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A06018
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An epitomie of mans misery and deliuerie In a sermon preached on the third of the Romans, vers. 23. and 24. By Mr. Paul Bayne.
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Baynes, Paul, d. 1617.
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1619
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STC 1641; ESTC S101578
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26,964
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sendeth into their hearts the Spirit of his Sonne Gal. 4.6 that spirit of promise Ephes 1.13 I meane that promised spirit which doth regenerate them throughout so that though they were by nature darknesse Jn all parts yet they now become light in the Lord Ephes 5.8 though they were rebellious such as could not bee subiect yet now they come to delight at least in the inner man of their mindes in the Law of God though their affections were prophane and vnsanctified yet now they are renewed to that image which is in holinesse so that their ioy is not fixed in outward things as wisedome strength riches but in this that they know the Lord to be their God in Christ Ier. 9.23.24 and that their names are written in heauen Luk. 10.20 their loue is setled on God their hearts speaking with Dauid Psalm 73.25 What haue I in heauen but thee and whom in earth in comparison of thee So also their feare and hope is turned from the world and things temporall vnto God and matters euerlasting And though before what euer they did was sinne yet now they doe those good workes which the Lord hath prepared for them to walke in And thus the life of glory is againe restored For this their sanctification is the beginning of glory so that euen while they are on earth Which is a beging of glory they haue euerlasting life He that beleeueth hath euerlasting life Ioh. 3.36 And Rom. 8.23 wee are said to haue here the first fruits of the spirit The first fruits and the whole lumpe differ not in substance and kind but in the measure and circumstance What were the first fruits of corne oliues or any other fruit of the earth offered to the Lord vnder the Law but a part and a prime part of the whole haruest and so the sanctifying graces of Gods spirit which wee receiue on earth are parts and beginnings of our glorious life in heauen from which they differ not in kind but in measure and degree Now when Gods faithful ones depart 3. By glorification begun in death they goe neerer to the fulnesse of this glory as whose soules goe into Paradise as our Sauiour speaketh to the thiefe Luk. 23.43 and whose spirits are gathered to the spirits of iust and perfect men in the heauenly Ierusalem Heb. 12.23 But at the resurrection of the iust Consummate at the resurrection then shall this life of glory bee consummate their bodies being made conformable to the glorious body of Christ Iesus Phil. 3.21 the Lord being glorified in his saints made maruellous in all them that beleeue 2. Thes 1.10 Thus farre then it goeth well that wee who were condemned persons and had our faces couered as being ready to bee carried away to execution should bee iustified that wee who were drie wood fruitfull onely in the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse should become greene trees planted in the true temple of the God-head Christ Iesus and so be made to beare good fruit abundantly euen to abound in euery good worke that wee finally who were dead should liue Now it is some comfort for any man labouring of a desperate disease to heare say there is cure for it But come to one whom some griefe incurable as it is reputed doth hold and tel him there is remedy for him as he will be glad to heare it so hee will hardly beleeue it wherefore he will aske what be the ingredients or simples of which that medecine should be made that by this meanes the force of these well considered he may see if it bee likely to doe the deed yea or no. So in maladies spirituall which no power in heauen or earth but that which can subdue all things to it selfe can correct To say there is a salue for these sores is somewhat comfortable but it will not presently passe for currant You will therefore aske in the first place how this should come to passe for man is full of sinne and the Lords eyes are too pure to behold nothing but filthinesse When there is nothing then in him which may moue God vnlesse it be to iudgement how should the Lord come to-restore him very well Looke on the next words We are iustified freely by his grace Though there bee nothing in vs yet the Lord of his free grace doth iustifie vs. Doct. 5. This then is our lesson that the grace of God that is We are iustified freely by Gods meere grace God himselfe of himselfe in great fauour and riches of mercy bowing downe to succour his miserable creature altogether vndeseruing God I say thus meerly mercifull doth iustifie vs. So the Apostle teacheth euery where Tit. 2.11 The grace of God bringing saluation vnto all men hath appeared So Ephes 2.8.9 We are saued by grace not of workes where it is to bee marked how the meere grace of God not excited by any workes but working of its owne accord hath the whole stroke in our saluation For workes are secluded from working any whit therein And although these speeches be plaine enough to cleere the poynt yet loe how it is affirmed more plainly 2. Timoth. 1.9 Who hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace c. Our saluation is of grace and what grace not such as doth follow vpon any goodnesse inherent in vs or works foreseene which should come from vs but onely vpon the intent and purpose of God within himselfe This is a truth which was well knowne in the time of the old Testament By mercy and truth saith Salomon Prou. 16.6 iniquitie shall bee forgiuen and by the feare of the Lord men depart from euill What mercy and truth is heere meant what that of man toward man no surely It cannot bee fitly vnderstood but of Gods meere grace whereby he promiseth good things to men and his fidelity in performing most constantly what he promiseth from which we obtaine this fauour to get our sinnes couered and pardoned As the reuerence of Gods Maiesty doth cause his children to eschew euill so his mercy toward them being in Christ a most mercifull Father vnto them doth bestow on them the pardon of their sinnes And what else meant the Saints of old but to ascribe all to Gods mercy when they did alwaies make their request to God and craue of him to haue respect vnto them not for their owne sake but for his mercies which last for euer his kindnesse and goodnesse his names sake c. That God may haue the glory of our saluation For Gods glory is most deare vnto him neither can he endure therein to haue any partner Wherefore in the businesse of our saluation hee doth so worke that man may haue no matter of reioycing out of God who doth all this worke in himselfe and out of man that who so reioyceth might reioyce onely in the Lord 1. Cor. 1.31 Vse 1 This doctrine serueth first
for confutation secondly for consolation It excludeth all concurrence of our workes If our iustification then be of grace there can be no reliques of holinesse nor workes of our owne that concurre thereunto For besides that these are opposed in the places aboue cited the Apostle maketh this collection very euidently Rom. 11.6 And if it bee of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no more grace For these two are so opposite that like fier and water they expell each the other and as saith one Gratia nullo modo est gratia nisi sit omni modo gratuita Grace is no way to bee counted grace vnlesse euery way it bee most free For this cause marke how the Apostle ioyneth freenesse or franknesse vvith grace The vvord vvhich is heere vsed is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and ansvvereth to the Hebrevv vvord Chirma 3. Significations of the Hebrew Chirma It is very emphaticall and it is especially taken vp in these three cases First vvhen a man doth a thing vvithout hope of the least profit Secondly vvhen a man doth a thing vvithout cause rashly or lightly but this sense is not heere pertinent The third is vvhen a man doth a thing as vve speake vndeseruedly there being nothing which might moue him thereunto but much which might perswade with him to the contrary and this is the sense to bee followed here For when there was nothing in vs which might procure it nay much which might ex-asperate the Lord against vs for wee were by nature his enemies then hee saued vs freely of his grace Vse 2 Secondly this doctrine hath matter of comfort in it for vs. It doth comfort vs. For if our iustification did depend on our owne worth endeauor and holinesse we could not but despaire Alas what are wee poore crawling wormes that we should bee of any worth in Gods sight before whom the starres are vncleane Since though sinfull and worthy of nothing What is our holinesse but as a filthy and a menstruous clout and whereunto can our endeauors reach in any thing to God-ward who can onely roule and wallow vp and downe in the filth and puddle of our corruption in the which the more we stirre the more lothsome stench doe wee make But now since it is not in him that willeth Yet we may boldly accept what God doth freely offer nor in him that runneth but in God that hath mercy Rom. 9.16 we may boldly accept and confidently trust in this free grace of God although wee be vnworthie of it For why should wee put away this great grace offered and reuealed to vs why should we not cheerfully embrace it and reioyce in it specially since it hath appeared vnto all and God without respect of persons hath set it out to bee enioyed of the poore base low and vnlearned as well as of the rich high noble and learned and it is not true humility but a sottish pride to put away and iudge our selues vnworthy of this saluation whereof it hath pleased God in rich mercy to deeme vs worthy But yet that former poynt is not cleerly on foot For though this doe shew that you may bee restored most amply though you are altogether vnworthy yet you will bee ready to obiect that the Lord is iust If hee were onely mercifull then you would easily assent hereunto but he is so mercifull that he is iust also and hath pronounced it an abomination to him Prou. 17.15 to iustifie the wicked or to condemne the iust What then will you say will become of me being a wicked wretch and how can the Lord iustifie mee being such an one all this is very true Wherefore let vs search a little further Freely of grace saith the Apostle but in the redemption of Christ Iesus Doct. 6. Remember then this by the way that so the Lord doth iustifie thee of grace We are so iustified as that we are made truly righteous in Christ that he also maketh thee truly iust in Christ Iesus This in the proofe of this doctrine will appeare more brightly The poynt then directly gathered is this that wee are iustified in the redemption of Christ or in Christ our redemption Christ hath been at all times reuealed to the chosen of God as their redeemer in whose blood-shead they should haue remission of sinnes Who hath alway been reuealed as our redeemer After the fall of our first parents when they otherwise had fallen into the gulfe of despaire hee our eternall Prophet gaue out the promise of himselfe that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpents head Gen. 3.15 that is that Christ in fulnesse of time borne of a Virgin should dissolue as Iohn speaketh To Adam 1. Ioh. 3.8 the workes of the diuell doe away sinne abolish death and as Paul speaketh Rom. 16.20 tread downe Satan vnder the feet of his elect and our first parents had experiment of the truth hereof For when by the threatning they should haue died the death yet in their sacrifices which prefigured this seed this immaculate Lambe they perceiued the loue of God againe recouered To Abraham c. Abraham had the same promise of a blessed seed in the which all the nations of the earth should be blessed renewed to him Genes 18.18 And in all the Prophets it were easie to shew how Christ was present to the eye of the faithfull as likewise how the neerer this day starre was the rising the more euidently hee was foretold For God was still reconciling his Israel viz. his elect among the Israelites and those few that were then scattered among the Gentiles vnto himselfe in Christ euen before his comming but when once hee was exhibited hee reconciled to himselfe the world that is the great number of his elect which was dispersed through the world and did consist of all sorts degrees and nations All the Fathers had Christ de iure of right though de facto in deed he were not giuen in the flesh And so embraced of them and hee was euer present to their faith as their price of redemption and so did passe for them in the acceptation of God There was neuer any other name whereby men might be saued he being as it is Heb. 13.8 the same yesterday to day and for euer what hee had been he was and what he was he would be to eternity But wherein doth this our righteousnesse stand Our righteousnesse stands in the redemption which Christ hath made for vs. euen in our redemption which Christ hath wrought for vs as the Apostle saith that wee are iustified through the redemption of Christ For which vnderstand this that God the Father hath laid all our sinnes vpon Christ that he was wounded for our sinnes hee was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed Isa 53.5.6 Hee hath taken our iniquities on him and in his body borne them