be hid in darkenesse and inuisible and therefore could nothing mooue without stumbling and falling neither know whether to goe Ioh. 12. 35. And what could be looked for but sudaine death Againe without light we should haue no knowledge of any thing the firmament and elements with all their creatures should be inuisible to vs there should be nothing but blindnesse ignorance feare horror sorrow despaire we should be farre worse than the prisoner that lies in the bottome of a nastie dungeon Yea if the light of the Sunne were not the World should be a very picture and resemblance of Hell a confusion of beasts foules and men euery one treading other vnder foote yea all things should be mingled together into one Chaos or masse there should be nothing but hunger thirst cold nakednesse feares terrours mourning and wailing continuall dying one thing deuouring another Consider therefore what is the necessitie excellencie glory and felicitie of the light which is the life of the World Hence it is that light is vsed in the Scripture to signifie good and darkenesse euill Light signifieth the glory of Heauen the essence and holinesse of God the sonne of God the doctrine of the Gospell naturall vnderstanding knowledge and wisedome in the minde the knowledge of the glory and wisedome of God in the saluation of the elect holinesse of life Christians felicitie and prosperitie life Contrarily darkenesse signifieth Hell the paines and of Hell sinne and wickednesse the blindnesse and ignorance of man since the fall sinfull and lustfull liuing the Gentiles that know not God calamitie and miserie death These things are generally signified by Light and Darkenesse But for the clearing of this perticular place the light hath foure speciall significations First It signifieth God that is the Trinitie in the Vnitie Secondly It signifieth the Father Sonne and holy Ghost that is the Vnitie in the Trinitie Thirdly it signifieth the Doctrine of the Gospell Fourthly it signifieth Christians and Christian life Concerning the first signification It is sayd 1 Ioh. 1. 5. God is Light and in him is no darkenesse As if he should say God is holy This holinesse of the Diuine nature standeth First in the life and incomprehensible essence or being of God Secondly in his other essentiall properties as his power wisedome iustice mercy goodnesses Thirdly in his vnspeakeable complete celestiall ioy blessednesse and felicitie And as God is all light so there is no light without him for all that is without him is ignorance darkenesse and impuritie Concerning the second signification I. God the father is the light of the world but this light in him is inuisible to the world and to Angels 1 Tim. 6. 16. Who onely hath immortalitie and dwelleth in the Light which none can attaine vnto Ioh. 1. 18. No man hath seene God at any time Wis 9. 13. What man is he that can know the Counsell of God or who can thinke what the will of God is Also No man knoweth the father but the sonne c. Therefore this light of the world in the person of the father is hid inuisible II. God the Sonne is the light of the world by communication from the father and in him is the light and life of the world manifest and visible which was hid in God from euerlasting Ioh. 5. 36. As the father hath life in himselfe so hath he giuen to the Sonne to haue life in himselfe For this cause is he called the image of the inuisible God and brightnesse of his glory whose glorious nature wisedome and goodnesse shineth in the sonne who with the father is one and the same God Heb. 1. 3. Hence it is that he is called the wisdome of the father because he perfectly knoweth all secrets hidden in the father And he is in speciall manner called the Word because he reuealeth these secrets and this light to the World in mans nature and by mans voice Ioh. 1. 18. No man hath seene God at any time the sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him The Sonne therefore is the light and life of men in a double respect I. Christ is the light and life of man in the worke of creation for by participation of his life and light he receiued life motion sence and knowledge Ioh. 1. 4. In it was life and the life was the light of men II. He is the life and light of man in the worke of redemption in which respect here he calls himselfe the light of the World The former naturall life and light which we receiued from him in the creation is turned into darkenesse and death through the enuy of the Deuill and sinne So that naturally we are without God without light without life lying in the darkenesse of ignorance and the pollution of sinne Ezech. 16. 4. Rom. 1. 18. Now therefore seeing that we are darknesse and not light death and not life euen dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephes 2. 1. God out of the hidden treasures of his wisedome goodnesse and mercy hath quickned reuiued and begotten vs againe by application of his liuely light communicated from before the beginning of the world to the son participated to vs by through the son in the world The son therefore is the light and life of the world he is the wisedome and word of the father reuealing declaring and applying life and light to the world and for this purpose the word was made flesh and dwelt among vs 1 Ioh. 1. 1. That which was from the beginning euen Christ God eternall which we haue heard euen the same Christ made man which we haue seene with our eies which we haue looked vpon and our hands haue handled of the word of life declare wee vnto you The Sonne therefore iâ— our life light and felicitie he alone of God is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. This place is a plaine exposition of these words I am the light of the World for heere the Apostle excludeth a man wholly from himselfe as nothing but darkenesse and death and setteth forth our spirituall and liuely being and manner of being in Christ I. Hee is our wisedome All sauing and true wisedome is in Christ for God hath fully reueiled himselfe in Christ and by him to vs and by no other meanes Colos 2. 3. In him are hid all the treasures of Wisedome and knowledge and if all be in him then without him is nothing II. He is made our righteousnesse that is to say by him and in him alone we are accepted and beloued of God For first he alone by himselfe hath purged our sinnes Secondly his obedience alone is imputed to vs for righteousnesse In which two things standeth the righteousnesse of faith by which God is our God and we are his people III. He is our sanctification By nature we are profane without God in the world a masse of filthinesse and
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD A Sermon preached at Botterwike in Holland neere Boston in Lincolnshire By THOMAS GRANGER Preacher of Gods word there IOHN 95. As long as I am in the World I am the light of the World LONDON Printed by T. S. for Thomas Pauier and are to be sold at his shop in Yuie lane 1616. TO THE RIGHT VVorshipfull Mr. THOMAS LEVENTHORPE Esquire Sonne and heyre to the renowned Knight Sir IOHN LEVENTHORPE T. G. wisheth all happinesse and eternall blessednesse RIGHT Worshipfull The speciall affection that I beare to that louely Oliue wherof you are a special branch and the duty wherein I euer remaine obliged vnto it hauing heretofore receiued pleasant nutriture from thence and delightfull refreshing in the shade thereof haue often solicited me by one meanes or other to shew and testifie my thankefull minde to the same and to your selfe in particuler Siluer and gold haue I none nor any costly present but such as I haue freely receiued I freely offer vnto you The water is a common element yet when one Synaeta hauing nothing to offer to Artaxerxes passing by he tooke water out of the riuer Cyrus with both his hands and offered it to the king who accepted it as a speciall gift as Aelianus recordeth first because water is the best element Secondly because it was taken out of Cyrus So the Ayre the Light are common and I not hauing any gift to present you withall am glad to offer the Light vnto you which I hope shal finde special acceptance with you First because that of many lights this is the best light giuing light to all other lights of the naturall soule without which they are vtter darkenesse euen as the lesser lights of the firmament are but darke and dead bodies without the light and vitall influence of the Sun Secondly because this light ariseth and shineth out of another world then is either the Macrocosme or Microcosme to wit the spirituall world which is the word and Church of God But though this light be common because it is offered to all and shineth vnto all yet it is receiued of few because darke earthy bodies cannot receiue the light in which respect it becommeth a proper and speciall light and I make no doubt but that you are one of those few who delight in this light and therefore I trust will also accept this as a speciall gift which is pretious and speciall in it selfe though it be not specially but vulgarly set forth by me to whom the exhibiting and shewing thereof to the world is also committed The Lord protect and conduct you in the way euerlasting From Botterwike in Holland neere Boston in Lincon 1616. Your worships to command euer in the Lord THOMAS GRANGER THE LIGHT OF THE VVORLD IOHN 8. 12. Then spake IESVS againe to them saying I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walke in darknesse but shall haue the light of life THESE words containe a Sermon of our Sauiour Christ preached to the Iewes in the Temple Wherein two things are principally to be considered the Preface and the principall Scope The Preface is in the former words Then spake Iesus to them c. Wherein consider these circumstances First The person speaking Iesus spake his speaking is amplified by a note of sedulitie and oftennesse in speaking Spake againe Secondly The persons to whom he spake to them viz. the people of the Iewes flocking together about him not to the Pharisies Thirdly The time when then that is either after this time when the Pharises had tempted him vpon occasion of a woman taken in adulterie or else in the great and last day of the feast of Tabernacles as some thinke but whether it mattereth not much Whereas it is said that he spake to them againe hence we obserue and learne that Christ was most diligent laborious and painefull in his calling being in all things answerable to the commandement and will of his father He was often weary hungry thirstie with trauailing and preaching neither fainting nor failing therein through want of earthly reward as the maner of earthly men is nor discouraged therefrom with the feare of his enemies In the Chapter aforegoing the Iewes seeking to kill him he trauailed into Galilee and from thence about the middle of the Feast to Ierusalem againe where he taught continually in the Temple till the end of the last day of the Feast then he went into the mount Oliuet to rest and refresh himselfe and earely in the morning he came againe into the Temple to preach By which History and many other places it is apparent that Christ was continually employed in the actions of his calling Hereupon it is that Iohn saith Cap. 21. 25. If all things were written that Iesus spake and did I suppose the world could hardly containe the bookes that should be written of him which words he vttered out of the consideration and reuiew of Christs great and daylie pains in teaching preaching working miracles which he thought could not more fitly be expressed than by such an hyperbolicall kinde of speaking Likewise Ioh. 4 34. Christ was wearied with trauaile and thirstie hauing neither drunke nor eaten any thing since the morning it being now mid-day therefore his Disciples prayed him to eate but he answered I haue meate to eate that yee know not of My meate is that I may doe the will of him that sent mee and finish his worke As if he had said though meate be now necessarie for me I hauing fasted thus long yet is the doing of my fathers wil and finishing of his worke more necessarie therefore occasion of preaching by the comming of the Samaritans at this instant being offered I must forget bodily hunger I must not now regard bodily meate but I must redeeme the present occasion with neglect of my body and bodily sustenance Likewise Math. 26. 55. I sate dayly teaching in the Temple among you c. Hereby the Ministers of Christ are taught by his example to be laborious and painfull in the faithfull discharge of their office in the distruction of the kingdome of sinne and Satan and in gathering and building vp the Church and kingdome of Christ seeing that he hath sent them in like manner as his father sent him as himselfe saith In Ioh. 4. 35. Christ exhorteth his Disciples to performe the duties of faithfull labourers in the Lords haruest to be carefull in reaping his fruits his argument is drawn from the comparison of earthly haruest-labour Say yee not there are yet foure months and then commeth the haruest c. As if he should say you are so carefull for this earthly haruest that you count the moneths the weekes and dayes till haruest come so hungarly doe you looke for it and painefully labour in it but the Lords haruest for which you ought to be as careful is euen now at hand for yee may see the regions already white to the haruest
impuritie Gen. 8. 21. Esay 64. 6. Iob. 14. 4. but by the spirit of Christ wee are mortified and renewed in affections will euen in the spirits of our mindes Rom. 8. 10. Ephes 4. 22. 23. 24. IIII. He is our redemption As if he should say by him alone wee are redeemed both from the bondage of sinne and miserie that commeth by sinne This redemption is begun in this life being deliuered from the bondage of corruption and accusation of an euill conscience and perfected in the end of this life when the soule is seperate from the burthen of the flesh but consumate and finished in the resurrection of the last day when body and soule being revnited and ioyned together shall remaine for euer with Christ in his kingdome of glory Now that which the Apostle saith there that Christ is our wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption is all one with that which Christ saith heere I am the light of the world Therefore if any man desire to know more wisdome or other wisedome more righteousnesse or other righteousnesse more redemption or other in whole or in the least part let him heare the Apostle Colos 2. 8 9. Beware least there be any man that spoile you through philosophies and vaine deceit through the traditions of men according to the rudiments of the world and not after Christ for in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the god-head bodily III. The holy Ghost is the light of the world Though God the Sonne be the wisedome and word of the father giuing light and life to the spirituall world that is the companie of the regenerate euen as the Sun giueth light and life to the materiall world yet the world that is the vnregenerate liuing in the darkenesse of ignorance and sinne doe not comprehend nor receiue this light of life no more then the dead eye or body is beautified by the light of the Sun to see and liue therewith Ioh. 1. 5. the light shineth in the darkenesse and the darkenesse comprehended it not 11. He came vnto his owne and his owne receiued him not Esay 53. 1. Who will beleeue our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord reueiled Ioh. 12. 37. Though he did many miracles before them yet they beleeued not in him So that the father is the fountaine of light the Sonne is light begotten of the Light and tooke flesh on him to manifest and participate this light to vs the holy Ghost is light proceeding from both being sent of the Father and the Sonne to enlighten vs. But the Son is the light of the World in a more peculiar maner because he is Emanuell and in and by him is the worke of our redemption wrought but yet with the cooperation of the father and the holy Ghost as if three men should weaue a coate and the third weare it So that the Trinitie in the Vnitie and the Vnitie in the Trinitie is the light of the World Concerning the third signification The Doctrine of the Gospell is the light of the World There be sundry Doctrines and arts in the World which are lights also but they are naturall lights not lights of life there is no vertue in these lights to quicken the mortall body or to reuiue the dead soule the Doctrine of the Gospell is only the light of life Ioh. 6. 63. The words that I speake to you are spirit and life Ioh. 17. 3. Psal 119. 105. Ioh. 24. 13. Concerning the fourth signification Christians and Christian life are the light of the World and especially the Ministers of the Word 2 Cor. 4. 6. God that commanded the light to shine out of darkenesse is hee which hath shined in our hearts to giue the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Iesus Math. 5. 14. Yee are the light of the World Ephes 5. 8. Yee were once darkenesse but now are yee light in the Lord that is you are now enlightened by the word of truth let your conuersation be according to the truth Phil. 2. 15. Be blamelesse and pure and the sonnes of God without reproofe in the middest of a naughtie and crooked nation among whom yee shine as lights in the world Prou. 4. 18. The way of the righteous shineth as the light more and more vnto the perfect day Hereupon the workes of the regenerate are called the workes of light Rom. 13. 12. Put on the armour of light i. honest behauiour Notwithstanding all that hath beene said we must know that although Christ the Gospell and Christian life be the light of the world yet the world namely the vnregenerate comprehend not nor see this light because they take darkenesse to be light and light to be darkenesse Know therefore that as Christ was reputed in the world so were the Prophets before him and the Apostles after him and in such sort are the true Ministers and true beleeuers esteemed in the world Marke what Esay saith of Christ chap. 8. 18. I and the children which thou hast giuen me are as signes and wonders in Israel i. as monsters As Dauid saith Behold I am become a monster vnto many And Iohn saith of him Ioh. 1. 10. He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not Iohn 9. 29. Christ himselfe saith Mat. 11. 19. The sonne of man is counted a glutton a drinker of wine a companion of Publicans and sinners Mat. 27. 63. He is counted a deceiuer Mat. 9. 34. A sorcerer Ioh. 8. 48. A Samaritane and to haue the diuell Mark 3. 21. His kinsfolkes lay hold on him supposing him to be beside himselfe Ioh. 9. 24 The Pharisies know him to be a sinner If Christ was thus reputed of who neuer sinned and in whose person words and works the Maiesty power and glory of God appeared yea through which as through a chrystall his diuinity shined forth to the world how much more then the children of God that are clogged with infirmities No maruell is it though they be counted the vilest and most contemptible persons of all other See the cause hereof Wisd 2. 22 They doe not vnderstand the mysteries of God nor can discerne the honour of the soules that are faultlesse The cause of this ignorance and going astray is vers 21. Their owne wickednesse hath blinded them Ioh. 3. 19. This is the condemnation of the world that light is come into the world and men loued darknesse more then light because their deeds were euill The wicked hate the light because it discouers sinne which they loue againe the righteous loue the light because it discouers sinne which they hate and manifesteth the right way vnto them into which they desire to enter and wherein they delight to walke The world knew not the Prophets that were before Christ But what part or people of the world The Pharisies Amorites Ammonites Moabites Edomites No maruell if
followers but these are secular followers and not pertinent to this place When Christ the light and life of the world preached the Gospell of saluation to the world in the outward forme and appearance of the Prophets that were before him and of his Apostles and ministers after him confirming his doctrine with miracles he had diuers followers I. Some followed him to be cured of their diseases and infirmities Mat. 15. 30. Great multitudes came hauing with them the halt blind dumbe maimed c. Thus the ten leapers followed him and especially the nine that returned not to giue God praise Luke 17. 17. II. Some followed him to gaze on him and his miracles and for this purpose Herod was glad when Pilate had sent him to him hauing been desirous of a long season to see him because he had heard many things of him trusted to see some signe done by him Luk. 23. 8. III. Some followed him for their bellies sake as many doe in these dayes Thus Iudas followed him not because he loued him and embraced his doctrine in sincerity but because he was a theefe and had the bag and bare that which was giuen Iohn 12. 6. Thus the Scribe followed him Mat. 8. 19. Master I will follow thee whither soeuer thou goest He imagined in his earthly heart as did Iudas and the people of the Iewes that Christ should in the end be crowned King of the Iewes and that he would prefer and aduance his followers as earthly Princes vse to doe Therefore Christ shapes him an answer accordingly verse 20. The foxes haue holes and the birds of the heauen haue nests but the Sonne of Man hath not where to rest his head consequently he hath nothing at all wherewith to gratifie his followers and welwillers Thus also a great multitude followed him ouer the sea of Tiberias and from thence backe to Capernaum Iohn 6. 26. Verily verily I say vnto you you seeke me not because of the miracles but because of the loaues that ye ate and were filled Fourthly some followed him of enuy to entangle him in his speechs as did the Pharisies Scribes Sadduces Lawyers and the Herodians which thought that Herod was the Christ These are carnall and hypocriticall followers which neither are meant of here in this place The true following of Christ which here he speaketh of is expressed by diuers similitudes in the Scripture Iohn 10. 21. My sheepe here my voice and I know them and they follow me c. where hearing signifieth Faith and following Obedience In other countries the shepheards driue not their sheepe but they call them and they follow them Euery flocke knoweth the voice of their owne shepheard by often hearing him they follow him but after a strange voice they will not follow Euen so Christs sheep the elect heare his word they know it and acknowledge it and are obedient to it that is they suffer themselues to be ruled and gouerned by their chiefe shepheard Iesus Christ speaking to them and calling them to him in his word yea clocking them together as the hen doth her chickens Mat. 23. 31. But mark the cause why they heare obey him in these words And I know them This knowing is not onely vnderstood of Gods foreknowledge whereby he knew who were his from before all times but of his knowing of them effectually in time I call it effectuall knowledge when the elect are possessed of this knowing or acknowledging them by the inward calling of his spirit And this assurance of Gods knowing them acknowledging and owning them is the cause why they know and acknowledge him and are delighted with his word Againe this true following of Christ is farther expressed in Ephes 5. 1. Therefore be ye followers of God as deare children This verse is a conclusion of an exhortation of the last end of the verse afore going forgiue ye one another euen as God for Christs sake hath forgiuen you Therefore be ye followers c. Children wee know doe imitate their parents not onely in deeds and words but euen in the affections of their hearts and imaginations of their minds resembling them inwardly as they doe outwardly so that a man may say this is right the fathers child or the father will neuer be dead whiles the child liueth Now the reason hereof is because he hath receiued the spirit of generation from the father which frameth fashioneth and worketh him into the image similitude identity or selfenesse as I may say of his father And this is a deare childe because the father doth not onely loue his child but himselfe also in the child and the child not onely loueth his father but himselfe in the father so that the one cannot hate the other vnlesse he hate himselfe and neuer man hated his owne flesh Therfore this vnion is most firme and perpetuall euen so the children of God doe carry the resemblance and likenesse of God in the inner man in holinesse by obedience to the first Table and righteousnesse by obedience to the second Table of the Commandments which both proceed from Loue and Loue from Faith Therefore as God is holy so are his children holy Leu. 11. 44. I am the Lord your God be sanctified and be holy for I the Lord your God am holy As God is righteous so are they righteous 1 Ioh. 3. 7. He that doth righteousnesse is righteous euen as he is righteous As God is mercifull euen so are they mercifull Luke 6. 36. As God is loue so walke they in loue Ephes 5. 2. Walke in loue euen as Christ hath loued vs. 1 Ioh. 3. 14. We know we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren As God is true and iust in all his words and works so are they without hypocrisie and doubting both in respect of God their father and in respect of their brethren For the first it is commanded Ios 24. 14. Feare the Lord and serue him in vprightnesse and truth 1 Sam. 12. 24. Feare the Lord and serue him in truth with all thy heart For the second it is commanded Ephes 4. 25. Cast away lying and speake euery one truth to his neighbour The reason of the commandement is in the words following drawne from the coniunction of our members for we are one anothers members but whose members are we that the 15. verse declareth of Christ our head into whom we grow and by whose spirit we are knit together Therefore if we be the true members we follow Christ our head Contrarily if we be not true members but false counterfeit and dead limmes we are cut off from him separate to the world and bodily lusts or at least if we be not apparantly separate from him but doe still outwardly professe him yet doe we draw no vertue from him leauing no feeling thereof in vs either mortifying sinne in vs or quickning vs to newnesse of life but are as the dead
branches growing in the tree but drawing no sucke or iuyce of life out of the tree Secondly if we be false and dead limbs then are we separate from the other members hauing no hearty fellowship with them I need not to amplifie this following whereby Gods children follow him by any more specialls for as they follow him in holinesse righteousnesse mercifulnesse loue truth vprightnesse so also in all other things 1 Pet. 1. 15. As he which hath called you is holy even so be ye holy in all manner of conuersation Mat. 5. 48. Be you perfect as your father which is in heauen is perfect 1 Pet. 2. 9. Ye are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknesse into his maruellous light To this purpose also Christ saith Mat. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen Yea this is the end of your election redemption and calling euen our sanctification 1 Pet. 2. 2. Now the cause why the children of God doe so resemble him in true wisedome righteousnesse and holinesse is because they haue receiued from him the spirit of regeneration Ioh. 3. 4. Except a man be borne of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God that is neither into the kingdome of grace nor into the kingdome of glory He is called the spirit of adoption Rom. 8. 15. You haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba or call God father Whatsoeuer we are how morally good soeuer we be we are but children of wrath quite cut off from God hauing no part at all in him wild Oliues Rom. 11. 24. Bastards and runnagates as Cain and Cham vntill God adopt vs into his family giuing vs the spirit of sonnes of his owne free mercy and grace Tit. 3. 5. 6 Ezech. 36. 26. 17. Because this politicall terme of adoption is vsed often in the Epistles I will briefly declare the meaning thereof Generation or begetting of children is naturall or legall legall generation is a politicall act maintaining nature ordained for their comfort which haue no chidren the law prouiding children for them whom nature hath failed And thus may a man be said to beget children legally Legall generation is also twofold Adrogation and adoption Adrogation is when he that is a free man and vnder no mans power authority or command viz. neither of father or master is receiued into the place of a sonne by an other which thus by law becommeth his father And if he that is thus adrogate haue children they are also vnder his power as Nephewes that is his sons children Adoption is when he that is vnder the power of an other whether father or master is taken by another man to be his sonne and heire And if he haue sonnes that is thus adopted they are the nephewes of the adoptour And although the adoptour cannot giue the spirit of a sonne vnto him which only the naturall father can do yet is the adopted so obliged bound to him for those so great benefits both of freedome and inheritance as that he cannot but for euer be most thankfull to him yea alwayes ready and desirous to testifie the same by his loue dutifulnesse obedience and all meanes towards his adoptour euen as he were his owne sonne and he his naturall father To apply this We euen the best that euer was were vnder the power of others to wit in the bondage and vnder the tyranny of the diuell and sinne who had absolute power and command ouer vs and we miserable wretches yeelded our selues willingly yea with delight into subiection and homage vnto them being destitute of the knowledge of God and godlines Now God of his owne free loue mercy and grace redeemed vs out of the thraldome of those tyrants with the bloodshed and death of his owne sonne which willingly submitted himself in obedience to his father herein for by no other price nor other meanes could this purchase be made Who because he was not only perfect man but perfect God also did by the spirit of sanctification free himselfe from the graue the punishment and imputation of our sinnes and by the power of the same raised himselfe from death vnto life corruption and death hauing no power ouer him This sanctifying spirit of the sonne hath the Father giuen vs that by the power thereof our bond-mens minds wills affections might be mortified and crucified and that sonne-like and spirituall minds wills affections might be put into vs daily renuing vs into the nature of ingenuous and freeborne sonnes This is more then the legall father or adoptour can doe For he can doe no more but binde his adopted sonne to thankfulnesse for his benefits of bodily freedome and earthly inheritance but God hath giuen vs the spirit of his sonne whereby we are made and transformed into naturall sonnes and therefore affectioned towards him as the child is towards his naturall fathel Much more thankfull therefore louing dutifull and obedient ought we to be if we be true sonnes to God our father and Christ our redeemer that hath so dearely bought vs out of the power of sinne death and damnation and brought vs into the glorious liberty of sonnes and hope of euerlasting inheritance together with his owne sonne Therefore it is apparant that it is the spirit which quickneth begetteth fashioneth and conformeth the children of God into the similitude and likenes of God their father wherein at the first they were created and into which they are renewed by the holy Ghost by the Gospell of faith This begetting and quickning spirit is called immortall seede 1. Pet. 1. 23. Being borne a new not of mortall seede but of immortall by the word of God c. 1 Ioh. 3. 9. Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not because his seede remaineth in him c. This seede is not the essence of the holy Ghost but the power thereof begetting faith of the Gospell in vs crucifying the body of sinne in vs and renuing vs into the image of God Rom. 1. 13. 14. If ye mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit ye shall liue for as many as are led by the spirit of God are the sonnes of God Tit. 3 4. We are saued by the washing of the new birth and renuing of the holy Ghost To conclude this point then As the child doth imitate the father by the vnion and identity of the spirit communicated vnto him from the father euen so the child of God doth imitate and follow Christ by the vnion of the spirit of God and Christ which the Apostle calls participation of the diuine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Wherby most great and pretious promises are giuen vnto vs that by them ye should be partakers