Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	dead_a	sin_n	spirit_n	5,831	5	5.3807	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17308	Truth's triumph ouer Trent: or, the great gulfe betweene Sion and Babylon That is, the vnreconcileable opposition betweene the Apostolicke Church of Christ, and the apostate synagogue of Antichrist, in the maine and fundamentall doctrine of iustification, for which the Church of England Christs spouse, hath iustly, through Gods mercie, for these manie yeares, according to Christs voyce, separated her selfe from Babylon, with whom from henceforth she must hold no communion. By H.B. rector of S. Mathews Friday-Street.	Burton, Henry, 1578-1648.	1629 (1629)	STC 4156; ESTC S107077	312,928	398

nouell doctrine of such men is a high pride and presumption carrying others also to the top of the same pinacle by perswading them that they haue true Repentance before faith in Christ by which they are at least in part regenerate sanctified and cleansed Obiect But is there no preparation vnto the receiuing of grace and iustification Is not at the least the hearing of the Word a worke of preparation to grace Answ. True it is that faith sauing and iustifying faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10. 17. So that the hearing of the Word of God is the ordinarie meanes to beget sauing Faith and Grace in vs. Obiect But hearing of the Word is in our owne power and hearing of the Word is a preparation vnto Grace therefore it is in our owne power to prepare our selues vnto grace Answ. To heare is in our owne power but hearing of the Word is not simply a preparatiue vnto grace but rather an externall meanes thereunto For vnlesse God do giue aspeciall blessing to the outward meanes of hearing the Word in opening our hearts as he did the heart of Lydia wee heare the word but as a sound or as a strange historie or parable and as a deepe mysterie hidden from vs. The Iewes did heare Christs Oracles and see his Miracles yet for all that were they no better than deafe and blinde men God must open the heart to vnderstand and to apprehend by Faith the mysterie of Christ preached else Paul may plant and Apollos water in vaine Obiect To what purpose then is it for any to come to heare the Word of God if thereby he be not the better fitted and disposed to receiue grace Answ. Although God be the only author and actor of working grace in vs yet for as much as he doth this by the Ministerie of his Word which he hath appointed as the ordinarie meanes to beget faith and all other sauing graces in vs therefore it is our part and duty to attend vpon and vse the means waiting for Gods blessing vpon it So that all the worke of preparation to grace on our part is without vs not within vs namely the hearing of the Word preached and Gods speciall blessing vpon it Obiect But it is in our free will and choyce to heare the Word of God or not to heare it and therefore something is to be ascribed to free-will in setting vs at least in the way to iustification Answ. It is no otherwise in our free will and choyce before our conuersion to heare Gods Word than to heare any humane historie propounded vnto vs. For before our vnderstanding bee by faith illuminated to apprehend and apply Christ vnto our selues and to know him to be our Sauiour in particular we haue no will to heare the Word as the Word of God which is able to saue our soules but rather as the word of man Obiect But doth not a man vnderstand the Word preached vnlesse first his vnderstanding be illuminated by Faith Answ. A naturall man may by hearing come to haue a generall vnderstanding of the Word of God as a true historie but before he bee indued with sauing faith from God his vnderstanding is not illuminated to know God in Christ to bee his Father and Christ to bee his Redeemer which is the summe of the Gospell and the seale which wee set vpon the truth of God therein Iohn 3 33. Obiect But Iohn Baptist was sent to prepare the way of the Lord. Answ. The Ministerie of Iohn was to teach men to beleeue in Christ pointing at him that was to come So that by his Ministerie men beleeuing and beeing baptized into Christ they might thereby be said to bee prepared to a more plentifull measure of receiuing Christ and his Spirit as afterwards they did hauing the first seeds of Faith already sowne in their hearts Obiect But another obiects before true conuersion a man must renounce the first couenant become humble confesse his vnworthinesse his hardnesse of heart his naturall disabilitie towards his owne saluation hee must feare God loue God and the like or else a man is incapable of and indisposed to receiue the grace of conuersion Answ. Indeed a fellow-minister of the Gospell was very earnest on a time in defending of this He desired me to resolue him in it by writing as being a matter of maine consequence and a maine ground wherewith many other opinions on foote in these daies would stand or fall Now I could haue wished to haue heard his reasons of that his obiection but time at least permitted not Therefore my answer shall be short as also in respect of all that before said First then for a man to renounce the first couenant to become humble c. I say no man can doe it till he be in Christ. My reason is because till a man be in Christ he is dead blinde proud hard-hearted without the feare of God without the loue of God Euery man is actually either the child of wrath in the state of sinne and death or the childe of God in the state of grace and life There is no terme betweene these two There is no terme or medium betweene a man liuing and dead but the very instant of his soules departing from the bodie which is in the twinckling of an eye No more terme or medium is there betweene a man dead in sinne and liuing by grace but the very instant of his conuersion For euery man I say is eyther a dead man in the state of sinne or a liuing man in the state of grace a third terme cannot come betweene Now while a man is in the state of sinne he is dead If dead he vnderstands nothing that sauours of grace nor hath hee any disposition or affection in him thereunto While he is vnder the dominion of sinne hee is nothing but meere enmitie and rebellion against God and his Grace as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. The wisedome of the flesh or To be carnally minded is enmity against God This is the state of a man vnregenerate vnconuerted Beeing thus hee is proud senslesse of his hardnesse of heart senslesse of any naturall disabilitie towards his owne saluation without loue without feare of God as Rom. 3. He is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeede can bee Rom. 8. Hee is so farre from renouncing the first couenant of works that before his conuersion the more morall vertues which Saint Augustine cals but splendida peccata either the frame of his naturall and corporall constitution or of his more liberall education hath adorned him with the more is hee apt to relye vpon the first couenant trusting to bee saued by his good workes But I say againe that when I see in a man these things that he renounceth the first couenant that he is humble that he confesseth his vnworthinesse that hee complaineth of the hardnesse of his heart that he renounceth himselfe and his owne abilities towards his

owne saluation and the like these are the signes and fruits of a true Conuert say I. No say you The matter now standing betweene your No and my Yea who shall be the vmpire Nay let vs decide it betweene vs by the rule of Gods word Either make the tree good and the fruit good or else the tree euill and the fruit euill saith Christ. An euill tree cannot bring forth good fruit contra Now a man before his effectuall conuersion before he be in Christ is an euill tree and therefore cannot bring forth any fruit of true grace or vertue But if a man begin once to bring forth such fruits shew me if you can any reason why such a man is not already a true Conuert For ought you know hauing these signes and symptomes of true conuersion he is a true Conuert Nay that he is without question a true Conuert I proue by two reasons First because till a man be a true Conuert he cannot be truely humble he cannot truely renounce himselfe his sins confesse his vnworthinesse feele the hardnesse of his heart to complaine of it and the like Secondly because all these things are common and proper to the regenerate man Both these together I p●●●e thus 1. No dead man can performe the workes of a liuing man but these forementioned be the workes of a liuing man therefore no dead man therefore no man before his conuersion can performe such workes But you will say these things are not so the workes of a man conuerted but that also as morall workes they may be performed of a morall or naturall man before his conuersion To which I answer that all these things are not of a morall but of a spirituall nature are the proper gifts of the spirit of grace which no naturall man hath till he become spirituall which is by conuersion when hee rec●●●eth spirituall life God giues grace to the humble but first he giues grace to be humble God giueth more grace saith St. Iames and what followeth He giues grace to the humble that is more grace to him whom first he hath made humble by grace This humility comes only from Christ to those that are in Christ. True humility St. Augustines compares to the water of life and of grace which floweth from the inward fountaine of the pure veine of truth This is the water of confession of sinnes this the water of humiliation of the heart this the water of sauing life of him that casts downe himselfe that presumes nothing of himselfe that proudly attributes nothing to his owne power This water is in no Forreiners bookes not in the Epicures not in the Stoickes not in the Manichees not in the Platonicks Wheresoeuer other precepts of manners and discipline are found yet this humility is not found The way of this humility flowes from no where else it comes from Christ c. So Augustine This Humility is the Herbe-grace and growes no where but in the garden of grace euen the heart of the true Conuert It growes not in the whole field of nature though neuer so well tilled with the doctrine of Philosophy And for hardnesse of heart it is in euery impenitent man but when once it comes to be felt and to be mourned for this is the proper effect of a man renued by grace whose not onely vnderstanding is inlightened to see but his will and affections touched with a godly sense and feeling of his spirituall miseries which a dead man cannot doe Now till a man be in Christ by faith he is a dead man Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drink his bloud that is Except ye beleeue in the son of man ye haue no life in you Ioh. 6. 53. And saith the Apostle Now I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in mee and in that I now liue I liue by the faith of the sonne of God c. Gal. 2. 20. Now a dead man knowes not that he is dead but when he is restored to life he then knowes that he was dead So a man till hee be in Christ that is truely conuerted he is dead and knowes it n●● much lesse can bewaile or so much as see and feele his spirituall death but being in Christ and so made aliue he knowes then that he was a dead man and feeling some reliques of spirituall mortality in him as corruption of sinne hardnesse of heart and the like he is truely humbled for it he heartily bewailes and confesseth it and prayeth against it which humility which bewayling and confessing of his spirituall misery is no lesse an infallible signe of a man restored from spirituall death to spirituall life by Christ than the seuen times neezing of the widowes son was a true token of his restitution from death to life againe But as the clause comes in but obiter so let it suffice to haue touched it by the way And this I haue said I am sure will stand good till any shall be able to proue That a man doth spiritually liue before he be in Christ before he be a true Conuert CHAP. IV. The Romish Doctrine of the Iustification of a sinner what it is and wherein it consisteth NOw after all this adoe about preparation to iustification which the more they magnifie the further off they are from attaining vnto it what is that iustification which the Romish Church stands vpon Let vs see if it bee worth all that labour and merit whereby they must come by it The foolish Virgins while they went to bestow their paines and cost to prepare oyle for their empty Lampes to meete the Bridegroome lost all their paines and expence for when they came Heauen gate was shut against them The Romish Virgins for such they would bee accounted wanting oyle in their Lampes to wit the pure oyle-oliffe of grace distilling from the true Oliffe Tree Iesus Christ while they goe about to prepare artificiall oyle made by humane inuenti●● they may iustly feare to find the gate of righteousnesse and mercie barred vp against them If they proue not rather like the men of Sodome who pressing vpon righteous Lot to surprise euen his Angel-guests were strucke with blindnesse that they could not finde the right doore where they would haue entred So these seeking to enter the gate of the righteous as if they would surprise Heauen the lodging of Angels by a strange and new inuented violence it will proue a matter of high admiration if euer by their new way of preparation choaked with so many mists of foggie errours and blinde inuentions they hit vpon the gate of iustification and so come promiscuously to ioyne themselues to the sacred society of righteous Angels But now let their iustification speake and iustifie it selfe The Councell of Trent in the seuenth Chapter saith thus Hanc dispositionem seu praeparationem iustificatio ipsa consequitur quae non est sola peccatorum remissio sed

among you as one that serueth Now for whom was Christ in the condition of his life a seruant For himselfe Not for himselfe but for vs as himselfe saith For their sakes I sanctifie my selfe that they also might be sanctified through the truth Ioh. 17. 19. So that the actiue obedience of Christ in his life his holinesse as of a seruant is also imputed to vs For how was hee a seruant in our person but that hee might free vs from the condition of seruants That as the passiue obedience of Christ in his death remoued away from vs the ragges of our sins the badge and band of our seruitude So Christs actiue obedience in his life hath put vpon vs the most glorious libertie of our infranchisement and freedome his death hath cleansed vs his life hath clothed vs. These two therefore are in no sort to be diuided vnlesse we would bee content to haue our deliuerance from hel separated from our inheritance in heauen and still to bee subiect to the punishment of losse though free from the punishment of sense like those infants who dying vnbaptized the Pontificians haue deuised to put them in a certain Limbus or Hell wherein they must suffer though not the punishment of sense yet the punishment of losse as they say But as this is a meere fiction and fable so is that other it being as impossible for a man eue● to come to possesse the Kingdome of Heauen without the imputation of Christs actiue obedience and righteousnesse as without his passion imputed euer to escape hell fire So that Christ cannot be diuided wee must haue him whole or none For it was necessary that the actiue righteousnesse of Christ should both goe before and accompany his passiue obedience seeing without the actiue the passiue should haue been altogether vnprofitable therefore they are ioyned together Phil. 2. 7. 8. that so his passiue might seale vnto vs his actiue and his actiue sanctifie vnto vs his passiue Nay was not his passiue obedience also actiue by a voluntary offering vp of himselfe Was hee not obedient vnto the death Saith not Christ himselfe Ioh. 10. 15. I lay downe my life for my sheepe and vers 17. Therefore doth my father loue me because I lay downe my life that I might take it againe and vers 18. No man taketh it from me but I lay it downe of my selfe I haue power to lay it downe and I haue power to take it againe Christs passiue obedience therefore being it selfe also actiue how can these two possibly bee separated and diuorced one from the other That as the passiue obedience of Christ hath freed vs from sinne hell death and condemnation so the actiue obedience of his life might restore vs vnto possesse vs in the perfect state of righteousnesse life saluation and the Kingdome of heauen Yea these two are so vnseparable as that the confluence of all the sweet streames of Christs actiue obedience in his life haue a most sweete and comfortable influence into the bitter sea of his passiue obedience in his death making it to bee a most perfect and intire sacrifice the holinesse of Christs life sanctifying his death and shewing him to bee that Lambe of God without spot or blemish So that we cannot be partakers of Christs passiue obedience without his actiue lest hee proue vnto vs a lame and imperfect sacrifice And therefore the Apostle doth infold the affirmatiue imputation in the negatiue saying Euen as Dauid also described the blessednesse of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sinne Here is imputation of righteousnesse without workes concurring with the not imputing of sinnes For euen the passiue obedience of Christ whereby our sinnes come not to bee imputed had in it the holinesse and vertue of his actiue obedience throughout his whole life hauing beene obedient vnto his death that so the righteousnesse of his life also might be imputed vnto vs. Stella vpon Luke saith Omnes passiones Christi potius actionis nomine appellandae sunt quàm passiones Christi martyrium crucis eius tormentum nihil redemptioni nostrae prodessent nisi actionem habuissent quod est velle flagellari velle crucifigi All the passions or sufferings of Christ are rather to bee called actions than passions The martyrdome of Christ and the torment of his Crosse had auailed nothing to our redemption if they had not had action which is to be willing to be scourged and willing to be crucified He therefore that separates the actiue obedience of Christ in his life from his passiue in his death is like the man in the Gospell whom when the vncleane spirit had cleane left returned turned and finding him as an house swept with whited wals but voide of the garnish of grace he takes seuen other spirits worse than himselfe makes with them his re-entry and dwels there so the last state of that man is worse than the first Such is he that seemes to be cleansed from his sinnes and all his vncleannesse like a new swept house by acknowledging the righteousnesse of Christs passiue obedience in his death imputed to him but neglecting yea reiecting the righteousnesse of Christs actiue obedience in his life as nothing pertaining to him in the point of iustification but as though hee must haue a selfe-garnish as of a whited wall inherent in him whereby to claime the kingdome of heauen he becometh seuen times more vncleane than he was before O neuer let Christs life and death be diuided his actiue obedience his passiue let euer go together lest if we let go the one we lose both Therefore giue me whole Christ or none both his death that I may not dye for euer from him and his life that I may liue for euer with him The learned and godly Cardinall Contarenus who liued in Luthers time and writ soundly of iustification saith well to this purpose Omnis Christi iustitia attribuitur nobis quicunque Christum induimus The whole righteousnesse of Christ is attributed or imputed to vs as many as haue put on Christ. For to conclude this in a word the redemption by Christ procureth two things vnto vs deliuerance from death and the purchase of life By his passiue obedience hee wrought the first by his actiue the second For properly the death of Christ was to free vs from death but the life of Christ to infeoffe vs in life The condition of the first Adams life was Doe this and liue the second Adam hath done it that we might liue eternally eternally not as Adam had the promise here on earth but in heauen Hence it is that as Iesus Christ descended into the state of death to redeeme vs thence by his death So hee came downe from heauen that in the humility and obedience of his life

flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who loued mee and gaue himselfe for mee Here is true loue indeede where the soule is not where it liueth but where it loueth And between these friends all things are most freely common He partakes of our flesh we of his spirit Hee of our nature we of his grace He of our infirmities we of his perfections He of our pouerty we of his riches yea Hee of our sinnes which hee bare vpon the Tree wee of his righteousnesse the best Robe He is called the sonne of man we the Sonnes of God He the Lord our righteousnesse and we the Lord our righteousnesse yea He and we one Christ. O incomparable communion O incomprehensible vnion Neuer such an immediate intercourse and community betweene friends And this not for a day or a yeare or for terme of life but for life without terme For as Christs loue to his is from euerlasting so it is to euerlasting it is without beginning and therefore without ending Ioh. 13. 1. So that of this loue betweene Christ and his faithfull friends and brethren we may sing the Psalme of Dauid the burthen whereof is principally the loue between Christ and his brethren Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in vnity It is like the precious oyntment vpon the head that ran downe vpon the beard euen Aarons beard and went downe to the skirts of his garments As the deaw of Hermon and as the deaw that descended vpon the mountaines of Sion for there the Lord commanded the blessing euen life for euermore This Psalme is a mirrour and cleare type of that vnion and communion of grace betweene Christ and the faithfull Behold therefore it is Christ that maketh his faithfull ones to dwell together in vnitie to bee of one minde in the house of God Psalme 68. 6. He it is that perswades Iaphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem the Gentiles to become one Family with the Iew vnder Christ that one head whose type was Aaron From him our head our high Priest flowes downe the oyle of grace vpon vs vnto the skirts of his clothing euen vpon vs whose nakednesse hee hath couered with the skirts of the robes of his righteousnesse of whose fulnesse wee haue all receiued and grace for grace His head is full of the dew of grace distilling vpon the barren Mountaines of his Sion his Church and chosen to poure a blessing vpon it and there to giue life for euermore Such is the vnion betweene Christ his faithfull ones farre passing the loue betweene dearest friends euen that betweene Ionathan and Dauid passing the loue of women Eightly nor is this vnion betweene Christ and the beleeuer a ciuill vnion such as is betweene the King and the Subiect for alas to what dis-vnion and diuision is this subiect too especially where the Pope is Lord Paramount whenas eyther his roaring Buls of excommunication and deposition of Kings or the poysoned steellettoes or pistols of his all-daring brats doe euen teare the head from the body as too lamentable experience hath proued True it is that Christ is our King and we his seruants hee commands vs wee obey him he is our Princely head we his members but his commandements are not grieuous his yoke is easie and his burden light He hath lightened the burden and sweetened the yoke vnto vs by both hauing borne the grieuousnesse and bitternes of it himselfe alone and for the remnant hee both beares it with vs and giues vs strength to beare it yea he hath so loued vs and so shed his loue abroad in our hearts by his holy Spirit giuen vnto vs that as hee can neuer deny vs the grace and protection of a louing Prince so hee hath giuen vs grace neuer to deny him our most humble homage and louing obedience So that neuer was there such a strait bond betweene Prince and People as betweene Christ and the Beleeuer Ninthly this vnion betweene Christ and the Beleeuer is not a coniugall vnion such as is betweene a man and his wife although this be a mysticall resemblance whereby Christ setteth forth his vnion with vs. For this Coniugall vnion suffereth dissolution and death giues the Suruiuer libertie to marry a new mate Not so with Christ and his Spouse This is a band indissoluble The marriage band is but during this life it holds not in heauen for there they neither marry nor are giuen in marriage but this with Christ suffereth no diuorse but death is a degree to the full consummation of it Also the man and the wife are but one flesh but Christ and the beleeuer one spirit In a word this vnion betweene Christ and the Beleeuer is not the vnion of dependency as between the Creature the Creator for this is common to all the Creatures who haue their being life and sustentation in a dependency from the Creator his raine showreth and his sunne shineth vpon the good and euill vpon the iust and the vniust indifferently All depend and waite vpon thee saith Dauid and thou giuest them their meate in due season when thou openest thine hand they are filled with good when thou withdrawest their breath they returne to their dust But the vnion betweene Christ and his although it be an vnion of dependency wherein the Beleeuers eternall well-beeing hath a necessary dependance on Christ yet this dependance is proper and peculiar to the faithfull and not common with any other Creature vnlesse with the elect Angels who depend vpon Christ for the perpetuation of their happinesse So that the faithfull haue their dependance on Christ not onely as their Creator being the eternall Word common with other Creatures but chiefly as their Redeemer and Sauiour proper to them only and that not only for the supply of things temporall but much more of graces spirituall and glory eternall Thus by shewing what kinde of vnion this between Christ and the Beleeuer is not wee come to see the more cleerely what it is The Scripture also setteth forth this vnion by sundry similitudes especially foure as betweene a house and the foundation betweene the vine and the branches or the oliue roote and the tree betweene the man and the wife betweene the head and the members What more neare the foundation and building make one house the vine and branches one tree the man and wife one flesh the head and members one body So Christ and the beleeuer are one spirit Being vnited to Iesus our head hee becomes the Sauiour of vs his body Ephes. 5. 23. Beeing vnited to Christ wee are annoynted with all his titles and graces we are made Kings and Priests to God his Father Beeing vnited to this foundation we become liuing stones growing vp to an holy Temple in the Lord. Being vnited to this Vine this Oliue we partake of the sweetnesse of the one and of the fatnesse of the other Being

formerly that sole faith is not sufficient but a good life must be added and it will plainly appeare that he speakes of faith alone as sufficient to iustifie vs in the sight of God and to procure vs the possession of heauen yet hee meanes not a solitary and dead faith but such a faith as is a liuing and sauing faith working by loue which hath as well a worke of sanctification in a holy life amongst men as of iustification by a holy beliefe in the sight of God For there is frequent mention of a twofold righteousnesse in the workes of ancient Fathers The one of iustification before God which is the righteousnesse of faith the other of iustification before men which is the righteousnesse of workes This second is via regni the way to the kingdome that other of faith is causa regnandi the cause of our reigning in this kingdome Saint Paul also disclaimeth all his former Pharisaicall life which as touching the Law was vnreprouable calling and accounting it but drosse and dung Nay now after his conuersion hauing walked holily and faithfully in his Apostolicall vocation and Ministery so that he knew nothing by himselfe yet what saith he Although I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not therby iustified but he that iudgeth me is the Lord. And renouncing all his inherent righteousnesse all his desire was to bee found in Christ not hauing his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith To omit the multitude of testimonies of holy men of God the fathers of the Church from time to time who in their writings doe renounce their own inherent righteousnesse as iustifying them in the sight of God Let vs for conclusion of this point adde a few memorable sayings vttered by dying men such as were of a holy life conuersation now agoing to appear before the dreadfull Tribunall of Gods most strict and vnpartiall iudgment now sealing vp their faith with their last breath Possidonius in his 27. Chapter of the life of Augustine tels a memorable story Augustine saith he told vs that hee heard a most wise and pious answer of Ambrose of blessed memory drawing neare his end which he much praised and commended for when that venerable Father lay vpon his death-bed and was desired of the faithfull standing about his bed with teares that hee would aske of the Lord a longer time of his Pilgrimage here he answered them * I haue not so liued as that I am ashamed to continue amongst you nor yet am I affraid to dye because we haue a good Master And herein saith Possidonius our Augustine now aged did admire and praise his words as refined in the fire and weighed in the ballance For therefore is hee to be vnderstood to say Nor doe I feare to dye because wee haue a good Master lest he might be thought to trust and presume too much vpon his most sanctified life But I haue not so liued that I am ashamed to liue among you this he said in regard of that which one man might know of another for knowing the tryall of diuine iustice he said he relyed more vpon the goodnesse of his Lord than vpon his owne merits to whom also he prayed daily in the Lords Prayer Forgiue vs our debts c. Bernard when hee seemed to drawe his last breath being in a trance he thought he was presented before the Tribunall of his Lord And Sathan also stood opposite against him charging him with many wicked accusations And when hee had prosecuted all to the full then the man of God was to pleade for himselfe And being no whit terrified or troubled he said I confesse I am vnworthy nor can I obtaine the Kingdome of Heauen by mine owne merits But my Lord obtaining it by a double right to wit by the inheritance of his Father and by the merit of his passion contenting himselfe with the one hee bestoweth the other vpon mee by whose gift claiming it as mine owne right I am not confounded At this word the enemy went away confounded There is extant an exhortation of Anselme to a dying brother set downe in most sweet words When any brother seemeth to be extremely oppressed it stands both with piety and prudence that he be exercised by a Prelate or some other Priest with these questions and exhortations vnder written And first let him be demanded Brother doest thou reioyce that thou shalt dye in the faith and let him answer I do Confesse that thou hast not liued so wel as thou shouldest I confesse it Doest thou repent of it I doe repent Hast thou a will and purpose to amend if thou shouldst haue time to liue longer Yes Doest thou beleeue that the Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of God dyed for thee I beleeue it Doest thou beleeue thou canst not bee saued but by his death Yea. Doest thou from thy heart thank him for this I doe Giue therefore while there is life in thee alwayes thankes vnto him and put thy whole trust in this his onely death Commit thy selfe wholly to his death Couer thy whole selfe with this death and wrap thy selfe wholly in it And if the Lord goe about to iudge thee say Lord I put the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene me and thy iudgment otherwise I will not contend with thee If he shall say that thou hast deserued damnation say thou I set the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene mee and my illdeseruings and assigne me the merit of his most precious passion for my merit which I my selfe should haue had but alas haue not Let him say againe I put the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene mee and thy wrath Let him also say three times O Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit And let those that stand about him answer Into thy hands O Lord we commend his spirit And he shall dye secure and shall neuer see death The same Anselme in his meditations as it were setting himselfe before the Tribunall of Gods iudgement whereby he declareth that neither the life of the regenerate nor good workes can stand against diuine iustice but onely Christ the Mediator saith My life doth terrifie mee for my whole life being exactly discussed and sifted doth appeare to me either to be sinne or meere barrennesse And if any fruit appeare therein it is either so counterfeit or imperfect or one way or other corrupt as it cannot but displease God for all of it is either sinnefull and damnable or vnfruitfull and contemptible But why doe I separate or distinguish vnfruitfull from damnable For if it be vnfruitfull it is damnable For euery tree which bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cast into the fire O therefore drie and vnprofitable tree worthy of eternall fire what wilt thou answer in that day when it shall be required of thee euen to a

a comparison taken from building Christ Iesus is the Rocke whereon euery beleeuer as a house is built This building is so strong as no flouds of persecutions nor windes of temptations can shake it downe Hence Esay saith of God and God of Christ Behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious corner-stone a sure foundation He that beleeueth shall not make haste What is this that he saith He that beleeueth shall not make haste Haste wee know is a signe of feare which causeth flight feare is a token of a guilty conscience in wicked men who flye and haste away when none pursueth But the righteous is as bold as a Lyon A Lyon hasteth not away at the sight of men such is he that beleeueth he makes no haste but as Dauid saith his heart standeth fast and beleeueth in the Lord. So Paul and Peter both speaking by the same Spirit expound the same place thus Rom. 9. 33. and 1. Pet. 2. 6. Behold I lay in Sion a chiefe corner-stone c. and hee that beleeueth on him shall not bee confounded or shall not be ashamed Now what is it that maketh a man confounded or ashamed but sinne and shame the punishment of sinne But he that beleeueth on the Son of God this precious corner-stone hath his sinnes remitted and his shame remoued there remaines not so much as the least staine or guilt of sinne in his conscience whereby to affright or ashame him or that hee should for feare or shame make haste Now certainty being a natiue and inherent quality of Faith is not therefore any extrinsicke or accidentall thing giuen out of speciall grace to such such beleeuers as it were by extraordinary reuelation as if some few of Gods speciall Fauorites had this granted and ingrossed vnto them in the nature of a Monopoly But this certainty is as inseparable a quality of sauing Faith as the heate is of fire And therefore certainty of Faith is common to all true beleeuers without exception Not onely Iob had it nor onely Paul but all and euery true beleeuer the poore Palsie-man who while his body was trembling as it were in a motion of trepidation yet his Faith was fixed in his orbe The silly weak woman had no lesse strong Faith to stay the running issue of her bloud than the valiant Ioshua had in staying the course of that Gyantlike-running Sunne For the woman said within her selfe If I may but touch the hemme of his garment I shall be whole not I may perhaps bee whole or I haue a probable perswasion or coniecturall opinion to be made whole but I shall bee whole In a word this Faith yea this certaine confident Faith this substance of things hoped for and this euidence of things not seene was in all beleeuers of the Old Testament none excepted whereof the Apostle giues vs a summary Catalogue in the 11. to the Hebrewes Tell mee what shall wee say of the very women a sexe whom the Pontifician Church much scorneth in the point of Faith yet the Apostle saith of them That by Faith the women receiued their dead raised to life againe others of them were tortured not accepting deliuerance that they might obtaine a better resurrection But I trow if they had not beene certaine but doubtfull of their saluation would not the sense of their tortures in their more tender bodies the naturall feare of death in their more passionate mindes and the loue of life haue easily perswaded them to haue accepted deliuerance being offered Would they thinke you so easily haue parted with their liue bird in the hand vpon the vncertaine hazzard of two in the bush No it was their Faith and the certainty of their Faith that made them despise present life and imbrace present death because they were sure to receiue a better resurrection than the receiuing of their temporall life from a temporall death Deuout Bernard saith Nonne si fluctuat fides manis est spes nostra Stulti ergo Martyres nostri sustinentes tam acerba propter incerta nec indubitantes sub dubio remunerationis praemio durum per exitum diuturnum inire exilium If Faith wauer is not our hope also vaine Our Martyrs then were fooles to vndergo such bitter torments for vncertainties nor to make no doubt vnder a doubtfull recompence of reward to goe into a long exile by a hard passage Yea saith the Apostle and he speaks it in the behalfe of all true beleeuers Citizens of the Heauenly Ierusalem we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolued we haue a building of God an house not made with hands but eternall in the Heauens We know it and it is by Faith that we know it and what greater certainty than knowledge And to conclude the Apostle makes this knowledge of Faith to pertaine in common to all beleeuers and so in common as peculiar only to Gods Elect sith they that want this certainty of Faith are Reprobates Examine your selues whether yee bee in the Faith proue your owne selues Know yee not your owne selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except yee bee Reprobates Therefore a man by examining himselfe may know whether hee bee in the faith a man by prouing himselfe may know that Iesus Christ is in him If he cannot at all come to know that Christ is in him and if hee neuer can bee certaine but euer remaines doubtfull of it so that hee knoweth it not then hee is a reprobate if hee perseuere in this doubting and doting ignorance vnto the end Then by the Apostles rule and the rule is infallible they that doubt of their faith of their saluation by Christ of their iustification are concluded to bee reprobates What shall then become of the whole Pontifician Church who teach and professe yea who peremptorily decree and command that none vnder paine of Anathema doe beleeue certainely and without doubting of his saluation O Reprobate Church But leauing them wee see the Apostles peremptory command to the Corinthians and so to Christians so to examine themselues so to proue their owne selues as that they know and knowledge is certaine that they are in the Faith and that Iesus Christ is in them Whosoeuer hath not this knowledge this certainety of Faith is by the holy Ghost doomed and damned for a Reprobate whatsoeuer the Councell of Trent say to the contrary Ob. But the most firme beleeuer is not without doubtings yea such as sometimes doe border and trench vpon despaire through some fierce assault of tentation It is true indeede But this doubting is not the effect of faith but rather a defect or weakenesse of Faith while the act of it is for the time suspended or suppressed God so disposing it for our tryall and further approbation As the soule remaines intyre euen in deliquio though it haue not for the time its organicall operations in the body So