Then he addeth further Euerie one that loueth him which begate loueth him also which is begotten This must needes be so for it is as a principle in nature whereby it is euidēt that whosoeuer loueth not the childrē of God he loueth not God for he that entirely doeth loue the Father cannot but for his sake loue the children which are begotten of him Then it is thus hee that loueth not the children of God is not borne of God and therefore hee hath not the true faith in Christ And he that is borne of God hee loueth God and therefore also he loueth his children and by this he saith we know we loue the children of God when we loue God and keepe his commandements The triall that men loue Gods children is from hence that they loue God and the triall that we loue God is if we keepe his commaundements for so hee affirmeth in the third verse where he also saith that the commandements of God are not grieuous or heauie According as Christ willeth vs to take his yoke vpon vs adding further That his yoke is easie and his burthen light Math. 11.29.30 Is the law then easie to be kept Surely there is nothing more grieuous to the vnregenerate man thē the law of God for as S. Paule saith the law is spirituall and wee are carnall soulde vnder sinne Rom. 7.14 There is such a disagreement betweene the heauenly puritie of Gods law and our corrupt and defiled nature that when they meete wee are so farre off from hauing anie power to fulfill the lawe or any part of it that by it the lusts of sinne worke in our members to bring forth fruite vnto death Rom. 7.5 Not that the law is to be blamed but as the Apostle there disputeth at large sinne taketh occasion by the law It is not then S. Iohns meaning to teach that the commandements be not grieuous or light and easie to the naturall man for sure to him they bee grieuous How then the commaundements are not grieuous to the spirituall man to the regenerate man euen to him that is borne of God for so S. Iohn applyeth the matter and rendereth a reason in these words Because whatsoeuer is borne of God ouercommeth the world By the world is meant what soeuer either within vs or without vs is corrupt and contrarie to Gods will as chap. 2. ver 16. of this Epistle hee doth expound the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life to be in the world and of the world Then looke how far a man is regenerate and borne of God so farre hee ouercommeth and subdueth all vncleane lustes he hateth the remnants of them and delighteth in the law of GOD. Rom. 7.15.22 How then can the commaundements be grieuous vnto him The lustes of sinne are sweete to the natural man and therefore the lawe which condemneth them is grieuous vnto him But can they that are borne of God then perfectly fulfill the lawe and so become righteous in themselues In no wise For then should such as are borne of God be without sinne but in the first chapter of this Epistle ver 8. he saith If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. In many thinges we sinne all Iam. 3. ver 2. There is no man saith Salomon which sinneth not 1 King 8.46 Yea no man can tell how often Psal 19. Wherefore Saint Peter saide thus vnto such as would haue men iustified by the lawe Now therefore why doe you tempt God to laye a yoake vpon the necke of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we are able to beare Acts 15.10 Well to proceede Saint Iohn commeth neerer and saith This is the victorie that ouercommeth the world euen our faith There is then a marueilous excellencie in faith for by it we ouercome the world euen all the vncleane lustes of sinne and by it we ouercome Sathan the prince of the world who hath no power not authoritie but by those lustes But now wee must vnderstand that this faith is onely the instrument of our victorie for the whole matter and power of our victorie is in Christ whome the faith layeth holde on Wherefore he saith Who is it that ouercommeth the world but he which beleeueth that Iesus is the sonne of God And then he sheweth that there is the fulnesse of victorie in Christ because he came both by water and bloud In the time of the lawe there was figured by bloud and by water the full satisfaction and the full purification or cleansing from all sinne both these are performed by Christ he hath by his blood made full satisfaction of and hee doth sanctifie and purge his chosen from all vncleannesse Therefore in him is a full victorie For the curse of the lawe being satisfied and then we washed and sanctified from all spotte what power can Satan or death haue ouer vs This being a matter so great and waightie and faith bearing vp the whole waight of it most necessarie it is that the faith it selfe haue a mightie sure ground worke or foundation to rest vpon That which beareth vp so mightie a building must not rest vpon a foundation that is from any creature And therefore S. Iohn sheweth that faith which is our victorie is grounded vpon the testimonie of sixe great witnesses of which three are in heauen and the other three in earth The three which beare record in heauen are the father and the worde that is the sonne and the holy ghost These three are one that is they doe all testifie one thing or agree all in one For what the father from heauen witnessed of his sonne the same did the sonne witnes of himselfe the holy ghost also did confirme it This is a most cleare place of scripture against those heretikes which denied the distinction of persons in the godhead for if the father were not a distinct person from the Sonne and so the Sonne from the holy Ghost howe could he say there bee three which beare record in heauen Then faith hath the witnesse of God the father of GOD the sonne and of God the holy Ghost to rest vpon Here is that sure foundation which can not faile They bee seducers which teach their schollers to ground their faith vppon men as the Papistes which draw men from grounding their faith vpon the testimonie of God the father the Sonne and the holy Ghost expressed and deliuered vnto vs in the scriptures and will haue them rest vpon the authoritie of the Pope and his popish clergie This testimonie of their owne they proclaime to be sound and infallible boasting that they can not erre the voice testimonie of God in the holy scriptures they charge to be darke doubtful and vncertaine most blasphemous wretches Then he addeth that there be also three which beare record in earth the spirite and the water and the bloud and these three agree in one Where first it may be demanded
many proude Schismatikes But some man may say what be the thinges that God hath coupled together which such men doe put asunder I will tell you Doth Saint Iohn say that Christ came both by water and bloud not by water alone but by water and bloud and yet they will seperate these two they will haue remission of their sinnes or iustification in Christ without sanctification He that hath Christ to bee his righteousnesse must needes haue him also to bee his sanctification A man cannot bee in Christ but hee must bee borne of God he must bee a newe creature he cannot continue in sinne and bee the seruant of sinne as for that pointe let men reade and studie wel the 6. Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans But let vs proceede further in this matter as Saint Iohn here doth He saith there be three which beare recorde in heauen and there bee three which beare record in earth What will you say if they part asunder these sixe witnesses What if they leaue out these three witnesses in earth and stand onely vpon the three in heauen It may be said is not the testimonie of the three witnesses in heauen sufficient May not a man rest in the testimonie of the Father though there bee none other ioyned surely the testimony of God is infallible and all sufficient of it selfe but whosoeuer beleeueth that testimonie of God hath as S. Iohn saith the witnes in himself he hath the witnes which is in earth within him euen the witnes of the spirit of the water and of the bloud Where these three in earth are not to giue their testimonie the witnes of the other three in heauen is not beleued though it seeme to be beleeued As aske a man this question which is caried awrie that way you beleeue the gospell I doe will he say beleeue it You are sure you shall haue eternall life I am sure thereof saith he Then demaund further how come you to that assurance or whereupon doth it rest He will answere it resteth vpon Gods promise I am sure he can not faile nor deceiue That is out of all doubt but you doe not beleeue it Yes said he I doe beleeue it Then where be the three witnesses in earth which be in euery one that doth beleeue aright He that beleeueth hath the witnes in himselfe ver 10. Where is the bloud the water the spirit I hope will he say further that they bee within me But come to the triall the heart is vnsanctified the minde is corrupt and vaine the tongue speaketh proude things vnder the lippes is deceipt and guile the handes are full of vniust dealing couetousnes pride doe beare sway Examine the whole course of such a mans life and you shall finde that hee doth not glorifie God Is the spirite of God in the heart such a man Hath he the power of Christ in him euen of the water and the bloud by which he came Is he iustified is he sanctified No but as I saide before he doth seperate the three witnesses in earth from the three in heauen It is but a vaine arrogancie in him and a meere illusion in deed that he boasteth of the certaintie of his saluatiō For he hath nothing but his owne imagination to warrant him that he doth beleeue It is no maruaile therefore when such doe fall and to them Saint Paul saith Let him that thinketh he doth stand take heede that he fall not 1. Cor. 10. ver 12. He doth not say that such as doe stand in deede can vtterly fall vnto perdition but they which are deceiued in their owne opinion boasting that they be sure of saluation and yet haue not in them the three witnesses in earth They haue not the firme and infallible grounde to rest vpon for the certaintie of their faith and so of life euerlasting For euen when any such man doth most of all glorie that God is his God and his father If he would but discend into himselfe and but a little awake stirre vp his drowsie conscience that would tell him that there is no such matter but that in deede he may expecte the seueritie of Gods wrath his conscience will tell him thou hast a proude heart thy minde is full of vanitie thou art defiled continuallie with vile and vncleane lustes and with abominable deedes Thou doest delight in sinful wayes and takest pleasure in wicked thinges God is a most seuere and a righteous Iudge he will execute vengeance vpon all vngodly men This vnpleasant song will the conscience sing vnto the vnregenerate and not that sweete tune of certaintie that they shall be saued Let vs then omitte these which are awrie and come to that right way and meanes by which we may attaine to so happie an estate as without all deceite or illusion yea without all arrogancie or vaine presumption to knowe that we shall be saued We heare that as there is a dead faith which may easilie be knowen if we were not too too negligent so is there also a true and a liuely faith which we may trie in our selues by that which Saint Iohn here writeth Which is thus we must not rest in this alone what the father the worde and the holy Ghost doe witnes as to say I knowe what recorde they beare or I am out of all doubt that the record is true and infallible which they beare because it is vnpossible that God should lye for so farre the historicall faith doth goe the dead faith yea as I may say the faith of deuils How then where is the difference I must haue in me the spirite to beare recorde What spirit The spirite of Christ euen the holye Ghost a spirite which commeth not alone but with the water and the bloud by which Christ came He witnesseth in deede with the efficacie of the death and passion of Christ which he doth apply both in satisfaction and sanctification vnto the heartes and consciences of the belieuers The voice of this spirite as it were speaking in the heart of a man and telling him that hee is the childe of God is most certaine and infallible The same spirite saith S. Paul beareth witnesse with our spirite that we be the children of God Rom. 8. What will any man say that the holy Ghost can deceiue or can lie If he witnesse with the spirit of a man that he is the child of God can it fall out otherwise Here the Iesuits and other Papists do fret and murmure The holy Ghost say they can not lye but how can any man assure himselfe that the holy Ghost doth beare record vnto his spirit that he is the childe of God Doth not euerie sect of heretikes boast that they haue the spirit of God is it not then their priuate fantasticall spirit which they are led by For answere vnto this first let all men rightly consider whether these Papistes doe not flatly gainesay the holy Apostles S. Iohn saith it is the spirite that
to admonish him it argueth that hee is deeply tainted with prophanesse himselfe He loueth not God hee loueth not aright his owne soule that careth not whither other men walke Therefore let the Pastors vse all their diligence to looke to their flock that prophanesse creepe not in among them Let euery man watch ouer his owne heart and conscience and take heede to himselfe yea let him not neglect his neighbour for this is an vndoubted thing that Satan laboureth to make men prophane and preuaileth much To be prophane is a most execrable thing as it doth appeare by the seueritie of Gods displeasure indignation against it expressed in the last part of this text but the most men doe not know what it is They doe vnderstand that it is taken in very euill part whē we say one is prophane they know it is a sore accusation but yet they can not tell the nature of the sinne or wherein prophanesse doeth consist In the seconde place therefore here i◠an example set down of a very prophane man and what his prophanesse was So that from hence wee may learne what the sinne is which the holy ghost warneth vs to take heede of The man propounded for an example vnto vs is Esau the elder sonne of Isaake the great Patriarke Wee are then warned to take heede that we be not like prophane Esau for if we be wee are sure to drinke of the same cup that hee did for God is no respecter of persons if he spared not him he will not spare thee if thou be found like him but wherin did he shew himselfe prophane He solde his birth right for one portion of meate Herein lyeth the matter this needeth exposition for by this wee shall see what prophanesse is God called Abraham from Vr of the Chaldeans he made his couenant with him that he would bee his God and the God of his seede and also that in his seede all the nations of the earth should be blessed In this is included that Christ the Sauiour of the worlde shoulde come of his seede Abraham begate Isaake of Sarah And vnto Isaake by the expresse commaundement of God willing Abraham to cast out the bond-woman and her sonne the blessing came For in that place he saith In Isaake shall thy seede be called Gen. 21. ver 12. Abraham therefore passed this blessing ouer not vnto Ismael his elder sonne but vnto his sonne Isaake Abraham being olde he tooke an oth of his seruant that he should goe into the land of his Natiuitie and from thence take a wife for his sonne Isaake He did bring Rebecca whom Isaake tooke to wife she was married vnto him twentie yeares before she had any childe For it is written that Isaake was fortie yeares olde when he married Gen 25. ver 20. And he was threescore yeares of age when Iaacob and Esau were borne as we reade in the same Chapter verse 26. For Rebecca being all that while barren Isaake praied to God for her and the Lord heard him and shee conceiued and the children straue in her wombe whereat shee was troubled and went to enquire of the Lorde touching the same Where answere was made vnto her by God two nations be in thy wombe and two peoples shall be seperated from thy wombe the one people shall be greater then the other people and the greater shall serue the lesser Esau was the first borne as we reade in that Chapter and so the birthright euen the heauenly blessing that God should be his God and Christ to come of his seede was by the ordinarie course of nature to be conueyed vnto him This blessing could bee passed ouer but vnto one of the two sonnes and Esau was the elder by birth But then Moses doeth proceede and shewerh how prophane this Esau was He saith that when they were growen vp Esau followed hunting Iaacob was a plaine man and dwelt in tents He dwelt with cattel that was the husbandry and trade of life which he followed Also that which we translate a plaine man is in the Hebrewe a man of simplicitie integritie vprightnes sinceritie or some dealing such an one was Iaacob Esau came wearie out of the fielde and Iaakob had made pottage and he requested that he would giue him some of them Iaacob answereth sell me then thy birthright Esau saide behold I am readie to die and what is the birthright to me Then Iaakob saide sweare vnto me and hee sware vnto him and sould his birthright to Iaakob And when Iaakob had giuen him bread and pottage hee eate and drunke rose vp and went his way and set light by or dispised the birthright Now may you perceiue wherein his prophanesse lay which God is so highly offended withall that he setteth so light by the heauenly blessing as that he would sell it for a messe of pottage Isaake had instructed them touching the promise Esau did knowe that the Sauiour of the worlde was promised with that birth-right hee is so earthly minded for this world and for his belly that he preferreth a little commoditie before it In a worde he made little account of spirituall graces and heauenly blessings in Christ or of that couenant which God had made with his grandfather Abraham who liued vntill he was fifteene yeeres olde so olde I say was Esau when Abraham dyed That couenant being now renewed with Isaake his father and that heauenlie blessing and grace of God in which Isaake most reioyced and fullie purposed in deede to conuey it ouer vnto Esau did hee nothing esteeeme Hee was then prophane because hee did esteeme and loue as a carnall worldling the base and transitorie thinges of this worlde more then the heauenly promise and blessing of GOD. You may now discerne what the sinne of prophanenesse is And so what it is which the holy Ghost warneth vs to beware of when he saith Let there be no prophane person as Esau But some man may obiecte howe can there be any like Esawe is there any birthright now or any such couenant and promise touching Christ to come If not how can this example of Esau be applied to vs can any be like him when there is not the matter wherein they may bee like I graunt that there is no birthright now as there was betweene Iacob and Esau or couenant touching Christ to come of their seede but yet the couenāt made with Abraham belongeth vnto vs as to haue this birthright to become the sonnes of the most high GOD through Christ the blessed seede to be heires of life euerlasting This is it which is set before vs and all such as doe set their hearts vpon carnall pleasures honors and riches of this world louing them and seeking after them more then after this heauenly blessing and grace of God in Christ delighting more in bellie-cheere then in the Gospell which is the glad tidings of saluation what are they but prophane persons euen like Esawe which made more account of