vsuall in such obdured hearts he shall not escape it Sixtly seeing Christ doth make men kings and priests we that are desirous of this dignitie are taught to sue to him Wouldst thou bâaking to subdue the rebellious corruptions which lurke like tâaytours in thy heart Wouldest thou be a priest to offer vp vnto God the sacrifices of righteousnesse then flie to Christ he is the Spring from whence these benefits do flow it is he that makes vs kings and priests Yet here withal remember that neither the Father nor the Holy Ghost must be excluded from this worke For they haue all their hands in working of it The Father makes vs by his Sonne by âis Spirit It was his loue that Christ was sent vnto vs and that the Holy Ghost doth come into vs. The Sonne makes vs by his merit and vertue And the Holy Ghost makes vs by working faith in our hearts whereby we lay hold vpon Christ who hath procured this dignitie for vs and doth apply vnto vs his obedience whereby we become acceptable to God and his blood whereby all our sinnes are washed the vertue of his death and resurrection whereby we die to sinne and rise to righteousnesse For all the works of God wrought vpon the creature are common to the three persons which in euerie operation do cooperate how be it in a distinct manner as Basil sheweth when he saith The Father begins the worke the Lib. de spir san c. 16. Sonne workes it in his owne person and the Holy Ghost doth finish it CHAP. II. Christ hath bestowed that foresaid honour vpon All Beleeuers This Doctrine is applied to six purposes ANd so from the Agent we come vnto the Subiect vpon whom this ãâã worke is wrought to wit all the children of God all that Christ hath loued all that he hath washed in his bloud from their sinnes of what sex or sort of what race or ranke soeuer and they alone So that first we may herby learne to know whether our sins are actually cleÌsed froÌ vs or no. For if Christ hath washed thee from them he hath also made thee a king and a priest Therefore if thou warre with sinne like a prince of spirit and dâest conquer the corruption of thine heart and offer vp vnto God such oblations as are pleasing vnto him then maist thou concluâe that Christ hath purged thee For whome he washeth them he thus honoreth with this grace to them he conferres this dignitie Secondly seeing he hath made vs kings and priests who are moââall and mâserable and by nature the seruants of sinne the children of wrath and his verâe enemies We may behold as in a mirrour First his admirable loue in scatteâing the bright beames of his grace vpon such a loathsome Dunghill as we are all by reason of the rotteÌnes of our natures Secondly we may behold his exceeding commiseration in shewing so great mercy to such despicable and vile wretches Thirdly we maâ see his wonderful power in quickning vs that are by nature starke dead in sin making vs to liue like spiritual kings maslâcring the enemies of our soules within vs and as holy preists sacrificing our selues vnto God Fourthly we see that pouârtie penurie crosses calamities such like do not restraine him from bestowing his preferments Fiftly we see his integriâe exprâessing his words by works his pâeaching by his practise For hee commandeth vs to loue our enemies and we see Math. 5. 44. how well he hath affected vs in promoting vs so high that were his enemies And by this we see that in conferring his benefits he is far from the fashion of the world Many men do neuer shew any tokens of loue to theÌ that haue offended them or reuoulted from them but vsually they seeke to be reuenged of them either openly or vnder-hand But Christ hath caried no such spleene to vs but hath highly honoured vs who haue iniustly dishonoured him and many waâes displeased both him and his father The consideration of his loue should persuade vs to reloue him His mercy should keepe vs from dispaire His power teacheth vs to coÌfesse his diuinitie His practise should moue vs to do our selues as we exhort others to do as also to break the common custome of the world and to shew the fruits of loue to those that shew nothing lesse to vs. For in so doing we shall heap coales of fire vpon their heads Thirdly wee are all taught to reuerence one another Let not the rich contemne the poore let not the young despise the olde let not the noble disdaine the simple let not the learned polititian vilipend the man of meaner vnderstanding For if we be Christs we are All of vs spiritually Kings and Priests one as truely as another wee are all the Lords annointed He that aduanced one hath aduaunced the rest the poore as well as the rich the meane man as well as the mighty Monarch And though here in this world God himselfe hath made vs subiects commands our obedience to his LieutenaÌts here on earth whom to disobey is to rebell against God himselfe yet when we come to take possession of our heauenly kingdome in the day of our spituall Coronation all outward circumstances shal be layde downe and if in this world the poore man haue exceeded the rich in the growth of grace be shall in the world âo come excell him ân the greatnes of glory For as we haue husbanded the talents of Gods graces committed to vs in this life so God in mercy will reward vs with his glory in the life to come Fourthly seeing Christ doth make those kings and priests whom hee washeth in his bloud it should stirre vs vp to labour by all meanes to be partakers of it As wee desire this true nobilitie to possesse this great aduancement so let vs be carefull of the other that in all assurance wee may enioy it For these benefites are inseparable Hee that enioyes not that Bloud hath not this honour Fiââly seeing all the faithfull of all callings and conditions are thus aduanced we are taught not to iudge of a mans finall estate or of the qualitie of ãâã ânward condition by his outward successe For the dearest children of God in this world as Iob Dauid Paul are vsually afflicted and sometimes so crossed as that to caânall men which spend their daies in wealth their Iob. 27. 13. yeares in pleasures they seeme accursed and to be the onely miserable men that liue vpoÌ the earth and yet ãâã thelesse their inward estate before God is very glorious wherefore the Psalmist saith The kings daughter is all Psal 45. 13. glorious within her cloathing is of broydred gold Christ doth loue her Christ hath washt her Christ hath clad her with the golden garment of his righteousnes hath made her a royal priesthood Now as the Church our mother is so are all those that are her faithfull true children according as
by faith shall many also be made righteous in Gods account Thirdly he is made vnto vs Sanctification not onely because hee doth mortifie the âleââ by the vertue of his death and quiââen vâ to holines by the vertue of his resârrection but also because his sanctification or holinesse is imputed to vs and serues as a vayle to couer the ãâ¦ã ption of our natures And lastly Redemption to redeeme and deliuer vs by his most meritorious passioâs by the effusion of his sacred blood and by the dignity of his death Ephe. 1. 7. from all our sins and from all punishments due vnto vs for them Therfore the Apostle may well and truely say that Christ loued them Hath loued Saint Iohn vseth the time past hath to shew that the loue of Christ is not new and that it was the âountaine and foundation of those two benefits which are set downe in the words immediatly ensuing Neither would it haue beene seemly to expresse the effects in words of the time past and to set forth their cause in a word of the time present especially in one continued sentence wherin also it hath prioritie of place as well as of nature Wherfore we may not from heÌce imagiâe that Christ doth not now or will not herafter loue his Church because the Apostle saith he hath loued For the lâââ of Christ is âânstant eternal vnto all his memberâ in which respect he is called an euerlasting Father His Isa 9. 6. a hole life was loue and his death was an infallible token of his loue For by hâs death we are deliuered from eternall death And as by his death he hath sanctified our death so by the vertue of his death he doth slay our sin within vs the cause of death vnto vs. In his resurrection he hath giuen vs a sufficieÌt testimonie of his loue For as he was deliuered to death for our sins so he rose again for our iustification that is that wee Rom. 4. 25. might be assured and assuredly persuaded that he did ouercome our sins by his death and made vs acceptable vnto his father And finally since his ascension into heauen his loue was neuer wanting But as he entred into heauen to appeare now in the sight of God his Heb. 5. 24. father for vs so also he euer liueth to make intercession for vs. And as by his grace Heb. 7. 25. he hath called vs out of the world and made vs partakers of his grace and heires apparent of his glory so by grace hee conserueth vs in the state of grace that albeit we liue in the world yet we are now no loÌger of the world but his who hath redeemed vs out of the world As in his loue he hath founded vs vpon himselfe as vpon a firme Math. 16. 18. and stable rock so de doth and will in loue confirme keep vs that the gates of hell the strength of the Diuell and the kingdome of darknesse shall neuer preuayle against vs. They may batter vs but they shall not beat vs downe they may come against vs but they shall not conquer vs they may war Bellare non debellare but they shall not win For Christ who is both strength and wisdome it selfe will defend and guard vs he will not fayle vs nor forsake vs but will giue all his sheep all his seruants eternall life mangre the malice and malicious Ioh. 10. 28. attempts wily stratagems of all their enemies how powerfull politique or pestiferous soeuer they may be It followeth Loued Vs that is you seuen Churches and me his Apostle Embassadour Hee loued them yet so as he loued all those also besides them that did beleeue in his name and do in all Eph. 5. 25. humility of heart wayte for his saluation Therfore Paul saith that Christ Loueth the Church and gaue himselfe for it euen the whole Church and all the faythfull and true members of it and her alone with this speciall loue Iohn 17. 9. for he would not vouchsafe to pray for the Reprobates It is good therfore for men to labour ere it be too late to be assuerd that their names are written in the booke of life that they are in albo siâorum Dei in the ranke and register of Gods children This shall suffice for the opening of the words the instructions are now to be propounded CHAP. III. Christes loue ãâã anatomized and our duââ to him for it is described FIrst seeing Christ hath loued vs we may see how deepe we are in his debt For if hee had not loued vs we should haue bene but abuââs forlorne Cast-awaies had he hated vs we should haue perished in our sinnes Hâs loue is our life and his mercie is the medicine of our maladies Christ as God with his Father and his Holy Spirit did in loue elect vs vnto life And in Christ as Gâd-man and Mediatour Eph. 1. 4. betwixt God and Man we were by God elected vnto glorie His pittie procureth our pardon and his grace our glorie For had not he liued like a man euen a true man we which are mere men had all died and perished eternally And had not he died for vs we should neuer haue liued with him and but that he did entierly loue vs he would haue neither liued nor died for vs. Yea finally his grace is our goodnesse for his loue and louing âândnes to vs made him make vs to be accounted good and glorious in the sight of God And as we are now iustified by him preserued and in part saâââified so we shal be hereafter also honoured of him and adorned with perfect Holines perpetuall happines Loe then Beloued as in a mirrour the wonderfull loue of Christ vnto vs be-behold the infinite riches of his grace the inestimable tokens of his loue What wilt thou render vnto him for his loue How canst thou requite his kindnes and recompence him for his goodnes All that thou canst doe which indeed thou shouldest do is to beleeue in his name to commend his loue to acknowledge his grace to laâd his benignitie to repent of thy sinnes to loue him againe and to demonstrate thy loue by Angelicall that is by sincere voluntarie constant alacrious and diligent obedience performed in all humilitie and integâitie of faith and loue vnto all his precepts For Christ himselfe saith If ye loue me keepe my commandements He that hath my commandements Iohn 14. 15 21 and keepeth them is he that loueth me and hee that loueth me shal be loued of my father and I will loue him and will shew my selfe vnto him If any man 23. 24. loue me he will keepe my word he that loueth mee not keepeth not my wordes By which it plainly appeareth that those onely loue Christ that are carefull to keepe his commandements Those therefore do not loue him but shew themselues disloyal Rebells that plucke vp the quick-set of his lawes that breake
by one Spirit we are all the children of one father and one mother and we haue all one elder brother one iustifier one iudge we are all ordeined to one kingdome to one family and are ruled by the same lawes we are all the subiects of one king the seruants of one Lord the sheepe of one shepheard the disciples of one Maister and the people of one God we haue all one hope of our calling one faith one baptisme and one body to feed vpen we are all the Patients of one physitian the building of one architect the vessels of one potter the temple of one Spirit the field of one husbandman and the hearers of one gospel we are all the members of one body the stones of one building the branches of one vine and trauellers in one way to one citie from Aegypt through the wide wildernesse of this wicked world vnto new Ierusalem celestiall Canaan a paradise of perpetuall pleasures Finally we are all in grafted into one stock incorporated into one body wee receiue sap from one roote sense from one head light from one lampe and water from one fountaine therfore good râason is there that wee should loue and like affect fauour and embrace one another Fiftly it is fearefull and grieuous to hate or not to loue our brother For first it is a breach of Gods commandement who forbiddeth vs to hate our brother Leuât 19. 17 Luke 22. 39 and commandeth vs to loue him as our selues Now hee that keepeth his commaundements dwelleth in him and hee in 1. Ioh. 3. 24. him but horrible calamity shall befall those that do without timely repentance transgresse and break them for their worme shall not die neither shall their fire be quenched and they shal be an abhorring Isay 66. 24. vnto all flesh Secondly hee that hateth his brother is in darknes and walketh in darknesse and knoweth not whether he 1 Ioh. 2. 11. gâeth because that darknesse hath blinded his eyes he is an vnregenerate person and is not illumined with the light of Gods Spirit but walketh like a blinde Bayard being possessed with the spirit of ignorance blinded with the darknesse of Aegypt out of the kingdome of light of grace of Christ and in the kingdome of darknesse of sinne and Sathan Thirdly Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a man-slayer and yee knowe that 1. Ioh. 3. 1â no man-slayer hath eternall life abiding in him but is is obnoxious to eternall death and destruction Fourthly he that loueth not his neighbour knoweth not God Vndoubtedly if a man did know 1. Ioh. 4. 8. God truly that is if he did acknowledge him and knew him as he hath reuealed himselfe vnto vs in the couenant of grace if he knew him to be his God his Sauiour and louing friend and father in his sonne Christ Iesus he would not he could not but loue him and those also that are his sons and seruants elected created called iustified adopted santifyed and preserued by him as well as he himselfe Fiftly he that loueth not his neighbour is not the child of God For in this are the 1. Ioh. 3. 10 children of God knowne and the children of the Diuel whosoeuer doth not righteousnes is not of God neither he that Loueth Not his brother Sixtly he that loueth not his brother doth euidentlie declare that he loueth not God himselfe For how can he that loueth not his brother whome he hath seene loue God whome he hath not seene And whosoeuer 1. Iohn 3. 14 hath this worlds good seeth his brother haue need and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him Seauenthly he which loueth not his neighbour doth shewe that his Rom. 6. 23. heart is hard and âlintie that it was neuer mollified with the oyle of grace that he hath not a good conscience faith vnfained and that he neuer truely tasted of Gods loue nor of the sweetnesse of Christs blood neither that he did euer seriously consider and meditate of those bitter pangs and painefull passions which hee sustained whiles he liued and when he died as well for his neighbour as for himselfe To conclude this first argument He that 1. Ioh. 3. 4 loueth not his brother abideth in death As he abideth in the death of his soule being dead in sinne so he remaineth subiect to the death of his soule and bodie which is the wages of sinne Sixtly if we would but consider the Rom. 6. 23. excellencie and the excellent vse and commodities which come by this godly loue it would make vs all to be in loue with it and not onely to like it in it selfe or in others but in our selues also âea and to shew it in our liues and dealings First true loue commeth of God who is loue it selfe the very fountaine of all 2. Ioh. 4. 78. Galat. 5. 22 true loue For euerie good giuing and euerie perfect gift is from aboue and commeth down from the father of lights And Iam. 1. 17. 1. Cor. 4. 7 in truth what haue we that we haue not receiued Now the glorie of the giuer makes the gift more godly And who can be more glorious then God the Psal 2. 4. 10. Math. 6. 13. king of glorie to whome all glorie doth of due belong Secondly loue is an inseparable companion of true âaith For as Paul sheweth 1. Tim. 1. 5. loue comes out of a pure heart a good conscience and faith vnsained And as Gregorie saith Iuantum credimus tantum diligimus As we beleeue so we loue Euen as light doth accompanie the Sun so doth loue attend vpon faith And as there is no fire without heat so there can be no true faith without loue Here also is loue againe commended because it flowes from that faith whereby our hearts are purified Act. 15. 9. Heb. 11. 6. and without which it is impossible to please God and commeth not but from a conscience which is at peace rest and doth excuse a man So then whosoeuer doth loue truely whome he ought and as hee ought may assure himselfe that hee doth beleeue truelie that his conscience is good before God and his heart purged by faith in the blood of Christ Thirdly such a loue of our brethren is asure signe of our election vocation regeneration and adoption For euery 2. Ioh. 4. 7. one that loueth is borne ãâã God knoweth God And Peter exhorting vs to giue diligence to make our calling and election 2. Pet. 1. 7. 10. sure sheweth vs that if among other vertues we haue also brotherly kindnesse and loue we shall neuer fall and therfore may assure our selues that we are elected and effectually called Fourthly the loue of our brethren is in Christs account accepted and reputed of as loue shewed vnto himselfe as appeareth plainely by that speech which he will vse to his sheepe when he shall come to iudge them Math. 25. 40. In as
him and vtâerly tall away and perish To omit many inuincâbâe arguments there is no liââlihood that Christ would shâd his bloud for him that shall perishân his sâns It is not probable that he will part from those willingly for wââme he payed so dearly Therfore Qui nos taÌto pâ tâo emit noÌ vult perââe quos emit Aug. Setm. 109. Augustine saith He which bought vs for so great a price will not haue those to perish whom he hath bought And Christ himselfe saith that he giueth eternall life to those for whome he layeth downe his life ââh 10. 15. 28. Indeed they that seeme to be washed in his bloud but are not may fall and perish A fâantique man may think himselfe to be as rich as Crâsus though hee be indeed as poor as Codrus as Irus Bedlams whoop sing shout and laugh as if they were the only happy men in aâ the world when alaâ their case is most pitifull and so many men may think theÌselues câeÌsed in the bloud of Christ and clad with his rightâousnes and so caâây themselues aâ if they were out of aââ danger of damnation when as in truth their state is damnable they neââ truly felt the heat of that bloud tâây neuer came in that bath But he thaâ is once actually and effectually bathed in it shall not dâe eternally Christ died that we might not die and who can make his death of none effect What can let or take away the veâtue of his death and the invaluable merit of his bloud I am persuaded Rom. 8 38. sayth Paul that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to ãâã nor height nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to separate vs from ãâã loue of God which is in Christ Iesus âur Lord. And I am verily persuaded also that Christs death caÌnot be nullified nor the price of his bloud diminished Now if Gods loue by which we âiue do continue constant to vs and if the bloud of Christ by which our sins are clensed and couered in the sight of God remaine in ful force value nothing lessened or abated it cannot be that any of vs who are his chosen should perish and be damned The vse of this doctrine is manifold First we see a plaine difference Vse 1 betwixt the Sheep of Christ and the Goats of Sathan betweene Gods seruants and the Diuels slaues These may these must perish but those shall not they cannot perish For they are Math. 25. 41 Ioh. 10. 28. 1. Pet. 1. 5. kept by the power of God through fayth vnto eternall saluation Secondly we see the state of man by Christ the second Adam to be better Vse 2 then it was by creation in the first Adam For the righteousnes which we receiued in him was mutable but the righteousnes which we receiue in Christ is immutable The righteousnes which we did receiue in him we did also through him loose in him but the righteousnes which through Gods imputation we receiue for and from Christ continueth ours for euer so as that Peccata semel remissa nunquaÌ redeant et semel iusti semper iusti habeamur our sins being once remitted shall neuer after come to a reckoning and being once accounted righteous we shal so remaine for euer And for inherent righteousnesse when grace is once ingrauen vpon the tables of our hearts by the finger of God it shall neuer wholly be rased out For we haue now potentia et actum perseuerandi both the power and his grace therto inspiring vs a will to perseuere and the very act of perseuerance Adam indeed could haue continued righteous if he had would but he had not the grace to continue constant the will to perseuere for euer Thirdly we see manifest manifest distinction betwixt those that are redeemed Vse 3 by the bloud of Christ and those that are ransomed by earthly Princes For those that are redeemed by Christ continue his for euer None shall take Ioh. 10. 28. them out of his hand neither shall they reuolt from him For he will put his feare in their heartes that they shall Ier. 32. 40. not depart from him Neither can they by death be cut off from him or vanish out of his seruice For after death they shall serue him more perfectly in their soules and after their resurrection they shall performe absolute honour for euer to him But they that are redeemed or deliuered out of captiuitie by Princes may of subiects become desperate enemies perâicâous traâtours irreconciliable and incorrigible Rebels Or if they continue loyall yet at death their seruice is expired and in the life to come he that was once the subiect and inferiour may be promoted aboue him that was the Lord. Fourthlâ we ought to be thankfull for this benefit We would thinke our Vse 4 selues much obliged to a man that did giue vs a good outward estate and made it sure vnto vs how much shall we then thinke our selues indebted vnto Christ who hath freely procured vs a most blessed inward estate whereof we shall neuer be depriued but shall enioy for euer Surely we cannot but confesse our selues to be greatly bound vnto him for this grace and if we will not be vnthankefull we ought to set our hearts vpon him and our hands to his works forsaking those things which doe any waies displease him Fiftly this doctrine ministers exceeding Vse 5 solace to the soule It is no small ioy to a Subiect to heaâe that he cannot loose his Princes fauour and to an hâiâe that he cannot loose his in heââance Euen so it cannot but âoy the heart of any faythfull man to consider that he cannot be defeated of his inhârâtânce and that being once iustifyed he shall continue so for euer and shall neuer fall away from God and perish Sixtly the consideration of this one Vse 6 priuiledge that belongs to them that are washed from their sins in Christs bloud should make vs to commend and admire their estate and should moue vs to labour to be in their number to be assurâd that we haue been bathed in that bloud What would nât many men do to haue assurance that they should neuer die the death of the body What then should we refuse to do that we might in our consciences be persuaded that we shall escape the death of soule and body If thou beâst but assured that Christ hath clensed thee in his bloud from thy sin which is the cause of death theÌ mayest Rom. 6. 23 thou be perâuaâed also that thou shalâ noâ dââ O ãâ¦ã how maist thou know that Christ hath clensed thee Surely if thou canst but truly âay that thou art a Sheâp of Christ then mâst tâou also say that Christ hath washed thâe from Ioh. 10. 15 thy sâns For he hath layed downe hiâ life and shed his bloud for his sheep Ephes 1. 7. that they might be redeemed froÌ
of many by vsing a woâd of the singular number the Prophet would shew that Christ âs 53. 12. was punished for all our sinnes And Iohn saith that his blood clenseth vs from All sinne not from a part And 1. Ioh. 1. 7. indeed how could God so make him to be sinne for vs that we might be 2. Cor. 5. 21. made the righteousnes of God in him except hee tooke away all our sinnes whereby we were ãâ¦ã Therfore Haimo saith a right that Christ In cap. 5. ad Rom. Christus non solum peccatum originale sed etiam omnia actuââa ab ãâã ãâã hath taken away not onely originall corruption but all actuall transgressions also in ãâã that are elected The speech which Paul vseth in Rom. â ââ is not exclusiue but by it âeâlâe with that God hath not onely pardoned and that Christ hath not onely satisfied for thâse sinnes which wee admit of infirmitie after that we ãâ¦ã called but euen for those ãâã ãâã which we did with full consent of will commit before then when we were the enemies of God and ãâã teacheth Titus that Christ hath giâen Tit. 2. 24. hâmselfe ãâã vs that he ãâ¦ã vs from Allââââââtis ãâ¦ã demanded ãâã Christ ãâ¦ã all our sinnes ãâ¦ã corporall and spiriâââââ ãâ¦ã and eternall ãâ¦ã that men die ãâ¦ã afflictions in this ãâã Ans Their crosses are ãâ¦ã and their afflictions if they be regenerated are not punishments inflicted of God as a dreadfull Iudge but his fatherly corrections and tryalls wherewith he visiteth his children to humble exercise instruct admonish refine and try them When we are iudged we are chastened of the Lord saith Paul because we should not be condeÌned with the 1. Cor. 11 32 world And as Chryso saith when we are corrected or rebuked of the lord it is rather for our admonition then coÌdemnation it is Hom. 28. in 1. Cor. rather to heale vs then torment vs and to mend vs rather then to punish vs. For as the Scripture speaketh He chasteneth quum corripimur a Domino magis est admonitionis quam damnationis medicinae quam supplicii correctionis quam poena Heb. 12. 10 11. Aug. de Poenae et confess vs for our profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse and his chastening bringeth with it the quiet fruit of righteousnes to them which are exercised thereby And of this opinion was Augustine as appeareth when he saith that Crosses and sorrowes before the pardon of sinne are Supplicia peccatorum the punishments of sinnes but after pardon Certamina exercitationesque iustorum the exercises of the righteous And as for death we doe not die to satisfie the iustice of God for any sin or for any penaltie deserued duely by sinne for Christ hath performed all this himselfe Who appeared to take away 1. Ioh. 3. 5. our sinnes hath carried all our sorrowes and by his death hath altered the condition Is 53. 4. of our death But we die for other causes As first that we may learne to detest our sinne which was the originarie cause of our dissolution Secondly that we may learne to be out of loue with the world and to looke after that citie which remaineth for eeuer Thirdly to teach vs true lowlines of minde and neither to insult ouer others nor to pranke and plume vp our selues like Peacocks He is a verie strange man that being a Tenant at his Land-lords pleasure will bestow more cost then needs vpon a rotten house which cannot stand long before it fall and out of which he may be turned this night before to morrow Fourthly that we shuld seriously consider of that great downefall which we tooke in Adam Fiftly that we might not feele or see those arrowes of vengance which the Lord draweth out of 2. King 22. 20. Is 57. 1. the quiuer of his iustice and shooteth them out of his bow of wrath and doth oftentimes sheath them in the sides of the wicked among whome we liue Sixtly that we might be deliuered wholly from the body of sinne For Death endeth the battell betweene the flesh the spirit and striketh off that Tyrants head And here we see the admirable prouidence of God and his vnrecompensable kindnesse to vs in ordaining the daughter to deuour and eate vp the mother For Sinne ingendred Death Death by diuine dispensation is now become the death of sin like a worme that eates the fruit wherof it was bred beeing the death of that which gaue life to it Seauenthly we must die that we may feele the power of Christ for the raysing vp of our dead bodies and for the revniting of our soules vnto them Eightly God doth sometimeâ cal vs vnto death that we might in speciall manner glorifie his Name by dying and that by martyrdome we might remonstrate our loue to Christ who refused not to die that we might liue and not die Lastly we die that we might be translated out of a World of wickednes and out of the vale of miserie into the habitacle of perfect holines vnspeakable happinesse and that being dead in our bodie we might be transported as concerning our soules into the hauen of eternall peace and true tranquillitie ouer and out of the raging and rustling seas of all worldly troubles For as Cyprian saith death vnto the godly is Ianua vitae the doore of life and our Egressus departure forth of the world is our Ingressus entrance into the heauens We goe from men to God from earth to heauen out of the Wildernes into Canaan celestiall Canaan heauenly Ierusalem the land of righteousnesse the paradise of God and the temple of his holinesse The last doctrine now followeth CHAP. IX The blood of Christ is the ransome of all Beleeuers Remission of sinnes is excellent in nine respects IN that the Apostle saith Christ hath Doct. 8 washed Vs not some of vs wheÌce I coÌclude that his blood hath clensed all the faithfull whatsoeuer noble and ignoble leaâned and vnlearned rich poore of what sex or sort of what condition or countrey soeuer For Iohn thus speaketh of himselfe and of all the faithfull in those seauen Churches and wheresoeuer both Pastours and people male and female young and old high and low maryed and single The Lord saith Esay hath layed vpon him the iniquitie of vs All. He spared not his owne Sonne saith Paul but gaue him for vs All to death Therefore in his epistle to Is 53. 6. the Ephesians he is bold to call him the Rom. 8. 32. Sauiour of his bodie that is of the catholique Church and not of a part only And Saint Iohn saith that the blood of Christ doth appease his father for the sinnes of the Whole World of the 1. Ioh. 2. 2. Elect. And therefore the name of Iesus was giuen him because he was by God ordeined to saue his people euen Math. 1. 21 all his people from all their sinnes And this hath
beene the doctrine of the Church in former ages Gregorie saith The author of life layed downe his life Pro electorum vita vsq ad mortem se tradidit author 2. Num. in Ez. li. 1. In Leuit. lib 17. c. 2. that they might liue which are elected vnto life Eusebius saith that Christ suffered for the saluation Mundi Saluandorum of all those that should be saued Hist l. 4. c. 15. And Radulphus peremptorily affirmeth that the blood of our High-priest Christ was the expiaâion Omnium credentium or atonement of All beleeuers And no maruell for beeing the blood of God it must needs be of more worth with God then the blood of all men the life of all Angels and the being of all creatures though they were as many more as they are haue beene or shal be euer yea then if all men and Angels should haue suffered eternally Thus we haue seene that remission of All the sinnes of All the Elect and of All punishments dâe vnto theÌ for their sinnes is procured only by the bloud ãâã Christ who in his owne person by himselfe hath fully satisfyed the iustice of his Father for vs and as Augustine saith hath made our sins his sinnes that he might Nostra delâcta sua delicta fecit vt suam ãâ¦ã nostraÌ iust nam facââet Gen. 27. 15. 27. make his righteousnes our righteousnes wherewith we being ãâã as Iacob was with his brother ãâã garments we do receiue the blessing of God as he receiued ãâã Now that we may not prize the pardon of our sins at too ãâã a price ãâã Christ ãâ¦ã ãâã not be ãâã to ãâã seriously the wooâth and comfort of it As first ãâã was not procured as pardoÌs vse to be by wordly ãâã but by the bloud of God Therefore Peter saith Dei non Deitatis of God not of the God head that we were not redeemed with corruptible things as with siluer and golde but with the pretious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot And therefore Paul may truly say that 1. Pet. 1. 13. 19. 1. Cor. 6. 20. ãâã 23. wee are bought for a price euen for the ãâã price that any one could pay For what can bee more costly then bloud or what more deare then life Now a pardon so dearely payed for should not ãâã regarded Secondly remission of sinnes is an irreuocable act of God Sinnes being once nayled to the crosse of Christ shal neuer be taken down aliue and beeing once buried in his graue they shall neuer rise againe to condemne vs. Riches remaine not alway nor the crowne from generation to generation Fauour Pro. 27. 24. is deceiptfull and beauty is vanitie Pro. 31. 30. Strength wil decay and pleasures will passe away And what is your life It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a time Iam. 4. 14. and afterwards vanisheth out of his sight For all flesh is grasse and all the glorie of 1. Pet. 1. 24. man is as the flower of grasse the grasse withereth and the flower falleth away But the pardon of sinne endureth for euer and this is the pardon which is preached among you and is by Christ procured for you Thirdly when Christ doth actually wash vs from our sinnes then he doth also begin to reforme and sine vs. And as by meriting the remission of sinne he keepes it from condemning vs so by sanctifying of vs he stayes it from ruling in vs. So that when Christ hath once washed vs in his bloud sinne may be truely said to be in part consumed in vs and wee no sinners at all in Gods account Fourthly the prayers of the wicked are abominable to the Lord but when God hath pardoned our sinnes wee may boldely pray with assurance to be heard For it is iniquitie which makes the separation betwixt vs and God Your sinnes saith Isaiah haue hid his face from you that he will not heare Therefore his eares are opened when sinnes Is 59 2. are pardoned ãâã satisfied and his wrath appeased Fiftly when mens sinnes are remitted then their mindeâ are setled their Rom. 5. 1. ãâ¦ã consciences are ãâã For sinne which is the fire-brand of contention and a makebâte betwixt vs and God is taken froÌ vs so as that it shall not bee impuââd to vs. When the Sea-men had cast Ionah froÌ theÌ into the sea the sea ceased from Ion. 1. 15. her aging so when God shall cast our sinnes from vs behinde his backe and shall diue them and vs into the bloude of that ãâã Lambe Christ Iesus the fire of his wrath shall be quenched all the windes and waues of our soules shal be calmed and our troubled consciences shalâ be pacified as that without danger of drowning wee may floât with ãâã sayle with the pleasant gale of his grace vpon the troublesome ãâã as of this world in true tranquilitie ãâã our Pilot Christ doe bring vs safely to the Hauen of our Hope and land vs where wee shall ãâã On the contrary wicked and vngodly wretches haue no true peace at all but are either without sense like stockes or else feele the flasâângs of ãâã fire withââ their soules being gnawed with the worme of an accusing conscience and are like the raging sea that cannot rest Is 57. 10. whose waters cast vp mire and dirt Sixtly The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord Yea his very Pro. 15. â6 Prâ 21. 27. sacrifice is abominable But when our sinnes are forgiuen the defectes in all our good workes are couered Yea then and not till then doe we worke any thing well and pleasing in the sight of God Therefore Salomon saith The sacrifice of the wicked who hath not beene washed in the bloud of Christ is abomination to the Lord but the prayer Pro. 15. 8. of the righteous which no man can be said to be before his sinnes be forgiuen is acceptable vnto him And Augustine truly saith that good workes do not goe before iustification but follow Bona opera sequuÌter iustificatum non praecedunt iustificandum after There must first be a spring before there can bee a Riuer First there must be a fire before there can be burning Indeede good workes may be seene sooner then the pardon of sinne as light is vsually seene before the Sun appeareth and a man doth often see the light of a candle before hee see the candle it selfe though in nature they doe not goe before but follow And so good workes in nature follow the pardon of our sinne Seauâuthly those whose sinnes are forgiuen are inuested likewise in the righteousnes of Christ and shall die the death of the righteous which ãâã wished Peace shall come they shall Num. 23. 10 rest in their beds Their ende is peace Their death is as life they die to liâe Is 57. 2. For whom God doth iustifie that is whose sinnes hee doth remit whose Pâal 37. 37. persons
foole Is Pro. 26. 3. not a rod prepared for the fooles back Doest thou not know that the foolish Ps 5. 5. shall not stand in Gods sight and that he hateth all them that worke iniquitie Vpon the wicked he shall raine snares fire Ps 11. 6. and brimstone and stormy tempest this is the portion of their cup. But Life is in the way of righteousnesse in that path there Pro. 12. 28. is no death What shall we then thinke of those that delight in wickednes and that draw iniquitie with cordes of vanitie Is 5. 18. sin as it were with cartropes What shal we say of those that make a trade of vsury a life of drunkennes an occupation of swearing swaggering lying deceiuing oppressing which eueÌ plow vpoÌ the faces of pore meÌ come their money vpoÌ their skins which notwithstanding al admonitions and instructions to the contrary go forward in their irregular vnnaturall and irrelgious courses with out ãâã like Pharoahs ill fauoured and leane-fleshed kine which thought ãâã had eaten vp Gen. 41. 21. seauen fat kine ãâã yet as ill-fauoured as they were before Surely it argueth that as yet they are not washed froÌ their sinnes For they that are washed from sinne make conscience of sinne A dying vnto sin is begunne in them to whome the death of Christ is actually applied which he sustained for them It argueth that sinne is not onely in them but that they also are in sinne like an house that hath not onely fire in it but which is also in the fire readie to be consumed in it It argueth that they are as yet in the power of the Diuell who leades them captiue like Beares by the lips to do his will Finally it argueth horrible securitie in that they neither regard the iustice of God and his seueritie against sinne nor weigh that sacred blood which was shed for sinne For questionlesse if men did seriously consider those manifold and inextricable dangers in which they were by sinne and that nothing would satisfie God for sinne but the blood of his owne and onely Sonne it would daunt them much and make them to hate and leaue them though there were but one sparke of sauing grace within them A man we see cannot indure the sight of that sword wherewith his father was put to death Christ is our Father and we are his Seed Children His soule was powred Is 9. 6. Heb. 2 13. Is 53. 10. Is 53. 12. out vnto death for our sinnes He was both wounded slaine for them They were as I may say the sword that slew him Let vs therfore loath leaue them Let not them be our ioy which were the causes of his sorrowes Make not that thy myrth which was the cause of his mourning and had made thee mourne had not he mourned for thee Is it seemely for thee that art washed from sinne like a Soâ to pollute thy selfe with sinnes Did not Christ die that we should liue to him 2. Cor. 5. 15. that dyed for vs And did he not giue himselfe for a people that should be Tit. 2. 14. zealous of good works He bare our sins saith Peter in his body on the tree that ãâã being dead to sinne should liue in 1. Pet. 2. 24. righteousnes Let vs therefore renounce our sins forsake our enormities which are indeed our chiefest deformities and let vs giue our selues to the workes of holinesse Yee are not your owne For ye 1. Cor. 6. 19. ãâã are brought for a price Christ hath giuen his bloud for you Therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit They be Gods they be Christs he hath bought theÌ dearely Be not the seruants of men be not the seruants of sinne Turne vnto me saith the Lord for I haue redeemed 1. Cor. 7. 23 thee so I say turne vnto Christ for he hath redeemed thee he hath washed Is 44. 22. thee from all thy sinnes in his blood And beeing made free from sinne ye are Rom. 6. 18. made the seruants of righteousnes Therefore as ye haue giuen your members seruants to vncleannes and iniquitie to commit iniquitie so now giue your members Rom. 6 19. seruants vnto righeousnes in holinesse For as Peter saith it is sufficient for vs that 1. Pet. 4. 3. we haue spent the time past of the life after the lust of the Gentiles walking in wantonnes lusts drunkennes gluttony drinkings and in abominable idolatries Sixtly seeing Christ is said to haue Vse 6 washed vs from our sinnes wee see that Christ in his owne person did put away sinne and so abolish death For z. Tim. 1. 10 we are not only washed in his bloud but also washt by him And thus we see first that Christ shed his bloud freely For hee washt vs as it were with his owne hands and besides we know that his God-head which giueth dignitie to his bloud is free from all constraint Secondly wee see that we are not onely washed by the father and by the Holy Ghost but by the Sonne also For those workes of the Trinitie Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indiuisa which are wrought vpon the creature are common to all the persons differing onely in their manner of working The Father washeth vs from sin because he hath of his grace sent his Son to take away our sin for that he forgiueth sin for the sacrifice of his Sonne The Sonne is said to wash vs from sin because hee doth in his owne person pay the price of sin by the merit of his bloud which he shed procure the pardon of it And the holy Ghost also may be said to wash vs because hee worketh faith in our hearts whereby we do apprehend the bloud of Christ and apply it to our selues in special and because hee sealeth the pardon to our soules and giues vs the assurance therof in our Consciences Seuenthly seeing that wee haue the remission of our sinnes for the bloud of Vse 7 Christ we are taught to know that the sacrifices vsed before his comming were onely typicall and not properly satisfactorie It is impossible saith the Apostle that the bloud of bulles and goates should take away sinnes They were Heb. 10. 4. onely âipes or figures shadowing out that absolute and all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ euen the sacrifice of his soule and bodie which he beeing our High-priest as God incarnate did offer vnto his father vpon the altar of his God-head for the expiation of our sinnes And therefore a I such ceremonies are to be adiudged dead seeing Christ the substance of them hath performed that which they did shadow forth Eightly seeing our sinnes are purged Vse 8 by the bloud of Christ wee may perceiue a differeÌce betwixt his bloud and the bloud of Martyrs For though Sanguis Martyrum sit semen Ecclesiae God so blesse the death of his Martyrs and make their bloud so fertill that
THE TREASVRE OF TRVE LOVE OR A liuely description of the loue of Christ vnto his Spouse whom in loue he hath clensed in his blood from sinne and made a Royall Priesthood vnto his Father By Thomas Tuke Preacher of the word Psal 116. 12. 17. What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will offer a sacrifice of praise and will call vpon the Name of the Lord. Psal 145. 2. I will blesse thee daily and praise thy Name for euer and euer LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede and are to be solde by Thomas Archer 1608. TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull Master Edward Barrett Esquire SIR the sacred scriptures to which we must giue credit being the a Adaequatum obiectum Rom. 10. 17. perfect obiect of our faith and the Epâstle of that grand Creator of the World vnto vs his Creatures ascribes the worke of Mans RedeÌption soly wholly to the b Rom. 3. 24. â5 1. Cor. 1. 30. 2. Cor. 5. 19 1. Pet. 1. 18. 19. Grace of God in Iesus Christ. Therefore they that contradict impugne this diuine this inuiolable inuincible truth and seek to father their owne phantastique and base-begotten inuentions vpon the Scriptures do so much as in them lieth extenuate the all-sufficient and inualuable mediation of Christ they obscure the splendor of Gods grace they diminish his mercie they corrupt his word they peruert his senteÌce in it as c Lib. 1. aduersus Haereses cap. 1 Irenaus saith in the like case Transiliunt ordineÌ serieÌ ScripturaruÌ ac quantuÌ in ipsis est dissoluunt membra veritatis as wil appeare by the discussion of those places d Dan. 4. Math. 25. Luk. 7. c. that are vsually obiected âo fortifie that vâân opânion of âumane merits And that the grace of God may haue all the glorâ fââm the creaâure that he which âiâyâeth mây e Ier. ãâã 24 2. Cor. 10. 17. reioyce in him if wee beâin with Christ our f 1. Ioh. 2. 1. Advocate g Eph. 1. 4. in whome we were elected to ât ââall life and h ãâã Tim. 2. 6. Gal. 3. 13. Eph. 1 7. Heb. 9 1. 2. bâ whom wee were redeemed from eternal âeath ât is euident that as hee was sent by God of his i 1. Ioh. 4 10. vndeserued k Ioh. 3. 16. loue ânto he wârââ to âaue vs eâen so his Humanitie tâat hee âight be fit to saue vs as assumed into the l Luk. 1. 35. Ioh. 1. 1. 14. Math. 1. 23. vnitie of his person without dâââsion and vnited Rom. 5. 8. to his Diuinity mediate personâ wiââ out coÌfusion his humane nature pâe-deseruing no such aââancement as m Inlib 1. de Praed SaÌct cap. 15. Austen teacheth âânde enim âhoc meruit Quod eius bonum qualecunque praecessit Quid egit anté quid credâdit quid petiuit vt ad hanc ineffabilâm excellântiam perueniret And that the same nature was also produced into nature without that hoerâditarie disease of corrupted nature it was from grace grâce alone n Ang. ibid. Néque ânâm Retributa âst Christo illa generatio sâd Tributa vt alienus ab omni obligatione peccati de spiriââ virgâânasâeretur And as âo ouâsâlues we know that he was through the o Act. 2. 23 determin recouâsel and p Heb. 2. 9. grace of God q RoÌ 4 25. deliuered to death for âur sins and rose agâââ for oâr iustification Foâ Gâd r 2. Cor 5. 21. mâde hâm âân for vs that knew s Christi duplex est considerât âo vâa cââdem decââduÌ se altera eâun âuâ rââs quorum perâonam instiâuât Reâpâctu priorâs Chââstus dicitur iustus sanctus c. Respec ân posterioâis dicitur factus pecâaâum ârelâ li. 2. Instit not ãâã iâ him selfe that we might be made the righteousnes of God in hâm which were vnrighteous in ourselues For beââuâe he did represent our persons as oâr Suerâie therefore all our vnrighteousnes originall actuall was impuâed vnto him and hiâ rightâousnes both habituall and actuall was imputed vnto vs. Lââ the admârable mixture of iustice and mercie of iustice in that the Father would haue his Sonne to satisfie for vs ratâer then our sinnes should escapâ vâpunished and of mercie because it pââsed him to impute the satisfaction of his Soââe vnto vs rather then wee sâould perish ân our sins Ipsâ t Aug. in âncââ cap. 41. peccatum nos âustâtia nââ nostra sed Dâââeâ in nobâs sed u hoâest in Chââstoâ ââipso sicrât ipse peccatuÌ non sâââ sâd nostruÌ nec in se sed in nobis sâc ergo âânââs iâstitia Dei in ipso vtâlle est peccatâm in nobis reÌpe âximputatione Finally for our eternal life in the w Luk. 16. 22. Ioâ 14. 3. 2. Cor. 5. 1. heauens where we shall obtain x Reâ 14. 13. 21. 4. perfect perpetuall redemption from all sinfull earth y Ps 16. 12. Luk. 16. 25 Reu. 22. 5. miseries together with a ful final possession oây immortal ioyes Humana hÃc z Aug. in a caâe something different yet true in this Lib. 1. de prae deit cap. 15 merita conticescant quae perierunt per Adam regnet quae regnat Dei gratia per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum For euerlasting life as Paul affirmeth is Charisma Dei the gratious gift a Rom. 6. 23. of God in Iesus Christ our Lord. The patient bearing of afflictions and the performance of the works of pietie toward God of charâty towards our Neighbour without doubt are necessary Necessitate presentiae non efficientiae being as wee must needs confesse b Bernard Via regni non causa regnandi For we are c Eph. 2. 8. Act. 15. 11. saued by grace and not by the d Tât 3 5. works of righteousnes which we haue wrought Quae e Augâââ ad Simphâ Resâ ad 2. quaeât gratiam non pariunt sed quae gratia f Gal. 5. 22. Eph. 2. 10. Phil 2 13. pariuntur For as fâre doth not heat that it may be hot but because it is hot and as a wheel doth not run wel that it may be round but because it is round Sic nemo proptereà bene operatur vt accipiat gratiam sed quia accepit And though saluation be g Eph. 2. 8. Fides saluaâ non efficiendo sed afficiendâ siâe applicando Officium fidei non meritum praepos per notat h Aug. ib. Through faith Organicè âet it is not For faith Energeticè seeiâg it is an instrument onely and no principall agent or meritorious efficient I lle h quippe nos fecit credere in ChristuÌ qui nobis fecit in queÌ credimus Christum ille facit in hominibus principium fidei perfectioneÌ in Iesu qui fecit hominem i Heb. 12. 2. principem
his loue who is goodnesse it selfe and to be perswaded of his grace that is the fountaine of grace and the author of al true glorie Fiftly this assurance is an vndoubted token of true faith yea indeed the verie forme and sap thereof For what else is sauing faith but a particular certain perswasion and assurance of Christ his loue and of those benefits which are deriued from it Now he that hath true faith may assure himselfe that he is a faithfull man a Gal. 3. 26. Ioh. 10. 26. childe of God a sheepe of Christ possessed with the kingdome of grace and entituled to the kingdome of glorie Sixtly this assurance is the more to be respected because it is appropriated to the Elect. For it is not possible that any of the Reprobates who are forsaken of God not beloued of Christ should in their consciences be truely assured of the loue of Christ Indeed as he that is in a dreame may thinke he hath cloathes on his backe and mony in his purse though he haue not any so the Reprobate may be so held with a dreame or possessed with a spirituall phrenzie that he may imagine himselfe to be in the fauour of God and to partake of Christs loue albeit indeed he be not so but is a verie vasâall of Satan and a vessell of wrath ordained to eternall damnation Q. How then may some man say shall I come to this assurance A. I answer he that loueth Christ as Christ hath taught him may know for certen that Christ loueth him And a man shall neuer truly loue Christ till he be persuaded in some measure that Christ doth loue him We loue him because he loued vs. Secondly he that is carefull to serue and honour him may assure himselfe that he is beloued of him For Christ himselfe saith that both hee and his Father do loue those Ioh. 14. 21. that keep his commandements Therfore be thou sure that thou doest obey him and then thou mayest assure thy selfe of his loue Thirdly a man may know that Christ loued him of he find in him selfe the fruites of the Spirit which are found in none but in those whom Christ doth loue These fruits are peace of conscience ioy long suffering Gal. 5. 22. gentlenes goodnes meeknes temperancy and brotherly loue And albeit the Reprobate may haue these fruits in shew yet he hath them not indeede as the Godly haue All is not the Sun which shineth neither is all that Gold which glisters For if they should be tryed by the touchstone of the word it would appeare that their mettall were not good golde but guilded copper and that their vertues were Laruae aâ simulacra virtutum NaÌ vt Hieron ait âine Christo omnis virtus vi tium est but masked vices couered only with the vaile of sanctity like many apples which haue red cheekes but rotten cores For they come not from Christ they are not framed vpoÌ the stithy of an honest heart with the haÌmer of Gods word by the finger of his holy Spirit Et August Virtutes nisi ad Deum referantur non sunt virtutes neither are they vsed in that manner to that end which God coÌmandeth which God liketh They be rather natures gifts then Gods graces naturall moralities and not morall graces Finally if thou woldest yet know further how thou maist attaine to this assuraÌce then obserue diligently Gods dealing with thee from time to time and flie vnto Christ in heauen with the wings of thy soule by earnest and incessant supplication bow downe the knees of thy soule before him and desire him of his loue to send his holy Spirit into thee that may teach thee to crie Abba father and may assure thee of his loue vnto thee Whatsoeuer thing we aske of him with confideÌce to be heard for his names sake if it like him he will without faile bestowe it on vs. CHAP. VII The sins of the faithfull do not put out the eye of Christs loue and extinguish the fire of his grace SIxtly seeing that the Apostle saith that Christ loued those Churches in which notwithstanding there were sundry defects many wrinkles many moles many diseases we may see that those are too blind and too vncharitable who censure all those as quite âalleÌ from grace and vtterly out of Gods fauour who do fall into any greeuous sin or haue the plauge-sores of sin as it were running vpon them A man may haue the Leprosy and yet liue the life of nature so a man may through naturall âraâltie haue the leprosie of sin in his soule yet liue the life of grace A man may be a liue yea and liue thogh he haue the plague in his body so may he liue though he be sick of the plague of sin for no sin shall quite put out the life of grace in him that is regenerate Noah Lot Dauid and Peter fell greeâously but yet their falls were not vnto death though in themselues they were deadly Paul was not afrayd to call the back-sliding Galathians Brethren Gal. 1. 4. 11 and to say according to his iudgement of charity that Christ did giue himselfe for their sinnes A man may fall though he fall not quite away And as Augustine saith The righteousnes Iustitia sanctoruÌ in hoc mundo magis peccatorum remissione coÌstat quam perâectione virtutum of saints in this world consisteth rather in the remission of sins then in the perfection of vertues Our best perfection is to confesse and labour to correct our imperfection A Father may suffer his child to stumble fall in his presence and yet loue him dearly and so Christ whose children and sâed we are may Heb. 2. 13. Is 53. 10. suffer vs to fall into sin and yet continue firme in loue For he doth it to make vs to distaste our pride to despaire These vses men should make of their falls of our owne strength to depend vpon him to ascribe our standing vnto him to cling the closer about him to seeke and sue vnto him for his aide to blush at our selues to thinke more charitably of other men that fall to renounce Sathan their natiue corruptions to wax wise and warie of falling and to teach other men to looke the better to ther feet and to shew his grace by helping of them vp againe Yet neuerthelesse we must be verie vigilant and take heed that we giue not the reignes to sinne For though Christ may loue a man that sinneth so it be of weakenesse yet he hateth his sinne perhaps he wil correct him sharply for it and carrie himselfe for a time like an enemie But as for him that walketh in sinne and weltereth in his wickednes sinning with full consent of will without remorse of conscience Christ doth either actually haâe him as if he be a Reprobate or at the least he doth not actually reueale his loue vnto him thogh he be one of Gods Elect
neither can this sinner whiles he so coÌtinueth without repentaÌce distinguish himself from a Reprobate For when Christ declareth his loue actually and effectually to any man theÌ he smites his heart with the sword of his Sâirit and worketh such an alteration in his soule that thence-forward hee shall die to sinne and liue to righteousnes When Euilmerodach disclosed his Ier. 52. 31. 33. loue to Iehoiakim he brought him out of prison and changed his prison garments so when Christ doth actually reueale his loue vnto a man then he brings him out of the prison of the diuell he vnlooseth the bolts of sinne he changeth his rayments of wickednes and doth apparell him with the rich robes of his owne righteousnes And as that penitent âaylour to manifest his good will to Paul and Silas did not Act. 16. 33. onely fetch them out of the prison ut also washed their sââipes so Christ when he reuealeth his speciall loue vnto any then doth he wash the wounds of their soules with his blood and batheth them in the waters of his holy Spirit He casteth them as it were into a furnace and consumeth the drosse of âin with the fire of his grace Therefore Paul saith that those who Gal. 5. 24. are Christs hââe crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts And saint Iohn saith that whosoeuer is borne of God sinâeth 1. Ioh. 3. 9. not meaning with full consent of heart he sinneth not vnto death he liueth not without repentance in his sinnes he drinketh not iniquitie as fishes do water he selleth not himselfe to worke wickednesse as Ahab did 1. King 21 25. Wherefore as wee must not account a man forsaken of Christ because he is ouertaken with some enormitie so againe we must take heed that we do not wilfully giue our selues vnto any manner of sinne because we heare that his loue is constant that sinne cannot make a diuorce betwixt him and vs and an vtter separation if once we were in his fauour and were vnited to him This were transcendent impietie and verie horrible ingratitude CHAP. VIII Christs Loue is the fountaine Primum Mobile indeede immobile of all good things that come to vs. His loue is not merited by vs. Seauenthly in that the Apostle giues the priority of place to Christs loue seating it before the benefits which we receiue by him I gather that his Loue is the scaturidge and foundation of all those works which he wrought for vs. His loue was the Anuill whervpon they were all forged it was the Spring from whence they sprang and the Pipe or Chanell through which they ran to vs who are as Cisternes to receiue them Therfore we must renouÌce and abiuâe all opinion of our owne merits or foreâeene preparations Oââ best merit which yet is no merit is to confesse freely that we can merit nothing nothing at all that good is For vnto vs belongeth nothing but opââââame and confusion of face for euer Dan. 9 8. It is Gods mere mercie and his pitie not our merits or pietie that we perish not in our sinnes And if we either wââ well or worke well we must ascribe it solie to Gods good will who worketh in vs the will and the deed of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. Hiâvellâ noÌ ãâã substaÌtia voluÌtatis sed Why did God honour the World with his onely Sonne Was it not because he loued the World So Christ de ãâã qualitate accipituÌr Ioh. 3. 16. saith for God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely Sânne to all that lay hold vpon him with the hand of a liuely faith Yea but was not his loue procured by our loue Did not our loue of him drawe his loue to vs as the Load-stone doth yron Verily no for herein saith Iohn is that loue not 1. Ioh. 4. 10. 19. that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne in loue to be a reconciliation for our sinnes We loue him because he loued vs first Why hath God raysed vs from the graue of sinne and quickened vs in his sonne and saued vs Was it not because he loued vs Paul teacheth vs to thinke so no otherwise and thereâore saith But God who is rich in mercie through ãâã great loue wherwith he loued Eph. 2. 4. 5. ãâã when we were dead by sinnes hath quickened vs together in Christ by whoââ grace ye are saued What mooued Christ besides his loue to giue himselfe to death for vs Iust nothing in vs therefore 1. Ioh. 3. 16. Iohn saith hereby we haue perceiued loue that he layed downe his life for vs. By whome saith Paul we haue redemption Eph. 1. 7. through his blood according to his rich Grace Nothing at all but pure loue made him bestowe himselfe vpon the Church it was his grace and not her goodnesse not because she was faire and wârthie but because he was fanourable and gracious Therfore the Apostle saith Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for Eâh 5. 25. 26. her that hee might sanctifie or make her ãâ¦ã e and holy clense her by the washing of water through the word By which we plainly see that his loue is the forge fountaine from whence our holines our happines and all spirituall celestiall and eternall benefits whatsoeuer do proceede and come Thus much concerning the loue of Christ The workes or tokens of his loue come now to be considered in the next words Here endeth the first part ⧠THE SECOND PART REV. 1. 5. And hath washed vs from our sinnes in or by his blood CHAP. I. The sense is giuen diuerse doubts are remoued remission of sins consenteth with regeneration in three things and differs from it in seauen other THe Apostle hauing affirmed that Christ did loue vs he doth immediatly coÌfirme his affirmation by setting down two notable works performed by him for vs being vndoubted tokens and fruits of his loue vnto vs. The former wherof is expressed in the wordes recited His Blood that is the merit and validitie of his blood And by blood we must vnderstand his whole passion the which was accomplished at the effusion of his blood vpon the crosse For albeit as touching the diuine nââure he cannot properly be saide to haue blood in that the Deitie is a most pure simple perfect and incomprehensible Essence void of composition alteration yet as concerning his humanitie he hath blood he shed his blood and died And for that the humane nature is not a person subsisting by it selfe but is receiued into the vniââe of his person as he is the eternall Sonne of the Father a true distinct person existing from al eternitie therfore by a figure that which is proper to one of his natures is attributed to his whole person Whence it is that Paul saith that God hath purchased the Act. 20. 28. Church by his owne blood that is God incarnate or that person
who is true God And thus Marie contrarie to the opinion of Nestorius may be saide to be the mother of God to wit of that person or of that man who is God So we must vse to say that a man hath eies hands and legges and that truely yet the soule which is the more excellent part of man hath not any such For it is an incorporall and spirituall substance If it be demanded froÌ wheÌce the blood of Christ doth deriue such dignitie and desert as that it procureth the pardon of sinne or the clensing of our soules from all corruption I answere that it proceedeth from his God head or person because it was the bloud of God the bloud of that innocent and iust man that is also truly God therfore it was of admirable excellencie and of inexplicable vigour and value sufficient for merit to haue cleÌsed a thousand thousand worlds of sinnes If further it be demanded how they that were before Christ and we that doe liue since his death can be truely said to be washed from our sinnes by his bloud which is not now shed nor then could be seeing that hee was not borne I answere Christ is the Lamb of God Reu. 13. 8. that was slaine from the beginning of the World to wit in respect of faith and of Gods eternall decree and gracious acceptation so that his bloud is not nor euer was drie in regard of merit efficacie but whosoeuer did receiue and applie it to his heart by faith was purged from his sinnes which is signified when it is said that He hath washed vs that is he hath clensed purified absolued or procured the remission or absolution of sinnes for all the elect faithfull people of God wheresoeuer or whatsoeuer Therefore Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 2. 2. that he is a Reconcilation for the sinnes of the whole world of the Elect. And the authour to the Hebrâwes saith that hee Heb. 2. 9. tasted death for all men that is for the Elect of all sorts and sexes and for them onely And therefore he saith that his Math. 26. 28. blood was shed for many and not for all without exception of any God commaunded the Arke and the Mercy-seat Ex. 25. 10. 17. to be made of one length and breadth thereby shewing that his Mercy in Christ should be extended no farther then the Church If Christ would not Ioh. 17. 9. safe the reprobate a praâer we may not think that he would giue theÌ his blood From sinnes Siâââ saith Iohn is theâ transgression of the Law euen euery aberration from the Law of God 1. Ioh. 3. 4. which is the Rule of our obedience the Touchstone of all our Actions and as it were the Epistle of the Creator to his creatures Sinââ is either originall or actuall Originall sinne consisteth in the guiââ of Adams first transgression and in the want of that puriââe wherein we were aâ first created and in an incâination and propensiue to all manner of wickednesse Actuall âinnâ is any preâârication and breach of the lawââr will of God in thought word or worke whether by commission of euill or omission of good Now by sinnes in this place we must vnderstand all both originall and actuall euen all transgressions of Gods commandements whether legall or eâangelicall and the punishments due vnto vs for them where obserue that he calleth Sinnes our Sinnes for Sinne is our owne and not Christs For he 2. Cor. 5. 21. knew no sinne Neither are they Gods For he is not the author of that whereof Non est auctor eius cuius est vltor Fulgent he is the reuenger And Dauid saith Thou art not a God thât louest wickednesse neither shall euill dwell with thee Psal 5. 4. So then the meaning of the words is this Christ hath purchased the pârdââ of all our sinnes and hath deliuered vs from the guilt punishment of them all by the merite of his Sacred blood whereby hee hath appeased his Father and couered vs from his wrathfull indignation as with a ââyle But yet that wee may attaine to the perfect vnderstanding of these words two questions had need to be answered First it may be demaÌded how Christ can be saide to haue washed vs from our sins seeing that sin remaineth in vs vnto death For our satisfaction herein we must know that Christ is âââde to wash our sinnes away in his blood because hee hath therby procured their pardon so as that they shall neuer be imputed to vs vnto condemnation For sin is washed away two waies First when God forgiues it and layeth it not to our charge and this he doth in the iustification of a sinner Secondly when he mortifieth it and repaireth his ruinated image within vs and this is called the washing of sanctification Now the washing of sanctification is properly vnderstood in the text SecoÌdly it may be demanded wherin the absolution washing away of sin in Iustification by the blood of Christ differeth from the ablution purging of it in sanctification by the water and fire of the Holy Ghost Or wherin remission of sinnes differs from regeneration and wherein they iump They agree in three respects First in their efficient cause For God is the author of both through the merit of Christ Secondly they haue one commune instrumentall cause which is faith Thirdly they haue one generall end to wit the glory of God and the saluation of our soules But yet they differ very much in other respects First in their forme or nature For remission of sins is an action of God wherby he doth couer our sins in the blood of Christ not imputing them to vs but to Christ RegeneratioÌ is a work of God wherby through the effectuall operatioÌ of his Spirit he doth alter and change the heart mortifying the flesh illuminating the mind refining the affections and sanctifying all the parts of the body and all the powers of the soule Secondly they differ in their subiect For the minde the will and the affections are the subiects of sanctification but not of the remission of sins The obedience of Christ is imputed to vs and is not inhoerent in vs as are the graces of regeneration Remission of sinne is an action of God out of a man but mortification is within a man Thirdly their obiect is diuerse For the law is the obiect of sanctification but remission of sinne respecteth the obedience of Christ Fourthly they differ in their effects For remission of sins makes vs to be accounted no sinner but so doth not regeneration The abluâion of sin in iustification is our absolution but the ablution of sin by sanctification is not our absolution but a consequeÌt signe thereof Remission of sinne keepes âân from condemning vs but regeneration keepes sin onelâ from tyrânnizing and doââering ouer vs. Fiââly Remissiân of sins is pârfect in this life and acted at one instant by Rom. 8. 1. God though we come
not the same pârson with his father but he is the Ioh. 10. 30. 1. Ioh. 5. 7. samâ God The distinction betwixt thâm is not in râspect of nature essâce or time for so they are one but in respect of their manner of subsisting in that one natâre Ob. 8. Eightly Christ is man and if hâ be God also âf he haue the nature both of God and Man then he is two distinct persons but this Gods word will not admit therfore he must needs want one of them Ans Indeed Cerinthus maketh Christ and Iesus two distinct persons Nestorius taught that there are two persons in Christ but without warrant from the word For although Eph. 4. 10. Christ haue two distinct natures the Dâitie and the Humanitie yet is he but one person For the person of the Son of God existing a true person from all eternitie did assume the humane nature being no person of it selfe into the vnitie of his person did appropriate it vnto himself without coÌfounding or defacing the properties of either of the two natures so that albeit there be two distinct natures the diuine humane âet there is but one person as a man is but one true person though two distinct natures concurre in him one of the soule and the other of the body It is true I graunt that the Word is a person but I denie that the soule and body of Christ being vnited to make a perfect man do make a distinct and perfect person For a persoÌ must not onely be sâme particular and singular thing but it must also subsist and consist by it selfe and must not be susteined of any other But Christs humane nature froÌ the first beginning therof was susteined by the person of the Word For it was at once both formed assumed of the Word into the vnity of his person made proper to the Word without this assumption or personal vnion it neither was nor had been nor should be Plin. Histo nat lib. 16. c. 44. A resemblance whereof wee finde in the plant called Misselto which grows not but in a tree of another kinde and thence receiues his sap Neither is this any disgrace but rather an honour to his humanitie because it doth subsist by the person of the Word And albeit all the faithfull be vnited to the Word yet it is onely in a lower degree to wit by communication of grace and not by communication of personall subsistence So theÌ we see that though there be two distinct natures in our Lord yet it doth not followe that he is two distinct persons because his manhood is not a person as other men are but Iohn is a person but so is not Chrâst as he is man Vse 1. a naâurâ Thus much for the Doctrine the vses âollow First the consideration oâ Christs God-head teacheth vs to respect and honor him with all diuine worship in humilitie and sinceritie of heart He is God therefore we must honour him as God and being God he is omniscient and all-seeing his âies are a flame of fiâe not more terrible then peircing All things are nââed before him and no thââgââ is hid from his vnderstanding It is not fig-leaues that can couer vs nor the hils that can hide vs from his eye sight Secondly it should terrifie the wicked that dishonour him that reiect his Vse 2 lawes cast off his gouernment and disgrace his seruants For being God he is able with ease to be reuenged of theÌ All creatures in heauen and earth are at his becke His authoritie is absolute and his power infinite All power in heauen and earth is giuen him and he Is ãâã 6. Math. 28. 18 shall regine till he hath put all his eneââââ vnder hââ feet Tâose that will not that he reigne ouer theÌ shal be brought and ãâã before him Nââpreces ãâã ãâ¦ã m neither price nor praying will perswade him if once he take in hand to iudge them to condemne them It is good for them therefore to take the âââe and to repent before it be too late Thirdly this doctâiâe maketh much Vse 3 for our comfort For seeing Christ is God we may assure our selues that he is as wel able as wilââng to do vs good and to deliuer vâ from euill and doth liue euer to defend and protect vs. For beeing God he is immortall and immutable Therefore we which are hiâ may boldly say I will not feaââ what mââ ãâã what man can do vnto me For he ãâã is our friend and fâuourer is God omnipotent and he will not leaue vs nâr forsake vs Art thou assâulted by Satan fâie to Christ thy God he can as easily âmite him to the ground as Dâââd did Golâah Art thou vexed with sinne then go to him for he is able to saue thee from it He can drowne thy sinnes in his bloud as he drowned the Egâptiââs in the sea Do the terrors of death arrest thee Do the pangs of hell seaze vpon thee Be not dismayd thy Suertie is God he can take away sinne which is the sting of death and can refâeâh tây soule with the ioyes of 1. Cor. 15. 56. heauen Art thou poore or afflicted with sicknesse Comfort thy selfe and faint not For thy Lord is God he can either release thee from thine afflictioÌ or relieue thee in it as he did Daniel in the deââe of Lyons and the three children in the fierie furnace that thou shalt rather receiue good then susteine harme If he please not to deliuer thee yet he can and will if thou wilt not âlinch but depend vpon him vouch safe to giue thee fortitude patieÌce to endure it And for the thorny crowne in this world he is able to honour thee with a crowne of gold of golden glorie glorious eternitie in the world to come Finally doe thine enemies presâe thee and seeke to deâoure thee Feare not For thy king is God and therefore able to conuert or subâeât them He can either destroy them himselfe or make them to slay one an other as the enemies of good 2. Chro 20. 23. âehoshaphat sometimâs did Fourthly this doctrine serueth to Vse 4 conâute the opinion of Eunomius who held that Christ was a mere man also the errour of the Monothelites who thought that Christ had one wil only but seeing that he is not only man buâ God it followeth that he hath both an âumane and a diuine will according to his two distinct natures which are not confounded in that one person by reason of the personall vnion but do truly ââseparably and indiuisibly continue without confusion conuersion or transmutation So much for this second doctrine CHAP. IIII. The true members of Christ cannot be cut off and perish this conclusion is proued THirdly in that the Apostle here Doct. 3 saith that Christ hath washed vs in his Bloud we see how little reason there is for any to thinke that any of his true members can be cut off from
theââ sins and might be shrouded from the wrath of God Now if thou know and acknowledge Christ and his voyce in the sacred scriptures and in the ministery of his Messengers if thou belieue in his name if thou doest hearâ his voyce and subiect thy selfe vnto it if thoâ striue to resemble him and dost labour âo follow âim walking in hâs waââs and treading in ââs footsteps which hâ hâth printed for hee to come after in them then mayst thâu assure thy selfe in truth that thou art the Ioh. 10. 4. 14. 26. 27. Sheepe of Christ For Christ himselââ doth brand all his sheep with these very marks And Paul further affirmeth Gal. ãâã 24. that they which are Christs haue crucified the flesh So that if thou dyest to sin and dost mortifie the lusts of thy flesh and labourest to liue to God in newnâsse of lâfe thou mayst safely conclude that thou dost actually belong to Christ and his fold and that thou art actually washed from thy sins in his bloud and consequently that thou art in the state of grace and in the number of the faythfull Lastly tâis doctrine serueth to ouerthrow Vse 7 the Papists most vncomfortable assertion who teaâh that a man clensed in Christs bloud and iustifyed may fall from God from grace and perish For not one dramme not one drop of Christs bloud can be spilt in vaâne He that is once washed in it is alwaies cleane There is no condemnation Rom. 8. 1. to them that are in Christ Iesus Theiâ sinnes may ware with them but Bellate non debellare quaterâ non decutere Math. 16. 18 they shall not vanquish them The diuell may shake them but he shall not shake them downe Hel gâtes may open theÌselues against them but they Math. 16. 18. shall not pâeuayl against them The castle of their consciences may be besieged but it shall not bee sacked it cannot be ransackâ For God will not giue them ouer wholly vnto their enemies he will deâend their cause maintaine their quarrell dispell their enemies preserue his work and confirme 1. Cer. 1. 8. them vnto the end Thus much for this third doctrine a fourth followeth CHAP. V. A looking-glasse to behold the loue of Christ in The consideration of it affordeth vs three instructions Fourthly in that the Apostle saith Christ hath washed vs in his bloud frâ Doct. 4 our sins his loue is cleared and greatly coÌmended to vs. For what is nearer to a man then his life And what is dearer to him then his bloud his heart bloud Christ hath layed downe his life that we might liue Christ hath parted with his bloud his heart bloud to do vs good to purchase our pardon to purge Omnes humanes sanât medicina dolores Propert vs from our sins The diseases of the body are cured by naturall medicines but our sins which are the diseases of the soule are clensed only by the bloud of Christ And that this might be done he did freely forgoe his life and loose hâs bloud which argueth is exceeding loue vnto vs. Greater loue then this saith Ioh. 15. 13. Christ hath no man that a man should ãâã dâwne his life for his friend It is not possible for a man to manifest his loue more effectually then by giuing his life for another and therfore our Apostle 1. Ioh. 3. 16 âaâth Hereby haue we perceiued loue that hee layed downe his life for vs. If Luk 7. 38. the woman declareth her loue by washing Christ feet with her teares then great is the loue of Christ that hath washed vs in his bloud And his loue appearâth âet more plainely insomuch Act. 3. 15. Act. 20. 28. as he who is the Lord of life and God of heauen and earth did lay downe his life for vs wretches and hath washed vs in his bloud who by nature are his enemies If thou hadst a most pestilent and strong aduersarie and hadst also a friend that did freely lay downe his life to preserue thâe from him were it not ân argumenâ of his inward and hâââe loââ vnto thee Sinne is thy mortall and implacable enemy too hard for thâe âo coÌquer by thy selfe it is impossâble for âhee to saue thy selfe from that intollerable calamitie which it brings Christ thy soules friend hath ouercome it Heâ hath smote downe great Goliah the Prince of darknes the friend and father of thy sinnes He is thy Sampson that by his death hath slaine the Philistines euen all thy sins Hee hath ouerwhelmed Pharaoh and the Egyptians Satan and all thy sinnes in the red sea of his bââud His bloud hath suâkt out the âeart bloud of thine enemies and hiâ death hâth beene the death of them all therefore âhou cansâ noâ chuse but see his admââable lâue vnto thee seeing he shunned not death but spâlt his bloud and hath embrued thee in it to doe thee good Iâ thou hadst committed some offence against a king for which without his speciall pardon thou shouldest be condemned to death and executed and if by all the meanes thou couldst make thou art not able to procure it if the kings onely sonne and heyre whome also thou hast dishonoured should voluntarily without thy suite and against thy desert laye downe his life and loose his bloud for thy pardon and absolution did hee not shew vnspeakeable grace and giue an vndoubted testimony of his pittie towards thee Thou canst not but confesse it Thou âast committed many capitall and grieuous offences against the Kings of Kings his owne and onely Son Christ Iesus whome thou hast oft disgraced oft abused hath fâeely without thy desert and when thou hadst no grace of thy selfe to desire him hath giuen his life for thy life he hath dyed to preserue thee from eternall death which is the wages of thy Rom. 6. 23 sinne he hath purged and rinsed thee in his blood that thy soule might not bleed his blood hath bought thy pardon canst thou then deny that he loues thee Hath he not aboundantly testified and confirmed his pittie towards thee Thou canst not but acknowledge it The consideration of this doctrine Vse 1 teacheth vs to remonstrate our loue to him And seeing that be spared not his blood for vs let vs also be readie to part with ours for him if he shall require and except it of vs. Dauid saith Ps 126. 1. I loue the Lord because he hath heard my voice euen so should we loue the Lord Iesus because he hath bathed vs in his bloud yea let vs extoll his loue from our hearts and celebrate his name in worde and worke Secondly it teacheth vs to be beneficiall and bountifull in benefits to our Vse 2 brethren For we ought to resemble our elder brother When we receiue a benefit of others we are by the receit thereof put in minde to doe good to others The earth is kind For as it receiues kindnesse of others as heaâe of the Sun and raine of the cloudes
are forgiuen Gal. 2. 16. by faith For pardon of sin is a part of iustification Therfore our sinnes are not washed away by the bloud of Christ Ans In that Iustification is ascribed Per non propter to fayth it is because fayth is an instrument receiuing it and not because it doth deserue it Therefore the Scripture sayth that we are iustifyed by faith and not for faith For the bloud of Christ and his obedience doth only iustifie and therfore Eph. 1 7. 1. coa 1. 30. Paul saith that we haue remissio of sins by his bloud and that he is made vnto vs of God righteousnes redemption The meaning therefore of the Apostle is that we are iustified by the righteousnes and bloud of Christ apprehended Fides noÌ vt virtus in praedicameÌto qualitatis sed in praedicamanto relationis coÌsiderata iustificat propter Christum Si formaliter propriè loquamur nec fide nec charitate nostra iustificamur sed vnà Dei in Christo iustitia vna Christo nobis communicatà iustitia and applyed by faith For faith doth not iustifie as it is a vertue or qualitie but as it hath respect to Christ her obiect for whom our sinnes are pardoned and we are accounted righteous And therefore Pighius saith If we speake formally and properly we are iustified neither by our faith nor charitie but by the onely iustice of God in Christ by the onely righteousnesse of Christ communicated or imputed to vs. By all which it doth clearely appeare that the pardon of sinne is procured by the bloud of Christ alone And least any man should imagine as many doe that Christ hath merited that our workes should be meritorious and satifactory with the Lord let him know that his imagination hath no footing in the word of God but commeth froÌ the forge of his owne braine and is coyned vpon the Anuill of corrupted reason For first if Christ did merit that man might satisfie then he maketh euery beleeuer to bee his owne Sauiour in part and so makes him a Iesus and a Redeemer with him which no one syllable of holy writ will approue For Christs Priesthood is incommunicable and looked vp in his owne person and therfore Peter saith 1. Pet. 2. 24. that hee himselfe bare our sinnes in his 1. Pet. 2. 24. body vpon the crosse With whom agrees the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes when he saith that Christ hath purged our sinnes by himselfe Secondly if that conceit be true then Heb. 1. 3. Christ merited that polluted and imperfect workes should merit for such are ours as they come from vs. Pure wine cannot come forth of inustie vessels noâ cleane water from a muddie fountaine Thirdly at Christ hath merited that our workes should make any kinde of satisfaction then God was not onely in Christ but in Vs also reconciling the world vnto himselfe and that he was not onely made sinne for vs but also in vs. But Paul knew none of this learning as himselfe doth shew 2. Cor. 5. 18. 19. 21. Lastly if Christ by the merit of his bloud giue man power to satisfie then as man doth in his owne person satisfie by Christ so Christ besides his owne satisfaction vpon the crosse doth daily satisfie in men to the ende of the world In membris suis patitur non placat But this cannot be For Christ vpon the crosse when death seazed vpon him said It is finished that is I haue fully satisfied for the sinnes of all my people For his resurrection serued not to satiâfie but to confirme and declare it and to shewe his conquest ouer death and all our deadly enemies Finally that I may conclude this doctrine ât may be imagined as many haue that Christ hath by his bloud remoued the eâernall punishment of our sinnes but yeâ wâ must satisfie for their temporall I answerâ though this coâceit may as easily be denied as âis conceiued yet that all scruple may be taken away and that the weakenesse thereof may be discerned it will not be amâsse to discusse it briefely and by the word of God to detect and quellât First Saint Paul saith that we are Rom. 3. 24. 28. justified freely by Grace Now free iustification is flat contrary to personall satisfaction and as Bernard saith Nou erat quò gratia iâtte vbi merituÌ occupa ãâ¦ã Ser. 67. in cant Math. 6. 11. 12. there is no roome for graee where merit doth occupy the place Mans merit and Gods grace cannot harbour vnder one roofe Secondly Christ teacheth vs to pray for our bread and for the forgiuenes of our sinnes Now shall we that cannot merit a morsel of bread think that we can satisfie the infinite iustice of God for any sinne or for the smallest punishment of the smallest sinne Are we that are lesse then the least of all Gods mercies able to merit any mercy of him that is Iustice itselfe though it be but freedome from the meanest misery And what need we to begge pardon vpon the knees of our soules what need we to trouble the Lord with our suites if we can satisfie his iustice by our selues To aske forgiuenesse and to make satisfaction in our owne persons by our selues can not stand together Thirdly the satisfaction of Christ is perfect and absolute and to say the contrary is intollerable blasphemy But personall satisfaction doe derogate from the perfection of his satisfaction and the invaluable value of his sacrifice by which Gods iustice is fully satisfied and his wrath appeased Lastly if Christ haue satisfied for the greater for the greatest of all what reason haue we to think that he meant to leaue the smaller to bee satisfied for of vs whome hee knew to be vnfit vnfurnisht weake and vnworthy to attempt so great a work much more to effect it howsoeuer we might perhaps affect it And if without him we can doe nothing as hee himselfe doth tell vs Ioh. 15. 5. vndoubtedly without him wee can make no satisfaction for our sinnes to God And it hath beene already proued that hee doth not inable vs to satisfie or make vs merit Therefore wee must ascribe the remission of sinnes and of their temporall and eternall punnishments to the merit of Christs bloud and to the inestimable price of his death And so much for this sixt doctrine CHAP. VIII The bloud of Christ is the purgation of all sins Afflictions are crosses but not curses chastisements and not punishments of vengeance SEuenthly seeing the Apostle saith that Christ hath washed vs from our sinnes in his blood and not from Doct. 7 some of them onely I gather that Christ by the merit of his blood hath procured the pardon of them All of what nature name time or kind soeuer whether they be originall or actuall of omission or commission of ignorance or knowledge whether committed before conuersion or admitted afterwards wheresoeuer or howsoeuer He bare saith Esay the sinne
because of them Most of his Apostles âf not all were poore and the deaâest children of God are subiect to greâuâus crosses and haue beene in all Act. 16. 31. ages Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be loued Returne from All thy sinnes and do that which is right and thou shalt surely liue and not die how Ez. 18. 21. poore base or vile so euer thou maiest be Yea further thogh thou beest wicked and by thy sinnes an enemie to God yet dispaire not but beleeue and repent For Christ doth not die for vs because we are holy he doth not wash vs because we are cleane out by washing vs he makes vs cleane Christ did not die for the righteous but for the Vngodly and for the Vniust and therefore Paul saith God setteth out his loue Rom. 5. 6. 1. Pet. 3. 18. towards vs seeing that while we were yet Sinners Christ dyed for vs. Beââeue therfore and repent leaue sinne liue vprightly assure thy selfe of the blood Rom. 5. 8. of Christ for the remission of thy sins His merit âs greater then thy miserie Rom. 4. 5. Rom. 3. 22. and a saluâ made of his blood is able to cure all the sores of thy soule Thirdly seeing the bloud of that one man Christ Iesus hath clensed vs all Vse 3 from all our sinnes we are admonished to loue one another Some of vs are not washed in the bloud of one and the rest in the bloud of another but we are all washed in the bloud of one and one hath washed vs al therfore we ought al as if we were but one to loue agree one with an other This kind of argument is vsed by the prophet Malachy Mal. 2. 10. when he saith Haue we not all one father Hath not one God made vs Why doe wee transgresse euery one against his brother And the Apostle exhorting the Ephesians Eph. 4. 3. 4. to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace vseth this as a reason to perswade them too it because there is one body one spirit one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and Father of all Euen so say I Forasmuch as one man one God Christ Iesus who is both God and man hath washed vs all from our sinnes by the merit of his most pretious bloud why should wee transgresse one against another as wee vse to doe And why doe wee not rather affect and embrace on an other Doe we not all come out of his loines Eph. 5. 30. Are wee not all flesh of his flesh and bones of his bones Hath not be washt vs all for himselfe Doe wee not all spring froÌ that water from that bloud which sprang ãâã him when he hanged on the crossâ I noââe that bread of life which we all eate off that well that water of life which we all drinke off that meane or that wish to liue Doe wee all breath by him âaue we all theâ emission of all our sinneâ by his bloud Hath hee communicated his bloud to vs all And shall we disgrace abuse contemne and oppresse one an other We should rather be kind courteous louing folowing ãâã âhings which concerne peace and amitie and Rom. 14. 19. wherewith one may edifie an other Fourthly seeing our sinâ cost Christ his bloud we may as in a glasse behold Vse 4 the rigour and seuetitie of Gods absolute iustice who would be pacified only by the bloud of his owne Sonne By which we see that he is not altogether mercy as many foolish and presumptuous Totus Deus est miserie ordia non to taliter persons dâe imagine It is true indeede that God is mercifull and so âiche in mercie as that hee sent his Sonne to saue vs but yet with âll he is so iust that rather then sin should scape vnpunished hee hath made his Sonne to beâre the punishment of it And as for those thaâ will not by fayth receiue hâs sonne and will not reforme their liues but goe on in sinne without repentance hee hath for the manifestation of his iustice reserued to eternall âorments And theâefore Iob saith The Iob. 21. 30. wicked is kept vnto the day of destruction and they shal be brought foorth to the day of wrath And the Psalmist saith accordingly In the hand of the Lorde there is a cup and the wine is red it is sul Psal 75. 8. mixt and he powreth out of the same surely all the wicked of the earth shall wring out and drinke the dregs thereof We see therfore that his mercy doth not shoulder out his iustice Let no man therefore sinne in hope of pardon For our God is euen a consuming fire to consume vp all impenitent sinners and it Heb. 12. 29. Deut. 4. 24. Heb. 10. 31. is a fearefull thing to fall into his hands Fiftly we may see the heynousnes of sinne For we must not thinke that Vse 5 small which cost so great a price and made the bloud of God be shed for the pardon of it Let vs therfore detest our sins account theÌ greuous not smal They displease God they deserue his iudgemeÌts they prouoke his anger they hinder his blesâings they trouble our peace and procure our death Like the Ier. 5. 25. worme they eat the wood wherin it was bred they destroy the soule wherin they we eingendred Plinie wriâeth that the Vipers kill their damme at their coÌming fâorâh Euen so the byâth of sin is in desert Hist nat lib. ãâã cap. 62. the death of the sinner Our sinnes crucified the Lord of life they were the nayles that pierced him the thornes that pricked him and the speare that was thrust through him He for our sinnes laid downe his life and spilt his bloud They made him grone and sigh they made him sweat water and bloud they tormented his soule and made it heauy vnto death yea they made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee The consideration of these things Math. 27. 46 should moue vs vnlesse like mountains we wll not be moued to relinquish and abhorre our sins When Peter had told the Iewes that they had crucified the Lord they were strucken as with a thuÌder-bolt from heauen and beeing pricked in heart they cryed ãâã Men and brethren what shall wee doe Thy sinnes Act. 2. 37. haue crucified the Lord of glory they nayled him fast vnto the crosse they would not die till he was dead hee was faine to make a Bath of his bloud of his best bloud his Heart-bloud to clense wash thee from them Repent therefore and relent condemne and accurse them forsake and hate them Wilt thou liue in theÌ that made Christ to die wilt thou delight in them that made Christ to mourne Canst not thou mourne for them that made him to bleed Indeed Pro. 14. 9. the Foole maketh but a mocke of sinne But wilt thou needs be that
like seede cast into the ground it may seeme to reuiue and send forth many moe to professe that truth for which it was split vpon the ground yet it is in it selfe but the bloud of those which are no more then men though more holy then most men and it is not shed for the pardon of sinne but for the testimonie of the trueth the manifestation of a good conscience the declaration of a strong faith and for the remonstrance of their loue of Christ On the contrarie the bloud of Christ is his bloud who is essentially God and it is also the ransome of our sins And therefore it is no wonder that some of the Martyrs haue suffered their bloud to be shed more quietly in appearance then he did his For they suffer not for sinne but feele God reconciled to them But he suffered for the sinnes of all the Elect their whole burthen lay vpon his backe And he did not onely suffer a bodily dissolution but euen the very pangues of hell also ãâã sorrowes of death did compasse âim âbout and the torments of hell did seize vpon him Hee felt the wrath of God in his soule and bodie and as ãâã speaketh the worde ãâã quiet and assisted not nor deliuered Lib. 3. aduers Hoer the ãâã manhood vntill a sufficient ãâã as finished and fulfilled Now many Martirs feele the fauour of God exceedingly and somtimes also when they suffer in an vnvsuall and extraordinarie manner For their passions are not as his was punishments for sins but corrections and tryalls appointed by God for the confusion of his enemies the confirmation of his truth and the testification of those noble vertues wherewith hee did adorne them And to dispatch this point Christ spilt his bloud so as that neuerthelesse he was to rise againe to life in a short time after But when Martyrs shed their bloud and lay downe their liues they continue dead till they be raysed vp by Christ their head at the last resurrection Ninthly seeing our sinnes are purged by the bloud of Christ we see the Vse 9 ouerthrow of their opinion who think that the soule of Christ descended into Hell whiles his body were in the tombe to suffer there for the soules of men But what neede that seeing his bloud did merit the pardon of all our sinnes and seeing hee bare our sinnes as Peter teacheth in his bodie vpon the crosse Considering also that hee 1. Pet. 2. 24. suffered in his soule most greeuous tortures whiles he liued as appeared by his bloudy sweat terrible out-cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken Luk. 22. 44. Mat. 27. 46. Mat. 26. 38. 39. Vse 10. mee To draw to an end Seeing Christ hath procured the pardon of our sins by his bloude wee are taught to renounce all opinion of humane satisfactions Some thinke to pacifie God by pattering ouer the Pater-noster the Creede and the ten commandements Some thinke to stop the mouth of his iustice with their good works and lamentable out-cries But the truth is we are iustified and saued by Christ alone Hee is our onely Mediatour and Aduocate His bloud is our onely Purgatorie His mercie is our onely merit His death is our life His sacrifice is our satisfaction For as Paul sheweth wee are al iustified freely by grace through Rom. 3. 24. the redemption that is in Christ And as Basil saith there is vna expiatio one In cap. 1. Is satisfactorie sacrifice or expiation of sin to wit that bloud which was shed for the saluation of the world Therefore Augustine saith All my hope is in the death of my Lord. Shall wee thinke to satisfie Manuall cap. 32. our sinnes by prayer Then may a beggar by craning his almes deserue them and a debtour by requesting the pardon of his debt may be said to discharge it Or shall wee thinke to procure the pardon of our sinnes by good deedes Then a man by paying of one debt may discharge an other For we are bound to doe good deeds Wâe were created in Christ to good workes which Eph. 2. 10. God hath ordained for vs to walke in And we were borne to doe good and not to liue to our selues or to follow the desires of our flesh Yea saith Augustine Nihil boni feâisti thou hast Praesatin Psal 31. done nothing that good is and yet remission of sinnes is giuen thee And Paul saith that God iustifieth the vngodly therefore all our good deeds doe follow the remission Rom. 4. 5. of our sinnes which is a part of our iustification and therefore can be no causes meriting it Let vs then lay the foundation of our redemption in the bloud of Christ It is a sound foundation and not saâdie firme and not false Whatsoeuer is founded rightly vpon it shall neuer be confounded Let vs therefore beware of the Church of Rome concerning humane satisfactions by praying fasting Martyrdome contrition c. Touch not the fringe of her garment least thou receiue of her poison Say with Iohn that Christ hath washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud Conclude with Augustine that there is one mundation one purgation of the vnrighteous to wit the purging bloud Iniquorum vna mundatio est sanguis Iusti De Trin. li. 4. c. 2. of Christ that iust one For as Plinic saith of the hearbe ãâã that it driueth away all poison of serpents euen soe the bloud of Christ doth chase away our sinnes which are the poâson of the Serpent Satan and doth fully reconcile Hist na lib. 22. cap. 20. vs vnto God CHAP. XI The admirable vertue inestimable price of Christs bloud is proued and declared Sundry motiues are vsed to moue vs to seeke it and to labour to be possest and assured of it LAstly seeing Christ hath washed Vse 11 vs all from All our sinnes in his blood we plainely see that it is full of strength and vertue most meritorious and excellent It is a strong medicine that ouermaisters sinne the bane the pest and poyson of the soule A small shewer will not lay a mightie wind and a smal mater cannot satisfie a king for a thousand traytours So if the blood of Christ were not exceeding vertuous meritorious it could not possible calme the raging wind of Gods wrath for sinne it could not possible satisfie his Maiestie for our sins which are innumerable and procure his royal pardon for vs that are so many God shewed no small power in bringing the Israelites out of the land of Egypt the house of bondage and in confounding Pharoah the rest of the Aegyptians their enemies which pursued them So Christ hath shewed great power to be in his bloud and bloudy death seeing by it he hath deliuered all true Israelites from thraldome vnder sin and Satan and hath cut the throate of all their enemies He must needs be a very mighty prince that is able to preserue al his subiects froÌ al their enemies so as
that there shall not any of them perish So the blood of Christ which saueth all his âoyall Subiects from all their mortall enemies cannot but be full of might and verâue It is a good blade which will cut asunder a barre of iron therfore surely the blood of Christ is powerfull seeing it hath câackt in sânder the iron baâres of our sinnes hath consumed them to powder That water must needs be verie vertuous for qualâtie if it be but of smal quantity which is able to quench a mountaine of fire Christs blood for measure was not much therefore we mâst needs confesse it to be full of merit full of vertue seeing it both quenched the fiery mountain of gods wrath and dissolued the mountanie masse of mans sinne Death considered as it is an effect and punishment of sinne is as it were Hells mouth like the man that turnes the ladder whereon the Malefactour readie to be executed standeth Now the blood of Christ hath not onely taken away the second death but hath also changed the nature of that first It hath made it a Key to open the doore let vs loose from al our sinnes it hath made it an Axe to strike off the head of our flesh it hath made it an Ariadnes threed to bring vs out of the labyrinch of all earthly miseries and as a Boate to transport vs vnto the hauen of âternall happinesse and therefore we mâst needs coÌlesse it is of ânclesse merit of admirable verâue Let vs therefore Beloued not with Thomas put our hands inâo his side but let vs plunge our selues wholy both Ioh. 20. 27 soule and bodie into his blood For he is that Pelican that feeds vs to eternall life by his blood His blood is that Hyssope by which we are clensed and the Balme of Gilead whereby Ps 51. 7. Leuit 24. 7. our soules are cured WheÌ Elisha went about to restore to life the Shunamites sonne he lay vpon him and put his 2. King 4. 34. mouth vpon the childes mouth his own hands vpoÌ his hands his eyes vpon his eyes stretched himselfe vpon him Euen so if thou desirest to be receiued to euerlasting life set thy selfe by faith vpoÌ the crosse of Christ apply thy hands to his hands thy feete to his feet thy mouth to his mouth thine eyes to his eyes thy sinful hart to his bleeding hart and bath thy selfe by faith in his blood For euen as the Israelites which were stung to death by the fierie Serpents Num. 22. 9. were cured if they looked vp to the brazen Serpent so if we which are stung to death of that old Serpent by sinne which is his poy soned tooth and venomous sting will looke vp to Christ our brazen Serpent hanging vpon the crosse with the eye of faith Ioh. 3. 14. 15 we shal be deliuered from all our sins his blood is a counterpoyson effectuall against them all The ãâã ãâã Plinie writeth hath a propertie to frustrate Hist nat lib 37. c. 4. the malicious effects of poyson and to expell vaine feareât at posseââe the mind So the blood of Christ is able to preserue vs from the mortall effects of sinne which is more deadly then the deadliest poyson and being applyed to the heart by the hand of faith it will expell the feare of damnation and fill the soule with ioy When the corps of the dead souldier beeing tumbled into Elishaes graue had touched his bones he presently reuined 2. King 13. 21. euen so shall wee by a spirituall touching of Christ dead buried be deliuered from finne the life of death and shal be quickened to eternall life And as the woman which had the bloodie Math. 9. 20. issue was cured by touching the hem of his garment so shall we though we did exceed in number the Stars of heauen the sands on the Sea-shore we I say should haue all the bleeding wounds of our soules healed if we will touch his blood with the finger of a Act. 10. 43. true faith For vnto him giue all the Prophets witnesse that through his Name All that beleeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes His Name hath made vs noble his death is our deliuerance his humiliation is our exaltation his shame is our glorie and his blood the price of our pardoÌ Which things notwithstandâng we possesse by faith and by faith ãâã do receiue and not without it For as the branch or science receiueth no sap from the roote vnlesse it be ioyned to it and as the parts of the bodie haue neither sense nor motion except they cohere with the head and be conioyned to it so we that are branches of that noble Vine Christ Iesus the members of his bodie haue neither life nor motion we receiue not the Ioh. 15. pardon of our sinnes nor partake of any of his benefits vnlesse we be vnited to him and be knit vp together with him Now we are not vnited if we haue not faith For vs the vnioÌ is made by the Spirit in respect of God so it is made by faith in respect of vs. But that I may presse this point a a little further If thou hadst a mortall and inexoâable enemie and knewest a safe course whereby thou mightest be deliuered from him thou wert thine owne enemie if thou didst refuse to take it especially if there were no other way but that Sathan is thine irreconciliable enemie Sinne which is his Mânion is thy deadly foe For as Plinie recordeth of the Flower-de-lis that it Hist nat l. 11. c. 2. prouoketh sleepe but consumeth nature so though sinne may seeme to satisfie a carnall corrupt affection by giuing it a kind of contentment and rest yet in truth it is an vtter enemie to the spirit and like Iuy it suckeâh out the verie sap of the soule Now the blood of Christ is onely able to quell these thine enemies to redeeme thee from that cursed condition to which thou art obnoxious by them Labour therefore to be partaker of it thou art thine owne enemie if thou doâst neglect it Plinic saith that men were wont to carie Polium about them to chase away Lib. 21. cap. 20. SerpeÌts But the most soueraigne amulet or preseruatiue which men can haue against Satan and their sinnes is the blood of Christ applyed by faith vnto their hearts The sicke do seeke vnto the Phisitian that their bodies Admedicam dubius coÌfugit aeger opem Ould might be preferned from temporarie death and shall not we seeke to Christ that great Phisitian of the soule that washing vs in his blood we might be preserued from that eternall death of soule and bodie So soone as he had touched the Leaper he tooke away his leprosie euen so if he please to touch vs with his vertuous touch the touch Luke 5. 13 vs with his vertuous touch the touch of his woundes we shal be deliuered from our sinnes His blood
is as well able to take away our sinnes to make them vanish out of Gods eye like smoke as that great invndation of water was to drowne the world or as the fire was to burne vp Sodome Dost thou thinke that thou hast no need of him Thou art as wel able to discharge thee of thy sinnes as to remoue a mountaine or to draine the sea If the bodie be out of temper there is vse of the Phisitian Thou art distempered both in soule bodie by reason of thy sins in which thou art by nature not onely sicke but dead and Christ can onely cure thee therefore she vnto him And say thy sinnes be smal yet are they many and mortall all Many little flint-stones will ãâã ship as well a few mil-stones But thou art by thy ãâã a Rebell thou hast committed high âreason against God and without ãâã pardon which cannot be procââed but by the mediation of Christ ãâã is not possible for thee to escape damnation Therefore make hast to Christ before the degree come forth and before the fierce wrath of the Lord do come vpon thee and thou be as chasse before the wind WheÌ Christ liued vpon the earth the people peâceiuing his admirable power and willingnesse also to cure the diseases of the bodie they brought their diseased to him from euery place and he healed them Beloued he is aâable to cure the diseases of the soule therefore seeke vnto him seeke with faâth from the bottome of ãâã ãâã and he will not âepell the. To him that thirsteth he Reuâ 21. will be-sprinkle him in his bloud frankely They were carefull for the bodie and shall we be carelesse both of soule and bodie They were carefull for others let not vs then be carelesse of our selues They went to him when he liued in disgrace and in the shape of a seruant plagued and not regarded humbled of God reiected of men Is 53. 3â knowne of many but acknowledged of few mournfull and not mery seene to weepe but neuer said to laugh But now he is in great glory maiestie far exceeding all earthly Monarches and therefore we neede not be ashamed to seeke vnto him Wherefore let nothing hinder thee but as they that brought Luk. 5. 19. the palsie man vnto him let him downe to him through the tyles of the house when they could not come neare him for the prease of the people euen so do thou breake through all impediments ãâã not thy purpose but proue euery way leaue no stone vnrolled proceed constantly and test not till thou beest come vnto him Leaue him not till Nullam noÌ moue lapidem with Iacob thou hast obteined a blessing till he haue washed thy soule in his bloud as he did his Disciples feet in Ioh. 13. 5. Math. 15 28. the water The Cananitish woman would not leaue him till she had gotten him to driue the Diuell out of her daughter so do thou neuer giue him ouer til he haue cast him out of the hold of thy heart released thee of thy sins which do possesse thee which will destroy thee without his hand of grace And as Esay exhorteth those that are mindfull of the Lord to giue him no Is 62. 7. rest till he repaire and set vp Ierusalem the praise of the world euen so giue Christ thy Lord no rest leaue him not take no nay till he haue redeemed thee from thy sinnes till he haue restored thee into grace with God and haue set thee vp as high as thou wast fallen low before Shall the allurements of the world or the pleasures of sinne restraine or inueigle thee Know yee not saith Iames that the amitie of the World Iam. 4. 4. is the Enmitie of God Whosoeuer therefore wil be a friend of the world maketh himselfe the enemie of God Did not Moses that man of Gods owne moulding vs therfore be his Patients put our selues into his haÌds There is noone natural medicine able to heale all kinds of Et quoniam variant mor bi variamus artes Mille mali species mille salutis erunt Ouid. âore sicknesses And therfore diuerse sores haue diuerse salues seueral maladies haue seueral medicines ofteÌtims But the bloud of Christ is a present remedie against all the maladies of our soules the merit thereof being once appyed to vs remoues them all They are all to it as dust before a Whirlwind or as flax before a flame of fire The leprosie is a fearefull disease but the leprosie of the soule is more fearefull Now as Naamans leprosie was 2. King 5. 14. clensed in the riuer Iordon so is originall sinne the leprosie of our soules and all other sinnes that spring thereof washed cleane away from vs in the bloud of Christ Though our sinnes were as crimsin though they had double died our soules had taken neuer to deepe roote in our haâts though they were red as scarlet neuer so bloudy neuer so grieuous yet his bloud can ãâã them out it can vncolour vs and make vs white as snowe Behold a crow which is blacke through a red glasse and she will seeme red like the glasse The bloud of Christ is beautifull and precious sweet and louely in the sight of God and therefore if God behold vs through it we shall notwithstanding all the blacknesse of our sinnes appeare bright and beautiful faire and amiable in his eyes Albeit by our sins we deserue nothing but wrath yet euen as the propitiatory couered the Ark and Decalogue and as the cloudes do Ez. 25. 21. shroud vs from the scorching heate of the Sunne so doth Christ couer our sinnes with his bloud and preserue vs from the fire of his fathers wrath and wrathful indignatioÌ If it were so that a man had a medicine to preserue men froÌ the bodily death all the world wold flock after him so sweet a thing is life and shall we take no paines to come to Christ to possesse Christ who by his bloud can make the graue a bed death a sleepe a pleasant sleepe a welcome sleepe a ioy full night of ease and also saue the soule both soule bodie from endlesse death and dolefull desolation For euen as those which besprinkled Ex. 12. 7. 13 the posts of their doores with the bloud of the Paschall Lamb escaped the destroyer so those shall neuer be destroyed whose hearts are washed who are besprinkled with the bloud of Christ that true Paschall Lamb which Ioh. 1. 29. taketh away the sinnes of the world hath abolished death and brought life and immortality 2. Tim. 1. 10. vnto light through the Gospel For what can hinder life and procure death but sinne But sinne yea all the bandes and bolts of sinnes are no more with Christ then those greene cordes were in the hands of Sampson which hee brake as a threed of Towe when it feeleth Iudg. 16. 9. fire He can as easily remoue the
the four mighty Monarchies of the world and by continuall alterations in States to this day Secondly in earthly kingdomes there is one the King and the rest are his subiects but in this kingdome all are Kings and God alone is King of all Neither doeth this anie whât diminish our glorie For euen his seruice is perfect libertie yea the more perfect our seruice is to him the farther we are from bondage and the more absolute is our spirituall regâlâtie Thirdly the affaires of earthly Princes are ââiefly bodiây and outward but ours are spirituall and inward Fourthly kings of this world if they should prooue worldly minded as the most are and vse to bee may become Tyrants and irreconciliable enemies one vnto another labouring with all their powers to deturbe and ouer throw each other But so iâ falleth not out with those whome Christ hath made kings For he so ruleth them by his Spirit and with the Scepter of his word that they shall neuer clime to that height of wickendesse as of despite and purpose to seeke the destruction of one anothers soule and to depriue them of their crownes Fiftly earthly kings may be plagued of God to the losse of their soules and therfore Esay saith that Tophet or hell Is 30. 33. is prepared for the King euen for all wicked Princes whatsoeuer which rebell against the King of Kings But these kings shall neuer perish For Christ giueth them eternall life and it is their Ioh. 10. 28. Luk. 12. 32. Fathers pleasure to giue them the kingdome of heauen Lastly earthly Kings come to their kingdomes either by conquest or by their bloud or else by voyces and election But we obtaine this kingdome neyther by the conquest of our owne workes nor by the suffrages election of other men neither come we by it through the commendation or dignitie of flesh or bloud but by the alone propitious grace of God and propitiatory merits of Iesus Christ who by suffering death and fulfilling the lawe for vs hath redeemed vs from hell and procured heauen and this our heauenly honour Therefore the Apostle saith The wages of sinne is death but the 1. Pet. 2. 5. free gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. So much for our Prince-hood Now as concerning our Priest-hood Saint Peter who tells vs that wee are an Rom. 12. 1. holy Priest-hood tells vs also the ende of this our Priest-hood euen to offer vp spirituall Sacrifices acceptable vnto God by Iesus Christ. Wherein then doe we differ from the Priestsvnder the lawe and from Christ the High-Priest of all his people I answere we differ from the priests of the old Testament First because their sacrifices were types of Christ but so are not ours Secondly they offeâed the bodies of other things wee offer our owne Thirdly their offrings were merely corporall ours properly are spirituall Fourthly they offered vp ââaine sacrifices and dead but we are commanded to offer vp our bodies a liuing sacrifice Rom 12. 1. and we offer vp our selues aliue Fiftly they were Priests for others but we are Priests for no men properly as they were Sixtly their Altar was material and earthly but ours is aliue and heauenly to wit Christ Iesus Seuenthly their priesthood had an end but ours is eternall Eightly theirs went from one to another by succession but so doth not ours Ninthly amongst them some were seperiours but there is no such diuersitie of degrees among vs beeing simply considered as we are Priestes Indeed there is diuersity of graces and there shal be inequality of glory thogh there shal be no want but fulnesse in all Tenthly many of them were wicked and some professed enemies of Christ his religion But they which Christ hath made Priests are holy chosen and a 1. Pet. z. 9. people set at liberty such as shal not dy but liue Lastly they were all of them males of one nation and of one kinred of that nation and they to be without any bodily defect or blemish but amoÌgst Eeuit 21. 18 vs there are both men women of all tribes nations and though many of them want not outward defects either by nature or by accident yet Christ respecteth not the outward estate of any man in working for vs this honour Now as concerning Christ and his Priesthood he was the Substance or Truth of all those Sacrifices and shadowes at his death their date went out whereas contrariwise our Priest-hood then began So that wee are but vassalls to that great âigh Priest Secondly hee is an externall Priest of the New Testament but we are spirituall Priests and not outward Thirdly his principall sacrifice was himselfe but we haue other sacrifices Heb. 9. 11. to offer besides our selues our selues no way acceptable in our selues but in him Fourthly his sacrifice was of reconciliation to satisfie the iustice of God for vs But ours is of thanksgiuing to God not satisfactory but declaratory to shew our selues mindfull of that expiatory sacrifice which Christ offered and to testifie our loue vnto him for it and how gratefully we do receiue it Fifthly his was offered once for all but ours must be offered daily vpon all occasions Sixtly he as Preist was God and Man but we are meere men simple and silly creatures Seauenthly his Altar was his Godhead but our Altar is his Godhead and Manhead also vnited in one person Eightly his Sacrifice was voluntary hee did not owe it to vs but ours are debts which are for many causes to be performed duely of vs. Ninthly if wee had not sinned his sacrifice had bene spared but some of ours should haue bin performed of vs though we had not sinned Tenthly the goodnesse of his sacrifice came from himselfe but if ours haue any goodnesse so farre sorth as they be good it is from his holy Spirit which worketh in vs. Lastly Christs sacrifice was perfect of it selfe being his who is perfect man and perfect God but ours are in this life maymed and imperfect and their imperfection is couered by the perfection of his And thus we see the glorious estate of all the faythfull that euen as Christ their Head is a king and Priest so are all they kings and priests also yea a kingdome of priests a regall and holy priesthood although it be with great difference For they receiue this honour by him and not he through them He is a king by nature but they by grace Hee is an absolute Prince ouer all creatures whatsoeuer and ouer the very conscience but so are not they He is now in the full possession of his kingdome so are not we but we wayt in our mortall bodies of this earthly thraldome for the hope of that mortall and regall liberty of the sonnes of God in the heauens CHAP. IIII. Foure instructions arising from the coÌsidederation of our Princehood HAuing now declared the nature of this benefit it remaineth for me to gather the
as it were strip our selues of our pâiâcely âobes For as Christ said of his kingdome so shuld alâ ChristiaÌs say think of their Ioh. 18. 39. kingdome that it is not of this world a dâhârefore let vs so vse this world as that it may appââre that wâ are but tâauelloââs âeâe and way-fâring men and that wee make no account of abyding here but look daily to be sent for home into our owne ãâ¦ã rey whereon in this time of our âjourning our heart must be so fixed as if wee esteemed all thinges but losse in comparâson of the crowne prepared for vs in the heauens where our kingdome is If ye be risen Col. 3. 1. 2. with Christ as all spirituall kings are seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your affections on things which are aboue and not on thinges which are on the earth The Sunne scatters his beames downe to the earth but wee should send the beames of our thoughtes vpward to the heauen A stoole is an ease to a weary man to sit on but if it be set vpon his head it will offend him And water is a great helpe to the sailing of a ship but if it leake much into her it will goe neare to sinck her Euen so the world beeing rightly vsed may further vs in the race of godlines and ease vs in our trauell but if the loue thereof doe leake into vs if the world which should be vnder our feet be set vpon our heads take vp all our thoughtes shee will hinder our course endanger our soules and be so great a burthen to vs that we shall not be able to clime vp Iacobs ladder to heauen and to go vp that mountaine which is so steep and so we shal be kept from that Crowne which wee seeme to coueâ and from that goodly Kingdome which if wee could discerne it with our eyes would make vs crie out with Peter It Math. 17. 4. is good beeing heere Lastly seeing that wee are all of vs Kings let vs like valiant Princes wage warre with Sathan and all our sinnes which are our enemies labour our eternall ouerthrowe For if wee be kings in the kingdome of light wee ought to be enemies to those that belong to the kingdome of darknes They are enemies of our graces and to our glorie therefore let vs puâsue them with irrecoÌciliable hatred Let vs make no leagâe no peace âo truce noâ couenant with them but fight against them to the ende with all the forces of our soules A wise King scattereth Pro. 20. 26. the wicked and causeth the wheele to turne ouer them So if we would shew our selues wise princes wee ought to scatter put to death our sinnes Mortifie therefore like good Princes your Col. 3. 5. members which are on earth fornication vncleannesse the inordinate affection euil concupiscence and couetousnesse which is Pro 16. 32. idolatrie For hee that ruleth his owne mind is better then he that winneth a Cittie A King is not worthy of his name vnlesse hee be able to rule himselfe Though a man were king of all the earth yet were he but a weake and miserable king if hee gaue the reignes to his flesh and did not gouerne himselfe But though a man were as poore as Iob Tun commaiure tenebis cum poteris rex esse tui Claud. Nec regna âociâm ferre nec te dae sci unt Sen. in his greatest miserie and had not one foote of ground yet if he rule himselfe and bridle his appetite hee were a rich king and a mightie Prince Lordship and Loue can brooke no fellowes Wee are kings here then is Lordship let not sin reigne together with vs but labour to suppresse it least it tyrannize ouer vs. The Scripture saith that when Asa had 2. Chro. 14. 5 taken away the high places and the images his kingdome was quiet before him euen so shall wee enioy the true peace of conscience and shall haue much quietnesse in our mindes if wee subdue our lusts cast away our corrupt affections And although we cannot fully doe it yet let vs doe our indeuour A will is commendable to affect Vt desiat vires tamen est laudanda voluntas Ouid. it thogh there want power to effect it And Si quod vis non potes Deus factum computat Aug. if thou canst not doe that which thou hast a desire to do from thy heart God doth account it as done A couragious and wise king wil vse all meanes to suppresse rebells and traytours though hee cannot vtterly performe his purpose euen so labour by all means possible to suppresse roote out thy sinnes which take vp armes against thee and doe not onely striue to ââot out Gods graces which hee hath planted in thee but will if they be permitted destroy âhee quite and depriue thee of thy kingdome Hee is a worthie Souldier that fighteth fiercely against his sinnes It is an holy ambition to striue to win the scepter from sin Sathan the king and queene of the kindome of darknes and to labour to cast them quite oât of their thâoâes It is a religious fast to abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight 2. Pet. 2. 11. against the soule and to loose the bondes of wickednes It is a lawfull couetousnes Is 58. 6. to get what may be got from the Diuell It is no superstitious pilgrimage nor idle trauelling to take our iourney from the Diuell and to trauell from our own corruptions to God to Christ to the land of promise celestial Canaan It is a lawfull rebellion to take vp armes against the prince of darkenes that rebellious Tyrant It is an holy war and honorable to fight against the Diuel And it is no fraâd at al to deceiue this fraudulent perfidious ad âuersarie but wisedome to discerne and defeate hiâsleights and stratagems It Indice me fraus est coÌcessa repellere fraudeÌ Armáque in armatos sumere iura sinunt Ouid. stands with right reason that kings should wisely frustrate the purposes of their wiây enemies and aâme themselues against them that arme themselues to worke their ruine Let vs therefore sight against our sinnes and resist Sathan who walketh about like a 1. Pet. 5. 8. 9. roaring lion strong hungâie seeking whome he may deuoure It is no tyrannie to tyrannize ouer them but it is a prudent and godly crueltie to kill them all head and tayle damme and cubb and to smite them hip and thigh with a mightie destruction as Samson did the Philistines For Iudg. 15. 8. Ps 137. 9. as the Psalmist saith concerning Babel blessed shall he be that taketh and dasheth her children against the stones euen so blessed is that man that putteth his sinnes to the sword that mortifieth his corruptions dashing them as it were to the ground Is it posible that any men should be so sauadge as
to Amos 1. 23 rip vp women with childe to enlarge their borders shall not we seeke the death of our sinnes that would âip vp our soules and vtterly consume vs if Gods mercy did not hinder The wicked watcheth âs 37. 32. the righteous seeketh to slay him and shall not we marke our vnrighteous affections and labour to kil them Shall they practise against the godly and shall we do nothing against vngodlinesse Ps 37. 12. kings cannot indure to be thwarted and ouer topt in their owne kingdomes Wee are kings wherefore then should we suffer our sins to braue vs and to vaunt themselues within vs Here we may lawfully resemble Diotrephes 3. Ioh. 9. Math. 23. 6. and the Pharisees who hunted after preeminence and the highest roomes We may lawfully challenge the primacy ouer sinne and it is wisdome and worthy our labour to seeke for a seate aboue sinne It is neither maiestie nor modestie but sordide and seruile humilitie or negligence for a king to suffer a slaue or obiect to sit about him And thus far also we may be like Caesar who could brooke no superiour Agamemnon and Pompey Nec quenquam iam ferre potest Cesarue priorem Pompeius ve parem Lucan who could endure neither superiour nor equall Yea we ought to stand vpon our dignitie against sinne and to tread it downe When Pharoah saw the Israelites increase fearing least they should growe too mightie for him he said vnto his people Come let vs worke Ex. 1. 10. 11. wisely with them least they multiply and therevpon they set task masters ouer them to keepe them vnder with burdeÌs so should we deale wisely with our sinnes that they multiplie not in vs nor wax too mightie we should beate downe our bodies labour to subdue them to vs. Neither must we only represse and keepe them vnder but labour also to subuert and kill them vtterly And to this end we ought to put on the whole armour of God that we may be able to resist conquer them Stand therefore with your loynes girded Eph. ãâã 14. 5. about with veritie hauing on the brest-plate of righteousnesse and your âeet shod with the preparation of the gospell of peace And aboue all take the Shield of faith wherewith ye may quench All the fierie darts of the wicked and take the helmet of saluation the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God where with ye may strike of the head of sin pray alway When tydings were brought that the Ammonites and Moabites were comming against Iâhoshaphat to battell that 2. Chro. 20. 2. 3. 6. good king set himselfe to seeke the Lord prayed vnto him for his assistance And as he confessed that he and his people were not able to encounter with so great a multitude so also he shewed hâs confidence and hope in God Our eyes saith he are towards thee And the Lord gaue him an admirable victorie So when Sâtan and our owne corruptions conspire together to worke our ouerthrow we ought to flie to God by prayer for his grace that our faith may not faile but that we may abide the brunt and obtaine a victorie ouer them And as Dauid prayed Ps 145. 1. Hide not thy face from mee Deliuer me âo Lord from mine enemies And for thy mercy slay mine enemies destroy all theÌ that oppresse my soule Cast forth the Ps 144. 6. lightning scatter theÌ So do thou desire him to shiâld thee with the buckler of his grace to dispell thine ignorance with the light of his Spirit to coÌfound the Diuel and al thy sinnes which oppresâe thy soule and to defend and deliuer thee from all thy spirituall enemies which are too mightie ãâã hee For it is God that giueth deliuerance to Ps 144. 10. kings both temporall and spirituall He is able to destroy the mightiest and to releeue the weakest For great is Ps 147. 5. our Lord and great is his power his wisedome is infinite His greatnesse if he shew it is able to daunt the greatest His power and his wisedome if he list to vse it is able to frustrate the deuises of the wisest râtârt them vâ on their owne heads Let vs therefore in aâl our conflicts with sinne in all our combats with the diuel commit our selues vnto him No victorie can be lookâ for without him And thus much for our Prince-hood CHAP. VI. Fiue vses made of our Priest-hood Nine sorts of spirituall sacrifices Christ is the Altar whereon they must be layed Of the time when thy must be offred Preparation consisting in two things must be made before they be offered The manner which we must obserue in offering stands in fiue duties The ende of offering them is of two kindes And of the latter there are eight set downe IT remaineth nowe to deliuer those instructions which may be gathered froÌ the consideration of our priest-hood First forsomuch as wee are Priests it is our dutie to labour for true spirituall knowledge that we may execute our our office faithfullie and discreetly The legall Priestes were to bee men of Mal. 2. 7. knowledge for the Priests lips saith the Lord shall preserue knowledge and I see no reason wherefore wee that are Euangelicall or spiritual priests should be voyd of vnderstanding ignorant The oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his masters crib and shall wee be ignorant Is 1. 3. of God that owneth vs and of Christ that is our Lord and master Peter exhorteth vs to growe in the knowledge of 2. Pet. 3. 18. Christ therefore we ought to haue the knowledge of him For as a man cannot increase in wealth vnlesse he haue some wealth so no man can growe in knowledge except hee haue knowledge A thing must bee before it can be bigger Those therefore that like the wicked coloured out by Iob desire not the knoowledge of Gods wayes but are Iob. 21. 14. Plin. nat hist l. 9. c. 32. content to liue without eyes like Sea-winckles and are by reason of their peeuishnesse as vnteacheable as Swallowes which as Plinie writeth cannot be Hist nat l. brought to learne those I say doe plainly shewe that they are not as yet called home to God but are in thraldom vnder the God of this world who hath blinded their mindes and leadeth them captiue at his will Surely they can be no good Priests no good men A very Pagan led onely by the light of nature was able to say that it was a sin to be ignorant of those things that doe quod magis ad nos perânet nââciâe malum est et quae sit natura boni Hor. most concerne vs and not to know the nature of that which iâ good God commanded that Aaron the Priest should weare a plate whereon was graued Holynes vnto the Lord and that vpon his brest-plate should be the Vrim and the Thummim euen so