boasteth not but onely of his Apostolicall calling and his faithfull discharge thereof to the end he may stoppe the mouthes of the false Apostles Thus to confesse the good things we haue to the glorie of God beeing vrged thereunto is lawfull boasting nay it is sometime necessarie making much for the maintenance of the Gospell as Pauls boasting made much for the good of the Church of Corinth Againe there is a twofold lawfull boasting one before God another before men Rom. 4. 2. Of the former the Apostle speakes in this verse of the latter in the 2. Cor. 12. He gloried not in the testimony of a good conscience before god but onely before men Before God he glorified in nothing but in the sauing knowledge of Christ and him crucified And whereas it may besaide that this his boasting in regard of the false Apostles as also his glorying in the testimonie of his conscience 2. Cor. 1. 12. and in his infirmities 2. Cor. 11. 30. were not in the crosse of Christ. I answer they were for his glorying ouer the false Apostles in teaching freely was in the good and prosperous successe of the Gospel which is the doctrine of the crosse and his glorying in the testimonie of his conscience in that it was washed by the blood of the crosse as Paul speakes Coloss. 1. 20. In his afflictions in that they were the afflictions of Christ and he by them made conformable to him But it will be said that he gloried in his reuelations in his paines and trauell in preaching the Gospel and in the multitude of Churches which he had planted Ans. First he did it beeing vrged thereunto secondly he did it to defend his calling and the credit of the Gospel and therefore this boasting was not vnlawfull nay it was necessarie and in the Lord. For when we are compelled we may confesse the good things we haue if we doe it sparingly and for the edification of others that they may be bettered by our example and that they seeing our good workes may glorifie God our heauenly father Matth. 5. 16. Here we see what glorying is Vnlawfull namely when men ascribe vnto themselues either that which they haue not or more then they haue or as proceeding from themselues their wisdome strength industrie in sacrificing to their owne netts and burning incense to their owne yearne Habac. 1. 16. or in boasting of them without necessarie cause either for their owne vaine glorie as Nebuchodonosor did Dan. 4. or not for Gods glorie as Herod did Act. 12. And if this glorying be so greata sinne surely boasting in wickednes as Doeg did Psal. 52. 1. must needes be most damnable as when the greatest swearers and swaggerers count themselues the best companions the greatest Idolaters and superstitious persons most religious the greatest oppressours surfeters drunkards fighters most valiane and couragious c. Now this may be done three waies either ignoraÌ„tly as wheÌ„ Paul gloried in his cruel persecuting of the Saints before his coÌ„uersion Act. 26. 11. or presumptuously when men glorie in wickednes notwithstanding they be perswaded in conscience that it is euill and then it is the sinne of Sodom Isa. 3. 9. or malitiously to despite God and then it is the sinne against the holy Ghost The second point to be considered in the words is the thing wherein he will glorie called here the Crosse of Christ Sane in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ. The words in the originall translated saue are exceptiue as if he should say I will glorie in nothing except in the crosse of Christ and exclusiue onely in the crosse of Christ and in nothing els Albeit they are sometime aduersatiue as Gal. 2. 16. and Apoc. 21. 27. There shall enter into it no vncleane thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but they that are written c. where the words are not exclusiue for then it would follow that some which worke abomination should enter into heauen but aduersatiue as Matth. 12. 4. and Luk. 4. 20. which may serue by the way to cleare the text Ioh. 17. 12. Those thou gauest me haue I kept and none of them is lost but the child of perdition that is but the child of perdition is lost For the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I take it are not so well translated by the exceptiue coniunction nisi as by the aduersatiue sed seeing here is no exceptioÌ„ made of Iudas as though he had beene giuen to Christ afterward had fallen away which exposition must needes be made if the words be read nisi filius perditionis Further by the Crosse of Christ the Apostle vnderstandeth synecdochically the all sufficient expiatorie and satisfactorie sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse with the whole work of our redemption in the sauing knowledge where of he professeth he will glorie and boast For Christ is made vnto vs wisdome righteousnes that as it is written He that glorieth should glorie in the Lord euen to make boast of him all the day long as the Psalmist speaketh And the reason why Paul professeth that he will glorie onely in the Crosse of Christ is because Christ crucified is the treasurie and storehouse of the Church seeing that in him are hid not onely the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Coloss. 2. 3. but of bountie and grace Ioh. 1. 16. and of all spirituall blessings Eph. 1. 3. For first by Christ crucified we haue reconciliation with God remission of sinns acceptation to eternall life Secondly we haue the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding peace with God with Angels with men with our selues with the creatures Thirdly we recouer the right and title which we had in the creation to all the creatures and blessings of God 1. Cor. 3. 22. Fourthly all afflictions and iudgements cease to be curses and punishments and become either trialls or corrections Lastly death it selfe is no death but a sleepe for all that die in the Lord are said to sleepe and to rest vpon their beddes Isa. 57. 2. Indeede if we looke vpon death through the glasse of the Law it is the very downefall to eternall destruction but if we consider it as it is changed by the death of Christ it is but a passage from this transâ—torie life to eternall life Christ by his death hath taken away sinne the sting of death so that though it seaze vpon vs yet hauing lost it sting it cannot hurt vs. So that in a word in Christ crucified are all things that a man can glorie of If we would glorie in knowledge and wisdome He is the wisdome of the father seeing that all treasures of wisdome and knowledge are hid in him and therefore Paul desired to know nothing among the Corinthians but brist and him crucified 1. Cor. 2. 2. for this knowledge is eternall life Ioh 17. 3. If in the loue and fauour of great men by him we are highly aduanced into the loue fauour of god Eph. 1. 6. If in
it be renewed In the bodie there are more diseases then the Physitians bookes can expresse and as many diseases as there be in vs so many fruits of sinne there are Ioh. 5. 14. The curse without vs is threefold The first is a spirituall bondage vnder the power of the deuil who by reason of sinne works in the hearts of vnbeleeuers Eph. 2. 2. and hath the power of death Heb. 2. 14. The second is an Enmitie of all the creatures with man since the fall And this appeares because when God receiues vs to be his people he makes a couenant with all creatures in our behalfe Hos. 2. 18. The third containes all losses calamities miseries in goods friends good name Read Deut. 28. The curse in the end of this life is death which is the separation of bodie and soule Rom. 5. 13. and death in his owne nature is a fearefull curse and the very downefall to the pitte of hell The curse after this life is the second death which is separation of bodie and soule from God with a full apprehension of the wrath of God And if the paine of one tooth or finger be oftentimes so great that men rather desire to die then liue how great then shall the paine be when all the parts of bodie and soule shall be tormented And the eternitie of this death increaseth mans miserie If a man might suffer so many yeares as there are drops in the sea and then haue an end it were some comfort but when that time is expired man is as farre from the end of his woe as euer he was This in summe and substance is the curse here mentioned and it were to be wished that men would more thinke speak of it then they doe then would there be more conscience of sinne The next point is who are cursed Ans. They which doe not all things written in the law Here is an Item for them that will keepe some commandements but not all Herod would doe some things at the motion of Iohn Baptist but he would not leaue his incestuous marriage with his brothers wife Mark 6. 20. There be at this day that are very forward in good things yet some of them will not leaue their swearing some their lying some their vncleannes some their vsurie But God will not part stakes with man he will haue all or none He that breakes one commandement is guiltie of all Iam. 2. And there is good reason that he which obaies should obey in all For where God renewes he sanctifies throughout and fills them with the seede of all grace that they may performe obedience according to all the commandements of the law Againe he is cursed that doth not all things which the law prescribeth or if he doe them yet doth not continue in all So then he is cursed that breakes the law but once and that onely in one thought for such an one doth not continue in all things Now then O sinnefull man what wilt thou doe to auoid the curse for thou hast in thought word and deede broken the law Doest thou thinke to appease the wrath of God with gold and siluer the whole world and all things therein are the Lords And thou maist not thinke to hide or withdraw thy selfe from the presence of God for all must come and appeare before his tribunall seat in their owne persons Neither may we thinke to escape because God is mercifull for he is as iust as mercifull What wilt thou then doe to escape this horrible curse when thou hast done all thou canst doe thou canst no way helpe or releeue thy selfe The onely way of helpe is this Thou must flie from this sentence of the law to the throne of grace for mercie instantly asking seeking knocking at the gate of mercie for pardon of thy sinnes And that thou maist be incouraged to this dutie consider with me that at thy first Purpose to amend and to turne vnto God thy sinnes are pardoned in heauen Dauid saith Psal. 32. 5. I thought I will confesse my sinnes against my selfe and thou forgauest me Marke the speech I thought The prodigall child Luk. 15. vpon his purpose to returne to his father before he had indeed humbled himselfe in word was receiued to mercie When Dauid said I haue sinned Nathan in the name of God said Thy sinne is forgiuen thee It may be thou wilt say the curse is absolute Ans. The threatnings of the law must be vnderstood with an exception which the Gospel makes on this manner The Law saith cursed is the transgressour and the Gospel saith Except he repent Ionas preached yet fourtie daies and Niniuie shall be destroied yet withall he addes an exception It may be the Lord will repent of his fierce wrath Ion. 5. 9. Againe thou wilt say my sinnes are very grieuous therefore I feare I shall not escape the curfe Ans. Forgiuenes is promised without any limitation to any number or kinds of sinne onely the sinne against the H. Ghost excepted Therefore appeale with boldnes in thy heart to the throne of grace intreat for forgiuenes as for life and death and thou shalt escape the curse The third point is when is a sinner accursed Ans. In present in the time of this life For the Lord saith not he shall be accursed but he is accursed There be among vs whome no sermons or exhortations will amend and such persons thinke themselues without the reach of any danger For they thinke the time is very long to the last iudgement But they are deceiued touching themselues For God with his owne mouth hath giuen the sentence that they are accursed there remaines nothing but the exequution The halter is alreadie about their neckes and there remaines nothing but the turning of the ladder Nay the exequution is alreadie in blindnes of minde and hardnes of heart He that beleeues not is alreadie condemned Ioh. 3. Lastly a memorable conclusion of Paul is here to be obserued That it is impossible for any man within himselfe for the time of this life to fulfill the law of God For Paul here takes it for a confessed and graunted conclusion otherwise his argument will not hold which must be framed on this manner He which fulfills not the law is cursed he which is of workes fulfills not the law therefore he is accursed I further prooue it thus If we could fulfill the law we might be iustified by the law but no man can be iustified by the law or by workes therefore no man can fulfill the law Againe Paul saith Rom. 7. 14. that the law was spirituall requiring inward and spirituall obedience and that he was carnall and therefore not conformable to the law that he was sold vnder sinne that when he would doe good euil was present that he carried about him the bodie of death And all this he saith of himselfe about twentie yeares after his owne conuersion Such as our knowledge is such is our loue to God and man Now we
for vs and to applie it vnto vs. And this worke is done by Christ without impediment and without repentance on his part The seale and foundation of our saluation is this that God accepts and knowes vs for his 2. Tim. 2. 19. and that which concernes vs is that we must worship God in spirit and truth and depart from iniquitie Lastly here is comfort against the consideration of our vnworthines Thou saiest thou art vnworthie of the mercie of God and therefore hast no hope And I say againe dost thou truly exercise thy selfe in the spirituall exercises of faith inuocation repentance be not discouraged thou must not receiue the promise immediately of God but Christ must doe it for thee Though thou be vnworthie yet there is dignitie and worthines sufficient in him If thou say that thou must at the least receiue the promise at the hand of Christ. I adde further that he will not quench the flaxe that doth but smoake neither will he breake the bruised reede He accepts the weake apprehension if it be in truth And our saluation stands in this not that we know and apprehend him but that he knowes apprehends vs first of all v. 17. This I say In the former verses Paul hath laid downe two grounds one is that testaments of men confirmed may not be abrogated the other that the promises were made to Abraham and his seede which is Christ. Now what of all this may some man say Paul therefore addes these words This I say that is the scope and intent of all my speech is to shew that the couenant or testament confirmed by God cannot be abrogated and secondly if it might so be yet that the law could not abrogate the testament because it was giuen 430 yeares after the confirmation of the saide testament And because it might be doubtfull what Paul meanes when he saith the couenant confirmed cannot be abrogated he explanes himselfe in the ende of the verse by saying the promise cannot be made of no effect It is here to be obserued that Paul saith the promise made to Abraham is a couenant or testament It is a Couenant or compact because God for his part promiseth remission of sinnes and life euerlasting and requireth faith on our part In respect of this mutuall obligation it hath in it the forme of a couenant It is also a Will or Testament in two respects First because the promise is confirmed by the death of the mediatour Heb. 9. 15. Secondly the things promised as remission of sinnes and life euerlasting are giuen after the manner of legacies that is freely without our desert or procurement In this we see the great goodnes of God who vouchsafeth to name them in his testament that haue made couenant with the deuill and are children of wrath by nature as we all are Again in that the promise is a testament remission of sinnes and life euerlasting is a Legacie and for the obtainment of thē we must bring nothing vnto God but hunger and thirst after them and make suit vnto God for them by asking seeking knocking Thus are all Legacies obtained there is no more required on our part but to receiue and accept them And though we be neuer so vnworthie in our selues yet shall it suffice for the hauing of the blessing of God if our names be found in the Testament of God Againe Paul saith that the promise made to Abraham is a couenant confirmed of God It may be demanded by what meanes it was confirmed Ans. By oath Heb. 6. 17. Againe it may be demanded to whome it was confirmed Ans. To Abraham as beeing the father of all the faithfull and then to his seede that is first to the Mediatour Christ and consequently to euery beleeuer whether Iew or Gentile For Abraham in the first making and in the confirmation thereof must be considered as a publike person representing all the faithfull Here againe we see Gods goodnes We are bound simply to beleeue his bare word yet in regard of our weaknes he is content to ratifie his promise by oath that there might be no occasion of vnbeleefe Againe here we are admonished to rest by faith on the promise of God as Abraham did when there is no hope Some may say I could doe so if God would speake to me as he did to Abraham I answer againe when God spake to Abraham in him he spake to all his seede and therefore to thee whosoeuer thou art that beleeuest in Christ. And hence we are to gather sure hope of life euerlasting For in the person of Abraham God hath spoken to vs he hath made promise of blessing to vs he hath made couenant with vs and he hath sworne vnto vs. What can we more require of him what better ground of true comfort Hebr. 6. 17. 18. Lastly in that God thus confirmes vnto vs the promise of life euerlasting it must incourage vs to all diligence in the vse of all good meanes whereby we may attaine to the condition of Abraham and it must arme vs to all patience in bearing the miseries calamites that fall out in the strait way to eternal life Further Paul saith that the promise is a couenant confirmed that in respect of Christ because he is the scope foundation of all the promises of God partly by merit and partly by efficacie By merit because he hath procured by his death and passion remission of sinnes and life euerlasting By his efficacie because he seales vp vnto vs in our consciences remission of sinnes and withall restores in vs the image of God The vse If Christ be the ground of the promise then is he the ground and fountaine of all the blessings of God And for this cause the right way to obtaine any blessing of God is first to receiue the promise and in the promise Christ and Christ beeing ours in him and from him we shall receiue all things necessarie The second answer of Paul to the former obiection is that if the promise made to Abraham might be disanulled yet the law could not doe it And he giues a double reason The first is drawne from the circumstance of time Because the promise or couenant was made with Abraham and continued by God 430 yeares before the law was giuen therefore saith Paul the law was not giuen to disanull the promise Against this reason it may be obiected that Abrahams seed was but 400 yeares in a strange land Gen. 15. 13. Ans. Moses speakes of the time that was from the beginning of Abrahams seede or from the birth of Isaac to the giuing of the law and Paul here speakes of the time that was betweene the giuing of the promise to Abraham and the giuing of the law and that was 10 yeares before the birth of Isaac Againe it may be obiected that the Israelites were in Egypt 430 yeares Fxod 12. 40. The dwelling of the children of Israel while they dwelled in Egypt was 430 yeares Therefore it
sinnes are little sinnes and little sinnes are no sinnes Pride is cleanlines couetousnes is nothing but worldlines drunkennes good fellowship fornication a tricke of youth Thus men put visards vpon their vgly sinnes The Polititian that is of no religion saith that we and the Papists differ not in substance but in small circumstances and that if they erre it is but in small points But on the contrarie we are to esteeme euery sinne for a great sinne to humble our selues for the least sinnes and to bring our selues in subiection to God in the least of our actions Here we are taught by all meanes to maintaine the puritie of sound religion whatsoeuer befall vs. And for this cause we are to resist and withstand euery erronious opinion that shall be broched For it is the pollicie of the deuill by foisting in some one errour to depraue and confound the whole bodie of truth It may be saide how may we discerne errour from sound doctrine considering oftentimes they are like as leauen is like dowe Ans. Leauen is discerned from dow not by colour but by tast euen so they which are spirituall and haue the gift of discerning directed by the analogie of faith discerne truth from falshood For whatsoeuer is against one Article of faith or against any of the commandements of the decalogue is not sound doctrine but leauen Againe that which is said of false doctrine may be said proportionally of bad manners Here therefore we must be put in minde of three duties The first to resist and withstand euery particular sinne For euen one sinne is able to defile the whole life of man One flie is sufficient to marre a whole boxe of sweete ointment One offence in our first parents brought corruption vpon them and all mankind yea vpon heauen and earth He that makes no conscience of some one sinne is guiltie of the whole law Iam. 2. Secondly we must doe our indeauour to the vttermost to cut off euery bad example in the societies of men For one bad example is sufficient to corrupt a whole familie a whole town a whole countrie The example of one incestuous man was sufficient to corrupt all Corinth Therefore Paul saith Purge out the old leauen 1. Cor. 5. 6. The law of God is that blasphemers murderers adulterers c. shall be put to death the reason is that euill may he taken away out of Israel that is the euill of wicked example which beeing suffered spreads abroad and doth much hurt The barren figge tree must be cut downe least it make the whole ground barren Luk. 13. 7. Thirdly we are to withstand and cut off the first beginnings and the occasions of euery sinne We say of arrand theeues that first they beginne to practise their wickednes in pinnes and points For this cause idlenes fulnesse of bread in excessiue eating drinking and swilling â—iot and vanitie in apparrell are to be suppressed in euery societie as the breeders of many vâ—ces On the contrarie as one point of euill doctrine brings with it many other so any one little grace of God brings many other with it The entrance into Gods word giues light Psal. 119. 130. In this respect Christ saith The kingdome of heauen is like leauen hidde in three peckes of meale because Gods kingdome is set vp in the heart at the first vpon very small beginnings Matth. 13. 33. This must teach vs to vse the meanes of our saluation and not to be discouraged though we haue in vs but some small beginnings of Gods grace 10 I haue an affiance in you in the Lord that ye will be no otherwise minded but he that troubleth you shall beare his iudgement whosoeuer he be The sense In the Lord by the gratious assistance of God who no doubt will giue a blessing to my Ministerie No otherwise minded that is thinke no otherwise then ye haue done and ought to thinke and thinke no otherwise then I haue taught you He that troubleth you the Church is troubled three waies 1. by false doctrine Thus Ahab troubled Israel 1. king 18. 18. and the false Apostles trouble Galatia 2. By wicked example thus Aâ—han troubled Israel Ios. 7. 25. 3. By force and crueltie thus tyrants and persecutors trouble the Church Shall be are shall haue his due and deserued punishment partly in this life and partly in eternall death See this verified in the ende of the booke of English Martyrs in the desperate horrible and stinking endes of persecutors But yet this threat must be vnderstood with the Exception of repentance The scope The wordes are an Answer to an Obiection which may be framed thus It seemes by your former prouerb of leauen that you hold us to be a people corrupted and vnsauorie vnto God To this Paul answers by a distinction I hope better things of you but the false Apostles for troubling the Church shall surely be punished The vse When Paul saith I haue an aâ—â—iance in you he teacheth in his own example that we are to hope the best of men so long as they are curable It may be saide they that hope the best are sometimes deceiued Ans. They are onely deceiued in their iudgement and that in things whereof they haue no certen knowledge and they are not deceiued in practise For it is a dutie of loue to hope the best And they which vse to suspect the worse are oftner deceiued Againe it may be saide that we must iudge of things as they are indeede Ans. Iudgement of things and iudgement of persons must be distinguished Of things vpright iudgement is to iudge of them as they are and if they be doubtâ—ull to suspend Now our iudgement of the persons of men must be to take things in the better part as much as possibly may be Lastly it may be alleadged that we must loue our neighbour as our selues and that we despaire in respect of our selues Ans. We are to despaire in respect of our selues because we are priuie to our owne estate but we are not priuie to the estate of any other man and therefore we are to hope the best of them This shewes the fault of our times if any professing the Gospel fall vpon frailtie there are numbers of men that will make no bones of it to condemne them to the pit of hel for hypocrites but such persons are not carried by the spirit of Paul who hopes the best of them that fall Againe here we see how we are to put affiance in men We are to put affiance in God for all things whatsoeuer whether concerning bodie or soule but our affiance in men must be onely for such things as they are able to performe Secondly we must put affiance in God absolutely for himselfe and therefore we say I beleeue in God c. but all our affiance in men whatsoeuer must be in the Lord. When Paul saith that he had affiance of them in the Lord he shewes that renewed repentance is the gift of God And there
I come quickly and my reward is with me to giue to euery one as his works shall be Apoc. 22. 12. Besides it meeteth with the practise of those men which sowe nothing but cockâ—e and yet expect a croppe of wheates or nothing but darnell and yet looke to reape a barly haruest that is such as sowe nothing but the cursed seeds of a damnable life and yet looke to reape the haruest of eternall life for as a man soweth so shall he reape such as he brueth such shall he drinke Euery one shall eate the fruit of his owne waies and be filled with his owne deuises Prou. 1. 31. It doeth further detect the follie of those which fraught the shippe of their soule with nothing but faith resting in carnall presumption vpon a vaine opinion of faith and neuer caring for good workes against whome Saint Iames writeth chap. 2. v. 14. What auaileth it though a man say he hath faith when he hath no workes can the faith saue him 20. Wilt thou vnderstand O thou vaine man that faith which is without workes is dead We must therefore sowe the seedes of good workes in this life if after this life we looke to reape the haruest of eternall life giue all diligence by good workes to make our calling and election sure that as it is sure in it selfe in Gods vnchangeable decree 2. Tim. 2. 19. so we may make it sure to vs. 2. Pet. 1. 10. and so lay vp in store a good foundation against the time to come that we may obtaine eternall life 2. Tim. 6. 19. Lastly it crosseth the wicked conceipt and imagination of those men that sing a requiem to their soules in promising to themselues an impunitie from sinne and an immunitie from all the iudgements of God notwithstanding they goe on in their bad practises and all because God doth not presently take vengeance on them for their sinnes For they do not consider that their sinnes are as seedes which must haue a time to growe in before they come to maturitie but beeing once ripe and full-eared let them assure themselues God will cut them downe with the sickle of his iudgements as we read Gen. 15. 16. They remember not what the Lord saith by Ieremie that he will not wearie himselfe with following after these wild asses vsed to the wildernesse which snuffe vp the winde by occasion at their pleasure and none can turne them backe but will seeke for them and finde them in their moneths that is when their iniquitie shall be at the full the Lord will meete with them 8. For he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting Here Saint Paul specifieth that in particular which before he had deliuered in generall vz. what he meant by sowing and reaping And this he doth by a distribution or enumeration of the kindes of sowing and reaping she wing that there are two sorts of seeds which men sow in this life good and euill Two kinds of sowers spirituall men and carnall men Two sorts of ground in which this seede is sowne the flesh and the spirit Two sorts of haruests which men are to reape according to the seede corruption and life as Paul saith If ye liue after the flesh ye shall die but if ye mortifie the deedes of the bodie by the spirit ye shall liue Rom. 8. 13. These two sorts of haruests beeing answerable to the seede corruption and death beeing the haruest of the seede sowne to the flesh life and immortalitie of that to the spirit Tacianus the hereticke and author of the sect of the Encratites doth gather from this and the like places that marriage is in it selfe simply euill because it is a sowing to the flesh To him we may adioyne the Popes holinesse Syricius who reasoneth after the same manner to prooue that Priestes ought not to marrie because saith he they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. 8. where he condemneth all marriages as vncleane both in the Cleargie and the Laitie Distinct. 82. Vnderstanding as though Paul should speake properly of seed and of the flesh But worthely was Tacianus his opinion confuted and he condemned for an hereticke for the Apostle speaketh not of the workes of nature but of corrupt nature which ouerturneth the diuine order which God set in nature in the creation Besides the Apostolike writer saith that marriage is honourable among all men not the first onely but also the second third c. and among Cleargie men as well as others and therefore the marriage bed beeing vndefiled that is beeing vsed in holy manner is no sowing to the flesh but to the spirit as Popish doctours are enforced to confesse Lastly Paul saith not He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth to his flesh c. Now no man except he be worse then a bruit beast doth abuse himselfe by sowing to his owne flesh as Ierome saith vpon this place Others by sowing to the flesh and spirit vnderstand the following after the fruites of the flesh and of the spirit mentioned in the former chapter vers 19. 22. But this exposition cannot stand in this place because the illatiue particle for in the beginning of the verse sheweth euidently that these wordes depend vpon the former as an exegesis or exposition thereof where Paul spake not generally of all but particularly of those workes which serue directly to vphold the ministerie By sowing to the flesh therefore the Apostle meaneth nothing else but to liue in the flesh to walke in it to take pleasure in it to followe the desires of it and to fulfill the lusts thereof More plainely it is wholly to giue and add ct a mans selfe to the pleasures profits honours and preferments of this life and to spend himselfe his strength and wit in compassing of them hauing little or no respect of the life to come howe he may compasse the rich purchasse of the kingdom of heauen which who so doeth shall reape nothing at the haruest but corruption that is shall haue for his reward eternall death vnderstanding by corruption the corruption of good qualities not of the substance On the contrary to sowe to the spirit is to liue in the spirit and to walke according to the spirit and to mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit to doe those things which otherwise we would neuer doe if we were not mooued and ledde by the spirit as to bestowe a mans goods his labour and trauell his strength his wit and all in those things that may further true religion and pietie with relation to eternall life which whosoeuer doth shall reape life euerlasting as a iust recompence of his worke according to the mercifull promise of God Here sundrie obiections are to be answered for the clearing of this text First the papists reason thus Workes are
one thing to be iust an other thing to be declared and knowne to be iust We are iust by faith but we are knowne to be iust by our works therefore men shall be iudged at the last day not by their faith but by their workes For the last iudgement serueth not to make men iust that are vniust which is done by faith but to manifest them to the world what they are in deede which is done by workes Men are often compared to trees in Scripture Now a tree is not knowne what it is by his sappe but by his fruit neither are men knowne to be iust by their faith but by their workes Indeede a tree is therefore good because his sappe is good but it is knowne to be good by his fruit So a man is iust because of his faith but he is knowne to be iust by his good works therefore seeing that the last iudgement must proceede according to euidence that is vpon record for the bookes must be opened and men must be iudged of those things that are written in the bookes all must be iudged by their workes which are euident and apparent to the view of all men and not by their faith which is not exposed to the sight of any And hence it is that the Scripture saith we shall be iudged according to our workes but it is no where said for our good workes Gregorie saith God will giue to euery one according to his workes but it is one thing to giue according to workes an other thing for workes For works are no way the cause of reward but onely the common measure according to which God giueth a greater or lesser reward Take this resemblance A King promiseth vnequal rewards to runners the least of which would equall the riches of a kingdome vpon condition that he which first commeth to the goale shall haue the greatest reward the second the next and so in order They hauing finished their race the King giueth them the reward according to their running Who would hence but childishly inferre that therefore they merited this reward by their running And whereas they vrge that text Matth. 25. Come ye blessed for I was hungrie and yee fedde me I answer first that the word for doth not alway signifie a cause but any argument or reason takē from any Topick place as Rom. 3. 22 23. The righteousnes of God is made manifest vnto all and vpon all that beleeue For there is no differēce for all haue sinned are depriued of the glorie of God Where sinne is no cause of the righteousnes of faith but onely an antecedent or adiunct common to all men So when we say This is the true mother of the child for shee will not haue it diuided There for doth not implie the cause as though her refusing to haue it diuided did make her the true mother of it but onely the signe that shee was the true mother indeed Secondly be it granted that it implieth the cause yet not the meritorious cause for good workes are said to be causes of eternall life not as meriting procuring or deseruing any thing at the hands of God but as they are the kings high way to eternall life God hauing prepared good works that we should walke in them If a King promise his subiect a treasure hid in the topp of a steepe and high mountaine vpon condition that he clime and digge it out his climing and digging is the efficient cause of enioying the treasure but no meritorious cause of obtaining it seeing it was freely giuen If it be further said that the word for doth here signifie the cause as well as in the words following Goe ye cursed for I was hungrie and ye gaue me no meat seeing our Sauiour Christ speaketh after the same māner of the reward of the godly and punishment of the wicked I ans The paritie of the reason stands in this that as by good works we come to eternall life so by wicked works we runne headlong to perdition The dissimilitude is this that euil works are not onely the way but also the cause of death good workes are the way but not the cause as Bernard saith they are via regni non causa regnandi Obiect III. Here God promiseth eternall life to good workes therefore good works merit eternall life Answ. There is a double couenant Legall and Euangelicall In the legali couenant the promise of eternall life is made vnto workes Doe this and liue If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements But thus no man can merit because none can fulfill the lawe In the Euangelicall couenant the promise is not made to the worke but to the worker and to the worker not for the merit of his work but for the merit of Christ as Apoc. 2. 20. Be faithfull vnto the end and I will giue thee the crowne of life the promise is not made to fidelitie but to the faithfull person whose fidelitie is a signe that he is in Christ in whome all the promises of God are yea and Amen that is most certaine and infallible Secondly if any thing be due to works it is not of the merit of the worke but of gods mercifull promise Augustine saith God made himselfe a debter not by owing any thing but by promising Thirdly no reward is due to workes of regeneration vpon compact and promise first because we are not vnder the couenant of works in which God doth couenant with vs vpon condition of our obedience but vnder the couenant of grace the tenour of which coue nant runneth vpon condition of the merits of Christ apprehended by faith Secondly though we were vnder the legall couenant yet we merit not because our workes are not answerable to the lawe Lastly wheras the pillars of the Romish church teach that the promise made vpon condition of performing the worke maketh the performer to merit is very false This is not sufficient to make a meritorious worke it is further required that the worke be answerable and correspondent in worth and value to the reward as if one shall promise a thousand crowns to him that will fetch a little water out of the next well it is debt indeed in the promiser but no merit in the performer because there is no proportion betweene the worke and the reward Obiect IV. Sowing to the spirit is a good worke and reaping eternall life the reward but reward presupposeth memerit therefore sowing to the spirit doth merit eternall life Ans. There is a double reward One of fauour another of debt Rom. 44. To him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt So saith Ambrose There is one reward of liberalitie and fauour another reward which is the stipend of vertue and recompence of our labour Therefore reward signifieth generally any recompence or any gift that is bestowed vpon another whether it be more or lesse whether answerable to the worke or not
times and moneths and years I am afraid of you least I haue spent on you labour in vaine Ans. There is a twofold obseruing of time good and euill lawfull and vnlawfull Vnlawfull and superstitious is either Iewish or Heathenish the Iewish and superstitious obseruation of times is when religion is placed in the keeping of them in an opinion that they bind the conscience to the strict obseruing of them as their Iubilies feasts of the Passeouer of weekes of Tabernacles Calends new moones c. Heathenish when times are obserued in respect of good or badde successe as when men make two vnluckie daies in euery moneth in regard of health when they count leape-yeare ominous as Valentinian did who beeing newly created Emperour would not come forth and shew himselfe the bissext of Februarie Not to marrie in the moneth of May. To obserue Planetarie houres and Climactericall yeares the Horoscope or time of a mans birth and the position of the heauens at that time Both these kinds are forbidden Paul was afraid of the Galatiās first because they obserued daies and moneths yeares that is Iewish ceremonies beggerly rudimēts Secondly because they obserued times or seasons that is heathenish superstitions mentioned before And assuredly besides the vnlawfulnes of this practise it is also vaine euen in the iudgement of the heathens thēselues Alexander the great commanded the Macedonian souldiers which had not beene accustomed to fight in Iune because it had beene ominous vnto them that they should call it Iuly and so got the victorie ouer Darius Lucullus beeing to fight with Tigranes vpon an vnlucky day in which Cepio was ouercome of the Cimbrians I will said he make it fortunate to the Romanes and got the victorie And who knoweth not that the selfe same day hath beene fortunate or luckie to some as they vse to speake vnfortunate and vnluckie to others The same day was Crassus slaine by the Parthians and Pachor king of Parthia taken by Ventidius The same day was vnto Pompey the day of his birth and the day of his death The same day was to Fredericke the second his coronation day and his funerall day The lawfull obseruing of time is two-fold Humane Diuine Humane is threefold Naturall Ciuill Ecclesiasticall Naturall is the obseruing of the motion of the sunne the moone and the starres whose reuolutions make times and seasons daies moneths yeares the obseruing of the foure quarters or seasons of the yeare spring summer autumme winter The Ecclipses of sunne and moone the full moone the wane the change The time of cutting of timber of planting sowing c. in obseruing whereof a great part of Astronomy Philosophie and husbandrie is imployed Ciuill is when times are obserued in regard of pollicie or of the good of the common wealth as faire-times market-times tearme-times c. the spring as fit time for Kings to goe forth to warre 2. Sam. 4. 11. The keeping of Lent fasting daies Ember weekes are all in a ciuill respect for the breed of cattell the maintenance of nauigation and the plentie of all things Ecclesiasticall when set times are obserued in the Church for order sake without superstition or opinion of worship as among the Iewes the feast of Purim Esth. 9. 26. the feast of the Dedication Ioh. 10. 22. Amongst Christians festiuall daies as the feast of the Natiuitie of circumcision of the resurrection ascension of Christ these and such like solemnities appointed for our thankesgiuing and humiliation are not vnlawfull if they be enioyned by lawfull authoritie and kept in good manner Diuine is when vpon the consideration of the shortnesse and vncertainetie of our liues we prepare our selues against God shall call vs and so number our daies that we apply our hearts to wisedome Psal. 90. Or obseruing the day of Gods mercifull visitation we take the opportunitie and vse the meanes that is offered for our conuersion and saluation Or obseruing the time of Gods visitation in iudgement and indignation we hide our selues vnder the couert of his wings Prou. 22. 3. IV. Hence we learne that there is no possibilitie of doing good or beeing beneficiall vnto others after this life for Paul biddeth vs doe good while we haue time thereby insinuating that after death all possibilitie of doing good is cleane cut off The time allotted to doe good beeing included within the limits of this life The dead that die in the Lord rest from their labours Reuel 14. 13. Therefore no good workes are performed after this life Paul beeing aged and readie to die the tearme of his life beeing almost expired saith I haue finished my course 2. Tim. 4. 7. which could not be truely said if he were to performe any good workes after his death 2. Cor. 5. 10. We must giue account for all things we haue done in the body that is in this life Where it is to be obserued that the Apostle speaking of all the workes whereof we are to giue account doth confine them within the compasse of this life therefore no workes can be done after this life be ended Let vs heare the testimonie of the auntient Cyprian to Demetr Quando istine excessum est nullus locus poenitentia est nullus satisfactionis effectus Ierome Dum in praesenti saculo sumus siue orationibus sine concilijs invicem posse nos coadinvari cùm autem ante Christi tribunal venerimus non Iob non Daniel nec Noe rogare posse pro quoquam sed vnumquemque portare onus suum And againe In hac vita licet nobis quod volumus seminare quum transierit operandi tempus auferetur c. Hence I gather two things First that the doctrine of Purgatorie is a meere fable because there is no time after this life be ended left to doe good either to our selues or others and therefore not to worke righteousnesse to repent or to satisfie the iustice of God which the Popish sort say is done in purgatorie But what should I stand to batter the paper walles of Purgatory with the canon of the scripture which were long agoe burnt to ashes by the fire of the word Secondly seeing all opportunitie nay all possibility of doing good is confined in the compasse of this life euery man must followe the counsell of the wiseman Salomon All that thy hand shall finde to doe doe it with all thy power for there is neither worke nor inuention nor knowledge nor wisedome in the graue whither thou goest Eccles. 9. 10. Dauid saith in the graue no man will or can praise God And this is the cause wherefore Paul doth so instantly vrge all men to take the present opportunitie Beholde now is the acceptable time behold nowe is the day of saluation 2. Cor. 6. 2. V. Hence we are taught to account euery day euen this present day as the day of death or the day of iudgement for we must doe all the good we can while we haue time now our time is
went thither to be instructed To this he answers three things that he went thither three yeares after his conuersion and not before that he went to visit Peter that he abode there fifteene daies For the first where he saith he preached 3. yeares in Arabia and Damascus and then after went to Hierusalem and abode there fifteene daies for some speciall causes we see Paul is readie and able to make a good account of the spending of his time both for daies and yeares And good reason for time is pretious and great care ought to be had of the expending of it After Pauls example we must so liue that we may be able to giue a good account of the spending of our daies That this may be done we must learne to number our daies and to redeeme the time To number our daies is to consider the shortnesse of our liues and that we are euery day subiect to death and withall seriously to bethinke our selues of the causer of this our condition namely our sinnes both originall and actuall When this twofold consideration takes place we then beginne to number our daies The numbring of our time and the parts thereof brings vs to the redeeming of it To redeeme our time is to take time while time serues specially for spirituall vses and for the amendement of our liues When time is thus numbred and redeemed then shall the good account be made before God and men Wherefore miserable is the case of them that spend their daies in idlenes in riot and sporting in chambering and wantonnesse For they neither number time nor redeeme it and therefore they are farre from any good account The second point is that Paul goes vp to Hierusalem to visit Peter that is to see him to be acquainted with him to talke and conferre with him Hence it appeares that there is a lawefull kind of peregrination or pilgrimage in that Paul iourneies frō Arabia to Ierusalem to see Peter Thus the Queene of Saba went vp to Ierusalem to heare the wisdome of Salomon The lawe of God was that all the males in Israel should thrise in the yeare goe vp to the place which god had appointed Deut. 16. This law was practised by Elkana Anna 1. Sam. 1. by Ioseph and Marie by the Steward of Candaces queene of Ethiopia Act. 8. Neuerthelesse Popish pilgrimage is vtterly to be condemned for two causes One is because it is made a part of Gods worship whereas nowe in the newe testament all religious distinction of places is abolished 1. Tim. 2. 8. Lift vp pure hands in euery place vnto God Some alleadge that vows which were not commanded were neuerthelesse parts of Gods worship among the Iewes I answer though men were not commāded to vowe yet the matter and forme of vowes was commanded And in that God commanded the manner of vowing he allowed the acte of vowe-making let the Papists shew the like allowance for their pilgrimage The second reason is because popish pilgrimage is not to liuing men but to the Reliques and images of dead men which kind of peregrination was neuer vsed in the world till after the Apostles daies For pilgrimage to reliques came in 300. yeares after Christ and pilgrimage to Images after 600. yeares In that Paul goes about to visit Peter the Papists gather the Primacie of Peter ouer all the Apostles but falsely For this visitation argues reuerence and reuerence is giuen not onely to superious but also to equalls Againe primacie is twofold Primacie of order and Primacie of power Primacie of order was due vnto Peter in that he was first called to be an Apostle and he was in the faith before Paul And in this regard he was reuerēced of him The third point is that Paul abides with Peter at Ierusalem and that fifteene daies His abode with Peter was in token of mutuall consent and fellowship Like should be the consent of the Ministers of the Gospell For their office is to publish and perswade peace betweene God and men to which they are vnfit that cannot maintaine peace among themselues And all beleeuers should be of one minde speaking and thinking the same things and this cannot be vnlesse there be a consent of them that are guides This consent therefore is to be maintained and greatly to be praied for And when there cannot be consent of iudgement by reason of humane frailtie yet so long as the foundation is maintained there must be consent in affection And iniuries offered may not dissolue this bond Though the Church of Ierusalem suspected Paul and would not at the first acknowledge him for a Disciple Act. 9. 26. yet did he for his part accept of their loue and fellowship Whereas he addes that his abode with Peter was but for 15. daies hereby he signifies that he learned not the Gospell of him for it could not be learned in so short a space neither could Paul by the teaching of any man become an Apostle in so little time 19 And none other of the Apostles sawe I saue Iames the Lords brother It might happily be obiected against the former verse that Paul might be taught of some other Apostle beside Peter and that at Ierusalem to this he answers two things One that there was none of the Apostles at Ierusalem but Iames beside Peter before named the second that he did but see Iames. Here I gather that if there be any mother church in the world it is rather Ierusalem then Rome because the Gospel was first preached there went thence into the whole world and Ierusalem was for a time guided by two of the cheefe Apostles Iames and Peter In that Iames is called our Lords brother three things may be demanded One which Iames this was Answer It was Iames the sonne of Alpheus for he liued 14. yeares after this Gal. 2. 9. whereas Iames the sonne of Zebedeus liued not so long because he was put to death by Herod The second thing is how Iames should be the Lords brother Answer In scripture children of the same wombe are brethren men of the same bloud are brethren as Abram and Lot Gen. 13. 8. Men of the same countrie are brethren thus Sauls countrimen are called his brethren 1. Chron. 12. 2. And Iames is called our Lordes brother not beacuse he was of the same wombe but because he was of the same bloud or kindred for Elie had two daughters Marie espoused to Ioseph Marie Cleophas who afterward was maried to Alpheus of whome came Iames here mentioned Iames therefore was the cosin-german of Christ. Therefore Heluideus failed when he went about to insringe the perpetuall virginitie of the virgin Marie out of this place as if she had more sonnes beside Christ. The third thing is what benefit Iames had by beeing the Lords brother Answer He is here called the Lords brother only for distinctions sake in respect of the other Iames the sonne of Zebedeus and this brother-hood doth not make him the better Apostle or
that Pauls often and daungerous iourneies must teach vs to attend on our callings with care and diligence and not to be dismaied with the troubles that shall befall vs. The second answer that Paul was knowne to the Christian Iewes not by face but by hearsay this may seeme strange considering Paul was at Ierusalem and trauailed through Iurie into Syria and Cilicia but it is the truth and the reason of it is plaine The office of an Apostle is not to build vpon the fouÌ„dation of an other or to succeede any man in his labours but to plant and found the Church of the new Testament where Christ had not bin preached or named Rom. 15. 20. In this the Apostles differ from all the Ministers of the new Testament whatsoeuer And this is the cause why Paul was not knowne to the Churches of Iudea And here we see that Succession which the Papists magnifie is not alwaies a note of the true Church and the true Ministerie For the ministerie of the Apostles and the Apostolicall Churches wanted it And this is for the greater commendation of them Againe it is said that Paul was not knowne to the Churches of Iudea which were in Christ. Where let it be obserued that 4. yeares after the ascension of Christ the Apostles had gathered and planted sundrie Christian Churches in Iudea This greatly commends the efficacie and power of the Gospel For hardnes of heart had ouerspread the nation of the Iewes and they had reiected and crucified the Lord of life And thus that is verified which Christ saith that his Disciples beleeuing in him should doe greater things then he had done Ioh. 14. 12. for he by preaching did not conuert multitudes of the Iewes and range them into Churches as the Apostles did Here againe we see that the Gospel by means of the corruption of man is an occasion of diuisions For after the gospel was preached by the Apostles there arose a diuision of Churches among the Iewes Some were Churches in Christ and some out of Christ namely the Synagogues which refused Christ. We may not therfore nowe a daies take offence if schismes and dissentions followe where the Gospel is preached it is not the fault of the Gospel it is the fault of men That Paul might the better shewe that he was known to the Churches of the Iewes onely by heare-say he expresses the report that went of him Hence I gather it is not vnlawfull to tell and heare reports or newes so be it they be not to the preiudice of the trueth of the glory of God and the good name of men Nay it is commendable to report and heare newes that concernes the increase of Gods kingdome and the conuersion of wicked men In the report two things areÌ„ set downe what Paul did He once persecuted vs and destroyed the faith what he now doth He preacheth the Gospel By this we see that verified which Isai foretold that the lyon the wolfe the lambe c. should peaceably liue togither Againe here we see that all things vpon earth are subiect to change and alteration so as it may be said heretefore it was thus and thus but nowe it is otherwise Therefore in miseries we may not be ouer-much grieued for they are changeable and in earthly things we may not reioyce ouer much because they are mutable and subiect to daily alterations Our speciall care must be to auoide eternall and vnchangeable euils as death and the cause of death namely sinne and to purchase to our selues the good things which are euerlasting namely the fauour of God and euerlasting life Furthermore the thing which Paul aimed at in persequuting the Church is to be considered and that was that he might destroy the faith By faith we are to vnderstand the doctrine of the Gospel and with all the vertue or gift of faith whereby it is beleeued for the deuill his instruments seeke the ouerthrow of both Christ saith Satan desired to sift his Disciples that is to sift all their faith out of their hearts and to leaue nothing in theÌ„ but chaffe Luk. 22. 32. Here then it may be demanded whether faith may be lost specially in the children of God in the time of temptation and persecution I answer thus There be three degrees of faith The first consists in two things knowledge of the Gospel and Assent to the trueth of it This faith the deuils haue and it may be lost and beleeuers by this faith may quite fall away The second kind of faith containes knowledge assent a taste or ioy in the goodnesse of God a zeale to the word of God and apparent fruits of holinesse This faith also beeing better then the former may be lost in the daies of persecution and beleeuers by this faith may fall quite away Luk 8. 13. The third faith called the faith of the Elect containes three parts knowledge of the Gospel assent to the trueth of it and apprehension whereby we doe receiue and apply Christ with his benefits to our selues or the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting This faith may be greatly wasted for things appertaining to it may be lost as boldnesse to come vnto God the sense or feeling of spiritual ioy and such like Againe it may be buried for a time in the heart and not shew it selfe either by fruits or any profession and in respect of the measure of it it may be lessened and maimed and if we respect the nature of it it is as apt to be lost as any other grace of God for there is nothing by nature vnchangeable but God Neuerthelesse where this faith is in trueth it is neuer by affliction and temptation put out or exstingnished because God in mercie confirms it by newe grace Christ saith to Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not Luk. 22. 32. And this priuiledge haue all the godly for God promiseth that they shall not be tempted aboue their strength 1. Cor. 10. 13. Indeede persecutors are said to destroy the faith because this is their intent and they indeauour to doe what they can but God preuents their desires by establishing true faith that it may not vtterly faile It may be obiected to the contrarie on this manner The child of God may faâ—l into persecution and denie Christ by this fall he is guiltie of a grieuous offence beeing guiltie he hath not pardon of his offence and beeing without pardon he is without faith Touching guiltinesse I answer thus The child of God when he falls is indeed guiltie but howe Guiltie in respect of himselfe or as much as in him lies because he hath done that which is worthy of death and he hath done all he can to make himselfe guiltie But he is not guiltie to condemnation because God on his part doeth not breake off the purpose of adoption and adiudge him to wrath Secondly touching the pardon of his offence I answer thus In pardon there be foure degrees the degree
seeke deliuerance This conformitie with Christ in his passion is an infallible worke and token of the child of God and a signe that we are crucified with Christ. Againe here we are to take notice of the false faith of many men They can be content to beleeue that Christ was crucified for them but there they make a pause for they doe not beleeue that they are crucified with Christ. Their faith therefore is but halfe a faith and their profession is according For they haue the forme of godlines without the power thereof They thinke that they beleeue the Articles of faith aright but they are deceiued For to beleeue in Christ crucified is not onely to beleeue that he was crucified but also to beleeue that I am crucified with him And this is to know Christ crucified Lastly here we are to consider the abomination of the Church of Rome For it most abuseth that which is the greatest treasure in the world namely Christ crucified For they make a very Idol of him in that they worship him in at and before painted and carued Crucifixes For there is no such Christ in heauen or in earth that wil be present when we pray and heare vs at Crucifixes Againe they giue Latria diuine honour to deuised and framed crucifixes and thus they robbe Christ of his honour Thus much of our Communion with Christ in his passion now followes the second part of preparation namely Abnegation J liue yet not I any more that is I liue a spirituall life yet not as I as a naturall man For in that regard I carrie my selfe as a man crucified or after the manner of a dead man suffering nothing that is in me by nature to raigne in me that Christ alone may liue and raigne in me Here is a notable dutie to be learned we beeing crucified with Christ must carrie our selues as men crucified and that in three respects First in respect of corruption of sinnefull nature For in regard of our sinnes we are to esteeme our selues vnworthie of meat drinke sleepe breathing yea we are to esteeme ourselues to be as vile as any of the creatures vpon earth and we are to denie vngodlines and worldly lusts not suffering any of them to raigne ouer vs. Secondly we must carrie our selues as dead men in respect of the good things that belong to nature as honours riches pleasures friends all which in respect of preparation of minde we must daily forsake for Christs sake not suffering any of them to take place in our hearts Lastly we must be as dead men in respect of our owne reason and will and we must tread them vnder foote making Gods will our wisdome and will and giuing it lordship and dominion ouer vs our owne wills in the meane season lying dead in vs. Thus are we to carrie our selues as dead men and we are to be carefull of it that God may haue pleasure in vs we must forget our owne people and our fathers house Psal. 45. 10. That we may buy the pearle we must sell all we haue our wills our affections and the dearest things in the world He that would liue when he is dead must die while he is aliue and we must now lay out our selues as dead persons Corruption of nature reason and will must be dead in vs that Christ alone may liue and raigne in vs. The third point concerning spirituall life is touching the Originall and well-spring thereof in these words That Christ may raigne in me For the better conceiuing whereof three points are to be obserued The first that Christ is not onely the Author with the father the H. Ghost but also the Roote of life hauing life in himselfe that he may conuaie it to all that beleeue in him He is the true vine and we are the branches Ioh. 15. 1. he is an appointed head to his Church Eph. 1. 22. he is the prince of life Act. 3. 15. he is a quickning spirit 1. Cor. 15. 45. And in this regard is he said to liue in vs namely as a roote in the branch or as the head in the members The second point is that there must be an Vnion with Christ before we can receiue life from him and he liue in vs. If ye abide in me and I in you ye shall bring forth much fruit Ioh. 15. 4. We must be grafted with him before we can be conformable to his death and resurrection Rom. 6. 5. And againe we must be taken out of the wild oliue and set in the true oliue Rom. 11. 24. Thus much Paul signifieth when he saith Christ liues in me Of this coniunction two things must be noted The first that it is a substantiall vnion in that the person of him that beleeueth is vnited to the person of Christ. For we must eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his blood before we can haue life abiding in vs Ioh. 6. 53. and our bodies are members of Christ. 1. Cor. 6. 15. Againe this Vnion is spirituall because it is made by the bond of one spirit 1. Cor. 12. 13. By one spirit we are baptised into one bodie And no man is to maruaile that we on earth should be ioyned to Christ in heauen By ciuill contract man and wife are one flesh though distant many miles asunder why then may not we be ioyned to Christ by vertue of the couenant of grace considering no distance of place can hinder the beeing of the spirit of Christ in vs. The third point is that after this vnion with Christ he must further communicate himselfe vnto vs before we can liue by him and he in vs. To this purpose S. Iohn saith that God hath giuen vs life that this life is in the sonne that he which hath the sonne hath life 1. Ioh. 5. 12. For the conceiuing of this truth two questions may be demanded One in what order Christ giues himselfe vnto vs Ans. Christ first of all giues his flesh and blood that is himselfe and then secondly his gifts namely the efficacie and merit of his death The institution of the Lords Supper sheweth plainly that we are not partakers of the benefits of Christ vnlesse first of all Christ himselfe be giuen vnto vs. The second question is how Christ can be said to liue in vs Ans. He is not in vs in respect of locall presence but by the supernaturall and speciall operation of his spirit 1. Cor. 6. 17. The operation of the spirit is threefold The first is when God imputes the righteousnes of Christ to them that beleeue and withall giues the Right of eternall life and the Earnest of this right namely the first fruits of the spirit Hereupon iustification is called the Iustification of life Rom. 5. The second is Viuification by the vertue of the resurrection of Christ. Phil. 3. 10. And this vertue is the power of the Godhead of Christ or the power of the spirit raising vs to newnes of life as it raised Christ from the death
therefore to liue in the flesh is to liue a naturall life by eating drinking sleeping Further Paul saith that liuing in the flesh he liued by faith and for the better conceiuing of this two questions may be demanded The first is Why a beleeuer is said to liue by faith Ans. There be two causes First faith is an Instrument to vnite vs to Christ and by meanes of this vnion we receiue life from Christ for Christ dwells in our hearts by faith Eph. 3. 17. Secondly faith is a Guide to order and gouerne temporall life in all good manner according to the will of God And this faith doth by a diuine kind of reasoning framed in the mind whereby it vrgeth and perswadeth to good duties Rom. 6. 11. The second question is How men liue by faith Ans. The child of God liues a double life in this world a spirituall and a temporall The spirituall stands specially in three things Reconciliation with God renouation of life and good workes Now in our Reconciliation with God we liue in this world onely by faith For we haue and enioy pardon of sinnes imputation of iustice and acception to life eternall onely by meanes of our faith Rom. 4. 4. 5. 1. Againe in the renouation and change of our liues we liue by faith For our faith in Christ purifieth our hearts Act. 15. 9. partly by deriuing holines and puritie from Christ vnto vs who is our sanctification and partly by moouing and perswading of vs to holines and newnes of life 1. Ioh. 3. 3. Lastly in the doing of euery good worke we must liue by our faith For first there must be a generall faith that the worke in his kind pleaseth God Rom. 14. 25. Secondly iustifying faith must giue a beginning to the worke I beleeued therefore I spake Psal. 116. 12. Thirdly after the worke is done faith must couer the defects thereof that it may be acceptable to God Heb. 11. 5. Temporall life stands in cares or miseries and miseries are outward afflictions or inward temptations And in all our worldly cares we are to liue by faith For our care must be to doe our office and the labour of our calling with all diligence This beeing done we must there make a pause and for the successe of all our praiers and labours we must cast our care on God 1. Pet. 5. 7. Likewise in our afflictions we are to liue by faith For our faith is to assure vs that God according to his promise will giue a good issue 1. Cor. 10. 12. And though all temporall things faile vs it makes vs retaine the hope of mercie and of eternall life Thirdly it makes vs waite Gods leisure for our deliuerance Isa. 16. 28. Lastly in our Temptations we are not to liue by feeling but by faith yea against feeling to rest on the bare promise of God when we feele and apprehend nothing but the wrath of God And thus we see how the beleeuer liues by his faith in this world It may be said What is the faith we liue by Answer is here made It is the faith of the sonne of God And sauing faith is so called because Christ is not onely the Author of it and the obiect or matter of it but also the Reuealer of it For there was a certaine faith in God which was put into the heart of man in the creation which also the morall law requireth but this faith in the Messias was not knowne till after the fall and then it was reuealed to the world by the sonne of God Againe it may be saide What is this faith of the Sonne of God Answer is here made A faith whereby I beleeue that Christ hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me These words then thus explaned are an answer to an obiection which may be framed thus Why shouldest thou say that thou liuest not but that Christ liueth in thee considering thou liuest in the flesh as other men doe Answer is made Though I liue in the flesh yet I liue by the faith of the sonne of God The vse Here first of all they are to be blamed that liue by sense like beasts beleeuing no more then they see and trusting God no further then they see him For if a man whome we see and know make a promise to vs we are comforted yet if God who is inuisible make in his word farre better promises as he doth we are not in like sort comforted Againe we put too much confidence in meanes If we haue good callings house land liuing we can then trust in God but when meanes of comfort faile we are confounded in our selues as if there were no God We are like the vsurer who will not trust the man but his pawne euen so we trust not God vpon his bare word without a pawne If he come to vs with a full hand and with the pawne of his good gifts and blessings we trust him els not Againe they are to be blamed that liue onely by the guidance of reason For many dispute thus I deale truly and iustly with all men and liue peaceably with my neighbours therefore God will haue me excused But there must be a better guide to euerlasting life namely faith in Christ els shall we misse of our marke Thirdly they deceiue themselues that thinke they may liue as they list and call vpon God when they are dying and so die by faith It is well if they can die by faith but that they may so die they must liue by faith Lastly they are to be blamed that spend their daies in worldly cares so as no good thing can take place This is the life of infidels And where true faith raignes it cuts off the multitude of cares and makes vs cast them on God Moreouer here we see what we are to doe in perilous times as in the time of plague famine sword when present death is before our eyes we must then liue by faith When Noeh heard of the flood he prepared such meanes as faith would affoard for the sauing of himselfe and his familie Abraham Isaac Iacob by faith liued as pilgrimes in a strange land and were content Moses left Pharaos court and feared not the wrath of the king because by faith he saw him that was inuisible Hebr. 11. 27. Dauid in the feare of present death comforted himselfe in the Lord his God 1. Sam. 30. 6. When Iehosaphat knew not what in the world to doe he lift vp the eyes of his faith to the Lord. 2. Chron. 20. 12. Christ in his agonie and passion of the crosse by faith commended his soule into the hands of his father Of the Saints of the New Testament some were racked some were stoned to death and that by faith Heb. 11. 36. We must therefore all of vs learne to liue by faith and for this cause we must acquaint our selues with the word and promises of God and mingle them with our faith els shall the life of a man in
in that he was in time consecrated to be our Mediatour and so a curse And this consecration was first in his baptisme in which he put vpon him our guilt as we put off the same in ours and secondly on the crosse and passion in which he tooke vnto him the punishment of our sinne And thus was he made a curse It may be obiected that he is the Son of God and therefore no curse Ans. Christ must be considered as the Sonne of God and againe as our pledge and suretie Hebâ— 7. 22. In the first respect he was not accursed but in the second The third point is In what nature was Christ accursed Ans. Whole Christ God-man or Man-god was accursed For the Lord of life saith Paul was crâ—cified and consequently accursed 1. Cor. 2. 8. Yet this limitation must be added that the curse was not vpon the Godhead of Christ but onely in his flesh or manhood For he suffered saith Peter in the flesh 1. Pet. 4. 1. Moreouer the soule of Christ was the more principall seat of the curse as it was the principall seat of sinne Therefore the Prophet saith he made his soule an offering for sinne Isa. 53. 10. and Christ said My soule is heauie to the death The fourth point is How farre forth Christ was accursed Ans. In the first death there are two degrees separation of the bodie and soule and the putrifaction of the bodie separated And Christ entred onely into the first and not into the second For his bodie beeing dead indured no corruption Againe in the second death there are two degrees The first is a separation from God in sense and feeling and the second is an absolute separation from God Into this second degree of death Christ entred not because he saide in the middest of his passion My God my God And this absolute separation could not be without the dissolution of the personall vnion Into the first degree of the second death he entred namely into the apprehension and feeling of the wrath and indignation of God due to mans sinne And this appeares by his bloodie sweat of thicke and clottered blood by his complaint that he was forsaken by his feares and sorrowes in the time of death in which he comes short of sundrie Martyrs vnlesse we acknowledge that he indured further paines of death then euer they did by his condition in that he takes vpon him the condition of the first Adam who vpon his fall was to indure the first and second death Here two questions are to be demanded the first How and in what manner Christ suffered the wrath of God Ans. He indured it willingly of his owne accord he did not onely in minde see it before his eyes but also he felt it it was laid and imposed on him and he incountred with it but it had no dominion of lordship ouer him Act. 2. 24. The second is How much he suffered of the wrath of God Ans. The punishment he suffered was in value and measure answerable to all the sinnes of all the Elect past present and to come the Godhead supporting the manhood that it might be able to beare and ouercome the whole burden of the wrath of God If it be saide that a creature cannot haue an infinite apprehension of the wrath of God I answer it sufficeth that God laid infinite wrath vpon him and that he apprehended it according to the condition of a creature For in so doing he incountred with the whole wrath of God One man in a breach or at a bridge may stand against an whole armie and beare the brunt of it why may not then the manhood of Christ supported by the Godhead beare the stresse of the whole wrath of God Against this doctrine sundrie things may be obiected Obiect I. The Scripture ascribes all to the blood of Christ and therefore to the death of the bodie Ans. By blood is meant a bloodie death by the bloodie death the death of the crosse by the death of the crosse a death accursed or the death of the bodie ioyned with the malediction of the law Obiect II. The suffering of the anger of God was not figured in Sacraments or sacrifices Ans. The beast whereof the burnt offering was made was first tied to the hornes of the altar his blood then was shedde and lastly he was all burnt vpon the alâ—â—â— vnto God and hereby was figured the fierie wrath of God Obiect III. Temporall death or the curse for halfe a day cannot counteruaile eternall death Ans. Yes in Christ. For if man could suffer and ouercome punishment in measure infinite he should not suffer eternally but this no man nor angel can doe and therefore man must suffer punishment for measure finite for time infinite because the punishment must be answerable to God whose maiestie is infinite Now Christ beeing God and man suffered punishment indeed infinite and therefore it was not necessarie that he should indure it eternally Againe here the dignitie of the person helpeth for in that the Sonne of God suffered the curse of the law for halfe a day it is more then if all men had suffered eternall death Therefore the death of Christ in respect of the measure of the punishment as also in respect of the value and dignitie thereof counteruailes death euerlasting Obiect IV. It is hard to say that Christ suffered the paines of hell Ans. The Latin translation commonly receiued hath as much that he could not be holden of the sorrowes of hell Act. 2. 24. And there is no offence to say he suffered the paines of hell so farre forth as this suffering may stand with the puritie of his manhood and with the truth of the personall vnion The vse Friers teach that if Christ had pricked his finger and let fall but one droppe of blood it had bin sufficient to redeeme all the world But they dreame For Paul saith he was made the curse of the law to redeeme vs. This had bin a needles worke if a pricke in the finger or any punishment without death would haue done the deede That Christ became a curse for vs it shewes the greatnes and horriblenes of our sinnes it shewes the grieuous hardnes of our hearts that neuer almost mourne for them it shewes the vnspeakable loue and mercie of God for which we are to be thankfull for euer and that all manner of waies In that the Sonne of God became a curse for our sinnes we are put in minde to see acknowledge and consider them and withall to bewaile them and to humble our selues for them and to detest them more and more vnto the very death For what is more worthie of hatred then that which causeth the Sonne of God to be accursed They which beleeue that Christ by beeing a curse hath redeemed them from the curse of the law doe in truth die vnto all their sinnes and liue vnto God Many indeede professing Christ make no change of life at all and the reason is
is whence springs our adoption The answer is plaine in the words from the obedience of the sonne whereby he stood in subiection to the law Here the question of all questions is answered namely what is that thing by which and for which a sinner is iustified before God and saued Ans. The Obedience of the sonne of God made man and made vnder the law for vs. For this is it that frees vs from vnder the law and giues vs the Adoption of sonnes And this alone is it whereby we stand before the Tribunall seat of God which also we are to oppose to the iudgement of God to hell death and condemnation Therefore our common people erre that looke to be saued by their good deedes that is by their good meaning and dealing They thus tread the blood of Christ vnder their owne feete and become Iesuses or Sauiours to themselues Secondly they erre that teach iustification by the essentiall iustice of the Godhead of the sonne for that it is incommunicable and they which are iustified by it are also deified Thirdly the Papist erreth which teacheth iustification partly by remission of sinnes and partly by that which we call inward sanctification which is imperfect and mixed in this life with our corruption and therefore vnfit to absolue and acquit vs before God It may be said what must we doe that we may be iustified and saued by this Obedience of the Mediatour Answ. In the old Testament when a man had sinned he brought a sheepe or an oxe to the doore of the Tabernacle and when the Priest cut the throat of it the partie laid his hand vpon the head of it Exod. 29. 10. And hereby he signified that the beast had done no hurt and that he as a guiltie malefactour had deserued death Now all this was done in figure And it teacheth vs that we miserable sinners must come to God that we must bring our sacrifice with vs namely the lambe of God which is the sonne of God made man made vnder the law that we must present this lambe and the oblation thereof to the father for vs laying our hands on the head of it that is confessing ourguiltinesse and that we haue iustly deserued death and perdition from the presence of God In the last place we must intreat the Lord to accept the blood of the lamb for vs and the whole obedience of the Mediatour Thus shall we be iustified and saued Thou wilt say I will therefore doe this when I am dying I say againe let it be thy daily exercise to the very death Thou wast seauen yeares in learning of thy trade thinke not therfore in an houre or two to worke thy reconciliation with God If thou art many yeares in learning such things as are done by the strength of nature thinke not to attaine to things aboue nature when and howe thou wilt It is a rule receiued of all men that they must blesse themselues now the right way to blesse thy selfe is to plead-guiltie before God and to intreat him to accept the obedience of the Mediatour for thee Uers. 6. Sonnes that is such as inioy the libertie of sonnes Sent forth a speach borrowed from Embassadours which are sent forth with instructiōs what they shal say or do it signifies that the spirit reueales nothing but that which is the will of the father sonne Ioh. 16. 14. Crying making vs to crie Rom. 8. 26. For if the words be taken properly the spirit must pray to it selfe Abba the next word is the exposition Father The sense The father hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne vnto you this spirit sent forth dwels in your hearts dwelling in your hearts it makes you pray to God as to a father◠and all this it doth because you are indeed sonnes of God The scope The question is whether beleeuers of the newe Testament be seruants to the law or children Paul answers no and he giues two reasons The first was in the former verses the second in this And it is drawne from the signe thus Yee haue receiued the spirit crying Abba father therefore ye are sonnes indeede In the words I consider fiue things the person sent forth the spirit of the sonne the person sending God the manner of sending the place whither the spirit is sent your hearts the office of the spirit Crying Abba Of the first the spirit of the sonne it is who is sent forth He is so called first because he proceeds by communication of substance or godhead not onely from the father but also from the sonne Secondly because in his manhood he is annointed and filled with the Holy Ghost aboue measure thirdly because by his death he hath merited the giuing and sending of the Holy Ghost vnto vs. Moreouer the spirit of the sonne is here described First he is a person subsisting of himselfe in that he is said to be sent forth secondly he is a diuine person and no creature because he dwels in the hearts of all beleeuers thirdly he proceeds from the father and the sonne from the father because he is sent of him from the sonne because he is the spirit of the sonne The vse By this we learne that the Intercession of Christ is of force with God For he praied for the sending of the spirit and it is accomplished Read Ioh. 14. 16. And it is a superfluous doctrine to teach the Reall presence of the flesh of Christ in the Sacrament For Christ is departed from vs in respect of his manhood because the spirit is sent Ioh. 16. 7. Thirdly that which the spirit inwardly teacheth is the same with that which the sonne hath reuealed by the Ministerie of the Prophets and Apostles because the spirit is the spirit of the sonne Read Ioh. 16. 14. Doctrines then concerning saluation that are beside or contrarie to the Scriptures as a great part of the Romish religion is are not reuealed by the spirit of God but are the fictions of the deuill The person sending is God that is the father in these words God sent forth the spirit of his sonne Where marke the distinction of the persons in Trinitie There is the father the sonne the spirit of the sonne And here remember that this action of sending forth argues not superioritie in the person sending nor inferioritie in the person sent for equals may send each other by common consent but it argues Order and a distinction of persons in respect of their beginning For the father is of none the sonne is of the father and the Holy Ghost is of both and hence it is that he is sent of both The manner of this sending forth was on this sort We may not imagine that in this sending there was any change of place for the Holy Ghost is euery where But he is said to be sent forth when he manifests his presence by his diuine operation or by speciall supernaturall gifts in the hearts of beleeuers as by the
that there is a great want of the grace of God among â—s Therefore take heede of it 30 But what saith the Scripture put out the bond-woman and her sonne for the sonne of the bondwoman shal not be heire with the sonne of the freewoman The second answer to the former obiection is in these wordes that they which hate the children of promise shall at length be cast out of the house of God Obiect I. These wordes cast out the bondwoman are the words of Sara to Abraham therefore they are not the words of scripture Ans. The words were vttered by Sara but they were afterward approoued by God Gen. 21. 12. and thus they are the voice of scripture Obiect II. Sara is commended for her subiection to Abraham 1. Pet. 3. 6. yet here shee speakes imperiously Cast out the bondwoman Ans. Shee speakes this not as a priuate woman but as the voice and mouth of God and that no doubt by instinct from God And therefore the words shee vttereth are to be esteemed as the commandement of God This her case is extraordinarie and not to be followed Thevse I. All carnall hypoâ—â—ites mockers of the grace of God shall be cast forth of Gods familie though for a time they beare a sway therein This is the sentence of God Let vs therefore repent of our mocking and hereafter become louers of the grace of God as Christ was Mark 10. 21. II. Consolation the persecution of the people of God shall not be perpetuall For the persecuting bondwoman and her sonne must be cast out The rodde of the wicked shall noâ— rest vpon the Lot of the righteous Psal. 125. 3. This is our comfort III. All iustitiarie people and persons that looke to be saued and iustâ—fied before God by the law and the workes of the law either in whole or in part are cast out of the church of God and haue no part in the kingdome of heauen The casting out of Agar and Ismael is a figure of the reiection of all such Behold here the voice of God casting downe from heauen the greatest part of the earth the Turke the Iew the obstinate Papist with the stepmother the Romish church 31 Then brethren we are not children of the seruant but of the freewoman The conclusion of the whole argument following directly from the 27. verse If we be children of the promise then are we children of the freewoman and not of the bondwoman consequently we are iustified and saued without the works of the law by the meere grace of God causing vs by faith to rest on the promise of God whose substance and foundation is Christ. CHAP. V. 1 Stand fast therefore in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free and be not intangled againe with the yoke of bondage THese words are repetition of the principall Conclusion of the whole Epistle Which was on this manner I Paul am called to teach and my doctrine is true therefore ye did euill to depart from it and your dutie was to haue stood vnto it Further they are collected and inferred vpon the conclusion of the last argument vsed in the last chapter thus Ye are children of the freewoman and therefore ye are free and therefore ye should hold fast your libertie In the words two maine points of doctrine are propounded The first is that by nature we are all intangled with the yoke of bondage For the better conceiuing of this I will handle three points the nature of this bondage the signe of it and the vse Touching the nature of it Our spirituall bondage stands in three things The first is bondage vnder sinne which Paul teacheth when he saith I am carnall sold vnder sinne Rom. 7. 14. Here remember that by sinne is meant Originall sinne which hath two parts Guiltines in the first offence of Adam which is imputed to all mankind and the disposition of all the powers of the soule to all manner of euill whatsoeuer And this rebellious disposition is like a leprosie infecting the whole man and it raignes like a tyrant ouer the soule of man by tempting intising and drawing him from one actuall sinne to another so as he can doe nothing but sinne Iam. 1. 14. The second thing is obligation or subiection to all punisâ—â—ment both temporall and eternall And it hath three parts The first is Bondage vnder Satan who keepes vnrepentant sinners in his snare according to his owne will 2. Tim. 2. 26. he rules in their hearts like a God 2. Cor. 4. 4. and hath power to blinde them and to harden their hearts till he haue brought them to eternall death Heb. 2. 14. The second is bondage vnder an euill conscience which sits in the hearts of offendours as an accuser and a terrible iudge and lies like a wild beast at a mans dore readie euer and anon to plucke out his throat Gen. 4. 7. The third is bondage vnder the wrath of God and the feare of eternall death Heb. 2. 15. The third part of this bondage is the obligation to the ceremoniall law It pertaines not to all mankind but onely concernes the Iewes to whome it was a yoke of bondage Act. 15. The signe of this bondage whereby it may be discerned is to keepe a course or practise in sinning Ioh. 8. 34. He that commits sinne is a seruant of sinne or againe a life led according to the custome and fashion of this world in the lust of the flesh or the lust of the eye which is couetousnes or in the pride of life Eph. 2. 2. 1. Ioh. 2. 16. The vse We must learne to see feele acknowledge and bewaile this bondage in our selues Deliuerance belongs onely to such captiues as know themselues to be captiues Luk. 4. 18. and labour vnder this bondage Matth. 11. 28. Thus did Paul when he saith I am sold vnder sinne and O miserable man who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death To feele this bondage is a steppe out of it and not to feele it is to be plunged into it Secondly we must pray earnestly for deliuerance The dumme creatures sigh and trauell till they be deliuered from their bondage much more then must we doe it Rom. 8. 22. Thirdly we must learne to detest whatsoeuer is of our selues because it wholly tends to bondage Lastly we must be content with any affliction that God laies on vs though it be lingring sicknes pouertie imprisonment banishment For God might worthely lay on vs all shame and confusion because we are by nature slaues of sinne and Satan The second maine doctrine is that by grace there is a libertie pertaining to the people of God Here I consider foure things 1. what this libertie is 2. the author of it 3. the persons to whome it belongs 4. our dutie touching this libertie For the first Christian libertie is called the Good or commoditie of Christians Rom. 14. 16. It is a spirituall Right or condition lost by Adam and restored by Christ. I say spirituall because
are we so to doe Answ. We are members all of one bodie and we are members one of another Eph. 4. 25. And it is Gods pleasure that men shall be instruments of good mutually one to another Goodnesse respects either the bodie or the minde Goodnesse concerning the bodie hath many actions as to feed the hungrie to giue drinke to the thirstie to harbour the harbourlesse to cloath the naked to visit the sicke and them that are in prison Math. 25. 35 36. to burie the dead 2. Sam. 2. 5. Lastly to lend freely and liberally to such as be decaied and impouerished Deut. 15. 7. Goodnesse concerning the soule is to indeauour partly by counsell partly by example to gaine the soule of our neighbour to God and it stands in foure actions to admonish the vnâ—uly to comfort the distressed to beare with them that are weake and to be patient towards all 1. Thess. 5. 14. Goodnes is hard to be found in these daies among men The common practise is according to the common prouerb Euery man for himselfe and God for vs all The studie of men is howe to gather goods honours riches for themselues and for their children and the common good is not aimed at Good orders hardly take place as namely the order for the poore and the reason is the want of goodnesse in vs. If any professe any shew of goodnesse more then the rest they are sure to be despised and reproched at euery hand and this shews that there is little goodnesse among men Faith First we are here to vnderstand faith towards God which is to beleeue the remission of our sinnes and our reconciliation with God in Christ. This faith is common to all among vs yet is it but a false dead ceremoniall faith in many men Reason I Faith comes by the hearing of the word of God preached Rom. 10. 14. but this faith in many is conceiued without preaching for they say they beleeue their saluation by Christ and withall they liue in the perpetuall neglect or contempt of the publike Ministerie II. True faith is ioyned alwaies with the exercises of invocation and repentance yet in many among vs this faith is without any conuersion or change of heart and life and therefore it is but a dead faith III. True faith is mixed with contrarie vnbeleefe so as they that beleeue feele in themselues a want of faith and much vnbeleefe But there are many among vs that say they perfectly beleeue and that they neuer so much as doubted in all their liues Now such a faith is a vaine perswasion IV. Many that boast of their faith in Christ want faith in the prouidence of God touching food and raiment And that is manifest because they vse any vnlawfull meanes to helpe themselues now if their faith faile them in a smaller point it cannot be sound in the greatest of all Secondly by faith is meant faith towards men that stands in two things One is to speake the trueth from the heart the other is to be faithfull and iust in the keeping of our honest promise and word This faith is a rare vertue in these daies For the common fashion of them that liue by bargaining is to vse glosing facing soothing lying dissembling and all manner of shifts And with many it is a confessed principle that there is no liuing in the world vnlesse we lie and dissemble They that deale with chapmen shall heardly know what is trueth they haue so many wordes and so many shifts In this respect Christians come short of the Turkes who are said to be equall open and plaine dealing meÌ„ without fraud or deceipt Our care therfore must be to cherrish maintain amoÌ„g vs the vertue of faith and truth Reasons I. Gods commandement Put away lying and let euery man speake the truth to his neighbour Eph. 4 15. II. By truth we are like to God whose waies are all truth who hates a lying tongue Prou. 6. 17. whose spirit is the spirit of trueth III. Lyars beare the image of the deuill He is the father of lies Ioh. 8. 44. so oft then as thou liest thou makest thy tongue the instrument of the deuill IV. Eternall punishment in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone Reu. 22. 15. Here marke that liars are entertained at the same table with murderers and theeues and the liar neuer goes vnpunished Prou. 19. 5. V. To speake the trueth from the heart is a marke of Gods child Psal. 15. 2. And he whose faith failes towards men shall much more faile towards God Meekenes The same in effect with long suffering The difference is that meekenes is more generall and long-suffering is the highest degree of meekenesse Temperance It is the moderation of lust and appetite in the vse of the gifts and creatures of God For the better practising of this vertue remember these foure rules I. We must vse moderation in meats drinks This moderatioÌ„ is to eat and drinke with perpetuall abstinence And abstinence is to take lesse then that which nature desires and not more And that measure of meate and drinke which serues to refresh nature and to make vs fitte for the seruice of God and man is allowed vs of God and no more II. We must vse moderation in our apparell And that is to apparell ourselues according to our sexe according to the receiued fashion of our countrie according to our place and degree and according to our abilitie Here the common fault in to be out of all order for none almost know any measure Euery meane person now adaies will be a gentleman or gentlewoman III. We must vse moderation in getting of goods and that is to rest content if we haue food and raiment for our selues them that belong vnto vs. 1. Tim. 6 8. Here is our stint we may not desire to be rich v. 9. The king himselfe must not multiply his gold and siluer Deut. 17. 17. and yet hath he more neede of gold and siluer then any priuate man IV. There must be a moderation in the spending of our goods contrarie to the fashion of many that spend their substance in â—â—â—sting and company and keepe their wiues and children bare at home Against such there is no law Here Paul sets downe the benefit that comes by the former vertues The words carrie this sense Against such vertues and against persons indued with such vertues there is no law And that for two causes One there is no law to condemne such Secondly there is no lawe to compell them to obey because they freely obey God as if there were no law Marke then the condition of spirituall men They are a voluntarie free people seruing God freely without constraint So as if Christ would not giue vnto them life euerlasting yet would they loue him and desire the aduancement of his kingdome On the contrarie if there were no hell and God would not punish adulterie drunkennes blasphemie c. with eternall
the law The aduocates of the Romish Church answer that our knowledge loue and obedience are perfect for the condition and estate of this life as we are viatores which is sufficient though they be not perfect for the condition of the life to come when we shall be comprehensores which is not required at our hands in this life for they make a double perfect fulfilling of the law one for the tearme of this life which is to loue God aboue all things and our neighbour as our selues The other after this life and that is to loue God with all the soule with all the powers and faculties of the soule and with all the strength and vigor of all these powers And this distinction they make to be the ground of their opinion touching the fulfilling of the law and iustification by workes c. But it is a sandie foundation and therefore that which is built vpon it cannot stand For besides that it is a fond and friuolous distinction forged by the Schoolemen without warrant of Scripture or consent of Antiquitie it is manifestly false For there is one onely rule of righteousnes and not two one onely generall sentence of the Lawe more vnchangeable then the lawes of the Medes Persians euen as vnchangeable as God himselfe which is that He which continueth not in all things written in the Law to doe them is accursed So that he which loueth not God with all his soule minde and might with all his valdè suo that is with all the faculties of his soule and all the powers of all these faculties and that in this life is accursed And it is absurd which they teach that a man is not bound for the tearme of this life thus to loue God but onely in the life to come For looke what man could doe by creation in the state of innocencie the same and so much the Law requires at his hands in the state of Apostasie But Adam by creation could loue God with all his soule with all the faculties of his soule and all the powers of all these faculties therefore the same perfect absolute and entire obedience is now required at his hands For the sentence of the law Cursed is he that continueth not in all things c. is not onely giuen to men glorified but to those that are in the state of grace And S. Paul doth so apply this sentence to men euen in this life t 〈…〉 he pronounceth all that are of the workes of the law to be vnder the curse Againe if this were so the Iewes had no cause to feare the seueritie and strictnes of the law as they did when they said If we heare the voice of the Lord any more we shall die considering they were able to keepe and fulfill it according to this Popish opinion Neither would God haue promised them a Messias or Mediatour to redeeme them from the curse of the law but would rather haue comforted them in that their so great feare and astonishment by giuing them to vnderstand that they were not bound to the full and perfect fulfilling of the law for the time of this life Besides the patheticall exclamation of Paul O miserable man that I am c. Rom. 7. 24. and that saying of Peter in calling the Law a yoke which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare Act. 15. should be childish and ridiculous if that which is impossible in the law as Paul speakes did not appertaine vnto vs. The third argument If a man could fulfill the Law he should not stand in neede of a Mediatour For if righteousnes be by the Law Christ died in vaine Gal. 2. 21. It is answered that Christ died in vaine if men by the strength of nature could fulfill the Law but the fulfilling of the Law is by grace and so his death is not in vaine for by vertue of the obedience of Christ we are enabled to fulfill the Law But this were to make Christ no Sauiour but onely an instrument whereby we fulfill the Law and are our owne Sauiours whereas the Scripture saith that he is made vnto vs righteousnes 1. Corinth 1. 30. not that we are made righteousnesse by him That we are made the righteousnesse of God in him 2. Corinth 5. 21. not by him as an instrument That we are complete in him Coloss. 2. 10. and not complete of our selues by him Lastly the Scripture shutteth vp all men vnder sinne euen the most sanctified Prou. 20. 9. 1. Ioh. 1. 9. Iob confesseth he cannot answer one of a thousand Iob 9. 3. and Dauid saith If thou Lord shalt marke what is done amisse who can abide it Psal. 130. 3. and Paul saith of himselfe that he found no meanes to performe that which is good Rom. 7. 18. He saith further that it is impossible to be kept by reason of originall corruption Rom. 8. 3. It is answered that all these places and examples must be vnderstood of veniall sinnes which make men sinners indeede yet are not against but beside the law and therefore though a man commit them yet he may fulfill the law for all that Ans. the coÌ„mon receiued opinion in Schooles that some sinnes are mortall others veniall of their owne nature is a witlesse distinction For if all sinnes deserue death as Paul teacheth Rom. 6. 23. either veniall sinnes are no sinnes or they must needes deserue death Moses saith that he that abideth not in all things written in this Law is accursed Deuter. 27. 26. where the wordes this Law may not be restrained onely to the Catalogue of great and hainous sinnes which are there reckened vp but extended to all sinnes as Paul applies it Gal. 3. 10. pronouncing him accursed that continueth not in all things written in the lawe not this law So that euery sinne euen the least sinne in thought makes a man subiect to the curse and so in rigour of diuine iustice deserues eternall death And it is but a poore shift to say that some sinnes are against the Lawe as all mortall sinnes and others besides the Lawe as veniall For the doing of that which God forbiddeth is a sinne not beside but against the Lawe But idle words iesting and gibing c. which the Popish Doctours account veniall sinnes are expressely forbidden in the word Matth. 12. 36. Of euery idle word that men shall speake they shall giue account at the day of iudgement And Paul forbiddeth all foolish talking and â—esting as things vncomely Eph. 5. 4. Therefore they are not beside but flatte against the lawe Secondly they answer that these places and the like are to be vnderstood of seuerall workes and actions of the Saints whereof some were good as Dauids sparing of Saul c. some euill as his adulterie murther and numbering of the people and not of the same particular workes Answ. It is false For Paul speaking of the same indiuiduall worke saith that it is partly good and partly euill I finde
seedes but seeds are the proper cause of the fruite therefore good works are the proper cause of eternall life not faith only So that as there is a hidden vertue in the seede to bring forth fruit so is there a dignitie in good workes to merit eternall life Ans. First as in a parable so in a similitude whatsoeuer is beside the scope and drift thereof as this their dispute is prooueth nothing The scope of the similitude is this that as he which soweth wheate shall reape wheate so he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting and as he that soweth tares shall reape nothing but tares so he that soweth to â—he flesh the cursed seedes of a wicked life shall of the flesh reape nothing but corruption and as he that soweth plentifully either of these shall reape a plentifull haruest of either of them so he that sowes the seede of a godly or wicked life in plentifull manner shall reape a plentifull increase either of miserie or felicitie When the Papists therefore reason thus Seedes are the cause of the fruit and haue in them a hidden vertue whereby they grow and bring forth fruit therefore good works are the proper cause of life and haue a dignitie and excellency in them whereby they are worthie of eternall life they misse of the drift and intent of the Apostle and so conclude nothing Besides this their collection and discourse is contrarie to their own doctrine For they teach that good works are meritorious by merit of condignitie which may be vnderstood 3 waies either in regard of the dignitie of the worke alone or in regard of the promise of God alone and his diuine acceptation or partly in regard of the dignitie and excellencie of the worke partly in regard of the promise of God Now albeit some of them hold that good workes doe merit in respect onely of Gods promise and mercifull acceptation as Scotus Ariminensis Durandus Uega Bunderius Coster and the like others in respect partly of their owne worthines partly of Gods promise and acceptance as Bonaventure Biel Driedo lingius Iansenius Bellarmine c. it beeing the common receiued opinion among the Schoolemen as B 〈…〉 ldius witnesleth yet noâ—e of them excepting onely Caietan affiâ—â—e that they are meritorious onely in regard of the dignitie of the worke which notwithstanstanding the Rhemists and others labour to prooue out of this similitude vrging the analogie betwixt seede and good workes contrarie to the current and streame of their owne Doctours Thirdly I answer that good workes are seedes yet faith is the roote of these seedes and in that good workes are made the seedes of eternall life it is to be ascribed to Gods mercifull promise not to the merit of the worke for in that we or our workes are worthie of the least blessing it is more of Gods mercie then our merit Fourthly the Apostle sheweth onely who they are that shall inherit eternall life and the order how life is attained but not the cause wherefore it is giuen It will be said not onely the order but the cause is set downe as it may appeare by the antithesis for as sowing to the flesh is the cause of destruction so sowing to the spirit is the cause of eternall life Ans. It is true in the one but not in the other For first sinnes or workes of the flesh are perfectly euill as beeing absolute breaches of the law and deserue infinite punishment because they offend an infinite maiestie whereas workes of the spirit are imperfectly good hauing in them wants and imperfections there beeing in euery good worke a sinne of omission comming short of that perfection that is required in the law they beeing good and perfect as they proceede from the spirit of God imperfect and vicious as they come from vs. Euen as water is pure as it proceedes from the fountaine but troubled as it runneth through a filthie channell or as the writing is imperfect and faultie as it comes from the yong learner but perfect and absolute as it proceedeth from the scriuener which guideth his hand So that if God setting aside mercie should trie them by the touchstone of the word they would be found to be but counterfeit And if he should waigh them in the balance of his iustice they would be found too light Secondly there is a maine difference betwixt the workes of the flesh and the works of the spirit in this very point in that the workes of the flesh are our owne workes and not the works of God in vs and so we deserue eternall death by reason of them they beeing our owne wicked workes whereas good workes proceede not from vs properly seeing we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any good thing as of our selues 2. Cor. 3. 5. but from the spirit of God who worketh in vs both the will and the deede and are his works in vs therefore beeing not ours we can merit nothing by them at the hands of God Thirdly obserue that it is not said he that soweth to the spirit shall of that which he hath sownercape life euerlasting but shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting Where we see the Apostle attributes nothing to our workes but to the grace of Gods spirit Lastly Rom. 6. 23. the holy Ghost putteth manifest difference betweene the works of the flesh of the spirit in respect of merit when he saith The wages of sinne is death but eternall life is the gift of God He saith not that eternall life is the reward of good workes but the gift of God now in the reward of sinne there is merit presupposed in the gift of eternall life nothing but grace and fauour Obiect II. God giueth eternall life according to the measure and proportion of the worke v. 7. As a man soweth so shall he reape 2. Cor. 9. 6. He that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly and he that soweth liberally shall reape liberally 1. Cor. 3. 8. Euery one shall receiue his proper wages according to his owne labour Therefore in giuing eternall life he hath no respect of the promise or compact but of the dignitie and efficacie of the worke Ans. Fulnes of glorie called by Schoolemen essentiall glorie is giuen onely for the merits of Christ in the riches of Gods mercie without all respect of workes Accidentall glorie when one hath a greater measure of glorie an other a lesse as when vessels of vnequall quantitie cast into the sea are all filled yet some haue a greater measure of water some a lesse is giuen not without respect of works yet so as that it is not giuen for workes but according to workes they beeing infallible testimonies of their vnfained faith in the merits of Christ. If it be said that eternall life is giuen as a reward meritoriously deserued by good works because it is said Come ye blessed for I was hungrie and ye gaue me meate Matth. 25. I answer it is
causes 351. 6 Of the churches reioycing 358. 37 It is one in number and no more 351. 37. How the church is troubled vide Trouble The catholike church why called our mother 35. 2. 17 Where our mother is to be found 352. 25. The order to be vsed in the censure giuen vpon a church 9. 10 Ierusalem the mother church rather then Rome 61. 15 The church was before the writing of the word but not before the word 77. 6 It is inuisible 352. Of Circumcision 79. 32 Circumcision considered according to the circumstance of time three waies 373. 15 Circumcision in it selfe a thing indifferent yet not to be vsed if it be vrged as a matter of absolute necessitie 614. 35 Ciuill vertues and a ciuill life are no better then sinnes 16. 10 What is the combate that naturall man haue 417. 28 The cause of the spirituall combate and the persons in whome it is 417. 5. The vse of the combate 419. 1 The commandements of God are not grieuous three waies 190. 15 Concealements of the truth sometimes lawfull 63. 13 How it must be vnderstood that in the commandement the sinnes of the fathers are visited vpon the children 521. 29 Papists make three degrees of concupiscence 252. 11 Concupiscence vide Lust. Conference of Pastor and people necessarie 338. 13 How conscience is free and how subiect to the power of the Magistrate 410. 1 Three obiections remooued that the lawes and traditions of the church bind Conscience as truly as the word of God 369. 21 The consent of Pastors and people excellent 6. 25 What is the force of consent 6. 27 Consent no certen marke of the church 6. 37 The catholike consent of beleeuers in points of religion is not the true and liuely Scripture 7. 5. Consent standes in three things 7. 15. Consent not to be found amongest the papistes 7. 18. Consent is to be found amongest vs in the foundation of religion 7. 23. Consider our selues and others 467. 468. 469. Constancie vid. standing Consultation not to be vsed in matters of religion nor in obedience 56. 19. 37. The vse of the contemplation of Christ by faith 162. 30 The effect of contention 408. 6 Contentions some lawfull some sinfull 436. â—5 Contract in some cases may be dissolued 209. 11 Sinnes after conuersion are pardonable 462. 4 Three causes of Pauls conuersion 46. 32. The order and dependance of causes in a sinners conuersion 47. 13 Fiue Questions of Pauls conuersion vide Paul Conuersion wrought by certain degrees 336. 20 Corruption not felt by corruption but by grace 528. 33 Couenants beeing lawfull are to be kept with heretykes and enemies 208. 23. What couenants with losse are to be kept and what not ibid. 30 Couenants of two sorts legall and euangelicall 569. 6 The couenants of workes hath two properties 348. 27 Conferences and councels are laudible 75. 32 Three caueats in gathering a councell 76. 5 For this ending of differences in religion there must be conferences in a free or christian councell 408. 37. Why the protestants ioyned not with the papists in the councell of Trent 409. 5 Fiue rules for our libertie in vsing the creatures vid. Libertie why we ought to take vp our crosse and follow Christ certaine reasons 620. 5 what is mens by the crosse of Christ. 630. 16. Crucifying is either the action of Christ or our action of Christ threefold 451. 7 Three meanes to crucifie the flesh 451. 26 Reasons why a man hanging on a tree is cursed 202. 8 What the curse is that Christ was made for vs 198. 19 How Christ was a curse ibid. 28 Whether Paul did well in cursing his enemies 396. 30 Whether we may curse ours 397. 10 How we should vse the imprecations in Dauids Psalmes 397. 18 D A fourefould kind of obseruation of daies 314. 4 Against the Popish obseruation of holy daies 316. 7 How Protestants obserue them 316. 28. Against obseruing daies of good bad successe 317. 2 Two rules to be obserued for the right manner and measure of eating and drinking vide Eating Christs temporall death did counteruaile eternall death vide Death Wee must carrie our selues as dead men in three respects 144. 29 There are two degrees both in the first and second death 199. 20. 24. What debate is 436. 3 There is a deceit called dolus bonus 64. 2. Of men deceiuing themselues 508. 30. A man may be deceiued both in diuine and humane things sundry waies 546. 19 A man deceiues himselfe two wries 546. 20. The heart of man deceitfull 546. 40. from whence that springeth 547. 3 Good desires distinguished from carnall d 〈…〉 es by three properties 297. 32 Of the desires of our hearts and that they are cryes and how 598. 6 Of the league of compact with the deuil 429. 20 VVhat is the chiefe principle in diuinitie 433. 24 VVhat drunckennes is 439. 11 Two things in this sinne ibid. 14 To be giuen to drincking is a sinne 439. 21. Inducements to detest drunckennes 439. 30. Arg. for drunkennes answered 440. 20. E Two rules to be obserued for the right manner and measure of eating and drincking 439. 5 ElectioÌ„ ariseth not of the will of man but of the grace of God 40. 27. How we may attaine to the assurance of our election 47. 31 There is a double election 194. 14 Gods election is the roote of all the gifts of God is vs. 308. 15 The meere grace of God is the cause of our election 360. â—6 In religion there ought to be a holy emulation 44. 36 There is a good emulation and a carnall emulation 436. 8 whether Paul did well in cursing his enemies 396. 30 whether we may curse our enemies vide Curse Enmitie vide Hatred Enuie what it is 437. 36 Error in the foundation or beside the foundation of religion 8. 30 Error of humane frailue or of obstinacie 8. 35 No man can set downe the precise time when errors had there be ginning 84. 12 Error is either in iudgement or maÌ„ners both are of two sorts 409. 20. In the examination of our selues foure rules must be obserued 218. 8. The contagion of euill examples must be cut off in the societie of men 109. 40 Excommunication when to be vsed 390. 32 Offenders are not to be excommu nicated at the first but orderly to be proceeded against 393. 9. 486. 37. F Faith is of great vse in the kingdome of God 382. 32 when faith first begins to breede in the heart 240. 30 How faith in Christ is conceiued in the heart 241. 5 whether faith may be lost 69. 25 what Iustifyng faith is as the Papists define 123. 32 The obiect of Abrahams faith was double 123. 38 what true iustifying faith is 124. 35 Faith and confidence are two distinct gifts of God 125. 11 Two causes why a beleeuer is saide to liue by faith 149. 16 How men liue by faith 149. 24 Faith considered two waies 175. 34 That we may liue by faith we
death yet would a Christian man abstaine from these things because he knowes that they displease Christ and he is gouerned with another spirit to which they are contrarie Also these words are a reason of v. 16. There is no law against them that doe these things therefore walke in the spirit 24 For they that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts The scope In these words Paul prooues that which he said immediatly before namely that there is no law against spirituall men And of this he giues a double reason One is spirituall men are Christs therefore there is no law against them The second is this that is crucified in spirituall men which the law condemneth namely the flesh with the affections and lusts therefore there is no law to condemne the spirituall man In the words I consider three points The first is What is a Christian Ans. A Christian is one that is Christs saith Paul And he is Christs fiue waies I. by the right of creation And so are all men II. by right of redemption 1. Cor. 6. 19. III. by the free gift and donation of God the father Ioh. 17. 11. this donation is begunne in the eternall Election of God and it is accomplished in our effectuall vocation IV. by propagation For all true beleeuers spring out of the blood of Christ and are of his bone and of his flesh as Eue was of the bone and flesh of Adam V. by our donation in baptisme in which we consecrate our selues to God and to Christ. The vse This must teach vs to resigne our selues to Christ and to suffer him to raigne in our hearts and to take the yoke of the Gospel vpon vs. But alas it is farre otherwise with many of vs. For some liue in the transgression of the very law of nature so farre are they from obseruing the Gospel Others thinke it sufficient to follow the teaching of nature If they worship God in some generall manner if they liue peaceably and hurt no man and meane well as they say then all is well and the doing of further duties is reputed curious precisenes And such persons vsually reduce religion to the practise of nature They will be saued by faith but their faith is nothing els but fidelitie They say they worship God but this worship is nothing els but their good meaning and their good dealing These men are content that Christ shall be theirs but they will not be Christs and suffer him to haue a Lordship ouer them II. If thou be Christs then commend thy soule and life and all that thou hast into the hands of Christ. This was the practise of Dauid Psal. 22. of Christ vpon the crosse of Paul 2. Tim. 1. 12. And this practise is the onely way to obtaine safetie and protection For Christ no doubt will keepe his owne III. Comfort If thou be Christs he will care for thee and nothing shall be wanting vnto thee that is for thy good Ioh. 17. 24. Rom. 8. 33. Therefore remember this lesson Neuer grieue ouermuch neuer care ouermuch neuer reioyce ouermuch in the things of this world If thou werest at thine own disposing and finding it were somewhat but there is one that cares for thee namely Christ. The second point to be considered is what is the flesh Ans. It is the corruption of the whole nature of man For the right conceiuing of this we must make a distinction of three things Mans nature the faculties of nature and the corruption of both which corruption hath two parts the losse of the image of God and a pronnes to all wickednes Moreouer this distinction must be without separation of nature from faculties or of corruption from either so as we may say truly that the nature and the powers of the soule of man are corrupted In the flesh are two things Affections and Lusts. By affections vnderstand inordinate affections which shew themselues and beare sway in carnall men as anger in Cain loue of pleasures more then of God in the men of the last times 2. Tim. 3. 3. immoderate sorrow in Ahab when he could not obtaine Naboths vineyard 1. King 21. 4. Lusts are inordinate and infatiable desires after the things of this world as riches honours pleasures c. of this sort are couetousnes gluttonie pride the lust of the flesh c. The vse By this we see what a Carnall man is namely one that is carried away with some inordinate affection or some inordinate lust Herod did many good things at the aduise and motion of Iohn Baptist whome he reuerenced yet was he a carnall man For he was possessed with an inordinate loue of his brothers wife Iudas a disciple of Christ yet a carnall man because he was carried away with the inordinate lust of couetousnes The third point is touching the office of a Christian man And that is to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts For the better conceiuing of this Crucifying must be distinguished It is either the action of Christ or our action Crucifying which is the action of Christ is threefold The first is vpon the crosse where Christ stood in our roome and bare the burden of our sinnes and made an Expiation of them In this respect we are said to be crucified with him Gal. 2. 19. The second is in vs when Christ conuaies the vertue of his death into the hearts of them that are ioyned to him for the causing and effecting of the death of sinne The third is in baptisme whereby Christ seales the two former to them that beleeue Rom. 6. 6. The crucifying which is our action is nothing els but the Imitation of Christ crucified on this manner He was first attached so must we bring our selues into the presence of God He was arraigned so must we set our selues at the barre of Gods iudgement He was accused so must we indite and accuse our selues of our owne sinnes at the barre of Gods iudgement He was condemned and so must we iudge our selues that we be not iudged of the Lord. After iudgement we must proceede to execution of the flesh and that is to vse meanes to crucifie it and they are three The first is by faith to applie to our selues Christ crucified and that is to beleeue not onely that Christ was crucified for vs but that we also were crucified with him Where this faith is sinne shall no more haue domion The second is to beate downe the flesh by the sword of the spirit and that is done by a serious application of the commandements and the threatnings of God to our seuerall affections and lusts The third is to flie the occasions of euery sinne and to cut off the first beginnings of euill The vse This doctrine serues to condemne the drowsie Protestants of our time who professe Christ without making any change in life and conuersation For they are Saints in the Church but in their common dealings they are as worldlings II. Secondly