is with you and as Iohn 5.35 for a season to reioice in this light but that is onely spoken of the elect which is Malac. 4.2 that vnto them that feare the name of God shall the Sunne of righteousnesse arise and health shall be vnder his wings And as it is in the Prophet Esay The Sunne shall neuer go downe Esay 66.23 nor the Moone be darkned that is their light shall neuer be put out Againe the reprobate may conceiue and retaine a knowledge of reconciliation but it is a confused knowledge but the elect hath a more particular knowledge that he can receiue it to apply it to the reforming of his life whereas the other haue it onely to make them vnexcusable or to make them burst foorth into some confession of their sinne without repentance Examples here of we haue Esau Gen. 27.38 losing the blessing wept and Peter Luke 22.62 losing Christ by his denials wept bitterly Heere are teares alike but not in trueth alike So Math. 27.3 Iudas betraying Christ saith I haue sinned and 2. Sam. 24.10 Dauid numbring the people against Gods commandement said I haue sinned here is repentance in both the worke alike but the faith vnlike So as the reprobate haue a common beginning with the children of God vnder the veile and couering of hypocrisy but they can neuer come to that height wherin the elect do stand as 2. Cor. 3.17 to behold the Lord with open face or to be transformed to his image or as Reu. 1.7 to haue receiued that true cie-salue as to see Christ comming in the clouds with comfort or as it is said in the Prophet Ieremie that true anointing of the Lords grace which neither wasteth with time nor decaieth in vertue The second grace which is diuers in substance is adoption which no hypocrite can perswade himselfe to haue in such measure as the elect may for indeed this spirit of adoption is alwaies denied them And this may bee knowen by two parts that are to bee performed first by praier to GOD secondly by affections towards GOD. For the first it is impossible for an hypocrite to praie aright hee may babble or vse the externall gesture in prayer as the Pharisee did in the open streetes yea Sathan may suffer him to vtter some words without feeling sometime so farre as to condemne his owne sinne Mat. 27.4.5 as Iudas did his selling of Christ but yet his conscience neuer disalloweth it for this is an inseparable marke set vpon the praiers of the elect Rom. 8.26 Neither haue any this sanctified spirit to pray as they ought but they which are of God And as Galath 4.6 For that assurance in praier whereby wee crie Abba Father the reprobate cannot possibly haue nor feele that force in praier for as the Apostle there saith it is proper onely for the sonnes of God The reason is because the reprobate want the second grace which accompanieth and waiteth vpon the spirit of adoption that is good affections toward God for hee doth but dissemble his loue of God that hee might still continue as a bayâ—rec euer florishing the reuerence that he yeelds him is but in hypocrisie Iames. 2.19 and the obedience that he giueth him is but constrained as is the diuels Howbeit with the elect it fareth farre otherwise for their praiers are auailable because they are taught of God and their affections are good because they are changed by his spiâ—â—e and they can come to God as children to a father only loking to speed in the name of father for this sheweth reconcilement after our first enmity and setteth foorth more sound loue than nature can affoord And this his loue draweth our feare to oftend and our care to please and we doe lift vp our voice with an assurance we shall be heard Ioh. 5.15 because we humble our selues in a detestation of our sinnes and with a resolution to be obedient to his commandements which the reprobates cannot doe for though the Lord doe often euen shew mercy to them in their praiers and other Christian exercises so as they may thinke they haue their sinnes forgiuen as he did to Ahab 1. King 21.27.29 who hauing solde himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of God vpon the iudgement pronounced against him sitting but within the shadow of praier and fasting was spared that the euill should not fall in his daies yet can they not possibly loue the Lord of heauen but in a confused sort nor come before him but with a slauish feare But it may be said If the Lord sheweth mercie to hypocrites and yet their praiers nor auaileable it may be thought the Lord is deceitfull No for the hypocrite is taken with the sweetnesse of the Lords mercy but he not apprehending it as hee should in obedience it proueth to him but a decaying sweetnesse Neither yet doth this any whit proue the will of God to be changeable though after his mercy disclosed he doth withdraw it from them for they relie onely and stay themselues vpon the present mercy not seeking further euen as Esau Gen. 25 34. who so he might presently haue to fill his belly cared not for his birth-right whereas the elect ground themselues vpon Gods mercy in all maner of tempests and doe gather together as many remembrances of it as they can in any of their afflictions after the example of Dauid who 1. Sam. 17.37 armeth himselfe against Goliah vpon the remembrance of the Lords mercy formerly shewed him in deliuering him out of the paw of the Lion and of the Beate Neither yet doth the spirit of God at all deceiue the reprobate for the Lord did not so extend his mercy as to take them to bee his and keepe them as his but did cast that seed into them to make them without excuse and to double their damnation Mark 4.5.6 in that they loued darknesse more than light so as for their ingratitude it was taken away Now for the second difference which is betweene the elect and the reprobate which is discerned by the working of this spirit it is to be obserued that it worketh more effectually in the elect than in the reprobate for the grace offered them doth but puffe them vp with a dexterie of wit and volubility of speech that they can conceiue and speake something of the Lord as the Pharisees could in Christ his time but this grace worketh farre otherwise in the elect and by no comparison for the Lord doth not onely enlighten the iudgement of his chosen to make them know his Gospell but changeth also their affections to make them worke foorth their saluation with feare and trembling And as it is Ezechiel 18.31 they shall haue a new heart giuen them to walke in the commandements of the Lord and as Danià speaketh Psal 40.6.7.8 they haue a new song put into their mouths and the Lord hath so prepared their eares as they can say Here I am O Lord I desire to
them and prompt him with excellent and effectuall words of prayer Yea this must be the comfort of vs all that though wee fight to the bloud for the Lords cause not one droppe of it shall perish but as the Lord doeth keepe our teares so much more will hee keepe our bloud in a bottell Psal 116. â— that wee may bee made precious white in the bloud of the Lambe Now for the second point which is the meanes how the spirit helpeth our infirmities that is by stirring vp prayers and grones Obserue first that no man can pray of himselfe vnlesse he be taught of God secondly that the holy Ghost doth minister vnto vs that power in prayer which no man is able to bring and performe of himselfe howbeit we may not construe the words as if the holy Ghost himselfe did pray but onely that he suggesteth vnto vs fit words and matter and prompteth vs to pray For the first vnderstand that it is not postible for any man of himselfe to pray vnlesse he be helped and renewed in his spirit for prayer must be made in the mediation of Christ which flesh and bloud neuer thinketh of nay which flesh and bloud doeth but mocke at And this disabilitie in prayer and vnaptnesse to performe it is euen true of them that be enlightned and called to the faith vnlesse also they be impulsed and driuen on by the spirit Howbeit by this so excellent an instrument as the spirit the Lord doth poure into our hearts such a constant and stedfast assurance of his loue as we come and humble our selues before him boldly and beate our breast and pray from the booke of our conscience confidentlie vnfolding the whole heapes of our miscries before the Lord yea we come vnto him hauing euen a sight and contemplation of his maiestie and we stand not vpon words but a broken and contrite spirit maketh vs speake plainely the interpreter of our meaning being the holy Ghost so as wee in this exercise conferre with God and speake as it were with the mouth of Christ who maketh our supplications as sweet as incense in our and his Fathers nostrels So as it is no such slight matter nor so easie a worke to pray aright for of thy selfe thou art speechlesse and canst not vtter one word vnlesse the spirit vntie the strings of thy tongue and though happely thou speake yet is thy vnderstanding senslesse that thou knowest not what to aske vnlesse the spirit teach thee nay were thou neuer so well taught if the spirit make thee not acquainted with Christ Reuel 8.3 that he may present thy praiers to God all else is in vaine and fruitlesse Further in that the holy Ghost is said to make request for vs wee are admonished vnlesse it bee for weake Christians and babes in Christ that are not growne in the word of grace vnto whom a booke of prayer is allowed as a Catechisme that they that bee old schollers in the schoole of Christ ought to striue and indeuor to grow from praier to praier aswell as from faith to faith that as their iudgements are increased in knowledge so their hearts may increase in feruencie and affection toward God and that they may bring foorth their hidden treasure of the Lords spirit in enabling them to conceaue a praier and to pray as their present necessities shall require For this is that the Lord looketh for that as he said by the Prophet Zacharie 12.10 that he would in the last times powre out the spirit of deprecation and of prayer vpon the sons of men so men should endeuour to bee familiar in this dutie without booke and not content themselues to praie either a stinted prayer or a stinted time but as it is said Hebr. 6.1 wee must leaue the beginnings and be led forward and striue to perfection For if notwithstanding such plentie of foode these many yeeres there be still such leannesse in thy soule that thou art not able to feed thy selfe nor to expresse and vtter thy necessities in a corner before the Lord how canst thou looke for any blessing that hast beene so sluggish and hast so carelesly entertained the spirit of God in this acceptable time If any sudden calamitie hang ouer thy head or any secret sinne presse thy conscience how canst thou thinke to be releeued nay thou canst not but iudge thy selfe vnworthie to be helped if thou art vnable without a booke before thee to vtter thy griefe and to pray for helpe Thou must know thy temptations are particular and thy sinnes are particular and a generall confession is not a proper salue for any particular sore but as in this and this sinne thou hast offended God so particularly for this this sin thou must call for mercy And what if that speciall grace thou prayest for be not in thy booke then thou goest away emptie for thou art not likely to obtaine that thou dost not aske for For howsoeuer the Lord doth ofttimes preuent vs with his mercies and giueth before wee aske yet when he shall perceiue such negligence in vs that we desire but as it were a common and generall head-peece to shield vs from all assaults and doe not arme our selues in euery part especially knowing our old enemie the diuell lieth at all aduantage this maketh the Lord weary and vnwilling to helpe vs who otherwise easily inclineth his eare to the praiers of the faithfull When it is said With gronings that are vnspeakeable we are by this to comfort a distressed conscience that if afflictions doe come so fast vpon vs as the waues one in the necke of another and our spirits be so ouer whelmed and cast downe that we are not able to conceiue a praier for the anguish of our soules in this case if our hearts doe but bleed and grone though no word be vttered yet is it a praier precious and acceptable in the Lords sight We read of Ezechiah Esa 38.14 that he was not able to speake one word but did chatter like a Crane and mourne like a Doue in his sicknesse hee was so opprest with sorrow in the bitternesse of his soule yet was this a praier and a praier heard of God and himselfe deliuered and fifteene yeeres added to his life So oftentimes our praiers are so peppered with salt and fire that is our soule is so anguished and our spirits so appalled that either we speake abruptly or only knocke our selues on the breast Luk. 18.13 as did the Publican yet this soundeth in the Lords eares and commeth pleasantly before him for words in praier are but to make vs vnderstand what we aske the Lord vnderstandeth our meaning without words yea knoweth our wants better then our selues And as the mother pitieth her child when it is fallen sicke and is able to tell where the paine lieth and to aske such things as it wanteth but when the disease is growne so fore that for extremitie it cannot vtter the paine by speech but lieth
begets beames from thâ—â— Sunne and the beames proceeds light the beames cannot beâ—â— without the Sunne nor the light without them both So froâ— the spring riseth the well head yet is not the spring without thâ—â— well head and the streame proceeds from them both These 〈◊〉 steps and traces as it were to conceiue somwhat of this mysteâ—â— of mysteries Lastly obserue as the whole Trinity was present at Câ—â—â—â— baptisme the Father to iustifie his Sonne the Spirit to saâ—â— him and Christ to be sanctified so are they also present 〈◊〉 baptisme God the Father to receiue vs Christ to purchaâ—en for vs the holy Ghost to purge our consciences yea and the heauens are open that is we are as sure to come thither as we are sure Christ is there Therefore is the whole congregation bound to stay the setting on of this seale and to see the child receiued into the church since there is such a glorious presence at it and it ought to be meditated vpon when it is applied to others MATH chap. 4. vers 1 2 3 4. c. verse 1 Then was Iesus led aside of the spirit into the wildernesse to bee tempted of the diuell verse 2 And when he had fasted forty daies and forty nights he was afterward hungry verse 3 Then came to him the Tempter and said If thou be the Sonne of God command that these stones be made bread verse 4 But he answering said It is written man shal not liue by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God verse 5 Then the diuell tooke him vp into the holy City and set him on a pinacle of the temple verse 6 And said vnto him If thou be the Sonne of God cast thy selfe downe for it is written that he will giue his Angels charge ouer thee and with their hands they shall lift thee vp lest at any time thou shouldest dash thy foot against a stone verse 7 Iesus said vnto him It is written againe Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God verse 8 Againe the diuell tooke him vp into an exceeding high mountaine and shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and the glory of them verse 9 And said vnto him All these will I giue thâ—â— if thou wilt fall downe and worship me verse 10 Then Iesus said vnto him auoid Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him only shalt thou serâ—â— verse 11 Then the Diuell left him and behold the Angels came and ministred vnto him NOW the Euangelist further sheweth that because the time was neare when our Sauior Christ was to enter into his office to which hee was before consecrated that it was ordained by God and the holy Ghost immediatly before that he should submit himselfe to bee exercised in a hot conflict challenging Sathan hand to hand that ouercomming in this first and great combate hee himselfe might bee consumed and others might know that he came to destroy the works of the diuell And to the end that Sathan might haue the greater power and fuller blow at him hee was led into a solitary and desert place where the diuell might be in his ruffe and to such a place wherein men possessed were specially tormented and there Christ liued among wild beasts as Marke saith chap. 1.13 that Sathan might doe his vttermost And forasmuch as Moses in the deliuery of the Law Exod. 34.28 was taken vp into a mount to God and was taken from men where hee abstained from meate fourty daies and fourty nights that the excellency of his doctrine might receiue the greater grace and might further be authorised and forasmuch as Eliah 1. King 19.8 in the restoring of the Law defaced in the idolatrous raigne of Ahab did goe in the strength of one cake and a pot of water fourty daies and fourtie nights So heere before the doctrine of the Gospell was to bee published it was meet that Christ should doe no lesse lest there might be thought some disparagement done and lesse glory to haue beene in the Gospell that the law being written but in stone and to endure but a time should bee adorned and beautified with a greater miracle then the Gospell which should bee written in the liuing stones of mens hearts Howbeit in this Christ giueth vs no example of abstinence for hee fasted because hee had no manner of stomacke all that while which was to confirme vs that hee was a man meerely supernaturall being able to forbeare without aâ—â— appetite forty daies During which time the Diuell set vpon him and he was not free from this encounter any while but after beginning to be hungry then the diuel more furiously assaulteth him hoping to worke and preuaile somewhat vpon this occasion of his infirmity whereupon follow three seuerall temptations which in their place shall be spoken of In the words are set downe three points first Saint Mathew diligently deliuereth all such circumstances as went before his temptation secondly what these temptations were both in number and in kinde after he grew hungrie from the third to the end of the tenth verse thirdly the euent and issue of this assault that when he had repulsed the rage and driuen backe the darts of his enemy the Angels came to doe him homage as to a great and mighty conquerour For the circumstances before the combat they be fiue first is noted the time then that is immediatly after he had receiued testimony from heauen that hee was the great Doctor of the church secondly the place where this was in the wildernesse a place most for the aduantage of Sathan thirdly by what motion he was caried thither by the direction of that spirit which before descended on him fourthly to what end he went namely to be tempted fifthly the occasion Sathan tooke more specially ta assault him which was his fasting and hunger For the first when he was solemnely pronounced to bee the Sonne of God and that he was full of the holy Ghost then the diuell setteth vpon him While he liued a priuate life and kept himselfe close and within his compasse hee assaied not to assault him but when he is to execute a matter and worke of his office concerning the saluation of mankind and that this is now to bee accomplished by the preaching of the Gospell and by miracles and that the power of the diuell is to be extinguished and that he is to be cast out of mens consciences now he begins to challenge him Where learne that the same which befell to the head the members be not exempted from especially such as be ordained to bee instruments for the setting vp of the Gospell When Moses liued priuate and shewed not himselfe to the world there was no cause of quarrell but when he saw one of his brethren suffer wrong and defended him and auenged his quarrell that had the harme done to him and smote the Egyptian Act. 7.25 then they began to disgrace him and he was
to God but not to our selues A miserable euasion of a sottish distinctioâ—â—â— for the scope of Christ is in that place to proue from the lesse to the greater negatiuely that if such seruants whose life and death were in their masters hands as bond-men were in those times doing their duties and seruice neuer so well cannot deserue so much as thankes at their masters hands much lesse that they should emancipate and set themselues free and much lesse to be their masters heires then much lesse since there is no comparison betweene God in heauen and man on earth can we deserue at the hands of God lying in the vncleannesse of our first birth and ouergrowne with sinnes as we haue growne in yeeres to be sanctified by his spirit in this life and glorified by himselfe in the life to come for there is no bond-man so inthralled to his master as we are to God euen in respect of our first creation when we caried the glory of his image in our face and had as it were the crowne of innocency set vpon our heads and yet we wilfully ran from him to our shame till he returned vs againe in his loue so as now all that we doe is duty and not desert and why should he receiue thanks that doth but what we ought Yea say the Papists but yet we deserue something because we are not vnprofitable to our selues Absurd for what master will thinke himselfe beholden to that seruant who by his seruice only inricheth himselfe and bringeth no commodity to his master And yet by the meaning of the Papists because we get something vnder God and by his seruice God must be indebted to vs. But heereupon we say that true it is we are not vnprofitable to our selues for in Christ not onely the person but the worke also is accepted and the person onely in respect he is adopted and this adoption is onely in Christ but yet so as we neuer haue God beholden to vs. Therefore when he saith Come good seruant and faithfull Mat. 25.21 enter into thy masters ioy it is true that the Lord doth recompence the vsing of our talents well but this is so farre as we are iustified and are his sons so as first he loueth the person and then the worke and if he did not accept the iustification of the person he would disauow the worke but being his chldren though we are farre from doing that we ought yet as a kind and louing father he accepteth it pleasingly ROM chap. 8. vers 15. verse 15 For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abba Father IN this verse and that which followeth the Apostle doth confirme that hee set downe before namely that wee are intitled to eternall life by inheritance and to confirme and ratifie that vnto vs wee haue this priuiledge to bee Gods sonnes and so heires of heauen The arguments he vseth be two first ye haue receiued that spirit whereby God doth witnesse that he doth accept you as his children in his naturall Sonne Christ Iesus And to proue we haue this spirit of a doption he doth it by the contrary for saith he like bond-slaues ye do not now feare the ghastly looks of the tormenter nor yee haue not now that hellish horrour and fearefull apprehension of Gods iudgements wherby Sathan vseth to whip mens consciences nor ye haue not that loud alarme of the killing law sounding in your eares and seizing vpon your soules to affright you Secondly in the verse following he proueth it by a double testimony first of Gods spirit which witnesseth this vnto vs and which were blasphemy to thinke it could suggest false things and secondly by our owne spirit which may assure our selues of it by our godly and holy conuersation By the spirit of bondage in this place is meant the holy Ghost who by the instrument of the killing letter that is the law doth propose and set downe such a condition of obedience to which we are obliged and bound by our creation and yet are now vtterly disabled by our corruption to performe it so as it is impossible to be kept and yet ought to be kept and laieth such a burthen vpon vs as neither wee nor our first parents were euer able to beare since they declined from the estate wherein they were at first created Whereupon this spirit of God by this meanes setting the law before vs as a glasse wherein wee may behold our selues conumceth the conscience of the good not done and of the euill that is done thereby shewing that no flesh can by this be iustified before God and sheweth and setteth before our eies not only the sinne but the vengeance which the sinne drawes after it so as our conscience can not bee but grieuously wounded with that hellish horrour wee haue voluntarily made our selues subiect vnto Now on the contrary the spirit of adoption is that worke of the holy Ghost whereby the incomprehensible loue of God in his Sonne is powred into our hearts that hee doth auow and know vs for his children so farre as we are not now bond-men to feare the performance of that impossible condition proposed by the law but we are heereby assured that what the law commandeth this spirit will either enable vs to performe or dispence and beare with our imperfections in not doing it with that perfection it requireth and so by consequent we ascertaine our selues that wee are the sonnes of God The parts heerein to be obserued are two there being set downe an opposing of a double spirit of contrarie natures working contrarie effects according to their natures The effect of the first being a dreadfull and fearefull expectation of endlesse and hellish torments the effect of the other being a comfortable securitie and breeding a heauenly hope that wee shall bee blessed of the Lord out of which as out of a root springeth and ariseth chearefull obedience to God our Father the other inforcing vs only through feare to loue God as bondslaues Herein is questionable whether by this spirit of bondage here spoken of is meant the spirit of Sathan or the holy Ghost that should thus terrify and affright vs. But note it must be vnderstood of Gods spirit which is the author of working holy despaire and by consequent of terror and is an occasion of despaire in the wicked and this is as proper for the spirit of God as to offer the sweet comfort of Christs bitter passion vnto vs. For by this meanes and maner of terrifying it bringeth both the elect and the reprobate to despaire but to a diuers end For the elect in this sort that shewing it impossible and past our power to performe the law euen as impossible as to build a tower to the heauens or to remooue a promontorie with our finger it bringeth vs to a holy despaire in our selus in respect of our own deserts thereby driuing vs to seeke
behold the Sun-shine of the Lord in full measure which is the Sunne of light and of life yet we haue such a glimpse as wee cannot bee perswaded but it shineth vpon our soules And as the child in the mothers womb stirring neuer so weakly yet euen by that feeble motion she is assured that it hath life so the least light of the Sunne of righteousnesse is most sweet comfortable vnto vs. Which doctrine as it ministreth and bringeth consolation to a weake soule so must it be as a sharpe spur vnto vs that this righteousnesse may be encreased and that this spirit of God may delight to dwell in vs that we being grounded and growing daily in a perswasion of Gods loue towards vs it may enforce vs to loue him more and more and the strength and perfection of this loue may and ought to make vs resist and shunne all contrary means whereby our encrease and growth in faith may bee hindered And because this spirit of the Lords adoption is inward and can not be perceiued that many be deluded by Sathans subtilty and forgerie foisting and thrusting in another deed than euer God gaue vs especially working vpon the weake heart of man which being fraught and full of selfe-loue is easily perswaded of any good to it selfe therefore we must learne how to discerne whether it be the true euidence of Gods spirit or no which we haue within vs. And for that the Apostle here setteth down one effect and fruit of this spirit for all that is that there is a confidence of any good conscience to come boldly before the Lord as a child before his father to preferre our suites vnto him and to offer vp our praiers vpon the golden altar Reuel 8.3 that is the mediation of Christ by whose meanes and through whose obedience and suffering they shall sauour before the Lord as a sweet incense and the Lord shall put into them daily a new incense by the spirit assuring vs more and more of his louing fauor◠and we shall not hide our selues and run away when we are called Gen. 3.8 as Adam did but being disburdened of that which doth presse vs downe from the presence of God we shall come cheerefully before him and ioy our selues in that the Lord will looke so pleasingly vpon vs Other effects of this spirit and yet arising from the former are these If the spirit worke in vs the same affection towards God that nature doth produce in children toward their parents as first to loue God secondly to feare him thirdly to reuerence him fourthly to be obedient to him fiftly to be thankfull to him all which vertues be in good children who do alwaies acknowledge all they haue to proceed from their father as the speciall instrument from God and if we haue beare these affections to God our father as to loue him for his mercies to feare him for his loue to reuerence him for his goodnesse to obey him for his greatnes and to be thankfull to him for his kindnesse then may we assure our selues that we haue the spirit of adoption sealed vp in vs for our saluation In that we crie Abba Father learne that no obstinate or resolute sinner persisting deliberately in his sinne and his heart deliting in it can once open his mouth to pray nor neuer did pray The like whereof may be said of the hypocrite for though they may falsely perswade themselues that offering vp a few words in forme of a praier it is sufficient to purge the vncleannesse of their liues and that impudently and in presumption they may call God Father when their harts be impure and vncleane yet Iohn 8.44 Christ calleth them the children of their father the diuell And though Sathan may perswade an obstinate and wilfull sinner as he did Houah Gen. 3.4.5 that doing such an euill and wicked thing they shall not hang in hell alwaies threatening where God promiseth and promising where God threatneth vntill he take them in the lurch at the time of their death and then he ouerreckneth them yet it is certaine he cannot pray vnlesse he haue this spirit and this spirit none hath if they delight and sauour of sin so as though they cry Peace peace to their owne conscience and seruing the diuell will neuerthelesse vaunt themselues to bee the sonnes of God it is the Lords iustice that permitteth Sathan so to blinde them that they cannot see their sickenesse to the death for 1. Iohn 3.8 it is said He that committeth sinne is of the diuell Can the poison of Aspes and the sacrifice of praier proceed both from the same tongue No. Grapes cannot grow of thornes nor figs of thistles and Esay 66.3.5 the Lord saith that he that offereth sacrifice without trembling that is without reformation of life it is as if he killed a man which is most vnsauory to the Lord. So as lawfull things and things commanded be an abomination to the Lord when the soule and conscience is not answerable to the action and to the outward profession Howbeit things simply forbidden are sinnes both in the regenerate and vnregenerate and the prayers of these men that thus can lie on their beds and imagine mischiefe and yet can open their lippes by way of conference and speech with God are no better then those of the rebels in the North who when they had published all their mischiefe which tended to the ouerthrow of our dread Soueraigne yet ended and concluded their proclamation with God saue Queene Elizabeth Now concerning hypocrites that they cannot pray but by imitation of Christians as Parots looke vpon the rule of Dauid Psal 66.18 If I regard saith he wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me that is if I delight in sin my praiers shall not come neare him so as make what shew thou wilt if thy heart be not vpright it auaileth not For as it is said Iohn 9.31 God heareth no sinners that is no malicious and deliberate sinners which intend and compasse mischiefe in their inward parts howsoeuer in hypocrisie they dissemble it And it is certaine it is as impossible to pray without this spirit as to vnderstand without a soule Further obserue how this spirit begets in vs such peace of conscience that makes vs confident in crauing our wants at Gods hand as from the spirit of adoption cōmeth faith so from faith issueth and streameth inuocation and calling vpon God by praier This faith grounded vpō the loue of God in Christ doth assure vs that whatsoeuer is good in heauen or in earth God wil bestow it vpon vs then steppeth in praier and according as the soule is burdned either with a desire to be deliuered from danger or with an affection to haue some wants supplied or to declare and expresse our thankefulnesse it doth take the present occasion and for sloweth no time to enter into the sanctuarie of Gods presence and there to lift vp our weak hands and to send
forth our cold petitions and that which was generally beleeued by faith before is now particularly chalenged of God by praier that wee may finde and â—â—ele the former promise to be true by this particular instance of reaching foorth our requests to God by praier And the more to hearten and encourage vs in this exercise and Christian taske God giueth and graunteth our requests differing in three respects from the gifts and benefits of worldly men For first he can giue all things in his power secondly in his wisedome he giueth and neuer repenteth thirdly in his goodnes he giueth and neuer vpbraideth This is the perswasion of faith and therefore now if wee spare to speake wee may well spare to speed whereupon the Prophet Dauid saith I beleeued therefore I spake hauing his faith for most to prepare his lips to praier And surely the cause why wee call not vpon God so often or so boldly as we ought is either because our faith failâ—s vs that wee thinke not to speede or else because wee haue but weake and faint hope to speede For as the Philosopher saith Qui timide rogat docet negare He that craueth fearfully draweth on a deniall for that faith that openeth the eies to see such treasures openeth the mouth to supplicate and to pray for them so as by this learne in one word that the Apostle will measure thy faith by thy praiers Whereby we crie In this word crie is implied three things first a confident boldnesse secondly a great earnestnesse thirdly an importunacy with perseuerance Boldnesse in that wee speake not softly as in feare but loud as in assurance euen as a fauorite of an earthly Prince that hath a promise to haue and obtaine what he can spie out hauing speciall security to speed commeth boldly to his Prince and craueth the performance of that was pledged vnto him by promise before Earnestnesse not to take a nay or deniall at the first at our fathers hands but to goe on with I pray you Father Good Father I beseech you Father and such like speeches of vehemency and feruency which is heere expressed by the geminating and doubling of the word Father Father Then with these must there be an importâ—nacy in praier which Paul expresseth Rom. 15.30 by striâ—ing or wrestling in praier shewing thereby the feruency of the minde and of the voice euen as Iacob did Gen. 32.26 that would not let the Angell goe before hee had blessed him and according to the example set downe Luk. 18. â— of the widow who by her importunity which in the Greeke word signifieth impudency so troubled and wearied with her cries as it were with blowes the vnrighteous Iudge as she wrested her sute from him Christ in that parable teaching vs that wee ought to vse a holy kind of impudency in our petitions vnto God and neuer to giue him rest till hee hath yeelded to our requests which wee make in faith and present in hope Heereupon it is that the soule is very earnest with God as either being laden with some sinne which it desireth to be eased of or priuy to some wants which it faine would haue supplied or in some apprehension of Gods iudgement for sinne which it seeketh to escape or the loue of God constraining it to be thankfull for the rich mercies formerly receiued or else being assaulted with some danger and temptation craueth to bee â—â—liuered so as alwaies the soule hath occasion to bee quicke and earnest in praier for causes to moue vs euen in our owne particular persons vnto this duty besides the generall cause of the Church doe daily occurre and fall out In that it is said We crie Father heere is questionable whether onely God the first person in the Trinity be to be praied vnto and not the Sonne nor the holy Ghost To this we answer that the word Father and God is taken essentially for the whole essence of the God-head which includeth them all as it is in the Lords praier or else it is taken personally for that the Sonne must be praied vnto the place is plaine Act. 7.59 And they stoned Stephen who called on God and said Lord Iesus receiue my spirit And that the holy Ghost must be praied vnto appeareth by Saint Paul who endeth his Epistle 2. Corinthians 13.13 with this praier The communion of the holie Ghost be with you So as the word Father in this place is not meant of any one distinct person subsisting in the name of Father but it is to bee vnderstood of them all the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost for as they be all offended with vs for our sinnes so must they all bee reconciled to vs by our praiers And heereupon is it that Saint Augustine saith that the whole Trinity is Father in respect of the creature and hee is onely named heere because the Father is the fountaine of the God-head and the first in order but not in time howbeit being vnderstood in respect of their diuers subsistences they are seuerall Whereupon it is true that the word Father or God is sometime taken personally as Iohn 3.16 where it is said God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten Sonne that wâ—â—â—euer beleeueth in him should not perish And 1. Corinthians 8.6 Vnto vs there is but one God which is the Father of whom are all things in which places the word God is taken personally as it is also in the Greede when wee say I beleeue in God the Father But the whole Trinitie is called Father in two respects first because hee is the fountaine of the God-head and the fountaine of all loue election and saluation the will of the Father going before the will of the Sonne in order not in time Secondly because howeâ—â—â— wee pray to Christ and to the holy Ghost as we doe to God and howeuer all the workes of the Trinity be vndiuided that they doe all saue and not the Father only yet they doe it by degrees Christ saueth vs insubmitting his will to his Fathers will the holy Ghost saueth vs in perswading and leading vs to goe to Christ and froâ— Christ to the Father so as our praiers are made vnto God in the name of Christ his Sonne by the direction of the holie Ghost Againe in that we name him Father learne that all our security and assurance that our praiers shall be effectuall and that we shall speede in our sutes and requests lieth in this that we are his children and so all that wee doe and performe pleaseth him no further then the person pleaseth him And therefore Dauid Psal 7. 17. 26. making a commemoration of his vertues as that there was no wickednesse in his hands that he had purposed his mouth should not offend that he had not hanted nor sorted himselfe with dissemblers doth it not the rather to moue God to heare him and to incline his eare to his petition but by these testimonies of a good conuersation
to reprooue vs no more which is the next steppe to damnation or else our conscience will pursue and follow vs with Hue and Crie as not to leaue vs till wee bee taken for resistance and withstanding of our conscience is a cloud not easily ouerblowen a fire not easily to be quenched and an inditement hardly to be trauersed but our sinnes shall stare vs on the face and crie for vengeance Now if our conscience bee brought asleepe by our custome in sinne either we shall die in this benummednesse and dulnesse of heart a most fearefull signe of reprobation and after death it shall weepe it fill in hell or else if the Lord do shew vs mercy after the sense and feeling of sinne so long discontinued he doth it as it were by the burning feuer of desperation for that is the cure of a Lethargy and doth so presse vs downe vnder the weight and burden of sinne as that horror shall be without and terror within yea wee shall seeme to be cast into the deepe of deepes and euery small sinne shall seeme accompanied with the huge hammer of the Lords wrath to bruise vs in peeces Further obserue as the Lords spirit alone cannot bring vs that heauenly security and blessed assurance of our eternall peace we hope for nor our owne spirits alone cannot do it so it must be the testimonie of both these concurring and meeting together For some are merely morall without religion thinking by a ciuill cariage of themselues to winne the sight of God others haue either a true zeale of a false religion as Paul had before his conuersion Rom. 7.9.10 or else they may be religious in shew hauing a counterfeit zeale of a true religion as the Laodiceans had Reuel 3.15 and yet both these thinke in their conscience they shall be saued when in truth they are as farre from the thing it selfe as they are neere to the conceit of it Another sort there is that deceiue themselues most grossely â—â—â—ken of Prouerb 30.11 There is a generation pure in their owne eies and yet they are not washed from their filthinesse that is from their open and enormous sins So as besides the opinion we must haue of our selues that we stand in Gods fauour wee must shew the seale of the Lord that is his spirit or else there is no sound ioy or any comfortable security that we shall be saued 1. Iohn 5.10 And for our actions euery of which must haue the allowance of our conscience wee must marke that a good intent will not make a good action for they that condemned Christ did it because he made himselfe equall with God Iohn 19.7 Iohn 5.18 which was expresly against the law written and therefore thought they had in this done God high and honorable seruice but Christ crieth Luk. 23.34 Father forgiue them they know not what they doe So Peter when Christ foretelleth of his death had an earnest desire to aduise his master to spare himselfe and therefore Mat. 16.22 he tooke Christ aside rebuked him but Christ vers 23. looking backe with an angry countenance bids him get him behind Sathan as being onely worldly wise and not vnderstanding the things that are of God So as we must know to the performance of a good worke the allowance of the heart and the warrant of the word of God must go together Verse 17. If we be children we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him This is inferred by direct consequent to that that went before as vers 13. where the Apostle exhorting to reformation of life doth it by a double contrary so as they insue and follow one another thus They that mortifie the deeds of the flesh are led by the spirit by being thus directed by the spirit they are assured that they are the sons of God by being his sons that they shall haue an inheritance therfore they that liue a holy life must needs be saued And because it might be ouestionable how this title of being Gods children is giuen vnto vs he hath resolued it befoâ—â— vers 15. by a double argument because the Lord in the Goâ—pell doth offer vs such grace as we may come freely and boldly to him as to a father and we stand not now in that terror that was in the deliuery of the Law but we are freed from that bondage The second argument was vers 16. because the spirit doth seale this euidence vnto vs that as our heart doth know what is in vs so doth the spirit also and this spirit doth witnesse that we are children and being children then we be heires which is the scope the Apostle driueth at in this 17. verse When the Apostle saith We are heiâ—â—s of God he setteth down what manner of inheritance it is that we shall haue heereafter not an earthly but a kingdome and a possession of eternity as that the Lord will neuer leaue vs till he hath lifted vs vp to that celestiall place where Christ himselfe sitteth Psal 84.10 It had been great fauor if we might haue been as Dauid speaketh but doore-keepers in the kingdome of heauen nay it might well haue satisfied vs if only our sinnes had beene pardoned or if we had been but the Lords friends or of his acquaintance so as any way hee would haue respected vs considering our rebellion but besides all this to be restored to our former honour nay to haue greater priuiledge then euer Adam had in his first integrity and to be aduanced to the Lords owne throne if all the hearts of men were one heart the full measure of this ioy and the depth of this the Lords loue could not once enter in nor be conceiued And fellow-heires with Christ This is to set forth the certaintie of the place of our inheritance God hath life for he is the fountaine of it but he dwelleth in fire Esay 33.14 and in a place not to be attained vnto therefore the Apostle setteth downe heere heâ—â— we come to it namely in Christ as it is 1. Iohn 5.11 God hath giuen vs eternall life and that life is in the Sonne and by his mediation is conueied to vs. Secondly in that we are fellow-heires with Christ note the excellency of the Lords fauour not only to giue vs life and to place vs with Angels but euen with his owne Sonne Whereby we see that his eare was open to the praier of Christ which he made â—â—ttle before his agony Iohn 17.20 I pray saith he for all that thou hast giuen me that thou wouldest Father 〈◊〉 them with the same loue thou louest me and crowne thâ—â—â— with 〈…〉 glory thou crownest me 〈◊〉 of this ariseth two comfortable priuiledges which the â—â—â—t haâ—e first if wee be heires with Christ in heauen much more are we heires of the transitory blessings of this life and being heires with him wee haue
brethren and the malice of the Iewes in the apprehension and death of Christ were wicked and euill in themselues though God turned their ends contrarie to that they were intended For the last point If he giue him he will with him giue all things obserue that no man can partake of the benefites of Christ but first hee must partake of Christ himselfe and therefore they that holde wee doe in the Sacrament of the Supper onelie partake of the benefits of Christ his death and not of Christ himselfe doe grossely offend for wee doe eate spiritually the verie bodie and doe drinke the very bloud of Christ and by this wee are made partakers of his soule and by consequent of his humanity and by this of his diuinity for they are neuer separated and by this of Christ God and man and by consequent of all his benefits for these benefites be like an c. in the end of a sentence that implieth a necessary addition of many things not expressed and yet must needs be vnderstood as depending vpon the former So that if we haue Christ he commeth not naked nor alone but he bringeth all he hath with him his puritie his obedience his sacrifice his power and whatsoeuer else may make a Christian man perfect Secondly obserue hence that no man can partake of Christ but with him he must likewise partake of all his benefites answerable to that speech of the Euangelist Mat. 6.33 When we haue the kingdome of God other things shall be added for saluation neuer commeth alone And therefore damnable is that opinion that a man may eat Christ really and indeed and yet not partake of his benefits because he doth not eat him effectually for this should argue there is no life in the flesh of Christ contrary to that Ioh. 6.54 He that eateth of the flesh of the sonne of man must needes haue life Thirdly obserue hence that all is gift and no merit and a gift purposed of God to be bestowed before euer we deserued any thing for though we in dutie must labour in the course of mortification yet in vaine doe we wash our selues thinking to be accepted for our cleanlinesse for it is God that giueth the beginning in his Ioue and the increase in his spirit and the end and perfection in his Sonne And therefore he that leaneth to himselfe shall surely fall for if flesh be thy arme and thine owne works the ladder whereby thou thinkest to clime to heauen when thou art passed the ground then shall the rounds breake and thy fall shall be to thy confusion for in the gift of Christ alone we are beloued Vers 33. Who shall laie any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifieth verse 34 Who shall condemne It is Christ which is dâ—â—d yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs. The Apostle hath before proued that if any thing should make vs tremble and stand in feare of damnation it should bee one of these two first either the sinfull imperfection of our nature or secondly the ineuitable necessity of affliction Now that we being in Christ the remainder and relikes of that corruption which we shall onely shake off in death cannot make vs subject to the curse of God he hath proued from the first to the seuenteenth verse going before Secondly that the rod of affliction resting on our backs is no argument of the wrathful face of God but onely the chastisement of a Father he proued from the 17. to the end of the 32. vers Hauing proued these two points he now maketh a most comfortable conclusion demanding a question by way of a challenge and doth most confidently himselfe answer it Who can lay any thing to our charge If Sathan shall accuse the brethren Zach. 3.2 whom the Lord notwithstanding will reproue yet who dare condemne and giue sentence against vs since Christ for our sakes is dead secondly is risen thirdly sitteth at the right hand of the Father fourthly and maketh intercession for vs. First for his death how this saueth vs from damnation it is two waies first in respect of the grieuousnesse of his death secondly in respect of the worthinesse of his person that did sustaine and indure it The grieuousnesse of it resteth in these two first that visibly he was nailed to the crosse and there was a separation of soule and body secondly that inuisibly the markes of the wrath of God were vpon his soule he suffering for a time so may torments of hell as euer all the damned shall doe The worthinesse of his person appeareth in this that he was the Son of God by eternall generation who for his obedience and humbling of himselfe in the shape of a seruant to so cursed a death might worthily haue merited the saluation of a thousand worlds So that as death came in by sinne which stingeth a man to damnation and whereby the diuell raigned ouer all so by the death of the sonne of God was death ouercome sinne abolished and the diuell vanquished and as by sinne came in death so by death went out sinne Hereupon we beholding Christ crucified by a liuely faith 1. Cor. 15.21 wee shall be freed from the impoysoned bitings of the old serpent euen as the Israelites were healed of their wounds and stings Ioh. 3.14 Num. 21.9 by looking on the brasen serpent in the wildernesse For the second which is Christ his resurrection we haue this comfort that no sinne is vnsatisfied or vnexpiated since he is deliuered from the power of darknesse and of death vnder which he was kept and still should haue beene kept vntill all our debts had beene paied to the vtmost farthing Heeeupon we beleeue that Christ caried all our sinnes with him into the graue but what became of them afterward we know not nor need not to inquire for he rose without them And this was represented in the scape-goat Leuit. 16.21 who hauing all the sinnes of the people laid vpon him was sent into an vninhabitable place where he was neuer heard of againe set downe to be in the wildernesse by the hand of a man appointed For the third consider two things first what is meant by his sitting at the right hand of his Father secondly what benefites we reape by his sitting there For the first vnderstand it is a translated or borrowed speech for can we thinke that God hath a hand whose power is diffused through all creatures and being an infinite spirit hath no definite place And as heere Christ is said to be sitting so else where he is said to be standing as Act. 7.56 Stephen saw the Sonne of man standing at the right hand of God In which there is also a borrowed speech for we must not thinke he either fitteth or standeth at a certaine place but the phrase is fetched from the custome of great Princes who vse to set them on
all the Angels must worship him and yet as man no essentiall quality of the Deity rested in him The third priuiledge is this that his Diuine nature hath giuen the participation of his office to him as man that as God is Mediator so is man as God hath deserued saluation so hath man and that hee as man shall iudge the quicke and dead not that he shall iudge by his manhood but Christ-man shall iudge the world The second fruit of this vnion is the communication of properties not that the properties of the one are communicate to the other but that one may bee attributed to both as Christ God died Christ man is eternall and this is either when we giue that to the humanity which is proper to the diuinity or giue that to the diuinity which is proper to the humanity as God by his bloud redeemed his Church yet God had no bloud but Christ God had bloud so this man Christ forgiueth sinnes not that this power is in his manhood but hee doeth it meerely as God for these and such like speeches be true in Concreto not in abstracto as they be both ioyned together and not as they be separate one from the other Lastly in the word God with vs obserue that Christ is not only God with vs in nature but in person for the reprobate are of the same nature with him and he with them yet is he not God with them but against them but we as the Apostle speaketh are flesh of his flesh Ephes 5.30 and bone of his bones euen as man and wife which are not onely one in nature as all other men and women are but one person by speciall couenant and euen so are wee one person with Christ by the couenant of grace being one with him we are also one with the whole Trinity as himselfe saith I and my Father will come and sup with him and according to his last praier Iohn 17. Father I beseech thee that as I am one with thee and thou with me so these speaking of the faithfull and pointing at them may be one with vs both which bringeth great comfort to Gods children that through Christ we haue the whole Godhead reconciled to vs and dwelling in vs. And Ioseph did as the Angell had commanded him This is the third generall part spoken of before namely the obedience of Ioseph according to euery thing that was prescribed out of which gather generally that when we are acertained it is Gods pleasure wee should doe such a thing that wee stand not still consulting with our owne peruerse natures nâ—â— inclining too much to tender our owne frailties but that knowing it to be the voice of God we admit of no contradictions but we are to constraine our affections to bee pacified and perswaded according as the Lord hath disposed This was the infirmity of Sara Genes 18.12 who laughed when the Angels promised to come againe according to the time of life she râ—â—â—â—ting rather the order of nature then beleeuing the promise of God And this likewise was Lots fault Gen. 19.16 who prolonged the time when the Angels bad him arise and be gone for the which hee might iustly haue beene destroied in the punishment of the City But the contrary to this we see in Abraham Gen. 22.3 who when he was commanded to sacrifice his sonne than which what could be more contrary to nature than for a father to be the butcher to his owne sonne yet being assured that it was the voice of God speaking by the Angell he presently commended his affection and rose vp early to execute that bitter message Wherein obserue that all the children of Abraham must be children of obedience which must be shewed by walking in euery thing according as it is written For now seeing onely the voice of the Lord is the voice of the scripture Luke 16.29 which is as certaine as if Christ were to speake immediatly from heauen so farre as is commanded so farre is to bee performed howsoeuer it may cost vs deare and crosse vs much yea though it bee with Ioseph to embrace her for a wife whose honesty we might iustly suspect And if Ioseph did this at the first word of the Angell what shall bee said to vs who haue heard the voice of God so often beating vpon vs that we should forsake our sinnes and yet we spread curtaines ouer them But that as his obedience is heere recorded for his praise so our stubburnnesse and disobedience be regestred in our punishment that it may be as a hissing and astonishment to other nations Further obserue hence that the obedience of a Christian standeth not in a generall subscribing to the truth of that is taught them no nor yet in a verball confession of it but the commendation of a Christian resteth in his works of obedience as it is said â—eere Ioseph did as he was enioyned 1. Ioh. 3 1â— so that the hand and the mouth must goe together as our Sauiour Christ teacheth Not euery one that saith Lord Lord Mat. 7. â—â— but he that doth the will of the Lord shall be an heire of heauen Whereby we must learne that the calling of a Christian is noidle but a painfull calling wherein we must striue daily to plucke vp some weedes or other that ouergrow our godlinesse and to liue as children in the sight of our Father alwaies doing what hee commendeth vnto vs. For if Ioseph after this time had no more suspected his wife yet if hee had not taken her againe and dwelt with her as his wife he had failed in his obedience and had been like Lots wife Gen. 19.22.26 who beginning well in going out of Sodome and yet forgetting halfe her obedience to the commandement in looking backe behind her is left as a monument to this day for vs to take heed by And he knew her not till she had c. Though it be said he knew her not till shee had c. yet it doth not follow necessarily he knew her after for the word till in the Hebrew tongue signifieth as well that a thing shall not come to passe in time to come as that it came not to passe before as Mat. 28.20 I am with you vntill the end of the world not that he will leaue vs then but that he will by his spirit be with vs then and euer after Like to this is the phrase vsed 2. Sam. 6.23 Michol had no children till the day of her death and it is certain she had none after So in the speech following Christ was her first begotten Sonne it doth not therefore follow shee had any more sonnes for the phrases only exclude the time before And this we are to beleeue vpon our saluation that Ioseph knew her not till Christ was borne and that Christ was the first borne And it is very probable agreeable to the best churches that he knew her not after nor that she had any more
Neither is this contrary to that God willeth not the death of a sinner for the difference is this God willeth not the confusion simply of any man as a thing wherein he delighteth but he willeth it as it is his iustice and what greater or better iustice can there be then to bee glorified in the condemnation of some that haue deserued it and he must be no more vnwillingly iust then vnwillingly mercifull Further learne that euen in this life the godly are gathered to heauen and so of the wicked that though they liue yet they are in hell So S. Iohn saith he that beleeueth is already passed to life Iohn 5.24 and Heb. 12.22 we are gathered already to the Patriarks and to the soules of iust and perfect men through hope and wee are as sure to haue that we hope for as we are of this we haue already namely the pledge of Gods spirit and Ephes 2. vs he hath gathered to the celesticall places vnder hope speaking as if it were already done though the reall gathering shal be at the latter day On the other side of the wicked it is said by the same spirit He that beleueth not is already damned the words are fearefull but it is so set downe to expresse the certainty of it not but that hee that is not beloued Ose 2.23 may be beloued and he that is not vnder mercy 1. Pet. 2.10 may obtaine mercy But looke in what state a man is in the Church in the same shall hee be after this life for whatsoeuer is bound on earth is bound in heauen and they that bee not bound heere being priuy hypocrites are notwithstanding bound in heauen and shall be so in hell also For the last which is vnquenchable fire thereby is meant the condemnation prepared for the reprobate not that wee must imagine there is any naturall fire there for first this fire can not pierce the soules of men nor the spirits of diuels and the paine must extend both to soule and body Secondly it is no more naturall fire then it is a bodily worme spoken of in the Gospell which shall gnaw the hearts and consciences of the damned Mark 9.44 Thirdly in Esay 30.33 it is said there was a great lake prepared for Kings with fire of much wood and it is absurd to thinke there is any wood there and a riuer of brimstone burning by the breath of the Lord which is not to bee intended of materiall brimstone but it is set out by such termes to expresse the vnspeakable torment of it not to be comprehended much lesse to be endured for the torment of fire and brimstone euen to flesh and bloud are strange and terrible therefore these speeches are vsed to conuey to our vnderstanding what we could not before conceiue So it is said in the Gospell that they shall bee bound hand and foot not that there be any bonds or chaines there Mat. 22.13 but the meaning only is that they are the prisoners of the Lord for euer neuer to be released but to be restrained from all libertie wherby they might in any sort be eased Againe hell fire is called Gehenna or Topheth which was a litle place where the Israelites did sacrifice their children in fire to the Diuels this being taken for the torment of the reprobate Now this torment is expressed two waies first in the extremitie of it secondly in the permanencie of it The first two waies First by that they shall feele both in soule and body secondly by that they shall lose both of them expressed 2. Thess 1.9 they shall be separated from the power of his presence and bound in chaines in euerlasting darknesse The greatnesse of this torment is expressed two waies first it shall be vniuersall in all parts and it is most fearfull in this life to be pained in euery part of the body at one time Secondly the particular torment thâ— euery one in hell shall feele as that Princes shall be tormented like Princes euery one according to the sinnes that he wrought in his body Mat. 10.15 as it is said in the Gospell It shall bee easier for Sodome then for them and yet they be in hell already for the damnation of Belzebub shall be the greatest and then of them that sinned against the holy Ghost and none of these shall haue so much as a drop of water to coole their toongues but they shall continually bee blaspheming of God for the which they shall continually be tormented And though this shall be great and grieuous such as they cannot yet they must abide yet shall it be a farre greater hell vnto them to thinke they haue lost heauen seeing Gods children to reioice that their persecutors be now plagued and that God is so auenged of them for their sakes For the second which is the endlesnesse of this torment it is a fire that shall neuer go out nor the flames wherof can neuer beâ—bated If there were but as many yeeres to endure it as there be grasse piles on earth or starres in heauen the conscience might somewhat through hope bee eased because at length it should cease but the end thereof cannot be imagined and this word neuer is fearefull Let this therefore teach vs rightly to embrace the Gospell that we may be wheate in this earthly floore of the Lord to the end we may be gathered into his heauenly garner MATH Chap. 3. vers 13 14 15 16 17. verse 13 Then cam Iesus from Galile to Iordan vnto Iohn to he baptized of him verse 14 But Iohn earnestly put him backe saying I haue neede to be baptized of thee and comest thou to me verse 15 Then Iesus answering said to him Let be now for thus it becommeth vs to fulfill all righteousnesse so hee suffered him verse 16 And Iesus when he was baptized came straite out of the water and lo the heauens were opened vnto him and Iohn saw the Spirit of God descending like a Diue and lighting on him verse 17 And lo a voice came from heauen saying This is my beloloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased NOW the Euangelist proceedeth to shew now Iohn exercised part of his Ministery euen toward the Messias himselfe and setteth downe how after Christ had liued long in Nazareth containing himselfe in Iosephs house till his heauenly father should consecrate him and call him forth to the great worke of the Ministery and of maiestie hee being now of thirty yeeres of age commeth to Iohn and requireth to be baptized in as much as he appearing in the flesh of man was to ioyne himselfe to them that confessed their sinnes Iohn by reuelation perceiuing that he was the Lord for they neuer met before this being in wise dome prouided of the Lord lest it might haue seemed a compact betweene them two to cosen the world refuseth to do it and put him backe earnestly acknowledging Christs excellency and his owne vnworthinesse In this bewraying the error of his
iudgement that hee knew not all that pertained to his calling and ministery yet addeth a reason why he did this I can giue but water but thou canst giue the spirit to purge the conscience Christ seeing his modesty bids him leaue off to intreate of his excellency and his owne basenesse that he was as the Sonne and Iohn but as the day starre Let this goe saith Christ for thou and I both must labour to doe that God hath appoiâ—ted it is thy calling to baptize and mine to require it professing himselfe to bee in the number of repentants Iohn seeing that Christ shewed this actioÌ„ to be a part of that righteousnesse should be fulfilled did receiue him whereupon after Christ had beenâ— drenched in the water a miracle was seene the heauens to open the holy Ghost to descend a voice from his Father that this Sonne was principally beloued and for his sake all others should be beloued So as the Sauiour of the world was first baptized and then miraculously consecrated to be that great monarch of heaven and earth In the words there are two generall parts to bee considered first that Christ was baptized from vers 13. to the latter end of vers 15. secondly what-testimony was giuen from heauen for his consecration to the Mediatorship In the first there be these circumstances set downe first that Christ tooke paines himselfe to come secondly that Iohn at first refused him giuing a reason why he did so thirdly Christ replying vpon him with a reason added why he required it and why Iohn may not deny it For the first of these consider two circumstances first at what time Christ came secondly whence he came then the word shewes a continuance of the story then when Iohn had prepared a people by his ministery to receiue Christ and when the fulnesse of time was come and the time of his present prinate life expired Heere generally consider that God determineth the times and seasons of mens priuate and publike callings Moses was forty yeeres of age before God told him he should bee the delinerer of his people and after hee had discontinued and walked priuatly forty yeeres more then hee was called of God to that office Act. 7.23 Exo. 3.10 So Iohn was thirty yeeres old before hee began to execute his ministery So for Christ it might seeme tedious to his parents that hee should so long containe himselfe in their priuate house and albeit he was destinated and ordained from the wombe to this great office and worke yet he must expect his fathers pleasure before hee offer himselfe to goe forth of Galile It is true of all men which Ieremy speakes of himselfe ch 1.5 God called me saith he and sanctified me to be a Prophet from the wombe yea before I was fashoined So Paul Gal. 1.15 saith he was separate from his mothers wombe to preach the gospell yet they must both wait and attend for a reall calling The vse that is hence to be gathered is that as Christ contented and satisfied himselfe with a priuate life when by comming abroade he might haue come to great renowne in the world so much more are we to satisfie our selues with that place wee haue and leaue it to Gods wisedome who in fulnesse of time will call if he haue any imploiment for vs so as no man may beg or buy a calling or thinke all his graces buried if he enter not presently into the broade way of worldly fame for God will in time if he haue set him apart for his husbandry prouide him a place and meanes for his lawfull entrance and such an admittance as may secure his conscience For the second whence he came from Galile where may be demanded why Iohn went not to him he being but the seruantâ— the reason is first because Iohns ministery was appointed to be exercised in the wildernesse secondly it was to set forth the maiesty and to preserue the dignity and worthinesse of the ministery for in as much as Christ was to be baptized hee was to come thither as one that was to partake of some fruit of his office Which example and prefident shewes that no man ought to thinke himselfe too good to come to Iohn that is to the Minister of God in whose mouthes heehath put the words of reconciliation and in whose hands are the distribution of his seales And this condemneth all those that seeke to bring the Temple into their house or wait that the Arke should come to them Dauid we see though a King of high glory and renowne Psal 84 2.3 complaineth and mourneth that he could not haue accesse to the church of God and thought the birds happier theâ— he that sate and sung within the Temple And if the King of heauen the Lord Iesus did humble himselfe to goe to Iohn much more ought flesh and bloud to striue to ioyne themselues to the publike place where the ministery is exercised The second circumstance is Iohns forbidding of Christ to come to his baptisme Out of which place appeareth that Iohn acknowledged him to be the Messias though he was cloathed with sinfull flesh for he saith he had need to receiue the holy Ghost of him which none can giue but Christ Now how knew he this for by the wisedome of God it was wrought that they neuer saw nor met before therefore hee must needs know it miraculously euen as miraculously Luke 1.41 hee leapt in his mothers wombe when she first heard of Christs conception And if the signe to know him be the Doue as some would haue it how knew he him before It must be answered that God gaue him a secret reuelation to himselfe to discerne that this was the person in whom dwelt the God-head bodily Coloss 2.9 and after for further confirmation which was a signe a posteriori there was this exhibition of that token a Doue descending on him According as Exod. 3.12 Moses was told he should bee a deliuerer of the people of Israel and this was his signe that when he had done it he should sacrifice to God in the mount that is it should further confirme him for he knew it before when he went forth of Egypt with the people Where we may learne that if we walke simply as in the sight of God and make a conscience of our calling wee shall haue if need require an extraordinary presence and help of God to instruct vs and we shall be taught of him the secrets and wonders of the Lord. Further learne in this refusall of Iohn to baptise Christ that although a man may be an excellent Minister yet hee may erre concerning some chiefe point of his office and this to bee no disparagement to him euen as Iohn failed in this duty So as we draw out of this particular example this generall instruction against such as except against Ministers being of another iudgement then others be for if he be faithfull in the greatest duty of his calling and his end be
Christ taketh nothing but they pamper themselues with wines and iunkets which be as irritable to lust as flesh therefore theirs is but a mock-fast for Christ fasted not sparingly only but abstained altogether Againe if they will imitate Christ they must doe it in the wildernes and if it be a commandement because Christ did it why did they it not in Eliah and Moses time If neuer any Iew proposed to himselfe this imitation of him that fasted not but by the power of God much lesse should we in this follow Christ that fasted by his owne power Againe Christ fasted that Satan might take him in his infirmity but must we doe so to expose our selues the more to the opportunity of his temptation God forbid Yet if we will know what fasting is we say it is a necessary exercise which our owne calamities doe require and the desolations of other churches doe exact and hee that taketh in more then will well fit him to the duties of his calling hath surfeited Now in the fasting of the Papists we note foure faults first they destroy the worke of fasting in the bodily exercise which they doe two waies first by fulnesse secondly by delicacy Secondly there is a meere deceit and cosinge in their fasting for with fasting should bee ioyned praier extraordinary both for feruency and continuance which by humbling our selues in this sort doth set an edge vpon them which otherwise would crawle vpon the ground and were not able to pierce the heauens for if fasting had not this vse but that the action would be complete by outward abstinenc onely then were it a brutish fast for the beasts of Niniueh Ionah 2. fasted in this son But they doe notioyne praier extraordinary that the body may be crucified and the minde humbled that thus it might bee as grindstone to set an edge on their supplications therefore theirs is no fast Thirdly all fasting is for the obtaining of some grace or preuenting of some danger but they haue inioyned and appointed set daies to fast on as if the Physition should say such a day he would let bloud not regarding the present state of the patient wherein hee should rather shew himselfe a Prophet theâ—â— a Physition euen so doe the Papists deale in their fasts either verie ignorantly or prophetically Fourthly where fasting is appointed to humble vs and to confesse our vilenesse by feeling our wants and to powre foorth our soules vnto God they thinke that hauing pleased him by the bare action of abstinence they may doe what they list or else puffed vp with a Pharisaicall pride of merit thinking they haue deserued at Gods hand they will match their almes with the very bloud of Christ which is most sacrilegious Of these the Apostle speaketh 1. Tim. 4.3 that In the latter times there shall come men which shall forbid marriage and meates speaking in hypocrisie c. Yea say they this is meant of grosse heretikes which should condemne mariage and meates altogether as the Marcionists that said men and women were coupled for generation of the diuell This is absurd for these men speake it not in hypocrisie but in open blasphemy Yea say they but we doe not hold that meates are vncleane in themselues And yet they forbid it to all men at some times and to some men at all times Againe a Doctor of theirs in approbation of their Lent saith that flesh was accursed in the floud of Noah but so was not fish Yea but God forbad the tree in Paradise and certaine meates vnder the Law yet were they not vnlceane We answer that which God hath made lawfull what man can interdict And as it is Antichristian to command what God forbids so is it to forbid what God commands The meates in the Law were forbidden for significations and they cease so for meates offered to Idols for they are abolished and a man may now eate meate offered to the diuell for hee cannot pollute it for euery creature of God is good and nothing ought to be refused if it be receiued with thanksgiuing 1. Tim. 44. Againe if they speake of the quantitie and qualitie it were somewhat but they doe not so but all fish and no flesh is lawfull Then came to him the tempter c. This is the first speciall temptation wherewith Christ was assaulted as if Satan should haue said there hath been a voice heard from the aire that thou art the son of God and there hath beene a visible cutting asunder of the heauens by a miracle and by this thou perswadest thy selfe that thou art so and thou hast fasted heere forty daies which makes thee highly conceited of thy self yet is it not possible thou shouldst be Gods Sonne for thou wantest not onely the hoast of heauen to wait vpon thee which were worthy the glory of the Sonne of God but thou art so distressed as thou wantest a peece of bread for the strength of thy body therefore it is vnlike thou shouldest be Gods child for then hee would more respect thee then now he doth to leaue thee thus destitute of comfort Well I know thine infirmity to bee such as bread thou must haue and being heere where is none but wild beasts and where no present supply can be made bestirre thy selfe and be thine owne puruetor and because without bread thou canst not liue bee thou Gods Sonne or no looke how thou canst furnish thy selfe whether by miracle or without miracle Now heere in this desert there is nothing but stones which if thou beest such a one as thou woldest be thought to be thou canst change their naturall hardnesse and make them fit for nourishment Therefore to satisfie me and for thine owne good let me see at thy commandement their nature to bee altered and transubstantiate Our Sauiour Christ being well furnished and appointed not onely with the graces of the spirit but with the word of God doth not answer whether he be Gods Sonne or no or whether he can turne those stones into bread or no but hee ouerthroweth the ground of his reason that it is not impossible man should liue without bread as if he should say Thou giuest the power of sustenance to a peece of bread but my Father is able by his power and prouidence to fustaine me though I haue no bread and not onely my selfe an thus perswaded being Gods sonne but euen flesh and bloud may be able to liue without food if so be it be Gods pleasure therefore there is no cause why I should worke a miracle since not only I but many other may bee relieued without these ordinary meanes And that thou maiest know I haue truth on my side I speake nothing but scripture for Deut. 8.3 it is said Therefore hee humbled thee and made thee hungry that hee might teach thâ—â— that man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doeth a man liue And as for thee thou goest about to tempt
For if we rather desire the flesh pots of Egypt then the Manna in the wildernesse and being drawen a little from the custome of sinne by the impulsion of the spirit wee make more haste to returne backe to our vomit then to follow hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ then is not Christ in vs nor wee in him and being out of him there is nothing but condemnation Phil. 3.14 and we are alreadie in the iawes of the Lion Out of the first obserue that saluation is not appointed for all men for all pertaine not vnto Christ as himselfe saith Luk. 12.32 mine is a little flocke and Iohn 10.26 those that beleeue not are not of Christs sheepe but those that be his heare his voice putting a difference betweene beleeuers and those that are in truth no better than Infidels which is more liuely expressed by the reward verse 28. I giue them that is my sheepe eternall life and they perish not What becommeth then of the other They are as Iude 6. reserued vnder darknesse vnto the iudgement of the great day and the cup of vengeance and condemnation cannot passe by them because the wrath of God was neuer satisfied for them so much also is signified by Christ Mat. 7.13.14 There be two waies in the world fitting with the two fold condition of men the one strait and narrow the other wide and broad those that in this life loue not to be pinched and crouded but to haue their walkes easie and their roomes large their feete leadeth them to destruction and of this kinde saith hee there be many Let vs not therefore vainely nozzle our selues in this opinion that heauen shal hold vs all for Christ as Iohn 10.9 is that straite dore by which wee must enter and though goates may heere feede with sheepe and tares may grow vp with corne yet when we come to the fold and to the harnest our shepheard knoweth who are his and giues them onely entrance and our Lord who is the husbandman gathereth only the graine and scattereth the chaffe as before the wind for condemnation is the inheritance of all such as haue not Christ for their head and he is head to none that haue not their life from him and none liue in him but they that are ruled by him and hee ruleth none but by the scepter of his word within the reach whereof few desire to be drawen but all almost doe seeke how to slip the collar as if the patient should onely dislike that medicine which would rid him of his disease yet such are most in the world that hate to see Christ in the glasse of his word wherein he is most perfectly to be beholden and therefore no marnell though condemnation as a cloud doe couer so many Secondly let vs obserue and as it were with teares of thankfulnesse acknowledge and reuerence the speciall and spirituall loue of God Mal. 1.5 that hath so magnified himselfe vpon the borders of vs Christians that when wrath had ouerspread the earth and the curse of God for disobedience had runne through the end of the world and that we were besmeared and misshapen with sinne as vgly as the Ethiopian and condemnation as due to vs as to them that alreadie hang in hell yet hath the Lord preserued vs not from a bodily death as Exod. 1.17 the midwines did the yong Israelites but from the spirituall fire of hell which should haue tormented our soules and this meerely through Christ that loâ—eth vs for though the first and originall cause of our saluation hee the loue of God yet this is conueied to vs through his sonne the Lord being as tender to vs as a father is to his childe onely through the obedience of that child and Sonne of his the Lord Iesus and therefore most fitly hath the Apostle deliuered heere this bridge of condemnation to bee broken downe that wee haue now no passage to hell through the forme and vertue of our liuing and being in Christ for there being but two impediments to our saluation first the destroying of Satans power in vs through sinne secondly the appeasing of Gods anger towards vs for sinne Christ hath remoued both these First in breaking the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 and himselfe possessing the hold which Satan kept namely the Temples of our bodies And secondly in treading the wine-presse of the wrath of God Reue. 14.19 that what possibly could in iustice be exacted of vs that himselfe paied in his owne body and person suffering for the time the paines and pangs of hell therefore there can no condemnation remaine for vs our debt being already paied to the vtmost farthing which ought to stirre vp our hearts to the praise and thankfulnesse of so good a God that passing by thousands that lay polluted in their blood no worse then wee hash thus gratiously visited and receiued vs to mercy For the second which is the meanes whereby we are fenced and freed from this condemnation namely through Christ we are to note two things First how we are said to be in Christ and Christ in vs Secondly what profit we receaue by this coniunction For the first it is such a mystery as mans imperfect wisdome and shallow reach cannot sound the bottome nor come to the depth of it but shall heereafter better be knowen by our fruition of it then now it can be by the description of it howbeit so far as this secret of God is opened vnto vs in the booke of God so farre may we seeke and no further Now this vnion betweene Christ and vs is expressed in the Scripture two waies first plainlie secondly by way of comparison the first is set foorth by Christ himselfe the master of all truth First as a thing to be felt and discerned euen in this life as Ioh. 14.20 At that day saith he shall ye know that I am in my father and you in me and I in you that is though yee shall lose the comfort of my presence bodily yet I will leaue you such a spirituall pledge of our coniunction namely my spirit as you shall know and perceiue I am onely absent from you in the flesh but am still with you to aide and succour you secondly it is plainely set foorth as a thing to bee perfectly inioyed in the life to come as Ioh. 17.23 where Christ maketh it part of his praier for all beleeuers That as thou O father art in me and I in thee so they may be also one in vs I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one which places proue the vndoubted truth of this point that Christ and we are ioyned together for otherwise it had not stood with Gods iustice to haue punished Christ in our flesh nor to haue accepted our obedience in Christs person if wee had not beene in him and he in vs for it was not possible for the flesh of man so wilfully sinnig
vpon earth then doe we seeke Christ on earth when we know hee is gone into heauen But from whence hath he deliuered vs From hell Then must we take heed we doe not the workes of hell and of darknesse And then whither hath he brought vs Where he is that is in heauen Then if we will say we are married to him Ioh. 14.2 and that he was crucified for our sinnes and hath crucified sinne in vs and freed vs from sinne Sathan and condemnation let our conuersation be where his body is for where the dead corse is thither will the Egles resort and where the husband is thither will the wise haste to see him and to liue with him so that as Christ died in body so must we die in spirit that his spirit may haue his full worke in vs to raise vs vp to heauenly meditations Thirdly we must learne that betwixt the corporall and spirituall marriage there is great difference for the woman for certain causes may be diuorced from her husband and he being dead she may as lawfully keepe herselfe a widow as marry againe but in this our spirituall marriage there is neither diuorce nor widowhood for as soone as we are diuorced from the flesh and the lusts thereof we must not stay and remaine a widow but we must presently marry with the spirit of God and the fruites thereof and he shall remaine our husband for euer Howbeit we must know we haue no liberty to marry with our second husband the Lord Iesus vntill we be deliuerd from the whole body of sinne and the powers thereof as lust sensuality and such like and the meanes of this our freedome and deliuerance is in the body of Christ so as vnlesse the body of Christ hath destroied sinne in our naturall bodies we are not conioined vnto him We must then consider what there is in this bodie of ours which is a body of sinne Rom. 6.6 And in this body of ours there are three things First condemnation for sin Secondly disobedience by sinning Thirdly the corruption of nature which causeth this disobedience In the second place we must consider how we are deliuered from these three and how they be taken from vs. The first which is our condemnation is taken away by the satisfaction of Christ for our sinne the second which is our disobedience is taken away by the righteousnesse of Christ free from sinne and these things are without vs but the third which is the corruption of our nature is taken away by the powerfull working of Gods spirit within vs so that except we haue this third thing the spirit to abolish sinne in vs we are not yet flesh of his flesh and so none of his spouse For as for Christs satisfaction for condemnation and his obedience for our rebellion the very Turkes may hope for their saluation as well as we therefore it must be the slaying of sinne by the spirit that must assure vs of our coniunction and marriage with Christ for if corruption remaineth whence springeth disobedience then there remaineth for this disobedience condemnation for euery sinne committed by them that are regenerate is as it were the bringing foorth of a bastard vnto God which we know how much he abhorreth Sixtly this our coniunction with Christ is set foorth Ioh. 15.5 vnder the parable of the vine to which Christ is compared and we to the branches for as the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe vnlesse it grow vp with the stocke no more can we except we grow vp in Christ and as the branches receiue sap from the root whereby they fructifie so we being ingrasted into Christ receiue life from him whereby we are fruitfull in good workes and as the branches seuered from the body of the tree doe fall away and perish so if we once wither away and the graces of God decay and wax cold in vs drinking in the raine and yet not bringing foorth herbes meet for the dresser then are we neere vnto cursing and our end is to be burned Out of which learne that if thou cariest in thy life onely leaues as it were of thy profession Heb. 6.8 as the figge tree did that seemed greene a farre off and goodly and art not fruitfull in thy conuersation to walke as one redeemed out of darknesse thou art but as a branch broken off and as a blade that withereth before the time of haruest for as Rom. 11.16 If the roote be holy so are the branches and if the ground of thy heart be seasoned with the graces of God it will spring foorth into all thy members The Seuenth comparison is Ioh. 6.56 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him Where Christ is compared to flesh and bloud which we must not vnderstand of materiall but of spirituall eating which is comprehended by faith wrought in vs by the spirit reuealed to vs by the Sonne of God deliuered to vs by the word of God and sealed vnto vs by the Sacraments Since then our feeding on Christ doth draw such fruit after it bring such efficacy with it let vs labour to meet him in those meanes himselfe hath ordained namely in his word and sacraments the one being the store-house of his promises the other as it were a patent of confirming them to vs vnder the seales left vs by the King of heauen that as these infirme bodies of ours cannot be supported without the stafes of bread and drinke the one to kill the hunger the other to stanch the thirst wherewith our natures are assaulted so we may perswade our selues that our soules for their cherishing and refreshing doe require the like necessity to be sed with the flesh and bloud of Christ that we may grow vp perfect men in him and be freed from the scorching heat of desperation whereinto we may easily fall through that streame and current of sin wherewith we are carried in the whole course of our liues and from which wee cannot be saued but through the sprinkling of that blood which was shed for vs vpon the Crosse Now for the second point which is the profit and benefit we receiue by this Coniunction it is twofold first that Christ hath taken our sinnes and the punishment of our sinnes vpon him for he being without sinne was made sinfull for vs was wounded for our transgressions and as 1. Pet. 2.24 bare our sinnes in his body on the tree that by his stripes we might be healed secondly that by his death we are made partakers of his obedience and the reward of his obedience which is eternall life and of his graces and the glory for his graces which is eternall glory Touching the first profit it is double First he tooke our sinnes vpon him Secondly the satisfaction of our sinnes which is death the first by imputation the second really and sensibly for being clothed with our flesh and appearing in our persons he became the child of wrath subiect to
the euerlasting curse of God for so are we all by nature in which nature of ours he representing vs became vile before his father in respect of vs. But now for the punishment of sinne vpon him that was not imaginarie but true and sensible both in soule and body so extreame as in anguish of spirit he was driuen to crie My God my God why hast thou forsaken me yea the death he endured was in it owne kind accursed as it is written Deut. 21.23 Cursed is euery one that hangeth on the tree yea looke what miseries what wants what dangers he did vndergoe and taste of from his birth to his ascension into heauen the same he suffered and slept in onely for vs which cleareth the iustice of God that a righteous man should smart for vs sinners because we are in him and he in vs which I vrge the more that we may see the great price the sonne of God paied for our redemption to stirre vs vp to a better and deeper consideration of it he being the only shepheard that euer gaue his life for his sheepe the only lambe which being vnspotted in himselfe did euer take vpon him the scabbes and vlcers of the whole flocke the onely man full of sorrowes and experience of infirmities whom the world iudged as plagued smitten of God and humbled yet was it onely for our iniquities that the chastisement of our peace might be vpon him Therfore as Esay 53.11 let him see the trauell of his soule that is the fruit of his labour and the efficacy of his death in the saluation of vs his people For the other profit it is also double as first we are made partakers of his graces secondly of the glorie for his graces And this standeth also with the iustice of God that he being in vs and we in him God must needs with him giue vs all things also Now the graces we taste of by this coniunction are twofold first by imputation which is his satisfaction for our sinnes we being starke bankerupts able to pay nothing and the benefit of his obedience we being rebellious bastards able to fulfill nothing secondly in our selues but drawen and deriued from Christ the fountaine as the change of our affections reforming of our iudgements renuing of our minds mortification a sanctified life and these graces did farre more abound in Christ then euer they did in Adam in his integrity for he was flesh made â—â—t after the image of God wheras this flesh Christ had the God head dwelling in him bodily as Col. 1.18 had in all things the preheminence that we might tast of the fulnes of his graces as far as is fit And for the second much is the glory for his graces namly eternall life of this hee hath also made vs partakers ye as if he had no other errand to heauen he saith Io. 14.32 I go to prepare a place for you in my fathers house Therfore let vs not say in our hearts that is let vs not doubt but assure our selues that as Christ is ascended so shall we and it is no presumption to beleeue that the Lord for his Sonnes sake will saue thee for he hath first giuen thee his word and promise He that beleeueth and repenteth shall be saued so as if thou canst apply repentance to thy selfe thou maiest challenge him on his word and secondly thou hast his oath hee sware to Abraham that his seed through his faith should be blessed and this hath Christ sworne againe A men Amen he that beleeueth is already translated from death to life shewing the certainty of it by the maner of speech as if it were already done and if thou wilt relie vpon neither of the former he hath thirdly left thee a pawne that is his spirit to guide and conduct thee in the right way that though thy selfe connot be in heauen as yet yet thy affections may be in the bosome of Christ and that thy faith in his resurrection may assure thee of thy incorruption and thy comfort in his sitting at the right hand of God may rebound backe vpon thy owne soule in being an vndoubted testimony of thy exaltation and aduancement heereafter for where Christ is there by reason of this coniunction betweene thee and him thou must needs be also Hence ariseth a most comfortable instruction for an afflicted conscience for Sathan will lay a whole scrowle of particular sins before thee charge thee that there be many omitted wherein thou hast offended that corruption is so worne into thy bones and lieth so low at the heart as it cannot be taken forth but must needs rankle to damnation and that thy sinnes are in their number so many and in their weight so heauy as there can be no case nor satisfaction for them Thou must confesse thou art indeed in thy selfe a worme vnworthy to creepe vpon the earth but in Christ as bold and strong as a lion yea if thou canst appropriate the sufferings of Christ to thy selfe in particular as the Gospâ—â— propounds them generally thou maiest answer that by the â—â—rity of his birth the obedience of his life and the bitternesse of his death he hath clensed thee from thy sinne wherein thou wert conceiued made vp the breach of thy rebellion and ransomed thee from the cruelty of that second death whereinto thou wert plunged by thine actuall pollution this thou knowest because thou art one with him and he with thee True indeed sathan will confesse that Christ took our flesh vpon him as himself said in the Gospell that he was come before his time to torment him but yet he will suggest that Christ being but one his satisfaction can be but for one and he will tell thee in this truely that the sinnes of all men are infinite and the wrath of God for them is infinite for which the satisfaction of Christ must bee as infinite which saith he cannot be To which answer that as by the first Adam all men are made sinners so by the second Adam which is Christ all that beleeue are made righteous and as Adam can damne all that shall be damned for all in him did eate of the forbidden fruit so Christ can saue all that shall be saued for all in him are brought againe into the Paradise of God Reu. 2.7 In Rom. 5.14 and 1. Cor. 15.22 Adam is said to be a figure of Christ wherein they agree in this that as Adam gaue as much as he had to his posterity so doth Christ proportionably giue that he hath to those that be his Adam gaue sinne and death Christ giueth life and grace And they disagree in three respects first we receaue sin from Adam by nature but we receaue not the graces of Christ and life eternall by nature but by imputation and by grace only and not by imitation for we cannot imitate Christ in euery thing secondly by Adam came only originall sinne not actuall but Christ hath satisfied for both
vs to mingle with our good thoughts euill thoughts And heerein wee must first know what we are by nature and before our conuersion namely wee are bound both hand and foote as it were with the chaines and irons of sinne that wee cannot mooue to any good and so long we are the slaues of Sathan who whips vs with our owne corruption and so hardeneth our hearts through vse and custome of sinne that we are led into the wrath of God before we see it but when the Lord doth strike vs on the sides as he did Peter and open our hearts as he did the heart of Lydia that we doe see the riches of his mercy Act. 12.7.16.14 and doe feele our irons somewhat vnloosed that is our corruption abated whereby we get some liberty to doe that is good though it be not done with that perfection that is required yet let vs assure our selues that our purpose and desire to walke with God and to doe good is accepted of him for he regardeth the heart and dispenseth with the imperfection of the outward man To which purpose Saint Paul saith Phil. 3.13.14 I forget that which is behind and endeuour to that is before and follow hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ In which obserue three things First we must know our marke at which we must 〈◊〉 that is Christ and vnto the comming of this marke wee must be absolutely resolued Secondly we must not looke behind vs not forbidding vs to look backe vnto our former estate but nothing must hinder vs from going to this worke as whoredome vsury flattery deceit idolatry and such like grosse sinnes Thirdly we must so striue as in the end we may attain this marke which is Christ and so we come thither it skilleth not whether we creepe or goe by steppes and degrees answerable to that 1. Cor. 9.24 So runne that yee obtaine that though wee haue many stops in the flesh yet if our eies bee still vpon God it sufficeth Lastly that we may be abashed at the shaking of sinne and may grow into perfect hatred and detestation of it we see heere the miserable estate of them that are subiect to the prince of the world and are at league with hell that howsoeuer their life is varnished ouer with a little temporall prosperity yet they feede themselues but for their slaughter for being out of Christ and disclaiming holinesse of life their glory shall be their shame and their end is but damnation it being impossible as Salomon saith Prouer. 12.3 for a man to be established by wickednesse If therefore thou seest his barnes full let not thy soule enuy it for in the reuenues of the wicked there is trouble because they tend to sinne and the Lord casteth away his substance If thou seest him tall and proud as the Cedar blesse thou thy selfe in thy humility for the curse of the Lord being in his house though his excellency mount vp to heauen and his head reach vp to the clouds yet shall he perish for euer like his dung his rootes shall be dried vp beneath and aboue his branch shall be cut downe If thou seest him seated and waxing old in his outward happines let it nothing trouble thee for his bones are full of the sinnes of his youth and it shall lie downe with him in the dust at length his eies shall faile and then shall his candle be put out his refuge shall perish and then fearefulnesse shall driue him to his feet If thou seest him eate and drinke and rise vp to play desire not thou to taste of his ioy for his reioicing is short and but a moment and though wickednesse be sweet in his mouth yet God shall draw 〈◊〉 out of his belly yea affliction followeth sinners and feare shall be for the workers of iniquity such a one consumeth like a râ—â—â— thing God shall run vpon him and his arme shall be broken 〈◊〉 shall destroy him as the vine her sower grape and cast him off 〈◊〉 the oliue doth her flower for he that is not planted in Christ his branch cannot be greene but brimstone shall be scattered in 〈◊〉 habitation and his hope shal be indignation and sorrow of miâ—â— ROM chap. 8. vers 2. verse 2 For the law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed me from the law of sinne and of death IN this verse the Apostle insisteth to proue that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ which he doth by two arguments First because we are freed from the law and dominion of sinne Secondly because we are freed from the law and domination of death Against these tâ—â—o the conscience opposeth two things First how are we freed from the law and power of sinne since we haue so many vncleane thoughts so many raging affections and so many vile and naughty actions that passe from vs in the course of our liues secondly how are we freed from the law and sting of death since we die daily and suffer so many afflictions and miseries in this life which are the merits and deserts of sinne These two obiections that might skare and trouble â—â—e tender conscience and inward peace of a Christian he answereth to the end of this chapter In this verse to the end of the 〈◊〉 he sheweth how far we are deliuered from the law of sinne 〈◊〉 from the 19. verse to the 17. how far we are freed from the law of death which was the first punishment for sinne as appeaâ—â—th Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die 〈◊〉 death and from the 17. verse to the end of the Chapter he â—â—eweth how far we are freed from the miseries and calamities of 〈◊〉 life Now in this verse as it deuideth it selfe we are to consider two â—â—â—ing First how and by what meanes wee obtaine this freeâ—â—me â—â—â—ly by the spirit of life which is in Christ Secondly â—â—things from which we are freed which be two first from the â—â—â—â—â—â—son of sin secondly from the power of death For the first we must learne to make a difference betweene the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus and the spirit of life of Christ which is in vs the one being absolute and inherent in Christ the vertue wherof imputed vnto vs brings perefect absolution from the tyranny of sinne and bitternesse of death the other being but poured into vs through the grace of Christs spirit abiding in vs doth but qualifie and temper the heat of sinne and the violence of death which otherwise would rage ouer vs. And therefore if we speake of the spirit of life which is in vs wee may well crie out with Saint Paul Rom. 7.24 O wretched men that we be who shall deliuer vs from the body of this death But if we speake of the spirit of life which is in Christ then may wee boldly say wee are already deliuered from it That this may bee
be fulfilled in vs which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit THis verse hath reference to that which went before amplifying the reason why God sent his sonne in the similitude of sinnefull flesh that the righteousnesse of the law might be fulfilled in vs and standeth on two parts First by whom Secondly for whom this righteousnesse was fulfilled From hence obserue that there be two kinds of righteousnes first a righteousnesse whereby God doth iustifie secondly a righteousnesse whereby man would iustifie himselfe The first is so called in two respects First because it proceedeth from God Secondly because it is in God and not in vs and this appeareth by opposition of the contrary 2. Cor. 5.21 Christ was made sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him where that sinne and this righteousnesse are opposed that as there dwelt no vncleannesse in his flesh but our corruption was imputed vnto him because he appeared in our likenesse so is there no righteousnesse in vs but that of Christ is imputed vnto vs we being made one flesh and one spirit with him Therefore erroneous is that of the Papists that say this iustifying righteousnesse is not absolutely of God but partly of nature and the faculty of free will and partly of grace concurring with free will Againe the second they deny that it is onely in God for Gods righteousnesse say they is that wherewith he indueth them that shall be saued at the moment of their regeneration but after is abiding in them called his because at first he doth iustifie the wicked but after it is mans put and infused into him as a quality by God which is meere contrary to this place that we must seeke to be righteous in Christ onely because he onely hath fulfilled the righteousnesse of the law and this was the end why Christ was sent namely to supply our wants and was performed by him onely by the spirit of life which was in himselfe for by the spirit of life of Christ which is in vs it cannot be For first vnlesse wee bee able to doe it as exactly as Adam in his integrity before concupiscence entred into his heart wee cannot doe it as wee should and this none can doe but Christ therefore in our owne persons we are damned Secondly if we could attaine to the perfection of Adam yet is out case in our selues desperare because it sufficeth not that we now fulfill it but wee must make vp that breach and cure vp that wound was made at first by the sinne of Adam else is the law in the strictnesse of it vnsatisfied and this no flesh can doe but the flesh of the sonne of God howbeit hee by the spirit of sanctification hath made vs a holy people set at liberty in him and as highly in Gods fauour as euer Adam was For first he hath absolutely performed it Secondly he hath infinitely satisfied for our breach of it And thirdly he hath mercifully washed away the filth of our sins by the water come forth of his side which is his spirit We must therefore beware our iudgements be not corrupted with this error of the Papists to thinke we are iustified partly by workes and partly by grace for we are saded by grace onely and without works for who can tell when he hath wrought well that he deserueth saluation nay looke Mark 10.17 and we shall see one through the hypocrifie of his heart bragge he had from his youth obserued the whole law and yet asked what he should doe more to obtaine eternall life so as no man can tell when he hath done enough besides that when all is done to the vttermost euen then are wee but vnprofitable seruants for the most righteous in his workes doth either sinne in the matter or in the measure and manner or in the end or in all three and therefore he that laboureth to build a tower with his workes to clime to heauen buildeth Babel to his owne confusion And if thy saluation should be thus diuided betweene the works of thy hands and the workes of Christs flesh then makest thou Christ but in part mercifull and in part a Sauiour who is altogether mercifull and a perfect sauiour there being no name vnder heauen but his by which we can be saued as the scripture speaketh he being the scape goate mentioned Leuit 16. that carried our sinnes into the wildernesse for which otherwise we had beene slaine if the wrath of God by that meanes had not beene staied for there is not so much as a weake disposition in vs to doe good which may bee made sufficient by grace as the Papists would perswade vs but our naturall will is not onely weake to doe good but willing to commit all kind of sinne needing not onely furtherance but alteration and change not in substance but in qualities and corruption for as Ieremy saith cap. 10.23 The way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to walke and to direct his steps and Ezek. 36.26 A new heart saith the Lord will I giue you c. the old heart in a man being no more able to receiue goodnesse then a stone is to receaue softnes Nay we say first that God offereth not grace generally to all men but to such onely as shall be saued and whereas they leaue this grace in a suspension in saying it lieth in our willes to receaue it or not we say naturally we haue no such free-will to chuse good or euill True it is our will hath this freedome of two sinnes to chuse the lesse as some chuse to be couetous some to be idolaters some to be vsurers some to be flatterers some to be Atheists but to haue the choice of good or euill is not in our wils for that liberty was onely in mans integrity and taken from vs when Euah tooke of the fruit of the forbidden tree so that al the power of all the creatures of heauen earth is not able to cause the wil to like of that which is good nor keepe it from that sin wherto it resolutly inclineth But now if we regard the will as it is changed and partly renewed to the will of Christ yet for all that it hath not any such freedome as to chuse betwixt good euill for this belongs not to the nature of the will otherwise the Angels in heauen should hang in the same suspence with vs whereas we know they doe absolutely the will of God in heauen as we pray we may on earth so with as much of our wils as is renewed wee do the will of God willing lie without any such free election this is wholly wrought by God as Phil. 2.13 It is he that worketh both the will the deed and Ioh. 6.37 All that the father giueth me shall come vnto me he doth not say shall come if they will Ezek. 36.26 the Lord doth not say this will I do if yee wil but
the obedience of the law in some measure and stirre vp our affections to a delight in it Thirdly we are dead to the power of prouocation which was in the law to vrge vs to sin because our sins being taken away in the passion of Christ the law bringing vs as it were vpon the scaffold and shewing vs hell gates and heauen a farre off not able of our selues to make passage to it teacheth vs to auoid all sinnefull occasions whereby our feete might be found slipping and to lay the better hold vpon the bridge the Lord Iesus by whom the conscience is so pacified as wee are euer directed in the right way so as we are dead to it in the curse of it and aliue to it as it is the rule of our direction we are dead to it in the bondage of it and aliue to it in the obedience of it Gods spirit directing our hearts to doe that willingly which the law requireth Since then there is this necessity laid vpon vs to be dead vnto sinne for which sinne the curse of the law is due and to be liuing to newnesse of life though wee see this rich benefit of hauing the righteosnesse of the law fulfilled to bee performed by Christ onely and that for vs we must beware we fall not either into profane security or else into presumptuous hypocrisie the one thinking the fauour of God not greatly requisite the other that it is easily obtained the one running on still to sinne the other couering their nakednesse with fig-leaues which are not broad enough to couer all nor thicke enough to hide them from his eies that pierceth into the deepest darknesse for these may haue a knowledge of the law and subscribe vnto it a glimmering sight of Christ in the Gospell and reioice at it and yet not haue sinne condemned in their flesh but their flesh damned for their sinne whereas if we straitly trie our selues by the law and see our sinnes as sores runnig full of corruption and damnation to bee awaiting vpon the least sinne then is the commandement come vnto vs and then sinne being reuiued we know to what Physitian to goe and what eie salue to craue for we cannot looke into the bottome of our hearts vnlesse we looke into the bottome of the law and if we faile in this wee shall know no sinnes and so consequently no Sauiour for sinnes for God being a fearefull Iudge and a consuming fire we cannot stand before him without peace of conscience nor haue this peace without grace from Christ nor partake of this grace without acknowledgment of misery nor come to this acknowledgment without a through sight of our sinnes nor attaine to this sight without a sight of damnation due for them nor see this damnation without a triall of our selues by the commandement so as Christ hath not by his vertue abated but aduanced the power and excellency of the law in the right vse of it for which it was ordained namely to set our hearts on God and our waies in the trade of his commandements and therefore let vs by all meanes shun two extremities First a restlesse desire to performe the law so precisely as to seeke life in it which is harder for vs to doe then to remoue mountaines or to clime vp to heauen to see the seat of God Secondly rechlesse impiety to liue profanely because we cannot liue so precisely as we ought for the law is the goale wee must time at and the perfection we must striue to and though in our best workes we are vnprofitable yet must we worke lest wee be abominable Now for the second part namely for whom Christ tooke this paines to establish and fulfill the righteousnesse of the law it was for such as walke not after the flesh but after the spirit which teacheth vs to know a child of God from a reprobate the life of the one being like the darkenesse of Egypt grosse and palpable the other like the Sunne-shine cleere and comfortable And this life in the elect may be discerned by two markes First by a spirituall inuisible internall testimony secondly by a reall externall and visible The first is discouered two waies first by the spirit of adoption whereby we cry in confidence to the Lord as to a father secondly by the spirit of sanctification whereby we liue in obedience and subiection as to a Lord. The outward euidence of a Christian is likewise knowen two waies first by an outward profession secondly by walking in that profession Now lest we be deceaued in the inward signes first through pride in our selues and the policy of sathan to make vs thinke we haue them when we want them as Matth. 7.23 Many by doing great things in the name of Christ will entitle themselues to heauen which is a purchase for the elect only but he will professe he neuer knew them secondly through the secrecie of them they being knowen onely to God as 1. Cor. 2.10 The spirit searcheth all things and no man knowes the heart but he that made it therfore an inuisible faith must be discerned by visible fruits and who can tell that the powers of his soule be reformed if it breake not forth into his life for which cause the badge of a renued Christian is first a proclamation as it were whose he is and vnder whom he serues secondly a blamelesse course in conuersation the first of these is communicable to hypocrites who will seeme to carry a weapon for the Lord but with weake hands and false hearts making a flourish as if hee would defie the diuell yet secretly and couertly feeding on him and defending him in his desires and therefore he that is truely elect must be measured by his life and we must not looke into the spirit which is in him but into the fruites of the spirit which hang about him not to his inuisible faith but to his visible workes of faith not to his outward profession but to his walking according to his profession as Gal. 5.25 If we liue in the spirit wee must also walke in the spirit so as men are not to bee iudged by their tongues but by their steps and since we must iudge them this way if we see one liue inordinately sweare outragiously blaspheme mightily oppresse cruelly haunt wicked company and such like we may well say he is wicked and if he reply iudge not thou maiest answer thou maiest safely iudge the roote by the tree and the tree by the fruit a fountaine by the streames and the streames by their cleerenesse a sicke man by his weakenesse and the danger of his weakenesse by the nature of the disease and what is in the heart by that commeth out of the heart Mat. 15.19 for how could such a sea of sinnes swell ouer their bankes if thou wert stable minded those hauty lookes could neuer so transforme thy countenance if pride did not possesse thee nor thy vsury and oppression so rage and some out in thy
choler is in a man the one being spoken as it is an offensiue passion the other but as it is an element or quality or part of a mans constitution so to say a man is in his heat is more then to say heat is in a man so to say that a man is couetous is a sharper speech then to say conerousnesse is in him the one shewing him to be ouercome of the sinne of couetousnesse the other but that the seed onely of the sinne is in him which is true of vs all we remaining in some part vnregenerate And this is answerable to the speech of Dauid Psa 51.5 I was borne in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceaue me it being more to be conceaued in sinne then for sinne to be conceiued in vs as it was more for Simon Magus Act. 8.23 to be in the gall of bitternesse then for the gall of bitternesse to be in him the holy Ghost shewing by the phrase there vsed now he was ouerwhelmed and drowned in malice of hart against God And this kind of aggrauating of sinnefulnesse in a man by this kind and maner of speech was well vnderstood and vsed by the Pharisees Ioh. 9.34 where they said to him that had receaued his sight of Christ that hee was altogether borne in sinnes But now flesh and sinne may be in a man and yet he may haue an inclination to goodnesse which serueth greatly for the curing of an afflicted conscience that if wee can assure our selues without guile of spirit that we striue to the vttermost to mortifie the rebellious lusts of the flesh and that we delight more in doing of good then of euill then are we not in the flesh and then can we not but please God because we are vnited to his sonne in whom his soule delighteth for flesh that is weaknesse imperfection is in the best that euer came from the loines of man but none are in the flesh but they that giue themselues ouer and lay themselues naked to the lusts of it euen as pride is in all men but they are onely in pride that thinke they haue learned enough when they haue learned nothing of Christ truly not caring how leane and beggerly their soules bee and yet thinke they haue neuer enough to pamper vp their bodies to their best shew so there is some couerous desire in all men but they onely are in coueâ—â—â—nesse that make riches their God and are not rich in God Secondly we must vnderstand that the Scripture speaketh of flesh in two sorts first as it is part of that flesh which is in man secondly as it is the whole flesh of man Of the first the scripture speaketh of it as it is subiect to weakenesse frailty and mortality as Psa 78.39 He remembred that they were flesh yea a winde that passeth and commeth not againe and Esa 40.6 All flesh is grasse and all the grace thereof as the flower of the field Sometime the word flesh is taken for the ceremonies of the law as Gal. 3.3 Are ye so foolish that after yee haue begun in the spirit yee would be made perfect by the flesh Sometime for the basenesse of man as 2. Cor. 10.3 Though we walke in the flesh yet we doe not warre after the flesh Sometime for the estimation and credit of a man and sometime for the common course of nature as Gal. 4.29 He that was borne after the flesh persecuted him was borne after the spirit Of the second that is of the whole flesh of man the scripture speaketh as it is subiect to the wrath of God and this is that Paul meaneth heere and which is mentioned Ioh. 3.6 That that is borne of flesh is flesh that is vncleane which may be thus described It is that naturall corruption which is in vs being absolutely depriued of al heauenly grace and positiuely full of all sinne of all manner of sinnes of all the vilest sinnes by sinne meaning originall sinne which is called priâ—â—â— foetus peccati the first birth of sinne or else sinne proceeding from it and out of it called perpetuus fomes peccati the continuall nonrishment and feeding of sinne for example water may be made hot when it is cold or cold when it is hot or may be congealed into ice yet it remaineth water but snow cannot properly bee termed snow when it is melted and turned into water for then it can be no more snow so is it with the flesh for it may be altered and changed and transformed into the image of Christ so that good things may dwell in it but then it is no more flesh But so long as flesh remaineth flesh that is vnwashed in the powers of the soule polluted by the actions of the body so long it is impossible that any goodnesse should spring from it and so impossible to please God From whence learne that so much flesh as we haue is depriued of all grace and full of all sinne and withall to confesse that euery one of vs hath so much flesh in him as deserueth wrath which ought to humble vs in praier before â—â—mercy seat of God that this remnaÌ„t of corruption may be changed abated and diminished that the greatest part in vs may be regenerate and not to post ouer our sinnes as for the vsurer to say it is not he that sinneth but his vsury or for the carnal man to say it is not he that offendeth but his flesh and so to go through all sins and yet thinke he is corrupted by no sin for this were but to take Adams figleaues which were too light to couer our hypocrisie so as for him that is fleshly to recreate himselfe with vnsanctified solaces is but to make him more fleshly and for thee to sinne the more because thou art flesh is to carry fire in thy bosome Pro. 6.27 and to put it to the drie stubble whereas thou oughtest to be taught the contrary lesson by thy infirmity that since thou art weake thou wilt labour to strengthen thy selfe in the grace of Christ and since thou art so apt to sinne thou wilt lay faster hold vpon the word of promise which shall keepe thee from it for sinne must not be dead in thee in this sense as that thou art past feeling it but as by the perfect obedience of Christ it was absolutely slaine for thee so likewise by thy regeneration must it daily die in thee till by thy naturall death it do wholly die with thee On the other side let vs beware for if wee sow to the flesh that is if we be transported with a more eager desire for the duties to man then for the seruice of God or performe loue to them for the flesh that is for wordly respects and not for conscience then doe we remaine still in the flesh that is in the state of damnation For if we haue not the spirit of God to season our hearts though wee abound in knowledge both of matters concerning this
he thrust his sickle into the haruest Howbeit this order of proceeding against knowne and infamous sinners as to thrust snarling dogs out of the Church to cast the acornes among swine is not to be done by euery priuate man but by the church and congregation and if they admit any such the fault lieth in them not in those that ioyne with them for the children may take their appointed foode though some snarling and snatching curres and bastards stand by And where it is said in another place by this Apostle Eate not with him it is not meant of the Communion at the Lords table but that wee must haue no familiaritie with him not take delight in his companie Further out of the reason giuen why they were not in the flesh namely because the spirit of God was in them we gather that a man may be sure of his saluation and this is the whole drift of S. Paul in this Chapter to secure the elect of the euerlasting loue of God in his Sonne sensiblie felt in themselues for hee beginneth with this generall ground of their comfort That there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ then must they needs be saued But now all the question is who they be that are ingrafted into Christ for proofe hereof he descendeth to examine the particular course of their life which is visibly seene to all but particularly and best knowne to ones selfe this is if they walke in the spirit by a religious kinde of conuersation and their way in this is discerned by their life in the spirit that is by their ioy and comfort in godlinesse and this spirituall life is seene by not gratifying the flesh in the lustes and desires thereof and this crossing and correcting of the flesh in the pride of her lusts is seene by crucifying and killing of it with the affections thereof that is not onely beating and pressing it downe but stifling and braining of it altogether and this violence to the flesh is performed by them that haue suffered with Christ in the flesh that is that haue not listened or giuen eare to the pleasures of sinne but haue Heb. 12.1 cast away that presseth downe and the corruption that hangeth so fast on and this is done by them 1. Pet. 4.1 that cease from sinne that is that slip into it vnawares as a bird into a snare and such bee they as bestow the rest of their time after the will of God and his will being our worke we cannot but please him pleasing him it is his pleasure Lu. 12 32. to giue vs a kingdome Besides we may know whether we haue the spirit of God in vs or no as appeareth 1. Cor. 2.11.12 No man knoweth the things of man saue the spirit of a man euen so the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God which we haue receaued that we might know the things are giuen to vs of God which proueth that as we know our owne thoughts or words so the spirit of God in vs maketh knowen the wil of God to vs as far as is needful to be reuealed if we then know the will of God we may assure our selues we know his spirit to be in vs for his wil is not known without his spirit this spirit teaching truth but the spirit of the world broching error And 1. Io. 4.13 hereby know we that we dwel in Christ and he in vs because he hath giuen vs of his spirit which prooueth that though we know not what maner of thing the spirit is because it is inuisible and secret yet we may know we haue it by the fruits of a sanctified life after this maner speaketh Paul 2. Corint 13.5 Know yee not that Christ is in you except you be reprobates And yet the Papists would haue all reprobates counting it presumption to say we haue the spirit It is true if any presume he hath it when his life is not answerable to it he is deceaued and abused by presumption but if wee walke and trade in the spirit by a holy conuersation we may be sure we haue it for that is the argument of the Apostle that our sanctification is an vndoubted testimonie and an assured certaintie that Christ dwelleth in vs for there being but two spirits that rule in the hearts of all men the one the spirit of the world the other the spirit of God why should not our course be as prophane as others and our carriage runne after the flesh aswell as theirs if the mightier and stronger that is the spirit of Christ did not possesse our soules Yet say they No man can secure himselfe he shall be saued But as we may be sure of the spirit so may we likewise be of the riches that it bringeth which is saluation for it cannot hide so great a treasure from vs it being as an earnest pennie giuen vs that perfecteth the purchase of our inheritance in heauen for as we may trace a Hare in the snow by her footeing and come to the forme where shee sits euen so by those holy steppes that wee tread and by those spirituall bounds wherein we keepe our thoughts and our affections we may well and certainely perceaue that the spirit leades vs to the seate of God Besides this spirit of God within vs keepeth not his fruit and comfort secret to himselfe but discouereth it to vs and beareth witnesse to our spirits that we are the chosen of God and the spirit of man knowes what is in man whether his heart be filled with hypocrisie or with sinceritie with humilitie or with pride with true zeale or with counterfait that howsoeuer wee may bleare the sight of men by our dissembling yet we carrie our owne eies downe to our heart that see by what false waights we measure our fruits to God that is our religion and our righteousnesse to men that is our conuersation so as we haue a double euidence of our saluation the one backing and strengthening the other which is set foorth 1. Ioh. 5.8 There be three which beare record in earth the spirit and the water and the bloud and these three agree in one and where water is there hath bloud gone before for these two goe together as they came foorth of Christs side together Ioh. 19.34 repentance being the leader and remission of sinnes following after bloud washing away our guiltinesse and water the vncleannesse of our liues and the spirit of Christ sealing vp these things in our hearts that as by the sealing of the conueiance the purchase in law is made perfect so by the setling of our consciences in an vpright course toward God our saluation in Christ is made perfect and sure euen to vs. Yet say they wee cannot assure our selues wee shall thus continue for we haue examples of many that haue begun in the spirit and haue ended in the flesh that haue seemed fruitfull for a while and haue beene barren euer after that
which we no sooner feele but being warned by this spirit we gather our feete the more close together to stand fast Since then this spirit of God hath set vp his rest in our soules let vs as liuely stones in this spirituall building cleanse polish our selues from all corruptions that it may take delight to continue with vs for if he come to suruey thy heart to see what roome thou hast for him and he finde euery chamber there full of some sinne and seeth that as fast as he emptieth it with one hand thou fillest it vp with another reâ—sting the power of him as if he came to torment thee he will take his flight from thee and thy sinnes shall breake out as the plague-sore vpon thee to thy vtter confusion but if thou submit thy selfe to his worke suffering him to mine and vndermine euery veine in thy body and to cleanse euery corner in thy soule and being emptied of thy corruption wilt labour in sanctification to keepe thy selfe cleane so beating downe thy fleshly thoughts and carnall desires as they shall not so much as sleepe with thee and if they chance to creepe into thy bed thou wilt spurne them out as a chaste louer wil a harlot then shal the spirit take vp thy body as his house and thou entertaining him he will keepe out all thine enemies that may disturbe thy peace with Christ Lastly where he saith But he that hath not the spirit of Christ is not his obserue that by an argument drawne from a naturall man he prooueth that as many as haue the spirit of Christ are sure of their saluation for as a naturall man who hath not the spirit is not Christs so long as hee remaineth a naturall man so consequentlie it followeth that they that haue the spirit are Christs and being his it were an absurd thing if they should not be saued for the conscience being pacified that God will accept vs in Christ we are not now perplexiuely to doubt of our saluation or how to auoid damnation for if we should doubt of our ROM chap. 8. vers 10. Vers 10 And if Christ be in you the bodie is dead because of sinne but the spirit is life for righteousnesse sake IN this verse the Apostle maketh the preuenâ—â—â—â— of a doubt which might haue risen out of the former doctrine for hee hauing before prooued that the spirit of God the spirit of Christ and Christ himselfe are in vs that are elect wee might make question of the trueth of this seeing we haue a large remnant of sinne and of the corruption of nature abiding in vs To this the Apostle answereth in this verse and those that follow First granting that so long as wee carrie about vs this bodie so long shall we carrie about vs sinne in our bodie part whereof is alreadie mortified in this life the rest can not be but by mortalitie But then in the second place that wee might not be too much deiected with this clogge of sinne we draw after vs he would haue vs with this occasion we haue to humble vs to ioyne withall the consideration of the spirit of Christ which is in vs to raise vs vp againe assuring vs that if our faith by her visible fruites can appeare in our liues that though we haue a portion of sinne which can not die but by death yet we haue the spirit of God the spirit of Christ and Christ himselfe-dwelling in vs the fruite whereof is euerlasting life in glorie obtained by the righteousnesse of Christ for vs applying himselfe in the latter part of the verse to comfort the weakenesse and to cheere vp the faint hearts of the faithfull labouring to relieue them with some spirituall consolation that notwithstanding they cannot shake off the sluggishnesse of the flesh but are taken as it were with a palsey halfe dead on the one side being compassed about with many infirmities in this life and hauing many grudgings and resistances of this earthly lumpe which is the bodie against the worke of our sanctification yet for all this the faithfull and elect may know and be assured that they are not trained foorth to fight and haue the foile nor that they are called to any doubtfull combate but to such a field where our hands shall be held vp if wee faint Exod. 17.12 as were the hands of Moses and where wee shall preuaile not onely against the Amalekites as did Ioshua which are enemies without vs but euen against the hidden enemies of our heart the rebellion of the flesh and the corrupâ—â—â—â— of nature which is contained in these words But the spirit is life so as the verse standeth on two parts First hee granteth part of the obiection namely that sinne cannot fully be shaken off Secondly to the full satisfaction of our consciences he answereth the other part of the obiection namely that notwithstanding this remainder of sinne in vs we need not be perplexed or doubt of our saluation Heere first wee are to consider of the three speciall kindes and phrases of speech the Apostle vseth in the former verses and in this concerning the spirit of God which is in vs the spirit of Christ which is in vs and Christ himselfe which is in vs. Whereby we are taught to beleeue that the whole Godhead and Trinitie dwelleth in euery Christian Howbeit concerning the spirit of God wee must know we cannot attaine vnto it but by the spirit of Christ for as the waters that boile in the earth cannot be conueied vnto vs but by wels and pipes by which we receiue of the fountaine it selfe so the spirit of God is the fountaine of life but a Well too deepe and the place too high for vs to reach to hee dwelling in a place vnaccessible and not to be approched vnto and for this cause the spirit of Christ is the well-spring and pipe which passeth this life to vs and by this we are made partakers of that life in glory so that in this respect the spirit of God is said to bee in vs and also the spirit of Christ which spirit could not be conueied vnto to vs but by the flesh of Christ God and man to reconcile vs to his Father and yet all this is but one God and one spirit as 1. Ioh. 5.7 which prooueth these two things first that Christ is God secondly that the holie Ghost proceedeth both from God and Christ because they both are but one and the selfe-same spirit is but one And in that Christ is also said to be in vs it is but the same in effect that the spirit of Christ is in vs yet are wee verily to beleeue that verie Christ is really in vs indeed yet inuisiblie and this must bee vnderstood supernaturally and therefore they that hold they are onely partakers of the graces and benefits of Christ but not of Christ himselfe cannot beleeue that Christ shall saue them for Christs benefits are so inseparablie vnited to his person as
if we haue his inuisible spirit wee haue himselfe and may equally assure our selues of both and that wee are flesh of his flesh expressed in the Scripture as hath beene before declared by naturall proportions and supernaturall as first by the coniunction of the head and the members of a mans bodie secondly by the vine and the branches thirdly by the husband and wife fourthly by meates and drinkes that as they being eaten really doe nourish the bodie so wee eating the flesh and drinking the bloud of Christ spiritually he nourisheth and feedeth our soules to life eternall This vnion is also set downe vnto vs supernaturally Iohn 14.20 Yee shall know I am in the Father and you in mee and I in you howbeit wee are not in the same measure in Christ and hee in vs as he is in the Father but according to that proportion of faith which is in vs and in that abundance that shall make vs blessed for euer Againe learne hence that wee are not to looke for any perfection in this life but so long as wee beare about vs this masse and lumpe of flesh which is the bodie there will remaine certaine reliques of corruption which can not be extinguished but by death nor wholly remooued but by mortalitie and this is the case of Gods best children Paul speaking of himselfe as in the part vnregenerate and as but in part spirituall Romans 7.14 said he was sold vnder sinne and carnall meaning thereby that so much as he had of the spirit so much was the image of God restored in him and so much he delighted in the law of God but so much as was wanting of the spirit so much was wanting of Gods image and so much he rebelled against the law of God and serued the law of sinne And Peter that chosen vessell of God Iohn 13.10 by the wisedome and instruction of Christ himselfe hath neede of water to wash his feete and 1. Iohn 5.8 Christ came not onely by bloud but also by water that by daily regeneration we may purge and cleanse our selues And to this may be referred that speech of Christ Iohn 13.33 Whither I goe yee cannot yet come which prooueth wee haue still some corruption that maketh vs yet vnfit for the kingdome of heauen vntill wee haue washed our feete cleaner and mortified our selues better for wee know yet but in part But then it may be said since wee haue these imperfections how shall we be knowen from the reprobate Verie well for there is great difference betweene our imperfections and their sinnes our scarres and their vlcers our limping and their halting downe right for as 1. Iohn 3.9 Hee that is borne of God sinneth not that is as the world sinneth the one sinning of ignorance the other of knowledge one of infirmitie the other of presumption the one with griefe the other with greedinesse one through weakenesse the other through obstinacie and malice the one striking and checking his heart for the euill thought it produced the other feeding and encouraging his heart not to staie at the thought till it breake foorth into the hands yea God doth bring vs vp that are his children thus imperfectly for two ends for first hee will not suffer vs to haue our perfection heere for feare wee lose it as Adam did secondly hee doth exercise vs with these imperfections to humble vs lest wee should waxe proud and so care not for him and this is his great mercie that hee doth trie vs with infirmities but not destroy vs vex vs but not vâ—nquish vs giuing vs power in the end through the sufficiencie of his grace to ouercome them Now for the second part which is his satisfaction giuen to the faithfull that they must not so sinke vnder the burden of their infirmitie as to mistrust their saluation obserue when it is said the spirit is life we must vnderstand no naturall life but such a life as Paul speaketh of Ephes 4.18 where hee saith the Gentiles that walked in the vanitie of their mindes were strangers from the life of God that life whereby God dwelleth in vs and to be strangers from this life is to be strangers from holinesse of life for God and an vncleane conuersation cannot companie together And this life of the spirit is that whereby as Peter saith 2. Peter 1.4 wee are made partakers of the diuine nature not really but by renouation hauing obtained this mercie to bee borne a new of immortall seed by the word of God For as the soule infused into the bodie quickeneth a massie peece of flesh which had no motion before so the soule to make it a liuely and good soule must haue a soule powred into it that is the spirit of God and if this spirit be absent we are as dead from holy motions as the bodie naturall is from outward actions by the priuatiâ—â— of the soule So as wee learne hence that a man may liue â—â—fe in the flesh and yet be dead in respect of the life of God which ought to mooue vs to worke out our sanctification in feare knowing that if wee be all flesh wee shall neuer see the face of God Now as to liue a naturall life there must bee a generation according to the flesh so if wee will attaine to this life in the spirit we must be brought to a second birth not to bee turned into our mothers wombes againe as Nicodemus thought Iohn 3.4 but as Christ saith wee must be borne of the will of his Father that is of the seed of the holy Ghost Heere it followeth as a man naturally borne hath his life maintained by being nourished with meat and drinke so when we be borne againe of the seed of the spirit we must be maintained and fed by the flesh and bloud of Christ spiritually and as we are borne of the holie Ghost by the word so wee must be nourished by the holie Ghost in the word or else we shall neuer be saued In the desire therefore of our saluation we ought to thirst and part after the riuers of life which doe plentifully flow in the booke of God Againe as men in this naturall life haue their degrees to proceed in which doe neuer change as that first they bee children then after grow to a more vnderstanding age which was euen true of Christ in this flesh who Luk. 2.52 is said to haue increased in wisdome and in stature euen so we must know that our spirituall birth is not perfect at the first day but it hath as it were a childhood and wee are babes to be fed with milke as S. Peter saith 1. Pet. 2.2 and then afterward we grow from faith to faith and from one degree of grace to another yet heerein they differ that in our spirituall life in this world we cannot come to any perfection sinne hangeth so fast about our heeles but in our naturall life we attaine to a fulnesse and ripenesse of strength And in this also they differ that
the naturall powers of this life decrease by age and by infirmities but so it must not bee in our spirituall life for in this we must neuer neither stand still nor goe backward nor grow downward but still be stedfast in faith and walking on in loue like men alwaies running a race till wee haue attained the prize which prize is glorie Againe consider for this spirituall life that as the body whiâ—â— it hath the soule is but a naturall bodie spending like oile in the lampe and cannot but in the end die yet after this life shall be called a spirituall bodie not in substance but because in the resurrection it shall be quickned by the spirituall power of the holy Ghost so a man that hath but a soule if hee haue not the soule of the soule that is the spirit of God to quicken it he is but a naturall man and must needs be damned Againe as a bodie raised vp and quickned by another power can neuer die so the soule being a spirituall soule and hauing once receiued the earnest of the spirit and the power of sanctification from the holy Ghost can neuer die And in this respect we are exalted to a greater priuiledge than Adam had in his creation and it fareth better with vs than it did with him for it was aâ—btrarie with him and rested in his will to die or not to die whereas we hauing once drunke of the water of life and once tasted of this spirituall life we may neuer thirst and as S. Iohn saith 1. Iohn 3.6 we cannot sinne Ioh. 6.54 that is not to sinne but that we purge our selues vpon reproose and recouer our selues when we fall Further obserue hence that there is a double death and a double life first there is a death in the present corruption of sinne whereby in this life we deserue damnation Now that there is a death in this life is prooued 1. Tim. 5.6 the widdow that liueth in pleasure is dead while she liueth and Ephes 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Reuel 3.1 it is said of the Church of Sardis Thou hast a name that thou linest but thou art dead Secondly there is a death in the perpetuall condemnation for sinne which is first inflicted vpon the soule at the separation from the body and at the last day shal be laid both vpon the soule and body in a fearefull and full measure Answerable to this is life the first kind whereof is the grace of God vouchsafed vs in this our pilgrimage the second is the glory of God giuen vs in the life to come Now the life of the spirit hath three degrees first at the regeneration when we are renewed in our affections and do feele a change of mind within vs secondlie at the separation of the soule from the body when being as in were released out of the setters of this life she takes her flight to heauen for then doth the soule liue more excellently than it did before being freed from the bufferings of Sathan and the allurements of the flesh Thirdly at the generall resurrection when the world with the Iustes thereof shall passe away like a cloud and be wrapped vp like a clout for then both soule and body shall enioy the presence yea more than that shall liue the life of God for euer Euen so death in the reprobate hath three degrees first in the contagion of sinne secondly in the separation at the doore of death as it were when the soule alone goeth to the diuell thirdly at the resurrection when the body is reunited to the soule to receiue the fulnesse of their endlesse torment Againe the reprobate in this life and in the life to come haue a double misery coupled to their double death for first in this life they want the grace and fauour of God and bee euen like Cain Genes 4.14 afraid lest euery man should kill them Secondly they haue resident in them the diuell who being the God of this world hath and doth carrie them away daily in the power of darknesse Then in the life to come Iohn 16.11 they haue first a priuation or losse of the presence of God secondly a suffering and enduring of all torments 2. Thes 1.8.9 where there cries shall neuer bee pitied nor their paines euer bee eased Proportionable to these haue the children of God double comforts which may bee gathered from the contrarie of the former For first they haue the countenance of the Lord alwaies smiling on them and the strength of the Lord alwais supporting them in this life Secondly which is more they haue the true spirit of comfort dwelling in them and the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost doth continually feast with them while they liue heere And when we fall a sleepe for nothing else is death to the Saints as we may see in Stephen 2. Cor. 3.17.18 Act. 7.60 then doe we first stand alwaies in the sight of God and behold him face to face neither doth his glory then any whit amaze vs as it did when the veile was before our eies but it doth reioice vs and we glory in it Secondly we are filled with ioies vnspeakable and haue the full accesse and fruition of all that the heart can desire or seeke for Now the way to know that this life of God is in vs must be by the amendment of our liues and by the leauing of our sinnes for regeneration beginneth at repentance and repentance at leauing of sinne in which point euerie man must examine himselfe wisely for if thou hast not brideled thy tongue from bitter and blasphemous speech if thou hast not taught thy hands to worke truely without deceit and hast not brought thy heart to pray feruently without hypocrisie then hast thou no part in this regeneration and by consequent no fellowship in the life of God For righteousnesse sake That is as much as if the Apostle had said reformation of life and religion is the badge and euidence of the spirituall life we leade heere The cause of this is the righteousnesse of Christ which resteth in these two things first in satisfying the iustice of his Father for our sinnes as the Prophet Esay speaketh Esay 53.5 Hee was wounded for our transgressions and by his stripes are we healed secondly in fulfilling the law which he performed foure waies first by teaching it precisely secondly by obeying it exactly thirdly by suffering for our breach thereof meritoriously fourthly by sanctifying vs to doe it effectually But this kinde of righteousnesse is onely resident and inherent in the person of Christ howbeit the righteousnesse heere spoken of by the Apostle is a signe onely and a token that we are sanctified by the flesh of Christ and that Christ hath purchased saluation for vs and that we sighing vnder the burden of sinne Rom. 7.25 walking in a reformed life and waiting for the glorie that shall bee seene we shal be as
bee called sanctified but saith he the spirit is in you for if they should deny that they runne into this that they must needs be reprobates and wrapped vp in condemnation Secondly obserue in the raising vp of Christ two parts first that he was raised vp secondly by what power he was raised vp namely by the spirit of his Father That Christ was raised vp the Apostle doth not demonstrate it but assumeth it for if Christ were not risen then all Pauls reasons 1. Cor. 15. to proue our resurrection may easily be eluded for that is the first argument hee there vseth to prooue a resurrection because Christ is risen and all his arguments there following are linked to that and depend on that reasoning from absurdities if Christ be not risen our preaching is in vaine and your faith is in vaine for Christ crucified and his resurrection is the summe of the Gospell and the end of our faith But the matter is by what power Christ was raised vp As he was flesh it profited nothing to raise vp it selfe for 1. Pet. 3.18 it is said he was put to death according to the flesh that is according to his humane nature and was quickned in the spirit which the Apostle there sheweth to be by that spirit wherein he preached in Noahs time And Rom. 1.3 the Apostle speaking of Christ saith he was of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh but declared to be the sonne of God by the resurrection from the dead which sheweth that it was the power of God that raised him vp He that raised vp Christ c. Heere consider three parts first what shall be raised vp our bodies secondly by what power they shall rise by the same power by which Christ was raised vp thirdly after what maner the same spirit that quickned Christ is now communicated to vs and by Christs righteousnesse we are made righteous and so are become fit temples for his spirit to inhabite in vs. The Scripture proposeth two arguments to prooue the resurrection first the conformitie of the bodie with the head that as Christ our head is risen so wee his bodie shall rise againe The secondly is the consideration of Gods omnipotency and out saith in his power that is to beleeue that he can doe all things and therefore can raise vp our putrified bodies The first reason holdeth both waies if Christ be raised vp then shall we be raised vp Christ is not risen therefore we shall not rise We are raised vp therefore Christ is raised vp we are not raised vp therefore Christ is not risen And this doth minister vnto vs great comfort and may euen astonish our hearts with ioie for it is impossible that we who are the body can be drowned as long as Christ our head is aboue the water So then since our head Christ is lifted vp aboue all gulfes hath tasted of all sorrowes and hath ouercome all dangers we need not to feare that we shall be stifled or swallowed vp of the wanes of torments and afflictions though we seeme neuer so much cast downe in the outward man for let the wild beasts of the forrest roare neuer so fiercely or let the raine fall and the waues beat and the windes blow neuer so strongly Mat. 7.27 yet shall their mouthes bee shut that they shall not hurt vs and our house is built vpon a rocke that cannot mooue for our Redeemer liueth and our head is safe and we at the last when he hath sufficiently exercised his graces in vs by the triall of our faith and the experience of our loue of him Ioh. 19.25 shall through him ouercome all troubles and sorrowes For the second reason to proue the resurrection which is the consideration of Gods omnipotency the Apostle Philipp 3.21 ioyneth the raising vp of our bodies to the consideration of that power whereby God is able to subdue all things This also is euident Ezech. 37.5 where the Lord by his power giueth life to a companie of dead bones And Christ Ioh. 5.25 saith his Gospell was able to raise vp dead soules that is such as be dead in profanenesse but by the power of his word shall be reuiued and quickned in the spirit which is the first resurrection and vers 28. The day shall come saith he when yee shall find that to bee true in the second resurrection to your damnation which yee will not now beleeue in the first resurrection â—â—â—our saluation when by the very voice of God the dead shall be raised vp Among many places to proue the resurrection of the bodie that is most excellent Mat. 22.32 vpon the demand of the Sadduces whose wife shee that had had seuen husbands should be in the resurrection I am saith he the God of Abraham c. I am not the God of the dead but of the liuing No place at the first sight may seeme to carry lesse proofe of the matter Christ then had in hand but being dulie weighed it is most substantiall to prooue it It may be said True it is thou art the God of Abraham that is of so much of Abraham as now liueth so as thou art the God of Abrahams soule but it is conuinced out of the place it selfe that thou art not the God of the dead and therefore thou art not the God of Abrahams body for his body is dead But note he doth not say hee is the God of part of Abraham but hee is the God of Abrahams person which person of his standeth vpon soule and body Secondly some say this place prooueth the immortality of the soule onely Nay it is certaine if the body be not immortall the soule cannot be immortall for if Abraham liueth in any part now hee must at the last liue in all and if immortality were onely giuen to one part then all the reasons of Paul 1. Cor. 15. to proue the resurrection of the body might be easily euaded For the Apostle there vers 18. to prooue the resurrection of the bodie saith Vnlesse Christ be risen and we rise we that are a sleepe 〈◊〉 Christ are perished But it may be obiected Nay there may bee an immortality if the blessed soules doe liue and therefore they cannot bee said to be perished And vers 19. If our hope saith Paul bee in this life onely we are of all the most miserable Nay it may be said we are happy in the life to come in the soule so vers 29. hee proueth the resurrection of the body from our baptisme Yea but it may bee said That is not so Paul for though our bodies rise not yet baptisme may profit vs in the spirit and though thy bodie Paul doe not rise yet thou hast not fought with beasts at Ephesus in vaine for thou shalt bee crowned with glorie in thy soule for that thou hast sustained these combats And thus if we stand onely vpon the immortalitie of the soule all Pauls arguments in that place may be soone reiected It is
God can haue no roome to dwell in such a soule Further from the Metaphor or borrowed speech dwelleth note that there is a residence of the holy Ghost in all those that be his so as it must not be a so iourning of the Lord with vs to come like a stranger for a night or for a meale and away againe but he must be a houshold guest to go in and out with vs so that we must know it is not euery pang of conscience or fit of prayer or hanging downe our heads for a day whereby we are sometime perplexed and wringed with sorrow that is the dwelling of the spirit in vs no more then was that fit of Balaam Numb 23.10 when he praied that his soule might die the death of the righteous and that his last end might be like his Neither is this spirit knowen to bee in thee by doing many good things for Herod Mark. 6.20 did many things at the perswasion of Iohn Baptist yet was he a most cruell incestuous bloudy tyâ—ant nor yet by leauing many euill things vndone for the very Heathen had many morall vertues which made them decline from many viâ—â—â— â—ut by this shalt thou know that thou hast this spirit if aâ—â—◠〈◊〉 â—â—osseth and repugneth thy affections if thy affections â—â—e â—â—t against it but that in the meditation and purpose of sin thou please thy selfe and take part with thy affections against God to fulfill it as Balaam did when by the proffer of riches Num. 24.13 he would faine haue cursed where the Lord had blessed it is certaine this spirit of God abideth not there but the diuell Lastly obserue since there is no hope of the resurrection but so farre as wee are sealed in this life to that glory wee shall haue heereafter by the earnest of Gods spirit giuen vnto vs we may truly say of the wicked whom the Son neuer kissed Psal 2.12 that when they die they go to the damned for he that hath not his part of this spirit in this life vnlesse the Apostle be a liar which were blasphemy to thinke that man shall neuer haue the glorie of the life to come And therefore such as do scorne and scoffe at the seruants of God as Ishmael did at Isaac Gen. 21.9 calling them Men of the spirit they do commit most sacrilegious scurrilitie and in this state wherein they stand they are as surely the diuels as the diuell is not Gods yea in this they do with their owne mouths pronounce and subscribe to their owne damnation for the Apostle saith we must haue this spirit else it is impossible to bee saued Heere it may be said Since there is only ioy and peace in the spirit how is it that the wicked runne on in the course of their life prosperously and in the end of their daies go away quietly whereas the godly walke through many snares and are in their life scratched as it were with many thornes and in their death oft times are much troubled and depart in great agonies True it is the wicked may perhaps die quietly and to the sight of man comfortably hauing as Iob speaketh no bands in their death Iob. 21.13 Psal 73.4 but looke thou iudge him no more by his death than by his birth for many women haue had more easie trauell of a reprobate than an elected child of God especially the cause of their quiet being because hypocrisie hath put their consciences to silence heere that they may soone after roare out in hell and there is such a crust growen vpon their hearts 1. Tim. 42. that they rot and fester within and feele it not whereas in the elect the 〈…〉 is kept alwaies open and wee cannot feele the least bâ—◠〈…〉 Lords displeasure but we are anguished neither can wee 〈◊〉 that we euer feare enough which tender heart of a Christiâ—â— is like the Adamant to draw the oile of comfort into his soule and to hasten and quicken the life of the spirit in him Let vs all therfore earnestly pray for this spirit hauing obtained it let vs cherish and welcome it so as it may take delight in vs for wee all know it must one day come to this In manas tuas Domine commendo spiritum meum Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit and it is now at this In manas tuas homo commendo spiritum meum Into thy hands O man I commit my spirit And therefore as we will haue the Lord gratious to our spirits at the latter day so let vs well vse and entertaine his spirit in this acceptable time which vouchsafeth to dwell with vs. ROM chap. 8. vers 12. verse 12 Therefore we are debters not to the flesh to liue after the flesh VPon that which went before the Apostle inferreth a most vehement exhortation to this effect that seeing Christ hath saued them and freed them not onely from the condemnation of sinne but also from the power of sinne therfore the Lord doth indent with them and in them with vs all not to merit saluation but because saluation is already merited for vs to be engaged and obliged to the Lord and that since he hath taken the hand writing away from Sathan Coloss 2.14 and hath cancelled it in Christ that therfore we should be debters not to the flesh but to the spirit Hâ—â—reupon obserue that the greatest argument to perâ—◠〈◊〉 rather to inforce vs to good workes is taken from 〈…〉 of our redemption as appeareth by Saint Paul who 〈◊〉 â—â—â—t argument Rom. 12.1 I beseech you by the mercies of God that you giue vp your bodies a liuing Sacrifice vnto the Lord that since the Lord hath beene so mercifull vnto you as not to looke vpon your nakednesse but as you are cloathed in Christ you would therefore returne vnto him conformitie of obedience in sacrificing your selues vnto him After the same manner doth Saint â—eter perswade 1. Pet. 2.11 I beseech you as stangers and pilgrimes abstaine from fleshly lusts As if hee should say Since you are now a chosen generation and a people set at liberty by the death of Christ and by this meanes made Citizens of heauen walke according to the lawes of that heauenlie citie Heere are they condemned that say If by doing good works we can deserue nothing what heart can we haue to doe them And since we are bought already why should the Lord be twife fatisfied Whereto we answer that though we can deserue nothing Luk. 17.10 yet by this meanes we shew our thankfulnesse in doing as much as we can and though in all things we are vnprofitable seruants yet must wee bee thankfull for that which Christ hath done for vs. And since Christ hath fully satisfied for vs it is not further required that wee keepe the law to satisfie it but to testifie our obedience and thankes that wee are made partakers of such grace and haue receiued so great a pardon And so by this our working we
Saints of God and put religion on their faces as a maske to hide the foule deformitie hypocrisie of their hearts Therfore vpon the question demanded Whether more in number shall be saued or damned Christ resolueth it Luk. 13.25 shewing that some shall haue bestowed such paines and walked so farre in the course of Christianity as euen to knocke at heauen gates and to challenge the Lord to let them in and yet he shall not know them that whatsoeuer profession they haue made in the face of the world as to come before the Lord as a pâ—â—ple yet because they haue not liued as a people he will not acknowledge them So as true it is that none shall enioy the presence of the Almighty but they that haue their lampes burning at the houre of their death Mat. 25.10 none but they that haue their foundation setled vpon the rockes Mat. 7.25 as not to be shaken with the blast of any persecution none but they who like faithfull seruants by spirituall trafficke haue employed their talents to their Lords aduantage Luk. 19.24 none but they that are able to testifie by the fruites of the spirit that they haue the spirit But vpon demand how we shall be saued our answer is Onely by the blood of Christ as the cause and effectuall meanes thereof for heauen is giuen operantibus non operibus to workers not to works as 2. Cor. 5.10 The Lord shall giue to euery man according as he hath wrought not for that he hath wrought Heb. 13.21 none shall see God without a pure conuersation but not because of his pure conuersation for though we must be perfect in workes yet this working must bee wrought in vs by God as the Apostle there speaketh So likewise none but the obedient child shall be heire not because he is obedient but because he is heire and yet only the obedient child shall receiue the inheritance And euen as we adore and worship Iesus Christ man but not his humanity Hominem non humanitatem so holinesse of life speaking in the abstract quality doth not saue but holy men shall be saued so faith and workes in the person iustified must concurre but in the matter of iustification faith onely and alone hath the place If therefore it be demanded whether workes be necessary to iustification we answer yea as absolutely necessary in their place as faith for wee can not assure our selues of faith but by the visible fruite of workes so as they be not Concausae causes concurring and iumping together but they are Consectaria consectaries and consequents of faith Vers 14. For as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God This is a confirmation of the reason before going on both parts for as many as mortifie the flesh by the sprit are the sonnes of God and they that doe not so are the sonnes of the diuell So the force of the argument is they that are Gods sonnes are led to mortifie the flesh and being his sons they are inheritors of heauen and this the Apostle assumeth and taketh as granted that the sons of God must needs haue eternall life Whereupon the contrary proposition is true he that liues after the flesh is not the son of God for if he were he would liue after the spirit but hee that doth not mortifie the flesh hath not the spirit therefore he is not the son of God Hereupon followeth if they be sons and not Gods they are as Christ speaketh Iohn 8.44 the children of the diuell Wherein we learne that if we be asked by what title and interest we can challenge or lay claime to heauen it is by none but by this that we are the sonnes of God and we are his sons onely by adoption and wee are adopted to it onely in the naturall heire and son of God Christ Iesus by whose blood we are iustified and sanctified by his spirit Being then adopted to this inheritance as heires we are not borne to it for adoptioÌ„ excludeth birth being not borne to it it is purchased for vs in the obedience of Christ wee must learne then to resemble Christ in being obedient to the will of God as he was and shew foorth and expresse our obedience by keeping his commandements Mat. 26.42 and keepe them by leauing of grosse sins and walking according to his will with a full purpose of our hearts to performe it alwaies excepting our infirmities and inborne weaknesse which cleaue so fast to vs as we cannot shake them off nor be deliuered of them till we ouercome all in death Hauing then no title to heauen but by inheritance nor no title to this inheritance but by Christ there is excluded all merits to deserue it and only because we are to be saued we must do well for it is giuen vs as the inheritance of children and not as any stipendary wages of a mercenary man Herupon we must wisely vnderstand that when Christ saith Mat. 25.35 Come ye blessed c. for ye haue releeued the poore c. that this releeuing of the poore and such other workes of faith and loue there mentioned are not set downe as causes of blessednesse for these speeches for and because do not alwaies inferre and bring in a cause but they are such words and particles as sometime ioine the cause with the effect and sometime the effect with the cause as when wee say it is spring time for it blossoms not that the blossoms are the cause of the spring but an effect and euidence that the spring is come So when we say he hath a soule because he breatheth and yet the soul is the cause of breath and breathing but an effect of the soule euen so when Christ saith come and receiue a kingdome for ye haue done such and such particular works of loue it is onely a knitting of the effect with the cause for God hauing preelected or chosen vs before all worlds to this saluation giueth vs this his spirit by whose power and vertue wee worke these good things And in this kinde and phrase of speech the cause is ioyned with the effect as if it should be said Come you that haue releeued the poore that haue comforted the distressed that haue sorrowed with the afflicted receiue the kingdome for it is your inheritance So as the speech of Christ hath this meaning in it You haue done good workes to testifie my kingdome to be yours come take the inheritance prepared for you in the preelection of God for you are the inheritors of heauen because of these fruites and effects which you haue shewed in comforting the aflicted members of Christ We may not take it then that heauen which is the inheritance of the saints is giuen for any desert for when we haue attained to the highest degree of mortification and haue done all that we can we are as Christ saith but vnprofitable seruants Luk. 17.10 True say the Papists vnprofitable
by the Masse that most execrable idoll and say it is sworne out of the country Can a man thinke himselfe rich that is indebted to all the world and hath nothing wherewithall to pay them And can such men that bee very beasts and without sense before God esteeme themselues vertuous and religious because they are onely highly praised of men They see not their owne estate because they haue not examined themselues according to the former rule When a man hath swept his chamber he thinkes all is cleane but when the Sunne commeth it sheweth many a mote hee could not before spie out so if the spirit would once shine into these mens consciences they should see not onely motes but most deformed and enormous sinnes in their hearts And how friuolous is it to stand vpon mans witnesse without religion which pierceth and looketh into the soule For otherwise he that thinketh himselfe in best health carieth his deaths wound in his bosome The basest gold is better then the purest led and the greatest imperfections of Gods children better then the highest vertues of the wicked and neuer shall they bee exalted that haue not before beene humbled The law is a hammer not onely to bruise the conscience but to breake it into powder which if it be not done wee shall neuer haue the spirit of adoption to seize vpon vs. The law commands but giueth no power to obey and is as if we should say to a beggar Buy such a mannor when he hath neuer a penny to helpe himselfe nor yet we giue him any money to do it euen so purchase heauen with thy works saith the law and yet knowes we are spoiled of all abilitie and doth not enable vs to doe such workes all one as if we should say to one hold vp the heauens with thy finger and yet giue him no strength to do it or as if we should say to the blind see it is comfortable and to the deafe heare it is profitable and yet giue them no meanes whereby they should doe these So the law is but a dead letter and hath but a dolefull and dreadfull sound vntill the spirit come and arme vs with power and abilitie to performe what the law requireth Lastly where it is said Luk. 15.21 Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage againe obserue that all that are conuerted and with the lost sonne are come home againe haue beene once brought to a terrour and fright of conscience which hath beene after a diuers measure for the Lord keepes some longer in the schoole of the law then he doth others according as hee findeth their hearts and dispositions inclinable to stoope and to be humbled or else for example sake as seemeth best to the Lord. But yet euery one of Gods chidren must come to this that is Act. 2.37 being moued and pricked in conscience to say and crie out What shal I doe to be saued I see my debt where shall I get surety I perceiue my nakednesse where shall I be couered I am fallen how shall I be recouered And being touched in their hearts if they fall not into that exclamation then as it is said of Ely his sonnes 1. Sam. 2.25 they obeyed not because the Lord would slay them so for these men to be baked in their sinnes and to see their destruction and not to shunne it and by this meanes to despaire finally is the iust iudgement of God that he may be auenged of their great hypocrisie for mercy offered and refused or set light by doubleth the punishment Euen as in this nation by the blessed preaching of the Gospell Sathan is cast out in the generall profession of the Land if now he labour to creepe in againe by hypocrisie and make vs thinke religion to rest in shewes and consist in ceremonies growing more leane and ilfauoured after we haue deuoured so many yeeres of store and plentie in preaching the word we doe erre in our hearts and do arme our enemie against vs who at his reentrance will bring seuen spirits worse then he did before Luk. 11.25 and will so fortifie his habitation with hypocrisie and other great and monstrous sinnes as there shall be more profannesse in this nation then euer there was before But ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption In this the Apostle proueth that we are the Sonnes of God because we are so adopted in the euerlasting grace of his blessed Sonne And to proue we haue this spirit he doth it by the contrary thus we are deliuered from the spirit of feare and redeemed into such a Christian liberty as we now loue God not for feare but feare him for his loue In this there are two parts to be considered first what this spirit of adoption is secondly the inseparable effect that followeth it namely an assured confidence to come boldly before the Lord euen as children before their parents to craue pardon for our sinnes For the first this spirit is the holy Ghost assuring vs by the word of grace that is the Gospell that the Lord hath auowed vs for his children in that one and best beloued Sonne of his Christ Iesus so that no extremities of this life nor sorrowes of death nor sinne it selfe shall be able to ouer whelme vs. Therefore it is said in the Scriptures that the holy Ghost setteth a seale vpon the heart of his elect Ephes 1.13 and writeth a deed in their consciences which is but a draught of that originall deed which is in heauen in the booke of the Lords gouernment And this is sealed vnto vs by the finger of the spirit to free it from the forgery of Sathan and by this euidence we make our title to the kingdome of heauen â— Cor. 5.5 Also it is called an earnest penie because as in contracts by giuing a penie in earnest the partie is obliged and bound to pay the rest so this being as it were the first fruites of the spirit the Lord doth assure vs that as verily as we haue receiued thus much in hand in this vale of misery so this shall bee a pawne and pledge vnto vs that he will giue vs the rest in the fuâ—â—eâ—â—◠〈◊〉 is glory vnder which assurance we rest and lie down in hope with ioy vnspeakeable And as the first fruits in the law made the whole crop holy so this sparke of the Lords grace being kindled and set on fire in vs doth embolden vs to an expectation of the full enioying of our whole Lord Christ Iesus This testimony oft times is very weake especially when Sathan doth sift and winnow vs as he did Peter Luk. 17.5 so as we had need to pray with the disciples Lord encrease our faith Yet as a prisoner in a darke dungeon seeing but the Sunne at a little grate doth know and beleeue that the Sunne shineth vpon the whole earth so though we be shackled and imprisoned in this flesh as in a dungeon that we are not able to
and a holy life which in those places he bringeth in he proueth himselfe to be adopted So as to assure vs we are Gods children we are to get as many testimonies of the spirit of regeneration as wee can whereby to comfort and secure our soules that we shal be heard because we are beloued Abba Some thinke this was vnderstood that God would be serued onely of the Iewes who spake this language but the Apostle by geminating and doubling the word both in Hebrew and in Greeke wherein he spake doth teach vs that as God was once onely serued in the Hebrew nation of thâ—â—â—â—â—â—s who had this speciall priuiledge aboue other peopâ—â— so the time should come and now is that all the world should bee as Canaan to serue him in their seuerall and special language and that all tongues should bee pleasing and acceptable to God Rom. chap. 8. vers 16. verse 16 The same spirit beareth witnesse to our spirit that we are the children of God WHereby is meant that we are so fure of our saluation that except the holy Ghost can lie we cannot be damned Where obserue first that a man may be certaine of his saluation for this witnesse and testimony giuen by the spirit to out spirits is that which euery elect child of God doth and must feele euen in this life Secondly they are heere confuted that perswade themselues by a vaine and false hope that they shall be saued as well as others For the first carie abou◠〈◊〉 the speech of Saint Paul 2. Cor. 13.5 Know yee not your oâ—â—e selues how Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates And 1. Cor. 2.12 We haue receiued the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are giuen to vs of God not hope for them but know them and 1. Iohn 4.13 Heereby know we that we dwell in him because he hath giuen vs of his spirit and chap. 5.19 We know we are of God and the whole world lieth in wickednesse Now he that hath the true knowledge that hee hath this spirit hee may know he is the sonne of God and so in Christ and so out of condemnation as the Apostle saith in the first verse of this chapter There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ So as then he that is the sonne of God is sure of life that is saluation but all the doubâ— is how we may be sure we haue this spirit which will and may easily be discerned by walking in the spirit and by sauouring the things of the spirit For if we sit in the seat of the scorner and walke in the waies of the wicked suffering our thoughts to range after that the flesh desireth and not relishing the foolishnesse of the Gospell to bring our affections in captiuity to the obedience of Christ we may well dreame of the spirit but the spirit as yet hath not lodged within vs for where the spirit is there it worketh and workes of a contrary nature then those which the wisdome of the world produceth Where those men are confuted that stand vpon their owne spirits to assure them that they are Gods children their spirits being no sufficient witnesse the heart of man being alwaies euill and oft-times deceitfull as was the heart of the Pharisie Luk. 18.11.12 who might haue a good worke in hand but tooke no fit time to performe it nor propounded no good end to fulfill it praying in the market-place and giuing his almes to be seene of men But it is the testimony of the spirit of God which must secure vs and by which we stand and this must thou shew me by the visible fruits of the spirit in the reformation of thy life for thine owne conscience will no more serue thee then it did the Iewes who thought they did God good seruice when they crucified Christ Ioh. 19.7 nor no more then it did Paul who being a Pharisee and before he was stricken to the ground in his iourney to Damascus Phil. 3.6 Act. 9.21 made hauocke of the Church of God and tooke a pride in persecuting of the Gospell of Christ whereby weâ—â—â—â—y see 1. Ioh. 3.19 that euery mans heart is enough to condemne him but not to iustifie him But yet must we needes haue the testimony and witnesse of our consciences to fasten vs and ground vs in this perswasion that we are Gods children for as it is said 1. Ioh. 3.20.21.29 If our owne hearts condemne vs what boldnesse can we haue with God And Paul speaking of his ministerie saith 1. Cor. 4.4 I am guilty of my selfe in nothing yet am I not thereby iustified So as the best conscience of it selfe is not able to warrant vs of Gods fauour to eternall life but it is soone able to assure vs of his displeasure to damnation For if the conscience be wounded the heart cannot be cheared and a grieued spirit who can beare Now as our conscience must generally signifie vnto vs our election so particularly it must auow euery action that we performe The conscience by excusing cannot iustifie because there may be error of iudgement and therefore must haue a seale and warrant to it that is it must bee ratified and confirmed by the word and though it cannot excuse yet can it and doth it easily and often accuse for whatsoeuer is done against the conscience is sinne be it neuer so lawfull of it selfe or neuer so much commanded yea though it be the sacrifice of prayer wherein we are most familiar with God yet if it receiue not an edge and sharpnesse from thy owne spirit but that thy conscience doth checke thee and pull in as it were thy words againe it maketh that thy prayer can neuer ascend to God nay it so smothers it in thy heart as it not onely returneth empty but bringeth a plague with it which otherwise had beene of force to haue driuen away any present vengeance wherein the conscience doth amisse and doth rather wound vs than cure vs. So as obserue that to the performance and accomplishment of euery good action there must these two concurre the spirit of God and the conscience of the party But yet let vs bee well aduised where the conscience doth accuse vs of such things as may iustly be reprooued as of adultery bribery vsury and such like for if wee doe directly resist this forewarning of our soules or do whet our selues on when our consciences do call vs backe then haue we this our conscience to testifie 〈◊〉 vs which doth counteruaile a thousand witnesses hauing alwaies these two properties first not to conceale any truth secondly not to open any more than truth for what the conscience speaketh our selues shall subscribe to And therfore if wee shall feare this checke of conscience and yet not feare to performe the sinne it will come to passe that either wee shall preuaile for a time to bring our consciences to a dead sleepe and Lethargie 1. Tim. 4.2
recouered the vse of all the creatures wee lost in Adams fall so as wee haue interest in them all how euer the Lord in wisedome hath seuered and distinguished them in a property yea we haue such interest in them as the world should not stand not the Sunne shine but for the elects sake And all the wicked in the last day shall answer for euery crumme of bread that they haue eaten for they doe but vsurpe vpon the Lords creatures in as much as being excluded from the tree of life they are thereby excluded from all things that should maintaine life and though now the Lord permit them to abound in these earthly treasures yet they shall haue double torment for their single ioy for they are neuer in their owne house but when they are in hell as it was said of Iudas Mat. 27. 5. Act. 1.25 when he hanged himselfe that he went to his owne place The second priuiledge wee haue is this that being heires with Christ these is nothing but shall be made by God to further our saluation euen as Saint Paul being rauished as it were with the constant hope of this inheritance in the conclusion of this chapter giuing the challenge in this spirituall conflict to see if there be any thing can bee able to separate him from the loue of God for we are Lords of all the creatures sauing of Angels and our fellow heire Christ Iesus is head of Angels and they â—â—e but ministers for our good As for the wicked they shall be as well able to saue themselues without God as to hurt vs hauing God and the worst they can do is but to send vs to God And as for Sathan his darts hee casteth at vs they are turned aside in the armour of Christ and the floods he casteth foorth to deuoure vs shall neuer come neare vs Reu. 12.15 2. Cor. 12.8 and his buffettings are preseruatiues against presumption as Paul witnesseth of himselfe If wee suffer with him This is a transition or passing ouer of the Apostle to perswade vs to affliction for wee would haue the head crowned with thornes and the members clad with veluer but it may not be so for there must bee a conformity and resemblance with the head and the members Now this is the second reason the Apostle vseth to make vs sure of this heauenly â—â—keritance namely that wee must first be afflicted The cause why this is brought in is this Paul vers 1. had giuen the greatest comfort to a Christian that could be when he said There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Now there are two things that make the very elect to demurre and stay vpon this whether there be any condemnation to them or no first the apprehension of their many sinfull infirmities as if they should say Is it possible the life of God should be in mee that I should be shapen after Gods image that Christ should bee my sanctification and yet that I should be subiect to so many grieuous infirmities To this the Apostle answereth True it is there bee in them many things graciously qualified by the prefence of the Lords spirit yet during this our seafare and pilgrimage in this life there must bee a combat and a strife betweene the deceit of sinne and the strength of grace howbeit by patience and perseuerance we shall ouercome not some part of the world but euen the whole world and our owne concupiscence 1. Ioh. 5.4 which is stronger then death not but that there shall be left some fragments and reliques of corruption in vs for Paul heere doth not say There is no matter of condemnation left within vs but that vncleannesse is so washed away in Christ and we are so sanctified by his spirit as there remaineth for vs no condemnation God being satisfied in his Sonne Sath an being vanquished and the powers of our sinful flesh being tamed and subdued The seâ—◠〈◊〉 thing that maketh vs to doubt whether condemnation 〈◊〉 not due to vs is the apprehension of our many afflictions wherewith we are tossed and encumbred in this life as when wee shall consider that we are made blessed by Christs curse and healed by his stripes then we breake foorth into this And is it possible that I am one of these and yet am so miserably intreated in this life Hath Christ â—â—â—â—e through the sorrowes and agonies of this life Hath he booke in sunder the bands of death and all to make me way to that glorie wherein he now sitteth and shall lâ—et be so burdened and so sore oppressed with anguish of spirit and griese of bodie This cogitation and thought worketh and ingendreth a feare in the weake soule lest God should be angry and much displeased with them because he feedeth them with the water of sorrow and bread of affliction and maketh them as the spirit speaketh passe through fire and water that is through many miseries diuers in kind and extreme in measure But thus the holy Ghost to proue the first verse of this chapter true sheweth this to be the high and beaten way to heauen and that there is no way but that which Christ hath gone before vs for somewhat for godlinesse we must be persecured Ioh. 5.17 Heb. 12.6 and being chastised of the Lord it is certaine we are no bastards So as the bearing of this crosse must and ought to be another seale to assure vs of the inheritance which we shall haue and not to be dismaied though it goe hard with vs in this life for we must thinke it no disgrace nor disparagement to be of the honour of the same order our elder brother Christ was of that is appointed and set foorth daily for the slaughter laid open to the viperous tongs of many glorious and proud Pharisees but as Christ had his crosse as it were his ladder to lift him and carry him vp aboue the heauens as the Greeke translation is so must we looke by the same rounds to ascend to the same place Out of this therfore ariseth to all the godly double comfort first that we shall be no otherwise vsed of the Lord then Christ his naturall sonne was vpon whom the very sea of his fierce wrath did fall secondly that as we haue Christ a fellow and companion in our sufferings so Christ hath vs companions and partakers of his glorie If we suffer with him Heere are two things to be considered first the precise necessity and as it were a fatall kind of destiny whereunto God hath made all those subiect that shall be saued namely that they must taste of the cup of affliction and drink of the dregs therof expresly set downe in these words We are heires if we suffer The second is the double fruite and benefit we reape by this affliction first that Christ hath tasted more deepely of tribulation then we shall secondly that in recompeâ—â—ce of our sufferings we shall heereafter bee partners with him in â—â—â—â—state
of blessednesse For the first vnderstand that in the words If so be and c there is not contained a cause of our being heires of God but a condition set downe by S. Paul 2. Tim. 3.12 All that will liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution for we are not to be saued because we are afflicted but we are afflicted therefore we shall be saued Neither are wee heires of God because we are chastifed but we are chastised and corrected because we are not bastards Heb. 12.8 And this is the way sanded out vnto vs whereby we must come to heauen and march like souldiers toward that glorious city namely vnder the standard of affliction and bearing the colours of our victorious captaine Christ This was the lesson that Christ first taught that whosoeuer would bee his scholar should be well whipped hee must goe and walke but vnder a crosse Math. 10 38. wherein marke that that which of it selfe is simply to men a disswasion is with God the principall motiue of the conscience of man Further obserue that euery heire must suffer not that euery one of Gods children must be called to martyrdome or that all must suffer in the same measure but this is it that whosoeuer soundly and substantially professeth the Gospel must make this teckoning with himselfe and so cast his account that if it bee needfull and God may haue glorie by it hee must not feare to lay downe his life and to spend his blood for the truthes sake We see by experience daily that many there be that fight many battels and runne through many skirmishes and yet haue neither scarre nor maime neither yet is he the lesse valiant or in any thing to be esteemed a faint-hearted souldier because his courage and resolution was to aduenture his life and this he taketh as aduantage that he hath tried his manhood and yet receiued as wound howbeit though he haue escaped thus yet was there neuer any souldier but tasted some of the streites and exigents of var if he haue serued there any time as either watching by night marchings by day hunger cold or such like Euen so fareth it with vs in this continuall spirituall warre-fare and combat for if the world cannot persecute vs as Esau meant to haue done to Iacob after his fathers death that is take away our liues Gen. 27.41 Gen. 21.9 yet at the least will it doe as Ismael did to Isaac mocke vs and speake virulently and slaunderously of vs for the Gospels sake which kind of affliction neuer any yet of Gods children no not Christ himselfe could escape And therefore Christ when he marketh them with the coale of vnworthinesse Luk. 14.26 that will not forsake father and all to follow him meaneth that for his sake we must not only cast away vnlawfull things but euen lay aside things lawfull that â—â—ther temptations on the right hand that is prosperitieÌ„ noâ—â—â—â—ptations on the left hand that is aduersity must make vs shrinke as asharmed to beare the crosse of Christ or to maintaine his truth but we must alway keepe the corne so cleare from thistles as we must loue the Gospell for it selfe and not regard our selues in respect of it Further vnderstand that we must be so farre from calling the Lords loue in doubt for nurturing vs in chastisement and for reaning vs from the world by the rod as that by this his vsage of vs wee are to haue an infallible certaintie grounded in our hearts and an heauenly security that wee are heires for it was truely foretold Iohn 17.14 that the world would loue none but his owne and if a man find himselfe free from the hatred of the world he may iustly feare hee hath no interest in heauen When Christ was borne Mat. 2.3 it was foretold the shepheards that they should find the babe in a stable laid in a cratch Luk. 2.12 now if they had found him in a royall palace and the child in a sumptuous cradle they might well haue suspected the Angell had deceiued them and that that child had not beene Christ So if a man were directed by him that knew it that the way hee was to goe were craggy and he should find it smooth hee might well feare hee were out of the way If therefore thinking we are in the way to heauen we finde it easie and delightsome wee may doubt it is not that way the Lord hath chalked out vnto vs for the right way is the straight way through which wee must passe full of thorns that we cannot escape scratching Luk. 13.24 and the way to Canaan is cumbersome ouer hils and mountaines and lieth through the wildernesse where we shall find many wants yet may we not be discouraged but the rather assured that we are going to the promised land To proue the verity and truth of the Gospell there is no other way as Christ teacheth then by offences because it is hated Mat. 18.7 reuiled and maligned for if it were beloued and embraced and entertained of Princes if the world did loue it it could not be the Gospell the Lords owne mouth hath spoken it Since then wee may secure our selues in the truth of the Gospell by the hatred of the world so we being hated and accounted the of scourings of the world for the Gospels sake may assure our selues we are Gods children Now as there is aâ—â—ecise necessity of suffering so this is our comfort and our rest whereon to stay that we are entangled with no other conditions neither is there any other burtheâ— laid vpon vs then was before borne by our head Christ So that as wee desire to be baptized with the same baptisme that he was so must we willingly drinke of his cuppe and partake of his shame if wee will haue part in his glory Of this order of Christ which is imprisonment buffetings and such like was Paul when in a christian courage hee vaunted that he caried about him the markes of the Lord Iesus this liuery did all the Apostles and Disciples of Christ weare Act. 5.11 who presently after his ascension for their open profession of his truth were cast some into prison and some put to one death and some to another Act. 12.2 And shall wee thinke there bee other steppes for vs to tread in and that wee may take our ease in the flesh and yet be quickened in the spirit No for as it is all our desires to goe to heauen so must it bee our affections to goe the same way that Christ went otherwise it were a great disparagement to him if wee be perswaded that the Lord loued his Sonne and so loued him as he would aduance him by the nearer and most proper way nay if God should testifie his loue any other way to vs then he did to Christ as it were a strange loue so should it make vs strangers from Christ for to this place of royalty we must ascend
fruition of Gods glorie which we shall possesse heereafter Looke vpon the poore widow of Sarepta though she had but a little oile 1. King 7.14 yet had shee more then the rest when Eliah came to her for theirs consumed and hers through the secret blessing of God serued her turne wasted not Dan. 6.17 So Daniel in prison fared better with bread and water by reason of Gods chearfull presence with him then did the king with al his sumptuous and princely diet And in our naturall iudgements we can say that hee hath more that hath but a bottle of wine that runneth by droppes then he that hath a whole cesterne full that is broken for the prouidence of God neuer leaueth those that be his and his eie is vpon their wants to supplie them And as Paul saith Colos 1.16.17 By Christ all things were created he is before all things and in him all things consist that is haue their being for his glorie for no man can complot or contriue anie secret snares for our life no man can breath out any threatnings against Gods Church as did Saul Act. 9.1 Matt. 14 1â— not execute any crueltie vpon the forerunner of Christ as did Heroâ— but Christ hath his full glory in it Let vs therefore kâ—â—â— our persecutors can doe vs no harme for as our being is for Châ—â—â—â— to must our bodies be yeelded vp to Christ wee stand in him and his power in these afflictions is seene in vs so as when they hate vs and reuile vs torment vs they are but as A potheeâ—ies to make drugges to heale our infirmities they are but as Masons to hammer and polish vs in the quarry of this world that we may be fit stones for the heauenly building yea they are but as fire to refine vs being of our selues drossie as furbushers to varnish vs being through fleshly ease rustie as scullions in the Lords kitchin to scoure the vessell of his houshold lastly they are those that haue receaued a commission from God contrarie to their owne intention to doe vs good for when they are come to the perfection of their tyranny they can but kill the bodie whereby they hasten our blessednesse in the soule Heere may be demanded if all things worke for our good whether the infirmities that be in vs do vs any good or no. The answer is Yes many waies but principally three waies First they remaine in vs to subdue the pride and presumption of our hearts that would aduance it selfe against God if it were not humbled by the sight of it owne corruption as Paul must haue a buffeter lest he grow insolent 2. Cor. 12.8 For the Lord will trust vs no more with perfection since Adam lost it in Paradise and therefore he exerciseth vs with infirmities lest wee should steppe into our mother concepit to thinke our selues Gods This is proportionablie to that spoken of Deut. 7.22 That the Lord would roote out the Canaanites from among his people by little and little Psal 59.11 not all at once lest the wild beasts should grow in vpon them These Canaanites bee our infirmities the wild beasts are self-loue pride of life and such like which would waxe strong within vs if we were throughly purged from our weaknesse And thus we see the Lord cureth poison by poison keepeth out grosse sinnes by keeping in naturall infirmities euen as the best treakle is made of poison and the skinne of a viper is the best cure against the sting of a viper Secondly these our infirmities serue to cure our ingratitude for if the Lord should bestow vpon vs all his benefites at once we would soone forget him We see how the Loâ—◠〈◊〉 vp the red sea to make passage for the Israelites Exo. 14. â—â— which one would haue thought should haue beeâ— as 〈◊〉 sighâ— on their finger alwaies in their sight and yet Psal 106.7 â—â—â—t is said 〈◊〉 the Hebrew phrase they made haste to forget it though it was so miraculous a worke For this cause Dauid praieth Psal 59.11 O Lord do not destroy the enemies of thy Church that is slay them not together lest the people forget thee but do it by little and little that the people may often come vnto thee yea Dauid himselfe in many places confesseth that the prolonging of the Lords mercies giue as it were an edge and sharpnesse to this spirit of thankfulnesse And such is the nature of man to wait no longer in humility then he hath hope of benefit The lost sonne had no sooner fingred his portion Luk. 15.13 but his fathers house was vnsauoury to him and he must needs ruffle it in another countrie For as willingly we would wait no longer on the Lord then he is giuing so when hee hath giuen vs somwhat wee would bee out of his sight while we spend it And this maketh him more scant in his blessings then otherwise he would be because he will teach vs to depend vpon him both till we haue them and while we vse them and that employing them in a spirituall kinde of trafficke to gaine credit to the Lord he may furnish vs afterward with better store Thirdly our infirmities serue to restraine our spirituall sluggishnesse and securitie of the flesh for where no feare of the enemie is there the weapon rusteth so as we are sifted and tempted by Sathan that we may finde our infirmities to be relieued by the Lords power and that wee may pray for his gracious strength to withstand him in Christ to ouercome him and that by our experience in fighting with Sathan we may become wise and watchfull for we doe not praie to bee deliuered from temptations but not to bee left in them Our infirmities indeede are the fuell that Sathan laieth and they are as it were the coals hee bloweth to consume vs. Now euery Christian when hee feeleth such a fire of enmitie within him against God and his law bestirreth himselfe and striueth by a cleane contrary blast of the spirit to quench these coales and entreth such a combaâ—◠〈◊〉 â—â—seth in death which wee would not doe if there we 〈◊〉 not soâ—â— skiâ—â— of sinne and some remnant of corruption left 〈…〉 vs but wee would fall asleepe like idle seruants and hide 〈…〉 that is the strength of Gods graces in vs. Iob Iob 13.15 though he were neuer 〈◊〉 painefull a Christian yet neuer more commended the power of God in him then by his fight hand to hand with the diuell in resisting and keeping off such blowes of blasphemie and despaire as Satan would haue had him cast at God and would haue had to sticke in himselfe Paul when he fought with bulles at Ephesus neuer obtained such a victorie as when he left Satan in the lurch and left himselfe persecuting of the Gospell nay after his conuersion there was left a sting in his flesh lest either he might wax sluggish or become proud And therefore it pleaseth God to honour
when hee said Mine eies gush out teares because men dishonour thee O Lord and in another place he protesteth that he doth hate them with a perfect hatred that loue not the Lord and againe that no notorious and incorrigible sinner should dwell with him Now fiftly as wee must hate Gods enemies so must we loue his friends as 1. Ioh. 3.14 it is said We are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Mat. 25.34 and Christ setteth downe a plentifull reward for a cup of cold water giuen to a distressed brother Now who these brethren bee Christ setteth downe to be such as do the will of his father so as it is not the affinitie in the flesh but the bond of the spirit that must vnite vs. And on the other side we must hate none in respect of his creation but in respect he peruerteth the vse of his creation for they beare the image of God which is louely but they deface and scratch it out to their owne damnation So as wee must hate not virum sed vitium the wickednesse of the man and not the wicked as he is a man Sixtly our loue of God must draw vs into the field for defence of his Maiestie for by this shall the master know his seruant loueth him if hee cannot digest to heare him euill spoken of yea by this shall it be knowne whether our way be to Canaan or no if we aske where it lieth in the wildernesse and if our bloud rise to heare Ierusalem euill spoken of and to heare the Lord who is the keeper of that citie reuiled and blasphemed Such were the spirits of Eliakim Shebnah and Ioan 2. King 18.37 that they rent their clothes when they heard Rabshakeh raile vpon the liuing God and Ezechiah when he heard it was grieued at it and spread himselfe before the Lord to call for a holy reuenge of that furie And so must euery true harted Christian esteeme the name and credit of God farre more tender then his owne and learne of Moses to be milde in ouerlooking an iniurie done to our selues Num. 12.3 Exod. 32.19 but to be iealous and zealous in recompencing seuen fold to them that teare in peeces the glorious name of the Lord Iesus Now we of that hath gone before must inferre the contrarie that is as all things worke for saluation to them that loue God so all things worke for damnation to them that hate him All which may be drawne and reduced into these two things first those that concerne this life secondly those that concerne the life to come and these may bee reduced into these foure First the graces of Gods spirit so much as they receiue of it is onely to make them vnexcusable for they shall surely perish though they be in the blade neere to ripenesse the reason is because when the holy Ghost hath giuen them as it were a purge to worke vpon them setting before them good and euill they not as weake stomached but as curst hearted doe cast it vp againe like beastly dogges Secondly the doctrine of saluation which hath this singular vertue to bruise and mollifie the flintie heart onely hardeneth theirs and maketh them rage like the dragon for Christ Iesus is but a rocke of offence vnto them preaching is but foolishnesse and the word a fauour of death vnto them and in the Sacraments they doe but crucifie Christ againe Thirdly the benefites of this life doe make them drunke that they can not see their miserie for in their fulnesse they doe neigh like horses and in their hearts they say there is no God they eate and drinke and rise vp to play making their life but as a May-game Fourthly the miseries of this life though therewith they bee sometime mollified as Esau was when be lost the blessing yet this is but like the iron put into the fire and so softned for a time but being taken out is made by that more hard then before Now for the reason why afflictions turne to the best to such as loue God it is because by his eternall purpose they are called to be saued so as the cause why God ordained some to the inheritance of his glorie was onely his purpose and pleasure that it should be so for Christ as Mediator is not the first cause of saluation For the Scripture saith So God loued the world Ioh. 3.16 that he gaue his Sonne whereby is euident and apparent that hee first loued it before he gaue his Sonne for first Gods purpose was to saue some this in time he executeth by creating man and woman in such estate as they might fall by their owne will hee nothing inforcing it nor compelling them thereunto Now when they were fallen then was there need of a reconciliation and now God bethinkes him of a Mediator so as in the order of causes the attonement which is in Christ must be after the fall for the foresight of the good or euill in a man is no cause for God either to saue or to damne any so as no man can determine the cause why God loued Iacob and hated Esau to be because of the goodnesse of the one and the wickednesse of the other and yet it is true that Esau was damned because hee was euill but why he was appointed to damnation rather then Iacob no cause can bee giuen but the Lords eternall and inuiolable purpose For otherwise Paul would neuer haue cried out Rom. 9.20 against the reason of man that he should not pleade with God who hath the power to forme the vessell after what fashion he pleaseth for if the foresight of good or euill had been the cause it had beene easily sounded and the Apostle would soone haue set it downe Hereupon we must gather an argument that saluation is meerely of mercie for whatsoeuer is the cause of the cause is the cause of the thing caused as the Sunne is the cause of the fruitfulnesse of the earth and God is the cause of the Sunne therefore God is the cause of the fruitfulnesse of the earth so through the righteousnesse of Christ we are all saued but Christ is made righteous meerely of the Lord therefore of the Lord we are all saued But this is to be vnderstood of God as of the first cause not as of the neerest cause So that to conclude this point euery man may giue a reason of his saluation namely because he is beloued in Christ but why hee was apappointed to be beloued in Christ no man is able to assigne or set downe a reason but wee must all bow in humilitie and resort onely to the purpose of God heere spoken of by the Apostle ROM chap. 8. vers 29. verse 29 For those which he knew before he also predestinate to bee made like to the image of his Sonne that he might be the first borne among many brethren THe Apostle heere proceedeth to proue that all things euen afflictions worke for the best to
that he hath a name at which all knees shall bow and this name is giuen him so as he hath it not as God for being God nothing could be giuen him Phil. 2.13 so as he hath it not as God for being God nothing could be giuen him but hee hath it as man and God for his bare humanity could not deserue this neither yet to be gouernour of all the world Now for the third which is the priuiledge we haue by being his brethren they are chieflie three First we are by this heires and fellow heires with him of all things in this life and in the life to come as appeareth vers 16.17 of this chapter Secondlie by this followeth and from this commeth the soueraigntie we haue ouerall creatures as 1. Cor. 3.22 Whether it be the world or life or death all things are ours for we are Christs and Christ is Gods and being vnder Gods wings no man neither dareth and though his stomacke bee neuer so good yet hee hath not the strength to hurt vs for the Lord will keepe vs as the apple of his cie Thirdlie by this though the Angels be farre aboue vs in nature yet we haue one of our nature better then they that is Christ and through him they doe all become our ministers Heb. 1.4.7 Christ is made more excellent then the Angels and he maketh them but his messengers Now for the degrees wherby the Lord doth execute this his eternal purpose for the first of them which is calling it is wrought by the holie Ghost as the principall cause and by a double instrument the holy Ghost vseth first the preaching of the law whereby we are brought to a holie despaire of our selues by the sight of our owne corruption that we may seeke for remedie in the profound sea of the Lords vnsearchable mercie The second the preaching of the Gospell whereby hee anointeth our eyes with the eye salue of the holie Ghost Col. 2.13 that being dead in sinne and not so much as dreaming of saluation the sound of the Gospel doth awake vs that we may heare that hearing we may liue Hereupon it is said that the Lord doth draw men and pull them vnto him as Christ saith Iohn 6.44 No man can come vnto me vnlesse the father draw him that is doth separate them from the cursed generation of the world and sets his inward seale vpon them that is his spirit and brandeth them in the forehead with a visible marke of holinesse of life that euery man may know them to be the Lords Hereupon also it is said that the Lord doth open the hart with the key of the Gospel as Act. 16.14 he is said to open the heart of Lydia and as Psal 40.6 he boareth the eare and softeneth the heart and moisteneth it with his grace that aboue all things a man shall esteeme of the pearle of the Gospell and be brought chearefully to sell all he hath to buy such a iewell as shall bring him righteousnesse to saue his soule so as this calling of the Lord is to this end to manifest and to secure a man in his soule that the Lord hath giuē him to Christ out of all the world Here may be obiected are not all vniuersally called by grace We answer No for first all men are not called effectuallie secondly some are not called at all Some are called externallie by the Preachers mouth and saluation is offered them by the ministerie of the word and sacraments and the kingdom of God is come to their dores and peace is shewed them and the glory of Ierusalem is set before them Math. 22.3 but yet we see of them that were bidden to the mariage there were three sorts not effectually called first they that being called carelesly refused to come being possessed with the cares of this world and with voluptuous liuing secondly they that cruelly persecured the inuiters messengers of the Bridegroome not onely refusing to come being called but disdaining to come as scorning such cheare and faring euery day better themselues at home thirdly they that came hand ouer head neuer looking to their feet before they entred into the Lords house nor neuer changed their attire but came without the wedding garment of a holy life So wee reade that of the foure sorts of ground that receiue the word and the seed thereof Mark 4.4 one sort onely shall be saued not that we must vnderstand it as if of foure hearers there should be but one saued for the Lord may haue mercy vpon a whole congregation to saue them but three sorts of them filled with seuerall affections that vouchsafed to come and to stand before the Lord as hearers were reprobate that is such as did not beautifie the profession of the Gospell with a holy life And truly of them that come and feed vpon the word and yet be reprobates it is wonderfull to see how farre they goe euen in the right course for first they may be enlightned generally in the knowledge of the truth and may taste of the heauenly gift yea and be partakers of the holy Ghost Heb. 6.4.6 and yet may fall away neuer to be renewe◠by repentance Secondly they may haue faith Luk. 8.13 for a time not counterfeit yet not truly sincere for in the daie of trial they fall away like fruit from the tree with a blast of wind yea they may take ioy in the word as Herod did Mark 6.20 who was glad to heare Iohn Baptist and with Herod they may for a time do many things at the request of Gods Ministers Mark 16.20 And for outward reformation swine we know may be washed so may they leaue off and discontinue some grosse sins for a time when Sathan being for a season cast out of them doth not worke so forciblie in them as Math. 12.34 the Pharises and Sadduces may for nouelties sake come to Iohns baptisme and for a time speake good things when they are euill and yet be but a generation of vipers yea they may wish with Balaam to die the death of the righteous Num. 23.10 iustifying in their owne conscience the course of holinesse and which is more they may partake of all the graces of God sauing that one grace of sanctification and yet they may seeme to bee sanctified as Hebrews 10.29 they tread vnder foot the Sonne of God and count the bloud of the new Testament an vnholy thing were with they were so sanctified Now others there be that are not called at all and these be of two sorts either those to whom the Lord hath denied the verie contemplation of the booke of nature as children that die as soone as they be borne who if they be elect it is by a supernaturall power of the holy Ghost if they be reprobate it is iust in respect of their naturall filth and corruption that did cleaue so fast vnto their bones for in that they die it proues they had finned and
the beholding of the very face of God and there shall bee no markes set to keepe vs from the mount where the Lord dweleth Reu. 21.12 as there was Exod. 19.12 but as Paul speaketh 1. Corinth â—3 12 we shall then see him face to face and know him as wee â—re knowen of him and see him as God all in all that is â—ee shall behold the glory of God not standing vpon the veile of the flesh of Christ for then all mediation and intercession shall cease and this is part of that Christ praied for a litle before his death Iohn 17.24 that we might see that glory he had before the world was made for then we shall see Christ-God and the whole Godhead immediately raigning yet in Christ the Sonne of man and in vs but so as we shall no more leane and relie vpon the praiers of Christ for then he shall raigne no more as the Sonne of man in the midst of his enemies for this gouernement shall cease death which is the last enemy being then abolished and he then shall raigne ouer them vanquished as God Howbeit the fruit and benefit of this his mediation shall indure for euer and the subiection of his humane nature shall then more appeare because of the glory of his Godhead which shall then be seene fully euen such and the same as he had before eternitie yet shall this saluation more increase the glory of his humanity when we shall vnderstand and see it to bee personally vnited to the sonne of God who with God the Father and the holy Ghost shall be all in all Now the fruition and possession of this glory shal worke three effects in vs first it shall breed in vs an infinite loue toward God secondly an infinite ioy in God thirdly an infinite praise to God Infinitely shall we loue him that hath aduanced as to such honour as is endles and to such fellowship as is matchlesse our hearts shall be filled with ioy yet not able to comprehend or expresse it Mat. 25.23 therefore it is said Enter thou into thy masters ioy for this ioy is too great to enter into thee and besides the ioy we shall haue in our owne saluation we shall conceiue as great ioie for the saluation of others which is called ioy celestiall and we shall haue yet more ioy then before to see the Godhead so glorious the Lambe aduanced in our flesh and to be one person with God And this is aboue all ioies because we shal loue Christ far aboue our selues for the zeale of Gods glory shall euen eat vs vp and it shall be so great in vs as it cannot be so great for our owne saluation and then out of this loue and ioy as out of two fountaines ioyned in one shall spring and arise such continuall praise to God for this glory that we shal vncessantly sing to God in the Temple which is God himselfe so as we shall praise God in God and this shall be as the Prophet Esay saith from new Moone to new Moone and from Sabbath to Sabbath that is for euer for this loue of God is from eternitie in respect of our predestination and to eternitie in respect of our glorification and this is that we sigh and grone for and for which while wee are in the flesh absent from God wee continually pray for ROM chap. 8. vers 31.32 verse 31 What shall we say then to these things If God be on our side who can be against vs verse 32 Who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs all things also THe Apostle before set downe that God the Father by his eternall purpose hath foreacknowledged vs and foreloued vs with an euerlasting loue in his Sonne and not vs onely but all those that to the end of the world shall loue him and manifest and shew foorth this their loue by a sincere worship and religious care to keepe his commandements and how that the Lord as he hath ordained vs and them to the same glory so at the fulnesse of time by the dispensation of his wisdome by his spirit he doth call them by the instrument of his word by the same loue doth iustifie vs in his Sonne and will glorisie vs with himselfe Now he being ouercome with the thought and meditation of these things breaketh foorth into a woonder and admiration that seeing it is thus that the Lord hath taken it vpon him neuer to leaue vs till he hath aduanced vs to heauenly places euen the seat of the Lord Iesus what shall we say The answer is giuen with the question this we must say that since he is our God as appeareth by that which went before then is it impossible wee being thus backed and hauing the Lord our bulwarke that any creature can bee of that force or be so against vs no not the diuell in hell with all his power can hinder vs from the fruition of this glorie In the other words who spared not his Sonne c. there is a further consolation set downe vnto vs to make the heape of comfort greater that since the Lord gaue as it were iudgement against his owne Son and set him foorth to a shamefull death for vs and this when we were his enemies and strangers from the life of God how can it bee he should now denie vs any thing to further our saluation being made friends with him and reconciled to him thorow his Sonne This doctrine needeth rather deepe meditation then large explication for who doth not assume to himselfe sufficiently to vnderstand it being but thus much in effect that since God in his euerlasting purpose hath thus manifested his glorie and mercie and hath ordained the end which is his glorie in our saluation and to bring it that it may come to this end hath subordinated and set downe certaine causes as calling and iustifying it is impossible any thing should hinder our saluation If God he on our side Heereupon wee must not thinke that if God be on our side we shall haue no enemies for because God loueth vs therefore we haue the more enemies and therefore wee are persecuted and subiect to the hatred of the world as Christ himselfe expresseth Ioh. 17.14 The world hateth them because saith he they are like me So as in this place the Apostle doth not meane that we should expect any immunitie and exemption on from the eâ—mitie and malice of men but that wee hauing this heauenly securitie and assured certaintie of the Lords protection neither Angell nor man nor diuell nor torment shall be able to ouer come vs. For this is that Paul speaketh of All things are by Christ Col. 1.16 through Christ and for Christ that is all things are created by him all things are preserued through 〈◊〉 maintained for his glorie so that our saluation being alwaies ioyned with his glorie neither shall men breath nor the diuell
their right hand whom they meane to make their equals as Gen. 41.40 Ioseph was set at the right hand of Pharaoh being made ruler ouer all Egypt and 1. King 2.19 Salosom set Bathsheba his mother on the right hand so is it said by Dauid in the Psalmes the Queene fitteth on the right hand of the King So as the meaning is Psal 45. â— that Christ Iesus hath receiued from God the copartnership of soueraigne authority ouer all natures whatsoeuer and as he is man being also the Sonne of â—â—d and our elder brother is aduanced ouer all and hath received a name aboue all so as now the Father ruleth nothing but 〈◊〉 the person of his Sonne Secondly vnderstand that this sitting at Gods right hand though it was due to his humane nature and flesh from the moment of his conception and vniting the flesh to his diuine nature yet it is properly assigned to him after his resurrection or rather after his ascension For hauing in the forme of a seruant performed all obedience then did the Father crowne his obedience with this excellent glory and then was this soueraignty bestowed on him Which must teach vs much more patiently to wait vpon the Lord and not to expect our reward before we set forth or while we be running but when our race is finished and that wee haue borne the heat of the day and haue fought a good fight in the Lord. Thirdly for this his sitting that is the receiuing of his absolute authority though Christ as God neuer receiued it being equall to God much lesse after his ascension yet after his ascension he was in some sort aduanced in his diuine nature for as the Scripture saith The Sonne of God descended meaning thereby abased himselfe Rom. 10.7 and his glorie did not so fully appeare being hidden in the cloud of his infirme flesh yet as the Apostle saith by his rising and ascending was he mightily declared to be the sonne of God and by that was more manifested to be so Rom. 1.4 then he was vpon the earth This also he sheweth himselfe Iob. 17.24 when he praied to be glorified with the same glory he had with his Father from the beginnig not that it should then be bestowed vpon him but then miraculoussy declared to haue had it from eternitie Howbeit this his sitting heere spoken of is properly meant to be exalted in his flesh because this authority is giuen him as Mediator And in this respect Christ may bee said to be greater then himselfe and lesse then himselfe because his flesh is beneath his diuinity and his Godhead farre aboue his humanity And by this power giuen him he is glorified in the Godhead in the manifestation of it in the flesh by abolishing all his infirmities and replenishing his flesh with all maner of graces Colos 2.8 as it is said lâ—â— him dwelt the fulnesse of the Godhead Concerning the second point namely what fruits come tâ—â— vs by this his sitting at Gods right hand they are principally three first we learne by this that he doth inrich his Church generally and euery member particularly with so many graces 〈◊〉 the holy Ghost as shall be necessary to the glory of the head the edification of the whole body and the saluation of euery particular member according as it is set downe Eph. 5.26.27 that this Church might be without spot or wrinkle and without blame Secondly by this his presence with God he doth defend and protect his Church from all enemies whatsoeuer so as the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it And this is our comfort that since all power is giuen him he that hath felt our infirmities hath the tempering of the cup of our afflictions which we may boldlie drinke of and not refuse it no more then he did the bitter cup his Father gaue to him and assure our selues that no tyrants hand can touch vs further then he permits him which shall neuer be aboue our strength for Christ hath power enough to performe it and God hath will enough to doe it And since while he was in his humanity on earth the diuell could not enter into a heard of swine without his licence and permission Math. 8.32 and that as it is said in the Reu. 5.3 he doth so seale the doore as none can enter in vnles he open it what shall we thinke he will doe now being in his glory and at his Fathers elbow And while he was in the flesh being able by the word of his mouth to stay the raging of the sea Mat. 8.26 much more now can he and will he represse the rage and fury of our persecutors when it please him Thirdly he shall sit at the right hand of the father vntill all his children be fully glorified and his enemies destroied which are of two sorts first such as are to be abolished as death secondly or such as perfectly are to be vanquished and yet perpetually to be tormented as the diuel and the damned spirits for to them shall it be a day of horror and of howling Now for the fourth which is his intercession or his making request for vs consider two things first what is meant in that he is said to make petition for vs secondly what benefits redound and arise to vs by these his requests for vs. For the first that he is said to pray for vs it is the exaltation and aduancement of Christ Iesus in the office of his eternall priest-hood whereof there were two parts the one to expiate or offer sacrifice for sinne the other to pray for the people Now Christ was such a Priest as the power of his sacrifice continueth for euer and no more sacrifice is to be offered vp as it is said Heb. 10.12 this man meaning Christ after he had once offered one sacrifice for sinne sitteth for euer at the right hand of God Howbeit the second duty of his Priest-hood which is to pray for vs remaineth still but after an other maner not as he did vpon the earth when he prostrated himselfe to the ground and lifted vp his eies to heauen with trembling of heart and anguish of minde offering vp praiers as Heb. 5.7 with strong cries and teares vnto God being himselfe then but as a seruant to his Father but he exerciseth this office now not by any submission of gesture but by representing and setting before the eyes of his Father his sacrifice fresh and bleeding which turneth his Fathers countenance from our indignities and misdeeds to looke vpon himselfe as Heb. 9.24 He is entred into heauen to appeare now in the sight of God for vs standing there to be beholden For the second namely what benefits we haue by this his intercession and they are three first by this he fulfilleth all the types and figures of the law that heereby he might fully declare vnto vs that he is the euerlasting Priest prefigured by them that were vnder the law as Heb. 10.19 hee is said
beloued And verse 36. Wee are killed all the day and we are more than conquerers including all the faithfull Now that a man may know hee shall bee saued it is prooued thus A man may know certainly whether hee bee a Christian and truly ingrafted into Christ prooued by the first of Iohn 4.13 By this we may know we are â—n Christ because we haue his spirit And to prooue this 2. Cor. 13.5 Paul speaketh plainly Doe yet not know vnlesse ye haue the spirit of Christ ye be reprobates Againe a man may know whether he be led by this spirit by the fruits of this life and being led by the spirit he is sure he is the sonne of God and being his son vndoubtedly an heire of his kingdome Some will say he may know it for the present but no man can tell what hee shall be 1. Cor. 10.12 for let him that standeth take heed he fal not But know this it is no perswasion vnlesse it reach extend to that that is to come as Paul saith heere he was perswaded neither things present nor things to come could remoue him from his hold he had in Christ and we may assure our selues that he that hath begun this worke in vs if we walke before him in feare and trembling will finish it to his glory and our comfort Secondly obserue that all haue not the same measure of this resolution for there is a diuers measure of this according to the diuers degrees of faith and age of a Christian for some are such of whom the Church doth as yet trauell of and are not deliuered some are new borne to be fed with milke others are growne more in faith and come vnto a riper age of Christ as the holy Ghost saith The righteousnesse of the Gospel is reuealed from faith to faith alluding to the Sunne that riseth not in his excellencie but sendeth foorth a dawning before it appeareth and then a meane light before it commeth to the height of his brightnesse euen so there is a measure in the feeling of this perswasion but yet so as being but a graine a sparkle or a droppe of true faith it doth lay hold vpon the Lord Iesus and assure vs that we shall haue eternall life through Christ Num. 2.19 euen as none were healed but they that beheld the Serpent though some saw it more clearely then others And it is not our faith properly that saueth vs no more then it is the hand that nourisheth but as by the hand though it be weake we receiue nourishment so by faith as by an instrument not alwaies of like strength wee feed vpon Christ and all his benefits Why but this resolution heere spoken of not onely the weake but they that be strong feele not for we see by experience that none haue such securitie but they sometimes despaire through their owne feeling and priuitie of their sinnes which present themselues so many and so deformed and therefore it is so terrible as they sometimes doubt of Gods loue and kindnesse and so vehement is the perturbation of their spirits rising from their owne vnworthinesse as they seeme forsaken of the Lord and much disquieted in themselues therefore though Paul had this perswasion yet euery man cannot haue it To this answer It is not said there must be any such securitie as that there must be no doubting or such tranquillity as there must bee no trouble for Dauid seemed to doubt whether there was a God or no Psal 73.13 because he saw the wicked flourish so proudly And it is no commendation of faith to be free from doubting of Gods mercy in some measure for sometimes there are throwne against vs such fierie darts to the dismaying of our poore consciences as hardly can our buckler of faith driue them backe yea the soule of a man may euen be astonished vnder the Lords heauie hand and yet there may be true faith for though it be shaken it cannot be ouerthrowne though it be oppressed it cannot be left in distresse and though our faith may be strongly assaulted and foiled and wounded with the terrors of the Lord so as his arrowes shall euen pierce our souls and the venime thereof drinke vp our bloud and that wee shall thinke the Lord hath shut his compassion from vs yet shall wee at the last be raised vp to behold the Sun-beames of the Lords loue for the praise of faith is to ouercome by fighting that the power of the Lord may be made strong by our infirmity and weaknesse ROM chap. 8. vers 19.20.21.22 verse 19 For the feruent desire of the creature waiteth when the sons of God shall be reuealed verse 20 Because the creature is subiect to vanitie not of it owne will but by reason of him which hath subdued it vnder hope verse 21 Because the creature also shall bee deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God verse 22 For we know that euery creature groneth with vs also and trauelleth in paine together vnto this present THe Apostle hauing formerly taught vs what way the Lord had allotted for vs to walke to heauen to wit by the same line that Christ his naturall Sonne ascended that is through a crowne of thornes and a sea of afflictions from the ladder to the crosse and from the fold to the shambles and that heerewith wee ought not to be dismaied but rather inwardly comforted First because heereby Christ and we draw together in one yoke Secondly because by this subiection in infirmitie there is wrought in vs a conformitie with him in glory Thirdly because this glory is of that kinde that the least taste of it doth farre surmount the extremitie of all our miseries in this life Yet as if he would strike the naile deeper anâ—â—ill the cup of comfort fuller he sheweth in these verses First that a change and confusion shall be scraped off Secondly that we that are the selected of God shall be freed exempted from the feare and sense of this horrible deformation of the world Thirdly that it is certaine this spoile and consumption of the earth with the works therein shall come for wee are might so much by the insensible creatures that wait for it themselues nature informing them that their subiection to vanitie shal haue an end for as they were at first created good and became accursed for the sinne of man so shall they at length be restored with vs that are elect through the remoouing of that curse for sinne in the seede of the woman which is Christ First in that it is said there is a feruent desire in the dumbe and senselesse creatures we are not to vnderstand that there is heerein a wil and an affection or a desire or a hope or any sense or vnderstanding in the bruite beasts or other Insensible creature as the Heauen Earth Sunne Moone c. for that which they haue is onely through the instruction and instinct of
them that be halfe dead through cold euen so the holy Ghost not onely warmeth him that is benummed in his soule but quickeneth him that is starke dead in pleasures and other corruptions of the world and doth kindle in him a holy zeale to the Lords truth and raiseth him vp to the hope of eternall life being before though hee seemed to liue through the dulnesse and obstupefaction of his flesh drouping or rather dead in sinne Fourthly fire giueth light to them that before sat in darknesse and sheweth them the way how to walke so the holy Gost doth enlighten our iudgments and vnderstandings that we may be able to discerne and desire to thirst after that acceptable will of the Lord vnto saluation Secondly consider since the holy Ghost cannot be quenched but where he is how the Apostle writing to the whole Church of Thessalonica assumeth and taketh it as granted that they all had this spirit and this ought to be the generall iudgement of all men so long as a people conforme themselues to the outward obedience and sound of the Gospell to presume and hope the best of all For no doubt many in this Church were accompted Saints which were detestable hypocrites yet in respect of this mingling of the seede and tares together the Apostle medleth not with them leauing that to the last iudgement but signeth them all with this excellent badge of hauing the spirit for so ought it to be vnlesse their sinnes be enormous and notorious and that they sinne and offend with so high a hand as that they refuse the censure of the Church and to be thereby reformed for then they are vtterly to bee cut off and separate from the rest of the Saints And this intermingling of hypocrites and the elect together in the visible church maketh that oftentimes the Apostle in a generall stile disswadeth and dehorteth all from that which can be verified in the wicked onely as when he saith Heb. 3.12 Take heed none of you be so vnfaithfull as to fall from the grace of the liuing God which is true onely in the hypocrite and so doth hee sometimes generally exhort to that which is true onely in the elect as when he saith to the Philippians Worke fourth your saluation with feare and trembling Phil. 2.12 for all the Ministers of God must know that there will alwaies be one Iudas among the Disciples Mat. 26.22 whom Christ onely could discouer but for them that cannot see the heart they must offer the cup of grace to all for the tares cannot be seuered from the wheat till that great day of separation come when then the Lord by his Angels shall cut vs all downe and shall binde the tares in bundles by themselues to be cast from the Lords floore into perpetuall tormenting flaming fire Againe learne since the spirit must not be quenched that it followeth of necessity euery one of Gods children must haue it and think it so far from shame as they must esteeme it to be their onely victory and crowne that they do enioy it For first by this spirit there is made a distinction and differnce betweene vs and the reprobate and it is like the bloud Exod. 12.22 that was stricken vpon the doore tops which shall make the Lord to passe ouer vs and not to suffer the destroier to come neare vs when he goeth to smite the Egyptians and as Paul saith 2. Cor. 13.5 The spirit of God is in vs all except we be reprobates Secondly from this spirit we receiue direction whereby to guide the steps and actions of our life that we snarle not at the Ministers like dogs nor runne after the world like Demas 2. Tim. 4.10 Thirdly in this spirit we reape such comfort as all the lightsome pleasures of this life are but as shadowes and all the burdensome profit of this life of no value in respect of that ioy wee take to be transformed into the image of the sonne of God wherby the slanderous speeches and impious and sacrilegious scurrility of some is notably condemned who in scorne and derision doe call such as are fearefull to offend and doe tremble and quake at the name of sinne men of the spirit Puritanes precise and such like they themselues shrinking vp sinne in a narrow scantling as if none offended but they that lie in the goale But what is he that hauing a waspe about him will stay till he be stung and not auoide it at the first buzzing What is he when he hath roome inough that will ride vpon the edge of a pit and venture his falling Nay 1. Thes 5.22 it must be the wisedome of the Saints of God to flie as far from sinne as can be and as the Apostle saith to shun all apparence of euill and we must not be fraighted from the rule of conscience nor from walking in a strait course of religion by any such prophane and vngodly mouthes which carry the poison of Aspes vpon their tongues and the gall of bitternesse within their hearts and let them know that in this state wherein they stand they are as surelie the diuels as the diuell is not Gods for in whomsoeuer this spirit of God dwelleth not and worketh not that man shall assuredly be damned Now this exhortation not to quench the spirit is very weighty for by this the Apostle teacheth insinuateth of the feareful declinations of some that haue begun in the spirit and haue ended in the flesh that haee saluted Christ in the market place and yet neuer entertained him in their houses For that the spirit may be quenched Mat. 25.3 Mark 4.4 is proued by the fiue virgines that had their lamps but wanted oile and by the parable of the foure sorts of graine whereof only one shall be saued for therby is manifest that the Gospell may be receiued with ioy yea it may take root to grow vp to a stalke and from a stalke to a blade yea from a blade to an eare and yet shall neuer ripen but when it is gone so farre shall either be burned vp by the heat of persecution or choked by the thornes of this life and shall neuer come to perfection Againe that parable which carieth with it a reall truth of the spirit which being cast out of a man walketh in dry places for so much is Sathan cast out as wee are enlightned in our iudgements Luk. 11.24 but when he returnes he finds it more garnished then before that is after he hath once refused and troden vnder foote that light of knowledge which he had hee is possessed with such darknesse as hee is wholly left a prey for Sathan It is also proued that the spirit may be quenched by plaine places of Scripture as that of Ezechiel 18.24 the man that liueth in righteousnesse a long time after falling away shall bee iudged in his vnrighteousnesse and 2. Peter 2.22 the dogge is returned to his vomire and the sow that was washed
to her wallowing in the ruire Some will say True it is the spirit may bee quenched in 〈◊〉 hypocrite but neuer in the elect as 1. Iohn 3.9 Hee that is borne of God sinneth not And whom God loued once hee loueth alwaies This is true but then looke that thou stand vpon good and sound euidence when Sathan troubles thee for thou knowest how the burning lampes went out how the seed in the blade came to nothing and it is certaine that a man illuminate may sinne against the holy Ghost and therefore see that thou hast good title and groundest vpon good interest when thou shalt bee vexed with temptations For Rom. 8.13 if wee liue after the flesh wee shall die and as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God and who hath this spirit looke 1. Iohn 3.14 We are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren for hee that hath a soule must needes breath and he that hath the spirit must needs fulfill the fruits of the spirit Secondly albeit the elect haue receiued an euerlasting spirit whereof the Lord can neuer repent and which can neuer vtterly be quenched yet let vs feare and tremble for in the elect it may so bee obscured and ouerwhelmed that some of the graces of Gods spirit nay most of the graces yea the chiefest of the most nay all almost of Gods graces may in them be quenched as Dauid praieth Psal 51. Lord create in me a new spirit and yet he had it in him for in the same place he saith Lord take not thy spirit from me So as this exhortation not to quench the â—â—â—rit hath a double fruit in the hypocrite to make him vnexcusable in the elect to make them more circumspect and carefull in their conuersation for we must not be secure in as much as albeit the spirit of God in those that be his cannot bee absolutely quenched and wholly put out yet there may bee a great abatement of the spirit as not to be recouered without great touch and terror of conscience For first while a man feeles the presence of this spirit there is giuen him such ioy and with that a singular peace in the inward man and such securitie of his saluation that he feeles the loue of God spiritually to do him as much good as his meat and vpon this assurance he doth as it were behold the heauens open for the Lord to embrace him liuing or dying and he knoweth himselfe to be sealed vp in the blood of Christ vnto eternall life Now if this spirit be gone absenteth it selfe in spirituall operation together with this is our former ioy abated and the foundation of our hope begins to be shaken and being weake of our selues we are surprised with many feares and suspecting our selues to bee cast from the feare of God and our sinnes arising and flying vp like smoake in our eies we almost are brought to the case of Cain Gen. 4.12 to thinke that whosoeuer meeteth vs will slay vs. Secondly as vpon the enioying presence of the Lords spirit there springs an vnspeakable ioy and comfort in our hearts and we find that the Lords loue breedeth in vs an heauenly assurance of eternall peace and filleth our hearts with a mutuall and reciprocall loue of God our loue streaming and flowing from the well head of the Lords loue then it followeth that the lesse we feele the Lords loue toward vs the lesse we loue him againe and then we droope and languish in our selues our praiers be faint our meditations cold and when we should watch we with the Disciples fall asleepe and we feeling not the life of the spirit Mat. 26.43 we are greatly abated in our loue of holy and Christian exercises and we then only keepe a generall course in our profession and performe euery good thing as it were tedious vnto vs like Eutychus Act. 20.9.10 who came to heere Pauls sermon but was ouercome with sleepe Thirdly when the spirit is abated by the diminishing of the Lords loue towards vs and the withdrawing of our loue from him then because we haue grieued the spirit the Lord suffereth vs to fall into fearefull and presumptuous sinne as hee did suffer Dauid to fall into the sinne of whoredome with Bathsheba aggrauated with the murder of Vriah wherein hee lay frozen by Satans subtilty nine monthes at the least before he confessed it to God for it appeareth 2. Sam. 11.27 that the child was borne before Nathan the Prophet came to him and howsoeuer no doubt he could no more escape the pricke of conscience then he could stay the panting of his heart yet before that time not a word to God of any serious humiliation for his adultery So as neuer any of Gods children sinned more grieuously then he Mat. 26.70 except Peter who was not so much kindled at the fire of the high Priest as he was cold in his soule for first he lied in that he said hee knew not Christ secondly burst foorth into swearing and thirdly gaue himselfe to the diuell if it were he that was with Christ which the Lord most iustly suffered to befall him as a great chastisement since he neglected the louing forewarning of his master and though hee was neuer so much elect yet would the spirit neuer comfort him till he had with drawne himselfe to bewaile his sinne bitteâ—â— All which is liuely expressed Cant. 3.1 In my bed by night saith the church I sought him that my soule loued I sought hâ—â—â—â—â—t I found him not I went and rose and walked about the citie and by the streeâ—s and by open places I sought him but found him not thereby to declare that when the Lord once withdraweth his face from vs how hardly we shall win his fauour againe Fourthly when the Lord hath suffered vs to fall thus farre as we shall euen seeme to be swallowed vp of hell already though in the end he will restore thee yet first he will suffer thee to beare the shame of thy sinne in this life Gen. 9.23 1. Sam. 15.14 as Noah for his drunkennesse to be a scorne to his owne children and Dauid for his adultery to bee thrust out of his kingdome by his owne sonne which was such a griefe to him as all the ioy of his sonnes life did not so much comfort him as the sorrow of his death did wound him he mourning for Absolon 2. Sam. 19.33 as if he had doubted of his saluation But happy is hee that hath the thornes in his sides in this life and that is afflicted heere for though the Lord will neeuer take his louing kindnes from thee yet he will scourge thee not for any satisfaction of his iustice for Christ hath paied all but onely for a chastisement Lastly besides all this when the spirit is gone and abated it shall be such a terror to thy conscience such smart and vexation to thy whole minde as thou wert better bee almost
would haue beene glad if his purpose might haue beene confirmed by the Lords mouth And as it fareth with the sicke patient who affecting some meate hurtfull asketh the Physitian whether he may eate it or no who hauing the regiment of their bodies and knowing their disease telleth them no in no wise yet so strong is their appetite that they wil take it and onely would haue bene glad if the Physitian would haue approoued it So men will come to know the nature of sinne which being described to be vgly in it selfe yet seeming beautifull and gainefull in their affection they will stil embrace it shewing themselues to haue descended of that young man spoken of Matth. 19.16 who would needs bee questioning with Christ how he might goe to heauen and when he touched him in his wealth which he made his god as that he must fell all it is said hee went away sorrowfull for hee had great possessions Secondly obserue heere the order the spirit vseth placing iust dealing after sober liuing as if it were impossible to looke for true dealing where sobrietie went not before and therefore we hauing gone beyond the proportion of our old fathers and exceeding that sobrietie which was the auncient renowmed vertue of this age and nation iustice and iust dealing cannot haue her due course but the cloth must needs be stretched to maintaine our superfluities so as that of Ioel 1.4 fitteth for this What the Canker-worme hath left the Grashopper hath deuoured what the Grashopper hath left the Catterpiller hath deuoured c. So wee by the same proportion may saie in these daies That which purchasing which enlargeth it selfe like hel hath left that sumptuous building hath deuoured what this hath left magnificent furniture hath deuoured what this hath left pride of life hath deuoured and what this hath left ambition hath wasted for great men must be bribed and then poore men must needes be racked And therefore it is certaine if reformation beginne not at our selues that wee can pull downe whatsoeuer exalteth it selfe aboue the compasse of modestie comelinesse and sobrietie wee shall expect little trueth and iustice to others Thirdly obserue what this is commandeth vs to deale iustly it is not the law in terrour of death but the Gospell euen because the Lord doth purpose to saue vs by this grace so as it is a suite commended vnto vs by such a speciall token of the price of saluation as wee cannot chuse but performe it with great care vnlesse we will shew our selues greatly vnthankfull and prooue our hearts to be more then flintie Ieremie conuinceth Ierem. 35.14 the obstinacie of the Iewes by the example of the Rechabites who refused to drinke wine offred and set before them because their father Ionadab had so commanded them Heereupon saith the Lord Iuda I haue warned thee often but thou wouldst not incline thine eare nor obey me Of which example we must make this vse Rechah spake to his children but once the Lord hath spoken to vs often to liue religiously he was but the father of the flesh God is the father of our spirits his commandement was hard and his yoke heauy to forbeare the vse of lawfull things and necessarie as not onely to forbeare wine but they must neither sow nor plant and yet they kept it the Lords commaundement is that wee surfeit not with the cares of this life and that wee deale honestly with our brethren Rechah promised them but to liue long on earth our Father for our obedience hath promised vs eternall life so as both hee that commaundeth is higher and the reward that is giuen is greater Now followeth the third thing that is to be embraced and that is a godly life for it were absurd to be precise toward men and to deale wickedly with God and all is abominable if our religion toward God exceed not our righteousnes toward men To know what godlinesse is shall bee best discerned by the contrarie and vngodlinesse is three-fold first the worship of a false God secondly the worship of a true God falsly as the Iewes that executed the Lord Iesus and Paul that persecuted the Church of Iesus they did thinke they did God great good seruice thirdly such as worship the true God in a true seruice outwardly but with an vnzealous heart like Iudas that followed Christ and yet betraied him 2. Tim. 4.10 and like Domas that forsooke Paul and embraced the world yet did hee not returne to his idols againe and in truth there is no difference betweene these two last for it is all one to serue him fantastically as did the Pharisees as to serue him coldly as did the Laodiceans but now godlinesse is opposite to all these and is a true seruice of a true God in a true religion with a true heart And this is soone discerned by our affections for if we can tremble at the word preached and be possessed with the spirit of feare at the least offence and sinne which we can commit because we know that the maiestie of God is displeased and the spirit of God grieued and if from this feare doth spring sorow and from this sorow care of recouering our fall againe and when wee are cured can resolue and strengthen our selues in patience to goe vnder the yoke of afflictions and vnder the wheele of death for the truths sake we may assure our selues our paths are straight and that in our iourney toward God our feet be shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace not any way to be distracted with cares nor distrustfull with the troubles of this life Hence obserue that none are to be commended for their sobrietie and honestie vnlesse also they be religions which is proued thus None are honest but they that be cleane in heart no mans heart is cleane that is not purified in conscience and none are purified in conscience without faith and none haue faith that are not zealous and religious toward God for faith striueth by praier with God Thou wilt say loue is the fulfilling of the law but this loue toward our brethren implieth and of necessitie presupposeth a loue of God which constraineth vs to loue man for no more then a man can loue God and hate his brother no more can he hate God and loue his brother and if he loue God in this is euer included a loue and zeale toward his glorie Againe if we take the loue of our brethren to be that Paul speaketh of 1. Tim. 1.5 it is then agreed for then it is loue from a pure heart a good conscience and a faith vnfained which being grounded on Christ is the foundation roote and well head of all honestie and iust dealing Lastly obserue hence that the godlinesse here spoken of must haue two properties for first it must not be hidden in the heart but fruitfull and visible to the eie that the world may see it secondly we may not deferre our godlinesse but it must be