difference betweene delaying and denying the Lord for a time delayes that which hee vvill not deny non vt neget sed vt commendet sua dona Augustine and againe tardius dando quod petimus â—â—stantiam nobis orationis Chris in Mat. hom 10. indicit the Lord vvhen he is slow to giue that vvhich vve aske doth it onely that he may commend his gifts vnto vs and make vs more instant and earnest in prayer For the better vnderstanding of this let vs distinguish If the Lord refuse that which we will it is because it is not for our weale our petitions sometime wee seeke those things vvhich are not so expedient for our selues to be granted as refused vnto vs and in these non audit nos ad voluntatem vt exaudiat ad salutem the Lord regardeth not thy will but thy weale The Apostle buffeted by an Angell of Sathan besought the Lord to remoue that tentation from him but obtained not his will the Lord saw it was not for his weale and not onely doe we read that men beloued of God haue beene refused in mercy but others haue had their petitions graunted in anger which we may see not onely in the Israelites who obtained flesh vvhen they sought but in his anger but also in those damned Spirits vvho sought licence of the Lord Iesus to enter into Swine and obtained it but to the greater augmentation of their vvrath If therefore thy petition vnto GOD be for a thing absolutely And the refusal of any thing to his owne is not without the grant of a better necessarie to thy saluation be assured that howeuer the Lord delay it he shall not simply refuse it and if otherwise thou craue a thing not absolutely necessary for thee if the Lord refuse to satisfie thy vvill therin it is that he may doe according to thy weale When the Disciple asked Iesus of the resurrection Lord wilt thou at this time restore the Acts 1. 6. kingdome of Israel he satisfied them not in that which they craued It is not for you saith hee to know the times or seasons which the Father hath put into his owne hand but another thing meeter for them and lesse craued of them hee promised vnto them But ye shall receiue power of the holy Ghost when he shall come vpon you and ye shall be witnesses vnto me A comfortable answer indeed an exchange most profitable for vs and wee rest content with it So be it euen so be it O Lord giue vs thine holy Spirit and deny vs any other thing thou wilt And of this againe we learne that we liue onely by mercy Prayer which obtaines all other gifts is also a gift of God therefore the praise of all is due to the Lord 1 Cor. 4. 7. for not onely those things which we obtaine by prayer are begged by vs and giuen by God For what hast thou O man that thou hast not receiued but we see here that prayer it selfe whereby we get all things is also a gift of God if we wanted not of our owne we would not seeke of another by prayer and if we could also pray of our selues we needed not another to teach vs. Etiam ipsa Oratio inter gratiae munera reperitur it is the Lord vvho commands and vvorketh in vs both the vvill and the deed vnto him therfore belongs the praise of all Wee haue here also to consider a great comfort for the Comfort for the godly wheÌ„ no man will speake for them they want not Intercessours godly vvho are ofttimes redacted to that estate that there is none among men to speake for them Ieremie cannot finde out Ebed-melech neyther haue the Prophets of the Lord one Obadiah to hide them Daniel had none to speak for him al stands vp that had credit to procure that he may be cast into the denne those that should be friends oftentimes become foes to the seruants of God but euen at this time their comfort is that not onely they haue Iesus the Iust an Aduocate for them at the right hand of his Father but haue also the Spirit the Comforter within them an Intercessor for them Miserable therfore must they be who bend their tongues Miserable are those who bend their tongues against them for whom the holy Spirit maketh request 2 Chron. 18. to speake against those for whom the holy Ghost maketh request vnto God that rebuke which the Prophet gaue to Iehosaphat vvhen he vvent out to help wicked king Achab wilt thou help them that hate the Lord we may turne to those in our time that are enemies to the Children of God Will ye hurt them whom the Lord helpeth The children of God in all their infirmities haue the holy Spirit for their helper vvhat euer man speakes against them hee maketh request vnto GOD for them It cannot then otherwise be but in the end comfort must be to them and confusion vnto their enemies That oracle which Zeresh gaue to Hamans Esth husband shall assuredly prooue true vpon all the enimies of God in word or deede If Mordecai be of the seede of the Iewes thou shalt not faile to fall before him If Eliah be the man of God though not a fire from heauen yet doubtles a wrath from heauen shal ouertake his enemies Only let those who are troubled by the malice of wicked men make sure vnto themselues that they haue the Spirit of grace and of glory resting in them partaker with them of their afflictions Pet. and then let them be assured that eyther their enemies shall become their friends or then the righteous Lord shall render vengeance vnto those that trouble them With sighes Last of all wee learne here that the godly No malice of men can cut off the intelligence of a Christian with the Lord. haue an intelligence with the Lord their God which no power of man is able to cut away For howeuer they may be separated from the company of men and locked vp in vnaccessible places yet can no man hinder their accesse vnto God and speaking with him yea suppose they should cut their tongues out of their heads for it is not by words but by sighes they make request vnto God and their sighes may well be increased by trouble but cannot be destroyed And herewith also let the children of GOD comfort themselues when they are brought vnto that extremitie that neither eye hand nor tongue can serue them in prayer let them looke vnto good king Ezekiah who being so vveakened with bodily diseases that hee could not speake distinctly vnto God yet his mourning like a Doue and chattering like a swallow entred into the Lords eare and brought back a comfortable answere to him Verse 27. But hee that searches the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the Spirit for he makes request for the Saints according to the will of God LEast any man should thinke the sighes of the It is a
priuiledge of the whole Church Gen. 12. 3. them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee vve may easily thinke belongs also to all his seed euen to that congregation of the first borne The Lord will be a wall of fire round about Ierusalem and the glory in the middest of her he vvill keepe her as the apple of his eye and make Ierusalem a cuppe of poyson to all her enemies and a heauie stone vvhich vvhosoeuer striueth to lift shall be torne therewith though all the people of the earth were gathered together against it the vveapons made against her shall not prosper and euery tongue that shall rise against her in iudgement shall be condemned This is the heritage of the Lords seruants and the portion of them that loue him for the church is that Arke which mounts vp higher as the water increases but cannot be ouerwhelmed the bush which may burnâ— but cannot be consumed the house built on a rocke which may be beaten with vvinde and raine but cannot be ouerthrowne The Lord who changeth times and seasons vvho takes A warning for Kings and such as are in authoritie away Kings and sets vp Kings hath reproued Kings for his Churches sake yea hee gouernes all the kingdomes of the earth in such sort that their fallings risings their changes and mutations are all directed to the good of his Church In one of these two sentences all the Iudges of the vvorld may see themselues and foresee their end for eyther that shall be fulfilled in them which Mordecay said to Este who knowes if for this thou art come to the kingdome that by thee deliuerance may come to Gods people or else that which Moses Hâ—ster 4 14. in Gods name said to Pharaoh the oppressour of the Church in her adolescencie I haue set thee vp to declare my Exod. 7. power because thou exaltest thy selfe against my people May wee not behold here how vnsure their standing is They who rise to authoritie and not to the good of the Church shall assuredly fall and how certaine their fall who when they are highest abuse their power most to hold the people of God lowest what else are they but obiects whom the Lord hath raised vp to declare his power and iustice vpon them If we shall marke the course of the Lords proceeding euer since the beginning of the world we shall finde a blessing following them whom he hath made instruments of good vnto his church and that such againe haue not wanted their owne recompence of wrath who haue continued instruments of her trouble When the Lord concluded to bring his Church from Examples shewing how God hath altered the state of worldly Empires for the good of his Church Canaan to soiourne in Egypt he sent such a famine in Canaan as compelled them to forsake it but made plenty in Egypt by the hand of Ioseph whom the Lord had sent before as a prouisor for his Church and by whom Pharaoh was made fauourable to Iacob but when the time came that the Lord was to translate his Church from Egypt to Canaan when hee altered Pharaohs countenance and raised vp a new King who knew not Ioseph hee turned the Egyptians hearts away from Israel so that they vexed Israell and made them to serue by crueltie Thus when the Lord In Pharaoh king of Egypt will bring them to Egypt hee maketh Pharaoh fauourable which also brings a blessing vpon Tharaoh and his people but vvhen the Lord vvill make them to goe out of Egypt hee maketh another Pharaoh an enemie vnto them whereby both they are made willing to forsake Egypt and Pharaoh prepares the way for a fearefull iudgement on himselfe and his people Againe when the sinnes of Israel came to that ripenesse In the Monarch of Babell and Persia that their time vvas come and their day drew neere the Lord stirred vp the King of Babell as the rod of his wrath and staffe of his indignation Hee sent him to the dissembling Esay nation and gaue him a charge against the people of his wrath to take the spoyle and the pray and to tread them vnder feete like mire in the streets and to this effect that the Lord might be auenged of the sinnes of Israel hee subdued all the kingdomes round about them vnder the King of Babell that no stoppe nor impediment should be in the way to hold back the rodde of Ashur from Israel But yet againe vvhen the Lord had accomplished all his worke vpon Israel and the time of mercy was come and the seauentie yeeres of captiuitie expired then the Lord visited the proud heart of the King of Ashur and for his Churches sake he altered againe the gouernement of the whole earth translating the Empyre to the Medes and Persians that so Cyrus the Lords annointed might performe to his people the promised deliuerance All which should learne vs in the greatest changes and Therefore in our greatest mutations our hart should not be moued from confidence in God Psal alterations that fall out in the world to rest assured that the Lord will vvorke for the good of his Church though the earth should be moued and the mountaines fall into the middest of the Sea yea though the vvaters thereof rage and be troubled yet there is a riuer whose streames shall make glad the Cittie of our GOD in the middest of it yea if they vvho should be the nourishing Fathers of the Church forsake her and become her enemies they shall assuredly perish but comfort and deliuerance shall Esth appeare vnto Gods people out of another place The Lord for a vvhile may put the brydle of bondage in the Philistims hand to humble Israell for their sinnes but it shall be taken from them at length his Church shall with ioy draw vvater out of the Well of saluation and praise the Lord saying though thou wert angry with mee thy wrath is turned away and thou comfortest mee yea Sion shall cry out and shout for ioy for great is the holy One of Israel in the middect of her And therefore in our lowest humiliations let vs answere our enemies Reioyce not against mee O mine enemie though I fall I shall rise when I shall sit in darknesse the Lord is a light vnto me I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him vntill he plead my cause and execute iudgement for mee he will bring me forth to the light and I shall see his righteousnesse then he that is mine enemie shall looke vpon it and shame shall couer him who said to me where is the Lord thy God now shall hee be troden vnder as the mire in the streets yea so let all thine enemies perish O Lord. For the best This good or best is no other thing but What is a christians best that precious saluation prepared to be shewed in the last time reserued in the heauens for vs and whereunto wee are
spare in thee sinne committed by thy selfe no no vvhen hee beginneth to smite thee hee shall neuer lift vp his hand from thee but double his stripes vpon thee and there shall be no end of thy sorrow As the ioyes prepared for the godly so the paines prepared for the wicked are such as the eye neuer saw the tongue cannot vtter nor the heart conceiue That place of the damned is the great deepe the Ocean of all the iudgements of God all his temporall plagues are but like riuers and strands running into it If therefore the beauty of Sion doth not allure vs let How both Sions beauty and Sinaies â—error should moue vs â—o repent the terrour of Sinai afray vs. The Lord proclaimed his Law in a fearefull manner vpon mount Sinai but in a more terrible manner will he execute it if Moses who was so familiar with the Lord trembled when he heard it proclaimed what horrible feare shall ouer-take the wicked when they shall see it executed vpon themselues Let therfore the children of wisedome hearken in time to the ioyfull tydings of peace which are daily proclaymed on mount Sion let vs drinke of the still and peaceable waters of Siloh which flow from it let vs embrace that mercy which Iesus by the merit of his death hath conquered vnto vs that so we may be saued from the wrath which is to come His owne Sonne Iesus Christ is called Gods owne Sonne How Christ is Gods owne Sonne both in respect of his diuine and humane natures for as he is God he was begotten of the Father by so vnspeakable a generation that as Esay saith none are able to declare it Esay 53. 8. and as he is man he is the Sonne of God conceiued by the holy Ghost made man indeed but not after the manner of other men but of this see Verse 3. But gaue him for vs all This is very often alleadged in The price of our redemption tels how much the Lord hath esteemed of vs. 1 Pet. 1. 18. holy Scriptures as an argument of the great loue of God toward vs that he gaue his sonne to death for vs and so it is indeed for it is not by any corruptible thing as Gold and siluer that he hath redeemed vs but by the precious blood of his owne Sonne the Lambe vndefiled and without spot There is no man will giue much for that whereof he esteemes but little wee measure the price of a thing according to the worth of it in our iudgement euen so of the greatnesse of that gift which our God hath giuen for vs we may estimate the greatnesse of his affection toward vs. Precious indeed in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints vvho to redeeme vs from death spared not to giue his dearest sonne vnto the death It was the Lords reasoning to Abraham now I perceiue thou Gen. 22. 12. louest me because for my sake thou hâ—st not spared thine onely sonne and haue we not much more cause to turne ouer the same reasoning to the Lord now Lord we perceiue thou louest vs because for our sake thou hast not spared thine onely one sonne The Lord shed abroad in our hearts more aboundantly the sense of that inestimable loue that we may be carefull to requite the kindnesse of the Lord putting his holy will before all things in our affection and endeauouring in holy loue to serue him who hath saued vs. Shall he not with him giue vs all things also We are to vnderstand All things belong to the godly in regard of right albeit not in regard of possession all things that are needfull for vs And here it is necessary that wee put a difference betweene our right and our possession The children of God haue the right and property of all Gods good creatures for Christ their Lord is the heire of all and hath made them with himselfe fellow heires All things are yours saith the Apostle and yee are Christs 1 Cor. 3. 21. and Christ is Gods But as for the possession of them in this life the Lord giues it or with-holds it according as he sees may be for the good of his children We know our father Abraham had the right of Canaan when he had not the possession of it and are not therefore to thinke it strange that the Lord giues not alwayes possession of that to his children whereof they haue the right But as for the wicked they haue possession without a right and therefore shall be punished as theeues and robbers and violent vsurpers of Gods creatures vvhereunto Iesus Christ who is the heyre of all hath neuer giuen them a right Secondly we marke here that the giuing and dispensation Seeing all things are giuen by God let vs moderate our care and take nothing but out of his fatherly hand of earthly things is from God if we could remember this it would moderate our care and make vs in our callings first to seek the Lords blessing loath any maner of way to take the things of this world vnlesse we see they be giuen vs out of the hand of God For wee are to know that Sathan who is a counterfaiter of GOD doth also arrogate to himselfe though falsly to be the giuer of things hee that durst say to the sonne of God all the kingdomes of the earth are mine Mat. 4. 9. I will giue them to thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me will he stand in awe to speake it vnto sinfull man No indeed it is his daily tentation by vvhich he circumuents many intangling their hearts with the loue of vvorldly gaine that to obtaine it they care not to lye to steale to sweare to oppresse to deceiue one another vvhich in effect is to fall downe before Sathan and worship him Thus Sathan rules in the kingdome of Babell like a spirituall Sathan another Nabuchadnzer and a Balak offers also gifts to men Nabuchadnezar presenting to his subiects his great image of gold accompanied with all sorts of musicall instruments that is vvorldly pleasures vvealth and prosperitie which bewitch the simple and makes them fall downe and vvorship yeelding themselues seruants to Mammon But happy are those children who refuse so to do and can stand vp with their father Abraham lifting vp his hand to heauen and say I will not haue so much as the laâ—chet of a shooe from Gen. 14. 22. the king of Sodome I will haue nothing by any crooked or indirect meanes out of the hand of Sathan or any of his instruments the buds of Balak shall not hire me to doe euill neither the wages of iniquitie nor the reward of Sodome for doing good shall euer cleaue to my hands I will looke for my portion from the Lord. Againe seeing God is the giuer of all things let vs learne Seeing God is giuer of all let vs stand content and not murmure if others get a more portion than we
Christs seruants but also Secondly Sworn seruants we are sworne for baptisme as on the part of God it is a seale of the couenant of grace to confirme that promise of remission of sinnes which God hath made to vs in the blood of Iesus Christ so on our part it is a solemne resignation of our selues and our seruice to the Lord wherein we giue vp our names to be enrolled among his souldiers seruants swearing binding and oblieging our selues to renounce the seruice of the Diuell the World and the Flesh and this oath of resignation we haue renued so oft as wee haue communicated at his holy Table Whereof it is euident that they who haue giuen their names to Christ and yet liue licentiously walking after the flesh are for-sworne Apostates guiltie of persidie and of foule apostafie and desertion from Iesus Christ And thirdly not onely are wee bought and sworne but Thirdly wee haue receiued wages before hand for seruice to be done we haue receiued wages and payment in hand which should make vs ashamed if we haue so much as common honestie to refuse seruice to the Lord whose wages we haue receiued already It may be saide to euery one of vs which Malachie in the name of the Lord spake to the Leuites of his time who among you shuts the dore of the temple or kindles a fire vpon Mal. 1. 10. my altar in vaine who among vs can stand vp and say that hee hath done seruice to the Lord for nought Consider it when ye will for euery peece of seruice ye haue done to the Lord ye haue receiued wages more then ten times who hath called aright on his name hath not been heard who hath giuen thankes for benefits receiued hath not found Gods benefits doubled vpon him who hath giuen almes in the name of the Lord and not found increase I speake not now of rewards which God hath promised vs I speake onely of that we haue receiued already the least of Gods mercies shewed vpon vs already doth farre exceede all that seruice that we poore wretches haue done vnto him as therfore we are content to receiue the Lords pay let vs neuer refuse to giue the seruice of our bodies and spirits vnto him But alas is not this the common sinne of this generation But many receiue that from the true God which they returne not to him but sacrifice to Idols Hos 2. 8. to receiue good things out of the hand of God and with them to sacrifice vnto other Gods to vvhom they owe no seruice at all A horrible sacriledge a vile idolatry for this the Lord complaines of the Iewes they haue receiued my gold and my siluer and made vp Baal to themselues and the same complaint stands against the prophane men of this age The couetous man as riches encrease doth hee not set his heart vpon them though with his tongue hee denie it doth hee not say within himselfe that which Iob protested hee would neuer say to the wedge of Gold thou art my confidence The glutton when he hath receiued from God abundance of Wheat Oyle and Wine though he know the commandement be not filled with wine wherein is excesse but be Eph. 5. 18. filled with the Spirit yet how oft takes hee in superfluous drinke and spares not for loue of it to grieue the Spirit sacrificing to his belly as vnto God those things which bindes him to doe seruice vnto the Lord thus neither are the benefits of God returned to doe honour vnto him from whom they come but sacriligiously also abused to the making vp of Baal or some other Idoll abhominable to God for which it is most certaine that the moe wages these Atheists haue receiued for doing seruice to God which they neuer did the more fearefull plagues and stripes from God shall be doubled vpon them Againe we marke here that there is a double debt lying A double debt lying vpon vs the one the debt of sinne which we must seeke to be forgiuen the other the debt of obedience which we must seeke to performe vpon vs the debt of sinne and the debt of obedience vvee are freed of the one by a humble seeking and crauing of the remission thereof through Iesus Christ for the debt of sinne the Lord Iesus hath taught vs daily to seeke Gods discharge Lord forgiue vs our debts and indeede as euery day we contract some debt so it is great vvisedome by daily repentance to sue the discharge of it for they who neglect to do it their debt multiplies vpō them it stands vncancelled in the register of God written as it were with a pen of iron and the poynt of a Diamond and they shall at length be cast into that prison for non-payment wherein will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for euer But as for the debt of obedience whereof the Apostle here speakes wee cannot with a good conscience desire the Lord to discharge it nor exempt vs from it but we must in all humility craue Grace of God that we being enriched by him who of our selues are poore may be able in some measure to pay and performe it Where if the weake Children of GOD obiect and say A three-fold comfort for the godly for the debt of obedience how then can vve but drowne in this debt seeing no day of our life wee can pay to the Lord that debt of obedience which we owe vnto him To this there is giuen a three-fold comfort first the Lord dealeth with vs as a louing liberall 1 The Lord to whom we owe it giues vs wherewith to pay it man dealeth with his debter who knowing that he hath nothing of his owne wherewith to pay him and not willing to put him to shame stops priuately into his hand that which publikely againe he may giue vnto him so the Lord conuaies secret grace into the hearts of his children whereby they are in some measure able to serue him but as Dauid protested so may we all whatsoeuer wee giue vnto the 1 Chron. 29. 14. Lord wee haue it of his owne hand Secondly the Lord 2 He accepts for a time part of payment our God is so gracious that hee is content to accept part of payment at our hand till wee be able to doe better if our faith be but like the graine of Mustard-seede yet if it be true the Lord will not despise it though our repentance be not perfect and absolute though our prayers be vveake though wee cannot doe the good that wee would yet the good that wee doe is accepted at his hands through Iesus Christ And thirdly wee haue this comfort that the more 3 The more wee pay of this debt the more wee are able to pay wee pay of this debt of obedience the more wee are able to pay In other debts it is not so for if the more be payed out by him that is indebted the lesse remaines behinde
euer and euer Thus wee see what a horrible death the Apostle threatneth here while he saith if yee liue after the flesh yee shall dye The Lord giue vs wise and vnderstanding hearts that wee may ponder it according to the waight thereof and it may be to vs a liuely voyce of God to prouoke vs to slee from that fearfull wrath which is to come But if yet mortifie c. Here followes the other member In the most regenerate there is some thing that needes to be mortified of the argument taken from the great vantage wee receiue by mortifying the lusts of the body if wee doe so wee shall liue Here also we haue first to consider that albeit the Apostle affirmed before verse 9 that these godly Romanes were not in the flesh yet now hee exhorts them to a further mortification of the lusts of the flesh which were superfluous if there were nothing in them that needed to be mortified then we see clearely which wee may also feele in our selues that so long as wee liue in the body there is euer some remanent life of sinne which wee haue neede to mortifie and put out In this battell we must sight without intermission till we haue gotten the victory for who can say that he hath in such sort â—ut away his superfluities that there remaynes nothing in him which hath need of reforming beleeue me when they are cut off they spring when they are chased For out of the stony rocke springeth noysome weedes away they returne when they are once quenched they kindle againe except thou dissemble thou shalt alway finde within thy selfe something that hath need to be subdued There is nothing hardâ—r sayth Cyrill than the Rocke yet in the Cyril seames and clifts thereof the noysome weede fasteneth her roote and springes out and albeit there be no man in the vvorld stronger than a Christian yet is hee oftentimes buffered by Sathan and sinne which hath fastened their roote in him sends out her inordinate motions and affections against which hee hath neede to fight continually But here it is inquired how doth the Apostle require That which God works in vs he callâ—â— it our worke this of them that they should mortifie their lusts lyeth it in the power of man to doe it To this I answere first that as man gaue life to sinne so is hee bound to put out the life thereof vpon no lesse paine than condemnation and therefore iustly is it required of him Secondly these same good vvorkes which the Lord workes in vs hee is content to asscribâ— them to vs and calles them ours Of our selues wee Phil. 2. 12. must say with the Apostle we are not sufficient of our selues Therefore we should be humble and giue God the glory to thinke so much as a good thought our sufficiencie is of God and it is hee who worketh in vs both the will and the deed so hee workes in vs that he makes vs through his grace willing workers with him through him that strengthens vs vve are able to doe all things and therefore the praise of all the good wee can doe should be ascribed vnto God When Dauid had offered to God abundance of siluer and gold and other mettels which hee had prepared for the house of God hee concludes in the humilitie of his heart what am I O Lord and what is my people that wee should be 1 Chroâ— 29. 14 able to offer willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine owne hand haue wee giuen thee But much more when wee doe any worke of sanctification for the building of our selues vp into a spirituall Temple to the Lord our God we may say O Lord all the good wee can doe is of thee and of thine owne hand wee haue giuen backe vnto thee for except thou Lord hadst giuen vnto vs grace wee should neuer haue giuen to thee obedience Presumptuous opinion of Merit damned Let therefore the presumptuous conceit of Merit yet againe be farre from vs seeing the good which wee doe is debt and is done also by the spirit of the Lord in vs let vs reserue the glory thereof vnto him Quaere dâ—na mea non Aug. de verb Apost serm 2 mâ—rita tua quâ—a si ego quaeâ—erâ—m mâ—rita tua non vâ—nires ad dona mea seeke my gifts saith Augustiâ—e speaking in the name of the Lord not thy merits for if I should seeke thâ— merits thou shouldest neuer be pertaker of my gifts When the Apostle Sant Paul had reckoned out how hee 1 Cor. 15. 10. had laboured more aboundantly in the worke of the ministerie then all the rest of the Apostles hee subioynes as it were be correction yet not I but the grace of God in me learning vs when we haue done all the good we can to be humble in our selues and giue the glory to God if he promise vs a crowne nihil aliud coronat nisi dona sua he crownes Aug. hom 14 no other thing but his owne gifts if by promise he bindes himselfe a debter vnto vs to giue vs a reward debitor factus Aug de verb. Apost ser 14. est nobis non aliquid a nobis accipiendo sed quod ille plâ—cuit promittendo he is become a debter vnto vs not by receiuing any thing from vs but by promising freely to vs that which pleased him and therefore when we are exhorted to mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit let vs first turne this and the like of the precepts into prayers that the Lord would enable vs by grace to doe that which he commaunds vs and then when in some measure we haue done it that we returne the praise and glory to the Lord. A tryall of our Mortification Mortifie c. Seeing the first part of our sanctification is called mortification we are to consider how in this word there lurkes a rule whereby euery man may try how farre forth hee hath profited in sanctification we see by experience that the neerer a man drawes to death the lesse motion is in him but after hee is once dead hee moues not at all present him pleasant obiects they delight him not praise him yet he is not puffed vp speake euill of him yet hee is not offended euen so is it with the spirituall man the greater progresse he makes in sanctification the motions of sin are euer the weaker in him the pleasures of the world moues him not as they were wont if thou praisâ— him the breath of thy mouth cannot lift him vp if thou offend him the more he is mortified the lesse he is grieued As a man saith Basilâ— being dead is seperate from those with whom hee was conuersant before so hee who is mortified is instantly sundred in his affections from those who befoâ—e were his familiar companions in sinne yea those actions wherein he delighted before are a griefe vnto him now it is a
they sit downe to their banquetting tables to refresh them or lyes downe in their beds to rest them The Apostle who suffered all sorts of affliction for the Gospell giues this for a reason that the loue of Iesus constrayned him Thus much concerning the effects of holy loue by which wee are to make sure our calling and consequently our election for our euerlasting comfort Euen to them that are called according to his purpose Hitherto the Apostle hath summarily set downe his third principall A confirmatiō of his third and last argument of comfort argument of comfort and now in the end of this verse he shortly breakes vp the confirmation thereof which is this they who loue God are called according to his purpose therfore all things must worke for the best vnto them The necessitie of this reason shall appeare if wee consider that the Lord cannot be frustrated of his end Those whom the Lord in his immutable purpose hath ordayned to glory and whom according to that purpose he hath called in time how can it be but all things must worke vnto their good for the vvorking prouidence of God vvhich is the executer of his purpose doth so ouer-rule all incidents which fall out in the world and doth so gouerne all secondary and inferiour causes that of necessitie they are directed to that end whereunto the supreame cause of all to wit the purpose and vvill of God hath ordayned them This is shortly set downe in these vvords and more largely explaned in the two verses following It is the last reason of comfort and the highest for now the Apostle leades vs out of our selues and sets vs vpon that rocke vvhich is higher than vve hee carries vs by the hand as it vvere out of the earth vp into heauen and lets vs see how our saluation is so grounded in Gods eternall purpose that no accident in the vvorld can change it Wee haue here then three things euery one of them depending Comfort that the ground of our saluation is in God the tokens thereof in our selues vpon another the loue of God flowing from the calling of God and the calling of God comming from the purpose of God vnto vvhich the Apostle here drawes vs that we casting our anchor with the vaile and resting in the Lords immutable purpose may haue comfort in all our present tentations It is most expedient for the godly to marke this that our manifolde changes doe not interrupt our peace let vs consider that the Lord hath in such sort dispensed our saluation that the ground thereof is laid in his owne immutable purpose but the markes and tokens thereof are placed in vs after our calling the markes and tokens are changeable like as wee our selues in vvhom they are are changeable but the ground holdes fast being laid in that vnchangeable God in whom falles no shadow of alteration Esay 46. Ioh. 10. 2 Tim. 2. I am God and am not changed My sheepe none can take out of my hand The counsell of the Lord shall stand and his foundation remaines sure It is true that the tokens of election cannot be sully taken away from any that is effectually called nay not in the greatest desertion yet haue they in vs their owne intention and remission And this should comfort vs against our daily vicissitudes and changes when wee feele that our Faith doth saint our life languishes our hope houers and vvee are like to sincke in the tentation vvith Peter and our feeble hands fall downe with Moses yet let vs not dispaire no change in vs can alter Gods vnchangeable purpose he who hath begun the worke in vs will also perfect it Because I am not changed saith Mal. 3. 6. the Lord therefore is it that yee O sonnes of Iacob are not consumed This purpose of God is called otherwise the will of God Our calling conuersion flowes from Gods purpose therefore all the praise of it belongs to the Lord. and the good pleasure of his Will In that the Apostle saith our calling is according to his purpose it teacheth vs to ascribe the whole praise of our saluation to the good pleasure of his will and not to our owne foreseene merits That poyson of pride vvhich Sathan poured into our first Parents and by vvhich they aspyred to be equall with God doth yet breake forth in their posterity the corrupt heart of man euer ayming at this to seeke vnto himselfe either in part or in whole the power and praise of his owne saluation This is to start vp into the roome of God and to vsurpe that glory which belongs to the Lord and he will not giue to any other than the which no greater sacriledge can be committed against the Lord. O man content thee with that which the Lord offers thee and let that alone vvhich hee reserues vnto himselfe My peace saith the Lord I giue to you my glory I will not giue to any other The first Preachers of the Gospell were Angels they proclaymed glory and peace but glory they gaue to God which is on high and peace they cryed to the children of his good will which are vpon earth It is enough that peace and saluation is giuen to be thine but as for the glory of saluation let it remain to the Lord. Hee is for this called the Father of mercie because mercie For this cause he is called the Father of Mercie and not of Iudgement 2 Tim. 1. 9. bred in his owne bosome Hee hath found many causes vvithout himselfe mouing him to execute iustice but a cause mouing him to shew mercie hee neuer found but the good pleasure of his will therefore the Apostle saith the Lord hath called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his purpose and grace Surely except the Lord had reserued mercy for vs wee had beene like to Sodome and Gomorrha but it pleased him of his owne good will of the same lumpe of clay to make vs vessels of honour vvhereof hee made others vessels of dishonour And who is able sufficiently to ponder so great a benefit and therefore howsoeuer the blinded Pharisee sacrifice to his owne net and make his mouth to kisse his hand as if his owne hand had done it yet let the redeemed of the Lord praise the Lord let them cry out with a louder voyce than Dauid did O Lord what are wee that thou art so mindfull of vs Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but to thy name giue the glory for thy louing kindnesse and thy truth for our saluation comes from God that sits vpon the throne and from the Lambe To thee O Lord be praise and honour and glorie for euer Now as for the calling wee are to know that the calling Our calling is twofold and the inward calling is a declaration of our election of God is twofold outward and inward He speakes not here of the outward calling of which our Sauiour
with the Apostle it is true I was such a one but now I am receiued to mercy I will not so loue my selfe that I will hate him who reproues mee for that which I haue reproued in my selfe of vvhatsoeuer minde he doe it sed quantum ille accusat vitium meum tantum Aug. cont lit Petili lib. 3. cap. 10. ego laudabo medicum meum but looke how farre hee accuses my fault so farre vvill I praise my Phisition vvho healed me Sometime againe their surmisings are most false they Or then falsely charging them with sinnes which they neuer did charge vs with things which wee neuer did but these backbitings should be disdayned of vs like the barking of beasts he who knowes with Iob that his witnesse is in heauen and can say vvith the Apostle that he hath a good conscience vvithin him what needes hee to care for the iudgement of men without him Notitia nostri certior intus est the surest Aug. epist. 6. lial viduae Amb. lib. 1. offic cap. 6. knowledge of our selues is within vs. Neither are wee to be so base minded as to think that there is plus ponderis in alieno conuilio quam in nostro testimonio that there is more waight in another mans calumnie than in the testimonie of our owne conscience Augustine being misreported of by Petilian gaue a notable answere for my selfe saith he I am not that which he hath called me if yee thinke that he knowes me better than I know my selfe choose you which of vs you will beleeue Let not therefore the detracting speeches of men interrupt No speach of man can make vs any other thing then that which we are our peace remembring their tongues can make vs no other thing than we are it is not Ventilabrum areae dominicae the fanne of the floore of the Lord that can seperate the chaffe from the Corne. Secondly their euill speaking commends vs to GOD blessed are yee when men reuile you and Mat. 5. 11. speake all manner euill of you for my sake be glad and reioyce for great is your reward in heauen Qui volens detrahit famae Augustine meae nolens addit mercedi meae he that with his will impaires my name against his will augments my reward I haue spoken the more of this purpose partly because it is a common craft of Sathan to oppresse good men with misreports vt qui conscientiae suae luce clarescunt alienis râ—moribus sordidentur Ambrose and partly because our weakenesse is easily ouercome with this tentation Seeing the Lord will haue vs to sustaine the strife of tongues let vs strengthen our selues let vs so vvalke through good report that wee be not puft vp and through euill report that we be not cast downe but that by weapons of righteousnesse on the right hand and on the left we may ouercome Now as for Sathan he is stiled the accuser of the Saints Sathan â—tiled a calumniator or accuser why Reue. 12. 10. Hee accuseth God vnto man of God night and day and sometime hee accuses God to man sometime man to God and sometime man to himselfe In Paradise he began and accused God charging him with enuie and in the same trade of lying doth he still continue For sometime he lyes against the iustice of God when he saith to the licentious liuer albeit yee sinne yee shall not dye that so hee may puffe him vp to presumption sometime he lyes against the mercy of God as when hee saith to the weake in faith your sinne is greater than that God can forgiue it that so hee may driue him to desperation sometime hee lyes against Gods prouidence as when hee saith to them that are in necessitie the Lord hath cast you off and will no more prouide for you that so he may prouoke them to put out their hand to wickednesse Secondly he is a restlesse accuser of man vnto God as Hee accuseth man vnto God yee may see in the example of Iob he heard the Lord commending him yet he spared not to traduce him vvhen he could not gaine-say his actions he gaine-said his intention and affection hee charged him to be a hireling and not a sonne a mercenarie vvorshipper who serued God for his gifts and not for himselfe albeit after tryall he was found a lyer And herein we are to consider how faithlesse a traytour Sathan is for those same sinnes vvhich man doth by Sathans instigation he is the first accuser of man for them vnto God Oh that man could remember that Sathan is A discouery of Sathans trayterous dealing euer doing one of these three against him first hee is a Tempter of man to sinne secondly vvhen sinne is committed hee is an accuser of man vnto GOD for those same sinnes vvhich he tempted him to doe and thirdly hee is a tormenter of man for them vnlesse they be remoued by repentance But Iesus Christ our Lord is of a plaine contrarie disposition first he disswades vs from sinne warning vs of the danger and then if of weakenesse wee sinne hee offers himselfe an aduocate for vs if vvee repent These things my 1 Ioh. 2. 1. babes I write to you that yee sinne not but if any man sinne wee haue an aduocate with the Father euen Iesus the iust These two compared lets vs see what a great difference there is betweene them that knowing the deceitfull malice of the diuell vve may learne to abhorre him and the heartie vnfayned affection of Iesus Christ toward vs vvee may loue and follow him Thirdly Sathan accuses man vnto himselfe hee deceiues Hee accuseth man vnto himselfe the vvicked and beares them in hand that they are the sonnes of God and labours to perswade the godly that they are reprobates denying that they haue Faith or Repentance or any spirituall grace There is nothing so true but Sathan dare denie it hee that durst call it in doubt to Christ himselfe vvhether hee vvere the sonne of GOD or no vvill that shamelesse lyar spare to doe it vnto others But let vs worke out our saluation in feare and trembling and Philip. 2. 12. make sure our calling by vvell doing that vvee may haue within vs the infallible tokens of our election and as for the rest let vs keepe this ground seeing the worke of our saluation is done by God in despite of Sathan Sathanâ— testimonie in it is not to be regarded though he vvould call vs as he did Paul and Sylas the seruants of the liuing of God yet are we not the better neither the worse albeit hee pronounce vs to be such as are abiect and cast away from the fauour of God And last the children of God are accused of their owne Conscience accuseth eyther vpon right or wrong information consciences these are eyther such as proceede from sufficient light or from wrong information If conscience accuse vpon light vvhich shee hath receiued out of the
to our comfort Iesus is already risen therefore we are not in our sinnes As for his exaltation the Apostle saith hee sits at the Of Christs exaltation at the right hand of God right hand of God to speake properly the Lord who is a Spirit hath neyther right hand nor left but by these borrowed speeches the Lord who dwelleth in light inaccessible to whom wee cannot ascend by our selues that wee should know him descends vnto vs and speakes of his vnspeakeable Maiestie vnto vs in such manner as wee are best able to conceiue it so that when eyes and eares and hands are ascribed to the Lord wee are to thinke these hee hath per Papists blasphemous who set out the maiestie of God in the similitude of a corruptible man Deut. 4. 15. effectum non per naturam And this may rebuke that bould blasphemie of the Papists who presume to paint the incomprehensible Maiestie of God vnder the similitude of an aged and worne creature expresly contrary to Gods commandement In that day saith the Lord that I spake vnto thee out of the mountaine thou heardest a voyce but saw no Image beware therefore thou make none and in many places is the same presumption condemned by the Prophets Where if they excuse themselues that they paint the Lord Their fact not warranted by any appairtion of the diuine maiestie in the shape of man in such a similitude as hee appeared vnto Daniel and no other-way I answere first this is false for sometime which is horrible to speake they paint him in the shape of an humane body hauing three heads but albeit it were true which they say yet doth it not excuse them for the Lords extraordinary facts are not to be vsed as vvarrants to breake his ordinary and eternall Commaundements neyther doth it any more excuse them than that deed of the Lord whereby hee caused the Israelites to take from the Egyptians their siluer gold and Iewels which they neuer rendred can excuse them that doe borrow steale and robbe from others but neuer restore But howeuer they excuse themselues as long as the word They are conuinced by the Apostle of Idolatry Heb. 1. 11. of the Apostle stands true they shall not rubb off them the blot of idolatry they turne the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corruptible man The Maiestie of God is eternall the heauens waxe olde but hee remaines the same why then do they paint him vnder the similitude of a worne creature weakened by the length of dayes The Iesuites of Rhemes conuinced of darknesse are ashamed of the light that shines in this place of Scripture and passe by it without an answer they excuse the making of the Image of Christ and of his Saints but speake not one word to defend the grosse Idolatry wherby they turne the glory of the inuisible God into the image of a corruptible man It had beene good for them they had beene as dumbe in the defence of the rest of their abhominations as they are in this This speech therefore to sit at the right hand of God The sitting of Christ at Gods right hand imports his high honour and dignity 1 King 2. 19. is a borrowed speech the Metaphor being taken from Kings who vse to set on their right hand those whom they honour most as Salomon did his mother Bathsheba and so the phrase vvill import that high honour and dignitie whereunto Christ Iesus as man is exalted being crowned with glory both aboue Angels and man This right hand of God whereat Christ sits is expounded Errour of Vbiquitaries improued by other places of Scripture to be the high and heauenly places which serueth to improue that paralogisme of the Vbiquitaries who will haue Christs naturall bodie to be in euery place because the right hand of GOD is in euery place It is true indeed Christ sits at thâ— right hand of Heb 1. 3. Ephes 1. 20. God but so that he sits in the high and heauenly places The right hand of GOD that is the power and glorie of GOD stretches throughout the whole world but wee are plainly taught that the place of the residence of Christ Iesus the man is in the heauenly places and not in earthly places in the high places to which he is ascended and not in the low places in which wee soiourne for the heauens most contayne Acts 3. 21. him vntill the day of refreshment come And makes request also for vs. Christ our Lord hath entred Christ makes request for vs in heauen into heauen not to enioy for himselfe a blessed life only but to appeare in the presence of God for vs. As the high Priest when he entred into the most holy place had grauen in stones vpon his breast the names of the twelue tribes of Israel so the Lord Iesus presents to his father the names of all his elect that by the merit of his death he may procure mercy vnto them Here againe wee are taught that Iesus Christ is described No Mediator of intercession but Iesus Christ to vs in holy Scripture as our mediator of intercession and that there is no other beside him recommended vnto vs. In al the old testament no prayer is made to Henoch Moses nor Eliah who ended their dayes not after the common course of men no prayer to Abraham albeit hee was the Father of the faithfull yea no prayer to Cherubin nor Seraphin though now the Apostate Church of Rome haue made as many aduocates for vs in heauen as there are Saints departed and hath framed particular prayers vnto them and which is more ridiculous hath parted among them the patrocinie of sundry sorts of sicknesse and diseases It is true indeed that the Saints which are departed haue Saints departed haue their owne desires which they craue to be fulfilled but knowes not our necessities not as yet all their desires fulfilled and shall not be perfected without vs wherefore also it is that they long for the full gathering together of the Saints and for the restitution of their bodies and for the last day of iudgement but that they know the particular troubles of Gods children our greatest troubles being inward tentations and wrestlings of conscience neither knowne to man nor Angell but only to God who is the searcher of the heart or that we can in faith vse them as mediators vnto God for vs wee iustly deny it Where if they take them vnto their common refuge that ther is but one mediator of redemption but many mediators of intercession to this wee answere that in the same place wherin the Apostle saith there is one mediatour betweene God 1 Tim. 2. 5. and man the subiect whereof he entreats is Prayer so that euen in prayer he will haue vs to acknowledge no mediator of intercession but Iesus Christ And beside this Augustine doth so desine a mediator of A Mediator of intercession as he
of new Babel more shamelesse than Sennacherib 2 Kin. 18. his Rabsache raile at good king Ezekiah ruling in Ierusalem the Lord hath yet a hooke for his Esa 37. 39. nosethrils and a bridle for his lips Doe not the eyes of the Lord behold the whole earth to shew himselfe strong with them that are strong and of a perfect heart 2 Chr. 16. 9. toward him Therefore feare not their feare but sanctifie Esa 8. 12. the Lord God of hostes let him be your feare and he shal be a Sanctuarie vnto your Maiestie Count it a part Psal 69. 9. of your high glory and no smal matter of your Maiesties ioy that with Christ you beare this peece of his crosse Psal 21. 7. that the rebukes of them who rebuke the Lord are fallen vpon you and trust still O King in the Lord and in the mercie of the most High and so your Maiestie shall neuer fall Long may your Highnesse liue and raigne ouer vs as a faithfull seruant to your God and a happie King of many blessings to your people Your Maiesties most humble Subiect and dayly Oratour William Cowper Minister at Perth HEAVEN OPENED ROMANES 8. VERSE 1. Now then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit THE FIRST PART OF THE CHAPTER Contayning comfort against the remanents of sinne in the iustified man My helpe is in the name of the Lord. THE whole Scripture is giuen by diuine 2. Tim. 3. 16. inspiration and is profitable to teach improue correct and instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect A commendation of holy Scripture Ambrose off lib. 1. cap. 32. Basil in aliquot scripturae locos vnto all good workes It is a banquet of heauenly wisedome saith Ambrose Conuiuium sapientiae singuit libri singula sunt fercula It is compared by Basil to an Apothecaries shop in which are so many sundry sorts of medicaments that euery man may haue that which is conuenient for his disease Nullus enim est hominum morbus cui scriptura praesens remedium non suppeditet Cyp. de duplici martirio for there is no sicknes of man whereunto the scripture furnishes not a present remedy And yet as among the works of God there is a difference and some of them more Some books of holy Scripture meeter for vs then others are August de temp sâ—r 4â— clearely then others declares the glorie of God so it is also among his holy writs they breathe all out one truth by a most sweet harmonie diuinae enim lectiones ita sibi connectuntur tanquam vna sit lectio quia omnes ex vno ore precedunt yet ye shall â—inde that in some of them the Lord commeth neere vnto vs as it were with the face of a man talking familiarly vnto vs in others againe he mounts high aboue vs as it were with the wings of an Eagle And the Lord hath leâ—t it free to delight our selues most in those places of holy Scripture wherein for our estate we haue most edification and to seeke in this Apothecarie shop of that sweet Samâ—ritan the Lord Iesus pharmaca morbo nostro conuenientia such medicines as are meet for our maladie Among all the bookes of the olde Testament most frequent Why among the Epistles this to the Romanes is first Ierom. Epist ad Paulm testimonies are brought by our blessed Sauiour and his holy Apostles out of the booke of the Psalmes Ierome called it a treasurie of all learning And among all the Epistles of the Apostles no meruaile this to the Romanes haue the first place not that it was first written but because aboue the rest it contayneth a most perfect compend of our Christian faith And this middle Chapter thereof hath in it an Abridgement of all these comforts and instructions one excepted which otherwise are dispersed throughout the whole Epistle and is so to call it a pleasant knot of the garden and Paradise of God and therefore shall it not be vnprofitable for vs by Gods grace to delight our selues for a while in it As for the connexion of this Chapter with the former Two parts of this Chapter the first containes comfort against sinne The second comfort against the crosse wee are to know that it is a conclusion of the fore-going Treatise of Iustification Wherein the Apostle summarily collects the excellent state of a Christian iustified by faith in Christ Iesus declaring it to be such that there is no condemnation to him that nothing were it neuer so euill is able to hurt him yea by the contrary that all things worke for the best vnto him And because there are only two euils which grieue vs in this life to wit sinne that remaines in vs and affliction that followes vs in the following of Christ Against both these the Apostle furnishes the iustified man with strong consolations Comforts against the remanents of sinne we haue from the 1. verse to the 18. Comforts against our afflictions wee haue from the midst of the 18. verse to the 31. That this is the very purpose and order of the Apostle is This order of the Apostle is manifest out of his owne conclusion euident out of his owne conclusion set downe from the 31. verse to the end wherein he drawes all that he hath spoken in this Chapter to a short summe contayning the glorious triumph of a Christian ouer all his enemies The triumph is first set downe generally verse 31. What shall we then say Rom. 8. 31. to these things if God be with vs who can be against vs c. This generall incontinent he parts in two there is saith he but two things may hurt vs either Sinne or Affliction As to Sinne he triumphs against it verse 33. and 34. Who shall vers 33. 34. lay any thing to the charge of God his chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne It is Christ who is dead or rather who is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request for vs. As to Affliction hee triumphs against it from the 35 to the end Who shall seperate vs from ver 35. the loue of Christ shall tribulation anguish or persecution shall famine nakednesse or perill yea shall death doe it or that which is much more shall Angels principalities or powers doe it No In all these things we are more then Conquerours through him that loued vs. Thus doth the Apostle like a faithfull steward in the house of God take by the hand the weary sonnes and daughters of the liuing God that hee may leade vs into the Lords winesellers there to refresh and stay vs with the slagons of his Wine to comfort vs with his Cant. 2. 4. Apples to strengthen vs with his hid Manna and to make vs Cant. 5. 1. merrie with that Milke and Honey
of vertue Ne quis sibi quasi innocens placeat cum Cyprian orat dom innocens nemo sit se extâ—llâ—ndo plus percat instruitur docetur peccare se quotidie dum quotidie pro peccatis iubetur orare that no man saith Cyprian should flatter himselfe as though he wer innocent when as indeed no man is innocent and so by extolling himselfe should perish so much the more he is instructed and taught that he sinnes daylie while as euery day he is commaunded to pray for remission of sinnes but this errour we shall God willing further improue hereafter In the meane time for our comfort let vs consider that Reasons why the Lord suffers sin to remaine in the iustified man Aug. in Ioan. tract 41. albeit the Lord when he iustified vs might haue vtterlie destroyed the life of this sinning sinne in vs yet for waighty causes hath he suffered some life thereof to abide in vs for a time the first is for the exercise of our faith Peccata quorum reatum Soluit Deus ne post hanc vitam obsint manere tamen voluit ad certamen fidei these sinnes saith Augustine 1 For the exercise of our Faith 2. Tim. 2. 5. the guiltinesse whereof God hath loosed that they should not hurt vs in the life to come he will haue to remaine for the exercise of our faith No man is crowned except he striue as he ought and therefore the Lord who hath prepared for vs a Crowne and hath put vpon vs his compleat armour hath also suffered some enemies to remaine against whom we may fight for the tryall of our faith patience and perseuerance euen as the Cananites were left in the Land that the Lord by them might proue the Israelits whether or not they would keepe the way of the Lord to walke in it Secondly some life of sinne is left in vs for our instruction that we may know the better how farre we are oblieged 2 For our instruction that we may know what benefite we haue by Christ to Gods mercy how excellent is that deliuerance which we haue by Iesus Christ Nulla quidem est condemnatio his qui sunt in Christo tamen ad humiliandos nos peccatuÌ„ adhuc patitur viuere in nobis grauiter nos affligere vt Bernard sentiamus quid gratia nobis praestet semper ad illius auxilium recurramus It is true indeed saith Bernard that there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ yet for our humiliation the Lord suffers sinne to liue in vs and oftentimes afflict vs that we may know the benefit wee haue by Grace and make our recourse for helpe vnto it continually And indeed except by experience we felt how powerfull sinne is of it selfe to ouer-rule vs wee could neuer haue knowne that vile bondage and seruitude of sinne vnder which we lay by nature nor that excellent Grace of Christ by which we haue gotten deliuerance And therefore so oft as we are troubled with our inhabitant corruption we are to consider that if the remanents of the old man breed in vs such strong and restlesse tentations how would it tyrannize ouer vs if it were liuing in the full vigour and strength thereof that so wee may praise and magnifie that sauing Grace of the Lord Iesus which hath freed vs from so intollerable a tyrannie Thirdly the Lord hath done this for his owne greater 3 For the greater glory of God and Sathans greater confusion glory like vnto those Victors in battaile who albeit they may yet will not put all their enemies to the edge of the sword some of them they take Captiues and reserues for a while aliue against the day of triumph to be put then to death to their greater shame and the greater honor of their Iosh 10. 23. Conquerors When Ioshua had discomfited those fiue Kings who made warre against Gibeon hee would not slay them in the battaile but enclosed them in a Caue that the battell being ended he might put them to death in sight of all his people and then for their further confirmation he caused his Captaines and chiefe men of warre to tread vpon the necks of those Kings to assure them that after the same manner the Lord should subdue all the rest of their enemies vnder them And so our Captaine and mighty conqueror the Lord Iesus hath by himselfe obtained vnto vs victorie ouer all our enemies those Kings which besieged Gibeon are turned to slight those inordinate affections which held vs Captiues before are now by his power captiued of vs they are closed vp within vs as in a Caue where they remaine with some life but restrained of their former libertie and power and we rest assured that when the battaile shall be finished our Lord Iesus shall altogether spoyle them of their life The God of peace shall shortly tread Sathan vnder Rom. 16. 20. our feete Then Goliah being ouercome his Armie of the Philistines shall flie and no inordinate desire shall be left within vs. Thus we see how the Lord permits his enemie to liue and will not fully torment him before the time it is not because he wants power to subdue him sed vt â—o magis Ciril Catech. 8. confundatur but that so much the more he may confound him When as all the warriours of God as well those who are to come in the last age of the world as those who were in the fore-front of the battaile haue foughten against him and ouercome him then shall the Loâ—d Iesus put all his 1. Cor. 15. 25. enemies vnder his feet Yea euen now in the very time of the conflict is Sathan wonderfully confounded in this that How Sathan is daily confounded in the godly notwithstanding the Serpent keepe his sting yet there is no deadly power in it This vncircumcised Goliah hath that same sword in his hand by which he hath slaine many one the Lord permits him also to strike the Christian man therwith but he sees himselfe it is in vaine O how doth he returne ashamed and confounded when hauing gotten leaue to shoot out his sting and to strike with his accustomed sword of sinne those whom he hateth vnto death he perceiues that for all he can doe there remaines in them a seed of life which cannot be destroyed But that the greatnesse of this benefite which wee haue Christians are not exempted from the condemnatory sentence of men by Iesus Christ may the better appeare let vs see what a condemnation this is from which we are deliuered In the Scriptures there is ascribed to man a iudging by which he absolueth or condemneth there is also ascribed to God a iudging by which hee absolueth or condemneth As for mans condemnation we are not exempted from it Daniel condemned for a Rebell Ioseph condemned for an Adulterer Ioâ— condemned of his friends for an Hypocrit our Sauiour condemned for an Enemie to Câ—sar his
houre of death wee heare that ioyfull sentence Come to me thou Mat. 25. 21. faithfull seruant c. This night thou shalt be with mee in paradise Marke 23. 43. Math. 25. 34. Come and inherit the kingdome prepared for you Till then our peace is not alway without perturbation our ioy Yet our peace and ioy are not perfect in this life and why not without heauinesse nor our confidence without feare yea in our best estate we liue vnder expectation of a better For the iudgement of conscience suppose it be diuine yet it is not supreme nor absolutely perfect because the light we haue to informe conscience is but in part If thy conscience be euill and accuse thee it cannot accuse thee of all the euill which is in thee for if our conscience condemne vs 1. Iohn 3. 20. God is greater then our conscience and will much more condemne Deus scit in nobis quâ—d ipsi nes 〈…〉 s. God knoweth Aug. in Ioan. tract 42. that in vs which we know not our selues And if thy conscience be good and excuse thee yet can it not beare record of all the good which God by the Spirit of Grace hath wrought in thee And therefore for our comfort may wee turne that sentence if our conscience excuse vs God is greater then our conscience and will much more excuse vs. And hereof it commeth that our conscience can neither haue perfect nor perpetuall rest in this life because as is said it dependeth and looketh alwayes for that supreme and absolutory sentence of the highest Iudicator yet so much assurance haue wee and that vpon most certaine grounds whereof we will speake God willing hereafter as makes vs in our greatest tribulations to reioyce vnder the hope of the glorie of God And herein hath the Lord magnified his meruailous mercyes towards vs in that he hath not onely set vs free A great comfort that the Christian knowes before hand the sentence to be pronounced vpon him from condemnation but hath also forewarned vs before we come to iudgement that we shall not be condemned Yea so tender a regard hath the Lord of vs that in his last and supreame Court sentence of absolution shall first be pronounced vpon his children before that sentence of coÌ„demnation be giuen out against the reprobate that the Godly finding themselues in surety should not be discouraged to heare the fearfull reiection of the wicked Let vs not therefore be afraid when so it shall please the Lord to remoue vs out of this earthly Tabernacle seeing that before euer wee goe we know our sentence Pharaoh his Butler was not afraid Gen. 40 13. to goe before his Iudge because Ioseph foretold him that hee should be restored to his office and may not we with greater boldnesse goe before our King seeing we are fore-warned that he will restore vs vnto a more happy estate then that which we lost in Adam This we haue spoken of the glorious deliuerance which But how glorious this deliuerance â—s wee shall best know when we shall be set on mount Sion the iustified man hath in Iesus Christ our best knowledge is but in a part and we are not able to speake of these mercies of our God according to their excellencie The Lord is able to doe vnto vs aboue all that we can aske or thinke The Christian may looke for much more to be giuen him through Christ then any thing that euer he heard or hath conceiued in his owne minde When Lot was compelled to Gen. 14. goe out of Sodome by the Angels he considered not how mercifull the Lord was vnto him and therefore lingred and prolonged the time but being thrust out of Sodome by the Angell and set vpon the mountaine which the Lord had assigned to him for a place of refuge vnto him then no doubt considering the greatnesse of that iudgement which the Lord had executed vpon Sodome the smoke whereof we may well thinke he saw with Abraham the next morne mounting vp like the smoke of a Furnace then no doubt hee was moued in his heart to magnifie the Lords mercie toward him and if in Zoar where he was still in feare hee acknowledged that his life had beene precious in their eies who were sent to deliuer him much more may wee thinke hee was thankfull at the first on the mountaine when he saw their fearefull confusion and his meruailous preseruation It is euen so with vs wee are yet in Sodome which shortly will be burnt vp with fire the Lord doth daily send his Angels to vs warning vs to escape for our life but alas we prolong the time we delay to turne to the Lord loath we are to goe out of Sodome and all because wee know not with the Apostle the terrour of that day but surely when 2 Cor. 5. Reue. 11. the Lord shall set vs on mount Sion among those thousands which follow the Lambe and we shall see the smoake of the damned ascending continually when we shall stand at the right hand of the Lord Iesus and shall heare that fearefull sentence pronounced on the wicked and see the speedie and terrible execution thereof the earth opening incontinent to swallow them then shall we perfectly know how greatly the Lord hath magnified his mercies towards vs in deliuering vs from so fearefull a condemnation Last of all as this is the happy estate of them who are in How miserable are they who are not in Christ Christ that now there is no condemnation for them so is it the contrary miserable estate of the damned doe what they will euery action of their life makes out the processe of their most iust condemnation for to the vncleane all things are vncleane yea euen their consciences are defiled and Tit. 1. their prayer is abhominable and turned into sin but thanks be to God through Iesus Christ who hath deliuered vs from this most vnhappy condition To them who are in Christ. Albeit the former mentioned Deliuerance by Christ pertains not vnto all men onely to them who are of the houshold of Faith deliuerance from the wrath to come be most comfortable yet this which is subioyned should waken euery man to take heed vnto himselfe when we heare that this deliuerance is limited and restrained onely to them who are in Christ It is true that by the offence of one man the fault came on all to condemnation but by the obedience of one all are not made righteous only they who receiue the abundance Rom. 5. of grace and gift of righteousnesse shall raigne in life through one Iesus Christ As therefore we haue receiued within our selues by nature the sentence of death knowing that we are borne heires of the wrath of God by disobedience so wisedome craues that we neuer rest nor suffer our eyes to sleepe nor our eye-lids to slumber but that wee should recount our former sinnes in the bitternes of our heart and
water our couch with teares in the night and call vpon the Lord without ceasing in the day continually vntill we find that we are translated from darknesse to light taken out of nature and planted in Christ and that first sentence of absolution be pronounced to our conscience by the spirit of adoption goe thy way thy sinnes are for giuen thee For the Math. 9. 2. Apostle vseth here this limitation of the comfort to certaine persons thereby to declare that it appertaines not vnto the remnant of the world When the originall world was As none were saued without the Arke the family of Lot and house of Rahab Gen. 7. 33. Gen. 19. 16. Iosh 2. ouerwhelmed with waters none were saued but such as were in the Arke when Sodome was burnt with fire none were saued but those of the family of Lot when Iericho was destroyed none were preserued but such as were in the Family of Rahab all these are figures shadowing vnto vs that when the Lord shall come to cut downe the wicked with the sword or hooke of his iustice to cast them for euer into the wine-presse of his wrath saluation shall belong onely to those who are of the houshold of faith euen that whole family whereof God in Iesus Christ is the Father which number is indeede exceeding small if they be compared with the remnant and great multitude of the world therefore let not their euill example deceiue vs but remembring the kingdome of heauen suffers violence let vs cast away these Mat. 11. 12. Heb. 12. 2. burdens and impediments specially this sinne which hangeth so fast on that wee may enter in time into the Arke of GOD and Familie of Rahab that so wee may be saued Wee haue here then first to obserue a certaine distinction A threefold distinction of mankinde of mankinde whereof some are in Christ these are vessels of honour reserued to mercy others out of Christ and these are vessels of dishonour ordained vnto wrath This 1 Made in God his eternall counsaile distinction is first made in God his secret counsell electing some and leauing others according to the good pleasure of his will and this is onely knowne vnto himselfe It begins 2 Made in this life by effectual calling of those who are chosen Reuel 3. 12. first to be manifest when the Lord by effectuall calling seperates his Elect from the children of wrath and disobedience and then it is knowne but properly and truly of those onely who are effectually called for that new name which the Lord giueth none knowes but they who haue receiued it By the iudgement of charity confirmed by the seene effects of grace in another thou maist conclude that hee is called but by assurance of Faith thou maist onely be certaine of thine owne particular saluation But this distinction 3 Shall be made most manifest in the day of generall iudgement shall be most clearely manifested in the last day when the Lord shall gather all the children of his good will together at the right hand of Iesus Christ then shall hee declare vnto all the world who they are that are his the wicked shall see the righteous and be vexed with horrible feare when they shall see that such as they had in derision haue their portion among the Saints Let it not therefore be sufficient vnto vs that out of the generall masse of mankind we are gathered to the fellowship of the Church visible but let vs examine how we are in the barne sloore of the Lord Iesus whether as chaffe or corne for a day of winnowing will assuredly come wherein the Lord shall gather his good corne into his garner and the chaffe shall be cast out into vnquenchable fire It is againe to be marked that the Apostle hauing found If wee seeke comfort of deliuerance from the wrath to come we must goe out of our selues and seeke it in Christ in himselfe matter of death which he humbly confessed in the end of the last Chapter doth now goe out of himselfe and rest in Iesus Christ before hee can finde any comfort through deliuerance from death teaching vs that if wee seeke comfort wee must goe out of our selues and seeke it in Christ Surely a great cause of these manifold doubtings feares and vnquietnesse of mind wherewith the godly are often troubled is that they seeke in themselues grounds and warrants of their saluation as though the Lord could not saue them vnlesse there be in them such a disposition as in euery point should be This is one of Sathans subtile stratagems to draw thee from Christ and make thee to rest vpon thy selfe if once he obtaine this at thy hands thou suffer that Serpent to creepe in between thee and thy surety and diuert thy heart from reposing stedfastly vpon Christ that not content to seeke supplement of thy wants in him thou seeke perfection in thy selfe it shall be an easie thing vnto thy aduersarie to disquiet thee and shake thee too and fro like a reede shaken with the winde with distrustfull cogitations I confesse indeede it is most needfull vnto saluation that Yet wee must finde in our selues infallible markes of Saluation thou finde in thy selfe the infallible signes and tokens of thy effectual calling and ingrafting into Christ but to think that because thou findest them not in perfection or findest beside them a remanent sinfull corruption of thy nature that therefore thou canst not be saued is as much as to thinke thou canst not be saued vnlesse thou be thine owne Sauiour Learne therefore from the holy Apostle that how euer in thy selfe thou be worthie to dye yet giue this glory to Iesus Christ that he is thy Sauiour be strong in him keepe thy consideration and confidence vpon him If Sathan charge thee with thy sinnes flye thou to Christs merits if hee obiect to thee thine euill actions remember thou Christs innocent sufferings and for euery thing wherwith he can charge thee goe thou to Iesus thy aduocate to be answerable for thee So did Bernard who in the houre A notable cōfort arising of Christs twofold right to the kingdome of his death being presented as hee thought before the Lords tribunall and sharply accused by his aduersarie for his sinnes he goes out of himselfe and runnes to Christ I graunt indeede sayes he that as thou obiectest vnto me I am vnworthie and by no deedes of mine can I merit eternall life yet I know the Lord Iesus hath a double right to the kingdome of heauen one by heritage and another by conquest the first is sufficient for himselfe the second for me ex cuius dono iure illud mihi vendicans non confundor Bernard And indeede except it had beene to giue it to poore penitent and beleeuing sinners what needed our blessed Sauiour to haue conquered that kingdome which was his owne before by heritage Thus are we onely sure when we cast the anchor of our
forth and nourished free men vnto Iacob but remayned themselues in the state of bond women from this vnhappie condition the Lord deliuer vs and make vs partakers of that mercie and grace whereof hee hath made vs Preachers and professors From the Law of sinne and death Heere the Apostle shewes from what it is that we are deliuered Dauid saith many deliuerances giueth the Lord to his annoynted he spake Psal 18. 51. it of himselfe and it is true of all the Children of God By a great deliuerance he saued Noah in the deluge Lot in the burning of Sodome Israel out of Egypt Ioseph in the prison Daniel in the denne the three Children in the sierie furnace but all these are small if they be compared with this deliuerance from sinne and death Where first we learne how the Apostle conioynes these Sinne death God hath conioyned who shall seperate them two sinne and death if we be deliuered from the first wee shall also be deliuered from the second but if wee abide in the first we shall be sure not to escape the second if therefore Sathan say vnto vs as he did to our first Parents though yâ—u eatâ—â—f this forbidden tree yee shall not dye let vs answere him he hath proued already a shamelesse lyar and we are not any more to credit him that same penaltie lyes vpon euery sinne which was layd vpon the first if ye doe it ye shall die God hath conioyned them and who shal seperate them though the Lord speake not instantly to euery sinner as he did to Abimelech behold thou art but dead because Gen. 20. 3. of this sinne yet is it true of euery sinne when it is finished it brings out death So soone as Ionas entred into the Sea saith Chris hom 5. ad popu Ant. Chrisostome the storme rose to teach vs that Vbi peccatum ibi procella where there is sinne specially committed with rebellion there will not faile to arise a storme of the wrath of God It is true indeed the sinner in committing of sinne doth What a deceiuer Sathan is in tempting to sinne not perceiue this being blinder than Balaam he walkes on in an euill course and sees not the sword of Gods vengeance which is before him but imagines alway to reape some good either of profit or pleasure by committing of sinne for these are Sathans two baites vnder which hee couers his deadly hookes It is therefore a point of singular wisedome to decerne betweene the deceit of sinne present and the fruit of sinne to come betweene that which Sathan promiseth and that which we finde in experience performed He promised to our Parents that they should be made like vnto God but in very deede hee made them miserable like himselfe And if thou wilt also obserue that which thou findest in thy owne experience what fruit hast thou of a Rom. 6. 11. sinne when thou hast committed it doth not darknesse arise in thy minde heauinesse in thy heart terrour feare and accusing cogitations in thy conscience Euery man may finde it who list to marke it by moe then a thousand experiences in himselfe that Sathan is a shamelesse deceiuer yea more deceitfull then Laban who promised to giue to Iacob Gen. 34. beautifull Rahel but in the darke he gaue him bleare-eyed Leah be assured he will change thy wages promise thee one thing and pay thee with another As Hamor spake to his Sichemites so doth Sathan to his blind-folded Citizens he perswaded his people that if they would be circumcised all Iacobs substance and cattell should be theirs but indeed the contrary ensued for the goods of the Sichemites befell to the house of Iacob and they themselues perished by the sword Let vs therefore beware of the inuenomed tongue of the Diuell mentitur vt fallat vitam pollicetur vt perimat Cypr. lib. 1. Epist. 8. he lyes that he may deceiue he promiseth life that he may inflict death say he what he will let vs beleeue the word of the Lord confirmed by dolefull daily experience the wages of sinne is death God hath knit them together and who shall seperate them So oft then as Sathan by the deceit of sinne would beguile Sinne seemes sweet but the fruit thereof is bitter thee remember that though sinne seeme to be sweet the fruit thereof is exceeding bitter if thou feare not sinne feare that end whereunto sinne leades thee dulce peccatum sed amara mors sinne is sweet but death is bitter remember that the wages which Sathan promiseth and man would haue hee shall not get but the wages which God threatneth and man would not haue shall assuredly be payed him for this is the miserie of those who walke in their sinnes illud propter quod peccant hic dimittunt ipsa peccata Aug. hom 42. sâ—cum portant that for which they sinne they leaue it behinde them and carrie their sinnes away out of the world with them So that in the end when they shall gather the profite of all their former sinnes into a summe they shall find no other but that fore-told by the Apostle What profit Rom. 6. 21. haue ye now of all those things whereof ye are ashamed surely there is no fruit but shame and death to be pluckt from the forbidden tree of sinne But heere it may be obiected by the weake conscience Comfort for the godly who are troubled with the tentations of sinne of the godly how can this comfort be ours that wee are freed from sinne who find our selues so continually assaulted yea oftentimes oppressed of sinne For answere let vs marke that the Apostle saith not wee are fully freed from sinne in this life but we are freed from the law of sinne that is both from the commanding and condemning power thereof Sinne doth not now raigne in our mortall bodies as before neither hath it power any more to detaine vs vnder death But as for the temptations of sinne there is no sort of men more troubled with them then they whom God hath begunne to deliuer from the Law of sinne for Sathan being impatient of his losse seekes daily to recouer his former dominion From the time that once the Gibeonites made peace for themselues with Ioshua all the rest of Ioshua 9. the Kings of Canaan made warre against them and so soone as we enter into a couenant with the Lord Iesus Sathan shal not faile the more hereely to assault vs seeking to recouer his old possession yet if as the Gibeonits did we send speedily messengers to our Iehosua to shew him how wee are troubled for his sake hee shall not with-draw his helping hand from vs. Our deliuerance from sinne is begunne now but not Our begun deliuerance from sinne the Lord shall perfect 1. Cor. 1 8. Phil. 1. 6. perfected but we know that our God is faithfull by whom we are called hee shall also confirme vs to the end Euen hee who
own son Sonne to distinguish him from all others who are his sonnes by adoption onely Christ is the Sonne of God by nature by that diuine inutterable generation whereof Esay saith Who can expresse it Thus is hee Gods owne sonne that is Esay coeternall and coessentiall begotten of the Father before all time by the full communication of his whole essence vnto him in a manner that cannot be expressed And in the fulnesse of time he became man God being manifested in the flesh and in regard of his humane nature which was conceiued of the holy Ghost and vnited in a personall vnion with his diuine he stands in the title of Gods owne sonne after so singular a manner that he admits no companion The last of these two the Apostle makes the first point Christs diuine generation a great mysterie 1. Tim. 3. 16. of the misterie of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh wherein he bridles our curiositie for if his manifestation in the flesh that is his incarnation be a mysterie that goes beyond our vnderstanding what shall we say of his diuine generation a mysterie to be indeed adored not to be enquired an article proposed to be belieued not to be disputed The Arrians seeking to search out this vnsearchable mysterie with naturall reason by infinite degrees more foolish then if they had presumed to number the starres of heauen or measure with their fist all the waters in the Sea they stumbled Mans curiosity restrained from searching it and fell being neuer able to comprehend how the son that was begotten should be coeternall and coessentiall to the Father who begot him therefore the worthy Fathers of the primitiue Church to represse the presumption of these arrogant spirits drew them down from the dangerous speculation of these high mysteries farre aboue their capacitie to consideration of things which are in nature Si in Creatura genitum inueniri potest coaeuum genitori an non aequum August est concedas posse ista in creatore coaeterna inueniri if in things created that which is begotten may be found equall in time to that which begat it why should it be denyed that in the Creator the begetter and begotten are equall in eternitie When a candle saith Augustine is first lighted at once there are two things the fire the splendor or light if it be enquired whether the fire come from the light or the light from the fire all men will agree that the splendor or light comes from the fire but if againe it be demanded which of them is first or last in time it cannot be determined But wherefore shall we vse these similitudes as the Creator is aboue the creature so is that mysterie aboue all the secrets of nature no similitude can be found in nature so much as shadow that most high and supernaturall mysterie yet is the endeuor of these godly fathers commendable who haue laboured to bring downe men to the exercising of their wits in things which are below like vnto themselues leauing curious inquisition of higher secrets which as I haue said are to be receiued with faith reuerenced with Rom 11. 20. silence not searched out by curiositie O man be not high minded but feare Christ came like a sinfull man but without sinne In the similitude of sinnefull flesh We must not so vnderstand these words as if Iesus had onely the similitude of a naturall bodie no he was very man made of the seed of Dauid he hath taken our flesh indeed yet was he not a sinfull man but separated from sinners A holy One from the first moment of his conception conceiued of the holy Ghost A stone cut out of the mountaine without hands The Dan. 2. 45. Cant. Flower of the field that groweth without mans labour or industry 1. Cor. 15. The second Adam very man as was the first but not begotten of man So then the word similitude is not to be ioyned with the word Flesh but with the word sinfull He tooke on mans nature without sin yet subiect to those infirmities mortalitie and death which sin brought vpon vs he appeared like a sinfull man being indeed without sinne in the shape of a Seruant content to be made inferiour not onely to Angels but to men of the vilest sort sold for thirtie pieces of siluer not so worthie to liue as Barrabas ranked with Theeues on the Crosse and reputed as a Worme of the earth thus being voyde of all sinne yet was hee handled as a sinner and most wicked malefactor Wherein we are to consider so farre as we may though How deerely the Lord loued vs perceiue by the price he hath giuen for our ransome we cannot comprehend it that wonderfull loue which the Lord hath shewed vs in this worke of our saluation how deere and precious our life hath beene in his eyes perceiue by the greatnesse of that price which he hath giuen for vs for who will giue much for that whereof hee esteemes but little it was not with gold nor siluer nor any corruptible thing that the Lord hath redeemed vs but with the precious blood of his owne Son Iesus as of a Lambe vnblemished and vnspotted If Dauid considering the goodnesse of God towards man in the work of creation fell out into this admiration O Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him Psalm 8. or the Son of man that thou doest visite him how much more haue we cause so to cry out considering the riches of God his wonderfull mercies shewed vs in the worke of redemption It was a great kindnesse which Abraham shewed to Lot when he hazarded his owne life and the liues of his familie to recouer Lot out of the hands of Chedarlaomer but not comparable to that kindnesse which our kinsman the Lord Iesus hath shewed vnto vs who hath giuen his life to deliuer vs out of the hand of our enemies The Lord shed abroad in our hearts more and more abundantly the sence of that loue that we may endeauour to be thankfull for it by this threefold dutie first of thanksgiuing secondly of seruice thirdly of loue toward those who are beloued of him As for the first our life should be a continuall thanksgiuing Our thankfulnes againe should be testified by this threefold dutie and worshipping before him who hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his blood When the children of Israell had passed the red sea suppose they had a vast wildernesse betweene them and Canaan yet they praised 1 Continuall thanksgiuing God with a song of thanksgiuing and the Lord appointed an yeerely remembrance of that benefit If smaller mercies are to be remembred with thanksgiuing what shall we thinke of the greater As for the second which is seruice Zacharie teacheth 2 Seruice vs that for this end God hath deliuered vs from all our enimies that all our dayes we should serue him in righteousnesse Luke 1. 74.
and holinesse the reason why the Israelites bound 2. Sam. 19. 9. themselues to giue subiection and obedience to Dauid was that he had deliuered them from the hand of the Philistins the same reason Ezra vsed to the Iewes returned from captiuitie to make them obedient to the Lord Seeing thou O Ezra 9. 13. Lord hath giuen vs such deliuerances shall we returne any more to breake thy Commaundements but much more should it binde vs to doe seruice to our Lord Iesus seeing hee hath made vs free by his blood shall we againe make our selues the seruants of sinne The Lord neuer shewed a greater Professors conuinced that serue him not mercie on man then this that he gaue his sonne Iesus Christ vnto the death for vs and there can be no higher contempt done to God by man then if after so great a loue shewed vs wee shall still refuse to be his seruants much will be required of him to whom much is giuen those Gentiles to whom the Lord reuealed himselfe in goodnesse onely as their Creator because they did not glorifie him the Apostle saith that the wrath of God was reuealed from heauen vpon them and what wrath then maist thou looke for to whom the Lord hath manifested himselfe in mercy also as thy Redeemer in Christ and yet thou will not glorifie him thou receiuest not him whom thy Father hath sent vnto thee neyther wilt thou liue vnto him that gaue himselfe to dye for thee but by thy wicked life thou crucifiest againe the Sonne of God and treadest vnder thy feet the blood of the new couenant certainely Sodome and Gomorrha shall be in an easier estate in the day of iudgement then the wicked of this generation For in this last age the Lord hath spoken to vs by his Son he hath none greater to send after him those labourers of the vineyard that slew the Seruants of the great King were not for that instantly punished but when the Sonne came and they had murthered him also then was their iudgement no longer delayed It was not written for the Iewes onely in whom it was first accomplished but for vs also to whom the Father in this last age hath sent his owne Sonne and by whom hee hath spoken vnto vs from himselfe if we despise him there remaines no more but a violent looking for of iudgement The third dutie is that for Christs sake we loue vnfainedly Loue to those whom he hath bidden loue for his sake those whom hee hath recommended vnto vs our goodnesse cannot extend vnto the Lord neither haue wee him walking with vs vpon earth that we may minister vnto him may wash his feete and annoint his blessed bodie with precious oyntments therefore should our delight be vpon those his excellent ones that are vpon earth When Ionathan was dead Dauid for Ionathans sake shewed kindnesse to Mephibosheth our Ionathan is not dead hee liues and raignes in heauen yet can we not declare our kindnesse to himselfe let vs seeke some Mephibosheth some of Christs little weake and impotent children of whom he hath said what ye doe to one of these little ones for my sake is done to me and let vs shew kindnesse vnto them for the great loue which the Lord Iesus hath shewed vnto vs. And that for sinne These words containe the end of Christ came to destroy sin cursed are they who nourish it Christs manifestation in the flesh which is that in our nature he might beare the punishment of our sinnes satisfie the iustice of God and so abolish sinne Sanit Iohn makes this cleare when he saith that he appeared to destroy the workes of the diuell that is sinne for sinne being remooued there is nothing in man but the workmanship of God By this it is euident how highly they offend God who abuse the death of Christ to nourish themselues in their sinne being the bolder to commit sinne because Christ dyed for them surely this is to turne the grace of God into wantonnesse The Lord came to abolish sinne not to nourish it 1. Pet. 3. 18. Christ once suffered the iust for the vniust not that we should still abide vniust but that he might bring vs to God Thou therefore who continuest vniust mayst say as thou hast heard that there is a Sauiour come into the world but can not say in truth that there is a Sauiour come to thee For where Christ comes he worketh that worke for which hee came namely he destroyes the worke of the diuell that is he enfeebles and abolishes at the last the power of sinne Condemned sinne Sin by a metaphor is said to be condemned How Christ hath condemned sinne for as thy who are condemned are depriued of all the liberty power and priuiledges they had before and haue no more any place to appeare in iudgement so hath the Lord Iesus disanulled sinne that it hath now no power to commaund and condemne vs hee hath spoyled principalities and powers and triumphed ouer them in the Crosse Colos 2. 24. and hath nayled vnto it the obligation of ordinances which was against vs and so sustulit illam quasi authoritatem peccati Ambrose in hunc locum qua homines detinebat in inferno hath taken away that power and authoritie of sinne whereby it detained men vnder damnation This hath he done most lawfully and in iudgement as we shall heare bearing our sinnes in his blessed bodie on the Crosse he hath suffered that punishment which the law required to be inflicted on man for sinne and that in the flesh that is in the same nature of man which had offended For this word of Condemnation imports a iust and lawful Two head or chiefe iustice Courts holden by God proceeding of a Iudge in iudgement which that we may the better vnderstand let vs consider that there are two generall and head iustice Courts which the Lord hath set vnto men the one is holden already the other is to be holden 1 In the first the sinnes of all Gods elect are condemned in the first the sinnes of all the elect are lawfully condemned that themselues may be absolued in the second the persons of all the reprobate shall be iustly condemned In the first by the ordinance of God the Father our sinnes were laid vpon the backe of Iesus Christ and a law imposed to him which was neuer giuen to any other neither Angell or man to wit the law of a Mediator that he should make vp peace betweene God and man loue God in such sort that he should by suffering preserue the glory of his Fathers iustice and yet make manifest the glory of his mercy that he should loue his brethren in such sort that hee should take the burden of their transgressions vpon him which as by the Father it was enioyned vnto him so did he willingly vndertake it And therefore hauing our sinnes imputed vnto him he presented himselfe for vs vpon the Crosse as vpon a
pannell before the Iudge to vnder-lye the law which craued that our sinnes should be punished to the death The decree according to the law is executed death yea an accursed death as the punishment of sinne is laide vpon Christ whereupon there followes of equitie an absolution of all those for whom the Lord Iesus suffered as Cautioner their sinne is condemned and made of no force to condemne them hereafter The other generall iustice court 2 In the second the persons of all the wicked shall be condemned will be holden in the last day wherein all flesh must appeare before the Lord as their superiour and in that supreame and last Court of iustice shall be condemned the persons of all those whose sinnes were not condemned before in Christ Iesus onely therefore blessed are they who are in Christ He that heares my words and belieues in him that sent me hath Ioh. 5. 24. euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life And lastly we may obserue here what a powerfull Sauiour Christ did greatest works when to mans iudgement he was weakest wee haue when to the iudgement of man hee was weakest then did hee the greatest worke that euer was done in the world hee was powerfull in working of miracles in his life but more powerfull in his death for then he darâ—ened the Sunne he shooke the earth hee made the rockes to cleaue he rent the vale of the temple a sunder and caused the dead to rise Mortuum Caesarem quis metuâ—t sed morte Cyp. de duplici mâ—rtirio Christi quid efficacius if Caesar be once dead who will feare Christ euen when he is dead is terrible to his enemies nothing can be more effectuall then his death By it he did a greater worke than was the creation of the world by it he brought in new heauens and a new earth by suffering death he destroyed him who had the power of death when hee was condemned of man he condemned sinne that it should not condemne man passus est vt infirmus operatus vt fortis August de temp ser 7. Macar hom 11. he suffered as a weake man but wrought as a strong one â—icut serpens mortum c. As that Serpent without life erected by Moses in the wildernesse ouercame the liuing Serpents that stung Israell so the Lord Iesus by suffering death hath slaine that serpent that liuing in vs had stung vs Chris hom 2. in Math. vnto death Hic vides mortem morte peremptam maledictum maledicto extinctum per quae Diabolus iam antea valebat per ea ipsa tyrannidem ipsius esse destructam here thou seest saith Chrisostome death slaine by death and the tyrannie of Sathan destroyed by those same meanes by which before most of all he preuailed O wonderfull worke surely the weakenesse of God is Christ a powerfull Sauiour stronger then Sampson yea stronger then that strong one stronger then man he is that strong One indeed stronger then Sampson When the Philistines thought they had him sure within the ports of Azzah he arose at midnight and tooke the doores of the gates of the Cittie and the two posts and carried them away with the bars thereof on his shoulders vp to the top of the mountaine which is before Iudg. 16. 1. Hebron but our mighty Conquerour and deliuerer the Lord Iesus hath in a more excellent manner magnified his power for being closed in the graue clasped in the bands of death and a stone rolled to the mouth of the graue the Sepulcher sealed and guarded with souldiers he rose againe the third day before the rising of the Sunne he carried like a victor the bars and posts of death away as vpon his shoulders and vpon the mount of Oliues he ascended on high leading captiuitie captiue Like as therefore wee receiued before great comfort Christs power yeelds vs great comfort through the consideration of Christs incomprehensible loue toward vs so is it now confirmed by the meditation of his power Let Sathan boast like Rabsache that the Lord 2. Reg. 18. 35. is not able to deliuer Ierusalem out of his hands hee is but a blasphemous Lyar the Lord will rebuke him and will shortly tread Sathan vnder our feete it is the curse of the wicked he shall be oppressed and there shall be none to deliuer Deut. 28. 29. him but blessed be the Lord who hath prouided a strong deliuerer for vs who certainly shall set vs free from our enemies and destroy all the oppressours of our soules Psal 143. 12. Glory therefore be vnto him for euer Verse 4. That the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in vs who walke not after the Flesh but after the Spirit THe Apostle hauing taught vs in the former 2 Here followes the second member of the explication wherein hee shewes how we are deliuered from the commanding power of sinne Ephes 5. 26. verse how the Lord Iesus hath freed vs from the condemning power of sin doth now let vs see how wee are freed also from the commanding power of sin for he sets downe this to be the first and neerest end of Christs death in respect of vs the renouation of our nature and conformity thereof with God his holy law which he expresses more cleerely in another place when he saith that Christ gaue himselfe to the death for his Church that he might sanctifie it and make it to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blame This is the end which Christ hath proposed vnto himselfe and whereof he cannot be frustrate as he hath begun it so he shall finish it he shall conforme vs to the law the righteousnesse thereof shall be fulfilled in vs there shall not be left in our nature so much as a sinfull motion or desire but hee shall at the last present vs pure and without blame to his Father This righteousnesse of the law I vnderstand to be that How the riâ—hteousnesse of the law is fulfilled in vs. perfect obedience to the Commandements thereof which the law requires flowing from the perfect loue of God and our neighbour and it is fulfilled in vs two manner of wayes first by application or imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs he is our head and we his members and are so vnited with him that now we are not to be taken as sundry but as one body with him By vertue of the which communion it comes to passe that that which is ours is his that which is his is ours so that in our head wee haue fulfilled the law satisfied Gods iustice for our sinnes Secondly it will be fulfilled in vs by our perfect sanctification though now we haue but begun obedience and in part the Lord Iesus at the last shall bring it in vs to perfection The Iesuites of Rhemes in their marginall
of the christian carnall man appeares their different kindes shall appeare the more clearely if yee compare the affections words and actions of the one with the other And first to begin at the vnderstanding it is certaine 1 In their vnderstanding that the naturall man vnderstands not those things which are of God Let Iesus Christ speake to naturall Nicodemus of regeneration and Nicodemus shall conceiue that Iohn 3. 4. he speakes of a naturall generation Let Paul speake before Agrippa of the heauenly vision and Festus shall count him Act. 26. 24. Gen. 19. a foole Let Loâ— speake to his Sonnes in Law of the iudgement to come vpon Sodome and they shall esteeme him as a mocker thus Naturalists can neyther vnderstand the words of mercy nor iudgement to be allured with the one or terrified with the other for he minds only earthly things but as for the spirituall man he hath receiued that new mind whereby he knowes him that is the true one he is indued 1. Iohn 5. 20. with new senses whereby he perceiues things which are excellent Aug. de verb. Apost ser 17. habet enim oculos interiâ—res quibus videt iustitiae lumen he hath those naturall eyes whereby he seeth the light of righteousnesse And if from the vnderstanding we proceed to the affections 2 In their affections whereupon can the naturall man set his affections but vpon those things which his vnderstanding commends for good for euery man hath his heart enclined to that which according to his knowledge he thinkes best for himselfe The Gadarens will prefer their Swine before Christ and naturalists Math. 8. make more of their smallest earthly commodities than of those things which are aboue at the right hand of God but the Christian accounts the testimonies of the Lord sweeter vnto him then al the treasures of the worldlings he findes more ioy in the lightsome countenance of God then in all aboundance of Wheat Wine the best things of this earth he accounts but doung the pleasures of the world are loathsome vnto him her glory is despised in his eyes habet Aug. ibid. enim olfactum interius de quo dixit Apostolus Christi bonus odor sumus Deo in omni loco estque verbum illi odor vitae ad vitam for he hath that internall sense of smelling whereof the Apostle speakes we are vnto God the sweet sauour of 2. Cor. 5. 15. Christ in euery place this makes the word of God vnto him the sweet fauour of life vnto life habet etiam gustatum interius quo nouit gustare vidâ—re quam suauis sit Dominus and he hath also that interior sense of tasting whereby he can tast and consider how gracious the Lord is Now touching their language it is also framed according 3 In their speaking Iohn 3. 31. to their vnderstanding and affections for out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh earthly things but the spirituall man hath learned from his Lord to speake of those things which appertaine to the kingdome of God and delights with Act. 1. 3. Psal Iudg. 12. Dauid to tell what God hath done vnto his Soule As the Ephraemites by their tongue were knowne from the Gileadites so the language of men ordinarily tels what countrie men they are whether Burgesses of Babell or of the heauenly Ierusalem Speculum mentis plerunque in sermone refulget Ambr. offic lib. 1. cap. 18. Cyp. lib. 1. epist 3. The speach saith Ambrose is commonly a glasse wherein the minde is represented De â—re verbis suis vnâ—squisque proditur vâ—rum Christum in corde suo an Antichistum habeat loquendo detegitur euery mans speach saith Cyprian doth soone bewray what he is and by his speach is discouered whether he haue Christ or Antichrist in his heart Qui in Christum credunt linguis loquuntur nouis vetera Ber. in ascen dom de Euan lectione ser 1. recesserunt de ore eorum they who beleeue in Christ speake with new tongues old things are departed out of their mouths The same is to be said in like manner of their hearing 4 In their hearing for the Christian delights to heare of those things whereof he delights to speake It is a paine to him to heare prophane language which to a carnall man is a pastime hee that is godly like Lot his soule is vexed when he heares a Sodomite speake To a godly man saith Iob the eate is the taster Iob. 12. 11. of the soule as the mouth tastes meate for the bellie and sends none downe into it but that which is approoued so the â—are of the wise tastes words and delights in no speach but that which is poudered and good for edifying It is a very godly saying of Augustine spirituales nec tormentis Aug. de temp Ser. 54. separantur à Christo carnales vero etiam otiosis fabulis separantur no torments can separate spirituall men from the loue remembrance and meditation of Christ but carnall men forgoe the remembrance and meditation of Christ for idle and vnprofitable fables And lastly as concerning their actions the naturall man 5 In their doing hath no pleasure in spirituall exercises of diuine worship set him to any other worke he doth it with some dexteritie and cheerefulnesse but bring him to a spirituall work there he faints and languishes it is a wearinesse vnto him to heare the word of God in euery spirituall exercise he is like a creature out of the owne element which hath no contentment whereas the Christian by the contrary loues the word of God more than his appointed food and delights most in those exercises which are meetest to edifie him in Christ Thus the spirituall man hath a mind to know Christ his affections set vpon Christ his talke is of Christ his actions are toward Christ and Christ in the end shall he enioy to his euerlasting comfort Verse 6. For the wisedome of the flesh is death but the wisedome of the spirit is life and peace THE Apostle hauing set downe the contrarie The miserable estate of them who walke after the flesh described dispositions of the Carnall and Christian man doth now shortly describe the miserie of the one and happinesse of the other The carnall man hath not onely his will and affections set vpon euill but also that which is best in him his wisdome and vnderstanding are so farre peruerted that it yeelds vnto him no fruit but death In the soule of man are two chiefe faculties the Vnderstanding and the Will The vnderstanding should be the gouernour and directer of the Counsels and actions of man the Will should be the follower accomplisher and executer thereof but now is mans nature so corrupted that either reason which should rule is ouer ruled by the wil or at least the crooked is led by the blind
resurrection which for the same cause is called by our Sauiour the day of regeneration for then shall hee change our mortall bodies and make them like vnto his owne glorious body thus by his dwelling in vs haue we the reparation both of our soules and bodies The other benefit we enioy by his dwelling in vs is the 2 He prouides all necessaries where hee dwels Iren. cont val lib. 4. cap. 28. benefit of Prouision where he comes to dwell hee is not burdenable after the manner of earthly Kings but his reward is with him for he hath not chosen vs to be his â—aâ—itation for any neede he hath of vs sed vt haberet in quem collocaret â—ua beneficia but that he might haue some on whom to bestow his benefits non indigeâ— nostrâ— ministerio vt domini seruorum sed sequimur ipâ—um vt homines lumen sequuntar nihil ipsi praestantes sed beneficium a lumine accipientes hee hath no need of our seruice as other Lords haue neede of their seruants but we follow him as men follow the light giuing nothing to it but receiuing a benefit from it It falles commonly out that where men of meane estate Not like kings of the earth who oft times are burdenable to them with whom they lodge Aug. de verb. Apost ser 15. receiue to lodge those that are more honourable they disease themselues to ease their guests but if thou receiue this rich spirit of the Lord to lodge non angustabâ—ris sed dilataberis thou shalt not be straited but shalt be enlarged saith Augustine he knew the comfort hee reaped by this presence of GOD and therefore could speake the better thereof vnto others quando hic non eras angustias patiebar nunc implesti cellam meam non me exclusisti sed angustiam meam when thou Lord dwelst not in me much anguish of minde oppressed me now thou hast filled the cellers of my heart thou hast not excluded me but excluded that anguish which troubled me In a word the benefits wee receiue by him doe not onely concerne this life but are stretched out also to eternall life Dauid comprises all in a short summe the Lord is a light and defence hee will giue grace and glory and no good thing shall be withholden from them that Psal 84. 11. loue him The greater benefits we haue by the dwelling of Christ What duties of thankfulnes we owe to our Lord who dwels in vs. in vs the more are we obliged in our dutie to him O how should that house be kept in order wherein the King of glory is resident what daily circumspection ought to be vsed that nothing be done to offend him not without cause are these watch-words giuen vs grieue not the spirit quench Eph. 4. 30. 1. Thes 5. 19. not the spirit There are none in a family but they discerne the voyce of the master thereof and followes it they goe 1 That we discerne the voyce of our Master and obay it Math. 8. 9. out and in at his commandment if he say vnto one Goe he goeth if to another Come he commeth if the Lord be our master let vs heare euery morning his voyce and enquire what his will is we should doe with a promise to resigne the gouernment of our hearts vnto him for it is certaine he will not dwell where he rules not as he will admit no vncleane thing within his holy habitation so will he not dwell with the vncircumcised in heart the Lord will not take a wicked man by the hand nor haue fellowship with the throne of iniquitie If holy men when they see brothels Macar hom 12. abhorre them and goes by them how much more shall we thinke that the most holy Lord will despise and passe by their soules which are polluted rather like to the filthie stewes of Sodome than the holy sanctuary of Sion for the Lord to dwell in And if hereby the weake conscience be cast downe reasoning That euery day we sweepe and water his chamber with the besome teares of repentance Zach. 13. 1. within it selfe alas how can my beloued dwell with me who am so polluted and defiled remember that the more thou art displeased with thy selfe the more thy Lord is pleased with thee for thy daily pollutions hee hath appointed daily washings in that fountaine which he hath opened to the house of Dauid for sin and for vncleannesse Sweepe out thy sinnes euery day by the besome of holy anger and reuenge and water the house of thy heart with the teares of contrition quoniam sine aliquo vulnere esse non possumus medelis Cyprian spiritualibus vulnera nostra curemus seeing wee cannot be without some wounds of Conscience let vs daily goe to the next remedie that with spirituall medicines wee may â—ure them chasting our selues euery morning and examining our selues vpon our bed in the euening And againe seeing we are made the Temples of the That in his Temple there want not morning and euening sacrifice holy Ghost there should be within vs continuall sacrifices offered vnto God of prayer and praising together with a daily slaughter of our beastly affections Among the Israelites Princes were knowne by the multitude of their sacrifices which they offered vnto God but now they who sacrifice most of their vncleane affections are most approued as excellent Israelites of the Lord who can best discerne an Israelite From the time the Lord departed from Ierusalems Temple the daily sacrifice and oblation ceased and where there is not in man neither prayer nor praysing Macar hom 28. of God nor mortification of his beastly lusts but the spirituall Chaldeans hath come in and taken away this daily sacrifice it is an euident argument that the Lord dwelleth not there Last of all let vs marke here that the Apostle sayth Bastard professors lodges this holy spirit in a wrong roome Ephe. 3. 17. this dwelling of the spirit is in vs it is not without vs the kingdome of God is within vs if he dwell he will dwell in our hearts by saith for he himselfe requires the heart As for them who lodge him in their mouths by professing him in their eyes by aduancing them to heauen in their hands by doing some workes of mercy and not in their hearts these are carnall men not spirituall pretend what they will hipocrites who drawes neere the Lord with their lips but their hearts are farre from him accursed deceiuers who hauing a male in their flocke vowes and sacrifices a corrupt thing vnto the Lord which I doe not speake as if I did condemne the outward seruice done in the body to the Lord prouiding it flowe from the heart Ye are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6. 20. therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit for they are Gods And this also is to be marked for the amendment of two Humble gestures of the bodie in
publike exercises of diuine worship prophanly scorned by some sorts of men among vs who are in two extremities we haue some who are become scorners of the grace of God in others neither can they be humbled themselues in the publik assemblies of the Saints nor be content to see others expresse their inward motion by outward humiliation they sit downe in the throne of God and condemnes others for hipocrisie not remembring that the sinne of hipocrisie is to be reserued to the iudgement of God who onely knowes the heart that those same things which they mislike in their brethreÌ„ the Lord hath allowed in others The Apostles precept commaunds vs to lift vp to the Lord pure hands in prayer Dauids practise teaches vs to aduance our eyes to the Lord shal not thy brother lift vp his hands his eyes to the Lord shall he not sigh to God nor mourne in his prayers like a Doue as Ezekiah did but thou incontinent wilt taxe him of hipocrisie We read that Iacob sought a blessing from the Lord with teares and obtained it Esau sought a blessing from his father with teares crying and obtained it not were the teares of Iacob the worse because Esau also shed teares Iudge not least thou be iudged the iudgement of Hypocrisie as I haue said belongs to the Lord. On the other extremitie are they who thinke they haue Superstitiously abused by others done enough when they haue discharged some outward exercises of religion though they take no paine to sanctifie the heart to works of diuine seruice On the Saboth they come to the house of God they bow their heads like a bulrush with the rest they pray and praise the Lord in the externall formes with the rest of the congregation but considers not whether or no they come into the temple by the motion of the Spirit as Simeon did if they pray and praise the Lord with prepared hearts as Dauid did neyther trye they when they goe out whether or no they haue met with the Lord found mercie and returneth home to their houses iustified as the Publican did It is true we are to glorifie God with our bodies because they are his but most of all with our spirits because God is a spirit he loueth truth in the inward affections and delights to be worshipped in spirit and truth We are called by the Apostle the Temples of God Seeing we are the temples of God we should be more beautifull within then without Salomons Temple the further in was the finer in the outward Court stood an Alter of brasse whereupon beastes were sacrificed in the inward Court was an Altar of gold whereupon incense was sacrificed but the Sanctuarie or most holy place did farre exceed them both in it was nothing but fine gold in it the Lord gaue his Oracles from betweene the Cherubins in it stood the Arke of the couenant wherein was the Tables of the Law And so indeed the Christian ought to be holy without his lookes his words his wayes should all declare that God dwelleth in his heart he should haue ingrauen as it were in his forehead Holinesse to the Lord as Aaron had but much more Exod. 28. 36. should hee be holy within betweene the secrets of his Soule should the Lord haue his residence and in his heart the testimony of God which is the word of God should dwell plentifully But as for the wicked they are eyther compared to open But the wicked are compared sometime to open and sometime to painted Sepulchers sepulchers their mouth being like that gate of the Temple called Shallecheth out of which was carryed all the filth of the Temple the abhomination of their heart being made manifest by their mouth or then in their best estate they are compared to painted Sepulchers beautifull without Math. 23. 27. Psal 32. 2. but within full of roâ—tennesse hauing a shew of godlinesse wanting the power thereof but the man is blessed in whose heart Iohn 1. 47. Rom. 2. 29. there is no guile hee is a Nathaniell indeed a true Israelite who is one within whose praise is not of men but of God But if any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his The comfort being ended now followes the Caution The secondary great question in religion is this who are Christians Euery man saith Salomon boasts of his owne goodnesse but the Lord saith the Apostle knoweth who are his As the first great question in Religion is concerning the Sauiour of the world Art thou he who is to come or shall Math. 11. 3. wee looke for another so the second is concerning them who are to be saued if the iudgement be referred to man now euery man among vs accounts himselfe a Christian If iudgement be sought from the Lord here he giues one answere for all If any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his Albeit among men there be an allowable difference of A soueraigne rule whereby Christians of all estates must be tryed estates yet concerning Christianitie both King and Subiect rich and poore learned and vnlearned comes all to be tryed by one rule It is a common thing among men to esteeme somewhat more of themselues for the priuiledge of their estate wherein they excell others but the Apostle destroyes the pride of all their glory with one word If any man so he speakes without exception be what thou wilt beside were thou neuer so noble neuer so rich neuer so learned if thou hast not the Spirit of Christ thou art none of his all the priuiledges of men without Iesus are nothing that which is high among men is abhomination to God Man in his best estate is altogether vanitie the glory of flesh is but as the flowre of the field the Spirit of the Lord iudgeth of all the glory of man as the pompe of Agrippa Acts. 25. 23. he came downe saith Saint Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is all but fantasie and vanishing shewes nothing commends vs to God but this one to haue the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs. Christ and his Spirit are not sundred Againe we see here that Christ and his Spirit cannot be sundred except men will crucifie againe the Sonne of God Let no man therefore say that he hath Christ vnlesse he haue the Spirit of Christ As he is not a man who hath not a Soule so he is not a Christian who hath not the Spirit of Christ no man counteth that a member of his body which is not quickned by his spirit no more is hee a member of Christ who hath not the Spirit of Christ 1 Iohn 4. 13. hereby we know that we dwell in him and hee in vs because he hath giuen vs of his Spirit And as Christ and his spirit are not sundred so cannot the spirit be sundred from the fruits of the Spirit now the fruites of the Spirit are Loue Ioy
Tertul. de resur carnâ—â— Lord Iesus hath carryed our flesh into heauen as an earnest and pâ—edge of the vvhole summe vvhich afterward is to be brought thither he hath not thought it inough to giue his spirit vnto vs here on earth as the earnest of our inheritance but to put vs out of all doubt he hath carried vp our flesh into heauen and possest it in the kingdome in the name of all his members Who raysed vp Iesus from the dead Then vve see that our Seeing our Lord was among the dead let vs not feare when God cals vs to lye down among them also Lord was once among the dead but now is risen from them let vs not then be afraid vvhen God shall call vs to lye down among the dead also shall the seruant be ashamed of his Masters condition or vvill the patient refuse to drink that potion vvhich the Phisition hath tasted before him No we must follow our Lord through the miseries of this life through the dolours of death through the horrours of the graue if vve looke to follow him in his resurrection in his ascension to be amongst those hundred fortie and foure thousand in mount Sion vvho hauing his fathers name vvritten in their foreheads follow the Lambe whersoeuer he goâ—th Reuel 7 singing that new song vvhich none can sing but they whom he hath bought from the earth When those women came to seeke the Lord Iesus in the What comfort Christs resurrection giues vs against death Sepulchre all the feare they had conceiued concerning Christs death the Angels remoues it by sending them to meditate on the resurrection why seeke yee him that liueth among the dead hee is not here but hee is risen Wee are not Mat. 28. 5. 6 yet laid downe among the dead but or euer we goe to the graue we haue this comfort that the Lord by his power shall raise vs out of it where the head growes through the members will follow Per angustum passionis foramâ—n transiuit Christus vt latum praeberet ingrâ—ssum sequentibus membris Our Lord is gone through the narrow passage of death that hee might make it the wider and easier to all his members who are to follow him We see by experience the body of a man drownes not though it be vnder the water as long as the head is borne aboue many of the members of Christ are here in this valley of death tost too fro in this sea of tribulation with continuall tentations yet our comfort is we cannot perish for our head is aboue and a great part of the body liuing and raigning with him in glory there is life in him to draw forth out of these miseries all his members and hee shall doe it by that same power by which he raised himselfe from the dead For we are taught here that our resurrection is a worke not to be done by man not the power of nature but by Resurrection is a work of God and nâ—â— of man the power of God we are not therefore to hearken to the deceitfull motions of our infidelitie which calles in doubt this article of our Faith we must not consider the imbecillitie and weaknesse of nature neither measure heauenly and supernaturall things with the narrow span of naturall reason but as it is Abrahams praise the father of the faithfull Rom. 4. 19. that when God promised him a sonne in his old age hee was not weake in faith hee considered not his owne body which was dead neither the deadnesse of Saraahs wombe but was strengthned in the faith and gaue glory to God being fully assured that hee who had promised was also able to doe it so should we sanctifie the Lord God in our harts looking to the word and promise of the euerliuing God to Cyr. cate 18. whom those things are possible which are impossible vnto vs for the Lord saith the Prophet hath the whole earth in Isay 40. 12. his fist and it is more easie to him to discerne one pickle of dust from another then it is to any man hauing his hand full of sundry seedes to open his hand and gather euery kind thereof into one by themselues seperate and distinct from the rest When thou hearest sayth Augustine that the dead shall be raised suppose it be a great thing yet count it no incredible thing but consider who it is that takes in hand to doe it ille suscitabit te qui creauit te the Lord who created Aug. ser 64 thee he it is that shall raise thee And for our further confirmation let vs consider how Resurrection confirmed by Scripture by types by practises of God in nature the spirit of God hath taught this article of our resurrection in sundry places of holy scripture hath shadowed it by types and figures hath cleared it by examples and last of all by the practise and working of God in nature As for Scripture both Prophets and Apostles as it were with one 1 Our resurrection is confirmed by Scripture Dan. 12. 13. Hos 13. 14. 15. mouths breathes out this veritie They that sleepe in the dust saith Daniel shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to euerlasting shame and perpetuall contempt I will redeeme thee saith the Lord by Hosea from the power of the graue I wil deliuer thee from death O death I will be thy death O graue I will be thy destrustiom Patient Iob in his greatest extremitie Iob. 19. 25. gaue out this notable confession of his faith I am sure that my redeemer liueth and he shall stand the last on the earth and though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet shall I see God in my flesh whom I my selfe shall see mine eyes shall behold and none other for mee though my reynes are consumed within me And if we come to the new Testament most cleare is that testimonie of the Lord Iesus The houre shall Iohn 5 28. come in the which all that are in the graue shall heare his voyce and they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation The Apostles in like manner beare witnesse to their Master If in this life onely wee had hope in Christ of all men we were most miserable but now is Iesus 1 Cor. 15. 19. 20. 21. 22. risen from the dead and was mâ—â—â— the first fruits of them that slept For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead For as in Adam all lye so in Christ all are made aliue And againe Behold I shew you a secret we shal Ibid. 51. 52. 53. not all sleepe but we shall alâ— be changed In a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet for the trumpet shal blow and the dead shall be raised vp incorruptible and we shal be changed For this corruptible must
wrought in thee already that thou maist see it perceiue that which is to be wrought in thee suppose it be not apparant ex his quae in Cyril te sunt persâ—ice ea quae non apparent of â—ore-past works iudge of that which is to come that thou maist learne to giue glory to God and trust in him who giues life to them that are dead And if from our selues we proceed to other creatures how Practises of God on creatures without vs though they cannot beget faith yet may they confirme it many proofes in nature shall we finde to confirme the resurrection the Trees that dye in Winter and loose both their leaues and fruit are they not restored againe in the Spring The day which is slaine by the night and buried in darknes as it were in a graue is it not restored againe in the morning The auncient Fathers send vs to learne â—e same from the Phoenix Many other works of God in 〈…〉 re though they cannot beget this faith in vs yet are they profitâ—ble to helpe it where it is begun and are strong witnesses in their kinde to reproue the infidelity of Atheists But we haue aboue all to take heed to that most sure word of the Prophets and Apostles whereat we began and so to rest in it that when it shall please God the day of our change shall come we may after the example of our blessed Sauiour commend our soules into the hands of the Lord and be content that our bodies like pickles of liuely seed be sowen in the field of God and set into the earth as it were with Gods owne finger that in his owne good time they may spring vp againe to glory and immortality I know whom I haue beleeued and am perswaded that hee is able to keepe vnto the last day that which I haue 2 Tim. 2. 12. committed to him And this for confirmation of our resurrection These same bodies which now we haue shall be restored vnto vs the same in substance We haue further this comfort in that the Apostle saith the Spirit of God shall raise vp your mortall bodies that our bodies wherewith now wee are cloathed shall be raised vp and none other for them Away therefore with that vaine opinion that new bodies shall be created and giuen to Gods Children in the resurrection The glory both of his iustice The iustice of God craues that so it shold be mercy and truth craues that these same bodies and no other for them should be restored for euery one must receiue according to that which they haue done in the body whether good or euill Absurdam est Deo indignum vt haec quidem Tertul. caro lanietur illa vero coronetur◠〈…〉 nds not with the iustice and truth of God that one bod◠〈…〉 uld be torne in suffering and another should receiue the crowne Shall the body of Paul be scourged and an other for it be glorified shall Paul beare in his body the mark of Christs sufferings and not beare in that same body the crowne of his glory shall the wicked in their body worke the works of vnrighteousnesse and shall an other body receiue the wages of their iniquity It cannot be And that the glory of his mercy craues that the same The mercy of God craues also that so it should be body should be raised is also euident for why shall Sathan giue that wound to man which the Sauiour of men is not able to cure shall the malice of the Diuell bring in that euill which the mercy of God cannot remoue shall the first Adam slay the body by sinne and shall not the second Adam giue life vnto it by his righteousnesse Can this stand with the glory of God dimidium tantum modo hominem restituere Tertul. to restore onely the one halfe of man As these same soules of ours which were dead and none other for them are quickned in the first resurrection so these same bodies of ours and none other for them shall be raised from the dead in the second resurrection restituet Deus corpora pristina in Iren. cont Valent. lib 5. resurrectione non creabit noua As those blinde men saith Irenaeus whom as we read in the Gospell Christ cured receiued no new eyes but onely sight to the eyes they had before and as that sonne of the widdow and Lazarus rose in those same bodies wherein they did die so shall the Lord in the resurrection restore to vs our olde bodies and not create new bodies to vs And this vvarneth vs that vvith great attention wee are to vse our bodies in most holy and honourable manner in this life seeing they are to be raysed vp as vessels of honour and glory in the life to come Againe when the Apostle saith that the Lord shall raise Our bodyes shall be raised with new qualities vp our mortal bodies we are to know that so he calleth them in respect of that which they are now not in respect of that which they shall be then For in the resurrection the Apostle teacheth vs in anothe◠〈…〉 ce that our bodies shall be raised immortall honourabl◠〈…〉 rious spirituall and impassionable First I say the body shall be raised immortall not subiect any more to death nor diseases nor standing in need of these ordinary helps of meat drink and sleepe by which our naturall life is preserued Secondly our body shall be raised honourable now it is 2 They shall be honourable layd downe in dishonour for there is no flesh were it neuer so beautifull or beloued of man but after death it becommeth loathsome to the beholder so that euen Abraham shall desire that the dead body of his beloued Sarah may be buried out of his sight but in the resurrection they shall be raised more honourable then euer they were they shall be redeemed from all their infirmities euery blemish in the body that now makes it vnpleasant shall be made beautifull in the resurrection and euery defectiue member thereof shall be restored Members lame shal be restored to integrity Membri detruncatio vel obtusio nonne mors membri est si vniuersalis mors resurrectione rescinditur Tertul. de resur carnis quanto magis portionalis for the perishing of the member is no other thing but the death of the member if the benefit of resurrection cut off the vniuersall death of the body shall it not also take away the portionall death of a member in the body if the whole man shall be changed to glory shall he not much more be restored to health Out of all doubt the bodies of Gods Children shall be raised perfect comely and euery way honourable hoc est enim credere resurrectionem integram credere Thirdly the body shall be raised a glorious body When 3 They shall be glorious Phil. 3. 21. he shall appeare he shall change our vile bodies and make them like
therefore is it that in the summe of our faith the Article of our Resurrection is put betweene the Article of the remission Resurrection is a benefit when remission of sin goes before it and eternal life followes after it of sinnes and that other Article of eternall life to teach vs that then onely the Resurrection of the body is a benefit when remission of sinnes goes before it and eternall life followes after it whereof the Lord of his great mercy make vs partakers through Iesus Christ Verse 1â— Therefore Brethren â—ee are debters not to the Exhortation flesh to liue after the flesh AS it is true concerning vs that a necessitie lyeth What fruit wee should gather of the Apostles former doctrine vpon vs to preach and woe will be to vs if wee preach not so it is true concerning you that a necessitie lyeth vpon you to heare and woe wil be to you if you heare not It is commaunded to vs that when we speake wee should speake as the Oracles of God and it is also required of you that ye receiue this word not as the word of man but as it is indeede the word of God therefore take heede how yee heare for as Moses said to the Israelites so say wee vnto you It is no vaine word concerning you it is your life Ye haue heard that maine proposition of Comfort there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ yee haue heard it confirmed explaned and applyed the miserable estate of them who walke after thâ— flesh hath beene shewed vnto you as likewise the happy estate of them who walke after the Spirit and what comforts the godly haue both against the remanents as also against the fruits of sinnes hath beene declared vnto you Examine your selues see how far forth these comforts belong vnto you If yee be such as thinke with those scornefull men in Ierusalem that yee haue made a couenant with death and it shall not come neere you then goe on in your security and doe that which is good in your owne eyes but if yee finde by experience that death is already entred into your mortall body be vvise in time see that thou haue this onely soueraigne comfort against death the spirit of Christ dwelling in you otherwise flatter your selues in your security as you will miserable shall your end be Now the Consolation being ended the Apostle subioynes Consolation exhortation both necessary for vs. the Exhortation both these two consolation and exhortation are needfull for vs in the course of this life the one to keepe vs that we faint not through the remanents of sinne left in vs and beginnings of death which already haue seased vpon vs exhortation againe to stir vs vp when wee linger in the way of godlinesse For it fareth with vs as it did with Lot in Sodome the Angels warned him of the imminent iudgement and exhorted him to escape for his life yet hee delayed and lingred hee could not be gotten out of Sodome till they as it were violently thrust him out And albeit the Lord admonish vs early and late by his messengers of that wrath which is to come vpon the children of disobedience and warne vs in time to flye to the mountaine of his saluation yet alas so loath are we to forsake our olde sinnes that the Lord is forced to double his exhortation vnto vs all which yet shall not auaile vs if the Lord â—ay not the hands of his grace vpon vs and by his holy Spirit make vs obedient to the heauenly vocation Let vs therefore take heede to the exhortations made vs by the Lord and that so much the more because it is most certaine that the sweetnesse of Gods consolation shall not be felt of them who are not moued with his exhortation Contemplationis enim gustus non debetur nisi obedientiae mandatorum Ber. ser 46. in Cant. the tast of Gods mercy by contemplation is onely due to them who make conscience of the obedience of his commandements Therefore This particle is relatiue to the words preceding Euery benefit of God is a new obligation binding vs to serue him seeing it is so that by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in vs wee haue such excellent benefits we are debt-bound not to liue after the flesh but after the Spirit Of this wee haue first to learne that euery benefit wee receiued from God is an Obligation binding vs debters of seruice to God for much shall be required of him to whom much is giuen there is no reason vvhy the abundance of Gods gifts eyther Gods benefits shold not make vs proud for he who hath receiued most hath the more debt lying vpon him temporall or spirituall should encrease thy pride and carelesnesse but rather should make thee more humble and carefull how to please him considering that the more thou hast receiued the more thou owest VVhen Dauiâ— forgetting that hee was the Lords debter began to liue as his lust commaunded him the Lord brought out against him his former benefits as so many obligations to conuince him I aâ—â—oynted thee saith the Lord King ouer 2 Sam. 12. 7. 8. 9. Israell I deliuered thee out of the hand of Saul I gaue thee thy Lords house and â—iâ—es into thy bosome I gaue thee in like manner the house of Israell and Iudah anâ— would moreouer if that had beene too little haue giuen thee such and such things Wherefore thâ—n hast thou despâ—sed my commandement and done euill in my sight forgetting that thou was bound and obliged to me This processe of Dauids conuiction stands for an example This is cleared in the processe of Dauids conuiction to vs all to warne vs that vnlesse wee make the benefits of God obligations binding vs to serue him the Lord shall vse them as arguments to proue that iudgement is due vnto vs and the greater benefits the greater iudgements for vnto them that walke not worthy of the honor of good things they haue receiued from God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrisost in Mat. hom 4. the greatnesse of honour shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the augmentation of their punishment And as this is tâ—ue in temporall benefits so much more in spirituall graces as they are more excellent then the other so doe they more binde vs then the other both Israelites and Ethiopians are debters to God but the Israelite more debt bound than the Ethiopian for the Lord hath not dealt vvith euery Nation as with Israell Heare this word that the Lord prâ—nounceth Amos. 3 1. O ye Children of Israell you onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth therefore I will visite you for all youâ— iniquities May yee not see heere that the Lord most straitly doth punish the sinnes of those to vvhom hee hath beene most beneficiall vvhen they become vnthankefull The Gentiles who receiued no more but the light of nature are conuinced because they glorified not
God what then shall become of the bastard Christian who hath also receiued the light of the Gospel and yet doth not glorifie God shall he not much more be condemned doubtlesâ—e Sodome shall be in a better state in the day of iudgement than he Let vs therefore remember how the multitude of Gods mercies toward vs hath made vs many wayes debters of seruice vnto him that we may endeauour in feare and trembling to performe it Brethren we are debters The Apostle you see inuolues Preachers should practise that which they preach to others himselfe in the same obligation acknowledging that hee is debter of that same seruice which hee requires of others Our blessed Sauiour pronounces a fearefull woe vpon the Phaâ—ises because they â—aid heauie burthens vpon the people and they themselues did not so much as touch them with the singer the same woe abides those Preachers who require those dueties of the people vvhereof they are not practisers themselues A Preacher may in a good conscience require that thing of others whereunto first of all hee hath bound himselfe as it is said of the Prince of Pastors Acts. 1. 1. that first he began to doe and then to preach It becomes him saith Tertulâ—ian that commends a thing to others to Tertull. de patientia purchase authority to his commendation by practise of the same thing himselfe ne dicta factis dâ—fiâ—iâ—ntibus erubescant least otherwise words without deedes be not able to holde vp their face but forced to blush for shame therefore also said Bernard then shalt thou make thy voyce powerfull vnto others if thou make it knowne that thou hast perswaded thy selfe of that whereof thou wouldst perswade others Validâ—â—r Ber. in Cant. serm 59. enim vox operis quam oris for the voyce of the worke is stronger than the voyce of the word Hee that is not a seruent Disciple of Iâ—sus Christ shal neuer be a faithfull Doctor of the Church of Christ and this for a warning for Preachers Caluin Debters Of this it is euident that the doctrine of grace Christ hath freed vs from all other seruice that we might be bound to his owne proclaimes not liberty to men to liue as they will but rather bindes them to liue godly there can be no higher contempt done to the Lord than to turne his grace into wantonnesse Certainly the iniquities of Pagans doth not halfe so much offend him as the licentiousnesse of bastard Christians who wil sinne the more freely because Christ hath suffâ—red for sinne they heare that a man is not iustified by good workes and Rom. 3. 28. therefore being deceiued by Sathans Sophistrie they cease to doe well not considering that good works must proue we are sanctified and sanctification must proue that we are iustified In the second verse the Apostle said that Christ hath freed vs from the Law of sinne and here he saith that he hath made vs debters to righteousnesse these are not contrary they agree very well together he hath loosed vs from the seruice of all other Masters that he might bind vs the more straightly to serue himselfe And indeede if Christ commaund vs as hee ought no He is a seruant of seruants who is not the seruant of Christ Iesus Ambrose other thing shall commaund vs beside him otherwise if we be not seruants to him we shall be slaues to euery thing beside him O quam multos dâ—minos habet qui vnum non habet O how many Lords hath that man vvho hath not Christ to be his Lord assuredly there is no thing which will not vsurpe superiority ouer thee who liues not as a bound seruant to Iesus Christ either thy belly shall become thy God and for a mease of pottage with Esau thou shalt sell thy birth-right and blessing or a wedge of gold shall become thy confidence and thâ—u shalt not care for gaine to loose a good conscience or then some other vncouth Lord who hath no title to thee shall tyrannize ouer thee Thus wee see that the Christian liberty wee haue by Christ makes vs free from the seruitude of sinne as the Apostle teacheth vs and not free to commit sinne as the carnall Atheist conceiues it But seeing wee are debters let vs see with what bondes wee are bound surely the obligations are many by which we are bound debters to the Lord but specially now wee We are bound to do God seruice by two great bands especially will shortly consider these two Creation and Redemption It is a principle receiued among all men that the fruit and vantage of a mans owne workmanship should redound to himselfe who planteth a vineyâ—rd and eates not of the fruit 1 Creation 1 Cor. 9. 7 thereof or who feedeth a flocke and eates not of the milke of the flâ—ckâ— No man begets sonnes and daughters but he will be honoured of them he that hyreth seruants requires seruice of them yea Balaam wil be offended if his beast serue It is a shame that man craues that of his inferiours which he giues not to his superiour him not according to his pleasure this is the measure wherwith men mete vnto themselues what reason then is ther we should refuse to doe that dutie vn to the Lord our Superiour which wee craue to our selues from our Inferirours The Lord hath made vs wee made not our selues his hand hath formed and shaped vs the life we haue we holde it of him we can not abide a moment longer in this house of our earthly tabernacle than the Lord thinkes expedient his will makes the last day yea as we said before all our necessarie maintenance for this mortall life is furnished out of his hand seeing wee our selues craue seruice of those to whom we giue the smallest things shall we not much more giue seruice vnto GOD from whom wee receiue the greatest 2 Redemption here consider first that we are bought seruants The other is the bond of Redemption Wherein we are to consider these three things first that vve are bought secondly that we are sworne thirdly that we haue receiued wages before hand all for this end that wee should serue him Ye are bought saith the Apostle with a price therefore 1 Cor. 9. 20. glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits for they are Gods And againe wee are redeemed not with corruptâ—ble things as gould and siluer from our vaine conuersation but with the pretious 1 Pet. 1. 1. 8. bloud of Christ as of a Lambe vnspotted and vndefiled we should not therefore liue as seruants of men farre lesse That which cost Christ full deare men sels good cheape as seruants of Sathan and sinne but as seruants of that Lord who hath redeemed vs. Of all fooles those are the greatest who sels their life for the silly shadowes of sinfull pleasures which Iesus Christ hath bought with the greatest price that euer was payed Not onely are we bought to be
vnto himselfe but here the more wee pay the richer we are the doing of one good worke of seruice vnto the Lord makes vs both more willing and able to doe an other the talents of spirituall Graces being of that nature that the more they are vsed the more they are encreased and these should work in vs a delight to pay that debt which wee owe vnto the Lord. Last of all we marke vpon this word that the good wee Good works are debts therfore not merits doe is debt and not merit When one of your seruants saith Iesus hath done that which he is commanded will one of you giue him thanks because he hath done that which was Luke 17. 7. 8. 9. 10. commanded him I beleeue not hee applyeth the Parable to his Disciples and in them to vs all so likewise when you haue done all those thingâ— which are commanded you say that yee are vnpâ—â—fitable Seruants Our Sauiour commaunds vs plainely to doe well but as plainely forbids all presumptuous conceit of our merit when wee haue done well To speake against good workes is impiety and to presume of the merits of our best workes is Antichristian pride No man No penman of the holy Ghost did euer vse the word of merit led by the Spirit of Iesus did euer vse this word of merit it is the proud speech of the spirit of Antichrist search the Scripture and ye shall see that none of all those who spake by diuine inspiration did euer vse it yea the Godly Fathers who haue liued in darke and corrupt times haue alway abhorred it If a man could liue saith Macarius from the dayes of The Fathers thought it smelled of presumption Mac. hom 15 Adam to the end of the world and fight neuer so strongly against Sathan yet were hee not able to deserue so great a glory as is prepared for vs how much lesse then are we able to promerit it that is his owne word who so short a space are milâ—tant here vpon earth Praetendat alter meritum sustinere Ber. in Psal qui habitat Ser. 1. se dicat â—stus diei ieiunare bis in Sabbatho mihi adhaerere Deo bonum est let another man saith Bernard pretend merit let him boast that he suffers the heat of the day and that he fasts twise in the Sabboth it is good for me to draw neere the Lord and put my hope in him Meritum enim In Cant. ser 61. meum miseratio Domini non sum plane meriti inops quamdiu ille miserationum non fuerit for my merit is Gods mercy I shall not altogether want merits as long as he wants not compassion And againe suffiâ—it ad mâ—ritam sâ—ire quod non Serm. 66. sufficiant merita this is sufficient merit to know that merits are not sufficient this he makes more cleare in that Sermon of his de quadâ—uplici debito wherein hee declares how man is so many wayes debter to the Lord that hee cannot doe that which hee ought why then shall any man say that hee hath done enough cum nec mâ—llissimâ— imo nec minimae parti debitorum suorum valeat respondere seeing he is not able to De quadrupliâ—â— debito answer the thousand part no not the least part of that debt which hee oweth vnto God To liue Wee haue heard that wee are debters now haue Our life should declare whose Seruants and debters we are Philem. vers 19 wee to see wherein wee are debt-bound Wee owe to the Lord not onely those things which are ours but as sayeth Paul to Philemâ—n we owe him our selues also Euery mans life must declare who it is whom hee acknowledgeth for a Superiour and vnto whom hee submitteth himselfe a debter Shew me saith Saint Iames thy Faith by thy workes Iam. 2. 19. Mal. 1. 6. shew mee saith Malachie thy Father by thy Sonnely reuerence toward him let me know thy master by thy obedience and the attendance thou giuest him As Câ—sar mony is discerned by his image and superscription so the Christian is knowne by his conuersation hee walkes after the Spirit and by his deedes more then by his words hee disclaimeth the gouernement of the flesh But surely as Châ—isâ—stomâ— complained of bastard professors in his time so may wee in our time of many to vvhom wee are ambassadours An accusation of the carelesse Christians of our time in Christs name wee haue more then cause to feare we haue bestowed labour vpon you in vaine for I pray you what part of your liues giues sentence for you and proues that ye are Christians shall wee iudge by the place which ye delight Chrisost in Math. most to frequent are there not many among you oftner in the Tauerne then in the Temple silling your belly intemperately at that same time wherein the Sonnes and Daughters of the liuing God are gathered together into their fathers house to be refreshed with his heuenly Manna Shall we iudge you by your garments doe they not in many of you declare the vanity of your minds if we estimate you according to your companions what shall wee thinke but that ye are such as those are with whom ye delight to resort ye sit in the seat of scorners if thou seest a theefe thou runst Psal 50. with him and art partaker with the adulterers If wee try you by your language yee shal be found vncircumcised Philistims and not holy Israelites for yee haue learned to speak the language of Ashdoâ— ye speake as Micah complayned of Nihe 13. 26. Micah 7. 3. the wicked in his time out of the corruption of your soule making your throat an open sepulchre yee send out the stinking breath of your inward abhominations by your euill and vncleane speeches ye corrupt the minds of the hearers And thus seeing euery part of your life giues sentence against you as a cloud of many witnesses testifying that yee are vncleane what haue yee to speake for you to proue that yee are Christians shall your naked word be sufficient to do it no certainly for against it the Lord Iesus hath made exception before hand Not euery one that saith Lord Lord shal Math. 7. 21. enter into mâ— kingdome your works must be your witnesses and your deeds must declare who it is to whom ye acknowledge your selues seruants and debters Not to the flesh Sometime the flesh signifies the body It is a difficult thing so to nourish the body that we nourish not sinne in the body and in that sense we are debters vnto it for the couenant saith Bernard which the Lord hath bound vp betweene the soule and the body is not to be broke at our will but at the Lords will and in the meane time we are bound to nourish it but the flesh here is put for the sinfull lusts of the flesh and so we are not debters vnto it Take no thought Rom. 13. 14. for the flesh to fulfill
the sinfull lusts thâ—reof But alas the corruption of our nature is so great that without great circumspection we cannot nourish the body vnlesse wee also nourish sinne in the body many vnder pretence of doing duty to the one failes in the other so they pamper the body that they quench the spirit ouercome with gluttony they are not able to pray VVee are vvith the godly to keepe a meane betweene these two extremities as a ship if it be ouerladed Discipline whereby wee beat downe the body would neither be too strait nor too remisse is easily ouerwhelmed by the water or if it be too light and not ballassed is easily driuen out of the due course by the winde as a horse if he be hungred cannot serue his Master or if fed aboue measure waxes insolent and kickes against his rider so is it with the body neither would it be so weakened that it be not able to performe the works of Christian Ephra Syr. lib. 1. cap. 9. duty neither yet so pampered that it become a burthen to the soule and an impediment to spirituall exercises But in this age we neede not greatly to admonish men of the one But most men faile in excessiue pampering the body extremity the debt men owes vnto their bodies is payd with a large measure and running ouer it is not onely serued to necessity but so ouercharged with superfluity that oftentimes it loathes and abhorres those aliements by which it liues the soule in the meane time put to a sober dyet left famished without any morsell of heauenly bread whereby it should be refreshed and strengthened whereof it comes that the lusts of the flesh waxe strong and the life of the spirit wonderfully decayes Though the other member of the opposition be not here Many Lords striuing for mans superiority and to haue man their seruant exprest yet it followes necessarily wee are debters to the spirit And so wee may gather of these words how there are sundry Lords striuing for the superiority of man The World with her pleasures allures man to follow her but pretend what shee will in truth her word is decipâ—â—ra The flesh would haue man a seruant to her lusts she wants not her baytes wherewith to beguile him but in truth her word is infiâ—iam Sathan strongest of the three vsurpers superiority ouer man hee craues that man should fall downe and worship him hee wants not promises enough faire in show but in truth his word is interficiam Iesus Christ our lawfull Lord he also cals vpon vs and exhorts vs to serue him hee hath life in the one hand durable riches and honour in the other and in truth his word is râ—ficiam I will refresh you Now in this strife to whom shall we yeeld our selues but vnto him who cryes reficiam Let vs therefore say with Dauid O Lord no wight can make title to me but onely thou all others that exact Psal 119. 94. But forsaking the rest wee should yeeld our selues seruants to Christ and why any seruice of vs are but vncouth Lords to whom we are not oblieged they are but tyrants striuing to oppresse vs Câ—rtant in me de meipso cuius potisâ—â—mâ—m esse videar they striue saith Bernard within me about me to which of them chiefly I should seeme to appertaine but O Lord Iesus I am thine I haue no King but thou come therefore and raigne in mee and remoue these offences out of thy kingdome happy are they who can so render themselues to the Lord for in the houre of death what is it that men craues more then that the Lord Iesus should acknowledge them for his who will not in that houre beg that mercy at the hands of God Lord receiue my Spirit but assuredly if thou yeeld it not to him in life when he requires it he shall not receiue it from thee in death when thou wouldst tender it to him â—he Lord graunt that in our whole liues wee may acknowledge our selues as debters of daily seruice vnto him so shall the Lord in death welcome vs as his faithfull seruants and receiue vs into his rest Verse 1â— For if yee liue after thâ— flesh yee shall dye but if yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit yee shall liue THis word of the Lord pronounceth before The Apostle stands here as a messenger of mercy with a sword in his mouth to terrifie men from the way of death hand vpon you who liue after the flesh a condemnatorie sentence yee shall dye which how euer yee esteeme to be light when you heare it yet yee shall finde it heauy vvhen it shall be executed vpon you To you againe who mortifies the deedes of the body by the spirit there is here pronounced an absoluatorie sentence yee shall liue vvhich in the end shall yeeld you comfort surpassing all that the pleasures of sinne or gaine of vngodlinesse can afford vnto you As that Cherubin therefore stood in the entry of Paradise with the blade Gen. 3. 24. of a shaking sword to keepe Adam from the way of the Not like that Cherubin a minister of iustice to hold Adam out of paradise Tree of life so the Apostle stands here betweene vs and death with a sentence like a two edged sword in his mouth to keepe the sonnes of Adam as farre as hee can from the way of death the one stood as a minister of Gods iustice the other stands as a messenger of mercy The Lord hath sworne by himselfe as I liue I desire not the death of a sinner Ezâ— 18. 32. but that he should returne and liue he iustifies his word by his Both the word and deed of the Lord declares that he craues not the death of a sinner deed in that in all ages of the world he hath sent out messengers to warne them to goe by the way of death so that now if any man perish it is because he stops his eares at the warning of the watchman of God for thou canst not say but Moses and the Prophets Iesus Christ and his Apostles and Preachers haue met thee in the way of thy sinne and warned thee many a time by the word of the Lord that if thou walke on that way thou shalt assuredly dye where thou passing by them all rushest headlong after the lusts of thy flesh and so thou perishest and thy blood shall be vpon thine owne head As the Apostle to the preceding exhortation annexed an argument a debito from that which we are bound to doe so now hee subioynes another argument partly a damno from the losse wee incurre if wee doe it not in these words if yee liue after the flesh yee shall dye and partly a commodo from the vantage we shall reape if we doe it in these words if yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit yee shall liue If wee were such men as wee should be the former exhortation That the
their desertion which is their spirituall disease are euill Iudges of themselues for they perceiue not that which they possesse there may be an muincible hope of mercie in that soule wherein for the present there is no sense of mercy and this all the Children of God may marke in their owne experience for whereof I pray thee hath it come that thou a weak man hast foughten so long against principalities powers hast endured so many yeares the fearefull assaults of Sathan thou hast beene troubled with doubting but hast not dispaired thou hast beene cast downe and hast not perished thou hast fallen and yet risen againe thy enemie hath thrust sore at thee yet hath hee not preuailed against thee No power no pollicie of Sathan hath euer beene able to quench in thee that spark of life which the Lord hath breathed into thee Out of all doubt thy standing hath beene from this spirit of Adoption who hath wrought in thine heart a deeper sense of mercy then that any contrary power is able to root out yea or thou thy selfe art able to perceiue hereof hath come thy standing both in tentations which are from thine aduersaries and in these desertions whereby the Lord hath exercised thee Thus haue we comfort not onely in the The standing of a Christian in his apparant desertions proues that hee was not deserted indeede glorious effects of Gods mercie wrought in vs when wee feele his presence but also by our standing and perseuerance in desertions wherein it seemes to vs that the Lord hath absented himselfe from vs two excellent comforts for the Christian for thy standing in desertions proues that thou wert not deserted apparent desertions are not desertions indeede surely the Lord will not faile his people nor forsake Psal 94. 14 his inheritance Againe thy standing against so many assaults of the Diuell proues that the least sparke of Christs liuely grace in a Christian is stronger than that the gates of hell are able to preuaile against it Be therefore comforted O thou man of God for if it had beene in Sathans power to haue quenched thy life hee would haue put it out long or now be assured thou shalt preuaile and obtaine the victorie in the strength and might of that mighty Lord the Lord Iesus Christ Verse 17. If wee be Children wee are also Heyres euen the Heyres of God and Heyres annexed with Christ. THe priuiledges of a Christian albeit they be commonly spoken of yet because they are not considered are commonly contemned men not deepely pondering with themselues what a high preferment this is that a vessell of clay should be made the Temple of the liuing God and the Heyre of vvrath should become the Heyre of grace and glory therefore the Apostle in this Chapter describing the excellent state How glorious the priuiledges of a Christian are of a man iustified by faith in Christ Iesus from the time that once he began to make mention of the benefits he hath by Christ can hardly make an end but from one proceeding to another hee ascends by a continuall gradation till at length he come to such an height that hee is compelled to breake off the course of his speech and to conclude with an examination what shall wee then say to those things Hitherto hee hath letten vs see how by Christ wee are deliuered from condemnation how we are made the free-men of God freed from sinne and death how wee are also made the Temples of God wherein hee dwelleth by his Spirit and that yet more also wee are made the Sonnes of GOD. And now hee goes vp a degree further to tell vs that wee are the Heyres of God and Heyres annexed with Christ Iesus What shall wee then say but as the Psalmist saith of the Citie of God Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou Citie Psal 87. 3. of God so will we speake of euery Citizen thereof Glorious Psal 144. 15. things are spoken of thee O thou man of God Blessed are those people whose God is the Lord and are called to this happie fellowship wherein they are made subiect vnto him who is King of Saints Let vs be glad and reioyce in the Lord let our hearts and our mouths be filled with his prayse except the Lord had reserued mercy for vs wee should be made like vnto Sodome oâ— Gomorrha but now the lots are fallen to Isai 1. 9. vs in pleasant places and wee haue a faire heritage Blessed be the GOD of our saluation from henceforth and for euer If wee be Children As for the Apostles order in these The Sonnes of God cannot but lâ—ue because they are the heires of God words wee are to remember that the Apostle here insists in the confirmation of that part of his reason that they who are the Sonnes of God shall liue Now he lets vs see the necessity thereof the S 〈…〉 s of God are the Heyres of God and the heritage whereunto they are borne is eternall life therefore of necessitie they must liue Wee haue here first to consider that high preserment Gods goodnes is shewed to all his creatures â—ut his inheritance is reserued to his Sonnes Gen. 25. whereunto wee are called in Christ not onely to be the Sonnes of God but declared also to be the Heyres of God The heyre in a family hath this prerogatiue that albeit the hand of his Father be not closed from giuing good things vnto others yet the inheritance is reserued for him As Abraham gaue gifts to the Sonnes of Kâ—turah but kept his best things for Isaac so the Lord our God shewes his great bountifulnesse in that hee makes his Sunne to shine and Math. 5. 45. his raine to fall downe vpon the vniust no lesse than the iust yet herein stands the comfort of his children that hee reserues his best and most excellent things for them Neyther is it his creatures that hee giues to them but hee giues himselfe vnto them in a portion as he promised to Abraham so he performes it to all the seed of Abraham I am thy exceeding great reward and therefore doe the godly so craue him that without him nothing can content them O Lord thou art my portion said Dauid My Soule saith to Psal 119. 57. Lam. 3. 24. the Lord thou art my portion said Ieremie But as for them who can content themselues with the gifts of God suppose they neuer enioy himselfe they declare they are but Seruants who are not to bide in the house for euer and not the Sonnes of God Againe wee haue to marke here that albeit the Lord All the Sonnes of God are his heyres and yet the inheritance is not diminished haue innumerable sonnes yet are they all his Heyres No Monarch in the world can beautifie his children with this priuiledge as to make them all his heyres and not diminish his Empire but the Lord herein declares the riches of hiâ— glorious inheritance that all
one wherfore he is not ashamed to call them brethren O wonderfull comfort the Father cryes from heauen this is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him the Sonne againe speaking to vs on earth saith I goe vp to your Father and my Father Iob. 20. 17. hee that is my Father is also your Father therefore goe yee vnto him and call vpon him as your Father O qualis ille dominus qui omnes sâ—ruos suos facit amicos suos quod multo maius est fratres suos O what a sweet Lord is he who makes all his seruants his friends and which is much more his brethren Surely the yoake of Christ is easie and Math. 11. 30. his burthen is light we are called to be annexed partakers with him of all the good that is in him The Lord therefore more and more confirme vs that despising all the subtill offers of Sathan whereby hee would steale vs away from the loue of Christ and delighting in that high dignity whereunto we are called our hearts may cleaue to the Lord for euer without seperation HEAVEN OPENED WHEREIN THE COVNSAILE OF GOD CONCERNING MANS SALVATION IS FVRTHER MANIfested so that the Christian effectually called may heare himselfe after the Crosse ordayned to the Crowne and read his owne Name written in the booke of Life Being the second benefit we haue by our Lord Iesus Christ Come and see Written by Mr. William Cowper Minister of Gods word at Perth LONDON Printed by Thomas Snodham for Iohn Budge and are to be sould at the great South dore of Paules 1611. TO THE MOST Gracious Excellent and mightie Princesse Anne Queene of great Britaine France and Ireland c. MADAME As God in the first creation of one made two so in the first institution of marriage did he againe vnite those same two into one that the woman ioyned in marriage with her husband might not onely reuerence him as the rocke from whence she was taken but much more loue and honour him as her head vnder whom she liues If they had not agreed in one to diuide themselues from God no diuision had euer fallen out among themselues But that which God made very good Sathan working vpon the mutability of their will turned into euill so that the woman in stead of an helper became a tempter of the man to sinne and the man in stead of a defender became a dilater of the woman to God for sinne But the Lord Iesus who came into the world to destroy the workes of the Diuell as he hath reconciled man and woman with God so hath he reunited them among themselues adding this to all the former bands of their vnion that now they should liue together as heires of the grace of life In this most happy vnion of both your Maiesties with God and among your selues consists your mutuall strength and comfort the welfare of your Highnesse royall children the terrour of your enemies and common benefit of all your Maiesties well affected subiects A good so much the more carefully to be kept because Sathan out of all doubt spitefully doth enuie it as being the very fountaine out of which doth flow that great and common good both of your royall posterity and loyall people the aspect of your Highnesse fauourable countenances looking in loue one of you to another and both of your maiesties in coniunct compassion to your people sweeter than the influence of the vndiuided Pleiades bringing to Church common-wealth vnder your happy raigne a flourishing spring of innumerable blessings We doe therefore blesse the Lord who hath confirmed your royall hearts and set it in the for most of your godly cares how to keepe and encrease this holy and happy band of loue which keepeth you both For the continuance whereof as after my weake measure I stand vp a daily supplicant vnto the Lord among others your Highnesse loyall subiects so doe I humbly craue that your Highnesse impute it not to me for presumption that I haue conioyned your maiesties in the participation of this small propine of the first fruits of my labours whom I doe wish for euer to be conioyned in the communion of all good present and to come but that rather according to your Highnesse wonted fauour and clemencie toward me your maiestie would graciously accept it as a testimonie of my earnest and vnsained affection toward your Highnesse name and honour in this life and euerlasting welfare in the life to come Your Maiesties most humble Subiect and daily Oratour WILLIAM COVVPER Minister at Perth HEAVEN OPENED THE SECOND PART OF THE CHAPTER CONTAYNING Comforts against the CROSSE Verse 17. If so be wee suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him THE mortification of a Christian The mortification of a Christian consists in two things whereunto the spirit of GOD so frequently exhorts vs consists in these two first in a subduing by a holy Discipline our inordinate lustes vvhich naturally rebell against the law of God secondly in a patient bearing of the Crosse of Iesus In the first part of the Chapter the Apostle hath exhorted vs vnto the one and now in the second by many arguments hee strengthens vs against the other vnlesse wee make some profit in the first point of mortification it is certaine we shall neuer proceed to the second For the life of one affection is farre lesse than the life of the whole man if for Christs sake we will not Hee will not quit his life that will not quit his affection for Iesus Christ Ezech. 22. 14. put out the life of one sinfull affection what hope is there that for his sake we will lay downe our owne life beside that a dissolute life weakneth the strength of the soule makes it â—eeble in the day of affliction so that the heart cannot endure nor the hands be strong in that day wherein the Lord shall haue to doe with thee It is a customable policie of Sathan first to corrupt men and make them dissolute in prosperity that afterward hee may the more easily breake them by aduersity When Iustin Martyr behâ—ld the patient suffering of the Christians notwithstanding that hee was not as yet conuerted himselfe he gathered thereof that they could not be men giuen to pleasures for it is most certaine that men ouer-ruled by their affections are either in trouble feeble and effeminate or wickedly delperate hauing in them no spirituall strength to sustaine it And for the connexion of these words with the former The connexion of these words with the former the Apostle slides in here cunningly from the first part of his Treatise into the second and that by way of answering an obiection for it might haue beene said vnto him ye haue called vs the Sonnes of God and the heires of God but how can that be our present estate and condition being so hard and our life so full of troubles To this he answeres it is very
true that I haue said yee are not onely the Sonnes of God but the Heyres of God but conditionally that first yee suffer with Christ before yee can come to the fruition of the inheritance with him so that the same argument taken from our afflictions which nature vseth to impugne our adoption the Apostle vseth it to confirme vs so much the more in the certainty thereof The words are to be read not causâ—liter but conditionaliter by way of annexed condition not as if our present sufferings were meriting causes of our glorification but as conditions which the members of Christ must accept which are to be glorified with him for wee goe by tribulations as by a strait and narrow way vnto the top of the mountaine of God wherein that treasure of eternall life which is the lawfull conquest of Iesus Christ but in regard of vs is the free gift of God shall be communicated vnto vs. In this treatise of comfort against the Crosse the Apostle Three principall arguments against the Crosse contayned in this Treatise deliuers vnto vs many arguments of Consolation which we may reduce to these three The first is taken from the end of our afflictions if we suffer with him we shall also be glorified with him and this he continues amplifies to the 26. verse The second argument is taken from that present help which the spirit ministers vnto vs in all our afflictions likewise the spirit also helps our infirmities c. verse 26. The third is that our afflictions are meanes by which wee are brought to a conformity with Christ whereunto GOD in his eternall counsell hath predestinated vs and so are not able to preiudge our saluation but by the contrary must of necessitie worke for the furtherance and aduancement thereof vnto vs and this is set downe verse 28 Also wee know that all things c. and confirmed to the 31. verse It is not without cause that the Apostle takes so great Our nature abhorres affliction paines to confirme vs against affliction because our nature abhorres nothing more then it When Iesus went vp to the mountaine to preach all his Disciple went with him but when he went to mount Caluarie to suffer they all fled from him he hath many Disciples to follow him by profession but few to follow him by patient suffering It was Sathans voyce in Peter to our blessed Sauiour when he made mention of his â—uffering Master pittie thy selfe and it is his daily voyce in our corrupt nature so oft as we are called to suffering O man pittie thy selfe but the answere giuen by the head were also good to be giuen by the members goe bâ— hiâ—â—â— me Sathan he knowes very well partly by the quicknesse of his naturall wit and partly by long experience being now very neere sixe thousand yeeres old that man likes nothing worse then the Crosse Skin for skin and all that a man hath Iob. 2. 4. saith hee will he giue for his life c. Hee hath told vs himselfe wherein his strength lyes to wit that by trouble hee preuailes most to make man impatient and so driue him to blaspheme God And therefore most of all we are to confirme our weakenesse against the Crosse since in it the enemie of our saluation placeth his principall strength Let vs hearken to the Apostle who as a minister of Iesus indeede and a heauenly Phisition sent to vs from the Lord our God doth here temper the bâ—tter waters of Marah and make them sweet vnto all the Israell of God The first argument of comfort is set downe in this latter The first principal argument against the Crossâ— is from the end of our afflictions end of the 17. Verse and it is taken partly from the nature of our sufferings they are sufferings with Christ and partly from the end thereof which is to raigne with Christ in glory Here first we learne that suffering must goe before glory the husband-man must labour before hee receiue the fruits neither is hee that striueth for a maisterie crowned except 2 Tim. â— 8. hee striue as hee ought The Prince of saluation was consecrated by affliction it behoued him first to suffer and then to enter into his kingdome All that professe him are desirous with the sonnes of Zebedeus to sit some at his right hand and some at his left but are not so content to drinke of his cup and be baptised with his baptisme Volunt omnes Bernard tâ— frui at non ita imitari conregnare cupiunt sed non compati they would all enioy thee knowing that pleasures for euermore are at thy right hand but are not content to follow thee they all desire to raigne with thee but not so to suffer with thee but this is a preposterous way it is to diuide those things which the Lord here hath ioyned together except first wee suffer with him wee shall not hereafter raigne with him Secondly let vs marke here the different courses of the Different courses of the Christian worldling Christian and worldling the Christian by temporall trouble goes on to eternall glory the worldling by temporall glory goes on to eternall shame If yee goe to the Schoole of Iesus the first A B C of religion taught you there will be this If any man will be my Disciple let him denie himselfe Mat. 10. 38. take vp his Crosse and follow mee if yee goe to the Schoole of Sathan the first A B C of Atheisme taught there is this All the kingdomes of the world will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship mee The Lord Iesus through light and momentanie afflictions leades his children to an infinite waight of glory but Sathan through the present perishing pleasure of sinne leades his miserable captiues to euerlasting paine therefore it is said by our Sauiour of the one blessed Math. 5. are yee that mourne for yee shal be comforted and of the other woe be to you that laugh now for yee shall waile and Luke 6. 25. weepe As there is no comparison betweene these two so blessed The end of the Christian is better than his beginning not so with the worldling Psal shall wee be if wee make choyse of the best Moses esteemed the rebuke of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt because he had respect to the recompence of reward and shall not wee reioyce in our present afflictions considering they are the way vnto our glory if we sowe in teares we shall reape in ioy The end of the godly is better than their beginning for the light of the righteous encreaseth Pro. more and more like the Sunne vnto the noone day they begin vvith teares and they end vvith ioy but the light of the vvicked is like vnto the light of a candle it shineth for a while and incontinent ends in stincking smoake as Beltasars Dan. banquet was concluded with a cup of wrath so
Pet. 4. 14. Iesus for the Spirit of God and of glory rests on you which on their part is euill spoken of but on your part is glorified Thus we see quam magnos habeamus commilitones how great and Cir. catec 16 strong fellow-warriours wee haue to assist the Lord being so present with vs non vt seruos suos spectet tantum sed vt Cip. lib. 2. Epist. 6. ipse luctetur in nobis that he doth not onely behold his seruants in their conflicts but hee himselfe also doth wrestle in them Wherefor our further comfort if any man be desirous to Three things required to make our sufferings sufferings with Christ know whether if his sufferings be sufferings with Christ or not let him consider these three things first how Iesus receiued the Crosse as a cuppe giuen to him out of his Fathers hand neither looking to Iudas that betrayed him nor to the Iewes that pursued him Secondly hee receiued it not grudgingly nor impatiently but with an humble submission of his will to the will of his Father Thirdly hee suffered for this end that he might abolish sin and destroy him who had the power of death If these three concurre in thy sufferings thou mayest be sure they are suffrings with Christ first if passing by the instrument of thy trouble thou looke to the hand of God tempering and giuing it vnto thee secondly if thou receiue it with a humble submission of thy spirit to him who is the Father of Spirits and thirdly if it worke in thee a mortification of thy sinfull lusts and affections And of this wee haue to make our vse in all our afflictions Comfort against inward Afflictions inward or outward and first concerning inward afflictions if at any time it please the Lord to exercise vs with fearefull agonies of Conscience let vs looke vnto GOD who kils and makes aliue who casts downe and raises vp let vs for a while beare his indignation he abides but a moment in his anger if wee finde that by them wee are more humbled wakened out of securitie and stirred vp more feruently to pray and that the life of sinne is weakened in vs let vs be out of all doubt that these inward troubles are sufferings with Christ whose soule for our sinnes was heauie vnto the death and his body did sweat blood through the vehement anguish of his spirit And as for outward sufferings Comfort against outward Afflictions which wee suffer either in name Ambrose they are either such as concernes our Name our goods or our persons As for those which concerne our name it is a singular pollicy of Sathan to beare downe the children of God in the estimation of others vt qui conscientiae suae luce clarescunt alienis rumoribus sordidentur that they who are glorious in the light of their owne conscience may be made filthy by the false reports of others and so made vnprofitable to doe others the good that they would but let vs in such tentations learne from Dauid to looke vnto God and not to Shimei vsing the vndeserued contumelies of men as profitable meanes to worke in vs that inward humiliation which our manifold sinnes though not against man yet against God requireth of vs so shall we suffer with him who being the innocent Lambe of God sustayned neuerthelesse great contradiction of sinners reproched to be one possessed with a Dâ—â—ell notwithstanding that hâ—e was the very sonne of God filled in his manhood with the holy Ghost And as concerning the losse of worldly goods who euer Or in our goods be the instrument learne thou to take it as a cup out of the hand of thy heauenly Father after the example of Iâ—b who passing by the Sabeans the Caldeans looked to the hand â—â— God the Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken saith Iob. 1. 21. he blessed be the name of the Lord. It is not for lack of loue that the mother withdrawes from the Childe the vse of the pap but that she may acquaint him with stronger meat and if the Lord take from vs these transitorie things it is not because we are not beloued of him but that we may set our hearts vpon those things which are more waighty and permanent which if we doe then are our sufferings sufferings with him who being rich became poore that in all things we might be made rich in him And the same are we to doe in those troubles which wee Or in our persons Heb. 12. 9. sustaine in our bodies for if as the Apostle saith we haue had Fathers of our bodies who haue corrected vs and wee haue giuen them reuerence should we not much rather be in subiection to the father of Spirits that we might liue and if wee can yeeld our bodies to Phisitions to be cut or burnt at their pleasure how much more should we submit them to the Lord in all humble contentment to be chastised as hee will seeing he protests himselfe he doth it not but for our singular profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse We shal raigne with Christ. Worldlings wrestles for their In trouble it is expedient to looke vnto the end thereof corruptible crowne as vncertaine whether they shal obtaine it or no but it is not so with the Christian wee runne not as vncertaine we are sure that if we suffer with Christ we shall also raigne with him though for the present no trouble be sweet yet is the end thereof most comfortable and we are by the eyes of faith to looke vnto it least our present manifold tentations driue vs vnto impatience for as he that going through a strong running riuer is in danger to fall and drowne by reason of the dissinesse of his braine vnlesse hee sixe his eyes vpon the bancke so shall we be ready to saint in affliction vnlesse we looke to the comfortable end thereof If we shall looke to Lazarus vpon the dunghill and Ioseph in the prison what can we iudge them to be but miserable men but if we consider their end we shall see the one in Abrahams bosome and the other raigning in great glorie vnder Pharaoh in Egipt then shall we say verely there is fruit for the righteous and we shall finde it true which here the Apostle saith that if we suffer with Christ wee shall also raigne with him Verse 18. For I count that the afflictions of this present time are not worthie of the glory to be reuealed THe Apostle here subioynes an amplification of Amplification of the first principall argument his first argument wee shall not onely saith he raigne with Christ but raigne in such a glorie as doth so farre surmount all our present sufferings that if they be weighed together in a balance the one shall be found but light in regard of the other For I count The word the Apostle vseth here imports He that tasted both of present sufferings and of glory
God the more they are pressed the more the liquor of grace distilleth from them and the sweeter fragrant sauour of life to the edification and strengthening of all their brethren But let their persecuters know that how euer this triall But woe to the instruments of their troublâ—s of the faith of the godly shall be found vnto their honour and praise at the appearing of the Lord Iesus the fruit which they shall reape of their labour is tolde them by the Apostle it is a righteous thing with God to render vengeance to them who troubles you for euery cup of trouble which the wicked fill vnto vs they fill with their owne hands another cup of wrath vnto themselues which how euer for a while they set by them yet as the Lord liueth they shall be compelled in the end to drinke them out thus we see why our troubles commonly are called pressings The other name is sufferings and so they are called in respect of the Godly who beare them like the Lambs of Iesus patiently and meekely without grudging or murmuring Where we are still to be admonished that the sufferings Euery suffering renders not glory which end in glory are those that are sufferings with Christ many are ambitious of suffering and takes vp the crosse before they be called vnto it like those Circumcelliones in the dayes of Cyprian but certainly glory growes not out of euerie suffering we must not suffer as contentious men or vaine glorious that God will blesse an humble flying in trouble rather than a presumptuous standing we may see in Peter if we compare him with the rest of the Disciples for he fell more fearefully than the other It is neither for vs to decline the Crosse of our Maister for so we shall be found not to be his Disciples neither yet in the heate and pride of flesh vndertake to beare it least we be found presumptuous and God punish vs. It is properly marked by Cyprian that the first Martyres slaine for Christ were Infants teaching all that are to come after what manner of men the Martyres of Iesus should be namely such as in regard of the cause for which they suffer are innocents and in regard of their affection are meeke and simple Of this present time In the originall it is of the time The time of our trouble short called an houre or a day Psal 125. which is now Hereby the Apostle will teach vs that our afflictions are but short and endures but a while the rodde of the wicked shall not lye for euer vpon the backe of the righteous the time of our trouble in holy Scripture is called sometime a day of tryall and sometimes an houre of tentation As our Sauiour said to the three Disciples Can yee not Math. 26. 40. watch with me one houre so may he say to vs all as oft as we faint vnder trouble Can ye not suffer with me one houre It was the comfort that Athanasius gaue to the Church in his time that Iulian should be but Nubeculo cito transitura a stormie little cloud that would quickly passe by and it is certainly true both of our troubles and of all the instruments thereof let vs wait a while on our God with patience and we shall see them no more This shortnesse of our afflictions depends vpon the breuitie How our life is but the life of a moment and vanitie of our life which in the estimation of Gods spirit is so short and vaine a thing that he vouchsafes not the name of life vpon it without some restriction Indeed it bewitcheth vs so that in our false imagination we conceit there is more soliditie continuance in one yeere that is before vs then in tenne that are past by vs the time which is past is gone away like a thought and that which is to come wee thinke it longer then indeede by experience we shall finde it But the spirit of God who best knowes it giues vnto it the name of life as I said with a restriction he cals it a momentanie life it is but a moment wherein we liue if we iudge aright we haue no more for as for the moments which are past they are dead to thee and thou to them and as for the moments which are to come they are vncertaine and thou canst not be said to liue in them so that no more is left to thee wherein thou canst truely say I liue but a moment and this also must shortly goe away and giue place to another that so by succession of moments one vnto another thy silly life may be prorogued for a while But this shall yet better appeare if we consider those similitudes Sacred similitudes by which the holy Ghost shadowes the vanitie of our present life Iob. 7. 6. Iob. 9. by which the spirit of God describes the vanitie of this our mortall life Patient Iob compares the life of man vnto the Weauers shuttle which scarce is in at the one end of the web when it is out at the other and hee that lookes vnto it can hardly perceiue it Hee compares it also to the winde that quickly flyeth by vs and to the cloud which speedily vanishes to a Post that runnes diligently and rests not till he come to his end to an hungry Eagle in the ayre who seeing her pray a farre off flyeth speedily vpon it to a flower that flourishes at once but withers in continent and Iob. 14. last of all to a ship sayling in the sea before the winde which for the present is seene but within short space appeares no more yea doth not leaue behinde her any footstep or token that any such thing was there and as it is with them who saile in her that how euer they change their action yet goe they on in their course toward their wished Hauen so is it with vs doe what we will whether we eate or wee sleepe wee are hasting alway toward our ends The Psalmist againe compares our life to a spanne or hand breadth to the grasse Psal 90. which groweth vp in the morning and is cut downe in the euening to a sleepe which slips away before wee can know what we were doing in it to a dreame which of all things is most sickle and vaine to a thought which is not well begun when it is ended and last of all to a declyning shadow as is the shadow of the Sunne in the setting which a man shall see on the top of a mountaine lesse and lesse vanishing till it be no more The Apostle S. Paul compares our life to a race and S. Iames compares it to a smoke or vapour Thus we see how little the spirit of God esteemes of that The pleasures of this life are worme-eaten whereof all the sonnes of Adam accounts so much Our sinne hath shortened our dayes and made them miserable the pleasures of this life are worme-eaten and the glory of flesh is but
of his bone and flesh of his flesh albeit he had neuer seene her before and shall we thinke that the second Adam restoreth lesse knowledge to his redeemed than they lost in the first Adam The consideration of the place shewes the greatnesse of that glory Last of all the consideration of the place vvherein wee shall be glorified will leade vs to consider the excellency of that glorie As for the place our Sauiour sometime calleth it Paradise there being no meeter place in the earth to shadow it then was that Garden of Eden the habitation of man in the state of innocencie sometime he calleth it his fathers house wherein are many mansions sometime the euerlasting habitations The Apostle calleth it the third heauens a house not made vvith hands but eternall in the heauens Wee see in this composition of the world that finest things are situate in highest places the earth as grosest is put in the lowest roome the water aboue the earth the ayre aboue the water the fire aboue the ayre the spheres of heauen purer then any of them aboue the rest but the place of our glorie is aboue them all in the heauen of heauens which doth not onely note the excellent purity therof but shewes also what excellent puritie is required in all them who are to inhabite it There are three places saith one wherein the sonnes Three places of our residence the first is our mothers wombe the second is the earth the third is the heauens of God at three sundry times makes residence according to Gods good pleasure The first is in our mothers wombe the second is this Earth the third is that pallace of glorie which is aboue from the first the Lord hath brought vs to the second and from the second wee rest in hope that the Lord â—n his owne good time vvill bring vs to the third If vvee compare these three together in time in bounds and in beautie vvee shall finde the second doth not so farre excell the first as the third excels the second The ordinarie time of our remayning in our mothers wombe is nine Compared together in time months the time of our soiourning in our second house is farre longer threescore and tenne times twelue months but in our third house neyther dayes months nor yeeres shall be reckoned vnto vs for it is the place of our euerlasting habitation If againe we compare them in bounds and largenesse of Compared in bounds place vvee shall finde that as the belly of a vvoman is but of narrow bounds in regard of this ample vniuerse so this is nothing in comparison of that high pallace wherein are innumerable mansions prepared for many thousands of elect men and Angels For if one starre be more than the vvhole earth vvhat is the firmament vvhich containes so many starres and if the firmament be so large vvhat shall we thinke of the heauen of heauens which hath no limites vvithin which it is bounded And last if wee compare them in beautie and pleasure Compared in beautie and pleasure O then what a difference shall arise when thou wast in thy mothers belly though thy body vvas indued with those same organes of senses yet what sawest thou or heardest thou there euery sense wanting the owne naturall obiect could breed thee no delight but this thy second house thou seest it replenished with varietie of all necessarie and pleasant things no sense wanting innumerable obiects that may delight thee and yet all the beautie and pleasure of this earth is as farre inferiour to that which is aboue as it is superiour to that which the infant had in the mothers belly The firmament which is the seeling of our second house The seeling of our second house is but the pauement of our third house beautified vvith the Sunne Moone and Starres set in it by the hand of God and shining more gloriously than all the precious stones in the world shal be no other thing but the neather side of the pauement of our Palace Iohn the Baptist sprung for ioy in the belly of his mother Elizabeth when Luke 1. 14. the Lord Iesus came into the house in the wombe of his mother Mary but afterward when hee saw the Lord Iesus more clearely face to face and pointed him out with the finger behold the Lambe of God when hee stood by him as Iohn 1. 36. a friend and heard the voyce of the Bridegroome he reioyced in another manner so in very truth all the reioycing that wee haue in the house of our pilgrimage is but like the springing of Iohn Baptist in the mothers vvombe in comparison of those infinite ioyes wherewith vve shall be replenished when we shall meete vvith our bridegroome in our Fathers house wherein wee shall see him face to face and abide vvith him for euer It is vvritten of Ahashuerus that he made a great banquet Ahashuerus banquet not comparable to our marriage banquet to his Princes and Nobles which lasted for the space of an hundred and fourescore dayes and when he had done with that hee made another banquet to his Commons for the space of seauen dayes the place was the outmost court of the Kings Palace the Tapestry vvas of all sorts of colours Esth 1. white greene and blew fastned with cords of fine linnen and purple through rings and pillars of siluer and marble the beds were of gold and siluer the pauement of porphire marble alablaster and blew colour the vessels wherein they dranke vvere all of Gold all this hee did that he might shew the glorie of his kingdome and the honor of his maiestie If a worm of the earth hath done so much for declaring his begged glory as rauished men into admiration thereof how I pray you shall the Lord our God the great King declare his glorie when he shall make his banquet couer his Table and gather his Princes that is his Sonnes thereunto not for a few dayes but for euer not in the outmost Court but in the inner Court of his Palace Surely no tongue can expresse it for seeing hee hath decked this If the outward court of Gods palace be so furnished as we see what is the inner vvorld vvherein vve soiourne and which I haue called the outmost Court of this Palace in so rich and glorious manner that hee hath ordained lights both by day and night to shine in it and hath prepared a store-house of Fowles in the ayre another of Beasts in the earth and the third of Fishes in the Sea for our necessitie beside innumerable pleasures for delectation what glory and varietie of pleasures may vvee looke for when hee shall separate vs fully from the children of vvrath and assemble vs all into the inner Court of his owne Palace into the chamber of his presence vvee may vvell thinke vvith the Apostle that the heart of man is not able to vnderstand those things which God hath prepared for vs and
confidence on GOD and here the creature is brought in teaching vs to become weary of our present seruitude of sinne and to long for our promised deliuerance This is that miserable estate whereunto man is brought How farre man by apostacie hath degenerated from his originall glory by his apostacie from God In the beginning man was made Lord and gouernour of all the creatures in one day he called them all before him and gaue them names according to their kindes as one who knew them better in their nature and vertue then they did themselues and they all by comming at his call to his Court acknowledged him vnder God their superiour and Lord this was a part of mans glory in the beginning but now falling away from God hee hath also so farre degenerated from his owne kind that he is become inferiour to the beasts as Balaam Asse was wiser then his maister so the creatures in their kind reprooue the foolishnes of man who was their Lord. Waiteth The word import a continuall act of expectation The waiting of the creature may make man ashamed that waites not for that glorie their expectation expecteth this earnest vvaiting of the creature may make vs ashamed of our blockish dulnes that haue not our mindes and hearts set continually vpon that day of our redemption notwithstanding that exhortation belongs vnto vs that wee should looke for that day and hast vnto it As the creatures were not made for themselues 1 Pet. 3. but for vs so they shal not be restored for themselues but for vs for the greater augmentation of our Glory and if they who shall haue but the second roome long for that day how should we long for it for whom that glory chiefly is prepared When the sonnes of God shall be reuealed The sonnes of The sonnes of God now are not reuealed God are now said not to be reuealed in two respects first because their persons are not reuealed secondly because the glory and dignity is not yet reuealed As for the persons In regard of their persons which now are not knowne of elect men it is true the Lord knoweth who are his and makes themselues also after their effectuall calling to know that they are his his Spirit bearing testimonie vnto their spirits that they are the sonnes of God he giues vnto them that new Name vvhich none knowes but they vvho haue it but now they are not so reuealed that they are knowne of the world For this cause the world knowes you not because Ioh. 15. 20. 22. it knowes not him The good wheate of the Lord is now so couered with chaffe and his excellent pearles are locked vp in earthen vessels the vessel is seene and contemned for the basenesse thereof the pearle is not seene and therefore not esteemed according to the excellencie thereof beside this there are many of the sonnes of God not yet come into the world and many already gone out of it whom vvee know not but in that generall assembly all the Saints of GOD shall be gathered together into one at the right hand of the Lord Iesus and shall be clearely manifested that the wicked their enemies shall know them and be confounded to behold them And of this ariseth a warning to vs all that none of vs This learnes vs not to despise other men because we know not what they are in Gods election despise another but that euen those who for the present are euill and contrary minded wee waite vpon them patiently proouing if at any time God vvill giue them repentance that they may come out of the snare of the Diuell The sons of God are not yet reuealed he that presently is an enemie in regard of his rebellious conuersation what knowest thou whether in the counsell of GOD hee be one of Gods chosen children or not and if hee be so thou maist be sure that ere hee dye the Lord shall conuert him if not of a persecuter to make him a Preacher as hee did Paul yet at least a Professour of that same truth which thou hast embraced Secondly not onely are the persons of Gods sonnes vnknowne but their glory also now is obscured and their life In regard of their glorie which now is obscured Col 3. 3. is hid with Christ they are accounted the off-scowrings of the earth and intreated in the world as if they were the onely men to whom shame and ignominie did appertaine yea their glory is not knowne vnto themselues euen those who haue receiued the new Name and the testimonie of the Spirit recording to them that they are the Sonnes of God when they looke to their contemptible bodies and abundant corruption in their soules they seeme vnto themselues to be nothing lesse than the sonnes of God I marke it that wee The sonnes of God shold not iudge of themselues by their present state may learne to beware of Sathans pollicie whereby he carrieth vs to iudge of our selues by our present estate which cannot but breed in vs horrible feare and doubtings To this craft let vs oppone that comfort of the Apostle dearely beloued 1 Iohn 3. now are we the Sonnes of God yet doth it not appeare what we shall be it is but the beginnings and not the perfection of grace and glory which we haue in this life by the beginnings let vs know that we are the sonnes of God and where we finde no perfection let vs not be discouraged remembring this is the time wherein the glory of the sonnes of God is not yet reuealed We are here againe further to consider that vvhere the Comfortable that where the Lord cals the rest of his works his creatures he calleth vs his sonnes Lord giues vnto the rest of his workes the name of a creature hee vouchsafes vpon vs the names of sonnes shewing vs that albeit in regard of creation we are his creatures and come vnder that same name with the rest of his works yet now in regard of his grace communicated vnto vs wee are much more than that which wee were by creation and in that respect more esteemed of by him then all the rest of his workes beside As a Father counteth much more of his sonne whom hee hath begotten than he doth of all other things he hath whatsoeuer so the Lord our God esteemes more pretious vnto him one of these his excellent ones whom he hath begotten in his beloued Sonne the Lord Iesus than he doth of all others besides For their sakes hee reprooues Kings hee alters the course of nature and turneth vp-side downe the state of things in the world yea he shall declare at length that they are his onely treasure from the time that once he gets them all gathered vnto him the administration of this world as now it is shall cease and take an end Oh that we could stirre vp our hearts to a thankfulnesse Our duty againe craues that in our heart wee
more expresse the vehemencie of their desire for as hee that goeth vnder an heauie burthen grones and longs to be eased thereof or as the vvoman vvhich trauailes with childe hath a most earnest desire to be deliuered thereof so the creature wearie of this seruitude longs to be eased This groning of the creature is not to be neglected seeing Somtime God complaines to the creature sometime the creature complaines to God vpon man miserable is man if he complaine not on himself Esay 1. in holy Scripture wee finde that sometime God complaines to his creatures vpon the sinne of man and somtime the creatures complaines to God miserable is man if hee doe not complaine vpon himselfe In the first of Esay there the Lord complaines to his creatures vpon man Heare O Heauens hearkâ—n O Earth I haue nourished and brought vp Children but they haue rebelled against me c. and here againe the creature is brought in groning and complaining to God vpon man The first bloud that euer the earth receiued into her bosome sent vp vnto God a crying voyce for vengeance and the Lord heard it and now the earth meruailes in her kinde that hauing receiued so much bloud of the Saints of God into her bosome the Lord should delay to require it shee wonders againe that the hand of the Lord stablisheth her and makes her beare vp such a number of wicked men as are a burthen to her considering that once he caused her to open and swallow vp Corah Dathan and Abiram and hath many a time since shaken her foundations and destroyed by earth-quake notable Cities making the houses of the inhabitants therof their buriall place the burden of sinne being now wonderfully encreased shee meruailes that the Lord causeth her to beare it and for this cause she cryes and grones vnto the Lord and this complaining of the creature we are not to neglect it as I said for seeing they sigh and grone for the vanitie vnder which our sinnes hath subdued them should not wee much more sigh and grone for our owne sinnes assuredly if we doe not we are conuinced to be more senslesse then the senslesse creatures themselues Concerning this metaphor of trauailing it is two manner Trauailing two manner of wayes ascribed to the wicked in the Scripture of wayes ascribed to the wicked in holy Scripture and one manner of way to the godly For first their concupiscence is compared to a mother that conceiues and trauailes continually without rest till it bring out sinne and sinne being finished is compared in like manner to a mother that bringeth out death And secondly the imagination of their heart is compared to a mother which conceiues cruell counsels and mischieuous deuices against the godly all their dayes they trauaile with this birth and would faine haue it brought out to perfection but at length they bring forth a lye for the malice of the wicked shall slay himselfe his mischiefe shall Psal 7. turne vpon his owne head and his crueltie shall fall vpon his owne pate But as for the children of God they trauaile One manner of way ascribed to the Godly in paine of the monstrous birth of sin that is within them not that they are desirous to perfect and finish it but to destroy and abolish it as being a monster within them which they abhorre an adulterous birth begotten by a most vnlawfull copulation betweene Sathan and their corrupted wil the father that begot this monster being Sathan and the mother that conceiued it their corrupt Nature for this they sigh and cry vnto God with the Apostle O miserable man Rom. 7. 24. who shal deliuer me from this body of death This was his voyce vnto God and should much more be our continuall lamentation seeing in sinnes we are more abundant and in grace farre inferiour to that holy Apostle The Lord therefore worke it in vs for his Sonne Christs sake Verse 23. And not onely the creature but wee also who haue receiued the first fruits of the Spirit euen wee doe sigh in our selues wayting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies NOw followeth the Apostles other argument The second argument prouing the greatnesse and certaintie of that glory is the feruent desire the godly haue to it by instinct of Grace wherby he proues the greatnesse and certaintie of that glory to be reuealed it is taken from that feruent expectation which the sonnes of God haue of it It can neither be a vaine nor a small thing but by the contrary both great and certaine whereupon God hath set the desire of his best creatures by instinct of the Spirit of Grace So that wee haue here first a description of Gods children they are such as haue receiued the first fruits of the spirit secondly a two-fold effect which this holy Spirit workes in Gods children first a wearinesse of their present bondage and seruitude of sinne secondly a wayting by a constant expectation for a better And this doth very much confirme the Apostles purpose there being none on earth who can better iudge the excellencie of that glory to come than they who haue receiued the first fruits thereof Out of all doubt the testimonie of any one who hath tasted of that ioy to come is more worth to commend it than is the contrary iudgement of a thousand others to disproue it And not onely the creature The Apostle proceedes from The sonnes of God and the creature grone together and shall be restored together the testimonie of the creature to the testimonie of the sonnes of God when he spake of the creature he said they sigh and grone with vs they trauaile together in paine with vs and when hee speakes of the godly he saith wee sigh in our selues As man was not made for himselfe but for the Lord and therefore should wait vpon him so the creatures vvere not made for themselues but for vs and therefore where they are at couenant with vs they in their kinde wait vpon vs they goe with vs they grone with vs are grieued with vs and shall neuer rest till wee be deliuered let licentious men liuing in their sinnes marke this they sigh not in themselues with the godly yea they scorne their sighings and therefore shall not be restored vvith the godly they grone not with the creature and shall not be deliuered with the creature O miserable man how vnhappy is that end The wicked mourne not with them and shall not be partakers so much as of the deliuerie of the creature whereunto thy vvanton and hard heart which cannot repent doth lead thee thou shalt not stand in iudgement with the godly where they goe there shalt not thou goe thou didst not mourne with the children of the marriage chamber and therefore shalt not enter vvith them into it to be comforted thou shalt goe to another place and mourne without them the burthen of thy sinnes which now thou feelest not shall
with tentations on the right hand and on the left vt quatuor angulis Gregor Moral pulsata domus aliqua ex parte ruinam saciat that the house being shaken at all the soure corners may fall downe in one part or other no rest nor quietnes for vs in this habitation terrours within fightings without Propter quod vno conâ—ilio Act. 20. 19. migrandum est Christianis for the which it is best for vs vvith one aduice to conclude that wee vvill remoue and in the meane time send vp our complaint to our Father in heauen as the Gibionites did to Ioshua shewing him how vve Ioshua 10. 6. are besieged and enuironed for his sake and praying him to come with hast and help vs. Waiting for the Adoption Now followeth the other effect The other effect the spirit works in vs iâ— a waiting for deliuerance of the Spirit for hee not onely causeth vs as we haue heard to sigh and mourne for our present miseries but also comforts vs with the hope and expectation of deliuerance though in this life vve haue trouble yet haue we no trouble vvithout comfort Blessed be God who comforts vs in all our 2 Cor. 1. 3. 4. tribulations and beside that vvhich vve presently haue it is yet much more vvhich vvee looke for The men of this vvorld haue no ioy vvithout sorrow euen in laughter their Proâ— 24. 13. heart is sorrowfull pretend what they will in their countenance there is a heauinesse in their conscience arising of the vveight of sinne but it is far otherwise vvith the godly for euen in mourning they doe reioyce and vnder greatest heauinesse they carry a liuely hope of ioyfull deliuerance Againe wee are to marke that the godly are described The day of death and day of resurrection earnestly waited for by the godly in holy Scripture to be such as doe not liue content with their present estate but waites and longs for a better and specially there are two dayes for which the Children of GOD are said to waite the first the day of death wherein they goe to the Lord the second the day of appearing wherein the Lord shall come vnto them they soiourne in the body more weary of it then Dauid was of his dwelling in the tents of Kedar they wait with patient Iob till the day of their change come and doe desire with the Apostle to be Iob. 14. 14. dissolued that they may be with Christ they pray for it so oft as they vse that petition Let thy kingdome come seeking Mat. 6. 10. Luke 11. 3. death so farre as it is a meanes to abolish sinne vtterly that Christ their King may alone raigne in them but as for the wicked the remembrance of death is terrible vnto them and in their thought they put it far from them and when it comes it comes vpon them vnlooked for As Iehu furiously Death comes on the wicked as Iehu came on Iehoram came vpon Iehoram and hee made vvith all his speed to his chariot thinking to flye away but in vaine for the arrow of Iehu ouertooke him so death comes vpon the wicked 2 King 9. 23. 24 in a day and place wherein they looked not for it and they being terrified with it runnes with all the speede they can to their chariots that is to their refuges of vanity but the dart of death surely ouer-takes them Miserable are they vvhose comfort standeth rather in an vncertaine delay of death than in any certaintie vvhich they haue of eternall life But let vs be prepared for it as the good Israelites of We should not soiourne in the body like Ionas in the sides of the sâ—â—p but like Abraham in the doore of the tabernacle Exod. 12. 11. Gen. 18. 1. 1 King 19. 9. God with our loynes girded vp and our staues in our hands ready to take our iourney from Egypt to Canaan vvhensoeuer the Lord our God shall command vs. As fowles desirous to flye stretch ouâ— their vvings so should man desirous to be with the Lord stretch out his affections toward the heauens Abraham sat in the doore of his Tabernacle when the Angell appeared vnto him Elias came out to the mouth of his Caue when the Lord appeared to him and we must also reioyce to come out of the caue and tabernacle of this vvretched body if vve would meet vvith the Lord yea euen while as wee dwell in the body if in our affection vve come not out and stand as it were in the doore of our tabernacle but like Ionas sleeping in the sides of the ship Ionas 1. 5. we lye downe in the hollow of our heart sleeping in carelesse securitie it is not possible that the Lord can be familiar with vs. The other day for which the godly are said to wait is the The day of Christs second comming longed for 1 Cor. 1. 7. Phil. 3. day of Christs second comming The Apostle giues this as a token of the rich grace of God bestowed on the Corinthians that they waited for the appearance of Christ and to the Philippians he saith our coÌ„uersation is in heauen from whence we looke for our Sauiour the Lord Iesus yea he giues it out as a marke of all those who are to be glorified when hee saith 2 Tim. 4. 8. there is laid vp for mee a crowne of righteousnes and not for me onely but for all them who loue Christs second appearing And Heb. 9. 28. againe Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many and vnto them that looke for him shall he appeare the second time without sinne vnto saluation These and many moe places proues that there is great As the Iewes waited for the yeere of Iubilie so should we for the day of Christ but alas few doe so Reu. 22. 20. scarcitie of Faith and spirituall grace in this generation there being so few that vnfainedly longs for the day of his appearance suppose euery man in word mumble vp that petition let thy kingdome come yet are they few who when Iesus testifieth surely I come quickly can in truth answer with the godly Amen euen so come Lord Iesus and all because we are neithe wearier of our present miserie nor certaine of that glorious deliuerance to come otherwise we would long for it and reioyce at the smallest appearance thereof The woman with child reckons her time as neere as shee can and albeit others haue no minde of it yet is it alway in her remembrance because that then she hopes for deliuerance Among the Iewes as the day of their Iubilie drawes neere Leuit. 25. 10. so the ioy of them that were in prison encreased being assured that then they were to be releeued and should not wee much more reioyce the neerer that the day of our eternall Iubilie draweth vnto vs wherein all teares shall be wiped away from our eyes and sorrow and mourning shall flye away for euer
shall see Esau seeking the blessing with greater crying and moe teares than Iacob and Saul shall confesse his sinne no lesse than Dauid and Ahab shall humble himselfe in dust and ashes more penitent like than Ezechiah the Pharisee shall be more abundant in fasting giuing of almes than the Publican As he that doth paint a faire fire may paint the colour and the forme of the bowing flame thereof but can no way paint the heat thereof so an Hypocrite can looke like a Christian speake like a Christian and in outward actions counterfait the Christian but can neuer attaine to the Christians heart therefore is it that the Lord most of all delights in the heart and vvee also most of all should take heed vnto it to keepe it holy Beside this that the Lord hath locked vp the heart of It is in great wisedome that God hath locked vp the hart of one man from another one man from another and hath reserued the knowledge of the heart to himselfe onely the Lord hath done it in great wisedome for seeing that man diuided himselfe by sinne from God their hearts by nature are so discordant among themselues that if their hearts were as manifest to others as their faces there could not be a fellowship nor societie entertained among men Looke how many men are in the world there are as many sundry iudgements and wils euery man hauing a kingdome in his breast and so carryed away with a desire of his owne super-excellencie that he seeketh the aduancement of his owne will with the ouerthrow of all others whose will is not agreeable to his if hee might attaine vnto it Againe the heart of man is such a bottomles fountaine of wickednesse that if it vvere manifested the vvorld should be infected vvith viler abhominations than any that yet are knowne in it for if the tongue which is but a little member of the body when it somes out but a small part of that filth vvhich abounds in the heart be so forcible as to corrupt the honest minds and manners of the hearers vvhat should be done if the heart it selfe were laid open which is by nature but a stincking puddle and filthy store-house of all iniquitie And further for the comfort of the whole Church of God The soueraignty of God ouer man appeares in this that he is vpon the secrets of their hearts and euery member thereof let vs marke the soueraigntie of our God ouer all his creatures in these two that not onely hee is vpon their secrets vvhether they vvill or not for he sits in their hearts but also hath soueraign commandement ouer them so that he can when he will will when his glory requires eyther take their hearts vtterly from them or turn their owne hearts against themselues as domestick enemies to torment them And as for the first it is manifest out of this place that the Lord sitteth vpon the secret counsell of the wicked for hee searcheth the heart It was a great discouragement to Benhadad King of Aram that the secret conclusion vvhich he laid with his captaines in his cabinet counsel concerning the ordering of his battels against Israel were discouered as they were concluded by Elisha the Prophet vnto the King of Israel and vvho reueiled them to Elisha but the Lord our God who sits as moderator in the counsell of the wicked whether they will or not to ouerrule their determinations direct them to their own end which is the glory and good of his church Let our enemies then take counsell and conspire together as they will hee that doth sit in the heauens shal haue them in derision The counsell of the Lord shall stand and what he hath decreed shall onely come to passe let vs therefore rest in him It vvere good for men to consider this that albeit man Man hath but his hart to hold him vp and God can take it from him when he will be sustained and vpholden by his owne heart so that no other thing can help him if it faile him yet it is in the Lords power to doe vvith it what he vvill how oft haue we seene that the Lord being angry at man passing by all the members of his body and leauing them whole and sound hath stricken the heart with such terrours that most valiant men hauing eyes could not see hauing a tongue could not speak hauing hands could not strike to defend themselues and hauing feete could not doe so much as runne away their heart being taken from them by God they are left in a strait and comfortlesse estate But farre more miserable are they when the Lord turnes their own hearts against themselues and makes them a terrour to themselues A fearefull example whereof vvee haue in Belshazzar who seeing nothing Dan. 4. 6. vvithout him but the figure of a hand which stirred him not vvas so stricken and pursued with his owne heart within him that his flesh trembled his countenance waxed pale his knees smote one against another If man considered this he would be loath to prouoke the Lord vnto anger seeing he can neither sustaine the wrath of God nor eschew it Moreouer vvee are taught here seeing our Prayer is a We haue neede of great reuerence in praier seeing we speak to him who searcheth the heart conference with him who searcheth the hart that we should alway pray with our heart for otherwise if wee draw neere him with our lips our heart being farre from him he vvill curse vs as deceiuers that hauing a male in our flock doe sacrifice a lame thing vnto the Lord that is in stead of the seruice of our hearts doe offer vnto him the seruice of our lips The Lord hath no delight in the sacrifice of fooles who are rash with their mouth to vtter a thing before him not considering that hee is in heauen and they are vpon earth the mouth may reach to men vvho are beside vs the heart onely may reach to God who is aboue It was a very godly Psal 139. 23. protestation that Dauid made Try me O Lord and proue my thoughts in the night and see if at any time I haue spoken that to thee with my mouth which I haue not thought with my heart and albeit vve haue not as yet attayned vnto it yet it is that holy sinceritie vvhereat vve should ayme in all our Prayers so to speake vnto GOD that our conscience may beare vs record that vve lye not and that vve haue spoken nothing vvith our mouth vvhich vve haue not thought vvith our heart We are therefore for the right ordering of our prayers Three things to be obserued in Prayer to take heed to these three things First preparation before prayer Secondly attention in prayer Thirdly reuerent 1 That preparation go before it thanksgiuing after prayer As for the first as Moses and Iosua put off their shooes before they came neere the Lord so are we to remoue out
him For albeit the Lord rested God hath rested from the worke of creation not of gubernation Ioh. 5. 17. the seauenth day from the workes of creation so that hee made no new kinde of creature after that day yet did hee not rest from the vvorkes of prouidence or gubernation whereof our Sauiour saith my Father workes hitherto and I worke When man hath finished a vvorke hee resignes it to another to be gouerned as the Wright vvhen he hath builded a ship giues it ouer to the Marriner to rule it neyther is man able to preserue the vvorke of his hands neyther yet knowes hee vvhat shall be the end thereof It is not so with the Lord as by the vvorke of creation hee brought them out so by his prouident administration he preserues them and rules euen the smallest creatures directing them vnto such ends as he hath ordained them for in the counsell of his will How euer some Ethnicks haue beene so blinde as to His prouidence extends to the smallest things thinke that God did neglect the smaller things vpon earth scilicet is superis labor est and Epicures also vvhose false conceptions of the diuine prouidence are rehearsed by Eâ—iphaz How should God know how should hee iuâ—ge through Iob. 22. 13. 14. the darke clâ—ude the cloudes hide him that hee cannot see and hee walkes in the circle of heauen yet it is certaine hee rules Psal 113. not a part onely but all hee is not as they thought of him a God onely aboue the Mâ—one No though he dwell on high yet he abases himselfe to behold the things that are on earth he is not onely a God in the mountaines as the Syrians deemed 1 King 20. but a God in the vallies also There is nothing so great nothing so small but it falles vnder his prouidence yea hee numbers our hayres and keepes them not one of them can fall to the ground without his prouidence Si sic custodumtur Augustine super flâ—a tua in quanta securitate est anima tua if hee so keepe thy superfluities how much more will he keepe thy soule Let it therefore content vs in the most confused estate In greatest confusion of things let vs keepe our comfort the end of them shal be our good of things we can see fall out in the world that the Lord hath said All things shall worke for the best vnto vs. Let vs not question with Marie how can this be nor doubt with Sarah how can I conceiue nor with Moses where shall flesh be gotten for all this multitude but let vs sayth Augustine consider the Author and such doubts shall cease As he hath manifested his power and vvisedome in the tempering of this world making Elements of so contrary qualities agree together in one most pleasant harmonie so doth it appeare much more in gouerning all the contrary courses of men to the good of his owne children One notable example wherof wee will set downe for all Iacob sends Ioseph to Dothan Gen. 37. c. to visit his brethren his brethren casts him into the pit Reuben releeues him the Midianites buyes him and sels him to Potiphar his Mistresse accuses him his Maister condemnes him the Butler after long forgetfulnesse recommends him Pharaoh exalts him O what instruments are here how many hands about this one pooreman of God neuer a one of them looking to that end which God had proposed vnto him yet the Lord contrary to their intention makes them all worke together for Iosephs aduancement in Aegipt But now to the particulars There is nothing in the world The end of all the wayes of God is our good which works not for our weale all the works of God all the stratagems of Sathan all the imaginations of men are for the good of Gods children yea out of the most poysonable things such as sinne and death doth the Lord draw wholesome and medicinable preseruatiues vnto them who loue him All the wayes of the Lord saith Dauid are mercy Psal 25. 10. and truth marke what he saith and make not thou an exception where God hath made none All none excepted therefore be thou strengthened in the Faith and giue glory vnto God resoluing with patient Iob albeit the Lord would Iob. 13. 15. slay me yet will I trust in him Sometime the Lord seemes to walke in the way of anger against his children which hath moued many of them to Yea euen when he seemes to be most angry with his children hee is working their good Iob. 6. 4. poure out the like of these pittifull complaints the arrowes of the almightie are vpon me said Iob the venome whereof doth drinke vp my spirit and the terrours of God fight against me thou settest me vp as a marke against thee and makes me a burthen to my selfe Thy indignation lyes vpon me said Dauid yea from my youth I haue suffered thy terrours doubting of my life For felicitie I haue had bitter griefe said Ezekiah for Isa 38. 17. 13. 14. the Lord like a Lyon brake all my bones so that I did chatter like a Swallow and mourne like a Doue I am troubled on euery side said the Apostle hauing sightings without and terrours 2 Cor. 7. 5. within Yet in all this dealing the Lord hath a secret way of mercy in the which he walkes for the comfort of his children it is but to draw vs vnto him that he shewes himselfe to be angry with vs aduersatur tibi Deus ad tempus vt te secum Chrisost in Mat. hom 14 habeat in perpetuum the Lord is an aduersarie to thee for a while that he may for euer reconcile thee to himselfe And this albeit for the present we cannot perceiue and can see no other but that the Lord hath taken vs for his enemies yet in the end wee shall be compelled to acknowledge and confesse with Dauid it was good for me O Lord that euer thou Rom. 11. 13. correctedst me for the Lord is meruailous in his Saints O the deepenesse of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out His glory is great when he workes by meanes his glory appeares greater when he works without meanes but then his glory shines most brightly when he works by contraries It was a great vvorke that hee opened the eyes of the For the working of God with his children is by contraries blinde man but greater that hee did it by application of spettle and clay meanes meeter to put out the eyes of a seeing man than to restore sight to a blind man So he wrought in the first creation causing light to shine out of darknesse so also in the worke of redemption for by cursed death he brought happy life by the crosse he conquered the crowne and through shame he went to glory And this same order the Lord still keepeth in
noysome weedes of vnruly affections if the Lord by sanctified trouble did not continually manure them It is good therefore said Ieremie for a man to beare the Lam. 3. 27. Psal 119. 71. Ioh. 15. 2. yoke in his youth and Dauid confesses it was good for him that he was afflicted yea our Sauiour saith euery branch that beares fruit my heauenly Father purges it that it may bring forth more fruit No worke can be made of gold and siluer without fire The wicked putrifie and rots in their prosperitie stones are not meet for pallace worke vnlesse they be pollished and squared by hammering no more is it possible that we can be vessels of honor in the house of our God except first we be fined and melted in the fire of affliction neyther can we be as liuing stones to be placed in the wall of heauenly Ierusalem except the hand of God first beat from vs our proud lumps by the hammer of affliction As standing waters putrifie and rot so the wicked feares not God because Psal 55. Iere. 48. 11. they haue no changes and Moab keepes his sent because hee was not powred from vessell to vessell but hath beene at rest euer since his youth And therefore O Lord rather than that we should keepe the sent of our olde naturall corruption and liue in a carelesse securitie without the feare of thine holy name and so become sit-fasts in our sinnes no rather O Lord change thou vs from estate to estate waken vs with the touch of thine hand purge vs with thy fire and chastise vs with thy rods alway Lord with this protestation that thou keepe towards vs that promise made to the sonnes of Dauid I will visit them with my rods if they sinne against mee 2 Sam. 7. 14. 15. but my mercy will I neuer take from them So be it O Lord euen So be it The same comfort haue we also against death that now Death workes also the good of Gods children in Iesus Christ it is not a punishment of our sinnes but a full accomplishment of the mortification of our sinne both in soule and body for by it both the fountaine and the fluxe of sinne are dryed vp all the conduits of sinne are stopped and the weapons of vnrighteousnesse broken And though our bodies seeme to be consumed and turned into nothing yet are they but sowen like graynes of Wheat in the field and husbandry of the Lord which must dye before they be quickned but in the day of Christ shal spring vp againe most glorious And as for our soules they are by death releeued out of this house of seruitude that they may returne vnto him who gaue them therefore haue I compared death to the red sea wherein Pharaoh and his Aegiptians were drowned Death compared to the red Sea Egiptians drowne in it and sancke like a stone to the bottome but the Israelites of God went through to their promised Câ—â—â—an so shall death be vnto you O miserable Infidels whose eyes the God of this world hath blinded that no more then blinded Aegiptians can yee see the light of God shining in Goshen which is his Church though yee be in it to you I say your death shall be the very centre of all your miseries a sea of the vengeance of GOD vvherein yee shall be drowned and shall sincke with your sinnes heauier than a mislone about the neck of your soules to presse you downe to the lowest hell But as for you who are the Israelites of God ye shal walke But the Israelites of God shall goe through it through the valley of death and not neede to be afraid because the Lord is with you his staffe and his rod shal comfort you albeit the guiltinesse of sore-passed sinnes yet remayning in the memory the terrour of hell and horrour of the graue stand vp on euery side like mountaines threatning to ouerwhelme you yet shall yee goe safely through to the land of your inheritance where with Moses and Miriam and all the children of God euen the congregation of the first borne yee shall sing prayses ioyfully to the God of your How the enemies of Gods childreÌ„ against their will procures their good Gen 50. 20. saluation Now in the last roome concerning the imaginations of men against vs wee shall haue cause to say of them in the end as Ioseph said to his brethren yee did it vnto me for euill but the Lord turned it to good The whole history of Gods booke is a cloud of manifold witnesses concurring together to confirme his truth therefore among many wee will be content with one When Dauid was going forward in battaile against Israell with Acish King of Gath vnder whom 1 Sam 29. he soiourned a while in the time of his banishment the remanent Princes of the Philistims commanded him to goe backe and this they did for the worst to disgrace him because they distrusted him but the Lord turned it vnto him for the best for if he had come forward he had beene guiltie of the blood of Israell specially of Saul the Lords annointed who was slaine in that battell from this the prouident mercy of God doth in such sort deliuer him that no offence is done by Dauid to Saul or his people because Dauid came not against them neither yet could the Philistims blame him because he went back by their owne command So a notable benefit Dauid did receiue by that same deed wherein his enemies thought they had done him a notable shame And where otherwise it pleaseth the Lord to suffer wicked Death of the body to a Christian is but as the renting of Iosephs garment from him men to lay hand on the bodies of his children yet all they are able to doe is but like the renting of Iosephs garment from him As he doth sustaine small losse whose garment is cut if his body be preserued so the Christian when his bodie is wounded vnto the death yet hath hee lost nothing which he striues to keepe for he knowes it is but a corruptible garment which would decay in itselfe albeit there were no man to rent it Non sunt itaque timenda spiritui quae fiunt in Chrisostome carne quae extra nos est quasi vestamentum let not therefore our soule be afraid for those things which are done to our bodies for it is without vs as a garment that doth but couer vs. Thus haue we seene how that there is nothing so euill in it selfe which by the prouident working of God is not turned to the good of his children Whereof arises yet vnto vs this further comfort that seeing it is the priuiledge of euery one who loues the Lord it must much more be the priuiledge of the whole Church that promise made to the Father of the faithfull I will blesse Since to euery Christian all things worke for the best much more are we to thinke that this is the
reserued by the power of God through Faith Of this it is euident that our best is not yet vvrought it is onely in the vvorking and therefore vvee are not to looke for it in this life There is a great difference in this betweene the godly A wicked man is at his best when he is first borne for the longer he liues the more sins he multiplyes and the wicked the one inioyes their best in this life the other not so but looketh for it If it should be demaunded vvhen a wicked man is at his best I would answere his best is euill enough but then is he at his best vvhen he comes first into the world for then his sinnes are fewest his iudgement easiest it had beene good for him that the knees had not preuented him but that hee had dyed in the birth For as a riuer vvhich is smallest at the beginning increases as it proceedes by the accession of other waters vnto it so the wicked the longer he liueth waxeth worse and worse deceiuing Ierem. 9. 3. and being deceiued proceeding from euill to worse till at length he be swallowed vp in that lake that burnes vvith fire and brimstone And this the Apostle expresseth most significantly when A man continuing in sinne compared to one gathering a treasure Rom. 2. hee compares the vvicked man vnto one gathering a treasure wherein hee heapeth vp wrath vnto himselfe against the day of wrath for euen as the worldling who euery day casteth a piece of money into his treasure in few yeares multiplyes such a summe that hee himselfe is not able to keepe in minde the particulars thereof but when hee breaketh vp his boxe he findes in it sundry sorts of coyne which vvere quite out of his remembrance euen so it is and worse vvith thee O impenitent man who not onely euery day but euery houre and moment of the day doest multiply thy transgressions and defile thy conscience by hoording vp into it some dead worke or other to what a reckoning thinkest thou shall thy sinnes amount in the end though thou doest forget them as thou committest them yet the Apostle tels thee that thou hast laid them vp in a treasurie Yea not onely hast thou laid vp in store thy sinnes but With euery new sinne he gathers a new portion of wrath vvith euery sinne hast gathered a portion of vvrath proportionable to thy sinne vvhich thou shalt know in that day vvherein the Lord shall breake vp thy treasure and open the booke of thy conscience and set thy sinnes in order before thee then shall thine owne wickednesse correct Ierem. 2. thee and thy turning backe shall reproue thee then shalt thou know and behold that it is an euill thing and a bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Thou shalt be astonished to see such a multitude of vvitnesses standing vp against thee those sinnes vvhich thou hast cast behind thy backe thou shalt see them set in the light of the countenance of God woe then shall be vnto thee for the Lord then shall turne thine owne wayes vpon thine head the Lord shall giue thee to drincke of that cuppe vvhich thou hast filled vvith thine owne hand when thou shalt haue accomplished the measure of thine iniquitie and he shall double his stripes vpon thee according to the number of thy transgressions But as for the children of God if yee doe aske vvhen A Christians best begins in the day of his conuersion they are at the best I answere praised be God our vvorst is gone our good is begunne our best is at hand As our Sauiour said to his kinsmen so may vve say to the vvorldlings your time is alway but my time is not yet come We were Ioh. 6. 3. at the vvorst immediately before our conuersion for our vvhole life till then vvas a walking with the children of disobedience in the broad way that leads to perdition then we were at the worst when we had proceeded furthest in the way of vnrighteousnesse for then wee were furthest from God Our best began in the day of our recalling wherin the Lord by his vvord and holy Spirit called vpon vs and made vs change our course turning our backes vpon Sathan and our faces toward the Lord and so caused vs to part company vvith the children of disobedience that vvhere they â—ent on in their sinnes to iudgement vve came home with the penitent forlorne vnto our Fathers familie That was a happy day of diuision betweene vs and our sinnes in that The day of our conuersion was a day of diuision betweene vs and our olde sinnes which we should not forget day with Israel wee entred into the borders of Canaan to Gilgall there were we circumcised and the shame of Egipt taken from vs euen our sinne which is our shame indeed and which wee brought vvith vs euen from our mothers wombe The Lord grant that we may keepe it in thankefull remembrance and that we may count it a double shame to returne againe to the bondage of Egypt to serue any more that Prince of darknesse in bricke and clay that is to haue fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse but that like the redeemed of the Lord wee may walke from strength to strength till we appeare before the face of our God in Sion Alway this difference of estates betweene the godly and Seeing our best is not in this life let vs possesse our soules in patience wicked should learne vs patience let vs not seeke that in the earth which our gracious Father in his most wise dispensation hath reserued for vs in heauen Let vs not be like the foolish Iewes who loued the place of their banishment in Babell better than their home Now our life is hid with God in Christ and wee know not yet what we shall be but we know when hee shall appeare wee shall be like him the Lord shall carry vs by his mercie and bring vs by his strength into the holy habitation he shall plant vs in the mountaine of his inheritance euen the place which he hath prepared and sanctuarie which hee hath established then euerlasting ioy shall be vpon our head and sorrow and mourning shall flye from vs for euer And now till the Lord haue accomplished his worke in vs let vs not faint because the wicked floruish how euer they prosper they are to be pittied more than enuied let them eate and drinke and be merry sure it is they will neuer see a better life then that which presently they enioy they haue receiued their consolation in this life and haue gotten their portion in this present world Surely no tongue can expresse their miserie and yet â—s How they are to be pittied who reioyce in things present as in their best things Samuel mourned for Saul when God reiected him and Ieremie wept in secret for the pride of his people that would not repent of their sinnes how
are not beloued of him 1 Ioh. 4. 10. easie to loue the Lord and euery man abhorres in word to be counted such a monster as hath not the loue of God but they are farre deceiued for man till hee be called by grace cannot loue the Lord herein is loue not that wee loued God but that hee loued vs. If now wee doe know him and know him so that we loue him it is because wee were first knowne of him and so knowne that wee were beloued of him not that there is any equalitie betweene these loues or that vve are able to match the Lord in affection non enim pari vbertâ—te sluunt hi duo amâ—res for these two loues flowes not in a like plenty as the running of a little strand is nothing in comparison of the great Ocean so is our loue to God as nothing if it be compared with his incomprehensible loue toward vs yet it is most certaine amor Dei amorâ—m animae parit it is Gods loue to vs vvhich begets in the soule a loue to God Nemo itaque se amari dissidat qui iam amat let no man therefore who loues God distrust that hee is beloued It is very comfortable that among all the pen-men of the holy Ghost none doe speake more of loue than Iohn euen he vvho vvas Christs beloued Disciple vvhom he loued aboue the rest for it doth teach vs that whosoeuer is greatly beloued of God shall also become a carefull practiser of loue toward others That therefore wee may know the heart of God toward He that would know Gods purpose toward him let him go downe to his own heart and not vp to Gods counsell vs it shall not be needfull that wee enter into secret counsell but let vs goe and enter into our owne hearts and there wee shall finde resolution albeit the Lord send not now to you that are men an Angell to vvitnesse as hee did to Daniel that he was a man greatly beloued of God or to testfie to you that are women that which hee did to Mary that shee vvas freely beloued of the Lord yet so many of you as vpon knowledge in sinceritie can say vvith Peter Lord Ioh. 21. 15. thou knowest that I loue thee haue here a testimonie no lesse certaine to wit his owne Oracle in his word to make you sure that ye are beloued of him And that the comfort may be the more sure vnto vs Loue the first affection that Sathan peruerted seeing loue is the principall token of our calling wee will speake a little of Loue that so we may know whether wee be endued with this most excellent grace of the spirit or no. Naturally the affection of Loue in man is so inordinate that not vnproperly Nazianzen called it dulcem tyrannum a sweet tyrannie that by deceitfull allurements compels the whole man to follow it and it is not only in it selfe distemperated but altogether set vpon wrong obiects our loue being so set vpon the creature that we neglect the Creator a feareful ingratitude that where in the beginning the Lord set vp man as Prince and ruler ouer all his creatures putting all the workes of his hands in subiection vnder him that man should meet the Lord with such vnthankefulnesse as to set in his affection euery creature before the Lord Doe yee Deut. so requite the Lord O ye foolish people and vnwise But as this was the first affection which Sathan through And the first which in our regeneration is rectified by the spirit of grace infidelitie peruerted turning it from the Lord and setting it vpon the forbidden tree so it is the first affection which in the regeneration is rectified by Faith and by which faith workes in the sanctification of the rest turning it from the creature and setting it vpon God Where we are to consider of the lawfull obiects of our loue and of the due measure of loue we owe vnto euery one of them The obiects of our loue are three the first is God the second is our selfe the third is our neighbour The first and principall obiect of our loue is the Lord The first obiect of reformed loue is God our God whom wee ought so to loue that wee loue him aboue all things and that for no other thing more than for himselfe in loue the Lord will not suffer a companion neither Father nor Mother Wife nor Children nay not thy owne life should be so deere to thee as that for any of these thou shouldst offend thy God otherwise hee tels thee himselfe that thou art not worthy of him and he wil not reckon thee among those that loue him Non amat Christum qui August de temp ser 223 aliquid plus quam Christum amat he loues not Christ who loues any thing more than Christ and then doe vve loue something more than him if from him we seeke any thing more than himselfe This is a mercinarie loue when man loueth God for his gifts It was obiected by Sathan vnto Iob but falsely for euen then when he was spoiled of all the earthly comforts which God had giuen him yet the loue of God continued in him from which he blessed the Lord. As the vvoman which loueth her husband because hee is rich is rather to be called a louer of his riches than of himselfe so the Worldling who with the carnall Israelite doth vvorship GOD for his wine and his oyle and the rest of those good things which God giues men is but an hyreling and not a sincere worshipper nor a chast louer of the Lord his God The second obiect of our loue is our selues for in that The second obiect of reformed loue in our selues He cannot loue his brother who loues not himselfe the Lord requireth that I loue my neighbour as my selfe it is manifest that first of all I ought to loue my selfe Hee that loueth not God cannot loue himselfe and he vvho loueth not himselfe cannot rightly loue his neighbour without the loue of God all the selfe-loue which is in man is but selfe-hatred As the franticke man who in his furie vvounds his owne body is pittied of all men as one that hath no pittie of himselfe so the prophane man who by multiplying transgressions slayeth his owne soule is more iustly to be accounted an hater of himselfe it is the holy loue of God that first teacheth thee to take heed vnto thy selfe to preserue both soule and body from the wrath to come and that worketh in thee an holy care to conforme thy selfe to the Lord whom thou louest and vvith vvhom thou desirest to remaine for euer Thus being taught to loue our selues we shall also learne to loue our neighbour the ordered loue of our selues being as I said that patterne according to which wee should loue our neighbour Prius itaque vide si nosti diligere Augustine teipsum tunc committam tibi proximum quem diligas sicut
neuer see himselfe I confesse indeed wee may reioyce in all the gifts which God hath giuen vs as in the tokens and testimonies of his loue but wee are alwayes to vse them with this protestation that nothing giuen vs in this life be allowed vnto vs for our portion and inheritance and that no contentment euer come vnto our hearts till vvee get himselfe who gaue them If the loue of the Corinthians made the Apostleâ—â— say I seeke not yours but you how much more should the loue of God compell vs to say vnto him It is not thy gifts O Lord but thy selfe I long for thou art the portion of my soule if thou wouldest giue me all the workes of thine hands yet shall I neuer haue comfort nor contentment except thou dost giue me thy selfe Therefore O thou whom my Cant. 1. 6. Soule loueth shew me where thou feedest where thou lyest at noone and dost rest for why should I be as shee that turneth aside to the flockes of thy companions Blessed is hee that hungers and thirsts for thy righteousnesse for hee shall behold thy face and be filled with thine image for in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore The second tryall of our loue is Obedience and an holy 2 The effect of true loue is obedience and a care to please the Lord. Iohn 21. 15. care in all our callings to serue and honour the Lord. Preachers must be tryed by this rule Peter louest thou mâ— seede my flocke Gouernours and Counsellers must be tryed by this Can yee say in truth with the Godly Gouernour Dauid I loue the Lord then will yee also say with him what shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits how shall I shew my loue toward him and vvhat shall I doe in my time for aduancement of his glory If thou dost loue the Lord then wilt thou be a nourishing Father to his Church a carefull aduancer of his kingdome a wise prouisor to remoue those stumbling blocks which hinder the course of the Gospell If yee loue the Lord then vvill yee stand vp vvith Dauid and say Doâ— not I hate them O Lord that hate thee doe not Psal 139. 21. I earnestly contend with them that rise vp against thee surely I hate them with vnfained hatred aâ— if they were mine vtter enemies If ye honour the Lord as Dauid did the Lord shall blesse What great blessing belongeth to them who in their calling seeke to honour God you as he blessed Dauid Dauid sware vnto the Lord that hee would not rest till hee found out a place for the Lord euen an habitation for the mighty God of Iacob And the Lord sweares againe vnto Dauid that of the fruit of his body he vvould set vp one to raigne after him But if otherwise there be nothing in you but a care to stablish your selues and your houses vvith the neglect of the glory of God then remember that the curse of Shebna and not the blessing of Eliakim shall be vpon you Yee shall not be fastned Esay 22. 23. as a nayle in sure place but shall be rolled and turned away like a ball the Lord shall driue thee from thy station and out of thy dwelling place shall he destroy thee For the wicked shall not haue his desire his thoughts shall not be performed neyther Psa 140. 11. Psal 52. 5. shall hee be established on the earth but euill shall hunt him to destruction The Lord shall take thee and plucke thee out of thy Tabernacle and roote thee out of the Land of the liuing And generally all of you in your callings remember that But this age in word calleth Christ their King but casts off his yoke Iohn 15. 10. the value of your Christian loue must be tryed by the same touchstone not by your words but by your workes If any loue mee saith Iesus let him keepe my commaundements but here also the hypocrisie of this age is discouered as the Iewes called Iesus their King and bowed their knees before him but spat in his face and buffetted him so the bastard Christians of this age call Christ their Lord and bowe their knees before him yet by their sinfull life they crucifie him and tread his bloud of the couenant vnder their feete they kisse and betray him vvith Iudas it is but a Scepter of reed they allow him for they giue him no commaundement ouer their affections vvherefore great is the controuersie vvhich the Lord hath this day vvith the men of this generation The third tryall of loue is Bountifulnesse the Apostle 3 The propertie of loue is bountifulnesse 1 Cor. 13. 4. saith Loue is bountifull experience proues that euery louer bestoweth bountifully on that vvhich hee loueth yee loue your bodies and therefore largely bestow vpon them to feede them and cloath them yea vvith excessiue apparrell yee loue your Children and lets them vvant no needfull thing for them yea yee loue your beasts and spares not to bestow largely vpon them onely you say you loue the Lord but wherein are yee bountifull toward him It is true that in nothing can a man be profitable to the Almightie but are there not workes commaunded vs which should so shine before men that by them our heauenly Father may be glorified though workes can be no merits yet are they your witnesses and what haue yee done to remaine when yee are dead as vvitnesses of your loue toward the Lord Though your goodnesse extend not to the Lord yet where is your delight that should be on his Saints and excellent ones vpon earth where is your compassion and loue toward the brethren are not the men of this age like vnto that fig-tree which had faire leaues but not so much as one figge to giue vnto Iesus in his hunger hauing the shew of godlinesse but haue denied the power thereof yeelding words enough but no fruits to adorne the glorious Gospell of our Lord Iesus Of these and many moe if wee might insist in them it is manifest that all haue not the loue of God in their hearts who this day pretend it The last tryall of Loue which now wee bring is readinesse 4 The last is readines to suffer for his cause to suffer affliction for the cause of God The Apostles being beaten for preaching in the name of Iesus instead of mourning departed reioyeing that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christs sake and all because they loued him For the loue of Rahel seauen yeares of hard seruitude seemed vnto Iacob but a short space For the loue of Dinah Sichem willingly sustayned the circumcision and cutting of his flesh much more to him in vvhose heart abounds the loue of the Lord will bitter things become sweet and hard things easie This Loue hath made the holy Martyres step out of their owne element into the fire with greater ioy and willingnesse then worldlings haue when
saith many are called and few are chosen but he speakes of the inward calling which is the first intimation and declaration of our election For the decree of our election is alwaies hid and secret vnto vs till the Lord by calling reueale it and make it knowne vnto vs that we are of the number of those whom hee hath appointed to life As in his secret counsell hee made a distinction of the elect and reprobate so by his calling hee beginnes the execution of this decree seperating the one from the other in this life in manners and conditions who are to be seperated in the life to come for euer in estate and place He that will take a right view of all mankinde shall finde All mankinde are considered standing in three circles they onely are blessed who are within the third them standing as it were in three circles they onely being happy who are within the third In the outmost circle are all those on whom the Lord hath not vouchsafed so much as an outward calling by his Gospell and here standeth the greatest part of the world In the middle circle vvhich is much narrower stand they vvho are partakers of an outward calling by the Word and Sacraments In the third circle which yet is of smaller compasse than the other two stand they vvho are inwardly and effectually called these are Christs little flocke the communion of Saints the few chosen the Lords third part so to speake vvith Zacharie Zach. 13. 9. the other two parts shall be cut off and dye but the third will the Lord fine as siluer and gold the Lord will say of them this is my people and they shall say the Lord is our God It is a great step indeed that wee are brought from the first circle into the second but it is not sufficient to saluation yea rather they who stand in the second circle hearing the voyce of God calling them to repentance and yet harden their hearts and vvill not follow him may looke for a more fearefull condemnation then they vvho are in the outmost rancke of all Double stripes are for him who knoweth his Maisters will and doth it not Sodome and Gomorrha shall be in an easier estate than they Content not therefore your selues that yee are brought within the compasse of the visible Church that yee haue beene baptised in the name of Iesus and haue communicated at his holy Table Not euery one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into Math. 7. 21. his kingdome except yee finde also his inward and effectuall calling that the arme of his grace hath drawne you within the compasse of the third circle and hath set you downe among those whom he hath chosen to be his owne peculiar people And againe that the calling of God is according to his purpose yeelds vnto vs this comfort that seeing his calling is extended toward vs we may be sure that from euerlasting hee hath had toward vs a purpose of loue Certainely Where euer the Gospel is preached to call men there God hath toward some a purpose of loue hee had not sent his Gospell among vs were it not that he hath here a number belonging to the election of his grace hee hath lighted a candle among vs and set it in an eminent candlesticke to assure vs that hee is seeking here some peeces of money which were lost and hee will not rest till hee finde them When the Apostle Paul should haue gone by Bythinia the Lord commaunded him to goe to Macedonia what the purpose of God was the euent declared namely that it was to conuert Lidia and the Iaylour Who Acts 16. may not see here Gods meruailous mercie towards his owne that for the conuersion of a few will haue his Gospell to be preached to a whole kingdome which doth yet more clearely appeare in that when hee commaunded his Apostle Paul to tarry at Corinthus hee gaue this reason because saith hee I haue much people here shewing vnto Acts 18. 10. vs that the greater haruest hee hath the longer doth he continue his Labourers among a people This is the very worke of God which hee is working in the middest of you and for which hee continueth among you the preaching of his glorious Gospell it is because toward many of you hee hath a purpose of loue some hath he called already whom he will haue confirmed others yet inwardly called hee will conuert by the Gospell before he remoue it Let euery man looke to himselfe vvhether he haue part in that grace which comes by the Gospell or no for woe will be to him that shall be found in darknes after that the light hath shined vnto him Good vvere it yet for vs all if vve could more deepely If this were considered it would worke a greater â—â—uerence of the Gospell consider this that the Gospell of the Lord Iesus is come among vs not by accident nor by the meanes of men but by the purpose of God that in these dayes vve heare that voyce which many of our Fathers heard not that in some places of the vvorld this Gospell is preached and not in others that it is continued vvith vs notwithstanding the manifold machinations of the Children of darknesse to subuert it yea that by such and such persons the Gospell hath beene preached vnto vs if we did consider that all these fall out according to Gods determinate purpose it would waken in vs a more reuerent hearing of the word of Grace and a greater care to take heed to the smallest occasion of grace when it is offered but all the contempt thereof which now is among men floweth from this that they doe not looke vnto the hand of God sending out such a message to them by such persons at such a time in such a place as hee in his eternall purpose hath concluded with himselfe But as Samuell before he knew the Lord thought the voyce of God to be but the voyce of Elâ— and therefore went againe to his rest so the great multitude of them who heare it not as the word of God but as the word of men esteeming that it commeth by the meanes of men and not according to the determinate purpose of God it is no meruaile if still they returne to their olde sinnes and remaine disobedient to the heauenly vocation And further out of the ground laid already that the calling A fearefull token of Gods departure wheÌ„ hee ceaseth to call a people any more of God is according to his purpose we are taught that the least intermission of Gods calling should be vnto vs a great matter of humiliation seeing the Lord calleth men to be Preachers and hath them in his hand as starres holding them out sometime to one part of the world and sometime to another that hee may communicate light to them who are sitting in darknesse the remouing of them from a people is a feareâ—ull token of the Lords departure and
translating of his kingdome The Husbandman calles not his Labourers For no Husbandman will want labourers in his field as long as the haruest is not ended out of the field in the middest of the day vnlesse the haruest be done and if the Lord remoue his Seruants from a people it is because his purpose is finished for the ground is sure that his calling is according to his purpose but the Lord forbid that the tearme of the ending of this calling should euer come in our dayes And to the end that vvee haste it not vpon our selues wee are to know that as the Gospell comes not to a Land by mans procurement so no power of man is able to remoue As the Gospell comes not by mans procurement so no power of man can remoue it it The Lord who set the Sunne in the Firmament and gouernes it in such sort that it giues light to one part of the world when another is in darknesse and no malice of the euill doer is able to obscure it howeuer he hates it hath also set his Gospell in the firmament of his Church to giue light to Goshen while as Egypt is in darknesse and all the courses of politikes though they were filled with Achitophâ—ls wisedome are not able to stay it onely our owne vnthankfulnesse and abuse of the time of Grace is to be feared if therefore we loue the light let vs cast away the workes of darknesse and walke in the light while as yet we haue it let vs vvelcome those messengers of peace that come to vs in the name of the Lord endeauouring by all holy meanes to transferre this Kingdome of God to our Children after vs that they also may see the beautie of the Lord which we haue seene to their euerlasting saluation Verse 29. For those whom hee know before hee also predestinated to be made like vnto the image of his Sâ—nnâ— that he might be the first borne among many brethren THe vvhole Booke of God is full of heauenly What a treasure of comfort is to be digged out of this Verse consolation euery parcell thereof hath in it the words of eternall life but this place of Scripture vvherein now wee are trauailing may be called aboue the rest a treasure of comfort for here the Apostle leadeth vp the Christian to the register of God and lets him see his owne name written in the booke of life his saluation established in Gods immutable decree exhibited now by Gods effectuall calling to be performed and perfected to him by his endlesse glorification So that in all the booke of God there is not so cleare and certaine a sight of saluation giuen to the Christian as in this place It Not so cleare a sight of saluation in all the booke of God comforted Stephen when he was in the vally of death that he saw the heauens opened and the Lord Iesus standing at the right hand of his Father and it should no lesse comfort vs in all our tribulations that the Apostle here lets vs see the third heauens opened vnto vs to make knowne vnto vs the will of God concerning our saluation This comfort the Apostle brake vp shortly as we heard The linckes of the Chaine of saluation Election Calling Iustification Glorification are knit inseperably in the end of the last verse and now more largely explanes it in these two verses in the which he sets downe in order the causes of our saluation and lets vs see how our present effectuall calling is so inseperably knit with our election and glorification by the hand of God that no power in earth nor in hell is able to sunder them whereof the certainty of his former comfort appeares cleerely that of necessitie all things must work together for the best vnto them that loue God euen to them that are called according to his purpose Which shall yet be more manifested if wee consider how that this golden Chaine of our saluation reaches so to speak it from eternitie to eternitie the beginning of it albeit without beginning is our Election the end of it albeit without end is our Glorification And these two ends of the chaine the Lord keepes them sure and secret in his owne hand but the two middle linkes thereof to wit our Calling and Iustification the Lord lets them downe from heauen to the earth that wee for our comfort might gripe and apprehend them and being sure of the two middle linckes wee might also be sure of the two ends because the Lord hath knit them inseperably together Thou then vvho wouldst be comforted vvith the assurance He that hath a sure hold of the middle linckes Calling and Iustification is sure of the other two Election and Glorification of thy saluation make it first knowne to thy owne conscience by breaking off the former course of thy sinnes and by well doing for the time to come that God hath called thee and iustified thee Gripe sure as it were with the one hand the lincke of Calling and vvith the other the linck of Iustification fasten both thy hands vpon the middle linckes of this Chaine that by them thou mayst be pulled out of this dungeon and raised vp to heauen to see that thou art one of them who was elected before time and after time shal be glorified To make this yet more plaine we are Our present life is a point of time betweene two eternities to know that this mortall life of ours is a short interiected point of time betweene two eternities so to call it in the which some in feare and trembling working out their saluation passes from Gods eternall election to endlesse glorification others againe in wantonnesse and carelesse securitie drinke in iniquitie with greedinesse and so steps from the decree of reprobation that most iustly they procure their owne condemnation So that euery man hath to consider of his euerlasting weale or woe by his present disposition in this life Oh that vvee had sanctified memories alwayes to remember If in this life we fall we may rise againe but if in death wee step downeward we shall neuer mend it Eccles 11. 3. this so long as wee are here if of vveakenesse we fall vvee may rise againe and if in one day wee haue not learned well to repent vvee haue leaue of the Lords patience to learne it better another day but hee vvho in the day of his transmigration steps the wrong step vvill neuer get leaue to amend it where the tree fals it shall lye there the wicked who dye in their sinnes step downward to the deepe pit and gulfe out of the vvhich there is no redemption Let vs therefore be vvell aduised before wee leape let vs fasten the one foote vpon the border of that Canaan before we goe out of the body let vs make sure that wee shall be receiued into those euerlasting habitations This shall be done if we make our vvhole life a proceeding from election to
which runneth into it so he that vvould proceed from Election to Glorification let him follow this Calling vvhich is so to call it a riuer flowing out of the brasen mountaines of Gods eternall Election running perpetually vpward till it enter into the heauen of heauens vvhich doe altogether ouerflow vvith that great and vnbounded Ocean of diuine Glory but vvee are still to remember that vvee speake now of the inward Calling for the lincke◠of this Chaine are so comely framed by that most skilfull Artificer that they are all of a like compasse none of them larger nor narrower than another so that this Calling doth extend to no more nor fewer than those vvhom God hath chosen This inward calling is the donation of Faith by the What the inward calling is preaching of the Gospell or communication of the sauing grace of Iesus by vvhich vvee are moued to answere the Lord and follow the heauenly vocation for as the Lord by the preaching of the Gospell offers vnto all that are in the Church visible righteousnesse and life by Christ if they vvill repent and beleeue vvherein consists the outward Calling so by his holy Spirit hee giueth to his Elect children iustifying Faith by vvhich he openeth their hearts as hee did the heart of Lidia to receiue the grace offered by the Gospell and herein consists the inward Calling The vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhereby the Apostle expresseth it In this Calling there is a taking of some leauing of others signifieth to euocate and choose out some from among others this shall make the greatnesse of Gods mercy toward vs appeare the more clearely if wee doe consider that vve and the reprobate were alike by nature borne blinderebels and transgressors from the wombe and did vvalke on vvith them in the same course of disobedience vvhich leadeth to damnation but it pleased God to call vs out of their fellowship and enter vs in a better course that vve might be saued A notable example whereof vve haue in the calling of Lot out of Sodome the Lord hauing concluded to consume Sodome with fire for her abhominable filthinesse he first of all sent two Angels to call Lot out of it but Lot not knowing the danger lingred and delayed to follow their calling till at the length they put hands vnto him and forced him to goe out but when he was set vpon the mountaine and knew the fearefull destruction of Sodome then no doubt he acknowledged the wonderfull mercy which God had shewed vpon him it is euen so with vs we are here soiourning in a Sodome God hath taken vs out from amōg the children of wrath as he tooke Lot out of Sodome vvhich God will destroy and wee haue our conuersation among those vvhose portion shall be in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone from which the Lord being purposed to saue vs hath sent his Angels to vs not two but manie Ministers of the Gospell of Grace exhorting vs to flye from the wrath which is to come but alas because we know not the danger we flye slowly and delay to follow the heauenly vocation but in that day wherein we shall be set vpon the mountaine of Gods saluation and shall stand at the right hand of Iesus and heare that fearefull condemnation of the wicked Depart from me c. when we shal see the earth open and swallow them then shall we reioyce and prayse the mercie of our God O happy time vvherein the Lord sent his messengers among vs to call vs from the fellowship of the damned There is no difference by nature betweene the Elect and No difference by nature betweene elect men reprobate till our calling make it reprobate neyther in inward nor outward disposition till God make it by grace Paul as bloudy a persecuter as euer vvas Domitian or Iulian. Zacheus as vnconscionable and couetous a Worldling as was that rich Glutton damned to hell The elect and reprobate men before Grace make a difference are like two men vvalking in one iourney vvith one minde and one heart like Eliah and Elisha walking and talking together when a chariot of fire did incontinent seperate them and Eliah is taken vp into heauen Elisha left vpon the earth not vnlike is it when the vnlooked for calling of God commeth and seperateth those two who before were walking together yea running in the same excesse of ryot the one changing the course of his life returneth back again to the Lord from whom he had fallen whereas the other not touched with the same Calling meruailes that his former companion hath forsaken him and walketh stil on stubbornly in the former course of his sinnes to his condemnation Apply this vnto your selues and see whether this effectuall Calling hath seperated you in your conuersation from the wicked or not an euident argument that ye shall be seperated from them in their condemnation Blessed is he that Psal 1. walketh not in the counsell of the wicked nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornefull And if wee finde after tryall that the Lord hath called The time of our calling is to vs as the deliuerance from Egipt or the yeare of Iubily to Israel vs then should vvee alway shew forth his prayses vvho hath translated vs from darknesse into his meruailous light The Lord shewed a great mercie to Israell vvhen hee deliuered them out of the house of bondage he set the remembrance of that benefit in the forefront of his law as a bond euer oblieging them vnto thankfulnesse but their bondage was not so horrible as ours Pharaoh oppressed their bodies and compelled them to worke in bricke and clay yet their spirits were free to sigh and crie to GOD for the bondage but here so long as wee were the slaues of Sathan hee compelled vs to vvorke the abhominable vvorkes of darknesse and vncleannesse and therewithall did so captiue our spirits that wee could not so much as cry and sigh vnto God for the bondage and therefore our deliuerance should neuer goe out of our remembrance and our hearts and mouthes should euer be filled with the prayses of our Redeemer when we think of this yeare of Iubilie wherin he hath opened the doore of the prison and set vs at libertie as the freemen of God who were the captiued and bond-slaues of Sathan The Author of this calling is the Lord euen hee who Calling being a new creation is onely wrought by God calles things which are not and makes them to be Calling is a new creation and the first resurrection The Lord that commanded light to shine out of darknesse is he who hath giuen to our mindes the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Iesus Christ It is he who creates in vs a new heart and puts in our bowels a new spirit that we may walke in his statutes As man when hee was not could not helpe to create himselfe
is desined by Augustine is competent to none but Christ Aug. con Epis Par. l. 2. c. 8. Three manner of wayes are things known 1. by sense 2. by report of creatures 3. by reuelation from God intercession that it can be competent to none but to Iesus Christ It is commanded saith he that euery Christian pray to God for another Pro quo autem nullus interpellat sed ipse pro omnibus hic vnus vâ—rusque mediator est but he who requests for all and for whom none requests is the onely one true Mediator And where againe they alledge that the Saints of God in heauen are not ignorant of things done vpon earth we are to know that things are knowne three manner of vvayes first by hearing and seeing Secondly by reflex as by looking in a glasse those things are made knowne to vs which are behind our backes and thirdly by report This second and third way say they there is no doubt but Saints that are in heauen know those things which are done vpon earth but both of these are false for if they say they know our estate by report of Angels or such as are departed this life how can that be seeing wee know that when Hanna prayed in the presence of Eli yet he knew not her trouble yea those Mone of these waies do saints departed know our miseries who liue in one familie are not priuy to the tentations of others that which they knew not in their life how shalt thou make them to know it when they are dead If againe they say that they haue it by reuelation from God then I pray you consider how the one errour of Papistrie dashes against another for sometime in the same controuersie they say that as in earthly courts wee must first communicate our petitions to those who must be our mediators to the King now if it be so that they haue no intelligence of our estate but such as they receiue from God vvherefore shal we pray to them to commend our cause vnto God who knowes it better than they and pitties it more than they as Augustine prettily obserues out of that Parable proponed by our Sauiour wherein hee who knocked at midnight to seeke bread from his neighbour found the vvhole family a sleepe onely the Master of the house answered opened and gaue him that which he craued Nullus Aug. detemp serm de ianâ—torâ—b â—s respondit quia omnes tenuerat somnus non Angâ—li non Archangeli non Prâ—phetâ— non Ministri None of the Poâ—ters answered because they were all asleepe neyther Angels nor Archangels nor Prophets nor Seruants made any answere but O Lord albeit so it be answere thou me for at thee I knocke thou art the doore licet puer 〈…〉 Psal 121. dormiâ—nt tu non dormis qui custodis Israel albeit thy children sleepe yet thou that keepes Israel sleepes not But leauing them let vs pray to the Lord in vvhom wee â—n exhortation to content vs with Christs mediâ—tâ—on Ioâ— 2. 1. 1 Tim. 2. 5. Zach. 4. 10. beleeue let vs vse the mediation of Christ whom S. Iohn recommends to vs an aduocate with the Father whom S. Paul calles in this place our intercessor and in that to Timothie our onely one Mediator For knowledge his eyes are like flaming fire and his seauen eyes goe through the earth for compassion hee came into the earth to seeke vs when vvee knew him not and hee gaue his life for vs that wee might liue he speaks perpetually to his Father for vs by the merit of his death and cryes to vs by himselfe in his word Mat. 11. 28. Come to me all you that are weary and laden and I will refresh you Let the Papist say what he wil to any other than Christ or any other before Christ will I neuer goe so long as hee cryes Come vnto me Verse 35. Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword WEe haue heard the Apostles particular triumph His particular triumph against the crosse no crosse can cut vs oft from the loue of God against sinne now followes his particular triumph against the crosse he glories not in this that Christians are without a Crosse yea rather he shewes it is the lot of Gods children to be exercised with all sorts of crosses but herein hee reioyces that no crosse can seperate vs from the loue of God In this quarrell the Apostle prouokes all enemies whatsoeuer corporall or spirituall present or to come and against them all he takes vp the triumph in his owne name and in the name of all the children of God Neuerthelesse in all these things we are more Verse 37. then conquerors through him that louâ—â— vs. Our loue to God cannot fully nor finally be put out by any trouble nor yet the sense of his loue to vs. By the loue of Christ we are to vnderstand here that loue wherwith God in Christ hath loued vs for so hee expounds it himselfe through him that loued vs. It is true also that the sense of our loue to God once shed abroad in our hearts by the holy ghost can neuer fully nor finally be taken from vs I say fully and finally because of those inward tentations wherewith Gods children are so exercised that the sense of that loue in them is greatly diminished but in all those spiritual desertions and oppressions Faith ouercomes at length and â—ets vs see the face of God our mercifull Father shining 2 Cor. 4. 9. toward vs in Christ we may be cast downe but wee cannot perish if Peter be ready to sincke Iesus Christ shall succour But here the Apostle vnderstands the loue of God to vs which can neuer be altred him But as I said by the Loue of God I vnderstand that loue which hee hath borne toward vs from this most constant loue it comes to passe that wee vvhe are weake and silly creatures cannot be ouercome notwithstanding the multitude of mighty enemies that are against vs. If our saluation were in our owne custodie and wee stoode by our owne strength the smallest tentation would ouercome vs our feet are ready to slide and then our feeble hands le ts go that hold of mercy which once we had gotten but howsoeuer we loose our hold the Lord holds it fast for vs wee may change but hee remaines the same because the Lord hath loued vs and whom he once loueth he loueth to the end Iohn 13. 1. therefore it is that it cannot be but well with vs hee loued vs before we were yea before the world was made If we search the beginning of Gods loue towards vs wee may runne vp in our thought to the beginning of the world but Psal 90. 2. cannot attaine to the beginning of this Loue before the mountaines were made and thou haâ—st formed the world euen from euerlasting to euerlasting thou
ciuit dei li. 13. c. 8. A godly man not troubled in his owne person is partaker of Christs afflictions by sympathie Sauiour doth teach vs when hee sayes they are able to kill the body and doe no more Qui pro Christo moriuntur aliquid mortis accipiunt ne tota contingat they may cast downe this earthly tabernacle but cannot hurt the man of God But here it is enquired seeing these godly ones vvere aliue when they sent vp this complaint vnto God how is it said they were slaine To this I answere that two manner of wayes are the godly partakers of Christs afflictions euen when they are not troubled in their owne persons first by sympathie with others that are troubled for as the head of the misticall body accounts himselfe persecuted vvhen his members are persecuted so among the liuely members therof the griefe and trouble of one is the griefe and trouble of the rest If we mourne with them that mourns remember Rom. 12. 15. Heb. 13. 3. them who are in bonds as if wee were in bonds with them we are partakers of their sufferings but now the want of this compassion in many who resting in their yuorie beds sorrowes not for Iosephs affliction proues them to be but dead Amos 6. 6. and rotten members Secondly wee communicate vvith the affliction of our All true Christians are Martyrs in affection brethren when in our affection we are ready to suffer with them if so it would please the Lord to employ vs as they are Martyres in action so will the Lord accept the others as Martyres in affection Deus enim non estimat quenquam ex Cyprian de dup Martir How their readie will is accepted as a deed is declared in the example of Aquila and Priscilla euentu rerum sed ex affectu for God esteemes not one by the euent of things but by their affection Non fraudabitur Martyrij gloria per quem non stâ—tit quo minus Martyrium peregerit hee shall not be defrauded of the glory of martyrdome in whose default it was not that he accomplished his Martyrdome therfore Aquila Priscilla are commended that for the Apostles life they had laid downe their owne Rom. 16. 4. neckes their good-will being reckoned vnto them for a deede But as Iacob hazarded some of his family in the hands of Esau before others so the Lord sends out some of his seruants to trouble before others For the Lord is not so prodigall of the liues of his children that at one time he will hauock them all in the hands of the wicked though he send some out to the tryall he will reserue others to be as it were the seed of the Gospell All the day long If wee apply this testimonie to the Persecuters in this last age are most miserable whole Church then this day shal be the whole course of time from the beginning to the end thereof Early in the morning Cain began to persecute his brother and euer since bloudy persecuters in all ages haue followed his way but among them all the persecuters of this last age which is the euening are most miserable for all the blood shed since the dayes of Abell shall light vpon them As in a good course his praise is greatest who is formost so in an euill course his iudgement shall be the greatest who comes hindmost because he subscribes to the wickednesse of all those who haue gone before him But if otherwise we apply this testimonie to euery Christian The whole time of our life is but a day of suffering then this day must be called the vvhole time of our life from our birth to our death warning vs that in no age of our life we should promise to our selues immunitie from affliction yet our comfort is that the time of our trouble Reu. 3. 10. Or an houre of tentation is here called a day and in the Reuelation the houre of tentation because it is but short That rebuke which our Sauiour gaue his Disciples when they were sleeping in the garden could you not watch with me one houre may serue as a Mat. 26. 40. checke vnto vs when wee faint in tentation could yee not suffer with me one houre Againe seeing our trouble is short let vs not in it limit the holy one of Israell to prescribe to the Lord the time of our deliuerance O how may wee be With what patience wee should endure in suffering referring the time of our deliuerance to the Lord. ashamed of our impatience in trouble when wee looke to Noah who entring into the Arke at the Lords commandement after he had tarried a whole yeare in it yet sought not to come out till the Lord commanded him And Ioseph the nourishing Father of our Lord Iesus when the Angel commanded him to goe to Aegipt and said further to him tarie Mat. 2. 13. there till I tell thee though Ioseph knew not when he should come out of Aegipt the place of banishment yet referring the time to the Lord he yeelded himselfe obedient to the holy commandement The Lord worke in vs the like obedience of Faith And are counted This is added by way of amplification Worldlings esteeme Christians but vile persons and what comfort wee haue against their contempt Mat. 26. 15. 1 Cor. 4. 13. we are not onely slaine but slaine as if we were slaues nothing worth Wicked men account the godly little worth and therefore doe handle them in a vile manner but shall we for that be discouraged No the Prince of our saluation was esteemed among men no more worth then thirtie peeces of siluer and that for our sake shall we then thinke euill for his sake to be counted lesse than the doung or clay whereupon we tread The Lord giue vs true humilitie that we may be content to be despised of men that we may be approued of our God hee onely hath the ballance in his hands what â—uer waight worldlings haue in the eyes of men when the Lord begins to weigh them as he did Beltasar no honour no riches no kingdome shall help them to hold outwaight As sheepe for the slaughter Wicked men accounts the In what respects wicked men account the godly as sheepe godly slaughter-sheepe because they thinke nothing is lost vvhen they are taken out of the way yea also they reape a benefit thereby a proofe whereof we may see in the primitiue Church for when Famine Pestilence and such like calaâ—ities were inflicted by GOD vpon the Empire for the contempt of his Gospell the cause thereof was still imputed by men to the Christians and therfore they were persecuted to death vvith no lesse opinion than that the putting them out of the vvay vvas to put the plagues of God from the whole Empire yet did they not this way remedy the wrath due to their sinnes but procured thereby eyther double stripes to themselues or then were handled in
how lamentable it is 125 Seruant of seruants is hee who is not Christs seruant 160. by what bands wee are bound to be Christs seruants 161. how wee are both swoâ—ne and hired and haue receiued wages in hand 162 Seruants should we be to Christ 169. how other Lords would haue vs seruants to them 168. it is a shame for man to seeke seruice from his inferior and refuse it to his superiour 161 Seeke God what comfort they haue who doe so 237 Sinne suffered to remaine in the godly and why 7. sinne is in the christian but he walkes not after it 43. any seruice he giues to sinne is by compulsion 43 Sin hath a two-fold power 1. to command 2. to condemne 49. A Law how ascribed to sinne 51. it seemes sweet but it is bitter 59. sinne and death are inseparable 57. how sinne is condemned by Christ 71. cursed are they who nourish it seeing Christ came to destroy it Sinne multiplyed how it should humble vs 98. 99. how it causes the Lord disauow his owne creature 120. a sinner impenitent murthers himselfe 128. if wee slay not sinne it will slâ—y vs. 171 Sinne is the forbidden tree 171. men seeke fruits on it which they shall not finde and findes on it that which they would not haue 172. how the fruit and the deceit of sin are to be distinguished 172. sinne vnder secrecie 308. is great folly 309 Sinnes multiplyed how they grow into a treasure 337. Sinne for giuen breeds great ioy 414. Sinne euil in the affection but good in the memory 420 Sions beauty and Sinaies terrour how they should moue vs. 408 Soule immortall 132. two-fold life of the soule 133. compared to Abrahams house 107. life of it flowes from Christ his righteousnesse 137. it is Gods Temple how it should be dayly swept and kept cleane 113. it should neuer want morning and euening sacrifices in it 13. the soule is first restored and then the bodie 143. See Temple Sonnes of God are not now reuealed 252. no man should iudge of them by their present estate 253 Sonnes of God how all of them are his heyres 213. and hath his Spirit 187 Sheepe how the godly are compared to sheepe both by God and by wicked men 446. 447. Spirit how hee is said to depart from the godly 109. his two-fold operations 117. his threefold notable operation in the godly 118. how he is Gods seale his witnesse and his earnest 119 Spirit his operations vniuersall 181. speciall of sundry sorts 182. how hee leades his children monendo monendo 182. 183. his threefold operation in the godly 188 Spirit is giuen and receiued by the word 190. how in his first operation hee is a Spirit of bondage to feare 189. wee haue in this life but the first fruits of the Spirit 268. why the Lord giues vs not the principall here 269. what comfort haue we through the earnest of the Spirit 270 Spirit why he appeared in the likenesse of a Doue and similitude of sire 294. how hee â—eares the burthen with vs 298. how hâ—e requests for vs. 301 Sufferings are no testimonies of Gods anger 223. all the godly are subiect to them 222. three things required to make our sufferings sufferings with Christ 224. the three persons of the blessed Trinitie suffer with the godly 224. all the sufferings of Christians are not for Christ 442 the causes of suffering 443. Euery suffering renders not glorie 231. time of our suffering is short 231. a necessarie obseruation in suffering 443. Simpathy in suffering with Christ See afflictions T Temperance 126 Temple of God should be more beautifull within then without 115. See soule Tentations to sinne are of the deceiuer 58. comfort in them 59. a good answere to Sathan in his tentations to sinne thou hast deceiued mee so oft why shall I beleeue thee any more 127. See Sathan Tentations by Sathan vnto sinne should chace vs to grace See Sathan Standing in tentations what comfort it renders 298 Thankefulnesse to God should be declared in a three-fold duety 69. 112. 267 Threatnings vsed by the Lord argues our rebellion 170 Tongue of the wicked is a sire furnace wherein the godly are tryed 416. tongues bended against the godly are accursed 305 W Walking from euill to good is the life of a Christian 44. What neede in this walking weâ— haue of a guide 184. how wee should follow our guide 185. how oâ—r way should be considered 45 Wicked men how they walke in a circular motion 44. How miserable they are 98. their rebellion exempts them not from subiection 97 Wicked men compared to open sepulchers 116. they dye miserably and why 138 139. With what Spirit are they led 186. 187. The wicked are left for tryall of the good 291. A wicked man is at his best when he is first borne 337. all workes for the worst vnto them 341. all creatures shall accuse them 421 Will accepted for a deede 444 Will contrarie to Gods will most miserable 100. all the strife betweene God and man is about this whose will should be done 99 Vbiquitaries improued 424 Vnion of a christian with Christ how strait it is 23. 24. Worldlings wrong estimation of a Christian 446. they loue immortalitie but seeke it the wrong way 142. No worldlings shall continue in the state wherin he stands now 456 Worldlings comfort is seene not so the Christians 285. his fectlesse obiection to the Christian 286. their rebuke 287. they are cursed with the Serpent 321. they speake of Gods word like Birds counter fetting mans voice 321. the paines they take on trifles should shame vs that take no paines vpon better things 340 World consists of two contrarie factions 401 Word should be applyed 103. by the word we receiue the Spirit 190. it is as milk to some as salt to others 170. rebukes thereof how not suffered 171 Workes wrought by God called our workes 177. our workes no supplyments of Christs merits 235. how workes of men regenerate doe not merit 393. workes both of the law morall and ceremoniall excluded from iustification 394 Worshippers of God in whatsoeuer part are all of one communion 438 Wrath to come will eate vp all present pleasure 235 FINIS
improued pray to none but to our Father whom shall wee follow as Schoole-maisters in prayer If wee vvill be instructed of Psal 50. 15. the Lord. Call vpon â—ee in the day of thy trouble and I shall deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee If wee vvill be taught by Iesus Christ after this manner saith hee shall yee pray Mat. 6. 9. Our Father which art in Heauen If yee would know how the Spirit teacheth vs to pray the Apostle here telleth you hee teacheth vs to cry Abba Father these three are one and deliuers vnto vs one truth what better Schoole-maisters to teach vs a true forme of acceptable Prayer vnto God can wee haue then these and therefore that doctrine which teacheth to pray to Angels or Saints departed must proceed from the spirit of errour for wee are here otherwise taught of God we cannot saith the Apostle call vpon him in whom we beleeue not As for the Angels wee beleeue that they are which the Saduces did not but we beleeue not in them and therefore will not pray vnto them In all the old testament we read no prayer made to Abraham albeit In all the scripture no prayer to Abraham Moses c. nor to Cherubin nor Seraphin hee was the father of the saithfull none to Isaac or Iacob or Moses or any other of the Fathers departed In a hundreth and fiftie Psalmes no prayer is made to Cherube or Seraphin though they in their Psalter of the Virgin haue turned ouer all the prayses and petitions made to the Lord into petitions to our Lady as if where Dauid saith O Lord Psal 6. 1. rebuke mee not in thine anger wee were all to say O Ladie rebuke me not in thine anger and O Lord thou art my righteousnesse Psal 4. 1. O Lady thou art my righteousnesse and so forth in the rest but wee may boldly say with Bernard libenter Bernard certè gloriosa virgo tali honore carebit the glorious Virgin is willingly content to want such honour The Angell would not suffer Iohn to prostrate before him doe it not saith hee I am but thy fellow seruant this one of those blessed spirits Reu. 19. 10. witnesses to vs in the name of all the rest that it is the will of the Saints of God in heauen that wee who are vpon earth should reserue to the Lord his owne worship and giue no part thereof to creatures yea they are offended when that honour is offered to them which is due to the Lord. Where if that common obiection be brought which Ambrose It is not in the court of heauen as in the courts of earthly kings Ambros in epist ad Rom. did obuiate in his time posse nos per istos ire ad Deum sicut comites peruenitur ad regem that men by such mediators may goe to God as they goe to Kings by those who are honorable in their courts to them we answere with him hoc est misera vâ—i excusatione this is to pretend a miserable excuse for men goe to kings by courtiers because the king is but a man ad Deum autem quem nihil latet promirendum suffragatore non opus est sed mente deuota but as for the Lord from whom nothing is hid there needs no such procutor to make him fauourable vnto vs onely there is required a deuout minde for in whatsoeuer place hee who is truely godly speakes vnto God the Lord shall answere him And lastly that the Apostle here ioyneth two words of Euery tongue and language is sanctified for prayer if we vnderstand it sundry languages Abba Father it is to teach vs that euery tongue is sanctified to the vse of Gods children and that it is lawfull for vs to pray in any language if so be wee vnderstand it but to binde people to pray in a language they vnderstand not or for him that should be the mouth of God in the exercise of diuine worship to speake to the people in a strange language which they vnderstand not is a sacrilegious tyranâ—ie That which God powred out as a curse on They are builders of Babell who speake to the people in a language they vnderstand not the first Babell that one of them vnderstood not what another said and the people knew not what the builderâ—â—raued in the second Babel is receiued as a blessing The Caldeans a fierce and cruell nation were sent against the Iewes speaking to them in a language which they vnderstood not to punish in them the contempt of the voice of God which they would not learne nor vnderstand and now the messengers of Antichrist a cruell and mercilesse people are come out speaking to the world in an vncouth language for punishment of them that receiued not the loue of the truth A faithfull seruant of the Lord had he neuer so many languages had rather speake in the Church fiue words with vnderstanding that others might be instructed than ten thousand otherwaies he is but an hireling and a false Apostle that purposely speakes to a people in a language they vnderstand not We giue thankes to God who hath deliuered vs from this most fearefull captiuitie and confusion of Babell Verse 16. The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God ALbeit this operation of the Spirit whereby he witnesses vnto vs that wee are the Children of God be set downe in the last place yet in order of working it goes before the other for certainely vnlesse his holy spirit testifie vnto vs that God is become our father and hath made vs his children we dare not go neere him to craue good things from him The beginning of our acquaintance with GOD flowes from him herein is loue not that wee loued him first but that bee loued 1 Ioh. 4. 10. Rom. 11. 35. vâ— Who hath first giuen vnto him and he shall be recompensed We must first receiue from God some secret information of his loue and fatherly affection or euer we be able to returne vnto him the desires the words and the deedes of his louing children Here first appeareth the fatherly indulgence of the Lord The great loue of our father which hee hath shewed by sending his spirit into our harts our God towards vs we are here in a vally of death in heauines through continuall afflictions the time is not yet come wherein the Lord will communicate to vs his glorious presence to fill vs with that fulnesse of ioy which is in his face the time is not yet come wherein wee must ascend to our Father yet to keepe vs in the meane time that wee faint not the Lord hath sent downe his holy Spirit into our harts to comfort vs. O fatherly care O wonderfull loue when Israel was yet in the wildernesse the Lord sent them some of the fruits of Canaan to comfort them by the hand of Ioshua and Caleb but what was that if it be compared
with the first fruits of heauenly Canaan which the Lord sends to vs by the conduit of his holy Spirit hee hath not onely promised to vs by word that he will possesse vs in our heauenly inheritance but as if that were too litle for vs he sends his Spirit with the fruit of that land vnto vs Righteousnesse Peace and Ioy for our further confirmation that Spirit the Comforter descended once according to Christs promise vpon the Apostles in a visible manner and doth dayly also descend in a secret and inuisible manner into the hearts of the godly least the Children of the marriage Chamber should be swallowed vp with heauinesse through the want of their Bridegroome Albeit the Lord send not to you who Dan. 9. 23. are men as he did to Daniel an Angell to shew him that hee was greatly beloued of the Lord nor to you who are Christian Luk. 1. 28. women as he did to Mary to declare to you that yee are freely beloued of the Lord yet hath he sent downe vnto vs a more glorious ambassadour not onely to speake vnto our eares but much more to witnes vnto our hearts that we are the sonnes of God Now as for this testimonie of the Spirit it is the secret The testimonie of the Spirit is known of none but those who haue it Reu. 2. 17. voyce of God whereby he speakes from heauen vnto thine heart assuring thee that hee is thine and thou art his no man can conceiue what it is vnlesse hee haue receiued it for it giueth that new name which none can know but they who haue it and that hid Manna which none doe vnderstand but they who tast of it it is not gotten but after long and vnfained humiliation and is not kept without sanctification for euery sinne which the godly commit diminisheth in them this testimonie of the spirit And this I would haue to be considered for two sorts of men first for carnall professors who take their owne A warning for carnall professors who take their presumption for this testimonie presumption for this testimonie of the Spirit in their conceit they put it out of all doubt that they haue receiued the Spirit of Adoption but their workes were testimonie against their words for the Spirit of Adoption is also the Spirit of sanctification hee first maketh men the new workmanship of God created in Iesus Christ to good workes and then witnesseth to them that they are the sonnes of GOD wilt thou make this holy spirit the witnesse of an vntruth will he call thee the Sonne of God whom hee neuer sanctified Be not deceiued so long as thy life is prophane boast vvhat thou wilt of this inward testimonie of the Spirit thou art but a lyar against the holy Ghost and a wilfull murtherer of thine owne soule by faithlesse presumption The other sort of men are the Children of God vvho A comfort for weake Christians who are moued by their wants to doubt of this testimonie because they finde not alwayes within themselues this testimonie of the Spirit in a like measure are therefore cast downe and made oftentimes to think they neuer had it for as none are more ready to boast of the spirit then they who haue him not so none complaines more that they vvant him then they who possesse him The children of God in this being like vnto rich worldlings who suppose they be possessours of much yet the great desire of more which is in them causeth them to esteeme that which they haue as nothing and therefore comforâ—s not themselues with the lawfull vse of that which they haue but vexes their spirits with restlesse thoughts for that which they want euen so it is customable with the Children of God albeit they haue attayned to a good measure of saith and loue of God and are euen become rich in the grace of the Lord Iesus yet are they so desirous of more that many a time they esteeme nothing of that which they haue but goe about mourning and complaining that they haue no faith no loue no grace no life in which extremitie we see that many in their weaknesse offend the Lord their God Herein therefore is the A necessary admonition so to mourne for that which we want that we giue thankes for that measure of grace which we haue Christian to be admonished that hee keepe mediocritie to lament thy wants and to thirst for more grace is a sure token of a spirituall life but lâ—t vs so complaine for that which wee want that wee be comforted in GOD for that beginning and little measure of grace which wee haue remember that the same mouth of GOD which commands thee to mourne commands thee also to reioyce we want not matter of both matter we haue of mourning for which 〈…〉 e may lament with the Apostle O wretâ—hed man that I Rom. 7. 24. am who shall deliuer â—e from the body of this death matter of ioy wee haue also in our GOD for which wee may reioyce with him and say I thanke God through Iesus Christ Ibid. ver 25. surely it cannot be without vnthankefulnes vnto GOD so to mourne for our wants that we giue not praise to God for the beginnings of grace we haue And for this same effect let vs yet further consider that This testimonie of the spirit is not alway perceiued in a like measure of them who haue it this testimonie of the Spirit is not at all times enioyed in a like measure for that were to enioy heauen vpon earth The Lord therefore doth in such sort dispense it that sometimes he lets his children feele it for their consolation and againe with-drawes it from them for their humiliation when they feele it they so abound in ioy that all the terrors and threatnings of Sathan all his promises and allurements are despised of them and trodden vnder their feete they sing within themselues that glorious triumph of the Apostle whâ— shall Rom. 8. 35. seperate vs from the loue of God but this ioy proceeding from the fulnesse of faith continues not the voyce of the Spirit of adoption waxing somwhat more silent feares and doubts succeedes in that same heart which before abounded with ioy and this for our humiliation But now in this estate least the Children of God be discouraged CoÌ„fort against spirituall desertions couraged by the silence of the testimonie let them first of all haue recourse to the fore-past working of God in them let them call to minde with Dauid the dayes of old remember their ioyfull songs by which they haue praised GOD their humble prayers by which many a time they haue gotten accesse to the throne of grace and these heauenly motions which haue replenished their soules with ioy and so of the former footesteps of his grace let them discerne his presence euen then when they cannot perceiue them And next let them consider that the godly in the time of