the soule than the soule is to help it selfe without the liuing seeds of faith foregoing and fore-planted in the new creation of our hearts Thirdly we learne from hence also that so long as we are without faith our bodies are but as it were our dead soules graues 2 Cor. 5.1 If the bodies of Gods children are an earthly house or a house of mud walls as well as others then the bodies of naturall men cannot but be loathsome graues And what should dead men doe with other dwellings or why should we thinke other of dead mens habitations For doe but marke First the soule doth annoy the good with many loathsome smels of sinne and damps of iniquitie as out of a graue As God doth as it were smell a sauour of rest in the exercises of faith in Iesus Christ and a sweet perfume in the faithfull prayers of his children so doe the soules of the godly also and as sinnes make many stinks in the nosthrils of God so likewise in the nosthrils of good men Againe the faiâ—hlesse soule as if it were pent vp in a graue hath no freedome nor elbow-roome in the bodie to exercise it selfe either in naturall or spirituall things In naturall things it cannot giue a power of growing sense or reason at its pleasure for how many dwarfish dumbe deafe and foolish men and women are there in the world how is it with all of vs who can neither adde one cubit to our stature nor mâ—ke one haire either blacke or white In spirituâ—ll things wee are dead as I haue said Lastly as a graue doth make that bodie that is put into it to rot and turnes it for the most part into its owne common nature so the bodie if God doe not worke by the miracle of faith and sustaine vs by vertue of the couenant will more corrupt and make the blinde soule more earthly sensuall and deuillish For as hee that cannot worke but by a bad instrument will be brought so out of square that custome will breed another nature neuer to bring forth better fruits so the soule being tied vnto the bodie as to its proper instrument it not being eleuated by the spirit of faith through custome and long continuance is brought to rot in bodily exercises and earthly things Seeing therefore that our bodies are graues for our naturall dead soules oh that all of vs might take notice of it All I say both good and bad that the good might be weary of the world seeing their whole life is but a liuing in Golgotha among dead mens graues and skuls that the bad might content themselues with a meane graue except they had more hope of a comfortable resurrection That dead man were but possessed with Deuils who hauing no hope of a ioyfull resurrection should spend all his time in dressing vp and adorning his graue so are all dead men in sinne who hauing no hope of the fauour of God and of Christs dwelling in their hearts by faith doe yet spend all their time in prouision for the graue of their bodie the very throat whereof is an open sepulchre venting the stinke of their rotten hearts Vse 2 Secondly for practise we learne from hence how to carry our selues to our vnconuerted friends to wit as those who pitty them and pray for them and vse all meanes for a holy resurrection Hast thou a husband a wife a childe or any friend or enemie that hath not faith Pitty them mourne ouer them as Christ ouer dead Lazarus and as thou wouldst mourne ouer thy dead friend Pray to the liuing God that he would quicken them And as in the time of Christs being vpon the earth they either brought their dead corps to Christ or besought him to come to them so let vs deale with our faithlesse friends that is let vs seeke by all meanes to bring them to Christ in the word and prayer to see if yet Christ will meet them in his owne ordinances to raise them out of their stinking graues of sinne Oh that we would neuer forget to deale thus with those to whom we stand neerest in relation that so at the length custome if not conscience may preuaile with vs to doe it vnto others especially considering as I said before that it is full of discontent and misery to spend our daies among dead mens tombes Come we now from this miserable estate of ours by nature to our estate by grace Touching which the first point which the Text offereth to be considered is this That we haue communion and fellowship in the suffering and death of Christ. This is plaine from the words of the Apostle I am crucified with Christ which cannot be but by vertue of our communion with him It is true that if wee consider Christ as an indiuiduall person and vs as particular branches of another stocke we haue no fellowship with him For whereas fellowship betwixt disioyned persons may arise either by working the same worke in kinde which another doth Operando as in Corporations brethren of the same Trade or by a co-working and partnership in the same worke Cooperando as when two men are conuersant in one and the selfe-same businesse Consâ—ntiendo or else by consenting to the act of another man as when Dauid had fellowship in the murther of Vriah whereas I say wee may be thought to haue fellowship with Christ one of these three waies yet we neither being actually crucified nor crucified with Christ nor consenting to his crucifying for vs we cannot be said to haue fellowship with him Neuerthelesse if we do consider Christ as the head of his Church and vs as the members of his bodie if wee doe consider him as set apart sealed of God the Father to be a surety for vs and vs the parties to whom he is giuen and for whom bound our communion and fellowship standeth firme with him Now that we may the better conceiue it we must know that we haue fellowship with Christ in three things First in his Natures for the Sonne of God is made partaker of the humane nature that hee might make vs partakers of the diuine nature He became the sonne of man that we might become the sonnes of God 2 Pet. â—â— Wee wanted sonship God could not giue vs that which he had not therefore the Sonne of God alone tooke the nature of the sonnes of men that he might restore vs to the dignitie of the sonnes of God Secondly we haue fellowship with Christ in his goods for wee hauing nothing else that may be truly said to be ours hee takes our cursed ragges of sinne vpon him and hath communicated vs the riches of his glory Thus saith the Apostle God hath made Christ sinne for vs to wit 2 Cor. 5.21 by imputation and is made vnto vs wisdome righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.30 sanctification and redemption Thirdly we haue fellowship with him in his estates His honourable estate is ours for wee are
ignorance was ineuitable as also because they practised according to that Christian knowledge which then was attainable and sinned not wilfully as we doe against that glorious light which God doth now offer in the ministerie of his most holy word Thirdly considering that our fore-fathers acts are no sufficient warrant for vs wee notwithstanding our reuerence vnto them dare not sweare to their sayings and admit of a blinde imitation of their actions without triall but with a holy anger against that cursed apostasie which misled our deare predecessors and brought them to some acts of superstition we bring them to the touchstone of Gods word and wherein he will haue vs leaue them we follow God and humbly thanke him for that reuelation wherein he will giue vs leaue to goe with them we cheerefully follow them blessing the same God who made them such faithfull guides Thus I feare I haue beene too long in striuing to root out the conceits of noueltie and vnnaturalnesse in those truths which our writings will present vnto you But hauing so good proofe of both your loues vnto me I doubt not but either of you and both of you will spare so much time as may afford diligent reading and obseruation of what is written As for the Writer yee may haue a more complementall not a more heartie well-willer As for the subiect of my writing as Terentius a noble Captaine in daies of old when he saw his petition which he put vp for the Christians to be torne in peeces by the Emperor gathered vp the tottered shreds and said I seeke neither houses nor lands gold nor gaine but a Church So haue I wholly aimed at Conscience and a Church the Church of God amongst vs. What shall I now say To you Sir as Occham said to the Emperour in another case and kinde when he was vexed with the Popes ambition Tu me defende gladio ego te defendam verbo Defend me with your sword and I will defend and second you by the Word the Spirits sword To you Madame as Paul to the Hebrewes Pray for vs Hebr. 13.18 for we are assured that we haue a good conscience in all things willing to liue honestly To you both liue to your selues liue to yours liue to the Church of God amongst vs. So shall hee with more cheare put vp your suits to God who alreadie is much and desires to be more bound vnto your Worships and shall rest Your faithfull Shepherd to vse in any thing within the compasse of his office ROBERT ABBOT TO THOSE CHRISTIAN Readers of whose reading I am well assured euen to my deare and louing Parishioners of Cranebrooke in Kent THE GOD of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus Heb. 13.20 21. the great Shepherd of the sheepe through the bloud of the euerlasting Couenant make you all perfect in all good workes to doe his will working in you that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ our Lord. Though I cannot say with Paul to the Galathians I beare you record that if it had beene possible Gal. 4.15 yee would haue plucked out your owne eyes and haue giuen them me Yet out of a taste of the singular loue and respect which yee haue had vnto me for my workes sake 1 Thess 5.13 I can with good conscience greet you as the same Apostle doth the Philippians My brethren beloued and lonâ—ed for my ioy Phil 4.1 and my crowne and doe beseech you to continue in the Lord yee beloued Yee see that in publishing these Sermons I doe offer my selfe vnto publike censures In so good a cause I only desire to be found faithful 1 Cor. 4.2 3. and then I care little to be iudged by mans iudgement I know that some of the things which I write of are commonly knowne 2 Pet. 1.12 13 14 15. yet I will not be vnmindfull to put you in remembrance of what yee haue knowledge and of that truth wherein yee are alreadie established And though I cannot say that the time is at hand that I must lay downe this my Tabernacle yet I thinke it meet so long as am in it to stirre you vp yea and to endeuour that you may haue in remembrance the secret of the Gospell euen after my departure 1 Tim. 3.16 For I haue not followed deceiueable fables but the mysterie of godlinesse which may helpe you with or hold you out a right hand of fellowship to keepe out sinne and Antichrist I haue no dominion ouer your faith 2 Cor. 1.24 yet am I vnder God a helper of your ioy Gal. 3.7 In which respect yee haue runne well and yee doe well in that in my weake but by Gods fauour willing Ministery yee haue and doe take heed vnto the most sure word of the Prophets 2 Pet. 1.19 as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place Iames 1.21 and as to that good word of God which is able to saue your soules 2 Thess 1.11 12 And I desire to pray alwaies for you that our God may make you worthy of his calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodnesse and the worke of faith with power That the name of our Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you and you in him according to the grace of our God 1 Thess 2.19 20 For what is my hope or ioy or crowne of reioycing Are not euen ye in the presence of our Lord Iesus at his comming Yea yee are my glory and ioy And therefore because one desire of mine is to keepe out sinne I will pray againe for you Ephes 3.14 Vers 16. and bow my knees vnto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory that yee may be strengthned by his Spirit in the inner man Vers 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith Oh how vnwillingly should I say of you with the Apostle Gal. 4.11 1 Cor. 6.15.19 I am in feare of you lest I haue bestowed on you labour in vaine Know yee not that your bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost in you and the members of Christ Phil. 2.1 2. If therefore there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of loue if any fellowship of the Spirit if any compassion and mercie fulfill my ioy In thinking vpon and doing whatsoeuer things are true Philip. 4.8 whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things pertaine to loue whatsoeuer things are of good report or if there be any other vertue I know that in times past yee were foolish Titus 3.3 disobedient deceiued seruing the lusts and diuers pleasures liuing in maliciousnesse and enuy hatefull and hating one another But it is sufficient yea too too much for you 1 Pet. 4.3 that ye haue spent the time past of your liues after the lusts of the Gentiles walking in wantonnesse lusts drunkennesse in gluttony drinkings and in abominable securitie Now therefore dearely beloued 1
the good Word of God which is able to saue our soules As wee doe wry our mouthes with the new borne babe after the dugge of Gods Word so with the growne man we haue a good stomacke and appetite vnto it The huskes of mans wisdome and humane traditions are hunted after of those of whom the Apostle saith Beware of dogges Phil. 3.2 but the man of God hungreth to heare God speake And because he knowes that he is borne againe for the kingdome of God therfore though when he meets with the things of this world he doth thankfully embrace them vse them as if he vsed them not yet he seekes after the things aboue Col. 3.1 aboue the world the Church aboue nature grace aboue the fauour of Princes the grace of God aboue sinne a Sauiour aboue earth heauen If therefore it be thus with our soules that as all creatures do seek their meats sutable to their natures the Lion flesh the Horse grasse the Fowles Wormes the Catts Mise and the Bees hony so we doe hunt after these things then haue we entred into this life Secondly Those helpes that doe respect our enemies are our naturall vigilancy and watchfulnesse against that which doth thwart and oppose life And from this head I shall commend vnto you two signes of life The first is Sensiblenesse of the least degree of death or opposition of life He that is in an irrecouerable estate 2 Sensiblenesse of death findes not the least degrees of death creeping vpon him and when hee is readie to die saith He is well whereas he that is well is sensible of the least distemper but if a man be dead he doth not feele death it selfe he heares no alarum to battaile sees not the approach of any enemy nor smels the stinke of any wound So if we be in a spiritually-dead estate we feele not killing sinne to approach Prou. as Solomon saith of the foole Hee casteth fire-brands arrowes and mortall things and saith I am not in iest So we make sport vnto our selues in the committing of sinne and say Doe we not liue Yea if we be dead let God send one letter of defiance vnto vs after another for our sinnes we heare and heare not we know and vnderstand not and though from â—he crowne of the head to the sole oâ— the foot there be no part whole 〈…〉 nothing but botches and blaines full of corruption yet wee smell not the stinke of the corruption of our wounds we runne not to the bâ—lme of Gilead wee desire not the good Samaritane to helpe vs but if wee are aliue oh how doe we scud from death as the fearfull Hare from the greedie Hound How doth the least approach of this death by the least sinne make vs cry out with Paul Wretched man that I am Rom. 7. who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death Poore Christians who are deiected and cast downe at the fearefull fight of their owne guiltinesse the more sensible they are of the death of sinne the more they cry out of themselues as of dead men whereas if they would passe righteous iudgement they should conclude that the spirit of life is in them 3 Fiâ—hing against death The next signe of life is fighting against that which would take it away The liuing worme being trod vpon will turne vp the taile Heare O worme Iacob so wilt thou if thou haue any life in thee When the worme feeleth the earth to be shaken presently it commeth running out of the earth fearing the approach of the mole so if thou liue when thou feelest the shaking of the cabbin of thy ease and securitie thy bodie I meane by paineâ— acheâ— and diseases then thou dost presently startle come to the doore to see what newes meet thine enemy death disarme him and pull out his sting that at the last â—he conquest may bee thine Againe is there life in vs then the Spirit of life doth fight against the flesh â—om â— â— lest wee liuing after it do die Oh how doe liuing men striue against the whole bodie of sinne and death How doth the spirit lust agaâ—nst the flesh Yea Gal. 5.17 how doth the liuing spirit get the vpper hand and sight more manfully euery day than other especially against that sinne which doth most crosse it I haue kept me from my wickednesse saith Dauid that is Pâ—â—l 18.23 that sinne whereunto hee was most inclined euen so must we if we haue this new life This is the way to finde all liuing grâ—â—es to increase all sin to be in a decaying estate For we know that there is no equall match betweene the old man the new as God smites the enemies of his people on the checke bone that is Psâ—l 3.7 hee deales not with them as with men but as with boyes in stead of opposing them with swords and stauâ—â— hee sends them away with a boxe on the eare so will the liuing spirit deale with the dying flesh it will master it at the last as a growne man would a childe and ouercome it with lesse difficultie though not without all danger to it selfe Secondly Where there is the life of grace there will be an imployment of our strength in the acts of life The actions of liuing men are proper to men that are aliue so are they to these new men From this head therefore I shall giue you further two sorts of signes either such as doe concerne a mans owne indiuiduall person or those which are shewed for succession in propagating their kinde They which doe concerne a mans person are two 4 The breath of the new man First if we can freely draw the breath of the new man It is a signe of life to men of the world if wee can freely draw that breath which God doth offer for the prolonging of naturall life so likewise is this a signe of this new life if wee can freely draw the breath of Gods mouth which God doth breathe vnto the hid man of the heart And what breath is this but the Spirit of the Lord in the Scriptures Marke therefore if wee can draw in the Word of God to the cooling comforting and refreshing of our weary hearts which pant vnder the burden of sinne and if we can put it out againe both to coole the violence and fierie courses of sinfull men and to heat and warme the lukewarme and frozen hearted sonnes of men this will assure vs that we liue the life of God 5 Seruice of God The second signe which doth concerne our persons is this If wee doe put ouer our whole bodies and soules to the seruice of God For as then wee doe liue a naturall life when we doe imploy all our strength to the seruice of nature and as then wee doe liue a loyall life to our Soueraigne when wee are wholly taken vp for his honour and maintenance in good so then wee liue the life of
is able to receiue it for the nourishment of his soule which communion doth in this differ from a bare spirituall communion Signis adhibitis vel non that all sacramentall communion is spirituall but all spirituall is not sacramentall because this is in the lawfull vse of Gods signes to this purpose So we haue a spirituall fellowship with Chirst when the spirit of God doth apply Christ vnto vs by faith and doth so bring home and concorporate him vnto vs that from the fountaine of his holinesse in whom all fulnesse dwelleth we finde our selues inclined and quickned to all holy obedience and can feelingly say That in that we forsake sinne it is from the power of Christ and in that wee purpose and endeuour good it is by the same power also And of this spirituall communion doth the Apostle speake in this place The fourth phrase is in these words I liue in the flesh He doth not say that he liued of the flesh or after the flesh as if he danced after natures pipe but In the flesh As all are not Israel that are in Israel so all are not of the flesh or after the flesh that are in the flesh What therefore is it to liue in the flesh It is to liue in the body for as flesh is taken for corrupted man when the Apostle saith That flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdome of heauen and for the corruption of man as when the holy Ghost saith The flesh lusteth against the spirit so is flesh taken for the body of man by an elegancy of speech when a member is taken for all the parts integrall or for the whole And thus it is taken in this place I liue in the body The fifth hard phrase is in these words I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God What doth he meane by this I liue by faith which doth its right office to spie out to run vnto and to receiue the Sonne of God For whereas vpon the former speech that Iesus liued in him it might be said Must not the heauens containe him Yes saith the Apostle for he liueth in me by faith not by sight But you will say why is it called the faith of the Sonne of God Not because wee should conceiue that faith which Iesus Christ had in himselfe but that faith in vs whereby he is had and possessed of vs and is so called for three reasons First because the Sonne of God hath purchased it for vs. The Father would not haue willed it vs the Holy Ghost would not haue wrought it in vs if Christ had not bought it for vs. Secondly because only the Son of God in Christ doth make our faith to be lawfull and laudable As Christ is man he is a creature and we must not flie to any creature for life and saluation and therefore not beleeue in him This then is it which makes our faith in him to be warrantable that hee is the onely Sonne of God Thirdly because it is not beleefe in any other person in the diuine nature that doth conueigh life vnto vs. As veines arteries sinewes muscles and the like doe not conueigh life sense and motion into the parts of a mans body but as they doe receiue them from their owne proper head and heart from whence they are shot so faith doth not conueigh spirituall life but as it doth receiue it from our spirituall head Christ Iesus Thus you may see our faith Relativè Obiectivè Instrumentalièr called the faith of Christ in respect of that relation which is betwixt him and it he being the sauing obiect of it and that being the instrument to conueigh life from him to euery beleeuer Thus we haue the seuerall phrases of the Text which in their totall sum make vp the Apostles meaning to be thus much Summe of the Text. Doe not thinke that by the doctrine of Iustâ—fication by faith alone in Christ I doe abolish the doctrine of Sanctification by the same Christ for by vertue of my vnion with Christ by faith I doe finde that from the fountaine of his holinesse out of whose fulnesse I doe receiue grace for grace my sinful lusts are crucified and I perceiue my selfe so quickned in the inner man translated from one glory to another into the Image of God that I dare say It is not I that now liue but my Sauiour who liueth in me by faith whereby hee purifieth my heart to make mee a peculiar Christian to himselfe chosen vnto good workes We hauing now stayed long enough vpon the sense may it please you from the seuerall deductions to desire further benefit And to this end in these words let vs consider two things First Paul his method which is this He was first killed and then he was made aliue Secondly Paul his matter in which he doth in his owne person set downe a double estate of ours First our estate in nature which is implied and may â—e thus expressed that vntill we haue faith we are but dead men For if wee liue only by faith in Christ then before we haue it we are but dead men Secondly our estate in grace which is expressed and may be set downe in three chiefe points of doctrine First that wee haue communion in the death of Christ Secondly that by vertue of this communion we liue by Faith Thirdly that it is from the vertue of Christ that we are quickned vnto all holy obedience To come first to Pauls method we are to obserue that as Paul saith He is crucified before he liueth So We must die before we can be made aliue I might here distinguish betwixt death naturall death ciuill as it is termed in Law death spirituall and death eternall that so I might signifie what death I meane but that it is plaine enough without that labour Only remember that it is one thing to die for sinne as malefactors who are put to death another thing to die in sinne as finally impenitent sinners and another thing to die vnto sinne as the godly In which sense we must die before we can be made aliue As it is with the bodie we must all die or all be changed 1 Cor. 15. before we must liue for euer which the holy Ghost maketh plaine by the similitude of Wheat or some other graine so is it with the soule Hence is it that God doth both exhort vnto this death Coloss 3.5 when he saith Mortifie your earthly members and also promiseth life vpon that death when hee saith Rom. 8.13 If yee mortifie the deeds of the bodie by the Spirit yee shall liue Neither may we wonder at this truth whether we consider the goodnesse of grace or the malice of sinne First if we respect the goodnesse of grace it is expressed by two effectuall words for this purpose For sometimes it is called a Resurrection Apoc. 20.6 Iohn 5.25 as Iohn saith Blessed are those that haue part in the first Resurrection And
in praying with him yea though his tongue be the pen of a ready writer Truly none in it selfe but as the sighes and grones of the heart are linked together in loue to knocke at the gates of heauen to talke with God to binde and open his hands to goe into Gods treasury and fill our selues of Gods dainties or at the least to view them and by confidence to craue and enjoy them What beauty is there to heare a company of people to cleere their throats and to chant out a Psalme or song yea though spirituall None in it selfe but as by the voice the graces of the spirit in the heart are exercised as faith in promises feare in threatnings loue and joy in mercies humility in arguments of power and the like When melody is thus made to God in the hid man of the heart this is beauty indeed These are also the beauty of the Lord in our Assemblies saue that now they are more beautifull because knowledge abounds as the waters of the Sea Es 11. in a more plentifull and seasoning manner as also now the sacrifice is more excellent being that one once for all appearing before God for vs and presenting his merits to God as a perfect and sufficient attonement in our behalfe in the highest heauens where is glory for euermore Vse 1 Seeing therefore that the house of God hath such beauty in it let vs looke vpon it and so carry our selues that it may not be wronged by vs but that it may haue the best aduantage to doe vs good To presse this I come first to you my fellow labourers in Christ intreating you in the bowels of our common Sauiour not to besmeare this beauty of the Lord to make the people out of loue with it You know that once the sonnes of Ely made the people to abhorre the sacrifices once was too too often God forbid it should be so againe It is true wee ordinarily complaine of our people and truly wee haue too just cause it being the fault of most to seeke their owne and not either Gods by giuing him his duty or ours by giuing vs our due but be we sure that the blacke coale be not in our own hands It is truly said that our fancy first wrought a face in the Moone from the vnequall enlightning of her vnequall substance and that afterward it was thought that the Sunne had a face too as it may seeme because it should not be outfaced of the Moone God forbid that we who should be as the Sunne in glorious presidents amid this crooked generation should haue our blots and spots because they are to bee found in the Moone and other sublunary creatures within the cope and compasse of our lots our earthly heauens It will condemne them not helpe vs if they bee worse than wee Let them goe alone yet with our compassions teares prayers preachings and examples following to reuoke them but for vs take wee heede that we lay not the least blot vpon the beauty of Gods house either by our Preaching or by our Practice We may doe it by preaching when wee doe discouer either Idlenesse or Pride in preaching Sometimes Idlenesse spewes in the face of this beauty when wee speake whatsoeuer commeth next hand and making a shift to out-runne the houre-glasse with some verball discourse neuer aime before we shoot to pierce and batter the throne of Satan that Christ may dwell in our peoples hearts by faith Sometimes pride creepes vp into the Pulpet and doth so ruffle in false colours that the humble hearer cannot see God in his ordinance Hence is it that euery word shall be so marshalled and euery sentence with its apt fall shâ—ll lie in such aequipage as if the owner were cousen German to that proud man of sinne whose name is six-hundred-sixty-six 666 Hence is it that some are content to borrow their preachings from his Chaplaines as Cowesta Bercorius and a rabble of his croaking Postillers wherein they onely magnifie Player-like conceits and Frier-like elegancies and so make themselues like tinckling Cymbals tickling the eare but not turning the heart vnto God Hearken my brother what Zerubbabel answered to the enemies of Iudah who offered their seruice craftily to build the Temple Ezr. 4 3. It is not for you but for vs to build the house vnto our God So let vs say vnto Popish Authors We need none of your helpe to instruct in righteousnesse and to conuert and comfort our brethren that they may be temples of the holy Ghost Doe we not know that it is a Iesuiticall brag that we are not able to stand before them for learning and eloquence and that all Europe is beholding to their Church for her knowledge Do we not see how ready they are to feede our humors by printing and reprinting such moth-eaten Bookes of theirs as the * Such as think that a pâ—ore Amos plaine Preacher is not worth the hearing Amaziahs of the time doe most hunt after Shall wee thus seed our enemies humors and in magnifying our selues make them swell who are too proud already God forbid I know that there may bee vse of Popish Writers to shew that true mens siluer may be in a theeues purse to confute themselues and to shew the confusions of Babel as is told them to their faces while they are driuen to say through want of sufficient answers wee are wounded with our owne weapons saue that they haue this poore and silly sleight Pâ—â—sâ—â—js â—eunis coâ—sigâ—inâ— that all their diuisions in opinion are compounded in the vnity of their monstrous head before whom they will lay their hands vpon their mouthes when he shall determine yet to lay our foundation in them as too too many doe in Aquinas his Schoole and to build our congregations by them with such poore and powerlesse conceits as are spunne out of the word of the spirit by their wisdome of the flesh doth deforme the beauty of Gods house Secondly we may besmeare the beauty of the Lord by practise to wit partly by ordinarinesse partly by worldlinesse and partly by wickednesse First wee may doe it by ordinarinesse when we doe too much frequent the company of our people It is true that Paul himselfe vpon occasion met his friends at the three Tauernes where no doubt there was much passage much people but seldome hath some sauour in it especially in sports and recreations when mirth breeds familiarity and familiarity contempt Oh how much honour doth bowlings cardings dicings and the like steale from the persons and seruice of the Tribe of Leui who willingly forget that all things are lawfull but all things are not expedient whereas seldomnesse doth make the young men when they see vs to hide themselues the aged to arise and stand vp the Princes to stay talke Iob 29.8 9. and lay their hands vpon their mouthes as Iob speaketh of himselfe Secondly it may bee done by our worldlinesse If with Iudas
ministeriall head ouer all the world both for order and iurisdiction ouer all Bishops all Christians to set out the rule of faith lawes dispensations ouer all the world to trample vpon kings and to decree them to butchery or honour as they serue for the good of the Catholike cause Now how this and the like stuffe can bee inferred from the words of Christ to Peter to vphold their monarchicall head I would intreat you to call your best Logicke to an account and to doe your best to iudge Secondly because the Pope pleades more for himselfe than he doth for him from whom he pretends to receiue deputation He is like an vnfaithfull friend who being sent to speake a good word speakes one for his friend and two for himselfe For what is it that doth imbroyle the whole Christian world more than the Popes monarchie All kingdomes must be at his dispose that so such Princes as he can traine vp in dull ignorance may through ambition be prouoked to be his white sonnes that they may attaine to great honours and other mens inheritances vnder him All must be Hereticks that are not within his Pale The word of God must depend vpon his allowance Scripture must be no Scripture except he looke fauourably vpon it and giue it what sense pleaseth him Kings must be no Kings if it pleaseth him to excommunicate them and we must be no ministers because our calues are cow-calues as that blessed Martyr Woodman answered the Bishop of Chichester who wanted the Popes Bull to consecrate or confirme him in his Bishopricke with many other prettie toyes Thirdly because all the notes of the great Antichrist that are in Scripture doe agree to him to wit the Pope as is maintained to his face by our dread Soueraigne and the reuerend Father Bishop Downame in his treatise of Antichrist and in his Diatriba of the same subiect It is true indeed they would make vs beleeue that his chayre is made of Irish wood to which no copwebs of falshood can cleaue nor any venomous creature come neere without death and that his Church is like that which the mariners built in Illiria to Saint Iohn de Maluatia whose very morter was tempered with malmsey a sweet and precious Church but all the water in Tyber will not wash off that imputation except he doe penance for his ambition and opposition and become such a Bishop as the primitiue godly Fathers were Fourthly because it cannot be shewed that Christ hath appointed the Pope to be his Vicar hee often speaketh of the Holy Ghost as when he saith Ioh. 14.26 The Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and againe When he is come which is the Spirit of truth Ioh. 16.13 hee will lead you into all truth but he neuer speaketh of the Pope If he doe let him shew it if he doe not let him consider how hatefull it is for a man to put himselfe into such high commissions without warrant from God and how iustly wee may lay this in his dish No man taketh this honour but he that is called of God as Aaron was Thus I hope you perceiue that we cannot be assured that that is the true Church whereof the Pope is the head Vse Oh therefore my beloued countrey-men leane not to him and to his politicke apostasie lift vp your heads and behold by faith the bowing pillars of his proud monarchy All his diuine vnction cannot foresee nor all his keyes and swords helpe himselfe from that miserie which the Kings of the earth who are and shall fall from him shall bring vpon him As therefore Moselanus a Iew when hee had killed a fowle whose flight the hoast of Alexander expected to prognosticate good or euill successe by said vnto them What a foule shame is it for so many worthy men to seeke knowledge of her that knew not what should happen to her selfe So say I What a shame is it for so many wise men to seeke wisdome and direction from him who is not wise enough for himselfe but rageth now like the deuill because his time is but short and yet cannot see it Surely as he that died of the bite of a weasell lamented because it was not a Lion so will such at the last lament that they haue fallen by that weake one though neuer so great in the eyes of his flatterers whose very throne shall fall as a milstone into the sea to wit with great violence noyse horrour and trouble to the world But now you will say Put case that we account Iesus Christ our head yet if we are not of his body we are not of that Church whereof he is the head It is true therefore that you may know your selues to be of the body I must goe two steps further Richar. Transire in Christum et coalescere cum Christo Membra secundum praescientiam et sâ—cundum praesentem iusticiam First I must shew you how God doth fit vs to be made one with our head and to be members of his body We are falsly charged to require inward qualifications of holinesse in euery member of the Church for there are members in Gods Book before calling as well as such as are called and of such as are called there are members by profession which do admit of a cutting off yet if we would assure our hearts that we are so in the Church as wee are also of it Membra 1. Numero 2. Merito et electione ut corruptè à scholasticis pro opere et electione we must be inwardly coapted and fitted to be made one with him Now for this fitting of vs for our head it must be by three actions of our good and mercifull God First God must cut vs from the wilde oliue that is he must separate vs from corrupted Adam as we are borne after his cursed image To this end God giueth vs by the law a sight of some one sinne which hath haply made deepest gashes in our consciences together with the punishment due vnto it At which sight we suspecting what all our sins may deserue if God shall muster them together through compunction of heart we are brought to a detestation of our former estate and so to a casting off of our transgressions that we may not die Secondly God must pare vs to put vs into the true oliue Christ by humiliation when we see how fearefully wee lie liable to Gods iustice we despairing of all helpe and comfort elsewhere doe humbly lay our selues downe at Gods feet to bee disposed to shame sorrow feare confession prayer and application of spirituall reasons to our carnall hearts to mortifie and dead our corruptions according to Gods Word Thirdly God must ingraft vs into Christ How is this When by the power of the Word and Spirit he doth worke faith in our hearts by which wee comparing the bottomlesse pit of our sinful estate with the height length bredth
purge sinne as well as pacifie Gods wrath for sinne These and the like odious lies doe they put vpon vs and our religion But blessed and beautifull are we when such men as they are speake all manner of euill against vs falsely We cannot thinke our selues the more deformed for their false charges whose whole Apostacie is a mixture of lying and vanitie from head to taile They call the Pope the Head of the Church when he is neither able to be present with the whole bodie nor infuse capitall spirits into any one member The Pope calleth himselfe A seruant of seruants when yet he seemes to be a prouder Lord than the Turke breathing out nothing but soueraigntie and vnlimited iurisdiction and would thinke foule scorne that any earthly Potentate or King should be preferred before him Their Iesuites will be so lyingly called of Iesus the Truth when as it hath beene often told them and cannot be disproued as Abshalom was vniustly called the Fathers peace being the Fathers warre so they are not without blasphemie so called seeing they doe nothing more than cunnicatch the wealthy gull the poore disloyalize subiects conspire against Princes vndermine States and Kingdomes and vnder the hood of Religion kindle warres and closely lay the cause vpon others Yea and what is their religion but like these grand practisers one thing in shew another thing in truth and none other but a draught of deadly wine in a golden cup. Secondly our Religion striues by all might and maine to keepe the head whole and that is Christ only Yee know that hee is called beautifull whose head is so though hee haue a crooked bodie a withered hand and a gowtie toe so may our Church and Religion well be accounted because we cleaue vnto keepe whole and sound to our power our whole head both God and Man by nature Priest Prophet and King by office that hee might be the alone Sauiour of his people We know how the Church of Rome doth share out his honour with his offices and diuide them betweene Christ and others See of this subiect Dr. Fownes his Trisagion His Kingly Office is parted betweene him and the Pope his Priestly betweene him and the Saints his Propheticall betweene him and their traditionall Church But for vs Ephes 1.23 we desire that he may fill all in all things we doe striue that he may increase though we and all the world perish decrease and come to nothing yea as Dauid said of the sword of Goliah which was laid vp behind the Ephod there is none to it so say wee of our blessed King Priest and Prophet there is none to him neither shall there be any but hee in whom wee will seeke the least dragme of beautie Thirdly our Religion is not only beautifull in the head but scoureth off the least blot from the whole bodie It keepeth all the Commandements entire When wee consider that they were written with Gods owne finger and deliuered with so many miracles we neither dare change the first Commandement See for this Hispa Refor Bellar. Ample declaration of Christian Doctrine nor dash out the second as the Church of Rome doth We dare not admit of the Masse for feare of hauing any other god saue the true God We dare not embrace Popish Traditions for feare of giuing God that worship which is not his owne our consciences will not so farre abuse vs as to giue vs leaue to entertaine a seruice vnknowne lest we should serue God in vaine and not giue him his worship in the right manner we cannot spend the Lords day in seeing Masse or only in praying though it be the sweetest of our seruice knowing that because God doth in the Commandement of the Sabbath chiefly aime at our edification Es 2.3 we must goe vp to the house of the Lord that he may teach vs his waies and wee may walke in his paths We settle the Chaire of State vpon Princes renouncing a superiour power among men to excommunicate them and put case the Pope doe to his vtmost hunge them with his Bulls we renounce and hate the not accounting of them Kings and the executing of them as delinquents to him and to his Pope-holy-Church Yet lest wee should flatter them we tell them that they must be Fathers not Tyrants that so they may not be wilfull hinderers of that honour which is due vnto them Hauing thus pressed vpon the head for orderly politique gouernment we learne of God to presse vpon the heart the seat of valour that there be no taking away of life through base cowardise Can we thinke of poisonings stabbings vnderminings strengthning the hands of wickednesse sadding the hearts of the good by lies and impostures We can sooner looke vpon the persons of our enemies without malice their wrongs without desire of reuenge their prosperitie without enuie and digest all our griefes by venting them into Gods bosome by feruent and faithfull prayer We presse vpon the seat of Lust and teach our appetites that as we must liue so we must liue honestly lest we be a burthen to the earth We cannot abide the slighting of Fornication the blanching of Priests Minions and Concubines the stinke of Stewes with that cursed caution If thou canst not liue chastly yet carrie it warily Si non castè tamen cautè We teach that honest persons must haue honest maintenance by possessing their owne that they must maintaine their right by truth As we cannot maintaine our Religion by lying Legends or our persons and causes by equiuocation so can we not but be carefull to presse and teach that there be no lyer amongst vs for gold or gaine yea wee will not suffer the whole soule to be at rest with her concupiscence Can wee flatter the heart with the neglect of the first motions of sinne by the flesh though the spirit doe not consent as if a knaue be not a knaue because an honest man reproues him for it No wee will labour that there be peace at home without mutinie that there be such soundnesse of minde and such a peaceable possession of our owne soules in the enioyment of God as nothing that is others may or doe disquiet vs. Thus doth our Religion rub off the rust of all sinne pressing this as a note of an vpright man to haue an equall respect to all Gods Commandements yea that the least rubbish of Hypocrisie may not by our good wills sticke vpon our Church wee aime at and endeuour the through mortification of the whole bodie of sinne and reformation of all our hearts The Popish Church whatsoeuer it talke of mortification and what glorious shewes soeuer it doth make to that end either by whippings wherein yet Baals Priests went beyond them or by drawing their bloud like Pharisee draw-blouds or by going bare-foot like the Heathens in their bare-foot solemnities Nudepedalia sacra or by their precious Pilgrimages forced Fastings and the like yet it is farre
and I pray God they may see it from true mortification and reformation of heart For doe but consider that either they doe not know or will not know the right enemie wherewith they should fight to this end that is the cursed Flesh which is in our bosomes For when the Scripture speaketh of the lusts of the flesh which we must mortifie they doe sometimes vnderstand our bodies and therefore for the suppressing of it Vnderstand me not as if I did condemne Fasting and other laudable bodily exercises but onely as shewing by these principall weapons what principall aduersarie they fight against to wit the bodie Ephes 5.28 29. they doe presse vpon bodily exercises as Fastings whippings Haire-cloth bare-foot visitings of Temples Shrines and the like whereas the bodie and the spirit may well goe hand in hand as the Apostle saith No man euer yet hated his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it euen as the Lord the Church to wit so farre forth as it may be done without making Nature either proud or wanton Sometimes againe they doe vnderstand the brutish and inferiour facultie of the soule whereby it affecteth and desireth profits pleasures as meats drinkes cloathing and procreation But euen this also in it selfe cannot be said to be our enemie which being well manned is of so good and necessarie vse in the life of man that without it there would neither be preseruation of particulars nor kindes Nature would neither preserue it selfe nor the succession thereof in its like In both these they misse the marke and shoot at a friend in stead of an enemie In which respect a man may goe to the height of their taught deuotion and yet be as arrant hypocrites as euer were But as for our Church the whole bent of it tends to perfect our sanctification in the feare of God 2 Cor. 7.1 It makes the flesh to be the corruption of our whole nature both in our bodies and soules The corruption of our mindes by enmitie and ignorance of our consciences by stupiditie and furie of our cogitations by vanitie of our wils by rebellion of our desires by disorder the like So that we teach and presse that the minde must goe to the pot as we say as well as the appetite yea the wisdome of it whereby we exalt our owne righteousnesse and set vp our holinesse and other worth as cursed idols as well as the brutish folly that is in our carnall desires We doe not flatter the minde with an aptnesse to spirituall wisdome or the will with an aptnesse to will good if it be excited by the Spirit that so we may dishonour Gods worke of grace and make our selues something when we are nothing but as we doe giue the greatest glory of good as it is wrought in and by vs to the minde sanctified for which cause the whole worke of our conuersion as it is well obserued is called the changing of the minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 3.2 so in sinning we make it the arch-rebell in yeelding it selfe so freely to thinke of wickednes so fully to discourse of the profit pleasure and honour of it so friendly to parly with euery suggestion which offereth it selfe to our corrupt hearts that it is euen basely bribed and blinded to giue way to the consent of our wills to the greedinesse of our desires to the swift mouing of our affections and to the eagernesse of our actions to doe those things which are wicked in the sight of God and man Oh how doth this make vs to denie our selues and flie vnto him that is made wisdome 1 Cor. 1.30 righteousnesse sanctification and redemption to vs while the Popish Church liuing in a seeming holinesse in some of her choise members doth yet vnholily rest vpon her owne wisdome though it be to the tolerating of Stewes to the filling of Rome it selfe with the cries of Sodome But say they what are their vnholy Stewes more than our vnholy Vsury For if Stewes be collerated amongst them to preuent a greater mischiefe so is Vsury amongst vs. But stay a while As Leontines pointing to his gray haires said to the Antiochians Hac niue liquefacta multum erit luti When this snow is thawed there will be much dirt so when this blister is pricked may we say there will appeare much vlcerous matter For the clearing therefore of our Church in this point of Vsury that the Stewes of Rome may the more stinke in the nostrils of good men consider two Questions First whether England doe permit Vsury as the Church of Rome doth the Stewes Secondly whether if wee did it might stand in equall ballance with a Stewes To the first I answer two things First that England doth not permit Vsury but restraine the abominable griping that was brought in by the Iewes For if you looke into the Law you shall finde it called a Statute against Vsury yea it calleth Vsury a vice and sinne and saith it is detestable as you may see in tâ—e Statutes at large where the Prefaces are yea I haue heard as I take it men skilfull in the Law say that if it can be proued by bond that a man doe but take ten shâ—llings in the hundred for Vsury hee forfaits the whole summe Therefore the Vsurers are so craftie as to make their Creditours vpon the lending of an hundred pound to become debtors to them for an hundred and ten or eight or seuen or the like by bond and not to binde them to giue ten pounds for the meere vse of an hundred Secondly England dealeth not with Vsury as Rome doth with the Stewes for shee doth blanch and excuse it and therefore sometime they say that it is but a permission of a lesse euill to auoid a greater as Sodomy Buggery and the like when yet vnder this cloake Ely might without blame haue suffered the sins of his sonnes in the porches of the Tabernacle to preuent more hainous sinnes and further degrees of Sodomy Sometimes againe they tell vs that they doe not permit them without meanes to reclaime them both by punishments and preachings as if it could excuse them to permit houses of sinning that they may exercise their censures they are mad men that build houses for theeues and burne them downe when they haue done Sometimes againe they will tell vs that the rents and pensions so gotten are imployed to maintaine penitent harlots as if God delighted in the price of a harlot or it were lawfull for vs to doe euill that good might come thereof Thus would the Church of Rome like a harlot put a beautifull complexion vpon an vgly face yea from such like and other filthinesse euen in their holy Fathers the Popes See Bellar. in his preface to his bookes De Pontif. Rom. they can draw an argument of glory and renowne to Peters chaire as being a signe of Gods speciall hand that it hath endured so long But as for vs we are readie to condemne
not to wonder that it should bee called a new creation or else haply wee may call it a new structure or building as when the Apostle saith Ephes 2.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wee are his workemanship built in Christ to good workes And the reason is because the foundations of sin are ruinated the rotten posts of sinne pulled downe and when the drosse of the substance and faculties of bodie and soule which still remaine are scowred and pared off through the worke of the Spirit we grow vp into a holy building fitted for God to dwel in Would you haue in a word now what this new creature is I answer It is The hid man of the Heart which contrary to all powers of darknesse and the corruption of our owne hearts is through the worke of the Spirit by the Word builded vp from the seeds of grace towards a full age in Christ to resemble the excellencie of Gods image in all the parts and powers of the bodie and soule Secondly Why is hee that is in Christ a new creature This being the second point to bee considered Why he that is in Christ is a new creature 1. In respect of acceptation receiue I beseech you a fourefold reason of it First in respect of acceptation because God doth account them that are in Christ new creatures accepting the will for the deed and couering our imperfections with his merits Whence are those speeches of Christ to his Church My loue behold Cant. 1.14 15. thou art faire behold thou art faire thine eyes are like the doues my welbeloued behold thou art faire and pleasant Whence doth the Apostle say That the Church hauing receiued sanctification from Christ Ephes 5.26 27. is a glorious Church to him not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing Whence I say doth the Holy Ghost speake vnto Gods people Let vs as many as be perfect bee thus minded Philip. 3.15 as if they had no sin but onely because God doth accept vs for such seeing wee are in Christ 2 Of apparition Secondly He that is in Christ is a new creature in respect of apparition to the world A burning candle cannot lie hid in a light lanthorne no more can grace in the heart of him that is in Christ Faith that inrighteth vs to Christ cannot but be seene It will easily make an apparant difference in vs from what we were When the Apostle Peter saith 1 Pet. 1.3 It is sufficient for vs that wee haue spent the time past of the life after the lusts of the Gentiles walking in wantonnesse lusts drunkennesse in gluttony drinkings and in abominable idolatries doe we not thinke that this difference in the Christians liues did easily appeare to the Gentiles 1 Pet. 4. â— Yes surely therefore it both seemed strange vnto them that they runne not with them into the same excesse of riot and also they spake euill of them euen so is it with all new creatures As they appeare to the good to be new as Paul did Gal. 1.21 23. when of a persecuter he became a preacher of the faith which before he destroied insomuch as they glorified God for him so they appeare to the wicked to be new and therefore their by-words tants reproaches and disgraces are more ordinary with them then their thanksgiuing to God for so gracious a change 3 Of inchoation Thirdly He that is in Christ is a new creature in respect of inchoation Old things are passed away behold all things are become new There are new eyes leauing with delight to behold vanitie 2 Coâ— 5.17 Psal 1â— 9. â—â—b 31.1 couenanting against lust and searching into the wonders of Gods law there are new eares stopped against the inticements of the serpent and open to heare what God will speake there are new tongues Psal 85.8 not to sing the old dittie of nature Psal 40.3 but to sing a new song to the praise of our God and Sauiour that so the tongue of the righteous may be like fined siluer there are new hands Prou. 10.20 Esay 58.4 not to smite with the fist of iniquitie not to pull in with rapine and robbery but to deale according to abilitie the dole of mercy to men in misery Eccles 11.1 to cast our bread vpon the waters to turne ouer the pages of Gods Booke that the Word of God may dwell plentifully in vs Coloss 3.16 Apocal. and to giue the right hand of fellowship to euery good action within our reach there are new feet Rom. 3.15 Psal 122.2 not to bee swift to shed bloud but to stand in thy gates O Ierusalem and so farre as the bodie can execute it to run the way of Gods commandements Psal 119. there are new vnderstandings to know and acknowledge the truth that is according to godlinesse Titus 1.1 new wills and affections to come vnto Christ to loue him Matth. 11.28 to feare him to cleaue vnto him to put a mans whole trust in his mercies and merits Matth. 5.6 Psal 119.5 new desires to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and new consciences to bee watchfull ouer all our waies 2 Tim. 4.5 Psal 39.1 and not to let the least sinne to passe without a strict examination condemnation and settled purpose and resolution against it In all parts there is newnesse and as Christ hath giuen vs a new commandement so we through the power of Gods spirit do giue him a new obedience in all the powers of our soules bodies Fourthly Hee that is in Christ is a new creature in respect of communion because hee hath fellowship in the holinesse of Christ which doth as it were cast him into a new mold Col. 1.19 It pleaseth the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Iohn 1.16 and out of his fulnesse wee doe all receiue grace for grace Which grace doth not onely couer sinne but cure sinne according to that of the Prophet Esay 53.5 The chastisement of our peace is vpon him and with his stripes we are healed How therefore can it be otherwise but that such a man should be a new creature seeing before times hee had fellowship with corrupted Adam and so was the childe of wrath but now he hath fellowship with him who aboue Dauid is a man after Gods owne heart euen his welbeloued Sonne in whom he is well pleased 2 Application You haue heard now the Doctrine of the Text opened vnto you namely that hee that is in Christ is a new creature now if you will be attentiue you shall heare the application of it for the benefit of our soules To apply it then we shall make a double vse of it Vse 1 First we learne as wee doe desire to finde our selues to be in Christ so to be carefull to see our selues to be new creatures No new creature no Christ wee must be in Christ as I haue shewed vnto you if we
Christ in his life death resurrection and ascension there being two things distinctly to be conceiued which yet goe together in time first our being made members and secondly our receiuing the gifts of members vpon this I say there will grow two questions wherein our consciences will desire satisfaction whereunto I would intreat you to attend in their order The first is this How we may know that we are made liuing members of Christ How we may know that we are made liuing members of Christ It is a sweet question and worthy our consideration Therefore marke diligently that this secret will be discouered vnto vs by three signes especially The first signe of our being a member of Christ is If we are borne againe No member can be a member of the bodie but by naturall generation and therefore in the want of armes and legs all that are made by Artizans are but counterfeit members so none can be a member of Christ but by spirituall regeneration Therefore through the power of Gods spirit and word we must finde an alteration in all the parts and powers of the bodie and soule from what we are by nature This is called a turning in the Scriptures when of Prodigals we become Conuerts feeding no longer vpon the husks of swine those noysome and filthy lusts of the flesh but of the feast of fat things and fined wines as Esay speaketh or of the fat calfe which God hath prouided Esai 25.6 Luke 25. that is chearing our hearts with the wisdome of Christ against our folly and blindnesse with the righteousnesse of Christ against our guiltinesse with the sanctification of Christ against the reliques of our sinne and vncleannesse 1 Cor. â— 3 and with the redemption of Christ against our apostaticall and back-sliding hearts The second signe of our being a member of Christ is If we receiue new sense and motion from the head As in the naturall bodie all the members doe receiue sense and motion from the head so in the spirituall bodie For though there be no naturall connexion of parts betwixt Christ and vs Act. 3.21 the heauen containing him in respect of his bodily presence and we being here on the earth yet by vertue of the spirituall ligatures and ties of faith which is Gods ordinance to this end wee haue no lesse reall coniunction though we cannot see it than naturall head and members haue Wee cannot see the coniunction betwixt man and wife who yet are one flesh though they are a thousand miles asunder Prov. 2.17 by vertue of that contract and couenant of God betwixt them The vnion betwixt the beasts and the wheeles in Ezekiels vision was not visible Ezek. 1.21 yet it was reall because the spirit of the beasts was in the wheeles which made them moue together and stand still together So it is betwixt our Head and vs. If therefore by vertue of this vnion we doe not daunce after natures pipe which the Apostle calleth walking after the flesh or sowing to the flesh or fulfilling the lusts of the flesh but are moued to walke after the spirit so to runne that we may obtaine not to be clogged with the earth but to haue our conuersation in heauen to sit with Christ in heauenly places and in our whole course though with much strife and reluctation to moue vpwards then may we safely say that we are members of Christ The third signe of our being a member of Christ is if we worke for the head As the whole naturall bodie is vnder the obedience of the head so the whole spirituall bodie doth worke for its head as for its king and soueraigne If the head be warred against the foot runneth or standeth and the hand doth defend if the head be in peace the whole bodie maintaineth its honour vseth meanes to better vnderstanding to ripen iudgement to corroborate memorie to quicken senses and to performe other offices vnto it So must we worke for Christ he must increase we must decrease All our labour must be to maintaine his honour therefore wee must denie our selues to wit our naturall iudgements wills affections and the worth of our workeâ—â—hat Christ may be all in all vnto vs and wee may cry out with that blessed Martyr None to Christ none to Christ Oh that we had hearts to try our selues by these signes How great will our comfort be if we can finde our selues to be members of Christ Some men ioy that their armes and legs are members of sound and healthfull bodies but it is no matter though the outer man perish so long as the inward man by being a member of Christ is renewed daily I bowe therefore the knees of my heart vnto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and beseech him that hee would grant both to you all and me and all Gods people that wee may for euer proue our selues to be borne againe to receiue heauenly motion from Christ and to worke for him that so wee may proue our selues to be his members I will open a little light vnto you in these three points We may know our selues to be borne againe How wee may know our selues to be borne againe if God haue giuen vs a conscionable care to nourish the hid man of the heart Euery thing hath a naturall instinct to nourish it selfe so soone as it hath a naturall production euen so must wee haue 1 Pet. 2.2 For therefore Peter saith As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that yee may grow thereby As babes desire the mothers dug so must our soules if they be regenerated desire the word of God How is that 1 Vnappeasably I answer First wee must desire it vnappeasably Giue a childe houses and lands gold and gaine profit and pleasure and nothing will content it but a dug so all the world is worth nothing to Gods babes without the word Psal 1 19. as Dauid saith The word of thy mouth is dearer vnto me than thousands of gold and siluer Secondly we must desire the word constantly 2 Constantly Little children doe not onely desire the dugge waking but when they are asleepe their lips will be going so Gods babes though they being ouertaken with drowsinesse cry out with the Spouse I sleepe yet their hearts awake Cant. 5.2 and when they are most drowsie they will be nibbling vpon the word yea they cannot be content without it For looke as the needle of a Diall doth nothing but tremble and shake and hath no rest till it be turned vpon the North pole so the heart of Gods childe can haue no peace in any degree of securitie till it be raised feelingly to imbrace the word of God againe 3 Cryingly Thirdly we must desire the word cryingly Euery one of vs do see the new-borne babe to cry for the dugge euen so must we for the word We must cry to God for it and desire him that we may neuer be
actiuitie it was in sinning we rushed into wickednesse as a horse into the battaile we drunke iniquitie like as the wilde Asse doth water But now our heat is much abated As it was with Iob when God had brought him to see himselfe hee was cold in his pleadings against God and said Once haue I spoken but I will answer no more Iob 39.38 yea twice but I will proceed no further so it is with all Gods people so that if euer they fall into sinne againe they are very buâ—glers at it they cannot hide it and colour it as they did before they cannot giue it the full strength and force of will and affections yea as there is great difference betwixt the naturall worke of a childe and of a man so is there no lesse difference betwixt sinne in the childe of God in whom it waxeth more cold euery day than other and in the wicked who is a man in sinning and in whom it is vigorous and like the Leuiathan in the sea in its owne proper element Secondly sinne must as it were stinke in our nostrils It must be like Lazarus in the graue Iohn 11. of whom it was said he stinketh alreadie As therefore Dauids enemies said to him Fie vpon thee fie vpon thee so must we with loathing say to sinne The Prophet speaking of those that should be true conuerts from Idolatrie Esay 30.22 saith Yee shall pollute the couerings of the Images of siluer and the rich ornament of thine Images of gold and cast them away as a menstruous clout and thou shalt say vnto it Get thee hence Thus muâ—t all true Conuerts deale with all sin If the righteous man can smell sin and iniquity euen in his holy offerings Exod. â—8 38 â—â—aâ—â—4 â— in which respect our righteousnes is as a menstruous and polluted cloth how much more must a penitent man smell hell in his sinne to make him to abhorre it for euermore Me thinkes now my beloued I haue laid a glasse before you wherein you may view your soules God make it to cause a comfortable â—eflexion vpon you that yee may see your owne pictures My hope is that the more yee view it the more yee shall see that it is none other but what yee feelingly and from experience finde to be wrought in you alreadie towards the eternall death of your cursed enemie 2 Viuification Yet yee must goe one step further as I haue told you for as sinne must die and perish so grace must liue and florish The second gift therefore which we doe receiue in our grafting into Christ 2 Cor. 4.10 â—pheâ— 4.18 1 Pet. 4.2 is a new life This is called the life of Iesus and the life of God and liuing after the will of God and Christs liuing in vs liuing vnto God â—al 2.20 Rom. â— â—7 and obeying from the heart vnto the forme of doctrine to which we are deliuered and the like Looke as when there shall be a new heauens and a new earth wherein righteousnesse shall dwell as Peter speaketh there shall be a new life â— Pet 3.13 and a new mâ—nner of liuing for wee shall not need the ordinarie supplies in this world for our necessities or infirmities when the Lambe shall be all in all vnto vs so when wee are new creatures in Christ Iesus wee doe receiue a new life and a new manner of liuing The old course of sinning cannot agree with this estate Rom. 8.1 He that is in Christ must not walke after the flesh but after the spirit Hence is it that Christ saith He that abideth in mee and I in him Iohn 15.5 the same bringeth forth much fruit And Iohn doth strongly second it saying If we say that we haue fellowship with him 1 Iohn 1.6 and walke in darknesse we lie As therefore when we looke vpon the Impes which we haue grafted and see them bring forth bud leafe and fruit we reioyce in the worke of our hands and say they take well so when we looke vpon our selues who are grafted into Christ Philip. 1.11 and see that wee bring forth the fruits of râ—ghteousnesse which are by Iesus wee may reioyce in the worke of Gods hands who hath wrought all our workes for vs and say that we take well Esay 26.12 The Spirit of Christ which in our grafting into him he conueigheth vnto vs is a Spirit of life it is an actiue and operatiue Spirit Rom. 8.2 in which respect the second Adam is called a quickening Spirit What must we doe now I will tell you 1 Cor. 15.45 Seeing those that are new creatures in Christ must liue a new life therefore euery one of vs must trie whether we haue this new life in vs yea or no. I know that the newest life wee can procure cannot deserue Gods presence and fauour yet by Gods gratious acceptation it giues a fit qualification for the entertainment of such a guest as God is For if to bring vs vnto Kings we must not be base and sordid in our persons and conuersations yea we must be acquainted with fit complements for such a presence for Mordecai might not enter into the Kings gate when hee was clothed with sackcloth Host 4.2 much more must we be furnished with fit complements and qualities for the presence of God in Christ and to haue communion and fellowship with him How wee may discouer this new liâ—e Lift we vp our hearts then and let vs consider whether we haue this life in vs yea or no. It may be you will say How shall we know whether we haue this new life of the new creature I answer that this may be discouered vnto vs two waies 1. By our aptnesse in procuring the helps of life 2. By our imployment of our strength in the acts of life First Where there is the life of grace there is an aptnesse to preserue it selfe by procuring the helpes of life Now these helpes doe either respect our selues Helpes of a new life or our enemies That which respects our selues is fit maintenance for grace Fit maintenance Grace thriues not where it cannot bee maintained and wheresoeuer it is it will seeke for more As I said before that in the very entrance of our new birth We will as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word so at that time when our ingrafting into Christ is more manifested vnto our consciences wee still ayme at meanes to maintaine and preserue it Oh how doe we pray to God That God would stablish vs by his free Spirit Psal 51. and not take his holy Spirit from vs How doe we pant vnto God That hee would grant vs according to the riches of his glory â—â—hes 3.16 17. that wee may be strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith and that wee may bee rooted and grounded in loue How doe we hunger and thirst after
seuen children by foure or fiue seuerall women See my Serm. vpon Psal 27.4 These and all other doctrines of the like stampe which I haue touched in another place we renounce and presse both in publike and priuate 2 Cor. 7.1 the cleansing of our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit and growing vp vnto full holinesse in the feare of God together with the approuing of our selues to be liuely professors of the truth by a liuing faith bringing forth fruits vnto God Thirdly they will tell you of the humilitie of their religion 3 Humilitie Oh how they reuerence their Priests Altars and Images How doe they come to God by Angels and Saints and how doe their sackcloth and ashes appeare to the world but watch ouer these things and thinke vpon these two things First that the humilitie of the Popish religion is not such as they pretend They proudly will haue some share in their owne conuersions and therefore they will haue their owne free wills part-stakes with the grace of God yea and why should wee not say that they will proudly be ioynt-purchasers of heauen with Christ seeing they teach the doctrine of merits Roma Irrec §. 9. pag. 88. Vno ex meritis Christi sibi per gratiam communicatis altero ex meritis proprijs Bellar. lib. 5. de Iustific cap. 7. In which respect if my memorie faileth mee not Bellarmine is charged to say That a iust man hath a double right to the same glory the one from the merits of Christ communicated to him through grace and the other from his owne merits And though he saith indeed that hee who would haue any confidence in his owne merits must not be proud yet as it is most likely he espying pride in their greatest humilitie resolueth that it is safest for vs to put our trust in the mercie of God May we not also see pride euen in the head of their religion the Pope 2 Thess 2. who doth exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God and that is worshipped Yea we doe see it and we hate to thinke that he that calleth himselfe The seruant of seruants and should be an humble Father in the Church of God should so Lord it ouer the whole Church which is a burden vnsupportable and ouer the consciences of men which is Gods prerogatiue Secondly put case their humilitie were as they say doe we not know that they of old haue crept into the Church of God who haue beene the patron and defenders of falsehood vnder this pretence Yee know how it was in the Church of the Colossians there were some who brought in worshipping of Angels and other traditions vnder â—hat pretence Coloss 2.18 but the Apostle saith Let no man beare rule ouer you by humblenesse of minde What though it make a great shew in the eyes of men I confesse saith the Apostle that these things speaking of the worshipping of Angels and other traditions haue a shew of wisdome in voluntarie religion and humblenesse of minde and in not sparing the bodie Vers 23. not hauing it in any estimation in regard of the flesh as the Papists who doe boast of fasting sack-cloth and other penances yet they must neuer the sooner be approued or practised of vs. Fourthly they will tell you of their learning miracles and great dangers which they doe vndergoe Learning euen for Religion sake But watch distinctly ouer these things that they gaine not vpon vs to entertaine that doctrine with which they may infect and poison vs. As for their learning remember these things First we haue heard them of old crie out against the basenesse of our vnderstandings Rhem. Testam in Heb. 5.9 and boast of the deepenesse of their learning and profoundnesse of the mysteries of their Religion as if the feeblenesse in the Faith Rhem. Test in Heb. 5.11 and weaknesse of vnderstanding in the Primitiue Church were not able to comprehend them and that therefore belike they were reserued in sacred tradition til the more ripe age of the Church Thus they boast of the deepe mysteries of their Idoll-Masse that they may the better thrust it vpon the Church without warrant from God in his word Secondly though we hate and abhorre all traditionall learning that is against Gods word and can call it none other than our blessed Sauiour called the learning of that Prophetesse Iezabel namely The deepenesse of Satan Apoc. 2.24 what shew soeuer it carrieth to outward view yet we freely acknowledge their learning wherein it appeareth in truth and wish that they would vse it better than to make it an instrument to fight against the truth Thirdly put case that their learning were neuer so great yet it should not moue vs against the truth I know it was cast as a choake-peare in the teeth of those officers who gaue good testimonie of Iesus Christ Iohn 7.48 Doe any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees who are wise and learned men beleeue in him But when we doe remember the thanksgiuing of Iesus Christ vnto his Father Matt. 11.25 26. Because he had hid the mysteries of the Gospell from the wise and men of vnderstanding and opened them vnto babes euen because his good pleasure was such and when we doe withall consider what Paul saith That not many wise men after the flesh 1 Cor. 1.26 27. not many mightie not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise we cannot thinke that learning and religion cannot be diuorced or that we must presently embrace the doctrine of them who bring learning in their mouthes Miracles To come in the second place to their Miracles which they so much pretend wee know that they are powerfull to perswade people yet when we doe consider that the miracles of the Primitiue Church are sufficient to confirme primitiue doctrine Iohn 10.41 and that all that Iohn preached may be true though he did no miracle and also that the Church of Rome were not Antichristian if it should not pretend miracles 2. Thess 2.9 Apoc. 13.13 we cannot presently conclude that he is no dreamer or inticer to false gods Deut. 13.1 2. who can giue a signe or wonder that commeth to passe Sufferings Lastly as for their sufferings for religion we know that many Heretickes haue died in a stiffe maintenance of their cursed conceits 1 Cor. 13. and that the Apostle implieth that it is possible for a man to giue his bodie to be burned and not haue charitie In which respects though sometimes wee see Priests and Iesuits like Pharisees compassing sea and land to winne a Romish proselite and at the last to come to the Gallowes iustly prouided for them when they haue fallen out of the way of Religion into the way of Rebellion yet wee cannot thinke their doctrine which they teach against vs to be more true Oh therefore let neither
before wee are not able to walke in any other sometimes againe if we be in the way we are carelesse and secure in the vse of the holy meanes of saluation Whereas if with feare and trembling wee could see the narrownesse of the way and the difficulties both through our owne weaknesse and wickednesse and others malice through which we must passe we would keepe a constant and a carefull watch Secondly consider that we are very heauy headed and apt to be ouertaken with drowsinesse Euen the Church it selfe saith Cant. 5.2 I sleepe and Paul found by experience such a fault in the nature of man Rom. 13. Ephes 5. when he said to the Romanes It is now time that we arise and to the Ephesians Awake thou that sleepest yea and the Deuill hath foure cradles wherein ordinarily he doth rocke vs. The Deuils foure cradles The first is the ignorance of our selues when wee doe not see the danger and deepnesse of our corruptions As the darkest places are fittest for vs to sleepe in both because the eye doth there want that inlightned meanes by which it doth gad and is kept waking as also because no danger can be discerned so is the darknesse of ignorance a fit cradle to sleepe out the time of our watchfulnesse The second cradle is grosse and full feeding of the things of this life Wee say in the prouerbe That when our belly is full the bones would be at rest and we finde it true by experience that when our hearts are set where God hath set our heeles to wit vpon the earth and earthly things we are too too apt to be lulled asleepe and not at all to minde our eternall good The third cradle is labour and toyle after those things that perish Euen as wearinesse by labour doth make vs apt to sleepe so when the worke of this world doth take away the worke of a good conscience our whole bodies and soules may be stolne from God for there is no watch kept The fourth cradle is the neglect of the meanes which should keepe vs waking namely the word of God prayer meditation and the voice of the spirit in these which is as the rushing of the winde to shake the houses of our hearts As when a man wearied shutteth himselfe vp into such a roome as keeps him from the noise of his children seruants yea and the winde it is a signe that he purposeth to sleepe and take his rest so when we carelesly vse and separate our selues from such meanes as God hath appointed to keepe vs waking how can we doe other than snort and so forget that God hath set vs in a watch-tower to keepe the quarter of our bodies and soules from sudden surprizall by the enemie Seeing therefore that we are so apt to sleepe and that the Deuill hath so many meanes to lull vs into it therefore we must watch Thirdly consider that wee lie open to many dangers Sometimes afflictions set vpon vs and without this wee shall soone let goe our hold of Christ It is true indeed that they are but sufferings a little 2 Pâ—â— 5 1â— yet what are wee that we should not be gained vpon if our fingers doe but ake in Christs quarrell without watchfulnesse Sometimes prosperitie troubleth vs and without this our sobriety will be indangered 1 Pâ—t â— â— therefore be sober and watch saith Peter Sometimes the Deuill doth set vpon vs and it shall cost him a fall if he doe not draw vs either into presumption or despaire 1 Pâ—â—â— 8 but watch saith Peter for he goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure Yea and alwaies the flesh will be too craftie for vs 〈◊〉 â—â—caâ—◠〈…〉 qâ—â—a â—â—â—astan◠〈…〉 â—am non in qâ—ntâ—â—â—ianis inâ—â—rstâ—â—bus for though wee haue weakned it and got the better hand of it in the more great sinnes which doe wound and waste the conscience yet it hath daily inrodes by the aduantage whereof it still plotteth and practiseth new treasons and will foile vs without bridling it and walking circumspectly by watchfulnesse Lastly consider that without watchfulnesse wee shall not be so well acquainted with our owne weaknesses It would be a strange though no new thing for vs to be well seene in things abroad and ignorant of our owne affaires yet without this such will be our case and so we shall not be able to watch vnto prayer which is the third and last Vse which we are to make of this Doctrine Vse 3 In the third place therefore seeing the end of all things is at hand let vs striue to watch vnto prayer Let vs be so carefull in the sober vse of all outward things and in the keeping of faithfull watch both without and within that out of the feeling of our owne miserable estates without Gods speciall helpe in these last times of the world we may be driuen vnto God in prayer to helpe vs. For the pressing of this forget not that order which I haue obserued in the former but consider first what it is to pray and secondly how we may be stirred vp to watch vnto prayer First to conceiue what it is to pray you must know that the matter about which all prayer is conuersant is either good or euill As prayer doth consider euill What it is to pray it doth acknowledge it complaine to God against it and seeke the remedie of it As prayer doth consider good it doth beg the being of it the maintenance and increase of it and thanketh God for it So that to pray is vpon the sight of sinne to confesse it lament it and to sue for pardon and vpon the knowledge of grace humbly to beg at Gods hand that it may be and be maintained and increased and to thanke God for it all In which description you may perceiue that hee that would pray must haue these six things in some degree or other to meet in him First he must know his sinnes For as no man will beg that doth not know his pouertie either in truth or shew and as no man can beg well for himselfe who doth not know the particular wants which hee groaneth vnder so neither will nor can he pray that knoweth not his spirituall pouertie yea his particular sinnes Secondly he must haue a spirit of complaint against sinne For as no man will seeke to be rid of that guest whom he cannot in some respect or other with a free spirit complaine against so neither will we seeke to be rid of sinne if we cannot thus complaine to God against it Alas Lord my sinne it is rebellious against thee against me it wounds my conscience robbeth me of thine image blotteth and defaceth grace and maketh me the obiect of thy heauy displeasure Thirdly he must be like that poore man who speaketh supplications Hee must neuer giue God rest till he haue mercy vpon him and seale vnto him by the spirit of adoption and sanctification the pardon of
Christ The dead shall heare the voice of God and shall arise Both which places doe speake of a gracious arising from sinne As therefore the holy Ghost saith All must first die and then comes the resurrection to iudgement So all must first die to sinne or they shall neuer arise to liue godlily Sometimes againe it is called a Quickning Psal 119.25 as when Dauid saith Quicken me according to thy Word As therefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15. O foole that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die So neither are our soules quickned except they thus die Secondly if we respect the malice of sinne it is such a deadly aduersarie that we cannot be deliuered from death in sinne but by the death of sinne if we doe not kill sin sinne will kill vs. As AZahel pursued Abner like a swift Roe so doth sinne vs euen vnto the graue and will neuer giue vs rest till it be quite vanquished in the perfect mortification of the bodie against the day of the Resurrection As therefore wee doe desire that grace may liue so wee must striue that this deadly enemie of grace may die Vse 1 We hauing thus considered the truth of this point may deriue from it both matter of doctrine and matter of exhortation As for doctrine it learneth vs that there must be a thorow change in all the children of God before they can be termed gracious Iohn 11. As when Lazarus who stunke in his graue was raised from death to life there was a thorow change in him a change in his parts essentiall and a change in his parts integrall in which respect a man might well haue said here is not the same man euen so is it with euerie one of vs when God makes vs gracious which change that we doe not conceiue to be substantiall we must marke as we are often taught that as there are three things to be considered in an instrument the bodie the strings and the harmonie wrought by the skill of the player So in man there is the bodie and soule the faculties and the worke of them Now touching this change the bodie soule and faculties remaining intire the change is made in the last when discord thorow the whole man is changed into concord and anomie in all the powers of man into conformitie to Gods will For this cause sanctification may be compared vnto our sense of touching If of blinde wee are made seeing there is a change but in the eye if of deafe wee are made hearing there is a change but in the eare if our smelling be restored there is a change but in the nose if our tasting be brought to vs againe there is a change but in the pallat but if our feeling be lost and restored there is a change in the whole bodie So is it with this spirituall Resurrection and quickning which worketh a change in the powers of the whole bodie and soule in putting them ouer to Gods vse There must be a new vnderstanding quickned to know Gods will a new heart quickned to incline vnto it and imbrace it new bodily instruments quickned to be weapons of righteousnesse vnto holinesse yea and the whole man 2 Cor. 5.17 or a new man or a new creation both in the whole soule and bodie and spirit to be kept blamelesse vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus 1 Thess 5.23 Thus in the first place let vs take notice of this point that so we entring into our selues and viewing the whole man may discerne by a change or no change whether we are sanctified and quickned yea or no. Vse 2 Secondly this point serueth also to exhort euery one of vs to a conscionable care to trie whether we haue life in vs yea or no. If we liue we can say as the father of his prodigall sonne This my sonne was dead and is aliue So I was dead yea I am dead vnto sinne and am aliue Wee haue no more assurance that we are aliue than we haue certaintie that we are dead If England and Ireland lay claime to one peece of ground the triall must be this Put a snake into it if it liues it belongs to England if it dieth it is Irish ground Right so if there be a controuersie betweene God and the Deuill whose possession man shall be the triall shall be thus Put the Serpent sinne into him if it liue he is the Deuils if it pine away and die he is part of Gods heritage Will you inquire then how we shall know whether sin die in vs yea or no I answer as a man may know whether another be dead vnto nature by the antecedent of death to wit sicknesse by the concomitants of death namely the decay of senses and pangs of death and by the consequents which are coldnesse and putrefaction So answerably we may know whether we are dead vnto sinne these three waies First by this antecedent which goeth before it namely See these three more largely in my Sermon on 2 Cor. 5.17 if we be sicke of sinne If as a man surcharged with grosse humours is neuer at ease till he haue abated them by vomit or purge so we oppressed with our sinnes can haue no rest in our soules till wee haue discouered sinne to our selues by examination opened it to God by confession executed reuenge vpon it by godly sorrow and purged it by faith in Christ then sinne is in a good degree to death Secondly by these two concomitants which goe with it First the sense of sinne must decay If therefore our eyes doe feebly behold vanitie and not with that vigour and content as before if our eares cannot endure to heare of it if we flie from the garment spotted of the flesh as from a Serpent if we finde no rellish and sauour in it but with an honest heart can say to it as to an vnprofitable thing Get thee hence then are wee in a second degree in the death of sinne But if secondly wee are come to the pangs of this death and doe finde that our sins through our lothnesse to forsake them haue striued and struggled as for life haue disturbed the peace of our soules haue sadded the flesh as those that mourne for the death of their friends haue comforted the spirit as those that reioyce at the death of enemies and so haue made the paines of the new birth the greater then are we a degree further in the death vnto sinne Thirdly we shall know it by these consequents which follow vpon it to wit coldnesse and putrefaction If therefore the heat of sinne be ouer Esay â— and the spirit of burning doe by degrees take possession of the place to consume it and if it rot and stinke in our account and make vs a burthen to our selues so long as it retaineth liuelihood in any corner of our bodies or soules then this is a fourth degree in the death of sinne and that which may assure vs of
a good measure of attainment to the crucifying of sinne and liuing vnto grace and godlinesse In the feare of God let vs now returne into our owne hearts and examine our selues when we are still by these signes to see what proceedings we haue made in passing from death to life that so if we finde our selues to haue part in the first Resurrection we may be assured of our portion in glory to come Hauing thus brought home Paul his method vnto our consciences and knowing that these two things are speciall meanes vnder God to worke it vpon vs to wit the knowledge of our danger and the knowledge of our deliuerance therefore let vs goe on to consider Paul his matter in this Text. In which concerning our miserie implied we are to obserue That without faith we are but dead men If faith in Iesus Christ be our life then without it wee must needs be dead That which God said to Abimelech when he had taken away Sarah Gen. 20. Abrahams wife Thou art but a dead man may be said of all men before their conuersion to God Hence is it that Paul telleth the Ephesians That till Christ came they were dead in sinnes and trespasses Ephes 2.1.5 And the Colossians Col 2 13. That till God quickned them with Christ they were dead in sins and in the vncircumcision of the flesh In this respect those Hypocrites who neuer cast their natural hackle Iude vers 12. are said to be twice dead and plucked vp by the roots yea and for this cause Christ accounteth such no better than dead Iohn 8.24 both when he saith Except yee beleeue that I am he yee shall die in your sinnes As also when hee chargeth Sardi to be dead Apoc. 3.1 and biddeth that cold disciple to follow him Matth. 8.22 and let the dead burie the dead that is let those who for want of faith are spiritually dead in sinne attend vpon the funerals of those who are corporally dead for sinne Neither is this obscurely signified by the Ancients when they doe compare a sinner who goeth on in his naturall course to Lazarus who had beene dead foure daies The first by the lust of sinne the second by consent to sinne the third by the practise of sinne and the fourth by custome in sinne Consuetudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati when vse in sinning doth take away the sense of sinne as in a starke dead man We will not wonder that without faith we should be in no better case if we shall consider the fit resemblances betweene faithlesse and dead men which may be set downe as so many reasons in forcing this truth First because as in dead men naturall heat is extinguished so that if you bring them to the fire put strong waters into their mouthes rub them chafe them yet no heat appeareth so where there is no faith there is no zeale for heauenly things In their owne quarrels they doe with Nebuchadnezzar heat the fornace seuen times hotter but in the quarrels of God they are key-cold as we say and are frozen vpon the dregs of their owne secure hearts as vpon the Icie Sea Secondly because as dead men are so senslesse that their eyes see not their eares heare not their hands touch not their pallats taste not and their nosthrils smell not so in them who are void of faith their eyes see not from whence they are fallen or into what miserie and danger by sinne and punishment their eares heare not the voice of God that they may be saued God calleth out Awake thou that sleepest stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light but they heare not the voice of this charmer charme he neuer so wisely Thirdly because as dead men smell earthly and are carried downeward to the center without any aptnesse to rise and eleuate themselues so where there is no faith men sauour of nothing but the earth according to that of the Prophet O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord and are carried downeward like moles and muck-wormes and would be beholding to God if they might alwaies liue here in ease singing Peters song vpon the Mount Master it is good for vs to be here Fourthly because as dead men though they haue no life or sense or motion in them yet they haue their eyes looking vp to heauen except as in Iaacobs case some Ioseph close them so faithlesse men will haue an eye to heauen and lookes to that purpose as Balaam when he desired to die the death of the righteous though they are like the writings of liuing men vpon dead mens tombes or a scrole of Scripture going out of the mouth of a man painted in a Church window or on a wall Fiftly because as dead men are subiect to corruption which made Augustine when he beheld Caesars corps in his sepulchre at Rome say to his mother Monica Behold Caesar fallen to rottennesse his belly burst with swarmes of wormes in the hollow of his head where his christ all eyes stood two hungry toads are feeding his teeth appeare for want of lips to couer them and then he crieth out Where is thy magnificence O Caesar so the faithlesse are corrupt like an apple rotten at the coare like an old doating tree perished at the heart Psal 14. according to that of the Psalmist Corrupt are they and are become abhominable in their wickednesse there is none that doth good no not one Vse 1 Thus we haue taken a view of our miserie in this point and may easily receiue from it both matter of doctrine and practise First for doctrine wee may learne three points First what is the reason that so many heare the word and so few are benefited Truly herein lieth the cause because men want faith and so are dead Call and hollow and whoope in the eare of a dead man pinch and pull him yet he ariseth neuer the sooner and we doe not wonder because he is dead so neither can we wonder that those who are dead in sinnes and trespasses doe not heare the voice of God and liue because they are dead Secondly we learne that we haue no disposition in our selues to faith and goodnesse Alas wee thinke that wee haue faith to please God withall at an houres warning therefore we presume to goe on in sinne till the houre of death But can a dead man command faith in the houre of need I know that when God hath inlightned the vnderstanding and reuealed Iesus Christ the obiect to be receiued and rested in and sanctified our soules by giuing vs the spirit of faith which taketh away our naturall death then we are co-workers with God according to that old and true saying The will being first wrought vpon Voluntas acta agit doth together worke with the first mouer but take a man in his first abilitie and possibilitie to helpe himselfe and the bodie is not lesse able to helpe it selfe without
Diana for Ephesus So Rome hath Saint Iames for Spaine Saint Dennis for France Saint Peter and Paul for Rome Saint Ambrose for Millane Saint Marke for Venice the three Kings for Collen Saint Lewis for Pannonia and Saint Mary for Heluetia And as the Heathens had guardians for the Elements as Iupiter for the Heauen and Fire Iuno for the Aire Neptune for the Sea and Pluto for the Earth So Rome hath Saint Agatha for the Fire Saint Nicholas for the Sea and Saint Theodulus for Tempests And as the Heathens had guardians for the Fruits of the earth as Bacchus for Wine and Ceres for Fruit So Rome hath Saint Iodocus for Fruits and Saint Vrbanus for Wine And as the Heathens had guardians for their Cattell as Apollo and Pan So Rome hath Saint Wendaline for Sheepe Saint Eulogius for Horse Saint Pelagius for Oxen and Saint Anthony for Swine And as the Heathens had their protectors for Trades Arts and Sciences as Minerua for Learning Vulcan for Smiths Aesculapius for Physitians Mars for Warriours Diana for Hunters Castor and Pollux for Sea-faring-men and Flora Venus and Lupa for Harlots So Rome hath Saint Catherine and Gregorie for Schollars Saint Luke for Painters Saint Cosmas for Physitians Saint Maurice for Souldiers Saint Eulogius for Carpenters Saint Crispine for Shoo-makers Saint Gutmane for Taylors Saint Magdalen and Afra for Harlots And lastly as the Heathens had their guardians against Diseases as Apollo against the Plague Lucina against the paines of Womens trauailes and Hercules against the Falling-sicknesse So Rome hath Saint Sebastian against the Plague Saint Petronel against an Ague Saint Marke against sudden Death Saint Margaret against the paines of Womens labours S. Otilia against the diseases of the Eyes S. Apollonia against the Tooth-ache and the like The consideration of all these and many other obiects of Idolatrie none of which were of Gods making hath made me many times to search into the cause of Religion and to striue both with my selfe and others that all insinuating Idolatrie being laid aside and abhorred the truth may take place both in our heads and hearts I know that deepe decisions of controuersies are not so easily apprehended in our ordinary assemblies I haue sought therefore to bring the truth vnto the easiest triall in remouing such ordinary exceptions as it is subiect vnto by the wise men of the world Whatsoeuer it be I doe offer it vnto both your hands desiring God that it may confirme you in the truth of our true Religion It shall be my reioycing to see you and yours alwaies walking in the truth and so humbly resigning your selues to the diuine wisdome of Gods word both for the direction of your soules and bodies that God may neuer haue iust cause to giue you ouer to Schisme Heresie Vanitie or any other wickednesse whatsoeuer Euen so humbly prayeth he who hath some few yeeres had experience of your great loue and who desireth to continue Your faithfull Shepherd ROBERT ABBOT THE TRIAL OF True Religion IAMES 1.27 Pure Religion and vndefiled before God euen the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in their aduersitie and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world IT is well obserued by Diuines that the Apostles in planting and watering the Churches of Christ laboured two things especially First the plaine and powerfull deliuerie of the mysteries of Faith both by word and writing thaâ— so both Iewes and Gentiles might be brought to embrace them Secondly the plaine and powerfull expressing and pressing of the obedience of Faith and such a life as becommeth the Gospell of Christ Iesus In both these kindes Paul was excellent but in the latter he was more briefe thorow all his Epistles The other Apostles were more briefe in the doctrine of Faith and in the duties of Christian profession more large and plentiful Saint Peter principally laboureth for pietie patience and constancie against false apostles Saint Iohn for the loue of God and of the Saints Saint Iude against false teachers and hypocrites And this our Apostle Iames laboureth for patience vnder the Crosse and a Christian life In the performance whereof as Dâ—uines doe well agree wee meet with something which doth not occurre in the writings of the other Apostles None doth so clearely deliuer the cause of sinne the necessary issue of workes from iustifying faith the concatenation and vnion of the whole Law the imperfection of humane righteousnesse from the miscariage of the tongue our dependance vpon the prouidence of God euen in ciuill things and the carriage of sicke persons in those miraculous times In these points I say this Apostle carrieth away the bell from the rest The principall point in this Epistle doth seeme to be this That with the faith of Christ Christian workes are to be ioyned Wherein we must walke to the end of our Faith which is the saluation of our soules The principall reason whereby he vrgeth it is this because the faith of Christ which in securitanes is falsely so called without Christian life is but a dead carkasse or vaine shadow of faith and not a liuing faith or that Spirit of Faith which the Apostle speaketh of Hence therefore doth he take occasion to vrge to diuers parts of Christian life and good conuersation In this Chapter he treateth of three points First of the temptations of Christians both outward by afflictions and inward by lusts Secondly of the hearing and doing of the Word of God and thirdly in the two last verses of true and false religion In the first of which hee shewes what religion is in vaine in the second of which he shewes what religion will beare the touch and triall Wee haue to doe with the second at this time wherein religion is described First by the affections properties or adiuncts of it when it is said to be pure and vndefiled before God And secondly by the fruits and effects of it and those both towards others while it workes vs to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in aduersitie as also in our selues who haue it while it workes vs to keepe our selues vnspotted of the world To conceiue aright of these things for our further vse and benefit I must open vnto you First the thing spoken of and secondly that which is spoken of it The thing spoken of is Religion and is so called either from our reading againe the defaced or new written law in our hearts Relegendo of which writing Ieremy speaketh saying Ier. 31.33 I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts or from our knitting to God againe from whom wee had made a cursed defection Religando because in our regeneration wee are by faith vnited vnto him againe in Christ Iesus or else from our choosing of God againe to bee our God and master Reeligendo when we doe renounce the world the flesh and the deuill This religion signifieth here that worship and seruice which is
all his sinnes to the comfort of his soule Fourthly he must know the graces which he wanteth and which God vsually bestoweth vpon his children as mercy peace loue humilitie meeknesse faith repentance and the like and that not onely in word but in their whole efficiencie and power for the disabling of all our sinnes For he that knowes them not and their vertue and that God giues them to that end cannot aske them as hee should Fiftly he must earnestly beg them and their increase and maintenance from him from whom commeth euery good gift The more beggar denying a mans selfe and laying open his sores the sooner made rich by God As it is the professed fashion of some great man as they will say rather to make two Gentlemen than to maintaine one so it is Gods fashion rather to aduance many poore humble and humbled beggars than to maintaine any one that hath any woâ—th in his owne sight Lastly he must highly prize the graces of God that so he may be truly thankfull to him for them Hee thanks coldly that doth not prize highly Thus we haue considered what it is to pray notwithstanding which wee must remember that when we haue said what we can it is better felt in the heart than expressed by the tongue 2 Motiues to watch vnto prayer Now for the motiues which may stirre vs vp to watch vnto prayer doe but consider these that follow First let vs consider what we haue taken in our watch We haue taken sinne There is no man who watcheth as he should but catcheth that theefe stealing away his heart from God and godlinesse and lurking in some part of him or other Euen as therefore when a man hath taken a theefe committing burglary and stealing away of his goods hee will carry him to the Iustice accuse him and desire Law against him So when a man hath taken sin in the watch he must cary it before the great Iudge of heauen and earth accuse it vnto him and humbly desire his mercie to vs his iustice to it to bring it to naught Secondly consider the great miserie which shall come vpon vs when the end of all things is come The powers of heauen shall be shaken the heauens shall passe away with a noise the elements shall melt with fire the trumpe of God shall sound so shrill that it shall raise the dead all outward comforts shall be taken from vs the affections of our nearest and dearest friends shall be altered in so much as if they see vs goe to hell they will be of Gods minde to laugh at our destruction and if they see vs goe to heauen all domesticall respects shall cease for there is no marying nor giuing in mariage To whom then shall we cleaue in the throng of these miseries but vnto God by prayer Lastly consider that God hath ordinarily intailed his helpe in miserie to prayer Psal 50. Call vpon me in the time of trouble and I will deliuer thee God knowes whereof we stand in need and he could helpe vs as well without vs or notice from vs if he would but hee that hath said Aske and yee shall haue will not be at our right hand to helpe vs except we powre out our soules in prayer But is it euery prayer that will doe vs good in the time of miserie No surely but that prayer which God in mercie doth answer As it will doe vs no good to put vp petitions except they be granted so neither will it doe vs good to pray except God heare and answer How wee may know whâ—ther God heareth our prayers If now then amid our prayers wee would be satisfied how wee may know whether God doth heare and answer our prayers I answer that we may conceiue something of Gods good will and pleasure in this kinde by three signes First whâ—n we feele that God giueth what we pray for Thus he answered Daniel Dan. 9.23 at the beginning of whose supplication the commandemant concerning deliuerance from Babel came forth and the Angell was sent to shew him that he was greatly beloued Thus sometimes also we find a sweet assurance of his loue in the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and those graces which we sue for Secondly when God giueth vs feruent desires to continue our prayers though we do not presently obtaine what we pray for A loue and desire to prayer is the gift of God and he doth not giue the meanes but hee will bring vnto the end Though therefore he doth not grant vs presently bâ—cause he would haue vs make more account of his gifts when we doe enioy them yet if he giue vs a heart to perseuere in our suits it is a signe that he who doth worke ordinarily by meanes will not continue the meanes without a purpose in his good time to giue a comfortable issue Lastly this is also a signe that God answereth our praiers when he giueth vs faith and patience to wait vpon him in the constant vse of the holy meanes of saluation God doth not alwaies heare to answer vs in what we aske yet he doth giue vs something proportionable As hee deale with Christ when he did offer vp prayers supplications with strong cryings and teares to him Hebr. 5.7 that was able to sâ—ue him from death namely he heard him in what he feared not by deliuerance but by abilitie to vndergoe it So hee dâ—aleth with vs not alwaies by granting what we aâ—ke but by giuing something proportionable to it to inable vs to wait and to stay his leasure By these and the like signes may wee know when and whether God doth heare vs. Let vs therefore consider them well that we doe not watch vnto idle and vnprofitable prayer but such as may comfort vs in these times wherein the end of all things is at hand Thus haue you heard the Apostles doctrine and the exhortations which he hath inferred vpon it A more profitable theame I am sure wee could not haue had in these last ages Now are the times wherein the lusts of the flesh abound For whereas the soule of man is distinguished into these three powers and faculties to wit the Reasonable Angrie Rationalis Irascibilis Concupiscibilis and Lustfull faculties The first may seeme to haue borne sway in the first age of the world when the inuention and finding out of Arts and Sciences flourished The second in the second age of the world from Ninus to Iulius as Melancthon hath it then were the braue Warriours as Dauid and other Worthies The third is all in all in this last age of the world wherein backe and belly doe steale away all our care and obseruance If euer than much more now doth the soule liue in her senses Now we are so farre from sobrietie that Couetousnesse and Epicurisme doe lord it Now wee are so farre from watchfulnesse that Securitie hath taken hold of the best Now we are so farre from praying that God is not