own son Sonne to distinguish him from all others who are his sonnes by adoption onely Christ is the Sonne of God by nature by that diuine inutterable generation whereof Esay saith Who can expresse it Thus is hee Gods owne sonne that is Esay coeternall and coessentiall begotten of the Father before all time by the full communication of his whole essence vnto him in a manner that cannot be expressed And in the fulnesse of time he became man God being manifested in the flesh and in regard of his humane nature which was conceiued of the holy Ghost and vnited in a personall vnion with his diuine he stands in the title of Gods owne sonne after so singular a manner that he admits no companion The last of these two the Apostle makes the first point Christs diuine generation a great mysterie 1. Tim. 3. 16. of the misterie of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh wherein he bridles our curiositie for if his manifestation in the flesh that is his incarnation be a mysterie that goes beyond our vnderstanding what shall we say of his diuine generation a mysterie to be indeed adored not to be enquired an article proposed to be belieued not to be disputed The Arrians seeking to search out this vnsearchable mysterie with naturall reason by infinite degrees more foolish then if they had presumed to number the starres of heauen or measure with their fist all the waters in the Sea they stumbled Mans curiosity restrained from searching it and fell being neuer able to comprehend how the son that was begotten should be coeternall and coessentiall to the Father who begot him therefore the worthy Fathers of the primitiue Church to represse the presumption of these arrogant spirits drew them down from the dangerous speculation of these high mysteries farre aboue their capacitie to consideration of things which are in nature Si in Creatura genitum inueniri potest coaeuum genitori an non aequum August est concedas posse ista in creatore coaeterna inueniri if in things created that which is begotten may be found equall in time to that which begat it why should it be denyed that in the Creator the begetter and begotten are equall in eternitie When a candle saith Augustine is first lighted at once there are two things the fire the splendor or light if it be enquired whether the fire come from the light or the light from the fire all men will agree that the splendor or light comes from the fire but if againe it be demanded which of them is first or last in time it cannot be determined But wherefore shall we vse these similitudes as the Creator is aboue the creature so is that mysterie aboue all the secrets of nature no similitude can be found in nature so much as shadow that most high and supernaturall mysterie yet is the endeuor of these godly fathers commendable who haue laboured to bring downe men to the exercising of their wits in things which are below like vnto themselues leauing curious inquisition of higher secrets which as I haue said are to be receiued with faith reuerenced with Rom 11. 20. silence not searched out by curiositie O man be not high minded but feare Christ came like a sinfull man but without sinne In the similitude of sinnefull flesh We must not so vnderstand these words as if Iesus had onely the similitude of a naturall bodie no he was very man made of the seed of Dauid he hath taken our flesh indeed yet was he not a sinfull man but separated from sinners A holy One from the first moment of his conception conceiued of the holy Ghost A stone cut out of the mountaine without hands The Dan. 2. 45. Cant. Flower of the field that groweth without mans labour or industry 1. Cor. 15. The second Adam very man as was the first but not begotten of man So then the word similitude is not to be ioyned with the word Flesh but with the word sinfull He tooke on mans nature without sin yet subiect to those infirmities mortalitie and death which sin brought vpon vs he appeared like a sinfull man being indeed without sinne in the shape of a Seruant content to be made inferiour not onely to Angels but to men of the vilest sort sold for thirtie pieces of siluer not so worthie to liue as Barrabas ranked with Theeues on the Crosse and reputed as a Worme of the earth thus being voyde of all sinne yet was hee handled as a sinner and most wicked malefactor Wherein we are to consider so farre as we may though How deerely the Lord loued vs perceiue by the price he hath giuen for our ransome we cannot comprehend it that wonderfull loue which the Lord hath shewed vs in this worke of our saluation how deere and precious our life hath beene in his eyes perceiue by the greatnesse of that price which he hath giuen for vs for who will giue much for that whereof hee esteemes but little it was not with gold nor siluer nor any corruptible thing that the Lord hath redeemed vs but with the precious blood of his owne Son Iesus as of a Lambe vnblemished and vnspotted If Dauid considering the goodnesse of God towards man in the work of creation fell out into this admiration O Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him Psalm 8. or the Son of man that thou doest visite him how much more haue we cause so to cry out considering the riches of God his wonderfull mercies shewed vs in the worke of redemption It was a great kindnesse which Abraham shewed to Lot when he hazarded his owne life and the liues of his familie to recouer Lot out of the hands of Chedarlaomer but not comparable to that kindnesse which our kinsman the Lord Iesus hath shewed vnto vs who hath giuen his life to deliuer vs out of the hand of our enemies The Lord shed abroad in our hearts more and more abundantly the sence of that loue that we may endeauour to be thankfull for it by this threefold dutie first of thanksgiuing secondly of seruice thirdly of loue toward those who are beloued of him As for the first our life should be a continuall thanksgiuing Our thankfulnes againe should be testified by this threefold dutie and worshipping before him who hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his blood When the children of Israell had passed the red sea suppose they had a vast wildernesse betweene them and Canaan yet they praised 1 Continuall thanksgiuing God with a song of thanksgiuing and the Lord appointed an yeerely remembrance of that benefit If smaller mercies are to be remembred with thanksgiuing what shall we thinke of the greater As for the second which is seruice Zacharie teacheth 2 Seruice vs that for this end God hath deliuered vs from all our enimies that all our dayes we should serue him in righteousnesse Luke 1. 74.
operations but God is the same who workes all in all for to one is giuen by the Spirit the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge to another the gift of healing to an other the operation of great workes but none of these are the operations whereby the Sonnes of God are to be discerned seeing all these hee vvorkes also in the wicked We are therefore more particularly to consider how is And these former are coÌ„mon to the wicked but he hath a singular operation in the godly whom he leads it that this Spirit leades the Sonnes of God the auncient Fathers expresses it in two words hee leades vs mâ—nendo monendo that is by informing our minde with his admonitions and inclining our harts with his motions for the holy spirit leades vs not like vnto blinde men vvho are led by their guide a way vvhich they know not themselues but he opens our eyes and lets vs see a farre off our heauenly 1 Monendo by informing their mindes Canaan and Ierusalem vvhich is aboue for he that neuer saw the Lord how can hee follow him or how can he forsake the doung of the earth who hath no eyes to discerne those excellent things which are aboue This illumination of our minde is the first beginning of our saluation therefore the Apostle praying for the Ephesians craues that the Ephes 1. 18. Lord would lighten the eyes of their vnderstanding that they might know the hope of their calling and the riches of that glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints He prayeth also for the Philippians that they may abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement whereby they may discerne things that are excellent And for the Collossians that they may be filled with the knowledge of the will of God and of spirituall vnderstanding teaching vs also to remember it in all our prayers as a most necessarie petition And after that the spirit of God hath opened the eyes of 2 Mouendo by alluring their hearts his children and carried them vp with Moses to the top of Pisgah that is by heauenly contemplation giuen them some sight of Canaan then he also moueth their hearts making them cheerefull willing and resolute to walke toward it for hee drawes vs not against our wils but makes vs willing to follow him It is true he giues also to the wicked some taste of the ioyes of the life to come but he changeth not their hearts they haue some new sights of it but retayne their old affections they like it also but will not redeeme it so deere as they thinke as with the losse of their carnall pleasures in this life but to the godly with the new minde he giues them also a new heart hee inflames them with so feruent a loue of those things which hee had letten them see that they are content to renounce the world and accounteth her best things to be but doung so they may obtayne the Lord Iesus and be made partakers of the high prise of the calling of the Saints of God And beside this he doth in such sort conduct vs that hee 3 By remouing al impediments out of the way which may hinder vs to follow him remoues euery impediment out of the way which may hinder vs when hee carryed his people Israel by his strength to his holy habitation O what impediments was in the way I the red Sea the waste Wildernesse the riuer Iordan Pharaohs horsemen and chariots pursues them behinde to draw them backe againe seauen mighty nations of the Canaanits are gathered before them to resist them and hold them out of Canaan but the shepheard and leader of Israel steps ouer all these impediments as if they had not been in the way and places his people in the mountaine of his inheritance and afterward when he concluded to bring his people from Babell homeward to Canaan hee prepared a way for them in the Wildernesse hee commanded the mountaines to be made low and the vallies to be exalted he commanded the crooked to be straight and the rough places to become plaine and it was done This is for our comfort the Lord Comfort who hath taken vs by the hand to lead vs into his holy habitation shall remoue all impediments that are before vs though Sathan like a Lyon spoyled of his pray snatch after vs though hee double his tentations vpon vs and with manifold afflictions compasse vs though terrible death and the horrible graue stand before vs threatning to swallow vs by the way yet shall wee see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing and ouer all our enemies shall be more than conquerors through him that loued vs and hath taken vs into his owne hand to leade vs to that inheritance which he hath prepared for vs. For it is manifest that both the beginning progresse and The beginning progresse and perfection of our saluation is from him perfection of our saluation is ascribed to the spirit of God in holy scriptures when we were dead in sinne he quickned vs when he had quickned vs he gouernes and leades vs and worketh continually in vs till he perfect vs. Thus is hee the Heb. 12. 2. author and the finisher of our faith and all the glorie of our saluation is his as wee cannot begin to doe well without him so we cannot continue in well doing without him if he lead vs not wee wander from him and weary our selues in In that we can not walk without a guide we are warned that we are but babes Acts 8. 30. 31. the way of iniquitie It should serue to humble vs that wee are pointed out here to be but babes and children such as cannot goe by our selues vnlesse we be led by another As that Eunuch answered Philip when he asked vnderstandest thou what thou readest how can I saith he vnderstand without a guide so may we answere the Lord when hee commands vs to walke in his way how can wee O Lord that are but children and It is good religion to turne Gods precepts into prayers Psal 43. 3. Psal 143. 10. new borne babes walke in thy way without a guide It is a point of good religion to turne the Lords precepts into prayers Send out Lord thy light and thy truth let them lead mee let them bring mee into thine holy mountaine and to thy tabernacles Let thy good spirit lead mee vnto the land of righteousnesse When the Lord threatned that hee vvould no more goe before the Children of Israel to lead them as hee had done Moses tooke it so deepely to heart that he protested hee would not goe one foote further except the Lord went with him and certainely if wee knew the manifold inconueniences whereinto we shall fall if the Lord forsake vs wee would neuer enter our feete into that way wherein we saw not the Lord going before vs in mercy to leade vs. Our life on earth should be
ordered as was the life of We ought to follow our guide as Israel did the Lord in the wildernes Israel in the wildernesse the Lord vvent before them by day in a cloud by night in a pillar of fire when the cloud remoued they remoued what way so euer it vvent they followed vvhere the cloud stood they camped thus the Lord led them by two and fortie stations fortie yeeres in the wildernesse though Canaan vvas not farre from them yet they entred not into it till the Lord directed them The Lord hath in like manner praysed be his name for it brought vs out of the land of our bondage he might if he had pleased long ere now haue entred vs into our Canaan but it pleaseth him for a time to exercise vs and to haue vs vvalking vp and downe this Wildernesse Let vs possesse our hearts with patience and reuerence the Lords dispensation in the meane time take heed that the Lord goe before vs that his word shine vnto vs as a lanthorne to our feet and that his holy spirit be our guide to lead vs in this righteousnesse then shall we be sure of a happy end of our iourney when we liue not as vve list but vnder the gouernment of the holy Spirit vvhen our rising and lying downe our resting and remouing and all the actions of our liues are gouerned by his direction As many as are led by the spirit If all were led with the All that professe Christ are not led by his spirit spirit of God the Apostle would not vse this distinction so many and no more are the sonnes of God as are led by the spirit of God The name and dignitie of the sonnes of God doth not belong to all men who are the Lords by creation nay not to all those who are his by profession As in the Arke of Noah there was a cursed Cham and a blessed Sem as in the schoole of Christ a traiterous Iudas and a beloued Iohn so are there many in this mixed fellowship of the visible Church who by outward profession pretends the stiles and priuiledges of the sonnes of God but are not of the Israel of God belongs not to the adoption Thinke it not therefore sufficient that yee are gathered to the fellowship of the visible Church but consider what place yee doe possesse in it I wish from my heart that none among vs all vvere in this barne-floore of Christ like vnto chaffe for it will be cast out and burnt with vnquenchable fire but that wee may all be found to be that good Wheat vvhich shall Math. 3. 12. bâ— gathered into the Lords garner it is indeede a great benefit that vvee are brought to the fellowship of the visible church which is so to cal it the outâ—ermost chamber of the house of God but onely blessed are they who are led by the spirit farther in to that secret chamber where God shewes his familiar presence and vnto which none are admitted but they who are of the communion of Saints And as for them who are not led by this spirit of grace What spirit leads the wicked Esay 29. 10. Hos 4. 10. it is certaine they are miscarried by another Spirit Concerning their minde the spirit of slumber couers their eyes that they cannot see and concerning their hart it is misruled by the spirit of fornication which causes them to erre and goe a whooring from God thus are they led not as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brought to the Lord in a peaceable manner whereof I haue spoken but as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 driuen violently and carried away from the Lord ouerhaled with the furie of their affections snared of the Diuell and taken of him at his will Acts 7. 51. Esay 63. Ezech. 13. 3. resisting the holy Ghost yea vexing the holy spirit of the Lord. O miserable and vnhappy condition fearefull is the vvoe that lyes vpon those who follow their owne spirit let vs therefore take heed to our selues our wayes vvill declare vvhat spirit is our gouernour What made Caleb and Ioshua trust in the Lord and rest on his word vvhen all Israel murmured against him prouoked him to anger and compelled him to sweare that they should neuer enter into his rest what made them constant in so great a desertion the Lord declares it himselfe but there was another spirit in Numb 14. 24. my seruant Caleb saith the Lord. Certainely they who are led by the spirit of the Lord will wait vpon him and follow him albeit all the vvorld should forsake him but as for those who wanders from the Lord in the way of iniquitie their deeds makes it manifest they are led by the spirit of errour Last of all we learne here that all the sonnes of God are All the sonnes of God are partakers of his spirit pertakers of his spirit there is but one song among all those thousands triumphant in heauen that followes the Lambe and there is but one spirit in all these militant vpon earth that followes the Lord. Earthly fathers were they neuer so wise and holy doe not alway beget wise and holy children regenerate Adam hath wicked Caine for his eldest sonne faithfull Abraham hath faithlesse Ismael godly Isaac brings out prophane Esau religious Ezekiah begets idolatrous Manasses but the Lord our God whom so euer he begets he communicates vnto them his owne spirit and transformes them into his owne Image and therefore they are conuinced to be shamelesse lyers who in their deedes shew forth the image of Sathan and yet glories in vvord that they are the Children of God they are bastards and not the sonnes of God for it cannot be that the Lord should beget children to any other image but vnto his owne Verse 15. For yee haue not receiued the Spirit of bondage to feare againe but the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father THe Apostle to strengthen this former argument A three-fold operation of the Spirit in the Sons of God sets downe a short description in this and the subsequent verse of a threefold operation which the spirit maketh in them whom he leadeth for first he is vnto them a spirit of bondage working feare secondly hee is a Spirit of Adoption working loue through the sense of Gods mercie for he not onely makes them whom he leades the Sonnes of God but intimates vnto their spirits Gods loue towards them which otherwise was vnknowne vnto them and thirdly hee is a Spirit of intercession making vs to goe with boldnes to the throne of grace and call vpon God as vpon our Father Of the which the first part of his argument is made cleare that they vvho are led by the spirit of GOD are the Sonnes of God yea by the testimonie of the Spirit they themselues know that it is so and therefore in most homely and humble manner acknowledge him for their Father This the Apostle propones in such a manner that he
benefite hee receiues of vs for nothing can accresse by the meanes of any creature to that most high and al-sufficient maiestie Sâ—d vt haberit in quem sua benefiâ—ia collâ—caret but that hee might haue some vpon whom to bestow his benefits for the declaration of the glorie of his rich mercie Yet both the Adoptions agrees in this that they flow The naturall giues to the Adopted the priuiledges of a sonne from the pleasure and good will of him vvho is the adoptant and that they giue to him who is adopted the priuiledges of a Sonne which by nature he hath not but where the naturall adoptant cannot change the nature of that man whom hee hath adopted to be his Sonne no more then Moses qui Aethiopissam duxit sed non potuit Aethiopissae mutare colorem who married an Aethiopian vvoman but could not change the Aethiopians colour but the Lord our God were wee neuer so blacke if hee marry vs hee shall make vs beautifull if by the grace of Adoption he make But the spirituall giues also the new nature and conditions of a Sonne vs his sonnes by the grace of Regeneration hee shall also make vs new creatures all the sonnes of GOD are made partakers of the Diuine nature Take heede therefore vnto your liues and conuersations for if ye goe on to spend the remanent of your dayes after the inordinate lusts of the flesh and walke on in gluttonie and drunkennesse in chambering and wantonnes in adulterie in strife and enuy in couctousnesse and such other workes of vncleannesse wherein many among you doe yet continue wee must say vnto you that ye haue not God for your Father but ye are of your father the Diuell because ye doe his workes except wee see in you the Image and superscription of God and that ye haue engrauen in your conuersation as Aaron Exod. 28. 36. had vpon his frontlet Holinesse to the Lord we cannot blesse you in the name of the Lord nor acknowledge you for such as are his by Adoption And of this againe wee marke that the sonnes of God The Sonnes of God after their receiuing the Spirit of Adoption know that God is their Father know most certainely that God is become their heauenly Father for in this they are taught of God by his owne spirit to acknowledge him and call vpon him with boldnesse as vpon their Father It is therefore a vile errour which that most comfortlesse religion of the Papists renders to them who seeke comfort in it that no man in this life can know whether he be beloued or hated of God nor can haue any certaine knowledge of his owne saluation except it be by extraordinarie reuelation we improued it at length in the ninth verse It is true naturall children may be ignorant of their earthly Father and puft vp with a vaine conceit that they are descended of a more noble parentage then indeed they are as the â—latterers of Alexander would haue him to thinke that hee was the Sonne of Iupiter and not of Phillip but being wounded in a battell hee was taught by experience that hee was the mortall Sonne of a mortall Father and therefore smyling vpon his â—latterers hee said vnto them this bloud seemeth to mee not to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not like the strong bloud of GOD but the bloud of man But as for the Children of God they can not be deceiued of their generation they know that God is their Father and with greater homelinesse and more freedome of spirit yea and surer knowledge they call God their Father then any son in the world is able to call on his earthly Father Whereby we cry The Apostle here doth teach vs that it No prayer to God without the spirit of God is by the spirit of Adoption wee pray vnto God without that Spirit men may speake of God but without him they cannot speake vnto God Prayer is a proper action of the sons of God The Apostle describing them who are Saints by calling saith they are sanctified by Christ and call vpon the name of the Lord Iesus hee ioynes these two together to tell vs that they who are not called by God and sanctified in Christ cannot call vpon him as for prophane men it is certain they cannot pray though they repeat that prayer Our father which art in heauen what else doe they but multiply lyes as they multiply words Onely the spirit of Adoption teacheth the Children of How the godly sometime are transported in Prayer 2 King 2. God to pray Prayer is vnto them like that firie Chariot in the which Eliah was caried from earth to heauen by it they are transported to haue their conuersation with God and speake to him in so familiar a manner that they know not those things which are beside them neyther see they those things which are before them being in the body they are caried out of the body they present to the Lord sighs which cannot be expressed and vtters to the Lord such words as they themselues are not able to repeat againe and that all this proceedes from the operation of the Spirit who bends vp their affections and teacheth them to pray is euident by this that when this holy Spirit intermits or relents his working in them they become senselesse and heauy harted more readie to sleepe with Peter Iames and Iohn than to watch Mat. 26. 38. and pray with Iesus yea suppose it were in the very houre of tentation Wee cry c. The Apostle you see reckons himselfe among The godly should cry together not one against an other others who cryes by this Spirit of Adoption though the children of God be many yet seeing they all are led by one spirit they should all cry for one thing vnto God the assemblies of the Church militant on earth should resemble as neere as they can the glorious assemblies of the Church triumphant in heauen many are they who followes the Lambe their voyce is like vnto the voyce of many waters yet they all sing but one song so should there be among vs that are Christians but one voyce specially when we meete in the publike assemblies of the Church though wee were Vnion of desires in prayer commended neuer so many yet our affections and desires should concur in one and all of vs send vp one voyce to the Lord. Wee see that in nature coniunction of things which are of one kinde makes them much stronger many flames of fire vnited in one are not easily quenched many springs of water if they meet together in one make the stronger riuer but being deuided are the more easily ouercome Saint Iames Iames 5. 16. saith the prayer of one righteous man auailes much if it be powred out in faith what then shall we thinke of the prayers of many Oh what a blessing might wee looke for if vvee could ioyne in
glory to be like vnto our head and husband the Lord Iesus Thirdly necessitie so craueth seeing wee cannot be saued 3 We cannot be saued except we be conformed to him without conformitie with him It is not Caesars money which hath not vpon it Caesars image and superscription he is not the Sonne of God who carryeth not the image of his Father for whom the Lord begets in the regeneration he communicateth to them his owne spirit which transformes them into the similitude of his owne Image No vncleane thing shall enter into heauenly Ierusalem neither shall any man see him in his glory who by grace is not made like vnto him That he may be the first borne among many brethren The Apostle insists here in the explication of his former purpose adding that it is necessary vve should conforme our selues vnto him for ratifying that superioritie and priuiledge of the first borne which God the Father hath established vnto his Sonne the Lord Iesus Christ and hee maketh it very properly to serue his purpose for seeing it is so that Iesus our elder brother and Prince of our saluation hath beene consecrated by affliction and by suffering hath entred into his kingdome shall vvee refuse to follow him in his tentations if so be wee desire to sit vvith him in his glory The name of the first borne is ascribed vnto Iesus Christ The name of the first borne three wayes ascribed to Christ 1. as God 2. as man 3. as a mediator Col. 1. 15. three manner of wayes first as he is God secondly as he is man thirdly as he is both God and man our mediator and the head of his misticall body which is his Church As hee is God hee is called by the Apostle Primogenitus omnis creaturâ— the first begotten of euery creature and that by such a generation as none saith Esay are able to expresse Now before the creature was what could there be surely nothing but the Creator Secondly as hee is man S. Luke calleth him the first borne that opened the wombe Luke 2. 7. of the Virgin Thirdly as Mediator and head of his mysticall body as Prince of that kingdome which is the communion of Saints he is here called the first borne among many brethren and in another place the first fruits of them who 1 Cor. 15. 20. rise from the dead The priuiledges of the first borne were two first excellencie Priuiledges of the first borne are two 1. excellencie of strength 2 excellencie of dignitie of strength for hee had a double portion secondly excellency of dignitie for he was the Prince and priest of the rest of his brethren now both these most properly appertaines to our eldest brother Christ Iesus Excellencie of strength is his he hath receiued the double portion for hee receiued not the Spirit in measure as wee doe but the plenitude and fulnesse therof was communicated vnto him and the comfort thereof redounds vnto vs for he receiued it not for himselfe but for vs that of his fulnesse we might all receiue grace for grace Excellencie also of dignitie is his for beside that glory which hee had with his Father from the beginning he is also as our head crowned with glory Mat. 28. 18. and dignitie all power in heauen and earth is giuen him and he is set ouer his brethren as the onely high Priest of the liuing God who makes attonement for the sinnes of his brethren as the onely Prophet and teacher of the whole familie of God for so hath the Father authorized him This Mat. 3. 17. is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him Let vs therefore submit our selues vnto him seeing God Miserable are they in this age who doe not acknowledge Christs prerogatiue the Father hath set him ouer vs let vs not be disobedient to that heauenly proclamation heare him Woe be to them that subscribes not vnto the excellencie of his dignitie But alas if the world proclaime such pleasures as shee hath to giue by any sport or play or such profits as she can yeeld at her fairest fayres and markeâ—s O what a frequent concourse of people is made vnto her but if the Priests of the Lord stand as they did of olde in the west part of Ierusalems temple or in their seuerall turrets to blow their two siluer Trumpets and warne the people to resort vnto the house of the Lord or if now any other manner of way signification be made vnto them to enter into the courts of the Lord with praise how few shall hee finde flocking into the house of God in respect of them vvho abides without and followes the world and which is yet more to be lamented there are many of those who heare the word of Christ and yet doth not change the manner of their conuersation for any commandement hee can giue them speake what he vvill they doe what they like they come to the holy assemblies of his Saints but are like those vncleane beasts which entred into the Arke of Noah they came in vncleane and went out vncleane Neither of these vnlesse they amend shall be pertakers of our saluation which Iesus the first borne hath purchased to the rest of his brethren But to let them alone and to returne to the instruction of Gods children though apostate Israel fall from him as a Whatsoeuer excellencie our elder brother hath it is for our benefit people that haue no portion in Ishai nor inheritance in the sonne of Dauid yet let Iuda cleaue to their King let vs acknowledge his supereminent excellencie and reuerence him for our first borne elder brother Among other brethren the more the elder hath the lesse remaines to the younger whereof it falles out that many a time there is strife among them for diuision of the inheritance but here the more our elder brother hath the greater is our good seeing whatsoeuer he hath receiued as mediator he hath receiued it to be communicated vnto vs hee hath receiued strength not to subdue vs or ouergoe vs but to protect vs from our enemies which he hath also done for he hath broken the gates of hell and carried them away more triumphantly vpon his shoulders than Sampson did the gates of Azzah Wee who are poore in our selues are made rich in him we who are weake are in him more than conquerours and therfore let vs resolue for euer to abide in him Among many brethren This brotherhood of ours with Brethren in Christ are many wayes knit together Christ consists not in the communion of the same flesh and bloud for so euery man were Christs brother but it stands in our spirituall vnion with him by regeneration those are the sonnes of God and consequently the brethren of Christ who are borne not of blood nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man but of God by the operation of his spirit and immortall Ioh. 1. 13. seede of
which our immortall husband Iesus Christ hath prouided for vs to sustaine vs that we saint not through our manifold tentations that compasse vs in this barren wildernesse We come then to the first part of the Chapter wherein Subdiuision of the first part the Apostle keepes this order First he sets downe a generall proposition of comfort belonging to the iustified man Secondly he subioynes a confirmation thereof Thirdly he explanes his reason of confirmation and fourthly applies it first by commination of them who walke after the flesh secondly by consolation of the godly against the remanents of the flesh thirdly by exhortation of both not to walke after the flesh In the proposition againe set downe Verse 1. first he points at the comfort Now then there is no 1 Proposition condemnation secondly he sets downe a limitation restrayning this comfort to them who are in Christ thirdly hee subioynes a clearer declaration of those persons who are in Christ to wit they walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Verse 1. Now then This is a relatiue to his former discourse Coherence of this Chapter with the former and is as I haue said a Conclusion inferred vpon that which goeth before Seeing we are iustified by Faith in Iesus Christ and are now no more vnder the Law but vnder Grace seeing we are buried with Christ by Baptisme into his death that like as he was raised from the dead by the glory of his Father so we also should walke in newnesse of life hauing receiued that spirit of Christ whereby wee fight against the Law of sinne in our members which rebelleth against the Law of our minde seeing it is so we may be sure that the remanent power of sinne in vs shall neuer be able to condemne vs. We see then that these words containe the Apostles glorying The Apostles former lamentation turned into a triumph against the remanents of sinne the sense whereof in the end of the last Chapter made him burst out into a pittifull lamentation and cry O miserable man who will deliuer me from the body of this death but now considering the certaintie of his deliuerance by Iesus Christ he reioyceth and triumpheth Wherein for our first lesson we marke the diuersitie of dispositions to which the Children of God are subiect in this life somtime so full of comfort that they can not containe themselues but must needs breake forth into glorious reioycings at other times so far deiected in mind that their ioy is turned into mourning and this ariseth in them from the variable change of their sight and feeling The Disciples on mount Tabor seeing the bright shining glorie of Christ were rauished with ioy but incontinent Math. 17. 2. when the cloud ouershadowes them they become afraid If the Lord let vs feele his mercies wee are aliue but if hee hide his face and set our sinnes in order before vs wee are Psal 50. 21. sore troubled As the troubles we haue in this life are not without comforts Blessed be God the Father of our Lord 2. Cor. 1. 3. Iesus the Father of mercies and God of all comfort who comforts 1. Pet. 1. 3. vs in all our tribulation so our ioy saith Saint Peter is not without heauinesse the one arising of the knowledge of that vndeserued inheritance reserued for vs in heauen the other of our manifold tentations to which wee are subiect here vpon earth it is these vicissitudes and changes which wrought in Dauid such different dispositions as appeareth in him in the Booke of the Psalmes and which all the godly may by experience finde in themselues Pascimur Bernard hic patimur for here we are so nourished with the comforts of God that we are nurtred with his crosses It is the Lords dispensation and we are to reuerence it resting assured that the peace and ioy which once the Lord hath giuen vs may be interrupted but can neuer vtterly be taken from vs the Lord who will not suffer the rod of the wicked for euer Psal 125. 3. to lie vpon the back of the righteous least they put out their hand to wickednesse will farre lesse suffer his owne terrours continually to oppresse our consciences least we faint dispaire Hose 6. 2. though he wound vs he will binde vs vp againe after two daies he will reuiue vs and we shall liue in his sight Weeping may abide in the Euening but ioy shall come in the Morning The chosen vessell of God shall not alway lament and crie woe is me sometime the Lord will put a song of thanksgiuing into his mouth make him to reioyce thus de aduersis Chrisost in Mat. â—om prosperis admirabili virtute vitam Sanctorum contexuit Deus The life of a Christian may be compared to a webbe so meruailously mixed and wouen of comfort and trouble by The life of a Christian is a mixed webbe wrought of trouble and comfort the hand of God that the long thread thereof reaching from the day of our birth to the day of our death are all of trouble but the weft interiected with manifold comforts And this haue we marked vpon the coherence of the beginning of this Chapter with the end of the former Now in these words it is to be obserued the Apostle saies Papist wrongfully collect here that there is no sinne or damnable act in them who are in Christ not there is no sinne in them who are in Christ but he saith there is no condemnation to them hee hath confessed before that he did the euill which he would not and that hee saw a law in his members rebelling against the law of his minde but now he reioyceth in Christ that sinne in him is not able to condemne him It is then a false exposition of these words which is made by Caietane and Aquinas Nihil Aquinas Caietane on this place est damnabile in illis qui sunt in Christo nullus actus quo mereamur damnari that in them who are in Christ there is nothing worthy to be damned no act that merits damnation for the Apostle condemnes these motions of sinne which he found in himselfe as euill and repugnant to the Law of God and if the holy Apostle was not ashamed to confesse this of himselfe what blinde presumption is this in them to exempt themselues or others from such motions as are worthy to be damned we shall still confesse our guiltinesse there remaines in vs of our owne which the Lord might condemne if he would enter into iudgement with vs and shall so much the more praise his mercie who hath deliuered vs from condemnation and further comfort then this the Apostles words do not afford vnto vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is no iudgement no sentence to be giuen against them who are in Christ Surely our righteousnesse in this life consists rather in the remission of sinnes then in the perfection
of dwelling imports a continuance of gods presence with his children presence but also a continuance thereof for hee soiournes not in vs as a stranger that lodges for some dayes or Moneths in a place but hath setled his residence to dwel in vs for euer how euer by temporal desertions he humble vs yet shall he neuer depart from that soule which once hee hath sanctified to be his owne habitation and this comfort Three arguments to proue that the regenerate are sure of perseuerance in Grace is confirmed to vs by most sure arguments The first is taken from the nature of God He is faithfull saith the Apostle by whom we are called to the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord he will confirme vs to the end that wee may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus And againe saith 1 From the nature of God who begets vs. he I am perswaded that hee who hath begâ—n this good worke in you will performe it vntill the day of Christ. That word which the Lord spake to Iacob stands sure to all his posteritie I will not forsake thee till I haue performed that which I Phil. 1. 5. 6. promised thee The couenant of God is perfect and euerlasting and therefore with Dauid will wee giue this glory vnto God that he will performe his promise toward vs and bring forward his owne worke in vs to perfection The 2 From the nature of that life communicated to vs. Rom. 6. 9. second argument is taken from the nature of that life which Christ communicateth to his members it is no more subiect vnto death We know that Christ being raised from the dead dyes no more This life I say is communicated to vs for it is not we that liue but Christ that liues in vs. And the 3 From the nature of that seede whereof we are begotten 1. Pet. 1. 23. How the spirit of God is said to depart from Saul third is taken from the nature of that seede whereof we are begotten for as the seede is so is the life that comes by it now the seed saith the Apostle is immortall we are borne of new not of mortall seed but immortall our life therefore is immortall But against this is obiected that the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and that which Dauid prayes take not thine holy Spirit from me To this I answere that the spirit is taken sometime for the common and externall gifts of the spirit such as are bestowed as well vpon the wicked as vpon 1. Sam. 16. 14. the godly as the gift of Prophecie gouernement working Psal 51. 11. miracles and such like and these once giuen may be taken againe in this sense it is said that God tooke the spirit that was vpon Moses and gaue it vnto the seauentie Elders and so also it is said that the spirit of God departed from Saul there it is put for the gift of gouernement sometime againe it is taken for the speciall and internall gift of sanctification this spirit once giuen is neuer taken away for this gift and calling of God is without repentance that is they neuer fall vnder reuocation To the second when Dauid saith take not thine holy spirit How Dauid prayeth that God would not take from him his holy Spirit from me and restore mee againe to the ioy of thy saluation this imports not a full departure of Gods spirit from him otherwise he could not haue prayed but that his sinne had diminished the sense and feeling of that operation of the spirit in him which hee was wont to feele before and so is it with others of Gods Children that either the neglect of the spirituall worship or the commission of some new sinnes doth so impaire the sense of mercy in them that to their iudgement the spirit of God hath iustly forsaken them This I confesse is a very heauie estate and more bitter to them that haue felt before the sweetnesse of Gods mercy than death it selfe yet euen in this same estate wherein no comfort is felt let patience sustaine men let them learne to put In spiritual desertions wee must distinguish betweene that which is and which we feele Esa 6. 13. a difference betweene that which they feele and that which is and remember that this is a false conclusion to say the spirit of grace is not in thee because thou canst not feele him for as there is a substance in the Oake or Elme euen when it hath cast the leaues so is there Grace in the heart many times when it doth not appeare and these desertions which endure for a while are but meanes to effectuate a neerer communion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. he turneth Chri. in Mat. hom 14. away from thee saith Chrysostome for a short while that he may haue thee for euer with himselfe Now it remaines that we consider of those benefits wee What great benefits comes to the soule by the dwelling of Christs spirit in vs. haue by the dwelling of Christs Spirit in vs and of the duties which we owe againe vnto him The benefites are many and great Si enim tanta sit vis animâ— in massa terrae sustinenda mouenda impellenda quanta erit vis Dei in anima quae natura agilis est mouenda for if the soule be of such force to giue life and motion to this body which is but a masse of earth what shall the spirit of God doe vnto our soule which naturally is agill the wonderfull benefits that the body receiues by the dwelling of the soule in it may leade vs some way to consider of those great benefits which are brought vnto the soule by the dwelling of the spirit of GOD in vs. But of many we will shortly touch these two onely the 1 He repaires the whole lodging of soule and body first is that where this holy spirit comes to dwell he repaires the lodging man by nature being like vnto a ruinous pallace is restored by the grace of Christ This reparation of man is sometimes called a new creation sometimes regeneration and it extends both to soule and body as to the soule the Lord strikes vp new lights in the minde restores life to the heart communicates holinesse to the affections so that where before the soule was a habitation for vncleane spirits lying vnder the curse of Babel the â—im and Zijm Isai 13. 21. What vgly guests dwelt in vs before hee came to possesse vs. dwelling in it the Ostriches lodging the Satires dauncing the Dragons crying within her pallaces that is defiled with all sorts of vile and vncleane affections the Lord Iesus hath sanctified it to be a holy habitation vnto himselfe And as to the reparation of our bodies it consists partly in making all the members thereof weapons of righteousnesse in this life and partly in deliuerance of them from mortality and corruptibility which shall be done in the day of
Gal. 5. 22. 23. 24 Peace Long suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meeknesse Temperance If the Spirit of Christ dwell in vs and if wee liue in the Spirit let vs walke in the Spirit this is the conuiction of carnall professors that while they say the spirit of Christ is in them they declare none of his fruites in their conuersation but to insist somewhat more in this same purpose Operations of the spirit are two-fold We are to know that the effects and operations of the Spirit are twofold the one is generall and common operation which he hath in the wicked for hee illuminates euery 1 Externall common to all men Iohn 1. 1 Cor. 12. 3. one who commeth into the world Neyther can any man say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Spirit euery spark of light and portion of truth be it in whom it will flowes out of doubt from this holy Spirit That Caiaphas and Saul can Prophecie that Iudas can Preach all is from him but of this manner of operation is not here meant for this way he worketh in the wicked not for any good to them but for Intern 2 proper all and godly to the the aduancement of his owne worke The other kinde of the holy Ghosts operation is speciall and proper to the godly by the which he doth not onely illuminate their mindes but proceeds also to their hearts and workes this threefold effect in it Sanctification Intercession and Consolation First he is vnto them a spirit of Sanctification renuing Three effects wrought by the speciall operation of the spirit in the godly their hearts by his effectuall grace he first rebukes them of sinne he wakens their conscience with some sight of their iniquities and sense of that wrath which sinne hath deserued whereof arises heauinesse in their hearts sadnesse in their countenance lamentation in their speech and such an 1 Sanctification alteration in their whole behauiour that their former pleasures become painefull vnto them and others who knew them before wonders to see such a change in them From this he proceedes and leads them to a sight of Gods mercie in Christ he inflames their hearts with a hunger and thirst for that mercie and workes in their hearts such a loue of righteousnesse and hatred of sinne that now they become more afraid of the occasions of sinne then they were before of sinne it selfe this resistance made to the temptations this care to eschew the ocasions of sinne is an vndoubted token of the spirit of Christ dwelling in thee This is the first operation of the spirit but it is not all he proceeds yet further by degrees for the kingdome of God is as if a man should cast seed into the earth which growes vp and we cannot tell how first it sends out the blade secondly the eares and then the cornes so proceeds the kingdome of God in man by degrees In the second place the holy spirit becomes to the godly a spirit of Intercession so 2 Intercession long as wee are bound with the cords of our transgressions we cannot pray but from the time he once loose vs from our sinnes he openeth our mouth vnto God he teacheth vs to pray not onely with sighes and sobs that cannot be expressed but also puts such words in our mouths as we our selues who spake them are not able to repeat againe And thirdly he becomes vnto them the spirit of Consolation 3 Consolation if he be vnto thee a sanctifier and intercessor he shall not faile at the last to be thy comforter if at the first after that thou hast sent vp supplications thou find not his consolation descending vpon thee be not discouraged but be the more humbled for alas our sinnes shortens his arme Math. 26. and the hardnesse of our hearts holds out his comforts we must fall downe with Marie and lye still washing the feet of Christ with our teares before he take vs in his armes to kisse vs with the kisses of his mouth and if we finde these effects of his presence going before humiliation of our heart and the grace of prayer we may be out of all doubt that his consolations shall follow after Of this it is yet further euident against all those who That a Christian who hath Gods spirit knowes that he hath him deny that the Christian may be sure of his saluation that he who hath the spirit of Iesus knowes that he hath him as he who hath life feeles sensiblie that he hath it and is able truely to say I liue so he who hath the spirit of Iesus knowes by feeling that he hath him and is able to say in truth Christ liueth in mee Know yee not saith the Apostle Gal. 2. 20. 2 Cor. 13. 5. And therefore may be sure of saluation is proued by three names giuen to the holy spirit that Christ Iesus is in you except ye be reprobates This shall be further confirmed by considering those three names which are giuen to the holy spirit from his operation in vs he is the Seale the Earnest the witnesse of God the vse of a Seale is to confirme and make sure One of these two therefore must the Papists say that either none are sealed by the holy Spirit or else they must confesse that 1 He is Gods Seale they who are sealed are sure If they say that none are sealed by his Spirit they speake against the manifest truth of God grieue not the holy spirit by whom ye are sealed against Ephe. 4. 30. the day of redemption And if they deny that they who are sealed by him are sure of that saluation which God hath promised he hath sealed they blaspheme calling him such a seale as makes not them sure who are sealed by him he who hath the seale of a Prince rests assured of that which by the seale is confirmed to him and shall not the seale of the liuing God the Spirit of promise confirme that man in the assurance of saluation who hath receiued him Neither is he onely the seale of God but he is also the earnest of 2 Gods earnest 1 Iohn 5. 10. our inheritance and the witnesse of God hee that beleeueth in the sonne hath a witnesse in himselfe what will the aduersarie of Christian comfort say to this if yee say that there are none to whom Gods spirit witnesses mercie from God yee speake against the Apostle the spirit beares witnesse to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God or if yee say that those Rom 8. 16. who haue this testimonie of the spirit are not sure of mercy 3 Gods witnesse ye blaspheme as before and speake yet manifestly against the Apostle who sayes that the witnessing of this spirit vnto our spirit makes vs to cry Abba father But we will speake more of this hereafter But now to conclude this verse seeing hee who hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his
vnto himselfe but here the more wee pay the richer we are the doing of one good worke of seruice vnto the Lord makes vs both more willing and able to doe an other the talents of spirituall Graces being of that nature that the more they are vsed the more they are encreased and these should work in vs a delight to pay that debt which wee owe vnto the Lord. Last of all we marke vpon this word that the good wee Good works are debts therfore not merits doe is debt and not merit When one of your seruants saith Iesus hath done that which he is commanded will one of you giue him thanks because he hath done that which was Luke 17. 7. 8. 9. 10. commanded him I beleeue not hee applyeth the Parable to his Disciples and in them to vs all so likewise when you haue done all those thingâ— which are commanded you say that yee are vnpâ—â—fitable Seruants Our Sauiour commaunds vs plainely to doe well but as plainely forbids all presumptuous conceit of our merit when wee haue done well To speake against good workes is impiety and to presume of the merits of our best workes is Antichristian pride No man No penman of the holy Ghost did euer vse the word of merit led by the Spirit of Iesus did euer vse this word of merit it is the proud speech of the spirit of Antichrist search the Scripture and ye shall see that none of all those who spake by diuine inspiration did euer vse it yea the Godly Fathers who haue liued in darke and corrupt times haue alway abhorred it If a man could liue saith Macarius from the dayes of The Fathers thought it smelled of presumption Mac. hom 15 Adam to the end of the world and fight neuer so strongly against Sathan yet were hee not able to deserue so great a glory as is prepared for vs how much lesse then are we able to promerit it that is his owne word who so short a space are milâ—tant here vpon earth Praetendat alter meritum sustinere Ber. in Psal qui habitat Ser. 1. se dicat â—stus diei ieiunare bis in Sabbatho mihi adhaerere Deo bonum est let another man saith Bernard pretend merit let him boast that he suffers the heat of the day and that he fasts twise in the Sabboth it is good for me to draw neere the Lord and put my hope in him Meritum enim In Cant. ser 61. meum miseratio Domini non sum plane meriti inops quamdiu ille miserationum non fuerit for my merit is Gods mercy I shall not altogether want merits as long as he wants not compassion And againe suffiâ—it ad mâ—ritam sâ—ire quod non Serm. 66. sufficiant merita this is sufficient merit to know that merits are not sufficient this he makes more cleare in that Sermon of his de quadâ—uplici debito wherein hee declares how man is so many wayes debter to the Lord that hee cannot doe that which hee ought why then shall any man say that hee hath done enough cum nec mâ—llissimâ— imo nec minimae parti debitorum suorum valeat respondere seeing he is not able to De quadrupliâ—â— debito answer the thousand part no not the least part of that debt which hee oweth vnto God To liue Wee haue heard that wee are debters now haue Our life should declare whose Seruants and debters we are Philem. vers 19 wee to see wherein wee are debt-bound Wee owe to the Lord not onely those things which are ours but as sayeth Paul to Philemâ—n we owe him our selues also Euery mans life must declare who it is whom hee acknowledgeth for a Superiour and vnto whom hee submitteth himselfe a debter Shew me saith Saint Iames thy Faith by thy workes Iam. 2. 19. Mal. 1. 6. shew mee saith Malachie thy Father by thy Sonnely reuerence toward him let me know thy master by thy obedience and the attendance thou giuest him As Câ—sar mony is discerned by his image and superscription so the Christian is knowne by his conuersation hee walkes after the Spirit and by his deedes more then by his words hee disclaimeth the gouernement of the flesh But surely as Châ—isâ—stomâ— complained of bastard professors in his time so may wee in our time of many to vvhom wee are ambassadours An accusation of the carelesse Christians of our time in Christs name wee haue more then cause to feare we haue bestowed labour vpon you in vaine for I pray you what part of your liues giues sentence for you and proues that ye are Christians shall wee iudge by the place which ye delight Chrisost in Math. most to frequent are there not many among you oftner in the Tauerne then in the Temple silling your belly intemperately at that same time wherein the Sonnes and Daughters of the liuing God are gathered together into their fathers house to be refreshed with his heuenly Manna Shall we iudge you by your garments doe they not in many of you declare the vanity of your minds if we estimate you according to your companions what shall wee thinke but that ye are such as those are with whom ye delight to resort ye sit in the seat of scorners if thou seest a theefe thou runst Psal 50. with him and art partaker with the adulterers If wee try you by your language yee shal be found vncircumcised Philistims and not holy Israelites for yee haue learned to speak the language of Ashdoâ— ye speake as Micah complayned of Nihe 13. 26. Micah 7. 3. the wicked in his time out of the corruption of your soule making your throat an open sepulchre yee send out the stinking breath of your inward abhominations by your euill and vncleane speeches ye corrupt the minds of the hearers And thus seeing euery part of your life giues sentence against you as a cloud of many witnesses testifying that yee are vncleane what haue yee to speake for you to proue that yee are Christians shall your naked word be sufficient to do it no certainly for against it the Lord Iesus hath made exception before hand Not euery one that saith Lord Lord shal Math. 7. 21. enter into mâ— kingdome your works must be your witnesses and your deeds must declare who it is to whom ye acknowledge your selues seruants and debters Not to the flesh Sometime the flesh signifies the body It is a difficult thing so to nourish the body that we nourish not sinne in the body and in that sense we are debters vnto it for the couenant saith Bernard which the Lord hath bound vp betweene the soule and the body is not to be broke at our will but at the Lords will and in the meane time we are bound to nourish it but the flesh here is put for the sinfull lusts of the flesh and so we are not debters vnto it Take no thought Rom. 13. 14. for the flesh to fulfill
applyes it particularly to the godly Romanes vnto whom he writeth Yee haue not saith he receiued againe the Spirit of bondage vnto feare as ye did in the time of your first conuersion ye haue proceeded further and haue experience of his other operations then yee felt him casting you downe with the sight of your sinnes but now yee feele him comforting you and raising you vp vvith the sense of Gods loue and mercy toward you in Iesus Christ The spirit of God is called a Spirit of bondage vnto feare Why in his first operation he is called a spirit of bondage to feare not as if he had made them in whom he worketh slaues or bond-men but because in his first operation hee rebukes them of sinne in vvhom he worketh and lets them see that bondage and seruitude vnder which they lye vvhich works in them an horrible feare but in his second operation hee is a spirit of Adoption making them free who were bound before comforting them vvith the sight of Gods mercie whom before he terrified with the sight of their owne sinnes to the one hee vseth the preaching of the Law which discouers our disease to the other the preaching of the Gospell which points out the Physition As the proclayming By the preaching of the Law he discouers sin and wrath due to it which causeth feare Mat. 3. 10. of the Law wrought a terrour in their hearts who heard it so doth the preaching thereof for who can heare himselfe accursed and condemned by the mouth of GOD and not tremble Iohn the Baptist began at the preaching of the Law Now is the axâ— laid to the root of the tree euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire then hee proceeded and poynted out the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world by the first hee prepared a way to the second for his Auditours being cast downe in themselues vvith the threatning enquired earnestly what shall wee doe then that wee may be saued and were glad to heare of a remedy It is out of doubt that they who are not touched with a remorse for their sinnes nor a feare of the wrath to come and into vvhose hearts neuer entred that care what shall I doe that I may be saued haue not knowne as yet so much as the very beginnings of saluation Wee are not then to thinke here that the Apostle is Hee is not here comparing the godly vnder the Law with the godly vnder the Gospel comparing the Godly vnder the Gospell with the Godly vnder the Law but hee is comparing the Godly vnder the Gospell with themselues their second experience of the operation of the Spirit vvith the first it is true that once saith hee yee receiued the Spirit of bondage working feare this was his first operation in you but now yee haue experience of another and are made partakers of a more excellent operation hee is become vnto you a Spirit of Adoption by vvhom yee call vpon God as vpon your Father For the Godly vnder the Law vvere partakers of this same spirit of Adoption which we haue receiued and were For they vnder the Law had the same couenant of grace that we haue Rom. 10. 5. vnder the same couenant of Grace but it was exhibited to them vnder types and figures for the couenant of vvorkes whereof this was the summe Doe and liue being broken and dissolued in Paradise through Adams transgression incontinent the Lord bindeth vp with man the other Couenant of Grace whereof this is the summe beleeue and liue All the Rom 1. 0. 8. godly Fathers before and vnder the Law looked for life in that blessed seede of the woman Iesus Christ whom they beleeued was to be manifested in the flesh and so they were saued but as I said they had this couenant signified vnder legall ceremonies and shadowes which were to be abolished at the comming of the Lord Iesus as now they are and in this respect the Apostle in that Epistle to the Hebrewes calleth it an old Couâ—nant which was to be disanulled not in regard of the substance but of the manner of the exhibition thereof for all they who haue beene saued from the beginning are saued euen as we are euen by faith in Iesus Christ but as for that manner of exhibition by which it was proposed to the Fathers it is now abolished And this for vnderstanding of the words For ye haue not receiued It is here to be obserued that the Wee are receiuers of the spirit God the giuer Apostle calleth vs receiuers of the Spirit of adoption for it warneth vs that God is the giuer and that therefore wee should be humble in our selues and magnifie his rich mercie toward vs for what hast thou O man which thou hast not 1 Cor. 4. 7. receiued and herewithall wee are admonished to account much of those meanes by which the Lord communicateth his spirit vnto vs. The Lord might haue illuminated the The Lord giues his Spirit by the ministrie of his word minde of that Eunuch by the mediate working of his owne Spirit and made him vnderstand that Scripture which he was reading without an Interpreter but it pleased him to doe it by the ministrie of Phillip hee might in like manner haue Acts. 8. communicated his holy Spirit to Cornâ—lius and his friends but he would not doe it but by the ministrie of Peter hee commanded therefore Cornelius to send for him to Ioppa Acts. 10. where it is very worthy of marking that in the very time of Peters preaching the holy Ghost fell vpon the hearers for it should moue vs to reuerence the ordinance of God It hath pleased the Lord by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue 1 Cor. 1. 21. so many as beleeue and so many shall beleeue as are ordayned vnto eternall life Be content therefore to receiue saluation by such meanes as God in his wisedome hath concluded to giue it thinke not that yee can be contemners of the word and partakers of the spirit if yee be desiâ—ous to receiue this spirit of adoption reuerence this ministrie of the word by which the Lord communicates his spirit to such hee will saue To feare aâ—aine c. It is here to be enquired seeing none Gods adopted children are not exempted from all sorts of feare of the children of God liues on earth without feare how is it the Apostle sayes we haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe That distinction of seruile and filiall feare by the one whereof the wicked feare God for his iudgements and the godly for his mercies will not resolue this doubt for the godly also feares God for his iudgements my Psal 119. flesh trembles for feare because of thy iudgements otherwise the threaâ—nings of Gods word were not to be vsed to Gods children if they were not to be feared Wee are therefore to
not at the first as in the very time of Prayer Daniel receiued his answere yea at the beginning of his supplication Dau. 9. 22. 23. as the Angell Gabriel informed him the commandement came forth to answere him yet shall not the Lord faile in his owne good time to fulfill the desires of them who feare him Manifold examples of holy Scripture lets vs see that Efficacie of Prayer euery petition returns with profit Gen. 18. Prayer this way powred out vnto God is most effectuall At fiue sundry petitions did not Abraham bring the Lord from fiftie to ten euery petition returnes to Abraham some vantage faine would Abraham had Sodome preserued for Lots cause at his first request hee got this answere that the Lord would spare it for fiftie righteous mens sake if they might be found in it but at the last from fiftie hee brings him to ten as long as Abraham prayed the Lord answered and for euery petition hee yeelded something to Abraham and most comfortable it is that the Lord ceases not from answering till Abraham ceased from asking any more Acts 10. When Peter prayed vpon the house top he fel into a trance and saw a heauenly vision when Iesus prayed vpon Mount Mat. 17. Tabor he was transfigured and if at any time the children of GOD be transformed from an earthly disposition to a heauenly they finde in their owne experience that it is in the time of prayer Sathan for this cause is a most troublesome enemy to the Sathan an enemie to the Word and Prayer exercises of the word and of prayer because the one is the mother the other is the nurse of all the graces of God in vs eyther he makes them lightly to esteeme the exercise of prayer or then doth what hee can to interrupt them in it as that Pithonisse interrupted Paul while hee was going to Acts 16. 16. pray so hath that aduersarie a thousand wiles whereby eyther before prayer he seekes to diuert them to some other businesse or in the action to trouble them and diuide the powers of the soule by vncomely and prophane motions If Iehoshua stand before the Lord Sathan shall stand at his Zach. 3. 1. Gen. 15. right hand to resist him Vnlesse therefore with Abraham we driue away the rauening birds from our sacrifice vnles with the Israelites wee stand on Ierusalems wall with a weapon ready in our hand to repell the aduersarie as oft as he comes to stay the worke of God it is impossible that our hearts can continue in feruent prayer to God Yet the restlesse opposition of the aduersarie should not make vs to breake off this exercise of prayer but the more we finde Sathan angry at our prayers the more should wee be prouoked to pray if he felt not himselfe hurt and his kingdome weakened by our prayers he would not so busily trouble vs in prayer yee see hee troubles vs not in such exercises as troubles not him speake as long as you will of vvorldly affaires refresh the body with eating and drinking exercise the body in playing in these and such like hee interrupts vs not because they offend him not but if vvee goe by prayer to vvound the head of the serpent then vvill he doe vvhat he can to sting vs. And herewithall let vs remember that any other practise Other exercises of religion may at a time be omitted with an excuse but the neglect of Prayer is vnexcusable of religion men may omit it and be excusable but the neglect of prayer cannot be excused It may be at a time thou hast not giuen almes to the needy because thou hadst it not it may be thou hast not come to heare the vvord because thou hast beene diseased but as for the neglect of prayer wherewith wilt thou excuse it labouring with thy hands in thy vocation needs not to hinder the lifting vp of thy hart vnto God if thine heart be good euery time euery place is conuenient for prayer with Ieremy thou maist pray in the Ieremiâ— 36. Daniel 6. Gen. 24. Luke 6. 14. prison with Daniel in the denne vvith Ionas in the Whales belly vvith Dauid in the bed vvith Isaac in the fields with Iesus on the mountaine for thou thy selfe art the temple of the liuing God the sanctuarie vvherein hee will be worshipped and shouldst alway carry about vvith thee and within thee that golden Alter whereupon incense should be euery morning and euening sacrificed vnto the Lord thy God so that if thou doe not pray it is because thou vvilt not Abba Father c. But vvhat is this that the spirit teacheth It is a strong Prayer if by the Spirit thou canst call God thy father vs to cry the Apostle saith that he teacheth vs to cry vpon God as vpon our Father Is this inough in prayer to call vpon GOD thy Father yea if thou canst so call him from this spirit of Adoption for all Gods children are not indued with a like grace of prayer it is effectuall inough to draw downe vpon thee all those blessings vvhich the Lord communicates to his sonnes his name shall be sanctified in thee his kingdome shall be aduanced in thee he shal teach thee to doe his vvill thou shalt not want thy daily bread he shall forgiue thee thy sinnes and preserue thee that thou fall not into tentations all comfort rests vnder this name of a father if thou canst so call him in saith the riches of his mercies are thine As the heauens are aboue the earth so are his thoughts What comfort we haue in this that we may call God our father aboue ours if then earthly fathers carrie so kindely an affection toward their children vvhat louing affection may vvee thinke is there in our heauenly Father toward vs Shall I cause others to beare saith the Lord and remaine barren my selfe shall the Lord communicate to men the name and heart of a Father and fill them with compassion toward their children and shall hee himselfe to vvhom the name of a Father most properly belongs vvant the heart and compassion of a Father toward his children let it be farre from vs so to thinke Seeing the Lord will haue such tender mercy in vs that are mortal creatures that not onely seauen times but seauentie times seauen times vvee forgiue our brother in the day vvhat readinesse to forgiue the sins of his children must there be in himselfe and seeing our Sauiour in the Gospell points out so great a commiseration Luke 15. in that earthly Father toward his prodigall Sonne that when he saw him a farre off comming homeward hee ranne and met him and sell vpon his face and kissed him vvhat louing kindnes may vve looke for at the hands of our heauenly father if we doe repent of our wandrings and resolue wâ—th our selues to returne vnto him Againe wee see here that the holy Spirit teacheth vs to Prayer to creatures
improued pray to none but to our Father whom shall wee follow as Schoole-maisters in prayer If wee vvill be instructed of Psal 50. 15. the Lord. Call vpon â—ee in the day of thy trouble and I shall deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee If wee vvill be taught by Iesus Christ after this manner saith hee shall yee pray Mat. 6. 9. Our Father which art in Heauen If yee would know how the Spirit teacheth vs to pray the Apostle here telleth you hee teacheth vs to cry Abba Father these three are one and deliuers vnto vs one truth what better Schoole-maisters to teach vs a true forme of acceptable Prayer vnto God can wee haue then these and therefore that doctrine which teacheth to pray to Angels or Saints departed must proceed from the spirit of errour for wee are here otherwise taught of God we cannot saith the Apostle call vpon him in whom we beleeue not As for the Angels wee beleeue that they are which the Saduces did not but we beleeue not in them and therefore will not pray vnto them In all the old testament we read no prayer made to Abraham albeit In all the scripture no prayer to Abraham Moses c. nor to Cherubin nor Seraphin hee was the father of the saithfull none to Isaac or Iacob or Moses or any other of the Fathers departed In a hundreth and fiftie Psalmes no prayer is made to Cherube or Seraphin though they in their Psalter of the Virgin haue turned ouer all the prayses and petitions made to the Lord into petitions to our Lady as if where Dauid saith O Lord Psal 6. 1. rebuke mee not in thine anger wee were all to say O Ladie rebuke me not in thine anger and O Lord thou art my righteousnesse Psal 4. 1. O Lady thou art my righteousnesse and so forth in the rest but wee may boldly say with Bernard libenter Bernard certè gloriosa virgo tali honore carebit the glorious Virgin is willingly content to want such honour The Angell would not suffer Iohn to prostrate before him doe it not saith hee I am but thy fellow seruant this one of those blessed spirits Reu. 19. 10. witnesses to vs in the name of all the rest that it is the will of the Saints of God in heauen that wee who are vpon earth should reserue to the Lord his owne worship and giue no part thereof to creatures yea they are offended when that honour is offered to them which is due to the Lord. Where if that common obiection be brought which Ambrose It is not in the court of heauen as in the courts of earthly kings Ambros in epist ad Rom. did obuiate in his time posse nos per istos ire ad Deum sicut comites peruenitur ad regem that men by such mediators may goe to God as they goe to Kings by those who are honorable in their courts to them we answere with him hoc est misera vâ—i excusatione this is to pretend a miserable excuse for men goe to kings by courtiers because the king is but a man ad Deum autem quem nihil latet promirendum suffragatore non opus est sed mente deuota but as for the Lord from whom nothing is hid there needs no such procutor to make him fauourable vnto vs onely there is required a deuout minde for in whatsoeuer place hee who is truely godly speakes vnto God the Lord shall answere him And lastly that the Apostle here ioyneth two words of Euery tongue and language is sanctified for prayer if we vnderstand it sundry languages Abba Father it is to teach vs that euery tongue is sanctified to the vse of Gods children and that it is lawfull for vs to pray in any language if so be wee vnderstand it but to binde people to pray in a language they vnderstand not or for him that should be the mouth of God in the exercise of diuine worship to speake to the people in a strange language which they vnderstand not is a sacrilegious tyranâ—ie That which God powred out as a curse on They are builders of Babell who speake to the people in a language they vnderstand not the first Babell that one of them vnderstood not what another said and the people knew not what the builderâ—â—raued in the second Babel is receiued as a blessing The Caldeans a fierce and cruell nation were sent against the Iewes speaking to them in a language which they vnderstood not to punish in them the contempt of the voice of God which they would not learne nor vnderstand and now the messengers of Antichrist a cruell and mercilesse people are come out speaking to the world in an vncouth language for punishment of them that receiued not the loue of the truth A faithfull seruant of the Lord had he neuer so many languages had rather speake in the Church fiue words with vnderstanding that others might be instructed than ten thousand otherwaies he is but an hireling and a false Apostle that purposely speakes to a people in a language they vnderstand not We giue thankes to God who hath deliuered vs from this most fearefull captiuitie and confusion of Babell Verse 16. The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God ALbeit this operation of the Spirit whereby he witnesses vnto vs that wee are the Children of God be set downe in the last place yet in order of working it goes before the other for certainely vnlesse his holy spirit testifie vnto vs that God is become our father and hath made vs his children we dare not go neere him to craue good things from him The beginning of our acquaintance with GOD flowes from him herein is loue not that wee loued him first but that bee loued 1 Ioh. 4. 10. Rom. 11. 35. vâ— Who hath first giuen vnto him and he shall be recompensed We must first receiue from God some secret information of his loue and fatherly affection or euer we be able to returne vnto him the desires the words and the deedes of his louing children Here first appeareth the fatherly indulgence of the Lord The great loue of our father which hee hath shewed by sending his spirit into our harts our God towards vs we are here in a vally of death in heauines through continuall afflictions the time is not yet come wherein the Lord will communicate to vs his glorious presence to fill vs with that fulnesse of ioy which is in his face the time is not yet come wherein wee must ascend to our Father yet to keepe vs in the meane time that wee faint not the Lord hath sent downe his holy Spirit into our harts to comfort vs. O fatherly care O wonderfull loue when Israel was yet in the wildernesse the Lord sent them some of the fruits of Canaan to comfort them by the hand of Ioshua and Caleb but what was that if it be compared
Pet. 4. 14. Iesus for the Spirit of God and of glory rests on you which on their part is euill spoken of but on your part is glorified Thus we see quam magnos habeamus commilitones how great and Cir. catec 16 strong fellow-warriours wee haue to assist the Lord being so present with vs non vt seruos suos spectet tantum sed vt Cip. lib. 2. Epist. 6. ipse luctetur in nobis that he doth not onely behold his seruants in their conflicts but hee himselfe also doth wrestle in them Wherefor our further comfort if any man be desirous to Three things required to make our sufferings sufferings with Christ know whether if his sufferings be sufferings with Christ or not let him consider these three things first how Iesus receiued the Crosse as a cuppe giuen to him out of his Fathers hand neither looking to Iudas that betrayed him nor to the Iewes that pursued him Secondly hee receiued it not grudgingly nor impatiently but with an humble submission of his will to the will of his Father Thirdly hee suffered for this end that he might abolish sin and destroy him who had the power of death If these three concurre in thy sufferings thou mayest be sure they are suffrings with Christ first if passing by the instrument of thy trouble thou looke to the hand of God tempering and giuing it vnto thee secondly if thou receiue it with a humble submission of thy spirit to him who is the Father of Spirits and thirdly if it worke in thee a mortification of thy sinfull lusts and affections And of this wee haue to make our vse in all our afflictions Comfort against inward Afflictions inward or outward and first concerning inward afflictions if at any time it please the Lord to exercise vs with fearefull agonies of Conscience let vs looke vnto GOD who kils and makes aliue who casts downe and raises vp let vs for a while beare his indignation he abides but a moment in his anger if wee finde that by them wee are more humbled wakened out of securitie and stirred vp more feruently to pray and that the life of sinne is weakened in vs let vs be out of all doubt that these inward troubles are sufferings with Christ whose soule for our sinnes was heauie vnto the death and his body did sweat blood through the vehement anguish of his spirit And as for outward sufferings Comfort against outward Afflictions which wee suffer either in name Ambrose they are either such as concernes our Name our goods or our persons As for those which concerne our name it is a singular pollicy of Sathan to beare downe the children of God in the estimation of others vt qui conscientiae suae luce clarescunt alienis rumoribus sordidentur that they who are glorious in the light of their owne conscience may be made filthy by the false reports of others and so made vnprofitable to doe others the good that they would but let vs in such tentations learne from Dauid to looke vnto God and not to Shimei vsing the vndeserued contumelies of men as profitable meanes to worke in vs that inward humiliation which our manifold sinnes though not against man yet against God requireth of vs so shall we suffer with him who being the innocent Lambe of God sustayned neuerthelesse great contradiction of sinners reproched to be one possessed with a Dâ—â—ell notwithstanding that hâ—e was the very sonne of God filled in his manhood with the holy Ghost And as concerning the losse of worldly goods who euer Or in our goods be the instrument learne thou to take it as a cup out of the hand of thy heauenly Father after the example of Iâ—b who passing by the Sabeans the Caldeans looked to the hand â—â— God the Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken saith Iob. 1. 21. he blessed be the name of the Lord. It is not for lack of loue that the mother withdrawes from the Childe the vse of the pap but that she may acquaint him with stronger meat and if the Lord take from vs these transitorie things it is not because we are not beloued of him but that we may set our hearts vpon those things which are more waighty and permanent which if we doe then are our sufferings sufferings with him who being rich became poore that in all things we might be made rich in him And the same are we to doe in those troubles which wee Or in our persons Heb. 12. 9. sustaine in our bodies for if as the Apostle saith we haue had Fathers of our bodies who haue corrected vs and wee haue giuen them reuerence should we not much rather be in subiection to the father of Spirits that we might liue and if wee can yeeld our bodies to Phisitions to be cut or burnt at their pleasure how much more should we submit them to the Lord in all humble contentment to be chastised as hee will seeing he protests himselfe he doth it not but for our singular profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse We shal raigne with Christ. Worldlings wrestles for their In trouble it is expedient to looke vnto the end thereof corruptible crowne as vncertaine whether they shal obtaine it or no but it is not so with the Christian wee runne not as vncertaine we are sure that if we suffer with Christ we shall also raigne with him though for the present no trouble be sweet yet is the end thereof most comfortable and we are by the eyes of faith to looke vnto it least our present manifold tentations driue vs vnto impatience for as he that going through a strong running riuer is in danger to fall and drowne by reason of the dissinesse of his braine vnlesse hee sixe his eyes vpon the bancke so shall we be ready to saint in affliction vnlesse we looke to the comfortable end thereof If we shall looke to Lazarus vpon the dunghill and Ioseph in the prison what can we iudge them to be but miserable men but if we consider their end we shall see the one in Abrahams bosome and the other raigning in great glorie vnder Pharaoh in Egipt then shall we say verely there is fruit for the righteous and we shall finde it true which here the Apostle saith that if we suffer with Christ wee shall also raigne with him Verse 18. For I count that the afflictions of this present time are not worthie of the glory to be reuealed THe Apostle here subioynes an amplification of Amplification of the first principall argument his first argument wee shall not onely saith he raigne with Christ but raigne in such a glorie as doth so farre surmount all our present sufferings that if they be weighed together in a balance the one shall be found but light in regard of the other For I count The word the Apostle vseth here imports He that tasted both of present sufferings and of glory
with tentations on the right hand and on the left vt quatuor angulis Gregor Moral pulsata domus aliqua ex parte ruinam saciat that the house being shaken at all the soure corners may fall downe in one part or other no rest nor quietnes for vs in this habitation terrours within fightings without Propter quod vno conâ—ilio Act. 20. 19. migrandum est Christianis for the which it is best for vs vvith one aduice to conclude that wee vvill remoue and in the meane time send vp our complaint to our Father in heauen as the Gibionites did to Ioshua shewing him how vve Ioshua 10. 6. are besieged and enuironed for his sake and praying him to come with hast and help vs. Waiting for the Adoption Now followeth the other effect The other effect the spirit works in vs iâ— a waiting for deliuerance of the Spirit for hee not onely causeth vs as we haue heard to sigh and mourne for our present miseries but also comforts vs with the hope and expectation of deliuerance though in this life vve haue trouble yet haue we no trouble vvithout comfort Blessed be God who comforts vs in all our 2 Cor. 1. 3. 4. tribulations and beside that vvhich vve presently haue it is yet much more vvhich vvee looke for The men of this vvorld haue no ioy vvithout sorrow euen in laughter their Proâ— 24. 13. heart is sorrowfull pretend what they will in their countenance there is a heauinesse in their conscience arising of the vveight of sinne but it is far otherwise vvith the godly for euen in mourning they doe reioyce and vnder greatest heauinesse they carry a liuely hope of ioyfull deliuerance Againe wee are to marke that the godly are described The day of death and day of resurrection earnestly waited for by the godly in holy Scripture to be such as doe not liue content with their present estate but waites and longs for a better and specially there are two dayes for which the Children of GOD are said to waite the first the day of death wherein they goe to the Lord the second the day of appearing wherein the Lord shall come vnto them they soiourne in the body more weary of it then Dauid was of his dwelling in the tents of Kedar they wait with patient Iob till the day of their change come and doe desire with the Apostle to be Iob. 14. 14. dissolued that they may be with Christ they pray for it so oft as they vse that petition Let thy kingdome come seeking Mat. 6. 10. Luke 11. 3. death so farre as it is a meanes to abolish sinne vtterly that Christ their King may alone raigne in them but as for the wicked the remembrance of death is terrible vnto them and in their thought they put it far from them and when it comes it comes vpon them vnlooked for As Iehu furiously Death comes on the wicked as Iehu came on Iehoram came vpon Iehoram and hee made vvith all his speed to his chariot thinking to flye away but in vaine for the arrow of Iehu ouertooke him so death comes vpon the wicked 2 King 9. 23. 24 in a day and place wherein they looked not for it and they being terrified with it runnes with all the speede they can to their chariots that is to their refuges of vanity but the dart of death surely ouer-takes them Miserable are they vvhose comfort standeth rather in an vncertaine delay of death than in any certaintie vvhich they haue of eternall life But let vs be prepared for it as the good Israelites of We should not soiourne in the body like Ionas in the sides of the sâ—â—p but like Abraham in the doore of the tabernacle Exod. 12. 11. Gen. 18. 1. 1 King 19. 9. God with our loynes girded vp and our staues in our hands ready to take our iourney from Egypt to Canaan vvhensoeuer the Lord our God shall command vs. As fowles desirous to flye stretch ouâ— their vvings so should man desirous to be with the Lord stretch out his affections toward the heauens Abraham sat in the doore of his Tabernacle when the Angell appeared vnto him Elias came out to the mouth of his Caue when the Lord appeared to him and we must also reioyce to come out of the caue and tabernacle of this vvretched body if vve would meet vvith the Lord yea euen while as wee dwell in the body if in our affection vve come not out and stand as it were in the doore of our tabernacle but like Ionas sleeping in the sides of the ship Ionas 1. 5. we lye downe in the hollow of our heart sleeping in carelesse securitie it is not possible that the Lord can be familiar with vs. The other day for which the godly are said to wait is the The day of Christs second comming longed for 1 Cor. 1. 7. Phil. 3. day of Christs second comming The Apostle giues this as a token of the rich grace of God bestowed on the Corinthians that they waited for the appearance of Christ and to the Philippians he saith our coÌ„uersation is in heauen from whence we looke for our Sauiour the Lord Iesus yea he giues it out as a marke of all those who are to be glorified when hee saith 2 Tim. 4. 8. there is laid vp for mee a crowne of righteousnes and not for me onely but for all them who loue Christs second appearing And Heb. 9. 28. againe Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many and vnto them that looke for him shall he appeare the second time without sinne vnto saluation These and many moe places proues that there is great As the Iewes waited for the yeere of Iubilie so should we for the day of Christ but alas few doe so Reu. 22. 20. scarcitie of Faith and spirituall grace in this generation there being so few that vnfainedly longs for the day of his appearance suppose euery man in word mumble vp that petition let thy kingdome come yet are they few who when Iesus testifieth surely I come quickly can in truth answer with the godly Amen euen so come Lord Iesus and all because we are neithe wearier of our present miserie nor certaine of that glorious deliuerance to come otherwise we would long for it and reioyce at the smallest appearance thereof The woman with child reckons her time as neere as shee can and albeit others haue no minde of it yet is it alway in her remembrance because that then she hopes for deliuerance Among the Iewes as the day of their Iubilie drawes neere Leuit. 25. 10. so the ioy of them that were in prison encreased being assured that then they were to be releeued and should not wee much more reioyce the neerer that the day of our eternall Iubilie draweth vnto vs wherein all teares shall be wiped away from our eyes and sorrow and mourning shall flye away for euer
somtime in the similitude of a Doue somtime in the similitude of fire teaching vs c. there is more required of them because more is giuen them they ought to plead with an holy anger the cause of Gods glory following the good example of Moses who had this praise that he was the most meeke man vpon earth yet when the Lord was dishonoured by idolatry his anger so encreased that he brake the Tables thereby declaring the people to be most vnworthy with whom the Lord should keepe any couenant he stamped their Calfe to powder and executed the idolaters vnto death That same holy Spirit who once descended in the similitude of a Doue did afterward discend in the similitude of fire to teach vs his two-sold operation in some cases hee maketh those vpon whom he descends like vnto the Doue simple meeke patient without any gall or bitternesse and that is in offences done against our selues otherwise in offences done against our God he makes vs hot and feruent Thus farre haue we spoken of Patience which seeing it is so necessary a grace of the Spirit we are to seeke it from the Father of light from whom euery manner of good gift doth descend vnto vs. Verse 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpes our infirmities for we know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit it selfe makes request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed NOw followes the second principall argument The second principall argument of comfort is from that help which presently wee haue in our trouble of comfort against the crosse the first was taken from the comfort which is to come this is taken from that present comfort and helpe which we haue euen now albeit affliction be a burthen heauier than we of our selues are able to beare it yet the spirit of Christ is present with vs not as a spectator onely of our sufferings but as a party helper of vs in all our afflictions This Spirit is that comforter whom the Lord Iesus promised to send he once descended vpon the Apostles in a visible manner in the similitude of clouen tongues of fire and made euery one of them to speake with new languages and doth still daily descend in an inuisible manner vpon the children of God working in them heauenly motions and spirituall strength whereby they stand in tentations this is the summe of the argument Where first we haue to marke that the Apostle ascribes Wee are full of infirmities but our help is froÌ„ the Lord who is present with vs not as a spectator onely but as an helper vnto vs of our owne nothing but infirmities the help wherby we stand he ascribes it vnto the Lord and it is to be marked that when the Apostle ascribeth vnto vs infirmities hee will thereby point out vnto vs that remanent weaknesse and debility to doe any thing that is good our best actions are rather a preasing to doe good than a perfecting of it In a Godly man his desires are better than his deedes hee cannot doe the good that he desires as the Apostle plainely confesseth of himselfe but the wicked haue their desires worse than their deedes for vvhen they haue done most wickedly yet haue they still a desire to doe more till their tormenting conscience vvaken them and so vvhereas the one sinneth of weakenesse the other sinneth of wickednesse The Christian is freed from wickednes not from weakenesse Certainely they vvho are truely Godly are so farre from wickednesse that if they were such men as they desire to be and could possibly performe that good which they prease to doe there would not be such a thing as a spark of the life of sinne left remaining in them Alwayes we liue vnder this hope that the Lord who hath already by his grace deliuered vs from wickednesse will also in his owne good time deliuer vs from our weaknesse hee shall make our deedes answerable to our desires and wee shall become such as may say Now thankes be to God for I doe the good vvhich I would These infirmities after our regeneration are left in vs Why infirmities are left in vs after our regeneration partly as Antidotes against our naturall presumption as we may see in the holy Apostle who least he should haue beene exalted out of measure was buffeted with the Angell of Sathan and partly for our prouocation to prayer that hauing experience of our owne weakenesse wee might runne to the Lord who is the strength of our soule and seeke his helpe by prayer whereunto otherwise wee are very slow by nature notwithstanding it be the best and most acceptable seruice that we can giue vnto God vpon earth Wee haue marked this in experience that as they who finde not themselues bodily diseased seeke not the Phisition so hee that feeles not the spirituall infirmities of his soule cannot pray vnto God to remedie them the Lord hath vsed the infirmities of many as holy meanes to make them truely religious who were prophane before and for these causes are infirmities left in vs. Infirmities So the Apostle speakes in the plurall number Our infirmities are manifold because not one but manifold are the infirmities whereunto vvee are subiect whereof there arises to vs a two-fold vvarning First that we take heede vnto our selues and see vvhere vvee are vveakest to the end that there vve may strengthen our selues The Philistims were very carefull to know wherein Sâ—mpsons strength lay to the end that spoyling him of his strength they might spoyle him of his life but Sathan by long experience knowes our infirmities and sets vpon vs there vvhere he knowes that vve are vveakest As therefore theâ— who are besieged looke not so much vnto the stronger part of the wall as vnto the weaker that they Wee should strengthen our selues most where we are weakest may strengthen it so wisedome craues that we should looke most narrowly to our greatest infirmities Hee that hath children albeit he loue them all yet hath he most respect to the most infirme among them and he that hath many tenements of land hastes soonest to repayre that which is most ruinous and among all the members of the body we care most for those that are weake or vvounded Seeing Nature hath taught vs to take heed to those things which are ours shall vve not much more take heede vnto our selues It is euen a point of holy wisedome to consider vvhere wee are weakest and what those sinnes are vnto which we are most subiect and by vvhich Sathan hath gotten greatest vantage against vs that so vve may take the more paines to make our selues strong against it And after that by prayer and spirituall exercises thou Yet so that we remember that the enemie repulsed at one place will assault another hast made thy selfe strong there vvhere thou vvast wont to be vveake yet take heede vnto thy selfe it is not one but many infirmities vvhereunto we are subiect and
vnlawfull imprecations against their brethren crying for the plagues of God vpon their neighbours for euery small offence in stead of the blessings of God these are like the Disciples that prayed for fire from heauen to burne vp Samaria not being led by a right spirit or rather like vnto Corah Dathan and Abiram vvho sent vp to the Lord Numb 16. strange fire vvhich at length brought downe a strange iudgement vpon themselues Sometime againe wee seeke that which lawfully may Or in our corrupt affection by which we seeke things lawfull for the wrong end Iames 4. 3. Mat. 6. 33. be sought the fault is not in the vnderstanding but in the affection as when men seeke lawfull things for the wrong end or in the wrong place Of the first saith Saint Iames yee seeke and receiue not because yee aske amisse that ye may consume it vpon your lusts Of the second saith our Sauiour seeke first the kingdome of God and other things shall be cast vnto you the Lord is greatly dishonoured when wee seeke any thing before himselfe for remedie let vs remember these rules First that the thing we seeke be good Secondly that vve seeke the greatest good in the first roome And thirdly that the secondary gifts we seeke them to the right end namely that they may be seruants to vs in our seruing of God onely and that vve abuse them not as occasions of sinning against our God And further we may learne here how little cause eyther What good can we doe by Nature seeing we cannot doe so much as pray for our selues the Pelagian had of olde or the semipelagian Papists haue now to magnifie so farre the arme of flesh as to affirme that man vnregenerate hath power of his owne free-will to make choise in things spirituall of that which is good for seeing vve cannot know what is good for vs till the Spirit teach vs vvhat power haue we of our selues to make choise of it It is true that men by the quicknesse of their naturall wit haue found out many artes and trades profitable for this naturall life so Iubal vvas the first Father of them who play on Harpes and Organes and Tubal-Cain the first inuenter Gen. 4. 22. of cunning working in brasse and yron but as for spiritual things which concerne the life to come man is not able by any power of Nature to help himselfe therein for vvhat can he do seeing he doth not vnderstand those things that are of God But the spirit it selfe makes request The Apostle to the How the Spirit requests for vs. Galathians hath a commentarie for these vvords vvhen he saith that God hath sent downe his Spirit into our harts by vvhich vve cry Abba father the requesting then of the Spirit is no other thing but his framing of such desires in vs by which vve request God And hereupon depends the efficacie of the prayers of Gods children no maruaile they be effectuall to moue the Lord seeing they are the birth of his owne Spirit the effect of his owne operation they come from him and it is not possible that he can mislike them when they returne vnto him If wee shall take a view of example of holy Scripture and Ecclesiastique story vve shal finde that the prayer of the godly hath done many vvonderfull things yea vvhat is it that feruent prayer hath not done Abrahams prayer opened the barraine vvombes of Examples in holy scripture prouing the efficacie of Prayer Abimilechs houshold and closed vp the hands of the Angels vvho vvent to destroy Sodome they could bring downe no fire vpon it till Lot vvas remoued out of it The prayer of Moses parted the red sea and was more forcible to ouerthrow the armie of Amalecke than all the weapons of Israel The prayer of Iosua made the Sunne stand still in the firmament and Samuels prayer brought loude thunder flashing fire and heauy haile-stones vpon the Philistims Eliah by prayer closed the heauens for the space of three yeeres and sixe months and opened them againe And this example Saint Iames applyes to euery godly man that vve should not thinke they did these things by the priuiledge of their persons rather then the efficacie of their prayer hee shewes that Eliah was a man subiect to the same infirmities whereunto wee are subiect and that the prayer of any righteous man auailes much if it be feruent no lesse than his though vve worke not by prayer such externall miracles as hee did yet doe wee by it draw downe inward grace bringing light to the blind life to the dead and makes a vvonderâ—ull change by repentance a vvorke full of miracles indeed in them vvho obtaine it In like manner it is vvritten that Aurelius Antonius in Examples in Ecclesiastique historie his expedition against the Germanes had in his armie a legion of Christians who by their earnest prayer vnto God obtained raine for refreshment of his armie when it vvas like to perish vvith thirst as likewise fearefull thundrings against their enimies for vvhich he then called that legion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulminatrix the thundring band Thus in all ages hath prayer beene so forcible that it hath sometimes altred the very course of Nature vvithout and at all times hath changed the course of corrupt nature vvithin in such as had it Where if the children of God vvho are of tender conscience Comfort for the godly when they pray and are not instantly answered obiect vnto me that the more I speake of the efficacie of prayer the lesse is their comfort considering that of a long time they haue called vpon the Lord and can find no reliefe of their trouble let them remember that in this tentation they are not vvithout companions godly men haue beene exercised vvith the like before them Dauid a man after Gods owne heart complaines ofttimes to the Lord that he was hoarse with crying and that albeit he continued his prayer day and night yet the Lord vvas to him as one that is deafe and vvould no more be mercifull vnto him but at length he is alway compelled to burst out into glorious thanksgiuing praising the Lord that hath heard his voyce and not onely so but hee hath left this vvhich he found in his experience to be true as a bulwarke of our faith vnto all posteritie Surely the Lord will not faile his people 1 Sam. 12. 20. 21. nor forsake his inheritance He endureth but a while in his anger but in his fauour is life Hee is the most high God that performes his promises toward me Howsoeuer in our trouble vve thinke many times that he hath forsaken vs yet vvil he returne and reuiue his worke in vs and not faile to fulfill the desires of them who feare him Thus looking vnto Dauid let them not thinke euil to be tryed with the same tentation by which Dauid a man beloued of God was tryed before them and consider that there is a
difference betweene delaying and denying the Lord for a time delayes that which hee vvill not deny non vt neget sed vt commendet sua dona Augustine and againe tardius dando quod petimus â—â—stantiam nobis orationis Chris in Mat. hom 10. indicit the Lord vvhen he is slow to giue that vvhich vve aske doth it onely that he may commend his gifts vnto vs and make vs more instant and earnest in prayer For the better vnderstanding of this let vs distinguish If the Lord refuse that which we will it is because it is not for our weale our petitions sometime wee seeke those things vvhich are not so expedient for our selues to be granted as refused vnto vs and in these non audit nos ad voluntatem vt exaudiat ad salutem the Lord regardeth not thy will but thy weale The Apostle buffeted by an Angell of Sathan besought the Lord to remoue that tentation from him but obtained not his will the Lord saw it was not for his weale and not onely doe we read that men beloued of God haue beene refused in mercy but others haue had their petitions graunted in anger which we may see not onely in the Israelites who obtained flesh vvhen they sought but in his anger but also in those damned Spirits vvho sought licence of the Lord Iesus to enter into Swine and obtained it but to the greater augmentation of their vvrath If therefore thy petition vnto GOD be for a thing absolutely And the refusal of any thing to his owne is not without the grant of a better necessarie to thy saluation be assured that howeuer the Lord delay it he shall not simply refuse it and if otherwise thou craue a thing not absolutely necessary for thee if the Lord refuse to satisfie thy vvill therin it is that he may doe according to thy weale When the Disciple asked Iesus of the resurrection Lord wilt thou at this time restore the Acts 1. 6. kingdome of Israel he satisfied them not in that which they craued It is not for you saith hee to know the times or seasons which the Father hath put into his owne hand but another thing meeter for them and lesse craued of them hee promised vnto them But ye shall receiue power of the holy Ghost when he shall come vpon you and ye shall be witnesses vnto me A comfortable answer indeed an exchange most profitable for vs and wee rest content with it So be it euen so be it O Lord giue vs thine holy Spirit and deny vs any other thing thou wilt And of this againe we learne that we liue onely by mercy Prayer which obtaines all other gifts is also a gift of God therefore the praise of all is due to the Lord 1 Cor. 4. 7. for not onely those things which we obtaine by prayer are begged by vs and giuen by God For what hast thou O man that thou hast not receiued but we see here that prayer it selfe whereby we get all things is also a gift of God if we wanted not of our owne we would not seeke of another by prayer and if we could also pray of our selues we needed not another to teach vs. Etiam ipsa Oratio inter gratiae munera reperitur it is the Lord vvho commands and vvorketh in vs both the vvill and the deed vnto him therfore belongs the praise of all Wee haue here also to consider a great comfort for the Comfort for the godly wheÌ„ no man will speake for them they want not Intercessours godly vvho are ofttimes redacted to that estate that there is none among men to speake for them Ieremie cannot finde out Ebed-melech neyther haue the Prophets of the Lord one Obadiah to hide them Daniel had none to speak for him al stands vp that had credit to procure that he may be cast into the denne those that should be friends oftentimes become foes to the seruants of God but euen at this time their comfort is that not onely they haue Iesus the Iust an Aduocate for them at the right hand of his Father but haue also the Spirit the Comforter within them an Intercessor for them Miserable therfore must they be who bend their tongues Miserable are those who bend their tongues against them for whom the holy Spirit maketh request 2 Chron. 18. to speake against those for whom the holy Ghost maketh request vnto God that rebuke which the Prophet gaue to Iehosaphat vvhen he vvent out to help wicked king Achab wilt thou help them that hate the Lord we may turne to those in our time that are enemies to the Children of God Will ye hurt them whom the Lord helpeth The children of God in all their infirmities haue the holy Spirit for their helper vvhat euer man speakes against them hee maketh request vnto GOD for them It cannot then otherwise be but in the end comfort must be to them and confusion vnto their enemies That oracle which Zeresh gaue to Hamans Esth husband shall assuredly prooue true vpon all the enimies of God in word or deede If Mordecai be of the seede of the Iewes thou shalt not faile to fall before him If Eliah be the man of God though not a fire from heauen yet doubtles a wrath from heauen shal ouertake his enemies Only let those who are troubled by the malice of wicked men make sure vnto themselues that they haue the Spirit of grace and of glory resting in them partaker with them of their afflictions Pet. and then let them be assured that eyther their enemies shall become their friends or then the righteous Lord shall render vengeance vnto those that trouble them With sighes Last of all wee learne here that the godly No malice of men can cut off the intelligence of a Christian with the Lord. haue an intelligence with the Lord their God which no power of man is able to cut away For howeuer they may be separated from the company of men and locked vp in vnaccessible places yet can no man hinder their accesse vnto God and speaking with him yea suppose they should cut their tongues out of their heads for it is not by words but by sighes they make request vnto God and their sighes may well be increased by trouble but cannot be destroyed And herewith also let the children of GOD comfort themselues when they are brought vnto that extremitie that neither eye hand nor tongue can serue them in prayer let them looke vnto good king Ezekiah who being so vveakened with bodily diseases that hee could not speake distinctly vnto God yet his mourning like a Doue and chattering like a swallow entred into the Lords eare and brought back a comfortable answere to him Verse 27. But hee that searches the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the Spirit for he makes request for the Saints according to the will of God LEast any man should thinke the sighes of the It is a
the word In the carnall brotherhoode though the parents be one yet the inheritance is not one though the seede of the flesh be one yet the soule that quickneth the body in both is not one but in the spirituall brotherhood the parents are one the inheritance one the seede vvhereof they are begotten is one and the spirit which quickeneth them all is one It is not then Baptisme nor externall profession which proueth a man to be the kinsman and brother of Christ it is the spirit of Iesus which whosoeuer hath not the same is not his and whosoeuer hath him it is certaine they become new creatures Great is that dignitie certainely whereunto we are called The greatnes of Christs loue toward vs in making vs his brethren and matchlesse is that loue which the Lord Iesus hath carried toward vs who not content to make vs his seruants hath made vs his brethren If he had shewed vs no more kindnesse then Abraham did Lot his kinsman yet euen for that had hee beene worthy to be loued for euer but behold what a greater loue our Lord hath shewed vnto vs we forsooke him more vnkindly than Lot did Abraham yet did hee still retayne his kindly affection toward vs when we were carried away captiue by spirituall Chedarlaomer he did not onely hazard but laid downe his life for our Redemption Moses is greatly praised for that vvhen hee was honourable in Aegypt he left the Court of Pharaoh to visit his brethren esteeming the rebuke of Christ in his people greater riches than all the treasures of Aegypt and Ioseph is also commended that being second person vnder Pharaoh in the kingdome of Aegypt yet hee was not ashamed of his Father and brethren albeit they for their trade being sheepekeepers were abhomination to the Aegyptians But all these are not comparable to that loue which the Lord Iesus hath borne toward vs in that notwithstanding our base estate hee hath not beene ashamed to call vs his brethren The Lord make vs thankefull and shed abroad in our hearts the sense of that loue vvhich hee hath borne toward vs that wee neuer be ashamed of him for no Crosse that for his sake can be laid vpon vs. Verse 30. Moreouer whom he predestinated them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them also he glorified THere is no part of holy Scripture vvhich is What a cleare sight of saluation is here discouered to the Christian not stored with the words of eternall life but as that part of earth which is rich of minerals of gold and siluer is more esteemed than other land vvere it neuer so fruitfull so ought this place of holy Scripture to be accounted of vs all as containing in it a most rich minerall not of gold siluer or precious stones but of a more precious saluation wherein the deeper thou art able to digge the stronger clearer and greater sight of saluation ariseth vnto thee there is not in all the booke of God a place of holy Scripture vvhich presents to the childe of God so cleare and certaine a sight of his election and glorification as this place doth wherein now we are trauailing for the holy Apostle in this golden chaine of Saluation doth in such sort knit our effectuall Calling with our Election and Glorification that the Christian vpon earth may euidently see what God in the heauens hath decreed toward him we haue spoken of the first two lincks of the Chaine Prescience and Predestination now we proceed to speake of the third to wit our Calling Where first of all for our greater comfort let vs stand The prerogatiues of a Christian are farre more honourable than any that worldlings can claime and consider how great and glorious are the benefits which God hath bestowed on the Christian before time the Lord hath chosen him after time the Lord will glorifie him in time the Lord doth can and iustifie him Worldlings also haue their owne prerogatiues wherin they place their glory those among them that haue most ample and ancient inheritances are counted most honourable but thou vvho art named a Christian if thou be so indeede looke to thine owne priuiledges and thou shalt see that the glorie of a Christian doth far exceed the glorie of the most honorable Worldling as the Psalmist spake of Ierusalem so may wee of the Christian Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou man Psal 87. 3. of God Election is the first and most auncient charter of the The most sure and auncient Charters of a Christian to his inheritance right of Gods Children to their Fathers inheritance Calling is the second by it we are knowne to be the Sonnes of God and our Election secret in it selfe is manifested to vs and others Iustification is the third by it wee are infest in Iesus Christ and made partakers of all that is his Glorification is the last by it wee are entred heyres to our Father and fully possessed in his inheritance No King vpon earth can produce so auncient a right to his Crowne though vvith the Egyptian thou shouldest reckon thy beginning so many yeares before the creation of the world yet canst thou not match the Christian hee hath the most auncient charter of the most ample inheritance neither can any man vpon earth be knowne his Fathers heyre vpon such sufficient warrand as the Christian for in the regeneration the Father communicateth to him his Image his Nature his Spirit whereby he beginneth from feeling to call God his Father and in life and manners to resemble him No freeholder so surely infest in his lands nor hath receiued so many confirmations thereupon as the Christian iustified who vpon his gift of righteousnesse and life hath also receiued the earnest the pledge the scale and the witnesse of the great King And last of all the Christian shall be entred to the full possession of his Fathers inheritance vvith such ioy and triumph in the glorious assembly of the Saints as the like was neuer seene in the world no not in Ierusalem that day wherein Salomon entred heyre to his Father Dauid then the earth rang for ioy but nothing comparable to that ioy wherewith the heauens shall ring when all the Sonnes of God shall be caught from the earth into the ayre to meet the Lord Iesus and to be inuested in the Kingdome of their Father But now wee are to speake of this Calling wherein consists all our comfort for it is the middle lincke of this indiuisible Calling is the first manifestation of our Election and forerunner of our Glorification Chaine he that hath it is sure of both the ends Our Calling is the first manifestation of our secret Election and it is a sure forerunner of our Glorification being in effect the voyce of GOD fore-telling vs that he will glorifie vs. As the best way in a maine land to finde the sea is to walke by a riuer