must needes goe without him selfe to wit vnto the Lord who doth giue himselfe vnto vs of his own accord freelie in his sonne in whom he offereth vs in steed of our miserie felicity and setteth open to vs the heauenlie treasures that all our faith may behold his welbeloued sonne that all our expectation may depend vpon him that all our hope may rest in him It remaineth that we seek in him and that by praier wee craue at his handes that which is wanting in our selues and which wee haue learned to be in him For as the Apostle witnesseth like as faith springeth from the Gospell Rom. 8.26 so by the same faith our hearts are framed to call vpon the name of God* 2 Therefore we obtaine that by the benefite of praier that wee pearce vnto those riches which are laid vp for vs with our heauenlie father Prayer is a conference with God For it is a certaine talking of men with God wherby they enter into the sanctuarie of heauen do face to face call to him touching his promises that they may try that that was not vaine when necessitie so requireth which they beleeued when he affirmed it only in word 3 Ob. Doth not God know what is expedient for vs without hee haue one to tell him The fruites of prayer and to put him in minde An. God hath ordained that not so much for his owne sake as for ours First that our heart may alwaies be inflamed with a feruent desire to seek loue and worship him whiles we accustome our selues to flie to him in all necessitie as to an holie anchor Secōdlie that there come no lust into out mind wherof we may be ashamed to make him a witnes when we powre out our whole heart in his sight Also that we may bee prepared to receiue his benefites with thanksgiuing Moreouer that hauing obtained that which we did aske wee may be more feruently caried to thinke vpon his goodnes Last of all that vse it selfe may confirme in our minds his prouidence power and goodnesse The lawes of prayer 4 Furthermore we must obserue foure rules if we will make our praier aright The first is that wee be no otherwise framed in mind then becōmeth those which enter into talk with God Which we shall obtaine if our mind being cleered from carnall cares doe not onlie wholie bend it selfe to prayer but also so much as may bee lift vppe it selfe aboue it selfe 5 Because nothing is more contrarie to the reuerence of God then that lightnesse a witnesse of too wanton licentiousnesse and without all feare Wherin we must labour so much the more earnestlie the harder we finde it to be To this end tendeth the lifting vp of our hands that men may remēber that they are farre from God vnlesse they lift vppe their senses on high The liftinge vp of the handes Also we must beware that we aske no more then God giueth vs leaue to aske in his word Obiect He promiseth that he will doe according to the will of the godlie* Psal 92. ◠An. His tender bearing with the godlie proceedeth not so farre that he giueth the bridle to their wicked affections and submitteth himselfe to their pleasure Therfore we must hold that of Iohn This is our confidence 1 Ioh. 5.14 that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. The affection of the hart toward God But as it is meet that we bend the sight of our minde to God so the affection of the heart must follow thither also Because both are carried another way it is needefull that God by his spirite doe succour releeue this weaknesse* Rom. 8.20 2 Cor. 14.16 6 Let this be another law that in asking wee doe alwaies trulie feele our pouertie and that thinking and feeling indeed that we need al things which we ask we may ioine the feruent affection of obtaining with praier it selfe 7 Obiect We are not alwaies vrged to pray with like necessitie 2 Lawe The feelinge of our Pouertie doth inflame Prayer Iam. 5.13 Perseuerance in prayer Repentance Ioh. 9.3 An. I graunt and this distinction is profitablie deliuered to vs by Iames* Is any man sad among you let him pray let him that is meerie sing Therfore common sense telleth vs what we ought to doe in this case We must pray continually because we are continually in need and necessitie And because God heareth not sinners* true prayer requireth repentance which is farre from all hypocrisie and deceit 8 Vnto these let vs adde the third also that hee abandon all thinking vpon his owne glorie 3 Lawe Let glorie and pryde be farre from prayer whosoeuer he be that presenteth himselfe before God to make his praier giuing all the glorie to God in the casting downe of himselfe least if wee take to our selues but a verie little we do through our own swelling fall away from his face Dan. 6.17 Wee haue examples of this submissiō in Daniel * Psa 143.2 Dauid * Ies 64.5 Iesaias Ieremie * Ier. 14.7 and others * Bar. 2.18 Note 9 Finally the beginning and also the preparation of true praier is crauing of pardon with an humble and free confession of our fault Neither shall euen the most holie man obtaine anie thing vntill hee be freelie recōciled neither can it be that God should be fauourable to any other but to those whom hee pardoneth* When Christ healed the man sicke of the palsie hee said Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee * Mat. 9.2 Psal 25. 10 Obiect Holie men doe sometimes seeme to cite and craue the helpe of their own righteousnes to intreat God* Psal 86.1 2 Kin. 20.4 An. By such formes of speeche they meane nothing els but that they testifie by their regeneration that they are the seruants and children of God to whom he promiseth to be mercifull* Ioh. 3.22 11 The fourth is that being thus cast down with true humilitie 4 Lawe Hope is necessarie in Prayer wee bee neuerthelesse incouraged to praier with sure hope to obtaine our petitions Obiect These things are contrarie to ioyne sure hope of fauour with the feeling of the iust vengeance of God Repentance faith are companions An. They agree very wel if the goodnes of God set vpon foot such as are oppressed with their own miserie So repentance and faith are companions whereof notwithstanding the one terrifieth vs and the other maketh vs glad so in praier those two must meete togeather Psal 5.8 So Dauid I will worship in the temple of thy holinesse with feare* Comādements required in Prayer Psal 33.22 56.10 12 Therefore we holde with assured confidence that God is fauourable and mercifull to vs otherwise there shall be no vse of praier For which cause the whole church prayeth* Let thy mercie bee vpon vs as we haue hoped in thee Cōmandement 13 Also when he biddeth vs
to the commandement of the Lord neither doe they want a promise which two things are alwaies chief in praier Ob. It cannot be but that they must retaine the same loue toward vs as they are ioyned with vs in one faith The Saintes neither heare nor see what we doe An. Yet who hath reuealed that they haue so long eares as to reach to our voices and that they haue eies so quick of sight which watch to see wherof we stand in need Ob. They behold looke downe from aboue vpō mens affaires in the brightnes of the countenance of God casting his beames vpon them as in a myrrour An. That can be confirmed by no testimonie of scripture 25 Obiect Iacob requesteth to haue his name the name of his fathers Abraham and Isaach to be called vpon ouer his posteritie The calling vpon a name ouer anye man Gen. 48.16 An. He praieth that he may send the succession of the couenant vnto his posteritie that they may be called the children of Abraham Isaach Iacob Ob. Isaias affirmeth that the name of the men is called vpon ouer the woman* Isa 4.1 An. When as they count thē for their husbands vnder whose faith and tuition they liue Obiect God is besought to haue mercie vpon the people for Dauids sake Psal 132.10 An. There is respect had rather of the couenant then of the man vnder a figure the onlie intercession of Christ is auouched 26 Obiect Wee reade often that the praiers of Saints were heard* Psal 22.5 An. Therefore let vs also pray as they did and we shall be heard as they were 27 Let this be the summe seeing that the scripture commendeth this vnto vs as a principall point in the worship of God that we call vppon him The conclusion our praiers cānot be directed vnto others without manifest sacriledge* Againe for as much as God will bee called vppon onelie in faith and doeth commaunde that our praiers bee formed according to the rule of his worde Finallie Psal 44.22 seeing that faith hauing her foundation in the worde is the mother of praier so soone as wee turne aside from the word our praiers must needes bee corrupt As touching the office of intercessiō it is proper to Christ 2 Kindes of prayer 28 And although praier be restrained vnto wishes and petitions yet there is so great aliance between petition thāksgiuing that they may fitlie be comprehended vnder one name 1 Petition In asking we craue as well those things which serue to set forth his glorie 2 Thankesgiuinge as those which are profitable and serue to our owne vse In giuing thankes we set foorth and extoll his benefits toward vs with due praise thanking his liberalitie for all those good things which come vnto vs. Why perseuerance in Prayer is necessarie Let both bee vsed in the Churche continuallie seeing necessitie vrgeth vs Sathan lieth in waite we are ouerwhelmed with sinnes and the hande of God is open to doe good Moreouer it is both commaunded also the vse of other good things without praise is hurtfull We must apoint houres for prayer 29 This continuance of praier though it principally concerne euerie mans priuate praiers yet it doth somewhat appertaine vnto the publike praiers of the Church also and it is expedient that we haue houres appointed for them We must flie vaine babling and also vaine glorie* 1 Cor. 14.40 Mat. 6.7 wee must seeke some secret place Yet we may pray in all places not neglect publik or priuate praiers but alwaies ioine both together And let vs especiallie note this that praier must proceede from the inwarde affection of the heart The vse of Churches 30 Now as the Lord in his word commaundeth the faithfull to make publike praiers so there must likewise be publike Churches assigned wherin they may haue the same for the Lord hath promised that he will doe whatsoeuer two or three gathered together in his name shal aske* Mat. 18.20 31 Againe it appeareth most euidentlie hereby that neither the voice nor singing are any thing worth Singinge The voce vnlesse they proceed from the deep affectiō of the heart Nay rather they prouoke his wrath against vs if they come only from the lips and throte forasmuch as that is to abuse his holie name eI 29.13 Mat. 12.8 and to mocke his maiestie* We commend the voice and singing as helps of praier inasmuch as they accompanie the pure affection of the mind 32 The rite of singing in churches The rite of singinge hath bin of longe continuance was not onlie most ancient but it was also vsed of the Apostles* And surely if singing be tempered after that grauity which becommeth the sight of God and Angels it doth both win fauour and dignitie to holie actions and also it is of great force to stirre vp our mindes vnto the true studie of praying 1 Cor 14.13 Coll 3.16 notwithstanding we must beware that our eares bee not more attentiue to marke the note then our mindes to the spirituall meaning of the words 33 Whereby it is euident likewise that publike praiers must be made not in a strange language To pray in a strange tounge but in a cōmō kind of speech for as much as they ought to be made for the edifiyng of all the whole church to the which there commeth no profite at all by a sound not vnderstood* 2 Cor. 14.16 The secrete muttering of Hanna 1 Sam. 1.13 doth shew that the tongue is not necessarie for priuate praiers* 34 Now we must learne a more certaine way forme of praier namely The Lordes prayer Mat 6.9 Luke 11.2 that which the father hath deliuered to vs by his beloued sonne* wher we may know his infinite goodnes For he hath prescribed a forme wherein hee hath set before vs as in a table whatsoeuer is lawfull for vs to aske of him whatsoeuer is profitable for vs and whatsoeuer wee haue need to aske 35 And this rule is set downe in sixe petitions The diuisiō in to 6 petitions the former three are peculiarlie appointed for the glorie of God without respect of our owne profite The other three haue care of vs and are properlie appointed for asking those thinges which are for our vse Now let vs take in hand the exposition of the prayer it selfe Our father which art in heauen Father 36 When wee call him father wee alledge the name of Christ the mediatour For with what boldnesse coulde any man call God father vnlesse wee were adopted in Christ to be the children of grace* Ioh. 1 12. 1 Ioh. 3.1 By this sweetnesse of the word he deliuereth vs frō al doubting seeing there is no where to be found a greater affection of loue then that of a father Hee wil neuer forget vs* Ies 49.15 Therfore we ought not to seek helpe anie where els but there
which is good much lesse applie it selfe thereto For such a motion is the beginning of turning to God The beginning of conuersion cometh of God Ier. 31.18 Note which is wholie attributed to the grace of God in the scripture notwithstanding the will remaineth which maketh hast vnto sinne with a most earnest affection This is well set downe by Bernard that it belongeth to man to will to corrupt nature to wyll that which is euill to grace to will that which is good We doe euill of necessity not being constrained Whereupon it followeth that men are drawen vnto euill by necessitie of will and yet they are not constrained to commit it 16 It appeareth more plainelie by the contrarie remedie of Gods grace howe great the corruption of our nature is An argument drawen from regeneration For seeing the Lord dothe of his pure grace giue vs what good thing soeuer is in vs it followeth that mans minde is in his owne nature deuoid of all goodnesse For that cause it is saide that he which hath begun in vs a good work will finish it vntill the day of Iesus Christ Ph. 4.6 2.13 * Obiect The Lord beginneth that which is good because the will being of it selfe weake is holpen An. The spirite saith otherwise I will giue you saith he a new heart I will put a newe spirite in the midst of you and I will take away the stonie heart out of your flesh I will giue you a fleshie heart I will put my spirite in the midst of you and I will make you walke in my commaundements Ezech. 35.26 * 7 Obiect Will being turned away from goodnesse by nature is couerted by the power of God alone but being prepared it hath an office and part in doing Ad. Bonifa ep 106 An. Augustine teacheth that grace goeth before euery good work but so that will doth accōpany it not leade it that it cometh after as a wayting man and not as a foregoer Therefore he attributeth no praise of good works to mans will Obiect Grace can do nothing without will neither can will do anie thing without grace An. As if the will it selfe did not worke by grace Note For the Lord preuenteth him that is vnwilling that he may be willing and followeth the willing that he may not will in vaine 8 Therefore there can no will be found which is enclined to good saue in the elect Election But the cause of election must be sought without men There is no will vnto goodnes saue onlie in the elect whereby it is proued that man hath not of him self a right will but that it floweth from the same good pleasure whereby we are elect before the creation of the world There is also another reason for seeing the beginning of willing and doing well commeth from faith faith is the gift of God Faith it followeth that it is of mere grace when we begin to will that wich is good being enclined and bent naturally to euill 9 Thence come the prayers of holy men let him encline our hart vnto him selfe saith Solomon that we may keepe his commandements* And Dauid beseecheth God to create a cleane heart in him* Rom. 8.58 Psal 51.12 Obiect Such prayer is a signe of a godly holy affection An. Though Dauid had alreadie repēted in part yet he compareth his former state with that sorowfull fall which he had tried Therefore taking vpon him the person of a man estraunged from God he doth for good causes desire to haue those thinges geuen him which God giueth to his elect in regeneration Therefore beeing like to a deade man hee desireth to be created a freshe Christ teacheth that manifestly by the similitude of a vine A similitude Ioh. 15.1 where he concludeth without me ye can do nothing Obiect The iuyce is now included in the branch and also force to bring forth frute and therefore it taketh not all from the earth or from the first root because it bringeth some thing of her owne An. But Christ meaneth nothing else but that we be drie wood and nothing worth when we be separate from him 10 Obiect God moueth the will but it is afterward in our choice either to obey or to resist the motion An. Yea he moueth it so effectually that it must needs follow Obiect Chrysostome saith whome he draweth he draweth him being willing Therefore God reacheth out his hand waiteth to see if it may please vs to be holpen by his helpe An. Such was the state of man whiles he stood but after his fall the doctrine of Christ is true* No man commeth to me Ioh. 6.45 vnlesse the Father drawe him Perseuerance is the gift of God 11 As touching perseuerance it is not to be doubted but that it ought to be counted the free gift of God Obiect It is giuen according to desert as euerie man hath shewed him selfe not vnthankefull to the first grace because it is in our hand to chuse or refuse grace when it is offered An. God heapeth vpon his seruaunts newe graces because when he liketh the work which he hath begun in them Gods liberalitie Phil. 2.13 he findeth in them somewhat wheron to bestowe greater graces whence that doeth come To him that hath shall be giuen* Also God worketh in vs both to will and to accomplish after his good pleasure Obiect God worketh we worke together Because after that we haue giuen place to the first grace our indeuors do worke together nowe with the grace following An. That is after we be once tamed How we worke together brought by the power of God to the obedience of righteousnesse we go on willingly and we are bent to follow the working of grace this is true Not that man taketh of him selfe somewhat whereby to labour with the grace of God 12 Obiect I haue laboured more then they all saith Paull not I but the grace of God with me Therefore he laboured together with the grace of God An. He ascribeth the whole praise of the labour to grace alone by that correction It is not I saith he which haue laboured but the grace of God which was present with me 13 Augustine saith * that the grace of persisting in goodnesse was giuen to Adam if he would Lib. de correp grati cap. 2. Note but it was not graunted to him to will that he might be able that it is graunted to vs both to will and also to be able It was the first libertie to be able not to sinne ours is greater not to be able to sinne 14 Obiect Will is not taken away by grace Whence the grace of perseuerance commeth Epist 105. but it is changed from euill to good and is holpen when it is good saith Augustine An. His meaning is onely this that man is not so drawen that he is caried as it were by outwarde force and violence without the motion of
pray for the dead An. But by what word of God by what reuelation by what example Quest Why durst they then do it An. They did therein suffer somewhat which is proper to man and therfore it is not to be imitated CHAP. VI. Of the life of a Christian man and first of all by what argumentes the Scripture doeth exhort vs therovnto The end of regeneration 1 VVE sayd that it is the ende of regeneration that in the life of the faithfull there appeare an agreement consent betweene the righteousnesse of God and their obedience and that by this meanes they confirme their adoption wherby they are receaued to be sonnes And although his Law containe in it that newnesse wherby the image of God is restored in vs yet because our slownesse hath neede as well of manie spurres as also helps it shall be good for vs to gather out of diuerse places of Scripture a way how to order and frame the life lest they erre in their studie who are delighted in repentance 2 Furthermore this institution of the Scripture standeth chieflie vpon two parts The first is The partes of a Christian life that the loue of righteousnesse wherto we are otherwise not enclined by nature be dripped into our minds The other is that there be a rule appointed vs that may not suffer vs to erre in the studie of righteousenesse Of the loue of righteousnes The Scripture hath many reasons to cōmand righteousnesse the first is that we be holy Leuit. 19.1 1 Pet. 1.1.10 Psal 34.34 15.2.24 both because God is holy and secondly because we are ioyned with him and are reckened among his people* 3 The other is that we be made like to Christ through whome we are returned into fauour with God Therefore we haue a patterne of him set before vs whose forme let vs expresse in our life Hervnto are added the benefits of God whereto if we be not answerable it shall be a point of extreme vnthankfulnesse God hath shewed him selfe a father toward vs The end of Gods benefits let vs on the other side shew our selues children to him Christ hath purified vs from filthinesse by his bloud let vs not pollute our selues afresh he hath ingrafted vs into his bodie let vs not sprinkle any spot or blot vpō vs our head is ascēded into heauen let vs desire with the whole affection of our heart to come thither laying away the affection of the earth We are the temples of the holie Ghost let vs not be profaned with filthinesse of sinne* Mal. 1.16 Eph. 5.1.26 1. Ioh. 3.3 Heb. 10.10 Who they be which are not to be called Christians These are the best foundations to order and frame the life well 4 Therfore they which haue nothing of Christ besides the bare title are not to be called Christians Because none haue anie fellowship with Christ saue those which haue gathered out of the word of the Gospell the true knowledge of him But the Apostle denieth that anie of those hath rightly learned Christ* Eph. 4.12 which is not taught that he must put on Christ hauing cast of the old man which is corrupt according to the desires of error 5 Neither is it required that the manners of a Christian man should breath out nothing but the absolute Gospell which notwithstanding is to be wished and toward which we must endeuour our selues Otherwise all men should be excluded from Christianitie seeing there is none Angelicall perfection yea we are all found as yet a great way of manie haue as yet gone smally forward The ende of mans life What thē that marke is set before our eyes whereat alone let our studie aime that we may go forward more and more vntill we come to the verie perfection that hauing at length put of the infirmitie of the flesh we may be receaued into the perfect fellowship of God CHAP. VII The summe of a Christian life where is handled the denying of our selues The dueties of the godlie Rom. 12.1 1 THe first office of the faithfull is to giue their bodies a liuely sacrifice to God holy and acceptable to him* Surelie it is a great matter for vs to be consecrate to God that we may neither think do anie thing afterwarde but onely to his glorie For that which is holie is applyed vnto profane vses not without doing iniurie to him But and if wee be not our owne but the Lordes it appeareth both what errour is to be auoyded The beginning of the denyall of our selues and to what ende all the actions of our life are to be directed namely that neither our reason nor our will beare the chiefe sway in our counsells O howe greatlie hath he profited who being taught that he is not his owne hath depriued him selfe of the rule and gouernment of him selfe to geue it to God 2 The other followeth that we seeke not the things which are our own What the denyall of our selues is but those which are both agreable to the will of God and which serue to further his glorie This is that deniall of our selues which Christ euen from their first beginning of instruction doth so diligently giue his charge to his Disciples which so soone as it hath once taken root in our mind it leaueth no place either for pride or couetousnesse or other vices which are ingendred of loue of our selues 3 The same Paul elswhere more plainly though brieflie setteth downe all the partes of a well ordered life* Tit. 1.11 The grace of God which bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that denying vngodlinesse and worldly lustes we liue soberly and godlilie and righteouslie in this present world wayting for the blessed hope manifestation of the glorie of the great God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ who hath geuen him selfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purge vs to be a peculiar people zealous of good workes 4 In these wordes we see that the deniall of our selues hath respect partly vnto men The partes of a Christian lyfe and partly that chieflie vnto God Towardes men the Scripture commaundeth vs to performe two thinges to wit that in honour we preferre them before our selues and that we employ our selues wholy and faithfully to procure their profit Wee can not do these vnlesse our minde be first emptied of naturall sense For such is the blindnesse wherewith we run headlong into the loue of our selues euerie man thinketh with him selfe that he hath iust cause to set vp his combe and to contemne all other men in comparison of him selfe Self loue is bread in vs. Therefore to the end this selfe loue which is bred in vs may be taken away first let vs consider those vices wherwith we abound according to the rule of the Scripture Secondly let vs knowe that those giftes whereof we are so proud are not our goods but the free
gifts of God that we may call all things to humility Againe we are commaunded to reuerence and honour those giftes which we see in our neighbours A Caution to winke at their vices not that we may cherish and nourish them by flatterie but that we do not triumph against them for because of those vices whome we ought to loue 5 Now what an hard matter is it for a man to seeke the profit of his neighbour Vnlesse thou depart from considering thy selfe and do after a sort put of thy selfe thou shalt not preuaile because loue seeketh not those things which be her owne* And it is an hard matter for vs to depart from our owne right of our owne accord and to resigne it to another 1 Cor. 13.5 Loue seeketh not her owne 1 Cor. 15.4 6 Furthermore that we be not wearie of well doing there must be another thing added which Paule putteth downe* that loue is patient and is not prouoked Loue is patient The Lord commaundeth to do good to all men in generall a great part wherof are most vnworthie and also our enemies For the image of God is to be considered in all men to which we owe all honour and loue The image of God is a great argument of bountifulnes Gal. 5.10 When mortification taketh place in vs which doth the dueties of loue But in those which are of the houshold of faith the same is more diligently to be considered inasmuch as it is renued repaired by the Spirit of Christ 7 Therefore this mortification shall then only take place in vs if we fulfill the duties of loue And he doth fulfill them not which doth all the dueties of loue but which doth them with a syncere affection of loue He shall do it if he put vpon him that mans person whome he seeth neede his helpe and doth in like sort pitie his estate as if he him selfe did feele it that he may be moued with the feeling of mercie and compassion to help him as if it were his owne case For how great soeuer we be we are detters to our neighbours 8 That we may the more easily accomplish the second part of the deniall of our selues What part respecteth god which respecteth God it is needfull that in seeking the commodities of this life resigning both our selues and all that we haue to be gouerned by the Lords pleasure we deliuer vp the affections of our heart to be tamed by him We desire riches and all worldly thinges we flie from pouertie and afflictions notwithstanding let vs not desire anie other way to prosper but by the blessing of God Let vs prayse the Lorde in prosperitie euen as well as in aduersitie 9 Thereupon it shall followe that wee shall neither seeke wicked meanes to waxe rich neither shall we waxe hard through immoderate desire of earthly thinges neither be discouraged if all things fall not out as we would wish So Dauid doeth professe him selfe to be like a childe that is weaned that he may geue him selfe to be gouerned by God* Fruites Psal 131.1 10 Neither ought the godly mindes to haue that quietnesse and tranquillitie consisting onely in this point but it must needs be extēded also vnto all casualties This is the rule of godlinesse to beleeue that the hand of God alone is the gouernour and guider of both estates What is the rule of godlinesse and that the same doeth not runne headlong with rash and vnaduised force but that it doth according to most ordinate iustice distribute to vs good things and also euill things CHAP. VIII Of the bearing of the crosse which is a part of deniall The Christian Crosse Mat. 16.14 1 BVt a godly minde must yet ascend higher to wit that euerie one take vp his crosse* For those whom the Lord hath adopted must prepare them selues vnto an hard life and a life replenished with diuerse kindes of miseries Thus will God exercise those which are his beginning with his first begotten Son he prosecuteth this order toward al his owne children The cause of the crosse Heb. 1.8 The first fruite of the crosse is that our weaknesse may appeare Inuocation followeth humiliation The Apostle assigneth the cause because we must learne obedience by those thinges which he suffered for vs. 2 Furthermore we must leade our life vnder a continuall crosse for manie reasons First that we may the more easily beate downe arrogancy wherby we attribute too much to our owne strength and that it may more easilie appeare how great our weakenesse is Being thus humbled we learne to craue helpe of the power of God which alone maketh vs stande vpright vnder the burthen of afflictions Dauid proueth by his owne example that that is most profitable euen for the most holy men* Psal 30.7 Rom. 5.3 3 The same doth Paule teach that tribulatiōs engender patience patience triall For the faithfull perceaue that that is true which God hath promised when they stand patiently Whereby the hope of the faithfull is confirmed thereby also their hope is confirmed to looke for hereafter the truth of God which they haue tried 4 The Lord hath also another ende for which he punisheth those that be his That their patience may be tryed that he may try their patience that he may teach them obedience Not that they are able of them selues to performe obedience but that the graces of God may be made manifest in his Sainctes From whence these speeches came that God tempted Abraham Why God tēpteth those that be his Gen. 22.1 12. and had proofe of his godlinesse * 1 Pet. 1.7 For faith sayth Peter is tryed by tribulations as golde is tryed in the furnace by fire 5 And yet we do not see howe necessarie obedience is for vs A similitude vnlesse we therewithall consider howe great the wantonnesse of our flesh is to shake of the yoke of God so soone as it hath bene but a litle while tenderly handled For the same befalleth it which we see in stubburne horses which if they be well fedde and stand idle a fewe dayes they cannot afterward be tamed they are so stout of stomacke God complaineth that the same befel the people of Israell* Deut. 32.15 6 Furthermore our most gentle Father hath need not onely to preuent our infirmitie but also oftentimes to correct our faults which are past To correction that he may make vs obey him as we ought Therfore so often as we are punished let vs by and by call to minde the life which we haue ledde before So we shall finde that we haue done some thing which deserueth such correction and that wee are therefore punished 1 Cor. 11.8.32 Pro. 3.11 Heb. 12.8 lest with this world we be condemned* 7 Furthermore that is a singular comfort when we suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake* To suffer for righteousnesse sake Mat 5.10 Act. 5.41 For then we ought to bethinke
to that which is good And all the whole life of Christians ought to bee a meditation of Godlinesse but before God not the law but Christe must be set for righteousnesse 3 Therefore was Christ made a curse for vs Gal. 3.13 5 1. 3.20 that he might redeeme vs from the curse of the law* 4 The other which dependeth vpon that former is 2 Part of christian libertie that mens consciences obey the law not as being inforced by the necessitie of the law but that being free frō the yoke of the Law they do freely and willinglie obey the will of God And that cannot bee so long as we are vnder the law 5 But so soone as we are deliuered freed from this exaction of the law we can merily with great cheerefulnes answere God when he calleth follow him being our guide For they which are tied to the yoke of the law are like slaues to whom certain taskes are assigned for euerie day they dare not come in their maisters sight A similitude vnlesse they haue done their work taske But children though they haue but done half their task haue left it vnperfect yet do they without feare and freelie offer themselues to their fathers 6 That is the cause for which the authour of the epistle to the Hebrewes Heb. 11.2 doth refer vnto faith what good works soeuer wee read were in the holy fathers doth only weigh thē by faith* Therfore Paul to the Romans reasoneth thus Sinne must not haue dominion ouer vs because wee are not vnder the lawe 7 The third that we be bound before god with no conscience of outward thinges which are of themselues indifferent 3 About thinges indifferent but that wee may indifferentlie sometimes vse them and sometimes omit them The knowledge of this liberty is therefore more necessarie for vs because without it our consciences shall haue no rest there shall bee no ende of superstitions Rom. 14.14 8 I know saith Paul that nothing is common but who so thinketh anie thing common to him it is cōmon* 1 Tit. 4.5 He is blessed which doth not iudge himself in that which he alloweth* For all the giftes of God are sanctified by thanksgiuing Christian libertie is spirituall 9 And this is diligentlie to be obserued that christian libertie is spirituall in all his parts whose whole force consisteth in pacifying fearefull consciences before God whether they be vnquiet or careful for remission of sinnes or doubtfull whether vnperfect workes doe please God or they bee troubled about the vse of things indifferent A double fall but there be two sorts of men which offende against it the one of those which make it a cloake for their lusts that they may abuse the good giftes of God to their lust 10 The other is of those who thinke that it is nothing worth vnlesse it be vsed before men By which vnseasonable vsage they oftētimes offend the weak As you may see some at this day who think that their libertie cannot stand vnles they take possession of it by eating flesh vpon the Friday 11 Furthermore we must auoid offences wherof there is one sort which is giuen Double offence another taken Therefore if thou doe anie thing either through vnseasonable lightnesse and wantonnesse whereby the weake may be offended it shall be called an offence giuen by thee Geuen Paul teacheth the contrarie that we receiue the weake That is called an offence taken when a thing which is neither euill done 2 Taken nor out of season is through malice drawen to be occasion of offence Mat. 25.14 Such was the offence of the Pharisees* Therefore wee muste beware that wee giue none offence if others take it wee are blamelesse 12 Paul seemeth to haue set downe a difference both by doctrine and also by examples We must regard the weake between the weake of whom we must haue great regard the Pharisees to whom our liberty may not giue place For when he tooke Timothie to his companie Act. 16.3 hee circumcised him * Gal. 2.3 Hee could not be perswaded to circumcise Titus* The facts were diuers but there was no change of his minde or purpose When hee was free from all he made himselfe a seruant to all that he might saue manie* and withstood false brethren which saith he 1 Cor. 9.66 entred in to spie out our libertie which we haue in Christ* Verilie we must studie to preserue loue and wee must haue respect to the edifiying of our neighbour 1 Cor. 10.23 For all things are lawful but all things are not expedient* 13 Furthermore as our libertie must bee subiect to loue Libertie must be subiect to loue so on the other side loue must bee vnder the purenesse of faith Verilie euen heere also wee must haue respect to loue but vnto the altars that is that wee offende not GOD for our neighbours sake 14 And nowe seeing faithfull consciences hauing this prerogatiue giuē them are not intangled with any snares of obseruations in things indifferēt wee conclude that they are exempted from the power of all men For it is an vnmeet thing that either Christ shoulde loose the thanke for his so great libertie or the consciences themselues the profite* 1 Pet 1.18 For it cost Christ not gold but his owne blood* The gouerment of man is double 15 But least any man stumble before he be ware let vs marke that there is a double gouernment in man One spirituall whereby the conscience is framed vnto godlinesse Spirituall the other politike whereby a man is taught the dutie of humanitie and ciuilitie For there be in man Ciuile as it were two worldes which both diuers kings and diuers lawes do gouerne And yet we must take heede that wee doe not wickedlie draw vnto the ciuill order that which the Gospell teacheth concerning spirituall libertie Obiect We must obey the magistrate not one lie for feare of punishment but for conscience sake also* Rom. 1* 1.5 Therefore mens consciences are bound by the politike lawes What conscience is An. Conscience is nothing els but that feeling which doth not suffer sinnes to lie hid but draweth men vnto the iudgement seat of the iudge 16 Thereby it commeth to passe that the fruite of a good conscience which it the inward integrity of the heart doth come vnto men also The lawe of God must not be made subiect to mans power though it doe properly respect God alone But the lawes of God must not be made subiect to mans power CHAP. XX. Of praier which is the principall exercise of faith and whereby we doe dailie receiue the benefites of God Mans pouertie 1 BY that which goeth before wee plainely perceiue how needie and emptie man is of all good things and how he wanteth all helpes of saluation Therefore if he seeke helpes to releeue his pouertie withall hee