moderate discipline the stronger waxes the man of God Happy were wee if our care were continuall to strengthen the one by all spirituall exercises that wee might daily weaken the other For the greatest perfection whereunto we can attaine in Our best estate in this life is sighting this life is to fight against these lusts of the Flesh which fight against our soules Our life saith Iob in the earth is a warfare Bellum est non triumphus it is a battaile not a triumph saith Augustine though after many particular victories August de temp ser 45. the Lord put that voyce of triumph many times in our mouthes thanks be to God who alway makes vs to triumph 2. Cor. 2. 14. in Christ Iesus yet let vs remember that incontinent we must fight againe so long as we are in this mortall body wherein the Flesh lusts against the Spirit we cannot be free from carnall and euill desires if thou dissemble not thou shalt alway finde within thy selfe some thing which hath neede to be resisted for our sinfull superfluities saith Bernard Bernard are such putata repullâ—â—ant effugata redeunt reaccenduntur extincta that being cut off they spring out againe chased away they returne againe being quenched they are kindled againe Velis nolis intra sines tuos habitabit Iebusaeus will thou nill thou the Iebusite shall dwell within thy borders Subiugari potest exterminari non potest he may be subdued but cannot be rooted out And this againe doe we mark for the comfort of weake Christs members militant triumphant are not to bee tryed by one rule consciences it is Sathans subtiltie whereby commonly hee disquiets many that because carnall corruption is in them he would therefore beare them in hand that they are none of Christs In this he playes the deceiuer he tries vs by the wrong rule when he tryes vs by the rule of perfect sanctification this is the square which ought to be laid to Christs members triumphant in heauen and not to those who are militant here vpon earth Sinne remayning in me will not proue that therefore I am not in Christ otherwise Christ should haue no members vpon earth but grace working that new disposition which nature could neuer effect proues vndoubtedly that we are in Christ Iesus Let this therefore be our comfort that albeit there be in There is fleshly corruption in the Christian militant but he followes it not vs a fleshly corruption yet thanks be to God we walke not after it that is we follow not willingly the direction commandement thereof It is true and alas we finde it by experience the regenerate man may be led captiue for a time to the law of sinne hee may be pulled persorce out of the way of Gods commandements wherein hee delights to walke and compelled to doe those things which he would not yet euen at that same time hee disclaymes the gouernment of the flesh mourning and lamenting within himselfe that he should be drawne from the obedience of his owne Lord and gouernour the spirit of Iesus And indeede it is worthy to be marked that what euer Any seruice the Christian giues to sinne is throwne out by oppression like that which Israel gaue to Pharaoh seruice the regenerate man giues vnto sinne it is like the seruice that Israel gaue to Pharaoh in Egypt throwne out by oppression and therefore compelled them to sigh and crie vnto God but the seruice which the regenerate man giues to the Lord is voluntarie done as vnto his most lawfull superiour with gladnesse ioy and contentment of minde Happie is that man who can make this reply to his spirituall aduersarie when he is challenged of his sinnes It is true O enemie that I haue done many things by thy entisement yet herein I reioyce that whatsoeuer seruice I haue done to thee it is now through the grace of God the matter of my griefe but the weake seruice I haue giuen vnto God is the matter of my ioy Moreouer in this Metaphor of walking we are taught That our life is called a walking teaches vs foure things that as the walking of the body is a mouing from one place to another so the Christian life is a continuall mouing of the heart from one thing to another that is from sinne to 1 The life of a Christian is a remouing from euill to good Isai 1. 16. 17. Luke 16. 13. 2. Tim. 2. 19. sanctification departing from our selues that we may draw neere vnto God both these are comprised by Esay Cease to doe euill learne to doe good Our progresse in this iourney is not made pedibus sed affectibus by motion of our feete but of our affections but the beginning thereof is a departing from euill No man can serue two Maisters hee who will draw neere to the Lord and call vpon his name must depart from iniquitie Sicut in gradibus c. in the going Basi in Psa 1. vp of a staire saith Basil the first step raiseth a man from the earth then he goes vp by degrees till he come where hee would be so is it in our owne conuersion principium perfectionis ad Deum est discessus a malo the beginning of our iourney to God is a departure from euill This I mark Many bastard Christians haue neuer yet risen from euil farre lesse remoued to good for the wakening of those vpon whom the Lord Iesus hath called but they haue not yet with Lazarus risen out of the graue nor with Mathew forsaken their receit of custome yea haue not so much as with the man sick of the palsie risen out of their bed of securitie far lesse haue begun with Dauid to runne the way of the Lords Commandements they haue not learned to forsake euill much lesse to follow that which is good the Lord hath called vpon them but they haue not gone one foote from their olde sinnes bene ambulant pedibus sed malc moribus their feete are straight but their manners are exceeding crooked they make no progresse forward toward the Lord of Sion they delight to abide still in Babell and Egypt working without rest But dieth in the same state wherein they were borne but their labour is vnprofitable Ambulant in circuitu they walke as in a circle the centre whereof is Sathan the circumference sundry sorts of sinnes beyond which they walk not from one of these the wicked walkes about to another in such sort that incontinent they returne to the same they wearie themselues in the way of iniquity but are still in the same place at their going out of the world wherein they came into it that is as they were borne in sinne so they die in sinne their miserable life not being a walking in the way of Godlinesse but a wallowing in one and the selfe same puddle of sinne But leauing them let vs marke for our instruction in this 2 So long as wee
not done by vs assuredly it shall be done vpon vs. De his qui faciunt quae Miserable is that man who maintaines a contrary will to Gods will Aug. de cor gra ca. 14. non vult facit ipse quae vult the Lord saith Augustine in a meruailous manner doth his will on them who doe that which hee will not and therefore woe shall be vnto all which are opposit to God his most holy will Quid tam paenale quam semper velle quod nunquam erit semper nolle quod nunquam non erit what greater punishment can there be then this euermore to desire that which neuer shall be and alway to dislike that which for euer shall be a wicked man shall neuer obtain that which he desires but shall suffer for euer that which he dislikes For remedy of this rebellion our Sauiour hath taught vs daily to pray thy will be done in earth as it is in heauenâ— so we pray and the Lord giue vs grace that we may practise it that in euery action of our life denying our selues we make looke to our heauenly Father enquire for his will and follow it saying with our blessed Sauiour not my will O Lord but thine be done Mat. 26. 39. Verse 8. So then they that are after the flesh cannot please God HEre the Apostle concludes the miserable estate of them who walke after the flesh affirming He concludes the miserable estate of them who walke after the flesh that doe what they will they cannot please God To be in the flesh sometime is taken in a good part for it is all one with this to liue in the body but here it is taken in an euill part for to be in the flesh and to be in Christ are opposit one to another so that to be in the flesh is to be in the state of nature vnregenerate a stranger from the grace of Christ and the phrase is very significant for it imports an vniuersall thraldome of mans nature vnto the lusts of the flesh That speach of the Apostle to Simon Magus I see that thou art altogether in the Act. 8. 23. gall of bitternesse signifies much more than if he had said the gall of bitternesse was in him and the spirit of God when he sayes that man is in his sinne or in the flesh doth thereby What it is to be in the flesh expresse a farre greater corruption of his wretched nature then if he did say that sinne and fleshly corruption is in him Syricius Bishop of Rome expounds this place of married Syricius expounds this of the state of marriage wrongfully persons affirming that they are in the flesh and so cannot please God flatly against the Apostles owne commentarie for he wrote this Epistle to the godly Romanes among whom were many married persons such as Aquila and Priscilla whom afterward he commends for godlinesse and of whom he sayes verse 9. yee are not in the flesh because the spirit of God dwels in you so doth the Apostle expound it himselfe and therefore the Pope is but a peruerse interpreter of the Apostles minde and his fauourers are but seducers who will haue vs to seeke out of the boxe of his breast the true sense and meaning of all scripture Alwayes leauing them let vs marke againe here the miserable The best actions of wicked men please not God estate of such as are strangers from Christ What an vnhappy condition is this that a man should liue in that state of life wherein doe what he will he cannot please God Let Cain sacrifice with Abel the Lord shall not accept Gen. 4. 5. Gen. 27. 38. Heb. 12. 17. Gen 32. 26. Hos 12. 4. Luke 18. 11. Luke 16. it let Esau his teares seeking a blessing from his father be shed as aboundantly as Iacobs were when he sought a blessing from the Angell yet shall he not preuaile he shall not be blessed let the Pharise pray in the Temple with the Publicane he shall not goe home iustified and for worldly glory let him be neuer so high among men he is but abhomination vnto God yea oftentimes worldlings to whom Psal waters are wrung out of a full cuppe are counted blessed and happie yet is it but ignorance that maks men account much of them that are despised in the eyes of God Ideo malus Aug. in Ioan cap. 7. tra 28. foelix putatur quia quod sit foelicitas ignoratur for this cause is an euill man counted happie because men know not what happinesse is But what euer men be thought of by others eyther for his shew of Godlinesse or his shew of worldly glory vnder which two shadowes the most part of men deceiue the remanent it is certaine that he onely is blessed with whom the Lord is pleased If the tree be not good it cannot bring forth good fruit and if the person be not Godly his actions cannot be acceptable vnto God It is in Christ Iesus onely that the Father is well pleased except we be in Christ neyther can our persons nor actions please the Lord. The Lord translate vs yet further out of this vnhappy estate of nature the Lord roote vs and ground vs in Christ Iesus and stablish vs to abide in him for euer Verse 9. Now ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit because the Spirit of God dwelleth in you but if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his THE Apostle hauing discoursed of the miserable The second part of his application containes consolation for the godly that twofold estate of them who walke after the flesh doth now turne him toward the godly to comfort them least they should be discouraged with that remanent carnall corruption which they finde within themselues he shewes them that what he hath spoken of the vnhappy condition of carnall men doth no way 1 Consolation against the remanents of carnall corruption that are in vs. concerne them for they are not in the flesh but in the Spirit In this verse the comfort is first set downe and then a caution annexed vnto it the comfort is for the weake Christian the Caution for the presumptuous professor the Apostle so terrifies the wicked that he reserues comfort for the Godly and he so comforts the Godly that he confirmes not the wicked in their sinnes No sort of men are sooner moued with the sharpe speaches of the word of God then are the children of God He hath said before thy who are in the flesh cannot please God least this should terrifie the Godly he subioynes but as for you yee are not in the flesh for the Spirit of God dwelleth in you Againe no sort of men are more ready to appropriate vnto themselues the comforts of God then they to whom they belong not and therefore for their saks the Apostle subioynes the Caution If any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same
the sinfull lusts thâ—reof But alas the corruption of our nature is so great that without great circumspection we cannot nourish the body vnlesse wee also nourish sinne in the body many vnder pretence of doing duty to the one failes in the other so they pamper the body that they quench the spirit ouercome with gluttony they are not able to pray VVee are vvith the godly to keepe a meane betweene these two extremities as a ship if it be ouerladed Discipline whereby wee beat downe the body would neither be too strait nor too remisse is easily ouerwhelmed by the water or if it be too light and not ballassed is easily driuen out of the due course by the winde as a horse if he be hungred cannot serue his Master or if fed aboue measure waxes insolent and kickes against his rider so is it with the body neither would it be so weakened that it be not able to performe the works of Christian Ephra Syr. lib. 1. cap. 9. duty neither yet so pampered that it become a burthen to the soule and an impediment to spirituall exercises But in this age we neede not greatly to admonish men of the one But most men faile in excessiue pampering the body extremity the debt men owes vnto their bodies is payd with a large measure and running ouer it is not onely serued to necessity but so ouercharged with superfluity that oftentimes it loathes and abhorres those aliements by which it liues the soule in the meane time put to a sober dyet left famished without any morsell of heauenly bread whereby it should be refreshed and strengthened whereof it comes that the lusts of the flesh waxe strong and the life of the spirit wonderfully decayes Though the other member of the opposition be not here Many Lords striuing for mans superiority and to haue man their seruant exprest yet it followes necessarily wee are debters to the spirit And so wee may gather of these words how there are sundry Lords striuing for the superiority of man The World with her pleasures allures man to follow her but pretend what shee will in truth her word is decipâ—â—ra The flesh would haue man a seruant to her lusts she wants not her baytes wherewith to beguile him but in truth her word is infiâ—iam Sathan strongest of the three vsurpers superiority ouer man hee craues that man should fall downe and worship him hee wants not promises enough faire in show but in truth his word is interficiam Iesus Christ our lawfull Lord he also cals vpon vs and exhorts vs to serue him hee hath life in the one hand durable riches and honour in the other and in truth his word is râ—ficiam I will refresh you Now in this strife to whom shall we yeeld our selues but vnto him who cryes reficiam Let vs therefore say with Dauid O Lord no wight can make title to me but onely thou all others that exact Psal 119. 94. But forsaking the rest wee should yeeld our selues seruants to Christ and why any seruice of vs are but vncouth Lords to whom we are not oblieged they are but tyrants striuing to oppresse vs Câ—rtant in me de meipso cuius potisâ—â—mâ—m esse videar they striue saith Bernard within me about me to which of them chiefly I should seeme to appertaine but O Lord Iesus I am thine I haue no King but thou come therefore and raigne in mee and remoue these offences out of thy kingdome happy are they who can so render themselues to the Lord for in the houre of death what is it that men craues more then that the Lord Iesus should acknowledge them for his who will not in that houre beg that mercy at the hands of God Lord receiue my Spirit but assuredly if thou yeeld it not to him in life when he requires it he shall not receiue it from thee in death when thou wouldst tender it to him â—he Lord graunt that in our whole liues wee may acknowledge our selues as debters of daily seruice vnto him so shall the Lord in death welcome vs as his faithfull seruants and receiue vs into his rest Verse 1â— For if yee liue after thâ— flesh yee shall dye but if yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit yee shall liue THis word of the Lord pronounceth before The Apostle stands here as a messenger of mercy with a sword in his mouth to terrifie men from the way of death hand vpon you who liue after the flesh a condemnatorie sentence yee shall dye which how euer yee esteeme to be light when you heare it yet yee shall finde it heauy vvhen it shall be executed vpon you To you againe who mortifies the deedes of the body by the spirit there is here pronounced an absoluatorie sentence yee shall liue vvhich in the end shall yeeld you comfort surpassing all that the pleasures of sinne or gaine of vngodlinesse can afford vnto you As that Cherubin therefore stood in the entry of Paradise with the blade Gen. 3. 24. of a shaking sword to keepe Adam from the way of the Not like that Cherubin a minister of iustice to hold Adam out of paradise Tree of life so the Apostle stands here betweene vs and death with a sentence like a two edged sword in his mouth to keepe the sonnes of Adam as farre as hee can from the way of death the one stood as a minister of Gods iustice the other stands as a messenger of mercy The Lord hath sworne by himselfe as I liue I desire not the death of a sinner Ezâ— 18. 32. but that he should returne and liue he iustifies his word by his Both the word and deed of the Lord declares that he craues not the death of a sinner deed in that in all ages of the world he hath sent out messengers to warne them to goe by the way of death so that now if any man perish it is because he stops his eares at the warning of the watchman of God for thou canst not say but Moses and the Prophets Iesus Christ and his Apostles and Preachers haue met thee in the way of thy sinne and warned thee many a time by the word of the Lord that if thou walke on that way thou shalt assuredly dye where thou passing by them all rushest headlong after the lusts of thy flesh and so thou perishest and thy blood shall be vpon thine owne head As the Apostle to the preceding exhortation annexed an argument a debito from that which we are bound to doe so now hee subioynes another argument partly a damno from the losse wee incurre if wee doe it not in these words if yee liue after the flesh yee shall dye and partly a commodo from the vantage we shall reape if we doe it in these words if yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit yee shall liue If wee were such men as wee should be the former exhortation That the
of new Babel more shamelesse than Sennacherib 2 Kin. 18. his Rabsache raile at good king Ezekiah ruling in Ierusalem the Lord hath yet a hooke for his Esa 37. 39. nosethrils and a bridle for his lips Doe not the eyes of the Lord behold the whole earth to shew himselfe strong with them that are strong and of a perfect heart 2 Chr. 16. 9. toward him Therefore feare not their feare but sanctifie Esa 8. 12. the Lord God of hostes let him be your feare and he shal be a Sanctuarie vnto your Maiestie Count it a part Psal 69. 9. of your high glory and no smal matter of your Maiesties ioy that with Christ you beare this peece of his crosse Psal 21. 7. that the rebukes of them who rebuke the Lord are fallen vpon you and trust still O King in the Lord and in the mercie of the most High and so your Maiestie shall neuer fall Long may your Highnesse liue and raigne ouer vs as a faithfull seruant to your God and a happie King of many blessings to your people Your Maiesties most humble Subiect and dayly Oratour William Cowper Minister at Perth HEAVEN OPENED ROMANES 8. VERSE 1. Now then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit THE FIRST PART OF THE CHAPTER Contayning comfort against the remanents of sinne in the iustified man My helpe is in the name of the Lord. THE whole Scripture is giuen by diuine 2. Tim. 3. 16. inspiration and is profitable to teach improue correct and instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect A commendation of holy Scripture Ambrose off lib. 1. cap. 32. Basil in aliquot scripturae locos vnto all good workes It is a banquet of heauenly wisedome saith Ambrose Conuiuium sapientiae singuit libri singula sunt fercula It is compared by Basil to an Apothecaries shop in which are so many sundry sorts of medicaments that euery man may haue that which is conuenient for his disease Nullus enim est hominum morbus cui scriptura praesens remedium non suppeditet Cyp. de duplici martirio for there is no sicknes of man whereunto the scripture furnishes not a present remedy And yet as among the works of God there is a difference and some of them more Some books of holy Scripture meeter for vs then others are August de temp sâ—r 4â— clearely then others declares the glorie of God so it is also among his holy writs they breathe all out one truth by a most sweet harmonie diuinae enim lectiones ita sibi connectuntur tanquam vna sit lectio quia omnes ex vno ore precedunt yet ye shall â—inde that in some of them the Lord commeth neere vnto vs as it were with the face of a man talking familiarly vnto vs in others againe he mounts high aboue vs as it were with the wings of an Eagle And the Lord hath leâ—t it free to delight our selues most in those places of holy Scripture wherein for our estate we haue most edification and to seeke in this Apothecarie shop of that sweet Samâ—ritan the Lord Iesus pharmaca morbo nostro conuenientia such medicines as are meet for our maladie Among all the bookes of the olde Testament most frequent Why among the Epistles this to the Romanes is first Ierom. Epist ad Paulm testimonies are brought by our blessed Sauiour and his holy Apostles out of the booke of the Psalmes Ierome called it a treasurie of all learning And among all the Epistles of the Apostles no meruaile this to the Romanes haue the first place not that it was first written but because aboue the rest it contayneth a most perfect compend of our Christian faith And this middle Chapter thereof hath in it an Abridgement of all these comforts and instructions one excepted which otherwise are dispersed throughout the whole Epistle and is so to call it a pleasant knot of the garden and Paradise of God and therefore shall it not be vnprofitable for vs by Gods grace to delight our selues for a while in it As for the connexion of this Chapter with the former Two parts of this Chapter the first containes comfort against sinne The second comfort against the crosse wee are to know that it is a conclusion of the fore-going Treatise of Iustification Wherein the Apostle summarily collects the excellent state of a Christian iustified by faith in Christ Iesus declaring it to be such that there is no condemnation to him that nothing were it neuer so euill is able to hurt him yea by the contrary that all things worke for the best vnto him And because there are only two euils which grieue vs in this life to wit sinne that remaines in vs and affliction that followes vs in the following of Christ Against both these the Apostle furnishes the iustified man with strong consolations Comforts against the remanents of sinne we haue from the 1. verse to the 18. Comforts against our afflictions wee haue from the midst of the 18. verse to the 31. That this is the very purpose and order of the Apostle is This order of the Apostle is manifest out of his owne conclusion euident out of his owne conclusion set downe from the 31. verse to the end wherein he drawes all that he hath spoken in this Chapter to a short summe contayning the glorious triumph of a Christian ouer all his enemies The triumph is first set downe generally verse 31. What shall we then say Rom. 8. 31. to these things if God be with vs who can be against vs c. This generall incontinent he parts in two there is saith he but two things may hurt vs either Sinne or Affliction As to Sinne he triumphs against it verse 33. and 34. Who shall vers 33. 34. lay any thing to the charge of God his chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne It is Christ who is dead or rather who is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request for vs. As to Affliction hee triumphs against it from the 35 to the end Who shall seperate vs from ver 35. the loue of Christ shall tribulation anguish or persecution shall famine nakednesse or perill yea shall death doe it or that which is much more shall Angels principalities or powers doe it No In all these things we are more then Conquerours through him that loued vs. Thus doth the Apostle like a faithfull steward in the house of God take by the hand the weary sonnes and daughters of the liuing God that hee may leade vs into the Lords winesellers there to refresh and stay vs with the slagons of his Wine to comfort vs with his Cant. 2. 4. Apples to strengthen vs with his hid Manna and to make vs Cant. 5. 1. merrie with that Milke and Honey
which our immortall husband Iesus Christ hath prouided for vs to sustaine vs that we saint not through our manifold tentations that compasse vs in this barren wildernesse We come then to the first part of the Chapter wherein Subdiuision of the first part the Apostle keepes this order First he sets downe a generall proposition of comfort belonging to the iustified man Secondly he subioynes a confirmation thereof Thirdly he explanes his reason of confirmation and fourthly applies it first by commination of them who walke after the flesh secondly by consolation of the godly against the remanents of the flesh thirdly by exhortation of both not to walke after the flesh In the proposition againe set downe Verse 1. first he points at the comfort Now then there is no 1 Proposition condemnation secondly he sets downe a limitation restrayning this comfort to them who are in Christ thirdly hee subioynes a clearer declaration of those persons who are in Christ to wit they walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Verse 1. Now then This is a relatiue to his former discourse Coherence of this Chapter with the former and is as I haue said a Conclusion inferred vpon that which goeth before Seeing we are iustified by Faith in Iesus Christ and are now no more vnder the Law but vnder Grace seeing we are buried with Christ by Baptisme into his death that like as he was raised from the dead by the glory of his Father so we also should walke in newnesse of life hauing receiued that spirit of Christ whereby wee fight against the Law of sinne in our members which rebelleth against the Law of our minde seeing it is so we may be sure that the remanent power of sinne in vs shall neuer be able to condemne vs. We see then that these words containe the Apostles glorying The Apostles former lamentation turned into a triumph against the remanents of sinne the sense whereof in the end of the last Chapter made him burst out into a pittifull lamentation and cry O miserable man who will deliuer me from the body of this death but now considering the certaintie of his deliuerance by Iesus Christ he reioyceth and triumpheth Wherein for our first lesson we marke the diuersitie of dispositions to which the Children of God are subiect in this life somtime so full of comfort that they can not containe themselues but must needs breake forth into glorious reioycings at other times so far deiected in mind that their ioy is turned into mourning and this ariseth in them from the variable change of their sight and feeling The Disciples on mount Tabor seeing the bright shining glorie of Christ were rauished with ioy but incontinent Math. 17. 2. when the cloud ouershadowes them they become afraid If the Lord let vs feele his mercies wee are aliue but if hee hide his face and set our sinnes in order before vs wee are Psal 50. 21. sore troubled As the troubles we haue in this life are not without comforts Blessed be God the Father of our Lord 2. Cor. 1. 3. Iesus the Father of mercies and God of all comfort who comforts 1. Pet. 1. 3. vs in all our tribulation so our ioy saith Saint Peter is not without heauinesse the one arising of the knowledge of that vndeserued inheritance reserued for vs in heauen the other of our manifold tentations to which wee are subiect here vpon earth it is these vicissitudes and changes which wrought in Dauid such different dispositions as appeareth in him in the Booke of the Psalmes and which all the godly may by experience finde in themselues Pascimur Bernard hic patimur for here we are so nourished with the comforts of God that we are nurtred with his crosses It is the Lords dispensation and we are to reuerence it resting assured that the peace and ioy which once the Lord hath giuen vs may be interrupted but can neuer vtterly be taken from vs the Lord who will not suffer the rod of the wicked for euer Psal 125. 3. to lie vpon the back of the righteous least they put out their hand to wickednesse will farre lesse suffer his owne terrours continually to oppresse our consciences least we faint dispaire Hose 6. 2. though he wound vs he will binde vs vp againe after two daies he will reuiue vs and we shall liue in his sight Weeping may abide in the Euening but ioy shall come in the Morning The chosen vessell of God shall not alway lament and crie woe is me sometime the Lord will put a song of thanksgiuing into his mouth make him to reioyce thus de aduersis Chrisost in Mat. â—om prosperis admirabili virtute vitam Sanctorum contexuit Deus The life of a Christian may be compared to a webbe so meruailously mixed and wouen of comfort and trouble by The life of a Christian is a mixed webbe wrought of trouble and comfort the hand of God that the long thread thereof reaching from the day of our birth to the day of our death are all of trouble but the weft interiected with manifold comforts And this haue we marked vpon the coherence of the beginning of this Chapter with the end of the former Now in these words it is to be obserued the Apostle saies Papist wrongfully collect here that there is no sinne or damnable act in them who are in Christ not there is no sinne in them who are in Christ but he saith there is no condemnation to them hee hath confessed before that he did the euill which he would not and that hee saw a law in his members rebelling against the law of his minde but now he reioyceth in Christ that sinne in him is not able to condemne him It is then a false exposition of these words which is made by Caietane and Aquinas Nihil Aquinas Caietane on this place est damnabile in illis qui sunt in Christo nullus actus quo mereamur damnari that in them who are in Christ there is nothing worthy to be damned no act that merits damnation for the Apostle condemnes these motions of sinne which he found in himselfe as euill and repugnant to the Law of God and if the holy Apostle was not ashamed to confesse this of himselfe what blinde presumption is this in them to exempt themselues or others from such motions as are worthy to be damned we shall still confesse our guiltinesse there remaines in vs of our owne which the Lord might condemne if he would enter into iudgement with vs and shall so much the more praise his mercie who hath deliuered vs from condemnation and further comfort then this the Apostles words do not afford vnto vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is no iudgement no sentence to be giuen against them who are in Christ Surely our righteousnesse in this life consists rather in the remission of sinnes then in the perfection
heart toward God that the affection which this day is behinde coldest in the loue of God slowest to obey him should the next day be made formost In hac enim vita non progredi est regredi cum nihil Bern. ser de ordine c. adhuc in eodem statu permaneat for in this life nothing standeth in one state it is most certaine that hee that goes not forward goes backward yet I would not so be vnderstood as if the Christian had not his owne fainting and falling in the way of godlinesse yet blessed be God who keepes our soules in life we so â—aint that we reuiue we so fall that wee rise againe of our former follies wee learne to be wise of the experience of our weaknesse wee gather strength wee walke the more warily because so oft wee haue stumbled and fallen of our sinnes we make vantage verus poenitens semper est in dolore timore he who is truly penitent walkes alway in sorrow and feare in sorrow because be hath fallen so oft in feare least he should fall againe And thus much concerning the generall proposition Verse 2. For the law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed me from the law of sinne and of death HItherto we haue heard that generall proposition 2 Confirmation of his Proposition of comfort belonging to the Christian Now followes the Confirmation thereof hee hath said there is no condemnation to them whâ— The Apostle confirmes his generall proposition are in Christ Now he proues it There is in Christ Iesus a liuely working power which â—reeth all that are in him from the law of sinne and of death therefore to them who are in Christ there can be no condemnation for wee being freed from sinne what can condemne vs How Christ hath freed vs from the law of sinne he explaines in the next two verses there is in sinne a twofold law that is a twofold power first a commaunding power secondly a condemning power but in Christ there is a law that is a power of the liuely spirit or a liuely spirituall power deliuering vs from them both For first from the condemning power of Shewing how we are deliuered both from the commaunding and condemning power of sinne sinne hee shewes we are deliuered by the merit of Christs death and suffering in the flesh whereby he hath condemned sinne which merit imputed to vs that are in him doth so free vs that sinne hath no force nor power to condemne vs in iudgement and this he handleth in the third verse Secondly he shewes how we are deliuered from the commaunding power of sinne by the liuely vertue of Iesus Christ which being communicated vnto vs quickneth vs and maketh vs to begin to fulfill the righteousnesse of the law so that refusing to walke after the flesh we endeauour to walke after the spirit and this he handles in the fourth verse shewing that the end why Christ hath condemned sinne in his flesh is that he might sanctifie vs to the obedience of his holy law whereunto at the last he shall make vs fully conformable Thus you see how that former ground of comfort is confirmed vnto vs howsoeuer by nature wee were vnder the law of sinne and consequently vnder damnation yet now by Christ we are freed from all law of sin and so freed also from condemnation The phrases vsed here by the Apostle makes his purpose Phrases vsed by the Apostle expounded seeme to be the more obscure therefore will we first explane them This phrase the spirit of life in Christ is more significant than that well it can be expressed in so few effectuall termes The Apostle was sent a Doctor to the Gentiles yet doth he labour earnestly to conuert the Iewes for both their edifications hee so tempers his stile that speaking to the Gentiles in the Grecian language hee keepes the Hebrew phrase which as I said makes his speech appeare the harder The spirit of life in Christ then is no other thing but the life of Christ like that Reuel 11. 11. Againe the law of the spirit of life in Christ is no other thing but that forcible working liuely power which is in Christ for it is customable to the holy Apostle to vse the word law to expresse any thing wherein there is a commaunding or working power so he hath ascribeth a law to sinne a law to his members a law to death and now very properly hee oppones vnto them a law of the spirit of life in Christ which is more liuely and powerfull to saue to free and to quicken then any law that hath contrary power can be able to destroy captiue or slay them who are in Christ Thus the words being expounded the first lesson will arise Our aduersaries Sathan sin and death are strong but our Sauiour is stronger out of the Apostles manner of speech who ascribing to sinne and death a law which may condemne and destroy ascribes to Christ a more powerfull law to iustifie and preserue Most sure then is our estate who are in Iesus Christ for there is a power in our Lord which shall bring euery contrary power of man and Angell in subiection to him Comfort that tyrant sinne hath indeede oppressed and ouer-ruled many a one but our Lord Iesus the valiant conquerour hath a mighty power able to disanull the law of sinne and Sathan is that strong one who by nature possesses the heart of man as his owne house but Iesus is that stronger one who will dispossesse him and cast him out of the hearts of all such as are his The God of peace shall shortly tread Sathan vnder our feet and therefore suppose we be weake in Rom. 16. 20. our selues yet we will reioyce in the strength of the Lord Iesus Secondly we learne here that without Christ we liued In what a vile bondage wee liued by nature in a vile seruitude and bondage of all seruants those are in worst case who are sould and of those who are sould they are worst who must doe seruice in prison and of them who are in prison most lamentable is their estate who are chayned and bound in prison yet such seruants were we by nature before Christ made vs free we were not onely the seruants of sinne and sould vnder sinne as witnesseth the Apostle but more also we were as saith Esay captiued and bound with chaines in prison the Iaylour whereof is infidelitie for we were all shut vp vnder vnbeliefe a Iaylour so straite and tyrannous as permitted vs not so long as we were in his keeping so much as to lift vp our head or looke vp to heauen for deliuerance from him from whom onely comes our helpe Our oppressors in this bondage are Sathan and Sinne and sinnes of so many sorts as doe miserably distract the soule Pride one while vsurping dominion ouer vs Auarice another while vendicating a seat to her selfe with power to commaund
pannell before the Iudge to vnder-lye the law which craued that our sinnes should be punished to the death The decree according to the law is executed death yea an accursed death as the punishment of sinne is laide vpon Christ whereupon there followes of equitie an absolution of all those for whom the Lord Iesus suffered as Cautioner their sinne is condemned and made of no force to condemne them hereafter The other generall iustice court 2 In the second the persons of all the wicked shall be condemned will be holden in the last day wherein all flesh must appeare before the Lord as their superiour and in that supreame and last Court of iustice shall be condemned the persons of all those whose sinnes were not condemned before in Christ Iesus onely therefore blessed are they who are in Christ He that heares my words and belieues in him that sent me hath Ioh. 5. 24. euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life And lastly we may obserue here what a powerfull Sauiour Christ did greatest works when to mans iudgement he was weakest wee haue when to the iudgement of man hee was weakest then did hee the greatest worke that euer was done in the world hee was powerfull in working of miracles in his life but more powerfull in his death for then he darâ—ened the Sunne he shooke the earth hee made the rockes to cleaue he rent the vale of the temple a sunder and caused the dead to rise Mortuum Caesarem quis metuâ—t sed morte Cyp. de duplici mâ—rtirio Christi quid efficacius if Caesar be once dead who will feare Christ euen when he is dead is terrible to his enemies nothing can be more effectuall then his death By it he did a greater worke than was the creation of the world by it he brought in new heauens and a new earth by suffering death he destroyed him who had the power of death when hee was condemned of man he condemned sinne that it should not condemne man passus est vt infirmus operatus vt fortis August de temp ser 7. Macar hom 11. he suffered as a weake man but wrought as a strong one â—icut serpens mortum c. As that Serpent without life erected by Moses in the wildernesse ouercame the liuing Serpents that stung Israell so the Lord Iesus by suffering death hath slaine that serpent that liuing in vs had stung vs Chris hom 2. in Math. vnto death Hic vides mortem morte peremptam maledictum maledicto extinctum per quae Diabolus iam antea valebat per ea ipsa tyrannidem ipsius esse destructam here thou seest saith Chrisostome death slaine by death and the tyrannie of Sathan destroyed by those same meanes by which before most of all he preuailed O wonderfull worke surely the weakenesse of God is Christ a powerfull Sauiour stronger then Sampson yea stronger then that strong one stronger then man he is that strong One indeed stronger then Sampson When the Philistines thought they had him sure within the ports of Azzah he arose at midnight and tooke the doores of the gates of the Cittie and the two posts and carried them away with the bars thereof on his shoulders vp to the top of the mountaine which is before Iudg. 16. 1. Hebron but our mighty Conquerour and deliuerer the Lord Iesus hath in a more excellent manner magnified his power for being closed in the graue clasped in the bands of death and a stone rolled to the mouth of the graue the Sepulcher sealed and guarded with souldiers he rose againe the third day before the rising of the Sunne he carried like a victor the bars and posts of death away as vpon his shoulders and vpon the mount of Oliues he ascended on high leading captiuitie captiue Like as therefore wee receiued before great comfort Christs power yeelds vs great comfort through the consideration of Christs incomprehensible loue toward vs so is it now confirmed by the meditation of his power Let Sathan boast like Rabsache that the Lord 2. Reg. 18. 35. is not able to deliuer Ierusalem out of his hands hee is but a blasphemous Lyar the Lord will rebuke him and will shortly tread Sathan vnder our feete it is the curse of the wicked he shall be oppressed and there shall be none to deliuer Deut. 28. 29. him but blessed be the Lord who hath prouided a strong deliuerer for vs who certainly shall set vs free from our enemies and destroy all the oppressours of our soules Psal 143. 12. Glory therefore be vnto him for euer Verse 4. That the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in vs who walke not after the Flesh but after the Spirit THe Apostle hauing taught vs in the former 2 Here followes the second member of the explication wherein hee shewes how we are deliuered from the commanding power of sinne Ephes 5. 26. verse how the Lord Iesus hath freed vs from the condemning power of sin doth now let vs see how wee are freed also from the commanding power of sin for he sets downe this to be the first and neerest end of Christs death in respect of vs the renouation of our nature and conformity thereof with God his holy law which he expresses more cleerely in another place when he saith that Christ gaue himselfe to the death for his Church that he might sanctifie it and make it to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blame This is the end which Christ hath proposed vnto himselfe and whereof he cannot be frustrate as he hath begun it so he shall finish it he shall conforme vs to the law the righteousnesse thereof shall be fulfilled in vs there shall not be left in our nature so much as a sinfull motion or desire but hee shall at the last present vs pure and without blame to his Father This righteousnesse of the law I vnderstand to be that How the riâ—hteousnesse of the law is fulfilled in vs. perfect obedience to the Commandements thereof which the law requires flowing from the perfect loue of God and our neighbour and it is fulfilled in vs two manner of wayes first by application or imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs he is our head and we his members and are so vnited with him that now we are not to be taken as sundry but as one body with him By vertue of the which communion it comes to passe that that which is ours is his that which is his is ours so that in our head wee haue fulfilled the law satisfied Gods iustice for our sinnes Secondly it will be fulfilled in vs by our perfect sanctification though now we haue but begun obedience and in part the Lord Iesus at the last shall bring it in vs to perfection The Iesuites of Rhemes in their marginall
vs but that we haue by nature our estate were most miserable but seeing beside nature there is in vs a new workmanship of grace from the which the Lord accounts vs new spirituall men we haue thanks be to God matter of comfort As Sathan is a lyer in denying the name of spirituall men Papists will haue none called spirituall men but their Cleargie to men regenerate so his supposts aduersaries of the truth of Christ are lying deceiuers and vniust robbers when they restraine this name to such as are of their Cleargie which here the Apostle makes competent to euery man in whom the spirit of Christ dwelleth Spiritualâ—m non facit vestis locus Ferus â—fficium opus sed Spiritus it is neither garment sayes one of their owne nor place nor office nor externall worke that makes a man spirituall but the holy Spirit dwelling in him Because the Spirit of God dwels in you Hee subioynes The spirit of God where he dwels works wher he works he workes not in vaine therefore they cannot but be spiritual in whom he dwels here the confirmation of his former comfort he hath said vnto them yee are not in the flesh he proues it the Spirit of God dwels in you therefore yee are not in the flesh nor carnall but spirituall The necessity of the consequence depends vpon this middest that the spirit of God where he dwels is not idle but works where he works he works not in vaine but effectuates that which he intends he transformes them in whom he dwels into the similitude of his owne Image he is compared to fire that giues light euen to them who are farre of and heate to them who are neere hand but transchangeth those things into the nature of fire which are cast into it with so meruailous a vertue that yron which is colde by nature being put into the fire becomes hot and burning so doth that holy Spirit illuminate euery one who comes into the world but he changeth all those in whom he dwelleth he transformeth them into his owne similitude and endueth them with an holy and heauenly disposition then his argument is sure the Spirit of God dwelleth in you therefore yee are not carnall but spirituall In the end of the last Chapter the Apostle said that Strange that two guests of so contrary natures as sinne and the holy spirit should dwell in one man Rom. 7. 17. The soule of man regenerate compared to the house of Abraham sinne dwelleth in the man regenerate it is not I but sinne that dwelleth in me and here he sayes that the spirit of God dwelleth in the man regenerate this is strange that two guests of so contrary natures should both at one time haue their dwelling in man I compare the soule of man regenerate to the house of Abraham wherein there was both a free woman Sarah and a bond woman Hagar with their children Ismael the sonne of the bond woman borne after the flesh is older and stronger then Isaac the sonne of the free woman borne after the spirit that is according to the promise hee disdaines little Isaac as weaker and persecutes him yet the comfort of Isaac is that though Ismaell dwell in the house of Abraham for a while hee shall not remaine the sonne of the bond woman shall be cast out and shall not inherit the promise with the sonne of the free woman such a house is the soule of a Christian there dwelleth in it at one time both old nature and new grace with their children the olde man at the first being older and stronger than the new man doth persecute him and seekes by all meanes to oppresse him but at the last he shall be cast out This Metaphor of dwelling doth also yeeld vnto vs exceeding Meruailous that the inhabiter is larger than the habitation great comfort in all other habitations the lodging is larger than the inhabiter but this is meruailous that the lodging here is so little and the inhabiter so great that infinite maiestie whom the heauen of heauens cannot contain who hath the heauen for his throne and the earth for his footestoole hath chosen for his dwelling and place of rest the soule of him that is poore contrite and trembles at his word A wonderfull mercy that the highest maiestie should so farre dimit the selfe as that passing by all his other creatures hee should make choyse of man to be his pleasant sanctuarie From this it is euident that this dwelling doth designe The speâ—iall glory of a Christian is that God dwels in him some speciall presence of God with his own children which he shewes not vnto others it is true he is present in euery place bounded within no place he containes all things vncontayned of any where he dwelleth not as a Father there hee sits as a Iudge and is a terrour which manner of way the damned are continually vexed with his presence but in the Christian he dwels as a maister in his owne family as a Father with his children quickning ruling and preseruing them and prouiding for them Worldings may match Worldlings may exceede him in worldly gifts but cannot match him in this the Christian in externall gifts but cannot compare with him in this internall glory though without hee be but an earthen vessell yet hath he within an heauenly treasure for he is the habitation of God in whom the Lord dwels by his spirit It was Beniamin his glory that the Lord should dwell betweene his shoulders and the glory of Ierusalem Deut. 33. 12. that there the Lord dwelt betweene the Cherubins but most of all the glory of a Christian that the Lord dwelleth betweene the secrets of his soule let worldlings reioyce in their outward priuiledges and in their presumptuous minds leape like the mighty mountaines esteeming themselues high as mount Basan yet this is the glory of a Christian that God delights to dwell in him Let vs therfore make much of them who feare the Lord They should be honoured in whom Christ dwels Dan. 6. though in regard of their outward estate they were neuer so base we should not be ashamed to doe them honour for his sake who dwelleth in them Darius preferred Daniel because the spirit was excellent in him and Pharaoh honoured Gen. 41. 42. Ioseph because the Spirit of God was in him yea the Angels are content to be Seruants and Ministers to them who feare the Lord they honoured Shepheards for Christs sake with their presence which they did not vnto King Herod for all his glory and shall not wee delight in Gods excellent ones vpon earth surely he shall dwell in the Tabernacle of God in Psal 15. whose eyes a vile person is contemned but hee honoureth them who feare the Lord. Hereby we know that wee are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Not onely doth this Metaphor of dwelling import a familiar The Metaphor
therefore is it that in the summe of our faith the Article of our Resurrection is put betweene the Article of the remission Resurrection is a benefit when remission of sin goes before it and eternal life followes after it of sinnes and that other Article of eternall life to teach vs that then onely the Resurrection of the body is a benefit when remission of sinnes goes before it and eternall life followes after it whereof the Lord of his great mercy make vs partakers through Iesus Christ Verse 1â— Therefore Brethren â—ee are debters not to the Exhortation flesh to liue after the flesh AS it is true concerning vs that a necessitie lyeth What fruit wee should gather of the Apostles former doctrine vpon vs to preach and woe will be to vs if wee preach not so it is true concerning you that a necessitie lyeth vpon you to heare and woe wil be to you if you heare not It is commaunded to vs that when we speake wee should speake as the Oracles of God and it is also required of you that ye receiue this word not as the word of man but as it is indeede the word of God therefore take heede how yee heare for as Moses said to the Israelites so say wee vnto you It is no vaine word concerning you it is your life Ye haue heard that maine proposition of Comfort there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ yee haue heard it confirmed explaned and applyed the miserable estate of them who walke after thâ— flesh hath beene shewed vnto you as likewise the happy estate of them who walke after the Spirit and what comforts the godly haue both against the remanents as also against the fruits of sinnes hath beene declared vnto you Examine your selues see how far forth these comforts belong vnto you If yee be such as thinke with those scornefull men in Ierusalem that yee haue made a couenant with death and it shall not come neere you then goe on in your security and doe that which is good in your owne eyes but if yee finde by experience that death is already entred into your mortall body be vvise in time see that thou haue this onely soueraigne comfort against death the spirit of Christ dwelling in you otherwise flatter your selues in your security as you will miserable shall your end be Now the Consolation being ended the Apostle subioynes Consolation exhortation both necessary for vs. the Exhortation both these two consolation and exhortation are needfull for vs in the course of this life the one to keepe vs that we faint not through the remanents of sinne left in vs and beginnings of death which already haue seased vpon vs exhortation againe to stir vs vp when wee linger in the way of godlinesse For it fareth with vs as it did with Lot in Sodome the Angels warned him of the imminent iudgement and exhorted him to escape for his life yet hee delayed and lingred hee could not be gotten out of Sodome till they as it were violently thrust him out And albeit the Lord admonish vs early and late by his messengers of that wrath which is to come vpon the children of disobedience and warne vs in time to flye to the mountaine of his saluation yet alas so loath are we to forsake our olde sinnes that the Lord is forced to double his exhortation vnto vs all which yet shall not auaile vs if the Lord â—ay not the hands of his grace vpon vs and by his holy Spirit make vs obedient to the heauenly vocation Let vs therefore take heede to the exhortations made vs by the Lord and that so much the more because it is most certaine that the sweetnesse of Gods consolation shall not be felt of them who are not moued with his exhortation Contemplationis enim gustus non debetur nisi obedientiae mandatorum Ber. ser 46. in Cant. the tast of Gods mercy by contemplation is onely due to them who make conscience of the obedience of his commandements Therefore This particle is relatiue to the words preceding Euery benefit of God is a new obligation binding vs to serue him seeing it is so that by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in vs wee haue such excellent benefits we are debt-bound not to liue after the flesh but after the Spirit Of this wee haue first to learne that euery benefit wee receiued from God is an Obligation binding vs debters of seruice to God for much shall be required of him to whom much is giuen there is no reason vvhy the abundance of Gods gifts eyther Gods benefits shold not make vs proud for he who hath receiued most hath the more debt lying vpon him temporall or spirituall should encrease thy pride and carelesnesse but rather should make thee more humble and carefull how to please him considering that the more thou hast receiued the more thou owest VVhen Dauiâ— forgetting that hee was the Lords debter began to liue as his lust commaunded him the Lord brought out against him his former benefits as so many obligations to conuince him I aâ—â—oynted thee saith the Lord King ouer 2 Sam. 12. 7. 8. 9. Israell I deliuered thee out of the hand of Saul I gaue thee thy Lords house and â—iâ—es into thy bosome I gaue thee in like manner the house of Israell and Iudah anâ— would moreouer if that had beene too little haue giuen thee such and such things Wherefore thâ—n hast thou despâ—sed my commandement and done euill in my sight forgetting that thou was bound and obliged to me This processe of Dauids conuiction stands for an example This is cleared in the processe of Dauids conuiction to vs all to warne vs that vnlesse wee make the benefits of God obligations binding vs to serue him the Lord shall vse them as arguments to proue that iudgement is due vnto vs and the greater benefits the greater iudgements for vnto them that walke not worthy of the honor of good things they haue receiued from God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrisost in Mat. hom 4. the greatnesse of honour shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the augmentation of their punishment And as this is tâ—ue in temporall benefits so much more in spirituall graces as they are more excellent then the other so doe they more binde vs then the other both Israelites and Ethiopians are debters to God but the Israelite more debt bound than the Ethiopian for the Lord hath not dealt vvith euery Nation as with Israell Heare this word that the Lord prâ—nounceth Amos. 3 1. O ye Children of Israell you onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth therefore I will visite you for all youâ— iniquities May yee not see heere that the Lord most straitly doth punish the sinnes of those to vvhom hee hath beene most beneficiall vvhen they become vnthankefull The Gentiles who receiued no more but the light of nature are conuinced because they glorified not
spirit of God vseth threatnings is an argument of our rebellious nature taken from honestie and dutie vvere sufficient to moue vs but in that the spirit of God doth also threaten vs with death is an euident argument of the froward rebellion of our nature The word of GOD is compared not onely to milke but also to salt we haue neede of the one because of our infancy that being nourished therewith wee may grow and because of our corruption wee haue neede to be The vvord should be vsed as milk to some as salt to others seasoned with the other to both these ends should Preachers vse the vvord of GOD to some as milke for their nourishment to others as salt for their amendment But these are the times foretold by the Apostle wherein But now men cannot abide the rebuke of Gods word 2 Tim. 4. 3. Amos. 5. 10. 1 King 22. 8. the itching eares of men cannot abide wholesome doctrine they hate him that rebukes in the gaâ—e as Achab hated Micaiah to the death because hee prophecyed no good vnto him that is hee spake not according to his phantasie but warned him faithfully of the iudgement which afterward came vpon him so the hearers of our time can abide no teachers but such as are after their owne lusts but alas they are foolish for are not my words good to him that walkes vprightly Micah 2 7. Aug. ser 1. sayth the Lord. Aduersarius est nobis quamdiu sumus ipsi nobis quamdiu tu tibi inimicus es inimicum habebis sermonem Deâ— the word of God is an aduersary to none but such as are aduersaries to themselues neither doth it condemne any but such as assuredly shall be condemned of the Lord vnlesse they repent Stop thine eare as thou wilt Zach. 7. 11. from hearing of the threatnings of the word yet shalt thou not stop that iudgement which the word hath threatned against thee There is a cry that will come at midnight and will waken the dead but blessed are they who in time are wakened out of the sleepe of their sinnes by the cryes of the watch-men of God for vndoubtedly a fearefull and painfull consumption shall torment them for euer who now cannot suffer that the salt of the Word should bite their sores to cure them The opposition made here by the Apostle warnes vs Either we must slay sin or sin shall slay vs. that a necessitie lyeth vpon vs to mortifie our sinfull lusts it stands vpon our liues vnlesse wee slay sinne sinne shall not faile to slay vs. It is like a Serpent in our bosome which cannot liue but by sucking out that bloud whereby we liue here is a wholesome preseruatiue against sinne if at euery occasion wee would carry it in our minde wee would make no doubt to put sinne to the death that our selues might liue For alas what pittifull folly is this wee hate them that pursues our bodily life wee eschew them by all bodily Aug. detemp serm 29. meanes wee hate the oppressours that spoile vs of worldly goods onely wee cannot hate Sathan to the death who seekes by sinne to spoyle vs of eternall life That same Commandement which was giuen to Adam Euery sin is to vs the forbidden Tree and Euah if yee eate of the forbiâ—den Tree yee shall dye is in effect here giuen to vs all if ye liue after the flesh ye shall die let vs not make an exception where God hath made none euery sinne to vs is as that forbidden Tree to Adam if wee meddle with it we shall finde no better fruit then that which Men seeke on it that fruit which they shall not finde and finde on it that fruit which they would not haue Adam found on it before vs there is a fruit vvhich man seekes vpon the Tree of sinne and hee shall not finde it to wit profit or pleasure and there is another fruit which God hath threatned and Sathan saith it growes not on the Tree of sinne but man assuredly shal finde it Bitter death groweâ— vpon the pleasant Tree of sinne for the wages of sinne is death albeit there came no word from the Lord to teach this former experience may confirme it for what fruit haue we this day of all our former sinnes but a guilty conscience which breeds vs much terror accusing thoughts and anguish of Spirit It is therefore a point of great wisedome to discerne betweene Great wisdome to discerne betweene the deceit of sin and fruit of sinne the deceit of sinne and fruit of sin before the action Sinne is Inâ—micus blandienâ— a slattering and laughing enemie in the action it is dulcâ— venenum sweet poyson but after the action it is Scorpâ—opungens a pricking and biting Serpent Hee that would rightly discerne the face of sinne when it stands before him to tempt him let him looke backe to the taile of a sinne which hee hath committed alreadie and of the sting vvhich that sinne hath left behind it let him learne to beware of the smiling countenance of the other which will no lesse wound him the second time vnto death if so be he embrace it Most properly may the pleasures of sinne be Sinfull lusts compared to the streame of Iordan compared to the streames of the riuer Iordan which carryeth away the fish swimming and playing in it delighted with such pleasures as are agreeable to their kind euen till it deuolue them into the salt sea where incontinent they die euen so in the vvicked inordinate concupiscenâ—â— is as a forcible streame which carryeth away vvith it impenitent men playing and delighting themselues in their lusts till at length they fall into that lake vvhich burneth vvith fire and brimstone out of the which there is no redemption for them The perishing pleasures of sinne are payd home with And to the lâ—custs with womans haire Lions teeth Scorpions taile Basil in verb. Mos attende tibi euerlasting perdition it is done in a moment but when it is finished it bringeth out death and breedes the Worme that will neuer dye paruum ad horam peccatum longaeua autem est ex â—o aeterna verecundia it is the deuouring Locust of the bottomlesse pit which hath haire like a woman teeth like a Lyon and a tayle like a Scorpion miserable are they who are blinded with it they may sleepe in their sinne but their Cirill catech 2. damnation sleepes not though their heads be laid downe like the Kine of Bashan to drinke in iniquity like water yet 2 Pet. 2. 3. their iudgement is not farre off and they are but like vnto Oxen fed for the slaughter Wee perceiue here further that euery mans state and condition in this life is a prediction of that state and condition which abides him when this life is gone Hee that soweth Gal. 6. 8. to the flesh of the flesh shall reape corruption but hee that soweth to the Spirit shall reape immortality
and life As no This life is a thorow-way or middle passage eyther to heauen or hell man commeth eyther to a Pallace or a Prison but by the entry thereof so no man goeth eyther to heauen or hell but by the way thereof A wicked life is as a thorow-way to that prison and place of darknesse he who goes on in it without returning shall out of all doubt vvhen hee hath passed the path-way enter into the prison and a godly life is the very way to heauen hee that walkes in it persâ—uering to the end shall enter at last into that Pallace of Glory which is the Paradise of God Salomon saith that where the Eccles 11. 3. tree fals there it lyes and experience teacheth vs that it fals to that side on vvhich the branches thereof grow thickest if the greatest growth of our affections and actions spring out after the Spirit out of doubt wee shall fall to the right hand and shall be blessed but if otherwise thy affections grow downward and thou walke after the flesh then assuredly thou shalt fall to the left hand and die in sin vnder the curse of God But seeing they who walke after the flesh are dead already They who liue in sin are dead and yet a worse death abides them in hell how saith the Apostle they shall dye To this I answere both are true presently they are dead and yet a more fearefull death abides them That they who liue in their sinnes are dead already wee shewde before for sinne is that vnto the soule of man vvhich fire and vvater are to the body that is to say an vnkindely Element in the which it cannot liue but certainely a more fearefull death abides them which the spirit of God calleth the second death vvherein they shall not onely liue depriued of life wanting all sense yea and all hope of the mercy of God but shal also feele the full measure of his wrath due to their sinnes powred out vpon them Now albeit they be dead in sinne and depriued of the fauour of the Creator yet the vaine comforts of the creatures doth so betwitch and blinde them that they know not how wretched and miserable they are but when the last sentence of damnation shall be pronounced vpon them they shall not onely be banished from the presence of God into euerlasting perdition where the fire of the Lords indignation shall perpetually torment them but also the comfort of all Gods creatures which now they haue shall foâ—sake them The least degree of their punishment shall be a fearefull The least degree of their punishment shall be a fearefull famine of all worldly comforts Ioel. 1. 12. Reu. 18. 14. famine of worldly comforts The Pomegranat Tree the Palme Tree the Apple Tree shall wither The Apples after which now their soule lusteth shall depart from them they shall finde none of them yea if a cup full of colde vvater might comfort them it shall not be giuen vnto them thus you see how they are dead and yet a more fearefull death abideth them Therefore the spirit of God to expresse the fearefulnesse Why that second death is called a wrath and a wrath to come of that second death he calleth it a wrath and giues it these two titles first hee calleth it a vvrath prepared by God Salomon saith the wrath of a King is the messenger of death what then shall we say of the wrath of God Secondly he cals it a wrath to come to teach vs that it farre exceedes all that wrath that we haue heard or seene The drowning of the originall world the burning of Sodome a great wrath but nothing comparable to the wrath which is to come Beside this both the place the vniuersality and the eternity The place of the damned shewes the greatnesse of their iudgement Reu. 21. 8. Esa 30. 33. of their punishment serues to let vs see if wee looke to them how horrible this death is which here is threatned against them who liue after the flesh As for the place it is called the wineprâ—ssâ— of the wrath of God the lake that bâ—rnes with â—ire and brimstone Tophet prepared of old deepe and large the breath of the Lord like a riuer of brimstone â—oth kindle it It is that great deepe which the damned spirits themselues abhor they know it to be the place appointed for their torment all that they craue was onely that the Lord would not send them thether to be tormented before the time It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a place wherein is no light to see therefore Iude called it blacknesse of darknesse and our Sauiour called it vtter darknesse Iude verse 6. Mark 9. 48. 1 Pet. 3. 19. Math. 5. 22. there is in it a burning fire but without light a gnawing worme without rest Saint Peter cals it a prison and our Sauiour cals it Gehenna for the horrible scrieches of them who are burnt in it and the vile and stinking filthinesse wherwith it is replenished And as for the vâ—â—uersality of their paine It is certaine The vnâ—â—uersality of it Nothing in man shall be without paine all Gods plagues shall concor to punish him that as euery thing in them sinned so euery thing in them shall be punished No power of their soule no member of their body shall be free from that wrath Surely it should astonish man to consider this for if now any one of Gods ordinary plagues inflicted vpon any one member of the body be so insufferable how intollerable vvill that paine be he who now is payned with the tooth-ach takes some comfort when he sees another tormented with the collicke and he also if he see another burnt vp with Anthonies fire beares his owne crosse the more patiently because he sees a greater laid vpon another No man in this life suffereth all things one cryeth with the Shunamites sonne for excessiue dolour alas my head my head another with Antiochus my belly the third with Asa my feete my feete but what are all these comparable to that paine vvherein head and belly and feet yea the whole man shall be racked vpon the torments of Gods wrath and that not with one plague onely but with manifold for as all the waters of the earth runne into the great Ocean so all the plagues of God shall concurre and meete together in hell for the punishment of the damned But yet the eternity of that paine doth still increase the The eternitie of it horrour thereof there shall be no end of their punishment their fire shall neuer be quenched their worme shall neuer dye they shall seeke death as a benefite and shall not finde it The fire of Sodome was ended in a day the deluge of water that drowned the originall world lasted but a yeare the famine that plagued Aegypt lasted but seauen yeares the captiuity of Israell was ended in seauenty yeares but this wrath of GOD vpon the damned shall endure for
can wee but take vp a bitter lamentation for many of you whom in this time of grace wee see to be strangers from grace wee wish from our harts ye were not like the kinsmen of Lot they thought hee had but mocked when hee told them of an iminent iudgement and therefore for no request would goe out of Sodome but tarryed till the fire of the Lords indignation did consume them but that rather as Sarah followed Abraham from Caldee to Canaan so yee vvould take vs by the hand and goe with vs from hell to heauen but alas the lusts of the flesh hold you captiue or then the loue of the world doth bewitch you but all of them in the end shall deceiue you for all the labour vnder the Sunne is but vanitie and vexation of the Spirit vvhen you haue finished your taske you shall be lesse content than you were at the beginning you shall be as one vvakened out of a dreame who in his sleepe thought hee was a possessor of great riches but when hee awaketh behold he hath nothing or not vnlike that rich man who said in his securitie Now my Soule thou Luke 12. 19. hast much good for many yeares and euen vpon the next day redacted to such extreame necessitie vvith that other who despised Lazarus that he had not so much as a drop of cold water to coole his tongue vvithall then shall you lament Wisd 5. 7. and say We haue wearied our selues in the way of iniquitie and it did not profit vs. Miserable worldlings who take more paines to get and keepe any thing than Iesus Christ Alas how shall I learne you to be wise Is not this a pittifull blindnesse the Lord when hee created man made him Lord aboue all his creatures and now vnthankefull man sets euery creature in his heart aboue the Lord. O fearefull ingratitude Doe you so reward the Lord O ye foolish people and vnwise There is nothing which ye conceit to be good but when yee want it you are carefull to seeke it when you haue it you are carefull to keepe it onely you are carelesse of the Lord Iesus though hee be that incomparable iewell which bringeth light in darknesse life in death comfort in trouble and mercy against all iudgement ye should set him as a signet on your heart as an ornament on your head and put him on as that glorious attire which gets you place to stand before God But what paines doe ye take to seeke him what assurance haue yee that yee are in him or what mourning doe yee make for that yee do not possesse him can you say in truth that the tenth part of your thoughts or words haue been bestowed vpon him No no it is the shame of many that they haue taken more paynes to keepe a signet on their hand than euer they did to keepe Iesus in their heart they wander after vanitie and follow lyes they forsake the fountaine of liuing waters Oh Psal 50. 22. consider this yee that forget God least he teare you in peeces and there be none to deliuer you The last lesson wee obserue in this part of the Verse is How all things worke for the worst to the wicked this as all things workes for the best to them who loue the Lord so all things workes for the worst vnto the wicked there is nothing so cleane which they defile not nothing so excellent which they abuse not Make Saul a King and Balaam a Prophet and Iudas an Apostle their preferment shall be their destruction if they be in prosperitie they contemne God and their prosperitie becomes their ruine if they be in aduersitie they blaspheme him and like raging waues of the sea cast out their owne dirt to their shame yea what speake I of these things euen their table shal be a snare vnto them Iesus Christ is a rocke of offence vnto them the Gospell the sauour of death vnto them and their prayer is turned into sinne and vvhat more excellent things then these As a foule stomacke turnes most healthfull food into corruption so their polluted conscience turnes iudgement into gall and the fruit of righteousnesse into wormewood And all this should prouoke vs to an holy care to become good our selues or else there is nothing were it neuer so good can be profitable to vs. To them that loue God We haue heard the Apostles last The persons to whom the former comfort belongs are described to be such as loue God and are called by him argument of comfort vvhich is that the Lord so ruleth all things by his prouidence that those things which seemes to be against his children are made to worke together for the aduancement of their good Deus enim adeo bonus est vt nihil mali esse sineret nisi eâ—â—am adeo esset potens vt ex quolibet malo possit elicere bonum for God is so good that he vvould suffer no euill to be were it not hee is also so powerfull that of euery euill he is able to draw out good Now vvee proceede to the persons to vvhom this comfort belongs who are first described to be such as loue God secondly as are Three things inseperably knit 1. Gods purpose concerning vs 2. his calling to vs 3. our loue toward him called according to his purpose Here are three things conioyned together euery one depending on another First the purpose of God which is no other thing but his eternall and immutable decree concerning our saluation Secondly our calling flowing from this purpose Thirdly a loue of God wrought in our hearts by this effectuall calling These three are so inseperably conioyned together that from the lowest of these we may goe vp to the highest of that vnfained loue of God which is in thee thou mayest know that he loued thee and in his vnchangeable purpose hath ordained thee to life This is the greatest comfort that can be giuen to men vpon earth to let them see that or euer the Lord laid the foundations of the earth he first laid the foundation of thy saluation in his owne immutable purpose which being secret in it selfe and obscured from vs is most manifested vnto vs by our effectuall calling But of this we vvill speake more God willing hereafter The loue of God then is set downe here as a principall None can loue God but such as he hath chosen and called effect and token of our calling As the Lord calles none effectually but those vvhom hee hath elected so none can loue him but those who are effectually called by him yea thou thy selfe vvho now loues the Lord before thy calling louedst him not thy heart went a whooring from God and thou preferedst euery creature before him and for the smallâ—st pleasure of sinne thou caredst not to offend him It is thought among the multitude a common thing and an It is thought a common thing to loue God but noâ—e can loue him who
Disciples condemned and iudged worthy of stripes stand as so many examples to confirme vs that we faint not when we are condemned of men yea with the Apostle we must learne to passe little for mans iudgement and striue in a good conscience to be approued of God for sure the Lord will not peruert iudgement it is farre from the Iudge of all the world to doe vnrighteously he will at the last plead the cause of his Seruants and bring their righteousnesse to light This condemnation then from which wee are deliuered But from the condemnatory sentence of God is the sentence of God th righteous Iudge by which finding man guiltie of sinne for sinne he adiudgeth him vnto eternall damnation from this all they who are in Christ are deliuered He that beleeueth in him who sent Iohn 5. 24. mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life In this condemnation Three sundry times the Lord keepes against the wicked in the processe of their condemnation Psal 50. 5. the Lord proceeds at three sundry dyats against the wicked First he condemneth them in the Court of Conscience Next in the day of their particular iudgement Thirdly in the day of generall Iudgement First I say the Lord holdeth a Iustice Court against the wicked in his owne Conscience For the Lord iudgeth the righteous and him that contemnâ—th God euery day After 1 The first is kept against them in the Iustice Court of their owne Conscience sinne committed by him there ariseth in his Conscience accusing thoughts and there is a sentence within him giuen out against him The Apostle speakes it of Heretikes one sort of vvicked men and is it true in them all they sinne being damned of their owne selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by themselues Iudgement is giuen out against themselues which sentence albeit euery wicked man doe not marke the voyce of their disordered affections sometime being so loud that they heare not the condemnatorie voyce of their Conscience so clearely as it is pronounced yet doe they heare as much as makes them inexcusable and breedes in them a certaine feare and terrour which is but a fore-runner of a more fearefull iudgement to come which howsoeuer in time of their securitie they labour to smoother and quench by externall delights yet at the length affection shall be silenced and Conscience shall pronounce sentence against them with so shrill a voyce that their deafest care shall heare it This I haue marked that we may learne not to esteeme lightly the Iudgement of our Conscience but that so oft as wee are condemned by it wee may make our refuge to the throne of Grace to seeke mercie For if Conscience condemne 1. Ioh. 3. 20. vs God is greater then the Conscience and will much more condemne vs. Ascendat itaque homo tribunal mentis suae Aug. hom 50 si timet illud meminerit quod oportet eum ante tribunal Christi exhiberi Let therefore a man saith Augustine goe vp to the tribunall of his owne mind in time if he feare it let him remember that he must be presented before a greater tribunall The second time of iudgement which the Lord keepes 2 The second is kept against them in the houre of death against the wicked is in the houre of death wherein the Lord doth not onely repeat their former sentence of condemnation and that in a more fearefull and iudiciall manner but proceeds also to execution adiudging their bodies vntill the day of last iudgement to the prison of the graue to vnderly that curse pronounced on man for his Apostasie and condemning their spirits to be banished from the presence of God and cast into vtter darknesse Let not therfore the wicked man nourish himselfe in sinne with a vaine conceit of the delay of iudgement wherefore wilt thou put farre from thee the euill day what suppose the day of generall iudgement were not to come for many yeares is not the day of thy particular iudgement at hand vnto which thou shalt be drawne sodainely and perforce in the midst of thy deceiuing imaginations thou shalt be taken away in an houre wherein thou thought not to dye more miserable than that rich glutton who hauing stored his head with false conclusions dreaming of many dayes to come when hee had not one was that same day taken away to iudgement And this shall moue vs the more if we doe remember that such as we are in the day of death such shall wee be found in the day of iudgement In quo enim quemque Aug. epist ad Hesych inuenerit suus nouissimus dies in hoc cum comprehendet mundinouissimus dies quia qualis in die isto quisque moritur talis in die illo iudicabitur and euery man in the last day shall be iudged to be such as he is when he dyeth It would waken vs all more carefully to thinke vpon our end that so we might prepare our selues for this second dyat of iudgement But the third dyat of iudgement shall be most fearefull 3 The third dyat shall be kept against them in the day of generall iudgement when all the wicked being gathered together in one shall be condemned in that high and supreame court of iustice which the Lord shall hold vpon all that euer took life then shall the full measure of the wrath of God be powred vpon all those who are not in Christ Iesus both in soule and body they shall be punished with euerlasting perdition This iudgement shall be most equitable for when that Ancient of dayes shal sit down vpon his white throne before whose face heauen and earth shall flee away and Dan. 12. 6. when the Sea and the Earth hath rendred vp their dead then the bookes shall be opened according to which he shall Reuel 10. 8. proceed vnto iudgement And the bookes are two the This iudgemeÌ„t shall proceede by the bookes of Law and Conscience booke of the law which shewed to a man what he should doe and the booke of Conscience which shewed him what hee hath done by those shall the wicked man be iudged and he shall not be able to make exception against any of them against the booke of the law hee shall be able to speake nothing for the Commandements of the Lord are Psal 19. 9. pure and righteous altogether And as for the booke of conscience thou canst not denye it the Lord shall not iudge thee by another mans conscience but by thine owne that booke thou hast had it alway in thine owne keeping who then could falsifie it neither is any thing written in it of things thou hast done but that which thine owne hand hath written how then canst thou make any exception against it Thus the bookes being opened the iudgement shall How the wicked shall be conuicted by the booke of the Law proceede in this manner The Law shall pleade
for transgression of her precepts requiring that the wicked may be put to death for their most vnreasonable disobedience her commandements for number being but ten and so not burdenable to the memorie for vnderstanding plaine written in the heart of euery man â—or equity not contradictable for the Law craueth nothing of man but that which by the holinesse of his nature receiued by Creation hee was able to performe neither doth the law command any thing profitable to God who gaue it but vnto man who receiued it And for holinesse euery precept of the law when God proclaimed it on mount Sinai was assisted with a thousand of his Saints as witnesses of the holinesse thereof all these circumstances doe aggrauate the waight of that iudgement which the law shall giue out against the transgressors thereof Then from the Law iudgement shall proceede How they shal be conuicted by the booke of conscience to Conscience and Conscience shall witnesse against them of their transgressions against euery precept of the law wherein they shall be so cleerely conuinced that their particular sinnes with the circumstances thereof time and place though now they haue cast them behind their backs shall then be set in order before them and so iustly euery manner of way shall iudgement goe out against them Eliphaz spoke it faslie to Iob thy owne mouth and not I Iob. 15. 6. condemnes thee but most iustly shall the ruler of the world lay it vpon the wicked out of thy owne mouth I iudge thee Luke 19. 22. O thou euill and vnfaithfull seruant the voyce of thine own conscience and no other shall condemne thee And as this condemnation will be most righteous so This iudgmeÌ„t shall also be most terrible shall it be also most fearefull not onely in regard of the manner of the Lords proceeding in that last iudgement but chiefly in regard of that irreuocable sentence of damnation Exod. 19. 16. which shall be executed without delay The Law Moses trembled for feare at the giuing of the law what will the wicked doe at the execution therof was giuen with Thunders and Lightnings and a thicke cloud vpon the mount with an exceeding loud sound of the Trumpet so that all the people were afraide yea so terrible was the sight that Moses said I feare and quake The lawes of mighty Monarches are executed with greater terror then they are proclaymed what then shall we looke for when the God of glory shall appeare to iudge the world according to his law the Heauens shall passe away with a Reuel 6. 14. noyse the Elements shall melt with heate the Earth with the workes which are therein shall be burnt vp the Archangell shall blow a Trumpet at the voyce whereof the dead shall rise If Moses the seruant of the Lord quaked to heare the first Trumpet how shall the wicked condemned in their owne conscience tremble and quake to heare the second Then shall the Kings of the Earth and the great men and the Reu. 6. 15. rich mâ—n and the chiefe Captaines and the mightie men hide themselues in the Dennes and among the rockes of the Mountaines for what strength is there in man who is but stubble to stand before a consuming fire and or euer their doome be giuen out they shall crie Mountaines and Rockes fall vpon vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the Throne but when they shall heare that fearefull sentence Depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared Mat. 25. 41. for the Diuell and his Angels O how shall the terror thereof confound their spirits and presse them downe to the bottome of hell O fearefull sentence depart from me what shall the creature doe when the Creator in his wrath commands it to depart and by his power banishes it from his presence O man wilt thou consider in time who shall receiue Remembrance of this last iudgment is a preseruatiue against sinne thee when God casts thee out from his face or who shall pittie and be able to comfort thee when God shall persecute thee with his wrath assure thy selfe euery creature shall refuse her comfort to thee if a drop of cold water might be a reliefe vnto thee thou shalt not get it Happie therefore are they who in time resolue themselues with Peter Lord whither away shall we goe from thee thou hast Math. 10. the words of eternall life For they who doe now goe a whoring from the Lord wandring after lying vanities shall in that day receiue this for a recompence of their errour Goe to the Gods whom ye haue serued Your whole life was but a Iud. 10. 14. Math. 25. 41. turning backe from me now therefore depart from me and whither into fire and what fire euerlasting fire and with whom with the Diuell and his Angels thou hast forsaken me thou hast followed them goe thy way with them a companion of their torment O fearefull sentence Quae Augustine cum ita sint bene nobisâ—um agâ—râ—tur si iâ—m nunc sic nos paeniteret super malis nostris qâ—omâ—do tunc sine vllo remedio paenitebit It were good therefore sayes Augustine if now all men could so repent of their sinnes as it is certaine in that day they shall repent without any remedie for then the wicked will shed teares aboundantly but they shall be fruitlesse And if all this cannot waken thee to goe to the Lord The day before the last iudgement Mercie shall be offered but none after it Iesus vpon the feete of faith and repentance that in him thou mayest be deliuered from this fearefull damnation yet remember that seeing this iudgement is supreame and the last from which will be no recalling most foolish art thou if in time thou doe not foresee and prouide how thou mayest stand in it Now if thy conscience condemne thee thou maist get if thou seeke absolution in Christ but in that day if the Lord condemne thee thou shalt neuer be absolued the day before the Trumpet sound mercy shall be preached to the penitent and beleeuers by the Gospell but from the time that once the sentence is giuen out there shall neuer be more offering of mercie the doore shall be closed though the wicked crie for mercie and with Esau seeke the blessing with many teares yet shall they neuer finde it Of all this now it is euident what an excellent benefit By Christ wee haue deliuerance from this threefold condemnation wee haue by Iesus Christ in that wee are deliuered from this three-fold condemnation For first being iustified by faith we haue peace with God in our consciences that holy spirit of adoption testifying vnto vs that our sinnes are forgiuen vs whereof arises in our heart an vnspeakable and glorious ioy which ioy notwithstanding cannot be full nor perfect vntill the former sentence of our absolution be also pronounced in the other two iudgements that in the
water our couch with teares in the night and call vpon the Lord without ceasing in the day continually vntill we find that we are translated from darknesse to light taken out of nature and planted in Christ and that first sentence of absolution be pronounced to our conscience by the spirit of adoption goe thy way thy sinnes are for giuen thee For the Math. 9. 2. Apostle vseth here this limitation of the comfort to certaine persons thereby to declare that it appertaines not vnto the remnant of the world When the originall world was As none were saued without the Arke the family of Lot and house of Rahab Gen. 7. 33. Gen. 19. 16. Iosh 2. ouerwhelmed with waters none were saued but such as were in the Arke when Sodome was burnt with fire none were saued but those of the family of Lot when Iericho was destroyed none were preserued but such as were in the Family of Rahab all these are figures shadowing vnto vs that when the Lord shall come to cut downe the wicked with the sword or hooke of his iustice to cast them for euer into the wine-presse of his wrath saluation shall belong onely to those who are of the houshold of faith euen that whole family whereof God in Iesus Christ is the Father which number is indeede exceeding small if they be compared with the remnant and great multitude of the world therefore let not their euill example deceiue vs but remembring the kingdome of heauen suffers violence let vs cast away these Mat. 11. 12. Heb. 12. 2. burdens and impediments specially this sinne which hangeth so fast on that wee may enter in time into the Arke of GOD and Familie of Rahab that so wee may be saued Wee haue here then first to obserue a certaine distinction A threefold distinction of mankinde of mankinde whereof some are in Christ these are vessels of honour reserued to mercy others out of Christ and these are vessels of dishonour ordained vnto wrath This 1 Made in God his eternall counsaile distinction is first made in God his secret counsell electing some and leauing others according to the good pleasure of his will and this is onely knowne vnto himselfe It begins 2 Made in this life by effectual calling of those who are chosen Reuel 3. 12. first to be manifest when the Lord by effectuall calling seperates his Elect from the children of wrath and disobedience and then it is knowne but properly and truly of those onely who are effectually called for that new name which the Lord giueth none knowes but they who haue receiued it By the iudgement of charity confirmed by the seene effects of grace in another thou maist conclude that hee is called but by assurance of Faith thou maist onely be certaine of thine owne particular saluation But this distinction 3 Shall be made most manifest in the day of generall iudgement shall be most clearely manifested in the last day when the Lord shall gather all the children of his good will together at the right hand of Iesus Christ then shall hee declare vnto all the world who they are that are his the wicked shall see the righteous and be vexed with horrible feare when they shall see that such as they had in derision haue their portion among the Saints Let it not therefore be sufficient vnto vs that out of the generall masse of mankind we are gathered to the fellowship of the Church visible but let vs examine how we are in the barne sloore of the Lord Iesus whether as chaffe or corne for a day of winnowing will assuredly come wherein the Lord shall gather his good corne into his garner and the chaffe shall be cast out into vnquenchable fire It is againe to be marked that the Apostle hauing found If wee seeke comfort of deliuerance from the wrath to come we must goe out of our selues and seeke it in Christ in himselfe matter of death which he humbly confessed in the end of the last Chapter doth now goe out of himselfe and rest in Iesus Christ before hee can finde any comfort through deliuerance from death teaching vs that if wee seeke comfort wee must goe out of our selues and seeke it in Christ Surely a great cause of these manifold doubtings feares and vnquietnesse of mind wherewith the godly are often troubled is that they seeke in themselues grounds and warrants of their saluation as though the Lord could not saue them vnlesse there be in them such a disposition as in euery point should be This is one of Sathans subtile stratagems to draw thee from Christ and make thee to rest vpon thy selfe if once he obtaine this at thy hands thou suffer that Serpent to creepe in between thee and thy surety and diuert thy heart from reposing stedfastly vpon Christ that not content to seeke supplement of thy wants in him thou seeke perfection in thy selfe it shall be an easie thing vnto thy aduersarie to disquiet thee and shake thee too and fro like a reede shaken with the winde with distrustfull cogitations I confesse indeede it is most needfull vnto saluation that Yet wee must finde in our selues infallible markes of Saluation thou finde in thy selfe the infallible signes and tokens of thy effectual calling and ingrafting into Christ but to think that because thou findest them not in perfection or findest beside them a remanent sinfull corruption of thy nature that therefore thou canst not be saued is as much as to thinke thou canst not be saued vnlesse thou be thine owne Sauiour Learne therefore from the holy Apostle that how euer in thy selfe thou be worthie to dye yet giue this glory to Iesus Christ that he is thy Sauiour be strong in him keepe thy consideration and confidence vpon him If Sathan charge thee with thy sinnes flye thou to Christs merits if hee obiect to thee thine euill actions remember thou Christs innocent sufferings and for euery thing wherwith he can charge thee goe thou to Iesus thy aduocate to be answerable for thee So did Bernard who in the houre A notable cōfort arising of Christs twofold right to the kingdome of his death being presented as hee thought before the Lords tribunall and sharply accused by his aduersarie for his sinnes he goes out of himselfe and runnes to Christ I graunt indeede sayes he that as thou obiectest vnto me I am vnworthie and by no deedes of mine can I merit eternall life yet I know the Lord Iesus hath a double right to the kingdome of heauen one by heritage and another by conquest the first is sufficient for himselfe the second for me ex cuius dono iure illud mihi vendicans non confundor Bernard And indeede except it had beene to giue it to poore penitent and beleeuing sinners what needed our blessed Sauiour to haue conquered that kingdome which was his owne before by heritage Thus are we onely sure when we cast the anchor of our
and they shall wither the whirle-wind shal take them away like stubble O silly glory of worldlings which dieth to them oftentimes before themselues at least with them their beauties consumes whē Psal 49. 14. they go from the house to the graue their pomp doth not descend after them Onely happy sure is the estate of that man who is in Christ neither life nor death things present nor things to come shal seperate him from the loue of God Now the lessons of instruction are chiefly two first is They who are planted in Christ should be humble the roote beares them not they the roote a lesson of humilitie seeing it so that in Christ wee haue life let vs be humble in our selues forasmuch as that which we haue we haue of another so taught the auncient fathers agreable to holy scripture eleauen hundred yeers before vs which I mark the rather to point out the agreement in one truth between vs and the Fathers of the primitiue Church Ita sunt in vite palmites vt illi nihil conferant sed inde accipiant Consil 2. Arausicanū ex Carranza vnde viuant sic quippe vitis est in palmitibus vt vitale subministret illis non sumat ab ijs ac per hoc manentem in se habere Christum manere in Christo discipulis prodest non Christo the branches are so in the vine that they giue nothing vnto it but receiues from it that sap of grace wherby they liue but the vine is so in the branches that it ministers life vnto them and receiues nothing from them that therefore Christ abideth in vs and we in him is profitable to vs who are his Disciples but not vnto himselfe Thus they learned from our Sauiour who in his speech to his Disciples denyes that man is able to doe any good thing without him as the branch can beare no fruit except it abide in the root no more can ye except ye abide in me for without me ye are able to doe nothing And that which is subioyned doth yet more humble vs praeciso palmite potest de viua radice Ibidem alius pullulare qui autem praecisus est non potest◠sine radice viuere though a branch be cut off from the root another may spring out but the branch which is cut off cannot liue without the root it withereth and is meet for nothing but the fire he that falleth away from Christ shall perish like a withered branch but the Lord Iesus shall not want another who shall grow vp in him we stand by faith let vs not Rom. 11. 16. be high minded but feare The second is a lesson of thankfulnesse we who professe They who are planted in Christ beare fruit so soone as they are planted that we are in Christ should be fruitfull in good works herein saith our Sauiour is my Father glorified that yee beare much fruit There is such a liuely power in this stocke of life that they who are planted in him flourish incontinent Proofe hereof we haue in Lidia and in the Theefe crucified with Christ and conuerted by him Arons rodde was no sooner changed from a withered sticke into a flourishing tree then he is from a barren malefactor into a fruitfull professor for see what a fruit he beares in an instant he confesseth his owne sinnes he rebuketh the sinnes of his companion he giueth a good testimonie vnto Christ and earnestly prayes that Christ would remember him when he comes into his kingdome Alas how may this make vs ashamed who so long haue professed Christ but hath not bene fruitfull in good workes The Psalmist compares a godly man to the Palme tree which as Plinie writeth groweth by the waters side and in moyst places and is in Summer winter both flourishing and bearing fruit But the wicked carnall professors of this age are become worse than that figge-tree which Christ cursed for it had leaues albeit no fruit but they as Ierome complaynes of the shamelesse sinners in his time haue cast away the very leaues also an euident token that they were neuer planted in Christ Iesus they haue done nothing in their liues to glorifie God and may looke as little to be comforted by him in their deaths but of this we shall haue occasion to speake more hereafter Who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Albeit By flesh is meant our naturall corruption and how workes of the flesh are done by spirits the comfort of our deliuerance by Christ be exceeding great yet least it should be vsurped of those to whom it belongs not the Apostle as he hath before restrained it to them who are in Christ so here he giues vs an euident marke whereby we may know them to wit that they are such as walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit Where before we enter into the doctrine it is necessary we know what the Apostle meanes by the word flesh Among many significations which it hath in holy Scripture it is here vsed to expresse the whole sinfull corruption of our nature repugnant to the Law of God not onely carnal actions done in the members of the body but also sinfull motions and affections Diabolus enim cum sit spiritus agit tamen opera carnis for Sathan notwithstanding he be a spirit yet doth Aug. de ciui dei lib. 14. he the workes of the flesh and the Apostle reckons out pride enuie and such like among the workes of the flesh Gal. 5. 22. This may serue to beate downe the presumptuous conceits of those who proudly iustifie themselues and think themselues free from sinne because they are cleere of the carnal action as if the word of God did condemne sinne in the branch onely and not in the roote also This corruption of our nature for three causes is exprest For three causes is our sinful corruption exprest by flesh by the name of flesh first because it is propagated from man to man in the seed of flesh secondly because it is executed in our earthly and carnall members thirdly because it is nourished strengthned and augmented by outward fleshly obiects and so by this name our corruption is distinguished from the corrupt nature of apostate Angels which is not propagated nor nourished nor executed as Ephe. 6. 12. ours is and therefore called by the Apostle Spirituall wickednesse By the spirit here againe I vnderstand that new and spirituall By the spirit is meant the new disposition of the whole man wrought by spirit disposition which the Spirit of God workes in our minde will and affections comformable to the law of God Whereof it is euident that all our motions affections and actions before the Spirit of Christ sanctifie and reforme vs are flesh and not Spirit and againe that euen the Christian after his ingrafting into Christ hath remaining in him while he dwelleth in the body some carnall and
though the tongue be silent therefore our blessed Sauiour in the Gospell sayeth the workes which the Father hath giuen me to doe the same workes Iohn 5. 36. that I doe beare witnesse of mee Like as Cyprian sayeth good workes professes that there is a God so euill workes say in their owne kinde that there is no God nor knowledge of the most high Thus it is a most fearefull sinne for them to walke after the flesh who professes that they are in Iesus Christ For no sinne can be committed of them without horrible Sinnes of men professing Christ are not committed without sacriledge sacriledge euery worke of the flesh though done by a Pagan is a transgression of Gods law which shall be punished vnto death but the same committed by Christians are not onely sinnes but sacrilegious sinnes and that of the highest degree then came the sinnes of Belshazar to the Dan. 51. hight when to all his former sinnes hee ioyned the abuse of those vessels which were holy to haue drunke intemperatly for the honour of his Idol in any vessell was a fearefull sinne but to doe it in the vessels dedicated to the honour of the true God was a double sinne Yet is this sacriledge More fearefull than Belshazars small if it shall be compared with thine who professing Christ liues profanely hee abused dead vessels of gold siluer but thou erects a temple for the liuing God in a temple for Idols thou defilest the sanctuary of God with all vncleannesse those vessels which by Baptisme the marke of God were seperate and sealed to his holy seruice thou abusest to the seruice of Sathan by profession thou art militant vnder the banner of Christ wearing his badge but by action art a seruant to his aduersarie like as Iudas thou doest kisse Christ with thy mouth and with thy hand thou betrayest him Let carnall professors looke to him and they may see that a more fearefull iudgement abides them than the open enemies of Christ Iesus himselfe became his owne executioner Neither Caiphas nor Pilate nor the false witnesses nor the people who cryed crucifie Iudas punished sooner than Caiphas were so sodainely iudged as Iudas let men therefore learne either to make their liues in some measure answerable to their Christian profession or else if they will walke after the flesh let them leaue off any more to vsurpe the Christian name We haue here further to learne that it is not an easie A Christian life cannot be led without a battell worke to lead a Christian life but most hard considering that it cannot be led without a continuall battell betweene two parties the Flesh and the Spirit of so contrarie a disposition that the flesh lusts alway against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh it is not possible we can walke after the one the Spirit vnlesse continually we resist the other the flesh And this battell is so proper to the Christian In naturall men there is also a battell but not betweene the Flesh and the Spirit that none in the world can fight it but hee onely It is true that in men vnregenerate there is a battell betweene Reason and Affection Reason oftentimes refusing that for some worldly respect which Affection commaunds and in like manner a battell betweene a naturall conscience and naturall affection an example whereof we haue in Pilate the light of his conscience forbidding him to condemne Christ naturall affection feare of Caesar compelling him to doe the contrary But these battels in the vnregenerate are not battels betweene the flesh and the spirit but betweene flesh and flesh for in an vnregenerate man there is nothing but flesh it being true in them all which is spoken of those in the originall world I will striue no more with man for hee is Gen. 6. 3. but flesh But in the Christian the contrary parties are the new man and the olde the flesh and the spirit nature regenerate fighting against nature vnregenerate with such restlesse oppositions that there shall be no perfect peace till the one haue extinguished the other the life of the one being the death of the other Onely happy are they who in this life are exercised in this battell these are the good souldiers of Iesus for whom is prepared the Crowne As for others who fight it not though they be at quietnesse within themselues yet their peace is wicked and peruerse their being in them an agreement of all their powers to rebell against God Vbi enim non est bellum ibi pax peruersa Aug. ser 12 where there is not this Christian battell there is a miserable peace the end whereof out of doubt shall be more miserable perturbation what hope can those vvretches haue that at length they shall ouercome and obtayne the Crowne who haue neuer done so much as beginne to fight But to returne the difficultie of this Christian battell The difficultie of the Christian battel wherin it appeares appeares the more if wee consider that it is without intermission that our aduersarie is not externall neither such as stands alway vpon circumstances of time and place and exteriour obiects to i 〈…〉 ugne vs but being internall and domestike inuades vs with restlesse assaults euen then when the outward occasion serueth not The flesh saith Bernard Bernard is an enemie hostis quem nec fugere possumus nec fugare circumferre illum necesse est which we can neither flye nor yet chase away from vs a necessitie lyes vpon vs to carrie it about with vs we cannot flye from it Non enim post nos sed Ambrose de paeniten lib. 1. cap. 14. in nobis nos sequitur for it followeth vs saith Ambrose not after vs but in vs. A besieged Citie is sooner betrayed by secret enemies within then suppressed by open enemies without it is not the plain battel ordered before vs which we haue so much to feare as the traines secret ambushments of our aduersarie if we ouercome his power which is within vs his forces shal be soone enfeebled which is without vs. O what neede haue wee therefore in all the actions of our Seeing there are in vs two parties let vs help that which we would haue to preuaile life to walke circumspectly wee haue neede of eyes within and without vs that we may discerne the inward desires of the Spirit from these of the Flesh and may looke rightly on those outward obiects which may cherish the one and suppresse the other In a battaile betweene two euery man assists that partie which he would saine haue to be victorious for the help of the one saith Basil is the ouerthrow Basil serm 2. de iciunio of the other so is it in this combat betweene the Flesh and the Spirit the Flesh being strengthened by outward allurements and carnall exercises quencheth the Spirit and bringeth it in subiection but the more the body be subdued by
are here we are not at the end of our iourney and therefore should not rest 1. King 197. Theoph. in 2. episl ad Cor. Metaphor of walking that we are not yet where we should be we haue not attained to the end of our iourney therefore euery day should we gird vp our loynes remembring that warning which the Angell gaue to Eliah as most pertinent vnto vs Arise and walke thou hast yet a great iâ—urney to goe Of the Children of God said Theophilactus quid un sunt in patriae quidam in via ad patriam some are at home in their own Country some are in the iourney homeward but woe be to them who are neither in their owne Country neither in the way vnto it we are not therefore to settle our selues here as if we had no further to goe but must walke Psal 84. 7. Basil tom 1. forward through this valley of teares from strength to strength till at last we appeare before the face of God in Sion Adhuc in Aegipto detinâ—mur promissionis terram nâ—ndum cap. vlt. sortiti sumus quomodo igitur cantabo canticum dominian terra aliena we are still detayned in Egypt we haue not yeâ— obtayned the land of promise how then shall I sing the songs of the Lord in a strange land we are not yet past the red sea not the vaste wildernesse nor the fierie Serpents what shal we do but water our couch night and day with teares and with feare and trembling walk on the rest of the way which yet is before vs 3 Seeing our life is a walking take heed wee keepe the right way Thirdly seeing wee are in a iourney let vs take heede that wee keepe the way otherwise our life shall be a wandring from God not a walking toward God the way is Christ I am the way if wee abide in it wee shall walke with God as Enoch did before God as Abraham did toward Iohn 14. 6. God as Dauid did O happy turne wherein Christ is both the end the way and the guide Eamus post Christum quia Ber in paruis Sermonibus Serm. 23. veritas per Christum quia via ad Christum quia vita Let vs walke after Christ because he is the truth let vs walke in Christ because he is the way let vs walke toward Christ because he is the life If yee looke to the companies of men in the world ye shall see some in stead of following Christ flying from him Qui enim male facit odit lucem for he who doth euill hateth the light Others where they should follow him runne before him not waiting vpon his light and direction in matters of his worship followes their owne spirit doing that which is good in their owne eyes they runne with zeale but not in the right way And we haue so much the more to take heede vnto the For hee that walketh after the flesh shall at length encounter with death way because euery mans course declareth what kinde of man he is whether carnall or spirituall and what will be his end he that soweth to the flesh of the flesh will reape corruption but hee that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape life euerlasting I am perswaded there is no man among Gal. 6. vs who will not say hee would be at the best end which is eternall life but here is the wonderfull folly of men the proposed end of their pilgrimage whereat they would be is heauen but the way wherein they walke is the way that leadeth close into hell Who will not esteeme him a foole who in word saith his iourney is toward the South and yet for no mans warning will refraine his feete from walking toward the North but more foolish is he who professing himselfe a Pilgrime trauailing towards heauenly Ierusalem keepes notwithstanding a contrarie course hauing his backe vpon heauen and his face toward hell walking not after the Spirit but after the Flesh O pittifull blindnesse and folly how many witnesses of God haue forewarned thee in thy life all crying to thee with a loud voyce this way wherein thou walkest O sinfull man is the way of death he who liues after the Flesh shall dye assuredly yet wilt thou not returne nor change the course of thy life to walke after the liuing God that thou mayest be saued And hauing once found the right way which may lead Three profitable helpes of a godly life vs vnto God let vs strengthen our selues to walke in it by those three most notable helps of a godly life deliuered to vs by Dauid in three verses of 119. Psal Vers 57. O Lord Psal 119. I haue determined to keepe thy word 58. I haue made my supplication in thy presence with my whole heart 59. I haue considered my wayes and turned my feete vnto thy testimonies 1 DeterminatioÌ„ Determination is the first it is a good thing by setled resolution 2 Supplication to conclude with thy selfe that thou wilt liue godly Supplication is the second except by continuall prayer our determination be confirmed and strengthned by grace from God our conclusions which we take to day shall vanish 3 Consideration to morrow Consideration is the third and it is profitable to reduce vs againe into the way of God so often as of weaknesse we wander from it contrary to our first determination These are the three helpes to keepe our heart in the way of God so necessarie that if without them wee doe any work it is not possible but we shall be snared And therfore as in a ship which is ready to sayle so soone as the sayles are hoysed vp presently some skilfull Marriner starteth to the rudder so euery morning wherein we rise from our rest and make our selues ready to goe forward in our pilgrimage let vs first of all take heed vnto the heart for it is the rudder of the whole body let vs knit it vnto God by this threefold cord whereof I haue spoken so shall our wayes be ordered aright and wee shall make a happy progresse euery day in that way which leades to eternall life By determination we begin to keepe a good course By supplication we continue in it By consideration we see whether we be right or wrong if we be out of the way consideration warnes vs to returne againe into it Happy is that man in whose life one of these three is alwayes an actour 4 Our life should be a daily progresse in godlinesse And fourthly by this Metaphor of walking that in our Christian conuersation there should be a continuall progresse in godlinesse For as in walking saith Basil the steps of the feete by a mutuall strife among themselues are changed in such sort that the foote which now is hindmost is formost next continuing alway this motion till we come to the place of our rest so should there be in the Christian such a continuall promouing of his
hath begunne this good worke in vs will performe it vntill the day of Christ As the Angell who deliuered Peter out of prison appeared to him with a shining light in the darke prison smote him vpon his side and wakened him out of his sleepe made his chaines to fall from him and caused him to arise and follow him went still before him to leade him in the way through all impediments and departed not from him till he had entred him within the Cittie of Ierusalem so the spirit of our Lord Iesus who hath once come downe vpon vs in this prison and hath lightned our darknesse wakened vs out of our dead securitie and loosed the chaines of our sinnes wherewith we were bond shall abide continually with vs gouerning vs with his light and truth till he haue entred vs within the portes of heauenly Ierusalem Blessed be the Lord where before we were the captiues of sinne now the course of the battell is changed sinne is become our captiue through Christ it remaineth in vs not as a commander but as a captiue of the Lord Iesus it is true the boltes of sinne are yet vpon our hands and feet to admonish vs of our former miserable thraldome we draw as yet the chaines of sinne after vs which makes vs indeede goe forward the more slowly but are not able to detaine vs in that bondage wherein we lay before And as concerning our deliuerance from death wee are How we are deliuered from death both first and second to know that death is two-fold the first and second the first is a separation of the soule from the body the second is a separation of them both from the Lord. Mors prima Aug. de ciuit dei li. 21. ca. 3 pellit animam nolentem de corpore mors secunda detinet animam nolentem in corpore The first death expels the soule against the will out of the body the second death compels the soule against the will to abide in the body for vnto the greater augmentation of their paine as they were companions of sinne so shall they be compelled to abide companions of punishment This second death hath three degrees the first is when Second death hath three degrees the soule by sinne is separated from the Lord the second is when the body by the power of that curse due to sinne is turned into dust and the soule is sent to hell the third is when both soule and body being ioyned together againe in the resurrection shall be banished from the presence of the Lord and cast into vtter darknesse And it is called the second death because it is executed vpon the wicked after their first death otherwise the first death that euer came into the world was the first degree of the second death Mors Aug. de verb. Apost ser 33. animae praecessit anima deserente Deum mors corporis sequâ—ta est anima deserente corpus deseruit Deum volens anima coacta est deserere corpus nolens the death of the soule went before the soule departing from God and the death of the body followed the soule departing from the body How Christians are exercised with terrors of conscience which in the owne nature are forerunners of the second death the soule departed from God willingly therefore is compelled vnwillingly to depart out of the body Now from both these deaths wee are deliuered by the Lord Iesus for our soules being freed from sinne are reconciled with God and so exempted from that wrath which is to come For albeit the deere children of God be sometime exercised with inward terrours of conscience which in their owne nature are fore-runners of these paynes prepared for the wicked and are as the smoake of that fire which afterward shall torment them yet vnto the godly their nature is changed they are sent vnto them not to seperate them from the Lord but to draw their hearts neerer vnto him and to worke in them a greater conformity with Christ And as for the first death wee are so deliuered from it The nature of the first death changed to the Christian that albeit in the owne nature it be the Centre of all miseries and a fearefull effect of Gods curse on man for sinne yet to the godly the nature thereof is also changed so that now it is not the death of the man but the death of sinne Amb. de bono mort cap. 4. in the man mors est scpultura vltiorum death saith Ambroâ— is the buriall of all vices As the worme which is bred in the tree saith Chrisostome doth at last consume it so death which is brought out by sin doth at the length consume and destroy sinne in the children of God Finally death is the progresse and accomplishment of the full mortification of all our earthly members wherein that filthie fluxe of sinne is dryed vp at an instant It is a voluntarie sacrificing of the whole man soule and body to the Lord the greatest and highest seruice wee can doe to him in the earth for where in the course of our life we are continually fighting against our inordinate lusts and affections to bring them in subiection to Christ by death as it were with one stroke they are all smitten and slaine and the soule is offered vp to God in a sacrifice of full and perfect obedience Verse 3. For that that was impossible to the Law in as much as it was weake because of the flesh God sending his owne Sonne in the similitude of sinfull â—â—â—sh and that for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh THE Apostle hauing set downe in the first 3 Explication of the confirmation Here followes an explication of the confirmation of his generall proposition Verse a Proposition of Comfort belonging to them who are in Christ and confirmed it in the second he proceedeth now to the explication of the Confirmation declaring how it is that Christ hath freed vs from the law of sinne and first he shewes how Christ hath freed vs from the condemning power of sinne in this verse namely that he taking vpon him our nature and therewithall the burden of our sinnes hath condemned sin 1 He shewes how we are freed from the condemning power of sinne The law could not saue vs. in his blessed body and so disanulled it that it hath no power to condemne vs. And this benefit he amplifies shewing that by no other meanes we could obtaine it for where without Christ there is but one way for men to come to life namely the obseruance of the law he lets vs see it was impossible for the law to saue vs and least it should seeme that he blamed the law he subioynes that this impotencie of the Law to saue vs proceedes from our selues because that wee through fleshly corruption which is in vs cannot fulfill that righteousnesse which the law requires This impotencie of the Law appeareth by these two Impotencie of the
notes on this The Iesuites collect here that the Law is fulfilled in this life Verse collects a note which the word here rendreth not vnto them We see say they that the Law which is Gods commandements may be kept that the keeping thereof is iustice and that in Christian men that is fulfilled by Christs grace which by the force of the Law could neuer be fulfilled that the law may be fulfilled and also shall be fulfilled by the grace of Christ who hath deliuered vs from the Law of sin is euident This place proueth no such thing out of the Apostles words we confesse it and are comforted in it this is an end which Christ hath proposed vnto himselfe that he may make vs perfectly answerable to that holinesse which the Law requireth and in his owne good time he shall bring it to passe but that the Law is fulfilled of men in this life cannot be proued neither out of this place nor any other place of holy Scripture Damnatum est peccatum non extinctum Sinne is condemned saith Caietane Caietane one of their owne but not extinguished And hereunto beside infinite testimonies of holy Scripture That the law is not fulfilled in vs nor by vs in this life is proued Amb. de paeniten lib. 1. cap. 6. agreeth also the suffrages of pure antiquitie Non dicit familia tua sana sum medicum non requiro sed sana me Domine sanabor It is not saith Ambrose the voyce of thy family I am whole and needes not a Phisition but heale me O Lord and I shall be healed Tu audes Nouatiane mundum te dicere qui etsi operibus mundus esses hoc solo verbo iâ—mundus fieres Ambrose spake it to the Nouatian Heretiques of his time and it may be sitly turned ouer to the Iesuites of our time Darest thou O Iesuit call thy selfe Ierem. 17. cleane and holy Albeit thou wert cleane in regard of thy works this one word were enough to make thee vncleane With him also agrees Augustine Sunt quidam inflati vtres Aug. de verb. Apost ser 29. spiritu elationis pleni non magnitudine ingentes sed superbiae morbo tumentes vt audeant dicere inueniri homines absque pâ—ccato There are some saith hee like vnto vessels blowne vp with winde filled with a hautie spirit not solidly great but swelled with the sicknesse of pride who dare be bolde to say that men are found in earth without sinne Of such as these hee demaunds in that same place Interrogo te O Ibidem homo sancte iuste sine macula oratio ista dimitte nobis debita nostra fidelium est an catechumenorum certe regeneratorum est immo filiorum nam si non est filiorum qua fronte dicitur Pater noster quies in coelis vbi ergo estis O iusti sancti in quibus peccata non sunt I demand of thee O man thou who A question for Papistâ— art iust and holy this prayer Forgiue vs our sinnes whether is it a prayer to be said by Catechists onely or to be said also of such as are beleeuers and conuerted Christians surely it is the prayer of men regenerated yea it is the prayer of the Sonnes of God for they call God their Father in heauen where then are ye O ye iust and holy ones in whom are no sinnes If the regenerate and sonnes of God haue need to craue remission of sinnes what are ye who say ye haue no sinne If we say we haue no sinne we lie and the truth is not 1. Ioh. 1. 9. in vs and our blessed Sauiour to let vs see how farre we are from doing that which we should doe saith When yee haue Luke 17. 10. done all that yee can doe yet say yee are vnprofitable Seruants Where because they haue a silly subterfuge that albeit wee were neuer so righteous yet for humilities sake we should say we are vnprofitable I answere them as Augustine answered the same obiection in his time propter humilitatem Aug. de verb. Apost ser 29. ergo mentiris then for humilities sake thou lyest but it is certaine Christ neuer taught man to lye for humility this is but a forged falshood of their owne And to ioyne the third witnesse with the former two Bernard who liued in a very corrupt time yet retained this truth Quis melior Propheta de quo dixit Deus inueni virum Ber. in annuÌ„ Mariae secundum cor meum tamen ipse necesse habuit dicere Deo Ne intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo who is better then the Prophet Dauid of whom the Lord said I haue found a man after mine owne heart yet had he neede to say Lord enter not into iudgement with thy Seruant And againe Sufficit Ber. in Cant. Serm. 23. mihi ad omnem iustitiam solum habere propitium cui soli peccaui non peccare Dei iustitia est hominis iustitia indulgentia Dei It sufficeth me for all righteousnes to haue him onely mercifull to me whom I haue only offended to be without sinne is the righteousnesse of God mans righteousnesse is Gods indulgence pardoning his sinne we conclude therefore with him Vaegenerationi huic miserae cui sufficere videtur Ber. ser cont vitiuÌ„ ingrati sua insufficientia immo inopia tanta quis enim ad perfectionem illam quam Scripturae tradunt vel aspirare videtur woe to this miserable generation to whom their owne insufficiencie seems sufficient for who is it that hath so much as aspired to that perfection which the holy Scripture commaunds vs But to maintaine their errour they enforce these places Places of scripture wherein godly men are called Saints and righteous makes not for their errour of perfect obseruance of the Law of holy Scripture wherein mention is made of innocencie iustice and perfection in the Godly whereupon they simply inferre that the Law is fulfilled Their paralogismes shall easily be discouered if we keepe Augustines rule when the perfection of any man is mentioned we must consider wherein for a man may be righteous in comparison of others so Noah was a righteous man in comparison of that generation wherein hee liued yet was hee not without sinne A man may be also so called in comparison of himselfe the Lord iudging a man according to that where vnto the greater part of his disposition is inclined for the Lord doth repute and account his Children not after the remanents of the old man but according to the new workmanship of his grace in them whereof it commeth to passe that albeit in a great part they be sinfull yet the Lord giueth vnto them the names of Saints and righteous men Againe in handling of the Apostles words Philippians 3. In what sense Godly men are called perfect in holy Scripture let vs as many as are perfect be thus minded hee moues the question seeing the Apostle
hath said immediatly before that he was not perfect how doth he now rancke himselfe among those who are perfect how agrees these two that hee is perfect and not perfect Hee answeres the Apostle was perfect secundum intentionem non secundum peruentionem August in Psal 38. that is perfect in regard of his intention and purpose not in regard of preuention and obtayning of his purpose And hereunto agrees that of Bernard Magnum illud electionis Ber. in Cant. serm 49. vas perfectum abnuit perfectum fatetur that great chosen vessell of election graunts profection that is a going forward but denyes perfection for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not onely he who hath come to the end but hee also who is walkeing toward it we are so perfect in this life that wee are yet but walking to perfection therefore saith Ambrose Apostolus Ambros in Rom. cap. 8. ver 9. aliquando quasi perfectis loquitur aliquando quasi perfecturis hoc est aliquando laudat aliquando commonâ—t the Apostle speaketh vnto Christians sometime as vnto men that are perfect othertimes as vnto men who are to perfect that which is required of them that is sometimes he praises them for the good they haue done and otherwhiles he admonishes them of the good they haue to doe We conclude therefore with Augustine perfectio hominis est inuenisse se Aug. de temp scr 49. non esse perfectum this is the pefection of man to finde he is not perfect And as for that place of Saint Luke where it is said that How Zacharie and Elizabeth walked in all the commandements of God Luke 1. 6. Zacharie and Elizabeth walked without reproofe in all the Commandements of God because the Iesuits of Rhemes in their obseruations would wrest it to confirme their errour wee will shortly make it manifest That it makes not for them Augustine hath two reasons whereby he proues out of that same Scripture that Zacharie was not without sin first because he was a Priest and was bound to offer as well for his owne sins as the sins of the people Secondly in that the Euangelist saith he walked in the commandements of Heb. 5. 3. God it is an agreement that as yet hee had not attayned to the marke to the which we may adde the third out of that same place the dumbnesse inflicted vpon him for his misbeleeuing euidently proues he was not so perfect as to be without sinne Beside this he customably distinguishes betweene peccatum crimen sinne and a crime that is some grieuous offence that giues slaunder and is worthy of crimination Sanctorum hominum vitam inueniri posse dicimus Aug. Enchi sine crimine we affirme that the life of holy men may be found without a crime And againe nunc bene viuitur si sine crimine sine peccato autem qui se viuere existimat non id agit vt peccatum non habeat sed vt veniam non accipiat now men liue well if they liue without crime but he who thinks he can liue without sinne doth not thereby make himselfe free of sinne but debarres himselfe from the pardon of his sinne And so much for refutation of their errour Now for our instruction we marke againe here that seeing The end of Christs death is our sanctification therefore it should not be abused to giue libertie to sinne the end of Christs death is our sanctification it cannot be but a mocking of the sonne of God and a treading of his holy blood vnder the vncleane feete of men to make the death of Christ a nourishment of sin let such thoughts be farre from vs that wee should take liberty to sinne because we haue a Sauiour this is to make Christ a minister of sinne and as was said to build vp that which Christ came to destroy O thou who louest the Lord Iesus be it far from thee to take pleasure in that which made his blessed soule heauie vnto death let vs neuer nourish that life of sin which was the cause of the death of Christ but let vs daily cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit and grow vp 2. Cor. 7. 1. vnto full holinesse in the feare of God For albeit by Christ wee be deliuered from the curse of Christ hath freed vs from the curse of the law not from the obedience thereof Rom. 6. 15. Rom. 7. 12. Rom. 5. 17. the Law yet are we not exempted from the obedience therof In respect of the one the Apostle said We are not vnder the Law but vnder Grace in respect of the other he hath said that the Law is good and our Sauiour protests he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it both in himselfe and his members not only by righteousnesse imputed but also inherent For the law stands to vs a rule of our life we loue the holinesse thereof striues to conforme our selues vnto it iustificati enim amics leges efficiuntur for men when Ambrose in Rom. cap. 8. Rom. 7. 22. they are iustified become louers of the law which before they hated So that hereby we are to try whether wee be in Christ if we delight in the law of God if wee be grieued when our sinfull nature trangresses the precepts thereof if we finde a begunne harmonie betweene our affections actions and her commaundements by these and the like effects may we know that in Christ we are iustified Lastly we haue this comfort that seeing our sanctification We are sure our begun sanctification shall be perfected is an end which the Lord Iesus hath proposed vnto himselfe we may be sure he shall attaine vnto it In the first creation what he commaunded was done he made light to shine out of darknesse no impediment could stay that work of the Lord so is it in the second creation neither Sathans malice nor the deceitfull allurements of the world nor the sinnefull corruption of our owne nature shall stay that work of our perfect sanctification which the Lord Iesus hath not onely begun but also taken vpon him to accomplish Verse 5. For they who are after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh but they who are after the spirit sauour the things of the spirit HItherto we haue heard the proposition of comfort 4 Application of his former doctrine contayning first a Commination of the wicked wherein is declared their miserable state who walke after the flesh the reason of confirmation and explication thereof Now because the Apostle restrayned that comfort to those who walke after the spirit not after the flesh now in this third member of the first part of the Chapter hee subioynes an exhortation Wherein by sundry reasons he disswades vs from walking after the flesh and exhorts vs to walke after the spirit wherein he keepes this order First he oppones these two to walke after the flesh and after the spirit as contraries which cannot consist
of the christian carnall man appeares their different kindes shall appeare the more clearely if yee compare the affections words and actions of the one with the other And first to begin at the vnderstanding it is certaine 1 In their vnderstanding that the naturall man vnderstands not those things which are of God Let Iesus Christ speake to naturall Nicodemus of regeneration and Nicodemus shall conceiue that Iohn 3. 4. he speakes of a naturall generation Let Paul speake before Agrippa of the heauenly vision and Festus shall count him Act. 26. 24. Gen. 19. a foole Let Loâ— speake to his Sonnes in Law of the iudgement to come vpon Sodome and they shall esteeme him as a mocker thus Naturalists can neyther vnderstand the words of mercy nor iudgement to be allured with the one or terrified with the other for he minds only earthly things but as for the spirituall man he hath receiued that new mind whereby he knowes him that is the true one he is indued 1. Iohn 5. 20. with new senses whereby he perceiues things which are excellent Aug. de verb. Apost ser 17. habet enim oculos interiâ—res quibus videt iustitiae lumen he hath those naturall eyes whereby he seeth the light of righteousnesse And if from the vnderstanding we proceed to the affections 2 In their affections whereupon can the naturall man set his affections but vpon those things which his vnderstanding commends for good for euery man hath his heart enclined to that which according to his knowledge he thinkes best for himselfe The Gadarens will prefer their Swine before Christ and naturalists Math. 8. make more of their smallest earthly commodities than of those things which are aboue at the right hand of God but the Christian accounts the testimonies of the Lord sweeter vnto him then al the treasures of the worldlings he findes more ioy in the lightsome countenance of God then in all aboundance of Wheat Wine the best things of this earth he accounts but doung the pleasures of the world are loathsome vnto him her glory is despised in his eyes habet Aug. ibid. enim olfactum interius de quo dixit Apostolus Christi bonus odor sumus Deo in omni loco estque verbum illi odor vitae ad vitam for he hath that internall sense of smelling whereof the Apostle speakes we are vnto God the sweet sauour of 2. Cor. 5. 15. Christ in euery place this makes the word of God vnto him the sweet fauour of life vnto life habet etiam gustatum interius quo nouit gustare vidâ—re quam suauis sit Dominus and he hath also that interior sense of tasting whereby he can tast and consider how gracious the Lord is Now touching their language it is also framed according 3 In their speaking Iohn 3. 31. to their vnderstanding and affections for out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh earthly things but the spirituall man hath learned from his Lord to speake of those things which appertaine to the kingdome of God and delights with Act. 1. 3. Psal Iudg. 12. Dauid to tell what God hath done vnto his Soule As the Ephraemites by their tongue were knowne from the Gileadites so the language of men ordinarily tels what countrie men they are whether Burgesses of Babell or of the heauenly Ierusalem Speculum mentis plerunque in sermone refulget Ambr. offic lib. 1. cap. 18. Cyp. lib. 1. epist 3. The speach saith Ambrose is commonly a glasse wherein the minde is represented De â—re verbis suis vnâ—squisque proditur vâ—rum Christum in corde suo an Antichistum habeat loquendo detegitur euery mans speach saith Cyprian doth soone bewray what he is and by his speach is discouered whether he haue Christ or Antichrist in his heart Qui in Christum credunt linguis loquuntur nouis vetera Ber. in ascen dom de Euan lectione ser 1. recesserunt de ore eorum they who beleeue in Christ speake with new tongues old things are departed out of their mouths The same is to be said in like manner of their hearing 4 In their hearing for the Christian delights to heare of those things whereof he delights to speake It is a paine to him to heare prophane language which to a carnall man is a pastime hee that is godly like Lot his soule is vexed when he heares a Sodomite speake To a godly man saith Iob the eate is the taster Iob. 12. 11. of the soule as the mouth tastes meate for the bellie and sends none downe into it but that which is approoued so the â—are of the wise tastes words and delights in no speach but that which is poudered and good for edifying It is a very godly saying of Augustine spirituales nec tormentis Aug. de temp Ser. 54. separantur à Christo carnales vero etiam otiosis fabulis separantur no torments can separate spirituall men from the loue remembrance and meditation of Christ but carnall men forgoe the remembrance and meditation of Christ for idle and vnprofitable fables And lastly as concerning their actions the naturall man 5 In their doing hath no pleasure in spirituall exercises of diuine worship set him to any other worke he doth it with some dexteritie and cheerefulnesse but bring him to a spirituall work there he faints and languishes it is a wearinesse vnto him to heare the word of God in euery spirituall exercise he is like a creature out of the owne element which hath no contentment whereas the Christian by the contrary loues the word of God more than his appointed food and delights most in those exercises which are meetest to edifie him in Christ Thus the spirituall man hath a mind to know Christ his affections set vpon Christ his talke is of Christ his actions are toward Christ and Christ in the end shall he enioy to his euerlasting comfort Verse 6. For the wisedome of the flesh is death but the wisedome of the spirit is life and peace THE Apostle hauing set downe the contrarie The miserable estate of them who walke after the flesh described dispositions of the Carnall and Christian man doth now shortly describe the miserie of the one and happinesse of the other The carnall man hath not onely his will and affections set vpon euill but also that which is best in him his wisdome and vnderstanding are so farre peruerted that it yeelds vnto him no fruit but death In the soule of man are two chiefe faculties the Vnderstanding and the Will The vnderstanding should be the gouernour and directer of the Counsels and actions of man the Will should be the follower accomplisher and executer thereof but now is mans nature so corrupted that either reason which should rule is ouer ruled by the wil or at least the crooked is led by the blind
Christ called the wisedome of the Spirit because it is reformed and of new created by the Spirit who hath made vs that were darknesse before now to be light in the Lord. The effects of this wisedome are life and peace such as naturall men neither know nor haue they cannot know them Though the most spirituall and powerfull Teacher should The vnhappy estate of them who walke after the flesh described discourse to a naturall man of that life and peace yet should he not be able to conceiue it for as in nature those things which are discerned by tast cannot be knowne vnlesse they be tasted so it is not possible that the value of spirituall things can be discerned of him who hath no spiritual senses Basil exhort ad Baptiâ— The life of carnall men is but death quod sensus omni sermone sit essicatior What then shall we thinke they haue no life who haue not this wisedome of the Spirit none indeed for that life which they liue the holy Spirit calleth it a death Though a naturall man should liue Methushalems yeares a quiet and Iob 21 9. Psal 73. 5. â— Tim. 5. 6. Eph. 4. 18. peaceable life without feare though the rod of God come not neere him And he be not in trouble as other men yet while he liues in pleasures he is but dead A stranger from the life of God through the ignorance that is in him Yea no carkasse of flesh from which the life is departed is so abhominable in the eyes of man as is that Soule in the eyes of God which is not quickned by his spirit And beside this so silly a thing is the life of man in it selfe that viuendo decrescit by liuing August de temp ser 24 5 it weares away and when it continueth longest non vita longa sed long aaegritudo est yet it is not a long life but a long lingring disease while we seeke to entertaine it by daily nourishment quotidianis medicamentis fulcimus morbum nostrum we doe no other thing but strengthen our disease by daily medicaments let vs therefore become wearie of it in time and seeke our life in Christ then begin we to liue when we are quickned by his spirit vnto immortalitie till then we haue neither life nor health And as for the other effect of this wisedome which is Carnall men haue not the peace of God Esay 57. 21. peace they haue it not who are not in Christ There is no peace to the wicked saith my God a meek quiet and peaceable Spirit they haue not As the waues of the Sea are stirred with euery winde so are their mindes perturbed through the tumultuous desire of their variable affections And as for peace of Conscience which ariseth of the sense of Gods mercy towards vs in Christ how can they haue it whose life is a continuance in inimitie with God for righteousnesse and Psal 85. peace doe kisse one another where there is no righteousnesse how can there be peace Pax est haereditas Christianorum August de temp scr 200 peace is the heritage of Christians The wicked haue their owne carnall securitie they blesse themselues in their heart when the word of the Lord doth curse them but the false conclusions of peace safety which they haue laid in their owne hearts shall not preserue them from that sodaine destruction which as trauaile vpon a woman with childe shall come vpon them their securitie is like the securitie of Ionas who slept most soundly when he had most cause to Their securitie is like the securitie of Ionas watch and pray for the Lord was pursuing him as a fugitiue seruant the officers of God gathered about him to lay hands on him the windes commoued against him the raging waues of the Sea refusing all other satisfaction offered by the Marriners rolled with violence about the Barke wherein hee was determining not to rest till they apprehend him all his companions were afraid and compelled to cry euery man to his God onely Ionas was sleeping What thinke yee was this true peace no indeed but false securitie It fareth euen so with the wicked the Lord stands offended with them the heauens aboue closed vpon them hell beneath opened to receiue them Sathan the deuouring Lyon hungring for them waiting when they shall be giuen him for a pray but they are eating drinking making merry in the depth of a dead Conscience but certainely their securitie will end in a fearefull wakening they shall be taken out of their bed of ease wherein they lye and shall be cast into that bottomlesse deepe of the wrath of God wherein their worme shall neuer dye and their fire shall neuer be quenched But to leaue them and returne to the Christian it may A Christian hath peace with God and himselfe his brethren but not perfect in this life be demaunded how is he pertaker of peace whose crosses are so continuall as his who more exercised with inward terrours then hee Is not his battell without intermission where then is his peace To this I answere wee haue indeed peace with God with our selues and our Christian brethren but our peace is not perfect Pax nostra ex disiderio Greg. moral in lob lib. 6. creatâ—râ—s inchoatur ex manifesta autem visione persicitur a begun peace wee haue arising of that feruent desire wee haue towards our God but it is the manifest vision and cleare sight of God that must perfect it we attaine to the beginnings of this peace cum mentem Deo mâ—nti carnem subiâ—gamus when we subdue the minde to God and the flesh to the minde but it cannot be perfect quamdiu mens ignoratione caecatur carnis suae impugnatione concutitur so long as the minde is darkned with ignorance and disquieted with the assaults of the flesh And to the same purpose saith Augustine Est nobis pax aliqua quia condelâ—ctamur Aug. in Ioan. tract 77. Legi Dei secundum interiorem hominem sed non plena quia videmus aliam legem in membris nostris repugnaâ—em legi mentis nostrae wee haue some peace within our selues when we finde that our inward man delights in the Law of God but it is no perfect peace because we see another Law in our members rebelling against the law of our minde neither can our peace with our brethren here be perfect cogitationes Ibidem cordis nostri inuicem non videmus quaedam de nobis quae non sunt in nobis vel in melius inâ—â—cem vel in deterius opinamur thus haue we a peace but not perfect not without interruption Yet our comfort stands that how euer our peace be interrupted Inward outward troubles may interrupt our peace but cannot take it away by outward troubles and inward terrours of conscience yet it cannot be taken from vs. Albeit no trouble for the present be sweet yet it worketh in
vs good effects by it we are made more humble more feruent in prayer more abundant in teares the hard heart by this holy hammer of God being made soft so that sanctified trouble by the Lords wonderfull working becomes a meane to establish our peace Corda electorum aliquando concussa melius Greg. moral in lob lib. 2. solidantur the hearts of the elect are best setled after they haue beene shaken with crosses All the children of God sindes this by experience that their inward troubles are preparatiues to inward consolations as he who goes to build a house the higher he intends to raise it the deeper he layes the foundations thereof so the Lord humbles them lowest with their terrours to whom he purposes to communicate the highest measure of his consolations As his sufferings 2. Cor. 1. 5. abounds in vs so shall our consolation abound through him wee will therefore that peace which we haue in Christ which he hath left vs none shall be able to take from vs. Verse 7. Because the wisedome of the flesh is inimitie against God for it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeede can it be THe Apostle proceeds and giues the reason why he called the wisedome of the flesh death because it is inimitie with God He proues it is inimitie with God because neither is it nor can it be subiect vnto the law of God Of this manner of reasoning vsed by the Apostle wee Our life stands in peace with God first learne that our life consists in our peace with God and that our death is procured by our inimitie with him Compare sinfull Adam with innocent Adam and this shall be made manifest so long as hee stood at peace with God hee liued a ioyfull life familiar with his maker but from the time he began the inimitie by transgression of the commandement not onely was the presence of God ioyfull to him before terrible now but hee became such a terrour to himselfe that it was a death to him to liue in that state of life Oh that alway wee could remember this that wee cannot offend the Lord vnlesse wee slay our selues all our rebelling against the Lord is but a kicking of our heele against the pricke the losse is our owne we depriue our selues of life but cannot spoyle the Lord of his glory It is written of the Stdonians that when Herod intended How foolish man is when he entertaines inimitie with God warre against them they made friendship with Blastus Hereds Chamberlaine and besought him to make peace for them the reason was because their lands were nourished by the King therefore they were not able to beare his inimity Alas that we cannot be as wise in a greater matter both our lands and our selues are nourished by the King of heauen wee are not able to endure his anger if he please hee can make the heauen aboue vs as brasse and the earth beneath vs as iron if he take his breath out of our nosthrils we fall like clay to the ground and are turned into dust how then is miserable man so bewitched that hee dares liue in that state of life which is inimitie with God Doe yee prouoke the 1. Cor 10. 22. Lord vnto anger are yee stronger than he No no assuredly if thou walke on in thy sinnes the Lord shall crush thee Psal 29. with a Scepter of iron and breake thee in pecces like a Potters vessell so vnequall shalt thou finde the match if thou Psal 50. 22. contend with thy Maker Oh consider this yee that forget God least he teare you in peices and there be none to deliuer Shall the Sidonians intreate for peace when Herod proclaymes warre and shall man continue in inimitie when God from heauen proclaymes his peace farre be it from vs that we should so doe Away with this wisedome of the flesh which is inimitie with God Perceiue againe how the spirit of God in such sort describes No good in mans nature before it be renued against the Semipelagians of our time the nature of man vnrenued by Grace that no good is left in it out of which the Semipelagians of our time may draw their workes of preparation or merits of congruitie for where as in the Soule of man there are but two faculties the Vnderstanding and the Will the spirit of God so describes his Vnderstanding that not onely he saith the naturall man vnderstands not the things that are of God but as if that were not sufficient to expresse mans miserable estate he addeth neither indeed can he vnderstand them because A minde that neither sees nor can see 1. Cor. 2. 14. A will that neither is subiect to God nor can be they are spiritually discerned And againe his will hee so describeth it that it is not subiect vnto the Law of God and hee addeth this neither indeed can it be What more can be said to abase the naturall pride of man he hath such a minde as neither vnderstands nor can vnderstand the things of God he hath such a will as neither is subiect nor can be subiect to the Law of God This is the iudgement of Gods spirit concerning the corruption of our nature we set it against the vaine opinion of all those who to magnifie the arme of flesh and the merits of man dreames of a good in our nature without grace which cannot be found in it Neyther let any man inferring more of the Apostles The praise of Gods power and grace is the greater because it reformes nature it being so farre peruerted speech then himselfe concludes think it impossible that our rebellious will should be made obedient the Apostle takes not away this hope from man onely he denyes that nature is able to doe it Nature without grace may encrease the inimitie but cannot make reconciliation but that which is impossible to man is possible to God The nature of beasts birds and creeping things hath beene tamed by the nature of man saith Saint Iames but the tongue of man though Iam. 3. 7. the smallest member in the body yet so vnruly an euill that no man is able to tame it We cannot change one haire of Mat. 5 36. our head to make that white which is black farre lesse can wee change our hearts to make them holy which are vncleane What then shall we be out of all hope that which wee are notable to doe shall wee thinke it shall neuer be done Let vs not so conclude though no man can tame the nature of man the Lord can Paul who was a rauening Wolfe in the Euening the Lord made a peaceable Lambe in the Morning Naturalists haue written that the bloud of the Goat causeth the hard Adamant to breake but the holy Scripture hath more surely taught that the bloud of Iesus hath vertue to turne a stonie heart into a soft where it pleases the Lord of stones to raise vp children vnto
is not his Where first wee may learne that the word of God The word of God should so be handled that it be applyed ought so to be handled and receiued that it should be applied to the comfort of those who are the sonnes of consolation and to the conuiction of others the Apostle doth now ye see apply his former doctrine letting them to whom he writes see the comfort and admonition which out of it riseth vnto them so ought we alway to handle and heare the word of God as considering what is our part and interest in it for this word is written for vs and doth so neerely concerne vs that as Moses saith It is our life it giueth sentence eyther with or against euerie man that heares it being to the one the sauour of life to the other the sauour of death When Iohn the Baptist preached that word of iudgement Now the axe is laid to the roote of the tree euery tree Math. 3. 10. that bringeth not out good fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire his hearers so receiued it as a word which touched them neerely and therefore both People Publicanes and Souldiours came to him and asked What shall wee doe Luk. 3. 10. 12. 14 then So the Iewes in like manner asked Peter being pricked in their hearts at the hearing of his Sermon What shall Act. 2. 37. we doe then the same was the voyce of the Iaylor to Paul and Silas and it should be the voyce of euery man as oft as Act. 16. 30. he heares the word of God condemning his sinnes What shall I doe then that I may be saued As meat brought to the table cannot nourish vnlesse it be applyed to the mouth and from thence sent downe into the stomacke so the word of God cannot profit vs vnlesse we so heare it vt traijciatur in viscera quaedam animae nostrae transeat in affectiones Bernard nostras that it be sent into the bowels of our soule and enter into our affections If in this manner thou receiue the word of God out of doubt thou shalt be saued by it but in this is the faile that most part of men heare the word of God as they would heare an Indian storie or some other such discourse as did not concerne them whereof it comes that at this day after long planting and watering there is so small a spirituall growth in grace and godlinesse among vs. Now for the words yee are not in the flesh but in the spirit How the Apostle giues iudgement of others that are spirituall that is as yee heard it before expounded ye are not carnall men but spirituall Here it is to be enquired seeing no man knowes the things of a man but the spirit of a man how could the Apostle know that these Romanes were spirituall Was not Eli deceiued in iudging of Anna she sought 1. Sam. 1. the Lord in the affliction of her spirit and he iudged that she had beene a wicked woman and may not godly men be deceiued on the other extremitie to thinke well of them who are euill indeed I answere the Apostle doth here write vnto a Church and a publique fellowship or company of men seperate from the remanent of the world by the heauenly vocation called to be Saints and therefore might vndoubtedly write vnto them as vnto Saints spirituall men it being alway most sure that where the Lord gathers by his word a Church hee hath alway in the middest thereof a number that belong to the election of grace But to proceed further and to see how farre we may goe A threefold iudgement first of our selues by faith secondly by fruits thirdly by reuelation in iudging of a priuate man we must know that first there is a iudgement of faith secondly a iudgement of fruits thirdly a iudgement of extraordinarie reuelation By the first we can onely iudge our selues know our owne saluation according to that of the Apostle proue your selues if yee be in the faith know yee not your owne selues how that Christ is in you except yee be reprobates By the iudgement of 2 Cor. 13. 5. fruits we may also proceed and iudge of others according to that rule of our blessed Sauiour Yee shall know them by their fruits no man gathers grapes of thornes or figges of thistles Euery good tree bringeth forth good fruit and a corrupt tree Math. 7. 16. bringeth forth euil fruit These first two are common to euery Christian the iudgement of fruits being helped by the iudgement of Charitie Concerning the third Simon Peter knew by extraordinarie reuelation that Simon Magus was Acts. 8. a reprobate a childe of perdition by it the Apostle Paul knew that the same vnfained faith dwelt in Timothie which 1. Tim. 1. 5. dwelt before in his grandmother Lois and in his mother Eunice and by it Iohn the Euangelist knew that the Lady 2. Iohn 1. 1. to whom he wrote was an elect Lady but as for vs wee are not to presume the election or reprobation of any man by such extraordinarie reuelation Againe wee haue to marke for our comfort how the Comfort that the Lord cals them spirituall in whom remained carnall corruption Apostle calles them spirituall men in whom notwithstanding remained fleshly corruption The iudgement of the Lord and Sathan are contrarie there is in you saith the deceiuer to the weake Christian fleshly corruption therefore yee are carnall there is in you saith the Lord through my grace a spirituall disposition therefore yee are spirituall Sathan is so euill that his eye sees nothing in the Christian but that which is euill the Lord is so good that hee sees no transgression in Israell hee iudges not his children by The Lord esteemes of his children according to his new grace in them not after their corruption the remanents of their olde corruption but by the beginnings of his renuing grace in vs. One dram of the grace of Christ in the soule of a Christian makes him more precious in the eyes of God than that any remanent corruption in him can make him odious therefore is it that the Lord giues vnto them the names of his beloued his seruants his 1. Ioh. 3. 9. 1. Ioh. 1. 8. Sonnes his Saints who are so onely in part and by a beginning Both these are true he that is borne of God sinneth not and againe if we say we haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues Augustine Illud ex primitijs noui hominis istis ex reliquijs veteris the one we haue of the first fruits of the new man the other of the remanents of the old man Let vs therefore be so continually displeased with our inhabitant corruption that wee dispaire not nor be discouraged neither let vs so complaine of our sins that we become false witnesses against the grace of God which is in vs. If there were nothing in
of dwelling imports a continuance of gods presence with his children presence but also a continuance thereof for hee soiournes not in vs as a stranger that lodges for some dayes or Moneths in a place but hath setled his residence to dwel in vs for euer how euer by temporal desertions he humble vs yet shall he neuer depart from that soule which once hee hath sanctified to be his owne habitation and this comfort Three arguments to proue that the regenerate are sure of perseuerance in Grace is confirmed to vs by most sure arguments The first is taken from the nature of God He is faithfull saith the Apostle by whom we are called to the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord he will confirme vs to the end that wee may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus And againe saith 1 From the nature of God who begets vs. he I am perswaded that hee who hath begâ—n this good worke in you will performe it vntill the day of Christ. That word which the Lord spake to Iacob stands sure to all his posteritie I will not forsake thee till I haue performed that which I Phil. 1. 5. 6. promised thee The couenant of God is perfect and euerlasting and therefore with Dauid will wee giue this glory vnto God that he will performe his promise toward vs and bring forward his owne worke in vs to perfection The 2 From the nature of that life communicated to vs. Rom. 6. 9. second argument is taken from the nature of that life which Christ communicateth to his members it is no more subiect vnto death We know that Christ being raised from the dead dyes no more This life I say is communicated to vs for it is not we that liue but Christ that liues in vs. And the 3 From the nature of that seede whereof we are begotten 1. Pet. 1. 23. How the spirit of God is said to depart from Saul third is taken from the nature of that seede whereof we are begotten for as the seede is so is the life that comes by it now the seed saith the Apostle is immortall we are borne of new not of mortall seed but immortall our life therefore is immortall But against this is obiected that the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and that which Dauid prayes take not thine holy Spirit from me To this I answere that the spirit is taken sometime for the common and externall gifts of the spirit such as are bestowed as well vpon the wicked as vpon 1. Sam. 16. 14. the godly as the gift of Prophecie gouernement working Psal 51. 11. miracles and such like and these once giuen may be taken againe in this sense it is said that God tooke the spirit that was vpon Moses and gaue it vnto the seauentie Elders and so also it is said that the spirit of God departed from Saul there it is put for the gift of gouernement sometime againe it is taken for the speciall and internall gift of sanctification this spirit once giuen is neuer taken away for this gift and calling of God is without repentance that is they neuer fall vnder reuocation To the second when Dauid saith take not thine holy spirit How Dauid prayeth that God would not take from him his holy Spirit from me and restore mee againe to the ioy of thy saluation this imports not a full departure of Gods spirit from him otherwise he could not haue prayed but that his sinne had diminished the sense and feeling of that operation of the spirit in him which hee was wont to feele before and so is it with others of Gods Children that either the neglect of the spirituall worship or the commission of some new sinnes doth so impaire the sense of mercy in them that to their iudgement the spirit of God hath iustly forsaken them This I confesse is a very heauie estate and more bitter to them that haue felt before the sweetnesse of Gods mercy than death it selfe yet euen in this same estate wherein no comfort is felt let patience sustaine men let them learne to put In spiritual desertions wee must distinguish betweene that which is and which we feele Esa 6. 13. a difference betweene that which they feele and that which is and remember that this is a false conclusion to say the spirit of grace is not in thee because thou canst not feele him for as there is a substance in the Oake or Elme euen when it hath cast the leaues so is there Grace in the heart many times when it doth not appeare and these desertions which endure for a while are but meanes to effectuate a neerer communion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. he turneth Chri. in Mat. hom 14. away from thee saith Chrysostome for a short while that he may haue thee for euer with himselfe Now it remaines that we consider of those benefits wee What great benefits comes to the soule by the dwelling of Christs spirit in vs. haue by the dwelling of Christs Spirit in vs and of the duties which we owe againe vnto him The benefites are many and great Si enim tanta sit vis animâ— in massa terrae sustinenda mouenda impellenda quanta erit vis Dei in anima quae natura agilis est mouenda for if the soule be of such force to giue life and motion to this body which is but a masse of earth what shall the spirit of God doe vnto our soule which naturally is agill the wonderfull benefits that the body receiues by the dwelling of the soule in it may leade vs some way to consider of those great benefits which are brought vnto the soule by the dwelling of the spirit of GOD in vs. But of many we will shortly touch these two onely the 1 He repaires the whole lodging of soule and body first is that where this holy spirit comes to dwell he repaires the lodging man by nature being like vnto a ruinous pallace is restored by the grace of Christ This reparation of man is sometimes called a new creation sometimes regeneration and it extends both to soule and body as to the soule the Lord strikes vp new lights in the minde restores life to the heart communicates holinesse to the affections so that where before the soule was a habitation for vncleane spirits lying vnder the curse of Babel the â—im and Zijm Isai 13. 21. What vgly guests dwelt in vs before hee came to possesse vs. dwelling in it the Ostriches lodging the Satires dauncing the Dragons crying within her pallaces that is defiled with all sorts of vile and vncleane affections the Lord Iesus hath sanctified it to be a holy habitation vnto himselfe And as to the reparation of our bodies it consists partly in making all the members thereof weapons of righteousnesse in this life and partly in deliuerance of them from mortality and corruptibility which shall be done in the day of
publike exercises of diuine worship prophanly scorned by some sorts of men among vs who are in two extremities we haue some who are become scorners of the grace of God in others neither can they be humbled themselues in the publik assemblies of the Saints nor be content to see others expresse their inward motion by outward humiliation they sit downe in the throne of God and condemnes others for hipocrisie not remembring that the sinne of hipocrisie is to be reserued to the iudgement of God who onely knowes the heart that those same things which they mislike in their brethreÌ„ the Lord hath allowed in others The Apostles precept commaunds vs to lift vp to the Lord pure hands in prayer Dauids practise teaches vs to aduance our eyes to the Lord shal not thy brother lift vp his hands his eyes to the Lord shall he not sigh to God nor mourne in his prayers like a Doue as Ezekiah did but thou incontinent wilt taxe him of hipocrisie We read that Iacob sought a blessing from the Lord with teares and obtained it Esau sought a blessing from his father with teares crying and obtained it not were the teares of Iacob the worse because Esau also shed teares Iudge not least thou be iudged the iudgement of Hypocrisie as I haue said belongs to the Lord. On the other extremitie are they who thinke they haue Superstitiously abused by others done enough when they haue discharged some outward exercises of religion though they take no paine to sanctifie the heart to works of diuine seruice On the Saboth they come to the house of God they bow their heads like a bulrush with the rest they pray and praise the Lord in the externall formes with the rest of the congregation but considers not whether or no they come into the temple by the motion of the Spirit as Simeon did if they pray and praise the Lord with prepared hearts as Dauid did neyther trye they when they goe out whether or no they haue met with the Lord found mercie and returneth home to their houses iustified as the Publican did It is true we are to glorifie God with our bodies because they are his but most of all with our spirits because God is a spirit he loueth truth in the inward affections and delights to be worshipped in spirit and truth We are called by the Apostle the Temples of God Seeing we are the temples of God we should be more beautifull within then without Salomons Temple the further in was the finer in the outward Court stood an Alter of brasse whereupon beastes were sacrificed in the inward Court was an Altar of gold whereupon incense was sacrificed but the Sanctuarie or most holy place did farre exceed them both in it was nothing but fine gold in it the Lord gaue his Oracles from betweene the Cherubins in it stood the Arke of the couenant wherein was the Tables of the Law And so indeed the Christian ought to be holy without his lookes his words his wayes should all declare that God dwelleth in his heart he should haue ingrauen as it were in his forehead Holinesse to the Lord as Aaron had but much more Exod. 28. 36. should hee be holy within betweene the secrets of his Soule should the Lord haue his residence and in his heart the testimony of God which is the word of God should dwell plentifully But as for the wicked they are eyther compared to open But the wicked are compared sometime to open and sometime to painted Sepulchers sepulchers their mouth being like that gate of the Temple called Shallecheth out of which was carryed all the filth of the Temple the abhomination of their heart being made manifest by their mouth or then in their best estate they are compared to painted Sepulchers beautifull without Math. 23. 27. Psal 32. 2. but within full of roâ—tennesse hauing a shew of godlinesse wanting the power thereof but the man is blessed in whose heart Iohn 1. 47. Rom. 2. 29. there is no guile hee is a Nathaniell indeed a true Israelite who is one within whose praise is not of men but of God But if any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his The comfort being ended now followes the Caution The secondary great question in religion is this who are Christians Euery man saith Salomon boasts of his owne goodnesse but the Lord saith the Apostle knoweth who are his As the first great question in Religion is concerning the Sauiour of the world Art thou he who is to come or shall Math. 11. 3. wee looke for another so the second is concerning them who are to be saued if the iudgement be referred to man now euery man among vs accounts himselfe a Christian If iudgement be sought from the Lord here he giues one answere for all If any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his Albeit among men there be an allowable difference of A soueraigne rule whereby Christians of all estates must be tryed estates yet concerning Christianitie both King and Subiect rich and poore learned and vnlearned comes all to be tryed by one rule It is a common thing among men to esteeme somewhat more of themselues for the priuiledge of their estate wherein they excell others but the Apostle destroyes the pride of all their glory with one word If any man so he speakes without exception be what thou wilt beside were thou neuer so noble neuer so rich neuer so learned if thou hast not the Spirit of Christ thou art none of his all the priuiledges of men without Iesus are nothing that which is high among men is abhomination to God Man in his best estate is altogether vanitie the glory of flesh is but as the flowre of the field the Spirit of the Lord iudgeth of all the glory of man as the pompe of Agrippa Acts. 25. 23. he came downe saith Saint Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is all but fantasie and vanishing shewes nothing commends vs to God but this one to haue the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs. Christ and his Spirit are not sundred Againe we see here that Christ and his Spirit cannot be sundred except men will crucifie againe the Sonne of God Let no man therefore say that he hath Christ vnlesse he haue the Spirit of Christ As he is not a man who hath not a Soule so he is not a Christian who hath not the Spirit of Christ no man counteth that a member of his body which is not quickned by his spirit no more is hee a member of Christ who hath not the Spirit of Christ 1 Iohn 4. 13. hereby we know that we dwell in him and hee in vs because he hath giuen vs of his Spirit And as Christ and his spirit are not sundred so cannot the spirit be sundred from the fruits of the Spirit now the fruites of the Spirit are Loue Ioy
Gal. 5. 22. 23. 24 Peace Long suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meeknesse Temperance If the Spirit of Christ dwell in vs and if wee liue in the Spirit let vs walke in the Spirit this is the conuiction of carnall professors that while they say the spirit of Christ is in them they declare none of his fruites in their conuersation but to insist somewhat more in this same purpose Operations of the spirit are two-fold We are to know that the effects and operations of the Spirit are twofold the one is generall and common operation which he hath in the wicked for hee illuminates euery 1 Externall common to all men Iohn 1. 1 Cor. 12. 3. one who commeth into the world Neyther can any man say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Spirit euery spark of light and portion of truth be it in whom it will flowes out of doubt from this holy Spirit That Caiaphas and Saul can Prophecie that Iudas can Preach all is from him but of this manner of operation is not here meant for this way he worketh in the wicked not for any good to them but for Intern 2 proper all and godly to the the aduancement of his owne worke The other kinde of the holy Ghosts operation is speciall and proper to the godly by the which he doth not onely illuminate their mindes but proceeds also to their hearts and workes this threefold effect in it Sanctification Intercession and Consolation First he is vnto them a spirit of Sanctification renuing Three effects wrought by the speciall operation of the spirit in the godly their hearts by his effectuall grace he first rebukes them of sinne he wakens their conscience with some sight of their iniquities and sense of that wrath which sinne hath deserued whereof arises heauinesse in their hearts sadnesse in their countenance lamentation in their speech and such an 1 Sanctification alteration in their whole behauiour that their former pleasures become painefull vnto them and others who knew them before wonders to see such a change in them From this he proceedes and leads them to a sight of Gods mercie in Christ he inflames their hearts with a hunger and thirst for that mercie and workes in their hearts such a loue of righteousnesse and hatred of sinne that now they become more afraid of the occasions of sinne then they were before of sinne it selfe this resistance made to the temptations this care to eschew the ocasions of sinne is an vndoubted token of the spirit of Christ dwelling in thee This is the first operation of the spirit but it is not all he proceeds yet further by degrees for the kingdome of God is as if a man should cast seed into the earth which growes vp and we cannot tell how first it sends out the blade secondly the eares and then the cornes so proceeds the kingdome of God in man by degrees In the second place the holy spirit becomes to the godly a spirit of Intercession so 2 Intercession long as wee are bound with the cords of our transgressions we cannot pray but from the time he once loose vs from our sinnes he openeth our mouth vnto God he teacheth vs to pray not onely with sighes and sobs that cannot be expressed but also puts such words in our mouths as we our selues who spake them are not able to repeat againe And thirdly he becomes vnto them the spirit of Consolation 3 Consolation if he be vnto thee a sanctifier and intercessor he shall not faile at the last to be thy comforter if at the first after that thou hast sent vp supplications thou find not his consolation descending vpon thee be not discouraged but be the more humbled for alas our sinnes shortens his arme Math. 26. and the hardnesse of our hearts holds out his comforts we must fall downe with Marie and lye still washing the feet of Christ with our teares before he take vs in his armes to kisse vs with the kisses of his mouth and if we finde these effects of his presence going before humiliation of our heart and the grace of prayer we may be out of all doubt that his consolations shall follow after Of this it is yet further euident against all those who That a Christian who hath Gods spirit knowes that he hath him deny that the Christian may be sure of his saluation that he who hath the spirit of Iesus knowes that he hath him as he who hath life feeles sensiblie that he hath it and is able truely to say I liue so he who hath the spirit of Iesus knowes by feeling that he hath him and is able to say in truth Christ liueth in mee Know yee not saith the Apostle Gal. 2. 20. 2 Cor. 13. 5. And therefore may be sure of saluation is proued by three names giuen to the holy spirit that Christ Iesus is in you except ye be reprobates This shall be further confirmed by considering those three names which are giuen to the holy spirit from his operation in vs he is the Seale the Earnest the witnesse of God the vse of a Seale is to confirme and make sure One of these two therefore must the Papists say that either none are sealed by the holy Spirit or else they must confesse that 1 He is Gods Seale they who are sealed are sure If they say that none are sealed by his Spirit they speake against the manifest truth of God grieue not the holy spirit by whom ye are sealed against Ephe. 4. 30. the day of redemption And if they deny that they who are sealed by him are sure of that saluation which God hath promised he hath sealed they blaspheme calling him such a seale as makes not them sure who are sealed by him he who hath the seale of a Prince rests assured of that which by the seale is confirmed to him and shall not the seale of the liuing God the Spirit of promise confirme that man in the assurance of saluation who hath receiued him Neither is he onely the seale of God but he is also the earnest of 2 Gods earnest 1 Iohn 5. 10. our inheritance and the witnesse of God hee that beleeueth in the sonne hath a witnesse in himselfe what will the aduersarie of Christian comfort say to this if yee say that there are none to whom Gods spirit witnesses mercie from God yee speake against the Apostle the spirit beares witnesse to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God or if yee say that those Rom 8. 16. who haue this testimonie of the spirit are not sure of mercy 3 Gods witnesse ye blaspheme as before and speake yet manifestly against the Apostle who sayes that the witnessing of this spirit vnto our spirit makes vs to cry Abba father But we will speake more of this hereafter But now to conclude this verse seeing hee who hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his
whose then shall Sinne causes the Lord to deny his owne creatures hee be certainely hee is the vassall of Sathan the Lord shall deny him the Lord shall disclaime him as not belonging to him depart from mee yee workers of iniquitie I know not whence you are O the bitter fruit of sinne which Luke 13. 27. causes the Lord to deny that creature to be his which once he made to his owne image Let vs therefore hate our sinne vnto death let vs in time make hast to depart from iniquitie which shall at the last draw on that sentence vpon the wicked depart from me The Lord deliuer vs from it through Iesus Christ Verse 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne but the Spirit is lifâ— for righteousnesse sake HItherto hath the Apostle comforted the Christian 2 Consolation against the fruit of sin specially against death whereunto we are subiect against the remanents of sinne now he comforts him against the fruites and effects of sinne which he findeth in himselfe The godly might haue obiected ye haue said before the fruit of carnall wisedome is death are wee not subiect vnto death and so of the fruites and effects of sinne what can we iudge but that we are carnall To this he answeres first by a confession it is true that the body is dead because of sinne but if Christ be in you the spirit through his righteousnesse is endued with life yee are not therfore so much to conclude that yee are carnall because death through sinne is entred into your bodies as to confirme your selues in this that life through the righteousnesse of Christ is communicated to your soule and so the summe of his comfort will be this the death whereunto you are subiect is neither totall The death whereunto we are subiect is neither totall nor perpetuall nor perpetuall that it is not totall he declares in this verse for it strikes not vpon the whole man but vpon the weakest part of man which is his body as for his most excellent part which is his soule it is partaker of a life that is not subiect vnto death That it is not perpetuall he declares in the next verse our bodies shall not bide for euer vnder the bands of death the spirit of Christ that now dwels in them shall at the last raise them vp from death and cloath them with immortality and incorruptibility If Christ be in you Before the Apostle bring in his comfort The Comforts of God are not common to all men indifferently Mat. 10. 12. 13. he permits a condition to teach vs that the comforts of God belong not indifferently vnto all men he who is a stranger from Christ hath nothing to doe with these comforts When our Sauiour commaunded his Disciples to proclaime peace vnto euery house they came to he foretold them it should abide onely with the sonnes of peace he forbad them in like manner to giue those things which were holy vnto dogs or to cast pearles before Swine This Math. 7. 6. stands a perpetuall Law to all Preachers that they presume not to proclaime peace to the impenitent and vnbeleeuing but as Iehu spake to Iehorams horseman What hast thou to doe with peace so are we to tell the wicked who walke still 2. Kin. 9. 18. on in their sinnes that they haue nothing to doe with that peace preached by the Gospell Secondly if we compare the former verse with this t we Christ dwelling in vs is by his spirit no carnall presence required to make our vnion with him shall see that the manner of Christs dwelling in his children is by his Spirit To make vp our vnion with Christ it is not needfull that his humane nature should be drawne down from heauen or that his body should be euery where as the Vbiquitaries affirme or that in the Sacrament the bread should be transubstantiate into his body as the Papists imagine his dwelling in vs is by his spirit and our vnion with him is spirituall neyther yet by so saying doe we diuide his two natures for they are inseparably vnited in one personall vnion which vnion doth not for all that import that his humane nature is extended ouer all as his diuine nature is The heauens must containe him till he come againe Noli dubitare ibi esse hominem Christum vnde venturus est Act. 3. 21. Aug. epist 57 ad Dardan Put it out of doubt that the man Christ Iesus is in that place from whence he shall come Keepe faithfully that Christian confession He is risen from the death ascended vnto Heauen and sits at the right hand of the Father and that he shall come from no other place but from Heauen to iudge the quicke and the dead and he addeth that which the Angell said to his Disciples this Iesus who is taken vp from you Act. 1. 11. into heauen shall so come as ye haue seene him goe into heauen that is saith Augustine in eadem carnis forma atque substantia cui profecto immortalitatem dedit naturam non abstulit that is in that same forme substance of flesh to the which he hath giuen immortalitie but hath not taken away the nature thereof Secundum hanc non est putandum quod vbique est diffusus vbique per id quod Deus in coelo autem per id quod homo according to his nature we are not to thinke that he is in euery place it is true that as God hee is euery where but as man he is in the heauens and this for the condition Now to the comfort we haue by Iesus Christ a threefold The comfort of Ethnikes ahainst death not comparable to ours and our courage inferior to theirs comfort against death whereof two onely here are touched The first that the death whereunto we are subiect is not totall The second that the nature and qualitie of our bodilie death is changed The third that it is not perpetuall the body shall not for euer lye vnder death The Ethnicks had also their owne silly comforts but nothing comparable to ours Nazianzen records that Cleopatra Queene of Aegypt demaunding of certaine learned men what kinde of death was without the bitter sense of paine receiued this answere there is no death without dolour but that death was most gentle which was brought on by the Serpent Aspis and namely that kinde thereof which is called Hypnale be cause they whose flesh is enuenomed with the poyson therof doe incontinently sleepe vnto death for which cause also shee made choyse of it And Seneca being by Nero to be executed to death got it left to his owne pleasure as great fauour shewed vnto him to make choyse of any death he pleased he chose to bleed to death in hote water Others among them that offered themselues to most fearefull deaths such as Curtius Regulus and others had no comfort to sustaine them but a
God but what performed he in stead of making man like vnto God he made him like vnto himselfe yet as I said so shamelesse is that lying Spirit that he dare as boldly promise vantage by committing of sinne this day as he did the first day to Adam in Paradise notwithstanding that wee see through miserable experience that death because of sinne is entred into our bodies Is hee not a deceiuer indeed that did first steale from vs our birth-right and now would also take from vs the blessing all those benefites we got by our first creation he hath stollen them from vs with his lying words and now he goes about by lyes also to steale from vs that blessing of restitution by Christ offered and exhibited vnto vs. Iacob iustly complayned of Laban Gen. 31. 7. that he had deceiued him and had changed his wages seauen times but more iustly may we complaine of Sathan who innumerable times hath beguiled vs he hath changed out wages how oft hath he promised vs good things and behold what euill is come vpon vs Happy were we if in all our temptations we did remember A good answer to be giuen Sathan in all his temptations to sinne this and reply to Sathan in this manner The Lord rebuke thee thou shamelesse Lyar from the beginning with what face canst thou speake that vnto me wherein thou hast beene so oft conuinced by so manifold witnesses to be a manifest Lyar Of the fruites of sinnes which we haue seene we are to iudge of the fruits of sinne which are not seene if sinne hath made vs so miserable in this life how miserable shall it make vs in the life to come if we continue in it This is that wisedome which the Apostle recommends to vs in that worthie sentence happy were we if it were sounded continually in the eares of our minde as oft as wee Rom. 6. 21. are tempted vnto sinne What fruit haue yee then in those sins whereof now yee are ashamed He that will search within himselfe Seeing he hath deceiued vs so oft let vs beleeue him no more Iudg. 16. the fruit of his former transgressions shall easily perceiue there is no cause why he should commit sinne vpon hope of any better fruit in time to come It was Sampsons destruction that not withstanding he found himselfe thrise deceiued by Dalilah yet the fourth time he harkned vnto her deceitfull allurements and it shall in like manner be the destruction of many who notwithstanding they haue sound themselues abused by Sathan in time past yet will not learne to resist him but giues place vnto his lying entisements and are carryed headlong by him into the wayes of death hee was a lying Spirit in the mouth of Achabs Prophets to 1. King 22. draw him forward in a battell promising him victory in the which he knew assuredly that he should dye so is hee a lying spirit in the hearts of the wicked promising vnto them gaine glory or pleasure by doing those workes of sin whereof he knowes well inough they shall reape nothing but shame and euerlasting confusion Againe that wee may yet see how foolish they are who How they who liue in sin are murtherers of themselues Psal 34. 21. liue still in their sinnes wee may marke here that they are murtherers of themselues the malice of the wicked shall slay themselues his owne sin which he hath conceiued brought forth and nourished shall be his destruction Euery man iudges Saul miserable that dyed vpon his owne sword but what better are other wicked men are not their sinnes the weapons by which they slay themselues Thus are they twise miserable first because they are subiect to death secondly because they are guiltie of their owne death Oh the pittifull blindnesse of men albeit in their life they feare nothing more then death yet doe they entertaine nothing better than sinne which causes death In bodily diseases men are content to abstaine euen from ordinary food where they are informed by the Phisition that it will nourish their sicknesse and this they doe to eschew death onely herein they are so ignorant that notwithstanding they abhorre death yet they take pleasure in vnrighteousnesse which brings on death And lastly seeing we are taught here that sinne brings Strange death and diseases commeth vpon men through the groth of their sinnes against God death vpon the body what meruaile the Lord strikes the bodies of men by sundry sorts of diseases and sundry kindes of death seeing man by sundry sorts of sinnes prouokes the Lord vnto anger he frameth his iudgement proportionable vnto his sinnes If yee walke stubbornely against me and will not obey mee I will then bring seauen times more plagues Leuit. 26. 25. vpon you according to your sinnes He hath famine to punish intemperance and the abuse of his creatures hee hath the deuouring sword to bring low the pride of man he hath burnings feuers and vncleane consuming goutes to punish the fierie and vncleane lusts and concupiscence of man If now the Lord after that hee hath striken vs vvith famine and pestilence come among vs to visit vs also vvith vnaccustomed diseases what shall we say but the despising of his former fatherly corrections and our stubborne walking against the Lord our God hath procured this vnto our selues Qâ—â—â— miâ—um in poenas generis humani crescere iram dei cum Cypri ad Demet. crescat quotidie quod puniatur what meruaile the wrath of God increase euery day to punish men seeing that increases among men which deserues that God should punish it But there are two impediments which suffers not these Delay of iudgement confirms the wicked in euill and it is the first impediment which stayes them from repenting at Gods threatnings Deu. 29. 18. warnings of God to enter into the hearts of men The one is albeit they finde within themselues sinnes condemned by the word of God yet the plagues threatneth against those sinnes hath not light vpon them This is that roote of bitternesse whereof Moses warned Israel to beware that they should not blesse themselues in their hearts when God doth curse them thinking they shall escape iudgement notwithstanding they doe those things which God hath forbidden them Salomon marked this to be a great cause of iniquitie because iudgement is not executed speedily vpon the wicked Eccles 8. 11. therefore the heart of the children of men is set within them to doe wickedly But O man doest thou not know that the iudgement of God is according to truth against all that commit such things Why despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnesse Rom. 2. 4. and patience because the Lord holds his tongue and spares thee for a while thinkest thou that he will spare thee for euer Euery iudgement of God executed vpon another malefactor But they who are spared should learne wisdome by iudgements executed vpon others may tell thee that thou shalt not escape
dies poenae nondum aduenit the day of punishment of iudgement of retribution is not yet come though in this life the Lord should not come neere thee yet thy iudgement is not farre off and thy damnation sleepes not Interim plectuntur quidam quo caeteri corrigantur tormenta paucorum exempla sunt omnium 2. Pet. 2. 3. Cyp. de lapsis serm 5. In the meane time some are punished that the rest may be corrected the torments of a few are the examples of all As the Lord Iesus set those eighteen men on vvhom the tower of Siloam fell for examples to all the rest of the people Luke 13. so euery one punished before vs stands vp to vs as a preacher of repentance and an example to warne vs that vnlesse vve repent we shall perish in like manner Si nunc omne peccatum Aug de ciuit Dei cap. 8. manifesta plecteretur poena nihil vltimo iudicio râ—â—eruari putaretur si nullum nunc peccatum puniret Deus nulla Why some wicked men are punished in this life and not others putaretur esse prouidentia If in this life euery sinne were punished vvith a seene iudgement nothing should be reserued to the last iudgement and if no sinne vvere punished in this life it might be thought there were not a prouidence to regard it The Lord therefore punisheth some sins in this life to tell there is a God vvho iudgeth righteously Psal 58. 11. in the earth other sins againe in his wise dispensasion he punished not in this life to assure all men that there is a iudgement to come And least yet the wicked man should flatter himselfe by his escaping of present iudgement let him remember It is a great iudgement not to be corrected by God Hos 4. 14. that a sinner vvalking in his sinnes is sore punished when he is spared for I pray thee is not this a iudgement threatned against the Apostate Israelites I will not visite your Daughters when they are Harlots nor your Spouses when they are Whores Certe tunc magis irascitur Deus cum non irascitur Ber. in Cant. hom 42. Certainely then is God most angry vvhen he seemes not to be angry at all Misericordiam hanc nolo for my own part saith Bernard I vvill not haue such a mercy Insignis poena est vindicta impictatis conniuere Deum ac indulgere peccâ—ntibus non solum impunitatem sed longam concedere prosperitatem Philo. lib. de consus linguarum It is a notable punishment and reuenge of vngodlines when God winkes and ouersees sinners not onely graunting vnto them impunitie but also long ptosperitie It was good for me saith Dauid that the Lord afflicted mee Psal 119. 71 Psal 73. â— Prou. 1. 32. The wicked because they haue no changes feare not God And the prosperitie of fooles destroy them He is happely conquered and ouercome faith Augustine from whom the libertie of sinning is taken away Nihil enim infoelicius foelicitate peccantium Aug. Marcellino Epist 5. qua poenalis nutritur impunitas mala voluntas velut interior hostis roberatur There is nothing more vnhappy then the happy estate of a sinner whereby penall impunitie is nourished and their vvicked will as an inward and domesticke enemie is strenthned thus are the wicked fearefully plagued when they are most spared when they are giuen vp to their owne hearts desire and their iniquitie hath dominion ouer them when the Lord hedges not in their way vvith thornes but giue them loose reynes to go where they vvill to their owne destruction this is terribilis lenitas parcens crudelitas from vvhich vnhappy condition the Lord deliuer vs. The other impediment that stayes the Atheists of our 2 Impediment Wicked men repent not because they see the godly subiect to the same outward euils which come vpon them time from profiting by the threatnings of God is because they see the same condition befalleth to the godly vvhich is threatned to the vvicked Daniel goes vvith the rest into captiuitie Iosias no lesse then the greatest sinners among the people is slaine vvith the sword Ezekias also stricken vvith pestilence and many godly ones among our selues fall vnder the same externall plagues vvhich are threatned against the vvicked therefore doe they dispise Religion and harden their hearts against the iudgements of God But herein also are they pittifully blinded for the godly and vvicked differs farre one from another euen vvhen they The actions passions of the godly and wicked different in one and the selfe same thing Cyprian ad Demet. are both doing the same externall actions Cain and Abel sacrificing together the Publicane and the Pharisee praying together yet are as farre vnlike one another as light and darknesse so when they suffer the same externall crosses yet there is a wonderfull difference betweene them non idcirco vobis aequales sumus quia in isto adhuc mundo constituti carnis incommoda vobiscum pariter incurrimus A very good answere for men of this world who thinke they are in no worse case then the Children of God thinke not that wee are in as euill case as ye are because that so long as we are in this world we are subiect to the same bodily incoueniences for since punishment consists in the sense of paine it is euident that he is not partaker of thy punishment who is not pertaker of thy sorrow manifestum est non esse participem poenae tuae quem non vides participem doloris tui In that same affliction wherein the one sees the wrath of God the other feeles the loue of God where the one impatient of the yoke murmuâ—es rages and blasphemes the Lord the other possessing his soule in patience reioycing in tribulation blesses the Lord. But the spirit is life for righteousnesse sake Hauing graunted The condition being permitted the comfort is subioyned that our bodies are dead through sinne hee now subioynes the comfort that our soules are indued with a life vvhich comes not vnder death through the righteousnesse of Christ Where first it comes to be considered seeing euery mans soule is immortall and alway liuing what singular life is this which here the Apostle makes the comfort of a Christian To this I answere it is true euery mans soule is immortall though the Atheist deny it experience proues Immortalitie of the Soule most certaine it the life of the soule dependeth not on the life of the body for if it were so as the body decayes the soule should decay also for we see that euen in debilitate bodies the soule retaines the owne vigour yea in the godly the life of the soule shewes the selfe strongest when the life of the body is weakest Besides this no carnall mortall nor corruptible thing can at any time content the soule to fill it the body is soone satisfied with these perishing things in such sort that
it craues no more but as for the soule all the delicate and pleasant things of this world cannot satisfie or content it Non esurientes animas sed esuriem ipsam pascunt animarum they Bern. de persecuquutione sustinenda cap. 22. feed not the hungry soule but rather feedes and augments the hunger of the soule And lastly wee see in experience that the soule now when it is within the body hath his owne working and liuely operation euen then when the body is a sleepe and the senses thereof closed vp which also is also confirmed by that conference which Salâ—mon had with the Lord when his body was sleeping beside many other And hereof Tertullian concluded the immortality of the Tertul. de resur carnis Soule â—e in somnium quidem cadit anima cum corpore quomodâ— in veritatem mortis cadâ—t quae nec in imaginem eius ruit The soule doth not fall a sleepe with the body how then shal we thinke that it can verily die it selfe which cannot so much as fall vnder the shadow and similitude of death Thus the Atheist being put bâ— the doubt still remaines A twofold immortall life of the Soule whereof the one is proper to the godly the other pertaines to the wicked Seeing euery mans soule liues an immortall life what comfort is this giuen here to the Christian that though his body be dead his soule is liuing To this I answere there is a two-fold life of the Soule one of nature another of grace by the one it liuâ—s for euer by the other it lâ—ues for euer in happinesse the one is common to all men the other is proper to the children of God an immortall happy life they haue it not of nature but of grace as here the Apostle saith through the righteousnesse of Christ communicated vnto them As for that naturall life of the soule the spirit of God as we said accounts it but a death when they are liuing in the body he saith they are dead â—â— sinne and trespasseâ— and when Ephe. 2. 1. they are gone out of the body though they liue yet he cals their life but an euerlasting death thus are the wicked miserable while they are in the body more miserable when they remoue out of the body therefore Salomon comparing them among themselues accounts them happiest that neuer Eccles 4. 3. haue beene Secondly we see here that man is a creature consisting Man a compound creature of a soule and a body vvhere first it is to be admired how two creatures of such contrary kindes and qualities as is the soule and the body should concurre together to make vp one man and secondly how this fearefull diuorcement is come betweene them once so straitly vnited by God that where the one is partaker of life the other should be possest by death Most meruailous of all the creatures both in regard of his two substances As for the first the Lord hath created man in such sort that he hath made him a compend of all his creatures in respect of his body he hath some affinity with earthly creaturs because hee was made to rule ouer them and in respect of his soule hee is a companion to the Angels for this cause the Naturalists called man a little vvorld and Augustine counted man a greater miracle than any miracle that euer vvas vvrought among men vvhere other creatures vvere made by the simple commandement of God before the creation of man the Lord is said to vse consultation to declare saith Basile that the Lord esteemes more of man than Basil hexam hom 10. of all the rest of his creatures neither is it said that the Lord put his hand to the making of any creature saue onely to the making of man and this also saith Tertullian to declare Tertull. de resur carnis As also of their meruailous coniunction his excellencie Yet is not man so meruailous in regard of his two substances as in regard of their coniunction Among all the workes of God the like of this is not to be found againe a Masse of clay quickned by the spirit of life and these two vnited together to make vp one man Commonly sayth Bernard the honorable agrees not with the ignoble the strong ouergoes the weake the liuing and the dead dwels not together Non Bern. in die natal dom serm 2. This doctrine knowne but not considered sic in opere tuo dâ—mine non sic in commixtione tua it is not so in thy worke O Lord it is not so in thy commixtion This is a doctrine commonly talked of that man consists of a soule and a body but is not so duely considered as it should It is a fearefull punishment which by nature lyes vpon the soule seeing she turned her selfe willingly away from God she is so farre deserted of God that she regards not her selfe though it be a very common prouerbe in the mouthes of men I haue a soule to keepe yet hast thou such a soule as can teach thee to keepe any other thing better than it selfe a fearefull plague that because as I haue said the soule continued not in the loue of God it is now so farre deserted that it regards not the owne selfe This haue I touched onely to waken vs that wee may more deepely consider of that doctrine which men thinke they haue learned and know sufficiently already namely that man is a compound creature consisting of a soule and a body But to returne seeing at the first these two the soule and How that harmony which was betweene the soule and body by creation is now turned into disagreement Foure estates of mans soule body vnited body were conioyned together by the hand of the Creator and agreed together in one happy harmony among themselues whence comes this disagreement that the soule being pertaker of life the body should be possest by death I answere we are to consider these foure estates of mans soule and body vnited The first is their estate by creation wherein both of them concurred in a happy agreement to serue their Maker The second is the estate of Apostasie wherein both of them in one cursed band conioyned fell away from God the faculties of the soule rebelling against God and abusing all the members of the body as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to offend him The third is the estate of grace wherein the soule being reconciled with God by the mediation of Christ and quickned againe by his holy Spirit the body is left for a while vnder the bands of death The fourth is the estate of glory wherein both of them being ioyned together againe shall be restored to a more happy life than that which they enioyed by creation As for the first estate we haue lost it as for the second the reprobate stands in it and therefore miserable is their condition as for the third it is the estate of the Saints of God vpon earth as
Gen. 3. was bruised and hee did no more but tread on the heele of our Sauiour so shall it be in the conflict of all his members with Sathan by the power of Lord Iesus wee shall be more then conquerours The God of peace shall shortly tread Rom. 16. 20. downe Sathan vnder our feete the most that Sathan can doe vnto vs Manducet terram meam dentem carni infigat Amb. de poen lib. 1. cap 13. conterat corpus let him lick the dust let him eate that part of mee which is earth let him bruise my body this is but to tread vpon the heele my comfort is that there is a seede of immortall life in my soule which no power of the enemie is able to ouercome It is true that so long as wee enioy this naturall life with Wicked men dye eyther vncertaine of comfort health of body the losse that comes by the want of the spirituall life is not perceiued no more then the defects of a ruinous house is perceiued in time of faire weather but when thy naturall life is wearing from thee if thou want the other how comfortlesse shall thy condition be when thou shalt finde in thine owne experience thou haddest neuer more then a silly naturall life which now is to depart from thee In this estate the wicked either dye being vncertaine of comfort or then most certaine of condemnation Those who are strangers from the life of God through the ignorance Ephes 4. 18. that is in them hauing no more but the light of nature the best estate wherein they can dye is comfortlesse if for want of light they know not that wrath vvhich is prepared for the vvicked and so are not greatly terrified yet farre lesse know they those comforts vvhich after death sustaines the Christian that they should be comforted The Emperour Hadrian when he dyed made this faithlesse lamentation Animula vagula blandula quae nunc abibis in loca O silly wandring Soule vvhere away now wilt thou goe and that other Seuerus proclaiming the vanitie of all his former glory cryed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue beene all things and it profits me nothing the one saith he found no comfort of things that were before him the other saith he found no comfort of things that were behind thus the wicked dye comfortlesse good things to come they neither know nor hope for good things past profit them Or most certaine of condemnation not Or if they haue beene such wicked men as by the light of the word haue knowne the will of their master and yet rebelled against their light they go out of the body not onely comfortles but certain of condemnation hauing receiued sentence within themselues that they shall neuer see the face of God and such was the death of Iudas let vs not therefore rest contented with the shadow of this vanishing life let vs prouide for that immortall seed of a better life within vs which receiues increase but cannot decay it waxeth stronger the weaker that the bodily life is but cannot be weakned far lesse extinguished by bodily death he that findes it within himselfe shall reioyce in death he shall dye in faith in obedience and in spirituall ioy Committing his Soule vnto 1 Pet. 4. 19. God as vnto a faithfull Creator he rests in him vvhom he hath beleeued being assured that the Lord will keepe that which he hath committed vnto him The Lord worke it in vs for Christs sake Verse 11. But if the spirit of him who raysed vp Iesus from from the dead dwell in you he that raysed vp Christ from the dead shall also quickâ—n your mortall bodies because that his spirit dwelleth in you IT is a comfortable saying of the Apostle If in 1 Cor. 15. 19. this life onely we had hope of all men wee were the most miserable for it doth teach vs that albeit in this life we haue great comforts through Iesus Christ yet greater abides vs in the life to come And therefore the Apostle contents not himselfe barely to make mention of such comforts as presently wee haue but hee proceedes now to acquaint vs with greater comforts which hereafter we shall enioy He hath shewed vs that the death whereunto we are subiect is not totall for it strikes He hath shewed our death is not totall now he shewes that it is not perpetuall onely vpon the basest part of man Now he shewes that it is not perpetuall the body shall not be kept for euer vnder the bands of death the spirit of Iesus who now dwels in it shall deliuer it from the bondage of corruption raise it from the dust and quicken it vnto glory But if the Spirit c. We haue here first of all to marke Euery promise of mercy is conditionall againe that the Apostles speech is not absolute but conditionall All the promises of comfort made in the booke of God are conditionall This is a great comfort the Lord shall quicken your mortall bodies but conditionally that his spirit dwell in you Whom hath the Lord promised to satisfie such as hungers for righteousnesse whom hath he promised to comfort not the carelesse nor wantons but such as mourne to whom hath he promised forgiuenesse of sinnes not to the licentious liuers but to the penitent to whom will he giue eternall life not to the Infidels but to such as If wâ— like gods comforts let vs take heedâ— to the condition on which they are promised beleeue If we esteeme any thing of the comforts of God let vs take heed to the condition for except the condition in some measure be wrought in vs the promise shall neuer be accomplished vpon vs. It were good for the men of this age to consider this more deepely who sleeping in presumptuous conceits of mercy thinke how euer they liue they shall be saued In all the whole Bible there is not one promise without an annexed condition In the couenant betweene God and man there is a mutuall stipulation as the Lord promiseth something to vs so he requireth another thing of vs with what face canst thou stand vp and seeke that mercy vvhich God hath promised who neuer endeuouredst to performe that dutie which God hath required Againe vve haue here occasion to consider those excellent The benefits we haue throgh the indwelling of the spirit in vs are further declared Gal. 2 20. benefits vvhich we haue by the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs beside that vvhich vve heard verse 10. As if those were too little he further doth vnto vs these great things first he giues life to the soule and makes it in the body to liue the life of Christ so that the Christian may say Now I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me Secondly when Soule and body are sundred by death he leades the soule to liue with God in glory which is the second degree of eternall life and thirdly
he casts not off the care of the body but preserneth the very dust and ashes thereof till the day of the resurrection vvherein he shall quicken it againe restore it to the owne soule and glorifie both which is the third and last degree of eternall life Surely there was neuer a house hyre so wel payd in the world thou who sets thy soule body There was neuer a house hire so well paid as lodging for a short vvhile here on earth that he may dwell in it O vvhat recompence hast thou to looke for he dwels vvith the on earth and thou shalt dwell vvith him in heauen thou didst lend him a lodging for a few yeers and he shall receiue thee into his euerlasting habitations and thou shalt be for euer with the Lord. Neyther shall he shew his mercy vpon thy soule onely The holy spirit shall keepe the body wherein he dwelt euen when it is laid in the graue but as I haue said vpon thy body also it vvould seeme that the Lord hath deserted it as a â—ontemptible thing vvhen it is laid downe in the graue but be assured that hee who dwelt in it vvill not leaue it nor cast off â—he care thereof no not when it is turned into dust and ashes Comfortable is that vvhich the Lord promised to Iacob vvhen he bad him goe downe to Egypt Feare not to goe for I will go downe with thee and I will bring thee vp againe He forewarned him that he should dye in Egypt and that Ioseph should close Gen. 46. 4. his eyes but he promiseth to bring vp againe his dead body vnto Canaan O what a kindnesse is it that the Lord will honour the dead bodyes of his Children The praise of the O what a kindnes conuoy of Iacobs corps the Lord will neither giue it to Ioseph nor to Pharaohs Seruants with their Chariots who in great number accompanied him the Lord takes it vnto himselfe I will bring thee vp againe saith the Lord the like kindnesse and truth doth the Lord keepe for all the remanent of his seruants Is thy body consecrated is it a vessell of honour a house and temple wherein God is daily serued he shall honour it againe he shall not leaue it in the graue neither cast off the care thereof but shall vvatch ouer the dust thereof though it tast of corruption it shall not perish in corruption The holy Spirit who dwelt in the body shall be vnto it He is a holy balme wherby the body shall be preserued immortall as a balme to preserue thee to immortalitie this same flesh and no other for it though it shall be dissolued into innumerable pickles of dust shall be raised againe and quicned by the omnipotent power of this Spirit It is a pittie to see by what silly meanes naturall men seeke the immortall conseruation of their bodyes and cannot obtaine it there is no helpe nature may yeeld to prolong the death of the body but they vse it and because they see that deat cannot be eschewed their next care is how to keepe it in the graue longest from rottennesse and corruption and how vvhen themselues are gone to preserue their names in immortall remembrance with the posteritie thus by the very instinct of nature are men carried away with a desire of eternitie Worldings seeke immortalitie the wrong way Esay 55. 2. but herein are they foolish that they seeke it the wrong way they lay out their siluer but not for bread they spend their labour and are not satisfied immortalitie and life is to be sought there where the word of the Lord directs vs let the Spirit of Christ dwell in thee and thou shalt liue otherwise though thou wert the greatest Monarch of the word though all thy meate were soueraigne medicines though thy body were laid in graue with as great externall pompe as worldly glory can afford to any creature and thy flesh were embalmed with the costliest oyntments these are but miserable comforts perishing preseruatiues thou shalt lye downe in dishonour and shalt be raised in greater dishonour to euerlasting shame and endlesse confusion Now as we haue these three degrees of eternall life by Life is first restored to the soule and then to the body the Spirit dwelling in vs so are we to marke the order by vvhich he proceedes in communicating them vnto vs first he restores life to the soule and secondly he shall restore life vnto the body saith the Apostle where the one is done be assured the other shall be done the one is the proper end of his first comming therefore his Heraulds cryed before him Behâ—ld the Lambe of God who taketh away the sins Iohn 1. 29. of the world In his second comming shall be the redemption Phil. 2. 21. of our bodyes when he shall appeare hee shall change our vile bodyes and make them like to his owne glorious body Let this reforme the prosperous care of man art thou desirous that thy body should liue be first carefull that life be communicated to the soule for surely the redemption of thy body shall not follow vnlesse the restitution of thy soule goe before O porteâ— cor nostrum conformari humilitati cordis Bern. de aduen dom serm 4. Christi priusquam corpus conformetur glorioso corpori eius our heart must first be conformed to the humilitie of Christs heart before that our body be configurated to his glorious body this is the first resurrection blessed are they that are partakers of it for vpon such the second death shall haue no power But it is out of doubt qui non resurgit in animaâ— resurget in corpore ad poenam he that riseth not now in his soule from his sinnes shall rise hereafter in his body to iudgement But now leauing the condition to come to the comfort he that raysed vp Christ from the dead saith the Apostle shall also quicken your mortall bodies What necessity is there here What necessity is here that hee who raysed Christ shall also raise vs that he vvho raysed Christ shall raise vs yes indeede the necessitie is great the head and the members of the misticall body cannot be sundred seeing the head is raysed from the dead no member can be left vnder death the Lord vvorkes in euery member according to that same mightie Ephe. 1. 29. power by vvhich he wrought in the head his resurrection necessarily imports ours seeing he arose not as a priuate man but as the head of all his members full of power to draw the body after him and to communicate that same life to euery member which he hath declared in himselfe Christ is risen from the dead and is made the first fruits of them that 1 Cor. 15. 20 sleepe the first fruit is risen the after fruit shall in like manner follow Vixit in coelum carnem nostram tanquam arhabonem pignus tâ—tuâ—s summae illuc quandoqueâ—redigendae the
Tertul. de resur carnâ—â— Lord Iesus hath carryed our flesh into heauen as an earnest and pâ—edge of the vvhole summe vvhich afterward is to be brought thither he hath not thought it inough to giue his spirit vnto vs here on earth as the earnest of our inheritance but to put vs out of all doubt he hath carried vp our flesh into heauen and possest it in the kingdome in the name of all his members Who raysed vp Iesus from the dead Then vve see that our Seeing our Lord was among the dead let vs not feare when God cals vs to lye down among them also Lord was once among the dead but now is risen from them let vs not then be afraid vvhen God shall call vs to lye down among the dead also shall the seruant be ashamed of his Masters condition or vvill the patient refuse to drink that potion vvhich the Phisition hath tasted before him No we must follow our Lord through the miseries of this life through the dolours of death through the horrours of the graue if vve looke to follow him in his resurrection in his ascension to be amongst those hundred fortie and foure thousand in mount Sion vvho hauing his fathers name vvritten in their foreheads follow the Lambe whersoeuer he goâ—th Reuel 7 singing that new song vvhich none can sing but they whom he hath bought from the earth When those women came to seeke the Lord Iesus in the What comfort Christs resurrection giues vs against death Sepulchre all the feare they had conceiued concerning Christs death the Angels remoues it by sending them to meditate on the resurrection why seeke yee him that liueth among the dead hee is not here but hee is risen Wee are not Mat. 28. 5. 6 yet laid downe among the dead but or euer we goe to the graue we haue this comfort that the Lord by his power shall raise vs out of it where the head growes through the members will follow Per angustum passionis foramâ—n transiuit Christus vt latum praeberet ingrâ—ssum sequentibus membris Our Lord is gone through the narrow passage of death that hee might make it the wider and easier to all his members who are to follow him We see by experience the body of a man drownes not though it be vnder the water as long as the head is borne aboue many of the members of Christ are here in this valley of death tost too fro in this sea of tribulation with continuall tentations yet our comfort is we cannot perish for our head is aboue and a great part of the body liuing and raigning with him in glory there is life in him to draw forth out of these miseries all his members and hee shall doe it by that same power by which he raised himselfe from the dead For we are taught here that our resurrection is a worke not to be done by man not the power of nature but by Resurrection is a work of God and nâ—â— of man the power of God we are not therefore to hearken to the deceitfull motions of our infidelitie which calles in doubt this article of our Faith we must not consider the imbecillitie and weaknesse of nature neither measure heauenly and supernaturall things with the narrow span of naturall reason but as it is Abrahams praise the father of the faithfull Rom. 4. 19. that when God promised him a sonne in his old age hee was not weake in faith hee considered not his owne body which was dead neither the deadnesse of Saraahs wombe but was strengthned in the faith and gaue glory to God being fully assured that hee who had promised was also able to doe it so should we sanctifie the Lord God in our harts looking to the word and promise of the euerliuing God to Cyr. cate 18. whom those things are possible which are impossible vnto vs for the Lord saith the Prophet hath the whole earth in Isay 40. 12. his fist and it is more easie to him to discerne one pickle of dust from another then it is to any man hauing his hand full of sundry seedes to open his hand and gather euery kind thereof into one by themselues seperate and distinct from the rest When thou hearest sayth Augustine that the dead shall be raised suppose it be a great thing yet count it no incredible thing but consider who it is that takes in hand to doe it ille suscitabit te qui creauit te the Lord who created Aug. ser 64 thee he it is that shall raise thee And for our further confirmation let vs consider how Resurrection confirmed by Scripture by types by practises of God in nature the spirit of God hath taught this article of our resurrection in sundry places of holy scripture hath shadowed it by types and figures hath cleared it by examples and last of all by the practise and working of God in nature As for Scripture both Prophets and Apostles as it were with one 1 Our resurrection is confirmed by Scripture Dan. 12. 13. Hos 13. 14. 15. mouths breathes out this veritie They that sleepe in the dust saith Daniel shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to euerlasting shame and perpetuall contempt I will redeeme thee saith the Lord by Hosea from the power of the graue I wil deliuer thee from death O death I will be thy death O graue I will be thy destrustiom Patient Iob in his greatest extremitie Iob. 19. 25. gaue out this notable confession of his faith I am sure that my redeemer liueth and he shall stand the last on the earth and though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet shall I see God in my flesh whom I my selfe shall see mine eyes shall behold and none other for mee though my reynes are consumed within me And if we come to the new Testament most cleare is that testimonie of the Lord Iesus The houre shall Iohn 5 28. come in the which all that are in the graue shall heare his voyce and they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation The Apostles in like manner beare witnesse to their Master If in this life onely wee had hope in Christ of all men we were most miserable but now is Iesus 1 Cor. 15. 19. 20. 21. 22. risen from the dead and was mâ—â—â— the first fruits of them that slept For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead For as in Adam all lye so in Christ all are made aliue And againe Behold I shew you a secret we shal Ibid. 51. 52. 53. not all sleepe but we shall alâ— be changed In a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet for the trumpet shal blow and the dead shall be raised vp incorruptible and we shal be changed For this corruptible must
Christs seruants but also Secondly Sworn seruants we are sworne for baptisme as on the part of God it is a seale of the couenant of grace to confirme that promise of remission of sinnes which God hath made to vs in the blood of Iesus Christ so on our part it is a solemne resignation of our selues and our seruice to the Lord wherein we giue vp our names to be enrolled among his souldiers seruants swearing binding and oblieging our selues to renounce the seruice of the Diuell the World and the Flesh and this oath of resignation we haue renued so oft as wee haue communicated at his holy Table Whereof it is euident that they who haue giuen their names to Christ and yet liue licentiously walking after the flesh are for-sworne Apostates guiltie of persidie and of foule apostafie and desertion from Iesus Christ And thirdly not onely are wee bought and sworne but Thirdly wee haue receiued wages before hand for seruice to be done we haue receiued wages and payment in hand which should make vs ashamed if we haue so much as common honestie to refuse seruice to the Lord whose wages we haue receiued already It may be saide to euery one of vs which Malachie in the name of the Lord spake to the Leuites of his time who among you shuts the dore of the temple or kindles a fire vpon Mal. 1. 10. my altar in vaine who among vs can stand vp and say that hee hath done seruice to the Lord for nought Consider it when ye will for euery peece of seruice ye haue done to the Lord ye haue receiued wages more then ten times who hath called aright on his name hath not been heard who hath giuen thankes for benefits receiued hath not found Gods benefits doubled vpon him who hath giuen almes in the name of the Lord and not found increase I speake not now of rewards which God hath promised vs I speake onely of that we haue receiued already the least of Gods mercies shewed vpon vs already doth farre exceede all that seruice that we poore wretches haue done vnto him as therfore we are content to receiue the Lords pay let vs neuer refuse to giue the seruice of our bodies and spirits vnto him But alas is not this the common sinne of this generation But many receiue that from the true God which they returne not to him but sacrifice to Idols Hos 2. 8. to receiue good things out of the hand of God and with them to sacrifice vnto other Gods to vvhom they owe no seruice at all A horrible sacriledge a vile idolatry for this the Lord complaines of the Iewes they haue receiued my gold and my siluer and made vp Baal to themselues and the same complaint stands against the prophane men of this age The couetous man as riches encrease doth hee not set his heart vpon them though with his tongue hee denie it doth hee not say within himselfe that which Iob protested hee would neuer say to the wedge of Gold thou art my confidence The glutton when he hath receiued from God abundance of Wheat Oyle and Wine though he know the commandement be not filled with wine wherein is excesse but be Eph. 5. 18. filled with the Spirit yet how oft takes hee in superfluous drinke and spares not for loue of it to grieue the Spirit sacrificing to his belly as vnto God those things which bindes him to doe seruice vnto the Lord thus neither are the benefits of God returned to doe honour vnto him from whom they come but sacriligiously also abused to the making vp of Baal or some other Idoll abhominable to God for which it is most certaine that the moe wages these Atheists haue receiued for doing seruice to God which they neuer did the more fearefull plagues and stripes from God shall be doubled vpon them Againe we marke here that there is a double debt lying A double debt lying vpon vs the one the debt of sinne which we must seeke to be forgiuen the other the debt of obedience which we must seeke to performe vpon vs the debt of sinne and the debt of obedience vvee are freed of the one by a humble seeking and crauing of the remission thereof through Iesus Christ for the debt of sinne the Lord Iesus hath taught vs daily to seeke Gods discharge Lord forgiue vs our debts and indeede as euery day we contract some debt so it is great vvisedome by daily repentance to sue the discharge of it for they who neglect to do it their debt multiplies vpō them it stands vncancelled in the register of God written as it were with a pen of iron and the poynt of a Diamond and they shall at length be cast into that prison for non-payment wherein will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for euer But as for the debt of obedience whereof the Apostle here speakes wee cannot with a good conscience desire the Lord to discharge it nor exempt vs from it but we must in all humility craue Grace of God that we being enriched by him who of our selues are poore may be able in some measure to pay and performe it Where if the weake Children of GOD obiect and say A three-fold comfort for the godly for the debt of obedience how then can vve but drowne in this debt seeing no day of our life wee can pay to the Lord that debt of obedience which we owe vnto him To this there is giuen a three-fold comfort first the Lord dealeth with vs as a louing liberall 1 The Lord to whom we owe it giues vs wherewith to pay it man dealeth with his debter who knowing that he hath nothing of his owne wherewith to pay him and not willing to put him to shame stops priuately into his hand that which publikely againe he may giue vnto him so the Lord conuaies secret grace into the hearts of his children whereby they are in some measure able to serue him but as Dauid protested so may we all whatsoeuer wee giue vnto the 1 Chron. 29. 14. Lord wee haue it of his owne hand Secondly the Lord 2 He accepts for a time part of payment our God is so gracious that hee is content to accept part of payment at our hand till wee be able to doe better if our faith be but like the graine of Mustard-seede yet if it be true the Lord will not despise it though our repentance be not perfect and absolute though our prayers be vveake though wee cannot doe the good that wee would yet the good that wee doe is accepted at his hands through Iesus Christ And thirdly wee haue this comfort that the more 3 The more wee pay of this debt the more wee are able to pay wee pay of this debt of obedience the more wee are able to pay In other debts it is not so for if the more be payed out by him that is indebted the lesse remaines behinde
vexation of his soule to heare and â—â—e the vnrighteous deedes of the wicked which were wont to be vnto him the matter of his sport and laughter Therefore doth he wish and so should we that we might Death to sinne takes not life away but restores it alwayes die this kinde of death foelix mâ—rs quae alienum facit hominem ab hoc saeculâ— certainly it is a happy death which alienates and turnes away the heart of man from the loue of this world Bona mors quippe vitam non aufert sed transfert in melius for it is a good kinde of death which doth not take life away but changes it into a better But alas how farre are we from this spirituall disposition doth not the angry countenance of one in worldly authority terrifie vs the disdainfull words of men doe they not put vs out of the state of patience if the world flatter vs are we not puft vp if shee frowne vpon vs are wee not cast downe and this our great vveaknesse proceedes onely from the strength of sinne in vs this lets vs see vvhat cause we haue to be humbled considering that hauing liued long in this time of grace yet haue we profited little in the mortification of our sinfull lusts and affections Againe out of this same vvord of Mortification vvee learne that the vvorke of our Sanctification is a vvorke of difficultie not accomplished without labour paine and dolour Sanctification is a worke of difficulty for it is a birth a death a circumcision c. for it receiues these three names as to be called Mortification Regeneration and Circumcision As no birth no death no cutting off the flesh can be without dolour and sorrow so the conuersion of a sinner is not wrought without inward paine and sorrow The Infant that hath laid but nine Moneths in the wombe of the mother is not deliuered without great paine suppose she conceiued it with pleasure and shalt thou thinke to part with sinne which in thee was conceiued with thee and which since so often thou hast nourished with pleasure and not to proue the dolours of the New-birth No assuredly In the worke of mans conuersion there is the contrite spirit the humbled heart the mourning weede the melting eye the pale countenance the voyce of lamentation let not such as feele them if they finde therewith a sundring of their affections from their old sinnes be troubled for these are but the dolours of their new birth and for others who know not these inward humiliations and wrestlings of the Children of God they haue iust cause to suspect themselues that they haue not so much as the beginnings of Mortification Regeneration and spirituall Circumcision By the Spirit Nature will not destroy our sinfull lusts The knife by which beastly lusts are slaine to be sacrificed they are mortified by the Spirit of Christ and therefore wee are to nourish entertaine this Spirit by the meanes before prescribed As those Beasts which were sacrificed to God vnder the Law were first slaine by the knife of the Leuite and then offered to God vpon the Altar so the Lord Iesus must mortifie our affections by the power of his word and Spirit before they can be presented acceptable sacrifices to Mac. hom 1. the Lord our God Yee shall liue As I spake of death which is threatned so Temporall life is not the recompense of righteousnesse and why 1 Cor. 15. 19. speake I of life here promised this temporall life cannot be the recompense of righteousnesse for it is common both to the Godly and the wicked If in this life onely we had hope of all men wee were the most miserable but the life here promised is eternall life the beginning vvhereof presently we enioy by the Spirit of our Lord who hath quickned vs so that vvee may say now I liue yet not I but Christ Iesus Gal. 2. 20. liueth in mee the accomplishment thereof vve looke for hereafter Thus hath the Apostle set before vs both life and death he hath shewed vs the way how we may eschew the one and attaine to the other the Lord graunt that according to his counsell vvee may make choyse of the best Verse 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sonnes of God IN this Verse the Apostle subioynes a confirmation He proues the lâ—st part of his preceding argument of his preceding argument in the last part thereof hee hath said If yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the Spirit yee shall liue now hee proues it They who mortifie the deedes of the body by the Spirit or they who are led by the Spirit of God for these phrases are equiualent are the Sonnes of God therefore they must liue the necessitie of the consequence is euident of that which followeth the Sonnes of God are the Heyres of God heyres annexed with Iesus Christ and the heritage whereunto they are borne is eternall life therefore of necessitie they must liue Here first wee haue to consider what action and operation The operation of the Spirit is eyther vniuersall extending to all his creatures of the spirit this is which distinguisheth the Sonnes of God from other men The operations of the Spirit are diuers hee hath an vniuersall operation by which he workes in all his creatures conseruing leading and directing them to his owne determined ends for in him euery thing that is hath the being liuing and mouing as euery creature is made by God so is it ruled and led by the Spirit according to his appointment Hee hath againe a more speciall operation in man and this is also diuers for first all skilfull and cunning working Or speciall and this is manifold of Artificers is a certaine operation of the Spirit therefore is it that Bezaâ—eel is said to be filled with the Spirit of God Exod. 31. and these cunning men to vvhom the Lord directs Moses Cunning working of Artificers is of him Exod. 28. 2. Gifts of gouernment are of him for the making of Aarons holy garments glorious and beautifull are said there to be filled of the Lord by the Spirit of wisedome but this is not his operation vvhereby the sonnes of God are discerned Secondly all gifts of gouernement are of the operation of this Spirit in this sense it is said that the Spirit of the Lord came vpon Saul vvhen of a common man God made him a kingly man meete for gouernment and so also God tooke off the Spirit vvhich was vpon Moses and communicated it to the seauentie Elders Thirdly prophecying and preaching is an operation Prophecying and preaching are also of him Numb 24. 1. 1 Cor. 12. of the Spirit therefore saith Moses of Balaam when he prophecyed that the Spirit of God came vpon him and the Apostle teacheth vs that there are diuersities of gifts but one and the same Lord diuersitie of administrations but the same Spirit diuersitie of
operations but God is the same who workes all in all for to one is giuen by the Spirit the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge to another the gift of healing to an other the operation of great workes but none of these are the operations whereby the Sonnes of God are to be discerned seeing all these hee vvorkes also in the wicked We are therefore more particularly to consider how is And these former are coÌ„mon to the wicked but he hath a singular operation in the godly whom he leads it that this Spirit leades the Sonnes of God the auncient Fathers expresses it in two words hee leades vs mâ—nendo monendo that is by informing our minde with his admonitions and inclining our harts with his motions for the holy spirit leades vs not like vnto blinde men vvho are led by their guide a way vvhich they know not themselues but he opens our eyes and lets vs see a farre off our heauenly 1 Monendo by informing their mindes Canaan and Ierusalem vvhich is aboue for he that neuer saw the Lord how can hee follow him or how can he forsake the doung of the earth who hath no eyes to discerne those excellent things which are aboue This illumination of our minde is the first beginning of our saluation therefore the Apostle praying for the Ephesians craues that the Ephes 1. 18. Lord would lighten the eyes of their vnderstanding that they might know the hope of their calling and the riches of that glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints He prayeth also for the Philippians that they may abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement whereby they may discerne things that are excellent And for the Collossians that they may be filled with the knowledge of the will of God and of spirituall vnderstanding teaching vs also to remember it in all our prayers as a most necessarie petition And after that the spirit of God hath opened the eyes of 2 Mouendo by alluring their hearts his children and carried them vp with Moses to the top of Pisgah that is by heauenly contemplation giuen them some sight of Canaan then he also moueth their hearts making them cheerefull willing and resolute to walke toward it for hee drawes vs not against our wils but makes vs willing to follow him It is true he giues also to the wicked some taste of the ioyes of the life to come but he changeth not their hearts they haue some new sights of it but retayne their old affections they like it also but will not redeeme it so deere as they thinke as with the losse of their carnall pleasures in this life but to the godly with the new minde he giues them also a new heart hee inflames them with so feruent a loue of those things which hee had letten them see that they are content to renounce the world and accounteth her best things to be but doung so they may obtayne the Lord Iesus and be made partakers of the high prise of the calling of the Saints of God And beside this he doth in such sort conduct vs that hee 3 By remouing al impediments out of the way which may hinder vs to follow him remoues euery impediment out of the way which may hinder vs when hee carryed his people Israel by his strength to his holy habitation O what impediments was in the way I the red Sea the waste Wildernesse the riuer Iordan Pharaohs horsemen and chariots pursues them behinde to draw them backe againe seauen mighty nations of the Canaanits are gathered before them to resist them and hold them out of Canaan but the shepheard and leader of Israel steps ouer all these impediments as if they had not been in the way and places his people in the mountaine of his inheritance and afterward when he concluded to bring his people from Babell homeward to Canaan hee prepared a way for them in the Wildernesse hee commanded the mountaines to be made low and the vallies to be exalted he commanded the crooked to be straight and the rough places to become plaine and it was done This is for our comfort the Lord Comfort who hath taken vs by the hand to lead vs into his holy habitation shall remoue all impediments that are before vs though Sathan like a Lyon spoyled of his pray snatch after vs though hee double his tentations vpon vs and with manifold afflictions compasse vs though terrible death and the horrible graue stand before vs threatning to swallow vs by the way yet shall wee see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing and ouer all our enemies shall be more than conquerors through him that loued vs and hath taken vs into his owne hand to leade vs to that inheritance which he hath prepared for vs. For it is manifest that both the beginning progresse and The beginning progresse and perfection of our saluation is from him perfection of our saluation is ascribed to the spirit of God in holy scriptures when we were dead in sinne he quickned vs when he had quickned vs he gouernes and leades vs and worketh continually in vs till he perfect vs. Thus is hee the Heb. 12. 2. author and the finisher of our faith and all the glorie of our saluation is his as wee cannot begin to doe well without him so we cannot continue in well doing without him if he lead vs not wee wander from him and weary our selues in In that we can not walk without a guide we are warned that we are but babes Acts 8. 30. 31. the way of iniquitie It should serue to humble vs that wee are pointed out here to be but babes and children such as cannot goe by our selues vnlesse we be led by another As that Eunuch answered Philip when he asked vnderstandest thou what thou readest how can I saith he vnderstand without a guide so may we answere the Lord when hee commands vs to walke in his way how can wee O Lord that are but children and It is good religion to turne Gods precepts into prayers Psal 43. 3. Psal 143. 10. new borne babes walke in thy way without a guide It is a point of good religion to turne the Lords precepts into prayers Send out Lord thy light and thy truth let them lead mee let them bring mee into thine holy mountaine and to thy tabernacles Let thy good spirit lead mee vnto the land of righteousnesse When the Lord threatned that hee vvould no more goe before the Children of Israel to lead them as hee had done Moses tooke it so deepely to heart that he protested hee would not goe one foote further except the Lord went with him and certainely if wee knew the manifold inconueniences whereinto we shall fall if the Lord forsake vs wee would neuer enter our feete into that way wherein we saw not the Lord going before vs in mercy to leade vs. Our life on earth should be
applyes it particularly to the godly Romanes vnto whom he writeth Yee haue not saith he receiued againe the Spirit of bondage vnto feare as ye did in the time of your first conuersion ye haue proceeded further and haue experience of his other operations then yee felt him casting you downe with the sight of your sinnes but now yee feele him comforting you and raising you vp vvith the sense of Gods loue and mercy toward you in Iesus Christ The spirit of God is called a Spirit of bondage vnto feare Why in his first operation he is called a spirit of bondage to feare not as if he had made them in whom he worketh slaues or bond-men but because in his first operation hee rebukes them of sinne in vvhom he worketh and lets them see that bondage and seruitude vnder which they lye vvhich works in them an horrible feare but in his second operation hee is a spirit of Adoption making them free who were bound before comforting them vvith the sight of Gods mercie whom before he terrified with the sight of their owne sinnes to the one hee vseth the preaching of the Law which discouers our disease to the other the preaching of the Gospell which points out the Physition As the proclayming By the preaching of the Law he discouers sin and wrath due to it which causeth feare Mat. 3. 10. of the Law wrought a terrour in their hearts who heard it so doth the preaching thereof for who can heare himselfe accursed and condemned by the mouth of GOD and not tremble Iohn the Baptist began at the preaching of the Law Now is the axâ— laid to the root of the tree euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire then hee proceeded and poynted out the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world by the first hee prepared a way to the second for his Auditours being cast downe in themselues vvith the threatning enquired earnestly what shall wee doe then that wee may be saued and were glad to heare of a remedy It is out of doubt that they who are not touched with a remorse for their sinnes nor a feare of the wrath to come and into vvhose hearts neuer entred that care what shall I doe that I may be saued haue not knowne as yet so much as the very beginnings of saluation Wee are not then to thinke here that the Apostle is Hee is not here comparing the godly vnder the Law with the godly vnder the Gospel comparing the Godly vnder the Gospell with the Godly vnder the Law but hee is comparing the Godly vnder the Gospell with themselues their second experience of the operation of the Spirit vvith the first it is true that once saith hee yee receiued the Spirit of bondage working feare this was his first operation in you but now yee haue experience of another and are made partakers of a more excellent operation hee is become vnto you a Spirit of Adoption by vvhom yee call vpon God as vpon your Father For the Godly vnder the Law vvere partakers of this same spirit of Adoption which we haue receiued and were For they vnder the Law had the same couenant of grace that we haue Rom. 10. 5. vnder the same couenant of Grace but it was exhibited to them vnder types and figures for the couenant of vvorkes whereof this was the summe Doe and liue being broken and dissolued in Paradise through Adams transgression incontinent the Lord bindeth vp with man the other Couenant of Grace whereof this is the summe beleeue and liue All the Rom 1. 0. 8. godly Fathers before and vnder the Law looked for life in that blessed seede of the woman Iesus Christ whom they beleeued was to be manifested in the flesh and so they were saued but as I said they had this couenant signified vnder legall ceremonies and shadowes which were to be abolished at the comming of the Lord Iesus as now they are and in this respect the Apostle in that Epistle to the Hebrewes calleth it an old Couâ—nant which was to be disanulled not in regard of the substance but of the manner of the exhibition thereof for all they who haue beene saued from the beginning are saued euen as we are euen by faith in Iesus Christ but as for that manner of exhibition by which it was proposed to the Fathers it is now abolished And this for vnderstanding of the words For ye haue not receiued It is here to be obserued that the Wee are receiuers of the spirit God the giuer Apostle calleth vs receiuers of the Spirit of adoption for it warneth vs that God is the giuer and that therefore wee should be humble in our selues and magnifie his rich mercie toward vs for what hast thou O man which thou hast not 1 Cor. 4. 7. receiued and herewithall wee are admonished to account much of those meanes by which the Lord communicateth his spirit vnto vs. The Lord might haue illuminated the The Lord giues his Spirit by the ministrie of his word minde of that Eunuch by the mediate working of his owne Spirit and made him vnderstand that Scripture which he was reading without an Interpreter but it pleased him to doe it by the ministrie of Phillip hee might in like manner haue Acts. 8. communicated his holy Spirit to Cornâ—lius and his friends but he would not doe it but by the ministrie of Peter hee commanded therefore Cornelius to send for him to Ioppa Acts. 10. where it is very worthy of marking that in the very time of Peters preaching the holy Ghost fell vpon the hearers for it should moue vs to reuerence the ordinance of God It hath pleased the Lord by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue 1 Cor. 1. 21. so many as beleeue and so many shall beleeue as are ordayned vnto eternall life Be content therefore to receiue saluation by such meanes as God in his wisedome hath concluded to giue it thinke not that yee can be contemners of the word and partakers of the spirit if yee be desiâ—ous to receiue this spirit of adoption reuerence this ministrie of the word by which the Lord communicates his spirit to such hee will saue To feare aâ—aine c. It is here to be enquired seeing none Gods adopted children are not exempted from all sorts of feare of the children of God liues on earth without feare how is it the Apostle sayes we haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe That distinction of seruile and filiall feare by the one whereof the wicked feare God for his iudgements and the godly for his mercies will not resolue this doubt for the godly also feares God for his iudgements my Psal 119. flesh trembles for feare because of thy iudgements otherwise the threaâ—nings of Gods word were not to be vsed to Gods children if they were not to be feared Wee are therefore to
Fiue sorts of feare consider that there are fiue sorts of feare mentioned in the booke of God The first is a naturall feare the second a carnall feare the third â— seruile feare the fourth a filiall feare the fist a Dâ—abolicall feare The naturall feare is one of the affections of the soule 1 A natural feare created by God Adam was endewed with it in the state of innocencie and our blessed Sauiour wanted it not of whom it is written that when hee entred into the garden he began to be afraid As for carnall feare the obiect whereof is flesh 2 A carnall feare or at least that which flesh may doe it is a great enemie to godlinesse and therefore our Sauiour forbids it feare not Mat. 10. 28. them who are able to kill the body but feare him who is able to cast both soule and body into hell fire yet are the dearest of Gods children subiect vnto it This feare made Abraham deny that Sarah was his Wife made Peter denie that Christ was his Lord this feare made Iâ—nas refuse to goe to Nâ—niuie and made that worthy Prophet â—amuâ—â— vnwilling to annoint Dauid for he feared least Saul should slay him yet are they so subiect vnto it that the feare of God at length ouercomes in them The third soâ—t is seruile feare the obiect whereof 3 A seruile feare is the iudgements of God onely and this is proper to the wicked they feare the plagues of God but so that they loue their sinnes and hates and abhorres euery one that doth snibbe or restraine them in the course of their sinnes The 4 A filiall feare fourth is filiall so called because it is proper to the sonnes of God they doe not onely feare him for his iudgements but loue him and feare him for his mercy mercy to with thee Psal 130. 4. O Lord that thou mayst be feared As for the Dâ—abolicall feare 5 A Dâ—abolicall feare Saint Iames saâ—th the Diuels know there is a God therefore they feare and tremble thâ—y haue receiued within themselues Iames. 2. 19. the sentence of damnation they know it shall neuer be recalled they seeke no mercy nor shall they obtaine it and the seruile feare of the wicked shall at the last end in this desperate feare of the damned finding themselues condemned without all further hope of mercy they shall tremble and feare continually Of this it is euident that the feare whereof here he speaks From what sort of feare we are exempted is the first part of filiall feare namely a feare of that punishment which is due to sinne and to the godly is an introduction to worke in them feare of God for his mercies conioyned with loue so then his meaning is cleare albeit in the time of your first conuersion you were striken with a feare of that wrath which is the recompense of sinne yet now the spirit of adoption hath not onely released you of that feare of damnation which you conceiued at the first through the knowledge of your sinnes but hath also made you certaine of saluation and assured that God is become your Father in Christ Iesus In the wicked the feare of Gods vvrath once begunne encreases daily till it proceede as I spake to that desperate feare of the damned but in the godly the feare of Gods In the godly feare prepareâ— a place for the perfect loue of God and then departs it selfe iudgements is but a preparation to the loue of GOD feare shall not alwayes abide in their hearts for when God shall crowne them with his mercies and his loue in them shall be perfect then perfect loue casts out feare therefore Augustine compares the feare of Gods iudgements in the godly to a Needle that goes through the â—eame and prepares in it a place for the thread which is to remaâ—â—e so doth the feare of Gods iudgements goe through the secret seames of the heart and prepares a place for the loue of God which shall abide and continue for euer in the godly when feare shall be away The Lord at the first deales hardly vvith Mat. 15. his children as our Sauiour delt with the woman of Câ—naan whom he comforted at the last and as Ioseph entreated his brethren roughly whom at the last for tender compassion hee embraced with many teares but all these terrours and feares wherewith GOD humbles his owne are but preparatiues to his consolations at the length hee shall make it knowne to them that he is their louing father as for the wicked though they haue not suffered from their youth the terrours of God it is because they are reserued for them Neither are they euen now exempted from their owne But in the wicked feare of wrath once begun encreases till it proceede to desperate feare feares for albeit there were none to reproue them their owne consciences sends out accusing thoughts to terrifie them and if at any time they shall heare the word of God faithfully and with power deliuered vnto them then doe they much more tremble feare for the word strengthens the conscience to accuse and terrifie them but feare is both the first and last effect it workes in them and therefore is it that being so oft disquieted with hearing of the word as Foelix was with the preaching of Paul they are no more desirous to heare it but rather hates it and abhors it because it testifies no good vnto them more then Micaiah did to Achab and so they neuer attaine to this other operation of the spirit they are not transchanged by hearing into the similitude of the sonnes of GOD neither receiues that comfort which comes by feeling the loue of God in Iesus Christ The spirit of Adâ—ption Adoption is eyther naturall or Adoption is eyther naturall or spirituall spirituall the spirituall Adoption is eyther of a whole Nation and so the Apostle saith that the Adoption pertained to the Israelites because the Lord chose them to be a peculiar people to â—iâ—selfe or then it is of particular men and so it is a benefit belonging to the children of GOD onely What naturall Adoption is and of it speakes the Apostle in this place Naturall Adoption the Lawyers define it to be â—ctum legâ—â—imum â—â—itantem naturam repertum ad corum sâ—latium qui liberos non habent A lawfull act imitating nature sound out for the comfort of them who haue no children of their owne but spirituall adoption differs farre from it for it is a lawful act not How the spirituall Adoption excels aboue the naturall imitating but transcending nature found out by the Lord our God not for the comfort of a Father that wants children but for the comfort of children that wants a Father We being by nature miserable orphanes hauing no Father to prouide for vs it pleased the Lord our God to become our Father in Christ and to make vs by Adoption his sons and daughters not for any
one to call vpon God but now alas where one with a contrite hart cryes to God for mercie how many by continuance in sinne cryes to him for iudgement what maruell then the arme of the Lord be shortned toward vs and he doe not help vs As they who resolue to lift any heauie burthen ioyne As many hands lift a burthen importable to one so their hands together vnder it and so by mutuall strength makes that easie to many which were impossible to one so when we are assembled together to lift from off our heads by vnfayned repentance that burthen of the wrath of God which our sinnes hath brought vpon vs if there be among vs no deceiuers but that euery man in the sinceritie of his heart ioyne his earnest supplication with the prayers of his brethren what a blessing may wee looke for Take heede therfore how you behaue your selues in the holy assemblies of the armes of God how you cry with your brethren if yee be deceiuers yee shall not be partakers of that blessing which shall come vpon them vvho worship him in spirit and truth where they shall goe home to their houses iustified and reioycing through the testimony of the spirit that their sinnes are forgiuen them ye shall go out as Cham went out of the Arke more prophane than yee came in with the curse of God vpon you because yee set not your hearts to seeke his blessing Neither is this vnion of our desires onely to be obserued Not in publike prayers onely but in priuate also is vnion in Prayer commended in our publike prayers but in our priuate also so our Sauiour taught vs to pray as remembring others with our selues Ouâ— Father and not my father onely to tell vs that in the armes of our affections wee should present our brethren to God with our selues We greatly offend the Lord when wee haue finished our prayers so soone as wee haue powred out some few petitions for our selues as if Gods glorie vvere to be aduanced in no other but in vs alonely If Abraham prayed for Sodome because he knew that Lot was in it shall we not pray for Ierusalem wherein are so many of his sonnes and daughters his Lots indeede and chosen inheritance Wee are now all in Christ made Priests to our God and Reu. 5. 2. 6. therefore as Aaron when hee went in before the Lord carried with him on his breast in twelue precious stones the names of the twelue tribes of Israel so are wee in our prayers to God to present in our hearts with our selues the rest of our brethren This is for them who forgets the fellowship vvhereunto They are bastard children who pray for themselues and not for Ierusalems peace they are called vvhile they professe themselues to be the daughters of Ierusalem and yet neglect to pray for her peace they declare themselues to be but bastard children Yet their negligence is tolerable in regard of the malice of others who make a iest with their mouthes at the diuisions of Reuben and with the prophane Edomite reioyces at the desolation of Israel they encrease with their speech the disease of the paralitique body of this Church but labours not to binde it vp by their prayers with cursed Cham they make a sport of the nakednesse of their father if they can see it but couers it not with blessed Sem therefore shall his blessing be far from them Wee cry Prayer is called a crying not in regard of the Praier why it is called a crying loudnesse of the outward voyce but earnestnesse of the inward affection It is true that in publike prayers hee who is the mouth of the rest should speake so that others may follow him and know vvherein they should say Amen neither is it vnlawfull in priuate Prayer circumstances of time and place permitting it yea rather the voice rightly and sincerely vsed is profitable to waken the affections to hold vp thy hands vvith Moses to lift vp thine eyes toward Exod. 17. Acts 7. Psal 108. Iudg. 5. God with Stephen to aduance thy voyce vvith Dauid if with these also thou ioyne thine heart as did Deborah this is to make a sweet and pleasant harmonie vnto the Lord. Yet none of these the last accepted is absolutely necessarie Vse of the tongue not absolutely necessary in prayer Exod. 14. 15. 1 Sam. 1. 12. 13. in Prayer Moses his tongue was silent at the red Sea for any thing we read yet his affection and desire vvas a loud crying voyce vnto God Anna in the Temple powred out her hart vnto God suppose Eli heard not her voice The Lord needes not the tongue to be an interpreter betweene him and the hearts of his Children he that heareth without eares can interpret the prayers of his own children vvithout their tongue Some prayes vvith their lips onely these are accursed deceiuers For the Lord knows the first conception of prayer in the heart Luke 1. let vs leaue that to hipocrites some praies both with heart and mouth and these doe vvell to glorifie God vvith both because hee hath redeemed them both others haue their tongues silenced and can speake no more then Zacharie when hee vvas stricken with dumbnesse yet are the desires of their hearts strong cryes in the eares of the Lord of hoasts hee that knew Ieremy and Iohn the Baptist in the wombe and saw Nathaniel vnder the figge-tree doth also know the prayers of his children conceiued in their hearts though they should neuer be brought forth by speach of the mouth and this for their comfort who through extremitie of sicknesse or otherwise are not able to vse their tongues in prayer to God Farther wee learne here that the Parent which begets The Parents of Prayer Prayer is the Spirit of Adoption the mother that conceiues it is the humble and contrite heart for no proud vncleane and hard heart can pray vnto God the wings whereby it The wings whereby praier ascends ascends are feruencie and an heauenly disposition feruency is noted in the word of Crying for as in crying there is an earnestnes of the powers of the body to send out the voice so in prayer should there be an earnestnesse of the powers of our soule to send vp our desires As incense without fire makes no smell and therefore the Lord commanded it to be sacrificed with fire in the Law so prayer without feruency sends vp no sweet smell vnto the Lord. Our heauenly disposition required in prayer is collected out of this that hee to whom wee speake is our Father in Heauen if our mindes be earthly we can haue no communing with him that is in heauen wee must therefore ascend in our affection enter within the vaile if wee would speake familiarly with our Father Prayer this manner of way sent vp and presented to our aduocate and intercessor the Lord Iesus out of the hand of Faith cannot but returne a fauourable answere if
God the more they are pressed the more the liquor of grace distilleth from them and the sweeter fragrant sauour of life to the edification and strengthening of all their brethren But let their persecuters know that how euer this triall But woe to the instruments of their troublâ—s of the faith of the godly shall be found vnto their honour and praise at the appearing of the Lord Iesus the fruit which they shall reape of their labour is tolde them by the Apostle it is a righteous thing with God to render vengeance to them who troubles you for euery cup of trouble which the wicked fill vnto vs they fill with their owne hands another cup of wrath vnto themselues which how euer for a while they set by them yet as the Lord liueth they shall be compelled in the end to drinke them out thus we see why our troubles commonly are called pressings The other name is sufferings and so they are called in respect of the Godly who beare them like the Lambs of Iesus patiently and meekely without grudging or murmuring Where we are still to be admonished that the sufferings Euery suffering renders not glory which end in glory are those that are sufferings with Christ many are ambitious of suffering and takes vp the crosse before they be called vnto it like those Circumcelliones in the dayes of Cyprian but certainly glory growes not out of euerie suffering we must not suffer as contentious men or vaine glorious that God will blesse an humble flying in trouble rather than a presumptuous standing we may see in Peter if we compare him with the rest of the Disciples for he fell more fearefully than the other It is neither for vs to decline the Crosse of our Maister for so we shall be found not to be his Disciples neither yet in the heate and pride of flesh vndertake to beare it least we be found presumptuous and God punish vs. It is properly marked by Cyprian that the first Martyres slaine for Christ were Infants teaching all that are to come after what manner of men the Martyres of Iesus should be namely such as in regard of the cause for which they suffer are innocents and in regard of their affection are meeke and simple Of this present time In the originall it is of the time The time of our trouble short called an houre or a day Psal 125. which is now Hereby the Apostle will teach vs that our afflictions are but short and endures but a while the rodde of the wicked shall not lye for euer vpon the backe of the righteous the time of our trouble in holy Scripture is called sometime a day of tryall and sometimes an houre of tentation As our Sauiour said to the three Disciples Can yee not Math. 26. 40. watch with me one houre so may he say to vs all as oft as we faint vnder trouble Can ye not suffer with me one houre It was the comfort that Athanasius gaue to the Church in his time that Iulian should be but Nubeculo cito transitura a stormie little cloud that would quickly passe by and it is certainly true both of our troubles and of all the instruments thereof let vs wait a while on our God with patience and we shall see them no more This shortnesse of our afflictions depends vpon the breuitie How our life is but the life of a moment and vanitie of our life which in the estimation of Gods spirit is so short and vaine a thing that he vouchsafes not the name of life vpon it without some restriction Indeed it bewitcheth vs so that in our false imagination we conceit there is more soliditie continuance in one yeere that is before vs then in tenne that are past by vs the time which is past is gone away like a thought and that which is to come wee thinke it longer then indeede by experience we shall finde it But the spirit of God who best knowes it giues vnto it the name of life as I said with a restriction he cals it a momentanie life it is but a moment wherein we liue if we iudge aright we haue no more for as for the moments which are past they are dead to thee and thou to them and as for the moments which are to come they are vncertaine and thou canst not be said to liue in them so that no more is left to thee wherein thou canst truely say I liue but a moment and this also must shortly goe away and giue place to another that so by succession of moments one vnto another thy silly life may be prorogued for a while But this shall yet better appeare if we consider those similitudes Sacred similitudes by which the holy Ghost shadowes the vanitie of our present life Iob. 7. 6. Iob. 9. by which the spirit of God describes the vanitie of this our mortall life Patient Iob compares the life of man vnto the Weauers shuttle which scarce is in at the one end of the web when it is out at the other and hee that lookes vnto it can hardly perceiue it Hee compares it also to the winde that quickly flyeth by vs and to the cloud which speedily vanishes to a Post that runnes diligently and rests not till he come to his end to an hungry Eagle in the ayre who seeing her pray a farre off flyeth speedily vpon it to a flower that flourishes at once but withers in continent and Iob. 14. last of all to a ship sayling in the sea before the winde which for the present is seene but within short space appeares no more yea doth not leaue behinde her any footstep or token that any such thing was there and as it is with them who saile in her that how euer they change their action yet goe they on in their course toward their wished Hauen so is it with vs doe what we will whether we eate or wee sleepe wee are hasting alway toward our ends The Psalmist againe compares our life to a spanne or hand breadth to the grasse Psal 90. which groweth vp in the morning and is cut downe in the euening to a sleepe which slips away before wee can know what we were doing in it to a dreame which of all things is most sickle and vaine to a thought which is not well begun when it is ended and last of all to a declyning shadow as is the shadow of the Sunne in the setting which a man shall see on the top of a mountaine lesse and lesse vanishing till it be no more The Apostle S. Paul compares our life to a race and S. Iames compares it to a smoke or vapour Thus we see how little the spirit of God esteemes of that The pleasures of this life are worme-eaten whereof all the sonnes of Adam accounts so much Our sinne hath shortened our dayes and made them miserable the pleasures of this life are worme-eaten and the glory of flesh is but
should prefer the Lord aboue all his creatures toward our God shall wee not honour him as our Father who hath called vs his Sonnes shall wee any more set any of his creatures in our affection before him who hath set vs in his heart aboue all his creatures Alas how pittifull is the folly of man who being ignorant of God goeth doting after the creature as though the workes of his hands were more to be loued than himselfe or as if there were more beautie or vertue in the creature than in him who made it true indeede they haue their owne beautie Pulchrum coelum pulchra terra sed pulchrior quifecit illa the heauen is beautifull the earth is beautifull but more beautifull is he that made them the greatest goodnesse of the creature is but the smallest sparke of that goodnesse which is in the Creator Verse 20. Because the Creature is subiect vnto vanitie not of it owne will but by reason of him who hath subdued it vnder hope THe Apostle hauing set downe in the former The first reason of the feruent desire of the creature is taken from their present hard and euill estate Verse a proposition of that feruent desire whereby the creature waites for reuelation of the sonnes of God assigneth now two reasons of their desire the first contained in this verse is taken from the present euill estate of the creature which now is subiect to vanitie This vanitie as we take it is opponed to that originall integritie wherewith the creature was indued in the beginning and it consists in these two first that the curse of God is laid on the creature for the sinne of man secondly that the creature is abused contrary to the owne will which is also a consequent of the curse As for the first the curse of God inflicted vpon the creature The creature is subiect to a two-fold vanitie for a punishment of man hath spoiled the creature of original beauty original vertue the heauens now are beautifull but nothing so beautifull as they were by the first creation the earth also is spotted like the face of a woman once By the curse they are spoiled of originall beauty and vertue beautifull but now deformed with scabs of leprosie with thistles thornes much barren wildernesse which are the sensible effects of Gods curse vpon it They haue in like manner lost much of their originall vertue though the creature in the owne kind intend it selfe to produce those effects which it might haue done by the first creation yet it is restrained subdued by a superiour power The neerer the Sun drawes to the end of his daily course the lesse is his strength for wee see the Sun in the euening decayes in heat so it is the longer by reuolution he turnes about in his spheere he waxes alway the weaker and to vse the similitude of the holy Spirit as a garment the older it groweth becomes the lesse beautifull the lesse able to warme him who weares it so the creatures by continuance of yeares decreaseth in beauty and vertue The sinne of man hath brought this curse vpon the And as sin encreases so the curse increases creature and the daily encrease of mans sinne makes a daily encrease of the curse The first man that sinned was Adam and for his sake God cursed the earth the second notorious sinner we read of was Cain and for his sake God cursed the earth the second time and albeit the Lord doth not alway tell in expresse words how euery abhominable sinner that hath succeeded Cain hath in like manner drawne on a new curse vpon the creature yet that one serueth for all to teach vs that as sinne growes so growes the curse and the multiplication of the curse brings with it a daily diminution of that originall vertue and beautie which the creature had in the beginning The other part of this vanitie is the abuse of the creature which is threefold first concerning God secondly concerning The other part of the vanitie is a threefold abuse of the creature the godly and thirdly concerning the wicked Concerning God this is a fearefull abuse that the creature which God made for his glory is abused to his dishonour as when the Iewes tooke the gold and siluer which God gaue them and made vp of it Baal to themselues or when the Persians Concerning God worshipped the Sunne and the Egiptians beasts insteade of God for this vanitie and bondage the creatures in their owne kinde they sigh and grone complayning they should be abused to another end then that whereunto the Lord did make them and whereat by their naturall inclination they would be also themselues Secondly the creature is abused as concerning the godly vvhen they are compelled to doe euill to those to whom Concerning the godly they vvould doe good for euery creature in the owne kinde is naturally bent to be a comfortable instrument and a seruant to the seruant of GOD but otherwise vvhere the fire is forced to burne them or the vvater to choke them or that they are in any such sort abused by the wicked to trouble the seruants of GOD it is against their will a vanitie and seruitude vvhereof they faine would be deliuered And thirdly the creatures are abused when they are compelled to serue the wicked rebels and enemies of God sore Concerning the wicked whom against their will they serue against their will The Sunne is weary of shining to the wicked who hauing their eyes open to see the workes of God had neuer their hearts nor mouthes open to glorifie him the Earth in like manner is wearied with the heauie burthen of sinne which daily encreases vpon her shee cryes vnto God and desires to be releeued of this bondage yea if the Lord did not restraine her she would open her mouth and swallow the wicked as she did Corah Dathan and Abiram and in very deed when once the creature shall be set at libertie and no superiour power shall hold them vnder this seruitude then shall the creatures declare that they serued the wicked sore against their will for no creature shall render any more seruice vnto them the Sunne shall shine no more vpon them the Earth shall beare them no longer and the water shall not giue so much as one drop out of her treasures to refresh them To cleare this out of that one temporall iudgement inflicted The creatures being restored to the libertie shall all concur to plague the wicked vpon the stiffe-necked Egiptians we may take some notice how fearefull that last and vniuersall wrath shall be that shall be powred out vpon all the wicked being assembled into one Out of the third heauen came his Angell to fight against them and slew their first borne In the second heauen the Sunne withdrew his countenance from them as from a people of darknesse not worthie of his light In the third heauen the elements by course
more expresse the vehemencie of their desire for as hee that goeth vnder an heauie burthen grones and longs to be eased thereof or as the vvoman vvhich trauailes with childe hath a most earnest desire to be deliuered thereof so the creature wearie of this seruitude longs to be eased This groning of the creature is not to be neglected seeing Somtime God complaines to the creature sometime the creature complaines to God vpon man miserable is man if he complaine not on himself Esay 1. in holy Scripture wee finde that sometime God complaines to his creatures vpon the sinne of man and somtime the creatures complaines to God miserable is man if hee doe not complaine vpon himselfe In the first of Esay there the Lord complaines to his creatures vpon man Heare O Heauens hearkâ—n O Earth I haue nourished and brought vp Children but they haue rebelled against me c. and here againe the creature is brought in groning and complaining to God vpon man The first bloud that euer the earth receiued into her bosome sent vp vnto God a crying voyce for vengeance and the Lord heard it and now the earth meruailes in her kinde that hauing receiued so much bloud of the Saints of God into her bosome the Lord should delay to require it shee wonders againe that the hand of the Lord stablisheth her and makes her beare vp such a number of wicked men as are a burthen to her considering that once he caused her to open and swallow vp Corah Dathan and Abiram and hath many a time since shaken her foundations and destroyed by earth-quake notable Cities making the houses of the inhabitants therof their buriall place the burden of sinne being now wonderfully encreased shee meruailes that the Lord causeth her to beare it and for this cause she cryes and grones vnto the Lord and this complaining of the creature we are not to neglect it as I said for seeing they sigh and grone for the vanitie vnder which our sinnes hath subdued them should not wee much more sigh and grone for our owne sinnes assuredly if we doe not we are conuinced to be more senslesse then the senslesse creatures themselues Concerning this metaphor of trauailing it is two manner Trauailing two manner of wayes ascribed to the wicked in the Scripture of wayes ascribed to the wicked in holy Scripture and one manner of way to the godly For first their concupiscence is compared to a mother that conceiues and trauailes continually without rest till it bring out sinne and sinne being finished is compared in like manner to a mother that bringeth out death And secondly the imagination of their heart is compared to a mother which conceiues cruell counsels and mischieuous deuices against the godly all their dayes they trauaile with this birth and would faine haue it brought out to perfection but at length they bring forth a lye for the malice of the wicked shall slay himselfe his mischiefe shall Psal 7. turne vpon his owne head and his crueltie shall fall vpon his owne pate But as for the children of God they trauaile One manner of way ascribed to the Godly in paine of the monstrous birth of sin that is within them not that they are desirous to perfect and finish it but to destroy and abolish it as being a monster within them which they abhorre an adulterous birth begotten by a most vnlawfull copulation betweene Sathan and their corrupted wil the father that begot this monster being Sathan and the mother that conceiued it their corrupt Nature for this they sigh and cry vnto God with the Apostle O miserable man Rom. 7. 24. who shal deliuer me from this body of death This was his voyce vnto God and should much more be our continuall lamentation seeing in sinnes we are more abundant and in grace farre inferiour to that holy Apostle The Lord therefore worke it in vs for his Sonne Christs sake Verse 23. And not onely the creature but wee also who haue receiued the first fruits of the Spirit euen wee doe sigh in our selues wayting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies NOw followeth the Apostles other argument The second argument prouing the greatnesse and certaintie of that glory is the feruent desire the godly haue to it by instinct of Grace wherby he proues the greatnesse and certaintie of that glory to be reuealed it is taken from that feruent expectation which the sonnes of God haue of it It can neither be a vaine nor a small thing but by the contrary both great and certaine whereupon God hath set the desire of his best creatures by instinct of the Spirit of Grace So that wee haue here first a description of Gods children they are such as haue receiued the first fruits of the spirit secondly a two-fold effect which this holy Spirit workes in Gods children first a wearinesse of their present bondage and seruitude of sinne secondly a wayting by a constant expectation for a better And this doth very much confirme the Apostles purpose there being none on earth who can better iudge the excellencie of that glory to come than they who haue receiued the first fruits thereof Out of all doubt the testimonie of any one who hath tasted of that ioy to come is more worth to commend it than is the contrary iudgement of a thousand others to disproue it And not onely the creature The Apostle proceedes from The sonnes of God and the creature grone together and shall be restored together the testimonie of the creature to the testimonie of the sonnes of God when he spake of the creature he said they sigh and grone with vs they trauaile together in paine with vs and when hee speakes of the godly he saith wee sigh in our selues As man was not made for himselfe but for the Lord and therefore should wait vpon him so the creatures vvere not made for themselues but for vs and therefore where they are at couenant with vs they in their kinde wait vpon vs they goe with vs they grone with vs are grieued with vs and shall neuer rest till wee be deliuered let licentious men liuing in their sinnes marke this they sigh not in themselues with the godly yea they scorne their sighings and therefore shall not be restored vvith the godly they grone not with the creature and shall not be deliuered with the creature O miserable man how vnhappy is that end The wicked mourne not with them and shall not be partakers so much as of the deliuerie of the creature whereunto thy vvanton and hard heart which cannot repent doth lead thee thou shalt not stand in iudgement with the godly where they goe there shalt not thou goe thou didst not mourne with the children of the marriage chamber and therefore shalt not enter vvith them into it to be comforted thou shalt goe to another place and mourne without them the burthen of thy sinnes which now thou feelest not shall
vvould also put them in possession of the vvhole accordâ—ing to his promise euen so the Lord Iesus who hath gone before vs to our heauenly Canaan not to view it onely but to take possession thereof in our name hath sent downe vnto vs some of the first fruites thereof that wee may taste them such as peace of Conscience and ioy of the Spirit that by proofe of the small beginnings wee may know what excellent comfort is laid vp in store for vs. Wee sigh in our selues Here followes now the two effects Two effects which the Spirit workes in the godly first a sense of their miserie for which they sigh of the Spirit which he workes in them vvho haue receiued it The first is a sense of their present misery which causes them to sigh vnto God for deliuerance and he saith they sigh within themselues to teach vs that it is not an hipocriticall and counterfait but an inward and godly sorrow which the Spirit workes in the children of God Which I doe not so speake as if I did condemne those sighes which breake forth without for sometime the grieâ—e of heart is so aboundant in the godly that not onely it breakes out in sighing and mourning but in strong crying to GOD also but to restraine the hipocrisie of others who make a faire shew of that in the flesh vvhich is not in the Spirit True religion striues rather to be approued of God than seene of men one sigh proceeding from the hart is a louder crying in the eares of the Lord of hosts and more forcible to moue him than the noise of all the shooting Priests of Baal when they are gathered together into one We are therefore more deepely to consider this that the Sighing and mourning goe before comfort Spirit of God first teacheth vs to sigh and mourne for our present misery before he comfort vs with a constant hope of deliuerance If now we mourne not we shall not reioyce hereafter it is onely mourners whom God hath marked in the fore-head to saue from the wrath to come such a continuall Psal 6. 6. mourner vvas Dauid who protests that in the night he watered his couch vvith teares and in the day mingled his cup therewith and Iob in like manner my sighing said he Iob. 3. 24. comes before my eating The Saints of God are not ashamed to professe that of themselues vvhich the mockers of this age esteeme a womanly affection there is nothing to be found among them but eating drinking singing and a contracting of one sin after another with carnall reioycing but woe be vnto them that now laugh for assuredly they Luke 6. 25. Mat. 5. 4. Gen. 27. 38. shall weep the end of their ioy shall be endles mourning and gnashing of teeth they shall shed teares aboundantly with Esau but shall finde no place for mercy Let vs therefore goe to the house of mourning with the Maries teares pleased Christ better than the Pharisies delicates Luke 7. 38. verse 44. godly rather than to the banquetting houses of the wicked reioycing in their sinfull pleasures At one time Simon the Pharisee gaue our Sauiour a dinner and Mary vvho had beene a sinner brought him the sacrifice of a contrite hart and the Lord esteemed more of her teares than of the Pharisies delicates No banquet pleaseth the Lord Iesus so vvell as a banquet of teares poured from a truely penitent heart Psal The Lord is said to gather the teares of his children and keepe them in a bottle thereby to tell vs that they are pretious in his sight for hee is not like fooles who gather into their treasures things which are vaine and needelesse But alas how shall hee gather that vvhich wee haue not scattered vvhere are our teares the vvitnesses of our vnfained humiliation before God The hardnes of heart hath ouergrowne The deplorable hardnes of hâ—rt in this age that cannot mourne Gen. 4. 22. this age that albeit there be more then cause yet there is no mourning The sonnes of Cain learned without a teacher to worke in brasse and iron and the wit of man can make the hardest mettall soft to receiue an impression but cannot get their owne stonie heart made soft yea the children of God finde in experience how hard a thing it is Numb 20. 11. to get a melting heart The rocke rendred water to Moses at the third stroke but alas many strokes vvill our hearts take before they send out the sweet teares of repentance this I marke that knowing our naturall hardnesse vve may learne without intermission to fight against it For herein is our case so much the more pittifull that hauing Seeing we haue so many causes of mourning without vs the troublesome estate of Gods Church Nehe. 1. 4. more than matter enough of mourning yet vve doe not mourne without vs should not the troublesome estate of the Church of God be a matter of our griefe though our priuate estate were neuer so peacâ—able Godly Nehemiah being placed in the honourable seruice of King Artashashte the Monarch of the world was not so much comforted with his owne good estate as grieued at the desolation of Ierusalem Decay of Religion and increase of Idolatrie 1 King 29. 4. made Eliah weary of his life the Arke of God captiued and the glory departed from Israel draue all comfort 1 Sam. 4. 19. Aâ—â— 6. 6. out of the heart of the wife of Phinces these and many moe may â—each vs that the affliction of Ioseph should be matter of our sorrow The causes of mourning within vs are partly our sinnes Causes of mourning within vs our manifold sinnes partly our manifold tentations As our sinnes are contracted with pleasure so are they dissolued with godly sorrow It is the best medicine which is most contrarie to the nature of the disease our sinne is a sicknes wherein there is a carnall delight to doe that which is forbidden and it is best cured by repentance wherein there is a spirituall displeasure and sorrowing for the euil which we haue done this mourning for sinne lasts in the godly so long as they liue in the body Rom 7. 24. yea those same sinnes which God hath forgiuen and put out of their affection are stil in their remembrance for their humiliation so that with godly Ezechia they recount all 2 King 20. 23. their dayes and their former sinnes in the bitternes of their heart so long as sinne remained in their affection it was the matter of their ioy but now being by grace remoued out of the affection it becomes the matter of their sorrow And our manifold tentations The other cause of our mourning is our manifold tentations for this vvorld is no other thing but a stormy Sea wherein so many contrary windes of tribulation blowes vpon vs that we can hardly tell which of them we haue most cause to feare On euery side Sathan besetâ— vs
heart thus the good for which yee looke to come in your owne experience you finde it deceiues you Call not therefore any more vpon vs to follow you and to drinke with you of your perishing pleasures we haue had a proofe of yours found them to be vanitie but if yee will come and take a proofe of ours will you taste of those delicates whereunto GOD hath called vs will you eate of the fruit that growes vpon the tree of life discouered by the Gospell vnder the shadow whereof wee delight to sit righteousnesse shall breed you peace and peace shall breed you ioy in the holy Ghost and these shall in such sort delight you that in regard of them your soule shall loath all your former vaine pleasures wherein you delighted before Of this we may see further that as Faith procreates hope Impatience in trouble proceeds from the want of Hope so hope procreates Patience so that the want of Patience in trouble bewrayes the want of Hope What made Saul who in his first beginning draue Witches out of the land in his latter end to make his refuge to them surely because all hope had failed him that the Lord would answere him any more When Samaria was besieged and straited with Famine as long as Iehoram had any hope hee waited with patience vpon the vvord of Elisha that there should be great plenty shortly in Samaria but when by the womans complaint hee vnderstood that the Famine was encreast to that height that his subiects were forced to eate their children his hope failed him and he concludes to attend no longer vpon the Lord but vowes in his impatience to cut off the head of Elisha Thus the cause of all impatience in trouble that driues men to seeke deliuerance by wicked and vnlawfull meanes is onely the want of hope Againe if yee looke to those vvho in prosperitie layes Licentiousnes in prosperitie proceeds from the want of hope downe the raynes of their affections with all licentiousnesse to goe after their desired pleasures yee shall finde the onely cause thereof is the want of hope hee that hath saith Saint Iohn this hope in himselfe that he shall see God purges himselfe euen as God is pure And this our Sauiour teacheth vs more clearely in the Parable of that seruant vvho because hee thought within himselfe that his Maister would not come began to beat his fellowes instead of feeding them So that the ground of all the Atheisme of our time is pointed out to be the vvant of hope there is no sinne committed but through impatience all proceedes of this that mans vnregenerate and proud nature cannot contayne the selfe within the limits prescribed vnto it by the Lord he that is gouerned with patience is easily kept both in peace and vvarre from etremitie of affection If any man prophane like Esau sell his birth-right for a messe of pottage that is forgoe eternall life for the perishing pleasures of this life it is because he hath no hope and therefore no meruaile if with patience hee abide not for a better but rather in impatience breake after his affections to embrace those things which are present Among all the graces of the Spirit this praise may be Without patience no grace can be preserued giuen to Patience that it is the keeper of the rest if our patience be not first broken wee cannot be induced to the committing of any sinne Sinfull concupiscence proceedes from the impatience of continencie couetousnesse from this that wee are impatient of our sober estate Therefore did Tertullian call Patience such a gouernour of the affaires that concerne God vt nullum oput Deo complacitum perpetrare extraneus a Patientia possit that it is not possible for him who is a stranger from patience to doe any worke acceptable vnto God for impatience is so great an euill that by it optima quaeque suffâ—cantur the best things which are in man are choked where impatience hath place the grace of Prayer is silent A man in the perturbation of his affectâ—on can neyther heare any wholesome admonit on nor doe any duetie of loue to them vnto whom he oweth it therefore saith the Apostle ye haue neede of Patience that after yee haue done the good will of God yee may receiue the promise The patience of a Christian consists eyther in a suffâ—ring Best medicine of our present euils is patience of our present euils or in a patient expecting of our good that is to come Our present euils are crosses and afflictions euils of their owne nature being fruits of sinne yet changed vnto vs by the suffering of Christ These crosses are eyther such as come immediately from God or mediately from men when they come immediately from God we should receiue them with thanksgiuing as a cup suppose bitter yet wholesome giuen vnto vs out of the hand of our heauenly Phisition where otherwise they are sent vnto vs by the hand of men wee are there also not to suffer our affections to be disquieted by consideration of him who brings it but glorifying God who sent it to receiue it with patience so Dauid not looking vnto Shimei the bringer receiued the cup of his curses as sent from God As the Israelites wanted not Cananites to be pricks and The Christian be where hee will shall not want cursed Cananites to crosse him thornes in their sides so the godly in this life liue where they will shall not want wicked men to crosse them which are vnto them as thornes in their sides to stabbe them and waken them to call vpon God The Popple growes in the field of God with the good wheat neyther is any man able in this life to sunder the one from the other it being the Lords dispensation that both should grow till the day of haruest and then the good wheat shall be gathered into the barne but the Tares shall be bound in sheaues and cast into the fire In the meane time let the Godly remember that euery wicked man among whom we liue is a tryall of our patience As a skilfull Artificer vseth Lead to melt Gold so the Lord vseth the drosse of the earth which are the wicked as meanes to purifie and perfect his owne children They are rods whereby he corrects vs they are thornes They are left for our tryall and our Sauiour by his example teaches vs how to suffer them whereby he wakeneth vs therefore haue we neede to be armed with patience and to walke circumspectly the Lord will not haue them now to be weeded out of his field he will haue them to remaine in the face of his visible Church to the end of the world Patienter itaque ferendum quod non est festmantur â—uferendum we must therefore beare that patiently which we may not sodainly take away And of this patient suffering our Sauiour hath giuen vs a notable example he knew that Iudas was a theefe and a traytor
vnlawfull imprecations against their brethren crying for the plagues of God vpon their neighbours for euery small offence in stead of the blessings of God these are like the Disciples that prayed for fire from heauen to burne vp Samaria not being led by a right spirit or rather like vnto Corah Dathan and Abiram vvho sent vp to the Lord Numb 16. strange fire vvhich at length brought downe a strange iudgement vpon themselues Sometime againe wee seeke that which lawfully may Or in our corrupt affection by which we seeke things lawfull for the wrong end Iames 4. 3. Mat. 6. 33. be sought the fault is not in the vnderstanding but in the affection as when men seeke lawfull things for the wrong end or in the wrong place Of the first saith Saint Iames yee seeke and receiue not because yee aske amisse that ye may consume it vpon your lusts Of the second saith our Sauiour seeke first the kingdome of God and other things shall be cast vnto you the Lord is greatly dishonoured when wee seeke any thing before himselfe for remedie let vs remember these rules First that the thing we seeke be good Secondly that vve seeke the greatest good in the first roome And thirdly that the secondary gifts we seeke them to the right end namely that they may be seruants to vs in our seruing of God onely and that vve abuse them not as occasions of sinning against our God And further we may learne here how little cause eyther What good can we doe by Nature seeing we cannot doe so much as pray for our selues the Pelagian had of olde or the semipelagian Papists haue now to magnifie so farre the arme of flesh as to affirme that man vnregenerate hath power of his owne free-will to make choise in things spirituall of that which is good for seeing vve cannot know what is good for vs till the Spirit teach vs vvhat power haue we of our selues to make choise of it It is true that men by the quicknesse of their naturall wit haue found out many artes and trades profitable for this naturall life so Iubal vvas the first Father of them who play on Harpes and Organes and Tubal-Cain the first inuenter Gen. 4. 22. of cunning working in brasse and yron but as for spiritual things which concerne the life to come man is not able by any power of Nature to help himselfe therein for vvhat can he do seeing he doth not vnderstand those things that are of God But the spirit it selfe makes request The Apostle to the How the Spirit requests for vs. Galathians hath a commentarie for these vvords vvhen he saith that God hath sent downe his Spirit into our harts by vvhich vve cry Abba father the requesting then of the Spirit is no other thing but his framing of such desires in vs by which vve request God And hereupon depends the efficacie of the prayers of Gods children no maruaile they be effectuall to moue the Lord seeing they are the birth of his owne Spirit the effect of his owne operation they come from him and it is not possible that he can mislike them when they returne vnto him If wee shall take a view of example of holy Scripture and Ecclesiastique story vve shal finde that the prayer of the godly hath done many vvonderfull things yea vvhat is it that feruent prayer hath not done Abrahams prayer opened the barraine vvombes of Examples in holy scripture prouing the efficacie of Prayer Abimilechs houshold and closed vp the hands of the Angels vvho vvent to destroy Sodome they could bring downe no fire vpon it till Lot vvas remoued out of it The prayer of Moses parted the red sea and was more forcible to ouerthrow the armie of Amalecke than all the weapons of Israel The prayer of Iosua made the Sunne stand still in the firmament and Samuels prayer brought loude thunder flashing fire and heauy haile-stones vpon the Philistims Eliah by prayer closed the heauens for the space of three yeeres and sixe months and opened them againe And this example Saint Iames applyes to euery godly man that vve should not thinke they did these things by the priuiledge of their persons rather then the efficacie of their prayer hee shewes that Eliah was a man subiect to the same infirmities whereunto wee are subiect and that the prayer of any righteous man auailes much if it be feruent no lesse than his though vve worke not by prayer such externall miracles as hee did yet doe wee by it draw downe inward grace bringing light to the blind life to the dead and makes a vvonderâ—ull change by repentance a vvorke full of miracles indeed in them vvho obtaine it In like manner it is vvritten that Aurelius Antonius in Examples in Ecclesiastique historie his expedition against the Germanes had in his armie a legion of Christians who by their earnest prayer vnto God obtained raine for refreshment of his armie when it vvas like to perish vvith thirst as likewise fearefull thundrings against their enimies for vvhich he then called that legion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulminatrix the thundring band Thus in all ages hath prayer beene so forcible that it hath sometimes altred the very course of Nature vvithout and at all times hath changed the course of corrupt nature vvithin in such as had it Where if the children of God vvho are of tender conscience Comfort for the godly when they pray and are not instantly answered obiect vnto me that the more I speake of the efficacie of prayer the lesse is their comfort considering that of a long time they haue called vpon the Lord and can find no reliefe of their trouble let them remember that in this tentation they are not vvithout companions godly men haue beene exercised vvith the like before them Dauid a man after Gods owne heart complaines ofttimes to the Lord that he was hoarse with crying and that albeit he continued his prayer day and night yet the Lord vvas to him as one that is deafe and vvould no more be mercifull vnto him but at length he is alway compelled to burst out into glorious thanksgiuing praising the Lord that hath heard his voyce and not onely so but hee hath left this vvhich he found in his experience to be true as a bulwarke of our faith vnto all posteritie Surely the Lord will not faile his people 1 Sam. 12. 20. 21. nor forsake his inheritance He endureth but a while in his anger but in his fauour is life Hee is the most high God that performes his promises toward me Howsoeuer in our trouble vve thinke many times that he hath forsaken vs yet vvil he returne and reuiue his worke in vs and not faile to fulfill the desires of them who feare him Thus looking vnto Dauid let them not thinke euil to be tryed with the same tentation by which Dauid a man beloued of God was tryed before them and consider that there is a
difference betweene delaying and denying the Lord for a time delayes that which hee vvill not deny non vt neget sed vt commendet sua dona Augustine and againe tardius dando quod petimus â—â—stantiam nobis orationis Chris in Mat. hom 10. indicit the Lord vvhen he is slow to giue that vvhich vve aske doth it onely that he may commend his gifts vnto vs and make vs more instant and earnest in prayer For the better vnderstanding of this let vs distinguish If the Lord refuse that which we will it is because it is not for our weale our petitions sometime wee seeke those things vvhich are not so expedient for our selues to be granted as refused vnto vs and in these non audit nos ad voluntatem vt exaudiat ad salutem the Lord regardeth not thy will but thy weale The Apostle buffeted by an Angell of Sathan besought the Lord to remoue that tentation from him but obtained not his will the Lord saw it was not for his weale and not onely doe we read that men beloued of God haue beene refused in mercy but others haue had their petitions graunted in anger which we may see not onely in the Israelites who obtained flesh vvhen they sought but in his anger but also in those damned Spirits vvho sought licence of the Lord Iesus to enter into Swine and obtained it but to the greater augmentation of their vvrath If therefore thy petition vnto GOD be for a thing absolutely And the refusal of any thing to his owne is not without the grant of a better necessarie to thy saluation be assured that howeuer the Lord delay it he shall not simply refuse it and if otherwise thou craue a thing not absolutely necessary for thee if the Lord refuse to satisfie thy vvill therin it is that he may doe according to thy weale When the Disciple asked Iesus of the resurrection Lord wilt thou at this time restore the Acts 1. 6. kingdome of Israel he satisfied them not in that which they craued It is not for you saith hee to know the times or seasons which the Father hath put into his owne hand but another thing meeter for them and lesse craued of them hee promised vnto them But ye shall receiue power of the holy Ghost when he shall come vpon you and ye shall be witnesses vnto me A comfortable answer indeed an exchange most profitable for vs and wee rest content with it So be it euen so be it O Lord giue vs thine holy Spirit and deny vs any other thing thou wilt And of this againe we learne that we liue onely by mercy Prayer which obtaines all other gifts is also a gift of God therefore the praise of all is due to the Lord 1 Cor. 4. 7. for not onely those things which we obtaine by prayer are begged by vs and giuen by God For what hast thou O man that thou hast not receiued but we see here that prayer it selfe whereby we get all things is also a gift of God if we wanted not of our owne we would not seeke of another by prayer and if we could also pray of our selues we needed not another to teach vs. Etiam ipsa Oratio inter gratiae munera reperitur it is the Lord vvho commands and vvorketh in vs both the vvill and the deed vnto him therfore belongs the praise of all Wee haue here also to consider a great comfort for the Comfort for the godly wheÌ„ no man will speake for them they want not Intercessours godly vvho are ofttimes redacted to that estate that there is none among men to speake for them Ieremie cannot finde out Ebed-melech neyther haue the Prophets of the Lord one Obadiah to hide them Daniel had none to speak for him al stands vp that had credit to procure that he may be cast into the denne those that should be friends oftentimes become foes to the seruants of God but euen at this time their comfort is that not onely they haue Iesus the Iust an Aduocate for them at the right hand of his Father but haue also the Spirit the Comforter within them an Intercessor for them Miserable therfore must they be who bend their tongues Miserable are those who bend their tongues against them for whom the holy Spirit maketh request 2 Chron. 18. to speake against those for whom the holy Ghost maketh request vnto God that rebuke which the Prophet gaue to Iehosaphat vvhen he vvent out to help wicked king Achab wilt thou help them that hate the Lord we may turne to those in our time that are enemies to the Children of God Will ye hurt them whom the Lord helpeth The children of God in all their infirmities haue the holy Spirit for their helper vvhat euer man speakes against them hee maketh request vnto GOD for them It cannot then otherwise be but in the end comfort must be to them and confusion vnto their enemies That oracle which Zeresh gaue to Hamans Esth husband shall assuredly prooue true vpon all the enimies of God in word or deede If Mordecai be of the seede of the Iewes thou shalt not faile to fall before him If Eliah be the man of God though not a fire from heauen yet doubtles a wrath from heauen shal ouertake his enemies Only let those who are troubled by the malice of wicked men make sure vnto themselues that they haue the Spirit of grace and of glory resting in them partaker with them of their afflictions Pet. and then let them be assured that eyther their enemies shall become their friends or then the righteous Lord shall render vengeance vnto those that trouble them With sighes Last of all wee learne here that the godly No malice of men can cut off the intelligence of a Christian with the Lord. haue an intelligence with the Lord their God which no power of man is able to cut away For howeuer they may be separated from the company of men and locked vp in vnaccessible places yet can no man hinder their accesse vnto God and speaking with him yea suppose they should cut their tongues out of their heads for it is not by words but by sighes they make request vnto God and their sighes may well be increased by trouble but cannot be destroyed And herewith also let the children of GOD comfort themselues when they are brought vnto that extremitie that neither eye hand nor tongue can serue them in prayer let them looke vnto good king Ezekiah who being so vveakened with bodily diseases that hee could not speake distinctly vnto God yet his mourning like a Doue and chattering like a swallow entred into the Lords eare and brought back a comfortable answere to him Verse 27. But hee that searches the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the Spirit for he makes request for the Saints according to the will of God LEast any man should thinke the sighes of the It is a
of our hearts vncleane cogitations and affections whereby we haue trode in the filth of sinne before we pray for those are neuer lawfull but most vnlawfull in the time of prayer As for worldly cogitations they are sometimes lawfull but neuer in the time of prayer As Abraham vsed his Asses to serue him for his iourney but when he came to Mount Moriah the place of the vvorship he left them at the foote of the hill so the thoughts of the vvorld are sometime tollerable if we vse them as seruants to carry vs through in our iourney from the earth to heauen but we must not take them with vs into the holy place wherein the Lord is to be worshipped To help vs to the preparation before prayer let vs consider Motiues to preparation first that he to whom we speake is the Father of light and we are by nature but the children of darknes call therfore vpon him in the sinceritie and vprightnesse of thine heart for he loues truth in the inward affections Secondly he is the Father of glory come therefore before him with feare and reuerence for thou art but dust and ashes Thirdly hee is the Father of mercy repent thee therefore of thy sinnes and then draw neere vvith a true heart in assurance of Faith The second thing requisit is attention in Prayer the Lord 2 That there be attention in Prayer to whom we speake is the searcher of the heart and therefore we should beware that wee speake nothing to him with our mouth which our heart hath not conceiued For it is a great mockerie to the Lord to desire him to consider those petitions vvhich wee haue not considered our selues we scarcely heare what we say our selues and how then shall we craue the Lord may heare vs We finde by experience that it is not an easie thing to gather together in one and keepe vnited the powers of our soule in prayer vnto God Sathan knowes that the gathering of our forces is the weakening of his kingdome and that then we are strongest when vve are most feruent in prayer and therefore doth hee labour all that hee can to slacke the earnestnesse of our affection and so to make vs more remisse in prayer by stealing into our hearts if not a prophane at least an impertinent cogitation so that vnlesse wee fight without ceasing against the incursion of our enemie like Abraham driuing away the rauening birds from his sacrifice vnlesse vve expell them speedily as oft as they come vpon vs it is not possible that wee can entertaine conference with God by prayer And thirdly after thy prayer thou shouldst come away with reuerent thanksgiuing It is the fault of many carelesse 3 That after prayer there be thanksgiuing to God vvorshippers they goe vnto God as men goe to a Well to refresh them when they are thirstie they go to it and their face toward it but being refreshed they returne with their backe vpon it euen so doe they sit downe to their prayers without preparation powre them out without attention and deuotion and when they haue done goes away without reuerent thanksgiuing whereas indeed euery accesse to God by prayer should kindle in our hearts a new affection toward him if we consider that when vve pray and gets any accesse so oft are we confirmed in this that he vvho hath the keyes of the house of Dauid and opens and no man shuts hath opened to vs an entrance to the throne of grace vvhich shall neuer be closed againe vpon vs whereof there should arise in our hearts a dayly encrease of ioy vvhich should make vs to abound in thanksgiuing Makes request for the Saints Wee haue further to learne The curse of Moab is vpon prophane men they pray and preuailes not that none are partakers of the grace of Prayer but men sanctified in Christ Iesus the Spirit requests for Saints not for prophane and impenitent men howsoeuer sometime they babble for themselues yet are their prayers turned into sinne The curse of Moab is vpon them they pray and preuailes not As without sanctification we cannot see God so vvithout sanctification vve cannot pray to God euery one that calles on the name of the Lord should depart from iniquitie Doe we not feele it by experience that the further we goe from our sinnes the neerer accesse we get vnto the Lord and on the contrarie doth not the Lord protest against his people the Iewes albeit yee make many prayers yet Esay 1. 15. Ierem. 7. 9. I will not heare you for your hands are full of bloud Will you steale murther and commit adulterie and come and stand before mee in this house where my name is called vpon before your eyes behold euen I see it and will for this cause cast you out of my sight But here seeing it is for Saints onely that the Spirit requests Seeing the spirit requests for Saints onely how shall we know that he requests for vs who are sinners 1 Ioh. 1. 8. vvhat shall then become of mee may the vveake Christian say who am the chiefe of all sinners To this I answere that in vs vvho are militant here vpon earth both of these are true vve are sinners and vve are Saints but in sundry respects If we say wee haue no sinne wee lye and the truth of God is not in vs. And if our aduersarie say that there is nothing in vs but sinne hee is also a lyer That therefore we may know how these are to be reconciled let vs consider that the Euangelist Saint Iohn saith hee that is borne of 1 Ioh. 5. 18. God sinneth not and in the same Epistle speaking also of men that are regenerate and borne of God he saith if wee say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues The Apostle Saint Paul speaking of himselfe in one and the selfe same place affirmes that he did the euill which he would not and yet incontinent Rom. 7. 15. 17. hee protests that it was not hee but sinne dwelling in him The resolution of this doubt vvill arise by considering In the christian man are two men the new and the old that in the Christian man are two men the new man and the old the one the workmanship of God the other the workmanship of Sathan the one but young little weake in respect of the other like little Dauid compared to the Gyant Goliah Yet the new man vvho is weakest hath this vantage that he is daily growing whereas the other is dayly decaying the life of the new man vvaxeth stronger and stronger the life of the olde man vveaker and weaker the one tending to perfection the other vvearing to a finall destruction Now the Lord in iudging of the Christian lookes not God iudges of the Christian by the new man and not by the old to the remanents of sinne in him which are dayly decaying but to the new workmanship of his owne grace in him vvhich is daily
reserued by the power of God through Faith Of this it is euident that our best is not yet vvrought it is onely in the vvorking and therefore vvee are not to looke for it in this life There is a great difference in this betweene the godly A wicked man is at his best when he is first borne for the longer he liues the more sins he multiplyes and the wicked the one inioyes their best in this life the other not so but looketh for it If it should be demaunded vvhen a wicked man is at his best I would answere his best is euill enough but then is he at his best vvhen he comes first into the world for then his sinnes are fewest his iudgement easiest it had beene good for him that the knees had not preuented him but that hee had dyed in the birth For as a riuer vvhich is smallest at the beginning increases as it proceedes by the accession of other waters vnto it so the wicked the longer he liueth waxeth worse and worse deceiuing Ierem. 9. 3. and being deceiued proceeding from euill to worse till at length he be swallowed vp in that lake that burnes vvith fire and brimstone And this the Apostle expresseth most significantly when A man continuing in sinne compared to one gathering a treasure Rom. 2. hee compares the vvicked man vnto one gathering a treasure wherein hee heapeth vp wrath vnto himselfe against the day of wrath for euen as the worldling who euery day casteth a piece of money into his treasure in few yeares multiplyes such a summe that hee himselfe is not able to keepe in minde the particulars thereof but when hee breaketh vp his boxe he findes in it sundry sorts of coyne which vvere quite out of his remembrance euen so it is and worse vvith thee O impenitent man who not onely euery day but euery houre and moment of the day doest multiply thy transgressions and defile thy conscience by hoording vp into it some dead worke or other to what a reckoning thinkest thou shall thy sinnes amount in the end though thou doest forget them as thou committest them yet the Apostle tels thee that thou hast laid them vp in a treasurie Yea not onely hast thou laid vp in store thy sinnes but With euery new sinne he gathers a new portion of wrath vvith euery sinne hast gathered a portion of vvrath proportionable to thy sinne vvhich thou shalt know in that day vvherein the Lord shall breake vp thy treasure and open the booke of thy conscience and set thy sinnes in order before thee then shall thine owne wickednesse correct Ierem. 2. thee and thy turning backe shall reproue thee then shalt thou know and behold that it is an euill thing and a bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Thou shalt be astonished to see such a multitude of vvitnesses standing vp against thee those sinnes vvhich thou hast cast behind thy backe thou shalt see them set in the light of the countenance of God woe then shall be vnto thee for the Lord then shall turne thine owne wayes vpon thine head the Lord shall giue thee to drincke of that cuppe vvhich thou hast filled vvith thine owne hand when thou shalt haue accomplished the measure of thine iniquitie and he shall double his stripes vpon thee according to the number of thy transgressions But as for the children of God if yee doe aske vvhen A Christians best begins in the day of his conuersion they are at the best I answere praised be God our vvorst is gone our good is begunne our best is at hand As our Sauiour said to his kinsmen so may vve say to the vvorldlings your time is alway but my time is not yet come We were Ioh. 6. 3. at the vvorst immediately before our conuersion for our vvhole life till then vvas a walking with the children of disobedience in the broad way that leads to perdition then we were at the worst when we had proceeded furthest in the way of vnrighteousnesse for then wee were furthest from God Our best began in the day of our recalling wherin the Lord by his vvord and holy Spirit called vpon vs and made vs change our course turning our backes vpon Sathan and our faces toward the Lord and so caused vs to part company vvith the children of disobedience that vvhere they â—ent on in their sinnes to iudgement vve came home with the penitent forlorne vnto our Fathers familie That was a happy day of diuision betweene vs and our sinnes in that The day of our conuersion was a day of diuision betweene vs and our olde sinnes which we should not forget day with Israel wee entred into the borders of Canaan to Gilgall there were we circumcised and the shame of Egipt taken from vs euen our sinne which is our shame indeed and which wee brought vvith vs euen from our mothers wombe The Lord grant that we may keepe it in thankefull remembrance and that we may count it a double shame to returne againe to the bondage of Egypt to serue any more that Prince of darknesse in bricke and clay that is to haue fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse but that like the redeemed of the Lord wee may walke from strength to strength till we appeare before the face of our God in Sion Alway this difference of estates betweene the godly and Seeing our best is not in this life let vs possesse our soules in patience wicked should learne vs patience let vs not seeke that in the earth which our gracious Father in his most wise dispensation hath reserued for vs in heauen Let vs not be like the foolish Iewes who loued the place of their banishment in Babell better than their home Now our life is hid with God in Christ and wee know not yet what we shall be but we know when hee shall appeare wee shall be like him the Lord shall carry vs by his mercie and bring vs by his strength into the holy habitation he shall plant vs in the mountaine of his inheritance euen the place which he hath prepared and sanctuarie which hee hath established then euerlasting ioy shall be vpon our head and sorrow and mourning shall flye from vs for euer And now till the Lord haue accomplished his worke in vs let vs not faint because the wicked floruish how euer they prosper they are to be pittied more than enuied let them eate and drinke and be merry sure it is they will neuer see a better life then that which presently they enioy they haue receiued their consolation in this life and haue gotten their portion in this present world Surely no tongue can expresse their miserie and yet â—s How they are to be pittied who reioyce in things present as in their best things Samuel mourned for Saul when God reiected him and Ieremie wept in secret for the pride of his people that would not repent of their sinnes how
glory to be like vnto our head and husband the Lord Iesus Thirdly necessitie so craueth seeing wee cannot be saued 3 We cannot be saued except we be conformed to him without conformitie with him It is not Caesars money which hath not vpon it Caesars image and superscription he is not the Sonne of God who carryeth not the image of his Father for whom the Lord begets in the regeneration he communicateth to them his owne spirit which transformes them into the similitude of his owne Image No vncleane thing shall enter into heauenly Ierusalem neither shall any man see him in his glory who by grace is not made like vnto him That he may be the first borne among many brethren The Apostle insists here in the explication of his former purpose adding that it is necessary vve should conforme our selues vnto him for ratifying that superioritie and priuiledge of the first borne which God the Father hath established vnto his Sonne the Lord Iesus Christ and hee maketh it very properly to serue his purpose for seeing it is so that Iesus our elder brother and Prince of our saluation hath beene consecrated by affliction and by suffering hath entred into his kingdome shall vvee refuse to follow him in his tentations if so be wee desire to sit vvith him in his glory The name of the first borne is ascribed vnto Iesus Christ The name of the first borne three wayes ascribed to Christ 1. as God 2. as man 3. as a mediator Col. 1. 15. three manner of wayes first as he is God secondly as he is man thirdly as he is both God and man our mediator and the head of his misticall body which is his Church As hee is God hee is called by the Apostle Primogenitus omnis creaturâ— the first begotten of euery creature and that by such a generation as none saith Esay are able to expresse Now before the creature was what could there be surely nothing but the Creator Secondly as hee is man S. Luke calleth him the first borne that opened the wombe Luke 2. 7. of the Virgin Thirdly as Mediator and head of his mysticall body as Prince of that kingdome which is the communion of Saints he is here called the first borne among many brethren and in another place the first fruits of them who 1 Cor. 15. 20. rise from the dead The priuiledges of the first borne were two first excellencie Priuiledges of the first borne are two 1. excellencie of strength 2 excellencie of dignitie of strength for hee had a double portion secondly excellency of dignitie for he was the Prince and priest of the rest of his brethren now both these most properly appertaines to our eldest brother Christ Iesus Excellencie of strength is his he hath receiued the double portion for hee receiued not the Spirit in measure as wee doe but the plenitude and fulnesse therof was communicated vnto him and the comfort thereof redounds vnto vs for he receiued it not for himselfe but for vs that of his fulnesse we might all receiue grace for grace Excellencie also of dignitie is his for beside that glory which hee had with his Father from the beginning he is also as our head crowned with glory Mat. 28. 18. and dignitie all power in heauen and earth is giuen him and he is set ouer his brethren as the onely high Priest of the liuing God who makes attonement for the sinnes of his brethren as the onely Prophet and teacher of the whole familie of God for so hath the Father authorized him This Mat. 3. 17. is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him Let vs therefore submit our selues vnto him seeing God Miserable are they in this age who doe not acknowledge Christs prerogatiue the Father hath set him ouer vs let vs not be disobedient to that heauenly proclamation heare him Woe be to them that subscribes not vnto the excellencie of his dignitie But alas if the world proclaime such pleasures as shee hath to giue by any sport or play or such profits as she can yeeld at her fairest fayres and markeâ—s O what a frequent concourse of people is made vnto her but if the Priests of the Lord stand as they did of olde in the west part of Ierusalems temple or in their seuerall turrets to blow their two siluer Trumpets and warne the people to resort vnto the house of the Lord or if now any other manner of way signification be made vnto them to enter into the courts of the Lord with praise how few shall hee finde flocking into the house of God in respect of them vvho abides without and followes the world and which is yet more to be lamented there are many of those who heare the word of Christ and yet doth not change the manner of their conuersation for any commandement hee can giue them speake what he vvill they doe what they like they come to the holy assemblies of his Saints but are like those vncleane beasts which entred into the Arke of Noah they came in vncleane and went out vncleane Neither of these vnlesse they amend shall be pertakers of our saluation which Iesus the first borne hath purchased to the rest of his brethren But to let them alone and to returne to the instruction of Gods children though apostate Israel fall from him as a Whatsoeuer excellencie our elder brother hath it is for our benefit people that haue no portion in Ishai nor inheritance in the sonne of Dauid yet let Iuda cleaue to their King let vs acknowledge his supereminent excellencie and reuerence him for our first borne elder brother Among other brethren the more the elder hath the lesse remaines to the younger whereof it falles out that many a time there is strife among them for diuision of the inheritance but here the more our elder brother hath the greater is our good seeing whatsoeuer he hath receiued as mediator he hath receiued it to be communicated vnto vs hee hath receiued strength not to subdue vs or ouergoe vs but to protect vs from our enemies which he hath also done for he hath broken the gates of hell and carried them away more triumphantly vpon his shoulders than Sampson did the gates of Azzah Wee who are poore in our selues are made rich in him we who are weake are in him more than conquerours and therfore let vs resolue for euer to abide in him Among many brethren This brotherhood of ours with Brethren in Christ are many wayes knit together Christ consists not in the communion of the same flesh and bloud for so euery man were Christs brother but it stands in our spirituall vnion with him by regeneration those are the sonnes of God and consequently the brethren of Christ who are borne not of blood nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man but of God by the operation of his spirit and immortall Ioh. 1. 13. seede of
the word In the carnall brotherhoode though the parents be one yet the inheritance is not one though the seede of the flesh be one yet the soule that quickneth the body in both is not one but in the spirituall brotherhood the parents are one the inheritance one the seede vvhereof they are begotten is one and the spirit which quickeneth them all is one It is not then Baptisme nor externall profession which proueth a man to be the kinsman and brother of Christ it is the spirit of Iesus which whosoeuer hath not the same is not his and whosoeuer hath him it is certaine they become new creatures Great is that dignitie certainely whereunto we are called The greatnes of Christs loue toward vs in making vs his brethren and matchlesse is that loue which the Lord Iesus hath carried toward vs who not content to make vs his seruants hath made vs his brethren If he had shewed vs no more kindnesse then Abraham did Lot his kinsman yet euen for that had hee beene worthy to be loued for euer but behold what a greater loue our Lord hath shewed vnto vs we forsooke him more vnkindly than Lot did Abraham yet did hee still retayne his kindly affection toward vs when we were carried away captiue by spirituall Chedarlaomer he did not onely hazard but laid downe his life for our Redemption Moses is greatly praised for that vvhen hee was honourable in Aegypt he left the Court of Pharaoh to visit his brethren esteeming the rebuke of Christ in his people greater riches than all the treasures of Aegypt and Ioseph is also commended that being second person vnder Pharaoh in the kingdome of Aegypt yet hee was not ashamed of his Father and brethren albeit they for their trade being sheepekeepers were abhomination to the Aegyptians But all these are not comparable to that loue which the Lord Iesus hath borne toward vs in that notwithstanding our base estate hee hath not beene ashamed to call vs his brethren The Lord make vs thankefull and shed abroad in our hearts the sense of that loue vvhich hee hath borne toward vs that wee neuer be ashamed of him for no Crosse that for his sake can be laid vpon vs. Verse 30. Moreouer whom he predestinated them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them also he glorified THere is no part of holy Scripture vvhich is What a cleare sight of saluation is here discouered to the Christian not stored with the words of eternall life but as that part of earth which is rich of minerals of gold and siluer is more esteemed than other land vvere it neuer so fruitfull so ought this place of holy Scripture to be accounted of vs all as containing in it a most rich minerall not of gold siluer or precious stones but of a more precious saluation wherein the deeper thou art able to digge the stronger clearer and greater sight of saluation ariseth vnto thee there is not in all the booke of God a place of holy Scripture vvhich presents to the childe of God so cleare and certaine a sight of his election and glorification as this place doth wherein now we are trauailing for the holy Apostle in this golden chaine of Saluation doth in such sort knit our effectuall Calling with our Election and Glorification that the Christian vpon earth may euidently see what God in the heauens hath decreed toward him we haue spoken of the first two lincks of the Chaine Prescience and Predestination now we proceed to speake of the third to wit our Calling Where first of all for our greater comfort let vs stand The prerogatiues of a Christian are farre more honourable than any that worldlings can claime and consider how great and glorious are the benefits which God hath bestowed on the Christian before time the Lord hath chosen him after time the Lord will glorifie him in time the Lord doth can and iustifie him Worldlings also haue their owne prerogatiues wherin they place their glory those among them that haue most ample and ancient inheritances are counted most honourable but thou vvho art named a Christian if thou be so indeede looke to thine owne priuiledges and thou shalt see that the glorie of a Christian doth far exceed the glorie of the most honorable Worldling as the Psalmist spake of Ierusalem so may wee of the Christian Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou man Psal 87. 3. of God Election is the first and most auncient charter of the The most sure and auncient Charters of a Christian to his inheritance right of Gods Children to their Fathers inheritance Calling is the second by it we are knowne to be the Sonnes of God and our Election secret in it selfe is manifested to vs and others Iustification is the third by it wee are infest in Iesus Christ and made partakers of all that is his Glorification is the last by it wee are entred heyres to our Father and fully possessed in his inheritance No King vpon earth can produce so auncient a right to his Crowne though vvith the Egyptian thou shouldest reckon thy beginning so many yeares before the creation of the world yet canst thou not match the Christian hee hath the most auncient charter of the most ample inheritance neither can any man vpon earth be knowne his Fathers heyre vpon such sufficient warrand as the Christian for in the regeneration the Father communicateth to him his Image his Nature his Spirit whereby he beginneth from feeling to call God his Father and in life and manners to resemble him No freeholder so surely infest in his lands nor hath receiued so many confirmations thereupon as the Christian iustified who vpon his gift of righteousnesse and life hath also receiued the earnest the pledge the scale and the witnesse of the great King And last of all the Christian shall be entred to the full possession of his Fathers inheritance vvith such ioy and triumph in the glorious assembly of the Saints as the like was neuer seene in the world no not in Ierusalem that day wherein Salomon entred heyre to his Father Dauid then the earth rang for ioy but nothing comparable to that ioy wherewith the heauens shall ring when all the Sonnes of God shall be caught from the earth into the ayre to meet the Lord Iesus and to be inuested in the Kingdome of their Father But now wee are to speake of this Calling wherein consists all our comfort for it is the middle lincke of this indiuisible Calling is the first manifestation of our Election and forerunner of our Glorification Chaine he that hath it is sure of both the ends Our Calling is the first manifestation of our secret Election and it is a sure forerunner of our Glorification being in effect the voyce of GOD fore-telling vs that he will glorifie vs. As the best way in a maine land to finde the sea is to walke by a riuer
the proper subiect The righteousnesse of God because he onely in his meruailous wisedome found it out it is called the righteousnesse of Faith because Faith is the instrument by which wee apprehend it and it is called our righteousnesse because it is giuen vnto vs of God to be ours by imputation on Gods part by acceptation of it by Faith vpon our part for these two wayes that acquisite righteousnesse of Christ is made ours This wee haue to marke for our comfort against those The consideration that Christs righteousnes is ours stoppeth the mouth of all that impugnes our Faith obiections which eyther inwardly by Sathan or outwardly by men of a contrary opinion are obiected vnto vs. If they to trouble our peace and weaken our Faith aske how can yee be iustified by a righteousnesse which is not yours wee answere the righteousnesse of Christ is ours and ours by as great a right as any other thing that wee possesse is ours to wit by the free gift of God seeing it hath pleased God to giue vs a gaâ—ment who were naked and to giue vs who had none of our owne a righteousnesse answerable to his Iustice vvhat intrest can eyther man or Angell haue to resist it The euasions and obiections whereby the aduersarie Works not of the vnregenerate onely but of the regenerate also excluded from the act of Iustification impugnes this doctrine are chiefely these First the Apostle say they excludeth the works of nature not the works of Grace the workes of a man vnregenerate they confesse cannot iustifie him but the works of a man regenerate say they doe iustifie him but this is false as is proued first by examples for Abraham whose example the Apostle bringeth in to confirme the doctrine of Iustification was a regenerate man and effectually called yet as witnesseth both Moses and S. Paul his saith was counted to him for righteousnesse Proued by examples Dauid after hee had beene a regenerate man yet saith Lord enter not into iudgement with thy Seruant for in thy Psal sight shall no flesh be iustified The Apostle Paul protests of himselfe I haue in all good conscience serued God vnto this day neither know I any thing of my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified hee was more abundant in good workes than all the rest of the Apostles he did also beare in his bodie the markes of Iesus and was renowned through his manifold sufferings If euer any regenerate man could haue bin iustified by his good works it was this holy Apostle yet hee tels you himselfe for all that I haue done for all that I haue suffered yet am I not thereby iustified The same is proued by reason that which by order of The same proued by reason nature followes our Iustification before GOD cannot be said to iustifie vs in the presence of God but so it is good workes by order of nature followes our iustification before GOD Non praecedunt iustificandum sed sequuntur iustificatum Againe such vvorkes as are not Augustine perfectly agreeable to the rule of Legall iustice cannot iustifie vs but rather fall vnder that curse Cursed is hee who fulfilleth not euery iot of the Law but so it is that the workes euen of men regenerate are not able to answere the perfection of the Law There is no man saith Salomon iust Eccles 7. Iob. in the earth that doth good and sinneth not If I would dispute with God I could not saith Iob make answere vnto one of a thousand All our righteousnesse saith Ieremie is but like a Ierem. menstruous cloath and our Sauiour hath taught euen regenerate men to pray daily for the remission of their sinnes Quid ergo de peccatis nostris fiet quando ne ipsa quidem pro se Bern. in fest o 〈…〉 uÌ„ sanct serm â— respondere poterit iustiâ—â—a nostra vvhat then shall become of our sinnes when our righteousnesse is not able to answere for it selfe Vae hominum iustitiae quantumuis laudabili si remota misericordia Dei iudicetur woe to the righteousnesse of man were it neuer so lowable if God setting aside mercy enter to iudge it But they insist the vvorkes of regenerate men are the How it is that workes of men regenerate doe not merit seeing they are workes done in vs by the spirit of Christ Heb. 1. 3. workes of Christ for it is he who by his spirit workes them in them therefore they are meritorious and iustifies I answere the works of Christ iustifies it is true if yee vnderstand his personall works done by himselfe in his owne person as the Apostle teacheth vs He hath purged our sinnes by himselfe But as for those works which he works in vs by his spirit of grace he works them not for our iustification that as I haue said he hath done already by himselfe and in his owne person but for our sanctification Secondly the good works of men regenerate are so wrought by Christ in vs that they are also wrought by vs and we haue our working in them and therefore by reason of our imperfection cannot be perfect for as the fountaines of the actions are so must the actions be themselues the fountaines are mixed being partly good and partly euill for our minde is not so illuminated that there is no darknesse in it neither is our heart so sanctified that there is no vncleannesse in it and therefore the actions flowing from thence cannot be perfect works of light and sanctification They insist yet further and obiects if the Apostle say Faith works are not simply opponed to other for they are inseperable but opponed onely in the act of Iustification they in his conclusion we are iustified by Faith without the workes of the Law did vnderstand the workes of Grace then it would follow that he oppones things which are not to be opponed for workes and Grace vvorkes and Faith workes and Christ are not opposite but agrees very wel together as the cause and effect as the tree and the branch To this wee answere that Faith and vvorkes agrees well together but there is nothing in the vvorld vvhich agree so well the one with the other but in some things they may be opponed as for example the tree and the branch agrees very vvell together but if the question be moued whether the tree beares the branch or the branch the tree in this they are opponed that vvhich is affirmed of the one must be denied of the other Againe there is a very sweet harmony betweene a naturall Father and the sonne the one of them cannot be without the other for hee is not a Father who neuer had a sonne neither is he a sonne who neuer had a Father but if this be the question which of them gaue beginning to another here wee must oppone them affirming that of the one which we denie of the other In like manner there is a very sweet harmony and
Sathans buffets and against whom hee vvas permitted to vse all the stratagems of the spirituall warfare that possibly he could hee crossed him not onely in his goods in his children and in his owne bodie but also in his minde by his wife he tempted him to blasphemie by his friends to diffidence yet by none of these could he ouercom him In his outward troubles his resolution was the Lord hath Iob 1. 21. giuen the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord for euer in his inward terrours his resolution was Albeit Ioh 13. 15. the Lord would slay mee yet would I trust in him so impossible it is for Sathan by any tentation whatsoeuer to separate from the loue of God his Children chosen called and iustified The Lord is present with present with his children to keepe them sometime from trouble sometime introuble To cleare this let vs yet know that God is many manner of wayes present vvith his children in trouble first hee is with them by preuenting the danger so that hee will not suffer the intended euill of the enemie to come neere them so he brought Senacherib to see Ierusalem without but suffered him not to shoot so much as a dart against it within Somtime againe the Lord enters his children into the trouble as Daniel into the Den Ioseph into the prison the three children into the fire but deliuers them in such sort that both his glory and their comfort is greater than if they had not beene in trouble at all Sometime he suffers his children to ende their mortall liues in trouble and yet is with them strengthning them by his glorious might to all patience and long suffering filling them with such a sense of his loue that in death they rest vnder the assurance of life This also is declared by example The practise of this see in the examples of Eliah and Paul when Iezabel vowed to haue the life of Eliah yee shall see that the Lord is with him sometime to hide him that albeit Achab and Iezabel seeke him they cannot finde him sometime God lets Achabs captaines see where hee is but consumes with fire them that came proudly to take him Sometime he presents him to Achab and Iezabel but bridleth the tyrants that they haue no power to stirre him The Apostle Paul in like manner being sent prisoner to Rome the Lord assisted him in such sort that hee deliuered 2 Tlm. 4. 17. him out of the mouth of the Lyon Vero and yet the second time suffered him to fall by the sword of the same tyrant shall wee thinke that the Lord was not with the Apostle to assist him the second time as well as the first let it be farre from vs. The Lord was with him indeed to make his death a seale and confirmation of that Gospel which he had preached in his life The comfort then remaines that howeuer GOD worke with his children in trouble no aduersarie is able to take from vs that for which we striue to wit grace and glory they may be vnto vs as sharpe rasers of God to cut away our superfluities but shall neuer be able to bereaue vs of the end of our Faith which is the euerlasting saluation of our soules Verse 32. Who spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all vnto death how shall he not with him giue vnto vs all things also NOw followeth the second part of the Apostles generall triumph wherein hee gloryeth The second part of his generall triumph the Christian can want nothing that is needfull for him that the Christian can vvant nothing needfull for him for seeing the Lord hath giuen vnto him the greatest and most excellent gift to wit his owne Sonne is it possible that hee will deny him any secondarie or inferior gifts needfull for him Sathan who is a lyer from the beginning accused the Lord of two things first of an vntruth albeit the Lord hath said it yet yee shall nâ—t dye secondly of Enuy. In the first Sathan is proued false and the Lord is found true for are they not dead to whom the Lord said yee shall dye In the second Sathan is found a calumniator for what good tree will the Lord refuse to his owne who hath giuen vnto them this excellent tree of life which brings with it vnto them all things needfull for them To amplifie this great loue of God the Apostle saith The great loue which GOD hath shewed in giuing his Son for vs. not simply that hee gaue his Sonne for vs but that he spared not to giue him O vvonderfull loue â— the Naturall and onely Sonne of God is not spared that the adoptiue sonnes may be spared for our sinnes being imputed to him by the ordinance of God his Father and voluntarily accepted by himselfe so the punishment of our sinnes and chastisement Esa 53. 5. of our peace was laid vpon him that by his stripes wee might be healed The bitter cuppe due to vs was propined to him for the which albeit hee prayed to his Father that if it were his will this cuppe might passe by him yet the Father Mat. 26. 39. spared him not but held it to his head till hee dranke out the vttermost dregs thereof So straite is the Iustice of God that sinne being imputed to the Sonne of God vvho had no sinne of his owne is pursued to the vttermost The greatest example of Iustice that euer the Lord declared in the world the drowning of the originall world the burning of Sodome the plaguing of Egypt were terrible proofes of the straitnesse of diuine Iustice but nothing comparable to this Which I marke partly for a comfort to the Godly and Comfort for the Godly that the iustice of God shall not â—ay cannot strike vpon them partly for a warning to the wicked it is our great comfort that the saluation which Iesus hath purchased vnto vs hee hath obtayned it vvith a full satisfaction of his Fathers Iustice so that now vve that are in him are not any more to feare it The great Iudge of all the vvorld will not doe vnrighteously to require that againe from vs vvhich our Christ vvhom he himselfe hath giuen vnto vs hath payed for vs. Miserable are the wicked who in their owne persons beare the punishment of their sinnes And as for the vvicked vvho are not in Christ how miserable will their state and condition be for they must beare the punishment of their owne sinnes in their owne persons If the burden of that vvrath due to our sinnes caused Iesus to sweat bloud and to say that his soule was heauie vnto Mat. 26. 38. the very death O how shall the burden of this wrath presse downe the vvicked it is euen a horrour to thinke of it their faces shall be confused vvithout and spirits oppressed vvithin vvith tribulation and anguish hee that spared not in his owne Sonne sinne imputed vnto him vvill hee
for hee speaketh this by way of supposition if there be yet any other creature than those vvhom I haue named I am sure be vvhat they will they cannot seperate vs from the loue of Christ Here in the last roome vvee doe obserue the suretie of a Christian aboue all other men in the world onely the Christian is sure his estate shall neuer be changed Worldlings may Esay 47. 7. Luke 12. 19. No worldling shall abide in the state wherin now hee stands Esay 22. 18. thinke with Babel in her prosperitie I shall neuer be moued and vvith the rich Glutton promise to themselues many yeeres to come but they shall be deceiued none of them shall continue in that state vvherein presently they stand the Lord shall driue them from their station as it vvere vvith vvheeles and shall roll them like a ball as hee threatned to Shâ—bna Pharaoh his pompe shall perish in the Red Sea Nabuchadnezzar shall be changed from a Monarch of men vnto a companion of Beasts Manasses from the Pallace shall goe to the Prison and all the men of the vvorld shall goe from the house to the graue their beautie and royall pompe shall consume as a Moth onely the Christian shall stand for euer in that happy vnion and fellowship with God this is the state of the Christian this is his life this is his glory and from it nothing present nor to come shall euer be able to transchange him Euerlasting praise therefore be to the Lord our God through Iesus Christ. Amen FINIS A TABLE DIRECTING THE Reader how to finde out the principall points of Doctrine contained in these Treatises A ABraham and the rest of the Fathers shall not be perfected without vs pag. 213 Accusations of all sorts vsed against Christians 416. 417. Accusations of Sathan made against vs for sinne past should be preseruatiues against sinne to come 329 Accusation of the carelesse Christian 166 Adam had Euah for a wife a sister and a daughter 23 Admonition with a comfort for weak Christians 208 Adoption naturall and spirituall 194. how the Spiritual excels the Naturall 194. 195. by adoption the sons of God know that God is their Father 195. Adoption two-fold 276. Affections of the Christian and carnall man how different 85. except wee slay inordinate affections wee cannot suffer affliction 218. if we slay not them they will slay vs. See sinne Affliction abhorred by nature 219. It is Gods wine-presse 230. 431. Inward outward and their comforts 225. Good to looke to the end of affliction 226 Afflictions for sinne past are medicinall restoratiues 440. For sinnes to come are wholesome preseruatiues 441. Causes of affliction would be marked 440. What is required in afflictions for Gods sake 442. Not euer inflicted for sinne 441. How profitable 330. Afflictions of the godly and wicked how different 431. See Crosse See suffering Allegorie vsed by Christ Luke 11. exponed 285 Angels and men Apostates only false witnesses against God 38. the fall of Angels of man and of the creature compared 259. Angels and men Apostates how miserable 260. how reprobate Angels hath names of power giuen them 454. how they are Gods messengers and to what end 453. Anger of God toward his Children how to be thought of 327 Apparell of worldlings how it hides not but shewes their nakednes 435. Aquila and Priscilla how they were Martyrs for Christ 444 Assurance of saluation 449. it is no presumption in the Christian to be assured 451. that the christian may be and is assured is proued 119 comfort against the want of feeling of this assurance in the godly 449. It is an euill religion that learnes doubting 450. Papistry can make no man sure of saluation 451. B Battell Christian what it is and how Naturalists haue a battell betweene flesh and flesh not betweene flesh and the Spirit 40. Battell must goe before triumph 415. Difficultie of the christian Battell 41. Our best estate is to fight 42. And how we should help that partie in vs which we would haue victorious 42. Why Sathan sights against vs. 48. And what comfort we haue therein 483. The last battell is the greatest 454 Banishment secludes not the children of God from his familiaritie 432 Benefits of God are obligations 157. they encrease our debt and therefore should humble vs 158. but they are abused by the wicked against God 163 Bondage of sinne how intolerable 50 three things to be considered in it 51. 52. 53. a three-fold meditation to make vs weary of it 53. 54. Bodies are to be humbled in publique exercise 114. how some abuse this 115 Bookes of law and conscience how they shall be opened in the day of iudgement 12 Brotherhood Christian how strait it is 378 C Calling is the first manifestation of our election 382. what inward calling is 382. how it makes a difference betweene man and man 383. it is a new creation 385. wrought without man 385. Calling and conuersion are from Gods purpose 356. it diuides betweene vs and our old sinnes 339. it makes a wonderfull distinction betweene man and man 386. miserable are they who are not seperate by it 387. time of our calling 384. it is short 388. no calling after this life 388. If he cease to call it is one token of his anger 360. the calling of God findes euery man euill exercised 367 Care should be moderate 410. care without Gods blessing is vaine 411 Two sorts of care 412 Carnall professors how miserable 91. 294. they professe friendship to Christ but keepe couenant with Sathan 404. See Professors Carnall presence improued 122 Certaintie of saluation See assurance Communion three-fold betweene Christ the Christian 27. 28. 29. Comforts against the remanents of sinne 102. 105. against the fruit of sinne 121. against death 138. no comfort gotten without the annexed condition 140 Condemnation of the wicked threefold 10 Conscience her terrours 61. a wounded Conscience desires not death 275. The book of Conscience 12. errour thereof 420 Concupiscence euen without consent proued to be a sinne 33. 34. 35. Confidence in God 336 Conformitie with Christ wherein it stands 372. reasons mouing vs to a conformitie with him 375. Some workes wherein wee should not proser to conforme our selues to Christ 372. 373. Contentment of our estate and reasons mouing vs vnto it 411 Chaine of Saluation what sure comfort it renders 362 Christian and carnall men how different euen vnder one Crosse and in doing one worke 131. as different as men and beasts 82. wherefrom comes this difference 84. they are compared in their affections and vnderstanding 85. in speaking and hearing 86. 87. eyther of them counts others fooles 89. but not vpon like warrants 90 Christian how farre hee exceeds the Worldling 108. his glorious priuiledges 211. his prerogatiues 380. Worldlings can not match him in glory 108. his end is better then his beginning the Worldling is the contrarie 221. hee is sure neuer to change his state not so the worldling