soberly weighed doe confute those foure maine heresies risen heeretofore in the Church concerning this great mystery For the first that there be two natures in Christ is plainely expressed by Saint Paul Rom. 9.5 First he was according to the flesh of the seed of the Iewes secondly he is God ouer all blessed for euer And Esa 9.6 A child is borne and his name shall be the mighty God Heere then first is confuted the heresie of Martian who said Christ was God but not man but had onely an heauenly body of an imaginary substance and alleageth Phil. 2.7 for his ground where it is said he was made like vnto men and was found in shape as a man therefore no man indeed By the same reason he might haue concluded aswell hee had not beene God for in the same place vers 16. it is said he was in forma Dei in the forme of God But the Apostle there fully proueth his humanity vers 8. by his obedience to the death of the Crosse for if he had not taken true flesh he could not haue died nor yet haue satisfied for our sinnes And Gal. 3.16 it is said the promises were made to Abraham and to his seed which seed is Christ and Gal. 4.4 When the fulnesse of time was come God sent his Sonne made of a woman which proueth that he was truely man Secondly heere is confuted the heresie of Arius who denieth the diuinity of Christ and saith that onely in his humaine nature hee had participated vnto him some diuine thing and some heauenly vertue For as wee see heere he must be Iehouah not an inferiour God or a God by participation of some diuine excellency but he must be Deus ex seipso filius à Patre a God of himselfe a Sonne by reference to his Father And so much is expressed by S. Paul Rom. 9.5 for when he saith hee was borne of the Iewes according to his flesh he implieth he had somewhat else he had not of them set downe in the words following Who is God blessed for euer which word God howsoeuer in the Scripture it be taken essentially and personally essentially when it signifieth the whole Trinity absolutely as Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God onely and Act. 4.19 It is better to obey God then man yet in this place it is spoken personally of the Sonne as it is also 1. Tim. 3.16 God is manifested in the flesh Now there be foure arguments to proue Christ God equall to the Father and to be Iehouah coeternall in the Godhead as the Father first by the property of of his person secondly by the property of his essence thirdly by the power of his diuine workes and fourthly by the diuine worship that is due vnto him For the first hee is proued to be God by his generation for he was begotten of God whereby is vnderstood that he was of the same substance with God euen as hee that is begotten of a man is a man and therefore hee is called the proper Sonne of God which he is not as he was conceiued of the holy Ghost for then Mary hath a part as he was borne of her And this is proued by the Scripture that when we call him the Sonne of God wee vnderstand that he is God as his Father is Iohn 10.20 I and my Father are all one and Ioh. 5.17 I worke the same works and after the same manner that my Father doeth meaning that he was God as well as he And so the Iewes vnderstood him speaking in their language which made them goe about to kil him For the second it is proued he is God by the property of his essence which standeth in these foure things first eternity secondly infinity to be in all places thirdly by his knowledge of all things fourthly by his omnipotency For the first that he is from all times is proued Reu. 1.17 I am that first and that last spoken by Christ himselfe and lest this should haue beene vnderstood of the futher he saith ver 18. and am aliue but I was dead For the second which is his infinity it is said in Ieremy that God filleth all places and Psalm 139.7 Whither shall I flie from thy presence If I goe into heauen thou art there if into the deepe thou art there also And Christ saith of himselfe Iohn 3.13 hee being on the earth No man ascendeth vp to heauen but he that came downe from heauen that sonne of man which is in heauen and in an other place he saith Where two or three be gathered together in my name I will be in the midst of them Math. 18.20 For the third which is his knowledge of all things Reu. 2.18 it is said that the Sonne of God hath eies like a flame of fire Ioh. 2.24.25 Math. 9.4 and verse 23. All Churches shall know that I am the searcher of the reines and hearts and in another place it is said hee durst not trust the Iewes because hee knew their hearts For the fourth which is his omnipotency it is proued by sundry examples in the Scripture that hee was able to raise vp the dead by his owne vertue and Iohn 5.17 he doeth the same works which his Father doeth and Phil. 3.21 Christ shall raise vp our bodies by the same power whereby he subdueth all things For the third which is the power of his diuine workes as himselfe saith Iohn 5.17 I doe the same workes my Father doth all which are of three sorts the first concerning the creation the second of miracles extraordinary the third that tend to the saluation of his church For the first of these it is said Iohn 1.3 by him all things were made and nothing was made without him and Col. 1.15.16.17 he is the inuisible forme of the father for whom and by whom all things were created and in him all things doe consist And likewise for sustaining them being made we haue Heb. 1.3 He beareth vp all things by his mighty word For the second that is for miracles he raised vp dead men euen as his Father did without any inuocation to any other which the Apostles did not but by calling on his name whether it were for raising the dead or dispossessing the diuell as I command thee in the name of Iesus to come forth Act. 16.18 but Christ saith of himselfe Iohn 11.25 I am the resurrection and the life and Iohn 10.37 I doe the workes of my father Now for the third which are the works he did for the saluation of his church they are principally siue first election Eph. 1.4 God hath elected vs in Christ and 1. Cor. 1.5 In all things we are made rich in Christ and Ioh. 3.17 through him we are saued and in another place he saith Iohn 13.18 I know whom I haue elected The second is vocation now to enlighten the heart of man must needs bee the worke of God Math. 16.17 as it is said in Saint Mat. flesh and
iudgement that hee knew not all that pertained to his calling and ministery yet addeth a reason why he did this I can giue but water but thou canst giue the spirit to purge the conscience Christ seeing his modesty bids him leaue off to intreate of his excellency and his owne basenesse that he was as the Sonne and Iohn but as the day starre Let this goe saith Christ for thou and I both must labour to doe that God hath appoiâ—ted it is thy calling to baptize and mine to require it professing himselfe to bee in the number of repentants Iohn seeing that Christ shewed this actioÌ„ to be a part of that righteousnesse should be fulfilled did receiue him whereupon after Christ had beenâ— drenched in the water a miracle was seene the heauens to open the holy Ghost to descend a voice from his Father that this Sonne was principally beloued and for his sake all others should be beloued So as the Sauiour of the world was first baptized and then miraculously consecrated to be that great monarch of heaven and earth In the words there are two generall parts to bee considered first that Christ was baptized from vers 13. to the latter end of vers 15. secondly what-testimony was giuen from heauen for his consecration to the Mediatorship In the first there be these circumstances set downe first that Christ tooke paines himselfe to come secondly that Iohn at first refused him giuing a reason why he did so thirdly Christ replying vpon him with a reason added why he required it and why Iohn may not deny it For the first of these consider two circumstances first at what time Christ came secondly whence he came then the word shewes a continuance of the story then when Iohn had prepared a people by his ministery to receiue Christ and when the fulnesse of time was come and the time of his present prinate life expired Heere generally consider that God determineth the times and seasons of mens priuate and publike callings Moses was forty yeeres of age before God told him he should bee the delinerer of his people and after hee had discontinued and walked priuatly forty yeeres more then hee was called of God to that office Act. 7.23 Exo. 3.10 So Iohn was thirty yeeres old before hee began to execute his ministery So for Christ it might seeme tedious to his parents that hee should so long containe himselfe in their priuate house and albeit he was destinated and ordained from the wombe to this great office and worke yet he must expect his fathers pleasure before hee offer himselfe to goe forth of Galile It is true of all men which Ieremy speakes of himselfe ch 1.5 God called me saith he and sanctified me to be a Prophet from the wombe yea before I was fashoined So Paul Gal. 1.15 saith he was separate from his mothers wombe to preach the gospell yet they must both wait and attend for a reall calling The vse that is hence to be gathered is that as Christ contented and satisfied himselfe with a priuate life when by comming abroade he might haue come to great renowne in the world so much more are we to satisfie our selues with that place wee haue and leaue it to Gods wisedome who in fulnesse of time will call if he haue any imploiment for vs so as no man may beg or buy a calling or thinke all his graces buried if he enter not presently into the broade way of worldly fame for God will in time if he haue set him apart for his husbandry prouide him a place and meanes for his lawfull entrance and such an admittance as may secure his conscience For the second whence he came from Galile where may be demanded why Iohn went not to him he being but the seruantâ— the reason is first because Iohns ministery was appointed to be exercised in the wildernesse secondly it was to set forth the maiesty and to preserue the dignity and worthinesse of the ministery for in as much as Christ was to be baptized hee was to come thither as one that was to partake of some fruit of his office Which example and prefident shewes that no man ought to thinke himselfe too good to come to Iohn that is to the Minister of God in whose mouthes heehath put the words of reconciliation and in whose hands are the distribution of his seales And this condemneth all those that seeke to bring the Temple into their house or wait that the Arke should come to them Dauid we see though a King of high glory and renowne Psal 84 2.3 complaineth and mourneth that he could not haue accesse to the church of God and thought the birds happier theâ— he that sate and sung within the Temple And if the King of heauen the Lord Iesus did humble himselfe to goe to Iohn much more ought flesh and bloud to striue to ioyne themselues to the publike place where the ministery is exercised The second circumstance is Iohns forbidding of Christ to come to his baptisme Out of which place appeareth that Iohn acknowledged him to be the Messias though he was cloathed with sinfull flesh for he saith he had need to receiue the holy Ghost of him which none can giue but Christ Now how knew he this for by the wisedome of God it was wrought that they neuer saw nor met before therefore hee must needs know it miraculously euen as miraculously Luke 1.41 hee leapt in his mothers wombe when she first heard of Christs conception And if the signe to know him be the Doue as some would haue it how knew he him before It must be answered that God gaue him a secret reuelation to himselfe to discerne that this was the person in whom dwelt the God-head bodily Coloss 2.9 and after for further confirmation which was a signe a posteriori there was this exhibition of that token a Doue descending on him According as Exod. 3.12 Moses was told he should bee a deliuerer of the people of Israel and this was his signe that when he had done it he should sacrifice to God in the mount that is it should further confirme him for he knew it before when he went forth of Egypt with the people Where we may learne that if we walke simply as in the sight of God and make a conscience of our calling wee shall haue if need require an extraordinary presence and help of God to instruct vs and we shall be taught of him the secrets and wonders of the Lord. Further learne in this refusall of Iohn to baptise Christ that although a man may be an excellent Minister yet hee may erre concerning some chiefe point of his office and this to bee no disparagement to him euen as Iohn failed in this duty So as we draw out of this particular example this generall instruction against such as except against Ministers being of another iudgement then others be for if he be faithfull in the greatest duty of his calling and his end be
forth our cold petitions and that which was generally beleeued by faith before is now particularly chalenged of God by praier that wee may finde and â—â—ele the former promise to be true by this particular instance of reaching foorth our requests to God by praier And the more to hearten and encourage vs in this exercise and Christian taske God giueth and graunteth our requests differing in three respects from the gifts and benefits of worldly men For first he can giue all things in his power secondly in his wisedome he giueth and neuer repenteth thirdly in his goodnes he giueth and neuer vpbraideth This is the perswasion of faith and therefore now if wee spare to speake wee may well spare to speed whereupon the Prophet Dauid saith I beleeued therefore I spake hauing his faith for most to prepare his lips to praier And surely the cause why wee call not vpon God so often or so boldly as we ought is either because our faith failâ—s vs that wee thinke not to speede or else because wee haue but weake and faint hope to speede For as the Philosopher saith Qui timide rogat docet negare He that craueth fearfully draweth on a deniall for that faith that openeth the eies to see such treasures openeth the mouth to supplicate and to pray for them so as by this learne in one word that the Apostle will measure thy faith by thy praiers Whereby we crie In this word crie is implied three things first a confident boldnesse secondly a great earnestnesse thirdly an importunacy with perseuerance Boldnesse in that wee speake not softly as in feare but loud as in assurance euen as a fauorite of an earthly Prince that hath a promise to haue and obtaine what he can spie out hauing speciall security to speed commeth boldly to his Prince and craueth the performance of that was pledged vnto him by promise before Earnestnesse not to take a nay or deniall at the first at our fathers hands but to goe on with I pray you Father Good Father I beseech you Father and such like speeches of vehemency and feruency which is heere expressed by the geminating and doubling of the word Father Father Then with these must there be an importâ—nacy in praier which Paul expresseth Rom. 15.30 by striâ—ing or wrestling in praier shewing thereby the feruency of the minde and of the voice euen as Iacob did Gen. 32.26 that would not let the Angell goe before hee had blessed him and according to the example set downe Luk. 18. â— of the widow who by her importunity which in the Greeke word signifieth impudency so troubled and wearied with her cries as it were with blowes the vnrighteous Iudge as she wrested her sute from him Christ in that parable teaching vs that wee ought to vse a holy kind of impudency in our petitions vnto God and neuer to giue him rest till hee hath yeelded to our requests which wee make in faith and present in hope Heereupon it is that the soule is very earnest with God as either being laden with some sinne which it desireth to be eased of or priuy to some wants which it faine would haue supplied or in some apprehension of Gods iudgement for sinne which it seeketh to escape or the loue of God constraining it to be thankfull for the rich mercies formerly receiued or else being assaulted with some danger and temptation craueth to bee â—â—liuered so as alwaies the soule hath occasion to bee quicke and earnest in praier for causes to moue vs euen in our owne particular persons vnto this duty besides the generall cause of the Church doe daily occurre and fall out In that it is said We crie Father heere is questionable whether onely God the first person in the Trinity be to be praied vnto and not the Sonne nor the holy Ghost To this we answer that the word Father and God is taken essentially for the whole essence of the God-head which includeth them all as it is in the Lords praier or else it is taken personally for that the Sonne must be praied vnto the place is plaine Act. 7.59 And they stoned Stephen who called on God and said Lord Iesus receiue my spirit And that the holy Ghost must be praied vnto appeareth by Saint Paul who endeth his Epistle 2. Corinthians 13.13 with this praier The communion of the holie Ghost be with you So as the word Father in this place is not meant of any one distinct person subsisting in the name of Father but it is to bee vnderstood of them all the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost for as they be all offended with vs for our sinnes so must they all bee reconciled to vs by our praiers And heereupon is it that Saint Augustine saith that the whole Trinity is Father in respect of the creature and hee is onely named heere because the Father is the fountaine of the God-head and the first in order but not in time howbeit being vnderstood in respect of their diuers subsistences they are seuerall Whereupon it is true that the word Father or God is sometime taken personally as Iohn 3.16 where it is said God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten Sonne that wâ—â—â—euer beleeueth in him should not perish And 1. Corinthians 8.6 Vnto vs there is but one God which is the Father of whom are all things in which places the word God is taken personally as it is also in the Greede when wee say I beleeue in God the Father But the whole Trinitie is called Father in two respects first because hee is the fountaine of the God-head and the fountaine of all loue election and saluation the will of the Father going before the will of the Sonne in order not in time Secondly because howeâ—â—â— wee pray to Christ and to the holy Ghost as we doe to God and howeuer all the workes of the Trinity be vndiuided that they doe all saue and not the Father only yet they doe it by degrees Christ saueth vs insubmitting his will to his Fathers will the holy Ghost saueth vs in perswading and leading vs to goe to Christ and froâ— Christ to the Father so as our praiers are made vnto God in the name of Christ his Sonne by the direction of the holie Ghost Againe in that we name him Father learne that all our security and assurance that our praiers shall be effectuall and that we shall speede in our sutes and requests lieth in this that we are his children and so all that wee doe and performe pleaseth him no further then the person pleaseth him And therefore Dauid Psal 7. 17. 26. making a commemoration of his vertues as that there was no wickednesse in his hands that he had purposed his mouth should not offend that he had not hanted nor sorted himselfe with dissemblers doth it not the rather to moue God to heare him and to incline his eare to his petition but by these testimonies of a good conuersation
all graces and so truely is it sealed vnto our soules that wee eate Christ though not corporally By the word we eate the flesh of Christ continually by faith and in the Sacrament it is only more plaine that we eate it because two senses are satisfied by it the eare hearing the word and the eie seeing the bread For the third testimony There comes a voice from heauâ—â— by the former miracles the Lord onely prouided for the witnesse of the eye but now hee prouides for the eare also Where wee learne the wonderfull wisedome and loue of God to exercise all our senses that thereby we might be brought to a certaine perswasion of these mysteries Among the Philosophers is a great question whether the sense of sight or of hearing bee better in it selfe True it is that sight in nature is more excellent as for celerity and quickenesse so for perspicuity and sharpnesse but if the doubt bee made of the profit of these two then hearing excelleth for we can see nothing but that is visible but many more things are to be heard of which thereby may be conueied to the heart to iudge of so the largenesse of hearing is greater in the profit Besides no man profiteth by sight vnlesse he vnderstand it by hearing for which cause it pleased God to apply both in the mystery of saluation that thereby we might be sure of it we neuer doubting of that we both see and heare Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10.17 and the holy Ghost bores the care Psal 40. and leades the eye to satisfie it setting before it in Baptisme water and in the Supper bread and wine so as it is prouided that the hearing might haue the word and the eye the sacraments Now in the voice consider what it doth expresse namely thâ— that flesh which stood there before them was the naturall sonne of God and this he is two waies first as he is the sonne of God by nature of the eternall substance of his Father howbeit let no man thinke fleshly of the matter for hee departed with no substance nor had any manner of change secondly as he was the sonne of Mary not by nature or adoption for then there had beene a time when he was not the Sonne of God but by personall vnion the man Christ being neuer a person by it selfe vntill it was personally vnited to the Godhead so as he was borne the sonne of God not by nature for he was of the nature of his mother so Mary is said to bee the mother of God not that she brought forth God but brought foorth that man that was God and this in respect onely of the personall vnion In that it is said my welbeloued Sonne vnderstand that all loâ—â— comes from him that comes to vs and wee are beloued only for Christs sake as Châ—â—◠〈…〉 praieth Iohn 17. I beseech thee good Father that as 〈…〉 â—â—â—d me so thou wilt loue them and giue them the same glory thou guest me This is God required to doe by his owne Sonne who can aâ—ke nothing shall be denied him With the same loue loue thou them as I am in them so are they in me And this ministreth singular consolation that when we consider Christ to be beloued we may withall remember that with the same loue the Lord loueth his natural son with the same doth he loue vs that are adopted so as when he beholds the beauty of his sonne in whose fore-head as in a golden plate are written all our names hee turneth from our filthinesse and embraceth vs as his owne sonne and the Father and sonne are all one in desire The Lord grant we may be able to comprehend it and be willing to entertaine it that this loue may constraine vs to loue him againe otherwise it brings foorth no effectuall fruit in vs. Againe since the Father tooke all delight in this Sonne Christ Iesus and that the whole Trinity was heere at his baptizing and that the father saith in another place Sonne I will glorifie thee still Iohn 12.28 let vs learne to magnifie the Lord Iesus let him bee our ioy for who is there in heauen or earth in whom wee can set our delight better then on him which thus pleaseth the father Let vs loue him that God loueth he is the only Priest to sacrifice for vs the only Aduocate to plead for vs the onely Prophet to instruct vs the only King to gouerne vs the onely shield to defend vs we shall be made rich through his grace only righteous through his obedience onely safe through his protection onely and saued through his mediation only He that glorifies the Sonne glorifies God and he that resteth vnder the wings of the Sonne shroudeth himselfe vnder the shadow of the most high then accursed be that man or that religion that holds Christ but as the chiefe Sauior and would haue other helpes ioyned to him for we must only haue Christ and wholly Christ and assure ourselues to bee â—aued onely in him our praiers to bee heard onely through him and our wounds to be healed onely by the sight of him and to what end should we ioyne others with him since all are beloued onely for him That there is a Trinity appeâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—er in this place aâ— namely the fathers voice 〈…〉 â—esence in the Done and Christ manifested and 〈…〉 flesh and these bee seuerall yet but onâ—â—e hoâ—â—â— and all and euery of them is leâ—â—â—uah It is a mystery only to be adored yet in some measure iâ— to be knoâ—en that they should be three persons yet but one God as for example take three men Paul Iames and Iohn heere be three persons and three men but it is not so in God for in things that bee created wee must consider they are onely limited therefore the same nature in Iohn is not the same natuâ—â—â— singular and in specie that is in Paul because they bee not onely two persons but diuided in quantity and that particular nature in particular that is in Iohn cannot be in Paul So for Angels take Raphael Gabriel and Michael supposing him to bee a created Angell the same particular angelicall nature that is 〈◊〉 one is not in another for they be not onely two persons of Angels but two natures not distinct but separate Now in God 〈◊〉 make a common essence which is Iehouah wherein doth consâ—â—â— three Elohims yet are they not three Iehouahs because his nature is simple and the selfe same is in them all and the same being is in God the Father that is in the Sonne and is tota to 〈◊〉 in euery one and the same in Vnity And if wee will haue thâ—â— Gods then must we make a substance diuided which cannot be but there is onely a distinction Angels are separate one from another and are one without another but in the Trinity it is otherwise The Sonne is in the Father the holy Ghost in theâ—â— both and they are all one The Sunne
of the life of God and such a man hath his soule and body taken vp and dressed and dedicated to entertaine the holy Ghost and the holy Ghost abideth in him and Iohn 14.23 Christ saith If any man loue me he will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and we will come vnto him and dwell with him so as the whole blessed Trinity abideth in such a man which is a most princely prerogatiue and royall dignity which the faithfull haue that the King of heauen will stoope so low as to abide in the soule of a poore Christian Further obserue in that the spirit dwels in vs that as Christ before he tooke vpon him and assumed our flesh sent his herbenger before him to seele that house and sanctifie that wombe wherein himselfe would lie Mat. 1.18 that the virgine by that meanes was full of the holy Ghost euen so he still sendeth forth his spirit to take vp his lodging for him in the heart of euery Christian and to sanctifie them in some measure 2. Cor. 13.4.5 though not in that fulnesse he did the virgine And as God in no place on the earth was said to be more then he was in the Arke so is he in no creature so much as in the elect 1. Sam. 4.7 Psal 8.1.5.6.7 yea all the creatures by this meanes are made seruiceable to the elect Now when the spirit commeth vnto vs it findeth our hearts very ruinous like an old house yet such an habitation as by some ancient monuments shewes what stately building it was at first by creation then it falles a tempering and building it vp againe by the loue of God ingrafted in our hearts and it doth sift vs and cleanse vs and whereaâ—â—t findeth nothing but bare walles that is a departure of all the graces of God and a depriuation of them it filleth vs and infuseth vnto vs all heauenly vertues And as the Lord was in the Temple and yet not shut in and inâ—â—uded there but in that he was there it was necessary it should 〈◊〉 kept cleane as appeareth 2. Chron. 23.19 that for this purpose porters were set at the gates of the house of the Lord that none that was vncleane in any thing should enter in so we that are Christians being a type of that Temple that should be built of liuing stones whereof Christ must be the chiefe and corner stone and wherein we must beleeue that God dwelleth farre more spiritually and effectually then he did in the other we I say must be kept far more cleanely then the other Temple was In this respect also that this Temple wherein the Lord now dwelleth is our soules and bodies the Priest our selues to offer vp our selues the sacrifice our selues to be sacrificed in our soules and bodies vpon the altar which is our hearts but yet so as we are still acceptable onely in the sacrifice of Christ and in his priesthood Now this spirit that thus dwelleth in vs is called the spirit of sanctification in respect of the foure properties wherin it resembleth the materiall Temple For first as the Temple might not serue for a dwelling house but was onely consecrated to abide and continue there while they serued God so the temples of our bodies must not be taken vp of the lusts of the world to dwell there but bee dedicated onely to entertaine the spirit of Christ and secondly as the holy garments were onely worne in the Temple so ought wee to looke that wee attire our selues onely as becommeth Christians that stand alwaies in the presence of God thirdly as the holy meate was onely eaten in the Temple and fourthly the vessels onely there to be drunke in so this shewes that our bodies and all the powers affections and actions both of soule and bodie as well in the heart within as in all the vse of Gods blessings without 1 Iohn 2.17 must be separated from all earthly things to be by them estranged from the worship of God and be reserued only to holy vses that God and his glory may be the chiefest end of our life for so the Hebrew word to sanctifie signifieth to be set apart and not prostitute to any profane vse Hereupon it is that if in the Temples of Christians we see idols erected we are grieued and offended and that iustly because we see a great part of Gods seruice shall bee spent in bodily adoration which ought not to be for though it be true that God requireth to be worshipped of euery bone in the body yet principally in this sacrifice of praier and other religious exercises hee looketh at the heart and sets his eye on our affections to be worshipped in spirit and in truth Now if it be vnlawfull to erect and set vp an idoll in any Christian Temple Iohn 4.24 for so much doth the Scripture in expresse words testifie in many places as Pull downe their altars breake their images and burne them in the fire Deut. 7.2 12.3 Iudg. 2.2 with many such like places and speeches how fearefull a thing then is it that wee that are Christians should set vp idols in our soules the most beautified place that God hath on earth as the idols of couetousnesse hypocrisie filthinesse pride and such like which be inuisible and therefore worse then the other and which do secretly like a theefe steale away our hearts from the loue of God and as a moth doe euen feed vpon vs and consume vs till we suddenly fall into the wrath and displeasure of God Heere let vs further consider but how we vse our owne houses wherein we dwell in the tabernacle of this life and which ought to be but as tents to be carried at our backes Gen. 18.1 to put vs in minde of our pilgrimage for if the matter of the Church cannot affect vs nor touch vs at the quicke yet shall it set foorth our wickednesse and enlarge our condemnation that we esteeme more of our owne dwelling places wherein we sleepe to night and to morrow are cast into the graue then of that place wherein the Prince of heauen and earth taketh vp his abode how curious we are in scouring of our pots in sweeping of our parlots in plaiting of our garments and tricking vp our selues nicely and garishly yea no seruants can please vs but such as weare out their knees in rubbing our houses and how fearefull and shamefull a thing it is that we make no account nor reckening of that place where the whole Trinitie should abide that our houses shall be cleane where onely our dirty feet doe treade and out selues the vncleanest part of it and that through our wretchednesse and negligence in purging of our selues and cleansing of our soules we are rather dens fit for the damned spirits then temples meet for the holy Ghost to abide in for if our hearts be once ouergrowne with the weeds of profanenesse idlenesse couetousnesse and such like we may assuredly know that
encouraged to presse within the border of the mount when the horne of saluation shall be blowen For it is a miserie and madnesse to imagine the labour of a Christian to be mued vp within the wales of the ministerie or that men are so straitned in their vocations as that they may not looke aside to a sermon or that because the theese was saued on the gallowes Luk. 23.43 therefore heauen may bee wonne with a wet finger or that since the workers for an houre Mat. 20.9 had the penny with them that bore the paine and heate of the day therefore it shall suffice to come as Nicodemus did to Christ by night Ioh. 3.2 Nay we must know that as the promise of mercie is equall to all so the prayer and practise for mercie must be the same in all that we are no longer within the compasse of the Lords protection Psal 91 11. then wee walke in feare within the bounds of his direction that if religion be not the commander in our callings scarcitie or discontent will bee as mothes in our blessings and that if presumption misleade vs to pledge only a pang of deuotion for a sacrifice when the pleasure of our daies be past iudgement shall but requite vs if either death do strangle vs before we speake or the wrath of God rebound vpon vs when wee haue wept our fill For it standeth not with the Lords honour to be shaken off so oft when he would lodge with vs Ier. 32.33 nor with our duties to runne away so fast when wee should turne to him but that at length iustice must arise to preserue the maiestie of his mercy so much abased and so long abused which we haue sensibly felt the stripes being yet seene in our streets and may feare heereafter to bee more fierce 2. Sam. 24.14 by how much the sword of the enemie sharpened to destruction doth exceed the correcting hand of God tempered with compassion The Lord graunt this short setting of his face against vs may haste vs to haue peace with him that hath the ends of the world subiect to his power and the plagues of the world restrainable at his will so shall wee bee preserued from the venime and ransomed from the violence of them that seeke our soules and either still praise him in the land of the liuing Psal 56.13 or eternally dwell with him in the habitation of his Saints which God grant may bee your portions and the inheritance of your posterity Amen Yours in all dutie H. Yeluerton TO THE READER THinke not gentle Reader that the turning backe from the world is any looking backe from the plough Luk. 9.62 but by example iudge it safer to bend thine eie toward Zoar a place of rest then to wrest thy sight toward Sodome the citie of wrath Gen. 19.22 And since the earth was cursed for thy sinne in Adam Gen. 3.17 Gal. 2.16 Rom. 3.22 Matt. 6 20. Phil. 3.20 1. Ioh. 5 6. and thy selfe art saued by thy faith in Christ let the direction of thy thoughts to him be the messenger to thy heart that thou art in heauen for thou art not placed that thou shouldest be planted here but being bought from this earth by bloud cleanse thy selfe in this earth by water that since some inferior affections must needs be foule Ioh. 13.8 the dust may onely cleaue to thy feet thy head and thy hands be lift vp to God For if in the pride of thy flesh thou dost build thy nest neere him or in the profanenes of thy heart doest striue to be rich without him Esay 14.15 Gen. 11.7 Luk. 12.20 the least breath of his mouth shal batter thy seat to be seene no more scatter thy wealth as before the wind Yea the Lord hath choked thy fields with thistles Gen. 3.18 Iam. 5.3 wrapped vp thy treasure in rust that seeing the ground whereon thou standest to be out of Paradise and the staffe whereon thou leanest to bee but wood of the woorst sort thou mightest pray to haue the sword put vp that stops thee from the tree of life Gen. 3.24 and those boughes cut off that shadow thee from beholding thy sinnes borne in Christs body 1. Pet. 2.24 Now the humour that hindreth thy sight is the Crystall shew of brittle honor that sets thine eies on fire to follow after it for if Adam may be as God Gen. 3 5. there is no commandement can hedge him Gen. 33. â—â— if Esau may haue a traine of men at his heeles hee will soone digest the losse of his birth-right 2. Tim. 4.10 if Demas may but win the world he will haste to shake hands with the Saints of God But remember how with the fruite thy father swallowed wrath Ier. 31.29 which to this day hath set thy teeth on edge Mâ— â— 3 Mat 4.10 that the ioy the reprobate hath in his flesh is ioined with the hatred of God vpon his soule and that if the sonnes of men shall take the diuell at his word as the Sonne of God did not it is but a bitter recompence for the losse of the better part Mat. 16.26 when themselues are compassed with confusion Take the counters into thine owne hand and see what reckoning thou canst make of life what is past frighteth thee with the remembrance of it because so much of thy light is spent what is present burdeneth thee with the weight of it because in sweate and sorrow thou doest waste thy time what is to come troubleth thee with the incertainty of it lest the graue do swallow thee before thou see it yea make thy account as thou ought and thou shalt find it swifter then the weauers shittle Iob 7.6 Iob 9.25 and speedier then a Post caried vpon the wings of the wind for if the Lord steppe not betweene thee and death before thou canst lay one thy breath is gone What booteth it then so vnseasonably to ripen thy cares for the tares of this life for if thou heape vp siluer as the sand and prepare raiment as the clay yet building thy house as the moth not in thine owne but in anothers garment when thou shalt make thy bed in the darke Iob â—8 13 Ioâ— 16. â—â— and the first borne of death shall consume thy strength where then be the strings of thy hope thy horne being thus abased to the dust Of thy selfe thou art but a tree turned vpward hauing no sap from the earth and if thou beest not moistened with the deaw from heauen though by the sent of water thou maiest bud yet shalt thou perish in the blade because thou hast no spirit at the roote Therefore if thou expect in thy labour blessing in thy peace continuance in affliction comfort in thy death triumph thou must respect in thy calling honesty in thy pleasures iudgement Eccles 11.9 Tit. 2.12 in thy sorrowes mercy in thy life
all the Angels must worship him and yet as man no essentiall quality of the Deity rested in him The third priuiledge is this that his Diuine nature hath giuen the participation of his office to him as man that as God is Mediator so is man as God hath deserued saluation so hath man and that hee as man shall iudge the quicke and dead not that he shall iudge by his manhood but Christ-man shall iudge the world The second fruit of this vnion is the communication of properties not that the properties of the one are communicate to the other but that one may bee attributed to both as Christ God died Christ man is eternall and this is either when we giue that to the humanity which is proper to the diuinity or giue that to the diuinity which is proper to the humanity as God by his bloud redeemed his Church yet God had no bloud but Christ God had bloud so this man Christ forgiueth sinnes not that this power is in his manhood but hee doeth it meerely as God for these and such like speeches be true in Concreto not in abstracto as they be both ioyned together and not as they be separate one from the other Lastly in the word God with vs obserue that Christ is not only God with vs in nature but in person for the reprobate are of the same nature with him and he with them yet is he not God with them but against them but we as the Apostle speaketh are flesh of his flesh Ephes 5.30 and bone of his bones euen as man and wife which are not onely one in nature as all other men and women are but one person by speciall couenant and euen so are wee one person with Christ by the couenant of grace being one with him we are also one with the whole Trinity as himselfe saith I and my Father will come and sup with him and according to his last praier Iohn 17. Father I beseech thee that as I am one with thee and thou with me so these speaking of the faithfull and pointing at them may be one with vs both which bringeth great comfort to Gods children that through Christ we haue the whole Godhead reconciled to vs and dwelling in vs. And Ioseph did as the Angell had commanded him This is the third generall part spoken of before namely the obedience of Ioseph according to euery thing that was prescribed out of which gather generally that when we are acertained it is Gods pleasure wee should doe such a thing that wee stand not still consulting with our owne peruerse natures nâ—â— inclining too much to tender our owne frailties but that knowing it to be the voice of God we admit of no contradictions but we are to constraine our affections to bee pacified and perswaded according as the Lord hath disposed This was the infirmity of Sara Genes 18.12 who laughed when the Angels promised to come againe according to the time of life she râ—â—â—â—ting rather the order of nature then beleeuing the promise of God And this likewise was Lots fault Gen. 19.16 who prolonged the time when the Angels bad him arise and be gone for the which hee might iustly haue beene destroied in the punishment of the City But the contrary to this we see in Abraham Gen. 22.3 who when he was commanded to sacrifice his sonne than which what could be more contrary to nature than for a father to be the butcher to his owne sonne yet being assured that it was the voice of God speaking by the Angell he presently commended his affection and rose vp early to execute that bitter message Wherein obserue that all the children of Abraham must be children of obedience which must be shewed by walking in euery thing according as it is written For now seeing onely the voice of the Lord is the voice of the scripture Luke 16.29 which is as certaine as if Christ were to speake immediatly from heauen so farre as is commanded so farre is to bee performed howsoeuer it may cost vs deare and crosse vs much yea though it bee with Ioseph to embrace her for a wife whose honesty we might iustly suspect And if Ioseph did this at the first word of the Angell what shall bee said to vs who haue heard the voice of God so often beating vpon vs that we should forsake our sinnes and yet we spread curtaines ouer them But that as his obedience is heere recorded for his praise so our stubburnnesse and disobedience be regestred in our punishment that it may be as a hissing and astonishment to other nations Further obserue hence that the obedience of a Christian standeth not in a generall subscribing to the truth of that is taught them no nor yet in a verball confession of it but the commendation of a Christian resteth in his works of obedience as it is said â—eere Ioseph did as he was enioyned 1. Ioh. 3 1â— so that the hand and the mouth must goe together as our Sauiour Christ teacheth Not euery one that saith Lord Lord Mat. 7. â—â— but he that doth the will of the Lord shall be an heire of heauen Whereby we must learne that the calling of a Christian is noidle but a painfull calling wherein we must striue daily to plucke vp some weedes or other that ouergrow our godlinesse and to liue as children in the sight of our Father alwaies doing what hee commendeth vnto vs. For if Ioseph after this time had no more suspected his wife yet if hee had not taken her againe and dwelt with her as his wife he had failed in his obedience and had been like Lots wife Gen. 19.22.26 who beginning well in going out of Sodome and yet forgetting halfe her obedience to the commandement in looking backe behind her is left as a monument to this day for vs to take heed by And he knew her not till she had c. Though it be said he knew her not till shee had c. yet it doth not follow necessarily he knew her after for the word till in the Hebrew tongue signifieth as well that a thing shall not come to passe in time to come as that it came not to passe before as Mat. 28.20 I am with you vntill the end of the world not that he will leaue vs then but that he will by his spirit be with vs then and euer after Like to this is the phrase vsed 2. Sam. 6.23 Michol had no children till the day of her death and it is certain she had none after So in the speech following Christ was her first begotten Sonne it doth not therefore follow shee had any more sonnes for the phrases only exclude the time before And this we are to beleeue vpon our saluation that Ioseph knew her not till Christ was borne and that Christ was the first borne And it is very probable agreeable to the best churches that he knew her not after nor that she had any more
shall want the Rauens shall feed him yea hee will make the wicked an instrument to prouide for his chosen as Zedekiah to command that Ieremy be fed in the prison as long as there is any bread in the City Ier. 37.21 which ought to teach vs not to compasse any thing vnlawfully or to dig vs cisternes out of the policy of the flesh but to relie vpon the Lord who can and will send vs reliefe from the vttermost parts of the earth and when we least looke for it and when it shall be most welcome as he did heere to the mother of Iesus For the sixt generall circumstance namely for the oracle giuen these Wise-men to goe home another way learne first how the Lord disappoints the purposes of tyrants and wicked men which bend their bowes whet their swords and make their arrowes keene to pierce the sides of the godly Psal 7.14 that it fals out they are but concerued with vanity and trauell of iniquity and bring foorth a lie For when Herod meant to haue glutted his bloudy minde vpon the report of these Wise-men then are they of the Lord sent another way And when Act. 23.12 the Iewes had bound themselues with a curse that they would neither eate nor drinke till they had killed Paul then the Lord sent into the heart of the chiefe Captaine so to intrench him about with souldiers as he was kept safe from their fury So when Senaherib the King of Ashur had thought to haue swallowed vp Ierusalem Esay 36.33 then the Lord said and performed it that he should not so much as shoot an arrow nor cast a mount against it Thus doeth the Lord alwaies preuent the dangers intended against his children Psal 91.5.6 that neither the plague that flies by day nor the pestilence that walkes by night nor the snare of the hunter can once intrap them but his eares are open euen to the praiers of Ionas c. 2.2 to deliuer him out of the Whales belly and his eies are so bent vpon Daniel c. 6.22 as the Lions haue no power to hurt him but he is as a shadow against the parching heat and as a shield against the blustering cold which may incoâ—â—age vs still to lay hands vpon him as our succour to behold him as our deliuerer to flie to him as our comforter to waite vpon him as our guide and to commit our soules vnto him as vnto the best keeper Secondly heere learne by the not returning of these Wisemen to Herod according as they were commanded that an oath or a vow taken and made against the bond of charity and tending to the hurt of our brother is not to be performed but being vndertaken vpon weakenesse is to be discharged vpon conscience and therefore rash was the vow of Iphtah Iudg. 11.31 to promise to the Lord without limitation a sacrifice of that he should first meet when he came home For though the Apostle Heb. 11.32 commendeth him for his worthy enterprise in deliuering the people yet by this rash vow and wicked performance of the same his victory was much defaced For we must make no haste with our mouthes to pronounce any thing but set a watch before our lippes that they may hedge in our tongues from speaking euill of our brethren and yet if we hap to slip in this wee must keepe in our hands from executing what vnaduisedly we vttered For first we are so farre from being bound to derect them when their liues or bodies are sought for as wee are to counsell them to hide them as Eliah 1. Kings 17.3 was counselled of the Lord to hide himselfe So did Ionathan 1. Sam. 20.42 make his fathers fury knowen to Dauid that hee might hide himselfe and therfore cursed be the Ziphims 1. Sam. 23.20 that promised Saul to deliuer Dauid into his hands and cursed be Irrijah Ier. 37.13 that staid Ieremy and brought him to the Princes as a fugitiue when hee was going to the land of Beniamin Secondly if they cannot hide themselues wee must doe it for them So did Obadiah 1. Kin. 18.13 in the court of Ahab hide a hundred Prophets from the cruelty of Iesabel So did Rahab Iosh 2.1 in great zeale to God and loue to his seruants hide the spies with the danger of her owne life So did the Disciples Act. 9.21 let downe Paul in a basket when his life was sought for by the Inquisition Thirdly if they be apprehended we must be so farre from accusing them as we must countenance and defend them to our powers So did Ebedmelech Ier. 38.9 when he came to the King in the gate and told him Ieremy had wrong to be imprisoned and so did Ionathan 1. Sam 20.32 defend Dauid against his owne father for it is not the commandement of a King that ought to make vs giue vp the sonnes of God into their hands nay the Lord himselfe in this place teacheth vs otherwise that would not suffer these Wise-men to obey Herod wherby the babe might haue beene exposed to his butchery Lastly in the departure of these Wise-men obserue that God both in the beginning and in the end will blesse all courses and actions enterprised and done in his feare and in a holy obedience as he did blesse and prosper the iourney of these Wise-men giuing them both a direction which way to come to Ierusalem and which way to goe from Bethlem which must make vs if we expect any blessed successe of that we vndertake not to begin but with the warrant of a good conscience nor to proceed but with a reuerent and resolute obedience as to the commandement of God and as aiming at the aduancement and promotion of his glory and the furtherance of his seruice MATH chap. 2. vers 13 14 15. verse 13 After their departure behold the Angell of the Lord appeareth to Ioseph in a dreame saying Arise and take the babe and his mother and flie into Aegypt and be there till I bring thee word for Herod will seeke the babe to kill him verse 14 So he arose and tooke the babe and his mother by night and departed into Aegypt verse 15 And was there vnto the death of Herod that the might bee fulfilled which is spoken of the Lord by the Prophet saying Out of Aegypt haue I called my Sonne THE Euangelist as before hee shewed the glorious and blessed beginnings of our Sauiours birth who though borne in basenesse had testimony giuen him of his maiesty by the starre in heauen and in earth by the Wise-men of Persia so now he setteth downe a matter of great discomfort that this same babe euen from his cradle should begin to bee crucified in himselfe and his members Wherein generally there be three points set downe first the commandement of the Angell secondly the obedience of Ioseph thirdly the fulfilling of a prophesie In the commandement consider first the circumstance of the time that it was after the departure of the Wise-men how long after is not
hardly escape they with their liues than harlot is faine to make a lye to saue them and to couer them with the stalkes of flaxe that they may not bee found Paul thaâ— had before an earth-quake to vnshackle him hath at another time Act. 9.25 no other way to preserue himselfe but by being let downe in a basket So Ieremy to flesh and bloud 〈◊〉 most basely deliuered for being cast into the dungeon Ebelmelech Ier. 38.11 obtaineth of the King to bring him ouâ— and then with a company of ragges and old worne clouts bounâ— together as with a cord he draweth him foorth and is glad 〈◊〉 send him away So fared it with Dauid 1. Sam. 19.12.13 foâ— Michol perceiuing he could hardly escape the fury of Saul firâ—â— shee lets him downe at a window and then shee puts an imageâ—â— the bed as if some sicke man had beene there And thus did thâ—â— Lord prouide for his sonne after the basest manner that his parents must take their heeles to preserue his life he could haue seâ—â— a kind of madnes on Herod as he did on Nebuchadnezzar Dâ—â— 4.29 and haue spoiled him of all his kingly royalty and seuerâ— him from the company of men and made him feed with beasts he could haue made his Angell haue strucke him as hee did 〈◊〉 nephew Act. 12.23 or haue raised vp his sonnes to haâ—â— slaine him Esa 37.38 as he did to Senaherib or haue caused him to haâ—â— hanged himselfe in a desperation of the kingdome hee coulâ— haue astonished them when they had come to kill him as he did Ioh. 18.5 when they came to take him that they shoâ—â— haue killed another as did the Madianites Iudg. 7.21 Psal 83.9 But it was the will and pleasure of the Father that he should beginne his life in misery as he should end it in ignominy and hee worketh not by miracles for the deliuery of his Sonne For first as yet there was no time for the manifestation of miracles for then he might haue beene thought not to haue beene true man Secondly it was to fulfill a prophesie that out of Egypt his Sonne might be called intending heerein a proportion betweene the head and the members that as the Israelites were caried out of Egypt Exod. 12.31 so also should Christ the head of his Church be Thirdly in this was praefigured the casting away of the Iewes and the calling and cariage of the Gospell among the Gentiles Fourthly that another prophesie might be fulfilled that for his sake should the children of Bethlem bee slaine Fiftly that the cruelty of Herod by this meanes might bee the more disappointed Sixtly to giue warrant to vs that in the time of danger and persecution wee may lawfully flie Seuenthly that we may not thinke the crosse too base for vs since the Lord of glory did thus beare it Further it is wonderfull to see that the Lord will haue his Sonne thrust out of Iuda and from among the Iewes to whom specially hee was promised and whom principally hee should saue and to bee entertained in Egypt a place of all abominations and which hated God But thus did the Lord aduance Ioseph in Egypt Gen. 41.40 when his brethren would haue killed him in Israel and thus did he prouide for Daniel in Babylon Dan. 6.3 where diuels were worshipped and aduanced him to bee the second person in the kingdome Achis King of the Philistims 1. Sam. 21.10 receiued Dauid when Saul persecuted him Eliah when he could not be fed in Israel 1. King 17.15 is cherished by a poore widow of Sarepta in Sydon an heachenish country And Ieremy the Prophet Ier. 39.12 is better entertained by Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel then by Zedechia the Priest Thus can the Lord stirre vp the hearts of the heathen to bee better to his seruants then their owne brethren and that Saul shall prophesie when he intendeth to persecute 1. Sam. 19.24 to comfort vs that euen our greatest enemies shall nourish vs if we be cast out of our country for the profession of the Lord Iesus yea Egypt shall be a resting placeâ— for Ioseph if the babe be with him though it be grieuous and tedious to Ioseph to want the sacrifices and to lose the comfort 〈◊〉 hearing the law of God expounded And when Paul can haue 〈◊〉 preaching place at Hierusalem the Citie of God then shall hee preach two yeeres without contradiction in Rome Act. 28.30 a place of all persecution For the third circumstance how long Christ should stay in Egypt consider first that Ioseph is heereby assured he shall noâ— stay euer which doth somewhat ease and refresh his anguished soule for when he considered the iourney hee was to take was tedious the place whither he was to flie barbarous the tendernesse of the child he must take with him that hee must be absent from the publike exercises of religion that his dispatch was so sudden as he had no time to take his leaue of the godly of Hierusalem no doubt his heart was much astonished and his spirits of life much appalled therefore to comfort him the Lord bids him stay till he calleth him implying that there shall bee a time wherein he shall be deliuered In which we learne that affliction shall not alway last and that the rod shall not euer rest vpon the backe of the godly but we shall haue beauty for ashes the oile of gladnesse for the garment of heauinesse Psal 104.15 and our captiuity shall be like the Summer riuers and they that goe foorth with a little seed shall come home with full sheaues Heere also note thaâ— by saying he must not come but abide there till the Lord doe call him that it is as much as to haue said Come not of thy selfe no not vpon any exigent or sheights whatoeuer though thou be neuer so villanously intreated and by setting downe the time of his abode indefinitely he doth it to trie his obedience that he may with patience attend the Lords pleasure Wherby we learne that we must not prefix any set time vnto the Lord how long he shall exercise vs vnder the crosse Ioseph must stay in Egypt til he be called foorth and let this be Iosphs hope in Egypt hee shall not alwaies be but he shall returne againe to Hierusalem and the scourge of the vngodly shall not alway claspe about the loines of the righteous Now for the fourth circumstance which is the reason of the commandement Learne first how the Lord releeueth our weakenesse and tendreth our infirmitie that though a bare commandement had beene sufficient for Ioseph to haue addressed himselfe for this iourney yet the Lord taketh pity vpon him and will not tempt hm aboue the measure of his faith but fully satisfieth him not onely commanding by authority but euen perswading by reason that he may obey with the greater cheerefulnesse For Herod saith hee goeth about to destroy him Otherwise did the Lord deale with Abraham Gen. 22.2 according to his strong faith
the Lords followers to be betrayed of their owne fathers and to be entangled with sundry afflictions to bee banished into Egypt and if thou beest called backe againe yet neuer to haue but a steppe betweene thee and death as Dauid saith 1. Sam. 20.3 But for all this we may not be dismaied for in all these wee shall bee more then conquerours through Christ The third point is in what state Ioseph found all things in Indaea not quiet but still troublesome where we see how God exerciseth the faith and patience of this his seruant shewing heerein as in a glasse the state and condition of the godly how one trouble succeedeth another as if they were thornes folded one within the other Ioseph long expected his deliuerie out of Egypt and now in his returne he is as much grieued at the raigne of Archilaus as he was comforted at the death of Herod which the Lord doth not to presse him downe but to giue him the greater occasion to praise his name in the experience of his many deliuerances Iob 5.19 As Iob saith Out of six troubles the Lord will free me and the seuenth shall neuer come neere me And this is the vse which all Gods children ought to make of the varietie of their dangers the more to strengthen and confirme their hope that Gods hands shall euer be stretched foorth to send them deliuerance from his tabernacle as they were to Dauid Psal 32.6 and as they be in this place to Ioseph who riddeth him likewise out of this second feare Heere also we learne not to be negligent and secure when the Lord hath taken awaie one enemie of his Church for though the principall Doeg be gone that through flatterie abused Saul and that none is like to succeed him that shall haue such grace with the king yet still to keepe vs awake after Herods death comes Archilaus that beareth the same heart and the same affection that Herod did though he hath not the same power and though this be some comfort that hee shall neuer be crowned And thus did the Lord subiect his people still vnder the hand of some succeeding Pharaoh that they might cast vp their hearts to him and bewaile their wants and powre foorth their soules vnto the Almightie And thus shall the forrest neuer be without some Bore or other that would destroy the vine but if we be rooted into Christ and may beare him about vs as Ioseph did he will teach vs to watch or at least if we sleepe he will awake vs as he did his drowsie disciples Mat. 26.40 when danger was at hand For the fourth point how in this perplexed feare an Angell was sent vnto him we learne first wholly to depend on Gods prouidence seeing that in the seuerall extremities of Ioseph the Lord sent him seuerall comforts For first in the suspition and iealousie of his wife an Angell was dispatched from the heauenly palace to resolue him then the same messenger warned him of the imminent persecution and now releeueth him in his distresse And thus will the Lord deale with all his seruants that walke aright if they be not either too forward through hope or too backward through feare Secondly as this was one cause of Iosephs turning into Galiley namely to be succoured in his feare so in this the Lord had another end vnknowen to Ioseph which was the fulfilling of a prophesie that his sonne should be called a Nazarite that is one set apart vnto the Lord by speciall sanctification of nature which was praefigured by Sampson and others vnder the Law Where we learne how the Lord executeth his will both by his seruants and his enemies when as they meane nothing lesse then to doe it Thus did not Dauids father know when he set his sonne to keepe sheepe that he should fight with a Lion 1. Sam. 17.34 nor Sauls father know or once dreame that his sonne should bee anointed king when he sent him to seeke his Asses 1. Sam. 9.16 nor Mary when shee went to Bethlem to be tasked that therein the Prophesie of Michah should bee fulfilled that out of Bethlem should come the gouernour of Israel Michah 5.2 nor Herod in the cruell massacre little thought of performing Ieremiahs prophesie A voice of lamentation Rachel weeping for her children Ier. 31.15 nor the chiefe Priests when with the 30. peeces of siluer which Iudas brought they bought a potters field neuer dreamed of the prophesie of Zachariah chap. 11.13 that for so much should Christ be valued and therewith should such a field be brought But such strength hath the Lord and such power ouer the hearts of men as he can secretly moue them to be executioners of that himselfe hath appointed shall come to passe MATH chap. 3. vers 1 2 3 4 verse 1 And in those daies Iohn the Baptist came and preached in the wildernesse of Iudea verse 2 And said Repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand verse 3 For this is he of whom it is spoken by the Prophet Esaias saying The voice of him that crieth in the wildernesse prepart yee the way of the Lord make his pathes strait verse 4 And this Iohn had his garment of Camels haire and a girdle of a skinne about his loiâ—es his meate also was Locusts and wild hony NOW the Euangelist goeth forward and passeth from the infancy of Christ vnto his manifestation to the world when hee was to be inuested into the office of his Priesthood before whom as before a mighty Monarch was to goe a harbinger to the vp lodging for his Lord in the hearts and consciences of men which was this Ioâ—â— Baptist. In the words consider first the time when this fore runneâ— did preach which being by this Euangelist set downe indefinitely is precisely declared by Saint Luke chap. 3.1 Secondly the place where hee exercised his ministery in the wildernesse Thirdly the summe and effect of his Sermons Repent and change your minds and amend your liues for the great King that shall open the doore of saluation vnto all is now at hand Fourthly by what commission he was warranted and authorized to doe this namely by Esay chap. 40.3 who had prophesied this long before Fiftly is described the wonderfull precisenesse and strictnesse of his life by his garments and diet wheâ— by all the people cast their eies vpon him admiring his austeritie For the first circumstance which is the time we must not vnderstand an immediate successiuenesse that Iohn began to preach as soone as Christ was brought to Nazareth but that it was while Christ liued there which was some 25. yeeres after for this Iohn was stirred vp that hee as the day-starre might goe before the Sonne of righteousnesse Saint Luke setteth it downe to be in the fifteenth yeere of Tiberius and Christ was borne in the fifteenth yeere of Augustus so as Christ was about thirtie yeeres of age when he began to preach Out of which learne generally that we must
take◠from mercy And 1. Cor. 6.15 Your bodies are the temples 〈◊〉 the holy Ghost and yee are bought with a price therefore doe not prostitute them to vncleannesse but let the loue of God constraine vs to loue him againe Yet may wee not heereupon imagine that we make the law of God of no effect through faith nay as S. Paul saith Rom. 3.31 by this we rather establish the Law and that two waies first in the absolute obedience of Christ inherent in himselfe and imputed vnto vs secondly by the spirit of sanctification abiding in vs for the same righteousnesse the law commands the very same doth faith apprehend for we doe challenge the promise of God to saue vs by this that Christ in our person hath absolutely performed it so as there is no difference in respect of the substance but only in the maner of conueiance wherby we apply it vnto our soules So doth the Gospel command the same works that the law exacteth though there be a threefold difference between them for first the law commands works to gaine saluation by them the Gospell because saluation is already gained by the bloud of Christ for as S. Paul saith 1. Cor. 6 2◠we are bought with a price therefore we are debtors secondly the law giueth no power to worke that it commandeth for Moses that was the giuer of it could not frame his owne heart to do it therfore it is called a dead letter written in stones 2. Cor. 3 6◠which prefigured the harts of men but the Gospel in the elect neuer cōmandeth but first giueth grace and power to performe as the Lord neuer pardoneth any mans sin but he first writeth his law in his heart as S. Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 3.8 God sent his son to destroy the works of the diuel in vs and this is the argument of S. Paul Rom. 6.14 Let not saith he sin raigne in your mortal bodies that is haue dominion ouer you for yee are not vnder the law but vnder grace that giueth power to amend Thirdly the law commands works absolutely and admits of no repentance but the Gospel neuer excludes repentance the father euer waiting for the returne of his lost son so as it is true no whoremonger shal be saued continuing such a one but alwaies vnderstand repentance comming between staieth the iudgement for though our sins be of a purple or skarlet die yet if we turne to God the bloud of Christ hath this vertue 1. Ioh. 5.6 that it can make them white as snow so as the summe of al this is bloud water Ioh. 13.8 must go together faith in Iesus and the spirit of the Lord Iesus remission of sins and reformation of life must neuer be disioined Now for that the Papists say the expectation of a reward would make vs worke that in vaine should the worke be if there were no merit Wee answer that if a man freely shall gratifie his bondman with libertie and he shall after preserue his masters life by this hee hath not deserued his freedome for if he had remained still bond he had beene bound to haue done it and all hee can doe after is not to recompence his freedome but to testifie his thankfulnesse So whatsoeuer we can do or deserue we are bound to it by a double bond first of our creation secondly and much more by our redemption and after our saluation promised and purchased to doe well is nothing but dutie for we were bound to doe it before we were saued So as this is the order of exhortation in the Scripture All that haue hope 2. Cor. 7.1 must cleanse themselues not to clense themselues that they may hope but they haue hope therfore they must doe it Mat. 25.34 And not because we releeue the poore therefore wee shall be saued but because in mercy a kingdome is prepared for vs therfore as members of one bodie we releeue the poore And Abraham did not therefore offer vp his sonne that he might be iustified Gen. 22.8 but because he was iustified before Gen. 15.6 therefore he thought nothing too deare to gratifie the Lord with though it were with the sonne of the promise So heere we doe not therefore repent that the kingdome of heauen may come but wee must amend our liues and change our minds because the Messias is already come that will saue our soules Againe obserue he saith it is at hand noting a neere manifestation of him which was more then any of the Prophets could say whereupon Christ saith that there was neuer any Prophet so great as Iohn Baptist Mat. 11.11 yet the least in the kingdome of heauen is greater then he not comparing their persons for there were diuers of the Prophets as excellently qualified as Iohn nor that a Minister of the Gospell now should be greater then hee but that the ministery of Iohn was plainer then that of the Prophets they but foretelling indefinitely that Christ should come Iohn pointing at him with his finger that he was now comming and the ministery now being more excellent then Iohns because he preached but of the Messias at hand wheras we haue seene the fingers of this hand Christ to haue come with power to haue died with triumph and to haue ascended with glorie therefore let him that hath an eare heare and hee that hath hope let him arise for the kingdome is now come not at hand Iohn 14.12 Againe note the excellent Harmonie betweene Iohn the fore-runner and Christ the after-commer for Matt. 4.17 Christ vseth the very same words to perswade to amendement of life because the kingdome of heauen is at hand Which sheweth the agreement ought to be among Ministers and how wee may discerne whether they be of God or no for then as they all worke vpon one foundation so shall they all speake by one spirit and the voice of the herbinger agree with Christ and Christ with him pressing no other doctrine then that Iohn preached before For the fourth circumstance which is the warrant whereby Iohn was authorized to preach wee note that all callings in the Church of God must bee warranted expresly in the booke of God For if any were to bee exempted it was this of Iohns being extraordinarie but he is enforced to prooue it as if hee should say Though I am not Christ nor Elias in person howbeit in power of spirit I am yet looke in Esay 40.3 my authoritie recorded for the place of a Minister is not like the power of the Magistrate which though it be Gods ordinance in generall yet is it not in particular as that there should be this or that Magistrate as an Emperour Duke Chancellor and such like for this is humane and God hath giuen man this freedome by the remnant and portion of reason abiding in him to deuise what may be safest for the state And these offices as they be by man erected so may they be by him abolished But
sanctification for he is a true childe of Abraham that walketh in the faith and steppes of Abraham Roman 4.12 and they that doe otherwise as Christ saith Ioh. 8.44 are the children of their father To which the Pharisees in great indignation excepting What say they dost thou account vs bastards Abraham is our father No saith Christ so as trueth and meekenesse it selfe spake it yee are the children of the diuell For vnder this pretence of issuing from Abrahams loines they would despise that sonne and abandon that Messias in whom Abraham and the rest of the fathers looked and trusted to be saued Howbeit if we come to this why doth Ismael persecute the profession of Isaac and Esau sell his birth-right and Iacob embrace it as a pledge of the inheritance of heauen This commeth from the election of God who had purposed to giue this grace to the one and to denie it to the other the cause of his infidelitie resting in his owne soule And it was not an vniuersall promise plight to Abraham that he would be the God of euery particular singular man that should come from his line but it was giuen indefinitely without limitation to thy seed as of one which is that Paul prooueth Gal. 3.16 namely that there could be no reconciliation betweene the Iewes and the Gentiles but by that one seed which was Christ Now the cause Saint Iohn giueth and the reason hee alleageth why they should not thus flatter and deceiue themselues in the name of Abrahams seed is because God is able euen of stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham And at the first Abraham indeed was dead in respect of that strength of nature to beget a childe Gen. 18.12 and it was as easie to make a stone a man as to make a dead man get a man Out of which we learne that God is omnipotent not onely to do what he will but also to do more then euer yet he hath purposed to doe as heere he is able of stones to raise vp men but he neuer did it Answerable to that speech of Christ in the Gospell If I would I could command Mat. 26.53 twelue legions of Angels to rescue me yet he did it not Now three things there be which God cannot doe and yet sheweth no impotencie nor derogateth any thing from his omnipotencie as first he cannot doe contrarie to the propertie of his person as God cannot be begotten nor the Sonne of God cannot beget secondly that is contrarie to the essentiall properties of his Godhead Ier. 1.17 as he cannot repent nor change nor lie nor be finite for all these are signes of weaknesse and imperfection thirdly he cannot doe that which implies a contradiction as that a stone being a stone should be a man but of a stone he can make a man and of a man a stone as Lots wife was turned Gen. 19.26 into a pillar of salt but when she ceased to be a woman So against the Lutherans that hold they eate the very flesh of Christ in the Sacrament wee acknowledge that God is able to turne bread into flesh but then he must change the substance for I will neuer beleeue that that which I see and taste and touch as bread can being bread be flesh also So for the humanitie of Christ as it is his bodie it cannot be euery where for a bodie must haue his dimensities as height breadth and length and must be limited and circumscribed in a place certaine And it abridgeth nothing from his all-sufficiencie for it is contrarie to the nature of a substance to be euery where remaining a substance True it is the Lord can make the sea to stand vp as wals Exod. 14.21 on both sides for the passage of the Israelites but it was a sea still so he can make the Sunne against the course of nature Iosh 10.12 to stand still and stay his course but it was the Sunne still but he cannot make a body to be euery where for that doth abolish the nature of it Now is the Axelaied to the root c. This is the third point was deliuered namely the commination which Iohn vsed mixing and interlacing his sermon with the iudgements of God wherein he threatneth them with eternall damnation except they repent and become new men The whole speech is allegoricall and a continued borrowed speech which may be thus resolued God is compared to a husbandman for he had planted a vineyard in Iuda namely his church the people are compared to trees the ministerie of Iohn to an axe that will cut quickly either to hasten to damnation or to saluation As elsewhere it is compared to a Fanne that separates the chaffe from the wheat and in Ieremie to a hammer either to bruse a broken heart or to beat it downe to hell The roots of the trees are compared to the soules of men the forme of the speech prefigureth the finall sentence that shall bee giuen at the latter day the hewing downe signifieth the separation of the bastardly Iewes from the communion and fellowship of the true Israelites and casting into the fire setteth foorth their eternall damnation in hell so as it is thus much in effect You Pharisees presume not any longer vpon Gods patience for yee cannot now pretend ignorance as yee might haue done and for that time as Acts 17.30 God will not call you to any heauie reckoning he hath bene carefull to dresse his garden he hath suffered you to abuse the people by your gouernment in the Church but now looke vnto your selues for now shall my ministerie cut into your soules and shall shew whether yee be bastards or no and now shall it appeare who is the child of Abraham by receiuing Christ that commeth In that it is said now and that the axe is laid not to lop but to cut downe learne that when the Gospell is preached then the Lord comes to make a separation betweene the elect and the reprobate which could not before be discerned as it is in the Gospell there shall be two in one bed one shall be receiued and the other reiected for when this raine falleth then the Lord meaneth to trie who is truely planted and hath taken root in his sonne Luk. 17.34 and if as Heb. 6.7 it bringeth foorth herbes meet for the dresser then receiueth it a blessing but if the heart bring â—oorth thornes then is meere vnto cursing so as if any obstinately persist in the earth drinking in the moisture and yet increaseth not his damnation shall be the more iust because there is now no place for excuse left And to applie this more neerely to our selues if the Sodomites Gen. 19.28 were wasted with fire for abusing but one Lot If the Niniuites had beene destroyed Ionah 4.11 for not repenting at the preaching of one Ionah If they were put to death that despised but one Moses and the old world Gen. 6.13 swept away for contemning the preaching of one Noah If they were
affections if our vnderstandings be illuminated and lightened with the lampe of the Gospell if we be inflamed and set on fire with the zeale of Gods glory and well hearted toward his children then may wee hope to haue beene baptized truely for the holy Ghost worketh these things in beleeuers But he that is drossie or luke-warme in his profession that is hard hearted to the Saints that followeth the sent of his affections and that is weary of the candle of truth hath cause to suspect that he is not yet baptized with the holy Ghost In Ioh. 3.5 this spirit is compared to water cleansing the soule inwardly which hath three properties first to wash away filthinesse secondly to moisten that which is drie and to quench thirst and allay the scorching heate thirdly to fructifie as Psalm 1. willowes are said to bee fruitfull planted by the water side euen so the holy Ghost doth purifie and wash the soule refresheth the conscience scorched with the feare of Gods vengeance and giueth power to make our drie and barren hearts to prosper in euery good worke MATH chap. 3. vers 12. verse 12 Which hath his fan in his hand and will make cleane his floore and gather his wheat into his garner but will burne vp the chaffe with vnquenchable fire BEcause it falleth out in great auditories and assemblies that there bee many wilfull and peruerse persons which doe not esteeme of the Lords rich bounty but doe scorne and tread vnder foote tâ—â— mercy offered Iohn Baptisâ— doth heere denounce peremptory vengeance and intollerable torment against all â—â—ose that shall not submit themselues to the ministery of the Messias and that they which will not bee baptized with the fire of the holy Ghost and of Christ that is with his bloud and with his spirit shall be baptized with the fire of hell The words doe containe an Allegorie or continued borrowed speech which may be thus resolued First by the Fanne vnderstand the ministerie of the Gospell which should begin at the preaching of Iesus and should winnow the people to make a separation betweene the bastardly brood of Abraham and the true Nathaniels Ioh. 1. chap. 47. Israelites in whom is no guile betweene them that had onely the marke of circumcision in the flesh and them whose hearts and vile affections were inwardly circumcised By that it is said In his hand is ment that it is presently to be manifested By floore vnderstand all places where a Church may be gathered or more specially for a visible Church alreadie gathered Iohn addressing his speech heere to the Iewes which were at this time the Church of God By wheate is ment all that should beleeue either Iewes or Gentiles By the Garner is ment the kingdome of heauen By chaffe is ment hypocrites and vnbeleeuers mis-liuers or the children of perdition that refuse to bee fanned by the Lords voice By cleansing is ment that separation the Gospell should make betweene the apostate Iew and the beleeuing Iew. By vnquenchable fire is ment the torment of hell prouided for vnbeleeuers Out of this first generally obserue that where the Gospell comes and is preached with power and with a good conscience and not huckstered nor merchandized as men doe their wares but that they so labour as not to be ashamed of that they doe preaching their doctrine not to the eare but to the doore of the conscience that there it makes a manifest difference betweene true and false children whereas before all was shuffled together for though before this time the Pharisees and all others were as one bearing the same title of Abrahams seed yet saith Iohn afterward shall come the venting of the Gospell which with the powerfull blast thereof shall scatter the hypocrites and make knowne the faithfulnesse of them that with honest hearts embrace and cherish it After this maner is the word in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Heb. 4.12 compared to a sword with two edges that cutteth two waies either to conuersion if it be beleeued or to confusion if it be despised Hereupon it is that Simeon did prophesie to Mary Luk. 2.34 to preuent any conceit might rise in her minde of her dignitie and glory being the mother of the eternall Lord heereby thinking that all the world should applaud her for her Sonne telling her that this child should be set vp for the rising and ruine of many a marke that euery man should shoot at and by his comming should the hearts of many be discouered For the sound of his mouth Heb. 4.12 deuides betweene the ioynts and the sinewes and the marrow and the bones anatomizing the hearts of men to see whether they be sound or rotten And they that before seemed to bee all one shall when the fan comes differ then the poison that before lurked shall bee layed foorth and the hidden gall shall be displaied Heereupon also the word is compared to fire which hath a double effect to wast stubble and drosse and to purifie that is refinable as siluer and gold For the Gospell hath this vertue to inflame some mens hearts with a zealous loue of God and his glory setting others on fire to persecute it to quench and to impugne it This effect had it in Iohns time some saying that he was an honest man some that he was Christ others that he was a Galilean Luk. 3.16 Mat. 11.16 whence could come no good thing and others more plainely that hee was a diuell all before being as they thought well circumcised and the children of Abraham So when Christ spake in his owne person the chaffe flew away and then was easily knowen who was an hypocrite hee comming to some place where they had rather haue their hogges Mark 5.17 then their soules saued Luk. 4.29 and to others where they brought him to the side of a hill of purpose to haue throwne him downe and to Iairus house where some Mark. 5.40 laugh him to scorne for his speech This fanne by Christ was committed to his Apostles that they likewise should make a separation where they came Paul Preaching at Antioch the Iewes railed against him when the Gentiles desired him to preach the same sermon the next Sabbath And by the power of this Fanne Act. 22.23 the Iewes cast vp dust in the aire and crie that Paul is vnworthy to liue And Act. 23.12 certaine doe bind themselues by oath not to eate nor drinke till they had killed him when as others in Iudaea did submit themselues and became the true disciples of Christ Yea Luk. 12.53 it appeareth that there is no bond so streight nor so well knit but religion will violate and cause the father with the sonne the mother with the daughter to impugne the Gospell with hostility not that it is the property of the Gospell to breed dissention but it is the malice of Sathan to enrage mens hearts that they should not receiue it that his barnes might be full And then must Ahab 1. King 21.19
begets beames from thâ—â— Sunne and the beames proceeds light the beames cannot beâ—â— without the Sunne nor the light without them both So froâ— the spring riseth the well head yet is not the spring without thâ—â— well head and the streame proceeds from them both These 〈◊〉 steps and traces as it were to conceiue somwhat of this mysteâ—â— of mysteries Lastly obserue as the whole Trinity was present at Câ—â—â—â— baptisme the Father to iustifie his Sonne the Spirit to saâ—â— him and Christ to be sanctified so are they also present 〈◊〉 baptisme God the Father to receiue vs Christ to purchaâ—en for vs the holy Ghost to purge our consciences yea and the heauens are open that is we are as sure to come thither as we are sure Christ is there Therefore is the whole congregation bound to stay the setting on of this seale and to see the child receiued into the church since there is such a glorious presence at it and it ought to be meditated vpon when it is applied to others MATH chap. 4. vers 1 2 3 4. c. verse 1 Then was Iesus led aside of the spirit into the wildernesse to bee tempted of the diuell verse 2 And when he had fasted forty daies and forty nights he was afterward hungry verse 3 Then came to him the Tempter and said If thou be the Sonne of God command that these stones be made bread verse 4 But he answering said It is written man shal not liue by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God verse 5 Then the diuell tooke him vp into the holy City and set him on a pinacle of the temple verse 6 And said vnto him If thou be the Sonne of God cast thy selfe downe for it is written that he will giue his Angels charge ouer thee and with their hands they shall lift thee vp lest at any time thou shouldest dash thy foot against a stone verse 7 Iesus said vnto him It is written againe Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God verse 8 Againe the diuell tooke him vp into an exceeding high mountaine and shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and the glory of them verse 9 And said vnto him All these will I giue thâ—â— if thou wilt fall downe and worship me verse 10 Then Iesus said vnto him auoid Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him only shalt thou serâ—â— verse 11 Then the Diuell left him and behold the Angels came and ministred vnto him NOW the Euangelist further sheweth that because the time was neare when our Sauior Christ was to enter into his office to which hee was before consecrated that it was ordained by God and the holy Ghost immediatly before that he should submit himselfe to bee exercised in a hot conflict challenging Sathan hand to hand that ouercomming in this first and great combate hee himselfe might bee consumed and others might know that he came to destroy the works of the diuell And to the end that Sathan might haue the greater power and fuller blow at him hee was led into a solitary and desert place where the diuell might be in his ruffe and to such a place wherein men possessed were specially tormented and there Christ liued among wild beasts as Marke saith chap. 1.13 that Sathan might doe his vttermost And forasmuch as Moses in the deliuery of the Law Exod. 34.28 was taken vp into a mount to God and was taken from men where hee abstained from meate fourty daies and fourty nights that the excellency of his doctrine might receiue the greater grace and might further be authorised and forasmuch as Eliah 1. King 19.8 in the restoring of the Law defaced in the idolatrous raigne of Ahab did goe in the strength of one cake and a pot of water fourty daies and fourtie nights So heere before the doctrine of the Gospell was to bee published it was meet that Christ should doe no lesse lest there might be thought some disparagement done and lesse glory to haue beene in the Gospell that the law being written but in stone and to endure but a time should bee adorned and beautified with a greater miracle then the Gospell which should bee written in the liuing stones of mens hearts Howbeit in this Christ giueth vs no example of abstinence for hee fasted because hee had no manner of stomacke all that while which was to confirme vs that hee was a man meerely supernaturall being able to forbeare without aâ—â— appetite forty daies During which time the Diuell set vpon him and he was not free from this encounter any while but after beginning to be hungry then the diuel more furiously assaulteth him hoping to worke and preuaile somewhat vpon this occasion of his infirmity whereupon follow three seuerall temptations which in their place shall be spoken of In the words are set downe three points first Saint Mathew diligently deliuereth all such circumstances as went before his temptation secondly what these temptations were both in number and in kinde after he grew hungrie from the third to the end of the tenth verse thirdly the euent and issue of this assault that when he had repulsed the rage and driuen backe the darts of his enemy the Angels came to doe him homage as to a great and mighty conquerour For the circumstances before the combat they be fiue first is noted the time then that is immediatly after he had receiued testimony from heauen that hee was the great Doctor of the church secondly the place where this was in the wildernesse a place most for the aduantage of Sathan thirdly by what motion he was caried thither by the direction of that spirit which before descended on him fourthly to what end he went namely to be tempted fifthly the occasion Sathan tooke more specially ta assault him which was his fasting and hunger For the first when he was solemnely pronounced to bee the Sonne of God and that he was full of the holy Ghost then the diuell setteth vpon him While he liued a priuate life and kept himselfe close and within his compasse hee assaied not to assault him but when he is to execute a matter and worke of his office concerning the saluation of mankind and that this is now to bee accomplished by the preaching of the Gospell and by miracles and that the power of the diuell is to be extinguished and that he is to be cast out of mens consciences now he begins to challenge him Where learne that the same which befell to the head the members be not exempted from especially such as be ordained to bee instruments for the setting vp of the Gospell When Moses liued priuate and shewed not himselfe to the world there was no cause of quarrell but when he saw one of his brethren suffer wrong and defended him and auenged his quarrell that had the harme done to him and smote the Egyptian Act. 7.25 then they began to disgrace him and he was
Christ taketh nothing but they pamper themselues with wines and iunkets which be as irritable to lust as flesh therefore theirs is but a mock-fast for Christ fasted not sparingly only but abstained altogether Againe if they will imitate Christ they must doe it in the wildernes and if it be a commandement because Christ did it why did they it not in Eliah and Moses time If neuer any Iew proposed to himselfe this imitation of him that fasted not but by the power of God much lesse should we in this follow Christ that fasted by his owne power Againe Christ fasted that Satan might take him in his infirmity but must we doe so to expose our selues the more to the opportunity of his temptation God forbid Yet if we will know what fasting is we say it is a necessary exercise which our owne calamities doe require and the desolations of other churches doe exact and hee that taketh in more then will well fit him to the duties of his calling hath surfeited Now in the fasting of the Papists we note foure faults first they destroy the worke of fasting in the bodily exercise which they doe two waies first by fulnesse secondly by delicacy Secondly there is a meere deceit and cosinge in their fasting for with fasting should bee ioyned praier extraordinary both for feruency and continuance which by humbling our selues in this sort doth set an edge vpon them which otherwise would crawle vpon the ground and were not able to pierce the heauens for if fasting had not this vse but that the action would be complete by outward abstinenc onely then were it a brutish fast for the beasts of Niniueh Ionah 2. fasted in this son But they doe notioyne praier extraordinary that the body may be crucified and the minde humbled that thus it might bee as grindstone to set an edge on their supplications therefore theirs is no fast Thirdly all fasting is for the obtaining of some grace or preuenting of some danger but they haue inioyned and appointed set daies to fast on as if the Physition should say such a day he would let bloud not regarding the present state of the patient wherein hee should rather shew himselfe a Prophet theâ—â— a Physition euen so doe the Papists deale in their fasts either verie ignorantly or prophetically Fourthly where fasting is appointed to humble vs and to confesse our vilenesse by feeling our wants and to powre foorth our soules vnto God they thinke that hauing pleased him by the bare action of abstinence they may doe what they list or else puffed vp with a Pharisaicall pride of merit thinking they haue deserued at Gods hand they will match their almes with the very bloud of Christ which is most sacrilegious Of these the Apostle speaketh 1. Tim. 4.3 that In the latter times there shall come men which shall forbid marriage and meates speaking in hypocrisie c. Yea say they this is meant of grosse heretikes which should condemne mariage and meates altogether as the Marcionists that said men and women were coupled for generation of the diuell This is absurd for these men speake it not in hypocrisie but in open blasphemy Yea say they but we doe not hold that meates are vncleane in themselues And yet they forbid it to all men at some times and to some men at all times Againe a Doctor of theirs in approbation of their Lent saith that flesh was accursed in the floud of Noah but so was not fish Yea but God forbad the tree in Paradise and certaine meates vnder the Law yet were they not vnlceane We answer that which God hath made lawfull what man can interdict And as it is Antichristian to command what God forbids so is it to forbid what God commands The meates in the Law were forbidden for significations and they cease so for meates offered to Idols for they are abolished and a man may now eate meate offered to the diuell for hee cannot pollute it for euery creature of God is good and nothing ought to be refused if it be receiued with thanksgiuing 1. Tim. 44. Againe if they speake of the quantitie and qualitie it were somewhat but they doe not so but all fish and no flesh is lawfull Then came to him the tempter c. This is the first speciall temptation wherewith Christ was assaulted as if Satan should haue said there hath been a voice heard from the aire that thou art the son of God and there hath beene a visible cutting asunder of the heauens by a miracle and by this thou perswadest thy selfe that thou art so and thou hast fasted heere forty daies which makes thee highly conceited of thy self yet is it not possible thou shouldst be Gods Sonne for thou wantest not onely the hoast of heauen to wait vpon thee which were worthy the glory of the Sonne of God but thou art so distressed as thou wantest a peece of bread for the strength of thy body therefore it is vnlike thou shouldest be Gods child for then hee would more respect thee then now he doth to leaue thee thus destitute of comfort Well I know thine infirmity to bee such as bread thou must haue and being heere where is none but wild beasts and where no present supply can be made bestirre thy selfe and be thine owne puruetor and because without bread thou canst not liue bee thou Gods Sonne or no looke how thou canst furnish thy selfe whether by miracle or without miracle Now heere in this desert there is nothing but stones which if thou beest such a one as thou woldest be thought to be thou canst change their naturall hardnesse and make them fit for nourishment Therefore to satisfie me and for thine owne good let me see at thy commandement their nature to bee altered and transubstantiate Our Sauiour Christ being well furnished and appointed not onely with the graces of the spirit but with the word of God doth not answer whether he be Gods Sonne or no or whether he can turne those stones into bread or no but hee ouerthroweth the ground of his reason that it is not impossible man should liue without bread as if he should say Thou giuest the power of sustenance to a peece of bread but my Father is able by his power and prouidence to fustaine me though I haue no bread and not onely my selfe an thus perswaded being Gods sonne but euen flesh and bloud may be able to liue without food if so be it be Gods pleasure therefore there is no cause why I should worke a miracle since not only I but many other may bee relieued without these ordinary meanes And that thou maiest know I haue truth on my side I speake nothing but scripture for Deut. 8.3 it is said Therefore hee humbled thee and made thee hungry that hee might teach thâ—â— that man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doeth a man liue And as for thee thou goest about to tempt
Citie c. This is the second temptation wherewith our Sauiour Christ during the infirmitie of his body for want of food was aslaulted where it pleased God to giue Sathan leaue to carry him in the aire after a strange manner and to set him on a pinacle of the Temple where he reasoneth thus with him Thou saist man liueth not by bread only but by the blessing of thy Father who can maintaine thee without bread and heerein thou doest well now because thou art assured and doest promise thy selfe that God will neuer destitute the nor forsake thee shew me thy power in casting thy selfe downe and not hurting thee the power of thy father is able to do this thou art heere at Ierusalem the famous city shew them what thou art able to do that they may all giue thee the applause and it will be a notable meanes to make them swarme after thee And because thou maist know I goe about nothing preindiciall to Gods glory or dangerous to thine owne person it is written that especially thou shalt be protected by Angels and they shall wait vpon thee to keepe thee from hurt therfore thou needst not despaire Now Christ tels him not that he was not able to doe this for he would not gratifie him so much but lets him know that hee wronged the words and wrested the sense of the place alleaged for it is not said generally the Angels shall support him in all things but they shall defend him in all his waies that is such as my Father hath appointed me to walke in so that if I or any other Christian will lay claime to this promse I must keepe me in my wates and so must they that is from this pinnacle I must come downe by the staires and not throw my selfe headlong for my father hath appointed me no such way but this should be an vnlawfull meanes and to that thou hast brought corrupted I oppose another plaine place that I must not tempt God but keepe my selfe within my compasse and then I am sure to haue sauegard Hence we may gather two parts first the temptation secondly the repulse The temptation hath two parts first whereto Christ is tempted secondly a reason perswading him to yeeld to the temptation For the first generally obserue that Sathan dealeth by contraries both with the head and with the members for when he saw he could not ouercome Christ in the case of famine to make him despaire of Gods prouidence now hee laboureth to ouer-reach him in a matter of presumption that hee should trie his prouidence that since he could not doubt but to be fed without bread hee might make him presume to bee vp-held without meanes Euen so dealeth he with vs either to make vs distrustfull through penury or proud through plenty in the time of ignorance seeking to make vs proud through works and to be in loue with them without faith and now to stand vpon faith without works before labouring in zeale without knowledge and now hunting after knowledge without zeale For the second which is the reason hee alleageth scripture namely Psal 91.1 wherein obserue two things first that though scripture heere be opposed to scripture yet not to withdraw the determination of matters from the booke of God and to post them off to Rabbins and Councels for none can better trie the truth then the spirit of truth Secondly that it detracteth nothing from the glory of the Scripture to come foorth of Sathans mouth nay nothing graceth it so much as this the reason whereof is that Sathan knew what baite Christ and all the faithfull would best and soonest bite at and in his subtilty if any stratageme could haue preuailed more then other he wold haue vsed it but hee knew Christ relied vpon nothing so much as the voice of his Father and therefore he vseth the greatest weapon against the greatest enemy that hee might shew in pretence to haue as much truth on his side as Christ If thou be the Sonne of God c. This is the temptation it selfe wherein consider three points first that the diuell transformeth himselfe so farre into an Angell of light as hee brings scripture secondly to examine how rightly and truly hee doth apply it thirdly how falsly he doth abuse it For the first It is written saith the diuel dealing with the sharp and blading it out with the Scripture sometimes hee dealeth plainely and sheweth his hornes as it were by apertly opposing himselfe with violence against the truth sometimes more priuilie and shroudeth himselfe vnder pretence of truth and this two waies first by hereticall doctrine and grosse superstition secondly by perswading men that he is a louer of the truth as in this place that hee would perswade Christ to nothing but that he had scripture for Thus dealt he Act. 16 17. where a woman possessed with a diuell hauing the power of spirituall diuination hauing seene Paul after he had there preached the spirit in that maide giueth an honorable testimony by a subtill stratageme of Sathan of Paul and Silas saying These bee the seruants of the most high God which shew vnto you the way of saluation a strange testimony to bee giuen from the diuell and farre degenerating from his nature to giue witnesse of the truth himselfe being the father of lies and knowing Paul to be a sworne enemy should yet yeeld voluntarily and proclaime audience and ring the bell as it were to gather the people about him is worth the wonder But what was his drift and subtilty in this sauing that by the maides often repeating it and clamorous noising of it it might perswade the poore disciples and weake followers of the Gospell that Paul and the diuell had both combined and compacted together as if thereby the Gospell might be brought into suspition to bee but the illusion of Sathan and light to bee mingled with darknesse therefore it is said vers 18. that Paul was grieued till he had cast him out euen so heere to bring the people to suspition that the scripture serueth him as well as Christ thereby to make vs forsake our hold and suggesting this that nothing hath brought more disparagement to the Scripture them this that all men of all opinions doe alleage it Heereupon some take occasion to dispense with their conscience for any profession so many places one against another the Diuell alleageth it Christ alleageth it what shall we doe if we goe in either way we may goe a misse and if we turne on the right hand for any thing wee know it leadeth to hell This is most prophane for whereas they pretend to be abused by this incertainty they are so ciuill to displease no part as they are content to take any kinde of tergiuersation or flinching to extricate and shift themselues of the enquiry of the truth whereas they might feare as well to eate lest they should be choked and open the gates and leaue watching because the enemy hath so many
him but answereth him with one onelie word of detestation Auoid Sathan For the blasphemous may not bee reasoned with if they should it would make them but burst foorth into greater outrage against the peareles and matchlesse wisedome of God giuing vs likewise by this answer secretly to vnderstand that whosoeuer goeth about to withdraw vs from God is of the diuell so likewise are they that seeke by reason to disswade vs from the shame of the crosse Therefore Mat. 16.23 when Christ indeuoured to preuent the ignominy should come vpon the crosse and to make his disciples and the rest vnuanquishable when it should come it is said there Peter tooke him aside and vsed reasons to disswade him from such 〈◊〉 comfortable speeches whereupon Christ not mildly but sharply being displeased with this carnall excoption of his bids him 〈◊〉 Sathan that is as a great enemy to him and others And so whensouer flesh and bloud shal take exception against the mystery of godlinesse it is thus sharply to bee reproued Heereupon Rom. 3.31 exceptions being taken that the law serued to no vse because Christs obedience had absolutely purchased our pardon the Apostle in like wisdome of the spirit of God answereth not onely by a simple deniall but by a deniall with a detestatioâ—â— God forbid as that it is blasphemy to be of such opinion And sometime to this phrase the Apostle addeth more as Rom. 3.8 not replying one word but onely saith their damnation is iust rather setting before them their cursed end then conuincing them by reason for as Salomon saith A foole may not bee answered in his folly Out of the second answer which Christ maketh for our instruction and satisfaction obserue that God must haue both all outward and inward worship so as it is impious to thinke a man can keepe his soule for God when hee humbleth his bodie to strange gods and in this hee doth withdraw his reuerencâ— from his owne religion either through feare or profanenâ—â—â—â— reaching foorth part of the worship to another But wee must know God will haue both and in creating both hee challengeth both besides that of them both hee hath made but one man which cannot be diuided but goeth together For we are not baptised in our bodies onely but in our soules out soules only were not redeemed neither shall they onely bee saâ—ed but the whole man If the bodie then be the Lords both by creation and by redemption let vs giue testimony of his worship in both otherwise it is as if a woman should protest she loued her husband at the heart and in her soule and yet should prostitute her bodie to vncleannesse but wee are espoused and maried to the Lord therefore let vs keepe both for him vnspotted Lastly out of the diuels argument let vs learne to feare and serue the Lord for if gifts may draw on worship as he pretendeth by his proffer to Christ then hath the Lord offered farre more largely for vs I will giue thee saith he eternall life and it is no aduantage to winne the world and to take the diuels offer and after to lose our soules But let vs set God on our right hand in him we liue in him wee haue our being it is hee that feedeth vs with naturall and supernaturall things and blessings godlinesse hauing the promises of this life and of the life to come 1. Tim. 4.8 hee will make vs heires of the earth the world standing for our sakes we shall be heires of heauen Ioh. 1â— 2 Christ hauing prepared places for vs in his fathers house yea fellow heires with his owne Sonne tasting of no other loue Ioh. 17.24 nor feeling any other glory then his Sonne hath and therefore in the iudgement of the diuell hee shall worthily bee damned that refuseth so large an offer at Gods hand who giueth and neuer vpbraideth pardoneth and neuer reperteth Then the diuell left him c. This is the third part namely the issue and euent of the temptations had and sustained by Christ set downe in two things first that when the diuell could not ouercome him he left him secondly that the Angels attended and ministred For the first by this vnderstand that as Christ was tempted for vs and in our flesh ouercame for vs in his person so wee haue good and comfortable security that vsing the same meanes hee did according as we shall be enabled and through the grace of the same spirit wee also shall ouercome the Prince of darknesse for wee must not thinke our selues freed from these assaults the life of a Christian being a warfare the world the campe the first registring and inrolling of vs being in baptisme where we tooke a vow to be true to the Lord Iesus Christ is our victorious Captaine our enemies are the world without vs the flesh within vs as accessaries and the diuell as principall besides temptations on both hands Now the power we haue to repell these is the sword of the spirit the word of God the schoole where we learne this defence is the Church of God where we finde weapons both offensiue and defensiue a shield of faith to defend our selues and a sword of the word to offend the enemy And this may bee our comfort his rage will haue an end and his malice shall not preuaile but as Saint Iames saith If we resist him Iames 4.7 he will flie from vs that is he will hasten as fast away as he came fiercely toward vs for heere is promised victory to all that striue infeare For the second generally we note how it pleased God by wisdome and dispensation to dispose of the exinanition as I may so tearme it or the impairing and abasing of Christ while he was in the flesh that in the midst of the greatest ignominy and reproch yet he bore some marke and badge of his notable and diuine power whereby by the eies of faith hee might bee discerned to be the Sonne of God His basenesse appeareth in this that he liued in the wildernesse he was assaulted of the diuell he had no company but beasts hee was hungry and had no food but stones Sathan was busie with him to make him tempt his Father and in all this there was nothing but ignominy and extreame basenesse But after all this there breaketh foorth like the Sunne through the clouds a matter which maketh him knowen and discerned to be more then a man that the Angels come to doe him seruice And thus did it euer fall our that hee was neuer brought so low nor so neare the ground but there did at last shine forth an impregnable worke of his diuinity hee was borne in a stable his Cradle was a Manger there was lodging in the Inne but none for Mary Mat. 22. yet was there then a starre in the heauens to signifie to the Wise-men the birth of this noble personage hee was baptised by Iohn his seruant Mat 3.15.16 but a voice was heard from
heauen and the holy Ghost was there by his soleâ—â—â— presence He had no possessions of his owne but was maintained by the almes of deuout women but out of them had hee cast Diuels Hee must paie tribute Mat. 17.27 but hee will fetch it out of the fishes mouth in the end hee was taken with a band of men but when he spake Ioh. 18.6 they reeled backward and none durst lay hold on him he was whipped and ill intreated but twice before had hee whipped the money changers out of the Temple and none durst open their mouth against him Mark 11.15 Mat. 27.19.24 he was condemned to die but the Iudges wife dreamed and was troubled being perswaded of his innocency and Pilat himselfe acquitted him When he was going to the crosse he was so worne as he was not able to beare it but he was able to beare the wrath of his Father He was hanged betweene two theeues Mat. 27.32 Luk. 23.43 but he saueth one of them And howsoeuer sometimes he was called Belzebub yet Belzebub confesseth him often to bee the Sonne of God thus was euer his humility qualified with some testimony of his diuinitie In that it is said The Angels came and ministred vnto him note that howsoeuer they bee ministring spirits to giue vs security of the Lords protection though his promise were sufficient yet by speciall prerogatiue they are attending on Christ to whom alone they owe and doe their homage And besides learne heere the time when we are to expect this ministery of Angels not vntill we haue fought the battels of the Lord then to succour our faint spirits and to releeue our distressed hearts they are sent as comforters vnto vs. Gen. 22.11 And thus when Abraham held in his body an anguished soule and in his hand a blondy knife to haue fetched the life of Isaac from him then was the window of comfort opened and then had God prouided another sacrifice When Iacch was wearied and benighted Gen. 28. hauing for his bed the earth and for his pillow an heape of stones then standeth the Lord about him and blesseth him and when Eliah is forced to flie to preserue his life and yet ready to die for want of food then doth the Lord awake him by his Angell and bid him eate 1. King 19.5 And when Christ had finished the combat and wonne the field then the Angels come to waite vpon him so as wee may not thinke to beare away the victory without blowes nor to be comforted without sorrowes not to bee refreshed without 〈◊〉 MATH 4. vers 12 13.14.15.16 verse 12 And when Iesus heard that Iohn was committed to prison he turned into Galile verse 13 And leauing Nazareth went and dwelt in Capernaum which is neere the sea in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalins verse 14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Esaias saying verse 15 The land of Zabulon and the land of Nephthalins by the way of the sea beyond Iordan Galile of the Gentiles verse 16 The people which sate in darknesse saw great light and to them which sate in the region and shadow of death light as risen vp HEere followeth the real execution of Christs office and what hee did after Iohn was in prison For now was the time that the day-star going away the Sunne of righteousnesse might appeare In the words there are three things to bee considered first the cause why Christ returned into Galile the very place where that Herod dwelt that committed Iohn for reprouing him of his adultery Secondly that hee leaueth Nazareth his owne place the reason whereof is giuen by Saint Luke chap. 4.29 because they sought to breake his necke Thirdly the cause of his going to Capernaum to fulfill Esay his Prophesie that those quarters should first bee made famous through Christs doctrine and miracles being the first that were caried away into captiuity Now first it shall not be amisse since wee see Iohn in prison to seeke out the cause of his commitment which though it bee not heere expressed yet it is in the 14. chapter of this Euangelist set downe vpon another occasion that Herod thought the soule of Iohn Baptist to be gone into Christ howbeit S. Luk. chap. 3.19 vpon this very occasion sheweth the cause to bee for reprouing Herod for taking his brother Philips wife Where note behold as in a mirror the wonderfull resolution of a Christian seruant of God that durst tell a king to his face of so enormous a crime And if Iohn liued now howeuer many might haue commended his zeale yet most would haue condemned his discretion that durst aduenture himselfe so far for he was growen into high fauor with the king as appeareth Mark 6.20 Herod would heare him often acknowledged him to bee godly reformed many things and granted many things at his request so that heerein men now adaies would call in question his discretion that hauing such interest in the king he would not spare him in this one vice but must needs lance this sore whereas if he had but stopped his mouth in this one hee might haue continued still and done much good But Iohn Baptist durst not conceale any part of his ambassage The imitation of which president will be thought to be preiudiciall to the serpentine wisedome of these times for now it is thought good aduice not to wake a sleeping Lion nor to put our hands into the hiue lest we be stung but to beware of vae nobis lest wee come coram vobis not at all to reproue lest wee bee striken Which is contrary to the wisedome of Iohn for though there were none left but Christ yet hee spareth not his message nor is ashamed to tell Herod of that sin he ought to be ashamed to commit and away with this idoll discretion which marreth all euen as the image in Daniel chap. 3.1 which was set vp in Dura Nathan 2. Sam. 12.1 must tell Dauid of his adultery to his face and Paul aduiseth 1. Tim. 5.20 those that sin to rebuke openly that the rest may feare which being sealed by the canon of the Apostle prooueth that men must not onely rebuke in generall but in particular And if Paul had need of the prayer of the Ephesians chap. 6.19 that he might speake boldly much more haue wee that stand in such feare to be bound for our speech for by this courage and boldnesse shall wee establish our doctrine in mens consciences Secondly in this example of Iohn note as his constancy to speake boldly so his persecution to suffer extreamly and this is the portion allotted to all Gods Ministers If Eliah speake the truth in reprouing Ahab 1. King 19.8 he must flie to the mount Horeb to saue himselfe If Amos preach at Bethel the destruction of Ieroboams house Amos 7.12 he must go to his tar-box again And if Michaiah 1. Kings 22.17 tell the king truly he may not go to battell he shall be sure to
is with you and as Iohn 5.35 for a season to reioice in this light but that is onely spoken of the elect which is Malac. 4.2 that vnto them that feare the name of God shall the Sunne of righteousnesse arise and health shall be vnder his wings And as it is in the Prophet Esay The Sunne shall neuer go downe Esay 66.23 nor the Moone be darkned that is their light shall neuer be put out Againe the reprobate may conceiue and retaine a knowledge of reconciliation but it is a confused knowledge but the elect hath a more particular knowledge that he can receiue it to apply it to the reforming of his life whereas the other haue it onely to make them vnexcusable or to make them burst foorth into some confession of their sinne without repentance Examples here of we haue Esau Gen. 27.38 losing the blessing wept and Peter Luke 22.62 losing Christ by his denials wept bitterly Heere are teares alike but not in trueth alike So Math. 27.3 Iudas betraying Christ saith I haue sinned and 2. Sam. 24.10 Dauid numbring the people against Gods commandement said I haue sinned here is repentance in both the worke alike but the faith vnlike So as the reprobate haue a common beginning with the children of God vnder the veile and couering of hypocrisy but they can neuer come to that height wherin the elect do stand as 2. Cor. 3.17 to behold the Lord with open face or to be transformed to his image or as Reu. 1.7 to haue receiued that true cie-salue as to see Christ comming in the clouds with comfort or as it is said in the Prophet Ieremie that true anointing of the Lords grace which neither wasteth with time nor decaieth in vertue The second grace which is diuers in substance is adoption which no hypocrite can perswade himselfe to haue in such measure as the elect may for indeed this spirit of adoption is alwaies denied them And this may bee knowen by two parts that are to bee performed first by praier to GOD secondly by affections towards GOD. For the first it is impossible for an hypocrite to praie aright hee may babble or vse the externall gesture in prayer as the Pharisee did in the open streetes yea Sathan may suffer him to vtter some words without feeling sometime so farre as to condemne his owne sinne Mat. 27.4.5 as Iudas did his selling of Christ but yet his conscience neuer disalloweth it for this is an inseparable marke set vpon the praiers of the elect Rom. 8.26 Neither haue any this sanctified spirit to pray as they ought but they which are of God And as Galath 4.6 For that assurance in praier whereby wee crie Abba Father the reprobate cannot possibly haue nor feele that force in praier for as the Apostle there saith it is proper onely for the sonnes of God The reason is because the reprobate want the second grace which accompanieth and waiteth vpon the spirit of adoption that is good affections toward God for hee doth but dissemble his loue of God that hee might still continue as a bayâ—rec euer florishing the reuerence that he yeelds him is but in hypocrisie Iames. 2.19 and the obedience that he giueth him is but constrained as is the diuels Howbeit with the elect it fareth farre otherwise for their praiers are auailable because they are taught of God and their affections are good because they are changed by his spiâ—â—e and they can come to God as children to a father only loking to speed in the name of father for this sheweth reconcilement after our first enmity and setteth foorth more sound loue than nature can affoord And this his loue draweth our feare to oftend and our care to please and we doe lift vp our voice with an assurance we shall be heard Ioh. 5.15 because we humble our selues in a detestation of our sinnes and with a resolution to be obedient to his commandements which the reprobates cannot doe for though the Lord doe often euen shew mercy to them in their praiers and other Christian exercises so as they may thinke they haue their sinnes forgiuen as he did to Ahab 1. King 21.27.29 who hauing solde himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of God vpon the iudgement pronounced against him sitting but within the shadow of praier and fasting was spared that the euill should not fall in his daies yet can they not possibly loue the Lord of heauen but in a confused sort nor come before him but with a slauish feare But it may be said If the Lord sheweth mercie to hypocrites and yet their praiers nor auaileable it may be thought the Lord is deceitfull No for the hypocrite is taken with the sweetnesse of the Lords mercy but he not apprehending it as hee should in obedience it proueth to him but a decaying sweetnesse Neither yet doth this any whit proue the will of God to be changeable though after his mercy disclosed he doth withdraw it from them for they relie onely and stay themselues vpon the present mercy not seeking further euen as Esau Gen. 25 34. who so he might presently haue to fill his belly cared not for his birth-right whereas the elect ground themselues vpon Gods mercy in all maner of tempests and doe gather together as many remembrances of it as they can in any of their afflictions after the example of Dauid who 1. Sam. 17.37 armeth himselfe against Goliah vpon the remembrance of the Lords mercy formerly shewed him in deliuering him out of the paw of the Lion and of the Beate Neither yet doth the spirit of God at all deceiue the reprobate for the Lord did not so extend his mercy as to take them to bee his and keepe them as his but did cast that seed into them to make them without excuse and to double their damnation Mark 4.5.6 in that they loued darknesse more than light so as for their ingratitude it was taken away Now for the second difference which is betweene the elect and the reprobate which is discerned by the working of this spirit it is to be obserued that it worketh more effectually in the elect than in the reprobate for the grace offered them doth but puffe them vp with a dexterie of wit and volubility of speech that they can conceiue and speake something of the Lord as the Pharisees could in Christ his time but this grace worketh farre otherwise in the elect and by no comparison for the Lord doth not onely enlighten the iudgement of his chosen to make them know his Gospell but changeth also their affections to make them worke foorth their saluation with feare and trembling And as it is Ezechiel 18.31 they shall haue a new heart giuen them to walke in the commandements of the Lord and as Danià speaketh Psal 40.6.7.8 they haue a new song put into their mouths and the Lord hath so prepared their eares as they can say Here I am O Lord I desire to
For if we rather desire the flesh pots of Egypt then the Manna in the wildernesse and being drawen a little from the custome of sinne by the impulsion of the spirit wee make more haste to returne backe to our vomit then to follow hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ then is not Christ in vs nor wee in him and being out of him there is nothing but condemnation Phil. 3.14 and we are alreadie in the iawes of the Lion Out of the first obserue that saluation is not appointed for all men for all pertaine not vnto Christ as himselfe saith Luk. 12.32 mine is a little flocke and Iohn 10.26 those that beleeue not are not of Christs sheepe but those that be his heare his voice putting a difference betweene beleeuers and those that are in truth no better than Infidels which is more liuely expressed by the reward verse 28. I giue them that is my sheepe eternall life and they perish not What becommeth then of the other They are as Iude 6. reserued vnder darknesse vnto the iudgement of the great day and the cup of vengeance and condemnation cannot passe by them because the wrath of God was neuer satisfied for them so much also is signified by Christ Mat. 7.13.14 There be two waies in the world fitting with the two fold condition of men the one strait and narrow the other wide and broad those that in this life loue not to be pinched and crouded but to haue their walkes easie and their roomes large their feete leadeth them to destruction and of this kinde saith hee there be many Let vs not therefore vainely nozzle our selues in this opinion that heauen shal hold vs all for Christ as Iohn 10.9 is that straite dore by which wee must enter and though goates may heere feede with sheepe and tares may grow vp with corne yet when we come to the fold and to the harnest our shepheard knoweth who are his and giues them onely entrance and our Lord who is the husbandman gathereth only the graine and scattereth the chaffe as before the wind for condemnation is the inheritance of all such as haue not Christ for their head and he is head to none that haue not their life from him and none liue in him but they that are ruled by him and hee ruleth none but by the scepter of his word within the reach whereof few desire to be drawen but all almost doe seeke how to slip the collar as if the patient should onely dislike that medicine which would rid him of his disease yet such are most in the world that hate to see Christ in the glasse of his word wherein he is most perfectly to be beholden and therefore no marnell though condemnation as a cloud doe couer so many Secondly let vs obserue and as it were with teares of thankfulnesse acknowledge and reuerence the speciall and spirituall loue of God Mal. 1.5 that hath so magnified himselfe vpon the borders of vs Christians that when wrath had ouerspread the earth and the curse of God for disobedience had runne through the end of the world and that we were besmeared and misshapen with sinne as vgly as the Ethiopian and condemnation as due to vs as to them that alreadie hang in hell yet hath the Lord preserued vs not from a bodily death as Exod. 1.17 the midwines did the yong Israelites but from the spirituall fire of hell which should haue tormented our soules and this meerely through Christ that loâ—eth vs for though the first and originall cause of our saluation hee the loue of God yet this is conueied to vs through his sonne the Lord being as tender to vs as a father is to his childe onely through the obedience of that child and Sonne of his the Lord Iesus and therefore most fitly hath the Apostle deliuered heere this bridge of condemnation to bee broken downe that wee haue now no passage to hell through the forme and vertue of our liuing and being in Christ for there being but two impediments to our saluation first the destroying of Satans power in vs through sinne secondly the appeasing of Gods anger towards vs for sinne Christ hath remoued both these First in breaking the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 and himselfe possessing the hold which Satan kept namely the Temples of our bodies And secondly in treading the wine-presse of the wrath of God Reue. 14.19 that what possibly could in iustice be exacted of vs that himselfe paied in his owne body and person suffering for the time the paines and pangs of hell therefore there can no condemnation remaine for vs our debt being already paied to the vtmost farthing which ought to stirre vp our hearts to the praise and thankfulnesse of so good a God that passing by thousands that lay polluted in their blood no worse then wee hash thus gratiously visited and receiued vs to mercy For the second which is the meanes whereby we are fenced and freed from this condemnation namely through Christ we are to note two things First how we are said to be in Christ and Christ in vs Secondly what profit we receaue by this coniunction For the first it is such a mystery as mans imperfect wisdome and shallow reach cannot sound the bottome nor come to the depth of it but shall heereafter better be knowen by our fruition of it then now it can be by the description of it howbeit so far as this secret of God is opened vnto vs in the booke of God so farre may we seeke and no further Now this vnion betweene Christ and vs is expressed in the Scripture two waies first plainlie secondly by way of comparison the first is set foorth by Christ himselfe the master of all truth First as a thing to be felt and discerned euen in this life as Ioh. 14.20 At that day saith he shall ye know that I am in my father and you in me and I in you that is though yee shall lose the comfort of my presence bodily yet I will leaue you such a spirituall pledge of our coniunction namely my spirit as you shall know and perceiue I am onely absent from you in the flesh but am still with you to aide and succour you secondly it is plainely set foorth as a thing to bee perfectly inioyed in the life to come as Ioh. 17.23 where Christ maketh it part of his praier for all beleeuers That as thou O father art in me and I in thee so they may be also one in vs I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one which places proue the vndoubted truth of this point that Christ and we are ioyned together for otherwise it had not stood with Gods iustice to haue punished Christ in our flesh nor to haue accepted our obedience in Christs person if wee had not beene in him and he in vs for it was not possible for the flesh of man so wilfully sinnig
the euerlasting curse of God for so are we all by nature in which nature of ours he representing vs became vile before his father in respect of vs. But now for the punishment of sinne vpon him that was not imaginarie but true and sensible both in soule and body so extreame as in anguish of spirit he was driuen to crie My God my God why hast thou forsaken me yea the death he endured was in it owne kind accursed as it is written Deut. 21.23 Cursed is euery one that hangeth on the tree yea looke what miseries what wants what dangers he did vndergoe and taste of from his birth to his ascension into heauen the same he suffered and slept in onely for vs which cleareth the iustice of God that a righteous man should smart for vs sinners because we are in him and he in vs which I vrge the more that we may see the great price the sonne of God paied for our redemption to stirre vs vp to a better and deeper consideration of it he being the only shepheard that euer gaue his life for his sheepe the only lambe which being vnspotted in himselfe did euer take vpon him the scabbes and vlcers of the whole flocke the onely man full of sorrowes and experience of infirmities whom the world iudged as plagued smitten of God and humbled yet was it onely for our iniquities that the chastisement of our peace might be vpon him Therfore as Esay 53.11 let him see the trauell of his soule that is the fruit of his labour and the efficacy of his death in the saluation of vs his people For the other profit it is also double as first we are made partakers of his graces secondly of the glorie for his graces And this standeth also with the iustice of God that he being in vs and we in him God must needs with him giue vs all things also Now the graces we taste of by this coniunction are twofold first by imputation which is his satisfaction for our sinnes we being starke bankerupts able to pay nothing and the benefit of his obedience we being rebellious bastards able to fulfill nothing secondly in our selues but drawen and deriued from Christ the fountaine as the change of our affections reforming of our iudgements renuing of our minds mortification a sanctified life and these graces did farre more abound in Christ then euer they did in Adam in his integrity for he was flesh made â—â—t after the image of God wheras this flesh Christ had the God head dwelling in him bodily as Col. 1.18 had in all things the preheminence that we might tast of the fulnes of his graces as far as is fit And for the second much is the glory for his graces namly eternall life of this hee hath also made vs partakers ye as if he had no other errand to heauen he saith Io. 14.32 I go to prepare a place for you in my fathers house Therfore let vs not say in our hearts that is let vs not doubt but assure our selues that as Christ is ascended so shall we and it is no presumption to beleeue that the Lord for his Sonnes sake will saue thee for he hath first giuen thee his word and promise He that beleeueth and repenteth shall be saued so as if thou canst apply repentance to thy selfe thou maiest challenge him on his word and secondly thou hast his oath hee sware to Abraham that his seed through his faith should be blessed and this hath Christ sworne againe A men Amen he that beleeueth is already translated from death to life shewing the certainty of it by the maner of speech as if it were already done and if thou wilt relie vpon neither of the former he hath thirdly left thee a pawne that is his spirit to guide and conduct thee in the right way that though thy selfe connot be in heauen as yet yet thy affections may be in the bosome of Christ and that thy faith in his resurrection may assure thee of thy incorruption and thy comfort in his sitting at the right hand of God may rebound backe vpon thy owne soule in being an vndoubted testimony of thy exaltation and aduancement heereafter for where Christ is there by reason of this coniunction betweene thee and him thou must needs be also Hence ariseth a most comfortable instruction for an afflicted conscience for Sathan will lay a whole scrowle of particular sins before thee charge thee that there be many omitted wherein thou hast offended that corruption is so worne into thy bones and lieth so low at the heart as it cannot be taken forth but must needs rankle to damnation and that thy sinnes are in their number so many and in their weight so heauy as there can be no case nor satisfaction for them Thou must confesse thou art indeed in thy selfe a worme vnworthy to creepe vpon the earth but in Christ as bold and strong as a lion yea if thou canst appropriate the sufferings of Christ to thy selfe in particular as the Gospâ—â— propounds them generally thou maiest answer that by the â—â—rity of his birth the obedience of his life and the bitternesse of his death he hath clensed thee from thy sinne wherein thou wert conceiued made vp the breach of thy rebellion and ransomed thee from the cruelty of that second death whereinto thou wert plunged by thine actuall pollution this thou knowest because thou art one with him and he with thee True indeed sathan will confesse that Christ took our flesh vpon him as himself said in the Gospell that he was come before his time to torment him but yet he will suggest that Christ being but one his satisfaction can be but for one and he will tell thee in this truely that the sinnes of all men are infinite and the wrath of God for them is infinite for which the satisfaction of Christ must bee as infinite which saith he cannot be To which answer that as by the first Adam all men are made sinners so by the second Adam which is Christ all that beleeue are made righteous and as Adam can damne all that shall be damned for all in him did eate of the forbidden fruit so Christ can saue all that shall be saued for all in him are brought againe into the Paradise of God Reu. 2.7 In Rom. 5.14 and 1. Cor. 15.22 Adam is said to be a figure of Christ wherein they agree in this that as Adam gaue as much as he had to his posterity so doth Christ proportionably giue that he hath to those that be his Adam gaue sinne and death Christ giueth life and grace And they disagree in three respects first we receaue sin from Adam by nature but we receaue not the graces of Christ and life eternall by nature but by imputation and by grace only and not by imitation for we cannot imitate Christ in euery thing secondly by Adam came only originall sinne not actuall but Christ hath satisfied for both
haue giuen Iohn Baptist good countenance and yet haue chopt off his head for reproouing iustly It is true there is none standeth but he may fall if he leane to his owne wisedome nay he must wither if he grow vp among stones because he was neuer well rooted and whensoeuer the Lord pulleth away the vizard from any that masked vnder the cloake of religion he doth it to make them that stand strengthen themselues in Christ Philip. 4.13 and to make them that be hollow harted tremble for they that thus fall their heart telleth them before hand of it their comming to Christ being but in the Sunne-shine when there are no clouds of persecution hanging ouer and their following after him being like a theefe after his pray that will let it goe vnlesse hee may gaine by it their hearts euer misgiuing them in their owne profession and they hauing a secret corner in the flesh which they alway feede what shew soeuer they make to the contrarie But now the straight and vpright minded Christian hath his heart as adamant and his face as brasse that armes him with resolution for the Lords cause he hath no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 but his whole reioycing is in Christ he feeleth such sap of the spirit at the roote that he thinketh it with Christ to be his meate to do the will of God yea he can truly and boldly say with this Apostle that neither anguish of minde nor torment of body vers 39. can seuer him or make him so much as lose the sight of his master Christ but he will euer be iust behind him for by his life he hath comfort in him by his afflictions he hath fellowship with him and by his death he shall enioy the presence of him for euermore all this heart and assurance they haue hauing their foundation from the words of Christ Iohn 10.28 None shall plucke my sheepe out of my hands And whether thou beest a sheepe or no thou canst tell by thy feeding for howsoeuer thou mayst come to graze in the outward assemblie with the congregation yet if thine eare be only feeding at Church and thy thoughts and thy affections at home in the flesh thy selfe canst tell thou art but a wolfe in sheeps clothing so that as the perswasion of our saluation is certaine and vndoubted so is it also constant and perpetuall Howbeit the power and pride of prosperitie wherewith the wicked are puffed vp and the strength and sting of aduersitie wherewith the godly are humbled and abased the one trampling vpon the earth as if it were too base to beare them the other creeping like wormes and grashoppers vpon the ground hath made many to stagger in the opinion of their profession and in the perswasion of their saluation because he seemed thus to passe by them as in a whirlewind and by the wicked with a mild and still voyce meeting them as it were in the successe of euery thing and this was that made Dauid Psal 73.13 thinke his labour in mortification to be but lost because he tasted of correction euery morning whereas they that set their mouths against heauen were lusty strong and had the waters of a full cup of prosperity wrung out to them but when he had beene in the Sanctuary of God asking counsell of him by whom he vnderstood their end to be but as a dream when one awaked they increasing their sins by their fulnesse wherby they make the sword sharper for their slaughter then he found his owne footing to be safe and theirs to be slipperie the one to begin his iourney with sorrow and to end it with peace the other to set foorth in iollitie but to come home as we say by weeping crosse for as Ioh saith Chap. 20.22 Terrors shall take the wicked as waters and the east wind shall hutle him out of his place and God shall cast vpon him and not spare him though hee would faine flee out of his hand Euen so let vs not make this comfort of our assured blessednes vncomfortable to vs by our doubting for if we wauer in this whether God loue vs and we him the chastisement of a father will prooue the scourge of a reuenger and we shall thinke he smites vs because he hates vs and lifts vs vp to cast vs downe or else wee shall imagine our store to come from our owne hands and measure our liues after the crooked line of mens example which runne on heapes to hell for their owne soules conuinceth them of their forgetfulnesse of God and then cannot he remember them in Paradise whereas we setting God alwaies at our right hand may be fure hereafter he will set vs at his and that he guiding vs by his counsell Psal 73.24 can not but in his time receiue vs to glory Therefore let vs lift vp our heads â—â—d keepe the way euen within that there may be as little rubbish in the heart as can be and since through infirmitie we fall oft let our care be it be in the right way where we are sure to meere with Christ who is the way and the life to vs and let vs make the like vse trauellers do goe the faster for our fall for our faith must goe further then to beleeue there is God the father Sonne and holy Ghost and a communion of Saints c. this being but in general whereas we must beleeue it with application to our own particular as that he is a God to me in his loue to make me and by his prouidence to keepe me a Sonne to me to redeeme me when I was lost and to feede me when I am come home a holy Ghost to me to comfort me in my distresse and to worke in me a holy life a communion of Saints to me to help me with their prayers and to strengthen me by their good example And if this treasure be in thy heart thou hast the assurance of thy saluation laid vp there for thee also Againe where it is said the spirit dwelleth in you learne that we must not serue God by sits but it must be continually for the spirit remaineth not in vs for a time but taketh vp his mansion and abiding with vs and while he is with vs he is euer working as the Sunne is euer mouing and works of his owne nature stirring vp good thoughts and affections in vs at all times and is neuer idle not in vaine in vs not but that in many things we offend all but we send forth such a peale as it were of prayers and repentance after the sinne committed as it ouertakes it and turnes it back before it can flee to the iustice of God and this is that maketh S. Iohn 1. Iohn 3.9 to set it downe as a position and rule in scripture that he that is borne of God sinneth not at all because it flies forth as shot to which the hand did neuer set fire we being ouertaken sometime in weakenes that we slip
the naturall powers of this life decrease by age and by infirmities but so it must not bee in our spirituall life for in this we must neuer neither stand still nor goe backward nor grow downward but still be stedfast in faith and walking on in loue like men alwaies running a race till wee haue attained the prize which prize is glorie Againe consider for this spirituall life that as the body whiâ—â— it hath the soule is but a naturall bodie spending like oile in the lampe and cannot but in the end die yet after this life shall be called a spirituall bodie not in substance but because in the resurrection it shall be quickned by the spirituall power of the holy Ghost so a man that hath but a soule if hee haue not the soule of the soule that is the spirit of God to quicken it he is but a naturall man and must needs be damned Againe as a bodie raised vp and quickned by another power can neuer die so the soule being a spirituall soule and hauing once receiued the earnest of the spirit and the power of sanctification from the holy Ghost can neuer die And in this respect we are exalted to a greater priuiledge than Adam had in his creation and it fareth better with vs than it did with him for it was aâ—btrarie with him and rested in his will to die or not to die whereas we hauing once drunke of the water of life and once tasted of this spirituall life we may neuer thirst and as S. Iohn saith 1. Iohn 3.6 we cannot sinne Ioh. 6.54 that is not to sinne but that we purge our selues vpon reproose and recouer our selues when we fall Further obserue hence that there is a double death and a double life first there is a death in the present corruption of sinne whereby in this life we deserue damnation Now that there is a death in this life is prooued 1. Tim. 5.6 the widdow that liueth in pleasure is dead while she liueth and Ephes 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Reuel 3.1 it is said of the Church of Sardis Thou hast a name that thou linest but thou art dead Secondly there is a death in the perpetuall condemnation for sinne which is first inflicted vpon the soule at the separation from the body and at the last day shal be laid both vpon the soule and body in a fearefull and full measure Answerable to this is life the first kind whereof is the grace of God vouchsafed vs in this our pilgrimage the second is the glory of God giuen vs in the life to come Now the life of the spirit hath three degrees first at the regeneration when we are renewed in our affections and do feele a change of mind within vs secondlie at the separation of the soule from the body when being as in were released out of the setters of this life she takes her flight to heauen for then doth the soule liue more excellently than it did before being freed from the bufferings of Sathan and the allurements of the flesh Thirdly at the generall resurrection when the world with the Iustes thereof shall passe away like a cloud and be wrapped vp like a clout for then both soule and body shall enioy the presence yea more than that shall liue the life of God for euer Euen so death in the reprobate hath three degrees first in the contagion of sinne secondly in the separation at the doore of death as it were when the soule alone goeth to the diuell thirdly at the resurrection when the body is reunited to the soule to receiue the fulnesse of their endlesse torment Againe the reprobate in this life and in the life to come haue a double misery coupled to their double death for first in this life they want the grace and fauour of God and bee euen like Cain Genes 4.14 afraid lest euery man should kill them Secondly they haue resident in them the diuell who being the God of this world hath and doth carrie them away daily in the power of darknesse Then in the life to come Iohn 16.11 they haue first a priuation or losse of the presence of God secondly a suffering and enduring of all torments 2. Thes 1.8.9 where there cries shall neuer bee pitied nor their paines euer bee eased Proportionable to these haue the children of God double comforts which may bee gathered from the contrarie of the former For first they haue the countenance of the Lord alwaies smiling on them and the strength of the Lord alwais supporting them in this life Secondly which is more they haue the true spirit of comfort dwelling in them and the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost doth continually feast with them while they liue heere And when we fall a sleepe for nothing else is death to the Saints as we may see in Stephen 2. Cor. 3.17.18 Act. 7.60 then doe we first stand alwaies in the sight of God and behold him face to face neither doth his glory then any whit amaze vs as it did when the veile was before our eies but it doth reioice vs and we glory in it Secondly we are filled with ioies vnspeakable and haue the full accesse and fruition of all that the heart can desire or seeke for Now the way to know that this life of God is in vs must be by the amendment of our liues and by the leauing of our sinnes for regeneration beginneth at repentance and repentance at leauing of sinne in which point euerie man must examine himselfe wisely for if thou hast not brideled thy tongue from bitter and blasphemous speech if thou hast not taught thy hands to worke truely without deceit and hast not brought thy heart to pray feruently without hypocrisie then hast thou no part in this regeneration and by consequent no fellowship in the life of God For righteousnesse sake That is as much as if the Apostle had said reformation of life and religion is the badge and euidence of the spirituall life we leade heere The cause of this is the righteousnesse of Christ which resteth in these two things first in satisfying the iustice of his Father for our sinnes as the Prophet Esay speaketh Esay 53.5 Hee was wounded for our transgressions and by his stripes are we healed secondly in fulfilling the law which he performed foure waies first by teaching it precisely secondly by obeying it exactly thirdly by suffering for our breach thereof meritoriously fourthly by sanctifying vs to doe it effectually But this kinde of righteousnesse is onely resident and inherent in the person of Christ howbeit the righteousnesse heere spoken of by the Apostle is a signe onely and a token that we are sanctified by the flesh of Christ and that Christ hath purchased saluation for vs and that we sighing vnder the burden of sinne Rom. 7.25 walking in a reformed life and waiting for the glorie that shall bee seene we shal be as
true that the soules are now blessed as it is in the Reuel 7.9 where the Saints are said to haue their white robes in token â—â—nnocency long in signe of statelinesse and palmes in their hands in signe of victory but it is as true that the soule is not happy sauing in the constant expectation of the last day when it shall bee ioined to the body and it hath not now that fulnesse of happinesse it then shall haue For it standeth with the law of retribution in God that as he receiued most glorie from them both when they were vnited so should he returne them most ioie and fulnesse of glory when by his power they are brought together againe And euen so fareth it now with the reprobate that are departed who feele onely torment in their soules at this time but when their bodies shall bee raked out of the dust then shall their paines be increased So as this is the doctrine we must hold that the soules of the Saints are blessed ante resurrectionem before the resurrection but fine resurrectione without the resurrection they are not blessed Rom. 14.9 God is said to be the Lord of the dead and Mat. 22.32 Christ saith he is not the God of the dead In which places there is no contrariety for Christ meaneth that he is not the God of the dead according to the supposition of the Sadduces for no man is a King without subiects nor a Captaine without souldiers nor God the God of Abraham vnlesse Abraham be but hee is the God of the dead because they by him shall be raised vp Now followeth the first part what shall be raised vp namely this verie body which we now carrie about vs shall bee raised vp Which is prooued first from the proportion and resemblance with the head for the same body of Christ that was buried was raised vp which is signified vnto vs by himselfe Luk. 24.39 who to remooue all doubts of the truth of his resurrection out of his disciples mindes said Behold my hands and my feet and Iohn 20.25 it is said that Thomas put his finger into Iesus side after his resurrection And so much did Christ foreteâ—â—â—â—re his death Ioh. 2.19 Destroy this temple meaning his body and I will build the same not another vp againe Secondly it is prooued from the proportion of Gods iustice toward the elect and the reprobate also for it standeth with his iustice that those lippes which in this life offred vp the calues of thanksgiuing vnto him that that body that hath beene baptized into Christs death that mouth that hath feed vpon Christ by faith that that bodie which hath beene exercised vnder the crosse and sanctified through afflictions which hath testified to the blood the profession of his trueth it standeth I say with the iustice of God that that bodie and no other should bee raised vp to glory And Paul noteth foorth so much in himselfe a member 1. Cor. 15.53 when he saith This mortall shall put on immortalitie as if saith a learned Father he had taken it vp in his hands to haue expressed his meaning Againe the proportion of Gods iustice toward the reprobate is that that knee that hath bowed to the Masse shall also bow to the diuell in hell torment and that that body which hath embrewed it selfe with the blood of Gods saints that hath rent as it were the Lord in peeces by their blasphemy and that haue shut vp their compassion from the poore that that body should bee punished eternally in hell fire and euen denied so much as a drop of cold water to coole their tongues Luk. 16.24 For what iustice were it in God to frame them new bodies and so to punish them in that flesh wherin they neuer sinned Nay it were meere iniustice to punish them in any other parts than those wherein they haue offended Now this bodie of the faithfull that shall be raised vp shall haue three speciall graces giuen vnto it which it had not before to shew the riches of Gods mercy toward them as first it shall be immortall and shall neuer putrifie secondly 〈◊〉 shall be maintained by no naturall power and thirdly it shall haue glory Answerable to these in another kinde shall the bodies of the reprobate be for first they shall wish they might rot but cannot secondly they were happie if they might pine away but the worme shall be continually gnawing yet neuer satisfied nor they weakned Mark 9.48 thirdly they shall haue horror and shame and howling and gnashing of teeth continually For the second point which is by what power our bodies are raised vp namely by the same spirit that Christ was raised vp Now then it may be asked how the reprobate shall rise for they partake not of this spirit nor haue any part in this resurrection It is true that the power of Christ as a Sauiour and the fruite and benefite of his death are inseparable from the elect and belong onely to them The reprobate therefore shall bee raised vp by the same power by which they were at first created and as at the first they were made by the power of God in his Sonne the Father consulting with his wisdome which is Christ euen so shall they bee raised vp againe by the power of God in his Sonne not as a redeemer but by the absolute power of Iesus Christ their Iudge Gen 3.23 And as when Adam fell he was not onely depriued of the tree of life but of all the other fruites of the garden and in the losse of that lost all the rest and was driuen out by violence and kept out by the sword from any more fight of God in Paradise euen so the reprobate deserue not onely to bee secluded from the possession of heauenly glory where growes that life that euer flourisheth but euen vtterly to be extinguished and abolished for they are but vsurpers vpon the Lords heritage and euen the aire which they breath in shall be their damnation for they deserue not so much as their being Yet such is the great bounty of God that he raineth as well vpon the vniust as vpon the iust yea and oftentimes obscureth his goodnesse toward his Saints and hideth as it were his face from them when the wicked flourish as tâ—â— Palme-tree and abound in all earthly prosperity but yet this is our comfort that they passe away as a shaft in the aire and as a ship on the sea so is their place no more seene and indeede they shall finde it were better for them they were not whereas the godly know that in 〈◊〉 earth they haue no abiding citie but that their treasure is in â—â—â—uen where their hearts alwaies be and their bodies heereafâ—â—â— shall be Because that his spirit dwelleth in you This is the third part was noted out vnto vs namely how this power of the spirit is in this life communicated vnto vs. Wherein obserâ—e that whosoeuer is regenerate is made partaker
to God but not to our selues A miserable euasion of a sottish distinctioâ—â—â— for the scope of Christ is in that place to proue from the lesse to the greater negatiuely that if such seruants whose life and death were in their masters hands as bond-men were in those times doing their duties and seruice neuer so well cannot deserue so much as thankes at their masters hands much lesse that they should emancipate and set themselues free and much lesse to be their masters heires then much lesse since there is no comparison betweene God in heauen and man on earth can we deserue at the hands of God lying in the vncleannesse of our first birth and ouergrowne with sinnes as we haue growne in yeeres to be sanctified by his spirit in this life and glorified by himselfe in the life to come for there is no bond-man so inthralled to his master as we are to God euen in respect of our first creation when we caried the glory of his image in our face and had as it were the crowne of innocency set vpon our heads and yet we wilfully ran from him to our shame till he returned vs againe in his loue so as now all that we doe is duty and not desert and why should he receiue thanks that doth but what we ought Yea say the Papists but yet we deserue something because we are not vnprofitable to our selues Absurd for what master will thinke himselfe beholden to that seruant who by his seruice only inricheth himselfe and bringeth no commodity to his master And yet by the meaning of the Papists because we get something vnder God and by his seruice God must be indebted to vs. But heereupon we say that true it is we are not vnprofitable to our selues for in Christ not onely the person but the worke also is accepted and the person onely in respect he is adopted and this adoption is onely in Christ but yet so as we neuer haue God beholden to vs. Therefore when he saith Come good seruant and faithfull Mat. 25.21 enter into thy masters ioy it is true that the Lord doth recompence the vsing of our talents well but this is so farre as we are iustified and are his sons so as first he loueth the person and then the worke and if he did not accept the iustification of the person he would disauow the worke but being his chldren though we are farre from doing that we ought yet as a kind and louing father he accepteth it pleasingly ROM chap. 8. vers 15. verse 15 For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abba Father IN this verse and that which followeth the Apostle doth confirme that hee set downe before namely that wee are intitled to eternall life by inheritance and to confirme and ratifie that vnto vs wee haue this priuiledge to bee Gods sonnes and so heires of heauen The arguments he vseth be two first ye haue receiued that spirit whereby God doth witnesse that he doth accept you as his children in his naturall Sonne Christ Iesus And to proue we haue this spirit of a doption he doth it by the contrary for saith he like bond-slaues ye do not now feare the ghastly looks of the tormenter nor yee haue not now that hellish horrour and fearefull apprehension of Gods iudgements wherby Sathan vseth to whip mens consciences nor ye haue not that loud alarme of the killing law sounding in your eares and seizing vpon your soules to affright you Secondly in the verse following he proueth it by a double testimony first of Gods spirit which witnesseth this vnto vs and which were blasphemy to thinke it could suggest false things and secondly by our owne spirit which may assure our selues of it by our godly and holy conuersation By the spirit of bondage in this place is meant the holy Ghost who by the instrument of the killing letter that is the law doth propose and set downe such a condition of obedience to which we are obliged and bound by our creation and yet are now vtterly disabled by our corruption to performe it so as it is impossible to be kept and yet ought to be kept and laieth such a burthen vpon vs as neither wee nor our first parents were euer able to beare since they declined from the estate wherein they were at first created Whereupon this spirit of God by this meanes setting the law before vs as a glasse wherein wee may behold our selues conumceth the conscience of the good not done and of the euill that is done thereby shewing that no flesh can by this be iustified before God and sheweth and setteth before our eies not only the sinne but the vengeance which the sinne drawes after it so as our conscience can not bee but grieuously wounded with that hellish horrour wee haue voluntarily made our selues subiect vnto Now on the contrary the spirit of adoption is that worke of the holy Ghost whereby the incomprehensible loue of God in his Sonne is powred into our hearts that hee doth auow and know vs for his children so farre as we are not now bond-men to feare the performance of that impossible condition proposed by the law but we are heereby assured that what the law commandeth this spirit will either enable vs to performe or dispence and beare with our imperfections in not doing it with that perfection it requireth and so by consequent we ascertaine our selues that wee are the sonnes of God The parts heerein to be obserued are two there being set downe an opposing of a double spirit of contrarie natures working contrarie effects according to their natures The effect of the first being a dreadfull and fearefull expectation of endlesse and hellish torments the effect of the other being a comfortable securitie and breeding a heauenly hope that wee shall bee blessed of the Lord out of which as out of a root springeth and ariseth chearefull obedience to God our Father the other inforcing vs only through feare to loue God as bondslaues Herein is questionable whether by this spirit of bondage here spoken of is meant the spirit of Sathan or the holy Ghost that should thus terrify and affright vs. But note it must be vnderstood of Gods spirit which is the author of working holy despaire and by consequent of terror and is an occasion of despaire in the wicked and this is as proper for the spirit of God as to offer the sweet comfort of Christs bitter passion vnto vs. For by this meanes and maner of terrifying it bringeth both the elect and the reprobate to despaire but to a diuers end For the elect in this sort that shewing it impossible and past our power to performe the law euen as impossible as to build a tower to the heauens or to remooue a promontorie with our finger it bringeth vs to a holy despaire in our selus in respect of our own deserts thereby driuing vs to seeke
proportion betweene the head and the members for wee shall bee carried vp into the highest heauens and wee shall stand before the throne viewing the glorious face of God and hauing the fruition of his blessed presence The greatnesse of this glorie howbeâ—â— it needeth rather meditation then explication yet something shall bee spoken of it that the vaile may bee taken from our eies that wee may sound and faddome in some sort the bottome of Christ his â—ole in his glorie which of our selues we cannot doe no more then the Iewes could into the ministery of Moses This place fitteth with that 2. Cor. 4.17 Our light affliction which is but for a moment bringeth vnto vs an euerlasting excellent weight of glory Where consider two things first that betweene these afflictions and that glory there is no comparison in the greatnesse it shall be a weight excellently excellent as the word signifieth whereas afflictions are but for a an houre Secondly the glory shall be more durable in respect of eternity whereas the other are but in this life onely For the first consider it in two degrees first the particular ioy euery child and man of God shall haue in his death and dissolution secondly the exceeding glory he shall be filled with when all things shall be perfect and God shall be all in all The first of these hath two parts first it containeth an absolute immunity and freedome from all infirmities of body and soule according as it is said All teares shall be wiped away for the body shall be free from labour care and such like and the soule shall be free from the suggestions of Sathan by couetousnesse and other corruptions wherewith the best and choisest of Gods seruants in this life are wonderfully assaulted Secondly the bodie sleeping in the earth the soule shall be absolutly sanctified from sinne and liue in the fauour of God so as there shall be added vnto vs a present entrance into the Lords ioy which none can comprehend but they that feele it Luk. 23.43 This in the Scripture is called the entrance into the Paradise of the Lord and Paul 2. Cor. 5.8 desireth to remoue out of the body that in his soule he might be with the Lord Iesus who resteth in such a place as hath in it whatsoeuer may moue either admiration or may giue contentation and is described Reuel 21.4 to be destitute of sorrow crying and paine and to haue the foundation of the wals thereof garnished with all manner of precious stones and to be lightned onely with the glory of God needing neither Sunne nor Moone It is also called Abrahams bosome Luk. 16.22 Ioh. 14.2 Reuel 19.9 the presence with the Lambe the gathering of vs into the companie of innumerable Angels and the mansion house of our Father The second degree of this glory is at the restitution of all things which the Apostle heere speaking of verf. 21. calleth the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God This standeth in two parts first in the resurrection of our bodies when they shall be made incorruptible and glorions and shall neede no naturall prouision nor maintenance for they shall shine as the Sunne and the Sunne shall then be seauentimes brighter then it is The second is that God shall be all in all that is the whole God-head shall immediatly raigne and the humanity of Christ shall more manifestly be subiected which is to the greater glory of it that his god head shall be so great for then there shall be no more office of Christ Iesus to procure any more good to his children but the benefit of the former shall continue for euer for then his enemies shall be all put downe and then the Sonne she ll resigne vp his kingdome to his Father that is all enemies being vanquished and that one enemy Death being abolished he shall raigne no more not that God raigneth not now for he raigneth in the person of his Sonne as Mediator but then his office shall end and he shall raigne onely as God For these are but the daies that the Lord Iesus doth woo vs and maketh loue to vs Reu. 19.7 but then shall the marriage be solemnized and for the better setting foorth of this with all magnificence and greatest state all creatures shal be restored that they may serue and attend at the celebrating of this feast Now for the second part that is the comparison of the glorie and afflictions in respect of continuance we see that no affliction lasteth but for the present but this glory is eternall Gods loue toward vs eternall before the world to predestinate vs eternall after the world to glorifie vs that as the first had no beginning so the last shall haue no end So as wee may consider of two eternities though to speake properly there is but one the first before the creation thesecond after the worlds dissolution Now betweene these two there is a certaine time for the world and a thousand yeeres in respect of eternity is but as one day nay as Moses saith Psal 90.4 A thousand yeeres are but as yesterday that is past 2. Pet. 3.8 So as counting the world fiue thousand yeeres it is but as the length of fiue daies past and of these fiue thousand yeeres what are fourescore which is a great age for any man to liue to and a farre greater time then euer any man was afflicted in It is not much more then a moment no way an hower and therefore these afflictions are no way comparable to the eternity of that glory wee shall haue heereafter not so much as a drop of water to the whole Sea or one graine to all the sand And yet we speake now as if a man should neuer but be afflicted euen from his cradle to his death liuing the full age of a man which neuer befell any In Esay 54.8 is shewed what seuenty yeeres be and by the accompt of the spirit of God himselfe they be but as the least minute for the Lord there saith For a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee but with euerlasting mercy haue I had compassion on thee and this moment was seuenty yeeres for so long were the Iewes in captiuity Iâ—â— 25.12 So as affliction by this reckoning during the whole yeeres and life of man is but a moment and a great part of this moment is past before we can be said to suffer affliction for it is but a confused kind of paine that children sustaine and againe there was neuer any affliction so great but there was some either intermission or remission either the tormenter was wearied or the whip was wasted or they that were tormented died Now if the glory after our induring of these afflictions should last but so many millions of yeeres as there be starres in the heauens there might yet be some more and easier and equall comparison betweene them because at the last this glory should haue an end but it farre
them and prompt him with excellent and effectuall words of prayer Yea this must be the comfort of vs all that though wee fight to the bloud for the Lords cause not one droppe of it shall perish but as the Lord doeth keepe our teares so much more will hee keepe our bloud in a bottell Psal 116. â— that wee may bee made precious white in the bloud of the Lambe Now for the second point which is the meanes how the spirit helpeth our infirmities that is by stirring vp prayers and grones Obserue first that no man can pray of himselfe vnlesse he be taught of God secondly that the holy Ghost doth minister vnto vs that power in prayer which no man is able to bring and performe of himselfe howbeit we may not construe the words as if the holy Ghost himselfe did pray but onely that he suggesteth vnto vs fit words and matter and prompteth vs to pray For the first vnderstand that it is not postible for any man of himselfe to pray vnlesse he be helped and renewed in his spirit for prayer must be made in the mediation of Christ which flesh and bloud neuer thinketh of nay which flesh and bloud doeth but mocke at And this disabilitie in prayer and vnaptnesse to performe it is euen true of them that be enlightned and called to the faith vnlesse also they be impulsed and driuen on by the spirit Howbeit by this so excellent an instrument as the spirit the Lord doth poure into our hearts such a constant and stedfast assurance of his loue as we come and humble our selues before him boldly and beate our breast and pray from the booke of our conscience confidentlie vnfolding the whole heapes of our miscries before the Lord yea we come vnto him hauing euen a sight and contemplation of his maiestie and we stand not vpon words but a broken and contrite spirit maketh vs speake plainely the interpreter of our meaning being the holy Ghost so as wee in this exercise conferre with God and speake as it were with the mouth of Christ who maketh our supplications as sweet as incense in our and his Fathers nostrels So as it is no such slight matter nor so easie a worke to pray aright for of thy selfe thou art speechlesse and canst not vtter one word vnlesse the spirit vntie the strings of thy tongue and though happely thou speake yet is thy vnderstanding senslesse that thou knowest not what to aske vnlesse the spirit teach thee nay were thou neuer so well taught if the spirit make thee not acquainted with Christ Reuel 8.3 that he may present thy praiers to God all else is in vaine and fruitlesse Further in that the holy Ghost is said to make request for vs wee are admonished vnlesse it bee for weake Christians and babes in Christ that are not growne in the word of grace vnto whom a booke of prayer is allowed as a Catechisme that they that bee old schollers in the schoole of Christ ought to striue and indeuor to grow from praier to praier aswell as from faith to faith that as their iudgements are increased in knowledge so their hearts may increase in feruencie and affection toward God and that they may bring foorth their hidden treasure of the Lords spirit in enabling them to conceaue a praier and to pray as their present necessities shall require For this is that the Lord looketh for that as he said by the Prophet Zacharie 12.10 that he would in the last times powre out the spirit of deprecation and of prayer vpon the sons of men so men should endeuour to bee familiar in this dutie without booke and not content themselues to praie either a stinted prayer or a stinted time but as it is said Hebr. 6.1 wee must leaue the beginnings and be led forward and striue to perfection For if notwithstanding such plentie of foode these many yeeres there be still such leannesse in thy soule that thou art not able to feed thy selfe nor to expresse and vtter thy necessities in a corner before the Lord how canst thou looke for any blessing that hast beene so sluggish and hast so carelesly entertained the spirit of God in this acceptable time If any sudden calamitie hang ouer thy head or any secret sinne presse thy conscience how canst thou thinke to be releeued nay thou canst not but iudge thy selfe vnworthie to be helped if thou art vnable without a booke before thee to vtter thy griefe and to pray for helpe Thou must know thy temptations are particular and thy sinnes are particular and a generall confession is not a proper salue for any particular sore but as in this and this sinne thou hast offended God so particularly for this this sin thou must call for mercy And what if that speciall grace thou prayest for be not in thy booke then thou goest away emptie for thou art not likely to obtaine that thou dost not aske for For howsoeuer the Lord doth ofttimes preuent vs with his mercies and giueth before wee aske yet when he shall perceiue such negligence in vs that we desire but as it were a common and generall head-peece to shield vs from all assaults and doe not arme our selues in euery part especially knowing our old enemie the diuell lieth at all aduantage this maketh the Lord weary and vnwilling to helpe vs who otherwise easily inclineth his eare to the praiers of the faithfull When it is said With gronings that are vnspeakeable we are by this to comfort a distressed conscience that if afflictions doe come so fast vpon vs as the waues one in the necke of another and our spirits be so ouer whelmed and cast downe that we are not able to conceiue a praier for the anguish of our soules in this case if our hearts doe but bleed and grone though no word be vttered yet is it a praier precious and acceptable in the Lords sight We read of Ezechiah Esa 38.14 that he was not able to speake one word but did chatter like a Crane and mourne like a Doue in his sicknesse hee was so opprest with sorrow in the bitternesse of his soule yet was this a praier and a praier heard of God and himselfe deliuered and fifteene yeeres added to his life So oftentimes our praiers are so peppered with salt and fire that is our soule is so anguished and our spirits so appalled that either we speake abruptly or only knocke our selues on the breast Luk. 18.13 as did the Publican yet this soundeth in the Lords eares and commeth pleasantly before him for words in praier are but to make vs vnderstand what we aske the Lord vnderstandeth our meaning without words yea knoweth our wants better then our selues And as the mother pitieth her child when it is fallen sicke and is able to tell where the paine lieth and to aske such things as it wanteth but when the disease is growne so fore that for extremitie it cannot vtter the paine by speech but lieth
onely satisfied the wrath of God That it commeth from the loue of God appeareth by the example of Dauid to whom when the Lord had sent Nathan the Prophet to tell him his sinne was pardoned 2. Sam. 7.15 yet withall part of his message was that the sword should neuer depart from his house which fell out in his daughter Thamar that was rauished and in his sonne Absolon that was desperatly hanged and in the child begotten in adultery that presently died And this was only to awake him out of that securitie Sathan had cast him into for it is certaine where the Lord smites not there the Lord loues not and therefore 1. Sam. 2.25 it is said that because the Lord had a purpose to slay the sonnes of Eli therefore they obeyed not the mild voice of admonition vsed by their father Now for those afflictions that be sent as preuentions of sinne as pouertie ignominie restraint of libertie shutting vp the wombe and such like they also turne to the best in Gods children for many do let themselues bloud before they be sicke for feare of sicknesse and the superfluous spreads of a vine are cut off that it may bring foorth better fruite And thus doth the Lord mint and diet his children lest by riches they should grow proud by fame become insolent by libertie wax wanton and kicke against the Lord when they be full and lest by hauing children they should make idols of them to cocker them vp to damnation the Lord scanteth them in these blessings Looke vpon Dauid who confesseth he had gained much by affliction See what difference there was euen in Nabuchadnezzar before hee was pulled out of his seate and after he had fed with beasts before in his prosperitie the strength of his hand and the power of his maiestie had built Babel Dan. 3. and 4. but after he had bene cooled in the wild forrest then he lifted vp his eyes to heauen and praysed and honoured him that liueth for euer Such is the stomacke of flesh and bloud that it will breake out into many insolencies against God against his church and children vnlesse he cut as it were out teather short that we haue but litle roome to feed in and therefore in great mercie he suffereth vs oft times to want lest we should was proud with abundance and changeth our oyle of gladnesse into a countenance of heauinesse because we could not before tell how to vse our mirth Secondly consider how those afflictions turne to our good which are sent for the exercises of Gods graces in vs namely beerein to trie how farre wee loue God whether wee loue him when hee dealeth with vs roughly aswell as when hee dealeth mildly and liberally with vs and this is called the fierie triall wherein we shall not be consumed like drosse but refined like gold And this affection appeared in Iob when he cried Iob. 13.15 O Lord though thou kill me yet will I loue thee for many times the Lord sendeth his arrowes against vs and the venime of his wrath lieth for a time in our bones and hee setteth vs vp as markes to shoote at vnto whom if we willingly submit our selues the power and danger of his shafts shall be appeased before they hit vs and the poison of his indignation shall be cleansed away before it rankle in vs. Gen. 22.2 Thus fared it with Abraham whom the Lord did not simply afflict for his sinne but for the triall of his faith and feruencie of his zeale toward God to see whether hee loued Isaac the sonne of the promise better then God the Father of the promise And behold to the comfort of the children of Abraham in a resolution of three dayes iourney he fainted not to execute the Lords commaundement trusting the Lord with his owne saluation for hee knew if his sonne Isaac should haue been sacrificed himselfe should haue been damned whose obedience when it was thus thoroughly tried the Lord saith Since thou hast done this I will make thee the father of the faithfull which was a confirmation of the promise was made before But there is another speciall kind of affliction that searcheth more narrowly the corners of our hearts and trieth more fully our obedience and loue toward God namely when the Lord vouchsafeth vs that honor to suffer for the crosse of Christ In this hee exerciseth our cold prayers and varnisheth our rustie hope and stirreth vp our dull meditations to thinke how precious in the sight of God is the bloud of his Saints when they die not onely in their holinesse Psal 116.15 but are put to death euen for their holinesse And therefore Christ giueth this counsell Luk. 6.22.23 When ye are hated of men and persecuted for righteousnes then reioyce and be glad or as the Greeke word signifieth skippe at that day like fat calues because our reward is great in heauen So as these afflictions that leade to death further and hasten vs toward the life to come and euen for this life they turne to our good as Mat. 10.29 He that forsaketh father or wife or riches for my names sake I will giue him an hundred fold more in this life that is in that base estate and condition of persecution wherein he standeth for the profession of my name I will giue him an hundred times more comfort more contentation and more peace of conscience then he should haue had in an hundred wiues of such as were neuer so deare vnto him in an hundred fathers of such as were neuer so kind vnto him and more perfect ioy then he should haue had in all the treasures of the world be they neuer supleasing and precious vnto him So as obserue though the Lord promiseth not a requitall of thy losse in quantitie and in number yet he doth it in the good will and blessing of God wihch is the specâ—all qualitie that maketh such things wee enioy permanent and comfortable vnto vs. This Dauid had found in his owne experience Psal 127.1 and therefore teacheth vs to know that except the Lord doe builde the house in vaine doe the workmen bestow their labour and vnlesse hee keepe the citie as good set open the gates for the watch without him do nothing Witnesse the prison doores that flew open and the chaines wherewith Peter was fettered that flew off when the Iaylor had done the best he could Act. 12.10 And this is that Amos laboureth to perswade the people in his Prophesie that let the spring be neuer so forward Amos 4.6 nor the bread which is our food neuer so sauorie if the Lorde doe but blow vpon it it cannot nourish vs. So Paul saith 1. Tim. 4.12 that godlinesse hath euer the promises of this life that is religious prosperity the hand of blessing from aboue and it hath the promises of the life to come that is to bee translated from this dimme light of Gods fauour which we finde here into the full
such a maner as they do not profit by it but onely maketh them the more without excuse because they haue seen the light and yet haue loued darknes more then light And if it be asked why this mercy of the Lord hardneth them and not mollifieth them and why the Lord doth not pull them out of the fire it is because he found them corrupt in Adam But if it be asked why they are appointed to damnation here we stop our mouths and haue refuge to no other cause but to the Lords eternall purpose After the same sort doe we faie of saluation for to such as shall be saued he giueth mercy and maketh this mercy to worke vpon their hearts and finding them falne in Adam he raiseth them vp in Christ but why he doth this is not knowne to any but to himselfe Howbeit in this his purpose to saue vs he hath ordained we should find mercy in Christ by the degrees heere set downe by calling by iusufying by glorifying vs and yet to speake properly this fore knowledge 〈◊〉 God is not the cause of any thing for Adam did not fall because God foresaw iâ— but Adam fell therefore God foresaw it For the second point what is meant by this Like to the iâ—age of his son some expound it that shall be made like and conformable to his crosse which is very comfortable though not 〈◊〉 apt and fit for the place it selfe Heb. 2.10 For if the Prince of the Gentiles was consecrated through afflictions if by this meanes the Sonne himselfe learned obedience as it is Heb. 5.8 much more must we not that we shall be afflicted in the same measure or for the same cause that Christ was for he suffered for our soules and felt the smart for our sins yea and sustained the very wrath of God to his extreme anguish and horror Reu. 19.15 2. Tim. 3.12 but thus far we must resemble him that if we wil liue godly we must suffer persecution Howbeit this likenesse conformitie to Christ his image here spoken of must bee vnderstood of his glorie because of the words that follow mentioning the steps and degrees that lead to this glorie he calleth he iustifieth he glorifieth euen as he did his Son for wee are ordained to the same glory Ioh. 17.22 signified by the praier of Christ for his Apostles and al that should beleeue that his father would loue them with the same loue and crowne them with the same glorie he crowned him which is the most ioyfull message that can come to the eare of a Christan hart to be assured we shal hereafter be lifted vp and aduanced far aboue the third heauen For the third point namely that he is the first begotten among brethren consider three things first how he is our brother secondly what priuiledge he hath being eldest thirdly what priuiledge we haue aboue all other creatures by this brotherhood For the first he became our brother by this that the eternal word of God did assume take vpon himself our flesh Ioh. 1.1.2 that we might be his brethren For as to be a Mediator to God for vs he must haue a diuine humanitie and an humane diuinitie so to make vs brethren that we might haue his spirit could not be but by taking our flesh Betweene God and man euer since our first fall there hath bin enmity such and so great as none can see him and liue for Exod. 24.17 it is said that the sight of the glorie of the Lord euen in the mountaine of Sinai was like a consuming fire Esa 33.14 and as the Prophet Esay speaketh Who shall dwell with euerlasting fire This fire therefore must bee quenched and an entrance must be made for vs to the mount of God which is onely in Christ our elder brother howbeit we are become his brethren not by incarnation nor by his humane nature for then the reprobate should bee his brethren as well as wee for hee partaketh of their flesh as well as of ours But as this brother-hood commeth by the flesh in some respect so principallie by being mystically engrafted naturally into his bodie so as we are one flesh with him euen like man and wife Ephes 5.30 who are so tearmed and called in respect of a speciall and sanctified vnion and fellowship that is betweene them otherwise all men and all women are one flesh So then our brother-hood with Christ commeth not by anie grosse coalition or mixture of our natures but by spirituall regeneration as the Apostle to the Hebrewes said He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified Heb. 2.11 are all one so that we are his brethren not by his flesh simply but because wee are sanctified by his flesh Whereby we learne to reuerence and adore the infinite and euerlasting loue of God toward vs that he would thrust as it were his Sonne out of heauen that he might descend to draw vs thither that he must come downe in such basenesse to be clothed with our nakednesse and to put on our infirmities For the second point which is the priuiledge he hath being eldest obserue that the first begotten vnder the law had two priuiledges first he was the worthiest person secondly he had a double portion As Ruben Gen. 49.3 the eldest of Iacobs sonnes should haue had but that the dignitie of his person was translated to Iuda and the priuiledge of his portion to Ephraim and Manasses This likewise appeareth Deut. 21.17 where it is commanded that the first borne of a mans strength shall haue a double portion for it is his right This then we must allow to Christ who hath two titles giuen him first he is called the first begotten of all creatures Col. 1.15 because he was before anie cerature being from eternitie according to his diuinitie Secondlie he is called the first begotten among the brethren because he was the first in mans nature that God loued after the fall of Adam Heere know that Christ as he is the Sonne-man is the naturall Sonne of God not according to his humanitie but as he is Christ-man for though his humane nature was not taken from God yet as one person being man licèt non ratione humanitatis he is the Sonne of God euen as Mary is said in the Scripture to be the mother of God in respect of the vnion of his person Another priuiledge further Christ hath that hee as sonne of man hath receiued all power from God to iudge the world Ioh. 5.22 The father hath committed all iudgement vnto the Sonne not that his manhood alone shall iudge but Christ God and man shall giue the iudgement euen so wee praie and list vp our hands to the man Christ Iesus not to his man-hood non humanitati sed homini for the humanitie separated from the diuine person of Christ is but a creature Againe Christ as our elder brother is the head of Angels not as God only but as man Heereupon also it is
the beholding of the very face of God and there shall bee no markes set to keepe vs from the mount where the Lord dweleth Reu. 21.12 as there was Exod. 19.12 but as Paul speaketh 1. Corinth â—3 12 we shall then see him face to face and know him as wee â—re knowen of him and see him as God all in all that is â—ee shall behold the glory of God not standing vpon the veile of the flesh of Christ for then all mediation and intercession shall cease and this is part of that Christ praied for a litle before his death Iohn 17.24 that we might see that glory he had before the world was made for then we shall see Christ-God and the whole Godhead immediately raigning yet in Christ the Sonne of man and in vs but so as we shall no more leane and relie vpon the praiers of Christ for then he shall raigne no more as the Sonne of man in the midst of his enemies for this gouernement shall cease death which is the last enemy being then abolished and he then shall raigne ouer them vanquished as God Howbeit the fruit and benefit of this his mediation shall indure for euer and the subiection of his humane nature shall then more appeare because of the glory of his Godhead which shall then be seene fully euen such and the same as he had before eternitie yet shall this saluation more increase the glory of his humanity when we shall vnderstand and see it to bee personally vnited to the sonne of God who with God the Father and the holy Ghost shall be all in all Now the fruition and possession of this glory shal worke three effects in vs first it shall breed in vs an infinite loue toward God secondly an infinite ioy in God thirdly an infinite praise to God Infinitely shall we loue him that hath aduanced as to such honour as is endles and to such fellowship as is matchlesse our hearts shall be filled with ioy yet not able to comprehend or expresse it Mat. 25.23 therefore it is said Enter thou into thy masters ioy for this ioy is too great to enter into thee and besides the ioy we shall haue in our owne saluation we shall conceiue as great ioie for the saluation of others which is called ioy celestiall and we shall haue yet more ioy then before to see the Godhead so glorious the Lambe aduanced in our flesh and to be one person with God And this is aboue all ioies because we shal loue Christ far aboue our selues for the zeale of Gods glory shall euen eat vs vp and it shall be so great in vs as it cannot be so great for our owne saluation and then out of this loue and ioy as out of two fountaines ioyned in one shall spring and arise such continuall praise to God for this glory that we shal vncessantly sing to God in the Temple which is God himselfe so as we shall praise God in God and this shall be as the Prophet Esay saith from new Moone to new Moone and from Sabbath to Sabbath that is for euer for this loue of God is from eternitie in respect of our predestination and to eternitie in respect of our glorification and this is that we sigh and grone for and for which while wee are in the flesh absent from God wee continually pray for ROM chap. 8. vers 31.32 verse 31 What shall we say then to these things If God be on our side who can be against vs verse 32 Who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs all things also THe Apostle before set downe that God the Father by his eternall purpose hath foreacknowledged vs and foreloued vs with an euerlasting loue in his Sonne and not vs onely but all those that to the end of the world shall loue him and manifest and shew foorth this their loue by a sincere worship and religious care to keepe his commandements and how that the Lord as he hath ordained vs and them to the same glory so at the fulnesse of time by the dispensation of his wisdome by his spirit he doth call them by the instrument of his word by the same loue doth iustifie vs in his Sonne and will glorisie vs with himselfe Now he being ouercome with the thought and meditation of these things breaketh foorth into a woonder and admiration that seeing it is thus that the Lord hath taken it vpon him neuer to leaue vs till he hath aduanced vs to heauenly places euen the seat of the Lord Iesus what shall we say The answer is giuen with the question this we must say that since he is our God as appeareth by that which went before then is it impossible wee being thus backed and hauing the Lord our bulwarke that any creature can bee of that force or be so against vs no not the diuell in hell with all his power can hinder vs from the fruition of this glorie In the other words who spared not his Sonne c. there is a further consolation set downe vnto vs to make the heape of comfort greater that since the Lord gaue as it were iudgement against his owne Son and set him foorth to a shamefull death for vs and this when we were his enemies and strangers from the life of God how can it bee he should now denie vs any thing to further our saluation being made friends with him and reconciled to him thorow his Sonne This doctrine needeth rather deepe meditation then large explication for who doth not assume to himselfe sufficiently to vnderstand it being but thus much in effect that since God in his euerlasting purpose hath thus manifested his glorie and mercie and hath ordained the end which is his glorie in our saluation and to bring it that it may come to this end hath subordinated and set downe certaine causes as calling and iustifying it is impossible any thing should hinder our saluation If God he on our side Heereupon wee must not thinke that if God be on our side we shall haue no enemies for because God loueth vs therefore we haue the more enemies and therefore wee are persecuted and subiect to the hatred of the world as Christ himselfe expresseth Ioh. 17.14 The world hateth them because saith he they are like me So as in this place the Apostle doth not meane that we should expect any immunitie and exemption on from the eâ—mitie and malice of men but that wee hauing this heauenly securitie and assured certaintie of the Lords protection neither Angell nor man nor diuell nor torment shall be able to ouer come vs. For this is that Paul speaketh of All things are by Christ Col. 1.16 through Christ and for Christ that is all things are created by him all things are preserued through 〈◊〉 maintained for his glorie so that our saluation being alwaies ioyned with his glorie neither shall men breath nor the diuell
rage but to glorifie Christ which glorie of his is greatest in our saluation We therefore in a spirituall confidence of the Lords loue do challenge all men and all things that euer were created that what violence soeuer they offer vs or what punishment soeuer they inflict vpon vs it is so farre from presting vs downe as it maketh vs spread higher and furthereth our saluation for God is with vs and while the bridegroome is with vs wee cannot mourne The euill they can doe is but with the dragon to fight with vs and as the enemies of God to persecute vs and though they be led to do this by the malice of their harts yet they serue but as the Lords rods to chastise vs and as Apothecaries to make drugs to cure our infirmities but so as they cannot put in one dramme more then the Lord knoweth of for he hath the tempering of the cup as it is said of Salomon The Lord weigheth the enterprises of men and their actions are in his hands and the woorst they can doe vs is but this to shorten our daies by that meanes to hasten our ioyes Hereupon we are to gather and to lay vp this comfort that if the course of nature should be altered yet euen in this confusion of nature if we call vpon the Lord his eare is readie to heare and his hand to helpe vs nay if there be any speciall iudgement and vengeance determined against a citie or a people the presence of the Lords children doth euen binde his hands that he can doe nothing while they be there as Genes 19.16 till Lot was snatched out of Sodome the fire could not fall from heauen to destroy it So that if heauen and earth conspire against vs if sea and sand should imagine vs mischiefe if the Princes of the world should set their armies against vs and like grashoppers in multitude should lie waiting for our liues if the sorrowes of death and the pangs of hell should compasse vs yet this is our shade and comfort that we liue vnder the wings of the Almightie and that wee are to the Lord as precious as the tenderest part of his eie and he that commeth so neare him the breath of his mouth shall confume him and in the middest of all these calamities wee shall stand like mount Sion and shall feare no more then the heauens were affraid Psal 125.1 Psal 91.11 Gen. 11.4 when Nimrod and his companie would haue built vp a tower vnto them For the Lord hath giuen his Angels charge ouer vs and not a haire of our head shall fall without his prouidence but as the wicked haue many waies to hurt vs so hath the Lord farre more meanes to helpe vs. Who spared not his owne Sonne This is another consolation ministred vnto vs to stay vs from fainting in afflictions that if God hath giuen vs his Sonne when wee were his enemies then much more now being reconciled vnto him will he giue vs with his Sonne all things else In this consider two parts first what it is that is said heere God deliuered vp his Sonne to death secondly that if hee giue him hee will giue all things else In the first consider two parts first the person of him that was giuen vp it was his owne Son secondly who the persons be for whom hee is giuen vp namely for all the faithfull In the first which is the person of him was giuen vp to death doth appeare the wonderfull loue of God that would vouchsafe to bestow vpon vs rebels and runnagates no woorse thing then his owne Sonne Great was the loue of Abraham toward God Gen. 22.8 that so commaunded his naturall affections as to offer vp his sonne Isaac at the Lords commaundement vnto death hauing but one sonne and he giuen him by a speciall fauor to comfort his age and him whom he loued being vertuous and religious when he had no hope to haue any more sonnes and this being the sonne of the promise in whom both himselfe and the whole world should be saued that this child should not bee banished from him but put to death and killed not before his face but with his owne hand this was a great loue for flesh and bloud to fall into But yet farre greater is the loue of God toward vs who louing Christ a thousand times more then Abraham could loue Isaac Ioh. 3.15 because betweene heauenly and earthlie things there is no comparison that God should deliuer him vp not to the whip but to the gibber not by commandement as Abraham did but of his meere and voluntarie loue and motion not into the hands of them that sorrowed to see him afflicted but into the hands of butchers that cared not how cruelly they dealt with him and this not for his friends as Abraham did for he was called the friend of God but for traitors that would haue pulled the Lord foorth of his owne seate and not to death onely as Abraham did his sonne who by the losse of his life should presently haue gained heauen but to a most cursed death and detestable and this to bee performed not in a mountaine or secret place where there should be sew beholders as Abrahams was to haue beene done but euen before the face of all the Iewes to hang as a most odious and notorious sinner to suffer his accusation to bee no lesse then for blasphemie to haue him so debased as to haue Barrabas who for an insurrection and murther was cast into prison Lu. 23.18.19 Mat. 27.22 in the choice of the people preferred before him who not onely was condemned by Pilate prosecuted by the malice of the Iewes conuinced by false testimonies scorned at by them that bad him helpe himselfe when he was in such extremitie as hee could scarce speake but that euen God his Father should arraigne him in heauen hauing all the sins of the world cast vpon him that pressed him at one time to the highest and lowest part of hell Whereupon consider that for the sinnes in our person all the horrors of hell did compasse him and all the torments of the damned did seize vpon him Reu. 19.15 and God for the time accounted him his enemie and brought him to that exigent and extremitie as he was forced to crie Father why hast thou forsaken me for if he had not bin the Sonne of God it had bin impossible to haue sustained or endured it and yet being the Son of God he was driuen so low as an Angel was faine to be dispatched from heauen to comfort him and all this to befall him who in himselfe was not in any one particular sinfull being cleane by birth and holy by conuersation True it is the high Priest was angrie with him because he tooke him as an offender in his owne person but God was angrie with him as esteeming him a sinner in our person that he which had not deserued being smitten wee that had deserued might
their right hand whom they meane to make their equals as Gen. 41.40 Ioseph was set at the right hand of Pharaoh being made ruler ouer all Egypt and 1. King 2.19 Salosom set Bathsheba his mother on the right hand so is it said by Dauid in the Psalmes the Queene fitteth on the right hand of the King So as the meaning is Psal 45. â— that Christ Iesus hath receiued from God the copartnership of soueraigne authority ouer all natures whatsoeuer and as he is man being also the Sonne of â—â—d and our elder brother is aduanced ouer all and hath received a name aboue all so as now the Father ruleth nothing but 〈◊〉 the person of his Sonne Secondly vnderstand that this sitting at Gods right hand though it was due to his humane nature and flesh from the moment of his conception and vniting the flesh to his diuine nature yet it is properly assigned to him after his resurrection or rather after his ascension For hauing in the forme of a seruant performed all obedience then did the Father crowne his obedience with this excellent glory and then was this soueraignty bestowed on him Which must teach vs much more patiently to wait vpon the Lord and not to expect our reward before we set forth or while we be running but when our race is finished and that wee haue borne the heat of the day and haue fought a good fight in the Lord. Thirdly for this his sitting that is the receiuing of his absolute authority though Christ as God neuer receiued it being equall to God much lesse after his ascension yet after his ascension he was in some sort aduanced in his diuine nature for as the Scripture saith The Sonne of God descended meaning thereby abased himselfe Rom. 10.7 and his glorie did not so fully appeare being hidden in the cloud of his infirme flesh yet as the Apostle saith by his rising and ascending was he mightily declared to be the sonne of God and by that was more manifested to be so Rom. 1.4 then he was vpon the earth This also he sheweth himselfe Iob. 17.24 when he praied to be glorified with the same glory he had with his Father from the beginnig not that it should then be bestowed vpon him but then miraculoussy declared to haue had it from eternitie Howbeit this his sitting heere spoken of is properly meant to be exalted in his flesh because this authority is giuen him as Mediator And in this respect Christ may bee said to be greater then himselfe and lesse then himselfe because his flesh is beneath his diuinity and his Godhead farre aboue his humanity And by this power giuen him he is glorified in the Godhead in the manifestation of it in the flesh by abolishing all his infirmities and replenishing his flesh with all maner of graces Colos 2.8 as it is said lâ—â— him dwelt the fulnesse of the Godhead Concerning the second point namely what fruits come tâ—â— vs by this his sitting at Gods right hand they are principally three first we learne by this that he doth inrich his Church generally and euery member particularly with so many graces 〈◊〉 the holy Ghost as shall be necessary to the glory of the head the edification of the whole body and the saluation of euery particular member according as it is set downe Eph. 5.26.27 that this Church might be without spot or wrinkle and without blame Secondly by this his presence with God he doth defend and protect his Church from all enemies whatsoeuer so as the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it And this is our comfort that since all power is giuen him he that hath felt our infirmities hath the tempering of the cup of our afflictions which we may boldlie drinke of and not refuse it no more then he did the bitter cup his Father gaue to him and assure our selues that no tyrants hand can touch vs further then he permits him which shall neuer be aboue our strength for Christ hath power enough to performe it and God hath will enough to doe it And since while he was in his humanity on earth the diuell could not enter into a heard of swine without his licence and permission Math. 8.32 and that as it is said in the Reu. 5.3 he doth so seale the doore as none can enter in vnles he open it what shall we thinke he will doe now being in his glory and at his Fathers elbow And while he was in the flesh being able by the word of his mouth to stay the raging of the sea Mat. 8.26 much more now can he and will he represse the rage and fury of our persecutors when it please him Thirdly he shall sit at the right hand of the father vntill all his children be fully glorified and his enemies destroied which are of two sorts first such as are to be abolished as death secondly or such as perfectly are to be vanquished and yet perpetually to be tormented as the diuel and the damned spirits for to them shall it be a day of horror and of howling Now for the fourth which is his intercession or his making request for vs consider two things first what is meant in that he is said to make petition for vs secondly what benefits redound and arise to vs by these his requests for vs. For the first that he is said to pray for vs it is the exaltation and aduancement of Christ Iesus in the office of his eternall priest-hood whereof there were two parts the one to expiate or offer sacrifice for sinne the other to pray for the people Now Christ was such a Priest as the power of his sacrifice continueth for euer and no more sacrifice is to be offered vp as it is said Heb. 10.12 this man meaning Christ after he had once offered one sacrifice for sinne sitteth for euer at the right hand of God Howbeit the second duty of his Priest-hood which is to pray for vs remaineth still but after an other maner not as he did vpon the earth when he prostrated himselfe to the ground and lifted vp his eies to heauen with trembling of heart and anguish of minde offering vp praiers as Heb. 5.7 with strong cries and teares vnto God being himselfe then but as a seruant to his Father but he exerciseth this office now not by any submission of gesture but by representing and setting before the eyes of his Father his sacrifice fresh and bleeding which turneth his Fathers countenance from our indignities and misdeeds to looke vpon himselfe as Heb. 9.24 He is entred into heauen to appeare now in the sight of God for vs standing there to be beholden For the second namely what benefits we haue by this his intercession and they are three first by this he fulfilleth all the types and figures of the law that heereby he might fully declare vnto vs that he is the euerlasting Priest prefigured by them that were vnder the law as Heb. 10.19 hee is said
the time from vanitie and walke worthy of that calling wherein God hath set vs. Thirdly if Satan cannot blow out the fire of the Lords spirit in vs by this but that wee resolue in our hearts to doe some good if we will needes doe it he perswades no to doe it by and by but to pawse vpon the matter and to procrastinate and defer it by this reason We may as well do it another time as now But wee must labour the contrary vnlesse wee will suppresse the power and soundnesse of the spirit for if we be not apt to day we shall be lesse apt to morrow and it is good to take the time while it is offered for we know not whether our life shall passe this present occasion Christ commeth not to thee at all times and therfore if he knocke now and we let him not in though hereafter we pine away with the desire of hauing him wee shall not get him according to that speech of the Prophet Esay 55.6 Seeke the Lord while he may be found and call vpon him while he is nigh for though he suffereth long yet will he not be mocked Therefore in doing good we must resemble and be like those that hauing earnest businesse as soone as they wake in the morning start out of their beds to auoide and shake off their sluggishnesse and say not as the stothfull doe Prou. 6.10 Yet a little sleepe yet a little slumber c. for when we are mooued and resolued to performe any good thing we may not grieue the spirit by deferring it but we must do it presently like Abraham Genes 18.6 who made haste and ran in to prepare meat and entertainment for the Angels for we must not looke vpon the clouds if we will sow nor gather the winds if we will reape nor defer good motions and actions if we will receiue comfort by them Fourthly the spirit is quenched by this If Saâ—han cannot make thee lust against good nor spend thy time 〈◊〉 trifles and to no good purpose nor to deferre the good thou hast resolued to doe by some by-thought that hee shall suggest if thou wilt needes do it then he striueth to make thee doe it languishingly droopingly and coldly and thereupon perhaps thou makest a few praiers but when thou findest the comfort not so great as thou wouldest or as thou hast felt at other times then thou breakest off and euery good exercise though 〈◊〉 bee short seemeth tedious vnto thee But the spirit must labour the cleane contrary as to do good things so to doe them seriously for the worke of the Lord must not bee done negligently Though therefore thou findest thy selfe vndisposed to holy exercises yet striue by continuance in them if it be possible to make the spirit easie and though at first thou feelest great difficultie in praying yet resolue to continue in it some long time in ripping vp thy sinnes by praier and if at the last by often strife thou canst come to pray with ease and to feele the sweetnesse of the Lords mercy comforting thee in thy perplexed thoughts and in thy weake petitions it is a notable signe of thine election Lastly Sathan would quench the spirit by this if we will not bee worse he would make vs not to be better nor to goe forward in religion We will all graunt that we must professe the Gospell now since Sathan cannot weane vs from this opinion hee laboureth to keepe vs at a scantling in this porfession but it is certaine hee that goeth not forward in the porfession of the truth goeth backeward Hast thou not more zeale now then thou haddest when the Gospell was first brought thee then feare lest the spirit bee much quenched Wouldest thou haue a man stand at a stay till he come to his full stature or one halfe cured to send away the Physition or eat and not be nourished or spend of thy stocke and not increase it And why shouldest thou not bee as wise in the spirit as in these things Wouldest thou haue the Israelites make league with the Canaanites Deut. 7.16 No they must not cease till they haue cast them all out of the land And so if thou bee at league with any sinne it hindereth thy growth in religion and if thou come not to a full and perfect age in Christ thou canst not bee saued Thou must know though thou hast thy lampe burning yet the oile wasteth with flaming and if thou haue not oile to supply thy want thy light will goe out and thy selfe shalt sit in darkenesse Yet so farre hath this policy of Sathan preuailed that many who in King Edward and Queene Maries daies were zealous for the Lord are now frozen in their dregges and they that before heard the ioyfull message of saluation with singular comfort and could not haue their thirst staled but by the waters of wisedome are now by this long peace growne secure and waxen neither hot nor cold Of these men to say no worse they are right Laodiceans against whom the wisedome of the holy Ghost long since pronounced a fearefull doome that the Lord would spue them out of his mouth for shall Christ who is his Fathers counseller while he was in the flesh increase in wisdome Luk. 2.52 and shall we who are as blind as Beetles thinke it enough for vs to retaine the rudiments and first principles of religion and not to wax strong and able in the truth of God Nay certaine it is if we continue children in vnderstanding and do not grow from loue to patience 1. Cor. 14.20 2. Pet. 1.5 6. from patience to temperance from one grace of God to another if wee increase not I do not meane in peeuish and preposterous zeale but in sound substantiall zeale and from being fed with milke to desire strong meat it shall be as lothsome for the Lord to take vs that be thus decayed in our soules and which from good substantiall Christians are falne to bee most miserable beggerly banke-rupts as for a man to receiue againe into his stomacke that he hath once gorged vp As Satan therefore laboureth to quench this spirit by our coldnesse in religion and by standing at a stay in Christianity so let the spirit of God in vs striue for the contrary Reu. 22.11 that he that is righteous may bee more righteous and that wee may increase in faith and bee daily set on fire with the zeale of Gods truth for we may not bee worse than the ground which by the raine is made more fruitefull not then the herbes which by the Sunne are made more flourishing Heere some will say he that is once faithfull and whom the Lord hath once sealed that man cannot haue the spirit taken from him therefore though the operation and working of the spirit be for a time hindered and interrupted yet it shall bee restored againe because the Lord hath promised that whom hee loueth he will alwaies loue It is true that
present euen as the time of our life is for Gods children most bee like the rod of the Almond tree spoken of Ierem. 1.11 which in those countries where it groweth is the first that blossometh yea we must not onely giue the first fruits as vnder the law but euen all the fruits of our liues to the Lord for God often punisheth the want of his fear in our youth with the want of wisedome in our age if our godlines be not present he oftentimes cutteth vs off before we can see the time to come Neither yet must we thinke it sufficient to cherish godlinesse in our hearts no not in our chambers but it must be as a light set vpon a hill that not onely Gods children may see it for their direction but that euen the world may see it for their condemnation as Christ saith to his disciples I haue sent you to walke in the midst of a froward and crooked generation yet must they walke still for by this open profession of godlinesse we shew whose liuerie we weare and that we are not ashamed of the crosse nor abashed at it Howbeit this course of godlinesse which we must liue in is no more nor no lesse then an absolute resignation and giuing vp of all things in respect of God which standeth in three things first in giuing vp our reason secondly in denying our affections thirdly in framing our mind to a moderation in what estate the Lord shall set vs in For the first wee must resigne vp our reason to religion in two respects first for that it is an incomprehensible mysterie which is vnsearchable secondly for that the ignominie thereof is vnsufferable in our reason as to thinke that he is blessed that is hungrie they vnhappie that bee rich and that the Lords correction is loue For the second which is the giuing vp of our affections it will teach vs so to walke and so to deale as in the presence of God it will make vs plough vp those furrowes of pride and vaine-glorie which lie so deepe in our hearts and when by the instigation of our affections we are mooued to riot or voluptuousnesse it will make vs abstaine because we haue giuen our selues to God For the third to haue a willingnesse to suffer what the Lord sendeth will make vs resigne vp those inordinate cares of getting wherewith wee are oftentimes perplexed and to content our selues with that portion the Lord hath shared out vnto vs so as by religion and a godly life we shall learne to say with Dauid O Lord thou hast done it therefore I hold my peace and not only to beare an outward contentment in worldly things but euen in all calamities to rest vpon the mercifull hand of God IAMES chap. 2. vers 20.21 verse 20 But wilt thou vnderstand O thou vaine man that the faith which is without works is dead verse 21 Was not Abraham our father instified through workes when he offered Isaac his sonne vpon the altar THe word of God hath two parts in it first it is a word of wisedome secondly it is a word of knowledge by knowledge to reforme the iudgement and to conuince the conscience by wisdome to perswade the affections to the obedience of that we haue truly learned Saint Iames here indeuoreth to perswade that none could be saued without works and he proueth it by a double example of Abraham and of Rahab Wilt thou vnderstand c. as if he should say If that set downe before cannot sufficiently take root to affect thee and to perswade thee that without the workes of a holy life thy faith is no better then a diuels faith take this example of Abraham for all thou wilt grant that Abraham was an excellent person and had true faith and that the couenant was so made with him that none should be saued vnlesse they were of his seed either according to the flesh and spirit or at least according to the spirit And since the couenant was made with him and he was saued by faith so must all we be saued by his faith that is by a faith of the same kind that his was for there is but one faith though there be diuers measures of it Now Abraham had an approued faith as it is proued by this one act and worke of his for all because it was the principallest of all in that he staied not nor demurred vpon the Lords commandement in offering vp his fonne the greatest worke that euer flesh and bloud did except his that was more then flesh and blood namely Christ And because the Iesuits as hardened enemies against the truth haue strangely peruerted this place we must vnderstand a difference betweene these speeches Faith without workes is dead and Faith that is without workes is dead for by the first speech may bee thought that works giue life to faith which is most false but the second speech is true workes being a necessarie consequent of faith and an infallible signe that faith hath gone before euen as in these speeches to say The body is dead without breathing and the body that is without breathing is dead for if wee affirme and attribute the cause of life to breathing it is false for the soule is the cause of life in the body but the other speech is true for the body that hath no breath in it is deadâ— and where breath is it is a signe there is life So to say the tree that is without fruit is dead is true but not to say the tree without fruit is dead for the tree that standeth in the ground is not fruitfull we may well say is dead at the root but when the sap lieth at the root we may well say there is life in the tree though there be no fruit on the branches Now the aduersaries argue thus No dead faith can iustifie faith without workes is dead therefore no faith can iustifie without workes as if they should say Christ Iesus neuer raised vp himselfe without his humanity therefore his humanity helped in raising vp his flesh which is most blasphemous Howbeit Christ separated from his humanity was neuer raised vp this is must true So they in their former argument referre iustification to workes which is most false but if they had concluded therfore faith that is without workes cannot iustifie they had done well for thereby had been proued that works had been inseparable from faith but not that they concurre for faith is alone euer in iustifying but neuer alone in the person iustified euen as the eye alone of all the parts of the bodie doth see but the eye that is alone separate from the other parts of the body doth not sece at all but is a dead eye Was not Abraham c. Heere consider two points first in what sense this is true secondly why this worke aboue the rest is commended and registred for a proofe of Abrahams faith The words heere set downe are directly contrary to the
not iustified because hee worketh not but therefore hee worketh not because hee is not iustified And it is most blasphemous to say iustification is wrought partlie by grace and partly by free-will and to thanke God that thy free-will with his grace can iustifie for heereby shalt thou neuer be iustified for if any thing of thine either preuent the grace of God or assist it in thy iustification then is it not as Paul saith Ex gratia sedex debito not of grace but of dutie And where they speake of two iustifications we neuer heard but of one mentioned by Paul Rom. 4.3 that is iustification by faith And for the second iustification that is that being iustified men may deserue something by their workes this is but a fruite and effect of the first that is a daily proceeding to wash our feete Iohn 13.10 and an earnest endeuour by good workes to make our election sure and to haue our faith approued according to that in the Reuelation 22.11 that hee that is righteous may be more righteous that is may still bring foorth better fruit for the workes of the iustified please God not of themselues but because they are iustified for the person must first bee accepted before his worke can bee accepted And though none shall goe to heauen but they that bee washed where blood hath gone before yet none because hee is washed shall bee saued Now in this example of Abraham which is set downe heere obserue foure parts first a briefe narration of it secondly the speciall worke of Abraham which is aboue all other his workes registred and exemplified thirdly the amplification of the worke in the 22. and 23. verses fourthly the determinate conlusion that a man cannot be saued nor iustified by faith onely Of the example it selfe was spoken before now followeth to intreate of the second part that is of the excâ—â—plifying and enlarging of this worke of Abraham in sacrificing his sonne Heere may be demanded why the Apostle alleageth this worke of his more then any of the rest as if there were some disparagement betweene this and other his workes and excellent vertues hee was peaceable to all harborous to the poore resolute in afflictions wise in the gouernment of his house not affraid in the sight of Kings to set vp and erect an altar as a testimony that he serued the true God euen in the middest of their idolatry yet is this worke preferred aboue all that is heere set downe because though hee was declared to bee iust in all his other workes yet chiefly and aboue all in this of sacrificing his sonne The circumstances to exaggerate and make this worke seeme great are these If Abraham had beene commanded to haue disherited this sonne or to haue banished him or to haue seene him no more it might much haue tried his patience if he had had more sonnes then this yet because he loued this sonne specially well in the affection of a parent it had beene much to haue endured but this that Isaac was borne of the free woman and though borne of flesh yet meerely supernaturall in as much as there was no more life in Sarahs wombe in respect of her age then in a dead stocke Heb. 11.12 that he was his onely sonne his beloued sonne the sonne of the promise when Abraham knew that if Isaac were taken away both himselfe and all the world should bee damned because in this sonne alone was the promise if he had had more children though the couenant onely was tied to this sonne or if there had beene any more hope of children if hee might onely haue heard of the sacrificing of his sonne and not haue seene it or seene it and not haue done it with his owne hands or done it sodainely and not haue gone three daies in strife betweene the law of nature and the law of obedience or if Isaac had offended any thing or if this commandement had come from the tyranny of any Prince and not from God or if it might haue beene closely done and not in a mountaine where the Sunne might abhorre to see such cruelty of a father toward an innocent child it had beene much lesse euen in the affection of a naturall father and yet a most grieuous triall and assault But that this commandement must come from God who first had bid him hope for this sonne and now bids him kill him as if he had before but mocked him that an Angell must be the ambassadour and carier of this message whom the weake eies of man cannot behold for glory that this newes must come in the night when his eies by other obiects could not draw his minde from bethinking of this bitter message and that this must seize vpon him in his sweet sleepe to awake him though in respect of the former he might bee much anguished yet by this so much the greater was his trouble and yet far lesse had it been if he might not haue gone so long perplexed in his thoughts But now not to demurre nor stay vpon it but to rise vp earely in the morning and in three daies iourney wherein no doubt he had many and diuers agitations and combats of spirit not to vtter a repining word or grudging speech this was a further and greater triall For many are wont to be good at a brunt who are altered by after cogitations Then the words of the sweet child Father heere is wood but where is the sacrifice had beene enough to haue rent his heart to see he should be butcher to that sonne could aske so wise a question All which must argue and shew such a strong and mighty faith in Abraham that he could neuer so silently and chearefully haue performed this had hee not beleeued that if his sonne should haue gone to hell the Lord could haue taken him out againe for faith admits of no contradiction when it hath a promise And so we see Abraham forgets not onely to be a father but the matter is so qualified by faith that he forbeareth not only the affection of a parent but in faith beleeueth that out of his ashes the Lord would raise him vp not another but the very same Isaac From hence learne that though the Lord examine not vs so streitly as hee did Abraham yet hee trieth euery one of vs according to his measure for the practise of religion and mortification concerneth all from the Prince to the tankerd-beater and though wee cannot all be swallowed vp so deepely with the zeale of Gods glorie as were Moses and Paul Exod. 32.32 Rom. 9.3 who to win soules to God wished themselues not to see God yet must wee learne when we haue a commandement to exclude and lay aside all discourse of flesh and blood and to follow Christ euen to the hazard of our owne liues not a farre off as Peter did follow him to his suffering Mat. 26.58 but iust behind him as neere as can be according to the rule
faith were spiritually conioined to Christ who is the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world and they were not saued by their regeneration and workes of faith for these were but effects of their first vniting to Christ spiritually which speech of our coniunction with Christ is like that of the true Catholike Church who are said to bee members of another though they be seuerall persons in respect of the mysticall reference which they haue to Christ their head Further they obiect Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many are made righteous Whereupon they inferre that it must be proportionable euery way and that as corruption is naturally deriued from Adam to vs and his very corruption really abideth in vs so Christ must really deriue his righteousnesse from himselfe to vs or else say they the example holdeth not To this we say as in Adam we are truely sinners by his sinne and that not by imitation but by imputation for that one sinne of Adam which condemned all the world was onely committed in the person of Adam so the iustice of Christ is no more in vs then was that sinne onely of Adam which made vs all to be damned and the punishment of that sinne brought originall sinne and the generall corruption And say they though all are saued through the obedience of Christ yet as after the sinne of Adam originall sinne was deriued to vs so must Christ his righteousnesse needes be in vs. We answer true it is they agree in this Adam giueth vs that be hath by the participation of his flesh Christ giueth vs that he hath onely by the communication of the holy Ghost Againe we say as euery man dieth of his owne disease and yet it may be he had that contagion from another so for Adams sin as it was imputed vnto vs we die and yet not for Adams sinne aloue but for our owne for in vs there is the very matter of corruption but Christs righteousnesse is not in the flesh but in the spirit for though we may haue perfect sinne yet we cannot haue perfect righteousnesse Againe there be three degrees in Adams sinne first by imputation secondly by propagation and drawing the filthinesse of Adams sinne really into the soule and flesh of man Thirdly we are condemned iustly by the imitation of Adams sinne in as much as when we come to discretion we sinne as Adam did but rigteousnesse is spirituall and hath but one degree onely by imputation and not by imitation for who would goe to hell to suffer as Christ did And yet there is somewhat in Christ not imputed to vs but deriued to vs yet no matter to iustifie vs that is the sanctification of his nature which is the renewing of ours and this holinesse we must haue actually in vs but all this is after our conuersion wrought meerely in the obedience of Christ his blood IAMES chap. 2. vers 25.26 verse 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot iustified through works when she had receiued the messengers and sent them out another way verse 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead euen so faith without workes is dead VNto the example of Abraham the Apostle matcheth this of Rahab to shew how by this excellent worke she did proue her selfe a conuert Israelite from a cursed Cananite wherein first is questionable why the holy Ghost should vouchsafe to sort Abraham that most reuerend father of the faithfull and of the Patriarkes with a woman who was for her condition base because a victualler for her country cursed because a Cananite for her conuersation infamous because a strumpet and leaue other excellent examples of worthy men which might seeme to haue beene a lesse disparagement to Abraham whereto is answered that there is a speciall cause why saint Iames setteth this example downe aboue the rest because to the example of Abraham it might haue been replied that he was a singular and rare man so 〈◊〉 might be compared with him none did euer exceed him and many were inferiour to him and yet haue beene saued and therfore that the Apostle should not too much insist vpon the example of Abraham for this cause he hath chosen such a one as there is so many degrees betweene Abraham and her as if it bee aboue our reach to match Abraham yet wee may bee ashamed not to onermatch a whoore And if wee can neither imitate the highest nor bee equall with the lowest let vs boast neuer so long of good workes and faith it is certaine wee are monstrous hypocrites and cannot bee saued Secondly in this example wee must wisely consider what worthy things there are in this worke of Rahab taken out of Iosh 2.1 that it should receiue this honour to bee matched with the noble acts of the Patriarkes both by this Apostle and in Hebr. 11.31 Wherein wee must examine the lawfulnesse of her act not onely to conceale them that came as spies but to abet comfort and conuey them away since they came to espy the land which tended to the desolation of the whole countrey and subuersion of the state Which maketh nothing for them that send Emissaries and Iesuites into this our land to steale away the hearts of the people from their lawfull Soueraigne For in that Rabab did thus aide comfort and abet them shee did it not because they came to vsurpe and assault the countrey for if they had had no right but onely had come to haue made a larger extent of their Princes territories it had beene in them a fellonious purpose and as much as rouing vpon the sea and robbing by the high-way and if shee had suspected they had come to this end without hauing any better right vpon paine of her soule shee should haue discried it otherwise she had beene disloyall to her Prince and State but in that shee did conceale it shee knewshee had her security from heauen that cursed should all those bee that resisted the seed and race of Abraham she knew that by the mandate of the almighty the land was giuen vnto them and that they that dwelt therein were but vsurpers and therefore were bound to yeeld it vp as from God And if vpon this knowledge she had not protected them as 〈◊〉 did the Angels Genes 19.8 she had beene guiltie of their bloud she might haue beene vsed like Tarpeia among the Romanes who when shee had ingaged them to deliuer vp their bracelers vpon recompence of yeelding vp the Citie and Tower the fouldiers ouerwhelmed her in stead of giuing her the bracelets but all conditions made by Rahab were performed by the spies to shew that the whole worke proceeded from the Lord. Now for the letting them out by night though it bee not lawfull by the lawes of such defenced cities and places to scale the walles in the night time yet vpon the equitie of the cause and in the case of necessitie it may bee excused
in a holy conuersation Heere will be obiected since workes are so precisely vrged what say wee to the faith of the theefe vpon the crosse what workes did he and by this example many betray their soules in presuming of the like grace Wee answer that this was a particular priuiledge giuen to that theefe euen as a pardon may bee giuen to a man vpon the gallowes and if any embolden himselfe heereupon perhaps the rope will be his hire and it is not good to put it vpon the Psalme of Miserere and the necke-verse for sometime he proueth no Clarke And for this theefe the Lord neuer did it but to one that none might presume and yet hee did it to one and did saue one in the exigent of his life that none might despaire Secondly this was a worke reserued for the manifestation of the power of the Sonne of God that he should beleeue in his fellow sufferer and desire him to saue him that when the Pharisees denied him to be the Sonne of God yet a poore wretch and a theefe should confesse it Thirdly we must not regard the shortnesse of his confession but consider the time and circumstance when and before whom this confession was made euen then when no man durst defend the innocencie of the Sonne of God when the Pharisees left him when all his Disciples were scattered and when Marie his mother that stood a farre off and knew him to be the Sonne of God and yet spake nothing in his defence whereby she finned against the first table She was his mother and saw him put to death vniustly and yet would not testifie of his innocencie whereby she bore false witnesse against him so sinned against the ninth commaundement being her sonne she did not comfort him vpon the crosse and so sinned against the fift commaundement yet when all these either doubted of his diuinity or despaired the poore theefe did confesse him to be that Christ the Sonne of God who â—â—d Paradise to dispose Lastly know that he was such a wretch that he neuer knew God before and therefore was it no maruell though he committed felonie but as soone as the Lord knockt at his heart first he confesseth Christ to be God and to die an innocent Luk. 23.41 We suffer righteously but this man hath done nothing amisse wherein he wrought a worke of the first table secondly he reprooued his fellow who raned on Christ wherein he wrought a worke of the second table So as this example of the theefe is no warrant to deferre or trifle off our repentance till the last houre for hee wrought as soone as hee was called If therefore the Lord hath offered vnto vs the riches of his mercie let vs in the acceptable time embrace it and not abuse his long suffering by growing more leane and ill-fauoured by these many yeeres wee haue had of religious peace and plentie but let vs returne vnto him while he is in the way before darknesse too fast ouer-grow our soules and before death snatch vs away into the graue For the similitude which is vers 26. obserue onely that it agreeth not in all points for the soule is the cause of the life of the body but so are not good works the cause of faith but only an effect and fruit of it for faith giueth life to good works and faith worketh by loue in the person instified for we must as hath bene said first be good before we can do good and we are made good spiritually by our regeneration in Christ and we being ingrafted into him then we do good so as the meaning only of the Apostle is by this similitude to shew that when a dead man being dead can speake which is impossible then faith which hath no workes and so is but a dead faith shall iustifie and saue vs. 1. IOHN chap. 3. vers 9.10 verse 9 Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seed remaineth in him neither can he sinne because he is borne of God verse 10 In this are the children of God knowen and the children of the diuell who so doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loueth not his brother THE Apostle in the beginning of this chapter first setteth downe that God the Father by his euerlasting loue in his Sonne hath bestowed vpon the faithfull this priuiledge to be called the sonnes of God in the sonne of God Christ Iesus Secondly that this dignity to bee the sonne of God and so to be called is not to be discerned by the men of the world because they haue not knowen the Sonne hauing not his spirit for spirituall things cannot be discerned by them that haue nothing but fleshly policy Thirdly as this cannot be discerned of the world so it is impossible our selues should sufficiently conceiue of it while we remaine in the tabernacle of this life because there is another glory we expect vers 2. Fourthly he setteth downe an effect inseparable from this adoption As many as are the sonnes of God and haue this hope of future glory they striue to reformation of life not to be equally pure but to bee like pure to the Lord Iesus This hee prooueth first from the institution of the law God neuer ordained the law neither after our creation nor after our redemption but to bee kept and the reason is thus The breach of the law is a disparagement swinge and sinne it perfect strength Thirdly the godly eâ—e said not to sinne be 〈◊〉 he laboureth to walke in all the commandements of the Lord. Now he that walketh in the right way may somtime fall but if hee doe heâ— striueth to regaine it by greater carefulnesse and speedier passageâ— but the wicked goe cleane out of the way as if heauen stood at hell gate Lastly because in the godly there is a combat for there is two men in them in the inward man they would faine please God and by the outward as Saint Paul saith they are made captiue to sinne Rom. 7.23 but in a meere naturall man there is nothing but flesh and so no combat for where all is one there is no diuision and if there be any strife in him it is betweene his conscience and himselfe in iudgement conuincing him that it is sinne and not betweene his conscience and his affection misliking it as it is sinne for this is easily seene by his often relapse into the same sinne Now for the reason hee doth not sinne because the holy Ghost which is the seed of our second birth remaineth in him neither can he sin and this is proued by two places of scripture first Rom. 8.1 where the Apostle proueth these two graces inseparable iustification from sinne and sanctification from sinne thus There is no condemnation to him that liueth a spirituall man this is proued vers 5. by contraries They that liue after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh but he that is borne of God cannot doe so for then