people wherein his power was weakened and the strength of hys wyll was discouraged there is it that Christ sayth Ioh. 5. Without me ye can doo nothing Euen so haue we no wyll of our selues that is aualiable to doo any thing vnlesse it be gyuen from aboue Math 16 17. as appeared by Peter when he made his confession of Christe it was told him by Christ that flesh bloode had not reuealed that vnto him but hys heauenly father Likewise in the tenth of Mathew Mat 10 20 our sauiour Christ sayth It is not yee that speake but the spirite of your father which speaketh in you And in a great many more places in the scriptures it appeareth that mann hath no power or will at all of himselfe to doo any thing vnles it be gyuen him from aboue and it standeth in great reason and to the godlye séemeth very comfortable for if we should haue wil A reason why we haue not free wyll we must be free from sin which cannot be whereby our wyll might tend vnto good or els in this state of sin wherein we stand how can wee but yéelde sinne and wickednes according to the originall of nature and then is our wyll polluted and the effect nothing worth therfore wée haue the helpe of Gods spirite which worketh in vs by the vertue of our head Christ who hath sent the same spirit vnto vs by the which spirite we worke goodnes effectually and necessary it were that God shoulde haue hys prerogatiue of working in vs because he knoweth what wee haue néede of before we aske and he giueth better then eyther we can desire or deserue and his grace is not in vaine in vs for his 〈◊〉 neither ought we to vse it in vaine for our parte and therefore we may bee assured of the best neerest and right when we hold of God and not of our selues I◠is sayde that one heare of our heade shall not perysh which vndoubtedly is spoken because God preserueth vs and therefore is God among many of his vertuous names called Adon in the Hebrewe which is custos or seruator a kéeper or preseruer It wee hee that preserued Daniniell from the hungry Lyons Sydra◠Misac and Abednago from the hote Ouen when the Martir Stephen hadde much a do Acts. 6 10 and great disputation with the Libertines and Cirenians and them of Alexandria and Cicilia and Asia These aduersaries were not able to resiste the wisedome and the spyrits by the which he spake and thus to our greate comforte wee sée that the worthiest worketh that is effectuall if we should worke our wyll it woulde he so weake and so wycked as would be accounted nothing worth And therefore is it that to our comfort it is spoken that we are not our owne but his that careth for vs and hath the ability to prouide for vs euen the best Now therefore let vs examine our selues farther Mans merites and sée our merits deserts before God which many haue preached and allowed to the great ouerthrowe of the estimation of Christ his death and passion as though there were an ability in men to deserue any thing at Gods hands which is contrary to the Apostles doctrine who sayeth When we haue doone all that we can doo yet we are vnprofitable seruants But for the better tryall hereof let vs examine all our déedes be they neuer so good as continuall prayer vnfayned loue pitty dayly feeding of the poore the preseruing of our bodies in chastity and honesty forsakyng the world the flesh and the deuill or what els may be commendable in a man is it able to match one of Gods gyfts as our vnderstanding our sight our health our sound lymmes our nourishment our lyfe our children our peace wyth a great many moe blessings can it deserue any of these nay rather doth not one of these blessings deserue and require all those good déedes at mans hands yes no doubt how say ye then to a greater blessing then all this who hath giuen Christe Iesus to shed his precious blood to purchase vnto vs the kingdome of heauen and lyfe euerlasting euen he vndoubtedly that can neuer be iustly recompenced by a sinful mās obseruation and conuersation be it neuer so holy and therefore is it that wee are alwaies in debt vnto the Lord and for that cause is it that our Sauiour Christe hath taught vs to desire God in our prayer that he will forgiue vs our debts as wee forgyue our debters and then howe can we deserue any thing at Gods hands whē we can not make recompence for the smalest things that we haue had already and doo dayly receiue Wherefore it séemeth to be a very comfortable doctrine vnto vs in that wee are not our owne and in that wee are boughte for a price for if wee were our owne we should perish as men that are wicked sinners and as men that can doo no good thing nor deserue any good thing therefore of all creatures wee are happy that wee are bought by his bloode who hath made vs acceptable before hys father and by whom and in whom the father is well pleased and h◠whose onely meanes the kingdome of heauen is purchased for vs. Wherefore this laste parte remayneth for vs Our duety and is required at our hands as duety that wee glorifie God which is as much to be vnderstanded that we attribute not onely the power superiority and excellency vnto God alone but also that we serue him loue him thanke him and obey him according to his worthines and that vndoubtedly is so much as can neuer be fully performed at our handes how be it so farre we must endeuour our selues and so farre stretch our selues as the measure and ability of Gods spirite is giuen vnto vs and because wée should neyther be weakelings in the power of the holy ghost working in vs nor yet dissemblers in outward holines hauing no inward tast we are wylled to be seruaunts both in spirite and in body because they are both Gods that is God hath purchased them both to set forth hys glory in them as in a holy place or Temple and to glorify God is aswell in spyrite as in body to giue the excellence or superiority vnto him and therevppon in the same spirit and body to all things that are required at our hands and are best agréeable for our calling which is far more to be apparant in vs then in any other creatures by how much we are more excellent then they The prophet Dauid sayth Psal 19 The heauens declare the glorye of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke which is asmuch to say as these creatures that is the heauens and firmament doo shew their order course effect as is appointed them by God and they do their obedience according to his wyll and pleasure the sunne moone and starres doo shine and keepe their order and course and haue doone from the
calling it (a) Deu. 4 wisdome some a (b) Psa 119 light some the (c) Rom 1 power of God and some (d) Eph 6 a sword according to the mighty working and power thereof from the which foundation if any man flée following his owne wyll or the inuentions of men let him be perswaded that his workmanship is in vaine for his building will not stande The third and last disposition of these godly men The thyrd disposition of the godlye differed far from the purpose of the vngodly as appereth euen in the plaine words for the aduersaries sayd vnto Zerubbabell and the rest We seeke and doo sacrifice vnto the Lord your God and Zerubbabell the rest sayd Wee will builde vnto the Lorde our God in the which let vs sée euen the confession of the vngodly in that they haue not the power to name the Lord their God and againe the confession of the godly in that they hold a firme faith assurance to cal the Lord their God nowe in that they are directed the one by Ezer Haddon an Idolater and the other by Cirus a worthy and noble King it dooth appeare that the one fauoured Idolatry and the other true religion for in that Zerubbabel with the reste builded together vnto their God which they farder interpreted to bee the God of Israel they shewed a good a deuout and a godly christian profession for as indéede we ought to offer the sacrifice vnto God and put our trust in God as the prophet sayth so ought we to haue a spirituall care to vnderstand what he is Psal 4 5. whether of right all honor appertaineth vnto him which we shall easily perceiue by beholding hys maiesty his power his strength his mercy his loue his omnipotencye in creating vs and all the worlde in gouerning vs ruling all things in defending vs in redéeming vs in sanctifying vs and in calling vs and in giuing all things necessary for vs in lightning our minds with vnderstanding in refreshing our consciences with good things whereas on the other side for the iudgment of Idolatry we finde not the like vertues consolations in the workmanship of mans hands made to be honored worshipped as a god no nor in any the creaturs vnder heauē nor in heauē as the sun moone stars woods stons calfs hylls gold siluer c. Wherfore this name God being an vnspeakable name among the Iewes dooth minister vnto the godly so many powers and operations that when they shal say Our God they haue a heape of comforts and consolations in their hart which doth worke many godly knowledges and exercises and extinguishe many ignoraunt and Idolatrous opinions As for example if we shold reason this wyth our selues who hath made vs and hetherto preserued vs God who sustaineth the heauens to giue light and to powre downe dewes for the comfort of the earth God who giueth encrease on the earth for our sustenaunce God who giueth all things necessary for vs here on earth God who hath redéemed vs from the bondage of sathan God who hath prepared for vs the kingdome of heauen GOD the same God with hys mightye power worke so in the heartes of all good beléeuers that they may so learne him know him follow him in this world the in the world to come euen in the kingdome of heauen they may haue life euerlasting to the which I beséech God the father the son and holy ghost to send vs all Amen A Sermon shewing what the Temple of God is 1 Cor 6 19.20 Know ye not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you whom yee haue of God and ye are not your owne For ye are bought for a price Glorifie therefore God in your body and in your spirite for they are Gods THe Temple which is consecrated and dedicated to an holy vse for the learning and exercising of holy thinges for the reading of the Lawe couenant and promises of GOD and for the enriching of our selues in the true knowledge of Gods worde and the vse of the Sacraments finally for all godly vses and exercises is the same place where in all the congregation dooth méete together in a deuout minde and pure hart to call vpon God the creator and maker of all things to whom he dooth in the power of hys spirit appeare which place is therefore called the Temple or his house because of the holy exercises and godly seruices which are there doone and for those exercises sake because it is called Gods house it ought to be kept cleane and not defiled neyther ought it to be reserued for any other vse then for the exercise of holy thinges Ioh. 2.15 and for that cause our Sauiour Christ did cast out the buiers and sellers out of the Temple yet buying selling is a lawfull trade among men Howbeit because of the place it was not allowed but shaply and with expulsion reprooued by our sauiour Christ himselfe But now the Apostle speaketh not of a Temple made of stones lyme and sande in this place but of our bodyes which he calleth a Temple because of the vse and exercise which ought to be therein vsed and daily exercised which is godlines therefore it is called the Temple or tabernacle of the holy ghost wherin the holy ghost as a patron president of Gods power dwelleth And as on the one side euery manne and woman should in hys hart reade learne exercise and dayly vse godly meditations godly lawes and godly obseruations and also yéelde the Sacrifice of thanksgiuing and the offering of righteousnes and dayly strengthen the same with a féeling conscience a faithfull hart a charitable mind and an humble deuotion So on the other side hath God gyuen hys holy spirit to be resident therein as a pledge of his loue which dayly worketh in vs knowledge desire chéerefulnes ioyfulnes patience loue al heauenly riches assuring our spirits that we are the children of God to our great and endles comfort for which occasions sake we are wylled by the Apostle not to gréeue the same spirit of God by the which we are sealed vnto the day of redemption for in that hée is dwelling in vs and remayning as in an house among vs wee trouble greeue him when we prophane and abuse his tabernacle or dwelling eyther with pryde whoredome drunkennes enuy theft murther idlenes filthy talke surfeyting or like because they are not exercises agréeable for the Temple of God and then yf buying and selling which is lawfull bee prohibited the Temple in respect of the materiall Temple much more these filthy abuses ought to bee caste out of the Temple in respect that it is our bodyes being of greater price and estimation then the building of stone Herevpon the Apostle spake in this place of the abuse of filthy fornication and incestuous incontinencye that it was such a great spot as greatly defiled and polluted the whole body
Temple of God and what Idols we haue set vppe in the same to the great confusion of our selues if we repent not in time Second parte Nowe as in the first part I haue shewed you what we are so in this second part I purpose to shewe whose we are The text sayth Ye are not your owne bryngeth in the reason for ye are bought for a price In these wordes are many excellent comfortable consolations In that our vnworthines and state of damnation considered wee are translated from darknes to light from death to lyfe from mortality to immortality from a miserable world to an euerlasting worlde replenished with all ioy and consolation Againe so much the more is our comfort in that we are no more our owne or resting in our owne power for if wee were such were our weakenes that wée should fall againe to damnation and such were our insufficiency that we could not ryse agayne of our selues but shoulde bée vtterly lost wherefore wee are nowe hys that can sustaine and vphold vs that wyll preserue and kéepe vs and who in this life hath sealed vs with grace and in the world to come with life euerlasting and none els can doo it or could doo it but the only blessed God which already hath doon it And againe in that we féele the force of shine alwaies working in our bodies and continually suffer the tyranny of sathan howbeit it shall not bee imputed vnto death for the blood of Christ Iesus hath taken away the force of the Law and the sentence of guiltines into whom wee are now graffed and vnited So that nowe to sée our translation out adoption estate to be changed into the sonnes of God and we our selues as children in his seruice are in a most comfortable estate in that wee are his who will not lose but preserue vs. Now in that the Apostle sayth Ye are not your owne but that wee are bought for a price it doth appeare whose we are and who hath bought vs for we are as I sayd the sonnes of God and members of Christ Iesus purchased by his precious bloodshedding as appeared to the Ephesians But now in Christ Iesus yee which once were farre of Eph 2.13.14.15 16. are made néere by the blood of Christ for hee is our peace which hath made of both one and hath broken the steppe of the partition wall in abrogating through his flesh the hatred that is the Law of commandements which standeth in ordinances for to make of 〈◊〉 one nowe â—an in himselfe so makyng peace and that he might reconcile bothe vnto God in one body by his crosse and â—â—t hatred thereby And as touching that we are not our owne neyther haue â—â—wer 〈◊〉 our selues but translated into a better estate and into a surer safegarde it dooth most comfortably appeare in Saint Paule to the Romaines Rom 14 9 where he sayth Christ therefore 〈◊〉 and â—ose â—â—â—â—â—e and reuiued that he might be Lord both of the dead and the â—uiâ—ke so that our seruice and all that euer we haue bee inâ—â—â—â—erely bought by his precious bloode is subiecte to his dominioâ— and rule wherin we may to our great comfort behold our safety in that we are imâ—â—â—ked in so strong â—aâ—tell and defence as he is against whome the power of hell cannot preuaile And in that we are alienated changed from our accusable and damnable estate to become by the righteousnes of Christ the acceptable children of God in thys coâ—â—isteth our honour nobility aboue all the creatures that God hath made which chaunge we find in the Apostls words to the Galathians saying Wherfore the art no more a seruant but a Sonne yf thou be a sonne Gal 4 7 thou art also the heyre of GOD through Christ It is a most excellent comfort where this alienation or chaunge is founde among men especially where God himselfe doth it for he doth it alwayes for the better Wee finde that the name of Abram was changed into the name of Abraham the name of Iacob into the name of Israell and the name of Saule into the name of Paule the significations of whych named are bettered in their exchaunge And so dooth it happen in vs in that our exchange is for the best for nowe we are beautified wyth grace that were deformed by the accusation of the Lawe and for that wee are the sons of God the riches of grace is bestowed vpon vs as S. Paule saith By whome that is by Christe wée haue accesse through faith vnto thys grace wherein we stande Rom 5. â— for thys occasions sake we are called the temple of god because we are incorporated by grace into Christ Iesus who is the very pure and vndefiled Temple in whom his father is truely glorified we had béene a filthy and polluted temple if we had stoode of our selues and depended on our owne power without this gift of grace but because we haue accesse through faith into this grace hauing apprehended grace the spirit of God doth worke mightily in the faithfull beleeuer Therefore it is a necessary doctrine procéeding out of this text of ours Ye are not your owne For vs to learne and sée first what the power of man is and what frée wil he hath and theÌ„ what merite he deserueth before God In the which considerations wee shall finde so great knowledge of our imperfection that by the view thereof we shal attribute the more honor glory and thanks vnto God who worketh all in all As touching our power it is so small so slender that wee are not able of our selues to thinke one good thought wee are not able to doo any good thing wee can not strengthen our weakenes we cannot make our selues to grow we cannot lengthen our dayes nor yet can we resist death neither purchase vnto our selues life As the Prophet Ieremy sayth Iere 10 23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himselfe neyther is it in man to walke and direct his steps and as S. Paule sayth 1 Cor. 11 what hast thou that thou hast not receiued If man hath any good thing in him it procéedeth from aboue as the Apostle Iames sayth Iam 1. Euery good and perfit gift commeth from aboue whether it be knowledge life strength fayth honesty c it is all from God and by God Iob. 7 1 Iob speaking of mans time sayth Is ther not an appointed time to maÌ„ vpon earth and are not his dayes as the dayes of an hyreling Our Sauiour Christ sayth we cannot adde one ynche vnto our stature And therfore as we haue no power of our selues to doo what wee list as appeared by Balam Numb 22. who was hyred by Balake to curse the people of God and he and hys Asse were interrupted by the way and were not able to go forth And as s Paule in his blindnes of minde was strokeÌ„ with blindnes and inhibited to persecute Gods