confusedly to know Christ to be our Redeemer but we must learn to see know and acknowledge him in euery particular gift and blessing of God If men vsing the creatures of meate and drinke could when they beholde them withall by the eye of faith behold in them the merit of Christs passion there would not be so much excesse and ryot so much surfetting and drunkennes as there is and if men could consider their houses and lands c. as blessings to them and that by the fountaine of blessing the merits of Christ there should not be so much fraud and deceit so much iniustice and oppression in bargaining as there is That which I haue now said of meats drinks apparrell must likewise be vnderstoode of gentrie and nobilitie in as much as noble-birth without newe birth in Christ is but an earthly vanitie the like may be said of physicke sleepe health libertie yea of the very breathing in the ayre And to goe yet further in our Recreations Christ must be knowne For all recreation stands in the vse of things indifferent and the holy vse of all things indifferent is purchased vnto vs by the blood of Christ. For this cause it is very meete that Christian men and women should with their earthly recreations ioyne spirituall meditation of the death of Christ and from the one take occasion to bethinke themselues of the other If this were practised there should not be so many vnlawfull sports and delights and so much abuse of lawfull recreation as there is The third benefit is that all crosses afflictions iudgements whatsoeuer cease to be curses and punishments to them that are in Christ and are onely meanes of correction or triall because his death hath taken away not some fewe parts but all and euery part of the curse of the whole lawe Now in all crosses Christ is to be knowne of vs on this manner We must iudge of our afflictions as chastisements or trialls proceeding not from a reuenging iudge but from the hand of a bountifull and louing father and therefore they must be conceiued in and with the merit of Christ and if we doe other wise regard them we take them as curses and punishments of sinne And hence it follows that subiection to Gods hand in all crosses is a marke and badge of the true Church The last benefit is that death is properly no death but a rest or sleepe Death therefore must be knowne and considered not as it is set forth in the law but as it is altered and changed by the death of Christ when death comes we must then looke vpon it through Christs death as through a glasse and thus it will appeare to be but a passage from this life to euerlasting life Thus much of the merit of Christ crucified Now followes his vertue which is the power of his Godhead whereby he creates new hearts in all them that beleeue in him and makes them new creatures This vertue is double the first is the power of his death wherby he freed himself from the punishment and imputation of our sinnes and the same vertue serueth to mortifie and crucifie the corruptions of our minds wills affectiōs euē as a corasive doth wast consume the rottē dead flesh in any part of mans body The second is the vertue of Christs resurrection which is also the power of his Godhead wherby he raised himselfe from death to life the very same power serueth to raise those that belong to Christ from their sinnes in this life and from the graue in the day of the last iudgement Now the knowledge of this double vertue must not be onely speculative that is barely conceiued in the braine but it must be experimental because we ought to haue experience of it in our hearts and liues and we should labour by all meanes possible to feele the power of Christs death killing mortifying our sinnes the vertue of his resurrection in the putting of spirituall life into vs that we might be able to say that we liue not but that Christ liues in vs. This was one of the most excellent and principall things which Paul sought for who saith I haue counted all things losse and doe iudge them to be dung that I may know him and the vertue of his resurrection Phil. 3. 10. And he saith that this is the right way to know and learne Christ to cast off the old man which is corrupt through deceiueable lusts and to put on the nevve man which is created in righteous and true holines Eph. 4. 24. The third benefite is the example of Christ. We deceiue our selues if we thinke that he is onely to be knowne of vs as a Redeemer and not as a spectacle and patterne of all good duties to which we ought to conforme our selues Good men indeede that haue beene or in present are vpon the earth the seruants of God must be followed of vs but they must be followed no otherwise then they follow Christ and Christ must be followed in the practise of euery good dutie that may concerne vs without exception simply and absolutely 1. Cor. 11. 1. Our conformitie with Christ stands either in the framing of our inward and spirituall life or in the practise of outward and morall duties Conformitie in spirituall life is not by doing that which Christ did vpon the crosse and afterward but a doing of the like by a certaine kind of imitation And it hath foure parts The first is a spirituall oblation For as Christ in the garden vpon the crosse by prayer made with stong cryes and teares presented and resigned himself vp to be a sacrifice of propitiation to the iustice of his father for mans sinne so must we also in praier present and resigne our selues our soules our bodies our vnderstanding will memorie affections and all we haue to the seruice of God in the generall calling of a Christian and in the particular callings in which he hath placed vs. Take an example in David Sacrifice and burnt offering saith he thou vvouldest not but eares thou hast pearced vnto me then said loe I come I desire to doe thy will O God yea thy law is vvithin my heart Psal. 40. 7. The second is conformitie in the crosse two waies For first as he bare his owne crosse to the place of exequution so must we as good disciples of Christ denie our selues take vp all the crosses and afflictions that the hand of God shall lay vpon vs if it be euery day and follow him Againe we must become like vnto him in the crucifying and mortifying the masse and bodie of sinne which we carrie about vs Gal. 5. 24. They vvhich are Christs have crucified the flesh vvith the affections and lusts thereof We must doe as the Iewes did we must set vp the crosses and gybbets wheron we are to fastē hang this flesh of ours that is the sinne corruption that cleaues sticks vnto vs and
And that thus much is required in knowledge it appeares by the common rule of expounding Scripture that vvordes of knovvledge implie affection And indeede it is but a knowledge swimming in the braine which doth not alter and dispose the affection and the whole man Thus much of our knowledge Now followes the second point how Christ is to be knowne He must not be knowne barely as God or as man or as a Iewe borne in the tribe of Iudah or as a terrible and iust iudge but as he is our Redeemer and the very price of our redemption and in this respect he must be considered as the common Treasurie and storehouse of Gods Church as Paul testifieth wheÌ„ he saith In him are all the treasures of knovvledge and wisdome hidde and againe Blessed be God which hath blessed vs vvith all spirituall blessings in Christ. And S. Iohn saith that of his fulnesse we receiue grace for grace Here then let vs marke that all the blessings of God whether spirituall or temporall all I say without exception are conuaied vnto vs from the father by Christ and so must they be receiued of vs and no otherwise That this point may be further cleared the benefits which wee receiue from Christ are to be handled and the maner of knowing of them The benefits of Christ are three his Merit his Vertue his Example The merit of Christ is the value and price of his death and Passion whereby man is perfectly reconciled to God This reconciliation hath two parts Remission of sinnes and acceptation to life euerlasting Remission of sinnes is the remoouing or the abolishing both of the guilt and punishment of mans sinnes By guilt I vnderstand a subiection or obligation to punishment according to the order of diuine iustice And the punishment of sinne is the malediction of curse of the whole law which is the suffering of the first and second death Acceptation to life euerlasting is a giuing of right and title to the kingdome of heauen and that for the merit of Christs obedience imputed Now this benefit of reconciliation must be knowne not by conceit and imagination nor by carnall presumption but by the inwarde testimonie of Gods spirit certifying our consciences thereof which for this cause is called the spirit of Revelation And that we may attaine to infallible assistance of this benefite we must call to minde the promises of the Gospel touching remission of sinnes and life euerlasting this being done we must further strive and indeauour by the assurance of Gods spirit to apply them to our selues â—nd to beleeue that they belong vnto vs and we must also put our selues often to all the exercises of invocation and true repentance For in and by our crying vnto heauen to God for reconciliation comes the assurance thereof as scriptures and Christian experience makes manifest And if it so fall out that any man in temptation apprehend and feele nothing but the furious indignation and wrath of God against all reason and feeling he must hold to the merite of Christ and know a point of religion hard to be learned that God is a most louing father to them that haue care to serue him euen at that instant when he shewes himselfe a most fierce and terrible enemie From the benefit of reconciliation proceede foure benefits First that excellent peace of God that passeth all vnderstanding which hath sixe parts The first is peace with God and the blessed Trinitie Rom 5. 1. beeing iustified vve have peace vvith God The second peace with the good Angels Ioh. 1. 51. Ye shall see the Angels of God ascending and descending vpon the sonne of man And that Angels like armies of souldiours incampe about the seruants of God and as nources beare them in their armes that they be neither hurt by the deuil and his angels nor by his instruments it proceeds of this that they being in Christ are partakers of his merits The third is peace with all such as feare God and beleeue in Christ. This Esay foretold when he said that the vvolfe shall dvvell vvith the lamb and the leopard lie vvith the kidde and the calfe and the lyon and a fatte beast together and that a little child should lead them c. 11. v. 6. The fourth is peace with a mans owne selfe when the conscience washed in the blood of Christ ceaseth to accuse and terrifie and when the wil affections and inclinations of the whole man are obedient to the minde enlightened by the spirit and word of God Coloss. 3. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts The fifth is peace with enemies and that two waies First in that such as beleeue in Christ seeke to haue peace with all men hurting none but doing good to all secondly in that God restraines the malice of enemies inclines their hearts to be peaceable Thus God brought Daniel into loue and fauour with the chief of the Eunuches The last is peace with all creatures in heauen earth in that they serue for maÌ„s saluatioÌ„ Psal. 9â— 13. Thou shalt walk vpon the lyon and the Aspe the young lyon and the dragon shalt thou tread vnder foot Hos. 2. 18. And in that day vvill I make a couenant for them vvith the beasts of the fielde and vvith the foules of heaven Nowe this benefite of â—eace is knowne partly by the testimonie of the â—pirit and partly by a daily experience thereof The second benefit is a recoverie of that right and title which man hath to all creatures in heauen and earth and all temporall blessings which right Adam lost to himselfe and euery one of his posteritie 1. Cor. 3. 22. Whether it be the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come all are yours Now the right way of knowing this one benefit is this When God vouchsafeth meate drinke apparrell houses lands c. we must not barely consider them as blessings of God for that very heathen men which know not Christ can doe but we must acknowledge and esteem them as blessings proceeding from the speciall loue of God the father whereby hee loues vs in Christ and procured vnto vs by the merite of Christ crucified and we must labour in this point to be setled and perswaded and so oft as we see and vse the creatures of God for our owne benefite this point should come to our mindes Blessings conceiued apart from Christ are misconceiued whatsoeuer they are in theÌ„selues they are no blessings to vs but in and by Christs merit Therefore this order must be obserued touching earthly blessings first wee must haue part in the merite of Christ and then secondly by meanes of that merit right before God and comfortable vse of thâ— things we enioy All men that haue and vse thâ— creatures of God otherwise as gifts of God but not by Christ vse them but as flat vsurpers and theeves For this cause is it not sufficient for vs generally and
bleede for thine owne offences casting downe and humbling thy selfe with Ezra saying O my God I am confounded and ashamed to lifte vp mine eyes unto thee my God for mine iniquities are increased and my trespasse is growen vp into heauen c. When thou readest that Christ was taken and bounde thinke that thy very sinnes brought him into the power of his enemies and were the verie bondes wherewith hee was tyed thinke that thou shouldest haue beene bounde in the very same manner vnlesse he had beene a suretie and pledge for thee thinke also that thou in the selfe same manner art bounde and tyed with the chaines of thine owne sinnes and that by nature thy will affections and whole spirit is tyed and chained to the will of the deuill so as thou canst doe nothing but that which he willeth lastly thinke and beleeue that the bondes of Christ serue to purchase thy liberty from hell death and damnation When thou hearest that hee was brought before Annas and Caiaphas thinke it was meete that thy surety and pledge who was to suffer the condemnation due unto thee should by the high priest as by the mouth of God be condemned and wonder at this that the very coessentiall eternall sonne of God euen the very soueraigne iudge of the world stands to be iudged and that by wicked men perswading thy selfe that this so great confusion comes of thy sinnes Whereupon being further amazed at thy fearefull estate humble thy selfe in dust and ashes and pray God so to soften thy stony heart that thou maist turne to him and by true faith lay holde on Christ who hath thus exceedingly abased himselfe that his ignominy may be thy glory and his arraignment thy perfect absolution When thou readest that Barrabas the murderer was preferred before Christ though hee exceeded both men and angels in holinesse thinke it was to manifest his innocency and that thy very sinnes pulled upon him this shamefull reproch and in that for thy cause he was esteemed worse then Barrabas thinke of thy selfe as a most heynous and wretched sinner and as Paul saith the head of all sinners When thou readest that he was openly and iudicially condemned to the cursed death of the crosse consider what is the wrath and fury of God against sinne and what is his great and infinite mercy to sinners and in this spectacle looke upon thy selfe and with grones of hearte cry out and say O good God What settest thou heare before mine eyes I euen I haue sinned I am guiltie and worthy of damnation Whence comes this chaunge that thy blessed sonne is in my roome but of thy unspeakeable mercy Wretch that I am how haue I forgotten my selfe and thee also my God O sonne of God how long hast thou abased thy selfe for mee Therefore giue me grace O God that beholding mine owne estate in the person of my Sauiour thus condemned I may detest and loath my sinnes that are the cause thereof and by a liuely faith embrace that absolution which thou offerest me in him who was condemned in my stead and roome O Iesu Christ Sauiour of the worlde giue me thy holy and blessed spirite that I may iudge my selfe and be as vile and base in mine owne eyes as thou wast vile before the Iewes also vnite me unto thee by the same spirite that in thee I may be as worthy to be accepted before God as I am worthy in my selfe to be detested for my sinnes When thou readest that he was clad in purple and crowned with thornes mocked and spitt vpon behold the everlasting shame that is due unto thee be ashamed of thy selfe and in this point conforme thy selfe to Christ and be content as he was to be reproched abused and despised so it be for a good cause When thou readest that before his crucifying he was stript of all his cloathes thinke it was that he being naked might beare thy shame on the crosse and with his most pretious and rich nakednes couer thy deformitie When thou readest the complaint of Christ that he was forsaken of his father consider how he suffered the pangs and torments of hell as thy pledge and suretie Learne by his vnspeakable torments what a fearefull thing it is to sinne against God and beginne to renownce thy selfe and detest thy sinnes and to walke as a childe of light according to the measure of grace receiued When thou commest to die set before thine eyes Christ in the middest of all his torments on the crosse in beholding of which spectacle to thy endles comfort thou shalt see a paradise in the middest of hell God the father reconciled vnto thee thy Sauiour reaching out his hands vnto thee to receiue thy soule vnto him and his crosse as a ladder to aduance it to eternall glorie Whereas he cried aloud with a strong voyce at the point of death it was to shew that he died willingly without violence or constraint from any creature and that if it had so pleased him he could haue freed himselfe from death and haue cast his very enemies to the very bottome of hell When thou readest that he commended his soule into the handes of his father consider that thy soule also so be it thou wilt beleeue in him is deliuered vp into the hands of God and shall be preserued against the rage and malice of all thine enemies and hereupon thou maiest be bolde to commend thy spirite into the hands of God the father When thou readest of his death consider that thy sinnes were the cause of it and that thou shouldest haue suffered the same eternally vnlesse the Sonne of God had come in thy roome againe consider his death as a ransome and apprehend the same by faith as the meanes of thy life for by death Christ hath wounded both the first and second death and hath made his crosse to be a throne or tribunall seate of iudgement against all his and thine enemies When thou readest of the trembling of the earth at the death of Christ thinke with thy selfe it did in his kinde as it were groane vnder the burden of the sinnes of men in the worlde and by his motion then it signified that euen thou and the rest deserued rather to be swallowed of the earth and to goe downe into the pit aliue then to haue any part in the merit of Christ crucified When thou readest of his buriall thinke it was to ratifie his death and to vanquish death euen in his owne denne Applie this buriall to thy selfe and beleeue that it serues to make thy graue a bedde of downe and to free thy bodie from corruption Lastly pray to God that thou maiest feele the power of the spirite of Christ weakning and consuming the bodie of sinne euen as a deade corps rots in the graue till it be resolued to dust When thou hast thus perused and applied to thy selfe the historie of the Passion of Christ goe yet further and labour by faith to see Christ crucified in all the workes of God either in thee or vpon thee Beholde him at thy table in meate and drinke which is as it were a liuely sermon and a daily pledge of the mercie of God in Christ. Beholde him in all thine afflictions as thy partner that pitieth thy case and hath compassion on thee Behold him in thy most daungerous temptations in which the deuill thundereth damnation behold him I say as a mightie Sampson bearing away the gates of his enemies vpon his owne shoulders and killing more by death then by life crucifying the deuill euen then when he is crucified by death killing death by entrance into the graue opening the graue and giuing life to the dead and in the house of death spoiling him of all his strength and power Beholde him in all the afflictions of thy brethren as though he himselfe were naked hungrie sicke harbourlesse and doe vnto them all the good thou canst as to Christ himselfe If thou wouldest behold God himselfe looke vpon him in Christ crucified who is the ingrauen image of the fathers person and know it to be a terrible thing in the time of the trouble of thy conscience to thinke of God without Christ in whose face the glorie of God in his endlesse mercie is to be seene 2. Cor. 4. v. 6. If thou wouldest come to God for grace for comfort for saluation for any blessing come first to Christ hanging bleeding dying vpon the crosse without whome there is no hearing God no helping God no sauing God no God to thee at all In a word let Christ be all things without exception vnto thee Coloss. 3. 11. for when thou praiest for any blessing either temporall or spirituall be it whatsoeuer it will be or canbe thou must aske it at the hands of God the father by the merit and mediation of Christ crucified now looke as we aske blessings at Gods hand so must we receiue them of him and as they are receiued so must we possesse and vse them daily namely as gifts of God procured to vs by the merit of Christ which gifts for this very cause must be wholly imploied to the honour of Christ. FINIS Esai 53. 11 Ioh. 17. 2. 1. Cor. 2. 2. Gal. 6. 14. Phil. 3. 5. â—d 15. 19. 2. King 4. 34 2. King 13. 21. Coloss. 13. Eph. 1. 4. Eph. 1. 17 cap. 1. 9. Consider Colost 3. 11. 2. 10. b Calvin 〈…〉 Gal. c. 6. 2. Ezra 9.
by the sworde of the spirit wound it euē to death This being don we must yet goe further and labour by experience to see and feele the very death of it and to lay it as it were in a graue neuer to rise againe and therefore we should daily cast new mouldes vpon it The third is a spirituall resurrection whereby we should by Gods grace vse meanes that wee may euery day more and more come out of our sinnes as out of a loathsome graue to liue vnto God in newnes of life as Christ rose from his graue And because it is an hard matter for a man to come out of the graue or rather dungeon of his sinnes this worke can not be done at once but by degrees as God shall giue grace Considering we lie by nature dead in our sinns and stinke in them as loathsome carrion first we must beginne to stirre our selues as a man that comes out of a sowne awakened by the word and voice of Christ sounding in our deafe eares secondly we must raise vp our mindes to a better state and condition as we vse to raise vp our bodies after this we must put out of the graue first one hand then the other This done we must doe our indeauour as it were vpon our knees at the least to put one foote out of this sepulchre of sinne the rather when we see our selues to haue one foote of the bodie in the graue of the earth that in the day of iudgement we may be wholly deliuered from all bonds of corruption The fourth part is a spirituall ascension into heauen by a continuall elevation of the heart and minde to Christ sitting at the right hand of the father as Paul saith Haue your conuersation in heauen and If ye be risen vvith Christ seeke things that are above Conformitie in morall duties is either generall or speciall Generall is to be holy as he is holy Rom. 8. 29. Those whome he knew before he hath predestinate to be like the image of his sonne that is not onely in the crosse but also in holines and glorie 1. Ioh. 3. He vvhich hath this hope purifieth himselfe euen as he is pure Speciall conformitie is chiefly in foure vertues Faith Love Meekenesse Humilitie Wee must be like him in faith For as he when hee apprehended the wrath of God and the very pangs of hell were vpon him wholly staide himselfe vpon the ayde helpe protection and good pleasure of his father euen to the last so must wee by a true and liuely faith depend wholly on Gods mercie in Christ as it were with both our handes in peace in trouble in life and in the very pang of death and we must not in any wise let our holde goe no though we should feele our selues descend to hell We must be like him in meekenesse Matth. 11. v. 28. Learne of me that I am meeke and lovvly His meekenesse shewed it selfe in the patient bearing of all iniuries and abuses offered by the hands of sinnefull and wretched men and in the suffering of the curse of the lawe without grudging or repining and with submission to his fathers will in all things Now the more we follow him herein the more shall we be conformable to him in his death and passion Philip. 3. 10. Thirdly he must be our example in love he loued his enemies more then himselfe Eph. 5. 4. Walke in love even as Christ loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs an oblation and sacrifice of svveete smelling savour vnto God The like loue ought we to shew by doing seruice to all men in the compasse of our callings and by beeing all things to all men as Paul was that we might doe them all the good wee can both for bodie and soule 1. Cor. 9. 19. Lastly we must follow Christ in humilitie whereof he is a wonderfull spectacle in that being God he became man for vs and of a man became a worme that is troaden vnder foote that he might saue man Philip. 2. 5. Let the same minde be in you that vvas in Iesus Christ who beeing in the forme of God humbled himselfe and became obedient to the death euen to the death of the crosse And here we must obserue that the example of Christ hath something more in it thē any other exāple hath or cā haue for it doth not only shew vs what we ought to do as the exāples of other men doe but it is a remedie against many vices and a motive to many good duties First of all the serious consideration of this that the very sonne of God himselfe suffered all the paines and torments of hel on the crosse for our sinnes is the proper most effectuall means to stirre up our hearts to a godly sorow for them And that this thing may come to passe euery man must be setled without doubt that he was the man that crucified Christ that he is to be blamed as well as Iudas Herode Pontius Pilate and the Iewes and that his sinnes were the nayles the speares and the thornes that pearced him When this meditation beginnes to take place bitternesse of spirite with wayling and mourning takes place in like maner Zach. 12. v. 10. And they shall looke vpon him vvhome they have pearced and they shall lament for him as one lamenteth for his onely sonne Peter in his first sermon strooke the Iewes as with a thunderclappe from heauen when hee saide unto them Yee have crucified the Lorde of glory so as at the same time three thousande men were pricked in their heartes and saide Men and breethren What shall vvee doe to be saved Againe if Christ for our sinnes shedde his heart bloode and if our sinnes made him sweate water and bloode Oh then why should not we our selues shedde bitter teares and why shoulde not our heartes bleede for them He that findes himselfe so dull and hardened that the Passion of Christ doeth not humble him is in a lamētable case for there is no faith in the death of Christ effectuall in him as yet Secondly the meditation of the Passion of Christ is a most notable meanes to breed repentance and reformation of life in time to come For when wee beginne to thinke that Christ crucified by suffering the first and second death hath procured unto vs remission of all our sinns past and freed vs from hell death and damnation then if there be but a sparke of grace in vs we beginne to be of another minde and to reason thus with our selues What hath the Lord beene thus mercifull to me that am in my selfe but a firebrand of hell as to free me from deserued destruction and to receiue me to fauour in Christ yea no doubt he hath his name be blessed therefore I will not therefore sinne any more as I haue done but euer hereafter endeauour to keep my selfe from euery euill way And thus faith purifies both heart and life Thirdly when thou art in any paine of body or