THREE HEAVENLY TREATISES VPON THE EIGHT Chapter to the Romanes Viz. 1 Heauen opened 2 The right way to eternall Glory 3 The Glorification of a Christian. VVherein the Counsaile of God concerning Mans saluation is so manifested that all men may see the Ancient of dayes the Iudge of the world in his generall Iustice Court absoluing the Christian from sinne and death Which is the first benefit wee haue by our Lord Iesus Christ. Come and see Written by Mr. William Cowper Minister of Gods word LONDON Printed by Thomas Snodham for William Firebrand and Iohn Budge and are to be sould at his shop at the great Southdoore of Paules 1609. TO THE MOST SAcred Christian truely Catholique and mightie Prince Iames King of great Britaine France and Ireland defender of the faith c. SIR The Apostle S. Paule that chosen vessell of God and his ambassadour sent forth into the world to bring in the house of Iapheth into the tents of Sem hauing in his peregrination vndertaken for preaching from Ierusalem vnto Illyricum seene the most pleasant parts of the world and in an extasie transported from earth into the third heauen seene also the pleasures of Paradise as one who knew both not by naked speculation but experience giues out his iudgement of both that the most excellent things of this world were but dung in respect of the Lord Iesus and that whatsoeuer pleasure on earth may delight the eye or eare they haue vnto others it shal be no small comfort vnto me and my greatest thankefulnesse shal be declared in my dayly prayers vnto the Lord God for your Maiestie that the name of Iacobs God may defend you from all euill and the Lord may send you helpe out of his Sanctuarie in all your need according as hee hath done O King beloued of God hated of none but for Gods sake keepe still your heart in the loue of God and his truth Reioyce in the strength of your God and feare not what flesh can doe vnto you Is it not the Lord who set your Highnesse on the throne to bee a feeder of his people Israel Is it not the Lord who hath deliuered your Maiestie from the contentions of the people and secret snares of your cursed enimies though the Archers grieued you hated you and shot at you were not the hands of your armes strengthened by the hands of the mightie God of Iacob Is it not the almightie who hath blessed your Maiesty with heauenly blessings from aboue with blessings of the depth that lyes beneath with blessings of the breast and wombe Sir let his liberall blessings wherewith the Lord your God hath preuented you be so many obligations binding your Highnesse to honour the Lord who hath honoured you Let his forepast manifold deliuerances be as so many confirmations that if your Maiestie rest in him and not in man he will still be a buckler vnto you Let Abaddon the King of the Locusts that Romish vsurper rage Vnto the Lord belongs the issues of death Can Balaam curse where God hath blessed yea can Sathan hurt the man who is hedged by the Lord Let the Ambassadours of new Babel more shamelesse than Sennacherib his Rabsache raile at good king Ezekiah ruling in Ierusalem the Lord hath yet a hooke for his nosethrils and a bridle for his lips Doe not the eyes of the Lord behold the whole earth to shew himself strong with them that are strong and of a perfect heart toward him Therefore feare not their feare but sanctifie the Lord God of hostes let him be your feare and hee shal be a Sanctuarie vnto your Maiestie Count it a part of your high glorie and no small matter of your Maiesties ioy that with Christ you beare this peece of his crosse that the rebukes of them who rebuke the Lord are fallen vpon you and trust still O King in the Lord and in the mercie of the most High and so your Maiestie shall neuer fall Long may your Highnesse liue and raigne ouer vs as a faithfull seruant to your God and a happie King of many blessings to your people Your Maiesties most humble Subiect and dayly Oratour William Cowper Minister at Perth works of God there is a difference and some of them more cleerely then others declares the glorie of God so it is also among his holy writs they breath all out one truth by a most sweet harmonie diuine enim lectiones ita sibi connectuntur tanqnam vna sit lectio quia omnes ex vno ore procedunt yet ye shall finde that in some of them the Lord commeth neere vnto vs as it were with the face of a man talking familiarly vnto vs in others againe hee mounts high aboue vs as it were with the wings of an Eagle And the Lord hath left it free to delight our selues most in those places of holy Scripture wherein for our estate we haue most edification and to seeke in this Apothecarie shop of that sweet Samaritan the Lord Iesus pharmaca morbo nostro conuenientia such medicines as are meet for our maladie Among all the bookes of the old Testament most frequent testimonies are brought by our blessed Sauiour and his holy Apostles out of the booke of the Psalmes Ierome called it a treasurie of all learning And among all the Epistles of the Apostles no meruaile this to the Romanes haue the first place not that it was first written but because aboue the rest it contayneth a most perfect compend of our Christian faith And this middle Chapter thereof hath in it an Abridgement of all these comforts and instructions one excepted which otherwise are dispersed throughout the whole Epistle and is so to call it a pleasant kâ—ot of the garden and Paradise of God and therefore shall it not be vnprofitable for vs by Gods grace to delight our selues for a while in it As to the connexion of this Chapter with the former wee are to know that it is a conclusion of the foregoing treatise of Iustification Wherein the Apostle summarilie collects the excellent state of a Christian iustified by faith in Christ Iesus declaring it to bee such that there is no condemnation to him that nothing were it neuer so euill is able to hurt him yea by the contrary that all things workes for the best vnto him And because there are onely two euils which grieue vs in this life to wit sinne that remaines in vs and affliction that followes vs in the following of Christ. Against both these the Apostle furnishes the iustified man with strong consolations Comforts against the remanents of sinne wee haue from the 1. verse to the 18. Comforts against our afflictions wee haue from the midst of the 18. verse to the 31. That this is the very purpose and order of the Apostle is euident out of his owne conclusion set downe from
this sense the Papists take it in this question but wrongfully Secondly to iustifie is to acknowledge or declare one to be iust so it is said that the Publicans iustified God of force wee must expound it they acknowledged or confessed him to be iust so S. Iames saith that a man is iustified by workes that is declared to be iust by his workes or as S. Iames expounds it himselfe his Iustification is shewed by his works Thirdly the word to Iustifie is a iudiciall terme and it signifieth to absolue in iudgement and is opponed to condemning so Salomon vseth it He that iustifies the wicked and condemnes the iust are both alike abhominatâ—on to the Lord and in this sense the Apostle vseth it here for he oppones it to condemnation This right vnderstanding of the word will lead vs to know what the benefit of Iustification is for what euer condemnation be Iustification must be the contrary they are both iudiciall termes vsed in iudgement holden on matters of life and death Condemnation no man will deny is the sentence of a righteous Iudge adiudging a malefactor to death for some capitall crime whereof hee is found guiltie in iudgement Iustification then is the sentence of God a righteous Iudge absoluing the man that is in Christ from sinne and death and accepting him to life for the righteousnesse of Christ which is his So that it is euident the state of the question in the controuersie of Iustification will be this how is a man iustified before God that is what is it that a man must bring before Gods tribunall for the which hee shall be pronounced innocent absolued from death and adiudged to life whether is it our workes of sanctification inherent in vs or is it the righteousnesse of Christ giuen vnto vs and made ours The question being this way taken vp shall giue great light to the controuersie that is betweene vs and the falsely named Catholikes of our time for we denie not that there is in Gods children an inherent sanctification and that they are changed from vnrighteousnesse to righteousnesse but this inherent righteousnesse say we is not able to purchase to vs an absoluitorie sentence from death To make this yet more cleare let vs know that the righteousnesse by which wee are Iustified receiues foure names first it is called the righteousnesse of Christ secondly the righteousnesse of God thirdly the righteousnesse of Faith fourthly our righteousnesse The righteousnesse of Christ because it is conquered by him and inherent in him as in the proper subiect The righteousnesse of God because he onely in his meruailous wisedome found it out it is called the righteousnesse of Faith because Faith is the instrument by which wee apprehend it and it is called our righteousnesse because it is giuen vnto vs of God to be ours by imputation on Gods part by acceptation of it by Faith vpon our part for these two wayes that acquisite righteousnesse of Christ is made ours This wee haue to marke for our comfort against those obiections which eyther inwardly by Sathan or outwardly by men of a contrary opinion are obiected vnto vs. If they to trouble our peace and weaken our Faith aske how can yee be iustified by a righteousnesse which is not yours we answere the righteousnesse of Christ is ours and ours by as great a right as any other thing that we possesse is ours to wit by the free gift of God seeing it hath pleased God to giue vs a garment who were naked and to giue vs who had none of our owne a righteousnesse answerable to his Iustice vvhat intrest can eyther man or Angell haue to resist it The euasions and obiections whereby the aduersarie impugnes this doctrine are chiefely these First the Apostle say they excludeth the works of nature not the works of Grace the workes of a man vnregenerate they confesse cannot iustifie him but the works of a man regenerate say they doe iustifie him but this is false as is proued first by examples for Abraham whose example the Apostle bringeth in to confirme the doctrine of Iustification was a regenerate man and effectually called yet as witnesseth both Moses and S. Paul his faith was counted to him for righteousnesse Dauid after hee had beene a regenerate man yet saith Lord enter not into iudgement with thy Seruant for in thy sight shall no flesh be iustified The Apostle Paul protests of himselfe I haue in all good conscience serued God vnto this day neyther know I any thing of my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified hee was more abundant in good workes than all the rest of the Apostles hee did also beare in his body the markes of Iesus and was renouned through his manifold sufferings If euer any regenerate man could haue beene iustified by his good workes it was this holy Apostle yet hee tels you himselfe for all that I haue done for all that I haue suffered yet am I not thereby iustified The same is proued by reason that which by order of nature followes our Iustification before God cannot be said to iustifie vs in the presence of God cannot be said to iustifie vs in this sense but so it is good works by order of nature followes our iustification before God Non praecedunt iustificandum sed sequuntur iustificatum Againe such works as are not perfectly agreeable to the rule of Legall iustice cannot iustifie vs but rather fals vnder that curse Cursed is hee who fulfilleth not euery â—ot of the Law but so it is that the workes euen of men regenerate are not able to answere the perfection of the Law There is no man saith Salomon iust in the earth that doth good and sinneth not If I would dispute with God I could not saith Iob make answere vnto one of a thousand All our righteousnesse saith Ieremie is but like a menstruous cloath and our Sauiour hath taught euen regenerate men to pray daily for the remission of their sins Quid ergo de peccatis nostris fiet quando ne ipsa quidem pro se respondere poterit iustitia nostra what then shall become of our sinnes when our righteousnesse is not able to answere for it selfe Vae hominum iustitiae quantumuis laudabili si remotâ— misericordia Dei iudicetur woe to the righteousnesse of man were it neuer so lowable if God setting aside mercy enter to iudge it But they insist the workes of regenerate men are the workes of Christ for it is hee who by his spirit workes them in them therefore they are meritorious and iustifies I answere the workes of Christ iustifies it is true if yee vnderstand his personall workes done by himselfe in his own person as the Apostle teacheth vs He hath purged our sinnes by himselfe But as for those workes which hee workes in vs by his spirit of grace hee workes them not for our iustification that as I haue said he hath done
these Aâ—heists haue receiued for doing seruice to God which they neuer did the more feareful plagues stripes from God shall be doubled vpon them Againe wee marke here that there is a double debt lying vpon vs the debt of sinne and the debt of obedience wee are freede of the one by a humble seeking and crauing of the remission thereof through Iesus Christ for the debt of sinne the Lord Iesus hath taught vs daily to seek Gods discharge Lord forgiue vs our debts and indeed as euery day wee contract some debt so it is great wisedome by daily repentance to sue the discharge of it for they who neglect to do it their debt multiples vpon them it stands vncancelled in the register of God written as it were with a pen of iron and the poynt of a Diamond and they shall at length be cast into that prison for non-payment wherin will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for euer But as for the debt of obedience whereof the Apostle here speakes wee cannot with a good conscience desire the Lord to discharge it nor exempt vs from it but wee must in all humilitie craue Grace of God that wee being enriched by him who of our selues are poore may be able in some measure to pay and performe it Where if the weake Children of God obiect and say how then can wee but drowne in this debt seeing no day of our life wee can pay to the Lord that debt of obedience which we owe vnto him To this there is giuen a three-fold comfort first the Lord dealeth with vs as a louing liberall man dealeth with his debter who knowing that he hath nothing of his owne wherewith to pay him and not willing to put him to shame stops priuately into his hand that which publikely againe he may giue vnto him so the Lord conuaies secret grace into the hearts of his children whereby they are in some measure able to serue him but as Dauid protested so may wee all whatsoeuer wee giue vnto the Lord wee haue it of his owne hand Secondly the Lord our God is so gracious that hee is content to accept part of payment at our hand till wee bee able to doe better if our faith bee but like the graine of Mustard seede yet if it bee true the Lord will not despise it though our repentance be not perfect and absolute though our prayers bee weake though wee cannot doe the good that wee would yet the good that wee doe is accepted at his hands through Iesus Christ. And thirdly wee haue this comfort that the more wee pay of this debt of obedience the more wee are able to pay In other debts it is not so for if the more be payed out by him that is indebted the lesse remaines behinde vnto himselfe but here the more wee pay the richer wee are the doing of one good worke of seruice vnto the Lord makes vs both more willing and able to doe an other the talents of spirituall Graces being of that nature that the more they are vsed the more they are encreased and these should worke in vs a delight to pay that debt which wee owe vnto the Lord. Last of all wee marke vpon this word that the good wee doe is debt and not merit When one of your seruants saith Iesus hath done that which hee is commaunded will one of you giue him thanks because hee hath done that which was commaunded him I beleeue not hee applyeth the Parable to his Disciples and in them to vs all so likewise when you haue done all those things which are commaunded you say that yee are vnprofitable Seruants Our Sauiour commaunds vs plainely to doe well but as plainely forbids all presumptuous conceit of our merit when vvee haue done well To speake against good works is impietie and to presume of the merits of our best works it Antichristian pride No man led by the Spirit of Iesus did euer vse this word of merit it is the proud speech of the spirit of Antichrist search the Scripture and ye shal see that none of all those who spake by diuine inspiration did euer vse it yea the Godly Fathers who haue liued in darke and corrupt times haue alway abhorred it If a man could liue saith Macarius from the dayes of Adam to the end of the world and fight neuer so strongly against Sathan yet were hee not able to deserue so great a glory as is prepared for vs how much lesse then are we able to promerit it that is his owne word who so short a space are militant here vpon earth Praetendat alter meritum sustinere se dicat aestus dieâ— ieiunare his in Sabbatho mihi adhaerere Deo bonum est let another man saith Bernard pretend merit let him boast that hee suffers the heat of the day and that he fasts â—wise in the Sabboth it is good for me to draw neere the Lord and put my hope in him Meritum enâ—m meum miseratio Domini non sum plane meriti inops quamdiu ille miserationum non fuerit for my merit is Gods mercy I shall not altogether want merits as long as he wants not compassion And againe sufficit ad meritum scire quod non sufficiant merita this is sufficient merit to know that merits are not sufficient this he makes more cleare in that Sermon of his de quadruplici debito wherein hee declares how man is so many wayes debter to the Lord that hee cannot doe that which hee ought why then shall any man say that hee hath done enough cum nec millissimâ—â— imo nec minimae parti debitorum suorum valeat respondere seeing he is not able to answer the thousand part no not the least part of that debt which hee oweth vnto God To liue Wee haue heard that wee are debters now haue wee to see wherein wee are debt-bound Wee owe to the Lord not onely these things which are ours but as sayeth Paul to Philemon we owe him our selues also Euery mans life must declare who it is whom hee acknowledgeth for a Superiour and vnto whom hee submitteth himselfe a debter Shew me saith Saint Iames thy Faith by thy workes shew mee saith Malachie thy Father by thy Sonly reuerence toward him let me know thy master by thy obedience and the attendance thou giuest him As Caesars money is discerned by his image and superscription so the Christian is knowne by his conuersation hee vvalkes after the Spirit and by his deedes more then by his words hee disclaimeth the gouernement of the flesh But surely as Chrisostome complained of bastard professors in his time so may wee in our time of many to whom wee are ambassadours in Christs name we haue more then cause to feare we haue bestowed labour vpon you in vaine for I pray you vvhat part of your liues giues sentence for you and proues that ye are
which they cannot cut away but if men take so much paines and suffer so strait a dyet of body and bestow so great expenses that they may liue a short vvhile longer vpon earth vvhat should men doe that they may liue for euer in heauen Verse 24. For we are saued by hope but hope that is seene is not hope for how can a man hope for that which he seeth IN this verse and the subsequent the Apostle answeres an obiection seeing hee said before that vve haue receiued the Spirit of adoption how hath he said now that we are still waiting for adoption He doth therefore teach vs that both these are true we are saued now and we looke for a more full saluation hereafter we are adopted now and vve looke for the perfection of our adoption hereafter and that it is so hee proues here by this reason the saluation that novv vve haue is by hope therefore it is not yet come nor perfected The necessitie of this consequence depends vpon the nature of hope vvhich is of things that are not seene nor as yet come to passe This place is abused by the aduersaries to impugne the doctrine of iustification by Faith we are saued say they by hope and therefore not by faith onely That wee may see the weaknesse of their reason we vvill first compare Faith and Hope in that relation which they haue to Christ secondly in that relation vvhich they haue mutually among themselues For we deny not that Faith Hope and Loue each one of them hath a place in the worke of our saluation but the question betweene vs and them is concerning the right placing of them First then it is certaine that both faith and hope looke vnto Christ Iesus Christ and that which he hath conquered vnto vs is the obiect of them both but diuersly for faith enters vs into a present possession of Christ and his benefits he that beleeueth in me saith our Sauiour hath eternall life hee saith not onely hee shall haue it but also that presently hee hath it Hope againe lookes for a future possession of Christ which shall bee much more excellent than that which presently we inioy for the possession of Christ which now I haue by Faith is imperfect and mediate by Faith I know Christ but in part by Faith I apprehend him but in part also and this possession I haue it mediately to wit by the meanes of the Word and Sacraments but my hope directs mee to looke for a mroe excellent possession of Christ within a short while in whom I shall enioy much more than now by the knowledge of my Faith I can see in him or yet by apprehension of my Faith I can comprehend of him And this is that perfect and immediate possession of Christ which by Hope we looke for Now as for their mutuall relation among themselues Faith is of things past present and to come Hope is onely of things to come Faith is more largely extended than Hope wee hope for nothing which wee beleeue not but something wee beleeue for which wee hope not wee beleeue that the paines of hell abide the wicked but we hope them not for hope is an expectation of good to come they may fall vnder feare but come not vnder hope Againe Faith is the mother of Hope for of that imperfect knowledge and apprehension of Christ which I haue by Faith there ariseth in mee an hope and expectation of a better Hope againe is not onely the daughter of Faith but the conseruer and nourisher of Faith the piller that vnderprops it when it faints for in this life we are beset with so manifold tentations the worke of God seeming oftentimes contrary to his word and things appearing to fall out otherwise than the Lord hath promised that our Faith thereby is wonderfully daunted and therefore hath neede to be supported by Hope which teacheth alwayes with patience to depend vpon Gods truth and to looke for a better As for example the Lord saith Call vpon me in the day of thy trouble I will heare thee and deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me according to this promise the Christian calling vpon God and yet not finding deliuerance his Faith begins to faint but then Hope comes in and succoureth Faith and her counsell is the vision is for an appointed time at last it shall speake and not lye though it tarry waite for it shall surely come and not stay and this Faith being strengthened by Hope continues her prayers to God vntill she obtaine her promised and desired deliuerance And of this it is euident in what sense it is that the Apostle saith wee are saued by Hope to wit because by it wee are vpholden in trouble for he is not here disputing of the manner of our Iustification which he hath done before but discoursing of those comforts which wee haue to sustaine vs in affliction If ye aske by which of these three Faith Hope and Loue we are iustified that is by which of them we apprehend Christs righteousnes offered to vs in the Gospell the Apostle hath answered already wee are iustified by Faith If yee demand which of these three chiefely sustaines vs in affliction the Apostle here telleth you that when Faith is weake Hope saues vs that wee dispaire not and if yee demaund which of these three declares vs to bee men iustified by Faith in Christ the Apostle telleth you wee must declare our Faith by good workes for Faith worketh by Loue these are the right places which these three excellent graces of the Spirit hath in the worke of our saluation and they goe so ioyntly together that they cannot bee sundred When we say that a man is iustified by Faith onely we doe not therefore make the iustified man to be without Hope and Loue. For albeit in the action of the apprehending and applying of Christs righteousnesse Faith onely workes for which wee say truely wee are iustified by Faith onely yet Hope and Loue haue other actions pertayning to saluation necessarily requisite in the iustified man And this doth cleare vs of that false calumnie wherewith the aduersaries doe charge vs as if we did teach that Faith might be without Hope or Loue because wee affirme that wee are iustified by Faith onely I say most truely when I say that among all the members of the body the eye onely sees but if any man collect of my speach that the eye is onely in the body without eare or hand he concludes wrong For albeit in the facultie of seeing I say the eye onely sees yet doe I not for that seperate it from the communion of the rest of the members of the body In the Sunne heat and light goe inseperably together of these two it is the heat onely that warmes vs doe I therefore say that the heat is without the light Among all the graces of the Spirit when I say that Faith
already by himselfe and in his owne person but for our sanctification Secondly the good workes of men regenerate are so wrought by Christ in vs that they are also wrought by vs and we haue our working in them and therefore by reason of our imperfection cannot be perfect for as the fountaines of the actions are so must the actions be themselues the fountaines are mixed being partly good and partly euill for our mind is not so illuminated that there is no darknesse in it neither is our hart so sanctified that there is no vncleannesse in it and therefore the actions flowing from thence cannot be perfect workes of light and sanctification They insist yet further and obiects if the Apostle say they in his conclusion we are iustified by Faith without the workes of the Law did vnderstand the workes of Grace then it would follow that he oppones things which are not to be opponed for workes and Grace workes and Faith workes and Christ are not opposite but agrees very well together as the cause and effect as the tree and the branch To this we answere that Faith and workes agrees well together but there is no thing in the world which agree so well the one with the other but in some things they may be opponed as for example the tree and the branch agrees very well together but if the question be moued whether the tree beares the branch or the branch the tree in this they are opponed that which is affirmed of the one must be denyed of the other Againe there is a very sweet harmony betweene a naturall Father and the sonne the one of them cannot be without the other for hee is not a Father who neuer had a sonne neither is he a sonne who neuer had a father but if this be the question which of them gaue beginning to another here we must oppone them affirming that of the one which wee deny of the other In like manner there is a very sweet harmonie and agreement betweene Faith and good workes but if this be the question for which of them it is that God doth iustifie vs there wee must oppone them affirming with the Apostle that we are iustified by Faith and not by workes alway the opposition is not simple but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their second euasion is a distinction of the workes of the Law Morall and Ceremoniall It is true say they that the workes of the law ceremoniall iustifies not but the workes of the Law Morall iustifies But the Apostle in his conclusion excludes from iustification the workes of the Law Morall for these reasons he excludes those workes of which he hath proued both Iewes and Gentiles to be guiltie but so it is he hath proued them to be guiltie of the transgression of the Law Morall as is euident out of the sins wherewith he charges them therefore c. Secondly he excludes from iustification the workes of that law by which comes the knowledge of sinne but so it is the knowledge of sinne comes by the law Morall therefore c. I had not knâ—wne saith the Apostle that concupâ—â—cence is a sinne except the law had said thou shalt not couet Now it is euident that this is a pâ—ecept of the law Morall Their third euasion is by a distinction of the first and second iustification the first whereof say they is by Faith but the second is by workes But this twofold iustification is also forged for iustificatio est actus indiuidius simul totus there is no first and last in the act of iustification hee that is once condemned iudicially stands so and hee that is absolued stands so Againe this distinction confounds two benefits iustification sanctification which to them is the second iustification That they are distinct benefits the Apostle doth teach vs Christ is made to vs righteousnesse and sanctification but they inconsiderately confound them for if these new qualities infused by Grace into the soule of man and good workes flowing there from be the matter as they say of mans second Iustification then let them tell vs what is the matter of his sanctification To conclude this these are two inseperable benefits to whomsoeuer the Lord imputes the righteousnes of Christ and giues them Faith to accept it as their owne like as for it hee absolues them from sinne and death and adiudges them vnto life so also incontinent workes he in them by his holy spirit an inherent righteousnesse by which they become new creatures so that our iustification hath inseperably annexed with it sanctification But this sanctification of ourâ— is so imperfect that howsoeuer it be accepted of the Father for the righteousnesse of Christ yet is it not so perfect nor sufficient that for the merit thereof wee dare seeke to be absolued from our sinnes and receiued into fauour Them he also glorefied Glorification the last lincke of the chaine is the last and highest benefit that we haue by Christ by which both our soule and body shall be restored to a greater glory and more happy than euer wee enioyed in Adam Hee had his owne most excellent priuiledges hee had this inward glory that he was created to the image of God hee had also for outward glory a dominion and Lordship ouer all the creaâ—ures of God the heauens were made beautifull for his sake the earth made fruitfull Paradise assigned to him as a speciall garden of pleasure and all the creatures ordained to serue him but by our second creation we are beautified with more excellent priuiledges that same image is restored to vs new heauens and new earth created for our sake and with all these we shall haue the Crowne of perseuerance which Adam had noâ— for glorification is our last and highest happie estate out of which wee shall neuer be transchanged and therefore the Apostle goes not beyond it And herein appeares the Lords wonderfull power and goodnesse who of the fall of man takes occasion to make man better than hee was before the fall Our bodyes shall not be raised like to Adams body for euen in the state of innocencie hee was mortall but they shall be raised vp like to the glorious body of Christ. Salomon built a Temple the Chaldeans destroyed it and it was neuer againe restored to the former glory which moued the auncient men to mourne when they saw how the glory of the second Temple was not like the glory of the first but it shall be the great ioy of our auncient Father Adam when hee shall see how farre the glory of the second creation shall exceed the glory of the first Of this Glorification the Apostle speakes in the time past partly to declare the certainetie thereof and partly because it is already begunne for there are three degrees of that Glory The first in this life and that is our sanctification called by S. Iohn the first resurrection and by S. Paul our
The deplorable hardnes of hart in this age that cannot mourne Gen. 4. 22. Num. 20. 11 Seing wee haue so many causes of mourning without vs the troublesome estate of Gods Church Nehem. 1. 4 1. King 29. 4 1. Sam. 4. 19. Amos. 6. 6. Causes of mourning within vs our manifold sinnes Rom. 7. 24. 2 Kin. 20. 23 And our manifold tentations Act. 20. 19. Ioshua 10. 6. The other effect the spirit works in vs is a waiting for deliuerance 2. Cor. 1. 3. 4 Prou. 24. 13 The day of death and day of resurrection earnestly waited for by the godly Iob. 14. 14. Mat. 6. 10. Luke 11. 3. Death comes on the wicked as Iâ—hu came on Iehoram 2 King 9. 23. 24. We should not soiourne in the body like Ionas in the sides of the ship but like Abraham in the doore of the tabernacle Exod. 12. 11. Gen. 18. 1. 1. King 19. 9 Ionas 1. 5. The day of Christs second comming longed for 1 Cor. 1. 7. Philip. 3. 2 Tim. 4. 8. Heb. 9. 28. As the Iewes waited for the yeere of Iubilie so should we for the day of Christ but alas few doe so Reu. 22. 20. Leuit. 25. 10. The wounded coÌ„science euen of the godly deâ—ires not death Psal. 51. 9. Psal. 86. 3. Luke 2. 29. Adoption is eyther begun as now or accompished as wee looke for it There is also a two-fold redemption first of the soule froÌ„ sin secondly of the body from death Iohn 1. 29. Reu. 20. 5. 6 CoÌ„fort against the present base estate of our bodyes 2 King 19. Bernard He who hath the first redemption shall be sure of the second Bernard An obiection answered This verse abused to impugne Iustification by Faith Faith and hope compaired in their relation to Christ. Iohn 3. 36. 1 Cor. 13. 9. 10. Faith and hope compared in their mutuall relation betweene themselues Psal. 50. 15. Habak 2. 3. The right place assigned to euery one of these three Faith Hope Loue in the worke of saluation The doctrine of Iustification by Faith onely takes not away Hope Loue. Calumnie of the aduersary concerning this confuted Hope of a Christian is a strong thing depending on sure warrants The first wararant of our Hope is the word of God 1 Pet. 7. 4. A short description of the Nature of Hope August The conclusion of his first principall argument of comfort against the crosse Sixe seuerall reasons of comfort lurking vnder this one The worldlings comfort is in things that are seene the Christians not so Augustines Allegory on the words of Christ. Luke 11. 11. Worldlings haue no present pleasures such as are gone are lost such as are to come or vncertaine Impatience in trouble proceeds from the want of Hope Licentiousnes in prosperitie proceeds from the want of hope Without patience no grace can be preserued Ethnicke philosophers excluded from the praise of true Patience Worldlings sustyning great distresse for gaine are also excluded from the praise of true Patience Atheists who pine themselues to commit euill excluded from the praise of true Patience The Christian is freed from wickednes not from weaknes Why infirmities are left in vs after our regeneration Our infirmities are manifold Wee should strengthen our selues most where we are weakest Yet so that we remember that the enimie repulsed at one place will assault another Acts. 8. 31. Praier is a communing of the soule with God Our natural inabilitie to pray is eyther in our corrupt vnderstanding by which we seek things vnlawfull Numb 16. Or in our corrupt affection by which wee seeke things lawfull for the wrong end Iames. 4. 3. Mat. 6. 33. What good can we doe by Nature seeing we cannot doe so much as pray for our selues Gen. 4. 22. How the Spirit requests for vs. Chrisâ—an Mat hom 10. If the Lord refuse that which we wil it is because it is not for our weale And the refusal of anything to his owne is not without the graunt of a better Acts. 1. 6. Prayer which obtaines all other gifts is also a gift of God therefore the praise of all is due to the Lord 1 Cor. 4. 7. Comfort for the godly wheÌ„ no man will speake for them they want not Intercessours Miserable are those who bend their tongues against them for whom the holy Spirit maketh request 2. Chron. 18. Let not man therefore sinne vnder hope of secrecie Esay 29. 15. Psal. 94. 89 10. 11 But let the eye of the Lord be an awband euenin secret to keepe vs from sinne 2 Sam. 2. 22. Gen. 42. 18. The sonnes of Adam seeke to hide themselues from the Lord But in vaine The heart only makes the difference between the true christian counterfaite It is in great wisedome that God hath locked vp the hart of one man from another The soueraignty of God ouer man appears in this that hee is vpon the secrets of their hearts Man hath but his hart to hold him vp God can take it fâ—oÌ„ him when hee will Dan. 4. 6. We haue neede of great reuerence in praier seeing we speak to him who searcheth the heart Psal. 139. 23 Three things to be obserued in Prayer That preparation go before it Motiues to preparation That there be attention in prayer That after prayer therebe thanksgiuing to God The curse of Moab is vpon prophane men they pray and preuailes not Esay 1. 15. Ierem. 7. 9. Seeing the spirit requests for Saints onely how shall we know that he requests for vs who are sinners 1 Ioh. 1. 8. 1 Ioh. 5. 18. Rom. 7. 15. 17 In the christian man are two men the new and the old God iudges of the Christian by the new man and not by the old Num. 23. 21 Rom. 7. 24. How it is to be vnderstood that he who is borne of God sinneth not The new man liues in the body like Lot in Sodome Psal. 120. 5. Reioycing when he doth good grieued when he doth euill Rom. 7. 15. 〈◊〉 â—hould not pâ—â—sent petitioÌ„s to God which are not according to his wil. A Christian hath accesse to the priuie chaÌ„ber of the great king euer when he pleaseth The third principall argument of comfort is from the prouidence of God working all things to the good of his owne Manifold blessings of God are vpon the Godly Psal. 34. 19. 1 Cor. 10. 13 Zach. 1. 2â— If the first fruits of our comfort be so sweete what shall the full masse be None but a Christian can know the mysteries of the Gospell 1 Cor. 9. 11. 1 Cor. 2. 14. 1 Cor. 2. 5. 6. Pearles which none know but they who haue them Worldlings speake of them like birds counterfaiting the voyce of man Worldlings cursed with the curse of the Serpent Sure knowledge of Christian comfort is the mother of patience Ioh. 21. 15. Other men hazards vnder hope but the Christian runs as sure to obtaine Rom. 16. 20 2 Chron. 20. 17 One of Sathans slights is to cause vs to iudge of the works of
greater reuerence of the Gospell A fearefull token of Gods departure wheÌ„ he ceaseth to call a people any more For no husbandman will want labourers in his field as long as the haruest is not ended As the Gospell comes not by mans procurement so no power of man can remoue it What a treasure of comfort is to be digged out of this Verse Not so cleare a sight of saluation in all the booke of God The linckes of the Chaine of saluation Election Calling Iustification Glorification are knit inseperably He that hath a sure hold of the middle linckes Calling and Iustification is sure of the other two Election and Glorification Our present life is a point of time betweene two eternities If in this life we fall we may rise againe but if in death we step downeward we shall neuer mend it Eccles. 11. 3. Deu. 30. 15. Prescience and Predestination how they are here distinguished Prescience improperly ascribed vnto God Prescience two manner of wayes considered generally and specially Psal. 139. 15 Heb. 4. 13. In this Chaine it is specially considered as it lookes to the Elect onely Iohn 13. 18. Mat. 7. 23. Predestination is also two wayes considered Foreseene merits falsely collected out of this place This errour is improued by their own men as Caietane and Aquinas Sanctification is an effect of predestination and therefore not a cause of it Eph. 1. 4. 2. Tim. 1. 9. The calling of God sinds euery man in an euill estate Esay 48. 8. Psal. 115. 1. Obiections of men against Gods predestination answered Rom. 9. 20. Aug. in Ioan. tract 26. Aug. Epist. 59 ad Paulin. Gregor in Iob. cap. 9. Predestination takes not away the second causes and meanes of saluation Sathans diuinitie teacheth Atheists to despise the means of saluation God giues his blessings by meanes therefore they should not neglect the meanes who seeke the blessing Hos. 2. 21. Rom. 10. 13 Comfort our election before time cannot be disanulled by any creature made in time Sauing grace is communicated to few therefore should be the more esteemed Mat 8. 11. So is it in nature that rarest things are most regarded Predestination is vnto glory by a conformitie with Christ in our present life Eph. 1. 4. As Christ is the life so is he the way neither can wee come to life but by the way Ioh. 14. 6. Conformitie with Christ wherein it stands Workes done by Christ are threefold 1. personall workes of Redemption 2. Miracles 3. workes of a godly life In the first and second Papists are apish imitators In the third onely should we follow the Lord Iesus Iohn 13. 15. Iohn 15. 12. Mat. 5. 44. Heb 12. 1. We must also follow the Lord Iesus in suffering Augustine Luke 23. 43. Reasons mouing vs to a coÌ„formitie with Christ. The Image of God is our most auncient glory stollen from vs by Sathan and which we should seek to recouer Sathan a double deceiuer Iesus Christ hath first conformed himselfe vnto vs. We cannot be saued except we be comformed to him The name of the first borne three wayes ascribed to Christ 1. as God 2. as man 3. as a mediator Col. 1. 15. Luke 2. 7. 1. Cor. 15. 20 Priuiledges of the first borne are two 1. excellencie of strength 2. excellencie of dignitie Mat. 28. 18. Mat. 3. 17. Miserable are they in this age who doe not acknowledge Christs prerogatiue Whatsoeuer excellencie our elder brother hath it is for our benefit Brethren in Christ are many wayes knit together Ioh. 1. 13. The greatnes of Christs loue toward vs in making vs his brethren What a cleare sight of saluation is here discouered to the Christian. The prerogatiues of a Christian are farre more honourable than any that worldlings can claime to Psal. 87. 3. The most sure and auncient Charters of a Christian to his inheritance Calling is the first manifestation of our Election forerunner of our Glorification What the inward calling is In this Calling there is a taking of some leauing of others God hath taken vs out from amoÌ„g the children of wrath as he took Lot out of Sodome No difference by nature betweene elect men reprobate till our calling make it The time of our calling is to vs as the deliuerance from Egipt or the yeere of Iubily to Israel Calling being a new creation is onely wrought by God August de verb. Apost Man hath not so much as minde of it when it comes to him None are called by this calling but they who are elect What a wonderfull distinction this calling makes among men Miserable are they whom this calling hath not seperated The time of our calling is called a yeere a day to tell vs it is but 〈◊〉 Ioh. 12. 35. Rom. 13. 11 No Grace will be offered to vs after this life Aug. Euodio Epist. 99. Cyprian Sathans principall pollicie is to steale away from men the time of grace Exod. 8. 10 Iustification posterior to Calling in order not in time The word of Iustifying three wayes taken Luke 7. 29 Iustification is opponed to coÌ„demnation How the state of the controuersie of Iustification stands betweene vs and the Papists Foure names giuen to that righteousnesse by which wee are iustified The consideration that Christs righteousnes is ours stoppeth the mouth of all that impugnes our Faith Works not of the vnregenerate onely but of the regenerate also excluded from the act of Iustification Proued by examples The same proued by reason Augustine Eccles. 7. Bern. in fest omniuÌ„ sanct serm 1. How it is that workes of men regenerate doe not merit seeing they are workes done in vs by the spirit of Christ. Heb. 1. 3 Faith works are not simply opponed to other for they are inseperable but opponed onely in the act of Iustification Workes not of the Ceremoniall law onely but of the Morall also excluded from Iustification The distinction of the first and second Iustification improued Iustification Sanctification distinct benefits Iustification Sanctification inseperably conioyned Glorification our last and highest estate out of which we shall neuer be changed How the glorification of our bodyes shewes Gods wonderfull goodnesse and power Three degrees of eternall life The first degree is in this life hath in it these three 1. Righteousnes 2. Peac. 3. Ioy. A three-fold ioy we haue in this life 1. Pet. 1. By the ioyfull first fruites of eternall life we may iudge of the fulnesse thereof Bern. in cap. iâ—iun Ser. 2. Basil. ser. in Gord. Mart. This ioy is not found but in the depth of a contrâ—â—e heart Of the second and third degree of eternall Life Chrisost. Basil. Tertull. The conclusioÌ„ of the whole Chapter consisting first of a generall secondly of a particular triumph The first part of his generall triumph nothing can bee against the Christian to hurt him Worldlings euill iudges of Gods presence who measure it by externall prosperitie Gen. 25. 22. Not by inward Grace The presence of God exempts not
earth other sinnes againe in his wise dispensation hee punisheth not in this life to assure all men that there is a iudgement to come And least yet the wicked man should flatter himselfe by his escaping of present iudgement let him remember that a sinner walking in his sinnes is sore punished when he is spared for I pray thee is not this a iudgement threatned against the apostate Israelites I will not visite your Daughters when they are Harlots nor your Spouses when they are Whores Certe tunc magis irascitur Deus cum non irascitur Certainely then is God most angry when hee seemes not to be angry at all Misericordiam hanc nolo for my owne part saith Bernard I will not haue such a mercy Insignis poena est vindicta impietatis conniuere Deum ac indulgere peccantibus non solum impunitatem sed longam concedere prosperitatem It is a notable punishment and reuenge of vngodlines when God wincks and ouersees sinners not onely graunting vnto them impunitie but also long prosperitie It was good for me saith Dauid that the Lord afflicted mee The wicked because they haue no changes feare not God And the prosperitie of fooles destroy them Hee is happely conquered and ouercome saith Augustine from whom the libertie of sinning is taken away Nihil enim infoelicius foelicitate peccantium qua poenalis nutritur impunitas mala volunt as velut interior hostis roberatur There is nothing more vnhappy then the happy estate of a sinner whereby penall impunitie is nourished and their wicked will as an inward and domestike enimie is strengthened thus are the wicked fearfully plagued when they are most spared when they are giuen vp to their owne hearts desire and their iniquitie hath dominion ouer them when the Lord hedges not in their way with thornes but giues them loose reynes to go where they will to their owne destruction this is terribilis lenitas parcens crudelitas from which vnhappy condition the Lord deliuer vs. The other impediment that stayes the Atheists of our time from profiting by the threatnings of God is because they see the same condition befalleth to the Godly which is threatned to the wicked Daniell goes with the rest into captiuitie Iosias no lesse then the greatest sinners among the people is slaine with the sword Ezekias also stricken with pestilence and many Godly ones among our selues fall vnder the same externall plagues which are threatned against the wicked therefore doe they dispise Religion and harden their hearts against the iudgements of God But herein also are they pittifully blinded for the Godly and wicked differs farre one from another euen when they are both doing the same externall actions Cain and Abel sacrificing together the Publicane and the Pharisee praying together yet are as farre vnlike one another as light and darknesse so when they suffer the same externall crosses yet there is a wonderfull difference betweene them non idcirco vobis aequales sumus quia in isto adhuc mundo constituti carnis incommoda vobiscum pariter incurrimus A very good answere for men of this world who thinck they are in no worse case then the Children of God thinke not that wee are in as euill case as ye are because that so long as we are in this world we are subiect to the same bodily inconueniences because hee was made to rule ouer them and in respect of his soule hee is a companion to the Angels for this cause the Naturalists called man a little world and Augustine counted man a greater miracle than any miracle that euer was wrought among men where other creatures were made by the simple commandement of God before the creation of man the Lord is said to vse consultation to declare saith Basile that the Lord esteemes more of man than of all the rest of his creatures neither is it said that the Lord put his hand to the making of any creature saue onely to the making of man and this also saith Tertullian to declare his excellencie Yet is not man so meruailous in regard of his two substances as in regard of their coniunction Among all the works of God the like of this is not to be found againe a Masse of clay quickned by the spirit of life and these two vnâ—ted together to make vp one man Commonly sayes Bernard the honorable agrees not with the ignoble the strong ouer goes the weake the liuing and the dead dwels not together Non sic in opere tuo domine non sic in commixtione tua it is not so in thy work O Lord it is not so in thy commixtion This is a doctrine commonly talked of that man consists of a soule and a body but is not so duely considered as it should It is a fearefull punishment which by nature lyes vpon the soule seeing shee turned her selfe willingly away from God she is so farre deserted of God that she regards not her selfe though it be a very common prouerbe in the mouthes of men I haue a soule to keepe yet hast thou such a soule as can teach thee to keepe any other thing better than it selfe a fearefull plague that because as I haue said the soule continued not in the loue of God it is now so far deserted that it regards not the owne selfe This haue I touched onely to waken vs that we may more deepely consider of that doctrine which men thinke they haue learned and know sufficiently already namely that man is a compound creature consisting of a soule and a body But to returne seeing at the first these two the soule and body were conioyned together by the hand of 〈◊〉 creator and agreed together in one happy harmony among themselues whence comes this disagreement that the soule being pertaker of life the body should be possest by death I answere wee are to consider these foure estates of mans soule and body vnited The first is their estate by creation wherin both of them concurred in a happy agreement to serue their maker The second is the estate of Apostasie wherein both of them in one cursed band conioyned fell away from God the faculties of the soule rebelling against God and abusing all the members of the body as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to offend him The third is the estate of grace wherein the soule being reconsiled with God by the mediation of Christ and quickned againe by his holy spirit the body is left for a while vnder the bands of death The fourth is the estate of glory wherein both of them being ioyned together againe shall be restored to a more happy life than that which they enioyed by creation As for the first estate we haue lost it as for the second the reprobate stands in it and therefore miserable is their condition as for the third it is the estate of the Saints of God vpon earth
and the world were formed euen from euerlasting to euerlasting the Lord is our God What creature then is able to disanull that which God hath willed before that euer a creature was onely let vs labour that as our election is sure in it selfe so we may make it sure vnto vs by walking in a good conscience before the Lord and then we shall not care what man or Angell say to the contrary against it they are but posterior creatures and what intrest can they haue to gaine say that which God hath done before that they were Happy are they who are rooted grounded and builded vpon this rocke no stormy waue of the sea shall ouerturne them no rage of tentation nor power of the gates of hell shall preuaile against them Lastly we are taught here by the holy Apostle that all men are not foreknowne all are not predestinated to life otherwise there were not an election there is onely a certaine and definit number which belong to the election of Grace a fulnesse both of Iewes and Gentiles a number not knowne to vs but knowne to the Lord not one more nor one lesse shall be pertakers of saluation Many saith out Sauiour shall come from the East and from the West and shall sit with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of God he saith not all the children of the East shall come but many shall come This should waken in vs a holy care so long as the calling of God continues among vs to take heed to our selues striuing to thrust in at the doore of the kingdome of heauen for it suffers violence and the violent take it the fewer there be to be receiued into that kingdome the more we should about to be of that number We see that in nature things that are common were they neuer so excellent are not esteemed the Sunne because common to all is regarded of few though it be a very excellent and profitable creature but parcels of the earth possessed by men in propertie are much more remembred and regarded by those to whom they belong riches and honour are in greater account among men because few attaine vnto them and if we were as wise in spirituall things that grace of Christ which brings saluation would be more pretious and deere vnto vs because it is communicated to few The Lord giue vs grace to consider rightly of it in time To be made like to the image of his Sonne The Apostle insists not in the rest of the linckes of the Chaine hauing touched them he leaues them onely he insists in this lincke of Predestination teaching vs that he vseth not here the word of Predestination generally but restraines it to Predestination vnto life as also that we cannot step from election to glory but by a conformitie with Christ which is most necessary for vs to marke for albeit there be great comfort in the consideration of Gods immutable purpose ordayning man to life as also in the consideration of that glory whereunto we are ordayned yet neither of them can comfort vs vnlesse we be sure that our life is a proceeding from election to glorification by the right meanes The first and neerest end of election in regard of man is his sanctification for the Lord hath chosen vs that wee should be holy the second and furthest end is mans glorification The same Lord Iesus who said I am the life said in like manner I am the way and the veritie if thou wouldst be at life lye not still in thy sinnes but rise and walke in the way and if thou knowest not the way learne it from him who is veritie Let not presumption which slayes the wicked ouertake thee they passe ouer the matter of their saluation with a wanton word their hearts are prophane yet they boast with their tongues that they are sure to be saued but this is a vaine reioycing for he that walkes not in the way how is it possible that he can come to the end assuredly he shall neuer come where Christ is to liue with him that walkes not after Christ in newnesse of life This conformitie with the Lord Iesus whereunto wee are predestinated is partly in this life partly in the life to come Our conformitie in the life to come shall stand in liuing and raigning with Christ which is our glorification whereof he speakes hereafter Our conformitie in this life stands in liuing and suffering with Christ and of this hee speakes here to liue godly after the rule of Christ to suffer patiently after the similitude of Christ are the two parts of our present conformitie with him The Lord Iesus is giuen vs of the Father both to be a Sauiour and an example vnlesse we make him an example to follow him in our doing and suffering he shall not be vnto vs a Sauiour Here we are to marke that the workes done by Christ in our nature are threefold first his personall workes of Redemption as that he was borne of the Virgin that he suffered the cursed death of the Crosse for the expiation of our sinnes that hee rose the third day for our iustification that hee ascended triumphantly into Heauen leading captiuitie captiue Secondly his workes of miracles as that hee fasted forty dayes gaue sight to the blinde life to the dead and such like Thirdly his workes of godlinesse and sanctification as that he was subiect to his parents louing to his brethren painefull in his calling perseuering in prayer To practise to follow him in his personall workes of Redemption is blasphemie or in his workes of Miracles is impossibilitie but to follow him in the workes of a godly life is true pietie In the first Papists are blasphemous that on good Fryday makes a play to the people by counterfaiting the sufferings of Christ. In the second Papists are ridiculous that practise to counterfaite him in his fortie dayes fasting as if that might ordinarily be done of men which once Iesus did for a Miracle In the third let all those who are truely religious striue to follow him as Children looking to their coppy learne to mend their letters so let vs by looking daily to our example learne to amend our liues Imitation in the first two Iesus did neuer require onely hee craues that wee should follow him in the third there is his voyce Learne of me that I am lowly and meeke he did not bid thee saith Augustine learne at him how to make the world or how to raise the dead but how to be lowly and meeke for this cause did our blessed Sauiour wash his Disciples feete that hee might giue vs an example how one of vs should serue another as I haue loued you saide Iesus so loue yee one another yea in that vpon the Crosse hee prayed for his enimies hee hath also taught vs how to practise that precept Pray for them who persecute you In patience likewise hee is proposed