breathing as the soule And so it carries a fit sense For as the bodie without breath is dead and it shewes it selfe to be aliue by breathing so faith that is without workes is dead and it shewes it selfe to be aliue by workes 3. There is a false composition of the wordes to be considered faith that is without workes is dead is true but to say faith is dead without workes as though workes gaue life to faith is false and not the meaning of S. Iames but the former onely Againe the Papists hence gather that faith and loue are ioynt causes in the iustification of a sinner and that faith worketh loue in iustifying men before God But this Interpretation is against the whole scope of this Epistle in which Paul prooues that there is no iustification by the law c. 5. v. 4. and therefore no iustification by loue Againe Paul saith Rom. 3. 21. that righteousnes is reuealed without the law and therefore without loue And againe that we are made the righteousnes of Christ as Christ is made our sinne namely by imputation and therefore not by infusion of loue 2. Cor. 5. 21. Thirdly faith iustifies by apprehending Christ in the promise and therefore not by loue The consequent I prooue thus Faith and loue are two hands of our soule Faith is an hand that laies hold of Christ and it doth as it were pull him and his benefits into our soules But loue is an hand of another kind for it serues not to receiue in but to giue out the good it hath and to communicate it selfe vnto others Therefore faith cannot iustifie by loue Lastly loue in order of nature followes iustification and therefore it doth not iustifie For first of all faith laies hold on Christ then followes iustification vpon iustification follows sanctification and loue is a part of sanctification They vrge for themselues the words of Paul that faith works by loue Ans. Paul doth not shew in this verse what iustifieth but what are the exercises of Godlines in which Christians must be occupied And he doth not shew how faith iustifieth but how it may be discerned to be true faith namely by loue Secondly they obiect that faith and loue are alwaies ioyned and therefore ioyntly worke in iustification Ans. They are ioyned in one person or subiect and they are ioyned in the exercise of Christian life but they are not ioyned in the article of iustification Thirdly they vrge the 2. of S. Iames where it is saide that a man is iustified not onely by faith but also by works v. 24. Ans. Faith in S. Iames is put for an historicall knowledge of religion or for the bare confession and profession of faith Againe iustification is twofold one of the person the other of the faith of the person Iustification of the person is when a sinner is absolued of his sinnes and accepted to life euerlasting for the merit of Christ. Iustification of the faith of the person is when faith is approoued and found to be true faith and a beleeuer iustifies himselfe to be a true beleeuer Of this second iustification speakes S. Iames and it is not onely by faith but also by workes Lastly it may be obiected that loue is of no vse if it doe not iustifie Ans. Iustification and sanctification are two distinct benefits 1. Cor. 1. 30. and 6. 11. Iustification ministers vnto vs deliuerance from hell and a right to life euerlasting Sanctification is a fruit of the former and serues to make vs thankefull to God for our iustification and loue serues for the same vse because it is a speciall part of Sanctification Thus much of the deprauation of the text by the Papists Hence further I gather that many falsely in these last daies boast of faith because it is not ioyned with profiting in knowledge with true conuersion vnto God with fruits of loue to God and man whereas all true faith is fruitefull in good workes 7 Ye did runne well who did letyou that ye should not obay the truth The meaning Ye did runne well In these words Paul alludes to the games of running vsed among the heathen And he compares the word and precepts of God to a way or race beleeuers to runners life eternall to the price God to the vmpire or iudge the lookers on are men and Angels good and badde and the Exercise of religion is the running in this race Read of this 1. Cor. 9. 24. Phil. 3. 13 14. Who the interrogation hath in it the force of a reproofe or complaint And the sense is this they did euill which turned you forth of the way and you haue done euill that you obaied not the truth The like is Psal. 2. 1. Why doe the heathen rage that is it is great wickednes for them to rage Let stoppe intercept your course turne you out of the way That you should not obay that you should not giue credence to the doctrine of Paul and obay it The scope These wordes are a repetition of the principall conclusion of the whole Epistle And this repetition is not in vaine For it serues to bring the Galatians to a consideration of their offence and to amendement of life Hence I obserue that the often and serious consideration of our sinnes and liues past is a meanes to worke in vs a detestation of our sinnes and a reformation of life Thus Dauid saith that vpon consideration of his waies he turned his feete to Gods commandements Psal. 119. 59. And the cause why there is so little amendement among vs is because we neuer so much as thinke what we haue done In these wordes Paul sets downe three duties of Christian people The first is that they must be runners in the race of God Indeede the Sabbath of the Iewes figured a rest which is contrarie to running but this rest is from sinne and not from good duties This dutie of running teacheth vs foure things The first is that we must make hast without delay to keepe the commandements of God specially the commandements of faith repentance new obedience Psal. 119. 32 60. Contrariwise it is a great fault for youth others to deferre amendement till old age or till the last and deadly sicknes For that is the time to ende our running and not to beginne The second is that we are to increase and profit in all good duties specially in knowledge faith repentance But we in this age doe otherwise For either we stand at a staie or goe backe and very fewe of vs proceede forward in good duties And there are two causes of this One is blindnes of minde which makes vs that we see not how little our faith and repentance is and how great is the masse of our corruption the second is our vnbeleefe in the Article of life euerlasting The third dutie is that we must neither looke to the right or left hand or looke to things behind vs to set our affection on them but we must presse on forward to
the price of eternall life Phil. 3. 13. Luk. 9. 62. Here comes a common fault to be considered we in respect of profession goe forward yet we looke backe in our course and minde earthly things Lastly we must not be mooued with the speaches of men which are giuen of vs either to or fro They are lookers on and must haue their speaches and our care must be not to heede them but to looke to our course The second dutie of Christian people is that they must not onely be runners but they must runne well And that is done by beleeuing and by obaying the true religion or as Paul saith by hauing faith and good conscience 1. Tim. 1. 18. These are as it were the two feete by which we runne to life euerlasting Vnder faith we are to comprehend the true acknowledgement of God affiance in him and inuocation c. Vnder good conscience is comprised the purpose of not sinning and the care to obay God in all his commandements To applie this to our selues runners we are but alas few of vs are good runners We haue one good foote and that is our faith or religion which is sound and good but we halt on the other foote our care to keepe conscience is not sutable to our religion And three things cause a lamenes or feeblenes in this foote the lust of the eye that is couetousnes the lust of the flesh and pride of life The third dutie is that we must runne the race from the beginning to the ende and finish our course so as we may apprehend life euerlasting 1. Tim. 6. 11. 2. Tim. 4. 7. 1. Cor. 9. 24. And for this cause we must cherish in our hearts a loue and feruent desire of eternall life and by this meanes we shall be drawne on through all miseries and ouerpasse them to the ende Secondly we must hold and maintaine a constant and daily purpose of not sinning And where we are the weakest there must our resolution be the strongest And thus shall we be constant to the death 8 It is not the perswasion of him that calleth you The meaning This opinion of iustification by the workes of the law is not from God who hath called you from bondage to libertie The scope Paul here meetes with a conceit of the Galatians which was this Why dost thou so often and so sharpely reprooue vs for we hould nothing against conscience but are perswaded of the thing which we say To this Paul answers here this perswasion is not of God because it is against the calling of God for he calles you to libertie and this your opinion drawes you into bondage Here we see the cause of mens declining from God and his worde and that is this Men denie credence to Gods word listen to plausible perswasions and so fall awaie Thus Eue fell in the estate of innocencie by listning to the false perswasions of the deuill The Papists â—usle themselues in their superstitions by a presumption that the Church cannot erre and that god wil not leaue his church destitute of the assistaÌ„ce of his spirit Our common people boulster themselues in their blind waies by a presumption that God is all of mercy and that if they doe their true intent serue God say their praiers deale iustly and doe as they would be done vnto they shall certenly be saued Tradesmen often vse many practises of fraud and iniustice and that vpon a perswasion that they haue a charge and family which must be maintained If men now a daies will not blaspheme drinke and riot as others doe they shall be charged with precisenes and that comes vpon a perswasion that it sufficeth to auoid the outward and notorious crimes which are mentioned and condemned in the law Thus the whole world is misled by blind perswasions Secondly hence we learne to close vp our eyes as it were and absolutely to follow the calling of god to subiect all the powers of our soules vnto it Thus did Abraham when he was called to go he knew not whether and Paul without vsing consultation went and preached in Arabia at the calling of Christ. Thirdly Paul here sets downe a note to discerne of false doctrines and opinions in religion If they be sutable to the calling of God they are good if they be against the calling of God they are naught This is Pauls rule God calles vs to libertie therefore the doctrine of iustification by the workes of the law is naught for it drawes vs into bondage In like â—ort God calles vs to free iustification and therefore the doctrine of humane satisfactions and of the merit of workes is naught Againe God calls vs to an vtter deniall of our selues and therefore the Popish doctrine of preparation and of freedome of will in the conuersion of a sinner is naught Lastly it is to be obserued that Paul saith in the time present of him that calleth you for hence it appeares that God continues to call the Galatians euen after their fall in which they fell away to an other Gospel and as much as in them lay abolished themselues from Christ. This shews Gods patience and that there is a possibilitie of mercie after great and grieuous falls It may be saide how long doth God continue to call men vnto him Ans. So long as he vouchsafeth them the benefit of the publike Ministerie Thus then more then fourtie yeares hath God called vs in England And for this cause it is our part to pray to God for hearing eares to be pearced in our hearts and we must answer the calling of God Psal. 27. 8. at the least in the desires and groanes of our hearts And lastly we must in life and conuersation be sutable to the calling of God 9 A little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe The sense As a little leauen leaueneth and fauoreth the whole lumpe of dow euen so one errour or point of corrupt doctrine corrupteth the whole bodie of Christian religion because all the points of religion are linked and compounded together so as if one be corrupt the rest cannot remaine â—ound and incorrupt The scope The obiection of the Galatians is Put case that we erre in ioyning Circumcision and Christ yet there is no cause why thou shouldest â—o sharpely reprooue vs for it is no great errour to ioyne workes and Christ in the cause of our Iustification Paul answers to this obiection by a prouerbe saying that a little leauen of false doctrine corrupts the whole bodie of religion and one errour though it seeme to be of small moment at the first may at length bring with it the corruption and deprauation of many other points The vse In the example of the Galatians we see what is the common fashion of men namely to extenuate their faults and to make small matters of great offences The Phariâ—ies taught that sundrie of Gods commandements were small and little commandements Matth. 5. 19. To them that make no conscience of sinne great
therefore to liue in the flesh is to liue a naturall life by eating drinking sleeping Further Paul saith that liuing in the flesh he liued by faith and for the better conceiuing of this two questions may be demanded The first is Why a beleeuer is said to liue by faith Ans. There be two causes First faith is an Instrument to vnite vs to Christ and by meanes of this vnion we receiue life from Christ for Christ dwells in our hearts by faith Eph. 3. 17. Secondly faith is a Guide to order and gouerne temporall life in all good manner according to the will of God And this faith doth by a diuine kind of reasoning framed in the mind whereby it vrgeth and perswadeth to good duties Rom. 6. 11. The second question is How men liue by faith Ans. The child of God liues a double life in this world a spirituall and a temporall The spirituall stands specially in three things Reconciliation with God renouation of life and good workes Now in our Reconciliation with God we liue in this world onely by faith For we haue and enioy pardon of sinnes imputation of iustice and acception to life eternall onely by meanes of our faith Rom. 4. 4. 5. 1. Againe in the renouation and change of our liues we liue by faith For our faith in Christ purifieth our hearts Act. 15. 9. partly by deriuing holines and puritie from Christ vnto vs who is our sanctification and partly by moouing and perswading of vs to holines and newnes of life 1. Ioh. 3. 3. Lastly in the doing of euery good worke we must liue by our faith For first there must be a generall faith that the worke in his kind pleaseth God Rom. 14. 25. Secondly iustifying faith must giue a beginning to the worke I beleeued therefore I spake Psal. 116. 12. Thirdly after the worke is done faith must couer the defects thereof that it may be acceptable to God Heb. 11. 5. Temporall life stands in cares or miseries and miseries are outward afflictions or inward temptations And in all our worldly cares we are to liue by faith For our care must be to doe our office and the labour of our calling with all diligence This beeing done we must there make a pause and for the successe of all our praiers and labours we must cast our care on God 1. Pet. 5. 7. Likewise in our afflictions we are to liue by faith For our faith is to assure vs that God according to his promise will giue a good issue 1. Cor. 10. 12. And though all temporall things faile vs it makes vs retaine the hope of mercie and of eternall life Thirdly it makes vs waite Gods leisure for our deliuerance Isa. 16. 28. Lastly in our Temptations we are not to liue by feeling but by faith yea against feeling to rest on the bare promise of God when we feele and apprehend nothing but the wrath of God And thus we see how the beleeuer liues by his faith in this world It may be said What is the faith we liue by Answer is here made It is the faith of the sonne of God And sauing faith is so called because Christ is not onely the Author of it and the obiect or matter of it but also the Reuealer of it For there was a certaine faith in God which was put into the heart of man in the creation which also the morall law requireth but this faith in the Messias was not knowne till after the fall and then it was reuealed to the world by the sonne of God Againe it may be saide What is this faith of the Sonne of God Answer is here made A faith whereby I beleeue that Christ hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me These words then thus explaned are an answer to an obiection which may be framed thus Why shouldest thou say that thou liuest not but that Christ liueth in thee considering thou liuest in the flesh as other men doe Answer is made Though I liue in the flesh yet I liue by the faith of the sonne of God The vse Here first of all they are to be blamed that liue by sense like beasts beleeuing no more then they see and trusting God no further then they see him For if a man whome we see and know make a promise to vs we are comforted yet if God who is inuisible make in his word farre better promises as he doth we are not in like sort comforted Againe we put too much confidence in meanes If we haue good callings house land liuing we can then trust in God but when meanes of comfort faile we are confounded in our selues as if there were no God We are like the vsurer who will not trust the man but his pawne euen so we trust not God vpon his bare word without a pawne If he come to vs with a full hand and with the pawne of his good gifts and blessings we trust him els not Againe they are to be blamed that liue onely by the guidance of reason For many dispute thus I deale truly and iustly with all men and liue peaceably with my neighbours therefore God will haue me excused But there must be a better guide to euerlasting life namely faith in Christ els shall we misse of our marke Thirdly they deceiue themselues that thinke they may liue as they list and call vpon God when they are dying and so die by faith It is well if they can die by faith but that they may so die they must liue by faith Lastly they are to be blamed that spend their daies in worldly cares so as no good thing can take place This is the life of infidels And where true faith raignes it cuts off the multitude of cares and makes vs cast them on God Moreouer here we see what we are to doe in perilous times as in the time of plague famine sword when present death is before our eyes we must then liue by faith When Noeh heard of the flood he prepared such meanes as faith would affoard for the sauing of himselfe and his familie Abraham Isaac Iacob by faith liued as pilgrimes in a strange land and were content Moses left Pharaos court and feared not the wrath of the king because by faith he saw him that was inuisible Hebr. 11. 27. Dauid in the feare of present death comforted himselfe in the Lord his God 1. Sam. 30. 6. When Iehosaphat knew not what in the world to doe he lift vp the eyes of his faith to the Lord. 2. Chron. 20. 12. Christ in his agonie and passion of the crosse by faith commended his soule into the hands of his father Of the Saints of the New Testament some were racked some were stoned to death and that by faith Heb. 11. 36. We must therefore all of vs learne to liue by faith and for this cause we must acquaint our selues with the word and promises of God and mingle them with our faith els shall the life of a man in
to forsake wife and children house and land for Christs sake If we haue not the command of our selues in a trifle we may neuer hope for it in waightie matters V. There are dangerous effects of drunkennes First it destroies the bodie For it inflames the blood with an vnnaturall heate and this vnnaturall heate ingenders vnnaturall thirst which ingenders immoderate drinking whence comes dropsies consumptions all cold diseases and death Secondly it hurts the minde for the spirits of the heart and braine beeing the immediate instruments of the soule are by drinking distempered and inflamed and hereupon arise wicked imaginations disordered affections And thus the deuil in the roome of Gods image sets vp his owne image and makes the minde a shoppe of all wickednesse Thirdly the vile imaginations and affections that are in men when they are drunke remaine still in them when they are sober so as beeing sober they are drunke in affection In fauour of drunkennesse it is alleadged that Noahs drunkennes is remembred in scripture but no where condemned Ans. While Moses sets downe the foule effects that followed Noahs drunkennesse he doth indeede condemne it Secondly his example is noted in scripture as a warning to all ages following Thirdly his sinne may be lessened though not excused because he had no experience of wine Obiect II. Ioseph and his brethren did drinke and were drunke together Gen. 43. v. last Ans. The meaning of the text is that they dranke liberally or that they dranke of the best together For the word shakar signifies not onely to be drunke in drinking but also to drinke liberally or to drinke of the best drinke Hag. 1. 6. Obiect III. Learned Phisitians as Rasis Avicenna and others teach that it is greatly for health to be drunke once or twice in a moneth Ans. As learned as they teach the contrarie And we may not doe any euill or sinne against God for any good to our selues Obiect IU It is said to be neighbourhood and good fellowshippe Ans. It is drunken fellowship The right fellowship is in the doctrine of the Apostles praier Sacraments and the workes of mercie Thus much of the works of the flesh Now follows the punishment of thē of which I cōsider three things First a Premonition in these words whereof I tell you before as I also haue told you before Secondly the designment of the punishment in these words shall not inherit the kingdome of God Thirdly the designment of the persons in these words They which doe such things In the Premonition is set downe the office of all Ministers and that is often to forewarne the people of the future iudgements of God for their sinnes Mich. 3. 8. Isa. 58. 1. And this may easily be done For they may know the sinnes of men by experience and the iudgements of God due to euery sinne they may finde in the word of God Againe all people are warned by this often to meditate of the future iudgements of God Thus did Dauid Psal. 119. 120. and Paul who knowing the terrour of the Lord was mooued to doe his dutie 2. Cor. 5. 11. The old world neuer so much as dreamed of gods iudgements before they came vpon them and so they perished Matth. 24. 39. The punishment of these sinnes is not to inherit Gods kingdome Gods kingdome sometime signifies the regiment of God whereby he rules all things in heauen and earth More specially it signifies a state or condition in heauen whereby God and Christ is all things to all the Elect. 1. Cor. 15. 28. And thus it is taken in this place And an entrance or beginning to this happie estate is in this life when men in their consciences and liues are ruled by Gods word and spirit It must here further be obserued that not to inioy the kingdome of God is to be in torment in hell because there are no more but two estates after this life and therefore to be out of heauen is to be in hell The vse I. This must teach vs aboue all things to seeke Gods kingdome and to establish it in our hearts and that we shall doe if we know the will of God and yeeld subiection to it in the duties of repentance faith new obedience II. The kingdome of God comes by inheritance therfore there is no merit of Good workes The persons which are punished are such as are doers and practisers of the works of the flesh Marke the words not such as haue bin doers but such as are doers The word signifies a present and a continued act of doing amisse The vse Here is the difference betweene the godly man and the vngodly The godly man falls into the workes of the flesh and beeing admonished thereof he repents and recouets himselfe he doth not stand in the way of sinners though sometime he enter into it Psal. 1. 1. The vngodly man when he falls lies still in his sinne and heapes sinne vpon sinne and makes a practise of euill I. Warning They which are priuie to themselues of any of the former workes of the flesh must bewaile their offences and vtterly forsake them For if we be found doers of any one worke of the flesh there is no hope of saluation II. Warning They which haue turned vnto God from the works of the flesh must be constant and take heede of going backe least they loose the kingdome of God 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is loue ioy peace long-suffering gentlenes goodnes faith 23 Meeknes temperance against such there is no law For the better obseruing and the more easie vnderstanding of the rule in the 16. v. Walke in the spirit Paul here sets downe a Catalogue of the works of the spirit In the Catalogue I consider three things the propertie of the workes of the spirit in these words The fruit of the spirit the kinds of works and they are nine the benefit that comes by them in these words against such there is no law The fruit of the spirit It is the propertie of the workes of Gods spirit in vs to be called the fruits of the spirit And by this much is signified namely that the Church is the garden of God Cant. 4. 16. that teachers are planters and setters 1. Cor. 3. 9. that beleeuers are trees of righteousnes Isa. 61. 3. that the spirit of God is the sappe and life of them and good workes and vertues are the fruits which they beare In that the works of the spirit are called fruits therof hence it followes that there are no true vertues and good affections without the grace of regeneration The vertues of the heathen how excellent soeuer they seemed to be were but shadowes of vertue and serued onely to restraine the outward man and no further Againe here we see the efficacie of the spirit which makes men fruitful or bearing-trees of righteousnes Psal. 1. 3. yea trees that beare fruit in their old age Psal. 92. 14. Here we haue cause to cast downe our selues For
death yet would a Christian man abstaine from these things because he knowes that they displease Christ and he is gouerned with another spirit to which they are contrarie Also these words are a reason of v. 16. There is no law against them that doe these things therefore walke in the spirit 24 For they that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts The scope In these words Paul prooues that which he said immediatly before namely that there is no law against spirituall men And of this he giues a double reason One is spirituall men are Christs therefore there is no law against them The second is this that is crucified in spirituall men which the law condemneth namely the flesh with the affections and lusts therefore there is no law to condemne the spirituall man In the words I consider three points The first is What is a Christian Ans. A Christian is one that is Christs saith Paul And he is Christs fiue waies I. by the right of creation And so are all men II. by right of redemption 1. Cor. 6. 19. III. by the free gift and donation of God the father Ioh. 17. 11. this donation is begunne in the eternall Election of God and it is accomplished in our effectuall vocation IV. by propagation For all true beleeuers spring out of the blood of Christ and are of his bone and of his flesh as Eue was of the bone and flesh of Adam V. by our donation in baptisme in which we consecrate our selues to God and to Christ. The vse This must teach vs to resigne our selues to Christ and to suffer him to raigne in our hearts and to take the yoke of the Gospel vpon vs. But alas it is farre otherwise with many of vs. For some liue in the transgression of the very law of nature so farre are they from obseruing the Gospel Others thinke it sufficient to follow the teaching of nature If they worship God in some generall manner if they liue peaceably and hurt no man and meane well as they say then all is well and the doing of further duties is reputed curious precisenes And such persons vsually reduce religion to the practise of nature They will be saued by faith but their faith is nothing els but fidelitie They say they worship God but this worship is nothing els but their good meaning and their good dealing These men are content that Christ shall be theirs but they will not be Christs and suffer him to haue a Lordship ouer them II. If thou be Christs then commend thy soule and life and all that thou hast into the hands of Christ. This was the practise of Dauid Psal. 22. of Christ vpon the crosse of Paul 2. Tim. 1. 12. And this practise is the onely way to obtaine safetie and protection For Christ no doubt will keepe his owne III. Comfort If thou be Christs he will care for thee and nothing shall be wanting vnto thee that is for thy good Ioh. 17. 24. Rom. 8. 33. Therefore remember this lesson Neuer grieue ouermuch neuer care ouermuch neuer reioyce ouermuch in the things of this world If thou werest at thine own disposing and finding it were somewhat but there is one that cares for thee namely Christ. The second point to be considered is what is the flesh Ans. It is the corruption of the whole nature of man For the right conceiuing of this we must make a distinction of three things Mans nature the faculties of nature and the corruption of both which corruption hath two parts the losse of the image of God and a pronnes to all wickednes Moreouer this distinction must be without separation of nature from faculties or of corruption from either so as we may say truly that the nature and the powers of the soule of man are corrupted In the flesh are two things Affections and Lusts. By affections vnderstand inordinate affections which shew themselues and beare sway in carnall men as anger in Cain loue of pleasures more then of God in the men of the last times 2. Tim. 3. 3. immoderate sorrow in Ahab when he could not obtaine Naboths vineyard 1. King 21. 4. Lusts are inordinate and infatiable desires after the things of this world as riches honours pleasures c. of this sort are couetousnes gluttonie pride the lust of the flesh c. The vse By this we see what a Carnall man is namely one that is carried away with some inordinate affection or some inordinate lust Herod did many good things at the aduise and motion of Iohn Baptist whome he reuerenced yet was he a carnall man For he was possessed with an inordinate loue of his brothers wife Iudas a disciple of Christ yet a carnall man because he was carried away with the inordinate lust of couetousnes The third point is touching the office of a Christian man And that is to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts For the better conceiuing of this Crucifying must be distinguished It is either the action of Christ or our action Crucifying which is the action of Christ is threefold The first is vpon the crosse where Christ stood in our roome and bare the burden of our sinnes and made an Expiation of them In this respect we are said to be crucified with him Gal. 2. 19. The second is in vs when Christ conuaies the vertue of his death into the hearts of them that are ioyned to him for the causing and effecting of the death of sinne The third is in baptisme whereby Christ seales the two former to them that beleeue Rom. 6. 6. The crucifying which is our action is nothing els but the Imitation of Christ crucified on this manner He was first attached so must we bring our selues into the presence of God He was arraigned so must we set our selues at the barre of Gods iudgement He was accused so must we indite and accuse our selues of our owne sinnes at the barre of Gods iudgement He was condemned and so must we iudge our selues that we be not iudged of the Lord. After iudgement we must proceede to execution of the flesh and that is to vse meanes to crucifie it and they are three The first is by faith to applie to our selues Christ crucified and that is to beleeue not onely that Christ was crucified for vs but that we also were crucified with him Where this faith is sinne shall no more haue domion The second is to beate downe the flesh by the sword of the spirit and that is done by a serious application of the commandements and the threatnings of God to our seuerall affections and lusts The third is to flie the occasions of euery sinne and to cut off the first beginnings of euill The vse This doctrine serues to condemne the drowsie Protestants of our time who professe Christ without making any change in life and conuersation For they are Saints in the Church but in their common dealings they are as worldlings II. Secondly
nay they cannot totally and finally fall from grace For first if any thing should make them fall away it is sinne but they cannot sinne because the seede of regeneration and grace remaineth in them 1. Ioh. 3. 9. And though the Church sleepe yet her heart waketh Cant. 5. 2. And if any thing make them faint it is affliction and persecution but these and all other crosses worke together for the best vnto them that loue God Rom. 8. 28. And therefore these are no hinderances but furtherances rather to their saluation Secondly they are built and founded vpon the promise of God I will put my spirit into their hearts so that they shall not depart from me Ierem. 32. 40. Therefore Christ doth so preserue them by his power preuent them by his grace guard and guide them by his spirit that they shall neuer fall away and that none shall plucke them out of his hand Ioh. 10. I adde further that they are built vpon the trueth and fidelitie of his promise God is faithfull and wil not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you be able but will giue the issue with the temptation that ye may be able to beare it 1. Cor. 10. 13. Thirdly vpon the praier of Christ who praied that they might be kept from euill Ioh. 17. 15. that they might be one in the Trinitie as he in the father and the father in him v. 21. that they may be with him and see his glorie v. 24. Now Christ was alway heard in that which he praied for Ioh. 11. 42. Lastly vpon the life of Christ which is communicated to all his liuing members Gal. 2. v. 20. When Christ which is their life shall appeare then shall they also appeare with him in glorie Coloss. 3. 4. Quest. If they cannot altogether faint and fall away why doth the holy Ghost make a doubt of it as though they might Ans. It is the will of God to mooue vs to perseuerance and to stirre vp our dulnesse by such speeches that we should not be wanting to our our selues in the vse of the meanes 10. While we haue therefore time let vs doe good vnto all men but specially to them which are of the houshold of faith In these words the Apostle doeth iterate the conclusion propounded in the sixt verse as also in the ninth verse immediately going before that we should doe the good we can while we haue time and withall he doeth illustrate it both by the obiect to whome we must doe good and by the circumstance of time howe long we must continue therein And herein he answereth a secret demande which might be made vpon the former rule for whereas it might be thought that the Gentiles which professe not the same religion with vs were to be neglected or at least not so respected as we reade Act. 6. v. 1. the Gretians were neglected of the Ebrewes in their daily ministerie the Apostle answereth that we must not restraine our bouÌ„tie and goodnesse onely to those that are of the same religion with vs but enlarge it vnto all We must doe good vnto all men but specially to them of the houshold of faith In the words we may consider three things First the dutie it selfe Let vs doe good Secondly the obiect or persons to whome we must doe good which is laid downe comparatiuâ—ly we must doe good to all but specially to those that are of the houshold of faith Thirdly the circumstance of time when and how long we are to doe good whilest we haue time of these in order and first of the dutie This generall dutie of doing good is recommended vnto vs by sundrie arguments The first may be taken from the maine ende and scope of a mans life in this world which as Paul signifieth in this place is nothing else but to doe good and this doing of good standeth in three things the first concerneth God in praysing magnifying and adoring his holy name Dauid had an eie to this ende when he desired to liue for no other ende but that he might praise God O let my soule liue and it shall praise thee The second concerneth our selues in seeking the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof by making our calling and election sure by good 2. Pet. 1. 10. This ende of a mans life Salomon intimateth when he saith Let vs heare the end of all feare God and keepe his commandements for this is the whole dutie of man Eccles. 12. v. 13. The third concerneth our brethren in doing good vnto them so farre forth as possibly we can in the compasse of our calling for it is the ende of euery mans calling in seruing of men to serue God and this is that which Paul vrgeth in this place to be beneficiall vnto all The second may be taken from the example of God himselfe We must doe good to them that hate vs that we may be the children of our heauenly father Matth. 5. v. 44 45. For we are more conformeble vnto God in doing good vnto others it beeing an essentiall propertie in God to doe good to euery man seeing that euery creature doth drinke or at least taste of the sweet cuppe of Gods goodnesse Psal. 145. v. 9. then in receiuing good from them for he receiueth nothing from vs as Dauid saith My goodnesse reacheth not to thee Psal. 16. v. 2. To the exaÌ„ple of God we may add the exaÌ„ple of godly kings The cheifest praise and commendation of Hezekiah and Iosiah is noted by their goodnesse Concerning the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his GOODNESSE they are written 2. Chron. 32. 32. Concerning the rest of the acts of Iosiah his GOODNESSE doing as it was written in the Lawe of the Lord beholde they are written 2. Chron. 25. 26 27. And this excellent name of goodnesse or bountifulnesse was as it may seeme by the Lawe of nations ascribed to Princes and Potentates in that it best beseemed them as in name so in the vertue it selfe to expresse the diuine nature of God by and therefore they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is bountifull benefactors or gratious Lords Luk. 23. 25. The third is drawne from testimonie diuine and humane Our Sauiour Christ saith It is a blessed thing to giue rather then to receiue Act. 20. 3. that is to doe good rather then to receiue good Nazianzen saith that a man doth resemble good in no propertie so much as in doing good And the heathen Orator Demosthenes could say that doing of good and speaking the truth makes vs most like to God himselfe But to consider this more particularly Goodnes is threefold Preseruing Vniting Communicating in all which particulars we are to practise this dutie And first for the preseruing goodnes we must doe good not onely to our selues but to others also in labouring to keepe and preserue them from the contagion of finne from falling from grace or backsliding from their holy profession by all good meanes as
that may be simply to euery one to hinder all euill whereas to the nature of the generall or vniuersall good 〈◊〉 things appertaine First that all things should be good in some measure of goodnes Secodly that some things should be better then others Thirdly that those things that are defectiue in goodnes that is euills should be ordayned to the common good as in a well ordered house all the parts thereof are good in their kind Secondly some better then others as Paul saith In a great house there are vessells of gold and siluer of wood and stone some for honour and some for dishonour 2. Tim. 2. 20. Thirdly those that are destitute of goodnes as sinkes draughts and other like places seruing for base though necessarie vses are ordained to the common good of the whole house which it cannot want And therefore if the master builder to preuent these particular euills should leaue them out of his building he should preiudice the common good of the whole house which cannot be without them Thus much of the first part namely the duty Now I proceede to prosecute the second which shews first to whome we must do good and secondly the order to be obserued therein We must do good vnto all but specially to those which are of the houshould of faith Touching the first It may seeme that some among the Galatians were of the Pharises mind who thought they were bound to loue their friends but not their enemies or of this perswasion that they were not bound in coÌ„science to do good vnto the healthen amongst whom they liued as being professed enemies of Christ opeÌ„ persecutors of his Church But Paul teacheth theÌ„ vs another lesson wheÌ„ he coÌ„mands vs to do good vnto all sutable to that of our Sauiour Christ loue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you pray for them that hurt you and persecute you Matth. 9. 44. Let vs consider the good Samaritans practise Albeit there was mortall hatred betwixt the Iewes and the Samaritans Ioh. 4. 6. Yet he seeing his deadly enemie wounded and halfe dead had compassion vpon him powred wine and oyle into his soares bound vp his woundes set him on his owne beast brought him to an Inne and made prouision for him the like ought we to doe euen to our enemies as occasion shall serue Luk. 10. 30. For if we must doe good to our enemies beast his oxe or asse going astray in bringing him home againe Exod. 23. 4. Much more ought we to doe good to our enemie himselfe For the more beneficiall and communicatiue we shewe our selues to be the greater goodnesse we shewe to be in vs as the fountaine which powreth forth his streames vnto all and the candle which standeth vpon a candlestieke shineth vnto all and not to it selfe being couered with a bushell The reasons why we ought to doe good vnto all euen to our enemies are principally foure The first may be taken from the grounds of loue and beneficence which are in all men euen in the wicked themselues nowe the grounds of loue are specially three the first is the image of God which beeing in all men yea euen in prophane persons in part ought to be the loadstone of loue to draw our affection vnto it The second is communion and fellowship in the same nature and therefore we ought to be beneficiall vnto men because they are men though we will not doe good homini yet we must doe it humanitaâ—i as the Philosopher said The third is participation in the death of Christ in that all men haue part in Christ as well as we for any thing we knowe Secondly God whose example we are to followe as hath beene said is good and bountifull vnto all causing his sunne to shine as well vpon the badde as the good and his â—aine to fall as well vpon the ground of the vniust as of the iust beeing kinde vnto the vnkind and to the wicked Thirdly we must doe to others as we would they should doe to vs. Therefore if we beeing in distresse would be glad to receiue good at the hand of a wicked man we ought in the like case to doe good vnto him Fourthly our profession and the reward which we looke for require this at our hands for if we doe good vnto them onely that doe good vnto vs or if we be friendly to those onely that are friendly to vs what singular thing doe we for euen the Publicans doe the like and so hauing our reward here in this life we can expect none other after this life Matth. 5. 47. The second point which containeth the order to be obserued in doing good is laid downe in these words Let vs doe good to all but specially to those which are of the houshould of faith By them of the houshold of faith we are to vnderstand those which by faith are of the same familie with vs namely of the same Catholike church vpon earth the house of God beeing often put to signifie the Church of God as 1. Tim. 3. 15. The house of God is called the Church of God the ground and pillar of trueth Ebr. 3. 2. Moses was faithfull in all Gods house that is his Church and thus this phrase is expounded Eph. 2. 19. Ye are no more strangers and forrainers but citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God So that by them of the houshold of faith we must vnderstand onely the faithfull Indeed among men not onely children but also man-seruants and maide-seruants are counted to be of the family but God accounts them onely to be of his house that are Saints by calling and sonnes by faith The rest are bastards and not sonnes they are it may be in the house but not of the house for true sauing faith doth characterize those that are of the familie of faith euen as fanaticall dreames fantasticall opinions allegorizing of the literall sense of the scripture denying the resurrection of the flesh doe characterize those that are of the familie of loue Hauing the meaning coÌ„sider the dutie which is to do good principally to the faithfull the Saints seruants of god that is we must do good vnto theÌ„ before others more theÌ„ to others which are not of the same familie as Dauid saith My well-doing reacheth not to thee but to the saints that are in the earth them that excel in vertue Psal. 16. 2 3. For it is alone as if the Apostle should haue said As it is fit and conuenient that they that are of the same familie should be helpefull and beneficiall one vnto another rather then to those that are of another family So it is requisite that those which are members of the same bodie nay sonnes and daughters brethren and sisters hauing the same God for their father the same Church for their mother Christ for their elder brother begotten of the same immortall seede nourished with the
where it is said that he ministred to the Saints at Ierusalem and withall that he gaue himselfe no rest in this dutie till he had sealed this fruit vnto them that is till he saw it done according to his desire His example must be followed of vs. It is not enough for vs to giue good words and to wish well but we must in our places and callings doe our endeauour that releefe may euen be sealed to our poore And there be many reasons to mooue vs. First let vs consider that the charge was very great to maintaine the altar of the Lord in the old Testament with sheepe and oxen and offerings of all kinds and now in the new Testament the poore come in the roome of the Altar Secondly the poore represent the person of Christ and in them he comes vnto vs and saith J am hungrie I am sicke I am naked I am harbourlesse therfore looke what we would doe to Christ the same must we doe to them Thirdly the poore haue title and interest to part of our goods for God is the Lord of them and we are but stewards to dispose and vse them according to his appointment And his will is that part of our goods be giuen for the releefe of the poore If this be not done we are theeues in respect of the goods we possesse Lastly mercie or the bowels of compassion in vs is a pledge or an impression of the mercie that is in God towards vs and by it we may knowe or feele in our selues that mercie belongs vnto vs. Thus we see what is our dutie nowe let vs consider what is our fault Not to blame any person or persons it is our common fault that we are backeward and slacke in this dutie And the cause is that we doe not heartily giue our selues to Christ and this makes vs to be so slacke in giuing our goods to the poore 2. Cor. 9. 5. Againe we commonly liue as it were without a law We doe not with Dauid set the laws of God before vs Psal. 119. v. 168. Neither doe we apply our hearts to his statutes v. 112. For then would we with Dauid make haste to keepe the commandements of God v. 60. Specially this great commandement of releefe and the rather because the obseruing of it is the inriching of vs all Lastly let vs marke that Paul beeing warned of the Apostles was diligent to doe that whereof he was warned The like must we doe It is not sufficient to heare but beside this there must be in vs a care and diligence to doe and practise that which we heare For this is to build vpon the rocke And it is a common fault to heare much and doe little Ezech. 33. 24. v. 11. And when Peter was come to Antioch I withstood him to his face for he was to be blamed In these words Paul propounds the second answer which he makes to the obiection mentioned in the beginning of the chap. to this effect Though the church glorifie God for thee yet wil not the Apostles do it because thou art contrary to thē Here Paul answers that there was indeed a dissention between him and Peter when he withstood Peter to his face at Antioch but the fault was not his but Peters who was wholly to be blamed For the better vnderstanding of these words three points are to be handled The first is who was resisted The answer is Peter the Apostle For the intent of this chapter is to shewe what agreement there was betweene Paul and the rest of the Apostles And there was no Apostle of this name but one Therefore they among the Auncient are greatly deceiued who thinke that the Apostle Peter was not reprooued but some other of that name The second point is who resisted Answer Paul and that not for shewe and fashion but in truth and good earnest And this appeares because in the words following he sets downe a waightie and vrgent cause of his reproofe Therefore Ierom and others are deceiued who thinke that Paul reprooued Peter in shewe and appearance and not in good earnest The third point is what was Pauls minde and meaning in resisting of Peter Answer To doe his office The kingdom of God and all things pertaining thereto must haue free passage without resistance The second petition is Thy kingdome come Iohn the baptist preached thus Prepare the way of the Lord and make his paths straight Mar. 1. Saint Paul saith Praie that the word of God may haue free passage and be glorified 2. Thess. 3. 1. Contrariwise such things as hinder the kingdom of God must be withstood Therefore Peter saith Resist your aduersarie the deuill strong in faith 1. Pet. 5. 9. And thus men that are instruments of euill are to be withstood And here Paul by an holy reproofe withstands Peter for his bad example In Paul here first we may behold an example of true vertue in that he resists euill to the vttermost of his power following his owne rule Abhorre that which is euill and cleaue vnto that which is good Rom. 12. 9. Haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenes but rather reprooue them Eph. 5. 11. In like manner must euery one of vs resist euill first in himselfe and then in them that appertaine to him Therefore Paul saith to all Put on the armour of God that ye may resist Eph. 6. 13. Here 2 things may be demāded first what must we resist Paul answers again Principalities and powers and spirituall wickednesses that is the deuill and all his angels It may be said we haue no dealing with them for they vse not to appeare vnto vs. Ans. That the deuill comes not vnto vs visibly but in the persons of euill men and in the badde examples of all men This made Christ say to Peter Math. 16. 23. Come behind me Satan for thou art an offence vnto me when Peter would haue disswaded him from going to Ierusalem Again it may be said In what things must we resist them Paul answereth In heauenly things v. 12. that is in things which pertaine to Gods kingdome and concerne either the saluation of our soules or the worship of God For the deuill seeketh by all manner of euils to hinder these good things Moreouer this dutie of resisting euill is so necessarie that we must resist sinne if neede be to the very shedding of our blood Heb. 12. 4. Againe we haue in Paul an example of bouldnes and libertie in reproouing of sinne This was a thing commanded to the Prophets and Apostles Isai 58. 1. Crie and spare not lift vp thy voice like a trumpet shew my people their transgression Ierem. 1. 17. Trusse vp thy loines arise and speake vnto them all that I commaund thee be not afraid of their faces left I destroy thee before them Like libertie may the ministers of the word vse obseruing Pauls rule 2. Tim. 1. 7. God hath not giuen vs the spirit of feare but of power and
stand before me Ierem. 15. 19. God reueales his secrets to the Prophets his seruants Amos 3. 7. Lastly fearefull iudgements of God belong to Ministers of wicked liues Destruction befalls the sonnes of Eli and their families because they by leud example made the people of God to sinne 1. Sam. 2. 24. The like befell the sonnes of Aaron for their presumption Againe all superiours are warned to goe before their inferiours by good example When Moses went into Egypt to be the guide of the Israelites the Lord would haue destroied him by reason of the bad example in his owne familie namely the vncircumcision of his child Dauid for his euill exāple whereby he caused the enemies of God to blaspheme is punished and that after his repentance that men might see in him an example of Gods iudgement against sinne 2. Sam. 12. 14. Here againe we see that the consent of many together is not a note of truth Peter Barnabas and the Iewes all together are deceiued and Paul alone hath the truth Panormitane saith that a laie-man bringing Scripture is to be preferred before a whole Councell Paphnutius alone had the truth and the whole Councell of Nice inclined to errour 14 But when I saw that they went not with a right foote to the truth of the Gospel I said to Peter before all men If thou beeing a Iew liuest as the Gentiles and not like the Iewes why constrainest thou the Gentiles to doe like the Iewes In these words Paul sets downe the reproofe of Peter and the whole manner of it In it many points are to be considered The first is the time of this reproofe and that was so soone as Paul saw the offence of Peter Here we learne that we must resist and cut off the first beginnings of temptation of sinne and of superstition because we are prone to cuill and therefore if it once set footing in vs it will take place The second point is the foundation of the reproofe in these wordes when I saw and that is a certen knowledge of Peters offence Here we are to take notice of the common fault and that is that we vse to censure and condemne men specially publike persons vpon suspitions and coniectures and heare-say Whereas we should not open our mouthes to reprooue till we haue certen knowledge of the fault Moreouer publike persons as Magistrates and Ministers haue their priuiledge that an accusation is not to be receiued against them without there be a proofe by two or three witnesses 1. Tim. 5. 20. The third point is the fault reprooued which is here expressed by an other name not to walke with a right foote to the truth of the Gospel that is not to conuerse with men and to carrie himselfe so as he may be sutable to the sinceritie of the Gospel both in word and deede Here is a notable dutie set downe for all men To walke with an euen foote according to the truth of the Gospel and this is done when in word and deede and euery way we ascribe all the good we haue or can doe to grace to mercie and to Christ when againe in word and deede and euery way we giue all thanks to God for grace and mercie by Christ. Here two sorts of men are to be condemned as haulters in respect of the truth of the Gospel The first are Papists who ioyne Christ and workes in the cause of our iustification and saluation The second are carnall Protestants and all other sorts of men that professe the name of Christ and withall challenge to themselues a libertie to liue as they list For they walke contrarie to the Gospel disioyning iustification and sanctification faith and good life remission of sinne and mortification This is the rife and common sinne of our daies We are light in the Lord but we walke not as children of light We are content to come to the marriage of the kings sonne but we come not with the marriage garment It is to be feared this very sinne will banish the Gospel and bring all the iudgements of God vpon vs. Let vs therefore repent of our vneuen and haulting liues and preuent the Lords anger by walking worthie the Gospel of Christ. It will besaid how must we performe this dutie Ans. Two rules must be remembred The first is that we must haue and carrie in vs a right heart For the want of this was Simon Magus condemned Act. 8. 21. A right heart is an humble and an honest heart The humble heart is when in the estimation of our owne hearts we abase our selues vnder all creatures vpon earth and that for our offences when againe in the affection of our hearts we exalt the death and blood of Christ aboue all riches aboue all honours aboue all pleasures aboue all ioyes and aboue all that heart can thinke or tongue can speake The honest heart is when we carrie and cherish in our hearts the setled purpose of not sinning so as if we sinne at any time we may in the testimonie of a good conscience say that we sinned against our purpose The second rule is that we must make straight steppes to our feete Hebr. 12. 13. And that is done when we endeauour to obey God according to all his commandements Psal. 119. 6. and also according to all the powers of the inward man that is not onely in action but also in will affection and thought Let vs also applie our hearts to the doing of this least if we come to the marriage of the kings sonne without the garment of a right heart and life we heare the sentence Binde them hand and foote and cast them into vtter darknes there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth The fourth point is the place of reproofe before all men for they that sinne openly to the offence of many are openly to be reprooued 1. Tim. 5. 20. The fifth point is concerning the reasons which Paul vseth for the restraining of the sinne of Peter The first is set downe in the 16. verse If thou beeing a Iew c. Here the meaning of some words are to be opened To Iudaise or to liue as a Iew is to obserue and that necessarily a difference of meates and times according to the ceremoniall law of Moses To Gentilize or to liue as a Gentile is to vse meats and drinks and times freely without difference Peter is said to compell the Gentiles to Iudaise not by teaching of any doctrine for the Apostles neuer erred in teaching and deliuering any thing to the church of God this is a principle therefore he constrained them by the authoritie of his example whereby he caused them to thinke that the obseruation of the Ceremoniall law was necessarie The first reason then is framed thus If thou beeing a Iew vsest to liue as the Gentiles thou maist not by thy example compell the Gentiles to Iudaize in the necessarie obseruation of ceremonies but thou beeing a Iew vsest to liue as the Gentiles
couenant they are children of God and originall sinne which is in them is couered from their first beginning and not imputed to them The vse There was no absolute necessitie of circumcision For they which died before the eight day were borne holy and consequently in the couenant and therefore might be saued And thus Baptisme was not of absolute necessitie for the children of beleeuers are borne holy and Christian and therefore dying in the want of baptisme may for all that be saued The seale of the couenant is not of like necessitie with the couenant it selfe Secondly here we learne that it is not the act of baptisme to conferre the first grace but onely to confirme and seale it vnto vs. Adoption and life beginnes not in baptisme but before If the roote be holy the branches springing thenee are holy We are borne Christians if our parents beleeue and not made so in baptisme Lastly if we be borne holy it is our shame that we haue made no more proceeding in holines then we haue done the most remaine ignorant and vnreformed and they of the better sort either stand at a stay or goe backward The second point is concerning Iustification in the 16. v. of which sundrie things are there propounded And first I will beginne with the name The word Iustifie is borrowed from courts of iudgement and signifies a indiciall act Otherwhiles it is put for the action of the iudge and then it signifies to absolue or to pronounce innocent Thus Paul saith Act. 13. 39. That we are instified from all things from which we could not be iustified by the law of Moses that is absolued or cleered Againe he opposeth iustification to accusation and condemnation Rom. 8. 33. Now the contrarie to condemnation is absolution Sometimes againe the word iustifie signifies the act of the partie iudged or of the witnesses and then it imports as much as to giue testimonie or to declare and approoue Thus Iames saith Abraham was iustified by workes chap. 2. v. 22. that is declared and approoued to be a iust man by workes In the former signification is the word vsed where the holy Ghost deliuereth the doctrine of iustification as in this place The vse Here we see how to distinguish betweene Iustification regeneration and renouation Regeneration is vsually in scripture the change of the inward man whereby we are borne anew Renouation is the change both of the inward and outward man that is both of heart and life Iustification is neither but a certaine action in God applied vnto vs or a certaine respect or relation whereby we are acquit of our sinnes and accepted to life euerlasting Secondly we must here note that the Teachers of the Church of Rome mistake the word Iustification For by it they vnderstand nothing els but a physicall transmutation of the qualitie and disposition of our hearts from euill to good And by this mistaking they haue made a mixture or rather confusion of law and Gospel Thirdly here we see what is to be the disposition of the partie iustified for by the consequent we may learne the antecedent A man therfore that would be iustified must come before the iudgement seat of God and there must he plead guiltie and be his owne aduersaâ—ie condemning himselfe and beeing pressed with the terrours of the law he must flie and make his appeale to the throne of grace for pardon in Christ and then he shall be acquit or iustified from all sinner Thus much doth the word 〈…〉 stifie import Thus came the Publican before God Luk. 18 when he said Lord be mercifull to me a sinner and departed iustified Thus in the sift petition we are taught to come euery day into the presence of God and to acknowledge our debts and to vse the plea of mercie saying Forgiue vs our debts The second thing to be considered is the subiect of iustification or the person to be iustified and that is man generally signifying that a Man is iustified The holy Ghost speaketh thus generally for two causes The first is because all men without exception haue need of iustification euen they which are regenerate Rom. 3. 23. And in this place Paul saith that he and Peter and the rest haue beleeued in Christ that they might be iustified by faith Here we are to take notice of the miserable condition of prophane and secure Epicures who neuer so much as dreame of any iustification The second reason is because God communicates the benefit of iustification generally to all sorts of men and this he doth in the Ministerie of the word in which he beseecheth men to be reconciled to God 2. Corinth 5. v. 21. This must be an inducement vnto vs to come vnto Christ humbling and iudging our selues that we may be iustified God himselfe from heauen vseth reasons vnto vs daily to mooue vs to the practise of this dutie What meane these gratious and continuall preseruations of Prince and people Church and land By them we see it is the good pleasure of God to giue vs a time to seeke his kingdome and righteousnes wherefore let vs not neglect the day of visitation but take the time while it serues that we may turne vnto God and be accepted of him and escape the woe pronounced vpon Corazin and Bethsaida The third thing to be considered concernes things excluded from iustification as false causes namely the works of the Law Here it may be demanded what works are meant I answer first not onely workes of the Ceremoniall but also of the morall law For all men know that ceremoniall actions are of no vse vnlesse they be ioyned with morall duties of loue and mercie And if Paul meant onely Ceremoniall workes he needed not to haue made so long a discourse against iustification by workes for he might haue ended the whole matter in a word or twaine by shewing that the ceremoniall law was abrogated by Christ. Secondly I answer that not onely workes done before faith are excluded but also workes that follow faith and are done in the estate of grace For Paul here reasons thus If no flesh be iustified by workes then not we beleeuers but no flesh at all is iustified therefore not we beleeuers Dauid Psal. 143. reasoneth on the same manner No flesh shall be iustified in thy fight therefore I cannot though otherwise I be thy seruant in keeping thy commandements When Abraham was the father of all the faithfull and was come to the highest degree of faith and abounded in good workes yet was he not then iustified by workes Rom. 4. 1 2. Paul kept a good conscience before God and men Act. 23. and yet was he not iustified therby 1. Cor. 4. 4. And he saith that we are not saued by the workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in Eph. 2. 9 10. And the workes that God hath ordained for vs to walke in are the best workes of all euen workes of grace Againe he saith that we are not saued
flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me Whereas Paul said before I am dead to the law here he declares the reason of it when he saith I am crucified with Christ. Againe here Paul sets downe the true preparation to spirituall life For God first kills and then he makes aliue And the measure of spirituall life is according to the decay of originall sinne This preparation stands in two things the first is fellowship with Christ in his crosse and Passion in these words I am crucified with Christ. The second is Abâ—egation or Annihilation as some call it in these words Not I any more I am crucified with Christ. For the better vnderstanding of these words we must obserue first that Paul speakes not this of himselfe particularly but he speakes in the person of the Christian Iewes before whome he now reasoneth with Peter nay in the person of all beleeuers For all that beleeue are buried into his death Rom. 6. 4. Secondly it must be obserued that Paul speakes this of himselfe not as he is a man consisting of bodie and soule but as he is a sinner carrying about him the bodie of sinne Rom. 6. v. 6. Further it may be demanded vpon what ground he should say I am crucified with Christ Ans. There be two reasons of this speach One is that Christ vpon the crosse stood not as a priuate person but as a publicke person in the roome place and stead of all the Elect and therefore when he was crucified all beleeuers were crucified in him as in the Parlament when the Burgesse giues his voice the whole corporation is said to consent by him and in him The second reason is this In the conuersion of a sinner there is a reall donation of Christ and all his benefits vnto vs and there is a reall vnion whereby euery beleeuer is made one with Christ. And by vertue of this vnion the crosse and passion of Christ is as verily made ours as if if we had beene crucified in our owne persons Hereupon Paul saith in the time present I am crucified with Christ There are like phrases in Paul We are dead with Christ we are risen with him we sit with him in heauenly places Eph. 2. 6. Col. 3. 1. and they are in the same manner to be expounded Moreouer the benefits that arise of this communion with Christ in his passion are two One is Iustification from all our sinnes Rom. 6. 7. The second is Mortification of sinne by the vertue of the death of Christ after we are ingrafted into him Thus much of the meaning The vse Superstitious persons take occasion by the passion of Christ to stirre vp themselues to sorrow compassion and teares by considering the pitifull handling of Christ the sorrow that pearced the heart of the virgin Marie and the crueltie of the Iewes But this is a humane vse that may be made of euery historie The right vse is this we are in minde and meditation to consider Christ crucified and first we are to beleeue that he was crucified for vs. This beeing done we must goe yet further and as it were spread our selues on the crosse of Christ beleeuing and withall beholding our selues crucified with him Thou wilt say this is a hard matter I cannot doe it I say againe this is the right practise of faith striue therefore to be setled in this that the bodie of thy sinne is crucified with Christ. Pray instantly by asking seeking knocking that thou maist thus beleeue This faith and perswasion is of endles vse First it is the foundation of thy comfort If thou beleeue thy selfe to be crucified with Christ thou shalt see thy selfe freed from the dominion of the law and sinne from hell death and condemnation and to thy great comfort shall see thy selfe to triumph ouer all thy spirituall enemies For this Christ doth Col. 2. 14. and thou dost the same if thou be setled in this that thou art crucified with him Secondly vpon this perswasion thou shalt feele the vertue of the death of Christ to kill sinne in thee and to raise thy dead soule to spirituall life When the Sunamites child was dead Elisha went and lay vpon him applying face to face hand to hand and foote to foote and then his flesh waxed warme and reuiued 1. King 4. 34. euen so applie thy selfe to Christ crucified hand to hand foote to foote heart to heart and thou shalt feele in thy selfe a death of sinne and the heat of spirituall life to warme and inflame thy dead heart Thirdly if thou beleeue thy selfe to be crucified with Christ thou shalt see the leÌ„gth the breadth the height the depth of the loue of god in Christ. For thy sinnes are the swords and the speares that crucified Christ and yet thou hast all the benefit of his passion Lastly if thou canst beleeue that thou art crucified with Christ thou shalt further be assured that he is partner with thee in all thy miseries and afflictions to ease thee and to make thee to beare them 1. Pet. 4. 13. Col. 1. 24. The duties hence to be learned are these First if thou be crucified with Christ then must thou applie thy heart to crucifie the bodie of corruption in thee by praier fasting by auoiding the occasions by abstaining froÌ„ the practise of sinne and by all good meanes Behold a man hanged vpon a gybbet Thou seest he hath satisfied the law and there is no further iudiciall proceeding against him and withall thou seest how he ceaseth from his thefts murders blasphemies euen so if thou canst behold thy selfe spred vpon the crosse of Christ and crucified with him there will be in thee a new minde and disposition and thou wilt cease from thine old offences Againe beeing crucified with Christ thou must be conformable to Christ in thy sufferings He suffered in loue and the more his passion increased the more he shewed his loue euen so in thine afflictions and sufferings thy loue to God man must be increased though man be the cause of thine afflictions Secondly Christ suffered in obedience Not my will but thy will be done euen so in all thy sufferings thou must resigne thy selfe to God and quiet thy selfe in his will Thirdly Christ suffered in all humilitie humbling himselfe to the death of the crosse euen so we in and vpon our afflictions are to humble our selues vnder the mightie hand of God confessing our sinnes and intreating for pardon Fourthly he suffered in faith as man depending on his fathers goodnes euen in the middest of his passion euen so are we to doe Fifthly he went on constantly in his sufferings to the very death euen so are we to suffer in the resisting of sinne euen vnto the shedding of our blood Lastly the principall care of Christ was to see the fruit of his sufferings so when we are distressed our care must rather be to see the fruit of our distresse then to
of sinne And by this power Christ is said to liue in them that beleeue The third is the Resurrection of the dead bodie to euerlasting glorie in the day of iudgement Rom. 8. 11. Thus then the meaning of the words is euident that Christ as a roote or head liues in them that are vnited to him and that by the operation of his spirit causing them to die vnto their sinnes and to liue vnto God And againe it must be remembred that Paul speakes this not priuately of himselfe but generally in the name of all beleeuers For he saith 2. Cor. 13. 5. Know ye not that Christ is in you except ye be reprobates The vse Hence it followes that they which are true beleeuers cannot make a practise of sinne and againe that they sinne not with the full consent or swinge of their wills Because Christ liues in them and restraines the will in part When they sinne therefore they sinne not of malice but of ignorance or infirmitie Secondly the true beleeuer cannot wholly fall away from grace because the life of Christ cannot be abolished As Christ died but once and for euer after liues to God so they that are in Christ die once to sinne and liue eternally to God Rom. 6. 10. The vertue and power of God that was shewed in raising Christ to life is likewise shewed in quickning them that doe beleeue Eph. 1. 19. He therfore that is made aliue to God dies no more but remaines aliue as Christ doth Thirdly they which are true beleeuers are a free and voluntarie people obeying God as if there were no law to compell them For they haue Christ to liue in them Read Psal. 110. 2. The spirit of life that is in Christ is also in them and that is their law Rom. 8. 2. It is the propertie of the child of God to obey God as it is the nature and qualitie of the fire to burne when matter is put to it It may here be demanded how we may know that Christ liues in vs Ans. By the spirit of God 1. Ioh. 3. 24. And the spirit is knowne by the motions and operations thereof The first whereof is a Purpose to obey God according to all his commandements that concerne vs with an inclination of our hearts to the said commandements Paul saith he was sold vnder sinne and yet withall he addes that he delighted in the law of God according to the inward man Rom. 7. 23. He that loues God and keepes his commaundements hath the father and the sonne dwelling in him Ioh. 14. 23. Let this be obserued Pharaoh when Gods hand was vpon him confessed he was a sinner and his people and requested Moses and Aaron to let the people goe But after God had withdrawne his hand he returned to his old course The like doe sicke men they make promise to amend their liues and they request their friends to pray for them but when they are recouered they forget all their faire promises The reason is this There is conscience in them and by it they know themselues to be miserable sinners but they want this purpose to obey God and the inclination to his laws and therefore indeede they hate not their sinnes but rather the commandement of God The second operation and signe of the spirit is a mind and disposition like to the mind and disposition of Christ which is to doe the will of God to seeke his glorie and to applie himselfe to the good of men in all duties of loue The third and last to omit many is to loue Christ for himselfe and to loue them that loue Christ and that because they loue Christ. This is a true signe that we haue passed from death to life 1. Ioh. 3. 14. It may here be said how can Christ be said to liue in vs considering we are laden with afflictions and miseries Where Christ liues there is no miserie Ans. In the middest of all miseries the life of Christ doth most appeare Where naturall life decaies there spirituall life takes place 2. Cor. 4. 10. I beare in my bodie the mortification of our Lord Iesus that the life of Iesus may be made manifest in me Gods power is made manifest in weaknes 2. Cor. 12. Againe it may be said if Christ liued in vs we should not feele so many corruptions as we doe Ans. The life of Christ is conueyed vnto vs by little and little God hauing wounded and slaine vs first bindes vs vp then he revives vs and the third day he raiseth vs vp Hos. 6. 1. Againe nature feeles not nature nor corruption feeles corruption but grace therefore it is the life of Christ in vs that makes vs feele the masse and bodie of corruption Furthermore here we are to take notice of the common sinne of our daies Men will not suffer Christ to liue in them and to rule ouer them It is reputed a small matter but it is a grieuous offence The Gentiles say Let vs breake their bands and cast their cords from vs. Psal. 2. 2. And it is was the sinne of the Iewes to say We will not haue this man to raigne ouer vs Luc. 19. 14. And therefore Christ saith bring them hither and slay them before me Lastly here we learne our dutie and that is so to liue that we may be able to say with good conscience that Christ liues in vs we must seeke his kingdome aboue all things and take his yoke on vs. It will be said what must we doe that Christ may liue in vs Ans. We must vse the meanes appointed meditation of the word prayer sacraments and withall we must spiritually eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his blood Ioh. 6. 57. And that we may eate him we must haue a stomacke in our soules like the stomacke of our bodies and we must hunger and thirst after Christ and therefore we must feele our owne sinnes and our spirituall pouertie and haue an earnest lust and appetite after Christ as after meat and drinke When Sisera was pursued by the armie of the Israelites he cried to Iael and said Giue me drinke I die for thirst Iudg. 4. 19. euen so we beeing pursued by the sentence of the law by the terrours of hell death and condemnation must flie to the throne of grace and crie out saying Giue me of the tree of life giue me of the water of life I perish for thirst Then shall our wretched soules be quickned and reuiued to euerlasting life Math. 5. 6. Rev. 21. 6. In the fourth place here is set downe the Meanes of spirituall life in these words And in that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me And that the doctrine may the better appeare I will stand a while to shew the meaning of them By flesh is ment the mortall bodie or the fraile condition of this temporall life Heb. 5. 7. and 1. Pet. 4. 2. And
if he fall into any offence of frailtie yet doth he not make a practise of sinne as the wicked and vngodly doe It may be saide the Galatians and all the Galatians are the children of God but what is that to vs Ans. They among vs that professe true saith in Christ with care to keepe good conscience are likewise to hold themselues to be children of God He beleeues not the Gospel that doth not beleeue his owne adoption For in the Gospel there is a promise of all the blessings of God to them that beleeue and there is also a commandement to applie the said promise to our selues and consequently to applie the gift of adoption to our selues When we are bidden to say Our father we are bidden to beleeue our selues to be children of God and so to come vnto him Therefore with Paul I say that all we that truly beleeue in Christ and haue care to lead a good life all I say are indeede the children of God The vse Comforts arising by this benefit are many First if thou be Gods child surely he will prouide all things necessarie for thy soule and bodie Math. 6. 26. Our care must be to doe the office and dutie that belongs vnto vs when this is done our care is ended As for the good successe of our labours we must cast our care on God who will prouide that no good thing be wanting vnto vs. Psal. 34. 10. They that drowne themselues in worldly cares liue like fatherlesse children Secondly in that we are children we haue libertie to come into the presence of God and to pray vnto him Eph. 3. 12. Thirdly nothing shall hurt them that are the children of God The plague shall not come neere their tabernacle they shall walke vpon the lyon and the aspe and tread them vnder foote Psal. 91. 13. All things shall turne to their good Rom. 8. 28. And the rather because the Angels of God pitch their tents about them Lastly God will beare with the infirmities and frailties of them that are his children if there be in them a care to please him with a Purpose of not sinning Malach. 3. 7. If a child be sicke the father or mother doe not cast it out of dores much lesse will God The duties First if ye be Gods children then walke worthie your profession and calling Be not vassalls of sinne and Satan carrie your selues as kings sonnes bearing sway ouer the lusts of your owne hearts the temptations of the deuill and the leud customes and fashions of this world When Dauid kept his fathers sheepe he behaued himselfe like a shepheard but when he was called from the sheepefold and chosen to be king he carried himselfe accordingly So must we doe that of children of the deuill are made the children of God And if we liue according to the lusts of our flesh as the men of this world doe whatsoeuer we professe we are in truth the children of the deuill Ioh. 8. 44. 1. Ioh. 3. Secondly we must vse euery day to bring our selues into the presence of God and we must doe all things as in his sight and presence presenting our selues vnto him as instruments of his glorie in doing of his will This is the honour that the child of God owes vnto him Mal. 1. 6. Thirdly our care must be according to the measure of grace to resemble Christ in all good vertues and holy conuersation For he is our eldest brother the first borne of many brethren and therefore we should be like vnto him 1. Ioh. 3. 2 3. Fourthly we must haue a desire and loue to the word of God that we may grow by it in knowledge grace and good life For this is the milke and foode whereby God feedes his childrē 1. Pet. 2. 2. Such persōs thē amōg vs that haue no loue or liking of the word but spend their daies in ignorāce securitie shew themselues to be no children of God The child in the armes of the mother or nurce that neuer desires the brest is certenly a dead child Lastly we must put this in our accounts that we must haue many afflictions if we be Gods children for he corrects all his children And when we are vnder the rodde of correction we must refigne our selues to the will and good pleasure of God This is childlike obedience and this must be done in silence and with all quietnes then God is best pleased The internall meanes of Adoption is Faith in Christ. And for the better conceiuing of it three questions are to be propounded The first what a kind of faith is this Ans. A particular or speciall faith and it hath three acts or effects The first is to beleeue Christ to be Jesus that is a Sauiour the second is to beleeue that Christ is my or thy Sauiour the third is to put the confidence of heart in him When Thomas felt the wounds of Christ he said My Lord and my God and thereupon Christ said Because thou hast seene thou beleeuest Ioh. 20. 29. Here marke that to beleeue Christ to be my Christ is faith Against this speciall faith the Papists obiect three arguments The first is this Euery speciall faith must haue a speciall word of God for his ground but there is no speciall word that thy sinnes or my sinnes are forgiuen by Christ therefore there is no speciall faith Ans. We haue that which in force and value is equiualent to a speciall word namely a generall promise with a commandement to applie the said promise to our selues Secondly I answer that the word and promise of God generally propounded in Scripture is made particular in the publike Ministerie in which when the word is preached to any people God reueales two things vnto them one that his will is to saue them by Christ the other that his will is that men should beleeue in Christ. And the word thus applied in the publike Ministerie in the name of God is as much as if an Angel should particularly speake vnto vs from heauen The second Argument Speciall faith say they is absurd because by it a sinner must beleeue the pardon of his sinnes before he hath it in as much as faith is the meanes to obtaine pardon Ans. The giuing and the receiuing of pardon and faith are both at one moment of time for when God giues the pardon of sinne at the same instant he causeth men to receiue the same pardon by faith For order of nature faith goes before the receiuing of the pardon because faith is giuen to them that are to be ingrafted into Christ and pardon to them that are in Christ for time it doth not and therfore this second argument is absurd The third Argument The full certentie and perswasion of Gods mercie in Christ followes good conscience and good workes and therefore faith followes after Iustification Ans. There be two degrees of faith A weake faith and a strong faith A weake faith is that against which doubting much preuailes in
contention Phil. 1. 15. others make marchandise of the word It is an excellent thing to imbrace the Gospel and yet many men doe it amisse for feare or for honour or for profit or for other sinister respect and not for the Gospels sake This temporall life is an excellent thing yet few there are that know the ende of this life For men commonly spend not their time to seeke the kingdome of heauen and to serue God in seruing of men but with all their might they aime at honours profits pleasures and thus they liue amisse not for the honour of God but for themselues This must teach vs not onely to doe good but to doe it well and to propound good ends to our selues and to seeke to be vpright in the statutes of God Psal. 119. 80. To this ende three things must be done First we must set before vs the will and commandement of God and this must mooue vs to doe the good we doe Secondly the outward action must be conformable to the inward motions of the inward man and they must both goe together Thirdly we must directly intend to obay God in the things we doe and to approoue our hearts and doings to him In that the false Apostles are saide to be ielous or zealous we see how nature can counterfeit 〈◊〉 grace of God and that which the child of God doth by 〈◊〉 that the naturall man can doe by nature Thus Pharao fa 〈…〉 repentance Exod. 9. 27. and Ahab that sold himselfe to worke wickednes 1. king 21. 27. and Iudas in the midst of his despaire is said to repent Matt. 27. 1. Daily experience shewes the like in such persons who in their extremitie with teares vse to bewaile their liues past and with many vowes and protestations promise amendment and yet afterward when they are on foote againe they returne to their old bias In a word there is nothing that the godly man doth by the spirit of God spiritually but an hypocrite may doe the like carnally Nature can play the part of the ape in imitating good things Therefore it stands vs in hand to praie and examine our hearts least we be deceiued in our selues For there may lie a depth of deceit and falshood lurking in the heart And that we be not deceiued two things must be obserued One is that we must cherish in our hearts an vniuersall hatred of all and euery sinne first in our selues and then in others The second is that we must be changed and renewed in our minds consciences and affections Thirdly here we see the propertie of enuie and Ambition in these false teachers Paul must be excluded from the loue of the Galatians that they alone may be loued Thus Iosua would haue excluded Eldad and Medad from prophesying and he would haue Moses to be the onely prophet but Moses saith I would to God all the people could prophecie Num. 11. 29. Iohns disciples would haue excluded Christ baptising but Iohn saith He must increase and I must decrease Ioh. 3. 30. The disciples of Christ would haue excluded one that cast out deuills in the name of Christ but did not follow him and Christ forbad them Luk. 9. 49. Lastly we here see the propertie of deceiuers is to make a diuision betweene the Pastors and the people Beside the former pretended ielousie there is a good ielousie which the Apostle takes to himselfe and els where he calls it the ielousie of God 2. Cor. 11. 2. This ielousie presupposeth the office of the Apostles and all Ministers which stands in three things The first is to become suters to the Church or to the soules of men in the name of Christ and to make the offer or motion in his name of a spirituall marriage and this is done in the ministerie and dispensation of the Gospel The second is to make the Contract betweene mens soules and Christ. Now to the making of a contract the consent of both the parties at the least is required Christ giues his consent in the word Ose 2. 20. and we giue our consent to him and choose him for our head when we turne to God and beleeue in Christ. And the ministerie of the word serues to signifie the will of Christ vnto vs and to stirre vp our hearts to an holy consent The third is after the contract to preserue them in true faith and good life that they may be fit to be presented to Christ in the day of iudgement and so be married to him eternally for then and not before is the marriage of the lambe These duties are all noted by Paul when he saith that he prepared the Corinthians that he might present them as a pure virgin vnto Christ. 2. Cor. 11. 2. And because this charge and office is laid vpon the Apostles and Ministers therefore they are said to be ielous This Ielousie stands in three things The first is to loue the Church indeede and truth for Christs sake The second is to feare least by reason of weaknes and by meanes of the temptations of the deuill the Church and they that beleeue should fall away from Christ. The third is after the fall of the church to be angrie with holy anger and indignation for Christs sake Thus Moses was ielous when the Israelites worshipped the golden calfe and Elias with like zealessue the priests of Baal Thus is Paul said to be ielous in this place and Act. 14. If the Apostle be thus ielous how much more then is Christ himselfe ielous who hath espoused himselfe to his Church This plainly shewes that he cannot brooke either Partner or deputie And therefore his sacrifice on the crosse must stand without the sacrifice of the masse his intercession without the intercession of Saints his merits without the merit of workes his satisfaction without any satisfaction of ours He will haue the heart alone and all the heart or nothing and he will not giue any part of his honour to any other This Ielousie in the Ministers must teach all faithfull seruants of God that they keepe themselues as pure virgins for Christ and set their hearts on nothing in the world but on him Therefore they must hunger after Christ they must account all things dongue for him they must haue their conuersation in heauen with him and loue his comming vnto thē by death Psal. 45. 10. Contrariwise they that set their hearts on any other thing beside him are said to goe a whoring from him and therefore they are accursed Psal. 73. 27. Thus many Protestants doe in their practise whatsoeuer they professe Thus doth the Church of Rome both in word and deede For beside Christ shee hath many other louers and shee goes a whoring after them when shee worships Angels and Saints the images of God and Christ with religious worship Againe by this we are put in minde to yeeld an vniuersall subiection to Christ for this is the dutie of the espoused wife to her husband Lastly that good things
that there is a great want of the grace of God among â—s Therefore take heede of it 30 But what saith the Scripture put out the bond-woman and her sonne for the sonne of the bondwoman shal not be heire with the sonne of the freewoman The second answer to the former obiection is in these wordes that they which hate the children of promise shall at length be cast out of the house of God Obiect I. These wordes cast out the bondwoman are the words of Sara to Abraham therefore they are not the words of scripture Ans. The words were vttered by Sara but they were afterward approoued by God Gen. 21. 12. and thus they are the voice of scripture Obiect II. Sara is commended for her subiection to Abraham 1. Pet. 3. 6. yet here shee speakes imperiously Cast out the bondwoman Ans. Shee speakes this not as a priuate woman but as the voice and mouth of God and that no doubt by instinct from God And therefore the words shee vttereth are to be esteemed as the commandement of God This her case is extraordinarie and not to be followed Thevse I. All carnall hypoâ—â—ites mockers of the grace of God shall be cast forth of Gods familie though for a time they beare a sway therein This is the sentence of God Let vs therefore repent of our mocking and hereafter become louers of the grace of God as Christ was Mark 10. 21. II. Consolation the persecution of the people of God shall not be perpetuall For the persecuting bondwoman and her sonne must be cast out The rodde of the wicked shall noâ— rest vpon the Lot of the righteous Psal. 125. 3. This is our comfort III. All iustitiarie people and persons that looke to be saued and iustâ—fied before God by the law and the workes of the law either in whole or in part are cast out of the church of God and haue no part in the kingdome of heauen The casting out of Agar and Ismael is a figure of the reiection of all such Behold here the voice of God casting downe from heauen the greatest part of the earth the Turke the Iew the obstinate Papist with the stepmother the Romish church 31 Then brethren we are not children of the seruant but of the freewoman The conclusion of the whole argument following directly from the 27. verse If we be children of the promise then are we children of the freewoman and not of the bondwoman consequently we are iustified and saued without the works of the law by the meere grace of God causing vs by faith to rest on the promise of God whose substance and foundation is Christ. CHAP. V. 1 Stand fast therefore in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free and be not intangled againe with the yoke of bondage THese words are repetition of the principall Conclusion of the whole Epistle Which was on this manner I Paul am called to teach and my doctrine is true therefore ye did euill to depart from it and your dutie was to haue stood vnto it Further they are collected and inferred vpon the conclusion of the last argument vsed in the last chapter thus Ye are children of the freewoman and therefore ye are free and therefore ye should hold fast your libertie In the words two maine points of doctrine are propounded The first is that by nature we are all intangled with the yoke of bondage For the better conceiuing of this I will handle three points the nature of this bondage the signe of it and the vse Touching the nature of it Our spirituall bondage stands in three things The first is bondage vnder sinne which Paul teacheth when he saith I am carnall sold vnder sinne Rom. 7. 14. Here remember that by sinne is meant Originall sinne which hath two parts Guiltines in the first offence of Adam which is imputed to all mankind and the disposition of all the powers of the soule to all manner of euill whatsoeuer And this rebellious disposition is like a leprosie infecting the whole man and it raignes like a tyrant ouer the soule of man by tempting intising and drawing him from one actuall sinne to another so as he can doe nothing but sinne Iam. 1. 14. The second thing is obligation or subiection to all punisâ—â—ment both temporall and eternall And it hath three parts The first is Bondage vnder Satan who keepes vnrepentant sinners in his snare according to his owne will 2. Tim. 2. 26. he rules in their hearts like a God 2. Cor. 4. 4. and hath power to blinde them and to harden their hearts till he haue brought them to eternall death Heb. 2. 14. The second is bondage vnder an euill conscience which sits in the hearts of offendours as an accuser and a terrible iudge and lies like a wild beast at a mans dore readie euer and anon to plucke out his throat Gen. 4. 7. The third is bondage vnder the wrath of God and the feare of eternall death Heb. 2. 15. The third part of this bondage is the obligation to the ceremoniall law It pertaines not to all mankind but onely concernes the Iewes to whome it was a yoke of bondage Act. 15. The signe of this bondage whereby it may be discerned is to keepe a course or practise in sinning Ioh. 8. 34. He that commits sinne is a seruant of sinne or againe a life led according to the custome and fashion of this world in the lust of the flesh or the lust of the eye which is couetousnes or in the pride of life Eph. 2. 2. 1. Ioh. 2. 16. The vse We must learne to see feele acknowledge and bewaile this bondage in our selues Deliuerance belongs onely to such captiues as know themselues to be captiues Luk. 4. 18. and labour vnder this bondage Matth. 11. 28. Thus did Paul when he saith I am sold vnder sinne and O miserable man who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death To feele this bondage is a steppe out of it and not to feele it is to be plunged into it Secondly we must pray earnestly for deliuerance The dumme creatures sigh and trauell till they be deliuered from their bondage much more then must we doe it Rom. 8. 22. Thirdly we must learne to detest whatsoeuer is of our selues because it wholly tends to bondage Lastly we must be content with any affliction that God laies on vs though it be lingring sicknes pouertie imprisonment banishment For God might worthely lay on vs all shame and confusion because we are by nature slaues of sinne and Satan The second maine doctrine is that by grace there is a libertie pertaining to the people of God Here I consider foure things 1. what this libertie is 2. the author of it 3. the persons to whome it belongs 4. our dutie touching this libertie For the first Christian libertie is called the Good or commoditie of Christians Rom. 14. 16. It is a spirituall Right or condition lost by Adam and restored by Christ. I say spirituall because
23. Ye are bought with a prise be not seruants of men that is let not your hearts and consciences stand in subiection to the will of any man Here then falls to the ground the Opinion of the Papists namely that the lawes and Traditions of the Church bind conscience as truly and certenly as the word of God This doctrine is not of God because it is against Christian libertie Obiect I. Rom. 13. 5. Be subiect to the higher powers for conscience Ans. Conscience here is not in respect of the lawes of the Magistrate but in respect of the law of God that binds vs in conscience to obay the law of the Magistrate Obiect II. Heb. 13. 17. Obay them that haue the ouersight of you and be subiect Ans. We must be subiect to them because as Ministers of God they deliuer the word of God in the name of God vnto vs and that word binds conscience Againe the lawes which they make touching order and comelines in the seruice of God are to be obaied for the auoiding of scandall and contempt Obiect III. A thing indifferent vpon the commandement of the Magistrate becomes necessarie Ans. It is true But it must be obserued that necessitie is twofold Externall internall And the law of the Magistrate makes a thing indifferent to be necessarie onely in respect of externall necessitie for the auoiding of the contempt of authoritie and for the auoiding of scandall Otherwise the thing in it selfe is not necessarie but remaines still indifferent and may be vsed or not vsed if contempt and scandall be auoided The Apostles made a law that the Gentiles should abstaine from strangled and blood and things offered to Idols Act. 15. 28. yet Paul saith afterward to the Corinthians All things are lawfull 1. Cor. 10. 23. and whatsoeuer is sold in the shambles eate and make no question for conscience sake v. 25. because their intent was not that the law should simply binde but onely in the case of offence and therefore where there was no offence to be seared they leaue all men to their libertie Againe here is an other comfort to all that beleeue in Christ that nothing can hurt them and that no euill can befall them Psal. 91. v. 10. nay all things shall in the ende turne to their good though in reason and sense they seeme hurtfull To beleeue this one thing is a ground of all true comfort The consideration of this benefit of Christian libertie teacheth three duties The first is from our hearts to imbrace loue and maintaine Christian religion because it is the meanes of this libertie The second is carefully to search the scriptures for they are as it were the Charter in which our liberties are contained Thirdly our Christian libertie puts vs in minde to become vnfained seruants of God in the duties of faith repentance newe obedience Rom. 6. 22. For this seruice is our libertie The second point is touching the Author of this libertie in these words wherewith Christ hath made vs free Christ then is the worker of this libertie Ioh. 8. 36. he dissolues the works of the deuill 1. Ioh. 3. 8. he binds the strong man and casts him out of his hold Matth. 12. 29. He procures this libertie by two meanes by his merit and by the efficacie of his spirit The merit of his death procures deliuerance from death and it purchaseth a right to life euerlasting The efficacie of his spirit assures vs of our adoption and withall abates by little and little the strength and power of sinne The vse Hence we learne the greatnes and grieuousnes of our spirituall bondage because there was none that could deliuer vs from it but Christ by his death and passion Hence therefore we are to take occasion to acknowledge and bewaile this our most miserable condition in our selues Secondly the prise that was paid for the procurement of our libertie namely the pretious blood of the immaculate lambe of God shewes that the libertie it selfe is a thing most pretious and excellent and so to be esteemed Thirdly for this libertie we are to giue all praise and thanks to God This did Paul at the remembrance of it Rom. 7. 25. 1. Cor. 15. 57. And not to be thankfull is an height of wickednesse The third point is concerning the persons to whome this libertie belongs and they are noted in these wordes Stand ye fast he hath made vs free Whereby Paul signifies himselfe and the Galatians that beleeued in Christ. Beleeuers then are the persons to whome this libertie belongs Ioh. 1. 12. 1. Tim. 4. 3. And true beleeuers are thus to be discerned They vse the ordinatiemeanes of grace and saluation the word sacraments in the vse of the meanes they exercise themselues in the spirituall exercises of inuocation and repentance and in these exercises they bewaile their vnbeleefe and striue by all meanes to beleeue in Christ. As for them that conceiue a perswasion of Gods mercie without the meanes of saluation and without the exercises of inuocation and repentance they are not true beleeuers but hypocrites When Paul saith Christ hath made vs free that is me Paul and you the Galatians he teacheth that euery beleeuer must by his faith applie vnto himselfe the benefit of Christian libertie But to doe this well is a matter of great difficultie The Papists in their writings report our doctrine to be this that a man must conceiue a perswasion that he is in the fauour of God the adopted child of God and that vpon this perswasion he hath the pardon of his sinnes and the benefit of Christian libertie But they abuse vs in this as in many other things For we teach that the Application of Christ and his benefits is to be made by certaine degrees The first is to vse the meanes of saluation the word praier sacraments the second is to consider and to grow to some feeling of our spirituall bondage the third is to will and desire to beleeue in Christ and to testifie this desire by asking seeking knocking the fourth is a certen perswasion or a certentie conceiued in minde of the mercie of God by meanes of the former desire according to the promise of God Aske and it shall be giuen vnto you The fifth is an experience of the goodnes of God after long vse of the meanes of saluation and then vpon this experience followes the full perswasion of mercie and forgiuenes The fourth point concernes the office of beleeuers and that is to stand fast in their Christian libertie and in the doctrine of the Gospel which reueales this libertie And by this we in England are admonished to stand fast to the religion which is now by law established amōg vs not to returne vnder the yoke of Popish bondage For the Popish religion is flat against Christian libertie two waies For our libertie which we haue in Christ frees vs from the law three waies in respect of condemnation in respect of compulsion to obedience and
are two graces required vnto it helping grace and Exciting grace Helping grace preserues and confirmes the first and initiall repentance Exciting grace giues the will and the deede And without these graces the child of God if he fall cannot repent and recouer himselfe They therefore are deceiued who thinke that they may haue repentance at command and that they may repent when they will It may be demanded why Paul vseth mild tearmes and doth not excommunicate the Galatians Ans. So long as men are curable meanes must be vsed to recouer them The sheepe or oxe that goes astray must be brought home againe Exod. 23. 4. much more thy neighbour Christ himselfe brings home againe the lost sheepe and so must euery shepheard Ezech. 34. 4. Now the Galatians were in all likelihood persons curable and therefore not to be cut off For the Censure of Excommunication pertaines to them alone of whose recouerie there is no hope Some there be that mislike the Preaching vsed in these daies because we vse not seueritie and personall reproofes after the manner of Iohn Baptist. But these men are deceiued We haue not the like calling that he had nor like gifts neither are we in the like times For Iohn the Baptist was in the very time of the change betweene the old and the new Testament Christ did not follow him in the same manner of teaching neither doth the Apostle in this place when he saith of the Galatians in Apostasie that he hoped better things of them In the last place the commination which the Apostle vseth is to be obserued that troublers of the Church shall beare their iudgement Hence I gather 1. That God watcheth ouer his Church with a speciall prouidence We in England haue found this by experience and we are to be thankfull for it 2. That the doctrine of the Apostles is of infallible certentie because the oppugners of it are plagued by the iust iudgement of God 3. On the contrarie our dutie is to pray for the good estate of the Church of God and for the kingdomes where the Church is planted and for the continuance of the Gospel specially in England For what will all the things we haue doe vs good if we be forth of Gods kingdome and lose our soules 11 And brethren if I yet preach Circumcision why doe I yet suffer persecution Then is the scandall of the crosse abolished 12 Would to God they were cut off that trouble you The sense Yet preach now while I am an Apostle Here Paul takes it for graunted that when he was a Pharisie he taught and maintained Circumcision but he denies that he euer taught it after his conuersion in his Apostleship The crosse the Gospel which is a doctrine teaching deliuerance from hell and life euerlasting to be obtained by the death and passion of Christ crucified 1. Cor. 1. 18 23. More plainly the words are thus much in effect It is reported that I Paul an Apostle preach circumcision but the truth is there is no such matter For if I taught circumcision the Iewes maintainers of circumcision would not persecute me as they doe neither would they take offence at the preaching of Christ crucified if I ioyned circumcision with Christ. The drift Paul here answers a new obiection which is on this manner There is no cause Paul why thou shouldest thus reprooue vs for thou thy selfe art a teacher of circumcision To this Paul makes a double answer First he denies the report and prooues his deniall by a double reason one is because the Iewes still persecuted him the other is because they tooke offence still at his preaching of Christ crucified Secondly Paul answers by pronouncing a curse vpon the false Apostles The vse In the wordes I consider two things the report giuen forth of Paul and his Apologie The report was that Paul preached circumcision In this we see what is the condition of the Ministers of the word namely to be subiect to slander and defamation not onely in respect of their liues but also in respect of their Ministerie and doctrine as if they were heretikes Thus the Papists at this day reproch the Ministerie of the Church of England charging it with sundrie foule heresies And many among vs spare not to charge it with the heresie of Puritanisme And I doubt not to auouch it that some are condemned for hereâ—â—kes in the historie of the Church who if all were knowne should be found to be good seruants of God 1. This verifies the saying of Ecclesiastes c. 8. v. 14. There are righteous men to whome it befalls according to the worke of the wicked 2. Ministers must hence be put in minde to vse circumspection both for the matter and the manner of their Preaching 3. Beeing defamed and that wrongfully they must hence take occasion to be more carefull to please God as Dauid did in the like case Psal. 119. 69. But how came this report of Paul Ans. Sometime he tollerated circumcision as a thing indifferent for a time and hereupon circumcised Timothie And vpon this occasion a report is raised that Paul preached circumcision In this we see the fashion of the world which is to raise fames reports and slanders of all persons specially vpon Magistrates and Ministers and that vpon euery light and vniust occasion But good men will take no such occasions of raising reports Psal. 15. 3. But how did Paul take this report Ans. He did not requite euill for euill as the manner of men is but he returnes loue and goodnes for euill and for this cause no doubt of purpose he beginnes his speech on this manner Brethren if I yet preach Circumcision The Apologie and defence followes And first he denies the report And this is because for his preaching he is persecuted of the Iewes Here obserue that they which are called to teach must preach the Gospel what trouble or danger soeuer follow as Paul did It may be demanded whether a Minister may not in teaching conceale any part of the truth at any time without sinne Ans. In the case of Confession when a man is called to giue an account of his faith no truth no not the least truth may be concealed Againe when the soules of men are to be releeued and saued all concealements are damnable Yet in the planting or in the restoring of the Church doctrines most necessarie may be concealed Paul was about two yeares at Ephesus and spake nothing against Diana but in generall tearmes If he had he had planted no Church at Ephesus Againe when people be vncapable of doctrine it may be coÌ„cealed till they be prepared for it Christ told his disciples that he had many things to tell them which they could not then learne Some beleeuers must haue no strong meate but milke onely Thirdly when the teaching of a lesser truth hinders the teaching of a fundamentall truth the lesser truth may be concealed that the fundamentall truth may be taught and take place Here we
see the fidelitie of Paul if he had sought himselfe his honour profit or pleasure he would not haue taught any doctrine that should haue caused persecution The like minde must be in all teachers nay in all beleeuers who are to receiue the Gospel for it selfe without respect to honour profit or pleasure Paul addes further in way of defence that the scandall of the crosse was not abolished Hence it followes that the Gospel must be preached though all men be offended God must not be displeased though all men be displeased Act. 5. 29. Indeede Christ pronounceth 〈◊〉 woe against them by whome offences come but that is meant of offences giuen and not of offences taken of which Christ hath an other rule Matth. 15. 14. Let them alone they are the blind leaders of the blind Againe by the offence of the Iewes we see the mind of men who cannot be content with the death and passion of Christ vnlesse they may adde workes or something els of their owne for their iustification and saluation Thus doe the Papists at this day and the like doe many of the ignorant people among vs that will be saued by their good dealing and their good seruing of God Touching the imprecation in the 12. verse three questions are to be propounded The first is whether Paul did well thus to curse his enemies I answer yea for first we must put a difference betweene the priuate cause of man and the cause of God Now Paul accurseth the false Apostles not in respect of his owne cause but in respect of the cause of God and not as his owne enemies but as the enemies of God Secondly we must distinguish the persons of euill men Some are curable and some againe are incurable of whose saluation there is no hope Now Paul directs his imprecation against persons incurable And he knew them to be incurable by some extraordinarie inspiration or instinct as the Prophets and the rest of the Apostles did in sundrie cases and hereupon he curseth sometime euen particular persons as Alexander the copper-smith 2. Tim. 4. 14. Thirdly we must distinguish the affections of men Some are carnall as rash anger hatred desire of reuenge c. some againe are more spirituall and diuine as a zeale of Gods glorie and of the sâ—â—tie of Gods church Now Paul in pronouncing the curse is not carried with a carnall affection but with a pure zeale of Gods glorie and with the same spirit by which he penned this Epistle The second question is whether we may not curse our enemies as Paul did Ans. No for we haue not the like spirit to discerne the persons of men what they are and our zeale of Gods glorie is mixed with many corrupt affections and therefore to be suspected We in our ordinary dealings haue an other rule to follow Matth. 5. blesse and curse not If we dare goe beyond the limitts of this rule we must heare the speach of Christ ye know not of what spirit ye are Luc. 9. 55. The third question is how we should vse the imprecations that are in the psalmes of Dauid as Psal. 109. and in other places of scripture Ans. they are to be directed generally against the kingdome of the deuill and they are further to be vsed as Prophecies of the holy ghost comforting his Church and procuring a finall sentence vpon the enemies of God The word which is translated disquiet is to be considered for it signifies to put men out of their estate and to driue them out of house and home as enemies doe when they sacke and spoile a towne By this we se that the doctrine of iustification by workes or by the law is a doctrine full of danger and peril because it puts men out of their estate in Christ and berâ—aues them of their saluation in heauen Therefore let all men flie from the religion of the Papist as if they would flie from an armie of Spaniards or Turkes Contrariwise they that would prouide well for themselues and their posteritie and plant themselues in a good estate must take this course They must coÌ„sider that there is a citie of God in heauen the gates and suburbes whereof be vpon earth in the assemblies of the Church that this citie hath many roomes and habitations many liberties that the law wherby this citie is ruled is the whole word of God specially the doctrine of the Gospell In this citie is all happines and out of it there is nothing but woe and misery Enter therfore into the suburbes of this citie of God as ye professe the Gospell so subiect your mindes and consciences and all your affections to it and be doers of it in the exercise of faith repentance new obedience Thus shall you haue a good estate in Christ ioyfull habitation in heauen 13. For brethren ye haue bin called to libertie only vse not your libertie as an occasion to the flesh but by loue serue one another The first part of the Epistle touching the faith of the Galatians is ended and here beginnes the second part touching good life and it continues from this verse to the 11. verse of the sixt chapter In it Paul doth 2. things first he propounds the summe of his doctrine then after makes a particular declaration of it The summe of all is propounded in this 13. v. in which Paul first setts downe the ground of all good duties and then 2. maine rules of good life The ground is in these wordes brethren ye haue bin called to libertie And it must be noted that as these wordes are the foundation of that which followes so are they also the reason of that which goes before and therefore Paul saith for brethren c. The 2. rules are in the words following One in these vse not your libertie as an occasion to the flesh the other in these doe seruice one to another by loue In the ground of all good duties namely the calling to libertie 4. things are to be considered 1. who calls 2. who are called 3. what is the calling of God 4. why it is here mentioned by Paul To the first who calles I answer God the father in Christ by the spirit for he is absolute Lord of all his creatures therfore he may call out of the kingdome of darknes into his owne kingdome whome he will And it is God alone that calleth the things that are not as though they were Rom. 4. 17. The second is who are called Ans. All they that any waie answer the calling of God for Paul saith indifferently of all the Galatians that they were called Now men answer the calling of God some in profession some in heart some in both And all these are said to be called yet with some difference The calling of God is directed first of all and principally to the Elect and then in the second place it pertaines to them which are not Elect because they are mixed in societie with the Elect. And hence
vs put a further beginning to our actions then nature can afford causing vs to doe them in faith whereby we beleeue that our persons please God in Christ that our worke to be done pleaseth God that the defect of the worke is pardoned Secondly the spirit makes vs doe our actions in a new manner namely in obedience to the written word Thirdly it makes vs put a new end to our actions that is to intend and desire to honour God in the things that we doe For example A man is wronged by his neighbour and nature tells him that he must requite euill with euill yet he resolues to doe otherwise for saith he God in Christ hath forgiuen me many sinnes therefore must I forgiue my neighbour And he remembreth that vengeance is Gods and that he is taught so to aske pardon as he forgiueth others And hereupon he sets himselfe to requite euill with goodnesse This is to liue in the spirit The vse By this rule we see that most of vs faile in our duties For many of vs professing Christ liue not according to the lawes of nature in our common dealings We minde earthly things and therefore we are carnall It is a principle with many that if we keepe the Church obserue the Queenes laws which are indeed to be obserued and auoid open and grosse sinnes we do all that God requires at our hāds Hereupon to walke in the spirit is thought to be a worke of precisenes more then needes And they which deeme it to be a worke of precisenes walke not in the spirit And indeede they which haue receiued the greatest measure of the spirit must say with Paul that they are carnall sould vnder sinne Rom. 7. 14. Secondly this rule telleth vs that we must become spirituall men such as make conscience of euery sinne and doe things lawfull in spirituall manner in faith and obedience and not as carnall men doe them carnally It may be saide that Ministers of the word must be spirituall men I answer if thou whatsoeuer thou art be not spirituall thou hast no part in Christ. Rom. 8. And the rather thou must be spirituall because a naturall man may doe the outward duties of religion in a carnall sort Thirdly we must not iudge any mans estate before God by any one or some few actions either good or badde but by his walking or by the course of his life which if it be carnall it shewes the partie to be carnall if it be spirituall it shewes him to be spirituall The benefit that ariseth by the keeping of the rule followes in these words Ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Flesh the corruption of nature the roote of all sinnes Lusts inordinate motions in the minde will and affections Thus largely is lust taken in the tenth Commandement which condemneth the first motions to euill Fulfill fulfilling is not a simple doing of euill but the accomplishing of lust with loue pleasure and full consent of will as also perseuerance in euill by adding sinne to sinne A question How farre doth the child of God proceede in the lust of the flesh Answ. He is assaulted by the lusts of the flesh but he doth not accomplish them More plainly there are fiue degrees of lust Suggestion delight consent the acte perseuerance in the acte Suggestion and delight whereby the minde is drawne away are incident to the child of God Consent is not ordinarily and if at any time the child of God consent to the lusts of his flesh it is but in part and against his purpose because he is ouercarried Likewise the acte or execution of lust is not ordinarily and vsually in the child of God if at any time he fall he may say with Paul I doe that which I hate Lastly perseuerance in euill doth not befall the child of God because vpon his fall he recouers himselfe by new repentance In this sense S. Iohn saith He that is borne of God sinnes not 1. Ioh. 3. 9. The vse Hence it followes that the lust of the flesh is in the child of God to the death and consequently they doe not fulfill the law neither can they be iustified thereby as Popish doctrine is Secondly our dutie is not to accomplish the lusts of the flesh but to resist them to the vttermost Rom. 13. 14. Thirdly here is comfort for the seruants of God Some man may say I am vexed and turmoiled with wicked thoughts and desires so as I feare I am not Gods child I answer againe for all this despaire not For if thou hate and detest the lusts that are in thee if thou resist them and wage battell against them if beeing ouertaken at any time thou recouer they selfe by new repentance they shall neuer be laid to thy charge to condemnation Rom. 8. 1. It is here made a prerogatiue of Gods child when the lusts of the flesh are in him not to accomplish them or to liue in subiection to them 17 For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and they are contrarie one to another so that ye cannot doe the things which ye would These wordes are a reason of the former verse thus If ye walke in the spirit ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh for the flesh and spirit beeing contrarie mutually refist and withstand one another so as ye can neither doe the good not the euill which ye would Paul here sets forth a spirituall combate of which sixe things are to be considered The first is concerning the parties by whome the combat is made namely the flesh and the spirit The flesh signifies the corruption of the whole nature of man and the spirit is the gift of regeneration as hath beene shewed It may be demanded how these twaine beeing but qualities can be said to fight together Ans. The flesh and the spirit are mixed together in the whole man regenerate and in all the powers of the soule of man Fire and water are said to be mixed in compound bodies light and darknes are mixed in the aire at the dawning of the day In a vessell of luke warme water heat and cold are mixed together we cannot saie that the water is in one parte hott and in another cold but the whole quantitie of water is hott in parte and cold in parte Euen so the man regenerate is not in one part flesh in another part spirit but the whole mind is partly flesh and partly spirit and so are the will and affections through out partly spirituall and partly carnall Now vpon this mixture it comes to passe that the powers of the soule are carried and disposed diuerse waies and hereupon followes the combat The second point concernes the meanes whereby this combate is made and that is a two sold Concupiscence expressed in these words the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh The lust of the flesh shewes it selfe in two actions The first is to defile 〈◊〉
good but partly euill for such as the cause is such is the effect now the minde and will of man are the cause of his workes and the mind is partly carnall and partly spirituall so also is the will and therefore the workes that proceede from them are partly spirituall in part carnall Vpon this ground it followes that all the workes of regenerate men are sinfull and in the rigour of iustice deserue damnation Obiect Sinne is the transgression of the law good workes are no transgression of the law therefore good workes are no sinnes I answer to the minor The transgression of the law is twofold One which is directly against the law both for matter and manner the second is when that is done which the law requires but not in that manner it should be done And thus good workes become sinfull The dutie which the law requires is done but it is not done perfectly as it ough to be done by reason of the flesh Secondly it is alleaged that good workes are from the spirit of God and that nothing proceeding from the spirit of God is sinne Ans. Things proceeding from the spirit of God alone or from the spirit immediatly are no sinnes now good workes proceed not only from the spirit but also from the mind and will of man as instruments of the spirit And when an effect proceedes from sundrie causes that are subordinate it takes vnto it the nature of the second cause hereupon workes are â—â—rtly spirituall and partly carnall as the minde and will of the doer is Thirdly it is alleged that good works please God and that things pleasing God are no sinnes Ans. They please God because the doer is in Christ and so pleaseth God Againe they please not God before or without pardon for they are accepted because God approoues his owne worke in vs pardons the defect thereof Lastly some obiect on this manner No sinnes are to be done good workes are sinnes there-therefore not to be done Ans. They are not simply sinnes but onely by accident For as God commands them they are good and as godly men doe them they are good in part Now the reason holds onely thus That which is sinne so farre forth as it is a sinne or if it be simplie a sinne is not to be done Now then vpon this doctrine it followes that there is no iustification by workes nor no fulfilling of the law for the time of this life Thirdly hence it follows that the grace of God for the time of this life is mixed with his contrarie the corruption of the flesh This mixture the godly feele in themselues to the great griefe of their hearts When they would beleeue their mindes are oppressed with vnbeleefe They see more ignorance in themselues then light of knowledge There are a number amongst vs that say they know as much as all the world can teach them that they doe perfectly beleeue in Christ and euer did that they loue God with all their hearts and did neuer so much as doubt of the mercie of God But these men are voide of the grace of God they are like emptie barrells that make a great sound they neuer knew what is meant by the combate of the flesh and spirit Fourthly we are here to be admonished in all duties of religion to vse industrie and paines by willing striuing and indeuouring to the vttermost to doe that which we ought to doe We must vse asking seeking knocking Matth. 7. 7. we must with Paul vse wrastling in our praiers to God Rom. 15. 30. They that would haue knowledge in the booke of God must doe more then heare a Sermon they must striue against their ignorance and blindnes and laboriously exercise their senses in the discerning of good and euill They that would beleeue must striue against their naturall vnbeleefe and indeauour to beleeue Blessed saith Salomon Prou. 28. is the man that feareth himselfe or inures himselfe to feare Paul saith of himselfe that he laboured and tooke paines to keepe a good conscience Act. 24. 16. Lastly by reason of this combate we are put in minde to vse sobrietie and watchfulnesse ouer our owne corruptions with much and instant praier least we fall into temptation Matth. 26. 41. We should practise these more then we doe for beside the enemies without we haue an enemie within that seekes our perdition 18 And if ye be led by the spirit ye are not vnder the law In the 13. verse Paul propounds a maine rule of good life Giue no occasion to the flesh and for the better keeping of this he giues a second rule v. 16. Walke in the spirit Of this second rule he giues two reasons The first is taken from the contrarietie of the flesh and the spirit v. 17. The second is in these words they that walke according to the spirit are freed from the curse of the law In these words Paul sets downe three things The first is the office of the spirit which is first of all to regenerate and renew all the powers of the soule and secondly to guide and conduct them that are regenerate Psal. 143. 10. In this guidance or conduction there are foure actions of the spirit The first is Preseruation whereby the holy Ghost maintaines the gift of regeneration in them that are regenerate The second is Cooperation whereby the will of God as the first cause workes together with the regenerate will of man as the second cause And without this Cooperation mans will brings forth no good action no more then the tree which is apt to bring forth fruit yeeldes fruit indeede till it haue the presence and cooperation of the Sunne and that in the season of the yeare The third is direction whereby the spirit of God ordereth and establisheth the minde will and affections in good duties 2. Thess. 3. 5. The last is Excitation whereby the spirit stirres and still mooues the will and minde after they are regenerate because for the time of this life the grace of God is hindred and oppressed by the flesh Hereupon after regeneration there must still be new inclining Psal. 119. 36. new drawing Cant. 1. 3. new working of the will and the deede Phil. 2. 13. Hence it follows that beside the antecedent and first grace there is necessarie a subsequent or second grace For we doe not that good which we can doe vnles God by a second grace make vs doe it as he made vs able to doe it by the first grace The second thing is the Office of all true beleeuers and that is to resigne theÌ„selues in subiection to the worke of Gods spirit Now Gods spirit workes in and by the word of God And hereupon this Subiection hath two parts The first is to make triall inquirie and examination what is the good will of God in euery thing Rom. 12. 2. Thus did Dauid Psal. 119. 94. I am thine saue me for I seeke thy commandements The second part is to denie our selues
disciples for Primacie Luk. 22. or when contention is without forgiuing forbearing or suffering and that in trifling matters 1. Cor. 6. 7. Contention likewise is faultie in respect of manner when men wilfully defend their owne priuate causes no regard had whether they be right or wrong true or false and by this meanes they often oppugne truth or iustice or both Of this kind are the warres of the Rebell in Ireland the warres of the Spanyard in the low Countries and the suits of many quarrelsome and contentious persons among vs. The vse Doe nothing by contention Phil. 2. 3. And therefore we must forgiue put vp as much as may be and yeelde of our right Seditions The originall word signifies such dissentions in which men separate one from another and that is done two waies either by schisme in the Church or by faction in the Commonwealth Question Why are not we schismatiks in England Scotland Germanie considering we haue dissented and separated our selues from the Church of Rome Ans. We indeede haue separated our selues but they of the Church of Rome are schismatikes because the cause of our separation is in them namely their Idolatrie and their manifold heresies The case is the like A man threatens death to his wife hereupon shee separates Yet not shee but he makes the separation because the cause of separation and the fault is in him For the auoiding of schisme and sedition remember two rules I. So long as a Church or people doe not separate from Christ we may not separate from them II. Prou. 24. 21. Feare the King and meddle not with them that varie that is make alterations against the lawes of God and the King Indeede subiects may signifie what is good for the slate and what is amisse but to make any alteration in the estate either ciuill or Ecclesiasticall belongs to the supreame Magistrate Ennie It is a compound of carnall griefe and hatred For it makes men grieue and repine at the good things of others and to hate the good things themselues Thus the high Priests of Enuie hated Christ and all his most excellent sayings and doings Matth. 27. 18. At this day they which haue any good things in them are commonly condemned for hypocrites and their religion for hypocrisie All this is but the censure of Enuie The vse That we may depart from Enuie we must loue them that feare God and loue the gifts and graces of God wheresoeuer they be euen in our enemies Murthers Obiect I. A plant liues a beast liues and man liues the cropping of a plant and the killing of a beast is no sinne why is it then a sinne to kill a man Ans. God hath giuen libertie for the two first and hath restrained vs in the latter Againe the life of a plant is but the vigour in the iuice and the life of a beast is but the vigour in the blood Gen. 9. 4. but the life of man is a spirit and spirituall substance Thirdly man is of the same flesh with man and so is neither plant nor beast Obiect II. The Magistrate kills without sinne Ans. The killing which is in the name of God by publike reuenge is not murther And Paul onely condemnes that killing when men take the sword and vpon their owne wills slay and kill by priuate reuenge Obiect III. Sampson is saide to kill himselfe Iudg. 16. 30. and he sinned not in so doing Ans. Sampson was a Iudge in Israel and tooke publike reuenge of his enemies and in this reuenge he hazzarded his life and lost his life Though he died in the execution yet his intent was not to kill himselfe but onely to take reuenge Secondly his example is speciall For he was in his death a figure of Christ. The words Matt. 2. he shall be called a Nazarite are first spoken of Sampson and then applied to Christ in whome was verified that which Sampson figured For as Sampson conquered his enemies more in his death then in his life euen so did Christ. Obiect IU For the auoiding of some great danger or some great sinne as the deniall of Christ in persecution men may make away themselues so said the Donatists Ans. Death is no remedie in this case but faith in the promise of God which is that he will giue an issue in euery temptation 1. Cor. 10. 13. The vse Seeing murther is a worke of the flesh our dutie is by all meanes to preserue both our owne and our neighbours liues Life is a treasure For by it we haue time and libertie to glorifie God to doe good to our neighbours and to saue our owne soules The sinnes of the fourth sort are against temperance they are two drunkennesse gluttonie For the better conceiuing of the nature of these sinnes we are first of all to consider the right manner and measure of eating and drinking of which I deliuer two rules I. We may vse meate and drinke not onely for necessitie but also for delight Psal. 104. 15. II. That measure of meate and drinke which in our experience makes vs fit both in bodie and minde for the seruice of God and for the duties of our callings that measure I say is fit convenient and lawfull This is a confessed principle in the light of nature Drunkennesse then is when men drinke either in wine or strong drinke beyond this measure so as there followes an intoxication of the powers of the soule And in the sinne there are two things excessiue drinking and the distempering of the powers of the soule Gluttonie is when men in eating goe beyond the measure before prescribed This gluttonie is that which now a daies is called reuelling rioting swaggering And it is fitly ioyned with drunkennes For there are men that vse to drinke exceedingly and will not be drunke and for all this they are not free from blame because they drinke out of measure To be giuen to drinking and to loue to sit by the cuppe when there is no drunkennesse is a sinne 1. Tim. 3. 3. These sinnes are said to be rise among vs. The manner of many is to meete together and to fill themselues with wine or strong drinke while their skinnes will hold Afterward they giue themselues to dicing carding dauncing singing of ribauld songs and thus they passe the day the night the weeke the yeare But we must be put in minde to detest and to flie these vices Inducements to this dutie are many I. Gods commandement Keep not companie with drunkards and gluttonous persons Prou. 23. 20. Be not drunke with wine in which is excesse Eph. 5. 18. II. The punishment of drunkennes is plague pestilence famine captiuitie Isai 5. 11 12 13. III. The example of the bruite beast that in eating drinking keepes measure and takes no more then will suffice nature The horse and the asse may be schoolemasters to many of vs. IV. If we cannot forsake a cup of wine or beere which is not needfull for vs we shall neuer be able
they are here reprooued that haue many good gifts of God in them and yet neuer proceede to a thorow reformation For they vse to cherish in themselues naughtie affections and damnable lusts There is some one sweete sinne or other that they cannot abide to crucifie III. They also are to be blamed that cannot abide to heare their owne particular sinnes to be noted and reprooued They are vncrucified and vnmortified persons And the word of God is the sword of the spirit that serues to kill and destroy the flesh IV. In afflictions be content and quiet For we ought to crucifie the affections and lusts of our flesh and because we faile in this dutie therefore God himselfe takes the worke in hand and he will crucifie our corruption by his chastisements Further of this dutie of crucifying the flesh there are three points to be considered I. The time when this action must beginne namely in our baptisme or first conuersion Therefore Paul saith they that are Christs haue crucified c. II. What must be crucified Ans. The whole flesh with euery inordinate affection and lust This makes against them that flie and detest some fewe sinnes and runne headlong into others III. What is crucifying Ans. In it are two things the restraint of the exercise of sinne which is in part in ciuill men and the killing of Originall corruption in all the parts and branches thereof And that is done when we doe not onely mourne for our corruptions but also hate and detest them in our selues 25. If we liue in the Spirit let vs also walke in the Spirit In these words is cōtained the last reason of the rule of good life before mentioned in the 16. verse For the vnderstanding whereof two things are to be considered what it is to liue in the Spirit and what to walke in the Spirit Touching the first Life is twofold created or vncreated Vncreated life is the life of God Created is that which pertaineth to the creature And this is either naturall or spirituall Naturall life is led by naturall causes and meanes as by meate drinke cloathing breathing such like Spirituall life is by and from the Spirit Of this there be two degrees The first is when the Spirit of God takes vp his habitation in man and withall gouerneth all the powers of his soule by putting into the minde a new light of knowledge into the will and affections newe motions and inclinations whereby they are made conformable to the will of God The second degree of spirituall life is when the spirit dwelleth in man and gouerneth the powers of the soule and further doth sustaine the bodie immediately without naturall means 1. Cor. 15. 44. It riseth againe a spirituall bodie that is a body liuing in the second degree of spirituall life not beeing sustained by meanes but immediately by the eternall sustentation of the spirit The first of these degrees is in this life the second after this life in and after the last iudgement when body and soule shall be reunited And of the former this place is to be vnderstood To walke in the Spirit is first to sauour the things of the Spirit Rom. 8. 5. 7. And that is to minde wish like desire and affect them or in a word to subiect a mans selfe to the law of God in all the powers and faculties of the soule For the things reuealed in the Lawe are the things of the spirit which spirit must at no hand be seuered from the word Secondly to walke in the path way of righteousnesse without offence either of God or man Psal. 143. 10. Thirdly to walke not stragglingly but orderly by rule by line and by measure For so much the word walke importeth in the originall as if Paul should haue said Let vs whilest we liue in this world not onely indeauour to doe some one or some fewe good actions but in the course of our liues and callings order our selues according to the rule and line of the word of God The vse This text in the first place cuts off the shiftes and excuses of sundrie persons in these daies who professe themselues to be the children of God and yet for their liues are much to be blamed because they lead them not according to the Spirit but according to the flesh And these persons whatsoeuer they say doe indeed and in truth deceiue themselues and are quite destitute of Gods Spirit For if they liued in the Spirit they would also walke in the Spirit It is not an idle spirit in any but it will shew and manifest it selfe in a holy and orderly conuersation You will say If such persons haue not the Spirit of god what other Spirit haue they Ans. If there life be naught they haue an vncleane Spirit dwelling in them and the god of this world hath blinded their eies and makes them that they cannot see the right way wherein they should walke 1. Cor. 4. 4. Againe we learne from hence a true and a pregnant signe whereby to discerne whether any man hath in his heart the spirit of God or no The life of a man will discouer and proclaime to all the world before God men and angels what himselfe is If a man in the course of his life and calling be godly and vertuous leading his life according to the will word of God in an honest and carefull indeauour though he faile in some particulars what euer the world thinkes of him he is the man that is indued with the Spirit of God Lastly this teacheth what is the office of all Christian people namely to walke in the Spirit that is to frame and order the whole course and tenour of their liues according to the line square of Gods word and Spirit A motiue to which dutie may be that fearefull threat pronounced vpon those that turne aside and walke in their owne crooked waies Psal. 125. 5. 26. Let vs not be desirous of vaine-glorie prouoking one another enuying one another The scope From this 26. verse to the 11. verse of the chapter following S. Paul handles the second Rule which he had propounded in the 13. verse of this chapter By loue serue one another In the handling whereof he first laboureth to take away the impediments of Loue and then he sets downe the māner how the rule is to be obserued This 26. verse is a rule the ende whereof is to remooue the impediments of loue In this verse foure points are especially to be considered First what the desire of vaine-glorie is Answ. It is a branch of pride which makes men to referre all they haue or can doe to their owne priuate glorie and aduancement For better vnderstanding whereof consider a little the excuses that men haue for the defence or excuse of this sinne I. Excuse Vaine-glorie in effect is no more but the seeking of mens approbation which may lawfully be done Answ. To seeke the approbatiō of men is no fault so that it be
the sweetnes of honie is better knowne in a moment by him that tasteth it then by those that spend many houres in the contemplation and discourse of it But I forget my selfe very much in taking vpon me to read a lecture to such an exercised scholler in the booke of God Therefore without further insinuation either for pardon for my boldnes or acceptance of my paines I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you further and giue you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified From Emanuel Colledge August 13. 1604. A louer of your Worships vertues in all dutie to command RAFE CVDWORTH CHAP. VI. 1 Brethren if a man be fallen by occasion into any fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one with the spirit of meekenes considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted TH ' Apostle hauing finished the first part of the Instruction touching the faith of the Galatians in the 12. v. of the 5. Chap. in the 13. verse he comes to the second part touching Good life which continues to the 11. verse of the 6. Chap. in which he first propounds the summe of his doctrine v. 13. Secondly he makes particular declaration therof In the summe of his doctrine first he sets downe the ground of all good duties which is their calling to Christian libertie Secondly two rules of good life The first that we must not vse our libertie as an occasion to the flesh which is illustrated and handled in particular from the 16. verse to the 26. The second that we must serue one another in loue which is amplified from the 26. to the 11. v. of this Chap. In handling whereof he first remooues the impediments of loue as vaine-glorie enuie c. v. 26. Secondly he prescribes the manner how it is to be obserued and practised by sundrie speciall rules the first whereof is contained in this 1. verse where we may obserue these two generall points First the dutie prescribed Secondly the reasons to vrge the performance thereof The dutie is the restoring of our brethren where we are to consider foure things First the dutie it selfe restore Secondly the persons who are to be restored they that are ouertaken by any offence Thirdly the persons that must restore thâ—se that are spirituall Fourthly the manner how in the spirit of meekenes For the first the dutie is set downe in the word restore which in the Originall signifies to set a ioynt or bone that is broken so as it may become as strong and sound as euer it was so the word is vsed Matth. 21. 16. By this we learne sundrie things First that it is the nature of sinne to set all things out of order It was the sinne of Achan that troubled the Iewes Ios. 7. 25. It was the sinne of Ahab that troubled Israel 1. King 18. 18. the sinne of false Apostles that troubled the Galatians Gal. 5. 10. Nay it driues men beside themselues as appeares in the example of the prodigall sonne who repenting of his sinne is said to haue come to himselfe Luk. 15. 17. Small sinnes are like to slippes and slidings whereby men fall and hurt themselues but great sinnes are like downefalls for as they wound lame disioynt or breake some member of the bodie so these doe wound and wast the conscience Therefore as we are carefull for our bodies to auoid downefalls so ought we to be as carefull nay a thousand times more carefull for our soules to take heede of the downefall of sinne or falling away from grace And as we shunne an yce or slipperie place for reare of sliding and falling so ought we to shunne the smallest sinnes and the least occasions of sinne for feare of making a breach in conscience Secondly I gather hence that sinners are not to deferre their repentance nor those that are to admonish their reproofes for sinning is the breaking of a bone or disioynting of a member and reproofe is the setting of it in order againe Now the sooner a bone newely broken or out of ioynt is set the sooner it is restored to his right frame and cured So the sooner a man after his fall is admonished the sooner and more easily shall he be able to recouer himselfe Thirdly this shewes that it is a point of great skill to bring a soule in order and frame againe There is great dexteritie required in setting of a bone and Chirurgians finde it a matter of great difficultie to set a ioynt much more difficultie is there in the soule and therefore as it is not for euery horsleach to meddle with setting of bones no more is it for vnskilfull workmen to teÌ„per with mens soules This is one speciall reason why Paul saith they that are spirituall ought to restore them that are fallen Fourthly hence we are taught not to woÌ„der though sinners be so loath to be reprooued and account it so painefull a thing to be restored and thinke those offensiue vnto them and skarse their friends which labour to reclaime them considering the same is to be seene in the bodie for he that hath a bone broken or out of ioynt can hardly endure to haue it touched or pointed at Lastly in that S. Paul commands those that are spirituall to restore them that are fallen and prescribes not how often but speakes indefinitely we learne that as often as our brother falleth we must restore him for as we are not to forgiue our brother once or twise or seauen times which Peter thought very much but euen seauentie times seauen times that is as often as he sinneth against vs. Matth. 18. so we may not restore our brother twise or thrise onely but toties quoties as often as he shall sinne against vs. Matth. 18. If he sinne against thee goe and tell him of his fault c. Therefore it were to be wished that as men haue a care to restore their decaied limmes so they would restore their brethren being fallen into any sinne euen because they are fellow members of the same mysticall bodie The second thing to be considered is the person to be restored and that is euery one that is preuented and ouertaken either by the sleight of Sathan or allurement of the world or suggestions of his owne flesh so he sinne not against the holy Ghost nor openly skorne religion and discipline as Peter who fell beeing ouertaken with ouermuch feare and Dauid with ouermuch pleasure Hence we see the subtiltie of Sathan who is alwaies tripping at the heele labouring to supplant vs as also the deceitfulnes of sinne preuenting and ouertaking vs before we be aware We are therefore to be circumspect and carefull lest we be supplanted The Apostle admonisheth vs to take heede lest we be hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinne Hebr. 3. 13. and that we walke circumspectly not as fooles but as wise Eph. 5. 15. that we walke with a right foole Gal. 2. 14. and make straight steppes vnto our
when I would doe good that euill is present with me Rom 7. 21. In my minde I serue the lawe of God in my bodie the lawe of sinne v. 25. And the Prophet saith that all our righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloath Isay 64. 4. Therefore euery good worke is stained with sinne Thus much shall suffice to shewe that it is impossible for any man in the time of this life to fulfill the lawe The reasons alleadged to the contrary are sufficiently answered before Pag. 188. c. To which place I referre the reader It may further be said if we cannot perfectly fulfill the law why doth Paul command vs to beare one anothers burdens and so to fulfill the law of Christ Answ. The lawe is said to be fulfilled three waies First by personall obedience and thus Christ onely fulfilled it Secondly by imputed obedience thus the regenerate fulfill it in Christ he beeing their righteousnes 1. Cor. 1. 30. and they complete in him Coloss. 2. 10. Thirdly by inchoate obedience thus Zacharie Elizabeth are said to haue walked in all the commandements of the Lord without reproofe Luk. 1. 6. And thus all the faithfull fulfill the lawe in labouring to obey God in all his commandements according to the measure of grace receiued and thus we are said to fulfill the lawe in this place God accepting the will for the deed We are further to consider that fulfilling of the lawe is sometime opposed to the transgression of the law as Iam. 2. 10. in which sense no man euer did or can fulfill it except Christ God and man who for this cause is said to be the end of the lawe for righteousnesse to euery one that beleeueth Rom. 10. 4. Sometime it is opposed to hypocrisie and dissimulation as 1. Ioh. 2. 4 5. and thus all the Saints fulfill it in that they indeauour to mortifie their corruptions and in all things to approoue their hearts and liues to God in keeping faith a good conscience In which sense Paul here biddeth vs to fulfill the lawe of Christ in performing duties of loue and bearing one anothers burdens It will be said if the lawe can no otherwise be fulfilled then by inchoate obedience to what ende serueth it Answ. It hath a threefold vse euen since the fall First it serues to restraine the outward man by keeping men in order through feare of punishment of which vse Paul speeketh when he saith that the lawe is not giuen to a righteous man but to the lawlesse and disobedient c. 1. Tim. 1. 9. Secondly to arrouse the drousie conscience and this it doeth many waies 1. By reuealing sinne for by the lawe commeth the knowledge of sinne Rom. 3. 20. 2. By reuealing the wrath and anger of God for sinne for the lawe causeth wrath Rom. 4. 15. 3. By conuicting the conscience of sinne When the commandement came sinne reuiued Rom. 7. 9. 4. By arraigning and condemning vs for sin for the lawe is the minister of death 2. Cor. 3. 7. and so putting vs out of all heart in our selues it causeth vs to flie to the throne of grace and so is our schoolemaster to bring vs to Christ. Gal. 3. 24. Thirdly it serues as a rule of good life Dauid saith that the word of God specially the law is a lanterne to his feete and a light to his paths Psal. 119. 105. So that though a regenerate man be not vnder the lawe in regard of iustification or accusation or coaction or condemnation yet he is vnder it in regard of direction and instruction for it shewes what is good what is euill what we ought to doe what to leaue vndone Lastly whereas Paul saith Beare ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the lawe of Christ the word S O hath great Emphasis for it implies the manner how the Galatians and all men are to fulfill the lawe not by obseruing circumcision daies or times moneths or yeares as the false Apostles taught but by bearing forbearing and tollerating the infirmities of their brethren It may not vnfitly be applyed to the religious orders of Franciscans Dominicans Carthusians c. Let them not thinke that they keepe the lawe by abstaining from flesh by whipping themselues by single life counterfeit fasts voluntary pouertie regular obedience c. But let them comfort the afflicted releiue the distressed beare with the weake support one another in loue and S O they shall fulfill the law of Christ. v. 3. For if any man seeme to himselfe that he is somewhat when he is nothing he deceiueth himselfe in his imagination In this verse the Apostle remooues an impediment which hindereth most from performing the former dutie of bearing other mens burdens and that is a vaine conceit and imagination they haue of their owne excellencie farre aboue their brethren in thinking themselues too good to doe any dutie or service vnto them to be their packehorses to beare their burdens This vaine imagination and swelling conceipt which puffeth vp the most the Apostle laboureth to purge in this place when he saith He that seemeth to himselfe c. where by the way we may obserue the method of the Apostle first to giue rules of direction after to remooue impediments which may hinder our obedience 2. We see here the force of the word which searcheth the secrets of the heart Ebr. 4. 12. in that it casteth downe the imaginations and euery high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringeth into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ 2. Cor. 10. 4. In the words we may obserue these foure things 1. That men are nothing of themselues 2. That thought they be nothing yet they seeme to themselues to be somewhat and that of themselues 3. That in so doing they deceiue themselues 4. The remedies against the ouerweening of our selues For the first it may be demanded howe it can be truely said that men are of themselues meere nothing Is he nothing that is created after the image of God in holinesse and righteousnes Are Princes and Potentates nothing that are called Gods in scripture Are they nothing that Prophecie and worke miracles Answ. Paul speaketh not of the gifts of God bestowed vpon men but of the men themselues and of them not as they were in the state of innocencie before the fall but as they are nowe in the state of corruption Apostasie or in the state of grace as they are considered of in and by themselues Thus euen spirituall men are nothing of themselues for of them especially the Apostle speaketh as it may appeare out of the first verse For first all are by nature the children of wrath and firebrands of hell 2. the gifts of God bestowed vpon vs whether of nature or of grace are not ours but Gods the giuer of them Therefore no man may arrogate more vnto himselfe then another in regard of them seeing all of vs are but stewards and the things we haue are but
workes and to approoue them How we are to prooue our workes by taking triall and examination of them I haue already shewed in the former verse But we are further to approoue them to God according to Pauls commandement study to shew thy selfe approoued vnto God 2. Tim. 2. 15. and his practise in coueting alway to be acceptable vnto him 2. Cor. 5. 9. This approouing of our works is a soueraigne remedie against ouerweening of our selues for he that alwaise stands vpon his tryall and Gods approbation cannot be puffed vp with self loue of himselfe or selfe-liking of his own works but rather humbled with the consideratiō of Gods absolute iustice and his owne imperfections and so stirred vp with greater diligence to worke out his saluation with feare and trembling Nowe we shall approoue our workes vnto God if we obserue these three things First that all our actions specially in the worship and seruice of God be grounded vpon the will word of God not vpon wil-worship or humane inuentiōs otherwise it will be said Who required these things at your hands Secondly that we performe all our actions sincerely and vprightly as in the presence of God with an honest heart and a good conscience as Abimelech protesteth of himselfe Gen. 20. 5. and Hezekiah Isay 38. 3. and Paul Act. 23 1. Thirdly that they alway tend to a good end as the glorie of God Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glorie of God 1. Cor. 10 30. and the good of our brethren Let all things be done to edification 1. Cor. 14 26. It may here be demaunded whether we may not approoue our selues and our actions to men To which I answer that we may ought For although we may not be men-pleasers that is such as frame and temper our actions and our speeches so as they may alway be pleasing to the corrupt humours and wicked affections of men for then we were not the seruants of God Gal. 1. 10. Yet we are to please them in that which is good to edification Rom. 15. 2. 1. Cor. 10. 33. And Christ cōmandeth that our light should so shine before men that they may see our good works And Paul biddeth vs to procure honest things in the sight of all men And whatsoeuer things are true and honest and iust and pure whatsoeuer appertaine to loue and are of good report we must thinke on them and practise them Phil. 4. 8. Yet we must seeke for the approbation of men with these cautions First we must so seeke for the approbation of men as that we do not seeke it nor rest in it alone but withall seek to be approoued of God For he that praiseth himselfe and so consequently he that is praised of others is not approoued but he whōe the Lord praiseth 2. Cor. 10. 18. How can ye beleeue saith our Sauiour Christ which receiue honour one of another and seeke not the honour that commeth of God alone Ioh. 5. 44. Secondly we must seeke for the approbation of God in the first place and in the second place to be approoued of men as Christ did for he grew in fauour first with God and after with men Luk. 2. 52. and the Elders who by faith obtained a good report Hebr. 11. 2. read Rom. 14. 18. Thirdly we must neuer looke for the approbation of the multitude or acclamation of the most for that cannot be done without ambition and vaine glorie in seeking popular applause Woe be to you when all men speake well of you Luk. 6. 26. Thus Christ saith He sought not praise of mē For those that are addicted to popular applause and are ouer curious of their credit immoderately seeking to get and keepe a good name with all sorts of men while they seeke for fame they loose a good name in seeking fame from the wicked which is but a shadow and loosing a good name in the opinion of the godly which is the substance Fourthly we must so farre seeke for the approbation of the wicked that we minister no not the least occasion of offence vnto them 1. Cor. 10. 32. Giue no offence neither to the Iew nor to the Gentile but to conuict their consciences and to stoppe their mouths by our godly vnblameable conuersatiō which may be a preparatiue for them against the day of their visitation 1. Pet. 2. 12. Haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they which speake euill of you as of euill doers may by your good workes which they shall see glorifie God in the day of the visitation Fiftly in doing our duties we must not respect the iudgement of the world neither fearing the faces nor the censures of men This was Pauls practise 1. Cor. 4. 3. I passe very little to be iudged of you or of mans iudgement we must goe through good report and euill report 2. Cor. 6. 8. Lastly we must seeke to be approoued of men not so much in regard of our selues as that by this meanes Gods glorie may be more and more aduanced for our light must so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our father which is in heauen Matth. 5. 16. If we obserue these sixe cautions we may with good conscience seeke to get a good name which will be vnto vs as a pretious oyntment refreshing vs with the comfort of a godly life Prou. 22. 1. Eccles. 7. 3. Thus much of the Remedie The reason followeth And then shall he haue whereof to reioyce in himselfe and not in another The wordes translated to reioyce signifie to glorie which is more then to reioyce There is a double ground of glorying one out of a mans selfe another in himselfe Out of himselfe in God alone Let not the wise man glorie in his wisdome nor the strong man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches But let him that glorieth glorie in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me Ier. 9. 23 24. 1. Cor. 1. 31. In himselfe in the comfortable testimonie of a good conscience Our glorying is this the testimonie of our conscience that in simplicitie and godly purenes we haue had our conuersation in the world 2. Cor. 1. 12. The one is glorying before God the other before men The one of iustification the other of holy conuersation for time past and constant resolution for time to come The one in the testimonie of our conscience 2. Cor. 1. 12. the other in the testimonie of Gods spirit witnessing to our spirits that we are the sonnes of God Rom. 8. 16. The first is not meant in this place but onely the second For no flesh can glorie in his presence 1. Cor. 1. 29. It will be said This glorying in a mans selfe is vaine glorie and a branch of pride Ans. It differs from vaine glorie first in the foundation for vaine glorie hath for his ground our owne vertues and gifts considered as comming from our selues
he had to liue in the world could not be plentifull in good workes thereby to giue sufficient testimonie of their vnfained faith yet God accepteth a man according to that which he hath and not according to that which he hath not accepting the will for the deede as he accepted the willingnes of Abraham to sacrifice his sonne as though he had sacrificed him indeede Gen. 22. VI. Obiect God doth not proportionate the reward to the worke because he doth reward works which are finite temporall with infinite and eternall punishment Ans. Sinne beeing considered in respect of the act as it is a transient action is finite But in a threefold confideration it is infinite First in respect of the obiect against whome it is committed for beeing the offence of an infinite Maiestie it doth deserue infinite punishment for if he that clippes the Kings coyne or defaceth the Kings armes or counterfaitetâ— the broad seale of England or the Princes priuie seale ought to die as a traytour because this disgrace tendeth to the person of the Prince much more ought he that violates the law of God die the first and second death seeing the breach thereof doth not onely tend to the defacing of his owne image in vs but to the person of God himselfe who in euery sinne is contemned and dishonoured Secondly sinne is infinite in respect of the subiect For seeing that the soule is immortall and that the guilt of sinne and the blot together doe staine the soule as the crimâ—in or skaâ—let die the silke or the wooll and can no more be seuered from the soule then spots from the Leopard it remaineth that sinne is infinite in durance and so deserueth eternall punishment Thirdly it is infinite in respect of the minde desire and intent of the sinner whose desire is still to walke on in his sinnes and except God should cut off the line of his life neuer to giue ouer sinning but to runne on in infinitum committing of sinne euen with greedinesse Thus hauing the meaning of the words let vs come to the doctrine and vse There be two principall reasons which hinder men from beeing beneficiall and liberall to the Ministerie The first is because they thinke all is lost that is bestowed that way The second is because they are afraid lest themselues should want To both which the Apostle makes answer in this place comparing our beneficence in the vpholding maintaining countenancing of the Ministerie to seede to teach vs that as the husbandman doth sow his corne in the ground neuer fearing the losse thereof but hoping for a greater increase not doubting his owne want but assuring himselfe of greater plentie So we in sowing the seedes of good works must neuer dreame of losse or cost considering the more we sowe the more we shall reape we must neuer feare want seeing we shall receiue an hundred fold Mark 10. 30. If men could be perswaded of this that the time of this life is the seede time that the last iudgement is the haruest and that as certenly as the husbandman which sowes his seede lookes for increase so we for our good workes a recompence to the full O how fruitfull should we be how plentifull how full of good works But the cursed roote of infidelitie which is in euery man by nature doth drie vp the sappe of all Gods graces in vs and make vs either bad or barren trees either to bring forth sowre fruits of sinne or no fruit at all but to become vnprofitable both to our selues and others For the reason why men are so cold in their liberalitie so fruitlesse so vnprofitable is because they doe not beleeue the promises of God that he is true of his word that whatsoeuer they giue to the poore or the Ministers of his word they lend vnto the Lord and whatsoeuer they lay out the Lord will restore to them againe Prou. 19. 17. For if they were as wel perswaded of a recompence at the last day as the husbandman is of a haruest they would be more frequent in duties of charitie and more plentifull in good workes then commonly they be Further let it be obserued that though these words be but generally expouÌ„ded in the verse folowing where the Apostle saith He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption â—e that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life euerlasting yet are they more particularly and distinctly set downe elswhere in Scripture as 2. Cor. 9 6. He that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly and he that soweth liberally shall reape liberally that is the haruest shall not onely be answerable to the seede and the reward to the worke but greater or lesse according to the quantitie and qualitie of the worke For euery man shall receiue his reward according to his proper labour 1. Cor. 3. 8. For the more the husbandman sowes the more he doth vsually reape except God blow vpon it in cursing the land as he did the Israelites who sowed much and gathered but little and the lesse he sows the lesse shall his croppe be Euen so the more plentifull we are in sowing the seedes of good workes the more we shall reape and the more sparing we are the lesse shall our haruest be Hence I gather First that there are seuerall degrees of punishmentsin Hell according to the greatnes and smalnes of sinnes for some sinnes are but as moâ—es others as beames Matth. 7. 4. some as gnats others as camells Matth. 23. 24. and therefore some shall be beaten with many stripes some with few and it shall be easier for them of Sodoâ— and Gomortha at the day of iudgement then for them of Capernaum Secondly that there are sundrie degrees of glorie and felicitie in heauen proportionall to mens works for all men doe not sow alike neither are their workes equall but haue sundâ—â—e degrees of goodnes in them and therefore there are answerable degrees of glorie wherewith they are to be crowned This truth is taught elsewhere more plainly as Dan. 12. 3. They that be wise shall shine as the brightnes of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnes shall shine as the starres for euermore Therefore as there is a greater brightnes in the starre then in the firmament so there shall be greater glorie in one then in another 1. Cor. 3. 8. Euery man shall receiue his reward according to his owne labour therefore seeing all mens labours are not alike their reward shall not be alike This is further confirmed by the parable of the talents Luk. 19. where the master of the seruants doth proportionate his wages to their worke making him that had gained with his talent fiue talents ruler ouer fiue cities him that had gained teâ— ruler ouer tenne And whereas it may be said that all the labourers in the vineyard receiued an equall reward namely a pennie as well as those that wrought but an houre or those that bare the burden and heate of the
whether vpon compact or otherwise for the Scripture maketh mention of reward where there are no precedent workes as Gen. 15. 1. Feare not Abram I am thine exceeding great reward that is thy full content and happinesse Psal. 127. 3. The fruit of the wombe is a reward that is a blessing and a free gift of God In this sense I grant eternall life is a reward Yet it is no proper reward but so called by a catachresis which yet is not an intollerable catachresis as Bellarm. either ignorantly or malitiously affirmeth but easie and familiar for in the phrase of the Scripture eternall life is called a reward in a generall signification when it is vsed absolutely and not relatiuely to signifie the heele or ende of any thing and so the Hebrewe word which signifieth a heele signifieth also a reward because it is giuen when the worke is ended And eternall life hath this resemblance with a reward in that it is giuen at the end of a mans life after that his trauell and warfare is ended Thus the Greeke words which signifie a reward and an ende are vsed indifferently one for the other 1. Pet. 1. 9. Receiuing the end of your faith the saluation of your soules that is as Beza hath fitly translated it the reward of your faith for to translate it the ende of your faith cannot agree to the word receiuing for we receiue not an ende but a reward Thus reward signifieth a free gift or free remuneration as when the master giueth his feruant something for his faithfull seruice though done vpon dutie when as he oweth him not thanks much lesse reward Luk. 17. 9. Doth he thanke hat seruant because he did that which was commanded vnto him I trowe not Thus God giueth vs eternall life not because he is bound in iustice so to doe for he oweth vs neither reward nor thanks for our labour because when we haue done what we can we haue but done our dutie v. 10. but because his goodnesse and mercifull promise made thereupon doth excite him thereunto And yet eternall life is called a reward because it doth as certainly follow good works as though it were due And good workes are mentioned in the promise because they are tokens that the workers is in Christ for whose merit the promise shall be accomplished And it is further called the reward or fruit of our faith as here the haruest because it is the way and meanes of obtaining it II. Eternall life is called a reward of good workes not causally as procured by them but consequently as following them For abeit it be giuen properly for the merit of Christ apprehended by faith yet it is giuen consequently as a recompence of our labours as an inheritance is giuen to the heire not for any duty or seruice but because he is the heire yet by consequent it is giuen in recompence of his obedience He that forsakes father mother shall receiue a hundred fold more in this life and in the world to come eternall life Mark 10. 29 30. III. Reward doth not alway presuppose debt but is often free for whereas it is said Math. 5. 46. If you loue them that loue you what reward shall ye haue It is thus in Luk. 6. 34. What thāk shall ye haue by which we see that reward doth not alway signifie due debt but thankefull remembrance and gratious acceptance IV. Coloss. 3. 24. Eternall life is called the reward of inheritance whereby is signified that it is not giuen for our workes but because we are the sonnes of God by adoption Bellarmine answers that it may be both a reward an inheruāce a reward because it is giuen to labourers vpon compact an inheritance because it is giuen to none but those that are children But the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated reward signifieth a gift freely giuen without respect of desert it beeing all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Bafil teacheth vpon the 7. psalme V. The Scripture teacheth that God giueth rewards foure waies First he giueth reward of due debt in respect of merit thus he giueth eternall life as a reward due not to our merits but to the merits of Christ for none can merit at the hands of God but he which is God Secondly he giues a reward in respect of his free and mercifull promise and thus he rewards onely beleeuers Thirdly he giueth rewards to hypocrites infidels heathen c. beeing neither bound by his owne promise nor by their merit whē they performe the outward works of the lawe and lead a ciuill life conformable thereto as when Ahab humbled himselfe before the Lord 1. King 21. And this God doth to the end he may preserue humane societie and cōcommon honestie and that he may testifie what he approoueth and what he disliketh Lastly he giueth good successe in interprises and attempts according to his owne decree and the order of diuine prouidence which metaphorically is called a reward Ezek. 29. v. 19. 20. because it hath a similitude thereunto as when wicked men through ignorance doe that wickedly which he hath iustly decreed shall come to passe suffering them to fill their houses with the spoyle of the poore which they haue for their work as a man hath wages for his honest labour Thus the spoyle of Iudea is called the hire or reward giuen to Tiglath Pelassat for his Syrian warre Isay 7. 20. and thus the spoyle of Egypt is said to be wages giuen Nhebuchodonosar for his seruice against Tyrus Further let vs here obserue the different manner of speech which the Apostle vseth in speaking of the flesh and of the spirit Of the former he saith He that soweth to his flesh c. Of the latter He that soweth to the spirit not to his spirit by which is signified that what good so euer a man doth in beeing beneficiall to the ministery in furthering the Gospel c. he doth it not by any goodnes that is in himselfe but by the spirit of god who in euery good motion workes in vs the will and in euery good action the deed Philip. 2. 13. therefore no man ought to flatter himselfe in this respect or to think highly of himselfe as though he had attained an extraordinary measure of sanctification either for affecting or effecting any thing that is good seeing whatsoeuer good thing is in vs is the gift of God as Ierome saith On the contrary what euill soeuer a man doth he doth it of himselfe God beeing neither the author the furtherer nor the abetter thereof Againe we hence learne that all vnregenerate persons are sowers to the flesh because that before their conuersion they do nothing but those things that are pleasing to the flesh so that dying in that estate they can reape nothing but corruption therefore it hence followeth that Philosophers heathen and all meere ciuill and naturall men being such as neuer sowed to the spirit shall
therefore no man ought to be wearie of well doing It consisteth of two parts of a rule or precept in the former part of the verse Let vs not therefore be wearie of well doing and a reason of the rule or a motiue to incite vs to the performance thereof in the latter part for in due season we shall reape if we faint not In the rule the Apostle speakes that plainely which in the former verses he had deliuered more obscurely for here he expounds himselfe what he meant by sowing to the spirit namely doing of good or as it is in the next verse doeing of good vnto all which may also appeare by that which followeth we shall reape if we faint not that is we shall reape the fruit of that which we haue sowne to the spirit if we faint not therefore to sow to the spirit is nothing els but to doe good Now by well doing the Apostle meaneth not onely the outward worke whereby our neighbour is furthered helped relieued but the doing of it also in a good manner and to a good ende so as it may be a good worke indeede not onely profitable to our neighbours and comfortable to our selues but acceptable to God This is a most necessarie precept for most men are soone wearie of a good course like to these Galatians who beganne in the spirit but beeing wearie of that walke turned aside and made an ende in the flesh Gal. 3. 3. Like Ephraim and Iudah whose goodnes was as a morning cloud and as the morning dowe which vanisheth away Hos. 6. 4. This wearisomnes in well doing hath seased vpon the most euen vpon all drowsie professours which are the greatest part as may appeare by this in that some if they be held but a quarter of an houre too long or aboue their ordinarie time are extreamely wearie of hearing the word And as for duties of mercie and liberalitie putting vp iniuries and tolerating wrongs they are readie to make an ende as soone as they begin And as for Prayer and thanksgiuing and other parts of the worship of God most men say in their hearts with the old Iewes what profit is it that we keepe his commandements and that we walke humbly before the Lord of hosts Malach. 3. 14. nay they count it a wearines vnto them and snuffe thereat Malach. 1. 13. Hence it is that the Holy Ghost is so frequent in stirring vs vp to the performance of all good duties with alacritie and chearefulnes and so often in rousing vs from that drowsines and deadnes wherewith we are ouerwhelmed Luk. 18. 1. Our Sauiour Christ propounds a parable to this ende to teach vs that we ought alwaies to pray and not to waxe faint Eph. 3. 13. I desire saith Paul that ye faint not at my tribulations 2. Thess. 3. 13. And ye brethren be not wearie in well doing And so in this place Let vs not therefore be wearie of well doing Nowe the reasons which make men so wearie of wel doing are in generall these three First the strength of the flesh which euen in the regenerate is like the great gyant Goliah in comparison of poore Dauid Secondly the weakenesse of the spirit and spirituall graces Thirdly the outward occurrences and impediments of this life In speciall they be these First men by nature are wolues one to another Esay 11. v. 6. and so they continue til this woluish nature be mortified and renued by grace beeing so farre from helping furthering releeuing tollerating one another or performing any other dutie of loue that contrarily they are readie to bite and deuoure one another Gal. 5. 15. Secondly oftentimes it commeth to passe that other mens coldnesse doth coole our zeale their backewardnesse slacketh our forwardnesse Thirdly many thinke it a disgrace and disparagement vnto them to stoope so lowe as to become seruiceable vnto their inferiours Fourthly there are many things which discourage vs from well doing either the partie is vnknowne vnto vs as Dauid was to Naball for which cause he would not releiue him in his necessitie or eise seemeth vnworthy of our helpe being such as through rior harlots lewd company hath brought himselfe to miserie and beggerie Or such as reward vs euill for good hatred for our good will or such as are querulous alwaies complaining though neuer so well dealt withall all which make men cold in the duties of loue Fiftly some there be which faine dangers and cast perils which hinder them from doing the good they should The slothfull person saith a lyon is in the way c. Lastly the manifold occasions and affaires of this life doe so distract the minde as that a man is soone wearied yea in the best things Besides many see no reason why they should spend themselues in doing good vnto others Now to all these obstacles and pul-backs we are to oppose the Apostles precept Let vs not be wearie of well doing For verely if the consideration of these small occasions and rubbes that lie in our way daunt and dismay vs and so stoppe our course we shall neuer be plentifull in good workes we may happly put our hand to the plowe but a thousand to one we shall looke backe againe with Lots wife cast a long looke toward Sodom and with the Israelites in our hearts turne againe into Egypt For as he that obserueth the winde shall not sowe and as he that regardeth the cloudes shall neuer reape Eccles. 11. 4. So he that regardeth the ingratitude of some the euill example of others the manifold distractions and occurrences of this life and shall cast perils in carnall wisdome of this and that trouble or inconuenience that may ensue shall neuer doe his dutie as he ought And assuredly he that fainteth in a good course and giueth it ouer before he come to the ende is like vnto the slothfull husbandman who hauing plowed and tilled and in part sowed his ground giueth ouer before he haue finished it and so either the parching heate doth wither it or the nipping colde doth kill it or the foules of the aire deuoure it Now most men are sicke of this disease which shewes the greatnes of our corruptions and that the best Christians haue a huge masse or lumpe of sinne in them and but a sparke of grace in that they are seldome or neuer wearie in scraping together of riches in following their pleasures in pursuing honours and hunting after preferments and yet are quickly wearie in duties of pietie iustice and mercie albeit they haue an vnspeakable reward annexed vnto them Well whatsoeuer the corrupt practises of men be let vs learne our dutie to goe forward without wearinesse nay to do good with chearefulnesse as Paul saith of himselfe Philip. 3. forgetting that which is behind and indeauouring himselfe to that which is before Let vs consider that it is the propertie of a liberall minde to deuise of liberall things and to continue his liberality Esay 32. 8. Neither is this
mercenarie hireling to looke for reward I answer it is the propertie of a hireling to looke onely or principally for his hire either not minding the glorie and honour of God or lesse respecting it then his owne priuate aduantage so that when the hope of his gaine is gone he leaueth his charge and flieth away like the Popish Monks who were right hirelings indeede for they minded nothing but their owne commoditie according to the old saying No penie no Pater noster But to looke to the recompence of reward in the second place after the glorie of God the performāce of our dutie and discharge of a good conscience is no propertie of a hireling seeing God hath promised to giue to them which by continuance in well doing seeke glorie and honour and immortalitie eternall life Rom. 2. 7. By this that hath beene said we may see the impudencie of the Rhemists who in their marginall notes vpon Luk. 14. 1. Ebr. 11. 26. and Apoc. 3. 5. doe notably slander vs and our doctrine in auerring that we teach that no man ought to doe good in respect of reward the like may be said of Cardinall Bellarmine Bintfeldius and others For this is our constant doctrine that we may and ought to stirre vp our dulnes to all chearefulnes in the discharge of our dutie by setting before our eyes the reward which is promised Yet so as that we ought not onely nor principally to respect the reward for the zeale of Gods glorie the care and conscience we haue to discharge our dutie ought rather to mooue vs to be plentifull in good workes in lue of thankfulnes vnto God for the riches of his mercie then the greatnes of the reward seeing we ought to do our dutie though there were no heauen no hell no reward no punishment no Deuill to torment no conscience to accuse the very loue of God ought to constraine vs. 2. Cor. 5. 14. And here we must with thankfulnes acknowledge the endles loue and mercie of God towards vs seeing that when he might exact strict obedience without any promise of recompence for our labour nay when he might shiuer vs in pieces with his yron scepter yet as Abashuerosh did to Queene Esther he holdeth out his golden scepter vnto vs in the preaching of the word that we might lay hold of it and by it apprehend eternall life Yea it pleaseth him to winne vs by gifts to incite vs by rewards to allure vs by promises in giuing his word that if we giue we may looke to receiue though not for our merits yet through his mercy if we bestowe transitorie goods we shal receiue a durable substance If a cuppe of cold water Gods kingdome Matth 10. 12. The second generall point is the circumstance of time when we shall reape to wit in due time This due time may be vnderstood in part of this life for godlines hath the promise of this life as well as of the life to come and the works of mercie haue beene euen in this life recompenced to the full The widow of Zanepta for entertaining the Prophet Eliah was miraculously sustained in the dearth the meale in her barrell did not wast and the oyle in her cruise did not diminish 1. King 17. 16. And so the Shunamite for the like kindnes shewed to the Prophet Elizeus beeing barren obtained a sonne and when he was dead shee obtained him to life againe 2. King 4. as the widow of Sarepta did hers at the praier of Eliah 1. King 17. 23. Foras God doth alwaies giue to his children in this life the first 〈◊〉 of his spirit so he doth often giue them the first fruits of their labours as a tast of their future felicitie and an earnest of that happines which after they shall fully enioy Our Sauiour Christ saith he will reward them an hundred fold in this life Matth. 19. But this due time is properly meant of the life to come which hath two degrees the first is at the day of death when the soule entreth into happines the second at the day of iudgement when both soule and bodie beeing reunited shall be put in full possession of eternall glorie and felicitie for then they shall be rewarded according to their workes not so much as a cuppe of cold water which they haue giuen to releeue the Saints of God but shall be recompenced to the full Matth. 10. 42. Use. Seeing God hath set downe a set and certen time when we are to reape it is our dutie with patience to expect it as the husbandman doth who hauing sowed his field doth not looke for a croppe the next day or weeke or moneth but patiently expecteth the haruest that he may receiue the pretious seede of the earth For he is too vnreasonable who hauing sowed in September looketh for a croppe in October he must waite for the moneth of August till the haruest and in the meane time indurestorme and tempest winde and weather snow and raine haile and frost So we must sow our seede and sow plentifully still expecting the fruite of our labour with patience till the great haruest come the great day of retribution in which God will seperate the wheat from the chaffe gathering the one into his garners and burning vp the other with vnquenchable fire Matth. 3. 12. Let vs consider the example of God who doth patiently expect and as I may say waites our leisure when we will turne vnto him that he might haue mercie vpon vs. Esa. 30. 8. he waiteth at the doore of our hearts and standeth knocking to be let in Apoc. 3. 20. nay he calleth vnto vs standing without Open vnto me my sister my loue my doue my vndefiled for my head is ful of dew and my lockes with the droppes of the night Cant. 5. 2. Wee vnto thee Ierusalem will thou neuer be made cleane when will it once be Ier. 13. 27. More particularly Gods wayting and expecting is set downe in Scripture by sundrie degrees First he waiteth all the day long Esa. 65. 2. I haue stretched out my hand all the day long to a disobedient and gainsaying people Secondly fourtie daies together Yet fourtie daies and Niniue shall be destroied Ion. 3. 4. Thirdly all the yeare long as the husbandman doth I looked for grapes and loe wild grapes Esa. 5. 4. Fourthly he expecteth our amendement many yeares together Luk. 13. 7. Behold these three yeares haue I come and sought fruit on this fig-tree and find none Fifthly the Lord suffered the manners of the Israelites fourtie yeares in the wildernes Psal. 95. 10. Act. 13. 18. Sixtly the long sufferance of God as Peter saith 1. Epist 3. 20. did patiently expect the conuersion of the old world all the while the Arke was in preparing for the space of an hundred and twentie yeares Seuenthly he expected the Canaanits and Amorits for the space of foure hundred yeares yea he suffered all Gentiles to wander in their owne waies and in the
life or in respect of the intention of our loue in hauing a greater desire of the good of some then of othersome and thus we are not bound to loue or to doe good to all alike For as S. Barnard saith Meliori maior affectus indigentiori maior effectus tribuendus This doctrine inuested with the former examples may shame the base seruile and beggerly liberalitie of the common sort of men which professe the Gospel whose hands are tied to their purses and their hearts locked to their chests who are so extremely miserable that they neither doe good to others nor yet to themselues Secondly it condemneth them which are so vnnaturall that they forget all dutie to their kinred and acquaintance in the flesh Thirdly those who will doe good to none but to those that haue done good to them this is right the Pharisies righteousnes to loue our friends and hate our enemies the goodnes of the Publican to lend to those of whom they look for the like Lastly those who are so full of the poison of malice and reuenge that beeing once incensed they can neuer be appeased till they crie quittance with those that offend them The third thing to be considered in the words is the circumstance of time we must doe good to all while we haue time Here sundrie points are to be obserued I. If we must doe good while we haue time we must make a holy and profitable vse of our time the rarest iewell and greatest of all earthly treasures because time will not alway last and therefore we must take time while it is time seeing time and tide will tarie for no man Let vs consider what a shame it is that the children of this world should be wiser in their generation then we who professe our selues to be children of light The mariner or sea-faring man who obserues wind and weather taketh the oportunitie of the time the trauailer or way-faring man takes day before him and trauaileth while it is light The smith striketh the yron while it is hot for when it is cold it is too late to strike The Lawyer taketh his time to wit the Terme time for the intertaining of his clients and following of his suits for when the Terme is ended his time is gone Now it is alway Terme-time with Christians euery present day euen this present time is their Terme-time therefore if we will not shew our selues more carelesse negligent nay more absurdly foolish or desperatly madde then all men we must take the opportunitie that is offered to do good and vse the pretious time which God in mercie affordeth vs to his glorie our comfort and the good of others Time and opportunitie of doing good is hieroglyphically resembled by the head of a man that hath locks of haire before which a man may take hold of but hath none behind whereby is signified that when opportunitie is past there is no possibilitie left to doe good We must not therefore let slippe any good occasion but take hold of it at the first when it is offered Hence it is that the Apostle Ebâ— 3. 13. biddeth vs exhort one another daily while it is called to day And the wise man Prou. 3. 28. Say not to thy neighbour goe and come againe and to morrow will I giue thee if thou now haue it For he may die and so cannot come againe or by thy delaying of him may be discouraged from comming or thou maist be hardened against him or maist with the rich man in the Gospel be suddenly taken away from thy riches or thy riches taken from thee Our Sauiour biddeth vs walke in the light while we haue light Ioh. 12. 35. II. If we must doe good while we haue time we must obserue the Apostles golden rule Eph. 5. 16. Redeeme the time which is nothing els but so to employ it and vse the benefit of it as that we suffer it not to slippe away from vs without fruit or profit either for sloth and idlenes or by reason of vaine and transitorie pleasures or other occasions of this life but to gaine that time we formerly lost by negligence with double diligence yea to redeeme it with the losse of our ease our pleasures our profits And we shall the better practise this dutie if we consider that time is short pretious irrevocable it is short and therefore to be guided by diligence it is pretious and therfore to be redeemed by an high estimate and account of it in not beeing too lauish of it in bestowing it vpon our friends not vpon our enemies in placing it as a Iewell in our golden age and wearing it in our newe garments the robes of Christ his righteousnes and not as a pearle in a swines snowt in the rotten ragges of sinne and wickednes Lastly it is irreuocable and therefore it is to be redeemed by taking the opportunitie thereof III. Paul commaunding vs to doe good while we haue time would haue vs know times and seasons to obserue the shortnes of time to number our daies that we may applie our hearts to wisdome The not knowing and obseruing of time is a sinne much inueighed against by our Sauiour Christ Matth. 16. 3. O hypocrites you can discerne the face of the skie and can ye not discerne the signes of the times Luk. 12. 56. why discerne ye not this time the Lord doth preferre the very bruit beasts before his people because they know their appointed times and seasons whereas his people knew not the time of mercie and grace which was offered vnto them Euen the storke in the ayre knoweth her appointed times the turtle and the crane and the swallow obserue the time of their comming but my people knoweth not the iudgement of the Lord. Ier. 8. 7. And Christ threatneth Ierusalem that one stone should not be left vpon another because they knew not the time of their visitation Luk. 19. 44. And verily of all follies and ignorances this is the greatest not to know the day of our visitation the acceptable time the day of saluation when God offereth mercie by rising earely and calling vs by the ministerie of his word and stretching out his hands all the day long Rom. 10. v. 21. For if he stand at the doore of our hearts and knocke by the sound of his word outwardly by the motion of his spirit inwardly by his threatnings by his promises by his iudgements by his mercies by his tolerance and long suffering and yet for all that we will not open nor listen vnto him we shall stand with the fiue foolish virgins and knock at his mercie gate and say Lord Lord open vnto vs when it will be too late when heauen shall be shut against vs. Matth. 25. 11 12. For for this cause among others they are called foolish virgins because they considered not the time of the bridegroomes comming Here it will be saide obseruing of time is forbidden Gal. 4. 10. Ye obserue daies and
must doe two things 194. 5 A particular or speciall faith hath 3 acts or effects 239. 22 Arguments of the Papists against special faith answered 239. 30 Euery grieuous fall doth not abolish the fauour of God 237. 13 Of the faith of Infants 261. 15 What faith towardes God is 446. 31. ReasoÌ„s to proue that the faith of the most is but false fained 446. 35 Faith workes by loue beeing the cause of loue and loue the fruit of faith 383. 13 In faith two things 385. 24 Faith towardes men standes in two particulars 447. 12 Reasons to mooue vs to maintaine faith truth among men 447. 25 By faith we doe not abrogate but establish the law vide Law The dutie of gouernours of families 410. 24 God is called a father in two respects 336. 13 Or the Fathers sending his Sonne vide God No man exempted from falling 461. 37. Fainting twofold 585. 7 Spirituall fainting twofold 585. 12 Faults of Churches be of two sorts 8. 18. Of naturall feare how it is good and how euill 108. 4 Three kinds of feare 108. 20 Figures and Allegories vsed in scripture 346. 16 Of the spirituall combate betwixt the flesh and the spirit vid. Combate How the flesh and spirit fight together 416. 4 The lust of the flesh hath two actions 416. 21 A treatise of the works of the flesh where is handled the condition the kinds and the punishments thereof 423. 22 Flesh signifies more then sensualitie 433. 15 What the flesh is 450. 18 In the flesh are two things Affections and lusts 450. 27 Meanes to crucifie the flesh 451. 26 For signifies not alwaies a cause but any Argument 568. 14 The foreknowledge of God vide God Fornication what it is 424. â—4 Against tolleration of fornication 425. 12. To flie adulterie and fornication 426. 6. Two speciall occasions of them 427 4. Freedome in good things fourefold 368. 3 G The Galatians reuolt 8. 10 What the churches of Galatia were 9. 28 How the Galatians receiued the gospel 28. 30 To Gentilize what it is 112. 5 Gentlenes what 445. 29 The gifts of God are inordinately vsed three waies vide Inordinate The more excellent gifts any hath receiued the more he is bound to be seruiceable to others 463. 39 The glorie of heauen twofold Essentiall and Accidentall 556. 23 To Glorie implies three things 625. 13. Two Grounds of glorying one in God another in himselfe 517. 12. Howe they differ and howe wee may doe both ibid. Obiections against glorying and reioycing in our selues 517. 30 How glorying in a mans selfe doth differ from vaine glorie which is a branch of pride 517. 30 Foure rules to bee obserued that we may glory in the Testimonie of a good Conference 518. 15 Lessons to be learned from this that we are to glorie in the Testimonie of a good conference 518. 31 Glorying when it is good and when euill 625. Glorying good or euill ibid. 27 Euill glorying is vaine glorying in three respects ibid. 23. Wherein we ought not to glorie ibid. 35. neither in wisdome strength riches honour nor pleasures ibid. Glorying in outward things not only vaine but impious Foure reasons 627. 40 There is a two fould lawfull bosting or glorying one before god another before man 628. 29 Obiections for Boasting answered 628. 16. Vnlawfull glorying when it is 629. 17. Glorying in wickednes three waies 629. 30. Reasons why Paul did Glorie rather in Christs death then in his resurrection 631. 21 The Papists wicked Glorying in the crosse vide crosse Gluttony what it is 439. 16 False Goddes are set vp two waies 304. 16 How God is to be acknowledged and worshipped 12. 15 Gods foreknowledge is not seuered from his will 108. 12 In what order the foreknowledge of God stands to his will 180. 25 God is called a father in two respects 236. 13 How God is said to repent 220. 19 A child of God two waies 236. 26 A treatise of God sending his sonne 279. 5. God knoweth exactly all our actions 549. 26 How the godly mans sinnes doe not condemne him in the latter Iudgment three resons 551. 27 The godly reape not that they sow therefore there is another life 552. 11. Seuen rules to liue godlily 139. 10 What a man must doe to be assured that he is Gods child 297. 14 Why affliction is the portion of the godly two reasons 620. 28 Vses of this that the godly are persecuted and afflicted 621. 15 Good things are commonly done in euill manner 330. 5 How they may be well done three rules 330. 21 The Godly faile in the manner of dooing good 344. 1 The dutie of dooing good declared by sundry arguments 588. 1 Dooing of good standeth in three things 588. 4 Rules to be obserued in dooing good 590. 34 We are not allwaies to imitate God in good and euill for three causes 591. 34 God is the generall good we the particular 591. 40 To the nature of the generall good three things appertaine 595. 4 Reasons why we are to doe good to all men 593. 9 How we are to doe good especially to the houshold of faith 594. 20 Reasons to doe good especially to the faithfull 594. 35 The order to be obserued in dooing of good to others 596. 23 There is no possibilitie of dooing good after this life 601. 37 Goodnes what it is 445. 38. Goodnes respects either the bodie or the mind and stands in foure actions 446. 9 Goodnes three fould preseruing vniting communicatiue 589 Communicatiue Goodnes hath 4. degrees 589. 29 What is vnderstood by God 531. 24 A felicitie to receiue the doctrine of the Gospell and what benefits come thereby 326. 27 The law and Gospell not on in substance of doctrine 378. 9 The Gospell must be preached rather then the law for two causes 54. 1. It must be preached to the Gentiles for two causes 54. 38 There is but one Gospel and one way of saluation 21. 31 Popish religion subuertes the Gospel of Christ. 23. 15 The doctrine of the Gospel called the truth for two causes 159. 20 The antiquitie of the Gospel 181. 19. How it differs from the lawe Vide Lawe The Gospel was not reueiled to the world till after the comming of Christ. 228. 11 Persecution and the preaching of Gospel goe hand in hand 620. 20. The Gospel is no new law 497. 23. In what the lawe and Gospel agree 497. 24 They differ in fiue things 498. 9 Why the Gospel is called a misterie 498. 16 The doctrine of the Gospel called by an excellencie the word also the word of the kingdome of God of saluation of life 530. 36. Our saluation placed alone in grace 654. 15. A child by Grace three waies 236 28. Uide Child The knowledge of the true God stands in sixe points 248. 20 What is ment by Grace 10. 5 The causes of grace be the father Christ and how they are distinct in regard of the manner of working 10. 38 Grace in god is the