elect haue in themselues the spirit of Iesus Christ testifying vnto them perswading them that they are the adopted children of God For this cause the holie Ghost is called the spirit of adoption because it worketh in vs the assurance of our adoption and it is called a pawne or earnest For as in a bargaine when part of the price is paied in earnest then assurance is made that men will pay the whole so wheÌ„ the child of God hath receiued thus much froÌ„ the holy ghost to be perswaded that he is adopted chosen in Christ he maie be in good hope and he is alreadie put in good assurance fullie to inioy eternall life in the kingdom of heaueÌ„ Indeed this testimonie is weake in most men can scarce bee perceiued because most Christians though they may be old in respect of yers yet they are babes in Christ not yet come to a perfect grouth may find in themselues great strength of sin and the graces of God to be in small measure in theÌ„ And again the children of God being most distressed as in time of triall in the houre of death then the inward working of the holy ghost is felt most euidently But a reprobate cannot haue this testimonie at al though in deede a man flattereth himselfe and the Deuill imitating the Spirit of God doth vsuallie perswade carnall men and hypocrites that they shall bee saued But that deuilish illusion and the testimonie of the Spirite may bee discerned by two notes The first is heartie and feruent prayer to God in the name of Christ. For the same spirite that testifieth to vs that wee are the adopted children of God doth also make vs crie that is feruentlie with grones and sighes filling heauen earth pray to God Now this heartie feruent and loud crying in the eares of God can the Deuill giue to no hypocrite for it is the speciall marke of the Spirite of God The other note is that they which haue the speciall testimonie froÌ„ the Spirite of God haue also in their harts the same affections to God which children haue to their father namelie loue feare reuerence obedience thankefulnes for they call not vpon God as vpon a terrible Iudge but they cry Father Father And these affections they haue not whome Sathan illudeth with a phantasticall imagination of their saluation for it may bee that through hypocrisie or through custome they may call God Father but in truth they cannot doe it XXXI The elect beeing thus assured of their adoptioÌ„ iustificatioÌ„ are indued with hope by which they looke patiently for the accomplishing of all good things which God hath begunne in them And therefore they can vndergoe all Crosses and afflictions with a quiet and contented minde because they knowe that the time will come when they shall haue full redemption from all euils This was the patâ—ence of Paules hope wheÌ„ he said that nothing in the world could seuer him from the loue of God in Christ. And like to this was the patience of Policarpe of Ignatius who when he was coÌ„demned and iudged to be throwne to wilde beasts and now heard the Lyons roring he boldly yet patiently said I am the wheate of Christ I shal be ground with the teeth of wild beasts that I may be founde good breade Also the same was the patience of the blessed Martir saint Laurence who like a meeke Lambe suffred himself to be tormented on a fiery gridiron and when he had beene pressed downe with fire pikes for a great space in the mightie spirit of God spake vnto the Emperor that caused him thus to be tormeÌ„ted on this wise This side is now rosted enough turne vp O tyrant great Assay whether rosted or rawe thou thinkest the better meat XXXII The third maine benefit is inward Sanctification by which a Christian in his mind in his will and in his affections is freed from the bondage and tyrannie of sin sathan and is by litle and litle inabled through the spirit of Christ to desire approue that which is good to walke in it And it hath two parts The first is Mortification when the power of sin is continually weakned consumed diminished The second is Viâ—ificatioÌ„ by which inherent righteousnes is really put into theÌ„ afterward is coÌ„tinually increased XXXIII This sanctification is wrought in al Christians after this manner After that they are ioined to Christ and made misticallie bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Christ worketh in them effectually by his holy spirite and his workes are principallie three First he causeth his owne death to worke effectuallie the death of all sinne and to kill the power of the flesh For it is as a Corrasiue which being applied to the part affected eateth out the venime and corruption and so the death of Christ by faith applyed fretteth out and consumeth the concupiscence the corruption of the whole man Secondly the buriall of Christ is the buriall of sinne as it were in a graue Thirdly his ResurrectioÌ„ sendeth a quickning power into them to make them rise out of their sinne in which they were dead and buried to worke righteousnes to liue in holines of life Lazarus bodie lay foure daies and stancke in the graue yet Christ raised it and gaue him life againe and made him do the same works that liuing meÌ„ do so also Christ dealeth with the soules of the faithfull they rotte and stincke in their sinnes and would perish in them if they were left alone but Christ putteth a heauenlie life into them maketh them actiue and liuely to doe the will of God in the workes of Christianitie and in the works of their callings And this sanctification is throughout the whole maÌ„ in the spirit soule and mind 1. Thes. 5. 23. And here the spirit signifieth the mind and memorie the soule the will and affections XXXIIII The sanctification of the minde is the enlightning of it with the true knowledge of Gods word It is of two sortes either sprituall vnderstanding or spirituall wisedome Spirituall vnderstanding is a generall conceiuing of euerie thing that is to be done or not to bee done out of Gods word Spiritual wisdome is a worthie grace of God by which a man is able to vnderstand out of Gods word what is to be done or not to be done in any particular thing or action according to the circumstances of person time place c. Both these are in euery Christian otherwise Paul would neuer haue praied for the Colossians That they might bee fulfilled with knowledge of Gods will in all wisedome spirituall vnderstanding In both these excelled Dauid who testified of himself that Gods word was a lanterne to his feete and a light to his path and that God by his commandements had made him wiser then his enimies that he had more
to dwell in the store-houses to horde vp his heauenlie graces in doth otherwhilesvse a milde and gentle remedie maketh the law to looke vpon vs though with no louing gentle yet with no feareful countenance otherwhiles in some he setteth a sharp edge vpon the law maketh it to wound the hart very deepe and as a strong corasiue to torment them to frette gnawe vpon their consciences And we see by experience that a botch or a bile in a mans bodie is as wel eased of the corruptioÌ„ that is in it by the pricking of the point of a small needle as by the launcing of a great raser Wherfore if God by his spirit haue wrought in you sorrowe for sinne in anie small measure though not in as great measure as you desire you haue no cause to complaine and in that you are greeued sorrowfull for your sinnes it is a good token of the grace of God in you Timoth. Surelie this is a great comforte â—ou giue mee God make mee thankefull â—or it And I praie you more plainely shew me the state of your life till this houre that I and all other may take warning by it Euseb. That which may doe good vnto other men I will neuer conceale though it be to my perpetuall shame As I was conceiued born in sin so my PareÌ„ts brought me vp in ignoraÌ„ce neuer shewed me my shame and miserie by Gods law I liued a long time euen as a man in a dead sleepe or trance and in truth I liued as though there were neither heauen nor hell neither God nor Diuel And the Diuel himself as now I perceiue did often perswade my secure conscience that I was the child of God and shoulde be saued as well as the best man in the world and I yeelded to this perswasion and did verilie thinke it so that when the preacher for wickednesse and securitie denounced Gods iudgementes and hell fire I haue saide vnto my neighbours that I hoped I should be saued and he should goe to hell and when I was asked whether I could keepe all the commandements of the lawe I saide that I coulde and being asked whether I neuer sinned I saide I thought that otherwhiles I did marrie for them which were but fewe I hoped God woulde haue mercie and haue me excused And all my neighbors were glad of my company they spoke well of me and I was taken for an honest man when as indeed before God I was a vile beast the childe of wrath inspired with the spirite of the Diuell continuallie Well afterward I heard the law preached and I sawe and remembred manie fearefull iudgements of GOD vpon men whom I in reason thought were as good men as I then I beganne to consider mine owne estate and to perceiue my sinnes and my cursednesse and vpon a time aboue all other the curse of the lawe made mee inwardlie afraide and my flesh then beganne to tremble and quake then I could not sleepe in the night season I was afraide of euerie thing If I were in my house I thought the house would fall on my head if abroade I thought euerie crannie of the earth would open it selfe wider and swallow me I started at euerie strawe and at the moouing of a flie my meate was lothsome vnto me and I thought I was not worthie of so good a creature of God and that God might iustlie turne it to my bane the greefe of my heart for my life past made me shed abundance of tears and vpon that I remembred that I had heard read in the Church in Dauids Psalmes that his teares were his drinke and that hee did wette his bed with teares And now the Deuill changed both his coate and his note in fearefull manner cryed in my eares that I was a reprobate his childe that none of Gods children were as I am that this griefe of my soule was the beginning of hell And the greater was my paine because I durst not open my minde vnto anie for feare they shoulde haue mocked mee and haue made a iest of it Wherefore I was fayne to go to a godlie learned Preacher I shewed myne estate vnto him after I had continued with him the space of two or three daies I receiued comfort both by the promises of mercie which hee shewed mee in the booke of God and by his feruent godlie and effectuall prayers and I thanke God euer since I haue had some assurance in spite of the Deuill that I doe apperteine to the kingdome of heauen and am nowe a member of Iesus Christ and shall so continue for euer Timoth. How know you that God hath forgiuen your sinne Euseb. Because I am a sinner he is both able and willing to forgiue me Timoth. I graunt that hee is able to forgiue you but how know you that he will you know your sinnes are very great Euseb. I graunt but Christs passion is far greater and although my sinnes were as red as scarlet and as purple yet they shall be as white as snow and as soft as wooll Timoth. Oh but you haue sinned verie often Euseb. Tell mee not I pray you what I haue done but what I will doe Timoth. What will you doe Euseb. By Gods grace it is my full purpose and my earnest praier to God is hereafter to take better heede and to amend my former life Timoth. Is that inough thinke you Euseb. What lacketh Timoth. The fauour and mercie of God that may cleane forsake you Euseb. Nay that I will neuer graunt for I am certainly perswaded of the fauour mercie of God euen to the saluation of my soule Timoth. Oh shewe mee that that is the thing I earnestly desire to bee assured of Gods speciall goodnes euen by your feeling Euseb. According as God hath giuen me to feele the same so will I shewe it you And first of all the dealing of God towards me is a good argument to mee In the first commandement God hath commaunded me to take him to bee my God and in the Lords praier he teacheth me to call him father he hath created the world generallie and euerie creature particularlie for man so for me to serue for my commoditie necessity and admonition Also he hath made me after his owne image hauing a reasonable soule body shape where he might haue made me a Toad a Serpent a Swine deformed frantick Moreouer he hath woÌ„derfullie preserued me in my infancie childhood youth middle age hitherto from manifold daÌ„gers perils all which do confirm in me a perswasion of Gods fatherlie loue that I should not doubt hereof where I might haue beene borne of Turks lo it was the wil of God that I should be borne of Christian PareÌ„ts be brought into Gods Church by Baptisme which is the Sacrament of adoption requireth faith as wel of the remission of my sins as of sanctification and holines to bee wrought of God in mee by
sit one on y e right hand of Christ the other on the left They would pray that fire might descend froÌ„ heaueÌ„ consume the Samaritans WheÌ„ Christ asked who say men that I am Peter answered Thou art the sonne of the liuing God as though Peter had beene as perfecte as an Angell But imediatlie after when Christ preached â—nto them of his death and passion Peter was angry and rebuked Christ and thought earnestlie that hee had raued and not wist what hee had said as at another time when Christ was so feruentlie busied in healing the people that he had no leasure to eate they went out to holde him supposing that hee had beene beside himselfe And one that cast foorth Diuelles in Christes name they forbadde because hee waited not on theÌ„ so glorious were they yet And though Christ taught alway to forgiue yet Peter after long going to schole asked whether men should forgiue seauen times thinking that eight times had beene too much And at the last supper Peter woulde haue died with Christ but yet within fewe houres after he denied him both cowardly shamefullie And after the same manner though he had so long hearde that no man must auenge himselfe but rather turne the other cheeke to the smiter againe yet when Christ was in taking Peter asked whether it were lawfull to smite with the sworde and taried no answere but laide on rashlie So that although wee bee once reconciled to God yet at the first we be but children and yong scholers weake and feeble and must haue leasure to growe in the spirite iâ— knowledg loue and deeds thereof as yong children must haue time to growe in their bodies and so in like manner the sting of the serpent is not pulled out at once but the poyson of our nature is minished by little and little and cannot before the houre of death be wholie taken awaie Timoth. I perceiue by your godlie discourse the manifolde conflictes betweene the flesh and the spirite and that the flesh is like to a mightie Giant such a one as was Goliah strong lustie stirring enimie to God confederate with the Diuell and the spirite like to a little childe such a one as was little Dauid new borne weake and feeble not alwaies stirring nowe then what meanes do you vse to weaken the flesh and strengthen the spirit Euseb. I vse to tame my flesh with praier and fasting watching deedes of mercie holie meditations reading the scriptures and in bodilie labour and in with-drawing all manner of pleasures from the flesh and with exercises contrarie to the vices which I finde in my bodie most inclined to and with absteining from all things that encourage the flesh against the spirit as reading of toyes and wanton bookes seeing of plaies and enterluds wanton communication foolish iesting effeminate thoughts and talking of couetousnes which Paul forbiddeth Eph. 5. magnifying of worldly promotions If these will not mortifie my flesh then God sendeth me some troubles and so maketh me to grow waxe perfect and fineth and trieth me as gold in the fire of tentations and tribulations Thus verie often he maketh me to take vp my crosse naileth my flesh vnto it for the mortifying thereof Marke this if God send thee to the sea promise to go with thee he wil raise vp a tempest against thee to prooue whether thou wilt abide by his word and that thou maist feele thy faith weakenes and perceiue his goodnes for if it were alwaies faire weather and thou neuer brought into such ieopardie whence his mercie onlie deliuereth thee thy faith should bee onelie a presumption thou shouldest be euer vnthankefull to God and merciles vnto thy neighbour If God promise riches the waie therevnto is pouertie whom he loueth him he chasteneth whom he exalteth hee casteth downe whom he saueth he first damneth hee bringeth no man to heauen except he send him to hell first if hee promisâ— life he slayeth first when he buildeth he casteth downe all first he is no patcher hee cannot abide another mans foundation he will not worke till all bee past remedie and brought to such a case that meÌ„ may see how that his haÌ„d his power his mercy his goodnes his truth hath wrought altogether hee will let no man be partaker with him of his praise and glorie his works are wonderfull contrarie to mans workes who euer saue he deliuered his own sonne his only sonne his deere son his darling vnto the death for his enimies to win his enimies to ouercome theÌ„ with loue that he might see loue loue again and of loue likewise to doe to other men to ouercome them with well doing Ioseph saw the Sun and the Moone and seauen starres worshipping him neuertheles ere that came to passe God laid him where he could see neither sun nor moone neither anie star of the skie and that many yeres and also vndeserued to nurture him to make him humble meeke to teach him Gods waies and to make him apte and meete for y t roome honor again he came to it that he might be strong in the spirit to minister it well God promised the children of Israel a land with riuers of milke honie yet hee brought them foorth the space of fortie yeares into a lande where in riuers of milke and honie were but where so much as a drop of water was not to nurture and teach them as a father doth his sonne and to doe them good at the latter ende to seduce their cankred nature to make them strong in the spirite to vse his benefites aright Lastlie God promised Dauid a kingdome and immediatelie stirred vp Saul against him to persecute him and to hunt him as men doe hayres with gray-houndes and to ferret him out of euerie hole and that for the space of manie yeares to turne him to make him to mortifie his lustes to make him feel his own diseases in fine to make him a good man and a good King Timoth. But how if it come to passe that you be tempted to anie great sinne and the fleshe ouercome the spirit in what case are you then Euseb. There is no bodie here but you I and I take you to bee a Christian and a faithfull friende therefore I will shewe a little of my exhortation The last yeare by reason of the dearth I and my familie were put to great pinches and most commonly we had nothing but bread and water here vpon I bethought mee howe I might get somewhat to releiue my familie It came into my minde that in our Towne a rich man had a great flocke of sheepe and that I might take one of them without any hurt of him I was verie loath at the first but because there was such great stealing of sheepe I was in extremitie in the night I went among his sheep and tooke a lambe and told my familie that it was giuen me I presently killed it the
and quaffing and all such like Galathians 5. 19. 20. 22. All these they cannot proceede from thee Sathan or from my fleshe but onelie from faith which is wrought in me by gods holie spirite Sathan If this were so God would neuer suffer thee to sinne as thou doest Christian. I shall sinne as long as I liue in this worlde I am sure of it because I am taught to aske remission of my sinnes continually But the manner of my sinning now is otherwaies than it hath beene in times past I haue sinned heretofore with ful purpose and consent of will but now doubtles I doo not Before I commit anie sinne I do not go to the practising of it with deliberation as the carnall man doth who taketh care to fulfill the lustes of the flesh but if I doo it it is flat beside my minde and purpose In the doing of anie sinne I woulde not doe it my heart is against it and I hate it and yet by the tyrannie of my flesh being ouercome I doe it afterwardc when it is committed I am grieued and displeased at my selfe and doe earnestlie with teares aske at Gods hands forgiuenesse of the same sinne Sathan Indeede this is verye true in the children of God but thou art solde vnder sinne and with great pleasure doest commit sinne louest it with thy whole heart otherwise thou wouldest not fall to sinne againe after repentance and commit euen one and the same sinne so often as thou doest Thou hypocrite this thy behauiour turneth all the fauour of God from thee Christian. Nay it is the order of the Prophets to call men to repentance which haue fallen from the feare of God and from the repentance which they professed and God in thus calling him putteth them in hope of obtaining mercie And the law had sacrifices offered euery day for the sinnes of all the people and for particular men both for their ignorances and their voluntarie sinnes which signifieth that God is readie to forgiue the sinnes of his children yea if they sinne daily Abraham twise lied and swore that Sara was not his wife Ioseph swore twise by the life of Pharao Dauid coÌ„mitted adulterie often because he tooke vnto him Bathsheba Vriahs wife also kept sixe wiues and ten concubines Gods will is that meÌ„ forgiue till seuentie seuen times and therefore he will shew much more mercie And for my part so oft as I shall fall into the same sin so oft I shall haue Christ my aduocate and intercessour to the father for me who will not damne me for the infirmitie which he findeth in me I will abstaine from externall iniquitie and I wil not make my members seruants vnto sinne and so long I trust my imperfections shall haue no power to damne mee for Christes perfection is reputed to be mine by faith which I haue in his bloud God is not displeased if my bodie be sicke and subiect to diseases no more is he displeased at the disease and sicknesse of the soule A naturall father will â—ot slay the bodie of his childe when he is sicke and abhorreth comfortable meates and my heauenly father will not condemne my soule although through the infirmitie of faith and the weakenesse of the spirit I commit sinne and often loath his heauenâ—y word the food of my soule Nay which â—s a strange thing I know it by experience â—hat God hath turned my filthie sinnes to my great profit and to the amendment of my life like as the good Phisition of ranke â—oison is able to make a soueraigne medicine to preserue life Sathan Well be it that now thou art in the state of grace yet thou shalt not continue so but shalt before death depart from Christ. Christian. I know I am a meÌ„ber of Christs misticall bodie I feele in my selfe the heauenlie power and vertue of my head Christ Iesus and for this cause I cannot perish but shall continue for euer and raigne in Heauen after this life with him The conflicts of Sathan with the weake Christian. Sathan THy minde is full of ignorance and blindnes thy heart is full of obstinacie rebellion and frowardnes against God thou art whollie vnfit for anie good work wherfore thou hast no faith neither canst thou be iustified and accepted before God Christian. If I haue but one drop of the grace of God and if my faith bee no more than a litle graine of mustard seede it is sufficient for mee God requireth not perfect faith but true faith Sathan Yea but thou hast no faith at all Christian. I haue had faith Sathan Thou neuer hadst true faith foâ— in time past when according to thine own opinion thou didst beleeue then thou hadst nothing but a shadow of faith and a foolish imagination which all hypocrites haue Christian. I wil put my trust in god for euer his former mercies shewed mee heretofore strengtheÌ„ me now in this my weaknes 1. He created me when I was nothing 2. He created me a man when he might haue made me an vglie Toade 3. He made me of comelie bodie and of good discretioÌ„ wheras he might haue made me vglie deformed franticke mad 4. I was borne in the daies of knowledg when I might haue beene borne in the time of ignorance and superstition 5. I was borne of Christian parents but God might haue giuen me either Turks or Iewes or some other sauage people for my parents 6. I might haue perished in my mothers wombe but he hath preserued me and prouided for me by his prouidence euen vnto this houre 7. Soone after my birth God might haue cast me into hell but contrariwise I was baptized and so receiued the seale of his blessed couenant 8 I haue had by Gods goodnesse some sorrowe for my sinnes past and haue called on him in hope and confidence that heâ— would heare me 9 God might haue concealed his worâ— from mee but I haue heard the plentifuâ— preaching of it I vnderstand it and hauâ— receiued comfort by it 10 Lastly at this time God might powâ—â— his full wrath on me which he dooth noâ— but mercifully maketh me to feele miâ—… owne wants that I might be humbled aâ—… giue all glorie vnto him for his blessingâ— Wherefore there is no cause why I shouâ—â— bee disquieted but I will trust still in tâ—â— Lord and depend on him as I haue done Sathan Thou feelest no grace of the hâ—… lie Ghoste in thee nor anie true tokens 〈…〉 faith but thou hast a liuely sense of the râ—bellion of thy heart and of thy lewde aâ—â— wretched conuersation therefore thâ— canst not put anie confidence in Christâ— death and sufferings Christian. Yet I will hope against all hopâ— and although according to mine owâ— sense and feeling I want faith yet I will bâ— leeue in Iesus Christ and trust to be sauâ— by him Sathan Though the children of GOD haue beene in many perplexities yet neuer any of them haue bin in