they the neerer vnto euerlasting life surely nothing at al because they were without Christ who only is the ladder by which life descendeth from God to vs we ascend to liue with God The necessitie of the knowledge of Christ And heereby we may see how necessarie a thing it is for vs to vnderstand the mysterie of Iesus Christ not thinking it sufficient as many doe historically to knowe and formally of custome to celebrate the memorie of his birth and death and resurrection and ascending into heauen but searching out the fruites and effects thereof enquiring after that grace and saluation which he hath brought vnto vs therby that so we may know what cause we haue of this solemne reioycing and our reioycing may be not onely according to the flesh and outward man but much more inwardly in spirit and conscience whilest that being assured that Christ is our Lord we finde in him comfort of peace towards God and of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and certaine hope of the fauour and loue of God towards vs both in life and in death by that mediation and attonement that he hath wrought Christs demeaning and abasing of himselfe to make attonement for vs. 5 Which attonement that he might worke he woulde become of the sonne of God the sonne of Dauid both waies a kings sonne according to his Godhead the sonne of the great king of heauen and earth according to his manhoode the sonne of king Dauid but yet both in his birth life and death far demeaned beneath all kingly state the tabernacle of Dauid being now fallen downe onely the ruines thereof remaining the branches and armes of that goodly tree being now cut off only the roote or stump left as it were in a drie and barren ground Marie his mother of the house of Dauid is maried to Ioseph of the house of Dauid also but of no better state but a poore carpenter and of so small estimation that in the citie of Dauid for his wife yea being with childe great with childe yea traueling with childe and childe bearing he coulde finde no better entertainement but that the mother must be chambered in a stable and the childe cradeled in a cratch or manger as if they had beene to base to receiue that common curtesie that in such a case is vouchsafed to the meanest and other mens horses were to be thought woorthie of as good place as they The profitable learning of Christ beginneth at his humiliation and weakenes 6 Now heere are we to beginne in the learning of Christ if we will learne him fruitefully and to our comfort If we beginne at his maiestie it will confound vs if we first looke to the brightnesse of his glorie it will blinde our eies his terrors shall make vs afraide and wee shall not dare to come vnto him And therefore some whilest they haue immediately fastned their eies vpon the highnesse and maiestie of Christ sitting at the right hand of God haue beene discouraged and driuen away from him wheras he is our only mediatour to bring vs vnto God haue deuised and set vp other mediators to bring them vnto him This was the errour of Poperie which embraced the storie of Christs incarnation and death but neuer taught the vse thereof and left men in an opinion as if Christ according to the maner of earthly princes were of that austeritie and statelinesse that they might not presume directly to come vnto him but must vse the solicitation and intercession of other saints that were neere about him But from this error we shall be free if we begin with Christ where we ought to doe We must acquaint our selues with him in his weakenes and then he shall not seeme dreadfull to vs in his strength we must be conuersant with him in his humility and that shall minister vnto vs boldnesse to go vnto him in his glorie If we scorne to sitte with him in the stable and to learne of him in the manger if we neglect the comfort that we should receiue by his humbling abasing of himselfe for our sakes the beames of his glorious light sitting now in the maiestie of the godhead shall seeme vnto vs as flames of fire readie to consume vs if we approch vnto him As therefore we know how we our selues are borne little and weake and so grow from infancie to childehood and from childehood to ripe age and full strength euen so must Christ haue his beginning and proceeding in vs. We must embrace him swadled in the manger and grow vp with him euen from his cradle and childehood and continue the decourse of his whole life and see therein how as Hilary saith a Hilar. de Tri. lib. 2. Omnes naturae nostrae contumelias transcurrit He ranne through all the contumelies and disgraces of our nature We must behold him b Esa 53.2 without forme or beautie c Psal 22.6 a worme and no man the scorne of men and contempt of the people poore and despised in meaner state then the d Math. 8.20 foxes that haue their holes and the birdes of the aire that haue their nests whereas he had not where to rest his head e Esa 53.3 a man full of sorowes hauing great experience of infirmities worne and spent with watching fasting and traueling continually bearing the reproches and gainsayings of proud men bought and solde by treacherie and falshood calumniously and slanderously accused condemned spitted at crowned with thornes in mockerie and derision nailed to a crosse accounted with theeues and murtherers pearced with a speare imprisoned in the graue The beholding of these things shall prepare and fortifie our sight that with eagles ere 's without dazeling wee may looke vpon this f Mal. 4.2 sunne of righteousnesse now shining in his strength For we thus conceiue that Christ hauing vndergone all these things for our sakes and being ours in his birth and in his life and in his death is ours also now that he is raised againe from the dead and g Rom. 8.34 that he sitteth at the right hand of God to make intercession for vs and therefore that h Heb. 4.14 hauing so great an high priest for vs entred into heauen and i ibid. 9.24 appearing in the sight of God for vs euen Iesus the sonne of God wee may with boldnesse goe vnto the throne of grace to receiue mercy and to finde grace to helpe in time of neede And thus shall we be enabled to beare k 2. Thess 2.8 the brightnesse of his comming and l Luc. 21.28 to lift vp our heads for ioy that our redemption and full deliuerance is at hand when other men shall be at their wits end with perplexitie and feare and shall say m Apoc. 6.16 vnto the mountaines and rockes fall vpon vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth vpon the throne c. Now then let Marcion the heretike obiect that
we harbour with in our selues b August cont Iâ—l Pelag. lib. 2. exercitum quendam cupiditatum as Saint Austen saieth An army of sinfull affections within vs still occasioning vs to fight a very army of vicious and sinfull affections which yeeld vs continuall matter and occasion of fighting from our beginning to our end against the wantonnesse and wilfulnesse of youth against the crookednesse of olde age in prosperitie against presumption and carnall securitie in aduersitie against impatiencie and despaire in high estate against disdaine in low estate against enuie in aboundance against excesse in want against vnlawfull shifts in the folowing of vertue against vaine glory in the hatred of vice against curiositie and rashnes in iudging censuring other men in religion against schisme heresie infidelitie in ciuill conuersation against wrathfulnesse vnfaithfulnesse vnmercifulnesse selfeloue and all iniustice against euill workes in the profession of true faith against misbeleefe in the practise of good works Temptations of sinne still succeeding one another Yea and as they say of the heads of Hydra the Serpent that one being cut off there grew vp moe for it and as the waues of the sea one still folow in the necke of another euen so it is with the temptations of sinne the ending of one is the beginning of another and one victorie is the drawing on of another fight a Cypr. de mortall If couetousnesse be ouerthrowen saith Saint Cyprian then ariseth wanton lust if lust be repressed then ambition comes in place if ambition be reiected then anger prouoketh pride swelleth enuie fretteth c. So â—…e is it which the same Father elsewhere saith b Idem de duplicimartyrio Although there be not alwaies Neroes Diocletians and Maximines raging against the Church yet neuer doth the deuill cease to busie and trouble them that haue professed the warfare of Christ. And Saint Hierome c Hierony epis ad Heliodorum Erras si vnquam putas Christianum persecutionem non pati tunc maximè oppugnaris quum te oppugnarinescis Thou art deceiued if thou thinke a Christian man at any time free from suffering persecution and then is a man most of all oppugned when he doth not know himselfe to be oppugned 7 Now being thus beset with enemies on euery side nay carying within our selues enmitie against our selues we see a necessitie of fighting we see a reason why we are called the armie of the Lord. Let vs therefore be as we are called let vs euery man take sword in hand and d Iudg. 5.23 goe foorth to helpe the Lord against the mightie against e Reuel 12.9.17 the Dragon and the Angels thus making warre against the womans seede If in the middest of so many so dangerous so deadly enemies we sit still and sleepe and refuse to fight what doe wee but betraie our selues and the quarrell and cause of him that hath chosen vs to be his souldiours No seruant of Christ that is not his souldiour And surely if we doe not fight wee are none of his if thou be no souldiour thou art no seruant of Iesus Christ because to be his seruant is to be a souldiour And therefore thou be not skilled in this spiritual battel if thou be not daily if exercised a Iam. 4.7 to resist the diuell and to b Heb. 12.4 fight against sinne if there be not in thee a daily controuling of thine owne waies a checking of thine owne hart a resisting of thine owne desires a subduing of thine owne affections that thou maiest c 2. Cor. 10.5 bring euerie thought to the obedience of Christ if all bee at peace within thee and thou findest no diuision no contradiction betwixt the flesh and the spirite betwixt the old and the new man betwixt that which thou art of thy selfe and that which thou art of God what doest thou in the Lordes tents to what end doest thou professe the seruice of Christ Go out of the campe if thou wilt not fight and keepe not a standing there idlely and in vaine Many say they are Christs who yet are not so because they fight not for him 8 Let vs consider this in our harts for many there are that say they are Christs and take his name in their mouthes who yet neuer drew sword nor gaue stroke in Christs behalfe who defie the diuell with their mouthes but wrestle not against his workes who haue renounced the worlde and yet liue in league with the worlde and continue deepely entangled in the corruptions thereof whose lust is their law and they make their owne carnall desire the rule and measure of all their doings These men deceiue themselues They would faine liue with Christ in heauen but yet they would d 2. Cor. 5.15 liue to themselues here vpon the earth they would be blessed in the world to come but yet would not be crossed in the pleasures of this world But this cannot be He that hath called vs vnto eternall life hath told vs that we must e Luc. 13.24 striue to enter in at the straight gate that leadeth vnto it He that hath set before vs f 1. Cor. 9.25.26 an incorruptible crowne hath withall warned vs that we must g 2. Tim 2.5 fight for it And as Saint Ambrose saith h Ambros in psa 118. ser 18. Non decet redimitos floribus corona sed puluerulentos c. The crowne is not for carpet knights that loue to be beset and garlanded with posies and floures but for them that are beraied with wrastling and tumbling in the dust and victorie is not the honour of nicelings and wantons but of them that haue sweate and laboured for it If therefore we desire the reward of victorie and the crowne that is promised to them onely that ouercome let vs as I haue saide addresse our selues vnto the fight and applie both our harts and our hands to the pulling downe of the kingdome of Satan and to the maintenance and aduancement of the kingdome of Iesus Christ We are to fight for Christ by doing the duties of our seuerall callings 9 Now because as in earthly armies there are men of diuers sorts and places generals captaines lieutenants sergeants coronels common souldiours c. So in the warfare of Christ there are likewise diuers callings and conditions of men we are euery one to consider the standing and place whereunto we are assigned of the Lord and faithfully to imploy our selues therein for his aduantage that we may still be getting ground of the enemy against whom we fight Princes and Magistrates by well managing the sword of ciuill authoritie by establishing and executing good lawes for Christs behoofe and for the setting foorth of the glory of God Ministers by vsing carefully and wisely the sword of the spirit the word of God for the cutting downe of sinne and vnrighteousnesse and to breede in mens hearts the feare of God and the loue of his
commandements Parents and maisters by well gouerning themselues and their households restraining their children and seruants from all loosenesse and lewd behauiour and training them vp with all care to vertuous and godly life In a word let euery man esteeme with himselfe what the duety of his calling requireth of him and therein bestow himselfe faithfully for the Lord. Let vs all be euermore practising and enuring our selues to fight in the Lordes behalfe against the diuell by faith against the world by patience and temperance against the lusts of the flesh by daily meditation and exercise of repentance against them all by praier and by the word of God An incouragement to fight in that Christ is our captaine vnder whom we fight 10 And to this fight we are encouraged the more because we are his army because we haue such a captaine vnder whom we fight One that is of most puissant and victorious power and might and hath all things subiect to his will that sendeth vs not foorth to battell alone but goeth himselfe with vs who hauing borne the brunt and heate of the battell himselfe hath made the fight more tolerable and easie for vs who himselfe giueth vs armes and strength to fight and commaundeth his a Luc. 2.13 multitude of heauenly souldiours his blessed angels to fight for vs. So that we may boldly comfort our selues and say b 1. Ioh. 4.4 Greater is he that is in vs then he that is in the worlde and c 2. King 6.16 they that are with vs are moe then they that are against vs yea they that are against vs are ouerruled by his mightie hande to bee for vs euen in those thinges that they entend against vs. And to be short though we be weake yet hee is strong and will suffer none d Ioh. 10.28 to plucke vs out of his hand but the end shall be with reioycing and triumph to sing aloude e 1. Cor. 15.57 Thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs the victorie through Iesus Christ our Lord. The souldiours of Christ voluntarie men willingly offering themselues to the Lords seruice 11 It foloweth to declare what affectiō the people of Christ do beare in the vndertaking of this warfare In earthly kingdomes men are oftentimes holden in subiection against their will They doe dutie to their princes for feare rather then of any deuotion or good affection towards them In their harts they murmure and repine and thinke it a heauie burden to doe them seruice And therefore if they finde opportunity they withdraw themselues from the yoke vnder which they are holden So likewise to earthly battels men vsually go by constraint and against their owne minde They seeke by what meanes they can to be freed from such seruice to rest in quietnesse at home But the seruants and souldiours of the spirituall kingdome of Christ are noted to be of another disposition They shall be saith he a people of great deuotion or willingnesse If we will translate it precisely according to the Hebrew wordes we must say a people of deuotions because the worde is vsed in the plurall number But to expresse the force thereof I rather choose to reade a people of great deuotion For nothing else doth the prophet import heereby but a singular freenesse and willingnesse of hart wherewith the people of Christ shall dedicate and giue themselues vnto him to be bestowed and vsed at his will And to this purpose the worde is vsed in other places of holy Scripture As namely in the law of Moses by this worde are noted the f Leuit. 22.18 23.38 free offrings which men without any certaine imposition of law offered voluntarilie and of their owne accord By the originall of this worde Moses spake vnto the people for the buying of stuffe for the making of the tabernacle and furniture thereof and of the garments of the high Priest g 2 Exod. 35.5 If there bee any man whose hart maketh him willing thereunto let him bring his offring to the Lord c. And by the same verbe though in another coniugation Deborah speaketh of them who of their owne free accord went foorth to battell against Sisera and his companie a Judg. 5.2.9 Praise yee the Lorde for the auenging of Israell for the people that offered themselues willingly My hart is set on them that were willing among the people Euen such are the people of Christ here saide to bee to the battell that we haue spoken of to wit voluntarie men freely and willingly offering and deuoting themselues to doe him seruice and to fight for him The scepter of Christ worketh in the inner man 12 Thus the scepter of Christ goeth beyond the scepters of worldly princes which can preuaile no further but onely with the outward man whereas the scepter of Christ worketh in the hart and in the inner man renewing the minde and framing the will to the following of Christ and to the obedience of his will b Prosp de vocat gent. lib. 2. cap 9. Virtus nolentium nulla est saith Prosper Men are not accounted vertuous for those things they do against their wills It is the will that commendeth the good actions of men Willingnes commendeth good actions furthereth them vnwillingnes hindereth and disgraceth them and then are we approoued with God when with cheerefulnesse of hart we giue ourselues vnto him And hereby it is that we doe effectually and to the purpose those things that we doe There is nothing so easie of it selfe but it is hard to him that goeth about it with an vnwilling mind Want of will maketh men euermore to be putting off cases and casting off doubts and making of delaies and complaining of paines and alleaging of expense and whither he will not he cannot a while still a beare is in the way c Prou. 26.13 a lion is in the streete But where the heart is affected and the will deepely and throughly possessed with a thing it is the cleering of all cases and the controwling of all doubts and a spurre against delaies paines seemeth pleasure and expense seemeth gaine and those things that are lions and beares to other men are but ghosts and shadowes to deuotion and good will And as Saint Ambrose saith d Ambros in epist ad Rom. cap. 11. Hoc sequitur vnumquemque quod conatur ex corde that groweth vpon a man and goeth well forward which he endeuoreth from the hart whereas coldnesse and carelesnesse in the worker causeth alwaies crookednesse and vntowardlinesse in the worke 13 Now therefore the people of Christ that vprightly and without halting they may serue him are discribed to be a people of zealous and willing minde Deuotion and Zeale the token of our true affection vnto Christ. of such resolution towards him as that neither regard of profit nor feare of perill nor difficulty of proceeding doe hold them back from going forward whither he calleth and