YEA and AMEN OR PRETIOUS PROMISES AND PRIVILEDGES Spiritually unfolded in their Nature and Vse Driving at the assurance and establishing of weak Beleevers By R. SIBBS D. D. Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and Preacher of Grayes Inne London Reviewed by himselfe in his life time and since perused by T. G. and P. N. LONDON Printed by R. Bishop for R Dawlman and are to be sold by Humphrey Mosley at the Princes Armes in Pauls Church-yard 1638. YEA and AMEN OR PRETIOVS PROMISES Layd open out of 2 COR. 1. 19 20 21 22 23. But as God is true our word towards you was not yea and nay for the Sonne of God Iesus Christ who was preached among you by us was not yea and nay but in him was yea For all the promises of God are in him yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us THE blessed Apostle that he might have the better place in the hearts of his hearers endeavours here with all diligence to wipe off any imputation which they might have against him that so his doctrine might come home to their soules and have the freer accesse to worke upon their consciences We have therefore in these words S. Pauls Apologie for not comming unto the Chorinthians according to his promise Wherein hee alledgeth that it was not from any inconstancy in him but indeed from corruption in manners among them verse 23. I call God to record that to spare you I came not The Apostle as a man and as a holy man might promise many things common to this life and might lawfully vary afterwards upon the appearance of reall impediments But the things which he promiseth and speakes of as an Apostle they admit of no such uncertainty Therefore his care is to decline all thoughts of wavering therein and to maintaine the credit of the Gospell which hee had taught to the uttermost knowing well how ready false teachers would be to perswade the people that Paul was as light in his preaching as he was in keeping his word with them therefore our Word is true as God is true saith he There is the same ground of the certainty of Evangelicall truths as there is of God himselfe Iesus Christ whom I preached among you was not yea and nay saith the Apostle but yesterday and to day and the same for ever Whence may bee observed That the object of preaching now in the time of the Gospell is especially Iesus Christ. This is the Rock upon which the Church is built Christ should be the subject matter of our teaching in his Nature Offices and Benefits in the duties which we owe to him and the instrument whereby we receive all from him which is faith If wee preach the Law and discover mens corruption it is but to make way for the Gospels freer passage into their soules And if we presse holy duties it is to make you walke worthy of the Lord Jesus All teaching is reductive to the Gospell of Christ either to make way as Iohn Baptist did to levell all proud thoughts and make us stoop to him or to make us walk worthy of the grace wee receive from him The Bread of life must be broken the Sacrifice must bee anatomized and layed open the riches of Christ even his unsearchable riches must bee unfolded The Sonne of God must be preached to all and therefore God who hath appointed us to bee saved by Christ hath also ordained preaching to lay open the Lord Iesus with the heavenly treasures of his grace and glory But to go forward Iesus Christ who was preached among you by me and Sylvanus and Tymotheus was not yea and nay Here observe That the consent of Preachers in the mysteries of salvation is an excellent meanes to strengthen faith in their hearers not in regard of the truth it selfe but in regard of men So it pleaseth God to condescend to our weaknesse in adding Sacraments and Oath unto his promises thereby to shew the more stablenesse of his counsell towards us By yea here is meant Certaine Constant Vnvariable The times vary but not the faith of the times The same fundamentall truth is in all ages Sometimes indeed it is more explicated and unfolded as we have in the the New Testament divers truths more cleerely revealed than in the Old There is not a new faith but a larger explication of the old faith Divine truth is alwayes the same If there hath beene a Church alwayes there hath ever beene a Divine truth Now it is an Article of our faith in all times to beleeve a Catholike Church certainly then there must bee a Catholike truth to be the seed of this Church Therfore we should search out what was that yea that positive Doctrine in those Apostolicall times of the Churches purity before it was corrupted The Church was not long a Virgin yet some there were that held the truth of Christ in all ages Our present Church holds the same positive truths with the Apostles before us Therefore we say Our Church was before Luther because our Doctrine is Apostolicall as also is our Church that is continued thereby because it is built upon Apostolicall doctrine Put the case we cannot shew the men as they rediculously urge what is that to the purpose From an ignorance of particular men will they conclude us to be ignorant of the Church of Christ which hath ever beene Hence the true Church may easily be discerned the points of Religion wherein our adversaries differ from us be but patcheries of their owne they were not yea In the Apostles times their Purgatory Invocation of Saints and Sacraments of divers kindes were devised by themselves afterwards And indeed for a thousand yeeres after Christ many of the differences betwixt us and the Papists were never heard of neither were they ever established by any Counsell till the Counsell of Trent Our positive points are grounded upon the holy Scriptures we seek the Old way and the best way as Ieremy adviseth us There was no popish trash in Abrahams time among the blessed Patriarches nor in Christs time No nor many hundred yeares after they came in by little and little by humane invention for their owne advantage a meere policy to get money and abuse the people Indeed they hold many of our truths but they adde something of their owne to them they adde necessity of tradition to the Scriptures merits to faith they adde Saints to Christ in Divine Worship they have seven Sacraments to our two They may safelier therefore come to us than we to them we hold all that they should hold onely their owne additions wee hold not we leave them to themselves So much for that To touch only another point that borders a little upon it Divine truth is of an inflexible nature this crosseth another rule of theirs for they hold they may give what sense of Scripture they will and that the current of the present Church must judge of all former
but a little signe of grace in me Be not discouraged you know in wax though the stamp be almost out yet it is currant in Law notwithstanding Put the case the stamp of the Prince be an old Coyne is it not currant though it bee crackt Suppose the mark of the Spirit should bee dim and blurred scarce discernable in us this ought to bee our shame and griefe yet some evidences of grace are still remaining there are some sighes and groanes against corruption which may continually support us if we mourne in our spirits and doe not joyne with our lusts nor allow our selves in them this is a divine impression though it bee as it were almost worne out the more comfort wee desire the fresher she should keepe this seale of comfort And labour to grow in faith and obedience that we may reade our evidence cleerely that it be not over-growne with the dust of the world so as we cannot see it Sometimes Gods children have the graces of the Spirit in them yet they yeeld so much to feares and doubtings that they can read nothing but their corruption When we bid them puruse their evidences they can see nothing but worldlinesse nothing but pride and envie because they grieve the holy Spirit by their negligence and distrust Though there be a stamp in them yet God holds the soule from it and gives men up to mistake their estates for not stirring up the graces of his Spirit in them Honour God by beleeving and he will honour thee by stamping his Spirit more cleerely on thee what a comfort is it to have the evidence of a gratious soule at all times When a man carries about him the marke of the Spirit what in the world can discourage such a soule On the contrary if a man have not something above nature in him when death judgement comes how miserable is his condition If a man be a King or an Emperour of the World and have not an interest in Christs righteousnesse ere long he shall be stripped of all and adjudged to eternall torments Oh the excellency of mans soule a Jewell more to be prized then a Princes Diadem It is the solly of the times to set up curious Pictures but what a poore delight is this in comparison of the ambition of a true Christian to see the Image of Christ stamped in his soule to finde the joy of the Spirit and God speaking peace to his inner man The transforming of our selves into the image of Christ is the best Picture in the world therefore we should labour for the new creature that as we grow downeward one way we may grow up towards Heaven another that as the life of nature decayes so the spirituall life may bee more active and working It should be our daily study while we live in this world to attain that holinesse without which no man shall ever see God There is besides the common broad Seale of God his privie Seal What is the reason that many proud hearted persons are damned the truth is they are all for externall contentments and despise the ordinances of GOD for though they stand upon their admission into the Church upon the common seales and prerogatives which in themselves are excellent yet relying on these things overmuch betrayes many soules to the Devill in the time of distresse It is an other manner of seale than the outward seale in the Sacrament that must settle peace in the conscience When once the beginnings of faith are wrought in us then wee may with comfort thinke upon our receiving of the Communion but the speciall thing to be eyed is the hidden seale If the externall meanes work no inward sanctificatiō in our hearts we shall be the worse rather than the better for them yet we must not be so prophane as to think slightly of Gods Ordinances they are of great consequence For when Satan shakes the confidence of a Christian and saith Thou art an Hypocrite God doth not love thee these help us to hold out why saith the soule I can speak by experience that I have found the contrary the Lord hath removed my feares he hath pardoned my sinne and accepted my person he hath given me many Pretious Promises to support my spirit Here is the excellency of the Sacrament it comes more home to me it seales the generall Promises of God particularly to my selfe for finding the inward worke of the Spirit in my heart and God having strengthned my faith by the outward seale I can defie Satan with all his accusations and look death in the face with comfort We should labour therefore to observe Gods sealing dayes when he uses to manifest himselfe to his people which though it may be every day if wee be spiritually exercised yet it is in the Lords day more especially for then his ordinance and his Spirit go together Now there is a sealing of persons and of truths besides the sealing of our estates that we are the children of God there is a sealing of every particular truth to a Christian. For where there is grace to beleeve the truth God seales those truths firmely to that soule by the comforts of his Spirit For example this is a truth Whosoever beleeves in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life Now the same Spirit that stirs up the soule to beleeve this seales it fast upon the conscience even to death there is no promise but upon our beleeving the same it is sealed by God upon us for those truths only abide firme in the soule which the Holy Ghost sets on What is the reason that many forget their consolations the reason is they heare much but the Spirit settles nothing on their hearts What is the reason that lettered men many times stand out in their profession to blood whereas those that are more able and learned yeeld to any thing The reason is the knowledge of the one is set fast upon the soule the Spirit brings his seale and this mans knowledge close together whereas the learning and abilities of the other is only a discoursive thing swimming in the braine without any sollid foundation their knowledge of truths is not spiritual they see not heavenly things by heavenly but by a naturall light Those that would not apostatize must have a knowledge sutable to the things they know they must see spirituall things by the Spirit of GOD. Therefore when we come to heare the Word wee should not come with strong conceits of our owne to bring all to our wits but with reverent dispositions and dependance upon God that he would teach us together with his Ministers and close with his Ordinances so as to fasten truths upon our soules else shall wee never hold out for that which must stablish and quiet the soule must bee greater than the soule In time of tentations when the terrours of the Almighty encompasse us when God layes open our conscience and writes bitter things against us those
work he addes therefore after all his Seale to confirme us which Seale is not faith for the Apostle saith After you beleeved you were sealed where we see the work of faith and sealing distinguished first the soul is set in a good estate and then followes assurance and stablishment But what needs confirmation when we beleeve Is not faith confirmation enough when a man may know by a private reflect act of the soule that he is in the state of grace This act of ours in beleeving is oft terribly shaken and God is wondrous desirous that we should bee secure of his love hee knowes hee can have no glory nor we any solid peace else therfore when we by faith have sealed to his truth he sees that wee need further sealing that our faith be currant and good for all is little enough in the time of temptation the single witnesse of our soul is not strong enough in great assaults For sometimes the Spirit is so tossed and disquieted with temptations that we cannot reflect aright on our selves nor discerne what is in our own brests without much adoe therefore God first workes faith to apply the promise Whosoever beleeves in Christ shall be saved I beleeve in Christ therefore I shall be saved and then sealeth this beleefe with an addition of his holy Spirit for this sealing is a work upon beleeving an honouring of faith with a superadded confirmation How shall wee know that there is such a spirituall sealing in us I answer when we truly beleeve the Spirit of adoption reveales unto us that we are the sonnes of God by a secret whispering and intimation to the soule which the beleeving heart feeles better than I am able to expresse saying be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven there is a sweet kisse vouchsafed to the soule the Lord refresheth it with the light of his countenance and assures it that all enmity is now slaine I am thy salvation thou art for ever mine and I am thine because thou beleevest behold thou art honoured to be my child Againe the Spirit of adoption quickens and fils the soule with heavenly ejaculations to God it stirs up servent supplications to cry Abba Father The soule when it truly beleeves hath a bold and familiar speech to God There are two things in the prayer of a Christian that are incompetible with a carnall man there is first an inward confidence and secondly an carnestnesse in the soule whereby he goes to God as a Child to his loving Father not considering his owne worthinesse or meanes but the constant love that is bore to him This spirituall speech of God to the soule and of the soule to God is an evident demonstration of our truth in grace because we can do that which no Hypocrite in the world can attaine to Thirdly this sealing of the Spirit after wee beleeve is knowne by the worke of Sanctification which it effecteth in us the holy Spirit seales our spirits by stamping the likenesse of Christ upon us so as when a man finds in his soule some lineaments of the heavenly Image he may know therby that hee is translated from death to life when he finds his heart subdued to humility and obedience to such a holy and gratious frame as Christs was he may cleerely discerne that he hath something more than the Old man in him when a man can say naturally I am proud but now I can abase my selfe naturally I am full of malice now I can love and pray heartily for my enemies naturally I am lumpish dead-hearted now I can joy in the Holy Ghost naturally I am apt to distrust the Lord and be discontented with my condition now I can rest securely upon his Promise and Providence sin hath been my delight now it is my sorrow and heart-breaking I finde somewhat contrary to corruption in me I carry the Image of the second Adam about me now I say whosoever hath this blessed change may rest assured of his right to happinesse Know you not that Christ is in you except you be reprobates saith the Apostle A Christian that upon a through search finds something of Christ alwayes in his soule can never want a sweet evidence that he is sealed to the day of redemption The fourth way is by the joy of the Spirit which is the beginning of Heaven as it were and a possessing of glory before our time there are few of Gods children but in the cours of their pilgrimage first or last have this divine impression wrought in them enlarging and ravishing their soules to joy in the Almighty Yet this is especially seene after conflict when the soule hath combated with some strong corruption or temptation To him that overcomes wll I give of the hidden Mannah saith Christ and a white stone which none can reade but he that hath it that is hee shall have assurance that he is in the state of grace and the sweet savour of goodnesse it selfe shall be his portion usually God gives comfort after wee have conflicted with some sinfull disposition and have got the victory as we see in Iob after God had exercised that Champion a long time at the last hee discovered himself in a glorious manner to him In the midst of afflictions when a Christian is under great crosses and God sees hee must bee supported with spirituall strength or else he sinks then he puts in with supply from above when the creature cannot help us the Creator of all things will Thus Paul in the midst of the Dungeon being sealed with the Spirit sang at midnight when he was in the Stocks and so David in the midst of persecution Daniel in a Lions Den the three Children in the fiery furnace c. God doth as Parents smile on their little ones when they are sick and dejected hee reserves his choisest comforts for the greatest exigents when God hath a great worke for his children to doe or some sharpe suffering for them to undergoe as an incouragement before-hand hee oft enlargeth their spirits that they may be able to go through all As our Saviour Christ had Iames and Iohn with him upon the Mountaine to strengthen thē against his ensuing suffering Let us then examine our selves by that which hath beene delivered hath God spoken to thy soule and said I am thy salvation thy sinnes are remitted and thy person received into my favour doth God stirre up thy spirit to call upon him especially in extremity and to go with boldnesse and earrestnesse to his Throne Surely this is an evidence of the seale of the Spirit for who ever wants this cannot look God in the face when distresse is upon him Saul in this case goes to the Witch and Achitophel to desperate conclusions Iudas in extremity we see what becomes of him So every one that hath not this sealing of the Spirit to whom God speakes not peace by shedding abroad the love of Christ in his heart must needs
truths that most satisfie the soule at such a time must be above the naturall capacity of the soule therefore saith the Apostle It is God that establishes and God by his Spirit that seales us up unto the day of redemption because divine truths of themselves in the bare letter cannot stirre up the heart it is only the blessed Spirit which is above our spirits that must quiet the conscience in all perplexities the Lord can soone still the soule when he settles spirituall truths upon it therefore go to him in thy distresse and trouble of minde send up ejaculations to God that hee would seale the comfort revealed in his word to thy soule that as it is true in it selfe so it may be true to thee likewise This is a necessary observation for us all Oh we desire in the houre of death to finde some comforts that bee standing comforts that may uphold us against Hell and judgement Know that nothing will do this but spirituall truths spiritually knowne but holy truths set on by the Holy Ghost upon the soule Oft therfore enter into thine heart and examine upon what grounds and motives thou beleevest Consider well what it is thou beleevest and upon what evidences and withwhat light otherwise expect not to find sollid peace What course may a Christian generally take when hee wants comfort and inward refreshing There are in 1 Iohn 5. three witnesses in heaven three in earth to secure us of our estate in grace The three witnesses in heaven are the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost And the three witnesses in earth are the Spirit the Water and Bloud and these three on earth and those three in heaven agree in one Now by the Spirit here is meant the feelings and sweet motions thereof the water may well be the Laver of Sanctification by bloud is understood the sufferings of Christ for our justification When therefore wee find that extraordinarie seale I spake of before the joyes of the Spirit of God that it is not in us What shall we doe shall wee despaire then No then goe to the water when the witnesse of the Spirit is silent goe to the work of the Spirit see what gracious dispositions are found in thee I but what shall we do if the waters be troubled in the soule as some times there is such a confusion that we cannot see the Image of God upon it in sanctification Then goe to the bloud there is alwayes comfort goe to the fountaine set open for Iudah and Ierusalem to wash in that is never dry If we find much sinne upon our consciences and no peace in our hearts apply the bloud of sprinkling that will give rest When thou findest nothing but corruption and filthinesse in thy soule when thou seest neither joy nor sanctification of Spirit goe to the Lord Jesus and hee will purge thee from all guilt and wash thee with clean water But to goe on Who hath sealed us and given us the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts This is the third word borrowed from humane Contracts to set forth Gods gracious work in the soule Annointing wee had before sealing now here is earnest The variety of expression shewes there is a great remainder of unbeliefe in the soule of man which causeth the blessed Spirit to use so many words to manifest Gods mind and assure the soule of salvation stablishing annointing sealing and earnest And indeed so it is howsoever we in the time of prosperity when all things goe well with us are apt to presume our estate is good yet in the houre of death when conscience is awaked we are prone to nothing so much as to call all in question and beleeve the lies and doubts and feares of our owne deceitfull hearts more than the undoubted truth and promise of God Therefore the Lord takes all courses to establish us he gives us rich and pretious promises hee gives us the holy Spirit to confirme us in those promises he seales us with that Spirit and gives us a comfortable earnest thereof and all to settle these wretched unbeleeving hearts of ours So desirous is God that wee should be well conceited of him that hee loves us better than wee love our selves Hee prizeth our love so much that he labours by all meanes to secure us of our eternall welfare as knowing that except we apprehend his love to us wee can never love him againe nor delight in him as we ought to doe Now the Spirit is an earnest of our inheritance in heaven wee are sonnes here indeed but wee are not heires invested into the blessed estate we have title to God doth notkeep all our happinesse till another world but gives us somewhat to comfort us in our absence from our husband hee gives us the Holy Ghost in our hearts as a pledge of that glorious condition which wee shall one day have eternally with him this is the meaning of the words But to shew you more particularly In what regard the Spirit is called an earnest First of all you know an earnest is used for security of a Contract So the holy Spirit doth secure us of the blessed estate we shall have in heaven for ever Secondly an earnest is part of the bargaine a part of the whole which is secured though it be a very little part yet it is a part So it is with the Spirit of God in its gracious work upon our hearts the joy of the Spirit is a part of that full joy and happinesse which shall bee revealed hereafter to us Thirdly an earnest is little in comparison of the whole So the Spirit in the work and graces therof is little in regard of that fulnesse which wee shall have in heaven But though an earnest be smal in it selfe yet it is great in security A shilling secures a bargaine of a thousand pound we see Wee value an earnest not for its owne worth so much as for that which it is a pledge of for the excellent bargaine and rich possession which it doth interest us unto So the Spirit of God with its blessed effects in the soule the joy and peace of the Spirit chearing and reviving perplexed sinners this earnest I say though it be little in it selfe yet it is great to us in respect of the assurance that we have by it Againe it hath the terme of an earnest because an arnest is given rather for the security of the party that receives it than in regard of him that gives it So God gives us the earnest of his Spirit grace and comfort in this life not so much for God for hee meanes to give us heaven and happinesse when wee are dissolved As he hath passed his promise so hee will undoubtedly performe the same Hee is Lord and Master of his word Hee is Jehovah that gives a being to his word as well as to every other thing But notwithstanding having to doe with mistrustfull
unbeleeving men hee is pleased to condiscend to our weaknesse hee stoops to the lowest capacity and frames his speech to the understanding of the simplest soule for which purpose this terme of earnest is here borrowed In these respects the Spirit of God together with the graces of it and the comforts it brings for they are not divided is called an earnest And thus having cleared the point we will observe this doctrine for our further instruction That a Christian ought to be and may be assured of his interest in God because as I said before an earnest is given not so much for Gods sake as for our sakes this then must needs follow from hence Either none have this earnest or else those that have it may be assured of their comfortable condition Otherwise God is fickle and playes fast and loose with his children which is blasphemy to affirme Besides if none have this earnest then the Apostle speaks false when he saith God hath stablished us and given us the earnest of his Spirit which is horrible impiety once to conceive If this be so then either such as have this seale and earnest of the Spirit may be assured of their estate in grace or not And if not where is the fault Will not God really and truly vouchsafe unto his people this earnest of the Spirit in their hearts Vndoubtedly he will he is desirous that wee should be perswaded of his love in all things and therefore we may and ought to bee assured of his favour towards us S. Iohns whole Epistle containes little else but sundry markes evidences how we may know that wee are the children of God wherefore was Christ himselfe sealed of the Father to the Office of Mediatour wherefore did he die and rise againe and wherefore doth hee still make intercession for us in Heaven that wee should doubt of Gods love when as he hath given us that which is greater than salvation yea greater than al the world even his owne Sonne no certainly can we desire a more ample testimony of his favour than he hath already bestowed upon us Is it not the errand of all Gods mercies to bring us neerer to him selfe that we should not doubt of his love but rest securely upon him why then doe we distrust the Almighty who is truth it selfe and never failed any Yet we must know that Christians have not at all times alike assurance of their interest for there is an infancy of grace where in we are ignorant of our own condition And there is a time of desertion when as God to make us looke better to our footing leaves us a little as if he would forsake us quite when indeed hee onely withdrawes his assistance for a while to make us cleave the closer to him There be also certain seasons wherin though we are assured of Gods favor yet we have no feeling or apprehension of the same which differeth in Christians much according as they are more or lesse sensible of their estates Some againe use not that care and diligence in the use of meanes which God requires whereupon they are justly deprived of that inward peace and comfort which others enjoy There is a difference likewise in growth and continuance in Christianity some are strong Christians and some weak answerable whereunto is the difference of assurance of Gods love usually in the hearts of his people Nay it s possible that for a long time the Lords Iewels his redeemed ones may want this blessed comfort For wee must conceive there is a double act of faith First an act whereby a poore distressed sinner casts himselfe upon God as reconciled to him in Christ. Secondly there is a reflect act whereby knowing that wee rely upon the truth and promise of the Almighty we have assurance of his favour Now a man may performe the one act and not the other many of the Saints sometimes can hardly say that they have any assurance but yet notwithstanding they will daily cast themselves upon the rich mercy and free grace of God in Jesus Christ. Besides there are many things which may hinder this act of assurance because together with beleeving God may present such things to my minde as may so damp and disquiet my soule that I cannot have any definitive thoughts about that which God would especially have mee to thinke upon As when God will humble a man he takes not away the Spirit of faith wholly from him but sets before such a sinfull creature his anger and sore displeasure together with the hellish torments and paines of the damned as due to his soule which makes him for the present to be in an estate little differing from the Reprobate so that he is far from saying he hath any assurance at that time yet notwithstanding he doth not leave off nor renounce his confidence but casts himselfe upon Gods mercy still Though the Lord kill him yet will he trust in him although he sees nothing but terror wrath before him This God doth to tame our presumption and prepare us for the enjoyment of his future glory If we feele not sense of assurance it is good to blesse God for what we have Wee cannot denie but God offers himselfe in mercy to us and that hee intends our good thereby for so we ought to construe his mercifull dealing towards us and not have him in jealousie without ground Had wee but willing hearts to praise God for that which we cannot but acknowledge comes from him he will bee ready in his time to shew himself more cleerely to us We taste of his goodnesse many wayes it is accompanied with much patience and these in their natures should leade us not only to repentance but to neerer dependance on him we ought to follow that which God leads us unto though he hath not yet acquainted us with his secrets These things we must observe that we give not a false evidence against our selves though wee have not such assurance as wee have had yet alwayes there is some ground in us whereupon we may bee comforted that wee are Gods children could we but search into it Let us not then be negligent in labouring for the same and in the Lords good time we shall certainly obtaine it it is the prophanenesse of the world that they improve not those helpes which God hath afforded for this purpose Nay they had rather stagger and take contentment in their own wayes saying If God will love mee in a loose licentious course so it is but I will not give diligence to make my calling and election sure I will never barre my selfe of such profits and delights nor forsake all chiefly to minde spirituall things Whereas wee ought constantly to endeavour for assurance of grace that God may have honour from us and we the more comfort from him againe that we may live in the world above the world and passe cheerefully through the manifold troubles and
suffered Adam to have fallen but for his owne further glory in the manifestation of his justice and mercy and for the greater felicity of his servants in Christ their Mediatour The next spirituall evill is the corruption of nature remaining in all mankinde howsoever broken and subdued in the Lords deere ones this worketh for the best to them after this manner First it serveth to make us see and know we are kept by God how that we are not the keepers of our owne selves but are kept by his power through faith unto salvation For were it not that God upholds and sustaines us our corruptions would soone overturn us but the sight of corruption being sanctified to the soule causeth us to ground our comfort out of our selves in Christ and no whit to rely on any thing that is in us Our corruptions are also good to abase the pride of our natures and let us see the naughtinesse of our spirits that we may be humbled before GOD. And it is good we should have something within us to make us weary of the world else when wee have run out our race we shal be unwilling to depart hence Now our bondage to this naturall corruption serves exceedingly to make us mourne for our sinfull disposition and hunger after our God to be joyned with him as we see in S. Pauls exam ple Rom. 17. where finding the rebellion of his nature and the strise that was in him the flesh lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh he cryes out saying Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death and seeketh to God in Christ for mercy strait Sometimes God suffers corruption to break out of us that we mayknow our selves the better and because corruption is weakned not only by smothering but many times by having a vent whereupon grace stirs up in the soule a fresh hatred and revenge against it and lets us see a necessity of having whole Christ not only to pardon sinne but to purge and cleanse our defiled natures But yet that which is ill it selfe must not be done for the good that comes by it by accident this must be a comfort after our surprizals not an encouragement before It is our great consolation that our nature is perfect in Christ who hath taken our nature upon him and satisfied Divine justice not only for the sinne of our lives but for the sin of our natures who will finish his owne worke in us and never give over till by his Spirit he hath made our natures holy and pure as his owne till he hath taken away not only the reigne but the very life and being of sinne out of our hearts To which end he leaves his Spirit and truth in the Church to the end of the world that the seed of the Spirit may subdue the seed of the Serpent in us and that the Spirit may be a never failing spring of al holy thoughts desires and endeavours in us and dry up the contrary issue and spring of corrupt nature Lastly it is good that corruption should still remaine in us that the glory of God may the more appeare when as Satan that great and strong enemy of mankinde shall be foiled and overturned by a weak and poore Christian who is full of corruptions and that through the strength of faith though mixed with much distrust for a Christian in the state of sinne and corruption to overcome the great adversary of mankinde what a wonderment is it It tendeth much to the shame and dishonour of that fiery Dragon that weake and sinfull man should be his conquerour Oh how it confounds him to think that a graine of Mustardseed should bee stronger than the Gates of Hell that it should be able to remove Mountaines of oppositions and temptations cast up by Satan and our rebellious hearts betweene God and us Abi meleck could not endure that it should be said a Woman had slaine him and it must needs be a torment to Sathan that a weake Child a decrepid old man should by a spirit of faith put him to flight A third kinde of spirituall ill â—f sin are the things that issue out of this cursed stock and those are either inward or outward For inward sins they are eithers errours or doubt ings or pride or wrath or such like And first for doubtings of the truth this makes Gods servants often more resolute to seek and search out the same and to stand afterwards more firme and couragious for it For if wee doubted not of things we should not afterwards bee put out of doubt nor seek to be better grounded and instructed in them The Corinthians doubted once of the Resurrection but were ever after better resolved in that Doctrine the benefit whereof hath much redounded to the Churches good ever since Thomas had the like wavering disposition but this doubting more manifested the truth Luther being a Monk at the first and not fully grounded in the Doctrine of the Gospell did therefore suspect himselfe the more and wished all men after him to reade his writings warily The Doctrine of the Trinity hath formerly been much doubted of and therefore hath bin with the greater paines and study of worthy men then living in the Church more evidently prooved And when the Pelagians grew into Heresies they were by S. Augustine gainesayd and very strongly withstood So the doctrine of the Church of Rome being branched into divers erronious opinions and broached to the great hurt and prejudice of Christians hath occasioned the truth of God against them to bee the more excellently cleered and made knowne For when Religion is oppugned it is time then to hold fast as the Apostle S. Iude saith with both hands the Word and to fight for the faith that so wee may know both what to hold and upon what ground we oppose Heresie Now for inward sinnes as anger covetousnesse distrust and such like these often proove advantagious to the Saints their corruptions are a meanes of their humiliation Paul and Barnabas having a breach betweene them were so exasperated that they forsook each others company by which means it came to passe that the Church was more instructed than before And hence wee may see what the best men are in themselves If Luther had had no infirmities how would men have attributed to him above measure as we see they were ready to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas which shewes us that even the distempers and weaknesses of Gods servants are disposed by Divine Providence to their eternall welfare Yea God often suffereth his children to fall into some outward grosse sinnes that by meanes thereof they might bee humbled and abased and in the end be cured of that provoking sinne of being proud in spirit The falling of Gods children doth much deject them and bring them upon their knees with shame It makes them gentle and meek in the reprehension of their brethren for having