the promises of God are generall particular reall personall conditionall free temporall eternall who can go through them all The Apostle saith that the Angels looke with amazement at the mysterie of our redemption to behold the infinite oddes betwixt Gods greatnesse and our vilenesse so to let passe the great and precious promises of his word and Spirit the care and ministery of his Angels and creatures and to consider that our very corrections shall do vs good Psal 94.12 that he will turne our beds in our sicknesse Psal 41. take care of the haires of our heads Matth. 10. Matth. 10.30 it will driue vs to astonishment to consider for there is no end of his goodnesse The heathen Captaine which had care to wash his souldiers wounds they could not sufficiently honour him with praises surely if the God of glorie and Captaine of his Church should do such and so great things for vs let vs say with Saint Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 11.33 O the deepnesse of the riches both of the wisedome and loue of God and his wayes that are past finding out Thus farre we haue dealt in these promises at rouers as I may say and now to bring them home to our hearts which are the true marke Vse 1 Are these promises rarae inauditae Let vs hence learne to ioy in the same Oh how sweete are thy words vnto my throate yea sweeter then honey vnto my mouth Psal 119.103 And againe Thy testimonies haue I claimed as mine heritage for euer for they are the very ioy of my heart Psal 119.111 Thus Sara reioyced and called others to reioyce with her Gen. 21.6 God hath caused me to reioyce all that heare will reioyce with me Luk. 1.46 My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour this is the song of that blessed euer Virgin mother who reioyced in these promises Secondly are they certissimae Then let vs beleeue and trust in them by the example of our father Abraham who beleeued aboue hope So though they are aboue beside contrary to reason yet knowing that God is powerfull and able faithfull and so ready to make his promise good let vs be strengthened in faith and giue glorie to God Rom. 4.17 Yea and in the second place trust and relie on his promised mercies for hereby we haue accesse to challenge God both for safetie and saluation Thus Moses is bold to charge God with his promise on the behalfe of Israel Exod. 32.13 Remember Abraham Isaac and Iacob to whom thou swarest c. and it followeth ver 14. Then the Lord changed his mind from the euill c. An instance of like nature we haue in Deut. 9.27 Dauid had the like refuge in extremitie Lord where are thy former mercies which thou swarest to Dauid in thy truth Psal 89.49 Calling to minde therefore the certaintie of these promises let vs by the example of Iacob commit our selues to Gods tuition and defence Gen. 32.9 for they are certissimae 3. Are they Gratuitae the free donations of his goodnesse mercy Then where are the blind merits of Monks and Friars and the workes of supererogation of insolent Iesuites their pretended merits either of condignitie or congruity are altogether repugnant to the freedome of these promises a debt of desert as hire to a labourer or of duty as of thankfulnesse to a benefactour farre be it that we should claime any such due from God to vs for to vs belongeth shame and confusion Gen. 32.10 being lesse then the least of Gods mercies It is his great mercie that we are not consumed and therefore in all these promises Psal 115.1 Not vnto vs Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glorie 4. Are they magnae pretiosae Hence then let vs learne to be thankfull When one told Dauid Sauls intendment to make him his sonne in law he answered For what Seemeth it a small thing vnto you to be sonne in law to a King Sam. 18.18 what am I or what is my life or the familie of my father in Israel that I should be sonne in law to a King His case fits with ours but in some respects it doth not for what comparison betwixt Dauid and vs or analogy twixt God and Saul Dauid had deserued well of his countrey and againe though he were sonne in law yet should not be heire to the Crowne but for our selues I say not what am I but what are we or our fathers house was not our father an Amorite and our mother an Hittite drowned in superstition sold vnto sinne and full of ignorance I say of the best which can best expresse his mind and meaning that he cannot expresse his owne vnworthinesse And betwixt God and Saul what should I say who is the Saul of Sauls in whose respect all the Princes of the earth are but washpots vnto whom the Angels are ministers accounting it their greatest honour to do him seruice yea and the heauens and the earth do bow downe vnto him yet vs tantillos tales so weake and so vnworthy hath he crowned with his honours to make vs sonnes and daughters to himselfe to reigne and rule for euer in his glory Praise ye the Lord therefore all ye his Saints for it becometh the Saints right well to be thankfull 5. Are they Futurae of good things to come Then it behoueth vs expectare impletionem to waite on his mercies vntill he heare vs helpe vs heale vs and crowne vs Patientia vobis opus est Heb. 10.36 Ye haue need of patience that when you haue done the will of God you might inherite the promise therefore must we become followers of them which through faith and patience Heb. 12.1 obtained the promises 6. And lastly are they so generall speciall such as hath bene said tam augustissimae so glorious and in extent so large and liberall Let vs then make the same vse of them which the Apostle here maketh in this place viz. Let vs obey them Let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit Where in the transition of the point from the Antecedent Seeing we haue these promises to the Consequent let vs cleanse our selues c. Doct. obserue The promises of God in Christ are the ground of obedience the Apostle therefore to this purpose maketh the same connexion Tit. 2.11 The grace of God which bringeth saluation to all men hath appeared and teacheth vs to deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and that we should liue godlily and righteously and soberly in this present world the grace of God teacheth vs not to do vngodlines but to deny it to cleanse our selues from all the outrages and vngodlinesse of the hand and tong yea and all sinfull lusts of the heart that we should liue towards God piè towards others iustè and to our selues sobriè The grace of God teacheth vs to do euē so as I haue said The
Abraham to Moses Gen. 17.4 from Moses to Christ Luk. 18.5 Luk. 20,27 Gal. 4.4 Exod. 14.10 Heb. 9.15 And in the fulnesse of time God sent our Sauiour according to his promise Luk. 1. 54. Act. 3.12 and our Sauiour Christ did mightily shew himselfe to be the Sonne of God and the Redeemer of his people Israel Luk. 24 19. in whō all the prophecies promises and figures did meet as many lines in the center These promises also The Apostle doth alledge onely two texts of these promises which are like the grapes and fruites of Eschol which the spies brought from the land of Canaan as if he should say By these few you may taste and see how sweete the Lord is and if I should labour to go through them all I suppose they are moe in number then the haires of my head and the plenty of them would beget want of strength in me to deliuer them Moses the man of God doth giue vs to wit 1. Promissiones rarae that these promises are first Rarae inauditae worthy his performance onely who in all things with his holy arme doth get himselfe the victorie Psal 98.2 Who would haue thought that a wombe of ninety yeares barrennesse should be a ioyfull mother of children God promised it Gen. 17.17 and he performed it Gen. 21.6 Who would imagine that God would bring Israel out of Aegypt thus as it is said and after so strange a maner by tentations by signes and by wonders by warre by a mightie hand and by a stretched out arme and by great terrors according to all that the Lord did for them in Aegypt Deut. 4.34 Who could haue thought that the Red sea should be diuided or Iordan driuē back Exod. 14.21 Iosh 10.12 Exod. 16.13 Num. 20.8 or the Moon should stay her course and the Sunne forget his going downe that Manna should be rained from heauen that liuing waters should flow from the flintie rocke These things God promised Exod. 3.19 and these and greater then these the Lord hath done in their due season for he is the God who made all things of nothing which quickneth the dead and calleth those things which are not as though they were Rom. 4.17 2. 2. Promissiones certissime Mal. 3.6 Most sure and certaine as proceeding from the eternitie and immutabilitie of his will and verity with whom is no change nor shadow of changing God saith concerning him that promiseth by vow or oath Implebit omne quod promisit Numb 30.3 He shall not breake his promise but do according to all that he hath promised And shall the Lord say and not do it promise and not performe it Surely God shall as soone not be himselfe as his proceedings not be the truth he were not omnipotent but impotent if it were otherwise Therfore the Apostle doth thus stile him God that cannot lie Tit. 1.2 The faithfull God Deut. 7.8 with whom is no change his promises are therefore Yea and Amen 2. Cor. 1.20 certissimae 3. 3. Promissiones gratuitae Gratuitae the effects of his mercie and goodnesse without any merite or desert of ours Deut. 7.7 He set not his loue vpon you saith Moses to Israel nor chose you because you were moe in number then other people for you were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loued you c. And in the riches of his mercie God chose this people first and his first promise he made to them Leuit. 26.12 I will walke with you I will be your God and you shall be my people yea and enlargeth the same Ier. 31.1 I will be the God of all the families of Israel and they shal be my people c. When Adam sinned against God God had compassion towards him yea when he maketh Gods liberalitie the patrone of his iniquitie saying The woman which thou gauest me c. then did he promise The seed of the woman should breake the Serpents head Genes 3.12 These and the like are gratuitae promissiones without any precedent merit of man as a motiue to moue him thereunto the free donations and enlargements of his goodnesse and bountie 4. 4. Promissiones magnae pretiosae Magnae pretiosae so Saint Peter teacheth vs to esteem them 2. Pet. 1.3 For these that our God will be with vs wheresoeuer we go ruling and assisting vs in whatsoeuer we do these are magnae pretiosae Oh how sweete are thy promises Exod. 5.18 Psal 119. He ruleth vs according to his promise not as Pharaoh ruled Israel with a rod of iron toyling them in their taskes of bricke allowing no straw but he commands vs weldoing and helpes vs to do it and when our seruice is done of dutie herein his bountifull dealing passeth our conceiuing when for a broken seruice on earth he makes a promise of heauen not as they are now subiect to corruption 2. Pet. 3.10 For the heauens shall passe away with a noise and the elements shall be consumed with heate but as they shall be then refined most glorious and stable for the comfort and crowning of his Saints Magnae pretiosae So that as a Father saith The children of God hauing tasted hereof in the life to come do mourne and grieue in the heauens that their repentance was no sooner their thankfulnesse no more and their obedience no greater to glorifie God on earth so that as it is said of the glorious Church Quà m mirabilia de te narrantur ô Ciuitas Dei Oh how great and wonderfull things are spoken of thee O thou Citie of God! such are his promises according to the excellencie of his wisedome and power Magnae pretiosae And in the fift place that we may inherite the promises 5. Promissiones futurae I must informe you that they are futurae viz. of things to come the promises of hope Our life saith Paul is hid with Christ and it appeares not what we shall be Peraduenture some will say better to haue something certaine But to them I say our hope is not a dead but a liuely hope 1. Pet. 1.3 2. Pet 3.8 not depending vpon man whose breath is in his nostrils but vpon our God with whom one day is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day The Apostle saith God is faithfull and We know whom we haue beleeued If our life therefore be a warfare our hope is an helmet Eph. 6. if a sea-faring hope is our anchor to stay our ships in danger Act. 27.33 till the day appeare Act. 28. And in a word in all things this is our stay God is faithfull he hath promised and will performe it but all in his due time his I say and not ours Psal 40.1 that we should keepe our soules still waiting on the Lord therefore they are futurae 6. 6. Promissiones augustissimae To comprise many in one and not to totall all in iust account in briefe
world who from the promises of God take libertie to sinne For God and the world are contrary and it is to be obserued that Gods Saints out of his promises deduce arguments of obedience which worldly libertines do not I wil dwell among you I will walke with you I will be your God I will be your Father c. these are Gods promises and the Apostle reades them in feare and feeling Seeing we haue these promises let vs cleanse our selues but the world reades them in licentiousnes Seeing we haue these promises let vs defile our selues Psal 130.4 There is mercie with God therefore shall he be feared saith Dauid therefore we need not feare him saith the world The time of our abiding here is short therefore let vs vse the world as though we vsed it not 1. Cor. 7.29 saith the Apostle but let vs vse it while we haue it 1. Cor. 15.32 Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die saith the libertine These things being thus I do the lesse wonder to reade what is written Know ye not my brethren that the wisedome of the world is foolishnesse and the loue of the world is enmitie with God Iam. 4. By which opposition you may perceiue that there are two sorts of men here aimed at the former such as are not named nor worthy the naming which promise themselues libertie and yet are themselues the seruants of corruption 2. Pet. 2.19 Who turne the grace of God into wantonnesse beasts without reason men without humanitie as bad as the horse and mule which haue no vnderstanding their consciences are feared with an hote iron and are setled on the lees of their iniquities which make a mocke of Gods promises and say Where is the promise of his coming 2. Pet. 3.3 beasts led in sensualitie which haue giuen themselues to worke vncleannesse euen with greedinesse Ephes 4. a generation of vipers and vicious brood Math. 23.33 more degenerate then Nebuchadnezzar from a King to a beast for whom is reserued the damnation of hell Be not therefore companions with them for you were once darknesse but now are you light in the Lord Eph. 5.7 and therefore labour to be of them which are the children of light the sonnes of God and heires with Christ according to these promises in whom resteth the spirit of feare and feeling Prou. 28.14 Lastly that we may so do as the promises moue and teach vs viz. forsake sinne and embrace holinesse let vs euermore consider the sufferings of Christ for sinne and his promises mouing him thereunto Can the adulterer take delight in the sinne of the flesh considering his flesh that was wounded for his sinnes Could the voluptuous and feathered gallants take such surfets of pleasure seeing Christ sweating and shedding streames of water bloud Could the horseleach the vnsatiable seruant of Mammon say as the Poet saith Populus me sibilat mihi plaudo ipse domi so blesse himselfe in his wretched gettings and know Christ pierced to the heart for getting of them Or can we heare of his bleeding and suffering and yet continue in sinning Can we loue that which God at all times and in all places hath so protested that he hates He could not endure it in heauen Angeli detruduntur the Angels were throwne downe headlong for it he could not endure it on earth Christus crucifigitur his owne Sonne died for it nor yet in hell Inferni cruciantur whole legions are tormented for it Let vs therfore deale with sinne for his sake as he was dealt withall for ours The Iewes pursued him in his life crucified him in his death Math. 27.60 Augustine and when he was dead rolled a stone vpon him so let vs as Augustine counselleth vpon the crosse of repentance betweene these two grand theeues the world and the flesh crucifie sinne pursue it in the rising resist it in the growing rest not vntill we haue killed it and then as neuer safe enough let vs rolle a stone vpon it neuer to reuiue the same or the like againe And in conclusion Seeing we haue these promises merits and mercies for the remission of sinnes let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit an grow vp to full holinesse in the feare of God My text you see hath brought vs now from the antecedent promises to the consequent inferred Let vs cleanse c. Which conclusion is a sure perswasion to a regenerate life wherein is contained the two parts of sanctification 1. Remotio mali Let vs cleanse our selues from c. 2. Substitutio boni And grow vp to full holinesse c. Furthermore in the conclusion obserue the two generall parts of a proposition 1. Subiectum Vs Let vs cleanse c. 2. Praedicatum in the two parts forenamed Remotione mali Let vs cleanse c. Substitutione boni And grow vp to c. To take them then in order as they are propounded And first of the Subiectum Vs. Subiectum Vs If we enquire who are here meant we shall finde them the same with the former We viz. Paul and the Corinthians beleeuers these are they that must cleanse themselues From whence obserue There is drosse in the best Doctr. euen the most regenerate and that in all the parts and powers of the flesh and spirit All flesh is as grasse Iam. 1.10 and full of frailties there is no come but may be blasted and no soule but may be corrupted In the fairest rose a man may find a canker euen so the holiest man hath his gifts with sundry imperfections The stoutest man may haue a fall and the iust man falls seuen times a day Whosoeuer then is without sinne let him cast the first stone at his fellow in many things saith the Apostle we sinne all And therefore saith Iob though a iust man If I shall iustifie my selfe my owne mouth shall condemne me if I will put forth my selfe for a perfect man he will proue me a wicked doer Iob 9.20 And Dauid to like purpose though a man after Gods owne heart cries out Heale my soule O Lord for I haue sinned against thee 1. Ioh. 1.10 And who so faith that he is without sinne is a lier and the truth is not in him 1. Ioh. 1.10 There is sinne therefore in the godly aswell as the vngodly but with difference the one sinnes of infirmity the other with consent and approbation in the one sin dwels peccatum inhabitans in the other it reignes Peccatum inhabitans regnans peccatum regnans It is in the godly as a fire which he laboureth to quench but in the wicked a consuming fire which he takes pleasure to kindle Of the godly Saint Iohn saith they commit not sinne 1. Ioh. 3. 9. Howsoeuer they offend yet it is with reluctation of spirit they are preuented and ouertaken vnawares Gal. 6.1 But the wicked commit sinne and continue therein but their commtitimus
ioyne their forces as well tuned Cymbals Praise thou the Lord ô my soule al that is within me praise his holy name Reason Because God created both He hath made vs and not we our selues Psal 100. And therefore are we due vnto his seruice Totum fecit saith Augustine totum exigit August He made all and therefore will he haue all not a peece of thy heart nor a roome in the heart but thy whole heart not a member of thy body or some parts of thy body but the whole man Redde Caesari qua Caesaris sunt Math. 22 21. giue him I say the whole for it is due vnto him The whole body mortified from sinne and thy whole heart purged by faith bathed in the bloud of the Lambe and cleansed by the fire of the spirit Not an old heart nor a corrupt heart but a new heart and a new spirit for which the Prophet Dauid begged Create in me a new heart O Lord and renew a right spirit within me Psal 51.10 Vse 1 1. This teacheth vs that sinne is there to be rooted our where it had beginning which is from the heart For out of the heart proceede thefts adulteries murders c. Out of the abundance of the heart the tongue speaketh Math. 15 19. Math. 12.34 the hand workâ—th the foote walketh and therefore saith Ieremy 4. Wash thine heart ô Ierusalem from all wickednesse The Prophet findeth not fault so much that euill thoughts came in but that they stayed there A foolish heart therefore is compared to the axle tree in the wheele which continually turneth and yet staieth in the wheele so the thoughts of an euill heart are not expelled but turned ouer therefore the onely meanes to cleanse our bodies is to cleanse our hearts and the onely meanes to cleanse our hearts is to let the feare of God keepe the doore of our hearts Let vs therefore consider Quid amisimus viz. our owne freedome Cui offendimus God our maker Et quò tendimus to hell and damnation Let vs cleanse therefore our flesh and spirit frequentieiectione of euill thoughts receiued diligenti euitatione of all enticements sedula repressione of all carnall concupiscence And we must do it speedily for if a garment be stained it will easily be cleansed if it be washed presently a coale will not burne if thou hold it not too long therefore we should learne wisedome of the worldly who in their generation are wiser then the children of light who if any flouds or inundations are likely to endanger their lands or houses they vse all meanes to turne the current of the streames another way and so should we turne the current of our flesh and spirit moouing vs to euill orando meditando laborando semper aliquid bone operando it a vt diabolus cum veniat iuuentat nos semper occupatos Either by thinking vpon the passion of Christ or of the ioyes of heauen or of the paines of hell or in the performance of the duties of our callings or in powring out our prayers vnto God alwaies labouring good and these will turne the current of our hearts another way 2. If we must cleanse our bodies and soules and giue both to Gods seruice what shall I say them of the Papists who will serue the Lord onely in their bodily exercises their beade-prayers worship in an vnknown tong their knocking kneeling crossing creeping crouching turnings lifting vp and letting downe their blockish Roode and kissing their painted Paxe their holy water sprinkling their going on pilgrimage bare footed and bare legged their whipping themselues on Saints eues and such their superstitious fooleries are meerely outward exercises which as concerning the flesh haue a shew of holinesse in voluntary religion and not sparing of the flesh but haue no such power Colos 2.23 For bodily exercise profiteth nothing 1. Tim. 4.8 3 3. Esa 29.13 With these may I ranke the hypocrits of our times which serue the Lord in shew and not in truth which draw neare to God with their mouthes but their hearts are farre from him such are the knee-praiers and lip-labours of our time-seruing hearers which outwardly professe Christ but inwardly Belial Christians onely in name Saints onely in shew of which Saint Bernard speakes Multi sunt oues habitu vulpes actu crudelitate lupi Bernard Sheepe in shew foxes in deede and wolues in cruelty for an hypocrite hath vulpem in cerebro miluum in manu lupum in corde a foxe in his braine a kite in his hand and a wolfe in his heart A foxe in his braine subtill and crafty to insnare and then he hath miluum in manu a kite in his fist to hold fast and when he hath caught hold he hath lupum in corde a wolfe in his heart to deuoure And therefore our Sauiour Christ saith Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheepes cloathing but inwardly are rauening wolues Math. 7.16.17 which in painted boxes hide deadly poysons in beautifull Sepulchers rotten bones and vnder Iezabels painted face a whores behauiour and therefore our Sauiour calleth them serpents and viperous serpents O ye viperous serpents ye generation of vipers how shall you escape the damnation to come Math. 23.33 And to shew the certaintie of their damnation beside the manifold woes which Christ denounceth against them it is said that wicked men shall haue their portion with hypocrites Math. 24.51 to shew that the condemnation of hypocrites is most surely sealed Let me therefore vse that counsell of Chrysostome Hypocrita aut esto quod appares aut appare quodes Either be as thou seemest or appeare as thou art for simulata sanctitas est duplex iniquitas Counterfet pietie is double impietie first because it is impietie and then because it is counterfet making truth falshood and God a liar But as it is said Rom. 2. Non auditores sed factores legis not the hearers of the law but the doers of the law shall be iustified So of religion Non eandem profitentes sed eidem obedientes not professors but performers shall be glorified Let vs not therefore be like the fig tree which our Sauiour cursed that had leaues in abundance Math. 21. but no fruite at all for it is not the lifting vp of our eyes nor the knocking of our breasts nor the holding vp of our hands which shall stand vs in stead in the latter day but the wounded soule the sinceritie of the heart Psal 5 1.17 the contrite spirit ioyned with our outward obseruance and obedience which shal administer true ioy in the latter end And therefore let vs as the elect of God holy and beloued let vs I say professe with our mouthes and practise with our liues let vs sing in voice and with the spirit also let vs repent in life and sow in teares let vs cleanse the flesh that we may be mortified and cleanse our spirit so shall we be glorified