenish gods hearing her sentence she brake foorth with this Christian resolution Farewell life welcome death farewell riches welcome pouertie All that I haue if it were a thousand times more would I rather loose then to speake one wicked and blasphemous word against God my Creator An excellent resolution and fit to bee followed of euery Christian Wee should walke worthy our vocation and haue our conuersation as becommeth the Gospell of Christ we should lose our riches our honours yea our life and all rather then dishonour Christ our Lord and Sauiour And that we may the better doe this I will end this part with that excellent counsell of S. Bernard Bern in Cant. serm 21. Disce O Christiane a Christo quemadmodum diligas Christum Learne O Christian of Christ how thou maist loue Christ learne to loue him sweetly to loue him prudently to loue him valiantly Sweetly lest thou be entised from him by pleasure prudently lest thou be deceiued by Satans policy and valiantly lest being oppressed by afflictions or temptations thou bee auerted from the loue of thy Sauiour Zelum tuum inflammet charitas informet scientia firmet constanta Let his charity inflame thy zeale let his knowledge informe thy zeale and
liues with the teares of true repentance If you find a sorrow in your soules that you haue yeelded so much to Satan as to entertaine his euill motions as not to haue beene more watchfull to auoide his fleights more carefull to escape the occasion of his entisements but suffered lust to proceed so farre as to conceiue and bring forth sinne in you yea some open sinne to the dishonour of God and shame of your profession for into such may the deare child of God fall by the violence of temptations If this be a griefe to you and that you can flye by faith in Christ like Prodigals to the Father of mercy bewailing your sins and crauing pardon and resolue with your selues to bee more carefull hereafter to eschew the euill and to doe the good If you finde with S. Paul a will and desire in you to cherish the graces that God hath bestowed vpon you Rom. 7.18 and so to encrease your regeneration that you may be conformed to the image of Christ It is euident that this new Creation is begunne in you And therefore without question yee are in Christ and Christ who by his Spirit hath begunne so good a worke he will encrease his grace and one day bring it to perfection to the eternall ioy and comfort of your soules For if any man be once in Christ he is and shall be a new Creature But what if I haue not these signes of newnesse in me may some man obiect 1. Obiection Against our new Creation am I therfore out of Christ and so haue no part of his death and passion then am I in a fearefull and miserable estate for I finde that Satans temptations oftentimes get the victorie over me that I am not able in many things to resist them that I haue much corruption in me for I see a Law in my members rebelling against the Law of my minde and leading me captiue to the Law of sinne so that what I would doe that doe I not and what I would not doe that doe I. Answere To comfort a weake Christian I answer this was Saint Paules complaint Rom. 7.19 And know this for thy comfort that if thou hast but the beginnings of grace and a desire to haue them increased thou art entred into Gods hospitall and God will in due time wholly cure the wounds of thy soule Luk. 10.34 he will powre in wine and oyle and not leaue thee till hee bring thee to perfect health And this striuing and combating against sinne though it be yet but in the Embrio in the conception as it were in desire only yet it is an euident signe that grace hath entred into thy heart and this new creation is begun in thee For while the strong man armed keepeth the pallace Luk. 11.21.22 the things that he possesseth are in peace that is so long as Satan dwelleth in the corrupt heart of a naturall man without any grace of faith or this spirituall newnesse in him all is in peace there is none of this combating or striuing betweene the flesh and the spirit in his soule But when a stronger then he commeth that is when Christ commeth to dwell in the heart by faith and by his Spirit to worke in vs this new creation then is the warre begun betweene Christ and Belial and this combate to be found in the heart of a Christian which is a plaine demonstration that thou art in Christ yea though thou finde many corruptions which are not yet fully purged from thy heart For as a liuing body although naturally it be the subiect of sence yet one part may for a time be benummed when the rest are quicke and liuely so a regenerate man in whom this worke is begun may haue some part vnreformed when the rest is renued by grace As a man is not borne a strong man at the first nor a plant growne vp to a tree in a moment so it is with the state of a Christian we are by degrees conformed to the image of Christ Musculus in Text. Vetus creatura non ita subitò exuitur nec noua repentè induitur saith a good interpreter The old man is not so soone put off nor is the new man so soone put on this must haue time to be brought to perfection It is a comfortable obseruation of S. Bernard S. Bern in serm 1. Domin Palm Qui parvulus natus est parvulos a gratia non excludit He that was borne a little one himselfe doth not exclude little ones from grace that is such as are babes in this new creation For as a little branch is as truely in the vine as a great one though it bring not forth so much fruite so is a man that is but a new conuert and newly engrafted into Christ by faith as truly in Christ yea and though he be weake in himselfe and may seeme easily to be broken off yet Christ will keepe him as sure in him and nourish him with grace till he come to strength as he that hath beene a long time in Christ and obtained an excellent measure of this new creation For hee that is once engrafted into Christ by faith though Christ may suffer him to bee shaken with the winde of temptations Matth. 14.30 31. or with Peter on the water to feare and doubt and begin to sinke being affrighted with the waues of Satans assaults though Christ may leaue him to himselfe for a time yet he will neuer totally and finally forsake him he will not suffer the winde to breake him off nor the waues of the sea to drowne him For though we be weake yet Christ is strong though we be often vnconstant yet Christ is constant in his loue to the end Imperfectnesse in our brethren no sufficient cause to condemne them for reprobates Ezekiel 47.3 4 5. Seeing therefore this grace of newnesse in a Christian is but like those holy waters in Ezekiels vision first to the ancles then to the knees after to the loynes and at last a great riuer not to be passed ouer that is not perfect at first but increasing by degrees and since that many who are engrafted into Christ may yet haue some corruption to be found in them not fully cleansed It must teach vs not rashly to condemne those for hypocrites for such kinde of Ciuill honest men which cannot be saued whom we may see subiect to some imperfections What though thy brother hath not obtained so great a measure of grace as thou hast Is it the part of a Christian in an instant to enter into the treasurie of Gods secrets and condemne such a one for a reprobate Who gaue thee authoritie to climbe vp into the Iudgement seate of Christ that thou shouldest so speedily pronounce sentence against thy brother and because regeneration is but new begun in him exclude him quite out of the fauour of God Charitie is the badge of a Christian and thence thou mayest learne a
farre better lesson Math. 7.1 Iudge not that ye be not iudged If thou seest thy neighbour wicked labour to conuert him If thou seest him ciuilly honest outwardly iust in his actions to men keeping in some good measure the second table but not so diligent as thou art in obseruing the first if he haue only restraining grace as thou mayest imagine though it be hard to iudge the heart of which God only is the searcher Damne him not presently and much lesse thy weake brother for euery slippe and fall into sinne by Satans violence or his owne frailtie but grant him the benefit of repentance and pray for him rather that God would giue him renuing grace that by little and little he may wholly be changed and come to thâ—t perfection which thou thinkest thou hast obtained Thus shalt thou more easily winne thy brother and declare thy sinceritie that thou desirest his good If thy zeale be hotte guide it with knowledge Euery plaister is not fit for one soare some must haue wine and some oyle some the Law and some the Gospel Luk. 10 34. if thou apply not aright thou mayest sooner wound then heale sooner destroy then saue the soule of thy brother I conclude this with this admonition Take heede least Satan infect thee with spirituall pride 2. Gods acceptance of smâ—ll grace in Christ no argument to stand at a stay A censuring spirit is one marke of an Hypocrite the Pharisie coÌ„demned the Publican but humilitie receiued the blessing This man went home iustified more then the other Luke 18.14 Secondly this fauour of God in Christ Iesus that hee accepts lambes as well as sheepe Babes in grace as well as men of riper yeeres must not mooue vs to stand at a stay or to sit idle as if we needed not to goe any further for there is a groweth in graces required of vs. Grow in grace saith the Apostle 2. Pet. 3.18 And Be that is striue to be perfect as your heauenly Father is perfect saith our Sauiour Matth. 5.48 Howsoeuer sometimes by the subtiltie of our spirituall enemies we may be like the Sunne at Christ death Luk. 23.45 darkened with the thicke mists of temptations or afflictions yet we must not be like Ioshuahs Sunne that stood still Ioshua 10.12 2 King 20.9 nor like Ezekiahs Sunne that went backewards but like Dauids Sunne that commeth forth as a Bridegroome out of his chamber as a Gyant to runne his course Psal 19.4 5. I haue a Baptisme saith Christ to bee Baptized withall and how am I straitened till it be accomplished Luk. 12.50 We haue a Baptisme likewise to bee Baptized with all namely this regeneration and newnesse in Christ and how should we be straitened till it bee perfected in vs There be many that wil striue to be in the newest fashion to haue the newest head-tyre the newest vpholder for their pride but they will not striue to bee new creatures except it bee by daubing and painting their faces with hellish deuices taking vpon them to mend their creation as being angry with God because hee hath made them no better But shall the clay challenge the potter and say why hast thou made me thus Certaine it is that as a painter hâ—uing finished his worke cannot endure that a stranger should come and lay other colours vppon it so is it impossible God should endure that a mortall woman whom he himselfe hath created should by painting her face take vpon her to correct the workemanship of God True it is that cursed and painting Iesabel was one of this number but the vengeance of God brought her to a fearefull destruction the dogges did eate the flesh and drinke the blood of Iesabel 2. Kings 9.30 I will end this obiection with that exhortation of S. Bernard S. Bern. de modo bene viuendi Studie to please Christ Iesus not with pretious garments or new fangled fashions but with newnesse of life not with the beautie of the flesh but with the beauty of the mind not with the outward face but with the inward heart by putting off the old man and being cloathed with the new and endeauour earnestly for an increase of this newnesse thus shalt thou shew thy selfe to be a Christian and so to bee a fauourite of Christ not onely to dwell with him as the fauourites of Kings so highly esteemed but to dwell in him and he in thee which is farre better Jf any man be in Christ he is a new Creature But once againe some Christian may reply 2. Obiection of Sataâ— to mooue â—o despaâ—re howsoeuer I haue heretofore felt these beginnings of grace and some of these signes of newnesse in mee by which I might bee persuaded that I was in Christ and Christ in me yet now I finde that I am subiect to manifold temptationâ— and am sometimes ouercome to fall into grieuous sinnes which wound my conscience yea I see a decay of grace in mee I finde a weakenesse of faith and a kind of deadnessâ— in my soule so that I delight not in the Law of God as I should nor doe I feele that assurance of the fauour of God and of my saluation as I desire and therefore I feare that my faith was but feigned and my holiness but in shew and so that I am not in Christ nor Christ in me and hence I conclude that woefull and miserable is my estate This obiection is large and hath diuers parts 1. Answ First of the conclusion but I will answer all as briefe as I can And first for the conclusion who is it that tels thee that thou art not in Christ nor Christ in thee and therefore thou art out of Gods fauour and the benefit of Châ—ist belongs not vnto thee Thou wilt replye it is thine owne conscience seeing thy decay in faith in holinesse and the burden of thy sinnes too heauy for thee to beare this pronounceth the curse against thee bâ—cause thou hast not continued in those things that are written in the booke of the Lawe to doe them Deut 27.26 because thou hast not that measure of grace which should be in a Christian in one that is in the fauour of God But once againe who is it that persuades thy conscience to this doubting vpon these grounds Quest If thou canst not tell I will answer for thee it is either God or Satan that puts this into thy minde First it may be it is God and then it is certainely for thy good 1. Answ How and to what end God suffers doubting that God for a time leaueth thee to thy selfe and suffers these doubtings to be in thee It may bee it is for some secret sinne for which thou art not yet humbled or of which yet thou hast not a true sight and repentance and then God doth it to worke a humiliation in thee that thou mayest be conuerted and turne truely vnto God or it may be it is to keepe thee from
not make thee ashamed Rom. 5.5 Yea by this Hope thou art and shalt be saued Rom. 8.24 Conclude not thy selfe then to be out of the fauour of God because thou art not yet free from sin and Satans temptations but comfort thy selfe in hope that as Christs prayer for Peter was heard 〈◊〉 22.32 that though he failed in faith and that foâ— a time yet he could not faile totally and finally so it is heard also for thee For he hath prayed for thee as effâ—ctuâ—lly as he did for him yea for all that shall beleeue on him Iohn 17. Iâ—h 17.20 And th refore as Iob Iob 19.25 in the middest of his misâ—â—e did co fort himselfe with this meditation that his Râ—dâ—mer unâ—d so doe thou comfort thy selfe in Câ—riâ—â— thâ—â— one droppe of his blood is of vertue to procure pardon for all thy sinnes if the sinnes of all the men in the world were thine And therefore waite with patiâ—â—ce 2. Cor. 22.9 aâ—d bâ— content with Gods answer to Paul My gâ—aâ—e is suâ—â—â—â—ient for thee and my strength shall be made manâ—fest in thy weâ—â—â—nesse It is not for our merits bâ—t for the meâ—i s oâ— C râ—â—â— that God freely accepts vs. And this is thâ— prâ—mise of God to those who are once his châ—ldren on whom hâ— hath ouâ—e bestowed these graces of the knowledge of Christ of faith of repentance of â—egeneration and newnesse of life which thou canst not deny once to haue beene in some measure in thee though he suffer them to fall into diuers great and grieuous temptations yea temptations of this nature yet he will lay no more vpon them 1. Cor. 10.13 then he will make them able to beare and if he suffer them to be ouercome for a time yet will he make a way to escape he will giue them the grace of repentance and faith by which they shall bee reconciled and reassured of the loue of their heauenly Father Doubt not then to apply the promises of God in particular into thy selfe vpon repentance and comming to Christ because their is no kinde of sinne which thou canst commit but the mercy of God in Christ is farre greater For that sinne against the holy Ghost thou canst not commit which is not any transgression of the morall Law either in generall or particular either of ignorance or infirmitie or a sinne committed wilfully presumptuously and against a mans conscience though these bee grieuous sinnes Bucan loc Com. But an vniuersall and a finall Apostacie or falling away from Christ it is a voluntarie renouncing of the knowne truth of the Gospel and a rebellion proceeding from the hatred of it being ioyned with a tyrannicall sophisticall and hypocriticall oppugnation of the same when a man that hath beene enlightened with the true knowledge of Christ and conuinced in his conscience of the truth of it by the blessed Spirit Heb. 6.5 and hath tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come but it is onely a taste for they that doe feede of these graces spiritually and doe digest them and are nourished by them to newnesse of life God will neuer suffer them to fall into this sinne when such an one I say shall afterward vniuersally and with a full consent fall from the truth deny Christ persecute him with reproaches despising the sacrifice of his death and passion and continuing thus without repentance to the end this is the sinne against the holy Ghost Thus did Iulian and other Apostates sinne and of these is that of the Apostle to be vnderstood Heb. 6. verse 6. This sinne I say thou canst not fall into beeing ingrafted into Christ by faith and for all other sinnes bee they neuer so grieuous remission is promised vpon faith and repentance and that freely not for the merit of thy faith or repentance but for the merit of Christ Why then shouldest thou not apply the generall promises of grace vnto thy selfe in particular Come vnto me saith Christ all ye that be weary and heauy leaden and I will refresh you this promise is generall Mat. 11.28 But thy owne conscience will tell thee that thou art weary and heauy loaden with the burden of thy sinnes and therefore thou mayest well conclude that comming vnto Christ the promise of mercy belongs to thee Whosoeuer shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued this is a generall promise Mark 16.16 But thy owne conscience will tell thee that thou art baptized and that thou beleeuest though it may be thy faith is but weake but like a graine of mustard-seede that is very small Matth. 17.20 yet if thou canst but say with the man in the Gospel I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeleefe Marke 9.24 If thou canst but touch the hemne of Christs vesture with the finger of faith if the hand of faith by which thou mayst lay fast hold on him be wanting yet by this touch of Christ euen with the finger of faith the vertue of Christ may flow forth sufficiently to stop the bloody issue of thy sinnes and to cure the maladies of thy soule and with this thou mayest truly apply the promises of grace vnto thy selfe To conclude this then since thou art and must bee a souldier while thou liuest in the campe or field of the Church faint not at the sight of thy enemies though they be many and terrible 2. King 6.16 but comfort thy selfe with this that as Elisha said to his seruant There are more with thee then with them yea and though thou be weake yet the strongest part is on thy side thou hast God thy friend to send thee more ayde of grace if at any time thou art decaied in thy strength thou hast Christ a conquerour thy Captaine vnder whose banner thou dost fight thou hast the blessed Spirit to encourage thee and though he may leaue off to shew his fauourable presence for a time yet will he not long be absent from thee though for a moment he hide his face yet with euerlasting kindnesse will he haue compassion on thee Esay 54.7 8. In a word thou hast myriades of Angels to accompany thee and the prayers of the Saints of the whole Church yea of Christ himselfe at the right hand of his Father like the showting of the Israelites Iosh 6.20 to make the walles of Iericho the strength of thy enemies to faile And therefore goe on with faith and constancie to endure the combate and faint not though thou hast many losses of grace many wounds by sinne by thy spirituall enemies for Christ being thy Captaine thou shalt certainly be conquerour in the end But if with all this thou findest that thou art vnable to apply the promises of mercy and free grace vnto thy selfe or to doe it so weakely that feare is not yet remooued Confession and Absolution an excellent meanes of peace Then as in the sicknesse of thy body thou art ready to seeke to the Physitian for helpe
and counsell that he may apply somewhat vnto thee to cure thy disease so must thou doe in this sicknesse of thy soule Thou must flye to the Minister of God whom he hath appointed for thy helpe herein The Priests lippes must preserue knowledge Malac. 2.7 and thou must seeke the Law at his mouth To him thou must open the wounds of thy soule Iam. 5.16 the causes and occasions of thy feare whether they be thy sinnes if any trouble thy conscience or thy temptations to sinne thy weakenesse of faith and holinesse or the like that hee vpon sight of thy estate and arguments of thy faith and repentance though they be weake may apply the promises of mercy the refreshing oyle of the Gospel vnto thy soule Thou must confesse thy sinnes and weaknesse as that reuerend Diuine Mr. Perkins Perkins Cases of Conscience lib. 1. cap. 1. sect 1. well obserueth that the Minister of God may pronounce the sentence of absolution of thy free remission and reconciliation with God in Christ vnto thee that hence thy hope and confidence in God may be confirmed which he may truly doe if by thy confession he finde in thee the grounds and signes of faith and repentance of which thou mayest finde many signes in this Treatise and no doubt but some in thy selfe if thou be called brought to repentance and faith in Christ I will here put you in minde A most comfortable ground of assurance that our sinnes are pardoned in Christ but of one ground of comfort for many And this is that A desire to repent and beleeue in a touched heart and conscience is faith and repentance it selfe though not in nature yet in Gods acceptation by Christ This is euident in Scripture First because If there be a willing minde it is accepted not according to that a man hath not but according to that he hath 2. Corinthians 8. verse 12. Againe God doth not onely call all that thirst and desire to the waters of life and offers them freely Esay 55. verse 1.2 but if they doe but desire and thirst for it he promiseth to giue it them freely Reuel 21.6 Reu. 22.17 And he will be as good as his word to thee thou shalt be sure to receiue and taste of these waters of comfort if thou wilt pray for it and desire it and expect with patience and tarry the Lords leisure for it Thou art blessed in the desire of it Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for first or last they shall be satisfied Matth. 5.6 and then blessed shalt thou be in the happie possession of it A bruised reede will he not breake and smoaking flaxe will he not quench that is the least sparkes of grace but kindle them to thy comfort Matth. 12.20 The Lord saith Dauid heareth the desires of the poore the poore in Spirit especially who are blessed though they be poore in their owne eyes seeing but little or no faith or holinesse in themselues yet they are rich in Christ in whom God accepteth them for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Matth. 5 3. If thou confessest that thou hast but this desire in thee as thou thy selfe mayest apply to thy selfe with the help of thine own coâ—science spirituall vnderstanding so may the minister also boldly and certainly apply the promises of grace and mercy to thy soule M. Perkins Cases of Conscience lib. 1. cap. 7. sect 5. And that with this or the like argument He that hath an vnfained desire to repent and bâ—leeue in Christ hath remission of sinnes and life euerlasting But thou hast an earnest desire to repent and beleeue in Christ as thy owne conscience cannot choose but tell thee and as thou confessest vnto him and therefore as thou mayest apply and conclude so if thou canst not he may certainly conclude to thee and for thee That remission of sinnes and life euerlasting belongs to thee and therefore he may assuredly and boldly for to procure thy peace the better pronounce vnto thee that excellent sentence of Absolution The Booke of Common Prayer in the visitation of the sicke appointed by our Church for the comfort of sicke and distressed soules Our Lord Iesus Christ who hath left power to his Church to absolue all sinners which truly repent and beleeue in him of his great mercy forgiue thee thine offences And by his authoritie committed to me I absolue thee from all thy sinnes in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen And if thou be as thou oughtest to be perswaded of the power of this absolution thou mayest after this possesse thy soule in peace with assurance that thou art iustified freely in Christ and labouring to increase in holinesse thou needest not doubt of happinesse in the end For this is one end why Christ hath giuen that power of binding and loosing vnto his Ministers those keyes of the kingdome of heauen That whatsoeuer they doe binde on earth Math. 16.19 should be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer they should loose on earth should be loosed in heauen And withall gaue them the holy Ghost to direct and guide them Receiue yee the holy Ghost saith Christ whose soeuer sinnes yee remit they are remitted vnto them and whose soeuer sinnes yee retaine they are retained Ioh. 20. verse 22 23. And this power though it be not absolute but ministeriall Christ absoluing by his ministers yet as no water could cure Naamans leprosie but the waters of Iordan 2. King 5. because God had giuen a speciall gift vnto them So the same words of absolution being pronounced by any other cannot haue that power to worke on the conscience or to perswade to peace as when they are pronounced by him that hath this ministeriall office because the promise only is giuen to Gods Ministers who are sent forth to this end Ioh. 20.12.13 And being pronounced by them in this forme and manner Christ doth as certainly loose thee from the bonds of thy sinnes by his Ministers as he did loose Lazarus by his disciples from the bonds with which he was tyed when he had raised him to life Iohn 11.44 Be at peace therfore quiet thy conscience with diuine Answ 3 Hope and confidence in Christ and the God of peace shall be with thee 2. Cor. 13.11 And yet further thirdly for thy decay in grace Quench not the spirit saith the Apostle to the Christian Thessalonians Against decay in grace 1. Thes 5.19 in whom no doubt the grace of Gods Spirit was in good measure The Spirit therefore may bee quenched and Gods dearest children may lose grace for a time though not finally and totally because God in his mercy doth in due time renue the vigour and strength of his graces in them Thou must not conclude then by thy decay in grace for a time or want of holinesse that thou art excluded from the fauor of God in Christ The best wheate hath
some chaffe and the best of Gods seruants some imperfection In this life we are not like the Sunne 1. In this life we continue not in one stay Iob 14.1.2 perfect in brightnesse and light but like the moone receiuing our light of grace from Christ as the moone receiueth her light from the sunne and like her we haue euer one spot of darkenesse or other within the Center of our hearts we are not fully purified therefore God tryeth vs sometime by temptations sometime by afflictions all for our good as S. Chrysostome Chrysostome Hom. 32. ad pop Antioch 2. All Gods children haue some taste of afflictions in this life speaketh of afflictions that the crosse is the fountaine of life because it fitteth better for life eternall so is it true of these temptations by which God tryeth his children for their greater glory And first or last all must haue some tast of this cuppe for as none can expect the penny without labouring in the vineyard so none can looke for the crown without enduring the combate The wheate is not pure except it be winnowed from the chaffe nor the siluer except it be seuered from the drosse nor the gold except it be tryed in the furnace But this being done the wheate is commodious the siluer pretious and the gold glorious and therefore all well esteemed of in the eyes of all so it is with them and so it is with vs who are the seruants the souldiers of Christ we must passe through the fanne the fining pot the furnace of manifold tryalls and temptations sometimes inward sometimes outward before we can be good wheate for the table of Christ good gold and siluer for the treasury of our Sauiour But Christ our Sauiour hath led the way before vs 3. Christs teÌ„ptations our incouragements 1. Cor. 13.12 and to our eternall comfort gotten the victory for vs. And all this makes vs more like him and therefore more deare in his sight it is but to purge out the drosse of our naturall corruption because as we know but in part so wee are regenerated but in part in this life but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away If thou bee tempted then with Dauid and the rest of Gods children because of thy infirmities outwardly with manifold afflictions or inwardly with manifold doubtings of which Dauid complained Psa 77.7 8 9. Let not Satan therefore make thee to become his advocate to pleade for him against thy self which is his policy when he seeth that otherwise he cannot hurt thee that thou art out of the fauour of God Rom. 8.28 but know that these are certainely for thy good All things fall out for the best to them that feare God and they wil bring thee happinesse in the end 4. For thy weakenesse of faith which maketh thee to feare that true faith is not in thee 4. Sence of spirituall weakenesse an argument of spirituall life because it bringeth forth no better fruites let mee tell thee this sight and sence of thy weakenesse is an euident argument of thy faith For as sence of seeing or feeling or the like is a signe of life in the body for a dead body can neither feele nor see so this sight and sence of our owne weaknesse of faith and holinesse is a symptome and signe of life the life of grace in the soule and therefore of true faith in vs though it bee weake for as wee cannot haue life this life of grace except we be in Christ from whom we receiue the life as the branches from the vine 5. A true faith sometimes little or no feeling in the Hart of a Christian so wee cannot be in Christ without faith by which wee are engrafted into him and therefore the signes of the spirituall life being in thee it is an euident token of thy faith Nay further if thou doest not alwayes feele this life of faith in thy heart but that thou hast in thee a numnesse and as it were a deadnesse of faith yet may thy faith be true and good though it be weake and although as Satan or thy owne weaknes strong enough to fight against thy selfe may persuade thee thou canst see no signes or symptomes of faith in thee For the children of God are sometimes Simil. 1 like a man in a trance who in his owne sence being as it were without sence or vnderstanding yea and in the iudgement of others may seeme to be dead and yet after reuiue and come to himselfe againe Simil. 2 The children of God in this life are often like the moone sometimes increasing in faith and holinesse sometimes decreasing or like the tide sometimes ebbing and sometimes flowing not that they should willingly bee thus subiect to chaÌ„ge or decay in grace for we must striue and pray against it but that God leauing vs to our selues or not alwaies assisting vs alike with his grace we are so Simil. 3 And yet take this with thee for a special note that in this respect we should bee like a man in a crowde or throng sometimes carryed forwards and sometimes backwards but carryed forward in grace willingly striuing together in one consent with the grace giuen vs and good motions of the spirit assisting vs that we may presse forward with all our power to perfection in grace to the fulnesse of the image of God in Christ But when we are carryed backewards by our corruptions and the violence of Satans temptations it must be sore against our wills and we must not rest contented but so soone as we see how wee are gone backe from that degree we were in wee must striue and struggle like a man fallen into a quickemire till by Gods assistance we get out and goe forwards againe Simil. 4 If thy faith be asleepe then as Christs humanity was in the shippe and thou thy selfe in a sea of temptations because thou findest not the anker of faith and holinesse in thee yet iudge not presently that thou hast no faith to bring thy selfe to despaire because if once thou hadst true faith it can neuer finâ—lly bee lost but the diuine power will at his pleasure cause thy faith to bee awakened and stirred vp in thee he wil coÌ„mand the wind the storme of thy troubles to cease that a calme of comfort may refresh thy soule And last of all that thou feelest not that measure of loue and delight in the Lawe of God nor that assurance of Gods fauour and of thy saluation which thou Answ 4 desirest and therefore fearest that thy faith is but fained thy holinesse but hypocrisie and so thy state miserable I answer once againe for thy comfort that if thou hast but a true desire of these though but imperfect and weake yet God in Christ accepts thy wil desire for the deed 2. Cor. 8.12 and when he pleaseth he will perfect these graces in thee 1. Not the
deferring their repentance vntill their ends they oftentimes come to an end without repentance and if thou hast beene forgetfull of God all thy life time how canst thou thinke that God wil be mindfull of thee at thy death God sometime takes a man away and giueth him time and grace sometimes hee giueth him time but not grace to repent and sometimes neither grace nor time There is a terrible example of this related in the life of S. Thomas Moore In vita Thom. Moore cap. 32. of a certaine prophane wrech who liuing wickedly all his life was wont shamelesly like an Atheist to boast that he cared not for repentance for he could bee saued with the saying of three words though it were at the point of death But marke his end before he came to be old riding post haste ouer a broken bridge his horse stumbled and not being able to stay him when he saw he must needs fall into the water he let loose the raines and cryed out with this fearefull exclamation Capiat omnia daemon Horse and man to the diuell and thus with his three words in stead of being saued for ought wee know hee went downe quicke into hell Oh then beloued let vs not deferre and put off our new Creation but labour truely for it while we haue time 3. This new creation is to be sought while we haue time The feast of dedication amongst the Iewes was in the winter when they did dedicate their new temple vnto God It is now winter and the time of the new yeare oh then let vs likewise dedicate the new temples of our soules and bodies as a new-yeares-gift vnto him Our Sauiour offers vnto vs the new Roabes of his righteousnesse for a glorious new-yeares-gift Let vs then put off our olde ragges of sinne as we put off our old cloathes but let vs not put them on againe for this new-yeares-gift of our new Creation is a garment of great price of excellent vertue that must not be put off neither night nor day for it is like a coat of male to defend our soules from all the poysoned darts of sinne and Satan 4. The auoyding of occasions an excellent means to preuent sinne Annal August If we be made new by Christ let vs not make our sâ—lues old againe by sinne Art thou made whole sinne no more saith our Sauiour lest a worse thing happen vnto thee Auoide all occasions that may cause thee with Lots wife to looke backe towards Sodome It is related of Henry the fift King of England who after his fathers death obtained the scepter that he called together all his old familiars with whom he had liued dissolutely and giuing them some gifts hee bound them vpon paine of their liues that except they became new men they should neuer come neere the Kings Court lest by their familiarity either he himselfe might he corrupted or hee might be drawne by them to corrupt iustice and iudgment so carefull was that Princely Conuert to auoyde all occasions that might bring him backe vnto euill And thus should euery Christian be watchfull to auoyde all enticements that may withdraw his heart from Christ vnto sinne like that young man of whom S. Ambrose S. Ambrose lib. 2. de poenitent cap. 10. maketh mention that hauing been in loue with a harlot going into a strange country he left his wicked loue and became a new man and therefore at his returne home againe meeting the harlot he passed by her as if he had not known her but she called to him in her wonted manner Non nosti me Hast thou not knowne me my loue Ego sum it is I to whom the young man answereth At ego nom sum ego But I am not I I am not as I was I was not as I am I am now become a new man and therefore thy old enticements shal not preuaile against me And blessed is the man that can behold this blessed change in himselfe that when those three entizing harlots the world the flesh and the deuil shall labour againe to deceiue him by alluring him to his wonted sinnes can answere with this young man Ego non sum ego I am not I I am now become a new creature and therfore my oldnesse is passed I am free from the bondage of sinne and become the seruant of righteousnesse that I may haue the fruit vnto holinesse and the end euerlasting life Rom. 6.22 5 O beloued the day of our conuersion of our new Creation is our new-yeares day The day of our new conuersion is our new yeares day to be celebrated with ioyfulnesse for euer and because so long as we liue in our mortall bodies we sinne euery day lesse or more against God euery day should be our new-yeares day wherein we should dedicate our selues Rom. 12.1.2 our soules and bodies as a new-yeares-gift vnto God Wherfore as merchants tradesmen vse euery yeare to cast vp their accounts to see what they haue gained or what they haue lost so let vs euery yeare nay euery month euery weeke yea euery day cast vp our spirituall account and see what we haue gained or what we haue lost how far we haue gone forward or how backwards in perfecting the worke of our new Creation And as the crowing of the cocke did put Peter in mind of his new conuersion so let the returne of the yeare the crowing of the cocke the rising of the Sunne and the striking of the clocke put vs in remebrance of our new Creation so that euery yeare euery day euery houre we may striue and labour to be new men in Christ wholly conformed to the image of our Sauiour And thus if we do 6. The newnesse of grace is rewarded with newnesse of glory God will giue vnto vs the most glorious and blessedest new-yeares-gift that our hearts can desire we shall haue a new King our blessed Sauiour to rule ouer vs a new captaine the blessed Spirit to guide vs a new light the light of grace to enlighten vs in this world and the light of glory to make vs glorious for euer in the world to come We shall haue a new city the heauenly Hierusalem which is aboue a new vnion and Communion with God the Father with Christ our Sauiour and the blessed Spirit and the Saints and Angels in glory for euer And then my Text shall be verified in a higher nature Old things are passed away and behold all things are become new And to close vp all with prayer This new King new Captaine new law new light new city that heauenly Hierusalem new vnion and Communion first in grace here after in glory in heauen God of thy eternall and infinite mercy grant vnto vs all and to thy whole Church for the pretious merits of thy dearely beloued Sonne and our blessed Sauiour to whom with thee and the holy Spirit one God in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity be ascribed as is most due all glory honour and prayse might maiesty and dominion from henceforth and for euer Amen FINIS