vses this same similitude Iohn 15. And in it we haue these things to consider First who is the stock or root secondly who are the grafts or branches ingrafted thirdly what is the manner of the ingrafting fourthly some comforts and instructions arising hereof The root or stocke whereinto this ingrafting is made is Iesus Christ called by himselfe the true Vine by the Apostles 1 The stocke or roote Iohn 15. 1. Rom. 11. 17. Isaiah 11. 1. the true Oliue by the Prophets the roote of Iesse and the righteous branch this roote that great husbandman the eternall God prepared to be as a stocke of life wherein he ingrafts all of Adams lost posteritie whom he hath concluded to saue to the praise and glory of his mercie After that in the fulnes of time God had sent him into the world clad with our nature and he had done the work for which he came the Lord laid him in the graue and as it were set him in the graue but at once like a liuely roote he sprang vp and rested not till his branches spred to the vttermost ends of the earth and till his top mounted vp vnto heauen for there now he sits and raignes in life who before was humbled to death The branches or graftes ingrafted in him are of two 2 The branches whereof some are only externally ingrafted these may be cut off Rom. 11. 22. sorts first all the members of the Church visible who by externall Baptisme are entred to a profession of Christ baptised with water but not with the holy Ghost this kinde of ingrafting will suffer a cutting off if thou continue not in his bountifulnesse thou shalt also be cut off For they haue not the sap of grace ministred to them from the stocke of life but are as dead trees hauing leaues without fruit they haue 2. Tim. 3 5. a shew of Godlinesse but haue denied the power thereof These are no better then Esau who lay in the same wombe with Iacob borne and brought vp in the same Family of Isaac which was the Church of God marked also with the same sacrament of Circumcision Nam sicut ille ex legittima mater natus gratiam superbe spreuit reprobatus est ita qui in Aug. de bap cont Donatist lib. 10. cap. 10. vera Ecclesia baptizantur gratiam Deâ— non amplectuntur cum Esauo reijciuntur For as hee being borne of a lawfull Mother proudely despised Grace and was cast off so they who are baptised into the true Church of God and embrace not the grace of God shall be reiected with Esau neyther shall it auaile them that by an externall kinde of ingrafting they haue beene adioyned to the fellowship of the visible Church The other sort are they who beside the outward ingrafting Others internally ingrafted and to these belongs this comfort whereof we haue spoken are also inwardly grafted by the holy Ghost in Iesus Christ in such sort that Christ is in them and they in Christ and can say with the Apostle Now I liue yet not I any more but Christ Iesus liueth in me these haue in them that same minde which was in Iesus the Gal. 2. 20. onely sure argument of our spirituall vnion with him for if any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same is not his and they who are quickned and ruled by his spirit are assuredly his As for the manner of the ingrafting it is spiritual wrought 3 The manner of the ingrafting it is made by the word spirit by the holy Ghost who creating faith in our heart by hearing of the Gospell makes vs to goe out of our selues transire in Christum so to relie vpon him that by his light we are illuminated by his spirit we are quickned by the continuall furniture of his grace we perseuere and increase in spirituall strength in a word so we liue that in our selues we dye Euery lampe of the golden candlesticke hath his Zach. 4. owne pipe through which these two oliues that stand with the ruler of the whole world emptie themselues into the gold that is euery member of the Church of Christ receiues grace from that fulnesse of Grace which is in him through the secret conduits of the spirit whereby he causeth vs to grow and preserueth our soules in life Though he be in heauen and we on earth no distance Distance of place staies not our vnion with him of place can stay this vnion for seeing the members of the body howsoeuer scattered through sundry parts of the world so farre that many of them haue neuer seene others in the face are notwithstanding knit together by the band of one spirit into one holy communion why should it be denyed but that the head and members of this mysticall body are also one by the same Spirit suppose the head be in heauen and the members on earth or what need is there to enforce for effecting of this vnion such a corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament as cannot stand with the truth of Gods word Now the comforts that ariseth vnto vs of our communion 4 Comforts arising of this our vnion with Christ with Christ are exceeding great for first we haue with him a communion of natures he hath taken vpon him ours and hath communicated his nature vnto vs. Of the first after a sort all mankind may glory forasmuch as Christ tooke not on the nature of Angels but the nature 1 Communion of Natures of man yet if there be no more the comfort is small yea the condemnation of man is the greater that the Lord Iesus came vnto man in mans nature and man would not receiue him But as for the godly let them reioyce in this that the Lord Iesus hath not onely assumed our nature but also made vs pertakers of the diuine nature before he assumed 2. Pet. 1 4. our nature he sanctified it and now hauing by his owne spirit ioyned vs to himselfe we may be out of doubt hee shall not cease till he hath sanctified vs. It is a notable comfort that the worke of our perfect A notable comfort the Lord who sanctified our nature that he might assume it will also sanctifie vs seeing he hath vnited vs to himselfe Phil. 1. 6. sanctification is not left vnto vs to doe the Lord Iesus hath taken it into his owne hand to performe it what then shall hinder it I am perswaded that he who hath begunne this good worke in you will performe it against the day of Iesus Christ He who at his pleasure turned water into Wine he who made the bitter waters to become sweete he who makes the wildernesse a fruitfull land and the barren woman to become the mother of many children in a word he who calles things which are not and causeth them to be is hee notable to make sinners become Saints or shall hee not perfect that worke of the new creation
of dwelling imports a continuance of gods presence with his children presence but also a continuance thereof for hee soiournes not in vs as a stranger that lodges for some dayes or Moneths in a place but hath setled his residence to dwel in vs for euer how euer by temporal desertions he humble vs yet shall he neuer depart from that soule which once hee hath sanctified to be his owne habitation and this comfort Three arguments to proue that the regenerate are sure of perseuerance in Grace is confirmed to vs by most sure arguments The first is taken from the nature of God He is faithfull saith the Apostle by whom we are called to the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord he will confirme vs to the end that wee may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus And againe saith 1 From the nature of God who begets vs. he I am perswaded that hee who hath begâ—n this good worke in you will performe it vntill the day of Christ. That word which the Lord spake to Iacob stands sure to all his posteritie I will not forsake thee till I haue performed that which I Phil. 1. 5. 6. promised thee The couenant of God is perfect and euerlasting and therefore with Dauid will wee giue this glory vnto God that he will performe his promise toward vs and bring forward his owne worke in vs to perfection The 2 From the nature of that life communicated to vs. Rom. 6. 9. second argument is taken from the nature of that life which Christ communicateth to his members it is no more subiect vnto death We know that Christ being raised from the dead dyes no more This life I say is communicated to vs for it is not we that liue but Christ that liues in vs. And the 3 From the nature of that seede whereof we are begotten 1. Pet. 1. 23. How the spirit of God is said to depart from Saul third is taken from the nature of that seede whereof we are begotten for as the seede is so is the life that comes by it now the seed saith the Apostle is immortall we are borne of new not of mortall seed but immortall our life therefore is immortall But against this is obiected that the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and that which Dauid prayes take not thine holy Spirit from me To this I answere that the spirit is taken sometime for the common and externall gifts of the spirit such as are bestowed as well vpon the wicked as vpon 1. Sam. 16. 14. the godly as the gift of Prophecie gouernement working Psal 51. 11. miracles and such like and these once giuen may be taken againe in this sense it is said that God tooke the spirit that was vpon Moses and gaue it vnto the seauentie Elders and so also it is said that the spirit of God departed from Saul there it is put for the gift of gouernement sometime againe it is taken for the speciall and internall gift of sanctification this spirit once giuen is neuer taken away for this gift and calling of God is without repentance that is they neuer fall vnder reuocation To the second when Dauid saith take not thine holy spirit How Dauid prayeth that God would not take from him his holy Spirit from me and restore mee againe to the ioy of thy saluation this imports not a full departure of Gods spirit from him otherwise he could not haue prayed but that his sinne had diminished the sense and feeling of that operation of the spirit in him which hee was wont to feele before and so is it with others of Gods Children that either the neglect of the spirituall worship or the commission of some new sinnes doth so impaire the sense of mercy in them that to their iudgement the spirit of God hath iustly forsaken them This I confesse is a very heauie estate and more bitter to them that haue felt before the sweetnesse of Gods mercy than death it selfe yet euen in this same estate wherein no comfort is felt let patience sustaine men let them learne to put In spiritual desertions wee must distinguish betweene that which is and which we feele Esa 6. 13. a difference betweene that which they feele and that which is and remember that this is a false conclusion to say the spirit of grace is not in thee because thou canst not feele him for as there is a substance in the Oake or Elme euen when it hath cast the leaues so is there Grace in the heart many times when it doth not appeare and these desertions which endure for a while are but meanes to effectuate a neerer communion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. he turneth Chri. in Mat. hom 14. away from thee saith Chrysostome for a short while that he may haue thee for euer with himselfe Now it remaines that we consider of those benefits wee What great benefits comes to the soule by the dwelling of Christs spirit in vs. haue by the dwelling of Christs Spirit in vs and of the duties which we owe againe vnto him The benefites are many and great Si enim tanta sit vis animâ— in massa terrae sustinenda mouenda impellenda quanta erit vis Dei in anima quae natura agilis est mouenda for if the soule be of such force to giue life and motion to this body which is but a masse of earth what shall the spirit of God doe vnto our soule which naturally is agill the wonderfull benefits that the body receiues by the dwelling of the soule in it may leade vs some way to consider of those great benefits which are brought vnto the soule by the dwelling of the spirit of GOD in vs. But of many we will shortly touch these two onely the 1 He repaires the whole lodging of soule and body first is that where this holy spirit comes to dwell he repaires the lodging man by nature being like vnto a ruinous pallace is restored by the grace of Christ This reparation of man is sometimes called a new creation sometimes regeneration and it extends both to soule and body as to the soule the Lord strikes vp new lights in the minde restores life to the heart communicates holinesse to the affections so that where before the soule was a habitation for vncleane spirits lying vnder the curse of Babel the â—im and Zijm Isai 13. 21. What vgly guests dwelt in vs before hee came to possesse vs. dwelling in it the Ostriches lodging the Satires dauncing the Dragons crying within her pallaces that is defiled with all sorts of vile and vncleane affections the Lord Iesus hath sanctified it to be a holy habitation vnto himselfe And as to the reparation of our bodies it consists partly in making all the members thereof weapons of righteousnesse in this life and partly in deliuerance of them from mortality and corruptibility which shall be done in the day of
it craues no more but as for the soule all the delicate and pleasant things of this world cannot satisfie or content it Non esurientes animas sed esuriem ipsam pascunt animarum they Bern. de persecuquutione sustinenda cap. 22. feed not the hungry soule but rather feedes and augments the hunger of the soule And lastly wee see in experience that the soule now when it is within the body hath his owne working and liuely operation euen then when the body is a sleepe and the senses thereof closed vp which also is also confirmed by that conference which Salâ—mon had with the Lord when his body was sleeping beside many other And hereof Tertullian concluded the immortality of the Tertul. de resur carnis Soule â—e in somnium quidem cadit anima cum corpore quomodâ— in veritatem mortis cadâ—t quae nec in imaginem eius ruit The soule doth not fall a sleepe with the body how then shal we thinke that it can verily die it selfe which cannot so much as fall vnder the shadow and similitude of death Thus the Atheist being put bâ— the doubt still remaines A twofold immortall life of the Soule whereof the one is proper to the godly the other pertaines to the wicked Seeing euery mans soule liues an immortall life what comfort is this giuen here to the Christian that though his body be dead his soule is liuing To this I answere there is a two-fold life of the Soule one of nature another of grace by the one it liuâ—s for euer by the other it lâ—ues for euer in happinesse the one is common to all men the other is proper to the children of God an immortall happy life they haue it not of nature but of grace as here the Apostle saith through the righteousnesse of Christ communicated vnto them As for that naturall life of the soule the spirit of God as we said accounts it but a death when they are liuing in the body he saith they are dead â—â— sinne and trespasseâ— and when Ephe. 2. 1. they are gone out of the body though they liue yet he cals their life but an euerlasting death thus are the wicked miserable while they are in the body more miserable when they remoue out of the body therefore Salomon comparing them among themselues accounts them happiest that neuer Eccles 4. 3. haue beene Secondly we see here that man is a creature consisting Man a compound creature of a soule and a body vvhere first it is to be admired how two creatures of such contrary kindes and qualities as is the soule and the body should concurre together to make vp one man and secondly how this fearefull diuorcement is come betweene them once so straitly vnited by God that where the one is partaker of life the other should be possest by death Most meruailous of all the creatures both in regard of his two substances As for the first the Lord hath created man in such sort that he hath made him a compend of all his creatures in respect of his body he hath some affinity with earthly creaturs because hee was made to rule ouer them and in respect of his soule hee is a companion to the Angels for this cause the Naturalists called man a little vvorld and Augustine counted man a greater miracle than any miracle that euer vvas vvrought among men vvhere other creatures vvere made by the simple commandement of God before the creation of man the Lord is said to vse consultation to declare saith Basile that the Lord esteemes more of man than Basil hexam hom 10. of all the rest of his creatures neither is it said that the Lord put his hand to the making of any creature saue onely to the making of man and this also saith Tertullian to declare Tertull. de resur carnis As also of their meruailous coniunction his excellencie Yet is not man so meruailous in regard of his two substances as in regard of their coniunction Among all the workes of God the like of this is not to be found againe a Masse of clay quickned by the spirit of life and these two vnited together to make vp one man Commonly sayth Bernard the honorable agrees not with the ignoble the strong ouergoes the weake the liuing and the dead dwels not together Non Bern. in die natal dom serm 2. This doctrine knowne but not considered sic in opere tuo dâ—mine non sic in commixtione tua it is not so in thy worke O Lord it is not so in thy commixtion This is a doctrine commonly talked of that man consists of a soule and a body but is not so duely considered as it should It is a fearefull punishment which by nature lyes vpon the soule seeing she turned her selfe willingly away from God she is so farre deserted of God that she regards not her selfe though it be a very common prouerbe in the mouthes of men I haue a soule to keepe yet hast thou such a soule as can teach thee to keepe any other thing better than it selfe a fearefull plague that because as I haue said the soule continued not in the loue of God it is now so farre deserted that it regards not the owne selfe This haue I touched onely to waken vs that wee may more deepely consider of that doctrine which men thinke they haue learned and know sufficiently already namely that man is a compound creature consisting of a soule and a body But to returne seeing at the first these two the soule and How that harmony which was betweene the soule and body by creation is now turned into disagreement Foure estates of mans soule body vnited body were conioyned together by the hand of the Creator and agreed together in one happy harmony among themselues whence comes this disagreement that the soule being pertaker of life the body should be possest by death I answere we are to consider these foure estates of mans soule and body vnited The first is their estate by creation wherein both of them concurred in a happy agreement to serue their Maker The second is the estate of Apostasie wherein both of them in one cursed band conioyned fell away from God the faculties of the soule rebelling against God and abusing all the members of the body as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to offend him The third is the estate of grace wherein the soule being reconciled with God by the mediation of Christ and quickned againe by his holy Spirit the body is left for a while vnder the bands of death The fourth is the estate of glory wherein both of them being ioyned together againe shall be restored to a more happy life than that which they enioyed by creation As for the first estate we haue lost it as for the second the reprobate stands in it and therefore miserable is their condition as for the third it is the estate of the Saints of God vpon earth as
he casts not off the care of the body but preserneth the very dust and ashes thereof till the day of the resurrection vvherein he shall quicken it againe restore it to the owne soule and glorifie both which is the third and last degree of eternall life Surely there was neuer a house hyre so wel payd in the world thou who sets thy soule body There was neuer a house hire so well paid as lodging for a short vvhile here on earth that he may dwell in it O vvhat recompence hast thou to looke for he dwels vvith the on earth and thou shalt dwell vvith him in heauen thou didst lend him a lodging for a few yeers and he shall receiue thee into his euerlasting habitations and thou shalt be for euer with the Lord. Neyther shall he shew his mercy vpon thy soule onely The holy spirit shall keepe the body wherein he dwelt euen when it is laid in the graue but as I haue said vpon thy body also it vvould seeme that the Lord hath deserted it as a â—ontemptible thing vvhen it is laid downe in the graue but be assured that hee who dwelt in it vvill not leaue it nor cast off â—he care thereof no not when it is turned into dust and ashes Comfortable is that vvhich the Lord promised to Iacob vvhen he bad him goe downe to Egypt Feare not to goe for I will go downe with thee and I will bring thee vp againe He forewarned him that he should dye in Egypt and that Ioseph should close Gen. 46. 4. his eyes but he promiseth to bring vp againe his dead body vnto Canaan O what a kindnesse is it that the Lord will honour the dead bodyes of his Children The praise of the O what a kindnes conuoy of Iacobs corps the Lord will neither giue it to Ioseph nor to Pharaohs Seruants with their Chariots who in great number accompanied him the Lord takes it vnto himselfe I will bring thee vp againe saith the Lord the like kindnesse and truth doth the Lord keepe for all the remanent of his seruants Is thy body consecrated is it a vessell of honour a house and temple wherein God is daily serued he shall honour it againe he shall not leaue it in the graue neither cast off the care thereof but shall vvatch ouer the dust thereof though it tast of corruption it shall not perish in corruption The holy Spirit who dwelt in the body shall be vnto it He is a holy balme wherby the body shall be preserued immortall as a balme to preserue thee to immortalitie this same flesh and no other for it though it shall be dissolued into innumerable pickles of dust shall be raised againe and quicned by the omnipotent power of this Spirit It is a pittie to see by what silly meanes naturall men seeke the immortall conseruation of their bodyes and cannot obtaine it there is no helpe nature may yeeld to prolong the death of the body but they vse it and because they see that deat cannot be eschewed their next care is how to keepe it in the graue longest from rottennesse and corruption and how vvhen themselues are gone to preserue their names in immortall remembrance with the posteritie thus by the very instinct of nature are men carried away with a desire of eternitie Worldings seeke immortalitie the wrong way Esay 55. 2. but herein are they foolish that they seeke it the wrong way they lay out their siluer but not for bread they spend their labour and are not satisfied immortalitie and life is to be sought there where the word of the Lord directs vs let the Spirit of Christ dwell in thee and thou shalt liue otherwise though thou wert the greatest Monarch of the word though all thy meate were soueraigne medicines though thy body were laid in graue with as great externall pompe as worldly glory can afford to any creature and thy flesh were embalmed with the costliest oyntments these are but miserable comforts perishing preseruatiues thou shalt lye downe in dishonour and shalt be raised in greater dishonour to euerlasting shame and endlesse confusion Now as we haue these three degrees of eternall life by Life is first restored to the soule and then to the body the Spirit dwelling in vs so are we to marke the order by vvhich he proceedes in communicating them vnto vs first he restores life to the soule and secondly he shall restore life vnto the body saith the Apostle where the one is done be assured the other shall be done the one is the proper end of his first comming therefore his Heraulds cryed before him Behâ—ld the Lambe of God who taketh away the sins Iohn 1. 29. of the world In his second comming shall be the redemption Phil. 2. 21. of our bodyes when he shall appeare hee shall change our vile bodyes and make them like to his owne glorious body Let this reforme the prosperous care of man art thou desirous that thy body should liue be first carefull that life be communicated to the soule for surely the redemption of thy body shall not follow vnlesse the restitution of thy soule goe before O porteâ— cor nostrum conformari humilitati cordis Bern. de aduen dom serm 4. Christi priusquam corpus conformetur glorioso corpori eius our heart must first be conformed to the humilitie of Christs heart before that our body be configurated to his glorious body this is the first resurrection blessed are they that are partakers of it for vpon such the second death shall haue no power But it is out of doubt qui non resurgit in animaâ— resurget in corpore ad poenam he that riseth not now in his soule from his sinnes shall rise hereafter in his body to iudgement But now leauing the condition to come to the comfort he that raysed vp Christ from the dead saith the Apostle shall also quicken your mortall bodies What necessity is there here What necessity is here that hee who raysed Christ shall also raise vs that he vvho raysed Christ shall raise vs yes indeede the necessitie is great the head and the members of the misticall body cannot be sundred seeing the head is raysed from the dead no member can be left vnder death the Lord vvorkes in euery member according to that same mightie Ephe. 1. 29. power by vvhich he wrought in the head his resurrection necessarily imports ours seeing he arose not as a priuate man but as the head of all his members full of power to draw the body after him and to communicate that same life to euery member which he hath declared in himselfe Christ is risen from the dead and is made the first fruits of them that 1 Cor. 15. 20 sleepe the first fruit is risen the after fruit shall in like manner follow Vixit in coelum carnem nostram tanquam arhabonem pignus tâ—tuâ—s summae illuc quandoqueâ—redigendae the
vs but that we haue by nature our estate were most miserable but seeing beside nature there is in vs a new workmanship of grace from the which the Lord accounts vs new spirituall men we haue thanks be to God matter of comfort As Sathan is a lyer in denying the name of spirituall men Papists will haue none called spirituall men but their Cleargie to men regenerate so his supposts aduersaries of the truth of Christ are lying deceiuers and vniust robbers when they restraine this name to such as are of their Cleargie which here the Apostle makes competent to euery man in whom the spirit of Christ dwelleth Spiritualâ—m non facit vestis locus Ferus â—fficium opus sed Spiritus it is neither garment sayes one of their owne nor place nor office nor externall worke that makes a man spirituall but the holy Spirit dwelling in him Because the Spirit of God dwels in you Hee subioynes The spirit of God where he dwels works wher he works he workes not in vaine therefore they cannot but be spiritual in whom he dwels here the confirmation of his former comfort he hath said vnto them yee are not in the flesh he proues it the Spirit of God dwels in you therefore yee are not in the flesh nor carnall but spirituall The necessity of the consequence depends vpon this middest that the spirit of God where he dwels is not idle but works where he works he works not in vaine but effectuates that which he intends he transformes them in whom he dwels into the similitude of his owne Image he is compared to fire that giues light euen to them who are farre of and heate to them who are neere hand but transchangeth those things into the nature of fire which are cast into it with so meruailous a vertue that yron which is colde by nature being put into the fire becomes hot and burning so doth that holy Spirit illuminate euery one who comes into the world but he changeth all those in whom he dwelleth he transformeth them into his owne similitude and endueth them with an holy and heauenly disposition then his argument is sure the Spirit of God dwelleth in you therefore yee are not carnall but spirituall In the end of the last Chapter the Apostle said that Strange that two guests of so contrary natures as sinne and the holy spirit should dwell in one man Rom. 7. 17. The soule of man regenerate compared to the house of Abraham sinne dwelleth in the man regenerate it is not I but sinne that dwelleth in me and here he sayes that the spirit of God dwelleth in the man regenerate this is strange that two guests of so contrary natures should both at one time haue their dwelling in man I compare the soule of man regenerate to the house of Abraham wherein there was both a free woman Sarah and a bond woman Hagar with their children Ismael the sonne of the bond woman borne after the flesh is older and stronger then Isaac the sonne of the free woman borne after the spirit that is according to the promise hee disdaines little Isaac as weaker and persecutes him yet the comfort of Isaac is that though Ismaell dwell in the house of Abraham for a while hee shall not remaine the sonne of the bond woman shall be cast out and shall not inherit the promise with the sonne of the free woman such a house is the soule of a Christian there dwelleth in it at one time both old nature and new grace with their children the olde man at the first being older and stronger than the new man doth persecute him and seekes by all meanes to oppresse him but at the last he shall be cast out This Metaphor of dwelling doth also yeeld vnto vs exceeding Meruailous that the inhabiter is larger than the habitation great comfort in all other habitations the lodging is larger than the inhabiter but this is meruailous that the lodging here is so little and the inhabiter so great that infinite maiestie whom the heauen of heauens cannot contain who hath the heauen for his throne and the earth for his footestoole hath chosen for his dwelling and place of rest the soule of him that is poore contrite and trembles at his word A wonderfull mercy that the highest maiestie should so farre dimit the selfe as that passing by all his other creatures hee should make choyse of man to be his pleasant sanctuarie From this it is euident that this dwelling doth designe The speâ—iall glory of a Christian is that God dwels in him some speciall presence of God with his own children which he shewes not vnto others it is true he is present in euery place bounded within no place he containes all things vncontayned of any where he dwelleth not as a Father there hee sits as a Iudge and is a terrour which manner of way the damned are continually vexed with his presence but in the Christian he dwels as a maister in his owne family as a Father with his children quickning ruling and preseruing them and prouiding for them Worldings may match Worldlings may exceede him in worldly gifts but cannot match him in this the Christian in externall gifts but cannot compare with him in this internall glory though without hee be but an earthen vessell yet hath he within an heauenly treasure for he is the habitation of God in whom the Lord dwels by his spirit It was Beniamin his glory that the Lord should dwell betweene his shoulders and the glory of Ierusalem Deut. 33. 12. that there the Lord dwelt betweene the Cherubins but most of all the glory of a Christian that the Lord dwelleth betweene the secrets of his soule let worldlings reioyce in their outward priuiledges and in their presumptuous minds leape like the mighty mountaines esteeming themselues high as mount Basan yet this is the glory of a Christian that God delights to dwell in him Let vs therfore make much of them who feare the Lord They should be honoured in whom Christ dwels Dan. 6. though in regard of their outward estate they were neuer so base we should not be ashamed to doe them honour for his sake who dwelleth in them Darius preferred Daniel because the spirit was excellent in him and Pharaoh honoured Gen. 41. 42. Ioseph because the Spirit of God was in him yea the Angels are content to be Seruants and Ministers to them who feare the Lord they honoured Shepheards for Christs sake with their presence which they did not vnto King Herod for all his glory and shall not wee delight in Gods excellent ones vpon earth surely he shall dwell in the Tabernacle of God in Psal 15. whose eyes a vile person is contemned but hee honoureth them who feare the Lord. Hereby we know that wee are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Not onely doth this Metaphor of dwelling import a familiar The Metaphor
publike exercises of diuine worship prophanly scorned by some sorts of men among vs who are in two extremities we haue some who are become scorners of the grace of God in others neither can they be humbled themselues in the publik assemblies of the Saints nor be content to see others expresse their inward motion by outward humiliation they sit downe in the throne of God and condemnes others for hipocrisie not remembring that the sinne of hipocrisie is to be reserued to the iudgement of God who onely knowes the heart that those same things which they mislike in their brethreÌ„ the Lord hath allowed in others The Apostles precept commaunds vs to lift vp to the Lord pure hands in prayer Dauids practise teaches vs to aduance our eyes to the Lord shal not thy brother lift vp his hands his eyes to the Lord shall he not sigh to God nor mourne in his prayers like a Doue as Ezekiah did but thou incontinent wilt taxe him of hipocrisie We read that Iacob sought a blessing from the Lord with teares and obtained it Esau sought a blessing from his father with teares crying and obtained it not were the teares of Iacob the worse because Esau also shed teares Iudge not least thou be iudged the iudgement of Hypocrisie as I haue said belongs to the Lord. On the other extremitie are they who thinke they haue Superstitiously abused by others done enough when they haue discharged some outward exercises of religion though they take no paine to sanctifie the heart to works of diuine seruice On the Saboth they come to the house of God they bow their heads like a bulrush with the rest they pray and praise the Lord in the externall formes with the rest of the congregation but considers not whether or no they come into the temple by the motion of the Spirit as Simeon did if they pray and praise the Lord with prepared hearts as Dauid did neyther trye they when they goe out whether or no they haue met with the Lord found mercie and returneth home to their houses iustified as the Publican did It is true we are to glorifie God with our bodies because they are his but most of all with our spirits because God is a spirit he loueth truth in the inward affections and delights to be worshipped in spirit and truth We are called by the Apostle the Temples of God Seeing we are the temples of God we should be more beautifull within then without Salomons Temple the further in was the finer in the outward Court stood an Alter of brasse whereupon beastes were sacrificed in the inward Court was an Altar of gold whereupon incense was sacrificed but the Sanctuarie or most holy place did farre exceed them both in it was nothing but fine gold in it the Lord gaue his Oracles from betweene the Cherubins in it stood the Arke of the couenant wherein was the Tables of the Law And so indeed the Christian ought to be holy without his lookes his words his wayes should all declare that God dwelleth in his heart he should haue ingrauen as it were in his forehead Holinesse to the Lord as Aaron had but much more Exod. 28. 36. should hee be holy within betweene the secrets of his Soule should the Lord haue his residence and in his heart the testimony of God which is the word of God should dwell plentifully But as for the wicked they are eyther compared to open But the wicked are compared sometime to open and sometime to painted Sepulchers sepulchers their mouth being like that gate of the Temple called Shallecheth out of which was carryed all the filth of the Temple the abhomination of their heart being made manifest by their mouth or then in their best estate they are compared to painted Sepulchers beautifull without Math. 23. 27. Psal 32. 2. but within full of roâ—tennesse hauing a shew of godlinesse wanting the power thereof but the man is blessed in whose heart Iohn 1. 47. Rom. 2. 29. there is no guile hee is a Nathaniell indeed a true Israelite who is one within whose praise is not of men but of God But if any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his The comfort being ended now followes the Caution The secondary great question in religion is this who are Christians Euery man saith Salomon boasts of his owne goodnesse but the Lord saith the Apostle knoweth who are his As the first great question in Religion is concerning the Sauiour of the world Art thou he who is to come or shall Math. 11. 3. wee looke for another so the second is concerning them who are to be saued if the iudgement be referred to man now euery man among vs accounts himselfe a Christian If iudgement be sought from the Lord here he giues one answere for all If any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his Albeit among men there be an allowable difference of A soueraigne rule whereby Christians of all estates must be tryed estates yet concerning Christianitie both King and Subiect rich and poore learned and vnlearned comes all to be tryed by one rule It is a common thing among men to esteeme somewhat more of themselues for the priuiledge of their estate wherein they excell others but the Apostle destroyes the pride of all their glory with one word If any man so he speakes without exception be what thou wilt beside were thou neuer so noble neuer so rich neuer so learned if thou hast not the Spirit of Christ thou art none of his all the priuiledges of men without Iesus are nothing that which is high among men is abhomination to God Man in his best estate is altogether vanitie the glory of flesh is but as the flowre of the field the Spirit of the Lord iudgeth of all the glory of man as the pompe of Agrippa Acts. 25. 23. he came downe saith Saint Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is all but fantasie and vanishing shewes nothing commends vs to God but this one to haue the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs. Christ and his Spirit are not sundred Againe we see here that Christ and his Spirit cannot be sundred except men will crucifie againe the Sonne of God Let no man therefore say that he hath Christ vnlesse he haue the Spirit of Christ As he is not a man who hath not a Soule so he is not a Christian who hath not the Spirit of Christ no man counteth that a member of his body which is not quickned by his spirit no more is hee a member of Christ who hath not the Spirit of Christ 1 Iohn 4. 13. hereby we know that we dwell in him and hee in vs because he hath giuen vs of his Spirit And as Christ and his spirit are not sundred so cannot the spirit be sundred from the fruits of the Spirit now the fruites of the Spirit are Loue Ioy
whose then shall Sinne causes the Lord to deny his owne creatures hee be certainely hee is the vassall of Sathan the Lord shall deny him the Lord shall disclaime him as not belonging to him depart from mee yee workers of iniquitie I know not whence you are O the bitter fruit of sinne which Luke 13. 27. causes the Lord to deny that creature to be his which once he made to his owne image Let vs therefore hate our sinne vnto death let vs in time make hast to depart from iniquitie which shall at the last draw on that sentence vpon the wicked depart from me The Lord deliuer vs from it through Iesus Christ Verse 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne but the Spirit is lifâ— for righteousnesse sake HItherto hath the Apostle comforted the Christian 2 Consolation against the fruit of sin specially against death whereunto we are subiect against the remanents of sinne now he comforts him against the fruites and effects of sinne which he findeth in himselfe The godly might haue obiected ye haue said before the fruit of carnall wisedome is death are wee not subiect vnto death and so of the fruites and effects of sinne what can we iudge but that we are carnall To this he answeres first by a confession it is true that the body is dead because of sinne but if Christ be in you the spirit through his righteousnesse is endued with life yee are not therfore so much to conclude that yee are carnall because death through sinne is entred into your bodies as to confirme your selues in this that life through the righteousnesse of Christ is communicated to your soule and so the summe of his comfort will be this the death whereunto you are subiect is neither totall The death whereunto we are subiect is neither totall nor perpetuall nor perpetuall that it is not totall he declares in this verse for it strikes not vpon the whole man but vpon the weakest part of man which is his body as for his most excellent part which is his soule it is partaker of a life that is not subiect vnto death That it is not perpetuall he declares in the next verse our bodies shall not bide for euer vnder the bands of death the spirit of Christ that now dwels in them shall at the last raise them vp from death and cloath them with immortality and incorruptibility If Christ be in you Before the Apostle bring in his comfort The Comforts of God are not common to all men indifferently Mat. 10. 12. 13. he permits a condition to teach vs that the comforts of God belong not indifferently vnto all men he who is a stranger from Christ hath nothing to doe with these comforts When our Sauiour commaunded his Disciples to proclaime peace vnto euery house they came to he foretold them it should abide onely with the sonnes of peace he forbad them in like manner to giue those things which were holy vnto dogs or to cast pearles before Swine This Math. 7. 6. stands a perpetuall Law to all Preachers that they presume not to proclaime peace to the impenitent and vnbeleeuing but as Iehu spake to Iehorams horseman What hast thou to doe with peace so are we to tell the wicked who walke still 2. Kin. 9. 18. on in their sinnes that they haue nothing to doe with that peace preached by the Gospell Secondly if we compare the former verse with this t we Christ dwelling in vs is by his spirit no carnall presence required to make our vnion with him shall see that the manner of Christs dwelling in his children is by his Spirit To make vp our vnion with Christ it is not needfull that his humane nature should be drawne down from heauen or that his body should be euery where as the Vbiquitaries affirme or that in the Sacrament the bread should be transubstantiate into his body as the Papists imagine his dwelling in vs is by his spirit and our vnion with him is spirituall neyther yet by so saying doe we diuide his two natures for they are inseparably vnited in one personall vnion which vnion doth not for all that import that his humane nature is extended ouer all as his diuine nature is The heauens must containe him till he come againe Noli dubitare ibi esse hominem Christum vnde venturus est Act. 3. 21. Aug. epist 57 ad Dardan Put it out of doubt that the man Christ Iesus is in that place from whence he shall come Keepe faithfully that Christian confession He is risen from the death ascended vnto Heauen and sits at the right hand of the Father and that he shall come from no other place but from Heauen to iudge the quicke and the dead and he addeth that which the Angell said to his Disciples this Iesus who is taken vp from you Act. 1. 11. into heauen shall so come as ye haue seene him goe into heauen that is saith Augustine in eadem carnis forma atque substantia cui profecto immortalitatem dedit naturam non abstulit that is in that same forme substance of flesh to the which he hath giuen immortalitie but hath not taken away the nature thereof Secundum hanc non est putandum quod vbique est diffusus vbique per id quod Deus in coelo autem per id quod homo according to his nature we are not to thinke that he is in euery place it is true that as God hee is euery where but as man he is in the heauens and this for the condition Now to the comfort we haue by Iesus Christ a threefold The comfort of Ethnikes ahainst death not comparable to ours and our courage inferior to theirs comfort against death whereof two onely here are touched The first that the death whereunto we are subiect is not totall The second that the nature and qualitie of our bodilie death is changed The third that it is not perpetuall the body shall not for euer lye vnder death The Ethnicks had also their owne silly comforts but nothing comparable to ours Nazianzen records that Cleopatra Queene of Aegypt demaunding of certaine learned men what kinde of death was without the bitter sense of paine receiued this answere there is no death without dolour but that death was most gentle which was brought on by the Serpent Aspis and namely that kinde thereof which is called Hypnale be cause they whose flesh is enuenomed with the poyson therof doe incontinently sleepe vnto death for which cause also shee made choyse of it And Seneca being by Nero to be executed to death got it left to his owne pleasure as great fauour shewed vnto him to make choyse of any death he pleased he chose to bleed to death in hote water Others among them that offered themselues to most fearefull deaths such as Curtius Regulus and others had no comfort to sustaine them but a
Gen. 3. was bruised and hee did no more but tread on the heele of our Sauiour so shall it be in the conflict of all his members with Sathan by the power of Lord Iesus wee shall be more then conquerours The God of peace shall shortly tread Rom. 16. 20. downe Sathan vnder our feete the most that Sathan can doe vnto vs Manducet terram meam dentem carni infigat Amb. de poen lib. 1. cap 13. conterat corpus let him lick the dust let him eate that part of mee which is earth let him bruise my body this is but to tread vpon the heele my comfort is that there is a seede of immortall life in my soule which no power of the enemie is able to ouercome It is true that so long as wee enioy this naturall life with Wicked men dye eyther vncertaine of comfort health of body the losse that comes by the want of the spirituall life is not perceiued no more then the defects of a ruinous house is perceiued in time of faire weather but when thy naturall life is wearing from thee if thou want the other how comfortlesse shall thy condition be when thou shalt finde in thine owne experience thou haddest neuer more then a silly naturall life which now is to depart from thee In this estate the wicked either dye being vncertaine of comfort or then most certaine of condemnation Those who are strangers from the life of God through the ignorance Ephes 4. 18. that is in them hauing no more but the light of nature the best estate wherein they can dye is comfortlesse if for want of light they know not that wrath vvhich is prepared for the vvicked and so are not greatly terrified yet farre lesse know they those comforts vvhich after death sustaines the Christian that they should be comforted The Emperour Hadrian when he dyed made this faithlesse lamentation Animula vagula blandula quae nunc abibis in loca O silly wandring Soule vvhere away now wilt thou goe and that other Seuerus proclaiming the vanitie of all his former glory cryed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue beene all things and it profits me nothing the one saith he found no comfort of things that were before him the other saith he found no comfort of things that were behind thus the wicked dye comfortlesse good things to come they neither know nor hope for good things past profit them Or most certaine of condemnation not Or if they haue beene such wicked men as by the light of the word haue knowne the will of their master and yet rebelled against their light they go out of the body not onely comfortles but certain of condemnation hauing receiued sentence within themselues that they shall neuer see the face of God and such was the death of Iudas let vs not therefore rest contented with the shadow of this vanishing life let vs prouide for that immortall seed of a better life within vs which receiues increase but cannot decay it waxeth stronger the weaker that the bodily life is but cannot be weakned far lesse extinguished by bodily death he that findes it within himselfe shall reioyce in death he shall dye in faith in obedience and in spirituall ioy Committing his Soule vnto 1 Pet. 4. 19. God as vnto a faithfull Creator he rests in him vvhom he hath beleeued being assured that the Lord will keepe that which he hath committed vnto him The Lord worke it in vs for Christs sake Verse 11. But if the spirit of him who raysed vp Iesus from from the dead dwell in you he that raysed vp Christ from the dead shall also quickâ—n your mortall bodies because that his spirit dwelleth in you IT is a comfortable saying of the Apostle If in 1 Cor. 15. 19. this life onely we had hope of all men wee were the most miserable for it doth teach vs that albeit in this life we haue great comforts through Iesus Christ yet greater abides vs in the life to come And therefore the Apostle contents not himselfe barely to make mention of such comforts as presently wee haue but hee proceedes now to acquaint vs with greater comforts which hereafter we shall enioy He hath shewed vs that the death whereunto we are subiect is not totall for it strikes He hath shewed our death is not totall now he shewes that it is not perpetuall onely vpon the basest part of man Now he shewes that it is not perpetuall the body shall not be kept for euer vnder the bands of death the spirit of Iesus who now dwels in it shall deliuer it from the bondage of corruption raise it from the dust and quicken it vnto glory But if the Spirit c. We haue here first of all to marke Euery promise of mercy is conditionall againe that the Apostles speech is not absolute but conditionall All the promises of comfort made in the booke of God are conditionall This is a great comfort the Lord shall quicken your mortall bodies but conditionally that his spirit dwell in you Whom hath the Lord promised to satisfie such as hungers for righteousnesse whom hath he promised to comfort not the carelesse nor wantons but such as mourne to whom hath he promised forgiuenesse of sinnes not to the licentious liuers but to the penitent to whom will he giue eternall life not to the Infidels but to such as If wâ— like gods comforts let vs take heedâ— to the condition on which they are promised beleeue If we esteeme any thing of the comforts of God let vs take heed to the condition for except the condition in some measure be wrought in vs the promise shall neuer be accomplished vpon vs. It were good for the men of this age to consider this more deepely who sleeping in presumptuous conceits of mercy thinke how euer they liue they shall be saued In all the whole Bible there is not one promise without an annexed condition In the couenant betweene God and man there is a mutuall stipulation as the Lord promiseth something to vs so he requireth another thing of vs with what face canst thou stand vp and seeke that mercy vvhich God hath promised who neuer endeuouredst to performe that dutie which God hath required Againe vve haue here occasion to consider those excellent The benefits we haue throgh the indwelling of the spirit in vs are further declared Gal. 2 20. benefits vvhich we haue by the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs beside that vvhich vve heard verse 10. As if those were too little he further doth vnto vs these great things first he giues life to the soule and makes it in the body to liue the life of Christ so that the Christian may say Now I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me Secondly when Soule and body are sundred by death he leades the soule to liue with God in glory which is the second degree of eternall life and thirdly
to his glorious body They who conuert many to righteousnesse shall shine like the starres in the firmament yea the iust saith our Sauiour shal shine like the Sunne in the firmament A shadow of this glory we haue in Christs transfiguration on mount Tabor his face shined as the Sunne and Mat. 17. his cloathes were white as the light Moses after forty dayes talking with God on the Mount came downe with so bright a shining countenance that the Israelites might not behold him what then may we think shall be the glory of the children of God when they shall be transchanged with the light of Gods countenance shining vpon them not forty dayes onely but for euer and euer And if euery one of their faces shall shine as the Sunne in the firmament O how great light and glory shall be among them all and if their bodies shal be so glorious what shall be the glory of their soule surely no heart can conceiue it not tongue is able to expresse it Fourthly our body shall be raysed spirituall which is 4 They shall be spirituall not so to be vnderstood as if our bodies should loose a corporall substance and receiue a spirituall substance but then shall our bodies be spirituall as now our Spirits by nature are carnall vvhich are so called because they are subiect to carnall corruption pressed downe and carryed away after earthly and carnall things so shall our bodies then be spirituall because without contradiction they shall obey the motions of the spirit the body shall be no burthen no prison no impediment to the soule as now it is the soule shall carry the body where it will without resistance where now it is earthly heauie and rends downeward it shall then be restored so lightsome and quicke that without difficultie it shall mount from the earth to meet our Lord in the Aire As our head ascended on the mount of Oliues and went through the cloudes into heauen so shall Acts. 1 11. his members ascend that they may be with the Lord they shall follow the Lambe where euer he goes Let vs beleeue it and giue glory vnto God for hee who is the worker of our resurrection is also the worker of our ascension If the wit of man be able to frame a vessell of sundry mettals that naturally sinckes to the ground to swimme aboue in the water how much more saith Augustine is God able to make our bodies to ascend vpward and to bide aboue albeit in regard of their naturall motion being heauie they tend downward Fiftly our bodies shall be raised impassionable free I 5 They shall be impassionable meane from such passions as may hurt or offend them such as terrour feare or griefe but not from the passions of ioy for no sense of the body shall want the owne obiect of pleasure to delight it and all for the greater augmentation of our glory Let vs therefore yet againe be admonished to vse our bodies in all holy and honorable manner vpon earth seeing the Lord hath concluded to make vs so honourable in heauen where otherwise thou that defilest thy body with vncleannesse is it not a righteous thing with the Lord to send thee to Gehenna a valley of vncleannesse looke for it assuredly if thou continue filthy still the Lord shall exclude thee out of heauenly Ierusalem thou shalt not enter into his holy Reu. 21. 8. habitation but thy portion shall be with the vnbeleeuing with dogs and with the abhominable who shall haue their part in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone Last of all seeing the Apostle ascribes the cause of our Resurrection of the godly and wicked different resurrection to the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs it is to be enquired how then shall the wicked rise in whom Christ neuer dwelt by his spirit to this I answere that both the 1 In their causes the one rises by the citation of God the other â—y vertue of their vnion with Christ godly and the wicked shall rise but their resurrections shall be farre different in the cause manner and ends thereof As for the cause the godly shall rise by the efficacie of that quickning spirit of Christ dwelling in them they shall rise by vertue of their vnion with their head the Lord Iesus as his members receiuing that promised life from him for which they haue looked long and in hope whereof they laid downe their bodies willingly in the graue but the wicked shall rise by vertue of the powerfull citation of God by the blast of his trumpet to appeare in iudgement which they shal not be able to eschew They differ againe in the manner of their resurrection 2 In the manner the one with ioy the other with feare and terror for the one shall rise with ioy the other with terrour and feare the wicked shall no sooner looke out of their graues and see the face of the Iudge standing in the ayre but at once shame and confusion shall couer them that day of the Lord shall be vnto them a day of blacknesse and darknesse Their soules as soone as they enter into the body shall be vexed with new horrible feares hauing experience of that wrath which already they haue sustained out of the body the feare of that full wrath which they know in the last day is to be powred vpon them shall wonderfully astonish them glad would they be if they might creepe into their graues againe Reu. 6. 16. they shall wish that hils and mountaines would fall vpon them and couer them but all in vaine because they did in the body that vvhich they vvould they shall now by constraint suffer in the body that vvhich they vvould not And thirdly the ends of their resurrection are different 3 In their ends the one to glory the other to shame figured in Pharaohs two Seruants the one shall rise to life the other to shame and of this it is euident that the resurrection of the wicked is no benefite to them properly it is no resurrection no more then the taking of a malefactor out of prison to be executed on the scaffold can be called a deliuerie for their resurrection is to cast them out of one miserable condition into a worse they are taken out of the graue that they may be cast into the bottomlesse pâ—t of the wrath of God and this was properly figured in Pharaoh his two Seruants the Baker and Gen. 40. Butler both of them were taken out of prison but the one to be restored vnto his Office to minister before the King the other to be executed vnto death so shall both the godly and vvicked come out of the graue but the one to be for euer with the Lord to stand before his Throne ministring praises vnto him and comforted with the fulnes of ioy which is in his face the other to be banished from Gods presence and sent to euerlasting condemnation And
with the first fruits of heauenly Canaan which the Lord sends to vs by the conduit of his holy Spirit hee hath not onely promised to vs by word that he will possesse vs in our heauenly inheritance but as if that were too litle for vs he sends his Spirit with the fruit of that land vnto vs Righteousnesse Peace and Ioy for our further confirmation that Spirit the Comforter descended once according to Christs promise vpon the Apostles in a visible manner and doth dayly also descend in a secret and inuisible manner into the hearts of the godly least the Children of the marriage Chamber should be swallowed vp with heauinesse through the want of their Bridegroome Albeit the Lord send not to you who Dan. 9. 23. are men as he did to Daniel an Angell to shew him that hee was greatly beloued of the Lord nor to you who are Christian Luk. 1. 28. women as he did to Mary to declare to you that yee are freely beloued of the Lord yet hath he sent downe vnto vs a more glorious ambassadour not onely to speake vnto our eares but much more to witnes vnto our hearts that we are the sonnes of God Now as for this testimonie of the Spirit it is the secret The testimonie of the Spirit is known of none but those who haue it Reu. 2. 17. voyce of God whereby he speakes from heauen vnto thine heart assuring thee that hee is thine and thou art his no man can conceiue what it is vnlesse hee haue receiued it for it giueth that new name which none can know but they who haue it and that hid Manna which none doe vnderstand but they who tast of it it is not gotten but after long and vnfained humiliation and is not kept without sanctification for euery sinne which the godly commit diminisheth in them this testimonie of the spirit And this I would haue to be considered for two sorts of men first for carnall professors who take their owne A warning for carnall professors who take their presumption for this testimonie presumption for this testimonie of the Spirit in their conceit they put it out of all doubt that they haue receiued the Spirit of Adoption but their workes were testimonie against their words for the Spirit of Adoption is also the Spirit of sanctification hee first maketh men the new workmanship of God created in Iesus Christ to good workes and then witnesseth to them that they are the sonnes of GOD wilt thou make this holy spirit the witnesse of an vntruth will he call thee the Sonne of God whom hee neuer sanctified Be not deceiued so long as thy life is prophane boast vvhat thou wilt of this inward testimonie of the Spirit thou art but a lyar against the holy Ghost and a wilfull murtherer of thine owne soule by faithlesse presumption The other sort of men are the Children of God vvho A comfort for weake Christians who are moued by their wants to doubt of this testimonie because they finde not alwayes within themselues this testimonie of the Spirit in a like measure are therefore cast downe and made oftentimes to think they neuer had it for as none are more ready to boast of the spirit then they who haue him not so none complaines more that they vvant him then they who possesse him The children of God in this being like vnto rich worldlings who suppose they be possessours of much yet the great desire of more which is in them causeth them to esteeme that which they haue as nothing and therefore comforâ—s not themselues with the lawfull vse of that which they haue but vexes their spirits with restlesse thoughts for that which they want euen so it is customable with the Children of God albeit they haue attayned to a good measure of saith and loue of God and are euen become rich in the grace of the Lord Iesus yet are they so desirous of more that many a time they esteeme nothing of that which they haue but goe about mourning and complaining that they haue no faith no loue no grace no life in which extremitie we see that many in their weaknesse offend the Lord their God Herein therefore is the A necessary admonition so to mourne for that which we want that we giue thankes for that measure of grace which we haue Christian to be admonished that hee keepe mediocritie to lament thy wants and to thirst for more grace is a sure token of a spirituall life but lâ—t vs so complaine for that which wee want that wee be comforted in GOD for that beginning and little measure of grace which wee haue remember that the same mouth of GOD which commands thee to mourne commands thee also to reioyce we want not matter of both matter we haue of mourning for which 〈…〉 e may lament with the Apostle O wretâ—hed man that I Rom. 7. 24. am who shall deliuer â—e from the body of this death matter of ioy wee haue also in our GOD for which wee may reioyce with him and say I thanke God through Iesus Christ Ibid. ver 25. surely it cannot be without vnthankefulnes vnto GOD so to mourne for our wants that we giue not praise to God for the beginnings of grace we haue And for this same effect let vs yet further consider that This testimonie of the spirit is not alway perceiued in a like measure of them who haue it this testimonie of the Spirit is not at all times enioyed in a like measure for that were to enioy heauen vpon earth The Lord therefore doth in such sort dispense it that sometimes he lets his children feele it for their consolation and againe with-drawes it from them for their humiliation when they feele it they so abound in ioy that all the terrors and threatnings of Sathan all his promises and allurements are despised of them and trodden vnder their feete they sing within themselues that glorious triumph of the Apostle whâ— shall Rom. 8. 35. seperate vs from the loue of God but this ioy proceeding from the fulnesse of faith continues not the voyce of the Spirit of adoption waxing somwhat more silent feares and doubts succeedes in that same heart which before abounded with ioy and this for our humiliation But now in this estate least the Children of God be discouraged CoÌ„fort against spirituall desertions couraged by the silence of the testimonie let them first of all haue recourse to the fore-past working of God in them let them call to minde with Dauid the dayes of old remember their ioyfull songs by which they haue praised GOD their humble prayers by which many a time they haue gotten accesse to the throne of grace and these heauenly motions which haue replenished their soules with ioy and so of the former footesteps of his grace let them discerne his presence euen then when they cannot perceiue them And next let them consider that the godly in the time of
like the gourd of Ionas vvhich the one day growes vp and the next day is consumed by the vvormes If Salomon who proued all the pleasures this life could yeeld after tryall of them cryed out all is vanitie if Iob vvhen his wealth had worne from him looking to his fore-passed dayes was compelled to conclude I haue had for inheritance Iob. 14. 5. the mouthâ— of vanitie vvhat shall wee looke to finde more comfort in this wretched life than those men of God before vs haue found let vs not thinke it if we seeke our comfort in her perishing gaine or glory wee shall lament at the last we haue fished all night and haue taken nothing we haue wearied our selues and it doth not profit vs. O what a silly life is this quae viuendo decresit which in liuing weareth away and that which is worse not onely sodainly goeth away but also transeundo nos terit wearies vs in He hath fewest yeares who hath liued most yeares the going by and makes vs euer the longer the lesse the more of her dayes this miserable life hath lent thee the fewer thou hast Worldlings accounts them who are aged men of most yeares but that they count wrong shall be made cleare by this similitude I admit that one who had in his purse ten thousand pounds hath wasted all to one will any man speaking of him call him for that a man of great riches the most they can say if they speake in truth is that once he was wealthy but now is become poore It might haue beene said of him who now is aged when he came first into the world that he was a man of many yeares for then he had fifty sixty or seauenty yeares as it pleased God to number them to thee before to be spent but now the more of these yeares thou hast receiued the fewer thou hast remayning vnto thee so deceiueable a thing is this life that when she giues vs most she leaues vs least Non enim accedunt nobis anni sed discedunt for yeares doe not so come to vs that they bide with vs but that they goe from vs. Are not worthy The word is vsed to expresse things The word exponed which being waighed in a ballance are found equall and so his meaning is that our present sufferings are not of equall weight with that glory Wee will not here stand out of this place to dispute against the doctrine of merits which might be destroyed by an argument a consequenti onely wee will answere that sophisticall reason which the Iesuits in their marginall notes on this place vse to stablish it the workes of Christ cannot be denied to be meritorious for the works of men are the workes of Christ being done in them by the spirit of Christ therefore are they meritorious That the workes of Christ are meritorious wee denie not vnderstanding Onely the personall workes of Christ are meritorious thereby his personall workes that is those which as Mediator he did in his owne person in his owne blessed body while he was vpon earth he bare the punishment of our sinnes by the once offering vp of his blessed body vpon the Crosse he made an attonement for vs and satisfied his Fathers iustice by himselfe he hath made the purgation of our sinnes and so in his owne body hath finished and perfected that action of meriting there needes no more to be done neither by himselfe in his owne body nor by himselfe in the bodies of his children for meriting grace and life to them who are his then that which hee hath done already in his owne blessed body As for the workes therefore which by his holy spirit hee Workes of grace in regenerate men are not supplemeÌ„ts of Christs personall merit workes in good men hee doth them not as supplements to his most perfect personall merits for so his personall merits should be found vnsufficient which were blasphemie to thinke but hee workes them in the godly as effects of his vertue whereby he communicates to them those benefits which once in his owne person he hath perfectly merited to wit righteousnesse and life and that for the beginning and finishing of their conformity with him Secondly those workes which Christ by his Spirit works They are not pure perfect in vs are in such sort wrought by him that they are not wrought without vs and therefore cannot be perfectly holy and consequently meritorious As the fountaine is so must the water of the spring be as we our selues are so must our works be we our selues in a great part are vncleane and vnregenerate what worke then perfectly cleane and holy can be done by vs But leauing them and their errour let vs marke here Our present vaine sinfull pleasures requited with an infinite weight of wrath for our instruction that the inequalitie betweene our present sufferings and that glory consists in these two the one are light and momentane the other of an infinite weight and eternall and as our sufferings for these respects are not worthie of the glory to be reuealed so are not the present perishing pleasures of sinne of any worth to be compared with that infinite weight of eternall wrath which is due to them As the seauen yeares of Famine in Aegipt did eate vp the former seauen yeares of plenty so shal the endlesse sorrowes of the wicked make all their former pleasures to be forgotten the dayes shall come vpon them in the which they shal say I haue no pleasure in them Oh that men could consider this double losse they incurre by continuing in their sinnes Esau sold his birth-right for a mease of pottage and Adam lost Paradise for an apple and thou more to be lamented that becomes not wise by their example looses like a foole that glory to be reuealed for a floure for what better are the best things of the vvorld than the floure of the Rose which wanteth not the owne thornes and vermine being plucked in the garden it withers in thy hand before thou canst bring it home to thy house and yet for the like of these thou doest forgoe those things which are aboue and more then that redeemes those shadowes by bringing vpon thy selfe that infinite weight of wrath which is to be vpon all the children of disobedience Of the glory The end of our present sufferings here wee see it is glory Yee shall weepe and lament saith our Sauiour and the world shall reioyce yee shall sorrâ—w but your sorrow Iohn 16. 20. shall be turned into ioy Sometime God giues his children notable comfort before trouble as Elias receiued a double Comfort comes sometime before trouble sometime in trouble but alway after trouble to the godly portion before his forty dayes fasting Peter Iames and Iohn saw the glory of Christ transfigured on Mount Tabor before they saw his fearefull and bloudy sweat in the garden it pleased the Lord by the sight of the one
the crafty enemie can very well change his tentations vpon thee if he be repulsed at any one part whereat he was wont to enter hee vvill goe about and seeke vantage at another and therefore seeing our enemie is restlesse and the matter he vvorkes vpon is our manifold infirmities let vs walke circumspectly and pray continually standing with the whole compleat armour of God vpon vs that we may resist him Where for our encouragement let vs marke that albeit Comfort our standing in tentations past prooues wee haue been supported by a stronger than hee is that impugnes vs. our infirmities be many and our enemie strong yet in all our conflicts we are not alone but haue an helper who sustaynes vs. And this thou mayest finde in thine owne experience if thou wilt consider with me whereof comes this that so many yeares thou hast endured the battaile against principalities and powers Is it not of the Lord whose secret help hath sustayned thee how oft hast thou beene compassed with fearefull tentations standing like Israell in the red sea with mountaines of waters about thee threatning to ouerwhelme thee how many times hast thou receiued within thy selfe the sentence of death and beene so farre cast downe that thou hast thought with Dauid there hath been nothing for thee but death and reiection from the fauour of God how oft hast thou looked to be swallowed vp of thy enemie and giuen vnto him as a pray and yet hath the Lord beyond thy expectation deliuered thee from so manifold deaths Mayst thou not feele that the powers of hell are not able to quench that sparke of light and life which God hath created in thee No no assuredly if it had beene in the power of Sathan to haue put it out it should haue beene done long or now but blessed be the Lord it is hee who keepes our soules in life and whose secret grace continually sustaines vs. The greatnesse of this comfort shall yet appeare the better How the holy Spirit beares with vs and ouer-against vs euery burthen laid vpon vs. if we consider the word here vsed by the Apostle which signifies that hee lifts with vs and before vs in the burthen We see by daily custome that the burthen which is too heauie for one is made easie by the help of an other two ioyning hand in hand lift vp that which one is not able to doe and the burthen of Affliction which to our Nature is intollerable by the help of the Spirit becomes portable and easie for he lifts not onely ouer-against vs but least our part of the burthen should ouer-match vs hee lifts also with vs which the double composition of the word imports herein then is our comfort that the Lord our God is not like vnto other Lords and Maisters of the world if he send vs forth to doe any worke in his name he goes with vs himselfe to assist vs what good he commands vs to doe he helps vs to doe it and whatsoeuer crosse he layes vpon vs he strengthens vs to beare it being as I said euer present with vs not as a spectator onely but as an actor For we know not The Apostle this way hauing generally Our infirmities proceed from the want of Prayer set downe his second principall argument of comfort proceedes to a particular explication thereof wherein first he lets vs see that our infirmities proceed of the want of a spirituall disposition to prayer and secondly that the way by which the Spirit helpeth our infirmities is by the grace of prayer Prayer then is here recommended vnto vs as a soueraigne remedie against all our infirmities In our heauiest tentations vvee get comfort as soone as vvee get grace to pray Ascendit precatio discendit Dei miseratio vvhen Augustine Prayer goes vp the mercy of God commeth downe deijcitur Ambrose de fuga saeculi cap. 7. Wee recouer our strength by Prayer Satan cum tu ascenderis Sathan is cast downe when thou dost ascend by Prayer At the Lords Command the blinde sees the paralitique walkes the dumbe speakes the deafe heares shee that was sicke of the Feuer riseth and ministers then comes these commaundements out when thy Prayer preuailes with the Lord light comes to resolue our doubts comfort to mitigate our trouble strength to sustaine our weaknesse blessed is the man to whom the Lord keepeth open this doore of refuge that hee may say in his greatest distresse with Iehoshaphat O Lord wee know not what to doe 2 Chron. 20. 12. neyther is there strength in vs against this people but our eyes are towards thee for hee may be sure of comfort in time of neede Againe wee learne here that it is not so easie a thing to It is not an â—asie thing to pray pray as commonly men professe it is thought of many that it is an easie thing to pray therefore they begin it and goe through it as if it were a worke of no difficultie but alas if wee knew our owne naturall inabilitie and how rare a grace the grace of Prayer is we should not so vainely professe in our words that wee can pray as earnestly beseech him with the Disciples that he would teach vs to pray As that Eunuch professed that hee could not vnderstand without Acts. 8. 31. a guide so may we that we cannot pray without a guide it is easie to speake of God but not so easie to speake vnto God hee that will speake to God saith Ambrose must speake to him in his owne language that is in the language of his Spirit Prayer is not a communing of the tongue with God but Prayer is a communing of the soule with God of the soule with God and of such a soule onely as is taught by the holy Spirit how to pray it is true the Lord vnderstands the thoughts of euery mans heart but the language acceptable to God are those motions of the heart which are raised by his owne Spirit and he that wants this Spirit can not speake vnto God in Gods language Let this serue to reforme the corrupt iudgement of many who thinking themselues able enough to pray passe ouer their dayes without the grace of Prayer a fearefull punishment of carnall presumption This naturall inabilitie to pray consists in these sometime Our natural inabilitie to pray is eyther in our corrupt vnderstanding by which we seek things vnlawfull the fault is in our vnderstanding fallimur putantes prodesse quae poscimus cum non prosint wee are deceiued thinking those things to be profitable for vs which are not so the Iewes not content to be fed with Manna according to the Lords dispensation will haue flesh which the Lord giues them but in his anger and their posterity not content with the Lords gouernement will haue a King like other nations which the Lord gaue them but in his wrath Of this sort are they who send out in stead of lawfull prayers
the word In the carnall brotherhoode though the parents be one yet the inheritance is not one though the seede of the flesh be one yet the soule that quickneth the body in both is not one but in the spirituall brotherhood the parents are one the inheritance one the seede vvhereof they are begotten is one and the spirit which quickeneth them all is one It is not then Baptisme nor externall profession which proueth a man to be the kinsman and brother of Christ it is the spirit of Iesus which whosoeuer hath not the same is not his and whosoeuer hath him it is certaine they become new creatures Great is that dignitie certainely whereunto we are called The greatnes of Christs loue toward vs in making vs his brethren and matchlesse is that loue which the Lord Iesus hath carried toward vs who not content to make vs his seruants hath made vs his brethren If he had shewed vs no more kindnesse then Abraham did Lot his kinsman yet euen for that had hee beene worthy to be loued for euer but behold what a greater loue our Lord hath shewed vnto vs we forsooke him more vnkindly than Lot did Abraham yet did hee still retayne his kindly affection toward vs when we were carried away captiue by spirituall Chedarlaomer he did not onely hazard but laid downe his life for our Redemption Moses is greatly praised for that vvhen hee was honourable in Aegypt he left the Court of Pharaoh to visit his brethren esteeming the rebuke of Christ in his people greater riches than all the treasures of Aegypt and Ioseph is also commended that being second person vnder Pharaoh in the kingdome of Aegypt yet hee was not ashamed of his Father and brethren albeit they for their trade being sheepekeepers were abhomination to the Aegyptians But all these are not comparable to that loue which the Lord Iesus hath borne toward vs in that notwithstanding our base estate hee hath not beene ashamed to call vs his brethren The Lord make vs thankefull and shed abroad in our hearts the sense of that loue vvhich hee hath borne toward vs that wee neuer be ashamed of him for no Crosse that for his sake can be laid vpon vs. Verse 30. Moreouer whom he predestinated them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them also he glorified THere is no part of holy Scripture vvhich is What a cleare sight of saluation is here discouered to the Christian not stored with the words of eternall life but as that part of earth which is rich of minerals of gold and siluer is more esteemed than other land vvere it neuer so fruitfull so ought this place of holy Scripture to be accounted of vs all as containing in it a most rich minerall not of gold siluer or precious stones but of a more precious saluation wherein the deeper thou art able to digge the stronger clearer and greater sight of saluation ariseth vnto thee there is not in all the booke of God a place of holy Scripture vvhich presents to the childe of God so cleare and certaine a sight of his election and glorification as this place doth wherein now we are trauailing for the holy Apostle in this golden chaine of Saluation doth in such sort knit our effectuall Calling with our Election and Glorification that the Christian vpon earth may euidently see what God in the heauens hath decreed toward him we haue spoken of the first two lincks of the Chaine Prescience and Predestination now we proceed to speake of the third to wit our Calling Where first of all for our greater comfort let vs stand The prerogatiues of a Christian are farre more honourable than any that worldlings can claime and consider how great and glorious are the benefits which God hath bestowed on the Christian before time the Lord hath chosen him after time the Lord will glorifie him in time the Lord doth can and iustifie him Worldlings also haue their owne prerogatiues wherin they place their glory those among them that haue most ample and ancient inheritances are counted most honourable but thou vvho art named a Christian if thou be so indeede looke to thine owne priuiledges and thou shalt see that the glorie of a Christian doth far exceed the glorie of the most honorable Worldling as the Psalmist spake of Ierusalem so may wee of the Christian Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou man Psal 87. 3. of God Election is the first and most auncient charter of the The most sure and auncient Charters of a Christian to his inheritance right of Gods Children to their Fathers inheritance Calling is the second by it we are knowne to be the Sonnes of God and our Election secret in it selfe is manifested to vs and others Iustification is the third by it wee are infest in Iesus Christ and made partakers of all that is his Glorification is the last by it wee are entred heyres to our Father and fully possessed in his inheritance No King vpon earth can produce so auncient a right to his Crowne though vvith the Egyptian thou shouldest reckon thy beginning so many yeares before the creation of the world yet canst thou not match the Christian hee hath the most auncient charter of the most ample inheritance neither can any man vpon earth be knowne his Fathers heyre vpon such sufficient warrand as the Christian for in the regeneration the Father communicateth to him his Image his Nature his Spirit whereby he beginneth from feeling to call God his Father and in life and manners to resemble him No freeholder so surely infest in his lands nor hath receiued so many confirmations thereupon as the Christian iustified who vpon his gift of righteousnesse and life hath also receiued the earnest the pledge the scale and the witnesse of the great King And last of all the Christian shall be entred to the full possession of his Fathers inheritance vvith such ioy and triumph in the glorious assembly of the Saints as the like was neuer seene in the world no not in Ierusalem that day wherein Salomon entred heyre to his Father Dauid then the earth rang for ioy but nothing comparable to that ioy wherewith the heauens shall ring when all the Sonnes of God shall be caught from the earth into the ayre to meet the Lord Iesus and to be inuested in the Kingdome of their Father But now wee are to speake of this Calling wherein consists all our comfort for it is the middle lincke of this indiuisible Calling is the first manifestation of our Election and forerunner of our Glorification Chaine he that hath it is sure of both the ends Our Calling is the first manifestation of our secret Election and it is a sure forerunner of our Glorification being in effect the voyce of GOD fore-telling vs that he will glorifie vs. As the best way in a maine land to finde the sea is to walke by a riuer
Disciples condemned and iudged worthy of stripes stand as so many examples to confirme vs that we faint not when we are condemned of men yea with the Apostle we must learne to passe little for mans iudgement and striue in a good conscience to be approued of God for sure the Lord will not peruert iudgement it is farre from the Iudge of all the world to doe vnrighteously he will at the last plead the cause of his Seruants and bring their righteousnesse to light This condemnation then from which wee are deliuered But from the condemnatory sentence of God is the sentence of God th righteous Iudge by which finding man guiltie of sinne for sinne he adiudgeth him vnto eternall damnation from this all they who are in Christ are deliuered He that beleeueth in him who sent Iohn 5. 24. mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life In this condemnation Three sundry times the Lord keepes against the wicked in the processe of their condemnation Psal 50. 5. the Lord proceeds at three sundry dyats against the wicked First he condemneth them in the Court of Conscience Next in the day of their particular iudgement Thirdly in the day of generall Iudgement First I say the Lord holdeth a Iustice Court against the wicked in his owne Conscience For the Lord iudgeth the righteous and him that contemnâ—th God euery day After 1 The first is kept against them in the Iustice Court of their owne Conscience sinne committed by him there ariseth in his Conscience accusing thoughts and there is a sentence within him giuen out against him The Apostle speakes it of Heretikes one sort of vvicked men and is it true in them all they sinne being damned of their owne selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by themselues Iudgement is giuen out against themselues which sentence albeit euery wicked man doe not marke the voyce of their disordered affections sometime being so loud that they heare not the condemnatorie voyce of their Conscience so clearely as it is pronounced yet doe they heare as much as makes them inexcusable and breedes in them a certaine feare and terrour which is but a fore-runner of a more fearefull iudgement to come which howsoeuer in time of their securitie they labour to smoother and quench by externall delights yet at the length affection shall be silenced and Conscience shall pronounce sentence against them with so shrill a voyce that their deafest care shall heare it This I haue marked that we may learne not to esteeme lightly the Iudgement of our Conscience but that so oft as wee are condemned by it wee may make our refuge to the throne of Grace to seeke mercie For if Conscience condemne 1. Ioh. 3. 20. vs God is greater then the Conscience and will much more condemne vs. Ascendat itaque homo tribunal mentis suae Aug. hom 50 si timet illud meminerit quod oportet eum ante tribunal Christi exhiberi Let therefore a man saith Augustine goe vp to the tribunall of his owne mind in time if he feare it let him remember that he must be presented before a greater tribunall The second time of iudgement which the Lord keepes 2 The second is kept against them in the houre of death against the wicked is in the houre of death wherein the Lord doth not onely repeat their former sentence of condemnation and that in a more fearefull and iudiciall manner but proceeds also to execution adiudging their bodies vntill the day of last iudgement to the prison of the graue to vnderly that curse pronounced on man for his Apostasie and condemning their spirits to be banished from the presence of God and cast into vtter darknesse Let not therfore the wicked man nourish himselfe in sinne with a vaine conceit of the delay of iudgement wherefore wilt thou put farre from thee the euill day what suppose the day of generall iudgement were not to come for many yeares is not the day of thy particular iudgement at hand vnto which thou shalt be drawne sodainely and perforce in the midst of thy deceiuing imaginations thou shalt be taken away in an houre wherein thou thought not to dye more miserable than that rich glutton who hauing stored his head with false conclusions dreaming of many dayes to come when hee had not one was that same day taken away to iudgement And this shall moue vs the more if we doe remember that such as we are in the day of death such shall wee be found in the day of iudgement In quo enim quemque Aug. epist ad Hesych inuenerit suus nouissimus dies in hoc cum comprehendet mundinouissimus dies quia qualis in die isto quisque moritur talis in die illo iudicabitur and euery man in the last day shall be iudged to be such as he is when he dyeth It would waken vs all more carefully to thinke vpon our end that so we might prepare our selues for this second dyat of iudgement But the third dyat of iudgement shall be most fearefull 3 The third dyat shall be kept against them in the day of generall iudgement when all the wicked being gathered together in one shall be condemned in that high and supreame court of iustice which the Lord shall hold vpon all that euer took life then shall the full measure of the wrath of God be powred vpon all those who are not in Christ Iesus both in soule and body they shall be punished with euerlasting perdition This iudgement shall be most equitable for when that Ancient of dayes shal sit down vpon his white throne before whose face heauen and earth shall flee away and Dan. 12. 6. when the Sea and the Earth hath rendred vp their dead then the bookes shall be opened according to which he shall Reuel 10. 8. proceed vnto iudgement And the bookes are two the This iudgemeÌ„t shall proceede by the bookes of Law and Conscience booke of the law which shewed to a man what he should doe and the booke of Conscience which shewed him what hee hath done by those shall the wicked man be iudged and he shall not be able to make exception against any of them against the booke of the law hee shall be able to speake nothing for the Commandements of the Lord are Psal 19. 9. pure and righteous altogether And as for the booke of conscience thou canst not denye it the Lord shall not iudge thee by another mans conscience but by thine owne that booke thou hast had it alway in thine owne keeping who then could falsifie it neither is any thing written in it of things thou hast done but that which thine owne hand hath written how then canst thou make any exception against it Thus the bookes being opened the iudgement shall How the wicked shall be conuicted by the booke of the Law proceede in this manner The Law shall pleade
and they shall wither the whirle-wind shal take them away like stubble O silly glory of worldlings which dieth to them oftentimes before themselues at least with them their beauties consumes whē Psal 49. 14. they go from the house to the graue their pomp doth not descend after them Onely happy sure is the estate of that man who is in Christ neither life nor death things present nor things to come shal seperate him from the loue of God Now the lessons of instruction are chiefly two first is They who are planted in Christ should be humble the roote beares them not they the roote a lesson of humilitie seeing it so that in Christ wee haue life let vs be humble in our selues forasmuch as that which we haue we haue of another so taught the auncient fathers agreable to holy scripture eleauen hundred yeers before vs which I mark the rather to point out the agreement in one truth between vs and the Fathers of the primitiue Church Ita sunt in vite palmites vt illi nihil conferant sed inde accipiant Consil 2. Arausicanū ex Carranza vnde viuant sic quippe vitis est in palmitibus vt vitale subministret illis non sumat ab ijs ac per hoc manentem in se habere Christum manere in Christo discipulis prodest non Christo the branches are so in the vine that they giue nothing vnto it but receiues from it that sap of grace wherby they liue but the vine is so in the branches that it ministers life vnto them and receiues nothing from them that therefore Christ abideth in vs and we in him is profitable to vs who are his Disciples but not vnto himselfe Thus they learned from our Sauiour who in his speech to his Disciples denyes that man is able to doe any good thing without him as the branch can beare no fruit except it abide in the root no more can ye except ye abide in me for without me ye are able to doe nothing And that which is subioyned doth yet more humble vs praeciso palmite potest de viua radice Ibidem alius pullulare qui autem praecisus est non potest◠sine radice viuere though a branch be cut off from the root another may spring out but the branch which is cut off cannot liue without the root it withereth and is meet for nothing but the fire he that falleth away from Christ shall perish like a withered branch but the Lord Iesus shall not want another who shall grow vp in him we stand by faith let vs not Rom. 11. 16. be high minded but feare The second is a lesson of thankfulnesse we who professe They who are planted in Christ beare fruit so soone as they are planted that we are in Christ should be fruitfull in good works herein saith our Sauiour is my Father glorified that yee beare much fruit There is such a liuely power in this stocke of life that they who are planted in him flourish incontinent Proofe hereof we haue in Lidia and in the Theefe crucified with Christ and conuerted by him Arons rodde was no sooner changed from a withered sticke into a flourishing tree then he is from a barren malefactor into a fruitfull professor for see what a fruit he beares in an instant he confesseth his owne sinnes he rebuketh the sinnes of his companion he giueth a good testimonie vnto Christ and earnestly prayes that Christ would remember him when he comes into his kingdome Alas how may this make vs ashamed who so long haue professed Christ but hath not bene fruitfull in good workes The Psalmist compares a godly man to the Palme tree which as Plinie writeth groweth by the waters side and in moyst places and is in Summer winter both flourishing and bearing fruit But the wicked carnall professors of this age are become worse than that figge-tree which Christ cursed for it had leaues albeit no fruit but they as Ierome complaynes of the shamelesse sinners in his time haue cast away the very leaues also an euident token that they were neuer planted in Christ Iesus they haue done nothing in their liues to glorifie God and may looke as little to be comforted by him in their deaths but of this we shall haue occasion to speake more hereafter Who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Albeit By flesh is meant our naturall corruption and how workes of the flesh are done by spirits the comfort of our deliuerance by Christ be exceeding great yet least it should be vsurped of those to whom it belongs not the Apostle as he hath before restrained it to them who are in Christ so here he giues vs an euident marke whereby we may know them to wit that they are such as walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit Where before we enter into the doctrine it is necessary we know what the Apostle meanes by the word flesh Among many significations which it hath in holy Scripture it is here vsed to expresse the whole sinfull corruption of our nature repugnant to the Law of God not onely carnal actions done in the members of the body but also sinfull motions and affections Diabolus enim cum sit spiritus agit tamen opera carnis for Sathan notwithstanding he be a spirit yet doth Aug. de ciui dei lib. 14. he the workes of the flesh and the Apostle reckons out pride enuie and such like among the workes of the flesh Gal. 5. 22. This may serue to beate downe the presumptuous conceits of those who proudly iustifie themselues and think themselues free from sinne because they are cleere of the carnal action as if the word of God did condemne sinne in the branch onely and not in the roote also This corruption of our nature for three causes is exprest For three causes is our sinful corruption exprest by flesh by the name of flesh first because it is propagated from man to man in the seed of flesh secondly because it is executed in our earthly and carnall members thirdly because it is nourished strengthned and augmented by outward fleshly obiects and so by this name our corruption is distinguished from the corrupt nature of apostate Angels which is not propagated nor nourished nor executed as Ephe. 6. 12. ours is and therefore called by the Apostle Spirituall wickednesse By the spirit here againe I vnderstand that new and spirituall By the spirit is meant the new disposition of the whole man wrought by spirit disposition which the Spirit of God workes in our minde will and affections comformable to the law of God Whereof it is euident that all our motions affections and actions before the Spirit of Christ sanctifie and reforme vs are flesh and not Spirit and againe that euen the Christian after his ingrafting into Christ hath remaining in him while he dwelleth in the body some carnall and
moderate discipline the stronger waxes the man of God Happy were wee if our care were continuall to strengthen the one by all spirituall exercises that wee might daily weaken the other For the greatest perfection whereunto we can attaine in Our best estate in this life is sighting this life is to fight against these lusts of the Flesh which fight against our soules Our life saith Iob in the earth is a warfare Bellum est non triumphus it is a battaile not a triumph saith Augustine though after many particular victories August de temp ser 45. the Lord put that voyce of triumph many times in our mouthes thanks be to God who alway makes vs to triumph 2. Cor. 2. 14. in Christ Iesus yet let vs remember that incontinent we must fight againe so long as we are in this mortall body wherein the Flesh lusts against the Spirit we cannot be free from carnall and euill desires if thou dissemble not thou shalt alway finde within thy selfe some thing which hath neede to be resisted for our sinfull superfluities saith Bernard Bernard are such putata repullâ—â—ant effugata redeunt reaccenduntur extincta that being cut off they spring out againe chased away they returne againe being quenched they are kindled againe Velis nolis intra sines tuos habitabit Iebusaeus will thou nill thou the Iebusite shall dwell within thy borders Subiugari potest exterminari non potest he may be subdued but cannot be rooted out And this againe doe we mark for the comfort of weake Christs members militant triumphant are not to bee tryed by one rule consciences it is Sathans subtiltie whereby commonly hee disquiets many that because carnall corruption is in them he would therefore beare them in hand that they are none of Christs In this he playes the deceiuer he tries vs by the wrong rule when he tryes vs by the rule of perfect sanctification this is the square which ought to be laid to Christs members triumphant in heauen and not to those who are militant here vpon earth Sinne remayning in me will not proue that therefore I am not in Christ otherwise Christ should haue no members vpon earth but grace working that new disposition which nature could neuer effect proues vndoubtedly that we are in Christ Iesus Let this therefore be our comfort that albeit there be in There is fleshly corruption in the Christian militant but he followes it not vs a fleshly corruption yet thanks be to God we walke not after it that is we follow not willingly the direction commandement thereof It is true and alas we finde it by experience the regenerate man may be led captiue for a time to the law of sinne hee may be pulled persorce out of the way of Gods commandements wherein hee delights to walke and compelled to doe those things which he would not yet euen at that same time hee disclaymes the gouernment of the flesh mourning and lamenting within himselfe that he should be drawne from the obedience of his owne Lord and gouernour the spirit of Iesus And indeede it is worthy to be marked that what euer Any seruice the Christian giues to sinne is throwne out by oppression like that which Israel gaue to Pharaoh seruice the regenerate man giues vnto sinne it is like the seruice that Israel gaue to Pharaoh in Egypt throwne out by oppression and therefore compelled them to sigh and crie vnto God but the seruice which the regenerate man giues to the Lord is voluntarie done as vnto his most lawfull superiour with gladnesse ioy and contentment of minde Happie is that man who can make this reply to his spirituall aduersarie when he is challenged of his sinnes It is true O enemie that I haue done many things by thy entisement yet herein I reioyce that whatsoeuer seruice I haue done to thee it is now through the grace of God the matter of my griefe but the weake seruice I haue giuen vnto God is the matter of my ioy Moreouer in this Metaphor of walking we are taught That our life is called a walking teaches vs foure things that as the walking of the body is a mouing from one place to another so the Christian life is a continuall mouing of the heart from one thing to another that is from sinne to 1 The life of a Christian is a remouing from euill to good Isai 1. 16. 17. Luke 16. 13. 2. Tim. 2. 19. sanctification departing from our selues that we may draw neere vnto God both these are comprised by Esay Cease to doe euill learne to doe good Our progresse in this iourney is not made pedibus sed affectibus by motion of our feete but of our affections but the beginning thereof is a departing from euill No man can serue two Maisters hee who will draw neere to the Lord and call vpon his name must depart from iniquitie Sicut in gradibus c. in the going Basi in Psa 1. vp of a staire saith Basil the first step raiseth a man from the earth then he goes vp by degrees till he come where hee would be so is it in our owne conuersion principium perfectionis ad Deum est discessus a malo the beginning of our iourney to God is a departure from euill This I mark Many bastard Christians haue neuer yet risen from euil farre lesse remoued to good for the wakening of those vpon whom the Lord Iesus hath called but they haue not yet with Lazarus risen out of the graue nor with Mathew forsaken their receit of custome yea haue not so much as with the man sick of the palsie risen out of their bed of securitie far lesse haue begun with Dauid to runne the way of the Lords Commandements they haue not learned to forsake euill much lesse to follow that which is good the Lord hath called vpon them but they haue not gone one foote from their olde sinnes bene ambulant pedibus sed malc moribus their feete are straight but their manners are exceeding crooked they make no progresse forward toward the Lord of Sion they delight to abide still in Babell and Egypt working without rest But dieth in the same state wherein they were borne but their labour is vnprofitable Ambulant in circuitu they walke as in a circle the centre whereof is Sathan the circumference sundry sorts of sinnes beyond which they walk not from one of these the wicked walkes about to another in such sort that incontinent they returne to the same they wearie themselues in the way of iniquity but are still in the same place at their going out of the world wherein they came into it that is as they were borne in sinne so they die in sinne their miserable life not being a walking in the way of Godlinesse but a wallowing in one and the selfe same puddle of sinne But leauing them let vs marke for our instruction in this 2 So long as wee
resurrection which for the same cause is called by our Sauiour the day of regeneration for then shall hee change our mortall bodies and make them like vnto his owne glorious body thus by his dwelling in vs haue we the reparation both of our soules and bodies The other benefit we enioy by his dwelling in vs is the 2 He prouides all necessaries where hee dwels Iren. cont val lib. 4. cap. 28. benefit of Prouision where he comes to dwell hee is not burdenable after the manner of earthly Kings but his reward is with him for he hath not chosen vs to be his â—aâ—itation for any neede he hath of vs sed vt haberet in quem collocaret â—ua beneficia but that he might haue some on whom to bestow his benefits non indigeâ— nostrâ— ministerio vt domini seruorum sed sequimur ipâ—um vt homines lumen sequuntar nihil ipsi praestantes sed beneficium a lumine accipientes hee hath no need of our seruice as other Lords haue neede of their seruants but we follow him as men follow the light giuing nothing to it but receiuing a benefit from it It falles commonly out that where men of meane estate Not like kings of the earth who oft times are burdenable to them with whom they lodge Aug. de verb. Apost ser 15. receiue to lodge those that are more honourable they disease themselues to ease their guests but if thou receiue this rich spirit of the Lord to lodge non angustabâ—ris sed dilataberis thou shalt not be straited but shalt be enlarged saith Augustine he knew the comfort hee reaped by this presence of GOD and therefore could speake the better thereof vnto others quando hic non eras angustias patiebar nunc implesti cellam meam non me exclusisti sed angustiam meam when thou Lord dwelst not in me much anguish of minde oppressed me now thou hast filled the cellers of my heart thou hast not excluded me but excluded that anguish which troubled me In a word the benefits wee receiue by him doe not onely concerne this life but are stretched out also to eternall life Dauid comprises all in a short summe the Lord is a light and defence hee will giue grace and glory and no good thing shall be withholden from them that Psal 84. 11. loue him The greater benefits we haue by the dwelling of Christ What duties of thankfulnes we owe to our Lord who dwels in vs. in vs the more are we obliged in our dutie to him O how should that house be kept in order wherein the King of glory is resident what daily circumspection ought to be vsed that nothing be done to offend him not without cause are these watch-words giuen vs grieue not the spirit quench Eph. 4. 30. 1. Thes 5. 19. not the spirit There are none in a family but they discerne the voyce of the master thereof and followes it they goe 1 That we discerne the voyce of our Master and obay it Math. 8. 9. out and in at his commandment if he say vnto one Goe he goeth if to another Come he commeth if the Lord be our master let vs heare euery morning his voyce and enquire what his will is we should doe with a promise to resigne the gouernment of our hearts vnto him for it is certaine he will not dwell where he rules not as he will admit no vncleane thing within his holy habitation so will he not dwell with the vncircumcised in heart the Lord will not take a wicked man by the hand nor haue fellowship with the throne of iniquitie If holy men when they see brothels Macar hom 12. abhorre them and goes by them how much more shall we thinke that the most holy Lord will despise and passe by their soules which are polluted rather like to the filthie stewes of Sodome than the holy sanctuary of Sion for the Lord to dwell in And if hereby the weake conscience be cast downe reasoning That euery day we sweepe and water his chamber with the besome teares of repentance Zach. 13. 1. within it selfe alas how can my beloued dwell with me who am so polluted and defiled remember that the more thou art displeased with thy selfe the more thy Lord is pleased with thee for thy daily pollutions hee hath appointed daily washings in that fountaine which he hath opened to the house of Dauid for sin and for vncleannesse Sweepe out thy sinnes euery day by the besome of holy anger and reuenge and water the house of thy heart with the teares of contrition quoniam sine aliquo vulnere esse non possumus medelis Cyprian spiritualibus vulnera nostra curemus seeing wee cannot be without some wounds of Conscience let vs daily goe to the next remedie that with spirituall medicines wee may â—ure them chasting our selues euery morning and examining our selues vpon our bed in the euening And againe seeing we are made the Temples of the That in his Temple there want not morning and euening sacrifice holy Ghost there should be within vs continuall sacrifices offered vnto God of prayer and praising together with a daily slaughter of our beastly affections Among the Israelites Princes were knowne by the multitude of their sacrifices which they offered vnto God but now they who sacrifice most of their vncleane affections are most approued as excellent Israelites of the Lord who can best discerne an Israelite From the time the Lord departed from Ierusalems Temple the daily sacrifice and oblation ceased and where there is not in man neither prayer nor praysing Macar hom 28. of God nor mortification of his beastly lusts but the spirituall Chaldeans hath come in and taken away this daily sacrifice it is an euident argument that the Lord dwelleth not there Last of all let vs marke here that the Apostle sayth Bastard professors lodges this holy spirit in a wrong roome Ephe. 3. 17. this dwelling of the spirit is in vs it is not without vs the kingdome of God is within vs if he dwell he will dwell in our hearts by saith for he himselfe requires the heart As for them who lodge him in their mouths by professing him in their eyes by aduancing them to heauen in their hands by doing some workes of mercy and not in their hearts these are carnall men not spirituall pretend what they will hipocrites who drawes neere the Lord with their lips but their hearts are farre from him accursed deceiuers who hauing a male in their flocke vowes and sacrifices a corrupt thing vnto the Lord which I doe not speake as if I did condemne the outward seruice done in the body to the Lord prouiding it flowe from the heart Ye are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6. 20. therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit for they are Gods And this also is to be marked for the amendment of two Humble gestures of the bodie in
silly hope of immortall fame of their affection to their country It was saith Augustine the silly comfort of the Gentiles against the want of buriall Coelo tegitur qui non habet vrnam and as comfortlesse is the comfort of many bastard Christians which stands onely in a fayre Sepulcher prouided before hand for themselues in an honourable buriall commanded expected of them before death and in abundance of worldly things which they leaue to theirs behinde them all which as saith the same Father viuorum sunt solatia non mortuorum are comforts to them that liue behinde but no help to them who are dead I note this that considering the magnanimitie of these Ethnicks in suffering of death notwithstanding the weake and small comforts which they had to sustaine them we may be ashamed of our pusillanimitie who hauing from Christ most excellent comforts against death are afraide at the smallest remembrance thereof An euident argument that albeit Tit. 1. 16. many proâ—â—sse him yet few are pertakers of his power life and grace that many hath him dwelling in their mouths in whose hearts he dwelleth not by his spirit The body is dead Hee sayes not the body is subiect to Our bodies are not onely mortall but deâ—d death but by a more significant manner of speech he saith the body is dead There is a difference betweene a mortall body and a dead body Adams body before the fall was mortall that is subiect to a possibility of dying but now after the fall our bodies are so mortall that they are subiect to a necessity of dying yea if wee will here with the Apostle esteeme of death by the beginning thereof our bodies are dead already The Officers and Sergeants of death which are dolours infirmities and heauie diseases hath câ—ased already The Officers of death hath bound vs already vpon our bodies marked them as lodgings which shortly must be the habitation of death so that there is no man who is not presently dead in some part or other of his body Not onely is the sentence giuen out against vs thou â—rt dust and to dust thou shalt returne but is begun to be Gen. 3. 19. executed our carkasses are bound with cords by the Officers of death and our life is but like that short time which is graunted to a condemned man betweene his doome and his execution all which the Apostle liuely expresses when he sayes the body is dâ—ad 1 Thereâ—ore should we liue in the body vnder feare 1. Pet. 1. 12. Phil. 2. 12. Whereof there arises vnto vs many profitable instructions and first what great neede wee haue as wee are commaunded to passe the time of our dwelling here in feare working out our owne saluation in feare and trembling seeing our sinnes haue cast vs into the hands of the first death shall we not cry without ceasing that we may be deliuered from the power of the second Alas it is pittifull that man should so farre forget himselfe as to reioyce in the time of his miserie to passe ouer the dayes of his mortall life in vanity and wantonnesse considering how the first death is already entred into his carkasse nor foreseeing how hee may be The pittifull securitie of carnall professâ—rs deliuered from the second but liues carelesse like to the Apostates of the old world who in the middest of their sinfull pleasures were sodainly washed away with the waters of the wrath of God and their spirits for disobedience sent vnto the prison where now they are and like those Philistims who banquetting in the platforme of their house of Dagon their God hauing minde of nothing but eating drinking and sporting not knowing that their enemie was within were sodainely ouerthrowne and their banquetting house made their buriall place so shall it be with all the wicked who liuing in a dead body cares for nothing but how to please themselues in their sinne the pillar of their Psal 58. 9. Psal 73. 19. house shall be pulled downe destruction shall come vpon him like a whirlewind and in a moment shall sodaine desolation ouertake them 2 Death entred into the body should represse our naturall pride And let this same meditation represse in vs that poyson of pride the first sinne that euer sprung forth of our nature next to infidelitie and last in rooting out Wilt thou consider O man that thou art but dead and that thy body be it neuer so strong or beautifull is but a lodging of death and what cause shalt thou haue to waxe proud for any thing Bernard that is in the flesh quid tu superbis terra cinis si superbientibus Angelis non pepercit deus quanto minus tibi putredo vermis what hast thou to doe to be proud O dust and ashes if God spared not the Angels when they waxed proud will he spare thee who art but a rotten creature yea Vermis crastino moriturus a worme that must dye to morrow Au. ser 21. If so was done to an Angell saith Bernard what shall become of me ille intumuit in coelo ego in sterquilinio he was pust vp in heauen and therefore was cast downe from the place of his abhomination if I waxe proud lying in a dung-hill shall I not be punished and cast downe into hell So oft therefore as corrupt nature stirreth vp the heart of man to pride because of the flowers of beautie and strength that grow out of it let this humble thee thy flowers O man cannot but wither for the roote from which they spring is dead already And lastly is the body dead then learne temperance and 3 Should learne vs temperance and sobrietie sobrietie what auaileth it to pamper that carkasse of thine with excessiue seeding which is possessed by death already if men tooke the tenth part of that care to present their spirits holy and without blame vnto the Lord which they take to make their bodies fat and beautifull in the eyes of men they might in short time make greater progresse in godlinesse then they haue done but herein is their folly Carnem preciosis rebus impinguant c. they make fat their Bernard flesh with delicate things which within few dayes the worms shall deuoure Animam vero non adornant bonis operibus but beautifies not the Soule with good works which shortly is to be presented vnto God Let vs refraine from the immoderate pampering of this flesh Meates are ordained for the belly and the belly for meates but God will destroy them 1 Cor. 6. 13. both We haue here moreouer discouered vnto vs the shamelesse Sathans shamelesse impudencie discouered impudencie of Sathan who daily tempting man to sin promiseth vnto him some good by committing of it as boldly as if he had neuer falsified his promise before He promised to our Parents in Paradise that if they did eate of the fruit of the forbidden tree they should become like vnto
dies poenae nondum aduenit the day of punishment of iudgement of retribution is not yet come though in this life the Lord should not come neere thee yet thy iudgement is not farre off and thy damnation sleepes not Interim plectuntur quidam quo caeteri corrigantur tormenta paucorum exempla sunt omnium 2. Pet. 2. 3. Cyp. de lapsis serm 5. In the meane time some are punished that the rest may be corrected the torments of a few are the examples of all As the Lord Iesus set those eighteen men on vvhom the tower of Siloam fell for examples to all the rest of the people Luke 13. so euery one punished before vs stands vp to vs as a preacher of repentance and an example to warne vs that vnlesse vve repent we shall perish in like manner Si nunc omne peccatum Aug de ciuit Dei cap. 8. manifesta plecteretur poena nihil vltimo iudicio râ—â—eruari putaretur si nullum nunc peccatum puniret Deus nulla Why some wicked men are punished in this life and not others putaretur esse prouidentia If in this life euery sinne were punished vvith a seene iudgement nothing should be reserued to the last iudgement and if no sinne vvere punished in this life it might be thought there were not a prouidence to regard it The Lord therefore punisheth some sins in this life to tell there is a God vvho iudgeth righteously Psal 58. 11. in the earth other sins againe in his wise dispensasion he punished not in this life to assure all men that there is a iudgement to come And least yet the wicked man should flatter himselfe by his escaping of present iudgement let him remember It is a great iudgement not to be corrected by God Hos 4. 14. that a sinner vvalking in his sinnes is sore punished when he is spared for I pray thee is not this a iudgement threatned against the Apostate Israelites I will not visite your Daughters when they are Harlots nor your Spouses when they are Whores Certe tunc magis irascitur Deus cum non irascitur Ber. in Cant. hom 42. Certainely then is God most angry vvhen he seemes not to be angry at all Misericordiam hanc nolo for my own part saith Bernard I vvill not haue such a mercy Insignis poena est vindicta impictatis conniuere Deum ac indulgere peccâ—ntibus non solum impunitatem sed longam concedere prosperitatem Philo. lib. de consus linguarum It is a notable punishment and reuenge of vngodlines when God winkes and ouersees sinners not onely graunting vnto them impunitie but also long ptosperitie It was good for me saith Dauid that the Lord afflicted mee Psal 119. 71 Psal 73. â— Prou. 1. 32. The wicked because they haue no changes feare not God And the prosperitie of fooles destroy them He is happely conquered and ouercome faith Augustine from whom the libertie of sinning is taken away Nihil enim infoelicius foelicitate peccantium Aug. Marcellino Epist 5. qua poenalis nutritur impunitas mala voluntas velut interior hostis roberatur There is nothing more vnhappy then the happy estate of a sinner whereby penall impunitie is nourished and their vvicked will as an inward and domesticke enemie is strenthned thus are the wicked fearefully plagued when they are most spared when they are giuen vp to their owne hearts desire and their iniquitie hath dominion ouer them when the Lord hedges not in their way vvith thornes but giue them loose reynes to go where they vvill to their owne destruction this is terribilis lenitas parcens crudelitas from vvhich vnhappy condition the Lord deliuer vs. The other impediment that stayes the Atheists of our 2 Impediment Wicked men repent not because they see the godly subiect to the same outward euils which come vpon them time from profiting by the threatnings of God is because they see the same condition befalleth to the godly vvhich is threatned to the vvicked Daniel goes vvith the rest into captiuitie Iosias no lesse then the greatest sinners among the people is slaine vvith the sword Ezekias also stricken vvith pestilence and many godly ones among our selues fall vnder the same externall plagues vvhich are threatned against the vvicked therefore doe they dispise Religion and harden their hearts against the iudgements of God But herein also are they pittifully blinded for the godly and vvicked differs farre one from another euen vvhen they The actions passions of the godly and wicked different in one and the selfe same thing Cyprian ad Demet. are both doing the same externall actions Cain and Abel sacrificing together the Publicane and the Pharisee praying together yet are as farre vnlike one another as light and darknesse so when they suffer the same externall crosses yet there is a wonderfull difference betweene them non idcirco vobis aequales sumus quia in isto adhuc mundo constituti carnis incommoda vobiscum pariter incurrimus A very good answere for men of this world who thinke they are in no worse case then the Children of God thinke not that wee are in as euill case as ye are because that so long as we are in this world we are subiect to the same bodily incoueniences for since punishment consists in the sense of paine it is euident that he is not partaker of thy punishment who is not pertaker of thy sorrow manifestum est non esse participem poenae tuae quem non vides participem doloris tui In that same affliction wherein the one sees the wrath of God the other feeles the loue of God where the one impatient of the yoke murmuâ—es rages and blasphemes the Lord the other possessing his soule in patience reioycing in tribulation blesses the Lord. But the spirit is life for righteousnesse sake Hauing graunted The condition being permitted the comfort is subioyned that our bodies are dead through sinne hee now subioynes the comfort that our soules are indued with a life vvhich comes not vnder death through the righteousnesse of Christ Where first it comes to be considered seeing euery mans soule is immortall and alway liuing what singular life is this which here the Apostle makes the comfort of a Christian To this I answere it is true euery mans soule is immortall though the Atheist deny it experience proues Immortalitie of the Soule most certaine it the life of the soule dependeth not on the life of the body for if it were so as the body decayes the soule should decay also for we see that euen in debilitate bodies the soule retaines the owne vigour yea in the godly the life of the soule shewes the selfe strongest when the life of the body is weakest Besides this no carnall mortall nor corruptible thing can at any time content the soule to fill it the body is soone satisfied with these perishing things in such sort that
wrought in thee already that thou maist see it perceiue that which is to be wrought in thee suppose it be not apparant ex his quae in Cyril te sunt persâ—ice ea quae non apparent of â—ore-past works iudge of that which is to come that thou maist learne to giue glory to God and trust in him who giues life to them that are dead And if from our selues we proceed to other creatures how Practises of God on creatures without vs though they cannot beget faith yet may they confirme it many proofes in nature shall we finde to confirme the resurrection the Trees that dye in Winter and loose both their leaues and fruit are they not restored againe in the Spring The day which is slaine by the night and buried in darknes as it were in a graue is it not restored againe in the morning The auncient Fathers send vs to learne â—e same from the Phoenix Many other works of God in 〈…〉 re though they cannot beget this faith in vs yet are they profitâ—ble to helpe it where it is begun and are strong witnesses in their kinde to reproue the infidelity of Atheists But we haue aboue all to take heed to that most sure word of the Prophets and Apostles whereat we began and so to rest in it that when it shall please God the day of our change shall come we may after the example of our blessed Sauiour commend our soules into the hands of the Lord and be content that our bodies like pickles of liuely seed be sowen in the field of God and set into the earth as it were with Gods owne finger that in his owne good time they may spring vp againe to glory and immortality I know whom I haue beleeued and am perswaded that hee is able to keepe vnto the last day that which I haue 2 Tim. 2. 12. committed to him And this for confirmation of our resurrection These same bodies which now we haue shall be restored vnto vs the same in substance We haue further this comfort in that the Apostle saith the Spirit of God shall raise vp your mortall bodies that our bodies wherewith now wee are cloathed shall be raised vp and none other for them Away therefore with that vaine opinion that new bodies shall be created and giuen to Gods Children in the resurrection The glory both of his iustice The iustice of God craues that so it shold be mercy and truth craues that these same bodies and no other for them should be restored for euery one must receiue according to that which they haue done in the body whether good or euill Absurdam est Deo indignum vt haec quidem Tertul. caro lanietur illa vero coronetur◠〈…〉 nds not with the iustice and truth of God that one bod◠〈…〉 uld be torne in suffering and another should receiue the crowne Shall the body of Paul be scourged and an other for it be glorified shall Paul beare in his body the mark of Christs sufferings and not beare in that same body the crowne of his glory shall the wicked in their body worke the works of vnrighteousnesse and shall an other body receiue the wages of their iniquity It cannot be And that the glory of his mercy craues that the same The mercy of God craues also that so it should be body should be raised is also euident for why shall Sathan giue that wound to man which the Sauiour of men is not able to cure shall the malice of the Diuell bring in that euill which the mercy of God cannot remoue shall the first Adam slay the body by sinne and shall not the second Adam giue life vnto it by his righteousnesse Can this stand with the glory of God dimidium tantum modo hominem restituere Tertul. to restore onely the one halfe of man As these same soules of ours which were dead and none other for them are quickned in the first resurrection so these same bodies of ours and none other for them shall be raised from the dead in the second resurrection restituet Deus corpora pristina in Iren. cont Valent. lib 5. resurrectione non creabit noua As those blinde men saith Irenaeus whom as we read in the Gospell Christ cured receiued no new eyes but onely sight to the eyes they had before and as that sonne of the widdow and Lazarus rose in those same bodies wherein they did die so shall the Lord in the resurrection restore to vs our olde bodies and not create new bodies to vs And this vvarneth vs that vvith great attention wee are to vse our bodies in most holy and honourable manner in this life seeing they are to be raysed vp as vessels of honour and glory in the life to come Againe when the Apostle saith that the Lord shall raise Our bodyes shall be raised with new qualities vp our mortal bodies we are to know that so he calleth them in respect of that which they are now not in respect of that which they shall be then For in the resurrection the Apostle teacheth vs in anothe◠〈…〉 ce that our bodies shall be raised immortall honourabl◠〈…〉 rious spirituall and impassionable First I say the body shall be raised immortall not subiect any more to death nor diseases nor standing in need of these ordinary helps of meat drink and sleepe by which our naturall life is preserued Secondly our body shall be raised honourable now it is 2 They shall be honourable layd downe in dishonour for there is no flesh were it neuer so beautifull or beloued of man but after death it becommeth loathsome to the beholder so that euen Abraham shall desire that the dead body of his beloued Sarah may be buried out of his sight but in the resurrection they shall be raised more honourable then euer they were they shall be redeemed from all their infirmities euery blemish in the body that now makes it vnpleasant shall be made beautifull in the resurrection and euery defectiue member thereof shall be restored Members lame shal be restored to integrity Membri detruncatio vel obtusio nonne mors membri est si vniuersalis mors resurrectione rescinditur Tertul. de resur carnis quanto magis portionalis for the perishing of the member is no other thing but the death of the member if the benefit of resurrection cut off the vniuersall death of the body shall it not also take away the portionall death of a member in the body if the whole man shall be changed to glory shall he not much more be restored to health Out of all doubt the bodies of Gods Children shall be raised perfect comely and euery way honourable hoc est enim credere resurrectionem integram credere Thirdly the body shall be raised a glorious body When 3 They shall be glorious Phil. 3. 21. he shall appeare he shall change our vile bodies and make them like
therefore is it that in the summe of our faith the Article of our Resurrection is put betweene the Article of the remission Resurrection is a benefit when remission of sin goes before it and eternal life followes after it of sinnes and that other Article of eternall life to teach vs that then onely the Resurrection of the body is a benefit when remission of sinnes goes before it and eternall life followes after it whereof the Lord of his great mercy make vs partakers through Iesus Christ Verse 1â— Therefore Brethren â—ee are debters not to the Exhortation flesh to liue after the flesh AS it is true concerning vs that a necessitie lyeth What fruit wee should gather of the Apostles former doctrine vpon vs to preach and woe will be to vs if wee preach not so it is true concerning you that a necessitie lyeth vpon you to heare and woe wil be to you if you heare not It is commaunded to vs that when we speake wee should speake as the Oracles of God and it is also required of you that ye receiue this word not as the word of man but as it is indeede the word of God therefore take heede how yee heare for as Moses said to the Israelites so say wee vnto you It is no vaine word concerning you it is your life Ye haue heard that maine proposition of Comfort there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ yee haue heard it confirmed explaned and applyed the miserable estate of them who walke after thâ— flesh hath beene shewed vnto you as likewise the happy estate of them who walke after the Spirit and what comforts the godly haue both against the remanents as also against the fruits of sinnes hath beene declared vnto you Examine your selues see how far forth these comforts belong vnto you If yee be such as thinke with those scornefull men in Ierusalem that yee haue made a couenant with death and it shall not come neere you then goe on in your security and doe that which is good in your owne eyes but if yee finde by experience that death is already entred into your mortall body be vvise in time see that thou haue this onely soueraigne comfort against death the spirit of Christ dwelling in you otherwise flatter your selues in your security as you will miserable shall your end be Now the Consolation being ended the Apostle subioynes Consolation exhortation both necessary for vs. the Exhortation both these two consolation and exhortation are needfull for vs in the course of this life the one to keepe vs that we faint not through the remanents of sinne left in vs and beginnings of death which already haue seased vpon vs exhortation againe to stir vs vp when wee linger in the way of godlinesse For it fareth with vs as it did with Lot in Sodome the Angels warned him of the imminent iudgement and exhorted him to escape for his life yet hee delayed and lingred hee could not be gotten out of Sodome till they as it were violently thrust him out And albeit the Lord admonish vs early and late by his messengers of that wrath which is to come vpon the children of disobedience and warne vs in time to flye to the mountaine of his saluation yet alas so loath are we to forsake our olde sinnes that the Lord is forced to double his exhortation vnto vs all which yet shall not auaile vs if the Lord â—ay not the hands of his grace vpon vs and by his holy Spirit make vs obedient to the heauenly vocation Let vs therefore take heede to the exhortations made vs by the Lord and that so much the more because it is most certaine that the sweetnesse of Gods consolation shall not be felt of them who are not moued with his exhortation Contemplationis enim gustus non debetur nisi obedientiae mandatorum Ber. ser 46. in Cant. the tast of Gods mercy by contemplation is onely due to them who make conscience of the obedience of his commandements Therefore This particle is relatiue to the words preceding Euery benefit of God is a new obligation binding vs to serue him seeing it is so that by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in vs wee haue such excellent benefits we are debt-bound not to liue after the flesh but after the Spirit Of this wee haue first to learne that euery benefit wee receiued from God is an Obligation binding vs debters of seruice to God for much shall be required of him to whom much is giuen there is no reason vvhy the abundance of Gods gifts eyther Gods benefits shold not make vs proud for he who hath receiued most hath the more debt lying vpon him temporall or spirituall should encrease thy pride and carelesnesse but rather should make thee more humble and carefull how to please him considering that the more thou hast receiued the more thou owest VVhen Dauiâ— forgetting that hee was the Lords debter began to liue as his lust commaunded him the Lord brought out against him his former benefits as so many obligations to conuince him I aâ—â—oynted thee saith the Lord King ouer 2 Sam. 12. 7. 8. 9. Israell I deliuered thee out of the hand of Saul I gaue thee thy Lords house and â—iâ—es into thy bosome I gaue thee in like manner the house of Israell and Iudah anâ— would moreouer if that had beene too little haue giuen thee such and such things Wherefore thâ—n hast thou despâ—sed my commandement and done euill in my sight forgetting that thou was bound and obliged to me This processe of Dauids conuiction stands for an example This is cleared in the processe of Dauids conuiction to vs all to warne vs that vnlesse wee make the benefits of God obligations binding vs to serue him the Lord shall vse them as arguments to proue that iudgement is due vnto vs and the greater benefits the greater iudgements for vnto them that walke not worthy of the honor of good things they haue receiued from God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrisost in Mat. hom 4. the greatnesse of honour shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the augmentation of their punishment And as this is tâ—ue in temporall benefits so much more in spirituall graces as they are more excellent then the other so doe they more binde vs then the other both Israelites and Ethiopians are debters to God but the Israelite more debt bound than the Ethiopian for the Lord hath not dealt vvith euery Nation as with Israell Heare this word that the Lord prâ—nounceth Amos. 3 1. O ye Children of Israell you onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth therefore I will visite you for all youâ— iniquities May yee not see heere that the Lord most straitly doth punish the sinnes of those to vvhom hee hath beene most beneficiall vvhen they become vnthankefull The Gentiles who receiued no more but the light of nature are conuinced because they glorified not
God what then shall become of the bastard Christian who hath also receiued the light of the Gospel and yet doth not glorifie God shall he not much more be condemned doubtlesâ—e Sodome shall be in a better state in the day of iudgement than he Let vs therefore remember how the multitude of Gods mercies toward vs hath made vs many wayes debters of seruice vnto him that we may endeauour in feare and trembling to performe it Brethren we are debters The Apostle you see inuolues Preachers should practise that which they preach to others himselfe in the same obligation acknowledging that hee is debter of that same seruice which hee requires of others Our blessed Sauiour pronounces a fearefull woe vpon the Phaâ—ises because they â—aid heauie burthens vpon the people and they themselues did not so much as touch them with the singer the same woe abides those Preachers who require those dueties of the people vvhereof they are not practisers themselues A Preacher may in a good conscience require that thing of others whereunto first of all hee hath bound himselfe as it is said of the Prince of Pastors Acts. 1. 1. that first he began to doe and then to preach It becomes him saith Tertulâ—ian that commends a thing to others to Tertull. de patientia purchase authority to his commendation by practise of the same thing himselfe ne dicta factis dâ—fiâ—iâ—ntibus erubescant least otherwise words without deedes be not able to holde vp their face but forced to blush for shame therefore also said Bernard then shalt thou make thy voyce powerfull vnto others if thou make it knowne that thou hast perswaded thy selfe of that whereof thou wouldst perswade others Validâ—â—r Ber. in Cant. serm 59. enim vox operis quam oris for the voyce of the worke is stronger than the voyce of the word Hee that is not a seruent Disciple of Iâ—sus Christ shal neuer be a faithfull Doctor of the Church of Christ and this for a warning for Preachers Caluin Debters Of this it is euident that the doctrine of grace Christ hath freed vs from all other seruice that we might be bound to his owne proclaimes not liberty to men to liue as they will but rather bindes them to liue godly there can be no higher contempt done to the Lord than to turne his grace into wantonnesse Certainly the iniquities of Pagans doth not halfe so much offend him as the licentiousnesse of bastard Christians who wil sinne the more freely because Christ hath suffâ—red for sinne they heare that a man is not iustified by good workes and Rom. 3. 28. therefore being deceiued by Sathans Sophistrie they cease to doe well not considering that good works must proue we are sanctified and sanctification must proue that we are iustified In the second verse the Apostle said that Christ hath freed vs from the Law of sinne and here he saith that he hath made vs debters to righteousnesse these are not contrary they agree very well together he hath loosed vs from the seruice of all other Masters that he might bind vs the more straightly to serue himselfe And indeede if Christ commaund vs as hee ought no He is a seruant of seruants who is not the seruant of Christ Iesus Ambrose other thing shall commaund vs beside him otherwise if we be not seruants to him we shall be slaues to euery thing beside him O quam multos dâ—minos habet qui vnum non habet O how many Lords hath that man vvho hath not Christ to be his Lord assuredly there is no thing which will not vsurpe superiority ouer thee who liues not as a bound seruant to Iesus Christ either thy belly shall become thy God and for a mease of pottage with Esau thou shalt sell thy birth-right and blessing or a wedge of gold shall become thy confidence and thâ—u shalt not care for gaine to loose a good conscience or then some other vncouth Lord who hath no title to thee shall tyrannize ouer thee Thus wee see that the Christian liberty wee haue by Christ makes vs free from the seruitude of sinne as the Apostle teacheth vs and not free to commit sinne as the carnall Atheist conceiues it But seeing wee are debters let vs see with what bondes wee are bound surely the obligations are many by which we are bound debters to the Lord but specially now wee We are bound to do God seruice by two great bands especially will shortly consider these two Creation and Redemption It is a principle receiued among all men that the fruit and vantage of a mans owne workmanship should redound to himselfe who planteth a vineyâ—rd and eates not of the fruit 1 Creation 1 Cor. 9. 7 thereof or who feedeth a flocke and eates not of the milke of the flâ—ckâ— No man begets sonnes and daughters but he will be honoured of them he that hyreth seruants requires seruice of them yea Balaam wil be offended if his beast serue It is a shame that man craues that of his inferiours which he giues not to his superiour him not according to his pleasure this is the measure wherwith men mete vnto themselues what reason then is ther we should refuse to doe that dutie vn to the Lord our Superiour which wee craue to our selues from our Inferirours The Lord hath made vs wee made not our selues his hand hath formed and shaped vs the life we haue we holde it of him we can not abide a moment longer in this house of our earthly tabernacle than the Lord thinkes expedient his will makes the last day yea as we said before all our necessarie maintenance for this mortall life is furnished out of his hand seeing wee our selues craue seruice of those to whom we giue the smallest things shall we not much more giue seruice vnto GOD from whom wee receiue the greatest 2 Redemption here consider first that we are bought seruants The other is the bond of Redemption Wherein we are to consider these three things first that vve are bought secondly that we are sworne thirdly that we haue receiued wages before hand all for this end that wee should serue him Ye are bought saith the Apostle with a price therefore 1 Cor. 9. 20. glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits for they are Gods And againe wee are redeemed not with corruptâ—ble things as gould and siluer from our vaine conuersation but with the pretious 1 Pet. 1. 1. 8. bloud of Christ as of a Lambe vnspotted and vndefiled we should not therefore liue as seruants of men farre lesse That which cost Christ full deare men sels good cheape as seruants of Sathan and sinne but as seruants of that Lord who hath redeemed vs. Of all fooles those are the greatest who sels their life for the silly shadowes of sinfull pleasures which Iesus Christ hath bought with the greatest price that euer was payed Not onely are we bought to be
Christs seruants but also Secondly Sworn seruants we are sworne for baptisme as on the part of God it is a seale of the couenant of grace to confirme that promise of remission of sinnes which God hath made to vs in the blood of Iesus Christ so on our part it is a solemne resignation of our selues and our seruice to the Lord wherein we giue vp our names to be enrolled among his souldiers seruants swearing binding and oblieging our selues to renounce the seruice of the Diuell the World and the Flesh and this oath of resignation we haue renued so oft as wee haue communicated at his holy Table Whereof it is euident that they who haue giuen their names to Christ and yet liue licentiously walking after the flesh are for-sworne Apostates guiltie of persidie and of foule apostafie and desertion from Iesus Christ And thirdly not onely are wee bought and sworne but Thirdly wee haue receiued wages before hand for seruice to be done we haue receiued wages and payment in hand which should make vs ashamed if we haue so much as common honestie to refuse seruice to the Lord whose wages we haue receiued already It may be saide to euery one of vs which Malachie in the name of the Lord spake to the Leuites of his time who among you shuts the dore of the temple or kindles a fire vpon Mal. 1. 10. my altar in vaine who among vs can stand vp and say that hee hath done seruice to the Lord for nought Consider it when ye will for euery peece of seruice ye haue done to the Lord ye haue receiued wages more then ten times who hath called aright on his name hath not been heard who hath giuen thankes for benefits receiued hath not found Gods benefits doubled vpon him who hath giuen almes in the name of the Lord and not found increase I speake not now of rewards which God hath promised vs I speake onely of that we haue receiued already the least of Gods mercies shewed vpon vs already doth farre exceede all that seruice that we poore wretches haue done vnto him as therfore we are content to receiue the Lords pay let vs neuer refuse to giue the seruice of our bodies and spirits vnto him But alas is not this the common sinne of this generation But many receiue that from the true God which they returne not to him but sacrifice to Idols Hos 2. 8. to receiue good things out of the hand of God and with them to sacrifice vnto other Gods to vvhom they owe no seruice at all A horrible sacriledge a vile idolatry for this the Lord complaines of the Iewes they haue receiued my gold and my siluer and made vp Baal to themselues and the same complaint stands against the prophane men of this age The couetous man as riches encrease doth hee not set his heart vpon them though with his tongue hee denie it doth hee not say within himselfe that which Iob protested hee would neuer say to the wedge of Gold thou art my confidence The glutton when he hath receiued from God abundance of Wheat Oyle and Wine though he know the commandement be not filled with wine wherein is excesse but be Eph. 5. 18. filled with the Spirit yet how oft takes hee in superfluous drinke and spares not for loue of it to grieue the Spirit sacrificing to his belly as vnto God those things which bindes him to doe seruice vnto the Lord thus neither are the benefits of God returned to doe honour vnto him from whom they come but sacriligiously also abused to the making vp of Baal or some other Idoll abhominable to God for which it is most certaine that the moe wages these Atheists haue receiued for doing seruice to God which they neuer did the more fearefull plagues and stripes from God shall be doubled vpon them Againe we marke here that there is a double debt lying A double debt lying vpon vs the one the debt of sinne which we must seeke to be forgiuen the other the debt of obedience which we must seeke to performe vpon vs the debt of sinne and the debt of obedience vvee are freed of the one by a humble seeking and crauing of the remission thereof through Iesus Christ for the debt of sinne the Lord Iesus hath taught vs daily to seeke Gods discharge Lord forgiue vs our debts and indeede as euery day we contract some debt so it is great vvisedome by daily repentance to sue the discharge of it for they who neglect to do it their debt multiplies vpō them it stands vncancelled in the register of God written as it were with a pen of iron and the poynt of a Diamond and they shall at length be cast into that prison for non-payment wherein will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for euer But as for the debt of obedience whereof the Apostle here speakes wee cannot with a good conscience desire the Lord to discharge it nor exempt vs from it but we must in all humility craue Grace of God that we being enriched by him who of our selues are poore may be able in some measure to pay and performe it Where if the weake Children of GOD obiect and say A three-fold comfort for the godly for the debt of obedience how then can vve but drowne in this debt seeing no day of our life wee can pay to the Lord that debt of obedience which we owe vnto him To this there is giuen a three-fold comfort first the Lord dealeth with vs as a louing liberall 1 The Lord to whom we owe it giues vs wherewith to pay it man dealeth with his debter who knowing that he hath nothing of his owne wherewith to pay him and not willing to put him to shame stops priuately into his hand that which publikely againe he may giue vnto him so the Lord conuaies secret grace into the hearts of his children whereby they are in some measure able to serue him but as Dauid protested so may we all whatsoeuer wee giue vnto the 1 Chron. 29. 14. Lord wee haue it of his owne hand Secondly the Lord 2 He accepts for a time part of payment our God is so gracious that hee is content to accept part of payment at our hand till wee be able to doe better if our faith be but like the graine of Mustard-seede yet if it be true the Lord will not despise it though our repentance be not perfect and absolute though our prayers be vveake though wee cannot doe the good that wee would yet the good that wee doe is accepted at his hands through Iesus Christ And thirdly wee haue this comfort that the more 3 The more wee pay of this debt the more wee are able to pay wee pay of this debt of obedience the more wee are able to pay In other debts it is not so for if the more be payed out by him that is indebted the lesse remaines behinde
the sinfull lusts thâ—reof But alas the corruption of our nature is so great that without great circumspection we cannot nourish the body vnlesse wee also nourish sinne in the body many vnder pretence of doing duty to the one failes in the other so they pamper the body that they quench the spirit ouercome with gluttony they are not able to pray VVee are vvith the godly to keepe a meane betweene these two extremities as a ship if it be ouerladed Discipline whereby wee beat downe the body would neither be too strait nor too remisse is easily ouerwhelmed by the water or if it be too light and not ballassed is easily driuen out of the due course by the winde as a horse if he be hungred cannot serue his Master or if fed aboue measure waxes insolent and kickes against his rider so is it with the body neither would it be so weakened that it be not able to performe the works of Christian Ephra Syr. lib. 1. cap. 9. duty neither yet so pampered that it become a burthen to the soule and an impediment to spirituall exercises But in this age we neede not greatly to admonish men of the one But most men faile in excessiue pampering the body extremity the debt men owes vnto their bodies is payd with a large measure and running ouer it is not onely serued to necessity but so ouercharged with superfluity that oftentimes it loathes and abhorres those aliements by which it liues the soule in the meane time put to a sober dyet left famished without any morsell of heauenly bread whereby it should be refreshed and strengthened whereof it comes that the lusts of the flesh waxe strong and the life of the spirit wonderfully decayes Though the other member of the opposition be not here Many Lords striuing for mans superiority and to haue man their seruant exprest yet it followes necessarily wee are debters to the spirit And so wee may gather of these words how there are sundry Lords striuing for the superiority of man The World with her pleasures allures man to follow her but pretend what shee will in truth her word is decipâ—â—ra The flesh would haue man a seruant to her lusts she wants not her baytes wherewith to beguile him but in truth her word is infiâ—iam Sathan strongest of the three vsurpers superiority ouer man hee craues that man should fall downe and worship him hee wants not promises enough faire in show but in truth his word is interficiam Iesus Christ our lawfull Lord he also cals vpon vs and exhorts vs to serue him hee hath life in the one hand durable riches and honour in the other and in truth his word is râ—ficiam I will refresh you Now in this strife to whom shall we yeeld our selues but vnto him who cryes reficiam Let vs therefore say with Dauid O Lord no wight can make title to me but onely thou all others that exact Psal 119. 94. But forsaking the rest wee should yeeld our selues seruants to Christ and why any seruice of vs are but vncouth Lords to whom we are not oblieged they are but tyrants striuing to oppresse vs Câ—rtant in me de meipso cuius potisâ—â—mâ—m esse videar they striue saith Bernard within me about me to which of them chiefly I should seeme to appertaine but O Lord Iesus I am thine I haue no King but thou come therefore and raigne in mee and remoue these offences out of thy kingdome happy are they who can so render themselues to the Lord for in the houre of death what is it that men craues more then that the Lord Iesus should acknowledge them for his who will not in that houre beg that mercy at the hands of God Lord receiue my Spirit but assuredly if thou yeeld it not to him in life when he requires it he shall not receiue it from thee in death when thou wouldst tender it to him â—he Lord graunt that in our whole liues wee may acknowledge our selues as debters of daily seruice vnto him so shall the Lord in death welcome vs as his faithfull seruants and receiue vs into his rest Verse 1â— For if yee liue after thâ— flesh yee shall dye but if yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit yee shall liue THis word of the Lord pronounceth before The Apostle stands here as a messenger of mercy with a sword in his mouth to terrifie men from the way of death hand vpon you who liue after the flesh a condemnatorie sentence yee shall dye which how euer yee esteeme to be light when you heare it yet yee shall finde it heauy vvhen it shall be executed vpon you To you againe who mortifies the deedes of the body by the spirit there is here pronounced an absoluatorie sentence yee shall liue vvhich in the end shall yeeld you comfort surpassing all that the pleasures of sinne or gaine of vngodlinesse can afford vnto you As that Cherubin therefore stood in the entry of Paradise with the blade Gen. 3. 24. of a shaking sword to keepe Adam from the way of the Not like that Cherubin a minister of iustice to hold Adam out of paradise Tree of life so the Apostle stands here betweene vs and death with a sentence like a two edged sword in his mouth to keepe the sonnes of Adam as farre as hee can from the way of death the one stood as a minister of Gods iustice the other stands as a messenger of mercy The Lord hath sworne by himselfe as I liue I desire not the death of a sinner Ezâ— 18. 32. but that he should returne and liue he iustifies his word by his Both the word and deed of the Lord declares that he craues not the death of a sinner deed in that in all ages of the world he hath sent out messengers to warne them to goe by the way of death so that now if any man perish it is because he stops his eares at the warning of the watchman of God for thou canst not say but Moses and the Prophets Iesus Christ and his Apostles and Preachers haue met thee in the way of thy sinne and warned thee many a time by the word of the Lord that if thou walke on that way thou shalt assuredly dye where thou passing by them all rushest headlong after the lusts of thy flesh and so thou perishest and thy blood shall be vpon thine owne head As the Apostle to the preceding exhortation annexed an argument a debito from that which we are bound to doe so now hee subioynes another argument partly a damno from the losse wee incurre if wee doe it not in these words if yee liue after the flesh yee shall dye and partly a commodo from the vantage we shall reape if we doe it in these words if yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit yee shall liue If wee were such men as wee should be the former exhortation That the
and life As no This life is a thorow-way or middle passage eyther to heauen or hell man commeth eyther to a Pallace or a Prison but by the entry thereof so no man goeth eyther to heauen or hell but by the way thereof A wicked life is as a thorow-way to that prison and place of darknesse he who goes on in it without returning shall out of all doubt vvhen hee hath passed the path-way enter into the prison and a godly life is the very way to heauen hee that walkes in it persâ—uering to the end shall enter at last into that Pallace of Glory which is the Paradise of God Salomon saith that where the Eccles 11. 3. tree fals there it lyes and experience teacheth vs that it fals to that side on vvhich the branches thereof grow thickest if the greatest growth of our affections and actions spring out after the Spirit out of doubt wee shall fall to the right hand and shall be blessed but if otherwise thy affections grow downward and thou walke after the flesh then assuredly thou shalt fall to the left hand and die in sin vnder the curse of God But seeing they who walke after the flesh are dead already They who liue in sin are dead and yet a worse death abides them in hell how saith the Apostle they shall dye To this I answere both are true presently they are dead and yet a more fearefull death abides them That they who liue in their sinnes are dead already wee shewde before for sinne is that vnto the soule of man vvhich fire and vvater are to the body that is to say an vnkindely Element in the which it cannot liue but certainely a more fearefull death abides them which the spirit of God calleth the second death vvherein they shall not onely liue depriued of life wanting all sense yea and all hope of the mercy of God but shal also feele the full measure of his wrath due to their sinnes powred out vpon them Now albeit they be dead in sinne and depriued of the fauour of the Creator yet the vaine comforts of the creatures doth so betwitch and blinde them that they know not how wretched and miserable they are but when the last sentence of damnation shall be pronounced vpon them they shall not onely be banished from the presence of God into euerlasting perdition where the fire of the Lords indignation shall perpetually torment them but also the comfort of all Gods creatures which now they haue shall foâ—sake them The least degree of their punishment shall be a fearefull The least degree of their punishment shall be a fearefull famine of all worldly comforts Ioel. 1. 12. Reu. 18. 14. famine of worldly comforts The Pomegranat Tree the Palme Tree the Apple Tree shall wither The Apples after which now their soule lusteth shall depart from them they shall finde none of them yea if a cup full of colde vvater might comfort them it shall not be giuen vnto them thus you see how they are dead and yet a more fearefull death abideth them Therefore the spirit of God to expresse the fearefulnesse Why that second death is called a wrath and a wrath to come of that second death he calleth it a wrath and giues it these two titles first hee calleth it a vvrath prepared by God Salomon saith the wrath of a King is the messenger of death what then shall we say of the wrath of God Secondly he cals it a wrath to come to teach vs that it farre exceedes all that wrath that we haue heard or seene The drowning of the originall world the burning of Sodome a great wrath but nothing comparable to the wrath which is to come Beside this both the place the vniuersality and the eternity The place of the damned shewes the greatnesse of their iudgement Reu. 21. 8. Esa 30. 33. of their punishment serues to let vs see if wee looke to them how horrible this death is which here is threatned against them who liue after the flesh As for the place it is called the wineprâ—ssâ— of the wrath of God the lake that bâ—rnes with â—ire and brimstone Tophet prepared of old deepe and large the breath of the Lord like a riuer of brimstone â—oth kindle it It is that great deepe which the damned spirits themselues abhor they know it to be the place appointed for their torment all that they craue was onely that the Lord would not send them thether to be tormented before the time It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a place wherein is no light to see therefore Iude called it blacknesse of darknesse and our Sauiour called it vtter darknesse Iude verse 6. Mark 9. 48. 1 Pet. 3. 19. Math. 5. 22. there is in it a burning fire but without light a gnawing worme without rest Saint Peter cals it a prison and our Sauiour cals it Gehenna for the horrible scrieches of them who are burnt in it and the vile and stinking filthinesse wherwith it is replenished And as for the vâ—â—uersality of their paine It is certaine The vnâ—â—uersality of it Nothing in man shall be without paine all Gods plagues shall concor to punish him that as euery thing in them sinned so euery thing in them shall be punished No power of their soule no member of their body shall be free from that wrath Surely it should astonish man to consider this for if now any one of Gods ordinary plagues inflicted vpon any one member of the body be so insufferable how intollerable vvill that paine be he who now is payned with the tooth-ach takes some comfort when he sees another tormented with the collicke and he also if he see another burnt vp with Anthonies fire beares his owne crosse the more patiently because he sees a greater laid vpon another No man in this life suffereth all things one cryeth with the Shunamites sonne for excessiue dolour alas my head my head another with Antiochus my belly the third with Asa my feete my feete but what are all these comparable to that paine vvherein head and belly and feet yea the whole man shall be racked vpon the torments of Gods wrath and that not with one plague onely but with manifold for as all the waters of the earth runne into the great Ocean so all the plagues of God shall concurre and meete together in hell for the punishment of the damned But yet the eternity of that paine doth still increase the The eternitie of it horrour thereof there shall be no end of their punishment their fire shall neuer be quenched their worme shall neuer dye they shall seeke death as a benefite and shall not finde it The fire of Sodome was ended in a day the deluge of water that drowned the originall world lasted but a yeare the famine that plagued Aegypt lasted but seauen yeares the captiuity of Israell was ended in seauenty yeares but this wrath of GOD vpon the damned shall endure for
euer and euer Thus wee see what a horrible death the Apostle threatneth here while he saith if yee liue after the flesh yee shall dye The Lord giue vs wise and vnderstanding hearts that wee may ponder it according to the waight thereof and it may be to vs a liuely voyce of God to prouoke vs to slee from that fearfull wrath which is to come But if yet mortifie c. Here followes the other member In the most regenerate there is some thing that needes to be mortified of the argument taken from the great vantage wee receiue by mortifying the lusts of the body if wee doe so wee shall liue Here also we haue first to consider that albeit the Apostle affirmed before verse 9 that these godly Romanes were not in the flesh yet now hee exhorts them to a further mortification of the lusts of the flesh which were superfluous if there were nothing in them that needed to be mortified then we see clearely which wee may also feele in our selues that so long as wee liue in the body there is euer some remanent life of sinne which wee haue neede to mortifie and put out In this battell we must sight without intermission till we haue gotten the victory for who can say that he hath in such sort â—ut away his superfluities that there remaynes nothing in him which hath need of reforming beleeue me when they are cut off they spring when they are chased For out of the stony rocke springeth noysome weedes away they returne when they are once quenched they kindle againe except thou dissemble thou shalt alway finde within thy selfe something that hath need to be subdued There is nothing hardâ—r sayth Cyrill than the Rocke yet in the Cyril seames and clifts thereof the noysome weede fasteneth her roote and springes out and albeit there be no man in the vvorld stronger than a Christian yet is hee oftentimes buffered by Sathan and sinne which hath fastened their roote in him sends out her inordinate motions and affections against which hee hath neede to fight continually But here it is inquired how doth the Apostle require That which God works in vs he callâ—â— it our worke this of them that they should mortifie their lusts lyeth it in the power of man to doe it To this I answere first that as man gaue life to sinne so is hee bound to put out the life thereof vpon no lesse paine than condemnation and therefore iustly is it required of him Secondly these same good vvorkes which the Lord workes in vs hee is content to asscribâ— them to vs and calles them ours Of our selues wee Phil. 2. 12. must say with the Apostle we are not sufficient of our selues Therefore we should be humble and giue God the glory to thinke so much as a good thought our sufficiencie is of God and it is hee who worketh in vs both the will and the deed so hee workes in vs that he makes vs through his grace willing workers with him through him that strengthens vs vve are able to doe all things and therefore the praise of all the good wee can doe should be ascribed vnto God When Dauid had offered to God abundance of siluer and gold and other mettels which hee had prepared for the house of God hee concludes in the humilitie of his heart what am I O Lord and what is my people that wee should be 1 Chroâ— 29. 14 able to offer willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine owne hand haue wee giuen thee But much more when wee doe any worke of sanctification for the building of our selues vp into a spirituall Temple to the Lord our God we may say O Lord all the good wee can doe is of thee and of thine owne hand wee haue giuen backe vnto thee for except thou Lord hadst giuen vnto vs grace wee should neuer haue giuen to thee obedience Presumptuous opinion of Merit damned Let therefore the presumptuous conceit of Merit yet againe be farre from vs seeing the good which wee doe is debt and is done also by the spirit of the Lord in vs let vs reserue the glory thereof vnto him Quaere dâ—na mea non Aug. de verb Apost serm 2 mâ—rita tua quâ—a si ego quaeâ—erâ—m mâ—rita tua non vâ—nires ad dona mea seeke my gifts saith Augustiâ—e speaking in the name of the Lord not thy merits for if I should seeke thâ— merits thou shouldest neuer be pertaker of my gifts When the Apostle Sant Paul had reckoned out how hee 1 Cor. 15. 10. had laboured more aboundantly in the worke of the ministerie then all the rest of the Apostles hee subioynes as it were be correction yet not I but the grace of God in me learning vs when we haue done all the good we can to be humble in our selues and giue the glory to God if he promise vs a crowne nihil aliud coronat nisi dona sua he crownes Aug. hom 14 no other thing but his owne gifts if by promise he bindes himselfe a debter vnto vs to giue vs a reward debitor factus Aug de verb. Apost ser 14. est nobis non aliquid a nobis accipiendo sed quod ille plâ—cuit promittendo he is become a debter vnto vs not by receiuing any thing from vs but by promising freely to vs that which pleased him and therefore when we are exhorted to mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit let vs first turne this and the like of the precepts into prayers that the Lord would enable vs by grace to doe that which he commaunds vs and then when in some measure we haue done it that we returne the praise and glory to the Lord. A tryall of our Mortification Mortifie c. Seeing the first part of our sanctification is called mortification we are to consider how in this word there lurkes a rule whereby euery man may try how farre forth hee hath profited in sanctification we see by experience that the neerer a man drawes to death the lesse motion is in him but after hee is once dead hee moues not at all present him pleasant obiects they delight him not praise him yet he is not puffed vp speake euill of him yet hee is not offended euen so is it with the spirituall man the greater progresse he makes in sanctification the motions of sin are euer the weaker in him the pleasures of the world moues him not as they were wont if thou praisâ— him the breath of thy mouth cannot lift him vp if thou offend him the more he is mortified the lesse he is grieued As a man saith Basilâ— being dead is seperate from those with whom hee was conuersant before so hee who is mortified is instantly sundred in his affections from those who befoâ—e were his familiar companions in sinne yea those actions wherein he delighted before are a griefe vnto him now it is a
vexation of his soule to heare and â—â—e the vnrighteous deedes of the wicked which were wont to be vnto him the matter of his sport and laughter Therefore doth he wish and so should we that we might Death to sinne takes not life away but restores it alwayes die this kinde of death foelix mâ—rs quae alienum facit hominem ab hoc saeculâ— certainly it is a happy death which alienates and turnes away the heart of man from the loue of this world Bona mors quippe vitam non aufert sed transfert in melius for it is a good kinde of death which doth not take life away but changes it into a better But alas how farre are we from this spirituall disposition doth not the angry countenance of one in worldly authority terrifie vs the disdainfull words of men doe they not put vs out of the state of patience if the world flatter vs are we not puft vp if shee frowne vpon vs are wee not cast downe and this our great vveaknesse proceedes onely from the strength of sinne in vs this lets vs see vvhat cause we haue to be humbled considering that hauing liued long in this time of grace yet haue we profited little in the mortification of our sinfull lusts and affections Againe out of this same vvord of Mortification vvee learne that the vvorke of our Sanctification is a vvorke of difficultie not accomplished without labour paine and dolour Sanctification is a worke of difficulty for it is a birth a death a circumcision c. for it receiues these three names as to be called Mortification Regeneration and Circumcision As no birth no death no cutting off the flesh can be without dolour and sorrow so the conuersion of a sinner is not wrought without inward paine and sorrow The Infant that hath laid but nine Moneths in the wombe of the mother is not deliuered without great paine suppose she conceiued it with pleasure and shalt thou thinke to part with sinne which in thee was conceiued with thee and which since so often thou hast nourished with pleasure and not to proue the dolours of the New-birth No assuredly In the worke of mans conuersion there is the contrite spirit the humbled heart the mourning weede the melting eye the pale countenance the voyce of lamentation let not such as feele them if they finde therewith a sundring of their affections from their old sinnes be troubled for these are but the dolours of their new birth and for others who know not these inward humiliations and wrestlings of the Children of God they haue iust cause to suspect themselues that they haue not so much as the beginnings of Mortification Regeneration and spirituall Circumcision By the Spirit Nature will not destroy our sinfull lusts The knife by which beastly lusts are slaine to be sacrificed they are mortified by the Spirit of Christ and therefore wee are to nourish entertaine this Spirit by the meanes before prescribed As those Beasts which were sacrificed to God vnder the Law were first slaine by the knife of the Leuite and then offered to God vpon the Altar so the Lord Iesus must mortifie our affections by the power of his word and Spirit before they can be presented acceptable sacrifices to Mac. hom 1. the Lord our God Yee shall liue As I spake of death which is threatned so Temporall life is not the recompense of righteousnesse and why 1 Cor. 15. 19. speake I of life here promised this temporall life cannot be the recompense of righteousnesse for it is common both to the Godly and the wicked If in this life onely we had hope of all men wee were the most miserable but the life here promised is eternall life the beginning vvhereof presently we enioy by the Spirit of our Lord who hath quickned vs so that vvee may say now I liue yet not I but Christ Iesus Gal. 2. 20. liueth in mee the accomplishment thereof vve looke for hereafter Thus hath the Apostle set before vs both life and death he hath shewed vs the way how we may eschew the one and attaine to the other the Lord graunt that according to his counsell vvee may make choyse of the best Verse 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sonnes of God IN this Verse the Apostle subioynes a confirmation He proues the lâ—st part of his preceding argument of his preceding argument in the last part thereof hee hath said If yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the Spirit yee shall liue now hee proues it They who mortifie the deedes of the body by the Spirit or they who are led by the Spirit of God for these phrases are equiualent are the Sonnes of God therefore they must liue the necessitie of the consequence is euident of that which followeth the Sonnes of God are the Heyres of God heyres annexed with Iesus Christ and the heritage whereunto they are borne is eternall life therefore of necessitie they must liue Here first wee haue to consider what action and operation The operation of the Spirit is eyther vniuersall extending to all his creatures of the spirit this is which distinguisheth the Sonnes of God from other men The operations of the Spirit are diuers hee hath an vniuersall operation by which he workes in all his creatures conseruing leading and directing them to his owne determined ends for in him euery thing that is hath the being liuing and mouing as euery creature is made by God so is it ruled and led by the Spirit according to his appointment Hee hath againe a more speciall operation in man and this is also diuers for first all skilfull and cunning working Or speciall and this is manifold of Artificers is a certaine operation of the Spirit therefore is it that Bezaâ—eel is said to be filled with the Spirit of God Exod. 31. and these cunning men to vvhom the Lord directs Moses Cunning working of Artificers is of him Exod. 28. 2. Gifts of gouernment are of him for the making of Aarons holy garments glorious and beautifull are said there to be filled of the Lord by the Spirit of wisedome but this is not his operation vvhereby the sonnes of God are discerned Secondly all gifts of gouernement are of the operation of this Spirit in this sense it is said that the Spirit of the Lord came vpon Saul vvhen of a common man God made him a kingly man meete for gouernment and so also God tooke off the Spirit vvhich was vpon Moses and communicated it to the seauentie Elders Thirdly prophecying and preaching is an operation Prophecying and preaching are also of him Numb 24. 1. 1 Cor. 12. of the Spirit therefore saith Moses of Balaam when he prophecyed that the Spirit of God came vpon him and the Apostle teacheth vs that there are diuersities of gifts but one and the same Lord diuersitie of administrations but the same Spirit diuersitie of
benefite hee receiues of vs for nothing can accresse by the meanes of any creature to that most high and al-sufficient maiestie Sâ—d vt haberit in quem sua benefiâ—ia collâ—caret but that hee might haue some vpon whom to bestow his benefits for the declaration of the glorie of his rich mercie Yet both the Adoptions agrees in this that they flow The naturall giues to the Adopted the priuiledges of a sonne from the pleasure and good will of him vvho is the adoptant and that they giue to him who is adopted the priuiledges of a Sonne which by nature he hath not but where the naturall adoptant cannot change the nature of that man whom hee hath adopted to be his Sonne no more then Moses qui Aethiopissam duxit sed non potuit Aethiopissae mutare colorem who married an Aethiopian vvoman but could not change the Aethiopians colour but the Lord our God were wee neuer so blacke if hee marry vs hee shall make vs beautifull if by the grace of Adoption he make But the spirituall giues also the new nature and conditions of a Sonne vs his sonnes by the grace of Regeneration hee shall also make vs new creatures all the sonnes of GOD are made partakers of the Diuine nature Take heede therefore vnto your liues and conuersations for if ye goe on to spend the remanent of your dayes after the inordinate lusts of the flesh and walke on in gluttonie and drunkennesse in chambering and wantonnes in adulterie in strife and enuy in couctousnesse and such other workes of vncleannesse wherein many among you doe yet continue wee must say vnto you that ye haue not God for your Father but ye are of your father the Diuell because ye doe his workes except wee see in you the Image and superscription of God and that ye haue engrauen in your conuersation as Aaron Exod. 28. 36. had vpon his frontlet Holinesse to the Lord we cannot blesse you in the name of the Lord nor acknowledge you for such as are his by Adoption And of this againe wee marke that the sonnes of God The Sonnes of God after their receiuing the Spirit of Adoption know that God is their Father know most certainely that God is become their heauenly Father for in this they are taught of God by his owne spirit to acknowledge him and call vpon him with boldnesse as vpon their Father It is therefore a vile errour which that most comfortlesse religion of the Papists renders to them who seeke comfort in it that no man in this life can know whether he be beloued or hated of God nor can haue any certaine knowledge of his owne saluation except it be by extraordinarie reuelation we improued it at length in the ninth verse It is true naturall children may be ignorant of their earthly Father and puft vp with a vaine conceit that they are descended of a more noble parentage then indeed they are as the â—latterers of Alexander would haue him to thinke that hee was the Sonne of Iupiter and not of Phillip but being wounded in a battell hee was taught by experience that hee was the mortall Sonne of a mortall Father and therefore smyling vpon his â—latterers hee said vnto them this bloud seemeth to mee not to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not like the strong bloud of GOD but the bloud of man But as for the Children of God they can not be deceiued of their generation they know that God is their Father and with greater homelinesse and more freedome of spirit yea and surer knowledge they call God their Father then any son in the world is able to call on his earthly Father Whereby we cry The Apostle here doth teach vs that it No prayer to God without the spirit of God is by the spirit of Adoption wee pray vnto God without that Spirit men may speake of God but without him they cannot speake vnto God Prayer is a proper action of the sons of God The Apostle describing them who are Saints by calling saith they are sanctified by Christ and call vpon the name of the Lord Iesus hee ioynes these two together to tell vs that they who are not called by God and sanctified in Christ cannot call vpon him as for prophane men it is certain they cannot pray though they repeat that prayer Our father which art in heauen what else doe they but multiply lyes as they multiply words Onely the spirit of Adoption teacheth the Children of How the godly sometime are transported in Prayer 2 King 2. God to pray Prayer is vnto them like that firie Chariot in the which Eliah was caried from earth to heauen by it they are transported to haue their conuersation with God and speake to him in so familiar a manner that they know not those things which are beside them neyther see they those things which are before them being in the body they are caried out of the body they present to the Lord sighs which cannot be expressed and vtters to the Lord such words as they themselues are not able to repeat againe and that all this proceedes from the operation of the Spirit who bends vp their affections and teacheth them to pray is euident by this that when this holy Spirit intermits or relents his working in them they become senselesse and heauy harted more readie to sleepe with Peter Iames and Iohn than to watch Mat. 26. 38. and pray with Iesus yea suppose it were in the very houre of tentation Wee cry c. The Apostle you see reckons himselfe among The godly should cry together not one against an other others who cryes by this Spirit of Adoption though the children of God be many yet seeing they all are led by one spirit they should all cry for one thing vnto God the assemblies of the Church militant on earth should resemble as neere as they can the glorious assemblies of the Church triumphant in heauen many are they who followes the Lambe their voyce is like vnto the voyce of many waters yet they all sing but one song so should there be among vs that are Christians but one voyce specially when we meete in the publike assemblies of the Church though wee were Vnion of desires in prayer commended neuer so many yet our affections and desires should concur in one and all of vs send vp one voyce to the Lord. Wee see that in nature coniunction of things which are of one kinde makes them much stronger many flames of fire vnited in one are not easily quenched many springs of water if they meet together in one make the stronger riuer but being deuided are the more easily ouercome Saint Iames Iames 5. 16. saith the prayer of one righteous man auailes much if it be powred out in faith what then shall we thinke of the prayers of many Oh what a blessing might wee looke for if vvee could ioyne in
Pet. 4. 14. Iesus for the Spirit of God and of glory rests on you which on their part is euill spoken of but on your part is glorified Thus we see quam magnos habeamus commilitones how great and Cir. catec 16 strong fellow-warriours wee haue to assist the Lord being so present with vs non vt seruos suos spectet tantum sed vt Cip. lib. 2. Epist. 6. ipse luctetur in nobis that he doth not onely behold his seruants in their conflicts but hee himselfe also doth wrestle in them Wherefor our further comfort if any man be desirous to Three things required to make our sufferings sufferings with Christ know whether if his sufferings be sufferings with Christ or not let him consider these three things first how Iesus receiued the Crosse as a cuppe giuen to him out of his Fathers hand neither looking to Iudas that betrayed him nor to the Iewes that pursued him Secondly hee receiued it not grudgingly nor impatiently but with an humble submission of his will to the will of his Father Thirdly hee suffered for this end that he might abolish sin and destroy him who had the power of death If these three concurre in thy sufferings thou mayest be sure they are suffrings with Christ first if passing by the instrument of thy trouble thou looke to the hand of God tempering and giuing it vnto thee secondly if thou receiue it with a humble submission of thy spirit to him who is the Father of Spirits and thirdly if it worke in thee a mortification of thy sinfull lusts and affections And of this wee haue to make our vse in all our afflictions Comfort against inward Afflictions inward or outward and first concerning inward afflictions if at any time it please the Lord to exercise vs with fearefull agonies of Conscience let vs looke vnto GOD who kils and makes aliue who casts downe and raises vp let vs for a while beare his indignation he abides but a moment in his anger if wee finde that by them wee are more humbled wakened out of securitie and stirred vp more feruently to pray and that the life of sinne is weakened in vs let vs be out of all doubt that these inward troubles are sufferings with Christ whose soule for our sinnes was heauie vnto the death and his body did sweat blood through the vehement anguish of his spirit And as for outward sufferings Comfort against outward Afflictions which wee suffer either in name Ambrose they are either such as concernes our Name our goods or our persons As for those which concerne our name it is a singular pollicy of Sathan to beare downe the children of God in the estimation of others vt qui conscientiae suae luce clarescunt alienis rumoribus sordidentur that they who are glorious in the light of their owne conscience may be made filthy by the false reports of others and so made vnprofitable to doe others the good that they would but let vs in such tentations learne from Dauid to looke vnto God and not to Shimei vsing the vndeserued contumelies of men as profitable meanes to worke in vs that inward humiliation which our manifold sinnes though not against man yet against God requireth of vs so shall we suffer with him who being the innocent Lambe of God sustayned neuerthelesse great contradiction of sinners reproched to be one possessed with a Dâ—â—ell notwithstanding that hâ—e was the very sonne of God filled in his manhood with the holy Ghost And as concerning the losse of worldly goods who euer Or in our goods be the instrument learne thou to take it as a cup out of the hand of thy heauenly Father after the example of Iâ—b who passing by the Sabeans the Caldeans looked to the hand â—â— God the Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken saith Iob. 1. 21. he blessed be the name of the Lord. It is not for lack of loue that the mother withdrawes from the Childe the vse of the pap but that she may acquaint him with stronger meat and if the Lord take from vs these transitorie things it is not because we are not beloued of him but that we may set our hearts vpon those things which are more waighty and permanent which if we doe then are our sufferings sufferings with him who being rich became poore that in all things we might be made rich in him And the same are we to doe in those troubles which wee Or in our persons Heb. 12. 9. sustaine in our bodies for if as the Apostle saith we haue had Fathers of our bodies who haue corrected vs and wee haue giuen them reuerence should we not much rather be in subiection to the father of Spirits that we might liue and if wee can yeeld our bodies to Phisitions to be cut or burnt at their pleasure how much more should we submit them to the Lord in all humble contentment to be chastised as hee will seeing he protests himselfe he doth it not but for our singular profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse We shal raigne with Christ. Worldlings wrestles for their In trouble it is expedient to looke vnto the end thereof corruptible crowne as vncertaine whether they shal obtaine it or no but it is not so with the Christian wee runne not as vncertaine we are sure that if we suffer with Christ we shall also raigne with him though for the present no trouble be sweet yet is the end thereof most comfortable and we are by the eyes of faith to looke vnto it least our present manifold tentations driue vs vnto impatience for as he that going through a strong running riuer is in danger to fall and drowne by reason of the dissinesse of his braine vnlesse hee sixe his eyes vpon the bancke so shall we be ready to saint in affliction vnlesse we looke to the comfortable end thereof If we shall looke to Lazarus vpon the dunghill and Ioseph in the prison what can we iudge them to be but miserable men but if we consider their end we shall see the one in Abrahams bosome and the other raigning in great glorie vnder Pharaoh in Egipt then shall we say verely there is fruit for the righteous and we shall finde it true which here the Apostle saith that if we suffer with Christ wee shall also raigne with him Verse 18. For I count that the afflictions of this present time are not worthie of the glory to be reuealed THe Apostle here subioynes an amplification of Amplification of the first principall argument his first argument wee shall not onely saith he raigne with Christ but raigne in such a glorie as doth so farre surmount all our present sufferings that if they be weighed together in a balance the one shall be found but light in regard of the other For I count The word the Apostle vseth here imports He that tasted both of present sufferings and of glory
confidence on GOD and here the creature is brought in teaching vs to become weary of our present seruitude of sinne and to long for our promised deliuerance This is that miserable estate whereunto man is brought How farre man by apostacie hath degenerated from his originall glory by his apostacie from God In the beginning man was made Lord and gouernour of all the creatures in one day he called them all before him and gaue them names according to their kindes as one who knew them better in their nature and vertue then they did themselues and they all by comming at his call to his Court acknowledged him vnder God their superiour and Lord this was a part of mans glory in the beginning but now falling away from God hee hath also so farre degenerated from his owne kind that he is become inferiour to the beasts as Balaam Asse was wiser then his maister so the creatures in their kind reprooue the foolishnes of man who was their Lord. Waiteth The word import a continuall act of expectation The waiting of the creature may make man ashamed that waites not for that glorie their expectation expecteth this earnest vvaiting of the creature may make vs ashamed of our blockish dulnes that haue not our mindes and hearts set continually vpon that day of our redemption notwithstanding that exhortation belongs vnto vs that wee should looke for that day and hast vnto it As the creatures were not made for themselues 1 Pet. 3. but for vs so they shal not be restored for themselues but for vs for the greater augmentation of our Glory and if they who shall haue but the second roome long for that day how should we long for it for whom that glory chiefly is prepared When the sonnes of God shall be reuealed The sonnes of The sonnes of God now are not reuealed God are now said not to be reuealed in two respects first because their persons are not reuealed secondly because the glory and dignity is not yet reuealed As for the persons In regard of their persons which now are not knowne of elect men it is true the Lord knoweth who are his and makes themselues also after their effectuall calling to know that they are his his Spirit bearing testimonie vnto their spirits that they are the sonnes of God he giues vnto them that new Name vvhich none knowes but they vvho haue it but now they are not so reuealed that they are knowne of the world For this cause the world knowes you not because Ioh. 15. 20. 22. it knowes not him The good wheate of the Lord is now so couered with chaffe and his excellent pearles are locked vp in earthen vessels the vessel is seene and contemned for the basenesse thereof the pearle is not seene and therefore not esteemed according to the excellencie thereof beside this there are many of the sonnes of God not yet come into the world and many already gone out of it whom vvee know not but in that generall assembly all the Saints of GOD shall be gathered together into one at the right hand of the Lord Iesus and shall be clearely manifested that the wicked their enemies shall know them and be confounded to behold them And of this ariseth a warning to vs all that none of vs This learnes vs not to despise other men because we know not what they are in Gods election despise another but that euen those who for the present are euill and contrary minded wee waite vpon them patiently proouing if at any time God vvill giue them repentance that they may come out of the snare of the Diuell The sons of God are not yet reuealed he that presently is an enemie in regard of his rebellious conuersation what knowest thou whether in the counsell of GOD hee be one of Gods chosen children or not and if hee be so thou maist be sure that ere hee dye the Lord shall conuert him if not of a persecuter to make him a Preacher as hee did Paul yet at least a Professour of that same truth which thou hast embraced Secondly not onely are the persons of Gods sonnes vnknowne but their glory also now is obscured and their life In regard of their glorie which now is obscured Col 3. 3. is hid with Christ they are accounted the off-scowrings of the earth and intreated in the world as if they were the onely men to whom shame and ignominie did appertaine yea their glory is not knowne vnto themselues euen those who haue receiued the new Name and the testimonie of the Spirit recording to them that they are the Sonnes of God when they looke to their contemptible bodies and abundant corruption in their soules they seeme vnto themselues to be nothing lesse than the sonnes of God I marke it that wee The sonnes of God shold not iudge of themselues by their present state may learne to beware of Sathans pollicie whereby he carrieth vs to iudge of our selues by our present estate which cannot but breed in vs horrible feare and doubtings To this craft let vs oppone that comfort of the Apostle dearely beloued 1 Iohn 3. now are we the Sonnes of God yet doth it not appeare what we shall be it is but the beginnings and not the perfection of grace and glory which we haue in this life by the beginnings let vs know that we are the sonnes of God and where we finde no perfection let vs not be discouraged remembring this is the time wherein the glory of the sonnes of God is not yet reuealed We are here againe further to consider that vvhere the Comfortable that where the Lord cals the rest of his works his creatures he calleth vs his sonnes Lord giues vnto the rest of his workes the name of a creature hee vouchsafes vpon vs the names of sonnes shewing vs that albeit in regard of creation we are his creatures and come vnder that same name with the rest of his works yet now in regard of his grace communicated vnto vs wee are much more than that which wee were by creation and in that respect more esteemed of by him then all the rest of his workes beside As a Father counteth much more of his sonne whom hee hath begotten than he doth of all other things he hath whatsoeuer so the Lord our God esteemes more pretious vnto him one of these his excellent ones whom he hath begotten in his beloued Sonne the Lord Iesus than he doth of all others besides For their sakes hee reprooues Kings hee alters the course of nature and turneth vp-side downe the state of things in the world yea he shall declare at length that they are his onely treasure from the time that once he gets them all gathered vnto him the administration of this world as now it is shall cease and take an end Oh that we could stirre vp our hearts to a thankfulnesse Our duty againe craues that in our heart wee
hath it Hope againe lookes for a future possession of Christ which shall be much more excellent than that which presently we enioy for the possession of Christ which now I haue by Faith is 1 Cor. 13. 9. 10. imperfect and mediate by Faith I know Christ but in part by Faith I apprehend him but in part also and this possession I haue it mediately to wit by the meanes of the Word and Sacraments but my hope directs mee to looke for a more excellent possession of Christ within a short while in whom I shall enioy much more than now by the knowledge of my Faith I can see in him or yet by apprehension of my Faith I can comprehend of him And this is that perfect and immediate possession of Christ which by Hope we looke for Now as for their mutuall relation among themselues Faith and hope compared in their mutuall relation betweene themselues Faith is of things past present and to come Hope is onely of things to come Faith is more largely extended than Hope we hope for nothing vvhich vve beleeue not but something vvee beleeue for vvhich vve hope not vve beleeue that the paines of hell abide the wicked but we hope them not for hope is an expectation of good to come they may fall vnder feare but come not vnder hope Againe Faith is the mother of Hope for of that imperfect knowledge and apprehension of Christ which I haue by Faith there ariseth in mee an hope and expectation of a better Hope againe is not onely the daughter of Faith but the conseruer and nourisher of Faith the piller that vnderprops it when it faints for in this life wee are beset vvith so manifold tentations the worke of God seeming oftentimes contrary to his word and things appearing to fall out otherwise than the Lord hath promised that our Faith thereby is wonderfully daunted and therefore hath need to be supported by Hope vvhich teacheth alwayes with patience to depend vpon Gods truth and to looke for a better As for example the Lord saith Call vpon me in the day of thy trouble Psal 50. 15. I will heare thee and deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me according to this promise the Christian calling vpon God and yet not finding deliuerance his Faith begins to faint but then Hope comes in and succoureth Faith and her counsell is the vision is for an appointed time at last it shall Habak 2. 3. speake and not lye though it tarry waite for it shall surely come and not stay and this Faith being strengthened by Hope continues her prayers to God vntill she obtaine her promised and desired deliuerance And of this it is euident in what sense it is that the Apostle The right place assigned to euery one of these three Faith Hope Loue in the worke of saluation saith wee are saued by Hope to vvit because by it vvee are vpholden in trouble for he is not here disputing of the manner of our Iustification which he hath done before but discoursing of those comforts vvhich we haue to sustaine vs in affliction If ye aske by which of these three Faith Hope and Loue we are iustified that is by which of them we apprehend Christs righteousnes offered to vs in the Gospell the Apostle hath aunswered already wee are iustified by Faith If ye demand which of these three chiefely sustaines vs in affliction the Apostle here telleth you that vvhen Faith is weake Hope saues vs that vve despaire not and if yee demand which of these three declares vs to be men iustified by Faith in Christ the Apostle telleth you vvee must declare our Faith by good workes for Faith vvorketh by Loue these are the right places which these three excellent graces of the Spirit hath in the worke of our saluation and they goe so ioyntly together that they cannot be sundred When we say that a man is iustified by Faith onely vve doe not therefore make the iustified man to be vvithout Hope and Loue. For albeit in the action of the apprehending The doctrine of Iustification by faith onely takes not away Hope Loue. and applying of Christs righteousnesse Faith onely workes for which we say truely wee are iustified by Faith onely yet Hope and Loue haue other actions pertaining to saluation necessarily requisite in the iustified man And this doth cleare vs of that false calumnie wherewith the aduersaries doe charge vs as if we did teach that Faith might Calumnie of the aduersarie concerning this confuted be without Hope or Loue. because we affirme that vve are iustified by Faith onely I say most truely vvhen I say that among all the members of the body the eye onely sees but if any man collect of my speech that the eye is onely in the body without eare or hand he concludes wrong For albeit in the facultie of seeing I say the eye onely sees yet doe I not for that seperate it from the communion of the rest of the members of the body In the Sunne heat and light goe inseparably together of these two it is the heat onely that warmes vs doe I therefore say that the heat is without the light Among all the graces of the Spirit when I say that Faith onely iustifies I doe but point out the proper action of Faith but doe not therefore seperate it from Hope and Loue. So farre iniurious are the aduersaries of the truth vnto vs when they accuse vs for maintaining a Faith which is without Hope and doth not worke by Loue which we neuer affirmed Of this now it is euident that the Hope of a Christian Hope of a Christian is a strong thing depending on sure warrants must be very strong seeing it sustaines him in trouble it is a pillar that sustaines the whole building and a most sure anchor which being fastned vpon the rocke Christ Iesus holds vs so fast that we who are weake vessels tost too and fro vvith restles tribulations cannot be ouercome it leanes vpon most certaine vvarrants vvhereof now we will onely consider a few The first vvarrant of our hope is the vvord of GOD The first warrant of our Hope is the word of God 1 Pet 7. 4. whereof novv onely vve vvill touch these two comfortable places The Apostle saith there is reserued for vs in heauen an immortall inheritance vnto the which wee also are kept by the power of God through faith A word certainely full of all comfort that inheritance which the Lord keepes for me in heauen who can disappoint me of it and seeing I am kept by his power on earth for that same inheritance vvho can take me out of his hand he reserues my portion in heauen for me he keepes me on earth for it what then is there that is able to disappoint me of this hope Againe compare me these two together that the Father speaking from heauen saith of Christ this is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well
Mark 9. 7. pleaseâ— heare him the Sonne againe to vvhom the Father hath sent you he saith feare not little flocke it is my Fathers Luke 12. 32. will to giue you a kingdome not for your worthinesse but for the good pleasure of his owne will O what a strong consolation and fortresse of our Hope haue wee heere the Father commands vs to heare his Sonne the sonne assures vs that it is his Fathers vvill to giue vs a kingdome therefore will vve casting away faithlesse feare possesse our soules in patience looking by a constant hope for performance of that kingdome vvhich he hath promised vs. The second warrant of our hope is the Oath of God The second warrant of our hope is the oath of God surely the vvord of GOD in it selfe is as true when it is spoken as when it is sworne but for the strengthening of our vveake faith it hath pleased the Lord to ioyne his oath with his word being willing to shew vnto the heyres of promise Heb. 6. 18. more aboundantly the stabilitie of his counsell hath bound himselfe by an oath that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lye wee might haue strong consolation vvho haue our refuge to hold fast the hope vvhich is set before vs. The third vvarrant of our hope is the legacâ—e and testament The third warrant of our hope is the legacy of Christ of Christ in the vvhich he doth not onely by prayer recommend vs to Gods eternal mercy but more particularly he assures vs that he is gone to prepare a place for vs and that he will come againe to receiue vs vnto himselfe that where he is there also we may be And further speaking vnto his Father he saith Father I will that those whom thou hast giuen mee be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast giuen me Shall we thinke that the Father will disannul the testament of his Sonne O how comfortable is it to compare these two the Father saith vnto the Sonne Aske of me what thou wilt and I will giue it thee the Sonne againe asketh of the Father that they who are his may be where he is shall wee not then rest in hope assured to be glorified vvith him The fourth pillar of our hope is the bloud of Iesus The fourth is the bloud of the Lord Iesus Christ shed for vs by vvhich he hath subscribed and sealed all the promises of GOD to be yea and Amen A testament saith the Apostle is ratified by the death of a testator and the Lord Iesus by his death hath confirmed the testament that bloud vvhich hee hath poured out as the price of our redemption cryes continually vnto God for vs vntill the redemption of our soules and bodies be perfected The fift warrant of our hope is the pledge of the Spirit The fift is the pledge of the Spirit giuen vs on earth vvhich the Lord Iesus according to his promise hath sent downe into our hearts By him saith the Apostle wee are sealed against the day of redemption hee is an earnest giuen vs from him who is faithfull and true and therefore may vve assuredly looke to receiue the principal summe Praesentia gratiae attestatur foelicitatem promissae gloriae sine dubio sequuturam the presence of grace now testifyeth vnto vs that the felicitie of the promised Glory shall certainely follow And the last warrant is the pledge of our nature which The sixt is the pledge of our nature taken vp into heauen the Lord Iesus hath carryed from earth vnto heauen and hath placed at the right hand of his Father and therein hath taken possession for vs and in our name therefore the Apostle saith that hee hath entred into heauen as our fore-runner calling him so in regard of vs who through him are also to enter in after him these are the sixe pillars and strong confirmations of our hope vvhich in all troubles sustaine it vnder a certaine expectation of that redemption of the possession which is to come But hope that is seene is not hope The Apostle to confirme A short description of the Nature of Hope his reason subioynes a short description of the nature of hope that it is of things vvhich are to come and not yet seene for that which is present and a man seeth he cannot be said to hope for it yea then shall hope cease vvhen wee shall enioy that which we hope for Spes tunc non erit quando August erit res In the first of these words Hope is put for the thing Hoped in the second for the vertue of Hope it selfe and thus much of Hope Verse 25. But if wee hope for that which we see not wee doe with patience abide for it THe Apostle here concludes not onely this his The conclusion of his first principall argument of comfort against the crosse last purpose vvherein he hath taught vs that the very nature of hope leades vs to looke for some better thing which is to come but also he concludes his first principall argument of comfort making this to be the end of all that it becomes vs with patience to abide our promised deliuerance And albeit for memories sake wee haue reduced all that hee hath spoken into one principall argument yet may wee see how vnder this one many particular reasons are heaped vp together tending all to this one conclusion that we should abide it with patience First wee haue heard that the nature of Sixe seuerall reasons of comfort lurking vnder this one our sufferings are so changed that they are now made sufferings with Christ Secondly that the end of them is to be glorified with Christ Thirdly that the glory to come doth farre exceede in waight and eternitie our present sufferings Fourthly that the creatures haue a feruent desire of the reuelation of that glory Fiftly that they also vvho haue receiued the first fruites of the Spirit are wearie of their present misery and wait for the redemption to come And last that in all our troubles we are saued and sustained with the hope of that vvhich is to come and not vvith a present possession of that which we would haue In all these respects it becomes vs not onely to be of good comfort for the present but also patiently to looke for a better The Apostle brings in his conclusion vpon his last argument but we are to consider that it hath an eye vnto all that goes before and that euery one of those reasons aforesaid serueth to strengthen this conclusion that if wee hope for that which is to come then will we with patience abide for it We haue first to marke a difference betweene the Christian The worldlings comfort is in things that are seene the Christians not so and the Worldling the Worldling hath his affection on things which are seene hee cannot mount aboue them hee hath receiued his consolation
which runneth into it so he that vvould proceed from Election to Glorification let him follow this Calling vvhich is so to call it a riuer flowing out of the brasen mountaines of Gods eternall Election running perpetually vpward till it enter into the heauen of heauens vvhich doe altogether ouerflow vvith that great and vnbounded Ocean of diuine Glory but vvee are still to remember that vvee speake now of the inward Calling for the lincke◠of this Chaine are so comely framed by that most skilfull Artificer that they are all of a like compasse none of them larger nor narrower than another so that this Calling doth extend to no more nor fewer than those vvhom God hath chosen This inward calling is the donation of Faith by the What the inward calling is preaching of the Gospell or communication of the sauing grace of Iesus by vvhich vvee are moued to answere the Lord and follow the heauenly vocation for as the Lord by the preaching of the Gospell offers vnto all that are in the Church visible righteousnesse and life by Christ if they vvill repent and beleeue vvherein consists the outward Calling so by his holy Spirit hee giueth to his Elect children iustifying Faith by vvhich he openeth their hearts as hee did the heart of Lidia to receiue the grace offered by the Gospell and herein consists the inward Calling The vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhereby the Apostle expresseth it In this Calling there is a taking of some leauing of others signifieth to euocate and choose out some from among others this shall make the greatnesse of Gods mercy toward vs appeare the more clearely if wee doe consider that vve and the reprobate were alike by nature borne blinderebels and transgressors from the wombe and did vvalke on vvith them in the same course of disobedience vvhich leadeth to damnation but it pleased God to call vs out of their fellowship and enter vs in a better course that vve might be saued A notable example whereof vve haue in the calling of Lot out of Sodome the Lord hauing concluded to consume Sodome with fire for her abhominable filthinesse he first of all sent two Angels to call Lot out of it but Lot not knowing the danger lingred and delayed to follow their calling till at the length they put hands vnto him and forced him to goe out but when he was set vpon the mountaine and knew the fearefull destruction of Sodome then no doubt he acknowledged the wonderfull mercy which God had shewed vpon him it is euen so with vs we are here soiourning in a Sodome God hath taken vs out from amōg the children of wrath as he tooke Lot out of Sodome vvhich God will destroy and wee haue our conuersation among those vvhose portion shall be in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone from which the Lord being purposed to saue vs hath sent his Angels to vs not two but manie Ministers of the Gospell of Grace exhorting vs to flye from the wrath which is to come but alas because we know not the danger we flye slowly and delay to follow the heauenly vocation but in that day wherein we shall be set vpon the mountaine of Gods saluation and shall stand at the right hand of Iesus and heare that fearefull condemnation of the wicked Depart from me c. when we shal see the earth open and swallow them then shall we reioyce and prayse the mercie of our God O happy time vvherein the Lord sent his messengers among vs to call vs from the fellowship of the damned There is no difference by nature betweene the Elect and No difference by nature betweene elect men reprobate till our calling make it reprobate neyther in inward nor outward disposition till God make it by grace Paul as bloudy a persecuter as euer vvas Domitian or Iulian. Zacheus as vnconscionable and couetous a Worldling as was that rich Glutton damned to hell The elect and reprobate men before Grace make a difference are like two men vvalking in one iourney vvith one minde and one heart like Eliah and Elisha walking and talking together when a chariot of fire did incontinent seperate them and Eliah is taken vp into heauen Elisha left vpon the earth not vnlike is it when the vnlooked for calling of God commeth and seperateth those two who before were walking together yea running in the same excesse of ryot the one changing the course of his life returneth back again to the Lord from whom he had fallen whereas the other not touched with the same Calling meruailes that his former companion hath forsaken him and walketh stil on stubbornly in the former course of his sinnes to his condemnation Apply this vnto your selues and see whether this effectuall Calling hath seperated you in your conuersation from the wicked or not an euident argument that ye shall be seperated from them in their condemnation Blessed is he that Psal 1. walketh not in the counsell of the wicked nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornefull And if wee finde after tryall that the Lord hath called The time of our calling is to vs as the deliuerance from Egipt or the yeare of Iubily to Israel vs then should vvee alway shew forth his prayses vvho hath translated vs from darknesse into his meruailous light The Lord shewed a great mercie to Israell vvhen hee deliuered them out of the house of bondage he set the remembrance of that benefit in the forefront of his law as a bond euer oblieging them vnto thankfulnesse but their bondage was not so horrible as ours Pharaoh oppressed their bodies and compelled them to worke in bricke and clay yet their spirits were free to sigh and crie to GOD for the bondage but here so long as wee were the slaues of Sathan hee compelled vs to vvorke the abhominable vvorkes of darknesse and vncleannesse and therewithall did so captiue our spirits that wee could not so much as cry and sigh vnto God for the bondage and therefore our deliuerance should neuer goe out of our remembrance and our hearts and mouthes should euer be filled with the prayses of our Redeemer when we think of this yeare of Iubilie wherin he hath opened the doore of the prison and set vs at libertie as the freemen of God who were the captiued and bond-slaues of Sathan The Author of this calling is the Lord euen hee who Calling being a new creation is onely wrought by God calles things which are not and makes them to be Calling is a new creation and the first resurrection The Lord that commanded light to shine out of darknesse is he who hath giuen to our mindes the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Iesus Christ It is he who creates in vs a new heart and puts in our bowels a new spirit that we may walke in his statutes As man when hee was not could not helpe to create himselfe
mention of fortie Martyrs who being striped naked were put foorth in the night to be pined with cold and afterward burnt with fire in the day Of these it is euident that nakednesse is one of those tentations whereby Sathan seekes to trouble our faith and patience but he who hath put on the Lord Iesus for a garment neither shame nor losse of naturall life procured by nakednesse can seperate him from the Loue of God Where wee may perceiue how different the dispositions The begged glory of world lings is in their apparell of the Châ—istian and the Worldlings are The men of this vvorld esteemes nakednesse their shame and places a great part of their glory in gorgeous garments and no maruell quia de proprio non habent decorem necesse est vt aliunde mendicent Bern. in cant serm 41. for hauing no glory of their owne they must borrow glory from others From the beasts of the earth they borrow skins and wool from the Fowles of heauen they borrow feathers from the Wormes they borrow silk from the Earth siluer and gold from the Waters pearles and of these doth man make vp his begged glory vvhose glorie in the beginning vvas to be clad in the image of God but what is it decor qui cum veste induitur vt cum veste deponitur Ber. ad Soph. Virg. epi. 113 vestis est non vestiti that beauty which is put on and put off with the garment is not the beauty of the person but of the garment Yet are these but licitae quodammodo insaniae if they be Vnder pretence of hiding their nakednes they shew forth their Nakednesse Cypri trac 2. de habi virg compared vvith the madnesse of others vvho alter by artifice the shape and colour of the countenance vvhich God hath giuen them Manus deo inferunt cum illud quod formauit reformare conantur for they put hands as it were into God while they prease to reforme that which GOD hath formed Nâ—scientes quia opus dei est â—mne quod nascitur diaboli quod mutatur I know they excuse their fact with the couerings of comelinesse and necessitie but praetexâ—u tâ—gâ—ndae turpitudinis Cyril catch 4. in matâ—rem turpitudinem incidunt for worldlings are neuer so naked as when they are best apparelled As for men truely godly they vvill thinke shame of wickednes but not of nakednesse imprâ—bum vocari te pudeat non pauperem Nazian sent aut ignobilem blind Egyptians may account sheepekeepers abhomination but true Israelits will thinke shame to be prophane but no man to be poore those godly ones in the wildernesse clad with sheepes skins and goates skins Hâ—b 11. 37. Acts 12. 21. were more honourable in the eyes of God than Herod in his royall robe of shining siluer glancing the more brightly by the shining of the Sun vpon it if wee will credit Iosâ—phus But what of all this our vnwillingnesse to want superfluitie of apparell argues that we are euill prepared to endure nakednesse for Christs sake Crosses should not be assumed by our selues but patiently borne when God layes them on Againe wee learne here that seeing nakednesse is one of those crosses whereby the Lord tryes the faith and patience of his children and that then it is time for vs to endure a crosse when God layes it vpon vs it cannot be good religion to impone it to our selues where God layes it not vpon vs. It is a hard thing to keepe mediocritie not to be either too remisse in religion or too superstitious Wil-worship what euer shew of godlinesse it hath in the eyes of men is but abhominable idolatry in the eyes of God and we are not to place true religion in those things which he hath not False Prophets weares rough garments to deceiue so they did of old and so they doe stil required the false Prophets ware a rough garment but it vvas to deceiue the Priests of Baal spared not to lance their owne flesh but it is reiected by God as blinde zeale to walke bare-footed or weare a garment of haire without linnen or vvool next the skinne to carry on our head a Franciscanes hood and at last to be buried in it If these things haue in them such holinesse as they pretend is it not a maruell their holy Father the Pope is not careful to make himselfe more holy by changing his triple Crowne vvith a Franciscanes hood or that his Cardinals are so inconsiderate as to redeeme by so excessiue prices a Cardinals hat the haire garment being better cheape and much more meritorious of eternall life Perils The life of a Christian is full of perils euery place 6 The Christian in euery place subiect to perils 2 Cor. 11. 16. vnto him is a palaestra in the sea in the land in the citie in the wildernes goe where he will he shall encounter with perils These are so many probations of our Faith and Patience of Gods truth and prouidence Our preseruation depends on our protector euen the Watch-man of Israel who neither slumbers nor sleepes As a Father hath compassion Comfort for the Christian in all perils on his children so hath the Lord on them who feare him and wee know that a naturall Father doth neuer looke more pittifully vpon his Child than when he sees him in greatest danger and shall we expect lesse kindnesse from our heauenly Father The men of this world when they send out their seruants in commission goes not with them themselues knowes not their danger and are not able to preserue them but the Lord our God when he sends out his seruants fore-sees the perill and goes with them to preserue them Feare not for when thou passest through the water I will be Esay 43. 2. with thee through the flouds that they doe not ouer flow thee The more perils we fall into the more experience haue we of Gods louing preseruing vs for the which wee may say perils may well make vs grow in the sense of the loue of God but cannot seperate vs from him Sword This is the last and by it the Apostle expresses 7 The Christian subiect also to violent death any kinde of violent death for vnto these also the seruants of God and his best beloued Children haue beene subiect euer from the beginning The Apostle glories that no kind of death can seperate vs from Christ yea as hee saith in another place it conioynes vs more neerely vnto him as Nebuchadnezzars Dan. 3. 25. fire loosed the bonds of the three children but hurt not their bodyes so death inflicted by man may loose our bodily bonds but cannot hurt our soules Non sunt â—mâ—nda spiritâ—i quae fiunt in carne quae extra nos est quasi vestimentum let not our spirit feare those things which are done in the flesh which is as a garment without vs. Thus we see how no kinde of crosse can seperate vs
how lamentable it is 125 Seruant of seruants is hee who is not Christs seruant 160. by what bands wee are bound to be Christs seruants 161. how wee are both swoâ—ne and hired and haue receiued wages in hand 162 Seruants should we be to Christ 169. how other Lords would haue vs seruants to them 168. it is a shame for man to seeke seruice from his inferior and refuse it to his superiour 161 Seeke God what comfort they haue who doe so 237 Sinne suffered to remaine in the godly and why 7. sinne is in the christian but he walkes not after it 43. any seruice he giues to sinne is by compulsion 43 Sin hath a two-fold power 1. to command 2. to condemne 49. A Law how ascribed to sinne 51. it seemes sweet but it is bitter 59. sinne and death are inseparable 57. how sinne is condemned by Christ 71. cursed are they who nourish it seeing Christ came to destroy it Sinne multiplyed how it should humble vs 98. 99. how it causes the Lord disauow his owne creature 120. a sinner impenitent murthers himselfe 128. if wee slay not sinne it will slâ—y vs. 171 Sinne is the forbidden tree 171. men seeke fruits on it which they shall not finde and findes on it that which they would not haue 172. how the fruit and the deceit of sin are to be distinguished 172. sinne vnder secrecie 308. is great folly 309 Sinnes multiplyed how they grow into a treasure 337. Sinne for giuen breeds great ioy 414. Sinne euil in the affection but good in the memory 420 Sions beauty and Sinaies terrour how they should moue vs. 408 Soule immortall 132. two-fold life of the soule 133. compared to Abrahams house 107. life of it flowes from Christ his righteousnesse 137. it is Gods Temple how it should be dayly swept and kept cleane 113. it should neuer want morning and euening sacrifices in it 13. the soule is first restored and then the bodie 143. See Temple Sonnes of God are not now reuealed 252. no man should iudge of them by their present estate 253 Sonnes of God how all of them are his heyres 213. and hath his Spirit 187 Sheepe how the godly are compared to sheepe both by God and by wicked men 446. 447. Spirit how hee is said to depart from the godly 109. his two-fold operations 117. his threefold notable operation in the godly 118. how he is Gods seale his witnesse and his earnest 119 Spirit his operations vniuersall 181. speciall of sundry sorts 182. how hee leades his children monendo monendo 182. 183. his threefold operation in the godly 188 Spirit is giuen and receiued by the word 190. how in his first operation hee is a Spirit of bondage to feare 189. wee haue in this life but the first fruits of the Spirit 268. why the Lord giues vs not the principall here 269. what comfort haue we through the earnest of the Spirit 270 Spirit why he appeared in the likenesse of a Doue and similitude of sire 294. how hee â—eares the burthen with vs 298. how hâ—e requests for vs. 301 Sufferings are no testimonies of Gods anger 223. all the godly are subiect to them 222. three things required to make our sufferings sufferings with Christ 224. the three persons of the blessed Trinitie suffer with the godly 224. all the sufferings of Christians are not for Christ 442 the causes of suffering 443. Euery suffering renders not glorie 231. time of our suffering is short 231. a necessarie obseruation in suffering 443. Simpathy in suffering with Christ See afflictions T Temperance 126 Temple of God should be more beautifull within then without 115. See soule Tentations to sinne are of the deceiuer 58. comfort in them 59. a good answere to Sathan in his tentations to sinne thou hast deceiued mee so oft why shall I beleeue thee any more 127. See Sathan Tentations by Sathan vnto sinne should chace vs to grace See Sathan Standing in tentations what comfort it renders 298 Thankefulnesse to God should be declared in a three-fold duety 69. 112. 267 Threatnings vsed by the Lord argues our rebellion 170 Tongue of the wicked is a sire furnace wherein the godly are tryed 416. tongues bended against the godly are accursed 305 W Walking from euill to good is the life of a Christian 44. What neede in this walking weâ— haue of a guide 184. how wee should follow our guide 185. how oâ—r way should be considered 45 Wicked men how they walke in a circular motion 44. How miserable they are 98. their rebellion exempts them not from subiection 97 Wicked men compared to open sepulchers 116. they dye miserably and why 138 139. With what Spirit are they led 186. 187. The wicked are left for tryall of the good 291. A wicked man is at his best when he is first borne 337. all workes for the worst vnto them 341. all creatures shall accuse them 421 Will accepted for a deede 444 Will contrarie to Gods will most miserable 100. all the strife betweene God and man is about this whose will should be done 99 Vbiquitaries improued 424 Vnion of a christian with Christ how strait it is 23. 24. Worldlings wrong estimation of a Christian 446. they loue immortalitie but seeke it the wrong way 142. No worldlings shall continue in the state wherin he stands now 456 Worldlings comfort is seene not so the Christians 285. his fectlesse obiection to the Christian 286. their rebuke 287. they are cursed with the Serpent 321. they speake of Gods word like Birds counter fetting mans voice 321. the paines they take on trifles should shame vs that take no paines vpon better things 340 World consists of two contrarie factions 401 Word should be applyed 103. by the word we receiue the Spirit 190. it is as milk to some as salt to others 170. rebukes thereof how not suffered 171 Workes wrought by God called our workes 177. our workes no supplyments of Christs merits 235. how workes of men regenerate doe not merit 393. workes both of the law morall and ceremoniall excluded from iustification 394 Worshippers of God in whatsoeuer part are all of one communion 438 Wrath to come will eate vp all present pleasure 235 FINIS
glory to be like vnto our head and husband the Lord Iesus Thirdly necessitie so craueth seeing wee cannot be saued 3 We cannot be saued except we be conformed to him without conformitie with him It is not Caesars money which hath not vpon it Caesars image and superscription he is not the Sonne of God who carryeth not the image of his Father for whom the Lord begets in the regeneration he communicateth to them his owne spirit which transformes them into the similitude of his owne Image No vncleane thing shall enter into heauenly Ierusalem neither shall any man see him in his glory who by grace is not made like vnto him That he may be the first borne among many brethren The Apostle insists here in the explication of his former purpose adding that it is necessary vve should conforme our selues vnto him for ratifying that superioritie and priuiledge of the first borne which God the Father hath established vnto his Sonne the Lord Iesus Christ and hee maketh it very properly to serue his purpose for seeing it is so that Iesus our elder brother and Prince of our saluation hath beene consecrated by affliction and by suffering hath entred into his kingdome shall vvee refuse to follow him in his tentations if so be wee desire to sit vvith him in his glory The name of the first borne is ascribed vnto Iesus Christ The name of the first borne three wayes ascribed to Christ 1. as God 2. as man 3. as a mediator Col. 1. 15. three manner of wayes first as he is God secondly as he is man thirdly as he is both God and man our mediator and the head of his misticall body which is his Church As hee is God hee is called by the Apostle Primogenitus omnis creaturâ— the first begotten of euery creature and that by such a generation as none saith Esay are able to expresse Now before the creature was what could there be surely nothing but the Creator Secondly as hee is man S. Luke calleth him the first borne that opened the wombe Luke 2. 7. of the Virgin Thirdly as Mediator and head of his mysticall body as Prince of that kingdome which is the communion of Saints he is here called the first borne among many brethren and in another place the first fruits of them who 1 Cor. 15. 20. rise from the dead The priuiledges of the first borne were two first excellencie Priuiledges of the first borne are two 1. excellencie of strength 2 excellencie of dignitie of strength for hee had a double portion secondly excellency of dignitie for he was the Prince and priest of the rest of his brethren now both these most properly appertaines to our eldest brother Christ Iesus Excellencie of strength is his he hath receiued the double portion for hee receiued not the Spirit in measure as wee doe but the plenitude and fulnesse therof was communicated vnto him and the comfort thereof redounds vnto vs for he receiued it not for himselfe but for vs that of his fulnesse we might all receiue grace for grace Excellencie also of dignitie is his for beside that glory which hee had with his Father from the beginning he is also as our head crowned with glory Mat. 28. 18. and dignitie all power in heauen and earth is giuen him and he is set ouer his brethren as the onely high Priest of the liuing God who makes attonement for the sinnes of his brethren as the onely Prophet and teacher of the whole familie of God for so hath the Father authorized him This Mat. 3. 17. is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him Let vs therefore submit our selues vnto him seeing God Miserable are they in this age who doe not acknowledge Christs prerogatiue the Father hath set him ouer vs let vs not be disobedient to that heauenly proclamation heare him Woe be to them that subscribes not vnto the excellencie of his dignitie But alas if the world proclaime such pleasures as shee hath to giue by any sport or play or such profits as she can yeeld at her fairest fayres and markeâ—s O what a frequent concourse of people is made vnto her but if the Priests of the Lord stand as they did of olde in the west part of Ierusalems temple or in their seuerall turrets to blow their two siluer Trumpets and warne the people to resort vnto the house of the Lord or if now any other manner of way signification be made vnto them to enter into the courts of the Lord with praise how few shall hee finde flocking into the house of God in respect of them vvho abides without and followes the world and which is yet more to be lamented there are many of those who heare the word of Christ and yet doth not change the manner of their conuersation for any commandement hee can giue them speake what he vvill they doe what they like they come to the holy assemblies of his Saints but are like those vncleane beasts which entred into the Arke of Noah they came in vncleane and went out vncleane Neither of these vnlesse they amend shall be pertakers of our saluation which Iesus the first borne hath purchased to the rest of his brethren But to let them alone and to returne to the instruction of Gods children though apostate Israel fall from him as a Whatsoeuer excellencie our elder brother hath it is for our benefit people that haue no portion in Ishai nor inheritance in the sonne of Dauid yet let Iuda cleaue to their King let vs acknowledge his supereminent excellencie and reuerence him for our first borne elder brother Among other brethren the more the elder hath the lesse remaines to the younger whereof it falles out that many a time there is strife among them for diuision of the inheritance but here the more our elder brother hath the greater is our good seeing whatsoeuer he hath receiued as mediator he hath receiued it to be communicated vnto vs hee hath receiued strength not to subdue vs or ouergoe vs but to protect vs from our enemies which he hath also done for he hath broken the gates of hell and carried them away more triumphantly vpon his shoulders than Sampson did the gates of Azzah Wee who are poore in our selues are made rich in him we who are weake are in him more than conquerours and therfore let vs resolue for euer to abide in him Among many brethren This brotherhood of ours with Brethren in Christ are many wayes knit together Christ consists not in the communion of the same flesh and bloud for so euery man were Christs brother but it stands in our spirituall vnion with him by regeneration those are the sonnes of God and consequently the brethren of Christ who are borne not of blood nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man but of God by the operation of his spirit and immortall Ioh. 1. 13. seede of