Disciples condemned and iudged worthy of stripes stand as so many examples to confirme vs that we faint not when we are condemned of men yea with the Apostle we must learne to passe little for mans iudgement and striue in a good conscience to be approued of God for sure the Lord will not peruert iudgement it is farre from the Iudge of all the world to doe vnrighteously he will at the last plead the cause of his Seruants and bring their righteousnesse to light This condemnation then from which wee are deliuered But from the condemnatory sentence of God is the sentence of God th righteous Iudge by which finding man guiltie of sinne for sinne he adiudgeth him vnto eternall damnation from this all they who are in Christ are deliuered He that beleeueth in him who sent Iohn 5. 24. mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life In this condemnation Three sundry times the Lord keepes against the wicked in the processe of their condemnation Psal 50. 5. the Lord proceeds at three sundry dyats against the wicked First he condemneth them in the Court of Conscience Next in the day of their particular iudgement Thirdly in the day of generall Iudgement First I say the Lord holdeth a Iustice Court against the wicked in his owne Conscience For the Lord iudgeth the righteous and him that contemnâ—th God euery day After 1 The first is kept against them in the Iustice Court of their owne Conscience sinne committed by him there ariseth in his Conscience accusing thoughts and there is a sentence within him giuen out against him The Apostle speakes it of Heretikes one sort of vvicked men and is it true in them all they sinne being damned of their owne selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by themselues Iudgement is giuen out against themselues which sentence albeit euery wicked man doe not marke the voyce of their disordered affections sometime being so loud that they heare not the condemnatorie voyce of their Conscience so clearely as it is pronounced yet doe they heare as much as makes them inexcusable and breedes in them a certaine feare and terrour which is but a fore-runner of a more fearefull iudgement to come which howsoeuer in time of their securitie they labour to smoother and quench by externall delights yet at the length affection shall be silenced and Conscience shall pronounce sentence against them with so shrill a voyce that their deafest care shall heare it This I haue marked that we may learne not to esteeme lightly the Iudgement of our Conscience but that so oft as wee are condemned by it wee may make our refuge to the throne of Grace to seeke mercie For if Conscience condemne 1. Ioh. 3. 20. vs God is greater then the Conscience and will much more condemne vs. Ascendat itaque homo tribunal mentis suae Aug. hom 50 si timet illud meminerit quod oportet eum ante tribunal Christi exhiberi Let therefore a man saith Augustine goe vp to the tribunall of his owne mind in time if he feare it let him remember that he must be presented before a greater tribunall The second time of iudgement which the Lord keepes 2 The second is kept against them in the houre of death against the wicked is in the houre of death wherein the Lord doth not onely repeat their former sentence of condemnation and that in a more fearefull and iudiciall manner but proceeds also to execution adiudging their bodies vntill the day of last iudgement to the prison of the graue to vnderly that curse pronounced on man for his Apostasie and condemning their spirits to be banished from the presence of God and cast into vtter darknesse Let not therfore the wicked man nourish himselfe in sinne with a vaine conceit of the delay of iudgement wherefore wilt thou put farre from thee the euill day what suppose the day of generall iudgement were not to come for many yeares is not the day of thy particular iudgement at hand vnto which thou shalt be drawne sodainely and perforce in the midst of thy deceiuing imaginations thou shalt be taken away in an houre wherein thou thought not to dye more miserable than that rich glutton who hauing stored his head with false conclusions dreaming of many dayes to come when hee had not one was that same day taken away to iudgement And this shall moue vs the more if we doe remember that such as we are in the day of death such shall wee be found in the day of iudgement In quo enim quemque Aug. epist ad Hesych inuenerit suus nouissimus dies in hoc cum comprehendet mundinouissimus dies quia qualis in die isto quisque moritur talis in die illo iudicabitur and euery man in the last day shall be iudged to be such as he is when he dyeth It would waken vs all more carefully to thinke vpon our end that so we might prepare our selues for this second dyat of iudgement But the third dyat of iudgement shall be most fearefull 3 The third dyat shall be kept against them in the day of generall iudgement when all the wicked being gathered together in one shall be condemned in that high and supreame court of iustice which the Lord shall hold vpon all that euer took life then shall the full measure of the wrath of God be powred vpon all those who are not in Christ Iesus both in soule and body they shall be punished with euerlasting perdition This iudgement shall be most equitable for when that Ancient of dayes shal sit down vpon his white throne before whose face heauen and earth shall flee away and Dan. 12. 6. when the Sea and the Earth hath rendred vp their dead then the bookes shall be opened according to which he shall Reuel 10. 8. proceed vnto iudgement And the bookes are two the This iudgemeÌ„t shall proceede by the bookes of Law and Conscience booke of the law which shewed to a man what he should doe and the booke of Conscience which shewed him what hee hath done by those shall the wicked man be iudged and he shall not be able to make exception against any of them against the booke of the law hee shall be able to speake nothing for the Commandements of the Lord are Psal 19. 9. pure and righteous altogether And as for the booke of conscience thou canst not denye it the Lord shall not iudge thee by another mans conscience but by thine owne that booke thou hast had it alway in thine owne keeping who then could falsifie it neither is any thing written in it of things thou hast done but that which thine owne hand hath written how then canst thou make any exception against it Thus the bookes being opened the iudgement shall How the wicked shall be conuicted by the booke of the Law proceede in this manner The Law shall pleade
water our couch with teares in the night and call vpon the Lord without ceasing in the day continually vntill we find that we are translated from darknesse to light taken out of nature and planted in Christ and that first sentence of absolution be pronounced to our conscience by the spirit of adoption goe thy way thy sinnes are for giuen thee For the Math. 9. 2. Apostle vseth here this limitation of the comfort to certaine persons thereby to declare that it appertaines not vnto the remnant of the world When the originall world was As none were saued without the Arke the family of Lot and house of Rahab Gen. 7. 33. Gen. 19. 16. Iosh 2. ouerwhelmed with waters none were saued but such as were in the Arke when Sodome was burnt with fire none were saued but those of the family of Lot when Iericho was destroyed none were preserued but such as were in the Family of Rahab all these are figures shadowing vnto vs that when the Lord shall come to cut downe the wicked with the sword or hooke of his iustice to cast them for euer into the wine-presse of his wrath saluation shall belong onely to those who are of the houshold of faith euen that whole family whereof God in Iesus Christ is the Father which number is indeede exceeding small if they be compared with the remnant and great multitude of the world therefore let not their euill example deceiue vs but remembring the kingdome of heauen suffers violence let vs cast away these Mat. 11. 12. Heb. 12. 2. burdens and impediments specially this sinne which hangeth so fast on that wee may enter in time into the Arke of GOD and Familie of Rahab that so wee may be saued Wee haue here then first to obserue a certaine distinction A threefold distinction of mankinde of mankinde whereof some are in Christ these are vessels of honour reserued to mercy others out of Christ and these are vessels of dishonour ordained vnto wrath This 1 Made in God his eternall counsaile distinction is first made in God his secret counsell electing some and leauing others according to the good pleasure of his will and this is onely knowne vnto himselfe It begins 2 Made in this life by effectual calling of those who are chosen Reuel 3. 12. first to be manifest when the Lord by effectuall calling seperates his Elect from the children of wrath and disobedience and then it is knowne but properly and truly of those onely who are effectually called for that new name which the Lord giueth none knowes but they who haue receiued it By the iudgement of charity confirmed by the seene effects of grace in another thou maist conclude that hee is called but by assurance of Faith thou maist onely be certaine of thine owne particular saluation But this distinction 3 Shall be made most manifest in the day of generall iudgement shall be most clearely manifested in the last day when the Lord shall gather all the children of his good will together at the right hand of Iesus Christ then shall hee declare vnto all the world who they are that are his the wicked shall see the righteous and be vexed with horrible feare when they shall see that such as they had in derision haue their portion among the Saints Let it not therefore be sufficient vnto vs that out of the generall masse of mankind we are gathered to the fellowship of the Church visible but let vs examine how we are in the barne sloore of the Lord Iesus whether as chaffe or corne for a day of winnowing will assuredly come wherein the Lord shall gather his good corne into his garner and the chaffe shall be cast out into vnquenchable fire It is againe to be marked that the Apostle hauing found If wee seeke comfort of deliuerance from the wrath to come we must goe out of our selues and seeke it in Christ in himselfe matter of death which he humbly confessed in the end of the last Chapter doth now goe out of himselfe and rest in Iesus Christ before hee can finde any comfort through deliuerance from death teaching vs that if wee seeke comfort wee must goe out of our selues and seeke it in Christ Surely a great cause of these manifold doubtings feares and vnquietnesse of mind wherewith the godly are often troubled is that they seeke in themselues grounds and warrants of their saluation as though the Lord could not saue them vnlesse there be in them such a disposition as in euery point should be This is one of Sathans subtile stratagems to draw thee from Christ and make thee to rest vpon thy selfe if once he obtaine this at thy hands thou suffer that Serpent to creepe in between thee and thy surety and diuert thy heart from reposing stedfastly vpon Christ that not content to seeke supplement of thy wants in him thou seeke perfection in thy selfe it shall be an easie thing vnto thy aduersarie to disquiet thee and shake thee too and fro like a reede shaken with the winde with distrustfull cogitations I confesse indeede it is most needfull vnto saluation that Yet wee must finde in our selues infallible markes of Saluation thou finde in thy selfe the infallible signes and tokens of thy effectual calling and ingrafting into Christ but to think that because thou findest them not in perfection or findest beside them a remanent sinfull corruption of thy nature that therefore thou canst not be saued is as much as to thinke thou canst not be saued vnlesse thou be thine owne Sauiour Learne therefore from the holy Apostle that how euer in thy selfe thou be worthie to dye yet giue this glory to Iesus Christ that he is thy Sauiour be strong in him keepe thy consideration and confidence vpon him If Sathan charge thee with thy sinnes flye thou to Christs merits if hee obiect to thee thine euill actions remember thou Christs innocent sufferings and for euery thing wherwith he can charge thee goe thou to Iesus thy aduocate to be answerable for thee So did Bernard who in the houre A notable cōfort arising of Christs twofold right to the kingdome of his death being presented as hee thought before the Lords tribunall and sharply accused by his aduersarie for his sinnes he goes out of himselfe and runnes to Christ I graunt indeede sayes he that as thou obiectest vnto me I am vnworthie and by no deedes of mine can I merit eternall life yet I know the Lord Iesus hath a double right to the kingdome of heauen one by heritage and another by conquest the first is sufficient for himselfe the second for me ex cuius dono iure illud mihi vendicans non confundor Bernard And indeede except it had beene to giue it to poore penitent and beleeuing sinners what needed our blessed Sauiour to haue conquered that kingdome which was his owne before by heritage Thus are we onely sure when we cast the anchor of our
for the fourth it shall be the estate of the Saints of God in heauen Let not therefore the children of God be discouraged by Comfort our estate in this life is neither our last nor best estate looking either â—pon the remanents of sinne in their soule or the beginning of death in their body for why this estate wherein now we are is neither our last nor our best estate out of this we shall be transchanged into the blessed estate of glorious immortality our soules without all spot or wrinckle shall dwell in the body freed from mortality and corruption made like vnto Christs owne glorious body which the Lord our God who hath translated vs out of our second miserable estate into this third shall not faile to accomplish in his time Againe it comes to be considered here seeing by Iesus Christ life is restored to the soule presently why is it not also restored to the body vvhy is the body lâ—st vnder the Our soules being quickned yet our bodies are left vnder death for foure causes power of death to be turned into dust and ashes vvas it not as easie to the Lord to haue done the one as the other To this I answere that at any time life should be restored to our bodies is a mercy greater then wee are able to consider if wee will looke to our desâ—ruing that for a while hee will haue them subiected to the power of death the Lord in his wise dispensation hath thought it good for many causes First for performance of his truth 〈◊〉 but dust Gen. 3. 21. and to dust thou shalt returne If man had dyed no manner of way how should the truth of GOD appeare and if that death due to man had not beene inflicted vpon him how 1 Fâ—r reconciliation of Gods mercy truth Ber. in annuÌ„ Mar. ser 1. should his mercy beene manifested this controuersie God in his meruailous wisedome hath setled Fâ—at mors bona habet vtraque quâ—d petit let death become good and so both his mercy and his truth hath that which they craue for in the changing of the cursed nature of death and making that temporall which was eternall doth his mercy appeare and in the dissolution of mans body into dust for a time doth his truth appeare Secondly the Lord hath done it for manifestation of his 2 For the cleerer declaration of Gods power owne power accounting it a greater glory to destroy sinne by death then by any other meanes Death is the fruit of sinne and the weapon whereby Sathan intended to destroy mankinde and so deface the glory of the Creator but the Lord cutteth off the head of this Gâ—liah vvith his owne sword hee turneth his vveapon against himselfe by death he destroyes that same sinne in his children which brought Chrisost in Mat. hom 2. forth death A meruailous conquest that Sathan is not onely ouercome but ouercome by the same meanes by vvhich before hee tyrannized ouer men And thirdly the Lord 3 For our instruction that wee may know what great mercy God hath shewed vpon vs. suffers our bodies to taste of death that we may the better consider that excellent benefite vvhich vve haue by Iesus Christ for if the death of the body notwithstanding that the nature thereof is changed be so fearefull as vve see in experience how miserable should vvee haue beene if the Lord had inflicted deserued death both of soule and body 4 For our conformitie with Christ vpon vs And last that we might be conformed to him who is the first borne among many brethren it behoueth vs by death also to enter into his kingdome For righteousnesse sake This righteousnesse that bringeth The life our soule hath flowes from Christs righteousnesse Rom. 5. 21 Hos 13. 9 Reu. 7. 10. life is the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to vs by Grace as iâ— euident out of that As sinne had raigned vnto death so might grace also raygne by righteousnesse vnto eternall life Sinne which causeth death is our owne but that righteousnesse which bringeth life is of Grace Our perdition is of our selues but our saluation commeth from the Lord and from the L 〈…〉 be that sitteth vpon the Throne No preseruatiue then against death but this righteousnesse it presently giues life vnto our soule and afterward shall restore our dodyes from the power of the graue such therefore as are the children of wisedome will be carefull in time to be partakers This righteousnesse is known by sanctificatioÌ„ of this Iewell This righteousnesse hath inseperably annexed with it Sanctification by thy sanctification try thy selfe and see whether or no thou hast gotten life through the righteousnesse of Christ deceiue not thine owne hart in the matter of saluation assure thy selfe so far forth thou doest liue as thou art sanctified As health is to the body so is holines to the Soule a body without health fals out of one paine into another till it dye and a Soule without holines is polluted with one lust after another till it dye As the Moone hath lightlesse or more according as it is in aspect with the Sunne so the Soule of man enioyes life lesse or more according as it is turned or auerted to or from the Lord thus let euery man iudge by his sanctification whether if or not hee be partaker of that righteousnesse of Iesus which bringeth life vnto the soule Miserable are those wicked ones who want it they are twise dead saith Saint Iude that is Iude. ver 12. both in soule and body not so much as a heauenly breath or motion is in them but wee ought to giue thankes vnto God who hath giuen a beginning of eternall life vnto vs. Last of all there is here a notable comfort for all the Comfort wee haue a life which no death can extinguish children of God that there is begun in vs a life which no death shall euer be able to extinguish albeit death inuade the naturall vitall powers of our bodies and suppresse them one after one yea though at the length he breake in vpon this lodging of clay and demolish it to the ground yet the man of God who dwels in the body shall escape with his life the Tabernacle is cast downe that is the most our enimie can doe but he who dwelt in it remoues vnto a better as the Bird escapes out of the snare of the Fowler so the The prison of the body being broken the soule that was prisoner doth escape soule in death slighters out and flies away with ioy to her maker yea dissoluing of the bodie to the man of God it is but the vnfolding of the net and breaking open the prison wherein hee hath beene detayned that he himselfe may be deliuered The Apostle knew this well and therefore Phil. 1. 21. desired to be dissolued that he might be with Christ As in the battell betweene our Sauiour and Sathan Sathans head
vexation of his soule to heare and â—â—e the vnrighteous deedes of the wicked which were wont to be vnto him the matter of his sport and laughter Therefore doth he wish and so should we that we might Death to sinne takes not life away but restores it alwayes die this kinde of death foelix mâ—rs quae alienum facit hominem ab hoc saeculâ— certainly it is a happy death which alienates and turnes away the heart of man from the loue of this world Bona mors quippe vitam non aufert sed transfert in melius for it is a good kinde of death which doth not take life away but changes it into a better But alas how farre are we from this spirituall disposition doth not the angry countenance of one in worldly authority terrifie vs the disdainfull words of men doe they not put vs out of the state of patience if the world flatter vs are we not puft vp if shee frowne vpon vs are wee not cast downe and this our great vveaknesse proceedes onely from the strength of sinne in vs this lets vs see vvhat cause we haue to be humbled considering that hauing liued long in this time of grace yet haue we profited little in the mortification of our sinfull lusts and affections Againe out of this same vvord of Mortification vvee learne that the vvorke of our Sanctification is a vvorke of difficultie not accomplished without labour paine and dolour Sanctification is a worke of difficulty for it is a birth a death a circumcision c. for it receiues these three names as to be called Mortification Regeneration and Circumcision As no birth no death no cutting off the flesh can be without dolour and sorrow so the conuersion of a sinner is not wrought without inward paine and sorrow The Infant that hath laid but nine Moneths in the wombe of the mother is not deliuered without great paine suppose she conceiued it with pleasure and shalt thou thinke to part with sinne which in thee was conceiued with thee and which since so often thou hast nourished with pleasure and not to proue the dolours of the New-birth No assuredly In the worke of mans conuersion there is the contrite spirit the humbled heart the mourning weede the melting eye the pale countenance the voyce of lamentation let not such as feele them if they finde therewith a sundring of their affections from their old sinnes be troubled for these are but the dolours of their new birth and for others who know not these inward humiliations and wrestlings of the Children of God they haue iust cause to suspect themselues that they haue not so much as the beginnings of Mortification Regeneration and spirituall Circumcision By the Spirit Nature will not destroy our sinfull lusts The knife by which beastly lusts are slaine to be sacrificed they are mortified by the Spirit of Christ and therefore wee are to nourish entertaine this Spirit by the meanes before prescribed As those Beasts which were sacrificed to God vnder the Law were first slaine by the knife of the Leuite and then offered to God vpon the Altar so the Lord Iesus must mortifie our affections by the power of his word and Spirit before they can be presented acceptable sacrifices to Mac. hom 1. the Lord our God Yee shall liue As I spake of death which is threatned so Temporall life is not the recompense of righteousnesse and why 1 Cor. 15. 19. speake I of life here promised this temporall life cannot be the recompense of righteousnesse for it is common both to the Godly and the wicked If in this life onely we had hope of all men wee were the most miserable but the life here promised is eternall life the beginning vvhereof presently we enioy by the Spirit of our Lord who hath quickned vs so that vvee may say now I liue yet not I but Christ Iesus Gal. 2. 20. liueth in mee the accomplishment thereof vve looke for hereafter Thus hath the Apostle set before vs both life and death he hath shewed vs the way how we may eschew the one and attaine to the other the Lord graunt that according to his counsell vvee may make choyse of the best Verse 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sonnes of God IN this Verse the Apostle subioynes a confirmation He proues the lâ—st part of his preceding argument of his preceding argument in the last part thereof hee hath said If yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the Spirit yee shall liue now hee proues it They who mortifie the deedes of the body by the Spirit or they who are led by the Spirit of God for these phrases are equiualent are the Sonnes of God therefore they must liue the necessitie of the consequence is euident of that which followeth the Sonnes of God are the Heyres of God heyres annexed with Iesus Christ and the heritage whereunto they are borne is eternall life therefore of necessitie they must liue Here first wee haue to consider what action and operation The operation of the Spirit is eyther vniuersall extending to all his creatures of the spirit this is which distinguisheth the Sonnes of God from other men The operations of the Spirit are diuers hee hath an vniuersall operation by which he workes in all his creatures conseruing leading and directing them to his owne determined ends for in him euery thing that is hath the being liuing and mouing as euery creature is made by God so is it ruled and led by the Spirit according to his appointment Hee hath againe a more speciall operation in man and this is also diuers for first all skilfull and cunning working Or speciall and this is manifold of Artificers is a certaine operation of the Spirit therefore is it that Bezaâ—eel is said to be filled with the Spirit of God Exod. 31. and these cunning men to vvhom the Lord directs Moses Cunning working of Artificers is of him Exod. 28. 2. Gifts of gouernment are of him for the making of Aarons holy garments glorious and beautifull are said there to be filled of the Lord by the Spirit of wisedome but this is not his operation vvhereby the sonnes of God are discerned Secondly all gifts of gouernement are of the operation of this Spirit in this sense it is said that the Spirit of the Lord came vpon Saul vvhen of a common man God made him a kingly man meete for gouernment and so also God tooke off the Spirit vvhich was vpon Moses and communicated it to the seauentie Elders Thirdly prophecying and preaching is an operation Prophecying and preaching are also of him Numb 24. 1. 1 Cor. 12. of the Spirit therefore saith Moses of Balaam when he prophecyed that the Spirit of God came vpon him and the Apostle teacheth vs that there are diuersities of gifts but one and the same Lord diuersitie of administrations but the same Spirit diuersitie of
Simeon when he saw that promised saluation and embraced the Lord Iesus in hâ—s armes Hereof ariseth to vs first a lesson of comfort if the beginnings By the ioyfull first fruits of eternall life we may iudge of the fulnesse thereof Bern. in cap. ieiun Ser. 2. of this glorie be so great that as S. Peter saith they bring vs to ioy vnspeakeable and glorious what shal the fulnesse thereof be let this waken in vs a loathing of these vaine perishing pleasures and a longing for that better and more enduring substance Certe non sunt tibi nota futura gaudâ—â— si non renuit consâ—lari anima tua donec veniant thou knowest not those ioyes which are to come if thy soule doe not refuse all comfort till they come vnto thee Certe si sempiterna Basil ser in Gord. Mart. essent haec terrena tamen prae coelestibus essent commntanda Certainely albeit these earthly things were eternall yet were they to be exchanged with those that are heauenly And therefore let the little tast of that ioy which wee haue now worke in vs a greater hunger and thirst after the fulnes thereof And againe we are here to be remembred that as pearles This ioy is not found but in the depth of a contrite heart are found in the bottome of the water and gold is not gotten in the superfice but bosome of the earth so this ioy is not to be found but in the inward parts of a broken contrite spirit many speake of this ioy who neuer felt it Righteousnesse is the mother of Peace and Peace the mother of Ioy they who haue not learned to doe well and cannot mourne for the euill which they haue done how shall they taste of the ioyes of God we must pierce by the hammer of contrition into the very inward of our hearts or euer wee can finde the refreshing springs of Gods sweet consolations arising vnto vs. It deceiues many that they think eternall life is not begunne but after death but assuredly except now thou get the beginnings thou shalt neuer hereafter attaine to the perfections thereof and therefore looke to it in time As for the second degree of this glory which is a neerer Of the second and third degree of eternal Life vnion of our soules vvith Iesus Christ after our dissolution by death it is not my purpose now to insist in it As for the third degree which consists in the glorification both of our soules and bodies wee haue spoken of it before specially in the 18. verse Now the Tabernacle of God is vvith men but then shall our securitie be without feare and our glory consummated when we shall dwell in the Tabernacle of God vnto the which the Lord bring vs all for Iesus Christs sake Amen TO THE MOST EXCELLENT VERTVOVS AND GRACIOVS PRINCE HENRY by the Grace of God Prince of Wales and Heyre Apparent vnto the most famous Kingdomes of England Scotland France and Ireland All happinesse in this life and eternall Glory in the life to come THat which the Apostle hath seuerally deliuered in the two former Discourses dedicated to your most Royall Parents hee now in this last Treatise collects and conioynes in one which therfore of right can appertaine to none more then to you Sir who being by them both the happy fruit of heauenly prouidence and deerest pledge of their mutuall loue and ioy may iustly challenge interest in the smallest good ouer which their names are named Sir here is the way to that Crowne of Triumph which the more you know the more I hope shall you place your glory in it Crownes of earthly Kingdomes are indeede the gifts of God but such as bring not so much Honour as they breed vnquietnesse O nobilem magis quam foelicem pannum said Antigonus If the cares which dwell in the Diadem were knowne no man would stoope to the ground to take it vp said Seleucus And albeit it be not giuen to all to know this in their entrie to Honour yet are they all compelled to acknowledge it in the end Seuerus Monarch of the world found his Crownes but comfortlesse to him in death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue said he beene all things and it profiteth me nothing Not onely the teares of Xerxes but the laments of Salomon may witnesse to all the world that the end of the worme-eaten pleasures of this life is heauie displeasure yea the golden head of Babell had at length worms spread ouer him worms to couer him Esa 14. For all flesh is grasse and the glory thereof as the flowre of the field Onely the word of the Lord endures for euer By which that same God who hath called you to be an apparant Heyre of the most famous Kingdomes on earth doth also call your Grace to a more certaine inheritance of a better Kingdome in heauen which cannot be shaken whereby aboue other Princes and Rulers of the earth yee are blessed if so be yee answere your Calling endeauouring to be no lesse than you are named Principem te agnosce ne seruias affectibus It is vnseemely in any but most of all in a Prince to become a seruant eyther to the corrupt humours of men without him who creeping in into the Courts of Kings like wormes into the bosome of excellent trees doe nothing but consume them whom godly Constantine properly called Tineas Sorices palatij subtile peruerters of the good inclination of Princes in manners and Religion where they can preuaile or yet to the disordered affections of his owne heart which if they be not restrained doe quickly turne the glory of a man into shame What did it profit Cham that hee was the Sonne of Noah the Monarch of the world and Patriarch of the Church in his time or that hee was the Heyre of the third part Chrysost of the world vitia siquidem voluntatis vicerunt priuilegia naturae his owne vndantoned will bursting out in contempt of his Father brought vpon him that curse and shamefull name A seruant of Seruants which was neuer taken from him Seeing God as saith the Apostle is the glory of man what honour can make that man glorious who carries not the image of God consisting in righteousnesse and true holinesse but especially a King whom the very Ethnicks called Animata Dei imago in terris should carefully keep that Image which keepes his glory Naturally facilius alijs quam nobis imperamus but in very deede he shall neuer be a skilfull Ruler of others who is not first taught of God to rule himselfe decet eum qui alijs praefectus est interiora sua decenter Basil adornare The best remedy against both these euils is to embrace that wholesome counsell giuen by God to the Gouernors of his people Let not the booke of the Law depart from thee but meditate in it day and night that thou maist do according to all that is written therein turne not
vs good effects by it we are made more humble more feruent in prayer more abundant in teares the hard heart by this holy hammer of God being made soft so that sanctified trouble by the Lords wonderfull working becomes a meane to establish our peace Corda electorum aliquando concussa melius Greg. moral in lob lib. 2. solidantur the hearts of the elect are best setled after they haue beene shaken with crosses All the children of God sindes this by experience that their inward troubles are preparatiues to inward consolations as he who goes to build a house the higher he intends to raise it the deeper he layes the foundations thereof so the Lord humbles them lowest with their terrours to whom he purposes to communicate the highest measure of his consolations As his sufferings 2. Cor. 1. 5. abounds in vs so shall our consolation abound through him wee will therefore that peace which we haue in Christ which he hath left vs none shall be able to take from vs. Verse 7. Because the wisedome of the flesh is inimitie against God for it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeede can it be THe Apostle proceeds and giues the reason why he called the wisedome of the flesh death because it is inimitie with God He proues it is inimitie with God because neither is it nor can it be subiect vnto the law of God Of this manner of reasoning vsed by the Apostle wee Our life stands in peace with God first learne that our life consists in our peace with God and that our death is procured by our inimitie with him Compare sinfull Adam with innocent Adam and this shall be made manifest so long as hee stood at peace with God hee liued a ioyfull life familiar with his maker but from the time he began the inimitie by transgression of the commandement not onely was the presence of God ioyfull to him before terrible now but hee became such a terrour to himselfe that it was a death to him to liue in that state of life Oh that alway wee could remember this that wee cannot offend the Lord vnlesse wee slay our selues all our rebelling against the Lord is but a kicking of our heele against the pricke the losse is our owne we depriue our selues of life but cannot spoyle the Lord of his glory It is written of the Stdonians that when Herod intended How foolish man is when he entertaines inimitie with God warre against them they made friendship with Blastus Hereds Chamberlaine and besought him to make peace for them the reason was because their lands were nourished by the King therefore they were not able to beare his inimity Alas that we cannot be as wise in a greater matter both our lands and our selues are nourished by the King of heauen wee are not able to endure his anger if he please hee can make the heauen aboue vs as brasse and the earth beneath vs as iron if he take his breath out of our nosthrils we fall like clay to the ground and are turned into dust how then is miserable man so bewitched that hee dares liue in that state of life which is inimitie with God Doe yee prouoke the 1. Cor 10. 22. Lord vnto anger are yee stronger than he No no assuredly if thou walke on in thy sinnes the Lord shall crush thee Psal 29. with a Scepter of iron and breake thee in pecces like a Potters vessell so vnequall shalt thou finde the match if thou Psal 50. 22. contend with thy Maker Oh consider this yee that forget God least he teare you in peices and there be none to deliuer Shall the Sidonians intreate for peace when Herod proclaymes warre and shall man continue in inimitie when God from heauen proclaymes his peace farre be it from vs that we should so doe Away with this wisedome of the flesh which is inimitie with God Perceiue againe how the spirit of God in such sort describes No good in mans nature before it be renued against the Semipelagians of our time the nature of man vnrenued by Grace that no good is left in it out of which the Semipelagians of our time may draw their workes of preparation or merits of congruitie for where as in the Soule of man there are but two faculties the Vnderstanding and the Will the spirit of God so describes his Vnderstanding that not onely he saith the naturall man vnderstands not the things that are of God but as if that were not sufficient to expresse mans miserable estate he addeth neither indeed can he vnderstand them because A minde that neither sees nor can see 1. Cor. 2. 14. A will that neither is subiect to God nor can be they are spiritually discerned And againe his will hee so describeth it that it is not subiect vnto the Law of God and hee addeth this neither indeed can it be What more can be said to abase the naturall pride of man he hath such a minde as neither vnderstands nor can vnderstand the things of God he hath such a will as neither is subiect nor can be subiect to the Law of God This is the iudgement of Gods spirit concerning the corruption of our nature we set it against the vaine opinion of all those who to magnifie the arme of flesh and the merits of man dreames of a good in our nature without grace which cannot be found in it Neyther let any man inferring more of the Apostles The praise of Gods power and grace is the greater because it reformes nature it being so farre peruerted speech then himselfe concludes think it impossible that our rebellious will should be made obedient the Apostle takes not away this hope from man onely he denyes that nature is able to doe it Nature without grace may encrease the inimitie but cannot make reconciliation but that which is impossible to man is possible to God The nature of beasts birds and creeping things hath beene tamed by the nature of man saith Saint Iames but the tongue of man though Iam. 3. 7. the smallest member in the body yet so vnruly an euill that no man is able to tame it We cannot change one haire of Mat. 5 36. our head to make that white which is black farre lesse can wee change our hearts to make them holy which are vncleane What then shall we be out of all hope that which wee are notable to doe shall wee thinke it shall neuer be done Let vs not so conclude though no man can tame the nature of man the Lord can Paul who was a rauening Wolfe in the Euening the Lord made a peaceable Lambe in the Morning Naturalists haue written that the bloud of the Goat causeth the hard Adamant to breake but the holy Scripture hath more surely taught that the bloud of Iesus hath vertue to turne a stonie heart into a soft where it pleases the Lord of stones to raise vp children vnto
the sinfull lusts thâ—reof But alas the corruption of our nature is so great that without great circumspection we cannot nourish the body vnlesse wee also nourish sinne in the body many vnder pretence of doing duty to the one failes in the other so they pamper the body that they quench the spirit ouercome with gluttony they are not able to pray VVee are vvith the godly to keepe a meane betweene these two extremities as a ship if it be ouerladed Discipline whereby wee beat downe the body would neither be too strait nor too remisse is easily ouerwhelmed by the water or if it be too light and not ballassed is easily driuen out of the due course by the winde as a horse if he be hungred cannot serue his Master or if fed aboue measure waxes insolent and kickes against his rider so is it with the body neither would it be so weakened that it be not able to performe the works of Christian Ephra Syr. lib. 1. cap. 9. duty neither yet so pampered that it become a burthen to the soule and an impediment to spirituall exercises But in this age we neede not greatly to admonish men of the one But most men faile in excessiue pampering the body extremity the debt men owes vnto their bodies is payd with a large measure and running ouer it is not onely serued to necessity but so ouercharged with superfluity that oftentimes it loathes and abhorres those aliements by which it liues the soule in the meane time put to a sober dyet left famished without any morsell of heauenly bread whereby it should be refreshed and strengthened whereof it comes that the lusts of the flesh waxe strong and the life of the spirit wonderfully decayes Though the other member of the opposition be not here Many Lords striuing for mans superiority and to haue man their seruant exprest yet it followes necessarily wee are debters to the spirit And so wee may gather of these words how there are sundry Lords striuing for the superiority of man The World with her pleasures allures man to follow her but pretend what shee will in truth her word is decipâ—â—ra The flesh would haue man a seruant to her lusts she wants not her baytes wherewith to beguile him but in truth her word is infiâ—iam Sathan strongest of the three vsurpers superiority ouer man hee craues that man should fall downe and worship him hee wants not promises enough faire in show but in truth his word is interficiam Iesus Christ our lawfull Lord he also cals vpon vs and exhorts vs to serue him hee hath life in the one hand durable riches and honour in the other and in truth his word is râ—ficiam I will refresh you Now in this strife to whom shall we yeeld our selues but vnto him who cryes reficiam Let vs therefore say with Dauid O Lord no wight can make title to me but onely thou all others that exact Psal 119. 94. But forsaking the rest wee should yeeld our selues seruants to Christ and why any seruice of vs are but vncouth Lords to whom we are not oblieged they are but tyrants striuing to oppresse vs Câ—rtant in me de meipso cuius potisâ—â—mâ—m esse videar they striue saith Bernard within me about me to which of them chiefly I should seeme to appertaine but O Lord Iesus I am thine I haue no King but thou come therefore and raigne in mee and remoue these offences out of thy kingdome happy are they who can so render themselues to the Lord for in the houre of death what is it that men craues more then that the Lord Iesus should acknowledge them for his who will not in that houre beg that mercy at the hands of God Lord receiue my Spirit but assuredly if thou yeeld it not to him in life when he requires it he shall not receiue it from thee in death when thou wouldst tender it to him â—he Lord graunt that in our whole liues wee may acknowledge our selues as debters of daily seruice vnto him so shall the Lord in death welcome vs as his faithfull seruants and receiue vs into his rest Verse 1â— For if yee liue after thâ— flesh yee shall dye but if yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit yee shall liue THis word of the Lord pronounceth before The Apostle stands here as a messenger of mercy with a sword in his mouth to terrifie men from the way of death hand vpon you who liue after the flesh a condemnatorie sentence yee shall dye which how euer yee esteeme to be light when you heare it yet yee shall finde it heauy vvhen it shall be executed vpon you To you againe who mortifies the deedes of the body by the spirit there is here pronounced an absoluatorie sentence yee shall liue vvhich in the end shall yeeld you comfort surpassing all that the pleasures of sinne or gaine of vngodlinesse can afford vnto you As that Cherubin therefore stood in the entry of Paradise with the blade Gen. 3. 24. of a shaking sword to keepe Adam from the way of the Not like that Cherubin a minister of iustice to hold Adam out of paradise Tree of life so the Apostle stands here betweene vs and death with a sentence like a two edged sword in his mouth to keepe the sonnes of Adam as farre as hee can from the way of death the one stood as a minister of Gods iustice the other stands as a messenger of mercy The Lord hath sworne by himselfe as I liue I desire not the death of a sinner Ezâ— 18. 32. but that he should returne and liue he iustifies his word by his Both the word and deed of the Lord declares that he craues not the death of a sinner deed in that in all ages of the world he hath sent out messengers to warne them to goe by the way of death so that now if any man perish it is because he stops his eares at the warning of the watchman of God for thou canst not say but Moses and the Prophets Iesus Christ and his Apostles and Preachers haue met thee in the way of thy sinne and warned thee many a time by the word of the Lord that if thou walke on that way thou shalt assuredly dye where thou passing by them all rushest headlong after the lusts of thy flesh and so thou perishest and thy blood shall be vpon thine owne head As the Apostle to the preceding exhortation annexed an argument a debito from that which we are bound to doe so now hee subioynes another argument partly a damno from the losse wee incurre if wee doe it not in these words if yee liue after the flesh yee shall dye and partly a commodo from the vantage we shall reape if we doe it in these words if yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit yee shall liue If wee were such men as wee should be the former exhortation That the
with tentations on the right hand and on the left vt quatuor angulis Gregor Moral pulsata domus aliqua ex parte ruinam saciat that the house being shaken at all the soure corners may fall downe in one part or other no rest nor quietnes for vs in this habitation terrours within fightings without Propter quod vno conâ—ilio Act. 20. 19. migrandum est Christianis for the which it is best for vs vvith one aduice to conclude that wee vvill remoue and in the meane time send vp our complaint to our Father in heauen as the Gibionites did to Ioshua shewing him how vve Ioshua 10. 6. are besieged and enuironed for his sake and praying him to come with hast and help vs. Waiting for the Adoption Now followeth the other effect The other effect the spirit works in vs iâ— a waiting for deliuerance of the Spirit for hee not onely causeth vs as we haue heard to sigh and mourne for our present miseries but also comforts vs with the hope and expectation of deliuerance though in this life vve haue trouble yet haue we no trouble vvithout comfort Blessed be God who comforts vs in all our 2 Cor. 1. 3. 4. tribulations and beside that vvhich vve presently haue it is yet much more vvhich vvee looke for The men of this vvorld haue no ioy vvithout sorrow euen in laughter their Proâ— 24. 13. heart is sorrowfull pretend what they will in their countenance there is a heauinesse in their conscience arising of the vveight of sinne but it is far otherwise vvith the godly for euen in mourning they doe reioyce and vnder greatest heauinesse they carry a liuely hope of ioyfull deliuerance Againe wee are to marke that the godly are described The day of death and day of resurrection earnestly waited for by the godly in holy Scripture to be such as doe not liue content with their present estate but waites and longs for a better and specially there are two dayes for which the Children of GOD are said to waite the first the day of death wherein they goe to the Lord the second the day of appearing wherein the Lord shall come vnto them they soiourne in the body more weary of it then Dauid was of his dwelling in the tents of Kedar they wait with patient Iob till the day of their change come and doe desire with the Apostle to be Iob. 14. 14. dissolued that they may be with Christ they pray for it so oft as they vse that petition Let thy kingdome come seeking Mat. 6. 10. Luke 11. 3. death so farre as it is a meanes to abolish sinne vtterly that Christ their King may alone raigne in them but as for the wicked the remembrance of death is terrible vnto them and in their thought they put it far from them and when it comes it comes vpon them vnlooked for As Iehu furiously Death comes on the wicked as Iehu came on Iehoram came vpon Iehoram and hee made vvith all his speed to his chariot thinking to flye away but in vaine for the arrow of Iehu ouertooke him so death comes vpon the wicked 2 King 9. 23. 24 in a day and place wherein they looked not for it and they being terrified with it runnes with all the speede they can to their chariots that is to their refuges of vanity but the dart of death surely ouer-takes them Miserable are they vvhose comfort standeth rather in an vncertaine delay of death than in any certaintie vvhich they haue of eternall life But let vs be prepared for it as the good Israelites of We should not soiourne in the body like Ionas in the sides of the sâ—â—p but like Abraham in the doore of the tabernacle Exod. 12. 11. Gen. 18. 1. 1 King 19. 9. God with our loynes girded vp and our staues in our hands ready to take our iourney from Egypt to Canaan vvhensoeuer the Lord our God shall command vs. As fowles desirous to flye stretch ouâ— their vvings so should man desirous to be with the Lord stretch out his affections toward the heauens Abraham sat in the doore of his Tabernacle when the Angell appeared vnto him Elias came out to the mouth of his Caue when the Lord appeared to him and we must also reioyce to come out of the caue and tabernacle of this vvretched body if vve would meet vvith the Lord yea euen while as wee dwell in the body if in our affection vve come not out and stand as it were in the doore of our tabernacle but like Ionas sleeping in the sides of the ship Ionas 1. 5. we lye downe in the hollow of our heart sleeping in carelesse securitie it is not possible that the Lord can be familiar with vs. The other day for which the godly are said to wait is the The day of Christs second comming longed for 1 Cor. 1. 7. Phil. 3. day of Christs second comming The Apostle giues this as a token of the rich grace of God bestowed on the Corinthians that they waited for the appearance of Christ and to the Philippians he saith our coÌ„uersation is in heauen from whence we looke for our Sauiour the Lord Iesus yea he giues it out as a marke of all those who are to be glorified when hee saith 2 Tim. 4. 8. there is laid vp for mee a crowne of righteousnes and not for me onely but for all them who loue Christs second appearing And Heb. 9. 28. againe Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many and vnto them that looke for him shall he appeare the second time without sinne vnto saluation These and many moe places proues that there is great As the Iewes waited for the yeere of Iubilie so should we for the day of Christ but alas few doe so Reu. 22. 20. scarcitie of Faith and spirituall grace in this generation there being so few that vnfainedly longs for the day of his appearance suppose euery man in word mumble vp that petition let thy kingdome come yet are they few who when Iesus testifieth surely I come quickly can in truth answer with the godly Amen euen so come Lord Iesus and all because we are neithe wearier of our present miserie nor certaine of that glorious deliuerance to come otherwise we would long for it and reioyce at the smallest appearance thereof The woman with child reckons her time as neere as shee can and albeit others haue no minde of it yet is it alway in her remembrance because that then she hopes for deliuerance Among the Iewes as the day of their Iubilie drawes neere Leuit. 25. 10. so the ioy of them that were in prison encreased being assured that then they were to be releeued and should not wee much more reioyce the neerer that the day of our eternall Iubilie draweth vnto vs wherein all teares shall be wiped away from our eyes and sorrow and mourning shall flye away for euer
him For albeit the Lord rested God hath rested from the worke of creation not of gubernation Ioh. 5. 17. the seauenth day from the workes of creation so that hee made no new kinde of creature after that day yet did hee not rest from the vvorkes of prouidence or gubernation whereof our Sauiour saith my Father workes hitherto and I worke When man hath finished a vvorke hee resignes it to another to be gouerned as the Wright vvhen he hath builded a ship giues it ouer to the Marriner to rule it neyther is man able to preserue the vvorke of his hands neyther yet knowes hee vvhat shall be the end thereof It is not so with the Lord as by the vvorke of creation hee brought them out so by his prouident administration he preserues them and rules euen the smallest creatures directing them vnto such ends as he hath ordained them for in the counsell of his will How euer some Ethnicks haue beene so blinde as to His prouidence extends to the smallest things thinke that God did neglect the smaller things vpon earth scilicet is superis labor est and Epicures also vvhose false conceptions of the diuine prouidence are rehearsed by Eâ—iphaz How should God know how should hee iuâ—ge through Iob. 22. 13. 14. the darke clâ—ude the cloudes hide him that hee cannot see and hee walkes in the circle of heauen yet it is certaine hee rules Psal 113. not a part onely but all hee is not as they thought of him a God onely aboue the Mâ—one No though he dwell on high yet he abases himselfe to behold the things that are on earth he is not onely a God in the mountaines as the Syrians deemed 1 King 20. but a God in the vallies also There is nothing so great nothing so small but it falles vnder his prouidence yea hee numbers our hayres and keepes them not one of them can fall to the ground without his prouidence Si sic custodumtur Augustine super flâ—a tua in quanta securitate est anima tua if hee so keepe thy superfluities how much more will he keepe thy soule Let it therefore content vs in the most confused estate In greatest confusion of things let vs keepe our comfort the end of them shal be our good of things we can see fall out in the world that the Lord hath said All things shall worke for the best vnto vs. Let vs not question with Marie how can this be nor doubt with Sarah how can I conceiue nor with Moses where shall flesh be gotten for all this multitude but let vs sayth Augustine consider the Author and such doubts shall cease As he hath manifested his power and vvisedome in the tempering of this world making Elements of so contrary qualities agree together in one most pleasant harmonie so doth it appeare much more in gouerning all the contrary courses of men to the good of his owne children One notable example wherof wee will set downe for all Iacob sends Ioseph to Dothan Gen. 37. c. to visit his brethren his brethren casts him into the pit Reuben releeues him the Midianites buyes him and sels him to Potiphar his Mistresse accuses him his Maister condemnes him the Butler after long forgetfulnesse recommends him Pharaoh exalts him O what instruments are here how many hands about this one pooreman of God neuer a one of them looking to that end which God had proposed vnto him yet the Lord contrary to their intention makes them all worke together for Iosephs aduancement in Aegipt But now to the particulars There is nothing in the world The end of all the wayes of God is our good which works not for our weale all the works of God all the stratagems of Sathan all the imaginations of men are for the good of Gods children yea out of the most poysonable things such as sinne and death doth the Lord draw wholesome and medicinable preseruatiues vnto them who loue him All the wayes of the Lord saith Dauid are mercy Psal 25. 10. and truth marke what he saith and make not thou an exception where God hath made none All none excepted therefore be thou strengthened in the Faith and giue glory vnto God resoluing with patient Iob albeit the Lord would Iob. 13. 15. slay me yet will I trust in him Sometime the Lord seemes to walke in the way of anger against his children which hath moued many of them to Yea euen when he seemes to be most angry with his children hee is working their good Iob. 6. 4. poure out the like of these pittifull complaints the arrowes of the almightie are vpon me said Iob the venome whereof doth drinke vp my spirit and the terrours of God fight against me thou settest me vp as a marke against thee and makes me a burthen to my selfe Thy indignation lyes vpon me said Dauid yea from my youth I haue suffered thy terrours doubting of my life For felicitie I haue had bitter griefe said Ezekiah for Isa 38. 17. 13. 14. the Lord like a Lyon brake all my bones so that I did chatter like a Swallow and mourne like a Doue I am troubled on euery side said the Apostle hauing sightings without and terrours 2 Cor. 7. 5. within Yet in all this dealing the Lord hath a secret way of mercy in the which he walkes for the comfort of his children it is but to draw vs vnto him that he shewes himselfe to be angry with vs aduersatur tibi Deus ad tempus vt te secum Chrisost in Mat. hom 14 habeat in perpetuum the Lord is an aduersarie to thee for a while that he may for euer reconcile thee to himselfe And this albeit for the present we cannot perceiue and can see no other but that the Lord hath taken vs for his enemies yet in the end wee shall be compelled to acknowledge and confesse with Dauid it was good for me O Lord that euer thou Rom. 11. 13. correctedst me for the Lord is meruailous in his Saints O the deepenesse of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out His glory is great when he workes by meanes his glory appeares greater when he works without meanes but then his glory shines most brightly when he works by contraries It was a great vvorke that hee opened the eyes of the For the working of God with his children is by contraries blinde man but greater that hee did it by application of spettle and clay meanes meeter to put out the eyes of a seeing man than to restore sight to a blind man So he wrought in the first creation causing light to shine out of darknesse so also in the worke of redemption for by cursed death he brought happy life by the crosse he conquered the crowne and through shame he went to glory And this same order the Lord still keepeth in
like Thirdly his workes of godlinesse and sanctification as that he was subiect to his parents louing to his brethren painefull in his calling perseuering in prayer To prease to follow him in his personall vvorkes of Redemption is blasphemie or in his workes of Miracles is impâ—ssibilitie but to follow him in the workes of a godly life is true pietie In the first papists are blasphemous that on good-Friday makes a play to the people by counterfaiting In the first and second Papists are apish imitators the sufferings of Christ In the second Papists are ridiculous that practise to counterfaite him in his fortie dayes fasting as if that might ordinarily be done of men which once Iesus did for a Miracle In the third let all those vvho are truely religious strâ—ue to follow him as Children looking to their coppy learne to mend their letters so let vs by looking dayly to our example learne to amend our liues Imitation in the first two Iesus did neuer require onely In the third onely should we follow the Lord Iesus Ioh. 13. 12. hee craues that vve should follow him in the third there is his voyce Learne of me that I am loâ—ly and meeks he did not bid thee saith Augustine learne at him how to make the world or how to raise the dead but how to be lowly and meeke for this cause did our blessed Sauiour wash his Disciples feete that he might giue vs an example how one of vs should serue another as I haue loued you said Iesus so loue ye Iohn 15. 12. one another yea in that vpon the Crosse he prayed for his enemies hee hath also taught vs how to practise that precept Pray for them who persecute you In patience likewise he Mat. 5. 44. is proposed vnto vs for an example for so are we exhorted Heb. 12. 2. Let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs looking vnto Iesus the author and finisher of our Faith these and such like are the workes wherein wee are commanded to conforme our selues vnto him We must also follow the Lord Iesus in suffering The other point wherein stands our conformitie vvith him is in patient suffering with him for righteousnes which vve shall not be able to doe except wee liue first after the similitude of his life what like suffering to the suffering of Christ than the suffering of that reprobate theâ—fe vvho dyed with Iesus at the same time the same kinde of death yet because his life was neuer like the life of Christ his sufferings shall neuer be accounted the sufferings of Christ Similis in â—oena dissimilis â—â—causa But as for the other whom Augustine the Lord Iesus conuerted vpon the Crosse to declare to all the world that euen in death hee retayned the power of a Sauiour able to giue life to them who are dead he brought out in the last houre of his life the first fruits of amendment of life he liued long a wicked malefactor but a short vvhile a conuerted Christian yet in that same space hee abounded in the fruits of Godlinesse confessing his sinnes giuing glory to the iustice of God rebuking the blasphemies of the other and pleading the cause of his innocent Sauiour thus being turned from his sinne hee began euen on the Crosse to liue with Iesus and therefore heard that ioyfull sentence This night thou shalt be with me in Paradise Luke 23. 43. Reasons mouing vs to a conformitie with Christ Now that we may be moued to embrace this conformitie with Iesus let vs remember that the image of God by which wee were created conforme vnto him is the most auncient glory to which wee can make claime and therefore 1 The Image of God is our most ancient glory stollen from vs by Sathan which we should seek to recouer if there be in vs any peece of manhood and spirituall wisedome we ought to endeauour to recouer it which our enemie craftily and maliciously hath stollen from vs. O what a pittie is it to see that man cannot doe that in the matter of saluation which hee can doe in the smallest things pertayning to this life There is no man among vs who knoweth that any tenement of land or portion of earth possessed now vniustly of another did of olde pertaine to his Fathers but if he can hee will seeke to recouer it seeking by iustice to bring that home to himselfe which oppressors vniustly had taken from him Is it not then most lamentable that where the Lord Iesus the King of righteousnesse and Prince of peace offers to restore vs to our most auncient glory which is his owne image that vvee vvill not call the oppressours of our soule before him nor seeke to be restored to that glory vvhich most deceitfully our aduersarie hath stollen from vs but this commeth also vpon man by the subtilty of Sathan that hauing once spoyled vs of the image of God he doth vvhat hee can so to blinde vs that vve should neuer seeke it againe nor doe so much as receiue it vvhen it is offered vnto vs. Iacob complained of Laban that hee had deceiued him Sathan a double deceiuer and changed his wages ten times and Esau complained of Iacoh â—s of a supplanter vvho first had stollen from him his birth-right and then the blessing also but more cause haue vve to turne these complaints vpon Sathan who hath not onely stollen from vs the Image of God but daily stealeth away the blessing whereby it is restored vnto vs. Oh that we had wise and vnderstanding hearts that wee might be stirred vp to an holy anger against the enemie of our saluation seeking in despite of him to be restored to that right vvhich by creation belonged to our fore-fathers But alas vvhat a beastly stupiditie is this that man vvill not doe so much for recouerie and maintenance of the image of God as hee vvill doe for preseruation of his owne portraiture drawne on a peece of timber if any man pollute it incontinent he is offended and stomacks at it as an iniurie done to himselfe but as for man who is the image of God he lyes downe like a beast content that Sathan should tread vpon him pollute defile him with all kind of abhomination all which proceeds from a pittifull ignorance of his own glory The second reason which should moue vs to conforme 2 Iesus Christ hath first conformed himselfe vnto vs. our selues to Iesus is that hee hath first of all conformed himselfe vnto vs hee was not ashamed to take vpon him the shape of a seruant and to become man like vnto vs in all things sinne accepted and shall we refuse to conforme our selues vnto him let it be farre from vs but rather putting from vs that foolish emulation by vvhich wee striue to conforme our selues vnto this vvorld let vs consider whereunto wee are called euen to be partakers of the diuine nature and may thinke it most greatest
Sathans buffets and against whom hee vvas permitted to vse all the stratagems of the spirituall warfare that possibly he could hee crossed him not onely in his goods in his children and in his owne bodie but also in his minde by his wife he tempted him to blasphemie by his friends to diffidence yet by none of these could he ouercom him In his outward troubles his resolution was the Lord hath Iob 1. 21. giuen the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord for euer in his inward terrours his resolution was Albeit Ioh 13. 15. the Lord would slay mee yet would I trust in him so impossible it is for Sathan by any tentation whatsoeuer to separate from the loue of God his Children chosen called and iustified The Lord is present with present with his children to keepe them sometime from trouble sometime introuble To cleare this let vs yet know that God is many manner of wayes present vvith his children in trouble first hee is with them by preuenting the danger so that hee will not suffer the intended euill of the enemie to come neere them so he brought Senacherib to see Ierusalem without but suffered him not to shoot so much as a dart against it within Somtime againe the Lord enters his children into the trouble as Daniel into the Den Ioseph into the prison the three children into the fire but deliuers them in such sort that both his glory and their comfort is greater than if they had not beene in trouble at all Sometime he suffers his children to ende their mortall liues in trouble and yet is with them strengthning them by his glorious might to all patience and long suffering filling them with such a sense of his loue that in death they rest vnder the assurance of life This also is declared by example The practise of this see in the examples of Eliah and Paul when Iezabel vowed to haue the life of Eliah yee shall see that the Lord is with him sometime to hide him that albeit Achab and Iezabel seeke him they cannot finde him sometime God lets Achabs captaines see where hee is but consumes with fire them that came proudly to take him Sometime he presents him to Achab and Iezabel but bridleth the tyrants that they haue no power to stirre him The Apostle Paul in like manner being sent prisoner to Rome the Lord assisted him in such sort that hee deliuered 2 Tlm. 4. 17. him out of the mouth of the Lyon Vero and yet the second time suffered him to fall by the sword of the same tyrant shall wee thinke that the Lord was not with the Apostle to assist him the second time as well as the first let it be farre from vs. The Lord was with him indeed to make his death a seale and confirmation of that Gospel which he had preached in his life The comfort then remaines that howeuer GOD worke with his children in trouble no aduersarie is able to take from vs that for which we striue to wit grace and glory they may be vnto vs as sharpe rasers of God to cut away our superfluities but shall neuer be able to bereaue vs of the end of our Faith which is the euerlasting saluation of our soules Verse 32. Who spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all vnto death how shall he not with him giue vnto vs all things also NOw followeth the second part of the Apostles generall triumph wherein hee gloryeth The second part of his generall triumph the Christian can want nothing that is needfull for him that the Christian can vvant nothing needfull for him for seeing the Lord hath giuen vnto him the greatest and most excellent gift to wit his owne Sonne is it possible that hee will deny him any secondarie or inferior gifts needfull for him Sathan who is a lyer from the beginning accused the Lord of two things first of an vntruth albeit the Lord hath said it yet yee shall nâ—t dye secondly of Enuy. In the first Sathan is proued false and the Lord is found true for are they not dead to whom the Lord said yee shall dye In the second Sathan is found a calumniator for what good tree will the Lord refuse to his owne who hath giuen vnto them this excellent tree of life which brings with it vnto them all things needfull for them To amplifie this great loue of God the Apostle saith The great loue which GOD hath shewed in giuing his Son for vs. not simply that hee gaue his Sonne for vs but that he spared not to giue him O vvonderfull loue â— the Naturall and onely Sonne of God is not spared that the adoptiue sonnes may be spared for our sinnes being imputed to him by the ordinance of God his Father and voluntarily accepted by himselfe so the punishment of our sinnes and chastisement Esa 53. 5. of our peace was laid vpon him that by his stripes wee might be healed The bitter cuppe due to vs was propined to him for the which albeit hee prayed to his Father that if it were his will this cuppe might passe by him yet the Father Mat. 26. 39. spared him not but held it to his head till hee dranke out the vttermost dregs thereof So straite is the Iustice of God that sinne being imputed to the Sonne of God vvho had no sinne of his owne is pursued to the vttermost The greatest example of Iustice that euer the Lord declared in the world the drowning of the originall world the burning of Sodome the plaguing of Egypt were terrible proofes of the straitnesse of diuine Iustice but nothing comparable to this Which I marke partly for a comfort to the Godly and Comfort for the Godly that the iustice of God shall not â—ay cannot strike vpon them partly for a warning to the wicked it is our great comfort that the saluation which Iesus hath purchased vnto vs hee hath obtayned it vvith a full satisfaction of his Fathers Iustice so that now vve that are in him are not any more to feare it The great Iudge of all the vvorld will not doe vnrighteously to require that againe from vs vvhich our Christ vvhom he himselfe hath giuen vnto vs hath payed for vs. Miserable are the wicked who in their owne persons beare the punishment of their sinnes And as for the vvicked vvho are not in Christ how miserable will their state and condition be for they must beare the punishment of their owne sinnes in their owne persons If the burden of that vvrath due to our sinnes caused Iesus to sweat bloud and to say that his soule was heauie vnto Mat. 26. 38. the very death O how shall the burden of this wrath presse downe the vvicked it is euen a horrour to thinke of it their faces shall be confused vvithout and spirits oppressed vvithin vvith tribulation and anguish hee that spared not in his owne Sonne sinne imputed vnto him vvill hee
HEAVEN OPENED VVHEREIN THE COVNSAILE OF GOD CONCERNING mans Saluation is yet more cleerely manifested so that they that haue eyes may come and see the Christian possessed and crowned in his heauenly Kingdome Which is the greatest and last benefit we haue by Christ Iesus our Lord. Come and see First written and now newly amended and enlarged by Mr. William Cowper Minister of Gods word LONDON Printed by Thomas Snodham for Thomas Archer and are to be sould at his shop in Popes-head Pallace 1611. TO THE MOST SACRED CHRISTIAN TRVELY CATHOLIKE AND mightie Prince JAMES King of Great Britaine France and Ireland defender of the Faith c. SIR The Apostle S. Paule that Act. 9. 15. chosen vessell of God and his ambassadour sent forth into the world to bring in the house of Iapheth into the tents of Sem Gen. 9. 27. hauing in his peregrination vndertaken for preaching from Ierusalem vnto Illyricu seene Rom. 15. 19. the most pleasant parts of the world and in an extasie transported from earth into the third heauen seene also 2 Cor. 12. the pleasures of Paradise as one who knew both not by naked speculation but experience giues out his iudgement of both that the most excellent things of this world Philip. 3. 8. were but dung in respect of the Lord Iesus and that whatsoeuer pleasure on earth may delight the eye or eare 1 Cor. â— 9. of man is by infinite degrees inferiour to those which God hath prepared for his children and therefore passing by both the pleasures of life and terrors of death he fixed his eyes stedfastly vpon that prize of the high calling of Philip. 3. 14. God forgetting all other things he became carefull onely of this one so to runne and fulfill his course with ioy that Act. 20. 24. he might obtaine that crowne This as hee had learned 1. Cor. 9. 25. like a good disciple in the schoole of Christ so like a faithfull Doctor doth he here deliuer it vnto others letting vs see that the onely comfort of a Christian on earth consists in this to know that his name is written in heauen in the booke of life which as in this treatise he confirmeth vnto vs by the inseparable commixion of the lincks of the golden chaine of saluation specially of our calling with our election and glorification so he endeuors to draw the hearts of all the children of God toward it as that maine and onely point wherein true peace and ioy is to be found and without which all other comforts in the world yea Luke 20. 20 though it were superioritie ouer all the Angels of darkenesse in hell and all the bodies of men on earth shall be Iob. 16. 2. found in the end but miserable comforters I may truly say what I haue found in experience that this the Apostles most comfortable treatise to such as can Come and see shall not onely be as the top of Pisgah Deut. 34 to Moses out of which hee saw the promised Canaan but that also the man effectually called shall heare in it the testimony of the heauenly oracle speyking to his heart as cleerely as the Angel did vnto Daniel that hee is a Dan. 9. 13. man beloued of God elected an heire of grace and glory And therefore hauing resolued to make common for the vse of others those comfortable meditations which it pleased God out of this excellent treatise to communicate vnto me I was also after long haesitation emboldned to present them to your Maiestie not as of minde to bring by them any good vnto your Highnesse but begging to them from your sacred name fauourable protection For I humbly acknowledge that from so base a minde as mine is nothing can proceede worthy so great a Maiestie as God hath made you not so much in regard of those famous Kingdomes ouer which your Highnesse stretches out your Scepter as of those gifts of gouernment by which ye rule Your Highnesse hauing receiued from God cum Diademate diuinum oleum cum Sceptro oculum Kingly authoritie with Christian wisedome sacred Maiestie with singular meekenesse being so euident in your Highnesse that by them the worst sort of your Maiesties subiects haue been wonderfully conuinced the better sort confirmed to feare you as their King to loue you as their Father A conquest aboue which no greater can be Cum amari coli diligi maius sit imperio And this is it which hath ouercome in me all contrarie feares arising of the conscience of my weaknesse that when yâ—ur Highnesse great wisedome shall perceiue in these labours my great infirmities yet your Maiestie of your rare meeknesse will fauourably censure them Euen the starres which are obscured in presence of the sunne are profitable in his absence to giue light to the earth and howsoeuer any light that is in these discourses shall vnder your Highnesse eye be indeede but darkenesse yet if with your Highnesse fauor they be allowed to giue such glimmering light as they haue vnto others it shal be no small comfort vnto me and my greatest thankefulnesse shal be declared in my dayly prayers vnto the Lord God for your Maiestie that the name of Iacobs God may defend you from all euill and the Lord may send you help out of his Sanctuarie in all your need according as hee hath done Psal 20. 1. O King beloued of God hated of none but for Gods sake Psal 21. 1. keepe still your heart in the loue of God and his truth Reioyce in the strength of your God and feare not Psal 56. 4. what flesh can doe vnto you Is it not the Lord who Psal 18. 43. set your Highnesse on the throne to be a feeder of his people Israel Is it not the Lord who hath deliuered your Maiestie from the contentions of the people and secret snares of your cursed enimies though the Archers Gen. 49. 23. grieued you hated you and shot at you were not the hands of your armes strengthened by the hands of the Gen. 49. 25. mightie God of Iacob Is it not the almightie who hath blessed your Maiesty with heauenly blessings from aboue with blessings of the depth that lyes beneath with blessings Psal 21. 3. of the breast and wombe Sir let his liberall blessings wherewith the Lord your God hath preuented you be so many obligations binding Psal 18. 50 your Highnesse to honour the Lord who hath honoured Gen. 12. 1. you Let his fore past manifold deliuerances be as so many confirmations that if your Maiestie rest in him and Psal 68. 20. not in man he will still be a buckler vnto you Let Abaddon the King of the Locusts that Romish vsurper rage Reuel 9. 11. Vnto the Lord belongs the issues of death Can Balaam curse where God hath blessed yea can Sathan Numb 23. 8. hurt the man who is hedged by the Lord Let the Iob. 1. 10. Ambassadours
of vertue Ne quis sibi quasi innocens placeat cum Cyprian orat dom innocens nemo sit se extâ—llâ—ndo plus percat instruitur docetur peccare se quotidie dum quotidie pro peccatis iubetur orare that no man saith Cyprian should flatter himselfe as though he wer innocent when as indeed no man is innocent and so by extolling himselfe should perish so much the more he is instructed and taught that he sinnes daylie while as euery day he is commaunded to pray for remission of sinnes but this errour we shall God willing further improue hereafter In the meane time for our comfort let vs consider that Reasons why the Lord suffers sin to remaine in the iustified man Aug. in Ioan. tract 41. albeit the Lord when he iustified vs might haue vtterlie destroyed the life of this sinning sinne in vs yet for waighty causes hath he suffered some life thereof to abide in vs for a time the first is for the exercise of our faith Peccata quorum reatum Soluit Deus ne post hanc vitam obsint manere tamen voluit ad certamen fidei these sinnes saith Augustine 1 For the exercise of our Faith 2. Tim. 2. 5. the guiltinesse whereof God hath loosed that they should not hurt vs in the life to come he will haue to remaine for the exercise of our faith No man is crowned except he striue as he ought and therefore the Lord who hath prepared for vs a Crowne and hath put vpon vs his compleat armour hath also suffered some enemies to remaine against whom we may fight for the tryall of our faith patience and perseuerance euen as the Cananites were left in the Land that the Lord by them might proue the Israelits whether or not they would keepe the way of the Lord to walke in it Secondly some life of sinne is left in vs for our instruction that we may know the better how farre we are oblieged 2 For our instruction that we may know what benefite we haue by Christ to Gods mercy how excellent is that deliuerance which we haue by Iesus Christ Nulla quidem est condemnatio his qui sunt in Christo tamen ad humiliandos nos peccatuÌ„ adhuc patitur viuere in nobis grauiter nos affligere vt Bernard sentiamus quid gratia nobis praestet semper ad illius auxilium recurramus It is true indeed saith Bernard that there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ yet for our humiliation the Lord suffers sinne to liue in vs and oftentimes afflict vs that we may know the benefit wee haue by Grace and make our recourse for helpe vnto it continually And indeed except by experience we felt how powerfull sinne is of it selfe to ouer-rule vs wee could neuer haue knowne that vile bondage and seruitude of sinne vnder which we lay by nature nor that excellent Grace of Christ by which we haue gotten deliuerance And therefore so oft as we are troubled with our inhabitant corruption we are to consider that if the remanents of the old man breed in vs such strong and restlesse tentations how would it tyrannize ouer vs if it were liuing in the full vigour and strength thereof that so wee may praise and magnifie that sauing Grace of the Lord Iesus which hath freed vs from so intollerable a tyrannie Thirdly the Lord hath done this for his owne greater 3 For the greater glory of God and Sathans greater confusion glory like vnto those Victors in battaile who albeit they may yet will not put all their enemies to the edge of the sword some of them they take Captiues and reserues for a while aliue against the day of triumph to be put then to death to their greater shame and the greater honor of their Iosh 10. 23. Conquerors When Ioshua had discomfited those fiue Kings who made warre against Gibeon hee would not slay them in the battaile but enclosed them in a Caue that the battell being ended he might put them to death in sight of all his people and then for their further confirmation he caused his Captaines and chiefe men of warre to tread vpon the necks of those Kings to assure them that after the same manner the Lord should subdue all the rest of their enemies vnder them And so our Captaine and mighty conqueror the Lord Iesus hath by himselfe obtained vnto vs victorie ouer all our enemies those Kings which besieged Gibeon are turned to slight those inordinate affections which held vs Captiues before are now by his power captiued of vs they are closed vp within vs as in a Caue where they remaine with some life but restrained of their former libertie and power and we rest assured that when the battaile shall be finished our Lord Iesus shall altogether spoyle them of their life The God of peace shall shortly tread Sathan vnder Rom. 16. 20. our feete Then Goliah being ouercome his Armie of the Philistines shall flie and no inordinate desire shall be left within vs. Thus we see how the Lord permits his enemie to liue and will not fully torment him before the time it is not because he wants power to subdue him sed vt â—o magis Ciril Catech. 8. confundatur but that so much the more he may confound him When as all the warriours of God as well those who are to come in the last age of the world as those who were in the fore-front of the battaile haue foughten against him and ouercome him then shall the Loâ—d Iesus put all his 1. Cor. 15. 25. enemies vnder his feet Yea euen now in the very time of the conflict is Sathan wonderfully confounded in this that How Sathan is daily confounded in the godly notwithstanding the Serpent keepe his sting yet there is no deadly power in it This vncircumcised Goliah hath that same sword in his hand by which he hath slaine many one the Lord permits him also to strike the Christian man therwith but he sees himselfe it is in vaine O how doth he returne ashamed and confounded when hauing gotten leaue to shoot out his sting and to strike with his accustomed sword of sinne those whom he hateth vnto death he perceiues that for all he can doe there remaines in them a seed of life which cannot be destroyed But that the greatnesse of this benefite which wee haue Christians are not exempted from the condemnatory sentence of men by Iesus Christ may the better appeare let vs see what a condemnation this is from which we are deliuered In the Scriptures there is ascribed to man a iudging by which he absolueth or condemneth there is also ascribed to God a iudging by which hee absolueth or condemneth As for mans condemnation we are not exempted from it Daniel condemned for a Rebell Ioseph condemned for an Adulterer Ioâ— condemned of his friends for an Hypocrit our Sauiour condemned for an Enemie to Câ—sar his
heart toward God that the affection which this day is behinde coldest in the loue of God slowest to obey him should the next day be made formost In hac enim vita non progredi est regredi cum nihil Bern. ser de ordine c. adhuc in eodem statu permaneat for in this life nothing standeth in one state it is most certaine that hee that goes not forward goes backward yet I would not so be vnderstood as if the Christian had not his owne fainting and falling in the way of godlinesse yet blessed be God who keepes our soules in life we so â—aint that we reuiue we so fall that wee rise againe of our former follies wee learne to be wise of the experience of our weaknesse wee gather strength wee walke the more warily because so oft wee haue stumbled and fallen of our sinnes we make vantage verus poenitens semper est in dolore timore he who is truly penitent walkes alway in sorrow and feare in sorrow because be hath fallen so oft in feare least he should fall againe And thus much concerning the generall proposition Verse 2. For the law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed me from the law of sinne and of death HItherto we haue heard that generall proposition 2 Confirmation of his Proposition of comfort belonging to the Christian Now followes the Confirmation thereof hee hath said there is no condemnation to them whâ— The Apostle confirmes his generall proposition are in Christ Now he proues it There is in Christ Iesus a liuely working power which â—reeth all that are in him from the law of sinne and of death therefore to them who are in Christ there can be no condemnation for wee being freed from sinne what can condemne vs How Christ hath freed vs from the law of sinne he explaines in the next two verses there is in sinne a twofold law that is a twofold power first a commaunding power secondly a condemning power but in Christ there is a law that is a power of the liuely spirit or a liuely spirituall power deliuering vs from them both For first from the condemning power of Shewing how we are deliuered both from the commaunding and condemning power of sinne sinne hee shewes we are deliuered by the merit of Christs death and suffering in the flesh whereby he hath condemned sinne which merit imputed to vs that are in him doth so free vs that sinne hath no force nor power to condemne vs in iudgement and this he handleth in the third verse Secondly he shewes how we are deliuered from the commaunding power of sinne by the liuely vertue of Iesus Christ which being communicated vnto vs quickneth vs and maketh vs to begin to fulfill the righteousnesse of the law so that refusing to walke after the flesh we endeauour to walke after the spirit and this he handles in the fourth verse shewing that the end why Christ hath condemned sinne in his flesh is that he might sanctifie vs to the obedience of his holy law whereunto at the last he shall make vs fully conformable Thus you see how that former ground of comfort is confirmed vnto vs howsoeuer by nature wee were vnder the law of sinne and consequently vnder damnation yet now by Christ we are freed from all law of sin and so freed also from condemnation The phrases vsed here by the Apostle makes his purpose Phrases vsed by the Apostle expounded seeme to be the more obscure therefore will we first explane them This phrase the spirit of life in Christ is more significant than that well it can be expressed in so few effectuall termes The Apostle was sent a Doctor to the Gentiles yet doth he labour earnestly to conuert the Iewes for both their edifications hee so tempers his stile that speaking to the Gentiles in the Grecian language hee keepes the Hebrew phrase which as I said makes his speech appeare the harder The spirit of life in Christ then is no other thing but the life of Christ like that Reuel 11. 11. Againe the law of the spirit of life in Christ is no other thing but that forcible working liuely power which is in Christ for it is customable to the holy Apostle to vse the word law to expresse any thing wherein there is a commaunding or working power so he hath ascribeth a law to sinne a law to his members a law to death and now very properly hee oppones vnto them a law of the spirit of life in Christ which is more liuely and powerfull to saue to free and to quicken then any law that hath contrary power can be able to destroy captiue or slay them who are in Christ Thus the words being expounded the first lesson will arise Our aduersaries Sathan sin and death are strong but our Sauiour is stronger out of the Apostles manner of speech who ascribing to sinne and death a law which may condemne and destroy ascribes to Christ a more powerfull law to iustifie and preserue Most sure then is our estate who are in Iesus Christ for there is a power in our Lord which shall bring euery contrary power of man and Angell in subiection to him Comfort that tyrant sinne hath indeede oppressed and ouer-ruled many a one but our Lord Iesus the valiant conquerour hath a mighty power able to disanull the law of sinne and Sathan is that strong one who by nature possesses the heart of man as his owne house but Iesus is that stronger one who will dispossesse him and cast him out of the hearts of all such as are his The God of peace shall shortly tread Sathan vnder our feet and therefore suppose we be weake in Rom. 16. 20. our selues yet we will reioyce in the strength of the Lord Iesus Secondly we learne here that without Christ we liued In what a vile bondage wee liued by nature in a vile seruitude and bondage of all seruants those are in worst case who are sould and of those who are sould they are worst who must doe seruice in prison and of them who are in prison most lamentable is their estate who are chayned and bound in prison yet such seruants were we by nature before Christ made vs free we were not onely the seruants of sinne and sould vnder sinne as witnesseth the Apostle but more also we were as saith Esay captiued and bound with chaines in prison the Iaylour whereof is infidelitie for we were all shut vp vnder vnbeliefe a Iaylour so straite and tyrannous as permitted vs not so long as we were in his keeping so much as to lift vp our head or looke vp to heauen for deliuerance from him from whom onely comes our helpe Our oppressors in this bondage are Sathan and Sinne and sinnes of so many sorts as doe miserably distract the soule Pride one while vsurping dominion ouer vs Auarice another while vendicating a seat to her selfe with power to commaund
forth and nourished free men vnto Iacob but remayned themselues in the state of bond women from this vnhappie condition the Lord deliuer vs and make vs partakers of that mercie and grace whereof hee hath made vs Preachers and professors From the Law of sinne and death Heere the Apostle shewes from what it is that we are deliuered Dauid saith many deliuerances giueth the Lord to his annoynted he spake Psal 18. 51. it of himselfe and it is true of all the Children of God By a great deliuerance he saued Noah in the deluge Lot in the burning of Sodome Israel out of Egypt Ioseph in the prison Daniel in the denne the three Children in the sierie furnace but all these are small if they be compared with this deliuerance from sinne and death Where first we learne how the Apostle conioynes these Sinne death God hath conioyned who shall seperate them two sinne and death if we be deliuered from the first wee shall also be deliuered from the second but if wee abide in the first we shall be sure not to escape the second if therefore Sathan say vnto vs as he did to our first Parents though yâ—u eatâ—â—f this forbidden tree yee shall not dye let vs answere him he hath proued already a shamelesse lyar and we are not any more to credit him that same penaltie lyes vpon euery sinne which was layd vpon the first if ye doe it ye shall die God hath conioyned them and who shal seperate them though the Lord speake not instantly to euery sinner as he did to Abimelech behold thou art but dead because Gen. 20. 3. of this sinne yet is it true of euery sinne when it is finished it brings out death So soone as Ionas entred into the Sea saith Chris hom 5. ad popu Ant. Chrisostome the storme rose to teach vs that Vbi peccatum ibi procella where there is sinne specially committed with rebellion there will not faile to arise a storme of the wrath of God It is true indeed the sinner in committing of sinne doth What a deceiuer Sathan is in tempting to sinne not perceiue this being blinder than Balaam he walkes on in an euill course and sees not the sword of Gods vengeance which is before him but imagines alway to reape some good either of profit or pleasure by committing of sinne for these are Sathans two baites vnder which hee couers his deadly hookes It is therefore a point of singular wisedome to decerne betweene the deceit of sinne present and the fruit of sinne to come betweene that which Sathan promiseth and that which we finde in experience performed He promised to our Parents that they should be made like vnto God but in very deede hee made them miserable like himselfe And if thou wilt also obserue that which thou findest in thy owne experience what fruit hast thou of a Rom. 6. 11. sinne when thou hast committed it doth not darknesse arise in thy minde heauinesse in thy heart terrour feare and accusing cogitations in thy conscience Euery man may finde it who list to marke it by moe then a thousand experiences in himselfe that Sathan is a shamelesse deceiuer yea more deceitfull then Laban who promised to giue to Iacob Gen. 34. beautifull Rahel but in the darke he gaue him bleare-eyed Leah be assured he will change thy wages promise thee one thing and pay thee with another As Hamor spake to his Sichemites so doth Sathan to his blind-folded Citizens he perswaded his people that if they would be circumcised all Iacobs substance and cattell should be theirs but indeed the contrary ensued for the goods of the Sichemites befell to the house of Iacob and they themselues perished by the sword Let vs therefore beware of the inuenomed tongue of the Diuell mentitur vt fallat vitam pollicetur vt perimat Cypr. lib. 1. Epist. 8. he lyes that he may deceiue he promiseth life that he may inflict death say he what he will let vs beleeue the word of the Lord confirmed by dolefull daily experience the wages of sinne is death God hath knit them together and who shall seperate them So oft then as Sathan by the deceit of sinne would beguile Sinne seemes sweet but the fruit thereof is bitter thee remember that though sinne seeme to be sweet the fruit thereof is exceeding bitter if thou feare not sinne feare that end whereunto sinne leades thee dulce peccatum sed amara mors sinne is sweet but death is bitter remember that the wages which Sathan promiseth and man would haue hee shall not get but the wages which God threatneth and man would not haue shall assuredly be payed him for this is the miserie of those who walke in their sinnes illud propter quod peccant hic dimittunt ipsa peccata Aug. hom 42. sâ—cum portant that for which they sinne they leaue it behinde them and carrie their sinnes away out of the world with them So that in the end when they shall gather the profite of all their former sinnes into a summe they shall find no other but that fore-told by the Apostle What profit Rom. 6. 21. haue ye now of all those things whereof ye are ashamed surely there is no fruit but shame and death to be pluckt from the forbidden tree of sinne But heere it may be obiected by the weake conscience Comfort for the godly who are troubled with the tentations of sinne of the godly how can this comfort be ours that wee are freed from sinne who find our selues so continually assaulted yea oftentimes oppressed of sinne For answere let vs marke that the Apostle saith not wee are fully freed from sinne in this life but we are freed from the law of sinne that is both from the commanding and condemning power thereof Sinne doth not now raigne in our mortall bodies as before neither hath it power any more to detaine vs vnder death But as for the temptations of sinne there is no sort of men more troubled with them then they whom God hath begunne to deliuer from the Law of sinne for Sathan being impatient of his losse seekes daily to recouer his former dominion From the time that once the Gibeonites made peace for themselues with Ioshua all the rest of Ioshua 9. the Kings of Canaan made warre against them and so soone as we enter into a couenant with the Lord Iesus Sathan shal not faile the more hereely to assault vs seeking to recouer his old possession yet if as the Gibeonits did we send speedily messengers to our Iehosua to shew him how wee are troubled for his sake hee shall not with-draw his helping hand from vs. Our deliuerance from sinne is begunne now but not Our begun deliuerance from sinne the Lord shall perfect 1. Cor. 1 8. Phil. 1. 6. perfected but we know that our God is faithfull by whom we are called hee shall also confirme vs to the end Euen hee who
hath begunne this good worke in vs will performe it vntill the day of Christ As the Angell who deliuered Peter out of prison appeared to him with a shining light in the darke prison smote him vpon his side and wakened him out of his sleepe made his chaines to fall from him and caused him to arise and follow him went still before him to leade him in the way through all impediments and departed not from him till he had entred him within the Cittie of Ierusalem so the spirit of our Lord Iesus who hath once come downe vpon vs in this prison and hath lightned our darknesse wakened vs out of our dead securitie and loosed the chaines of our sinnes wherewith we were bond shall abide continually with vs gouerning vs with his light and truth till he haue entred vs within the portes of heauenly Ierusalem Blessed be the Lord where before we were the captiues of sinne now the course of the battell is changed sinne is become our captiue through Christ it remaineth in vs not as a commander but as a captiue of the Lord Iesus it is true the boltes of sinne are yet vpon our hands and feet to admonish vs of our former miserable thraldome we draw as yet the chaines of sinne after vs which makes vs indeede goe forward the more slowly but are not able to detaine vs in that bondage wherein we lay before And as concerning our deliuerance from death wee are How we are deliuered from death both first and second to know that death is two-fold the first and second the first is a separation of the soule from the body the second is a separation of them both from the Lord. Mors prima Aug. de ciuit dei li. 21. ca. 3 pellit animam nolentem de corpore mors secunda detinet animam nolentem in corpore The first death expels the soule against the will out of the body the second death compels the soule against the will to abide in the body for vnto the greater augmentation of their paine as they were companions of sinne so shall they be compelled to abide companions of punishment This second death hath three degrees the first is when Second death hath three degrees the soule by sinne is separated from the Lord the second is when the body by the power of that curse due to sinne is turned into dust and the soule is sent to hell the third is when both soule and body being ioyned together againe in the resurrection shall be banished from the presence of the Lord and cast into vtter darknesse And it is called the second death because it is executed vpon the wicked after their first death otherwise the first death that euer came into the world was the first degree of the second death Mors Aug. de verb. Apost ser 33. animae praecessit anima deserente Deum mors corporis sequâ—ta est anima deserente corpus deseruit Deum volens anima coacta est deserere corpus nolens the death of the soule went before the soule departing from God and the death of the body followed the soule departing from the body How Christians are exercised with terrors of conscience which in the owne nature are forerunners of the second death the soule departed from God willingly therefore is compelled vnwillingly to depart out of the body Now from both these deaths wee are deliuered by the Lord Iesus for our soules being freed from sinne are reconciled with God and so exempted from that wrath which is to come For albeit the deere children of God be sometime exercised with inward terrours of conscience which in their owne nature are fore-runners of these paynes prepared for the wicked and are as the smoake of that fire which afterward shall torment them yet vnto the godly their nature is changed they are sent vnto them not to seperate them from the Lord but to draw their hearts neerer vnto him and to worke in them a greater conformity with Christ And as for the first death wee are so deliuered from it The nature of the first death changed to the Christian that albeit in the owne nature it be the Centre of all miseries and a fearefull effect of Gods curse on man for sinne yet to the godly the nature thereof is also changed so that now it is not the death of the man but the death of sinne Amb. de bono mort cap. 4. in the man mors est scpultura vltiorum death saith Ambroâ— is the buriall of all vices As the worme which is bred in the tree saith Chrisostome doth at last consume it so death which is brought out by sin doth at the length consume and destroy sinne in the children of God Finally death is the progresse and accomplishment of the full mortification of all our earthly members wherein that filthie fluxe of sinne is dryed vp at an instant It is a voluntarie sacrificing of the whole man soule and body to the Lord the greatest and highest seruice wee can doe to him in the earth for where in the course of our life we are continually fighting against our inordinate lusts and affections to bring them in subiection to Christ by death as it were with one stroke they are all smitten and slaine and the soule is offered vp to God in a sacrifice of full and perfect obedience Verse 3. For that that was impossible to the Law in as much as it was weake because of the flesh God sending his owne Sonne in the similitude of sinfull â—â—â—sh and that for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh THE Apostle hauing set downe in the first 3 Explication of the confirmation Here followes an explication of the confirmation of his generall proposition Verse a Proposition of Comfort belonging to them who are in Christ and confirmed it in the second he proceedeth now to the explication of the Confirmation declaring how it is that Christ hath freed vs from the law of sinne and first he shewes how Christ hath freed vs from the condemning power of sinne in this verse namely that he taking vpon him our nature and therewithall the burden of our sinnes hath condemned sin 1 He shewes how we are freed from the condemning power of sinne The law could not saue vs. in his blessed body and so disanulled it that it hath no power to condemne vs. And this benefit he amplifies shewing that by no other meanes we could obtaine it for where without Christ there is but one way for men to come to life namely the obseruance of the law he lets vs see it was impossible for the law to saue vs and least it should seeme that he blamed the law he subioynes that this impotencie of the Law to saue vs proceedes from our selues because that wee through fleshly corruption which is in vs cannot fulfill that righteousnesse which the law requires This impotencie of the Law appeareth by these two Impotencie of the
and holinesse the reason why the Israelites bound 2. Sam. 19. 9. themselues to giue subiection and obedience to Dauid was that he had deliuered them from the hand of the Philistins the same reason Ezra vsed to the Iewes returned from captiuitie to make them obedient to the Lord Seeing thou O Ezra 9. 13. Lord hath giuen vs such deliuerances shall we returne any more to breake thy Commaundements but much more should it binde vs to doe seruice to our Lord Iesus seeing hee hath made vs free by his blood shall we againe make our selues the seruants of sinne The Lord neuer shewed a greater Professors conuinced that serue him not mercie on man then this that he gaue his sonne Iesus Christ vnto the death for vs and there can be no higher contempt done to God by man then if after so great a loue shewed vs wee shall still refuse to be his seruants much will be required of him to whom much is giuen those Gentiles to whom the Lord reuealed himselfe in goodnesse onely as their Creator because they did not glorifie him the Apostle saith that the wrath of God was reuealed from heauen vpon them and what wrath then maist thou looke for to whom the Lord hath manifested himselfe in mercy also as thy Redeemer in Christ and yet thou will not glorifie him thou receiuest not him whom thy Father hath sent vnto thee neyther wilt thou liue vnto him that gaue himselfe to dye for thee but by thy wicked life thou crucifiest againe the Sonne of God and treadest vnder thy feet the blood of the new couenant certainely Sodome and Gomorrha shall be in an easier estate in the day of iudgement then the wicked of this generation For in this last age the Lord hath spoken to vs by his Son he hath none greater to send after him those labourers of the vineyard that slew the Seruants of the great King were not for that instantly punished but when the Sonne came and they had murthered him also then was their iudgement no longer delayed It was not written for the Iewes onely in whom it was first accomplished but for vs also to whom the Father in this last age hath sent his owne Sonne and by whom hee hath spoken vnto vs from himselfe if we despise him there remaines no more but a violent looking for of iudgement The third dutie is that for Christs sake we loue vnfainedly Loue to those whom he hath bidden loue for his sake those whom hee hath recommended vnto vs our goodnesse cannot extend vnto the Lord neither haue wee him walking with vs vpon earth that we may minister vnto him may wash his feete and annoint his blessed bodie with precious oyntments therefore should our delight be vpon those his excellent ones that are vpon earth When Ionathan was dead Dauid for Ionathans sake shewed kindnesse to Mephibosheth our Ionathan is not dead hee liues and raignes in heauen yet can we not declare our kindnesse to himselfe let vs seeke some Mephibosheth some of Christs little weake and impotent children of whom he hath said what ye doe to one of these little ones for my sake is done to me and let vs shew kindnesse vnto them for the great loue which the Lord Iesus hath shewed vnto vs. And that for sinne These words containe the end of Christ came to destroy sin cursed are they who nourish it Christs manifestation in the flesh which is that in our nature he might beare the punishment of our sinnes satisfie the iustice of God and so abolish sinne Sanit Iohn makes this cleare when he saith that he appeared to destroy the workes of the diuell that is sinne for sinne being remooued there is nothing in man but the workmanship of God By this it is euident how highly they offend God who abuse the death of Christ to nourish themselues in their sinne being the bolder to commit sinne because Christ dyed for them surely this is to turne the grace of God into wantonnesse The Lord came to abolish sinne not to nourish it 1. Pet. 3. 18. Christ once suffered the iust for the vniust not that we should still abide vniust but that he might bring vs to God Thou therefore who continuest vniust mayst say as thou hast heard that there is a Sauiour come into the world but can not say in truth that there is a Sauiour come to thee For where Christ comes he worketh that worke for which hee came namely he destroyes the worke of the diuell that is he enfeebles and abolishes at the last the power of sinne Condemned sinne Sin by a metaphor is said to be condemned How Christ hath condemned sinne for as thy who are condemned are depriued of all the liberty power and priuiledges they had before and haue no more any place to appeare in iudgement so hath the Lord Iesus disanulled sinne that it hath now no power to commaund and condemne vs hee hath spoyled principalities and powers and triumphed ouer them in the Crosse Colos 2. 24. and hath nayled vnto it the obligation of ordinances which was against vs and so sustulit illam quasi authoritatem peccati Ambrose in hunc locum qua homines detinebat in inferno hath taken away that power and authoritie of sinne whereby it detained men vnder damnation This hath he done most lawfully and in iudgement as we shall heare bearing our sinnes in his blessed bodie on the Crosse he hath suffered that punishment which the law required to be inflicted on man for sinne and that in the flesh that is in the same nature of man which had offended For this word of Condemnation imports a iust and lawful Two head or chiefe iustice Courts holden by God proceeding of a Iudge in iudgement which that we may the better vnderstand let vs consider that there are two generall and head iustice Courts which the Lord hath set vnto men the one is holden already the other is to be holden 1 In the first the sinnes of all Gods elect are condemned in the first the sinnes of all the elect are lawfully condemned that themselues may be absolued in the second the persons of all the reprobate shall be iustly condemned In the first by the ordinance of God the Father our sinnes were laid vpon the backe of Iesus Christ and a law imposed to him which was neuer giuen to any other neither Angell or man to wit the law of a Mediator that he should make vp peace betweene God and man loue God in such sort that he should by suffering preserue the glory of his Fathers iustice and yet make manifest the glory of his mercy that he should loue his brethren in such sort that hee should take the burden of their transgressions vpon him which as by the Father it was enioyned vnto him so did he willingly vndertake it And therefore hauing our sinnes imputed vnto him he presented himselfe for vs vpon the Crosse as vpon a
pannell before the Iudge to vnder-lye the law which craued that our sinnes should be punished to the death The decree according to the law is executed death yea an accursed death as the punishment of sinne is laide vpon Christ whereupon there followes of equitie an absolution of all those for whom the Lord Iesus suffered as Cautioner their sinne is condemned and made of no force to condemne them hereafter The other generall iustice court 2 In the second the persons of all the wicked shall be condemned will be holden in the last day wherein all flesh must appeare before the Lord as their superiour and in that supreame and last Court of iustice shall be condemned the persons of all those whose sinnes were not condemned before in Christ Iesus onely therefore blessed are they who are in Christ He that heares my words and belieues in him that sent me hath Ioh. 5. 24. euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life And lastly we may obserue here what a powerfull Sauiour Christ did greatest works when to mans iudgement he was weakest wee haue when to the iudgement of man hee was weakest then did hee the greatest worke that euer was done in the world hee was powerfull in working of miracles in his life but more powerfull in his death for then he darâ—ened the Sunne he shooke the earth hee made the rockes to cleaue he rent the vale of the temple a sunder and caused the dead to rise Mortuum Caesarem quis metuâ—t sed morte Cyp. de duplici mâ—rtirio Christi quid efficacius if Caesar be once dead who will feare Christ euen when he is dead is terrible to his enemies nothing can be more effectuall then his death By it he did a greater worke than was the creation of the world by it he brought in new heauens and a new earth by suffering death he destroyed him who had the power of death when hee was condemned of man he condemned sinne that it should not condemne man passus est vt infirmus operatus vt fortis August de temp ser 7. Macar hom 11. he suffered as a weake man but wrought as a strong one â—icut serpens mortum c. As that Serpent without life erected by Moses in the wildernesse ouercame the liuing Serpents that stung Israell so the Lord Iesus by suffering death hath slaine that serpent that liuing in vs had stung vs Chris hom 2. in Math. vnto death Hic vides mortem morte peremptam maledictum maledicto extinctum per quae Diabolus iam antea valebat per ea ipsa tyrannidem ipsius esse destructam here thou seest saith Chrisostome death slaine by death and the tyrannie of Sathan destroyed by those same meanes by which before most of all he preuailed O wonderfull worke surely the weakenesse of God is Christ a powerfull Sauiour stronger then Sampson yea stronger then that strong one stronger then man he is that strong One indeed stronger then Sampson When the Philistines thought they had him sure within the ports of Azzah he arose at midnight and tooke the doores of the gates of the Cittie and the two posts and carried them away with the bars thereof on his shoulders vp to the top of the mountaine which is before Iudg. 16. 1. Hebron but our mighty Conquerour and deliuerer the Lord Iesus hath in a more excellent manner magnified his power for being closed in the graue clasped in the bands of death and a stone rolled to the mouth of the graue the Sepulcher sealed and guarded with souldiers he rose againe the third day before the rising of the Sunne he carried like a victor the bars and posts of death away as vpon his shoulders and vpon the mount of Oliues he ascended on high leading captiuitie captiue Like as therefore wee receiued before great comfort Christs power yeelds vs great comfort through the consideration of Christs incomprehensible loue toward vs so is it now confirmed by the meditation of his power Let Sathan boast like Rabsache that the Lord 2. Reg. 18. 35. is not able to deliuer Ierusalem out of his hands hee is but a blasphemous Lyar the Lord will rebuke him and will shortly tread Sathan vnder our feete it is the curse of the wicked he shall be oppressed and there shall be none to deliuer Deut. 28. 29. him but blessed be the Lord who hath prouided a strong deliuerer for vs who certainly shall set vs free from our enemies and destroy all the oppressours of our soules Psal 143. 12. Glory therefore be vnto him for euer Verse 4. That the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in vs who walke not after the Flesh but after the Spirit THe Apostle hauing taught vs in the former 2 Here followes the second member of the explication wherein hee shewes how we are deliuered from the commanding power of sinne Ephes 5. 26. verse how the Lord Iesus hath freed vs from the condemning power of sin doth now let vs see how wee are freed also from the commanding power of sin for he sets downe this to be the first and neerest end of Christs death in respect of vs the renouation of our nature and conformity thereof with God his holy law which he expresses more cleerely in another place when he saith that Christ gaue himselfe to the death for his Church that he might sanctifie it and make it to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blame This is the end which Christ hath proposed vnto himselfe and whereof he cannot be frustrate as he hath begun it so he shall finish it he shall conforme vs to the law the righteousnesse thereof shall be fulfilled in vs there shall not be left in our nature so much as a sinfull motion or desire but hee shall at the last present vs pure and without blame to his Father This righteousnesse of the law I vnderstand to be that How the riâ—hteousnesse of the law is fulfilled in vs. perfect obedience to the Commandements thereof which the law requires flowing from the perfect loue of God and our neighbour and it is fulfilled in vs two manner of wayes first by application or imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs he is our head and we his members and are so vnited with him that now we are not to be taken as sundry but as one body with him By vertue of the which communion it comes to passe that that which is ours is his that which is his is ours so that in our head wee haue fulfilled the law satisfied Gods iustice for our sinnes Secondly it will be fulfilled in vs by our perfect sanctification though now we haue but begun obedience and in part the Lord Iesus at the last shall bring it in vs to perfection The Iesuites of Rhemes in their marginall
whose then shall Sinne causes the Lord to deny his owne creatures hee be certainely hee is the vassall of Sathan the Lord shall deny him the Lord shall disclaime him as not belonging to him depart from mee yee workers of iniquitie I know not whence you are O the bitter fruit of sinne which Luke 13. 27. causes the Lord to deny that creature to be his which once he made to his owne image Let vs therefore hate our sinne vnto death let vs in time make hast to depart from iniquitie which shall at the last draw on that sentence vpon the wicked depart from me The Lord deliuer vs from it through Iesus Christ Verse 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne but the Spirit is lifâ— for righteousnesse sake HItherto hath the Apostle comforted the Christian 2 Consolation against the fruit of sin specially against death whereunto we are subiect against the remanents of sinne now he comforts him against the fruites and effects of sinne which he findeth in himselfe The godly might haue obiected ye haue said before the fruit of carnall wisedome is death are wee not subiect vnto death and so of the fruites and effects of sinne what can we iudge but that we are carnall To this he answeres first by a confession it is true that the body is dead because of sinne but if Christ be in you the spirit through his righteousnesse is endued with life yee are not therfore so much to conclude that yee are carnall because death through sinne is entred into your bodies as to confirme your selues in this that life through the righteousnesse of Christ is communicated to your soule and so the summe of his comfort will be this the death whereunto you are subiect is neither totall The death whereunto we are subiect is neither totall nor perpetuall nor perpetuall that it is not totall he declares in this verse for it strikes not vpon the whole man but vpon the weakest part of man which is his body as for his most excellent part which is his soule it is partaker of a life that is not subiect vnto death That it is not perpetuall he declares in the next verse our bodies shall not bide for euer vnder the bands of death the spirit of Christ that now dwels in them shall at the last raise them vp from death and cloath them with immortality and incorruptibility If Christ be in you Before the Apostle bring in his comfort The Comforts of God are not common to all men indifferently Mat. 10. 12. 13. he permits a condition to teach vs that the comforts of God belong not indifferently vnto all men he who is a stranger from Christ hath nothing to doe with these comforts When our Sauiour commaunded his Disciples to proclaime peace vnto euery house they came to he foretold them it should abide onely with the sonnes of peace he forbad them in like manner to giue those things which were holy vnto dogs or to cast pearles before Swine This Math. 7. 6. stands a perpetuall Law to all Preachers that they presume not to proclaime peace to the impenitent and vnbeleeuing but as Iehu spake to Iehorams horseman What hast thou to doe with peace so are we to tell the wicked who walke still 2. Kin. 9. 18. on in their sinnes that they haue nothing to doe with that peace preached by the Gospell Secondly if we compare the former verse with this t we Christ dwelling in vs is by his spirit no carnall presence required to make our vnion with him shall see that the manner of Christs dwelling in his children is by his Spirit To make vp our vnion with Christ it is not needfull that his humane nature should be drawne down from heauen or that his body should be euery where as the Vbiquitaries affirme or that in the Sacrament the bread should be transubstantiate into his body as the Papists imagine his dwelling in vs is by his spirit and our vnion with him is spirituall neyther yet by so saying doe we diuide his two natures for they are inseparably vnited in one personall vnion which vnion doth not for all that import that his humane nature is extended ouer all as his diuine nature is The heauens must containe him till he come againe Noli dubitare ibi esse hominem Christum vnde venturus est Act. 3. 21. Aug. epist 57 ad Dardan Put it out of doubt that the man Christ Iesus is in that place from whence he shall come Keepe faithfully that Christian confession He is risen from the death ascended vnto Heauen and sits at the right hand of the Father and that he shall come from no other place but from Heauen to iudge the quicke and the dead and he addeth that which the Angell said to his Disciples this Iesus who is taken vp from you Act. 1. 11. into heauen shall so come as ye haue seene him goe into heauen that is saith Augustine in eadem carnis forma atque substantia cui profecto immortalitatem dedit naturam non abstulit that is in that same forme substance of flesh to the which he hath giuen immortalitie but hath not taken away the nature thereof Secundum hanc non est putandum quod vbique est diffusus vbique per id quod Deus in coelo autem per id quod homo according to his nature we are not to thinke that he is in euery place it is true that as God hee is euery where but as man he is in the heauens and this for the condition Now to the comfort we haue by Iesus Christ a threefold The comfort of Ethnikes ahainst death not comparable to ours and our courage inferior to theirs comfort against death whereof two onely here are touched The first that the death whereunto we are subiect is not totall The second that the nature and qualitie of our bodilie death is changed The third that it is not perpetuall the body shall not for euer lye vnder death The Ethnicks had also their owne silly comforts but nothing comparable to ours Nazianzen records that Cleopatra Queene of Aegypt demaunding of certaine learned men what kinde of death was without the bitter sense of paine receiued this answere there is no death without dolour but that death was most gentle which was brought on by the Serpent Aspis and namely that kinde thereof which is called Hypnale be cause they whose flesh is enuenomed with the poyson therof doe incontinently sleepe vnto death for which cause also shee made choyse of it And Seneca being by Nero to be executed to death got it left to his owne pleasure as great fauour shewed vnto him to make choyse of any death he pleased he chose to bleed to death in hote water Others among them that offered themselues to most fearefull deaths such as Curtius Regulus and others had no comfort to sustaine them but a
silly hope of immortall fame of their affection to their country It was saith Augustine the silly comfort of the Gentiles against the want of buriall Coelo tegitur qui non habet vrnam and as comfortlesse is the comfort of many bastard Christians which stands onely in a fayre Sepulcher prouided before hand for themselues in an honourable buriall commanded expected of them before death and in abundance of worldly things which they leaue to theirs behinde them all which as saith the same Father viuorum sunt solatia non mortuorum are comforts to them that liue behinde but no help to them who are dead I note this that considering the magnanimitie of these Ethnicks in suffering of death notwithstanding the weake and small comforts which they had to sustaine them we may be ashamed of our pusillanimitie who hauing from Christ most excellent comforts against death are afraide at the smallest remembrance thereof An euident argument that albeit Tit. 1. 16. many proâ—â—sse him yet few are pertakers of his power life and grace that many hath him dwelling in their mouths in whose hearts he dwelleth not by his spirit The body is dead Hee sayes not the body is subiect to Our bodies are not onely mortall but deâ—d death but by a more significant manner of speech he saith the body is dead There is a difference betweene a mortall body and a dead body Adams body before the fall was mortall that is subiect to a possibility of dying but now after the fall our bodies are so mortall that they are subiect to a necessity of dying yea if wee will here with the Apostle esteeme of death by the beginning thereof our bodies are dead already The Officers and Sergeants of death which are dolours infirmities and heauie diseases hath câ—ased already The Officers of death hath bound vs already vpon our bodies marked them as lodgings which shortly must be the habitation of death so that there is no man who is not presently dead in some part or other of his body Not onely is the sentence giuen out against vs thou â—rt dust and to dust thou shalt returne but is begun to be Gen. 3. 19. executed our carkasses are bound with cords by the Officers of death and our life is but like that short time which is graunted to a condemned man betweene his doome and his execution all which the Apostle liuely expresses when he sayes the body is dâ—ad 1 Thereâ—ore should we liue in the body vnder feare 1. Pet. 1. 12. Phil. 2. 12. Whereof there arises vnto vs many profitable instructions and first what great neede wee haue as wee are commaunded to passe the time of our dwelling here in feare working out our owne saluation in feare and trembling seeing our sinnes haue cast vs into the hands of the first death shall we not cry without ceasing that we may be deliuered from the power of the second Alas it is pittifull that man should so farre forget himselfe as to reioyce in the time of his miserie to passe ouer the dayes of his mortall life in vanity and wantonnesse considering how the first death is already entred into his carkasse nor foreseeing how hee may be The pittifull securitie of carnall professâ—rs deliuered from the second but liues carelesse like to the Apostates of the old world who in the middest of their sinfull pleasures were sodainly washed away with the waters of the wrath of God and their spirits for disobedience sent vnto the prison where now they are and like those Philistims who banquetting in the platforme of their house of Dagon their God hauing minde of nothing but eating drinking and sporting not knowing that their enemie was within were sodainely ouerthrowne and their banquetting house made their buriall place so shall it be with all the wicked who liuing in a dead body cares for nothing but how to please themselues in their sinne the pillar of their Psal 58. 9. Psal 73. 19. house shall be pulled downe destruction shall come vpon him like a whirlewind and in a moment shall sodaine desolation ouertake them 2 Death entred into the body should represse our naturall pride And let this same meditation represse in vs that poyson of pride the first sinne that euer sprung forth of our nature next to infidelitie and last in rooting out Wilt thou consider O man that thou art but dead and that thy body be it neuer so strong or beautifull is but a lodging of death and what cause shalt thou haue to waxe proud for any thing Bernard that is in the flesh quid tu superbis terra cinis si superbientibus Angelis non pepercit deus quanto minus tibi putredo vermis what hast thou to doe to be proud O dust and ashes if God spared not the Angels when they waxed proud will he spare thee who art but a rotten creature yea Vermis crastino moriturus a worme that must dye to morrow Au. ser 21. If so was done to an Angell saith Bernard what shall become of me ille intumuit in coelo ego in sterquilinio he was pust vp in heauen and therefore was cast downe from the place of his abhomination if I waxe proud lying in a dung-hill shall I not be punished and cast downe into hell So oft therefore as corrupt nature stirreth vp the heart of man to pride because of the flowers of beautie and strength that grow out of it let this humble thee thy flowers O man cannot but wither for the roote from which they spring is dead already And lastly is the body dead then learne temperance and 3 Should learne vs temperance and sobrietie sobrietie what auaileth it to pamper that carkasse of thine with excessiue seeding which is possessed by death already if men tooke the tenth part of that care to present their spirits holy and without blame vnto the Lord which they take to make their bodies fat and beautifull in the eyes of men they might in short time make greater progresse in godlinesse then they haue done but herein is their folly Carnem preciosis rebus impinguant c. they make fat their Bernard flesh with delicate things which within few dayes the worms shall deuoure Animam vero non adornant bonis operibus but beautifies not the Soule with good works which shortly is to be presented vnto God Let vs refraine from the immoderate pampering of this flesh Meates are ordained for the belly and the belly for meates but God will destroy them 1 Cor. 6. 13. both We haue here moreouer discouered vnto vs the shamelesse Sathans shamelesse impudencie discouered impudencie of Sathan who daily tempting man to sin promiseth vnto him some good by committing of it as boldly as if he had neuer falsified his promise before He promised to our Parents in Paradise that if they did eate of the fruit of the forbidden tree they should become like vnto
God but what performed he in stead of making man like vnto God he made him like vnto himselfe yet as I said so shamelesse is that lying Spirit that he dare as boldly promise vantage by committing of sinne this day as he did the first day to Adam in Paradise notwithstanding that wee see through miserable experience that death because of sinne is entred into our bodies Is hee not a deceiuer indeed that did first steale from vs our birth-right and now would also take from vs the blessing all those benefites we got by our first creation he hath stollen them from vs with his lying words and now he goes about by lyes also to steale from vs that blessing of restitution by Christ offered and exhibited vnto vs. Iacob iustly complayned of Laban Gen. 31. 7. that he had deceiued him and had changed his wages seauen times but more iustly may we complaine of Sathan who innumerable times hath beguiled vs he hath changed out wages how oft hath he promised vs good things and behold what euill is come vpon vs Happy were we if in all our temptations we did remember A good answer to be giuen Sathan in all his temptations to sinne this and reply to Sathan in this manner The Lord rebuke thee thou shamelesse Lyar from the beginning with what face canst thou speake that vnto me wherein thou hast beene so oft conuinced by so manifold witnesses to be a manifest Lyar Of the fruites of sinnes which we haue seene we are to iudge of the fruits of sinne which are not seene if sinne hath made vs so miserable in this life how miserable shall it make vs in the life to come if we continue in it This is that wisedome which the Apostle recommends to vs in that worthie sentence happy were we if it were sounded continually in the eares of our minde as oft as wee Rom. 6. 21. are tempted vnto sinne What fruit haue yee then in those sins whereof now yee are ashamed He that will search within himselfe Seeing he hath deceiued vs so oft let vs beleeue him no more Iudg. 16. the fruit of his former transgressions shall easily perceiue there is no cause why he should commit sinne vpon hope of any better fruit in time to come It was Sampsons destruction that not withstanding he found himselfe thrise deceiued by Dalilah yet the fourth time he harkned vnto her deceitfull allurements and it shall in like manner be the destruction of many who notwithstanding they haue sound themselues abused by Sathan in time past yet will not learne to resist him but giues place vnto his lying entisements and are carryed headlong by him into the wayes of death hee was a lying Spirit in the mouth of Achabs Prophets to 1. King 22. draw him forward in a battell promising him victory in the which he knew assuredly that he should dye so is hee a lying spirit in the hearts of the wicked promising vnto them gaine glory or pleasure by doing those workes of sin whereof he knowes well inough they shall reape nothing but shame and euerlasting confusion Againe that wee may yet see how foolish they are who How they who liue in sin are murtherers of themselues Psal 34. 21. liue still in their sinnes wee may marke here that they are murtherers of themselues the malice of the wicked shall slay themselues his owne sin which he hath conceiued brought forth and nourished shall be his destruction Euery man iudges Saul miserable that dyed vpon his owne sword but what better are other wicked men are not their sinnes the weapons by which they slay themselues Thus are they twise miserable first because they are subiect to death secondly because they are guiltie of their owne death Oh the pittifull blindnesse of men albeit in their life they feare nothing more then death yet doe they entertaine nothing better than sinne which causes death In bodily diseases men are content to abstaine euen from ordinary food where they are informed by the Phisition that it will nourish their sicknesse and this they doe to eschew death onely herein they are so ignorant that notwithstanding they abhorre death yet they take pleasure in vnrighteousnesse which brings on death And lastly seeing we are taught here that sinne brings Strange death and diseases commeth vpon men through the groth of their sinnes against God death vpon the body what meruaile the Lord strikes the bodies of men by sundry sorts of diseases and sundry kindes of death seeing man by sundry sorts of sinnes prouokes the Lord vnto anger he frameth his iudgement proportionable vnto his sinnes If yee walke stubbornely against me and will not obey mee I will then bring seauen times more plagues Leuit. 26. 25. vpon you according to your sinnes He hath famine to punish intemperance and the abuse of his creatures hee hath the deuouring sword to bring low the pride of man he hath burnings feuers and vncleane consuming goutes to punish the fierie and vncleane lusts and concupiscence of man If now the Lord after that hee hath striken vs vvith famine and pestilence come among vs to visit vs also vvith vnaccustomed diseases what shall we say but the despising of his former fatherly corrections and our stubborne walking against the Lord our God hath procured this vnto our selues Qâ—â—â— miâ—um in poenas generis humani crescere iram dei cum Cypri ad Demet. crescat quotidie quod puniatur what meruaile the wrath of God increase euery day to punish men seeing that increases among men which deserues that God should punish it But there are two impediments which suffers not these Delay of iudgement confirms the wicked in euill and it is the first impediment which stayes them from repenting at Gods threatnings Deu. 29. 18. warnings of God to enter into the hearts of men The one is albeit they finde within themselues sinnes condemned by the word of God yet the plagues threatneth against those sinnes hath not light vpon them This is that roote of bitternesse whereof Moses warned Israel to beware that they should not blesse themselues in their hearts when God doth curse them thinking they shall escape iudgement notwithstanding they doe those things which God hath forbidden them Salomon marked this to be a great cause of iniquitie because iudgement is not executed speedily vpon the wicked Eccles 8. 11. therefore the heart of the children of men is set within them to doe wickedly But O man doest thou not know that the iudgement of God is according to truth against all that commit such things Why despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnesse Rom. 2. 4. and patience because the Lord holds his tongue and spares thee for a while thinkest thou that he will spare thee for euer Euery iudgement of God executed vpon another malefactor But they who are spared should learne wisdome by iudgements executed vpon others may tell thee that thou shalt not escape
it craues no more but as for the soule all the delicate and pleasant things of this world cannot satisfie or content it Non esurientes animas sed esuriem ipsam pascunt animarum they Bern. de persecuquutione sustinenda cap. 22. feed not the hungry soule but rather feedes and augments the hunger of the soule And lastly wee see in experience that the soule now when it is within the body hath his owne working and liuely operation euen then when the body is a sleepe and the senses thereof closed vp which also is also confirmed by that conference which Salâ—mon had with the Lord when his body was sleeping beside many other And hereof Tertullian concluded the immortality of the Tertul. de resur carnis Soule â—e in somnium quidem cadit anima cum corpore quomodâ— in veritatem mortis cadâ—t quae nec in imaginem eius ruit The soule doth not fall a sleepe with the body how then shal we thinke that it can verily die it selfe which cannot so much as fall vnder the shadow and similitude of death Thus the Atheist being put bâ— the doubt still remaines A twofold immortall life of the Soule whereof the one is proper to the godly the other pertaines to the wicked Seeing euery mans soule liues an immortall life what comfort is this giuen here to the Christian that though his body be dead his soule is liuing To this I answere there is a two-fold life of the Soule one of nature another of grace by the one it liuâ—s for euer by the other it lâ—ues for euer in happinesse the one is common to all men the other is proper to the children of God an immortall happy life they haue it not of nature but of grace as here the Apostle saith through the righteousnesse of Christ communicated vnto them As for that naturall life of the soule the spirit of God as we said accounts it but a death when they are liuing in the body he saith they are dead â—â— sinne and trespasseâ— and when Ephe. 2. 1. they are gone out of the body though they liue yet he cals their life but an euerlasting death thus are the wicked miserable while they are in the body more miserable when they remoue out of the body therefore Salomon comparing them among themselues accounts them happiest that neuer Eccles 4. 3. haue beene Secondly we see here that man is a creature consisting Man a compound creature of a soule and a body vvhere first it is to be admired how two creatures of such contrary kindes and qualities as is the soule and the body should concurre together to make vp one man and secondly how this fearefull diuorcement is come betweene them once so straitly vnited by God that where the one is partaker of life the other should be possest by death Most meruailous of all the creatures both in regard of his two substances As for the first the Lord hath created man in such sort that he hath made him a compend of all his creatures in respect of his body he hath some affinity with earthly creaturs because hee was made to rule ouer them and in respect of his soule hee is a companion to the Angels for this cause the Naturalists called man a little vvorld and Augustine counted man a greater miracle than any miracle that euer vvas vvrought among men vvhere other creatures vvere made by the simple commandement of God before the creation of man the Lord is said to vse consultation to declare saith Basile that the Lord esteemes more of man than Basil hexam hom 10. of all the rest of his creatures neither is it said that the Lord put his hand to the making of any creature saue onely to the making of man and this also saith Tertullian to declare Tertull. de resur carnis As also of their meruailous coniunction his excellencie Yet is not man so meruailous in regard of his two substances as in regard of their coniunction Among all the workes of God the like of this is not to be found againe a Masse of clay quickned by the spirit of life and these two vnited together to make vp one man Commonly sayth Bernard the honorable agrees not with the ignoble the strong ouergoes the weake the liuing and the dead dwels not together Non Bern. in die natal dom serm 2. This doctrine knowne but not considered sic in opere tuo dâ—mine non sic in commixtione tua it is not so in thy worke O Lord it is not so in thy commixtion This is a doctrine commonly talked of that man consists of a soule and a body but is not so duely considered as it should It is a fearefull punishment which by nature lyes vpon the soule seeing she turned her selfe willingly away from God she is so farre deserted of God that she regards not her selfe though it be a very common prouerbe in the mouthes of men I haue a soule to keepe yet hast thou such a soule as can teach thee to keepe any other thing better than it selfe a fearefull plague that because as I haue said the soule continued not in the loue of God it is now so farre deserted that it regards not the owne selfe This haue I touched onely to waken vs that wee may more deepely consider of that doctrine which men thinke they haue learned and know sufficiently already namely that man is a compound creature consisting of a soule and a body But to returne seeing at the first these two the soule and How that harmony which was betweene the soule and body by creation is now turned into disagreement Foure estates of mans soule body vnited body were conioyned together by the hand of the Creator and agreed together in one happy harmony among themselues whence comes this disagreement that the soule being pertaker of life the body should be possest by death I answere we are to consider these foure estates of mans soule and body vnited The first is their estate by creation wherein both of them concurred in a happy agreement to serue their Maker The second is the estate of Apostasie wherein both of them in one cursed band conioyned fell away from God the faculties of the soule rebelling against God and abusing all the members of the body as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to offend him The third is the estate of grace wherein the soule being reconciled with God by the mediation of Christ and quickned againe by his holy Spirit the body is left for a while vnder the bands of death The fourth is the estate of glory wherein both of them being ioyned together againe shall be restored to a more happy life than that which they enioyed by creation As for the first estate we haue lost it as for the second the reprobate stands in it and therefore miserable is their condition as for the third it is the estate of the Saints of God vpon earth as
Gen. 3. was bruised and hee did no more but tread on the heele of our Sauiour so shall it be in the conflict of all his members with Sathan by the power of Lord Iesus wee shall be more then conquerours The God of peace shall shortly tread Rom. 16. 20. downe Sathan vnder our feete the most that Sathan can doe vnto vs Manducet terram meam dentem carni infigat Amb. de poen lib. 1. cap 13. conterat corpus let him lick the dust let him eate that part of mee which is earth let him bruise my body this is but to tread vpon the heele my comfort is that there is a seede of immortall life in my soule which no power of the enemie is able to ouercome It is true that so long as wee enioy this naturall life with Wicked men dye eyther vncertaine of comfort health of body the losse that comes by the want of the spirituall life is not perceiued no more then the defects of a ruinous house is perceiued in time of faire weather but when thy naturall life is wearing from thee if thou want the other how comfortlesse shall thy condition be when thou shalt finde in thine owne experience thou haddest neuer more then a silly naturall life which now is to depart from thee In this estate the wicked either dye being vncertaine of comfort or then most certaine of condemnation Those who are strangers from the life of God through the ignorance Ephes 4. 18. that is in them hauing no more but the light of nature the best estate wherein they can dye is comfortlesse if for want of light they know not that wrath vvhich is prepared for the vvicked and so are not greatly terrified yet farre lesse know they those comforts vvhich after death sustaines the Christian that they should be comforted The Emperour Hadrian when he dyed made this faithlesse lamentation Animula vagula blandula quae nunc abibis in loca O silly wandring Soule vvhere away now wilt thou goe and that other Seuerus proclaiming the vanitie of all his former glory cryed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue beene all things and it profits me nothing the one saith he found no comfort of things that were before him the other saith he found no comfort of things that were behind thus the wicked dye comfortlesse good things to come they neither know nor hope for good things past profit them Or most certaine of condemnation not Or if they haue beene such wicked men as by the light of the word haue knowne the will of their master and yet rebelled against their light they go out of the body not onely comfortles but certain of condemnation hauing receiued sentence within themselues that they shall neuer see the face of God and such was the death of Iudas let vs not therefore rest contented with the shadow of this vanishing life let vs prouide for that immortall seed of a better life within vs which receiues increase but cannot decay it waxeth stronger the weaker that the bodily life is but cannot be weakned far lesse extinguished by bodily death he that findes it within himselfe shall reioyce in death he shall dye in faith in obedience and in spirituall ioy Committing his Soule vnto 1 Pet. 4. 19. God as vnto a faithfull Creator he rests in him vvhom he hath beleeued being assured that the Lord will keepe that which he hath committed vnto him The Lord worke it in vs for Christs sake Verse 11. But if the spirit of him who raysed vp Iesus from from the dead dwell in you he that raysed vp Christ from the dead shall also quickâ—n your mortall bodies because that his spirit dwelleth in you IT is a comfortable saying of the Apostle If in 1 Cor. 15. 19. this life onely we had hope of all men wee were the most miserable for it doth teach vs that albeit in this life we haue great comforts through Iesus Christ yet greater abides vs in the life to come And therefore the Apostle contents not himselfe barely to make mention of such comforts as presently wee haue but hee proceedes now to acquaint vs with greater comforts which hereafter we shall enioy He hath shewed vs that the death whereunto we are subiect is not totall for it strikes He hath shewed our death is not totall now he shewes that it is not perpetuall onely vpon the basest part of man Now he shewes that it is not perpetuall the body shall not be kept for euer vnder the bands of death the spirit of Iesus who now dwels in it shall deliuer it from the bondage of corruption raise it from the dust and quicken it vnto glory But if the Spirit c. We haue here first of all to marke Euery promise of mercy is conditionall againe that the Apostles speech is not absolute but conditionall All the promises of comfort made in the booke of God are conditionall This is a great comfort the Lord shall quicken your mortall bodies but conditionally that his spirit dwell in you Whom hath the Lord promised to satisfie such as hungers for righteousnesse whom hath he promised to comfort not the carelesse nor wantons but such as mourne to whom hath he promised forgiuenesse of sinnes not to the licentious liuers but to the penitent to whom will he giue eternall life not to the Infidels but to such as If wâ— like gods comforts let vs take heedâ— to the condition on which they are promised beleeue If we esteeme any thing of the comforts of God let vs take heed to the condition for except the condition in some measure be wrought in vs the promise shall neuer be accomplished vpon vs. It were good for the men of this age to consider this more deepely who sleeping in presumptuous conceits of mercy thinke how euer they liue they shall be saued In all the whole Bible there is not one promise without an annexed condition In the couenant betweene God and man there is a mutuall stipulation as the Lord promiseth something to vs so he requireth another thing of vs with what face canst thou stand vp and seeke that mercy vvhich God hath promised who neuer endeuouredst to performe that dutie which God hath required Againe vve haue here occasion to consider those excellent The benefits we haue throgh the indwelling of the spirit in vs are further declared Gal. 2 20. benefits vvhich we haue by the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs beside that vvhich vve heard verse 10. As if those were too little he further doth vnto vs these great things first he giues life to the soule and makes it in the body to liue the life of Christ so that the Christian may say Now I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me Secondly when Soule and body are sundred by death he leades the soule to liue with God in glory which is the second degree of eternall life and thirdly
he casts not off the care of the body but preserneth the very dust and ashes thereof till the day of the resurrection vvherein he shall quicken it againe restore it to the owne soule and glorifie both which is the third and last degree of eternall life Surely there was neuer a house hyre so wel payd in the world thou who sets thy soule body There was neuer a house hire so well paid as lodging for a short vvhile here on earth that he may dwell in it O vvhat recompence hast thou to looke for he dwels vvith the on earth and thou shalt dwell vvith him in heauen thou didst lend him a lodging for a few yeers and he shall receiue thee into his euerlasting habitations and thou shalt be for euer with the Lord. Neyther shall he shew his mercy vpon thy soule onely The holy spirit shall keepe the body wherein he dwelt euen when it is laid in the graue but as I haue said vpon thy body also it vvould seeme that the Lord hath deserted it as a â—ontemptible thing vvhen it is laid downe in the graue but be assured that hee who dwelt in it vvill not leaue it nor cast off â—he care thereof no not when it is turned into dust and ashes Comfortable is that vvhich the Lord promised to Iacob vvhen he bad him goe downe to Egypt Feare not to goe for I will go downe with thee and I will bring thee vp againe He forewarned him that he should dye in Egypt and that Ioseph should close Gen. 46. 4. his eyes but he promiseth to bring vp againe his dead body vnto Canaan O what a kindnesse is it that the Lord will honour the dead bodyes of his Children The praise of the O what a kindnes conuoy of Iacobs corps the Lord will neither giue it to Ioseph nor to Pharaohs Seruants with their Chariots who in great number accompanied him the Lord takes it vnto himselfe I will bring thee vp againe saith the Lord the like kindnesse and truth doth the Lord keepe for all the remanent of his seruants Is thy body consecrated is it a vessell of honour a house and temple wherein God is daily serued he shall honour it againe he shall not leaue it in the graue neither cast off the care thereof but shall vvatch ouer the dust thereof though it tast of corruption it shall not perish in corruption The holy Spirit who dwelt in the body shall be vnto it He is a holy balme wherby the body shall be preserued immortall as a balme to preserue thee to immortalitie this same flesh and no other for it though it shall be dissolued into innumerable pickles of dust shall be raised againe and quicned by the omnipotent power of this Spirit It is a pittie to see by what silly meanes naturall men seeke the immortall conseruation of their bodyes and cannot obtaine it there is no helpe nature may yeeld to prolong the death of the body but they vse it and because they see that deat cannot be eschewed their next care is how to keepe it in the graue longest from rottennesse and corruption and how vvhen themselues are gone to preserue their names in immortall remembrance with the posteritie thus by the very instinct of nature are men carried away with a desire of eternitie Worldings seeke immortalitie the wrong way Esay 55. 2. but herein are they foolish that they seeke it the wrong way they lay out their siluer but not for bread they spend their labour and are not satisfied immortalitie and life is to be sought there where the word of the Lord directs vs let the Spirit of Christ dwell in thee and thou shalt liue otherwise though thou wert the greatest Monarch of the word though all thy meate were soueraigne medicines though thy body were laid in graue with as great externall pompe as worldly glory can afford to any creature and thy flesh were embalmed with the costliest oyntments these are but miserable comforts perishing preseruatiues thou shalt lye downe in dishonour and shalt be raised in greater dishonour to euerlasting shame and endlesse confusion Now as we haue these three degrees of eternall life by Life is first restored to the soule and then to the body the Spirit dwelling in vs so are we to marke the order by vvhich he proceedes in communicating them vnto vs first he restores life to the soule and secondly he shall restore life vnto the body saith the Apostle where the one is done be assured the other shall be done the one is the proper end of his first comming therefore his Heraulds cryed before him Behâ—ld the Lambe of God who taketh away the sins Iohn 1. 29. of the world In his second comming shall be the redemption Phil. 2. 21. of our bodyes when he shall appeare hee shall change our vile bodyes and make them like to his owne glorious body Let this reforme the prosperous care of man art thou desirous that thy body should liue be first carefull that life be communicated to the soule for surely the redemption of thy body shall not follow vnlesse the restitution of thy soule goe before O porteâ— cor nostrum conformari humilitati cordis Bern. de aduen dom serm 4. Christi priusquam corpus conformetur glorioso corpori eius our heart must first be conformed to the humilitie of Christs heart before that our body be configurated to his glorious body this is the first resurrection blessed are they that are partakers of it for vpon such the second death shall haue no power But it is out of doubt qui non resurgit in animaâ— resurget in corpore ad poenam he that riseth not now in his soule from his sinnes shall rise hereafter in his body to iudgement But now leauing the condition to come to the comfort he that raysed vp Christ from the dead saith the Apostle shall also quicken your mortall bodies What necessity is there here What necessity is here that hee who raysed Christ shall also raise vs that he vvho raysed Christ shall raise vs yes indeede the necessitie is great the head and the members of the misticall body cannot be sundred seeing the head is raysed from the dead no member can be left vnder death the Lord vvorkes in euery member according to that same mightie Ephe. 1. 29. power by vvhich he wrought in the head his resurrection necessarily imports ours seeing he arose not as a priuate man but as the head of all his members full of power to draw the body after him and to communicate that same life to euery member which he hath declared in himselfe Christ is risen from the dead and is made the first fruits of them that 1 Cor. 15. 20 sleepe the first fruit is risen the after fruit shall in like manner follow Vixit in coelum carnem nostram tanquam arhabonem pignus tâ—tuâ—s summae illuc quandoqueâ—redigendae the
put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortality 2 Resurrection confirmed by types figures such as The same is in like manner shadowed in holy Scripture by sundry types and figures among which in Tertulian his iudgement the restitution of Ionas out of the Whales belly is one albeit the belly of the Whale was more able to haue altered and changed the body of Ionas by reason of the Ionas body great heat that is therein then the belly of the earth could haue beene by reason of her colde yet is hee restored the third day as liuely as he was receiued The same he thinkes of that vision of dry bones shewed to Ezechiel which at Ezekiels bones Chap. 38. once â—t the word of the Lord was knit together with sinews and couered vvith flesh and skinne this was not onely a prediction of the deliuerance of Israell out of Babell but also a typical confirmation of the resurrection of our bodies Non enim figura de ossiâ—us potuisset componi nisi id ipsum essibuâ— Tertull. de resur carnis 〈…〉 rum essâ—t for that figure of the bones could not haue beene made if the truth figured thereby were not also to be accomplished vpon such bones Parabola de nullo non conuenit vvhat parable or similitude can be brought from a thing which is not We shall not reade in all the booke of God that any parable hath beene borrowed from that thing which neuer was nor neuer will be Of this sort also is the flourishing of Aarons rodde in the iudgement of Cyril Aarons rodde Numb 17. which being before a dry and withered sticke incontinent by the word of the Lord flourished hee that restored to Aarons rodde that kinde of vegitatiue life which it had before will much more raise Aaron himselfe from the dead Of these figures shadowing the resurrection many more are to be found in holy Scripture As for examples in euery age of the world the Lord Examples of the Resurrection Gen. 5. hath raised some from the dead to be witnesses of the resurrection of the rest Before the floud hee carried vp Henoch aliue intâ— heauen and hee saw no death vnder the law Elias was transported in a fierie chariot and in the last age 2 Kings 2. of the world not onely hath our Lord blessed for euer risen from the dead and ascended into heauen as the first fruits of them which rise from the dead but also by his power hee raised Lazarus out of the graue euen after that stinking rottennesse had entred into his flesh and vpon the Crosse when hee seemed to be most weake hee shewed himselfe most strong hee caused by his power many that were dead to come out of their graues and to enter into the Citie Yea his seruant Peter by the power of the Lord Iesus raised the damsell Dorcas from death and in the name of the Lord Iesus Act. 9. 40. Acts. 3. made him that was lame of his feete to arise and walke when we see such power in the seruant of Christ working in his name shall we not reserue the praise of a greater power to himselfe And lastly as for the practises of God in nature wee are 3 Gods working both in our selues and the creature confirmes the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. not to neglect them for the Apostle himselfe brings arguments from them to confirme the resurrection He first propones the question of the Atheist how are the dead raised vp and with what body come they forth and then subioynes the answere O foole that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die it is sowen in the earth bare corne and God raiseth it with another body at his pleasure seeing thou beholdest this daily working of God in nature why wilt not thou beleeue that the Lord is able to doe the like vnto thy selfe Qui illa reparat quae tibi sunt necessaria quanto mâ—gâ—s te reparabit propter Ang. de verb. Apost ser 34. quem illa reparare dignatus est Seeing the Lord for thy sake repaires those things which are necessary to maintaine thy life will he not much more restore thy selfe and raise thee vp from death vnto eternall life And to insist in these same confirmations which we may A two-fold meditation to coÌ„firme the resurrection haue from the working of God in nature both in our selues and in other creatures if eyther with Iustin Martyr wee consider of how small a beginning or then with Cyril how of nothing God hath made vp man we shall see how iustly the Apostle calleth them fooles who deny the resurrection of our bodyes The Lord saith Iustin Maâ—tyr of a little drop of mans seede which as Iob saith is powred out like 1 How of a litle drop god made vs that which now wee are water buildeth vp daily this excellent workmanship of mans body who would beleeue that of so small a beginning and without forme so well a proportionate body in all the members thereof could be brought forth nisi aspectus sidem faceret were it not that daily sight and experience confirmeth Iust Mart. apol 2. ad Senat. Rom. it why then shall it be thought a thing impossible to the Lord to reedifie the same body after that by death it hath beene dissolued into dust and ashes And againe if with 2 How God hath made vs of nothing to be that which now wee are Cyrill wee will s 〈…〉 out our beginning and consider what wee were this day hundred yeare wee shall finde that wee were not seeing the Lord of nothing hath brought out so pleasant and beautifull a creature as thou art this day shalt thou thinke it impossible to him an hundred yeares after this oâ— longer or shorter as it pleaseth him to restore thee againe and raise thee from the dead qui potuit id quod non Ciril cate 4 erat producere vt aliquid esse id quod iam est cum â—eciderit restituere non poterit he that could bring out that which was not and make it to be something shall we thinke that he cannot raise vp againe that which now is after that it hath fallen Which of these two I pray thee is the greatest and most It is easier to restore one that hath been then to make one that neuer was difficult worke in thy iudgement for vnto the Lord euery thing that hee will is alike easie whether to make one who neuer was or to restore againe one who hath beene Doubtlesse to make a man in our iudgement is a greater thing then to raise him In the worke of creation the Lord made that to bee which was not in the worke of resurrection the Lord shall make that to be which was before the one thou beleeuest because thou seest it dayly done the other thou doubtest of because it is to be done but cease to doubt any more and of that which God hath
to his glorious body They who conuert many to righteousnesse shall shine like the starres in the firmament yea the iust saith our Sauiour shal shine like the Sunne in the firmament A shadow of this glory we haue in Christs transfiguration on mount Tabor his face shined as the Sunne and Mat. 17. his cloathes were white as the light Moses after forty dayes talking with God on the Mount came downe with so bright a shining countenance that the Israelites might not behold him what then may we think shall be the glory of the children of God when they shall be transchanged with the light of Gods countenance shining vpon them not forty dayes onely but for euer and euer And if euery one of their faces shall shine as the Sunne in the firmament O how great light and glory shall be among them all and if their bodies shal be so glorious what shall be the glory of their soule surely no heart can conceiue it not tongue is able to expresse it Fourthly our body shall be raysed spirituall which is 4 They shall be spirituall not so to be vnderstood as if our bodies should loose a corporall substance and receiue a spirituall substance but then shall our bodies be spirituall as now our Spirits by nature are carnall vvhich are so called because they are subiect to carnall corruption pressed downe and carryed away after earthly and carnall things so shall our bodies then be spirituall because without contradiction they shall obey the motions of the spirit the body shall be no burthen no prison no impediment to the soule as now it is the soule shall carry the body where it will without resistance where now it is earthly heauie and rends downeward it shall then be restored so lightsome and quicke that without difficultie it shall mount from the earth to meet our Lord in the Aire As our head ascended on the mount of Oliues and went through the cloudes into heauen so shall Acts. 1 11. his members ascend that they may be with the Lord they shall follow the Lambe where euer he goes Let vs beleeue it and giue glory vnto God for hee who is the worker of our resurrection is also the worker of our ascension If the wit of man be able to frame a vessell of sundry mettals that naturally sinckes to the ground to swimme aboue in the water how much more saith Augustine is God able to make our bodies to ascend vpward and to bide aboue albeit in regard of their naturall motion being heauie they tend downward Fiftly our bodies shall be raised impassionable free I 5 They shall be impassionable meane from such passions as may hurt or offend them such as terrour feare or griefe but not from the passions of ioy for no sense of the body shall want the owne obiect of pleasure to delight it and all for the greater augmentation of our glory Let vs therefore yet againe be admonished to vse our bodies in all holy and honorable manner vpon earth seeing the Lord hath concluded to make vs so honourable in heauen where otherwise thou that defilest thy body with vncleannesse is it not a righteous thing with the Lord to send thee to Gehenna a valley of vncleannesse looke for it assuredly if thou continue filthy still the Lord shall exclude thee out of heauenly Ierusalem thou shalt not enter into his holy Reu. 21. 8. habitation but thy portion shall be with the vnbeleeuing with dogs and with the abhominable who shall haue their part in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone Last of all seeing the Apostle ascribes the cause of our Resurrection of the godly and wicked different resurrection to the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs it is to be enquired how then shall the wicked rise in whom Christ neuer dwelt by his spirit to this I answere that both the 1 In their causes the one rises by the citation of God the other â—y vertue of their vnion with Christ godly and the wicked shall rise but their resurrections shall be farre different in the cause manner and ends thereof As for the cause the godly shall rise by the efficacie of that quickning spirit of Christ dwelling in them they shall rise by vertue of their vnion with their head the Lord Iesus as his members receiuing that promised life from him for which they haue looked long and in hope whereof they laid downe their bodies willingly in the graue but the wicked shall rise by vertue of the powerfull citation of God by the blast of his trumpet to appeare in iudgement which they shal not be able to eschew They differ againe in the manner of their resurrection 2 In the manner the one with ioy the other with feare and terror for the one shall rise with ioy the other with terrour and feare the wicked shall no sooner looke out of their graues and see the face of the Iudge standing in the ayre but at once shame and confusion shall couer them that day of the Lord shall be vnto them a day of blacknesse and darknesse Their soules as soone as they enter into the body shall be vexed with new horrible feares hauing experience of that wrath which already they haue sustained out of the body the feare of that full wrath which they know in the last day is to be powred vpon them shall wonderfully astonish them glad would they be if they might creepe into their graues againe Reu. 6. 16. they shall wish that hils and mountaines would fall vpon them and couer them but all in vaine because they did in the body that vvhich they vvould they shall now by constraint suffer in the body that vvhich they vvould not And thirdly the ends of their resurrection are different 3 In their ends the one to glory the other to shame figured in Pharaohs two Seruants the one shall rise to life the other to shame and of this it is euident that the resurrection of the wicked is no benefite to them properly it is no resurrection no more then the taking of a malefactor out of prison to be executed on the scaffold can be called a deliuerie for their resurrection is to cast them out of one miserable condition into a worse they are taken out of the graue that they may be cast into the bottomlesse pâ—t of the wrath of God and this was properly figured in Pharaoh his two Seruants the Baker and Gen. 40. Butler both of them were taken out of prison but the one to be restored vnto his Office to minister before the King the other to be executed vnto death so shall both the godly and vvicked come out of the graue but the one to be for euer with the Lord to stand before his Throne ministring praises vnto him and comforted with the fulnes of ioy which is in his face the other to be banished from Gods presence and sent to euerlasting condemnation And
spirit of God vseth threatnings is an argument of our rebellious nature taken from honestie and dutie vvere sufficient to moue vs but in that the spirit of God doth also threaten vs with death is an euident argument of the froward rebellion of our nature The word of GOD is compared not onely to milke but also to salt we haue neede of the one because of our infancy that being nourished therewith wee may grow and because of our corruption wee haue neede to be The vvord should be vsed as milk to some as salt to others seasoned with the other to both these ends should Preachers vse the vvord of GOD to some as milke for their nourishment to others as salt for their amendment But these are the times foretold by the Apostle wherein But now men cannot abide the rebuke of Gods word 2 Tim. 4. 3. Amos. 5. 10. 1 King 22. 8. the itching eares of men cannot abide wholesome doctrine they hate him that rebukes in the gaâ—e as Achab hated Micaiah to the death because hee prophecyed no good vnto him that is hee spake not according to his phantasie but warned him faithfully of the iudgement which afterward came vpon him so the hearers of our time can abide no teachers but such as are after their owne lusts but alas they are foolish for are not my words good to him that walkes vprightly Micah 2 7. Aug. ser 1. sayth the Lord. Aduersarius est nobis quamdiu sumus ipsi nobis quamdiu tu tibi inimicus es inimicum habebis sermonem Deâ— the word of God is an aduersary to none but such as are aduersaries to themselues neither doth it condemne any but such as assuredly shall be condemned of the Lord vnlesse they repent Stop thine eare as thou wilt Zach. 7. 11. from hearing of the threatnings of the word yet shalt thou not stop that iudgement which the word hath threatned against thee There is a cry that will come at midnight and will waken the dead but blessed are they who in time are wakened out of the sleepe of their sinnes by the cryes of the watch-men of God for vndoubtedly a fearefull and painfull consumption shall torment them for euer who now cannot suffer that the salt of the Word should bite their sores to cure them The opposition made here by the Apostle warnes vs Either we must slay sin or sin shall slay vs. that a necessitie lyeth vpon vs to mortifie our sinfull lusts it stands vpon our liues vnlesse wee slay sinne sinne shall not faile to slay vs. It is like a Serpent in our bosome which cannot liue but by sucking out that bloud whereby we liue here is a wholesome preseruatiue against sinne if at euery occasion wee would carry it in our minde wee would make no doubt to put sinne to the death that our selues might liue For alas what pittifull folly is this wee hate them that pursues our bodily life wee eschew them by all bodily Aug. detemp serm 29. meanes wee hate the oppressours that spoile vs of worldly goods onely wee cannot hate Sathan to the death who seekes by sinne to spoyle vs of eternall life That same Commandement which was giuen to Adam Euery sin is to vs the forbidden Tree and Euah if yee eate of the forbiâ—den Tree yee shall dye is in effect here giuen to vs all if ye liue after the flesh ye shall die let vs not make an exception where God hath made none euery sinne to vs is as that forbidden Tree to Adam if wee meddle with it we shall finde no better fruit then that which Men seeke on it that fruit which they shall not finde and finde on it that fruit which they would not haue Adam found on it before vs there is a fruit vvhich man seekes vpon the Tree of sinne and hee shall not finde it to wit profit or pleasure and there is another fruit which God hath threatned and Sathan saith it growes not on the Tree of sinne but man assuredly shal finde it Bitter death groweâ— vpon the pleasant Tree of sinne for the wages of sinne is death albeit there came no word from the Lord to teach this former experience may confirme it for what fruit haue we this day of all our former sinnes but a guilty conscience which breeds vs much terror accusing thoughts and anguish of Spirit It is therefore a point of great wisedome to discerne betweene Great wisdome to discerne betweene the deceit of sin and fruit of sinne the deceit of sinne and fruit of sin before the action Sinne is Inâ—micus blandienâ— a slattering and laughing enemie in the action it is dulcâ— venenum sweet poyson but after the action it is Scorpâ—opungens a pricking and biting Serpent Hee that would rightly discerne the face of sinne when it stands before him to tempt him let him looke backe to the taile of a sinne which hee hath committed alreadie and of the sting vvhich that sinne hath left behind it let him learne to beware of the smiling countenance of the other which will no lesse wound him the second time vnto death if so be he embrace it Most properly may the pleasures of sinne be Sinfull lusts compared to the streame of Iordan compared to the streames of the riuer Iordan which carryeth away the fish swimming and playing in it delighted with such pleasures as are agreeable to their kind euen till it deuolue them into the salt sea where incontinent they die euen so in the vvicked inordinate concupiscenâ—â— is as a forcible streame which carryeth away vvith it impenitent men playing and delighting themselues in their lusts till at length they fall into that lake vvhich burneth vvith fire and brimstone out of the which there is no redemption for them The perishing pleasures of sinne are payd home with And to the lâ—custs with womans haire Lions teeth Scorpions taile Basil in verb. Mos attende tibi euerlasting perdition it is done in a moment but when it is finished it bringeth out death and breedes the Worme that will neuer dye paruum ad horam peccatum longaeua autem est ex â—o aeterna verecundia it is the deuouring Locust of the bottomlesse pit which hath haire like a woman teeth like a Lyon and a tayle like a Scorpion miserable are they who are blinded with it they may sleepe in their sinne but their Cirill catech 2. damnation sleepes not though their heads be laid downe like the Kine of Bashan to drinke in iniquity like water yet 2 Pet. 2. 3. their iudgement is not farre off and they are but like vnto Oxen fed for the slaughter Wee perceiue here further that euery mans state and condition in this life is a prediction of that state and condition which abides him when this life is gone Hee that soweth Gal. 6. 8. to the flesh of the flesh shall reape corruption but hee that soweth to the Spirit shall reape immortality
and life As no This life is a thorow-way or middle passage eyther to heauen or hell man commeth eyther to a Pallace or a Prison but by the entry thereof so no man goeth eyther to heauen or hell but by the way thereof A wicked life is as a thorow-way to that prison and place of darknesse he who goes on in it without returning shall out of all doubt vvhen hee hath passed the path-way enter into the prison and a godly life is the very way to heauen hee that walkes in it persâ—uering to the end shall enter at last into that Pallace of Glory which is the Paradise of God Salomon saith that where the Eccles 11. 3. tree fals there it lyes and experience teacheth vs that it fals to that side on vvhich the branches thereof grow thickest if the greatest growth of our affections and actions spring out after the Spirit out of doubt wee shall fall to the right hand and shall be blessed but if otherwise thy affections grow downward and thou walke after the flesh then assuredly thou shalt fall to the left hand and die in sin vnder the curse of God But seeing they who walke after the flesh are dead already They who liue in sin are dead and yet a worse death abides them in hell how saith the Apostle they shall dye To this I answere both are true presently they are dead and yet a more fearefull death abides them That they who liue in their sinnes are dead already wee shewde before for sinne is that vnto the soule of man vvhich fire and vvater are to the body that is to say an vnkindely Element in the which it cannot liue but certainely a more fearefull death abides them which the spirit of God calleth the second death vvherein they shall not onely liue depriued of life wanting all sense yea and all hope of the mercy of God but shal also feele the full measure of his wrath due to their sinnes powred out vpon them Now albeit they be dead in sinne and depriued of the fauour of the Creator yet the vaine comforts of the creatures doth so betwitch and blinde them that they know not how wretched and miserable they are but when the last sentence of damnation shall be pronounced vpon them they shall not onely be banished from the presence of God into euerlasting perdition where the fire of the Lords indignation shall perpetually torment them but also the comfort of all Gods creatures which now they haue shall foâ—sake them The least degree of their punishment shall be a fearefull The least degree of their punishment shall be a fearefull famine of all worldly comforts Ioel. 1. 12. Reu. 18. 14. famine of worldly comforts The Pomegranat Tree the Palme Tree the Apple Tree shall wither The Apples after which now their soule lusteth shall depart from them they shall finde none of them yea if a cup full of colde vvater might comfort them it shall not be giuen vnto them thus you see how they are dead and yet a more fearefull death abideth them Therefore the spirit of God to expresse the fearefulnesse Why that second death is called a wrath and a wrath to come of that second death he calleth it a wrath and giues it these two titles first hee calleth it a vvrath prepared by God Salomon saith the wrath of a King is the messenger of death what then shall we say of the wrath of God Secondly he cals it a wrath to come to teach vs that it farre exceedes all that wrath that we haue heard or seene The drowning of the originall world the burning of Sodome a great wrath but nothing comparable to the wrath which is to come Beside this both the place the vniuersality and the eternity The place of the damned shewes the greatnesse of their iudgement Reu. 21. 8. Esa 30. 33. of their punishment serues to let vs see if wee looke to them how horrible this death is which here is threatned against them who liue after the flesh As for the place it is called the wineprâ—ssâ— of the wrath of God the lake that bâ—rnes with â—ire and brimstone Tophet prepared of old deepe and large the breath of the Lord like a riuer of brimstone â—oth kindle it It is that great deepe which the damned spirits themselues abhor they know it to be the place appointed for their torment all that they craue was onely that the Lord would not send them thether to be tormented before the time It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a place wherein is no light to see therefore Iude called it blacknesse of darknesse and our Sauiour called it vtter darknesse Iude verse 6. Mark 9. 48. 1 Pet. 3. 19. Math. 5. 22. there is in it a burning fire but without light a gnawing worme without rest Saint Peter cals it a prison and our Sauiour cals it Gehenna for the horrible scrieches of them who are burnt in it and the vile and stinking filthinesse wherwith it is replenished And as for the vâ—â—uersality of their paine It is certaine The vnâ—â—uersality of it Nothing in man shall be without paine all Gods plagues shall concor to punish him that as euery thing in them sinned so euery thing in them shall be punished No power of their soule no member of their body shall be free from that wrath Surely it should astonish man to consider this for if now any one of Gods ordinary plagues inflicted vpon any one member of the body be so insufferable how intollerable vvill that paine be he who now is payned with the tooth-ach takes some comfort when he sees another tormented with the collicke and he also if he see another burnt vp with Anthonies fire beares his owne crosse the more patiently because he sees a greater laid vpon another No man in this life suffereth all things one cryeth with the Shunamites sonne for excessiue dolour alas my head my head another with Antiochus my belly the third with Asa my feete my feete but what are all these comparable to that paine vvherein head and belly and feet yea the whole man shall be racked vpon the torments of Gods wrath and that not with one plague onely but with manifold for as all the waters of the earth runne into the great Ocean so all the plagues of God shall concurre and meete together in hell for the punishment of the damned But yet the eternity of that paine doth still increase the The eternitie of it horrour thereof there shall be no end of their punishment their fire shall neuer be quenched their worme shall neuer dye they shall seeke death as a benefite and shall not finde it The fire of Sodome was ended in a day the deluge of water that drowned the originall world lasted but a yeare the famine that plagued Aegypt lasted but seauen yeares the captiuity of Israell was ended in seauenty yeares but this wrath of GOD vpon the damned shall endure for
euer and euer Thus wee see what a horrible death the Apostle threatneth here while he saith if yee liue after the flesh yee shall dye The Lord giue vs wise and vnderstanding hearts that wee may ponder it according to the waight thereof and it may be to vs a liuely voyce of God to prouoke vs to slee from that fearfull wrath which is to come But if yet mortifie c. Here followes the other member In the most regenerate there is some thing that needes to be mortified of the argument taken from the great vantage wee receiue by mortifying the lusts of the body if wee doe so wee shall liue Here also we haue first to consider that albeit the Apostle affirmed before verse 9 that these godly Romanes were not in the flesh yet now hee exhorts them to a further mortification of the lusts of the flesh which were superfluous if there were nothing in them that needed to be mortified then we see clearely which wee may also feele in our selues that so long as wee liue in the body there is euer some remanent life of sinne which wee haue neede to mortifie and put out In this battell we must sight without intermission till we haue gotten the victory for who can say that he hath in such sort â—ut away his superfluities that there remaynes nothing in him which hath need of reforming beleeue me when they are cut off they spring when they are chased For out of the stony rocke springeth noysome weedes away they returne when they are once quenched they kindle againe except thou dissemble thou shalt alway finde within thy selfe something that hath need to be subdued There is nothing hardâ—r sayth Cyrill than the Rocke yet in the Cyril seames and clifts thereof the noysome weede fasteneth her roote and springes out and albeit there be no man in the vvorld stronger than a Christian yet is hee oftentimes buffered by Sathan and sinne which hath fastened their roote in him sends out her inordinate motions and affections against which hee hath neede to fight continually But here it is inquired how doth the Apostle require That which God works in vs he callâ—â— it our worke this of them that they should mortifie their lusts lyeth it in the power of man to doe it To this I answere first that as man gaue life to sinne so is hee bound to put out the life thereof vpon no lesse paine than condemnation and therefore iustly is it required of him Secondly these same good vvorkes which the Lord workes in vs hee is content to asscribâ— them to vs and calles them ours Of our selues wee Phil. 2. 12. must say with the Apostle we are not sufficient of our selues Therefore we should be humble and giue God the glory to thinke so much as a good thought our sufficiencie is of God and it is hee who worketh in vs both the will and the deed so hee workes in vs that he makes vs through his grace willing workers with him through him that strengthens vs vve are able to doe all things and therefore the praise of all the good wee can doe should be ascribed vnto God When Dauid had offered to God abundance of siluer and gold and other mettels which hee had prepared for the house of God hee concludes in the humilitie of his heart what am I O Lord and what is my people that wee should be 1 Chroâ— 29. 14 able to offer willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine owne hand haue wee giuen thee But much more when wee doe any worke of sanctification for the building of our selues vp into a spirituall Temple to the Lord our God we may say O Lord all the good wee can doe is of thee and of thine owne hand wee haue giuen backe vnto thee for except thou Lord hadst giuen vnto vs grace wee should neuer haue giuen to thee obedience Presumptuous opinion of Merit damned Let therefore the presumptuous conceit of Merit yet againe be farre from vs seeing the good which wee doe is debt and is done also by the spirit of the Lord in vs let vs reserue the glory thereof vnto him Quaere dâ—na mea non Aug. de verb Apost serm 2 mâ—rita tua quâ—a si ego quaeâ—erâ—m mâ—rita tua non vâ—nires ad dona mea seeke my gifts saith Augustiâ—e speaking in the name of the Lord not thy merits for if I should seeke thâ— merits thou shouldest neuer be pertaker of my gifts When the Apostle Sant Paul had reckoned out how hee 1 Cor. 15. 10. had laboured more aboundantly in the worke of the ministerie then all the rest of the Apostles hee subioynes as it were be correction yet not I but the grace of God in me learning vs when we haue done all the good we can to be humble in our selues and giue the glory to God if he promise vs a crowne nihil aliud coronat nisi dona sua he crownes Aug. hom 14 no other thing but his owne gifts if by promise he bindes himselfe a debter vnto vs to giue vs a reward debitor factus Aug de verb. Apost ser 14. est nobis non aliquid a nobis accipiendo sed quod ille plâ—cuit promittendo he is become a debter vnto vs not by receiuing any thing from vs but by promising freely to vs that which pleased him and therefore when we are exhorted to mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit let vs first turne this and the like of the precepts into prayers that the Lord would enable vs by grace to doe that which he commaunds vs and then when in some measure we haue done it that we returne the praise and glory to the Lord. A tryall of our Mortification Mortifie c. Seeing the first part of our sanctification is called mortification we are to consider how in this word there lurkes a rule whereby euery man may try how farre forth hee hath profited in sanctification we see by experience that the neerer a man drawes to death the lesse motion is in him but after hee is once dead hee moues not at all present him pleasant obiects they delight him not praise him yet he is not puffed vp speake euill of him yet hee is not offended euen so is it with the spirituall man the greater progresse he makes in sanctification the motions of sin are euer the weaker in him the pleasures of the world moues him not as they were wont if thou praisâ— him the breath of thy mouth cannot lift him vp if thou offend him the more he is mortified the lesse he is grieued As a man saith Basilâ— being dead is seperate from those with whom hee was conuersant before so hee who is mortified is instantly sundred in his affections from those who befoâ—e were his familiar companions in sinne yea those actions wherein he delighted before are a griefe vnto him now it is a
operations but God is the same who workes all in all for to one is giuen by the Spirit the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge to another the gift of healing to an other the operation of great workes but none of these are the operations whereby the Sonnes of God are to be discerned seeing all these hee vvorkes also in the wicked We are therefore more particularly to consider how is And these former are coÌ„mon to the wicked but he hath a singular operation in the godly whom he leads it that this Spirit leades the Sonnes of God the auncient Fathers expresses it in two words hee leades vs mâ—nendo monendo that is by informing our minde with his admonitions and inclining our harts with his motions for the holy spirit leades vs not like vnto blinde men vvho are led by their guide a way vvhich they know not themselues but he opens our eyes and lets vs see a farre off our heauenly 1 Monendo by informing their mindes Canaan and Ierusalem vvhich is aboue for he that neuer saw the Lord how can hee follow him or how can he forsake the doung of the earth who hath no eyes to discerne those excellent things which are aboue This illumination of our minde is the first beginning of our saluation therefore the Apostle praying for the Ephesians craues that the Ephes 1. 18. Lord would lighten the eyes of their vnderstanding that they might know the hope of their calling and the riches of that glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints He prayeth also for the Philippians that they may abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement whereby they may discerne things that are excellent And for the Collossians that they may be filled with the knowledge of the will of God and of spirituall vnderstanding teaching vs also to remember it in all our prayers as a most necessarie petition And after that the spirit of God hath opened the eyes of 2 Mouendo by alluring their hearts his children and carried them vp with Moses to the top of Pisgah that is by heauenly contemplation giuen them some sight of Canaan then he also moueth their hearts making them cheerefull willing and resolute to walke toward it for hee drawes vs not against our wils but makes vs willing to follow him It is true he giues also to the wicked some taste of the ioyes of the life to come but he changeth not their hearts they haue some new sights of it but retayne their old affections they like it also but will not redeeme it so deere as they thinke as with the losse of their carnall pleasures in this life but to the godly with the new minde he giues them also a new heart hee inflames them with so feruent a loue of those things which hee had letten them see that they are content to renounce the world and accounteth her best things to be but doung so they may obtayne the Lord Iesus and be made partakers of the high prise of the calling of the Saints of God And beside this he doth in such sort conduct vs that hee 3 By remouing al impediments out of the way which may hinder vs to follow him remoues euery impediment out of the way which may hinder vs when hee carryed his people Israel by his strength to his holy habitation O what impediments was in the way I the red Sea the waste Wildernesse the riuer Iordan Pharaohs horsemen and chariots pursues them behinde to draw them backe againe seauen mighty nations of the Canaanits are gathered before them to resist them and hold them out of Canaan but the shepheard and leader of Israel steps ouer all these impediments as if they had not been in the way and places his people in the mountaine of his inheritance and afterward when he concluded to bring his people from Babell homeward to Canaan hee prepared a way for them in the Wildernesse hee commanded the mountaines to be made low and the vallies to be exalted he commanded the crooked to be straight and the rough places to become plaine and it was done This is for our comfort the Lord Comfort who hath taken vs by the hand to lead vs into his holy habitation shall remoue all impediments that are before vs though Sathan like a Lyon spoyled of his pray snatch after vs though hee double his tentations vpon vs and with manifold afflictions compasse vs though terrible death and the horrible graue stand before vs threatning to swallow vs by the way yet shall wee see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing and ouer all our enemies shall be more than conquerors through him that loued vs and hath taken vs into his owne hand to leade vs to that inheritance which he hath prepared for vs. For it is manifest that both the beginning progresse and The beginning progresse and perfection of our saluation is from him perfection of our saluation is ascribed to the spirit of God in holy scriptures when we were dead in sinne he quickned vs when he had quickned vs he gouernes and leades vs and worketh continually in vs till he perfect vs. Thus is hee the Heb. 12. 2. author and the finisher of our faith and all the glorie of our saluation is his as wee cannot begin to doe well without him so we cannot continue in well doing without him if he lead vs not wee wander from him and weary our selues in In that we can not walk without a guide we are warned that we are but babes Acts 8. 30. 31. the way of iniquitie It should serue to humble vs that wee are pointed out here to be but babes and children such as cannot goe by our selues vnlesse we be led by another As that Eunuch answered Philip when he asked vnderstandest thou what thou readest how can I saith he vnderstand without a guide so may we answere the Lord when hee commands vs to walke in his way how can wee O Lord that are but children and It is good religion to turne Gods precepts into prayers Psal 43. 3. Psal 143. 10. new borne babes walke in thy way without a guide It is a point of good religion to turne the Lords precepts into prayers Send out Lord thy light and thy truth let them lead mee let them bring mee into thine holy mountaine and to thy tabernacles Let thy good spirit lead mee vnto the land of righteousnesse When the Lord threatned that hee vvould no more goe before the Children of Israel to lead them as hee had done Moses tooke it so deepely to heart that he protested hee would not goe one foote further except the Lord went with him and certainely if wee knew the manifold inconueniences whereinto we shall fall if the Lord forsake vs wee would neuer enter our feete into that way wherein we saw not the Lord going before vs in mercy to leade vs. Our life on earth should be
improued pray to none but to our Father whom shall wee follow as Schoole-maisters in prayer If wee vvill be instructed of Psal 50. 15. the Lord. Call vpon â—ee in the day of thy trouble and I shall deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee If wee vvill be taught by Iesus Christ after this manner saith hee shall yee pray Mat. 6. 9. Our Father which art in Heauen If yee would know how the Spirit teacheth vs to pray the Apostle here telleth you hee teacheth vs to cry Abba Father these three are one and deliuers vnto vs one truth what better Schoole-maisters to teach vs a true forme of acceptable Prayer vnto God can wee haue then these and therefore that doctrine which teacheth to pray to Angels or Saints departed must proceed from the spirit of errour for wee are here otherwise taught of God we cannot saith the Apostle call vpon him in whom we beleeue not As for the Angels wee beleeue that they are which the Saduces did not but we beleeue not in them and therefore will not pray vnto them In all the old testament we read no prayer made to Abraham albeit In all the scripture no prayer to Abraham Moses c. nor to Cherubin nor Seraphin hee was the father of the saithfull none to Isaac or Iacob or Moses or any other of the Fathers departed In a hundreth and fiftie Psalmes no prayer is made to Cherube or Seraphin though they in their Psalter of the Virgin haue turned ouer all the prayses and petitions made to the Lord into petitions to our Lady as if where Dauid saith O Lord Psal 6. 1. rebuke mee not in thine anger wee were all to say O Ladie rebuke me not in thine anger and O Lord thou art my righteousnesse Psal 4. 1. O Lady thou art my righteousnesse and so forth in the rest but wee may boldly say with Bernard libenter Bernard certè gloriosa virgo tali honore carebit the glorious Virgin is willingly content to want such honour The Angell would not suffer Iohn to prostrate before him doe it not saith hee I am but thy fellow seruant this one of those blessed spirits Reu. 19. 10. witnesses to vs in the name of all the rest that it is the will of the Saints of God in heauen that wee who are vpon earth should reserue to the Lord his owne worship and giue no part thereof to creatures yea they are offended when that honour is offered to them which is due to the Lord. Where if that common obiection be brought which Ambrose It is not in the court of heauen as in the courts of earthly kings Ambros in epist ad Rom. did obuiate in his time posse nos per istos ire ad Deum sicut comites peruenitur ad regem that men by such mediators may goe to God as they goe to Kings by those who are honorable in their courts to them we answere with him hoc est misera vâ—i excusatione this is to pretend a miserable excuse for men goe to kings by courtiers because the king is but a man ad Deum autem quem nihil latet promirendum suffragatore non opus est sed mente deuota but as for the Lord from whom nothing is hid there needs no such procutor to make him fauourable vnto vs onely there is required a deuout minde for in whatsoeuer place hee who is truely godly speakes vnto God the Lord shall answere him And lastly that the Apostle here ioyneth two words of Euery tongue and language is sanctified for prayer if we vnderstand it sundry languages Abba Father it is to teach vs that euery tongue is sanctified to the vse of Gods children and that it is lawfull for vs to pray in any language if so be wee vnderstand it but to binde people to pray in a language they vnderstand not or for him that should be the mouth of God in the exercise of diuine worship to speake to the people in a strange language which they vnderstand not is a sacrilegious tyranâ—ie That which God powred out as a curse on They are builders of Babell who speake to the people in a language they vnderstand not the first Babell that one of them vnderstood not what another said and the people knew not what the builderâ—â—raued in the second Babel is receiued as a blessing The Caldeans a fierce and cruell nation were sent against the Iewes speaking to them in a language which they vnderstood not to punish in them the contempt of the voice of God which they would not learne nor vnderstand and now the messengers of Antichrist a cruell and mercilesse people are come out speaking to the world in an vncouth language for punishment of them that receiued not the loue of the truth A faithfull seruant of the Lord had he neuer so many languages had rather speake in the Church fiue words with vnderstanding that others might be instructed than ten thousand otherwaies he is but an hireling and a false Apostle that purposely speakes to a people in a language they vnderstand not We giue thankes to God who hath deliuered vs from this most fearefull captiuitie and confusion of Babell Verse 16. The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God ALbeit this operation of the Spirit whereby he witnesses vnto vs that wee are the Children of God be set downe in the last place yet in order of working it goes before the other for certainely vnlesse his holy spirit testifie vnto vs that God is become our father and hath made vs his children we dare not go neere him to craue good things from him The beginning of our acquaintance with GOD flowes from him herein is loue not that wee loued him first but that bee loued 1 Ioh. 4. 10. Rom. 11. 35. vâ— Who hath first giuen vnto him and he shall be recompensed We must first receiue from God some secret information of his loue and fatherly affection or euer we be able to returne vnto him the desires the words and the deedes of his louing children Here first appeareth the fatherly indulgence of the Lord The great loue of our father which hee hath shewed by sending his spirit into our harts our God towards vs we are here in a vally of death in heauines through continuall afflictions the time is not yet come wherein the Lord will communicate to vs his glorious presence to fill vs with that fulnesse of ioy which is in his face the time is not yet come wherein wee must ascend to our Father yet to keepe vs in the meane time that wee faint not the Lord hath sent downe his holy Spirit into our harts to comfort vs. O fatherly care O wonderfull loue when Israel was yet in the wildernesse the Lord sent them some of the fruits of Canaan to comfort them by the hand of Ioshua and Caleb but what was that if it be compared
his sonnes are his Heyres and yet the inheritance enioyed of many is not the lesse Neither are we to thinke this impossible for seeing the Lord hath endued the Sunne in the firmament with this propertie that albeit the light thereof be communicated vnto many yet is it not the lesse in it selfe plurium oculos pascit Aug. de verb. dom in Euan. Ioan. ser 64. tamen tanta est quanta erat illi pascuntur illa non minuitur it feedes the eyes of many they are nourished and it is not diminished may wee not much more thinke that the heauenly light communicated to many shall for all that not be impared In earthly inheritances it is so the moe be partakers of them the lesse they are but it is not so in the heauenly there needes no strife among the brethren for diuision of the inheritance for the rich portion of one shall be no preiudice to another Neyther shall vvee that are called to be the sonnes of They who were borne in the first age of the world shall not be perfected without vs. Heb. 11. 40. God in this last age of the world suffer any preiudice that many hundred yeares before vs some haue bin entred heires of that kingdome God prouiding a better thing for vs that they without vs should not be perfected Adam the first that euer was made the sonne of God by creation and afterward the first sonne of God also by regeneration together with the rest of those faithfull Patriarches that followed him hath in regard of yeares long before vs inherited the promises yet shall it not preiudge them who in the last age of the world are called to the fellowship of the faith of Christ yea hee that shall be the last borne sonne of GOD in the earth by regeneration shall also be partaker of this priuiledge of the inheritance And this should greatly encourage vs to serue our God considering that how euer many of our brethren be entred before vs whose example should confirme vs yet the portion prepared for vs shall not be the lesser There is also another difference for in the earthly inheritances In earthly inheritances the Father dyes or the sonne inherit but here the sonne must dye or else he cannot inherit Psal 102. 26. the Father must first die before the sonne come to the full possession thereof but in the heauenly we our selues must die that we may possesse the inheritance For our Father is the auncient of dayes the heauens are the works of his hands they shall perish but hee doth remaine they shall waxe olde as doth a garment but he is the same and his yeares shall not faile He is the Father of eternity in whom there cannot fall so much as a shadow of change farre lesse is he subiect to death but as for vs by suffering death we must enter into our kingdome we cannot see him so long as we liue nor be satisfied with his image till we awake therefore should the day of death be a ioyfull day vnto vs because it is the Psal 17. 15. day of our entrance to our inheritance Vnnaturall worldlings reioyce at the death of their Parents because by it they come to the heritage they carry merriest hearts within them when they put on their blackest garments but as for vs we should reioyce at the day of our owne death it is not the day of our sorrow as naturall men accounts it but the day of our delight in the which we enter into the fruition of our heauenly inheritance He cals vs not onely the heyres of God but annexed heyres Theophilact with Iesus Christ that so he may shew Nos grandes futuros haeredes that we are to be great heyres The Lord Iesus hath Christs twofold right to the inheritance and how in the second onely we are annexed with him a two-fold right to his Fathers inheritance one by his eternall generation and so he is the heyre of God in a manner proper and peculiar to himselfe onely the other hee hath by conquest for by the merit of his death he hath conquered eternall life for all his brethren and this right he communicates vnto vs whereby we also become heyres annexed with him in the first he admits no companion in the second he cals vs to be partakers with him And this serues vnto vs not onely for a speciall comfort How all these great mercies should prouoke vs to walke worthy of our heauenly vocation in the houre of tentation and day of death as wee marked before but should also prouoke vs to answere the heauenly vocation by a holy disposition seeing wee are the sonnes of God shall wee not resemble his image seeing wee are called to be heyres of an heauenly inheritance shall we any more minde earthly things Farre be it from vs that wee should be prophane like Esau who sould his birth-right Gen. 25. 2 Tim. 4. Phil. 3. 8. 9. for a mease of pottage or like Demas wee should forsake the fellowship of our brethren and imbrace this present world but let vs rather with the holy Apostle account all things to be but dung in respect of the excellent knowledge and fellowship of our Lord Iesus Seeing Christ must be our comfort in death when all other comforts will forsake vs let vs make him our ioy and pleasure in life that so both in life and death he may bean aduantage vnto vs for these things for which miserable worldlings forsake their God shall in the end forsake them Let a couetous man see in the houre of his death those treasures of gold and siluer which he sought in his life more than God and they shall be no more pleasure to him than was those thirty peeces of siluer to Iudaâ— vvhich hee tooke in exchange of Iesus Christ Present a spoonefull of Wine to the drunkard whose belly was his God in his life time and hee shall not be able to receiue it Let the harlot stand at that time in the sight of the whoremonger she may encrease his sorrow and terrifie his conscience but shall not render him comfort Yet these are the strange Gods after which most part of the world goes a whooring but let vs not cast in our portion among them we are partakers of the heauenly vocation called to be the sonnes and daughters of the liuing God blessed shall we be if we walke worthy of our calling For Sathans silly offers are not to be compared to these high mercies wherunto God hath called vs in Christ Ioh. 14. 15. Heb. 2. 11. Math. 17. 5. For we see here whereunto we are called by adoption we are made the sonnes of God and brethren of Christ of rebels we are made the seruants of God yea more than that the friends of God hence forth call I not you seruants but friends yea more than friends he hath made vs brethren he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all
all the pleasures of the wicked ends in paine At that banquet in Cana the Lord Iesus brought in the finest vvine hindmost Iohn but Sathan doth with his miserable banquetters as the gouerners of that feast speakes he presents his best first and after when they haue well drunken brings in that which is worse in the entry hee presents the deceitfull pleasures of sinne but dolefull and lamentable is their end for what better portion can he giue vnto them than is prepared for himselfe he is reserued to blacknesse of darknesse tribulation and anguish of Spirit terrour and horrible wrath shame and endlesse confusion is prepared for him and all those who are portioners with him Thirdly wee marke here Gods wonderfull dispensation That Gods dearest seruants haue bin hardly entreatâ—dâ—n this life yee may see in the Patriarcks in his working in that he entreates those men most hardly in this life who are most deerely beloued of him euen his sonnes and his excellentones If yee goe vp to Abel yee shal seâ— the first sincere worshipper of God mercilesly murthered by his brother Cain come downe to Abraham named by the Apostle the Father of the Faithfull and yee shal see albeit the Lord blessed him yet he wanted not some to curse him Moses albeit he was faithfull in all the house of God and receiued this praise that such a Prophet rose not before him yet how often was his soule vexed with the vniust murmurings of his people against him If yee looke to the Prophets our Sauiour sets downe a compendious description Prophets of their sufferings in that rebuke of the Iewes whom of the Prophets haue not your fathers killed and againe when he cals Ierusalem a Citie which killeth the Prophets and stoneth them who are sent vnto her And as for the Apostles like as they were the witnesses And in the martirdome of the Apostles of Christ by preaching so also by suffering It is recorded by many that Peter was beheaded by Nero at Rome and that his brother Andrew was crucified with his head downeward by Aâ—geas in Patris where hee hung for the space of three dayes conuerting many to the faith of Iesus Saint Luke testifies that Iames was beheaded by Herode and Iohn was banished by Domitian into the I le Pathmos Phillip borne in Bethsaida is bound to the Crosse and stoned to death in Hierapolis Bartholomew among the Indians hath his skinne pulled off and so martired by Astiages Thomas after long preaching to the Medes Persians and Bactrians is at length thrust through with a speare because he refused to worship the Sunne and so strengthned in the faith dyed for the Lord Iesus whose resurrection he could not beleeue till he put his fingers into the holes of his side which was pierced with the speare for him Simon the Cananite was slaine vnder Traian both because hee was a Preacher of Iesus Christ and accused to be one of the linage of Dauid Matthias that was chosen by lot in the roome of Iudas is stoned to death by the Iewes Matthew the Euangelist beheaded in Egypt and Marke drawne through the streets of Alexandria til he dyed Luke was hanged on the branch of an Oliue tree and Paul beheaded by Nero. Of all these first we learne that we are not to take afflictions Sufferings are no testimonies of Gods anger as testimonies of Gods anger against vs seeing we see that by them the Lord hath exercised his best beloued seruants euer from the beginning wherefore shall wee thinke strange concerning the fiery tryall if the Lord should send 1 Pet. 4. 12. it among vs to proue vs as if some strange thing were come vnto vs seeing affliction now is vita trita a trodden path by all the godly that haue gone before vs and therefore let vs not refuse the chastising of the Almighty Secondly let vs not feare least by affliction the light of Other Kingdomes are weakned with trouble but the kingdome of Christ encreaseth by it the Gospell should be extinguished It is not with the kingdome of Christ as with other kingdomes they are weakned and worne at the length by trouble but it encreaseth and flourisheth by it Where other trees wither in Winter the Palme continueth greene other bushes are burnt with fire but the bush wherein Iehouah appeares is not consumed thereby other barkes are ouerturned by the vehement invndation of waters but the Arke of the Lord thereby is exalted Neyther is the Lord a prodigall vvaster of the liues of his Children but a wise and prouident bestower of them then only when he sees that their death may be more profitable to his glory their comfort and edification of his Church then their life can be Therefore said Tertullian that the bloud of the Martyrs was the seed of the Church and after him Cyprian marked it quo plus sanguinis effusum Cip. de dupli martyr est eo magis fidelium effloruit multitudo that the more Christian bloud was shed the more the multitude of beleeuers flourished so that the Romane Empyre was not so much enlarged in the space of two hundred and forty yeares by the violent shedding of the bloud of others as vvas the Church of Christ by patient suffering the shedding of her owne bloud that fruitfull Vine which hath sprung out from that blessed stock Iesus Christ the more it was cut by the bloudy knife of cruell persecuters the more hath it flourished Againe wee haue here this comfort that the sufferings The wicked haue crosses but not Christs Crosse of the godly are sufferings with Christ There is no man in the world who wants his owne crosse euen they who haue their fattest portions in earth haue it not without many sorrowes by vertue of that curse in the sweat of thy brow Gâ—n 3. 19. Barn apol ad Abbat Gâ—un â—halt thou eate bread till thou returne to the earth and herein they are but miserable vae portantibus Crucem non sequentibus Christum woe is vnto them who beare the crosse and follow not Christ comfortlesse fruitlesse and endlesse will their sufferings be But as for the Godly they are sufferers with Christ they suffer not alone if Ioseph goe to the prison the Lord shall goe with him if the three Children goe to the fire the fourth like the sonne of God shall goe with them God the Father protests that in all the troubles of The three persons of the Trinitie are said to suffer with the Godly his Children he was troubled and that he hath such a tender feeling of their afflictions that he who toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye and the Lord Iesus the sonne of God when his Saints at Damascus were persecuted cryed from heauen to the persecuter Saul Saul why persecutest Acts 9. 4. thou me And as concerning the holy Ghost the Apostle testifies Blessed are yee if yee be ratled vpon for the name of 1
more expresse the vehemencie of their desire for as hee that goeth vnder an heauie burthen grones and longs to be eased thereof or as the vvoman vvhich trauailes with childe hath a most earnest desire to be deliuered thereof so the creature wearie of this seruitude longs to be eased This groning of the creature is not to be neglected seeing Somtime God complaines to the creature sometime the creature complaines to God vpon man miserable is man if he complaine not on himself Esay 1. in holy Scripture wee finde that sometime God complaines to his creatures vpon the sinne of man and somtime the creatures complaines to God miserable is man if hee doe not complaine vpon himselfe In the first of Esay there the Lord complaines to his creatures vpon man Heare O Heauens hearkâ—n O Earth I haue nourished and brought vp Children but they haue rebelled against me c. and here againe the creature is brought in groning and complaining to God vpon man The first bloud that euer the earth receiued into her bosome sent vp vnto God a crying voyce for vengeance and the Lord heard it and now the earth meruailes in her kinde that hauing receiued so much bloud of the Saints of God into her bosome the Lord should delay to require it shee wonders againe that the hand of the Lord stablisheth her and makes her beare vp such a number of wicked men as are a burthen to her considering that once he caused her to open and swallow vp Corah Dathan and Abiram and hath many a time since shaken her foundations and destroyed by earth-quake notable Cities making the houses of the inhabitants therof their buriall place the burden of sinne being now wonderfully encreased shee meruailes that the Lord causeth her to beare it and for this cause she cryes and grones vnto the Lord and this complaining of the creature we are not to neglect it as I said for seeing they sigh and grone for the vanitie vnder which our sinnes hath subdued them should not wee much more sigh and grone for our owne sinnes assuredly if we doe not we are conuinced to be more senslesse then the senslesse creatures themselues Concerning this metaphor of trauailing it is two manner Trauailing two manner of wayes ascribed to the wicked in the Scripture of wayes ascribed to the wicked in holy Scripture and one manner of way to the godly For first their concupiscence is compared to a mother that conceiues and trauailes continually without rest till it bring out sinne and sinne being finished is compared in like manner to a mother that bringeth out death And secondly the imagination of their heart is compared to a mother which conceiues cruell counsels and mischieuous deuices against the godly all their dayes they trauaile with this birth and would faine haue it brought out to perfection but at length they bring forth a lye for the malice of the wicked shall slay himselfe his mischiefe shall Psal 7. turne vpon his owne head and his crueltie shall fall vpon his owne pate But as for the children of God they trauaile One manner of way ascribed to the Godly in paine of the monstrous birth of sin that is within them not that they are desirous to perfect and finish it but to destroy and abolish it as being a monster within them which they abhorre an adulterous birth begotten by a most vnlawfull copulation betweene Sathan and their corrupted wil the father that begot this monster being Sathan and the mother that conceiued it their corrupt Nature for this they sigh and cry vnto God with the Apostle O miserable man Rom. 7. 24. who shal deliuer me from this body of death This was his voyce vnto God and should much more be our continuall lamentation seeing in sinnes we are more abundant and in grace farre inferiour to that holy Apostle The Lord therefore worke it in vs for his Sonne Christs sake Verse 23. And not onely the creature but wee also who haue receiued the first fruits of the Spirit euen wee doe sigh in our selues wayting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies NOw followeth the Apostles other argument The second argument prouing the greatnesse and certaintie of that glory is the feruent desire the godly haue to it by instinct of Grace wherby he proues the greatnesse and certaintie of that glory to be reuealed it is taken from that feruent expectation which the sonnes of God haue of it It can neither be a vaine nor a small thing but by the contrary both great and certaine whereupon God hath set the desire of his best creatures by instinct of the Spirit of Grace So that wee haue here first a description of Gods children they are such as haue receiued the first fruits of the spirit secondly a two-fold effect which this holy Spirit workes in Gods children first a wearinesse of their present bondage and seruitude of sinne secondly a wayting by a constant expectation for a better And this doth very much confirme the Apostles purpose there being none on earth who can better iudge the excellencie of that glory to come than they who haue receiued the first fruits thereof Out of all doubt the testimonie of any one who hath tasted of that ioy to come is more worth to commend it than is the contrary iudgement of a thousand others to disproue it And not onely the creature The Apostle proceedes from The sonnes of God and the creature grone together and shall be restored together the testimonie of the creature to the testimonie of the sonnes of God when he spake of the creature he said they sigh and grone with vs they trauaile together in paine with vs and when hee speakes of the godly he saith wee sigh in our selues As man was not made for himselfe but for the Lord and therefore should wait vpon him so the creatures vvere not made for themselues but for vs and therefore where they are at couenant with vs they in their kinde wait vpon vs they goe with vs they grone with vs are grieued with vs and shall neuer rest till wee be deliuered let licentious men liuing in their sinnes marke this they sigh not in themselues with the godly yea they scorne their sighings and therefore shall not be restored vvith the godly they grone not with the creature and shall not be deliuered with the creature O miserable man how vnhappy is that end The wicked mourne not with them and shall not be partakers so much as of the deliuerie of the creature whereunto thy vvanton and hard heart which cannot repent doth lead thee thou shalt not stand in iudgement with the godly where they goe there shalt not thou goe thou didst not mourne with the children of the marriage chamber and therefore shalt not enter vvith them into it to be comforted thou shalt goe to another place and mourne without them the burthen of thy sinnes which now thou feelest not shall
Mark 9. 7. pleaseâ— heare him the Sonne againe to vvhom the Father hath sent you he saith feare not little flocke it is my Fathers Luke 12. 32. will to giue you a kingdome not for your worthinesse but for the good pleasure of his owne will O what a strong consolation and fortresse of our Hope haue wee heere the Father commands vs to heare his Sonne the sonne assures vs that it is his Fathers vvill to giue vs a kingdome therefore will vve casting away faithlesse feare possesse our soules in patience looking by a constant hope for performance of that kingdome vvhich he hath promised vs. The second warrant of our hope is the Oath of God The second warrant of our hope is the oath of God surely the vvord of GOD in it selfe is as true when it is spoken as when it is sworne but for the strengthening of our vveake faith it hath pleased the Lord to ioyne his oath with his word being willing to shew vnto the heyres of promise Heb. 6. 18. more aboundantly the stabilitie of his counsell hath bound himselfe by an oath that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lye wee might haue strong consolation vvho haue our refuge to hold fast the hope vvhich is set before vs. The third vvarrant of our hope is the legacâ—e and testament The third warrant of our hope is the legacy of Christ of Christ in the vvhich he doth not onely by prayer recommend vs to Gods eternal mercy but more particularly he assures vs that he is gone to prepare a place for vs and that he will come againe to receiue vs vnto himselfe that where he is there also we may be And further speaking vnto his Father he saith Father I will that those whom thou hast giuen mee be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast giuen me Shall we thinke that the Father will disannul the testament of his Sonne O how comfortable is it to compare these two the Father saith vnto the Sonne Aske of me what thou wilt and I will giue it thee the Sonne againe asketh of the Father that they who are his may be where he is shall wee not then rest in hope assured to be glorified vvith him The fourth pillar of our hope is the bloud of Iesus The fourth is the bloud of the Lord Iesus Christ shed for vs by vvhich he hath subscribed and sealed all the promises of GOD to be yea and Amen A testament saith the Apostle is ratified by the death of a testator and the Lord Iesus by his death hath confirmed the testament that bloud vvhich hee hath poured out as the price of our redemption cryes continually vnto God for vs vntill the redemption of our soules and bodies be perfected The fift warrant of our hope is the pledge of the Spirit The fift is the pledge of the Spirit giuen vs on earth vvhich the Lord Iesus according to his promise hath sent downe into our hearts By him saith the Apostle wee are sealed against the day of redemption hee is an earnest giuen vs from him who is faithfull and true and therefore may vve assuredly looke to receiue the principal summe Praesentia gratiae attestatur foelicitatem promissae gloriae sine dubio sequuturam the presence of grace now testifyeth vnto vs that the felicitie of the promised Glory shall certainely follow And the last warrant is the pledge of our nature which The sixt is the pledge of our nature taken vp into heauen the Lord Iesus hath carryed from earth vnto heauen and hath placed at the right hand of his Father and therein hath taken possession for vs and in our name therefore the Apostle saith that hee hath entred into heauen as our fore-runner calling him so in regard of vs who through him are also to enter in after him these are the sixe pillars and strong confirmations of our hope vvhich in all troubles sustaine it vnder a certaine expectation of that redemption of the possession which is to come But hope that is seene is not hope The Apostle to confirme A short description of the Nature of Hope his reason subioynes a short description of the nature of hope that it is of things vvhich are to come and not yet seene for that which is present and a man seeth he cannot be said to hope for it yea then shall hope cease vvhen wee shall enioy that which we hope for Spes tunc non erit quando August erit res In the first of these words Hope is put for the thing Hoped in the second for the vertue of Hope it selfe and thus much of Hope Verse 25. But if wee hope for that which we see not wee doe with patience abide for it THe Apostle here concludes not onely this his The conclusion of his first principall argument of comfort against the crosse last purpose vvherein he hath taught vs that the very nature of hope leades vs to looke for some better thing which is to come but also he concludes his first principall argument of comfort making this to be the end of all that it becomes vs with patience to abide our promised deliuerance And albeit for memories sake wee haue reduced all that hee hath spoken into one principall argument yet may wee see how vnder this one many particular reasons are heaped vp together tending all to this one conclusion that we should abide it with patience First wee haue heard that the nature of Sixe seuerall reasons of comfort lurking vnder this one our sufferings are so changed that they are now made sufferings with Christ Secondly that the end of them is to be glorified with Christ Thirdly that the glory to come doth farre exceede in waight and eternitie our present sufferings Fourthly that the creatures haue a feruent desire of the reuelation of that glory Fiftly that they also vvho haue receiued the first fruites of the Spirit are wearie of their present misery and wait for the redemption to come And last that in all our troubles we are saued and sustained with the hope of that vvhich is to come and not vvith a present possession of that which we would haue In all these respects it becomes vs not onely to be of good comfort for the present but also patiently to looke for a better The Apostle brings in his conclusion vpon his last argument but we are to consider that it hath an eye vnto all that goes before and that euery one of those reasons aforesaid serueth to strengthen this conclusion that if wee hope for that which is to come then will we with patience abide for it We haue first to marke a difference betweene the Christian The worldlings comfort is in things that are seene the Christians not so and the Worldling the Worldling hath his affection on things which are seene hee cannot mount aboue them hee hath receiued his consolation
the crafty enemie can very well change his tentations vpon thee if he be repulsed at any one part whereat he was wont to enter hee vvill goe about and seeke vantage at another and therefore seeing our enemie is restlesse and the matter he vvorkes vpon is our manifold infirmities let vs walke circumspectly and pray continually standing with the whole compleat armour of God vpon vs that we may resist him Where for our encouragement let vs marke that albeit Comfort our standing in tentations past prooues wee haue been supported by a stronger than hee is that impugnes vs. our infirmities be many and our enemie strong yet in all our conflicts we are not alone but haue an helper who sustaynes vs. And this thou mayest finde in thine owne experience if thou wilt consider with me whereof comes this that so many yeares thou hast endured the battaile against principalities and powers Is it not of the Lord whose secret help hath sustayned thee how oft hast thou beene compassed with fearefull tentations standing like Israell in the red sea with mountaines of waters about thee threatning to ouerwhelme thee how many times hast thou receiued within thy selfe the sentence of death and beene so farre cast downe that thou hast thought with Dauid there hath been nothing for thee but death and reiection from the fauour of God how oft hast thou looked to be swallowed vp of thy enemie and giuen vnto him as a pray and yet hath the Lord beyond thy expectation deliuered thee from so manifold deaths Mayst thou not feele that the powers of hell are not able to quench that sparke of light and life which God hath created in thee No no assuredly if it had beene in the power of Sathan to haue put it out it should haue beene done long or now but blessed be the Lord it is hee who keepes our soules in life and whose secret grace continually sustaines vs. The greatnesse of this comfort shall yet appeare the better How the holy Spirit beares with vs and ouer-against vs euery burthen laid vpon vs. if we consider the word here vsed by the Apostle which signifies that hee lifts with vs and before vs in the burthen We see by daily custome that the burthen which is too heauie for one is made easie by the help of an other two ioyning hand in hand lift vp that which one is not able to doe and the burthen of Affliction which to our Nature is intollerable by the help of the Spirit becomes portable and easie for he lifts not onely ouer-against vs but least our part of the burthen should ouer-match vs hee lifts also with vs which the double composition of the word imports herein then is our comfort that the Lord our God is not like vnto other Lords and Maisters of the world if he send vs forth to doe any worke in his name he goes with vs himselfe to assist vs what good he commands vs to doe he helps vs to doe it and whatsoeuer crosse he layes vpon vs he strengthens vs to beare it being as I said euer present with vs not as a spectator onely but as an actor For we know not The Apostle this way hauing generally Our infirmities proceed from the want of Prayer set downe his second principall argument of comfort proceedes to a particular explication thereof wherein first he lets vs see that our infirmities proceed of the want of a spirituall disposition to prayer and secondly that the way by which the Spirit helpeth our infirmities is by the grace of prayer Prayer then is here recommended vnto vs as a soueraigne remedie against all our infirmities In our heauiest tentations vvee get comfort as soone as vvee get grace to pray Ascendit precatio discendit Dei miseratio vvhen Augustine Prayer goes vp the mercy of God commeth downe deijcitur Ambrose de fuga saeculi cap. 7. Wee recouer our strength by Prayer Satan cum tu ascenderis Sathan is cast downe when thou dost ascend by Prayer At the Lords Command the blinde sees the paralitique walkes the dumbe speakes the deafe heares shee that was sicke of the Feuer riseth and ministers then comes these commaundements out when thy Prayer preuailes with the Lord light comes to resolue our doubts comfort to mitigate our trouble strength to sustaine our weaknesse blessed is the man to whom the Lord keepeth open this doore of refuge that hee may say in his greatest distresse with Iehoshaphat O Lord wee know not what to doe 2 Chron. 20. 12. neyther is there strength in vs against this people but our eyes are towards thee for hee may be sure of comfort in time of neede Againe wee learne here that it is not so easie a thing to It is not an â—asie thing to pray pray as commonly men professe it is thought of many that it is an easie thing to pray therefore they begin it and goe through it as if it were a worke of no difficultie but alas if wee knew our owne naturall inabilitie and how rare a grace the grace of Prayer is we should not so vainely professe in our words that wee can pray as earnestly beseech him with the Disciples that he would teach vs to pray As that Eunuch professed that hee could not vnderstand without Acts. 8. 31. a guide so may we that we cannot pray without a guide it is easie to speake of God but not so easie to speake vnto God hee that will speake to God saith Ambrose must speake to him in his owne language that is in the language of his Spirit Prayer is not a communing of the tongue with God but Prayer is a communing of the soule with God of the soule with God and of such a soule onely as is taught by the holy Spirit how to pray it is true the Lord vnderstands the thoughts of euery mans heart but the language acceptable to God are those motions of the heart which are raised by his owne Spirit and he that wants this Spirit can not speake vnto God in Gods language Let this serue to reforme the corrupt iudgement of many who thinking themselues able enough to pray passe ouer their dayes without the grace of Prayer a fearefull punishment of carnall presumption This naturall inabilitie to pray consists in these sometime Our natural inabilitie to pray is eyther in our corrupt vnderstanding by which we seek things vnlawfull the fault is in our vnderstanding fallimur putantes prodesse quae poscimus cum non prosint wee are deceiued thinking those things to be profitable for vs which are not so the Iewes not content to be fed with Manna according to the Lords dispensation will haue flesh which the Lord giues them but in his anger and their posterity not content with the Lords gouernement will haue a King like other nations which the Lord gaue them but in his wrath Of this sort are they who send out in stead of lawfull prayers
the Apostle layes for a most sure ground of comfort that so wee might change all our thoughts and cares into one namely how to grow in the loue of God that in a good conscience we might say to the Lord with Peter Lord thou knowest I loue thee casting the Ioh. 21. 15. burthen of all the rest of our feares grieses and tentations vpon the Lord who cares for vs and hath giuen vs this promise for a praemunire all câ—mes for the best The Souldier with courage enters into the battell vnder Other men hazards vnder hope but the Christian runs as sure to obtaine hope to obtaine the victory the Maâ—â—ner with boldnesse commits himselfe to the stormy seas vnder hope of vantage and euery man hazards in his calling yet are they vncertaine venturers and knowes not the end but the Christian runnes not as vncertaine but as one sure to obtaine the Crowne for he knowes that the God of peace shall shortly tread Rom. 16. 20. Sathan vnder his feet What then shall not he with courage enter into the battell wherein he is made sure of the victory before he sight knowing that all the warriours of Christ shal be more than conquerours through him if wee will onely 2 Chron. 20. 17. stand still we shall see the saluation of the Lord. Gideon with his three hundred fought against the great host of Midian without feare because he was sure of victory Dauid made hast ranne to encounter with Goliah because he was perswaded that God would deliuer him into his hands The Israelites were not afraid to enter into the Riuer of Iordane because they saw the Arke of God before them deuiding the waters And shall onely the Christian stand astonished in his tentations notwithstanding that the word of God goes before him to resolue him that whatsoeuer falles out shal come for the best to him The Lord encrease vs and make vs to abound more and more in the loue of our God for perfect loue casts out feare the Lord strengthen our faith that through these mistie cloudes of affliction which now compasse vs we may see that comfortable end which God in his word hath discouered vnto vs. And to this effect we must beware of the subtile slights One of Sathans slights is to cause vs to iudge of the works of God by their beginnings of Sathan who to the end that he may spoile vs of this comfort in trouble endeauours by all meanes either to quench the light of God vtterly in our mindes or at least to darken and obscure it by precipitation of our vnbeleeuing harts carrying vs headlong to iudge of the works of God by their beginnings and to measure our selues in trouble by our present estate and condition not suffering vs to tarrie while we see the end whereof it comes to passe that our hearts being What inconueniences arise from this precipitation tossed too and fro with restlesse perturbations like trees of the forrest shaken with the winde we hasten in our necessities to be our prouisors in our dangers we will be our owne deliuerers and euery way we become the caruers of our owne condition We haue so much the more neede to beware of this precipitation because the dearest seruants of God haue fallen through it into fearefull sinnes against the Lord As we may see in Dauid who being in extreame danger in the Wildernesse of Maon said in his feare that all men were lyers Is not this a great blasphemie to say that the promises which the Lord made to him by Samuel were but lyes and in his other extremities hee is not ashamed to confesse that hee thought that God had forgot to be mercifull and had shut vp Psal 39. 9. his tender mercy in displeasure but when he saw the end then hee was compelled to accuse himselfe and giue glory vnto God I should haue beene dumbe and not opened my mouth Psal 116. 10. because thou didst it and againe I said in my feare all men are lyers for notwithstanding all Samuels promises I looked for nothing but death but now considering the deliuerance I must say pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of all his Psal 116. 13. Saints Seeing this precipitation made Dauid to stumble and Hee that will iudge of Lazarus on the dunghill shall think him more miserable than the rich Glutton fall may we not feare least it carry vs to the like inconuenience vnlesse wee learne to beware of it in time let vs not therefore iudge of the works of God before they be ended If we should look to Lazarus on the doung-hill full of byles and sores hauing no comfort but from the dogs and compare him with the rich Glutton clothed in purple and fairing daintily euery day what can we iudge but that Lazarus is the most miserable of the two yet if wee â—arrie till the Lord haue ended his worke and Lazarus be conuayed to Abrahams bosome and the rich Glutton be gone to his place then shal the truth appeare manifestly All things worke together for the best to them that loue God Let vs therefore learne to measure the euent of things not by their present condition but by the prediction of Gods word let vs cleaue But wee shall best iudge of the workes of God if we â—arrie till they be ended to his promise and waite on the vision which hath his owne time appoinâ—ed it shall speake at the last and shall not lye though it tarry let vs wait for it it shall surely come and not stay let vs goe into the Sanctuary of God and consider the end there shall we learne that there is no peace to the wicked Esay 48. 22. howsoeuer they flourish for a time and that it cannot be but well with them who loue the Lord Marke the vpright man Psal 37. 37. and behold the iust the end of that man is peace but the transgressours shall be destroyed together and the end of the wicked shall be cut off Thus both in the troubles of the Godly and prosperity of the wicked we should suspend our iudgement till we see the end All things worke together Marke the singular priuiledge Gods wonderfull wisedom in causing things of so contrarie qualities to agree to doe one worke of the Christian noâ— onely afflictions but all other things whatsoeuer vvorke for the best vnto him and not onely so but they worke together Many working instruments are there in the world vvhose course is not one they communicate not counsels yea their intentions oftentimes are contrary yet the Lord bringeth all their vvorks vnto this one end the good of those who loue him vvhere euer they be in regard of place vvhat euer in regard of persons yea howsoeuer disagreeing among themselues yet are they so ruled by the prouident power of the supreame gouernour our heauenly Father that all of them workes together vnto the good of them that loue
noysome weedes of vnruly affections if the Lord by sanctified trouble did not continually manure them It is good therefore said Ieremie for a man to beare the Lam. 3. 27. Psal 119. 71. Ioh. 15. 2. yoke in his youth and Dauid confesses it was good for him that he was afflicted yea our Sauiour saith euery branch that beares fruit my heauenly Father purges it that it may bring forth more fruit No worke can be made of gold and siluer without fire The wicked putrifie and rots in their prosperitie stones are not meet for pallace worke vnlesse they be pollished and squared by hammering no more is it possible that we can be vessels of honor in the house of our God except first we be fined and melted in the fire of affliction neyther can we be as liuing stones to be placed in the wall of heauenly Ierusalem except the hand of God first beat from vs our proud lumps by the hammer of affliction As standing waters putrifie and rot so the wicked feares not God because Psal 55. Iere. 48. 11. they haue no changes and Moab keepes his sent because hee was not powred from vessell to vessell but hath beene at rest euer since his youth And therefore O Lord rather than that we should keepe the sent of our olde naturall corruption and liue in a carelesse securitie without the feare of thine holy name and so become sit-fasts in our sinnes no rather O Lord change thou vs from estate to estate waken vs with the touch of thine hand purge vs with thy fire and chastise vs with thy rods alway Lord with this protestation that thou keepe towards vs that promise made to the sonnes of Dauid I will visit them with my rods if they sinne against mee 2 Sam. 7. 14. 15. but my mercy will I neuer take from them So be it O Lord euen So be it The same comfort haue we also against death that now Death workes also the good of Gods children in Iesus Christ it is not a punishment of our sinnes but a full accomplishment of the mortification of our sinne both in soule and body for by it both the fountaine and the fluxe of sinne are dryed vp all the conduits of sinne are stopped and the weapons of vnrighteousnesse broken And though our bodies seeme to be consumed and turned into nothing yet are they but sowen like graynes of Wheat in the field and husbandry of the Lord which must dye before they be quickned but in the day of Christ shal spring vp againe most glorious And as for our soules they are by death releeued out of this house of seruitude that they may returne vnto him who gaue them therefore haue I compared death to the red sea wherein Pharaoh and his Aegiptians were drowned Death compared to the red Sea Egiptians drowne in it and sancke like a stone to the bottome but the Israelites of God went through to their promised Câ—â—â—an so shall death be vnto you O miserable Infidels whose eyes the God of this world hath blinded that no more then blinded Aegiptians can yee see the light of God shining in Goshen which is his Church though yee be in it to you I say your death shall be the very centre of all your miseries a sea of the vengeance of GOD vvherein yee shall be drowned and shall sincke with your sinnes heauier than a mislone about the neck of your soules to presse you downe to the lowest hell But as for you who are the Israelites of God ye shal walke But the Israelites of God shall goe through it through the valley of death and not neede to be afraid because the Lord is with you his staffe and his rod shal comfort you albeit the guiltinesse of sore-passed sinnes yet remayning in the memory the terrour of hell and horrour of the graue stand vp on euery side like mountaines threatning to ouerwhelme you yet shall yee goe safely through to the land of your inheritance where with Moses and Miriam and all the children of God euen the congregation of the first borne yee shall sing prayses ioyfully to the God of your How the enemies of Gods childreÌ„ against their will procures their good Gen 50. 20. saluation Now in the last roome concerning the imaginations of men against vs wee shall haue cause to say of them in the end as Ioseph said to his brethren yee did it vnto me for euill but the Lord turned it to good The whole history of Gods booke is a cloud of manifold witnesses concurring together to confirme his truth therefore among many wee will be content with one When Dauid was going forward in battaile against Israell with Acish King of Gath vnder whom 1 Sam 29. he soiourned a while in the time of his banishment the remanent Princes of the Philistims commanded him to goe backe and this they did for the worst to disgrace him because they distrusted him but the Lord turned it vnto him for the best for if he had come forward he had beene guiltie of the blood of Israell specially of Saul the Lords annointed who was slaine in that battell from this the prouident mercy of God doth in such sort deliuer him that no offence is done by Dauid to Saul or his people because Dauid came not against them neither yet could the Philistims blame him because he went back by their owne command So a notable benefit Dauid did receiue by that same deed wherein his enemies thought they had done him a notable shame And where otherwise it pleaseth the Lord to suffer wicked Death of the body to a Christian is but as the renting of Iosephs garment from him men to lay hand on the bodies of his children yet all they are able to doe is but like the renting of Iosephs garment from him As he doth sustaine small losse whose garment is cut if his body be preserued so the Christian when his bodie is wounded vnto the death yet hath hee lost nothing which he striues to keepe for he knowes it is but a corruptible garment which would decay in itselfe albeit there were no man to rent it Non sunt itaque timenda spiritui quae fiunt in Chrisostome carne quae extra nos est quasi vestamentum let not therefore our soule be afraid for those things which are done to our bodies for it is without vs as a garment that doth but couer vs. Thus haue we seene how that there is nothing so euill in it selfe which by the prouident working of God is not turned to the good of his children Whereof arises yet vnto vs this further comfort that seeing it is the priuiledge of euery one who loues the Lord it must much more be the priuiledge of the whole Church that promise made to the Father of the faithfull I will blesse Since to euery Christian all things worke for the best much more are we to thinke that this is the
teipsum Learne therefore first of all to loue thy selfe and then will I commit thy neighbour to thee that thou maist loue him as thy selfe Si autem nondum nosti diligere te tâ—meo ne decipias proximum sicut te but if otherwise thou hast not learned to loue thy selfe I feare that as thou deceiuest thy selfe thou vvilt also deceiue thy neighbour louing him so that thou draw him into the snare of sin with thy selfe to both your destructions this is not loue but hatred for hee vvho loueth any thing truely hateth euery thing that would destroy it as he that loueth a garment hateth the moth that consumeth it and hee that loueth a tree hateth the worme that eateth it vp so he that loueth a man will also hate the sinne that slayes the man otherwise if thou cherish that which destroyeth him thou hatest him indeed and louest him not It is commonly thought a needles lesson to teach a man Man hath need to learne how to loue himselfe rightly Aug. ad frat in Eremo ser 30. Aug. lib. 2. offi cap. 12. how to loue himselfe but in very deed it is most needfull it being a common discase among men amare res suas magis quam seipsos to loue any thing which is theirs better than themselues quis vtilem indicet vitaealienae quem videt mutilem vitae suae and who can iudge that he can be profitable vnto other men whom he seeth vnprofitable yea hurtfull vnto himselfe Though it be principally said to Preachers yee are the light of the world and salt of the earth yet doth it also saith Chrysostome appertaine to euery Christian but he that hath not so much light as to shine to himselfe how shall he shine vnto others how shall hee guide them except it be as the blinde leades the blinde and both of them at length fals into the ditch and he that hath no salt to pouder his owne speeches nor to eate vp the corruption of his owne heart how can he effect the reformation of others Thus you see how the spirit of grace reforming Loue to our selues and our neighbour should be measured but our loue to God should be without measure our affection of loue sets it vpon God our selues and our neighbour Now as for the measure of our loue toward these vvee are to know that the loue of our selues and our neighbour is bounded and limited but the due measure of the loue of God is to loue him without measure Three conditions are required in our loue to God to wit that we loue him vvith all our heart vvith all our minde and with all our strength vve must loue him earnestly that other loue draw vs not from him but his loue may be strong in our heart as to banish out of it all other vnlawfull loue vincat dulcedo Bern. in Cant. ser 20. dulcedinem quomadmodum clauus clauum that so the sweetnesse of Christ may ouercome in vs all sweetnesse of the creature as one nayle driues out another The Apostles loued Iesus with an heartie affection wee Three conditions requisite in the loue of God Mat. 19. 27. haue said they forsaken all things to follow thee yet had they not learned to loue him with all their minde that is wisely with knowledge and vnderstanding for they loued him so that they liked not his sufferings and had no will that hee should dye the speeches giuen out before hand by our Sauiour of his death they could neither conceiue them nor approue them therefore did our Sauiour rebuke them If Iohn 14. 21. yee loued moe yee would certainely reioyce that I goe vp to my Father out of doubt their affection was toward him but they did not yet vnderstand how good it was for the glorie of God and mans saluation that Iesus should dye and therfore could not reioyce in it And the Apostle Peter when hee heard that Iesus behoued to suffer because hee loued Mat. 16. 22. 23. him said to him Maister pittie thy selfe but receiued this answere Goe behinde mee Sathan for thou vnderstandest not the things that are of God Culpans in vtroque non affectum seâ— consilium blaming in them both not their affection but their vnderstanding yet afterward when Peter vvas better informed that Iesus behoued to dye and rise the third day hee disswaded him no more but rather promised that hee would dye with him he had now learned to loue Iesus not onely with his heart but also with his minde not earnestly onely but also wisely yet vvhen it came to the point he denyed his Maister at the voice of a Dainsell because hee had not learned to loue him with strength as hee did afterward when he had receiued the holy Spirit in greater measure hee loued Iesus euen to the very death with so strong an affection that before the Counsell hee choosed rather to dye for Christ than to deny him Licet vitam tunc minime posuit deposuit tamen in so much that albeit he lost not his life yet he freely laid it downe for Iesus These are the three whereunto wee are to aspyre in all In this life wee are farre from that measure of the loue of God which should be in vs. our life to loue the Lord heartily to loue him wisely for inconsiderate zeale and temerarious precipitation doth not please him and to loue him with so strong an affection that vve chose rather to suffer death than to forsake him But alas how farre are vve from this holy disposition who can say hee hath attained to that measure of holy Loue which the law of God requireth in him and therefore should we endeuour to grow daily in loue earnestly praying the Lord that he would breath by his Spirit vpon that little sparke of heauenly life which he hath created in our hearts that it be not extinguished with the ashes of our corruption but may increase and become a great flame to burne vp our affections with such a loue of God as may carry vp all the powers of our soule toward him To this effect let vs meditate frequently vpon these foure Foure meditations helpful to encrease in vs the loue of God causes for vvhich wee should loue the Lord first for that which hee is in himselfe to vvit the fountaine of all goodnesse the greatest and supreame good if it be good that man vvould haue let him loue the Lord to vvhom there is 1 We should loue him because he himselfe is the supreame good none like in goodnes inuenito si potes aliquid pretiosius Deo dabitur tibi finde out if thou canst any thing more pretious than God and it shall be giuen thee The Platonists by the light of nature saw that all the pulchritude and beauty vvhich shineth in the creature vvas but splendor quidam summi illius boni which should transport vs in our affection toward him from whom it came Pulchrum coelum
pulchra terra sed pulchrior qui fecit illa the heauen and earth are beautifull but more beautifull is he who made them and therefore as oft as any good in the creature beginneth to steale our heart after it let vs in our affection goe vp to the Creator considering that the Lord hath not made these beautifull or profitable creatures that we should go a whooring after them but that by them as steps we should climbe vp to him that made them and rest in him The second cause that may breed the loue of God in vs if 2 Because hee hath first loued vs. we meditate vpon it is that the Lord hath first loued vs In 〈◊〉 eâ—m sâ—d non praeuentmus we haue found him but wee did not preuent him we know him now but were first known of him he sound vs first and that euen when wee were enemies vnto him dilexit non existentes into resistentes he loued Bernard vs when we were not yea when wee were rebels against him and shall we not now being reconciled by the death of his sonne endeauour to loue him againe Thirdly the Lord by his continuall gifts hath testified his 3 He hath declared his loue by innumerable gifts already giuen vs. loue to vs he hath not beene vnto vs as a wildernesse or as a land of darknesse if wee will remember and tell what the Lord hath done to our soule we shal finde we are ouercome with the multitude of his mercies there is none that hath deserued the loue of our hearts comparable to the Lord. If our loue be free let vs set it vpon him who is most worthy to be loued and if it be veniall let vs also giue it vnto him who hath giuen vs most for it And fourthly it shall waken in vs the loue of God if wee 4 Hee hath yet greater things which he hath prepared for vs to giue vs. consider in our hearts what great things the Lord hath promised to giue vnto vs euen such as the eye hath not seene and the eare hath neuer heard life without death youth without age light vvithout darknesse ioy without sadnesse a kingdome vvithout a change and in a vvord he shall then Aug. de ciuit dei l. 10. c. 18 Our loue to God must be tryed by the effects thereof giue vs a blessed life non de his quae condidit sed de seipso not of those things which he hath made but of himselfe But to returne to our former purpose that we may know whether this holy loue be created in our hearts by the spirit of grace or no wee must try it by the fruits and effects of loue whereof now it shall content vs to touch a few First 1 Property of Loue it longs to obtaine that which is beloued it is the nature of Loue that it earnestly desires and seekes to obtaine that which is beloued Hereby shalt thou know vvhether thy affection of loue be ordered by Christ or remaine as yet disordered by Sathan The affection which Christ hath sanctified vvill follow vpward seeking to be there where he is Euery thing naturally returnes to the owne original as the waters goe downe to the deepe from whence they came so carnall loue powred out like water returnes to Sathan who begat it and carries miserable man captiued with it downward to the bottomlesse pit but holy loue being as a sparke of heauenly fire kindled in our hearts by the holy Ghost ascends continually and rauishes vs vpward toward the Lord from whom it came not suffering vs to rest till we enioy him Let this then be the first tryall of our loue if we vse carefully Wee loue not God if wee vse not the exercises of the word and prayer seeing by them onely we haue familiaritie with God vpon earth Psal 110. 97. Psal 26. 8. Psal 27. 2. those holy meanes by which we keepe and entertaine familiaritie with our God it is an argument that wee loue him and what other meanes is there by which man vpon earth is familiar with God but the exercises of the word and prayer Godly Dauid who protests in some places that he loued the Lord prooues it in other by the like of these reasons O how loue I thy law it is my meditation continually and againe I haue loued the habitation of thine house and the place where thine honour dâ—â—els One thing haue I desired of the Lord that I may dwell in the house of my God all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to visit his holy temple As this doth serue for the comfort of those who delight in the exercise of the word and prayer so doth it serue for the conuiction of those to whom any other place is more amiable than the tabernacles of God an euident proofe they haue not the loue of God because they neglect the meanes euen when they are offered by which familiar accesse is gotten vnto the Lord. And againe because the sight we haue of God in this life Wee loue not God if we long not to be with him in heauen wher he shews his most familiar presence is but through a vaile and the tast wee get of his goodnesse is but in part and that in the life to come the Lord will fully embrace vs in the armes of his mercy and kisse vs for euer with the kisses of his mouth therefore is it that the soule which vnfainedly loues the Lord cannot rest content with that familiaritie vvhich by the Word and Prayer it hath with GOD in this life but doth long most earnestly to be with the Lord vvhere shee knoweth that in a more excellent manner shee shall embrace him whereof proceedeth these and such like complaints As the Hart brayeth for the Psal 42. 1. riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God O when shall I come and appeare before the presence of my God My Psal 143. Phillip 1. Soule desireth after thee as the thirstie land For I would be dissolued and be with the Lord Therefore come euen so come Reuel 22. Lord Iesus But alas here are vvee taken in our sinnes thou sayest How by this tryal it is found that many are void of the loue of God thou louest the Lord but how is it then that thou longest not to see him neyther desirest thou to be with him yea a small appearance of the day of death or mention of the day of iudgement doth terrifie and afray thee where as otherwise if thou didst loue him they would be ioyfull dayes vnto thee seeing in the one wee goe to him and in the other he commeth to vs to gather vs and take vs thether where he is Surely those men who contenting themselues vvith the gifts of God in this life thinke not long to enioy himselfe are but like an adulterous woman who if so be she possesse the goods of her husband regards not albeit shee
translating of his kingdome The Husbandman calles not his Labourers For no Husbandman will want labourers in his field as long as the haruest is not ended out of the field in the middest of the day vnlesse the haruest be done and if the Lord remoue his Seruants from a people it is because his purpose is finished for the ground is sure that his calling is according to his purpose but the Lord forbid that the tearme of the ending of this calling should euer come in our dayes And to the end that vvee haste it not vpon our selues wee are to know that as the Gospell comes not to a Land by mans procurement so no power of man is able to remoue As the Gospell comes not by mans procurement so no power of man can remoue it it The Lord who set the Sunne in the Firmament and gouernes it in such sort that it giues light to one part of the world when another is in darknesse and no malice of the euill doer is able to obscure it howeuer he hates it hath also set his Gospell in the firmament of his Church to giue light to Goshen while as Egypt is in darknesse and all the courses of politikes though they were filled with Achitophâ—ls wisedome are not able to stay it onely our owne vnthankfulnesse and abuse of the time of Grace is to be feared if therefore we loue the light let vs cast away the workes of darknesse and walke in the light while as yet we haue it let vs vvelcome those messengers of peace that come to vs in the name of the Lord endeauouring by all holy meanes to transferre this Kingdome of God to our Children after vs that they also may see the beautie of the Lord which we haue seene to their euerlasting saluation Verse 29. For those whom hee know before hee also predestinated to be made like vnto the image of his Sâ—nnâ— that he might be the first borne among many brethren THe vvhole Booke of God is full of heauenly What a treasure of comfort is to be digged out of this Verse consolation euery parcell thereof hath in it the words of eternall life but this place of Scripture vvherein now wee are trauailing may be called aboue the rest a treasure of comfort for here the Apostle leadeth vp the Christian to the register of God and lets him see his owne name written in the booke of life his saluation established in Gods immutable decree exhibited now by Gods effectuall calling to be performed and perfected to him by his endlesse glorification So that in all the booke of God there is not so cleare and certaine a sight of saluation giuen to the Christian as in this place It Not so cleare a sight of saluation in all the booke of God comforted Stephen when he was in the vally of death that he saw the heauens opened and the Lord Iesus standing at the right hand of his Father and it should no lesse comfort vs in all our tribulations that the Apostle here lets vs see the third heauens opened vnto vs to make knowne vnto vs the will of God concerning our saluation This comfort the Apostle brake vp shortly as we heard The linckes of the Chaine of saluation Election Calling Iustification Glorification are knit inseperably in the end of the last verse and now more largely explanes it in these two verses in the which he sets downe in order the causes of our saluation and lets vs see how our present effectuall calling is so inseperably knit with our election and glorification by the hand of God that no power in earth nor in hell is able to sunder them whereof the certainty of his former comfort appeares cleerely that of necessitie all things must work together for the best vnto them that loue God euen to them that are called according to his purpose Which shall yet be more manifested if wee consider how that this golden Chaine of our saluation reaches so to speak it from eternitie to eternitie the beginning of it albeit without beginning is our Election the end of it albeit without end is our Glorification And these two ends of the chaine the Lord keepes them sure and secret in his owne hand but the two middle linkes thereof to wit our Calling and Iustification the Lord lets them downe from heauen to the earth that wee for our comfort might gripe and apprehend them and being sure of the two middle linckes wee might also be sure of the two ends because the Lord hath knit them inseperably together Thou then vvho wouldst be comforted vvith the assurance He that hath a sure hold of the middle linckes Calling and Iustification is sure of the other two Election and Glorification of thy saluation make it first knowne to thy owne conscience by breaking off the former course of thy sinnes and by well doing for the time to come that God hath called thee and iustified thee Gripe sure as it were with the one hand the lincke of Calling and vvith the other the linck of Iustification fasten both thy hands vpon the middle linckes of this Chaine that by them thou mayst be pulled out of this dungeon and raised vp to heauen to see that thou art one of them who was elected before time and after time shal be glorified To make this yet more plaine we are Our present life is a point of time betweene two eternities to know that this mortall life of ours is a short interiected point of time betweene two eternities so to call it in the which some in feare and trembling working out their saluation passes from Gods eternall election to endlesse glorification others againe in wantonnesse and carelesse securitie drinke in iniquitie with greedinesse and so steps from the decree of reprobation that most iustly they procure their owne condemnation So that euery man hath to consider of his euerlasting weale or woe by his present disposition in this life Oh that vvee had sanctified memories alwayes to remember If in this life we fall we may rise againe but if in death wee step downeward we shall neuer mend it Eccles 11. 3. this so long as wee are here if of vveakenesse we fall vvee may rise againe and if in one day wee haue not learned well to repent vvee haue leaue of the Lords patience to learne it better another day but hee vvho in the day of his transmigration steps the wrong step vvill neuer get leaue to amend it where the tree fals it shall lye there the wicked who dye in their sinnes step downward to the deepe pit and gulfe out of the vvhich there is no redemption Let vs therefore be vvell aduised before wee leape let vs fasten the one foote vpon the border of that Canaan before we goe out of the body let vs make sure that wee shall be receiued into those euerlasting habitations This shall be done if we make our vvhole life a proceeding from election to
glorification and that through calling and iustification which two haue inseperably following them the sanctification and renouation of the whole man The Lord make vs wise in time that vvee may consider the course of our life and thinke of the end whereunto it leades vs for as Moses protested to Israell so doe I vnto you I haue laid this Deut. 30. 15. day life and death before you the Lord giue you grace to make choise of the best In these causes of our saluation linked together in this Prescience and Predestination how they are here distinguished Chaine we haue first to looke vnto Gods decree consisting in his foreknowledge and predestination secondly to the execution thereof which is made by his Calling Iustification and Glorification The decree hath in it these two acts or preordinances so to call them Prescience and Predestination which this manner of way are to be distinguished by foreknowledge the Lord sets before him the whole number of mankinde whom of the good pleasure of his owne will hee purposed to saue so that the first preordinance is this these are they vvhom I vvill saue by predestination againe he concluded to saue them by such and such meanes so that the second preordinance of the decree is this those whom I haue decreed to saue I will saue this manner of way so that prescience lookes to the person to be saued predestination to the meanes whereby they are to be saued Where we must consider that this decree of God is thus distinguished by the Apostle in these two words for our capacitie who being but mortall creatures endued with reason conceiues vnderstands and discernes one thing after another and cannot doe otherwise but it is not so vvith the Lord our God who being himselfe a most perfect vnderstanding by one act without priority or posteriority knowes conceiues and discernes all things Wee come first now to speake of Gods foreknowledge Prescience improperly ascribed vnto God the properties of God are either absolute as namely that he is a Spirit simple and infinite or else such as haue a relation to the creature And of this sort is foreknowledge which improperly is ascribed vnto God for properly there 〈◊〉 â—ore nor after in God nothing past nothing to come but foreknowledge is ascribed to God in respect of the creature because hee knew vs before that wee were This foreknowledge Pr 〈…〉 nce two manner of wayes considered generally and specially is two wayes considered first generally as it is extended to all his creatures and so it is compared to a common booke of register vvherein the Lord hath vvritten all things which were afterward to be and of this speakes the Psalmist My bones saith hee are not hid from thee though Psal 139. 15. I was made in a secret place and fashioned beneath in the earth thine eyes did see mee when I was without forme for in thy booke were all things written which in continuance of time were fashioned though they were not before Of it also speakes the Apostle All things are manifest in his sight with whom wee Heb. 4. 13. haue to doe This manner of way foreknowledge is Gods vniuersall eye by which with one looke hee knoweth all his creatures within and without their nature their shape their actions their beginnings their endes but foreknowledge this manner of way considered is not a lincke of this Chaine it being certaine that there is not one of these lincks more patent nor largely extended than another as ye shall afterward heare Foreknowledge then in this Chaine of Saluation is specially In this Chaine it is specially considered as it lookes to the Elect onely Iohn 13. 18. Mat. 7. 23. considered as it is conioyned cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the loue and liking of God as it is all one with Election extended to none but vnto the children of his good will this way it is affirmed of the godly the Lord knoweth who are his but denyed of the wicked depart from me yee workers of iniquitie I know you not that is albeit I know your persons yea your most secret actions yet your selues I know not so that I loue you and this way foreknowledge specially considered is called the booke of life wherein the Lord hath written the names of those whom hee hath ordayned to life Predestination is also two manner of wayes considered Predestination is also two wayes considered first as it is generally extended to all his creatures for as he knew them all before they were so hee appointed them by middes into their owne end other artificers when they haue made a worke know not what will be the end of it he that buildeth an house knowes not how long it will stand whether fire shall consume it or the winde ouer-turne it or the earth-quake vndermine it but the Lord as hee hath made his creatures so hath he appointed them to an end which hee knoweth himselfe but here Predestination is specially considered and is no larger than Election respecting the Elect onely whom he hath ordayned vnto life by his owne middes for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here not onely signifieth to ordaine to an end but also to appoint all the limits borders and middes within and by which thou art to come to that end Where before wee come to the doctrine of instruction Fore-seene me rits falsely collected out of this place we will shortly encounter vvith our aduersaries vvho read these words in this manner that the Lord predestinated those whom hee fore-knew to be conformed to the image of his Sonne that so they may establish here out their errour of fore-seene merits It were sufficient to bring against them the best learned of their owne side some wherof read these words no otherwise then vvee doe as the Iesuits of Rhemes others plainely impugne that reading and the errour of foreseene merits founded vpon it for so Caietane writeth vpon this place Ad confutandum dogma illorum This errour is improued by their own men as Caietane qui primum salutis nostrae locum tribuunt diuinae praescientiae futurorum qui praescientiam meritorum ponunt rationem definitionis diuinae ad confutandum inquit haec primum nostrae salutis locum tribuit diuino proposito dicendo ijs qui secundum propositum vocati sunt To confute saith hee the doctrine of those vvho giue the first place of saluation to Gods foreknowledge of mans merits vvhich he was to doe and so puts his prescience as a reason and cause of his predestination to confute these I say he giues the first place of saluation to the purpose of God while hee saith to them that and Aquinas are called according to his purpose Aquinas in like manner writing vpon this same place saith Ponere quod aliquod meritum ex parte nostra praesupponatur cuius praescientia sit ratio praedestinationis nihil est aliud quam ponere gratiam dari
beganne at the Churches of the East they had their owne day although but a short Winters day compared vvith that of the Iewes From them in the East the light is now come praised be GOD to vs in the West now is our day how long it is to continue vvith vs who can tell While therefore the light is with you walke in the light Ioh. 32. 35. Rom. 13. 11. least darknesse come vpon you Let vs consider the season for if once the day of grace goe by vs wee shall neuer finde it againe For suppose this day of saluation vvere to shine vpon No Grace will be offered to vs after this life this land still on to the vvorlds end yet vvhat is it to thee seeing the day of grace endeth to thee in the day of thy death after that the Lord shall neuer any more offer mercie vnto thee in that the Apostle wils vs to doe good while we haue time he tels vs that after this there is no time let vs not thinke quod apud inferos ad faciendos fideles atque liberandos Aug. Euodio Epist. 99. euangelium praedicatum sit vel adhuc etiam praedicetur quasi ibi sit Ecclesia constituta that the Gospell euer hath beene or yet is preached in hell to vvorke Faith in men therefor their deliuerance as if there also vvere a constitute Church in it Here by preaching grace is offered to thee that if thou wilt beleeue thou mayst be saued but if now thou dispise it there remaines nothing but a fearefull looking for of iudgement And no lesse deceitfull is that opinion that by suffering hereafter thou mayst redeeme that life which here thou hast not obtayned Vita hic aut amittitur aut tenetur cum istine excessum fuerit nullus paenitentiae locus nullus satisfactionis Cyprian effectus Now life is eyther kept or lost for when we goe out of the body there is no place of repentance no effect of satisfaction It is a principall pollicie of Sathan to steale away from Sathans principall pollicie is to steale away from men the time of grace man the time of Grace he will not simply say to any man yee neede not to repent at all hee knoweth the most prophane man will abhorre that he seekes onely a delay thou needest not saith hee to repent as yet and so stealeth away one day after another till the day of Grace be gone When Pharaoh was stricken with Frogges and Moses offered to him that when hee would bid him hee would pray to God that he might be deliuered from them it was but an vnwise answere he gaue him Pray for me to morrow it had been better Exod. 8. 10. for him to haue said Pray for me presently but more miserably blinded are they to whom the Lord presently offers saluation they delay not till to-morrow onely but till the next yeare yea for many yeares they are called vpon in their youth but they refuse to repent till they be olde seeking first leaue to kisse their Father that is to follow their owne pleasures before they will resolue to follow the Lord Iesus and so lets their dayes one after another be stollen away from them till at length they be taken away in their sinnes and the day of Grace be closed vpon them And whom hee Called them also hee Iustified Hauing Iustification posterior to Calling in order not in time spoken of our Calling wee come now to speake of our Iustification This is a new benefit different from the former benefit of our Calling posterior to it in order of working but not in time for in the same moment wherein the Lord by effectuall Calling giues vs faith to beleeue hee doth also iustifie vs. That wee may vnderstand what a benefit this is wee are The word of Iustifying three wayes taken to know that the word of Iustifying hath three principall significations First to iustifie is all one with this to sanctifie or to infuse by grace new qualities into the soule of man and so Iustification is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu motus ad Iustitiam as Dan. 12 They who iustifie many shall shine as Starres for euer in this sense the Papists take it in this question but wrongfully Secondly to iustifie is to acknowledge or declare one to be iust so it is said that the Publicans iustified God of Luke 7. 29. force we must expound it they acknowledged or confessed him to be iust so S. Iames saith that a man is iustified by workes that is declared to be iust by his workes or as S. Iames expounds it himselfe his Iustification is shewed by his works Thirdly the word to Iustifie is a iudiciall terme and it signifieth to absolue in iudgement and is opponed to condemning so Salomon vseth it Hee that iustifies the wicked Pro. and condemnes the iust are both alike abhomination to the Lord and in this sense the Apostle vseth it here for he oppones it to condemnation This right vnderstanding of the vvord vvill lead vs to Iustification is opponed to coÌ„demnation know what the benefit of Iustification is for what euer condemnation be Iustification must be the contrary they are both iudiciall termes vsed in iudgement holden on matters of life and death Condemnation no man will denie is the sentence of a righteous Iudge adiudging a malefactor to death for some capitall crime whereof he is found guilty in iudgement Iustification then is the sentence of God a righteous Iudge absoluing the man that is in Christ from sinne and death and accepting him to life for the righteousnesse of Christ which is his So that it is euident the state of the question in the controuersie How the state of the controuersie of Iustification stands betweene vs and the Papists of Iustification will be this how is a man iustified before God that is what is it that a man must bring before Gods tribunall for the which he shall be pronounced innocent absolued from death and adiudged to life whether is it ouâ— works of sanctification inherent in vs or is it the righteousnesse of Christ giuen vnto vs and made ours The question being this way taken vp shal giue great light to the c 〈…〉 ouersie that is betweene vs and the falsly named Catho 〈…〉 of our time for we denie not that there is in Gods children an inherent sanctification and that they are changed from vnrighteousnesse to righteousnesse but this inherent righteousnesse say we is not able to purchase to vs an absoluâ—torie sentence from death To make this yet more cleare let vs know that the righteousnesse Foure names giuen to that righteousnesse by which wee are iustified by which we are Iustified receiues foure names first it is called the righteousnesse of Christ secondly the righteousnesse of God thirdly the righteousnesse of Faith fourthly our righteousnesse The righteousnesse of Christ because it is conquered by him and inherent in him as in
spare in thee sinne committed by thy selfe no no vvhen hee beginneth to smite thee hee shall neuer lift vp his hand from thee but double his stripes vpon thee and there shall be no end of thy sorrow As the ioyes prepared for the godly so the paines prepared for the wicked are such as the eye neuer saw the tongue cannot vtter nor the heart conceiue That place of the damned is the great deepe the Ocean of all the iudgements of God all his temporall plagues are but like riuers and strands running into it If therefore the beauty of Sion doth not allure vs let How both Sions beauty and Sinaies â—error should moue vs â—o repent the terrour of Sinai afray vs. The Lord proclaimed his Law in a fearefull manner vpon mount Sinai but in a more terrible manner will he execute it if Moses who was so familiar with the Lord trembled when he heard it proclaimed what horrible feare shall ouer-take the wicked when they shall see it executed vpon themselues Let therfore the children of wisedome hearken in time to the ioyfull tydings of peace which are daily proclaymed on mount Sion let vs drinke of the still and peaceable waters of Siloh which flow from it let vs embrace that mercy which Iesus by the merit of his death hath conquered vnto vs that so we may be saued from the wrath which is to come His owne Sonne Iesus Christ is called Gods owne Sonne How Christ is Gods owne Sonne both in respect of his diuine and humane natures for as he is God he was begotten of the Father by so vnspeakable a generation that as Esay saith none are able to declare it Esay 53. 8. and as he is man he is the Sonne of God conceiued by the holy Ghost made man indeed but not after the manner of other men but of this see Verse 3. But gaue him for vs all This is very often alleadged in The price of our redemption tels how much the Lord hath esteemed of vs. 1 Pet. 1. 18. holy Scriptures as an argument of the great loue of God toward vs that he gaue his sonne to death for vs and so it is indeed for it is not by any corruptible thing as Gold and siluer that he hath redeemed vs but by the precious blood of his owne Sonne the Lambe vndefiled and without spot There is no man will giue much for that whereof he esteemes but little wee measure the price of a thing according to the worth of it in our iudgement euen so of the greatnesse of that gift which our God hath giuen for vs we may estimate the greatnesse of his affection toward vs. Precious indeed in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints vvho to redeeme vs from death spared not to giue his dearest sonne vnto the death It was the Lords reasoning to Abraham now I perceiue thou Gen. 22. 12. louest me because for my sake thou hâ—st not spared thine onely sonne and haue we not much more cause to turne ouer the same reasoning to the Lord now Lord we perceiue thou louest vs because for our sake thou hast not spared thine onely one sonne The Lord shed abroad in our hearts more aboundantly the sense of that inestimable loue that we may be carefull to requite the kindnesse of the Lord putting his holy will before all things in our affection and endeauouring in holy loue to serue him who hath saued vs. Shall he not with him giue vs all things also We are to vnderstand All things belong to the godly in regard of right albeit not in regard of possession all things that are needfull for vs And here it is necessary that wee put a difference betweene our right and our possession The children of God haue the right and property of all Gods good creatures for Christ their Lord is the heire of all and hath made them with himselfe fellow heires All things are yours saith the Apostle and yee are Christs 1 Cor. 3. 21. and Christ is Gods But as for the possession of them in this life the Lord giues it or with-holds it according as he sees may be for the good of his children We know our father Abraham had the right of Canaan when he had not the possession of it and are not therefore to thinke it strange that the Lord giues not alwayes possession of that to his children whereof they haue the right But as for the wicked they haue possession without a right and therefore shall be punished as theeues and robbers and violent vsurpers of Gods creatures vvhereunto Iesus Christ who is the heyre of all hath neuer giuen them a right Secondly we marke here that the giuing and dispensation Seeing all things are giuen by God let vs moderate our care and take nothing but out of his fatherly hand of earthly things is from God if we could remember this it would moderate our care and make vs in our callings first to seek the Lords blessing loath any maner of way to take the things of this world vnlesse we see they be giuen vs out of the hand of God For wee are to know that Sathan who is a counterfaiter of GOD doth also arrogate to himselfe though falsly to be the giuer of things hee that durst say to the sonne of God all the kingdomes of the earth are mine Mat. 4. 9. I will giue them to thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me will he stand in awe to speake it vnto sinfull man No indeed it is his daily tentation by vvhich he circumuents many intangling their hearts with the loue of vvorldly gaine that to obtaine it they care not to lye to steale to sweare to oppresse to deceiue one another vvhich in effect is to fall downe before Sathan and worship him Thus Sathan rules in the kingdome of Babell like a spirituall Sathan another Nabuchadnzer and a Balak offers also gifts to men Nabuchadnezar presenting to his subiects his great image of gold accompanied with all sorts of musicall instruments that is vvorldly pleasures vvealth and prosperitie which bewitch the simple and makes them fall downe and vvorship yeelding themselues seruants to Mammon But happy are those children who refuse so to do and can stand vp with their father Abraham lifting vp his hand to heauen and say I will not haue so much as the laâ—chet of a shooe from Gen. 14. 22. the king of Sodome I will haue nothing by any crooked or indirect meanes out of the hand of Sathan or any of his instruments the buds of Balak shall not hire me to doe euill neither the wages of iniquitie nor the reward of Sodome for doing good shall euer cleaue to my hands I will looke for my portion from the Lord. Againe seeing God is the giuer of all things let vs learne Seeing God is giuer of all let vs stand content and not murmure if others get a more portion than we
able to turne him Now from the body it is translated to the minde to expresse the straitnesse of the afflictions of the children of God out of vvhich oft-times they themselues can see no passage that which Dauid said to Ionathan As the Lord liueth there is 1 Sam. 20. 3. but one step betweene me and death so sareth it many a time with the Children of God but the Lord commeth in vvith vnlooked for deliuerance in their most desperate distresse vvhich not onely relieueth them for the present but doth confirme them for the time to come Wee receiued saith 2 Cor. 1 9. 10. the Apostle the sentence of death in our selues because wee should not trust in our selues but in God who raiseth the dead who dâ—liuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer vs in whom we trust that he will deliuer vs. The third is Persecution The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth 3 They are persecuted chased from place to place that sort of affliction by which the Children of God are persecuted and chased from one place to another the world hath neuer thought them worthy of a roome among them and therefore haue they beene forced to liue in caues and dennes and wildernesses but our comfort is that the God most familiar with his children when they are banished by men Lord hath alwaies shewed himselfe most familiar with his Children when the world hath been most hard vnto them Iacob is banished from his fathers house by the crueltie of Esau and his heauenly Father receiued him into his house comforting him by such a familiar reuelation of his presence as hee neuer had felt before so long as hee dwelt at home and Iohn being banished by Dâ—mitian into Pathmos found also the Lord reuealing himself vnto him more familiarly than he had done before What part of the world is there wherein tyrants can banish the Children of GOD from accesse to their Comforter they know that in their owne house they are strangers as Abraham vvas in Canaan the Land of his inheritance and therefore can be the better content as strangers to liue in any other part of the world Basil being threatned by Modestâ—s the Deputie of the Emperour with banishment Nihil inquiâ— horum quae Nazian de vita Basil dixisti timeo I feare none of these things whereof thou hast spoken nihil pâ—ssâ—â—ens ab exilij mâ—tu liber sum vnum hominuÌ„ cognoscens esse patriam Paradisum Omnem autem terram commune â—spicimus naturae exilium possessing nothing I am free from the feare of banishment knowing that Paradise is the onely countrey of men and the whole earth is a common place of banishment to vs all The fourth is Famine which of it own nature is one of the 4 Famine is one of Gods ordinary plagues and with it also the godly are tryed plagues of God but lesse than his other ordinary plagues of the sword pestilence therfore the Lord who best knowes the waight of his owne rods accounts three dayes of pestilence three months of the sword and three yeeres of famine equiualent Many wayes hath the Lord by which he bringeth famine vpon a people for sometime he maketh Leuit. 26. 19. the heauen aboue as brasse and the earth beneath as yron so that albeit men labour and sow yet they receiue no encrease Deu. 11. 14. sometime againe he giues in due season the first and latter raine so that the earth renders abundance but the Lord by blasting-windes or by the Cater-piller Canker-worme and Grasse-hopper doth consume them who commeth out as exacters and officers sent from God to poind Miserable are they whose gaine is to â—ncrease Famine they are Caterpillers in the Land Basil ser 1. in Auar men in their goods because with them they would not honour the Lord which I marke by the way that those vnnaturall men vvho doe what they can to encrease famine in the Land may know they are but Caterpillers scourges and roddes of the wrath of God or aâ— Basil calleth them Mâ—rcatores humanarum calumnitatem making their priuat gaine a common calamitie and vsing that as a benefite to themselues which God hath threatned as a plague to the people assuredly vnlesse they repent the Lord shall cast them at length into the fire as the roddes of his wrath But we are to know that famine which in the owne nature The Lord who changed the serpent into a flourishing rod hath changed cursed famine into a blessed crosse to his children is a curse and plague of God to the godly is changed the Lord who made the bitter waters of Mâ—rah sweet and turned a biting serpent into a flourishing rod hath changed the nature of all those euils which sinne hath brought vpon vs now they worke for our good and are become like Waspes wanting stings profitable to waken vs and exercise our faith but not able to seperate vs from the loue of God Among those famine is a great tentation Nature being impatient of the want of necessaries and therfore Sathan who picks out the time and place of tentations as may be most for his vantage tempted our blessed Sauiour when he began to vvaxe hungry It is a rare grace in want to praise the Mat. 4 3. Lord and trust in his fatherly prouidence Salomon neuer felt it yet hee knew it was a rare tentation therefore he Prou. 30. 8. prayed that the Lord would neither giue him pouertie nor riches least the one make him full and cause him deny God and the other should cause him to steale and take the name of God in vaine yet no extremitie of this tentation can separate them from the loue of God for eyther in their greatest necessities the Lord marueilously prouides for them or then strengthens them vvith patience and inward comfort to sustaine it For sometime the earth hath been as iron but the heauens How the Lord prouides in famine for his children hath ministred food to Gods people as in that barren wildernesse vvherein Israel soiourned the earth yeelded no fruit but the heauens rained downe Manna and Quailes and sometimes the heauens haue beene as brasse yet in the earth hath the Lord prouided nourishment as he did by the Rauens and the Widdow of Sarepta for Eliah and if otherwise it please the Lord by famine to inflict death vpon his children then he strengthens their spirits with the bread of life and comforts their hearts with hid Manna so that they can say to Worldlings as our Sauiour said to his Disciples I haue bread to eate that ye know not of and so no famine can Ioh. 4. 32. separate them from the loue of God Nakednesse This is also a great tentation partly for the 5 Christians tryed also with Nakednesse shame and partly for the decay of naturall life which followes it Before the Iewes crucified Christ they stripped him naked of his garments Basil makes
them from sinne whereunto hee seeth of their vveaknesse they are ready to fall if they be not preuented and so hee sent an Angell of Sathan to buffet Paul not for any sinne hee had done but for a sinne that he might doe least he should haue beene exalted out of measure And sometime the Lord layeth on affliction neyther to But euery affliction is not laid on the godly for sinne correct sinnes past nor to preuent sinnes to come but that the workes of God may be made manifest vvhich our Sauiour plainely teacheth vs vvhen being demaunded concerning him that vvas more blinde vvhether it vvas for his owne sinnes or the sinnes of the Parents aunswered it was for neither of them but that the workes of God might be made Iohn 9. 3. manifest in him And these vvorkes of God manifested by affliction are of two sorts for not onely his meruailous power and constant truth in preseruing and deliuering his owne Church in all troubles against the power falshood and malice of the world are manifested that all men may see it is not by the arme of man but by the power of God that his Church is continued vpon earth but likewise these manifold graces of God vvrought secretly by his holy Spirit in the hearts of his children are made manifest to the world such as their constant faith their inuincible loue toward God their patience in the hardest sort of crosses And vnto these kindes of afflictions doe wee referre that which here is spoken These afflictions which are for Gods sake require these two things comprised by the Apostle in these words Faith and a good Conscience that is a good Religion and a good 1 Tim. 1. 19. Two things required in those afflictions which are suffered for Gods sake conuersation though thy life be so good that it be vnreproueable in the eyes of man yet if thou be not found in the faith thy suffering is not suffering for Gods cause and albeit the Religion thou professest be good if thy conuersation be euill though thou wouldest giue thy body to be burnt for Religion yet shall not thy suffering be suffering for Christs cause Let none of you suffer as euill doers but if 1 Pet. 4. 15. Cyprian de duplici mart any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed Non supplicium facit martyrem sed causa it is not the crosse makes the Martyr but the cause There hath beene no Heresie so grosse but some men That Gods Martirs may be knowne from Sathans Martyrs haue beene bold to dye for it which is not Christian fortitude but miserable hardnesse of heart As the Lord Iesus hath his Apostles and Martyres so Sathan hath his false Apostles and Martyrs Martires Satanicae virtutis and therefore wee will conclude with Augustine Non est ex passione Aug. l. 1. con Parmen Epi. cap. 8. 9. certa Iustitia it is not suffering that makes sure a cause to be righteous Sed ex Iustitia gloriosa passio but it is righteousnesse which makes suffering glorious For thy sake It is common to all the Godly to suffer with It is common to all Christians to suffer with Christ not so to suffer for him Christ as yee heard before but to suffer for Christ is not a honour communicated to them all the rarer that it is the more heartily should wee welcome it when God sends it The Apostle reioyced in the bonds wherewith hee vvas bound for Christs cause the golden chaines of earthly Ambassadours are nothing so honourable as chaines of yron which are worne for Christs cause The Emperour Constantine honoured all the Fathers of the Counsell of Nice but made most of those vvho had suffered for the cause of Christ as in particular hee kissed the hole of Paphnutius eye which had beene put out in time of trouble for Christs sake yet did hee reuerence it as the most honourable and precious part of his body no face so beautifull as that which is deformed no man so rich as hee who hath sustained spoliation of his goods if it be for Christs sake neyther is any Heb. 10. 34. death so glorious as that which is sustained for his cause Si enim beati qui mâ—riuntur in Domino multo magis qui pro Domino for if they be blessed which dye in the Lord much more blessed are they who dye for the Lord. But now because no Christian is persecuted without some How causes falsly pretended by the wicked takes not from the Christian this comfort that he suffers for Gods sake cause alleadged against him by his persecuters and that also in euery trouble his owne conscience saith that hee hath most iustly deserued it how can he haue this comfort that he suffers for Christs sake The first is easily answered if we put a difference betweene the pretended and the true cause for vvhich the vvicked doe persecute vs. If Haman beare malice to Mordecay for his sake hee will forge a crime against all the people of the Iewes if Amazia can couer his hatred against Amos by pretending that Amos hath conspired against the King If the Princes of Darius enuie Daniels preferment they can delate him as a rebell to the Kings proclamation If Ieremie exhort the Iewes to goe out to the King of Babell hee shall be accused as a confederate with the Chaldeans It is a common stratagem of Sathans to staine the glory of Gods Children in their sufferings with false pretended crimes Vt qui conscientiae suae luce clarescunt falsis rumoribus sordidentur that they who are cleared by the light of their owne conscience may be defiled with false reports Sed bene sibi conscius non debet falsis moueri nec putare plus esse ponderis in alieno conuitio quam in suo testimonio but he who hath a good conscience ought not to be moued with false things nor to think there is more waight in any other mans traducing than is in his owne testimonie Our comfort doth stand sure if we can say with Dauid They Psal 96. 4. Psal 59. 3. In suffering we must distinguish between that which men and that which our own coÌ„science laies to our charge hate me without a cause And againe They are gathered togethered against mee not for mine offence not for my sinne O Lord. As for the other the accusation of our conscience in trouble charging vs with sins which no man can lay to our charge if wee will distinguish betweene the quarrell which conscience hath against vs and that wherewith the wicked doe charge vs it shall be manifest that the cause of our persecution is our disagreement vvith them in an euill course and not any sinne committed by vs against God and so shall our comfort still remaine that wee are sufferers for Christs sake We are killed How farre forth this killing extends our Death cannot hurt the man of God Mat. 10. 28. Aug. de
the patience of God like vnto Oxen fed for the slaughter And here it shal not be vnprofitable to oppone the iudgement How God also compares his children to sheepe but in farre contrary respects of the Lord concerning his children to the iudgement of men The Lord also compares his little ones to sheepe but vpon plaine contrary respects to those which the world hath first for their innocencie and simplicitie they are not like other beasts that haue either teeth in their head pawes in their feete or poyson in their bowels to powre out when they are offended secondly for their patience whereas other beasts being beaten vtter vnruly and rowting voyces they are dumbe before their shearers yea when they are Cyprian de simp prael iniured are farre from reuenge The sheepe of Christ saith Cyprian hath not the bloudy teeth of Wolues crueltie is an argument of bastard religion and thirdly for their vtilitie for they doe not onely giue their milke but their Wooll and Skinne to the vse of man teaching vs how profitable wee should be to our brethren but alas the great number of them who being void of innocencie wise to doe euill void of patience not acquainted with the yoke void of charitie being like that barren tree vvhich had no fruit to giue to Christ in his hunger euidently declares how that many in this age howsoeuer esteemed among men yet are not accounted of God the sheepe of Christ Verse 37. Neuerthelesse in all these things we are more then conquerours through him that loued vs. HEre the Apostle doth now subioyne a negatiue answere to his former interrogations with an amplification these things whereof I haue spoken are so farre from being able to seperate vs from the loue of God that by the contrary in them all wee are more then conquerours that is victors out of all doubt In all these things Then yee may perceiue that vnto all The Christian compared to a rock in the sea those crosses enumerated before the Christian man is subiect he is not vnproperly compared to a Rock in the sea which being beaten on euery side with vvaues raysed by the winde yet stands vnmoueable vnbroken it selfe breakes them that assaults it Againe yee see that the Apostle who speaking of the estate In death Christians are conquerours of Christians vpon earth said before wee are slaine all the day long saith now we are more then conquerours strange it is that he who is slaine should be a conquerour but so it is the Christian battell euery way is meruailous partly because it is foughten within and against himselfe and partly because then is he a conqueror when he seemes to be vanquished being the member of that head who obtayned greatest victorie when he suffered most shamefull death Through him that loued vs. The Apostle doth so giue A Christian is not a single man standing by himselfe but a man incorporate in Christ comfort to the Christian that hee reserues the glory vnto the Lord the strength whereby we preuaile is from him that loued vs not for our selues It is very comfortable to consider that a Christian is not a man standing or liuing by himselfe he hath his being in Christ as long as there is life in him we cannot die it is true that sometime being deserted and left to our selues we fall away for a time as we may see in Peter who at the voyce of a Damsell denied the Lord Iesus and this is to teach vs that the praise of our standing perseuering and ouer-comming pertaines to the Lord. Verse 38. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come 29. Nor height nor any other creature c. THe Apostle continuing in his triumph mounts to an higher sort of enemies and hee also proclaimes defiance to them affirming that neither death nor life nor Angels nor things present nor things to come nor any other creature whatsoeuer if any other be are able to seperate vs from the loue of God Of the which we haue first to learne that a Christian man A Christian may be assured of his saluation in this life contrary to the doctrine of Papists in this life may be perswaded of his saluation neyther is it to be accounted presumption for as much as in so doing he leaues not vpon himselfe but vpon the word and promise of God vvhich the Lord hath confirmed by an oath that he may make sure to the heyres of promise the stabilitie of his counsell Where if the aduersary obiect that the word of the Lord out of all doubt is true and that they who beleeues and repents shall be saued but euery one vvho saith hee beleeues doth not beleeue and so cannot be perswaded of his saluation To this I answere that hee who repents vnfainedly and beleeues knowes as certainely that he hath repentance and faith as he who hath in his hand a iewell knowes that hee hath it and therefore may conclude with himselfe that the promises of saluation made to the penitent beleeuers belongs vnto him for albeit it be true there be many in the Church like vnto those fiue foolish Virgins who suppose they haue that which they shall not be found to haue in the end yet is there no reason to conclude that because some are deceiued all are deceiued because some thinke they haue faith and haue it not therefore none can be sure that they haue faith Out of all doubt vvhere the Lord Iesus dwelleth by his Spirit hee makes himselfe knowne to them in vvhom hee dwelleth according to that Know ye not that Christ is in you This is proued from the nature of the holy spirit whom the Christian hath receiued 2 Cor. 13. 5. except ye be reprobates and these names giuen to the holy Spirit of Adoption doth also confirme the same truth for he is called the Seale the Witnesse and earnest penny of God which names hee receiues from his effects and operations which he works in them to whom he is giuen eyther therefore must the aduersary say that there are none to whom the Spirit is giuen or they must graunt that they to whom he is giuen are sure the first they will not affirme the second they cannot with reason denie for what is this to say that a man Rom. 8. 16. 2 Cor. 1. 22. hath the Seale the Witnesse and the Earnest of God giuen to confirme the promise of God and yet all these doe not make him who hath them sure of saluation But here least that vvhich I haue said discourage them Comfort for the godly whē they cannot sinde this assurance who are of vveake consciences let them know that this assurance of saluation doth not alway continue with the Christian in a like measure for here we doe so beleeue that we want not our owne vnbeleife and albeit our faith when it is in the full strength ouer-comes
all doubting yet is it oftentimes so weake that it is againe disquieted vvith doubting for which if we pray instantly with the Father of that child Lord I beleâ—ue but helpe my vnbeliefe vvee may be sure at Mark 9. 24. length Faith shall ouercome and thus farre teach wee concerning the assurance which the Christian man hath of his saluation But as for that Religion which teacheth doubtings and A good religion may haue doubting but it is an euill religion which leaues men in doubt pronounceth them accursed who hold that a man may be assured of saluation vvee accuâ—se it as a doctrine enemie to Faith and Saluation such as is the doctrine of the counsell of Trent Si quis dixerit hominem renatum teneri ex side ad credendum se certo esse ex numero praedestinatâ—rum anathema sit It is strange to see that where they teach a man is able to Sess 6. cant 15. fulfill the whoâ—e Law of God and by his vvorkes to merit eternall life yet they accurse him if hee say hee is sure to be saued so directly doth one point of their false doctrine impugne another But indeed it is no meruaile if their Religion can yeeld no comfort nor certaintie of saluation to the wearie conscience because they draw men from off the foundation Iesus Christ in whom onely it is promised that we shall finde rest to our soules and would make vs to Mat. 11. 29. leane vpon rotten foundations such as the merit of Masses Why Papistrie cannot make a man sure of saluation the vertue of our workes and humane satisfaction and because all these cannot yet satisfie the doubting consciences of men they suspend them vvith a vaine hope of greater comfort which they shall finde in their forged and comfortlesse Purgatorie thus doe they hold the poore people comfortlesse both in life and in death But as for vs wee will abide on the rocke renouncing all purgation but the purgation of his bloud vvee vvill content our selues vvith Iesus It is not presumption but faith to shew what we haue receiued Christ in whom the Father is well pleased that in him wee may finde rest to our soules which neyther in our selues nor in any other creature shall vvee euer be able to finde Let them call it Presumption Non arrogantia est sed sides Aug. ser 28 praedicare quod acceperis non superbia est sed deuotio it is not presumption but Faith or otherwise if vvee say vnto him who hath begotten vs by the lauer of regeneration Pater bona praesumptio est Father this said Augustine is a good presumption And to the same effect said Bernard Propter Bernard in Septuag hoc data sunt signa quaedam manifesta salutis vt indubitabile sit eum esse de numero Electorum in quo ea signa permanserint This is the truth of God agreeable to Scripture and auncient Fathers which wee doe affirme howeuer they doe accurse it That neyther life By life vve are to vnderstand the pleasures Vanitie of worldly pleasures discouered of this life strong tentations indeed for in the hearts of many they preuaile against the loue of God that we may learne to dispise them and to count vvith the Apostle all things to be dung in regard of Iesus let vs looke vnto those two things vvhich discouers vnto vs the vanitie of worldly pleasures first they are most loathsome to them who haue 1 The abundaÌ„ce of them makes theÌ„ loathsome them in greatest abundance and are most admired of those who haue them not A proofe of this wee haue in Salomon who wanted nothing delectable vnder the Sunne yet by the Eccles 2. 10. very vse of them hee found the vanitie of them and vvas moued to abhorre them It is farre otherwise with heauenly pleasures the more we tast of them the more we esteeme of them hungring still for more we cannot be satisfied vvith that which we haue gotten already Secondly vvorldly pleasures are of this nature that if 2 If they be continuall they become painfull they be continued vvithout intermission they turne into paines therefore is it that those same things which now we choose for recreation incontinently they become vvearisome vnto vs and wee cast them away so that it is not so much by themselues as by the change of them that we are delighted Sola vicissitudine recreamur being weary of walking we refresh our selues with sitting againe being wearie of sitting we rise to refresh our selues with vvalking and so fareth it with all the recreations of this life being continuall they become wearisome So oft therefore as Sathan by vvorldly pleasures vvould steale away our hearts from the loue of God let vs consider how vaine and small a pleasure it is which he vvould giue vs in respect of that vnspeakeable ioy which he would take from vs. Nor death By death vvee vnderstand not onely death Remembrance of death profitable to keepe vs vncorrupted with the pleasures of this life it selfe but all those paines that goe before it and terrours vvhich accompanie it There vvas neuer life so long but it hath beene concluded by death no life so pleasant but the paines of death shall swallow vp all the pleasures thereof As the seauen leane Kine deuoured the seauen fat and the seauen yeares of famine consumed the fruit of seauen yeares of plenty so shall the dolours and terrours of death eate vp all the pleasure and delectations of this vvretched life If vvee suffer the pleasures of this life to bewitch vs be sure the terrours of death shall confound vs. It vvere therefore good that as Ioseph of Arimathia had his Sepulcher in his Garden so wee season all the pleasures of our life vvith remembrance of our death this is summa Philosophia Yet our comfort is that if wee liue in Christ no terrour Comfort for the godly against death of death can seperate vs from him yea death conioynes vs neerer to the Lord Iesus then we were before we see oft-times by experience that the children of GOD haue so triumphed in the very dolours of death and reioyced in the sense of Gods loue that they haue forgot all their bodily paines As the top of mount Pisgah was to Moses the place Deut. 34. 1. of his death and the first place wherein euer he got a sight of Canaan so shall death be to the children of God vvhere we lay downe the sight of this world there shall wee take vp the sight of eternall life vvhich shall neuer be taken from vs. Nor Angels By Angels here I vnderstand not elect Reprobate Angels how they are Gods messengers and to what end Angels for they are not enemies to vs but ministring spirits for our saluation but reprobate Angels for these names of Angels principalities and powers are common both to good and euill Angels And they are so called partly from the power vvhich
how lamentable it is 125 Seruant of seruants is hee who is not Christs seruant 160. by what bands wee are bound to be Christs seruants 161. how wee are both swoâ—ne and hired and haue receiued wages in hand 162 Seruants should we be to Christ 169. how other Lords would haue vs seruants to them 168. it is a shame for man to seeke seruice from his inferior and refuse it to his superiour 161 Seeke God what comfort they haue who doe so 237 Sinne suffered to remaine in the godly and why 7. sinne is in the christian but he walkes not after it 43. any seruice he giues to sinne is by compulsion 43 Sin hath a two-fold power 1. to command 2. to condemne 49. A Law how ascribed to sinne 51. it seemes sweet but it is bitter 59. sinne and death are inseparable 57. how sinne is condemned by Christ 71. cursed are they who nourish it seeing Christ came to destroy it Sinne multiplyed how it should humble vs 98. 99. how it causes the Lord disauow his owne creature 120. a sinner impenitent murthers himselfe 128. if wee slay not sinne it will slâ—y vs. 171 Sinne is the forbidden tree 171. men seeke fruits on it which they shall not finde and findes on it that which they would not haue 172. how the fruit and the deceit of sin are to be distinguished 172. sinne vnder secrecie 308. is great folly 309 Sinnes multiplyed how they grow into a treasure 337. Sinne for giuen breeds great ioy 414. Sinne euil in the affection but good in the memory 420 Sions beauty and Sinaies terrour how they should moue vs. 408 Soule immortall 132. two-fold life of the soule 133. compared to Abrahams house 107. life of it flowes from Christ his righteousnesse 137. it is Gods Temple how it should be dayly swept and kept cleane 113. it should neuer want morning and euening sacrifices in it 13. the soule is first restored and then the bodie 143. See Temple Sonnes of God are not now reuealed 252. no man should iudge of them by their present estate 253 Sonnes of God how all of them are his heyres 213. and hath his Spirit 187 Sheepe how the godly are compared to sheepe both by God and by wicked men 446. 447. Spirit how hee is said to depart from the godly 109. his two-fold operations 117. his threefold notable operation in the godly 118. how he is Gods seale his witnesse and his earnest 119 Spirit his operations vniuersall 181. speciall of sundry sorts 182. how hee leades his children monendo monendo 182. 183. his threefold operation in the godly 188 Spirit is giuen and receiued by the word 190. how in his first operation hee is a Spirit of bondage to feare 189. wee haue in this life but the first fruits of the Spirit 268. why the Lord giues vs not the principall here 269. what comfort haue we through the earnest of the Spirit 270 Spirit why he appeared in the likenesse of a Doue and similitude of sire 294. how hee â—eares the burthen with vs 298. how hâ—e requests for vs. 301 Sufferings are no testimonies of Gods anger 223. all the godly are subiect to them 222. three things required to make our sufferings sufferings with Christ 224. the three persons of the blessed Trinitie suffer with the godly 224. all the sufferings of Christians are not for Christ 442 the causes of suffering 443. Euery suffering renders not glorie 231. time of our suffering is short 231. a necessarie obseruation in suffering 443. Simpathy in suffering with Christ See afflictions T Temperance 126 Temple of God should be more beautifull within then without 115. See soule Tentations to sinne are of the deceiuer 58. comfort in them 59. a good answere to Sathan in his tentations to sinne thou hast deceiued mee so oft why shall I beleeue thee any more 127. See Sathan Tentations by Sathan vnto sinne should chace vs to grace See Sathan Standing in tentations what comfort it renders 298 Thankefulnesse to God should be declared in a three-fold duety 69. 112. 267 Threatnings vsed by the Lord argues our rebellion 170 Tongue of the wicked is a sire furnace wherein the godly are tryed 416. tongues bended against the godly are accursed 305 W Walking from euill to good is the life of a Christian 44. What neede in this walking weâ— haue of a guide 184. how wee should follow our guide 185. how oâ—r way should be considered 45 Wicked men how they walke in a circular motion 44. How miserable they are 98. their rebellion exempts them not from subiection 97 Wicked men compared to open sepulchers 116. they dye miserably and why 138 139. With what Spirit are they led 186. 187. The wicked are left for tryall of the good 291. A wicked man is at his best when he is first borne 337. all workes for the worst vnto them 341. all creatures shall accuse them 421 Will accepted for a deede 444 Will contrarie to Gods will most miserable 100. all the strife betweene God and man is about this whose will should be done 99 Vbiquitaries improued 424 Vnion of a christian with Christ how strait it is 23. 24. Worldlings wrong estimation of a Christian 446. they loue immortalitie but seeke it the wrong way 142. No worldlings shall continue in the state wherin he stands now 456 Worldlings comfort is seene not so the Christians 285. his fectlesse obiection to the Christian 286. their rebuke 287. they are cursed with the Serpent 321. they speake of Gods word like Birds counter fetting mans voice 321. the paines they take on trifles should shame vs that take no paines vpon better things 340 World consists of two contrarie factions 401 Word should be applyed 103. by the word we receiue the Spirit 190. it is as milk to some as salt to others 170. rebukes thereof how not suffered 171 Workes wrought by God called our workes 177. our workes no supplyments of Christs merits 235. how workes of men regenerate doe not merit 393. workes both of the law morall and ceremoniall excluded from iustification 394 Worshippers of God in whatsoeuer part are all of one communion 438 Wrath to come will eate vp all present pleasure 235 FINIS
Where for the comfort of the weake Christian vve are The wounded cōscience euen of the godly desires not death to consider whether the godly be alway in this estate that they dare lift vp their heads with ioy and pray for Christs second appearance or not To this I answere that their disposition herein is according to the estate of their conscience as the eye being hurt is content to be couered with a vaile and desireth not to behold the light vvherein otherwise it reioyceth so the conscience of the godly being any way wounded is afraid to stand before the light of the countenance of God till the time that it be cured againe And this made Dauid to craue that the Lord would spare him a Psal 51. 9. Psal 86. 3. little and giue him space to recouer his strength but after mourning and earnest calling for mercie the conscience being pacified then doe the godly say vvith Simeon Now Lord let thy Seruant depart for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation Luke 2. 29. For the Adoption He said before that we haue receiued Adoption is either begun as now or accomplished as we looke for it the spirit of Adoption and now he saith that vve waite for Adoption but vve must vnderstand that there is a begun Adoption vvhereby vve are made the sonnes of God and that vve haue receiued already there is in like manner a consummate Adoption vvhereby we are manifested to be the sonnes of God and entred into the full possession of our fathers inheritance and that we waite for The redemption of our bodies As there is a two-fold adoption There is also a two-fold redemption first of the soule frō sin secondly of the body from death Ephes 1. so also a two-fold redemption the first is defined by the Apostle to be the remission of our sinnes and that we haue receiued already the second is called in that same Chapter the redemption of the possession and here the redemption of our bodies and this wee looke for to come As the soule was first wounded by sinne and then the bodie vvith mortalitie and corruption so the Lord Iesus the restorer who came to repaire the wound which Sathan inflicted on man doth first of all restore life to the soule by the remission of sins which hee hath obtayned by his suffering in the flesh and therefore the Herald of his first comming Ioh. 1. 29. Reu. 20. 5. 6. cryed before him behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world This is the first Resurrection blessed are they who are partakers of it for vpon such the second death shall haue no power but in his second comming we shal also be partakers of the second redemption hee shall redeeme our bodyes from the power of the graue wherein now they lye captiued and deliuer them from the shame of mortalitie and corruption Let this comfort vs against the present base and contemptible Cōfort against the present base estate of our bodies state of our bodies now they are but filthy sinckes of corruption and vessels so full of vncleanenes that the Lord hath appointed in the body fiue conduits to purge the naturall filth thereof and after this they are to be laid downe in the bed of corruption the wormes spread vnder them and aboue them as it is said of the King of Ashur shall deuoure 2 King 19. and consume their flesh the earth shall eate vp their bones and turne them into dust the braine which was the seat of many proud and vaine imaginations becomes after death oftentimes the seat of the vgly toad the reynes that were the seat of concupiscence engendreth serpents and the bowels vvhich could neuer be gotten satisfied with meate and drinke shall be replenished vvith armies of crawling wormes but against all these vve haue this comfort that as presently we haue obtained remission of our sinnes so are we assured of a glorious redemption of our bodies qui enim Bernard resurgit in anima resurget in corpore ad vitam for he that riseth now in his soule shall hereafter rise in his body to eternall life And of this euery man is admonished that if he loue his He who hath the first redemption shall be sure of the second body he should in time take heed to the estate of his soule see that it be partaker of the first redemption which is the remission of sinnes and be sure thy body shall be partaker of the second redemption It is a pittifull thing to see what preposterous care is taken by men for conseruation of their bodily life there is nothing they leaue vndone vt differant mortem quam auferre non-possunt that they may at the least Bernard prolong and delay death which they cannot cut away but if men take so much paines and suffer so strait a dyet of body and bestow so great expenses that they may liue a short while longer vpon earth what should men doe that they may liue for euer in heauen Verse 24. For wee are saued by hope but hope that is seene is not hope for how can a man hope for that which he seeth IN this verse and the subsequent the Apostle An obiection answered answeres an obiection seeing hee said before that wee haue receiued the Spirit of adoption how hath hee said now that wee are still waiting for adoption He doth therefore teach vs that both these are true we are saued now and we look for a more full saluation hereafter we are adopted now and wee looke for the perfection of our adoption hereafter and that it is so hee proues here by this reason the saluation that now we haue is by hope therefore it is not yet come nor perfected The necessitie of this consequence depends vpon the nature of hope which is of things that are not seene nor as yet come to passe This place is abused by the aduersaries to impugne the This verse abused to impugne Iustification by Faith doctrine of iustification by Faith we are saued say they by hope and therefore not by Faith onely That wee may see the weakenesse of their reason wee will first compare Faith and Hope in that relation which they haue to Christ secondly in that relation which they haue mutually among themselues For we deny not that Faith Hope and Loue each one of them haue a place in the worke of our saluation but the question betweene vs and them is concerning the right placing of them First then it is certaine that both Faith Hope compared in their relation to Christ Faith and Hope looke vnto Christ Iesus Christ and that vvhich hee hath conquered vnto vs is the obiect of them both but diuersly for faith enters vs into a present possession of Christ and his benefits he that beleeueth in me saith Ioh. 3. 36. our Sauiour hath eternall life hee saith not onely hee shall haue it but also that presently hee