Beholde here now the spirite worketh beholde how sinne is corrected and who so can beholde here this in him selfe may assuredly say that the spirit of God is in him that it is not in vayne in him it is myghtie and liuely in operation in his hart And the thirde note and effect is the bringing forwarde of this worke vnto iustification for when as the spirite hath brought vs thus farre then doth it beginne to open vnto vs a doore vnto the graces fauour of God it doth put it into our mindes that there is mercie with God and therefore styrreth vs vp to seeke mercie at his handes after that it doth let vs see how Christ suffered to take away the sinnes of the worlde that in the righteousnesse of Christ we may looke to be iustified before God And this it doth not let vs see only but doth effectually worke a sure perswasion of it in our hartes and confirmeth the same by two notable effectes The first is a ioy vnspeakable and glorious wherwith our hartes must needes be taken vp and rauished when we see our selues by the righteousnesse of Christ the free mercie and grace of God redeemed from death delyuered from hell and freed from the condition of the wicked The second is the peace of cōscience which in deede passeth all vnderstanding While sinne and the guilt of sinne remayned there was no peace no rest no quietnesse to be founde but feare with terrours without and troubles on euery side But when sinne is once nayled to the crosse of Christ when the guilt of sinne is taken out of our consciences and the punishment thereof far remoued then must needes ensue great peace for our enemies dare not proceede against vs our sinnes are forgiuen vs and God is at one with vs and for this we haue the warrant and testimonie of the spirit Can flesh and blood perswade vs of it can any creature assure vs how God is affected towardes vs no doubtless And therefore where this ioy and this peace is there must needes be the holy ghost the author and worker of the same for as no man knoweth what is in man but the spirit of man which is in him so none knoweth the will of God but the spirit of God and therefore it is the spirite of God that must certifie our hartes and spirites of the same And hereof doth aryse that which we take as the note when we see in our selues to wit the basenesse and vnablenesse that is in vs to do good for when a man doth finde fauoure with God from the forgiuenesse of sinnes then the loue of God cōstrayneth him that ioy which he conceiueth inforceth him and putteth lyfe into him for the performance of these thinges which are pleasing vnto God then he beginneth to finde himselfe not onely retayned from euyll but applyed and framed to that which is good then is his vnderstanding inlyghtened to see into the mysteries of godlynesse and into the great rocke of his redemption and into whatsoeuer concerneth the sauing health of his soule then is his iudgement reformed and he is made able to iudge betweene false religion and pure betweene the workes of the fleshe and the spirite that which is good and that which is euyll and displeasing in the syght of God Then are his affections in some good measure altered his desire is set not vpon earthly but vpon heauenly thinges his ioyes are not in the earth but in the heauens his anger is wasted and spent not vpon his owne priuate cause and quarrels but vpon his owne sinnes and whatsoeuer hindereth the glory of his God This is the lyfe of God in him thus he lyueth that hath receyued the spirite and thus he leadeth his lyfe continually for they that haue receyued the spirit are led by the spirit and do lyue accordingly brynging foorth the fruites of the spirit But this hath weakenes ioyned with it and men through frayltie may fall and therefore their lyfe is sayd To be hid in Christ because in full and perfect maner it doth not appeare therefore yf notwith standing these fraylties and falles we will know whether we styll retayne the spirite of God we must search our selues and try our hartes by these rules First if through frayltie we haue fallen for who is he that falleth not If we will then know whether by our fall we haue lost the spirite of God let vs see what lyking or mislyking we haue of sinne for if after our fall we do holde our formed hatred of sinne and the more we fall the more through deadly hatred we conceaue agaynst sinne vndoubtedly the frayletie hath not as yet depriued vs of the spirite Secondly come and see how it standeth with thy sorow for so long as this sorow encreaseth for thy sinnes it cannot be thought that sinne and the fleshe hath vtterly quenched the spirit in thee Thirdly try thy care and if thou grone in a godly care both how thou mayst be able to wage battayle in the playne fielde with sinne and how thou mayst preuent him in all his policies thou hast a further assurance that sinne although it be as great as Goliah yet it hath not preuayled agaynst thy poore and litle Dauid I say agaynst those fewe and small graces which the good spirtie of God hath bestowed vppon thee but the last it is most certayne and that is this When thou art carefull to redeeme that which by thy fall thou hast lost and hast a care to runne so much faster forwarde by how much more thou hast been letted by thy fall then it doth appeare that the spirite is in thee yea lyuely and mighty in operation and such as shall neuer be taken from the vntyll the day of Christ. Thus may we in some good and competent measure proue whether we haue the spirit of God or no for where the fruites are to be founde there is also the spirit of God For further confirmation whereof we may note the manner of speache where he sayth Quench not the spirit We do commonly say the fire is quenched where the light and heate there of is taken away and in deede nothyng can properly be sayd to be quenched but the fire Now wheras the Apostle saith quench not the spirite he giueth vs to vnderstande that the spirit is in some respect lyke vnto fire therefore if we do but a lytle consider of the nature of fire we shall the better iudge of the spirit And among others we finde these properties of fire First it wil consume thynges consumeable and therefore lyghting vpon straw or stubble or such lyke it bryngeth them to ashes Secondly it doth purge and purifie those thinges that can abide to be purged and this it doth fyrst by taking away the superfluitie of drosse that hath ouer couered the thing to be purged Secondly by making the thing it selfe purer purer Thirdly it geueth light in the darkest places But last of all it geueth heate
and doth as it were withall put lyfe into those thynges which are capable of lyfe for whilest a man is frozen and starued for colde he is numbde and as it were without lyfe but being brought to the fire he is hot he is reuiued he is cheared and then become actiue and nimble these are the properties of fire and these do in some maner part resemble vnto vs the workes of the spirite for when the spirite of God seaseth vpon a man and then entreth into his soule then it beginneth to wast and consume in him those noysome lustes and other stubble which is in him Secondly it doth purge vs from grosse sinnes and dayly more and more fume vs that we may be a cleane and holy Temple for him to dwell in Thirdly it is a shynyng lyght euer burning and continually giuing light vnto vs in that way which we haue to walke And lastly heateth and inflameth in vs zeale of Gods glorie with a care of our duetie and with a loue of all mankinde yea withall it putteth lyfe and lust into vs to walke in that good way in which it doth leade vs and do all those good workes by the which we may glorifie God and be commodious to men Thus we see what lykelihood there is betweene the spirite and fire nay it is called fire for Iohn sayth That Christ should baptise with the holy ghost and with fire that is with the holy ghost which is lyke fire Therefore as truely as we may say there is fire where we see strawe and such lyke thynges consumed or gold and siluer finely purged or great lyght in darke places or great heate in bodyes that were nummed before euen so certainely we may perswade our selues that the spirit of God is in vs when we see the corruption that is in vs consumed our soules purged from the drosse of sinne our harts inlyghtned and made hot in walking and working according to the lyght The seconde question to be considered is whether that man which hath once tasted of the spirite may loose it and haue it quenched in him To this it may be sayd that because the spirite of God commeth to worketh in diuers men diuesly in diuers measures therefore we must consider of the working of the spirite and frame our answere accordingly First then there is a lyghter and a lesser working of the spirite which may be quenched in them that haue it and that this inferiour or lesser kinde of working may be taken away appeareth playnely by the parable of the seede which our sauiour Christ propoundeth for that besides them that receaue the worde into good grounde and bring foorth fruites some an hundreth some thirtie some sixtie folde he doth also make mention of some others that receaued the worde and yet continued not and what had not these the spirite of God in them yes doubtles for they receaued the worde yea they receaued it gladly and that which is more they beleeued it when as they had receaued it Beholde then three fruites of good spirites in these men and yet they continue not for they beleeued in deede but their fayth was temperacie it lasted but for a tyme and after a tyme it vanished away and the spirit departed from them for eyther the pleasures or the profites of this lyfe did draw out the graces of God and dry them vp or els the fierie heate of persecution did quite consume them More plaine notable for this purpose is that in that other to the Hebrewes for there the Apostle sayth That some may taste of the holy ghost and thereby be made to taste of the good worde of God to be inlightned to receaue heauenly giftes yea and the taste of the lyfe to come and what then surely the Apostle sayth That if such fall it is impossible they shoulde be renewed geuing vs to vnderstande that euen they that haue bin inlyghtned and that haue receaued heauenly gyftes and haue tasted of the power of the lyfe to come euen such may fall away and haue the spirite quenched in them There is a seconde kinde of working of the spirite which is a more effectuall working which is neuer taken from them that haue receaued it this the Apostle describeth when he sayth That the chosen of God are begotten agayne of the immortall seede of the worde that is not a bare receauing or lyght tasting of the worde but it is the deepe tasting of the same whereby we are begotten and borne agayne The Apostle Iohn setteth downe an other note of that saying That they that are thus borne agayne can not sinne that is can not make an occupation of sinne they can not fall flat away by sinne and why Because the seede of Gods worde abydeth in them euen that seede wherwith they were begotten to a lyuely hope of life euen that seede doth abyde and will abyde euen to the ende Who so is begotten agayne by this seede and hath it abyding in him that the spirite hath wrought in him which shall not be taken from him for that the father is mightier then all and therefore our sauiour Christ sayd The wordes that I speake are spirite and lyfe Therefore in an other place he sayth It is impossible that the elect shoulde be seduced Then we see the question is answered namely that there is an inferiour working which may be lost and a more effectuall working which can not be taken from them that haue it And this must not seeme strange to vs neyther must we be offended that the Lord doth take some and leaue some or that he should begin in some and not bryng his worke to perfection For he dealeth with them as with Corne. Some Corne is sowen neuer ryseth some springeth and yet shortly wythereth some groweth vp in the eare and yet is striken and blasted and other some at his good pleasure come to a timely ripenesse In lyke maner some trees are planted and neuer take roote some take roote and yet not blossome some blossome neuer bring foorth fruite and other some through his goodnesse do bring foorth fruite in good season If the Lorde deale so with the plant and hearbe of the fielde why may he not deale so with vs the sonnes of men If we can not conceaue the reason of this we must holde our peace for all the workes of God are done in righteousnesse and all our knowledge is vnperfect and therefore we must accuse our selues rather of ignorance then the Lord of vnrighteousnesse nay our selues do deale in lyke sort with those thynges which are vnder our handes In Colledges Fellowes are first chosen to be probationers and if they be then approued they be made Fellowes otherwyse not If a man being chyldlesse do take vnto him some friendes chylde to make him heyre of all his goodes he wyll keepe him vpon lyking if his manners be honest he shalbe preferred he may be set ouer all his familie and yet afterward for some
securitie which bryngeth neglect and contempt of all good meanes whereby they should grow vp in godlines On the left hand others offend being neuer pleased nor coÌ„tended with the they haue in deede forgettyng and lightly esteeming that they haue and still desiring new These men besides that they be vnthankeful do also murmure and grudge agaynst God and are neuer pleased with him Betweene these two the chyldren of God holde a middle and euen course and therefore we shall see these things in theÌ„ First a sight an acknowledging of the wantes which do moue theÌ„ as S. Peter sayth Like new borne babes to desire the sweete and sinceere mylke of the worde that thereby the graces they haue may be increased and their other wantes may be supplyed and so farre are they from being puffed vp with pride that they reioyce wheÌ„ their pripe may be pulled downe or their haughtines abated eyther by some sharpe rebuke or by some fearefull threatning or by some moderate correction from the Lord for they know if it were needefull for S. Paul to be buffited and that by the minister of Satan to the ende that his pride may be beaten downe then it is much more needeful for theÌ„ after more wayes so to be humbled Besides that they do not onely desire the word but they also wayte vpon the Lord vntil it pleased the lord to worke further in them thereby and this wayting is as earnest as theirs who haue watched all the night do wayte and looke for the dawning of the day Secondly as they see their wantes so also they see that grace they haue receiued and for that time well appayde contented therewith and therfore as their wantes do humble them so the graces of God do comfort them and as their wantes do cal vpon them cause them to seeke more so that they haue doth prouoke them to be thankfull for that they haue receiued See then a quite contrary course of the wicked those that do of sinceritie worshyp God I say how contrary the graces gyftes of God do worke in them therefore from the consideraton hereof we may well draw a fourth rule whereby to make triall examinatioÌ„ of our owne selues therfore to conclude this poynt in a word when a man by the spirit of God hath bin inlightned vnto a certaine sufficient knowledge of Gods will when he findeth his affection chiefly aboue al other things set vpoÌ„ God wheÌ„ he findeth a pure sinceere loue of God in his hart not for wages but for that worde of grace which after an vnspeakable maner doth moue him therevnto and when he doth thankfully acknowledge mercies receaued as he doth carefully attende wayte vpon the Lord till he bestow some great measure of graces vpon him he may be vndoubtedly perswaded that he hath found the spirit working in him in a more effectuall maner therefore it shal neuer be taken from him But what then may such men cast off all care No for vnto them doth S. Paul giue this charge for though that the spirite can neuer be taken vtterly from them yet doubtles if they waxe proud if they grow secure if they fall into sinne the graces giftes of the spirite may decay and die in them their cleare loue their feeling their affectioÌ„ and all may be gone so that in their owne iudgement in the iudgement of others it may seeme that they haue quite quenched put out the spirite Neither must this seeme strange for if the image of God which was more perfectly placed in Adam theÌ„ it is now in vs. If I say this image might quite be blotted out lost as we see in was then no maruell if the graces of the spirit be for a time as it were dead drowned in vs and that we may be the lesse offended herewith the Scriptures do offer vnto vs examples of men as hauing bin once effectually and truly borne againe haue yet afterwarde through some sinnes lost the graces of the spirit such were the Galathians for they were truely called effectually regenerate by the spirit Gospell of God as may appeare by this that for the words sake they reuerenced the Apostle as the angel of God yet they were snared with false doctrine fell very dangerously to the choaking quenching the spirit in them the spirit it selfe was not taken from them nay Christ did still continue in their hartes yet for want of godly graces they were as it were without fashion forme so that the Apostle did as it were trauell agayne vntill Christ was fashioned a new in them Dauid also vpon the committing of his sinne was brought into the like case therfore in the. 51. Psal. he prayeth That God wil create in him a new spirit What was the spirite quite gone no for by and by in the same Psalme he prayeth That the Lord would not take away his holy spirite from him how can these two stand together first to pray that a new spirite may be created in him and that the spirit of God may not be taken from him Surely the spirit it selfe was stil in him therfore he prayeth that it may not be taken from him but the graces gratious working of the spirit they were dead gone and therefore he prayeth that they may be renewed in him By this then we see that the very chiefe graces of the spirit may be quenched euen in the most godly when they fall into sin But yet that no libertie may be taken hereby let vs consider what griefe they bring to them selues that do by any meanes loose the graces of the spirit First of all we must know that though the spirite of God cannot be gotten by our labour yet it costeth vs much labour and we must vndergoe much trauel suffer much trouble before the spirite of God do take possession of vs. Now when the graces of the spirit are lost all our labour seemeth to be lost come to nothing Secondly when a man receaueth the spirit of God and by the same spirit is assured that his sinne is forgiuen him and he is in the fauour of God there doth arise in his hart a great ioy in the holy ghost a ioy I say that is vnspeakable glorious and this ioy is lost gone when the graces of Gods spirite are gon with how great griefe wo they know it that in any measure haue tasted of it Againe wheÌ„ the graces of the spirit are choaked in men they haue no haste to do good they haue no affection to goodnesse but all is gone and they are made for the time as it were an vnprofitable burthen of earth What griefe can be greater then this What sorowe cap sinke more deepe then that a good man should be cleane withholden from doing good Moreouer it is sure that wheÌ„ the gyftes of the spirit are in this sort gone that he that was more righteous before may soone fal into greater sins yea and which is more they shall also suffer the reproch of their sinnes For this is a part of the couenant that God made with his That though he will not take his mercies vtterly from them yet he will visite their sinnes with the rodde and their iniquities with scourges and what griefe is this The example of Gods childreÌ„ What hart breaking to Dauid by his owne sonne to be thrust from his kingdome so greeuous that if without any respect of hell or heauen we could consider of them we had rather want all the pleasure of sinne which Dauid enioyed then we would feele the payne which Dauid suffered Last of all when the graces of the spirit of God are decaied they can neuer be repaired and recouered but with much sorow and great danger for it can not but breede much sorow of hart to examine see the greatnesse of them to apply Gods iudgementes to them and to prouoke himself to sorow for them This is as it where to go through the pikes and through purgatorie in this present lyfe yet this must be done before we can recouer Gods grace Agayne it is a very dangerous thing for in such cases men are brought as it were with Ionas into the bottome of the sea and as Dauid saith into the deepe waters so that all the surge and waues do passe ouer him Now we know what danger it is for a man to be thrust ouer head and eares into the deepe waters and therefore they that are in such a case are in great danger wherefore all these thinges considered the losse of all our labour the losse of all true ioy the vnfitnesse to do good the readinesse to sinne the griefe and danger that ensueth thereof will or at the least wyse may cause vs to be ware how we quench the spirite And this is 〈◊〉 vse of the doctrine in humblyng vs which also doth further serue to â—â—mfort vs knowing that we may sufâ—â—â— a great decay of Gods graces yet the rodde or worde of God they â—ay be renewed in vs agayne And thus much of this commaundement that the Apostle giueth heere that we should not quench the spirite FINIS
if the Lorde did not myslyke thy sinne why shoulde he rayse suche a report on thee Why shoulde he saue thy good name yf he were not minded to shew thee mercy And yf he woulde not haue thee with all thy hart to repent thee of all thy sinnes why doth he whippe thy naked conscience for sinne Therefore if by this louing kindnesse we be not ledde vnto repentance verely it wylbe a sinne that shal not escape vnpunished Thus we haue heard how an euyll name doth arise of sinne committed and what profite must be taken hereof Now let vs further consider how a man must profite by an euyll name not when he hath deserued it by some sinne but when he hath onely fayled in this that he hath geuen occasion to be suspected of any euyll This occasion is of two sort First when eyther good dueties are eyther altogeather omitted or done with a grudging minde or as it were of constraynt This report must teach thee that although thou be not so euyll as men woulde make thee yet thou art not so good as thou oughtest to be Therefore by this thou must learne to be more carefull of doing good so to do it with greater and better corage for the Lord loueth a chearefull giuer The seconde occasion is inwarde which although no man can finde out yet the Lord for thy good doth cause me to speake euyll of thee for it This inwarde occasion is when thy hart hath eyther giuen some full consent to do euyll or at least hath much wandered in thinking of it Heere the Lord doth take the time and suffereth men to report of thee that thou hast done that which in deene thou hast not done yet in thy hart thou hast taken pleasure in it Then the way to profite by this is to confesse the goodnesse of the Lord who will not haue thee to fall into such sinne as myght deserue discredite For such is the nature of man that yf an euyll thought do long tary in the minde it wilbe hardly restrayned before it come to the outwarde acte Agayne by this report thus raysed on vs we must take occasion to call backe our selues yf we haue consented to euyll and with griefe to be sorowfull for it or yf we haue not as yet consented we must labour to represse the heate of our affections and quench them by the moysture of the worde And thus muche shalbe sufficient for those reportes which aryse of some iust groundes and occasions The last poynt to be handled in this whole case is to see what vse must be made of those reportes which be altogeather false and haue neyther grounde nor good beginning For it may come to passe that when a man hath auoyded euyll and done good when he hath shunned the occasion of euyll and done all good with a chearefull hart yet he may be very yll reported of and his good name hyndered Now if this doth befall any man he must know that it is the Lorde his doing and that the Lorde doth it eyther to correct sinne or els to preuent it the Lorde I say doth by this meanes sometyme correct sinne eyther in the same kynde or in some other In the same kynde he dealeth thus he suffereth thee to be compted an adulterer yet thou doest now lyue chastly and hatest that filthy sinne But then he seeth that thou hast eyther been an adulterer and hast not repented at all Or yf thou hast sodaynely repented yet now thou beginnest to fayle and to coole in the hatred of that sinne Agayne yf after examination thou finde thy selfe cleere in that sinne yet knowe that the Lorde by that report doth correcte some sinne quite contrarie vnto it as yf thou shouldest be accused because thou louest not thy wyfe whereas in deede thou louest her too well Or els otherwyse He causeth thee to be counted an adulterer that thou mightest be brought to see thy couetous hart and to say all in one worde we shall neuer make true vse of reportes vntill we haue bin brought to see and repent of some perticular sinne which either we saw not besore or els had not throughly repented of Furthermore it may come to passe that we hauing done all good dueties auoyded all euyll and examined our repentance euen for perticular sinnes yet shall we be euyll spoken of amongst men Here we must know that the Lord by reportes doth forewarne vs of euyll to come We are reported to be of the Family of loue hereby we are warned to take heede that we fall not into the sinne And so foorth of other reportes when any such reportes are caried about of vs we must be made so much the more warie that we fall not into that sinne and according to the Apostles rule We must labour to finish the course of our saluation in feare Which that we may do the Lord graunt for his Christes sake to whom be prayse for euer in the Churche Amen FINIS Richarde Greenham Here foloweth the seconde Sermon as it was preached by M. Richard Greenham The text as foloweth Quench not the spirit 1. Thessa. 5.19 ALl the doctrine of the Scriptures may be briefly referred to these two heades First how we may be prepared to reciue the spirite of God Secondly how the spirite may be retayned when we haue once receiued it And therefore S. Paul hauing labored to instruct the Thessalonians in the former part of this Epistle how they may receiue the spirite doth heere teach them how to keepe and continue this spirite vnto the ende and this the Apostle doth by geuing them a charge and commaundement that in no wise they do quench the spirit therefore doublesse teaching that as the sunnyng of euyll is the first steppe vnto goodnesse so the readie way to continue the spirite of God in our hartes is to labour that it be not quenched Now the Apostle vpon a great and weighty consideration doth here deliuer this precept For first of all though all those be worthely and iustly condemned that neuer tasted of the spirite of God yet as our sauiour Christe sayth A more iust and fearefull condemnation is like to come vppon them that hauyng once receyued it doth afterwardes loose the same Moreouer without this spirit of God no holy exercise can haue his full effect For the worde worketh not where the spirit is wantyng prayers haue no power to pearce before the presence of God the sacraments seeme small and seely thinges in our eyes and all other orders exercises which God hath graunted and ordeyned for man They are vnprofitable to man where the spirit is not present to conuey them into our harts there to sceale vp the fruite of them Last of all weare fitte to reciue no good grace at Gods handes nay we do not esteeme Gods graces when we haue not the spirit to teach vs to set a due price of them for speake of the Law of the Gospell of sinne of righteousnesse speake of Christ
or of our redemption iustification by him yea speake of that high and waighty heauens of glory wherewith the elect shalbe crowned all this moueth not we are litle affected therewith vnlesse God giue vs of this good spirite to profite by the same The Apostle therefore with good reason gaue this precept and we for many causes are to lysten vnto it least by any meanes the spirit of God be quenched in vs and so we depriue our selues of all the fruites Now whereas the Apostle sayth Quench not the spirit it may appeare he speaketh to those that had already receyued it For as the fire can not be sayd to be quenched where it is not so they can not be sayde to quench or loose the spirit which haue not as yet receyued the spirit Then know that this precept doth properly belong to them that haue receyued the spirit of God and they especially are to make a speciall vse of it for the other it can not profite them vnlesse that as the seede lying in the grounde a long time doth afterwarde budde and become fruitefull so they continue in their myndes tyll they haue tasted in some good sort of the spirit of God and then breede in them some carefulnes that they do not quench it Well then to them that haue felt and founde the spirite of God in them to them sayth S. Paul in this place Take heede that ye quench not the spirite Of this if we do somewhat seriously consider these questions will offer them selues and soone arise in our mindes First how we may know whether we haue the spirit of God or no. Secondly if we haue it whether it may be lost or no which if they be well and sufficiently considered wil doubtlesse giue great force to this precept For the first yf we will know whether we haue the spirit or no we must surely vnderstand that as he knoweth that he hath lyfe which feeleth it in himselfe so he best knoweth whether he haue the spirit of God that feeleth the spirit working in him If we will further know by the peculiar working and effectes of the spirite then let vs marke these First of all if there be nothing in man but the nature of man if nothing but that may be obteyned by the nature and industrie of a man then surely in that man is not the spirit of God for the spirit is from God it is from aboue it is aboue nature and therefore the Apostle doth set the spirit of God against the spirit of the worlde when he saith We haue receiued the spirite not of the worlde but of God Beside the spirit of God is eternal and endureth for euer but all the doinges and deuises of men they perish and in time haue an ende Therefore though a man haue wysedome with great knowledge though in wit and skill he passe and excell the common sort of men yet if from aboue he haue not bin inlyghtned if from heauen his wysedome be not sanctified his knowledge shall decay his wysedome wyther like grasse and as yet he hath not tasted of the spirite of God that endureth for euer And therefore sayth S. Paul We teach the mysteries of God which none no not the Princes and the men of this worlde which are aboue others most excellent are not able to vnderstande Secondly consider whether there be in thee any alteration or change for the wyse men that were expert in nature coulde say That in euery generation there is a corruption so that as seede in the grounde so sinne in our natural body should decay that the new man might be raysed vp the spirit of God taking possession in our soules Therefore the Euangelist Iohn doth make this the first worke of the spirit that it shall rebuke the worlde of sinne and this so needefull that without it there is not the spirite of God neyther yet can Christ come and enter into that man Hereof it was that Christ compared the Iewes to Chyldren in the market place who woulde not daunce though they were piped vnto and the reason was because they had not first learned with Iohn to mourne for they that by the preaching of Iohn learned to lament their sinnes for their sinnes were pensiue nay rather their owne soules they receyued Christ they daunced and reioyced to heare the ioyfull tydinges of the Gospel Therefore Christ saith That the Whores and Harlots entred into the kingdome of heauen seeing they lamented their sinnes before the proude Pharisees which with no remorce were touched for their sinnes And for the same cause it is that Christ calleth vnto him them onely that laboure and are heauie loden teaching them that yf they finde not sinne a heauy loade and burthen to them they haue not the spirit of God neyther are they fitte to receiue Christ. Then to be rebuked of sinne is the first worke of the spirit which the spirit worketh in vs by these degrees First it rayseth vppon vs a great and generall astonishment because of all these great and greeuous sinnes that we haue committed and this doth strike vs downe it doth terrifie vs and holde vs amazed woonderfully then it dealeth with vs more perticularly and besides that it bringeth vs vnto a speciall griefe for speciall sinnes doth bereaue vs of our chiefe desires and bringeth vs out of conceite of the best thinges that are in vs for then it doth display vnto vs the vanitie and darkenesse of our vnderstanding how vnfit and vnmeete we are to vnderstande and conceaue the thynges that do aboue all others especially concerne vs then doth it let vs see the peruerse corruption of our iudgement that before God and in thynges belongyng to God we be bruite beastes not able to discerne thinges that differ nor to put a sounde difference betweene good and euyll then doth it let vs see that our reason is vnreasonable nay that it is hurtfull vnto vs a great enemie to fayth and a great patrone of infidelitie and vnbeliefe When it commeth to our affections it turneth thē vpside downe it turneth our myrth into mourning and pleasure into paynefulnesse and our great delyght into most bitter griefe If it proceede further and come once to the hart and to the stomacke and courage that is in vs then it cutteth vs to the quicke then doth it at once throw vs downe in humility vnder the hand of God for whyle we had to deale with men we were as stoute as any and would not start for the best We had reason to see for our selues and courage to defende our selues agaynst all them that dyd deale with vs but now the spirite draweth vs into the presence of God it letteth vs see that we haue to do with God and that our strength is weakenesse in respect of him Then our hartes begin to fayle vs then do we lay our handes on our mouthes and dare not answere then do we quickly take vp our crosse because the Lord himselfe hath done it