would not it is no more I that doe it but the sinne that dwelleth in me and therefore it shall not be laid vnto my charge and 25. for I my selfe in my minde serue the law of God though in my flesh I serue the law of sinne and therefore in the next chapter he breaketh out into this comfortable saying and auoucheth it most confidently that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh Rom. 8.1 but after the Spirit And this communion and fellowship that herein we haue with Christ for the discharging of vs from the guilt of our naturall corruption we know by two infallible tokens the one is the Spirit of sanctification which we haue receiued from him whereby it commeth to passe that we walk not afrer the flesh any more but after the Spirit vers 11. For if the Spirit of him that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwell in vs he that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken our mortall bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in vs 13. and therefore if we mortifie the deedes of the bodie by the Spirit we shall liue for as many as are lead by the Spirit of God they are the sonnes of God and thus this sanctification of ours which is in sinceritie and truth though in much weaknes and great imperfection proceeding from the Spirit of God is a sure token that we are partakers of the righteousnesse of Christ to the perfect iustifying of vs in the sight of God and to the taking away of all the remnants of sinne inhering dwelling in vs continually The second testimonie hereof is the Spirit of adoption which he giueth vs to assure vs of his fauour and to deliuer vs from our feares in measure and to teach vs chearefully and comfortably to pray vnto God as to our most merciful Father for he saith that this spirit of sanctification vers 15. is not the spirit of bondage to feare again which feare is wrought in vs by the sight of our sinnes through the ministery of the law but it is the spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abba Father that is it sealeth vp our adoption in our mindes and so openeth our mouthes in prayer vnto God and therefore he addeth that the same Spirit beareth witnes with our Spirits that wee are the children of God and if wee be children wee are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ Thus by the Spirit of adoption which is discerned by this most excellent operation of his that it causeth vs to pray in hope to God as to our father and to call him not once father after a faint manner but twise or thrise yea continually Abba father or father father we know that we haue our part in Christ for whose sake onely he is our father and so are by him deliuered from the guiltines of all the remnants of corruption sinne though they are in our flesh and dwell there continually as the Apostle saith and doe shew themselues both by vnbeleefe and by hindring vs frō doing of that good that we would and causing vs to doe that euill that we would not Another thing whereby our faith is assaulted and often weakened is the consideration of those manifold and grieuous afflictions which may and doe befal vs in this world whereby it might seeme vnto vs that our waies are not so acceptable vnto the Lord that we might haue comfort in them For answer vnto which hee sheweth that of what nature or kind soeuer they be they shall bee so farre from hindering vs from the fauour of God from our saluation as that in them wee haue Christ Iesus who went before vs in all our afflictions further then wee can and yet at the last came vnto glorie and therefore if we patiently abide as we haue not onely the Prophets and Apostles Martyrs and other holy men but euen Christ himselfe to be our fellow in them so we shall be fellowes with him like vnto him in glorie for he saith 16. If so be that we suffer with him we shall also be glorified with him And least that it might seem grieuous vnto vs to goe to so happie an estate through so grieuous painfull a way and so might thinke that the kingdome of heauen though it bee neuer so pretious in it self we should buie it too deerely he telleth vs assuredly that by considering the afflictions of this world on the one side and the felicitie of the kingdome of heauen on the other side and so casting vp the account of the one and the other hee hath found the totall summe of them both to bee so farre differing that all the afflictions of this miserable and wretched world indured by any and from the first houre of their birth vnto their last breath are not to bee compared in greatnesse or continuance vnto that glorie and happinesse that shall there be reuealed and bestowed vpon vs according to the expresse wordes of the text I count vers 18. or all things beeing well considered I gather that the afflictions of this present time are not worthie of the glorie that shall be shewed vnto vs. And as this glorie is thus great so it is most sure and certaine though we doe not presently enioy it and therefore we need not in any wise to doubt of it for all the other creatures of God besides man which are vnreasonable and dumbe haue in their kind a certaine sense and feeling of it for though they bee now subiect and that yet but for a time vnto this vanitie that is corruption and abuse which they are in yet by the instinct of nature they doe most earnestly as it were with their heads lifted vp and neckes stretched out that they might see a great way off looke for the reuealing of the sonnes of God that so they themselues also might then be redeemed from bondage into their glorious libertie and they shall not bee disappointed of their hope Therefore much more we that haue receiued the first fruits of the spirit should with greater patience in trouble abide the will of God a while and with more certaintie and earnestnesse of desire looke for an happy change of all our afflictions in that most glorious day Which the Apostle setteth out in much more patheticall and significant wordes then I haue expressed and therefore I could not passe them ouer for he saith and 19. The feruent desire of the creature that is of the whole frame of this world and of all things in it waiteth whē the sonnes of God shall bee reuealed 20. Because the creature is subiect vnto vanitie not of his owne will or natural inclination but by reason of him which hath subdued it vnder hope For though hee did by his curse vpon all the creatures which he had made for man shew how greatly he was displeased with the fall and
farre aboue any father or mother insomuch as the Lord saith Can a woman forget her childe Esa 49.15 and not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe though they should forget yet will not I forget thee though hee delighteth to heare vs pray to him as Christ himselfe witnesseth to his Church saying My doue shew me thy sight let me heare thy voice Cant. 2.14 for thy voice is sweete and thy sight comely yet when by the extremities of our miseries wee are so oppressed or distracted that wee cannot in any orderly manner pray vnto him as we ought yet he alloweth of the sighes sobs that we offer vp vnto him and granteth not so much our wordes which sometimes none or very fewe as the meaning of his spirit which is large and plentifull in vs. And hereupon it commeth to passe that the Lord in his iust mercie imputeth not vnto his seruants the manifold rebellions of their flesh or great complaints in their praier as hee did not vnto Iob nor to Dauid who were full of them as wee haue seene before because he hath respect vnto the meaning of his spirit in thē As the mother is not so much grieued or offended with the murmurings impatiencie and froward outcries of her poore sicke childe as she by the least token guesseth at the meaning of him and taketh that in good part and giueth to him accordingly What shall we say to these things Is it true indeede that the Lord will vouchsafe to looke vpon the low degree of his seruants and haue respect vnto poore sinnefull creatures who when they are fallen into the bottom of their iust deserued miserie and euen then can not pray vnto him one word aright and when they begin to speake vnto him euen then their tongue cleaueth to the roofe of their mouth that he will yet heare their sighs and their cries yea vndoubtedly he that of his great mercie will beare with such great weaknesse in men Matt. 12.20 that he will not breake a bruised reede nor quench the smoking flaxe he will of the like mercie heare not onely the well ordered prayers of his Church but euen the very cryings roarings of his seruants though they be like the Pellicans and the owles yea their mournings though they be like to the doues yea when they say nothing neither indeed can their very sobs and sighs which come frō the abundance of a troubled spirit and can not be expressed for he alloweth of the meaning of his Spirit which worketh these things in them and if they could thereby they are willing to performe better seruice vnto him and are sorie that they can not doe it What can be more comfortable vnto vs then this Therefore in all our necessities let vs goe vnto the Lord in Christ with great boldnesse and come vnto the throne of grace and though we can not vtter many wordes yet let vs speake vnto him for surely the acceptation of our praiers consisteth not in the multitude or well placing of our words but in the request and desire of our hearts and therefore if we can pray but two or three words say with the poore Publican Lord Luk. 18 1◠be merciful vnto me a sinner or with the Apostles Lord increase our faith 17.5 or with the man in the Gospel Lord I beleeue Lord help mine vnbeleef Mar. 9.24 or with the blind man Matt. 9.29 O son of Dauid haue mercy vpon me or with the theefe vpon the crosse Luk. 23 4◠Lord remember me in thy kingdome c. this short prayer proceeding from the Spirit of God in vs and offered vp in the mediation of Christ Iesus and in the vertue of his prayers shall be as well receiued of him when we can doe no better as if we had spent an whole houre in prayer Yea if we do but lift vp our minds vnto God and pray in our spirite though we vtter not one word as that godly woman Hannah the mother of Samuel did 2. Sam. 1.10 who beeing troubled in her minde praied vnto the Lord and wept sore but how did shee pray shee spake in her heart her lips did mooue onely but her voice was not heard The Lord will heare vs as he did her and giue her according to her desire as shee afterward confessed to Heli the Priest I praied for this child and the Lord hath giuen me my desire which I asked of him And so did Nehemiah pray vnto God for he waiting vpon the King of Babylon as hee sate at table and beeing sad in his presence more then he had wont to be the King demanded of him the cause he told him then hauing leaue of the King to ask what he would for the accomplishing of his desire it is saide that hee praied to the God of heauen that is Nehe. 2.4 he lifted vp his mind vnto God and desired him to blesse him in that enterprise of his and so he did So we if either we can not pray in words or waite opportunity of time and place and doe but sigh vnto him after an vnspeakeable manner the Lord will not refuse that because it proceedeth from his Spirit And as this may be no small comfort vnto vs in our affliction so the Apostle Paul in the next verse following doth for our further comfort shew what is the ende of all the afflictions of the children of God namely their benefit and good whē he saith Rom. 8 2◠Also we know that al things worke together for the best to them that loue God euen to them that are called of his purpose In which words he ministreth this soueraigne medicine against the contagion poison of all affliction telling vs that they come to the beleeuers not for their hurt but for their singular good especially seeing they befall them not by fortune or chance but by the speciall prouidence of God and that for the same ende who as he hath chosen them from euerlasting so in the same counsell of his he ordained that they should in their crosses bee like vnto his sonne Vers 29. For those whom hee knew before hee also predestinate to be made like to the image of his son that he might bee the first borne of many brethren and therefore hee calleth them in time iustifieth them by faith and by the crosse bringeth them to eternall glorie as he did his owne naturall sonne as it is said in the next words 30. Moreouer whom he predestinated them also he called whome he called them also he iustified and whome he iustified them also he glorified Whereupon he boldly concludeth that no affliction shall be able to hurt them seeing that the Lord is with them in the same meaning thereby to doe them good for he speaketh after a most confident maner What shall we then say to these things 31. If God be on our side who can be against vs as if he had
as they should and might yet all this hindereth not but that the Lord by them seeketh their good they should labour to profit to be bettered by their afflictions and bee perswaded that they shall worke together for the best vnto them thogh they be full of cōplaints whiles they are in the middest of them For who euer complained more of their afflictions then these two men Iob and Dauid and yet who had more profit or gote more good by thē then they both of thē being thus tried in the triall found to bee most faithfull and patient and constant vnto the ende And concerning this pronenesse in vs to complaine we must consider that such is our nature that we must needes haue the feeling of our afflictions vnlesse our hearts were hardened like yron or steele and so wee were senslesse like stocks and stones and not as men And therefore seeing it is otherwise namly our hearts naturally are soft and tender and readie to be broken with affliction and some more and some lesse it cannot possibly be but that euery thing that befalleth vs should worke vpon vs and that we should bee mooued according to the nature and qualitie of it either to ioy or sorrow loue or hatred anger or feare and such like therefore tribulation must needes trouble vs and affliction must needs afflict vs and the crosse cannot but crucifie vs yet we may and ought for all that bee perswaded that it is for our good and looke for it from thence and pray to God in faith that we may finde it Euen as the sicke patient painfull languishing creature vnder the Physitians hand cannot as he is a naturall man indued with sense and reason but feele to his great griefe the launcing with sharpe kniues and the searing of his flesh with redde hotte yrons so complaine of them with much heauinesse and many teares yea crie out and roare for the extremitie of his paine though he knoweth it be best for him then thus to be handled and therefore though he be sometimes bound in the dressing both hand and foote or violently held by men yet after a sort hee doth most willingly suffer it And this is one cause of complaining in affliction though they are perswaded that it is for their good euen the infirmitie and tendernes of our nature whereby all crosses worke on vs as they doe But there is an other cause more principall then this which proceedeth from ignorāce or want of faith for many are too full of complaints in their affliction because they are not perswaded at all or not at that time when they are in temptation that aduersitie or the crosse is for their good or at least not that particular crosse and in that manner that it is vpon them which if they could come vnto whatsoeuer should be laid vpō them they would not greatly complaine of it for the hope of future good would mitigate and asswage all Therefore all such are to meditate vpon that which hath alreadie beene spoken concerning this matter namely how many waies by affliction the Lord doth vs good In the latter part of the verse whē he saith To them that loue God that is all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God as he thereby restraineth this general promise because it is not made to all so he sheweth to whome it appertaineth namely to those that beleeue in Christ and are sanctified by his Spirit whereof this is one speciall fruit The loue of God For he intreateth here of the certentie of the saluation of those that belong vnto Christ as appeareth by the first words of the chapter Rom. 8.1 Now then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit Where he also discerneth the true beleeuer from others by this fruit of faith namely sanctification here he doth name one principall of it which is loue Loue to God from whence ariseth loue vnto men for his sake and from them both all duties to God and man And thus the Apostle also in an other place ioyneth faith and loue together as those that are inseparable when he saith Gal. 5 6. that in Iesus Christ neither circumcision nor vncircumcision auaileth any thing but faith which worketh by loue where his meaning is that no outward thing or seruice of God though commanded by him as circumcision was commendeth vs to God or maketh vs acceptable vnto God but onely Christ and his obedience which we take hold of and so make ours by faith which faith is then effectual and liuely when it breedeth in vs a loue which loue appeareth by the fruits and effects of the same So then the Apostle here vnder one fruit which is loue comprehendeth all godlines and sanctification But hee taketh this thing rather then any other The loue of God as that that is most fit for his purpose for speaking of affliction he saith that by this we shall trie our faith if our loue to God continue euen then so that wee cease not to loue God though he afflict vs. For whereas the very wicked will pretend to loue God in prosperitie and as long as all things goe well with them they will professe that they loue God as much as any yea and that they were worse then the bruit beasts if that they did not loue him and that with all their heart who bestoweth all things vpon them so liberally and many such glorious words they will vtter but in aduersitie and when God layeth affliction vpon them their loue is changed yea they fall into open hatred and defiance with God yea euen vnto plaine cursing and banning as appeareth by the example of Iobs wife who saide vnto her husband Iob 2. ◠Doest thou continue still in thine vprightnesse blaspheme God and die But he that loueth God truly loueth him not for his backe and belly as we say but because he is goodnes it selfe and therefore principally to be beloued for himselfe and so their loue continueth though all outward blessings be taken away And herein the wicked too manifestly bewray vile mindes and seruile natures that like as seruants loue not their masters nor maidens their mistresses if they once beginne to correct them for their faults so grow wearie of them and are readie to run away from them as the maid seruant Hagar the Egyptian did from her mistresse Sarai Gen. 16.6 But the godly doe this way as apparantly shew their liberall nature and ingenuous disposition in that as no correction or stripes of the father or mother can make the child to change his loue to them wholly to alienate his minde from them much lesse can they driue him cleane away from them but he will abide in their house and in all his neede resort to them for succour so will they still in affliction loue God and depend vpon him for all things