To beleeue that God is or that there is a God Credere Deo To giue credit to that which God saith Credere in Deum To beleeue in God And of all these significations wee haue variety of examples in the Scripture Giue me leaue I pray you for our better vnderstanding memory to draw them to 2 principall heades according to the diuers seat or place they haue in the soule of man To beleeue then is to holde something for truth or to trust to something The former is an action of the vnderstanding the later of the will In the one truth only is respected the other hath an eie to some good or benefit Beleeuing as it hath place in the vnderstanding signifies either an holding of some point as a truth by the originall light of nature in vs or an assenting to som such thing reuealed by some outward meanes taken vpoÌ„ the credit of the teacher Of the 1. kind is the persuasion that all men naturally haue that there is one God that hee is the Creator of heauen and earth that he is almighty wise iust good c. These things men are truly and properly said to beleeue because they are not taught them but bred in them they receiue them not of other but haue them of themselues they come not to the acknowledging of them by any discourse of reason but see them by a light that shines within theÌ„ But this sense of the word I confesse is hardly to bee found in the booke of God which refers vs for the naturall knowledge of God to the consideration of his workmanship in the creatures â—om 1. 20. The inuisible things of God saith the Apostle that is his eternall power Godhead are seene by the Creation of the world Yea so manifestly seen that as the same Apostle testifieth other where we may in a maner feele the Lorde by groping seeing in him we liue moue and haue our being Act. 17. 27 28. Iamblich de mysteriâ—s cap. 1 Yea the Philosophers themselues acknowledge that there is in man a certaine notion or persuasion of God which goeth before all discourse of reason we ordinarily say of the most barbarous and ignorant heathen who haue small vse of reason that they all belieue there is a God yea euen those people which neuer thought on the making of the world yet haue an opinion that there is a God to be worshipt and the grand Atheist Epicurus that would by no means confess that the world Veleius apud Cicero de â—at deor lib. 1. Lucret de nat rerum lib. 1. had any Creator of it doubted not to professe that hee beleeu'd there was a God because Nature hath ingraffed that perswasion in euery mans hart But it is all one to the point I haue in hand whether there bee any such opinion in vs or no as long as it is granted that we may and do attaine to this beleefe without any resting vpon other mens report credit it sufficeth to proue the first kind of beleeuing seated in the vnderstanding The 2. is an assenting to that which is affirmed meerely vpon the credit of him that speakes it For if hee bee able to make proofe of that he saith by any reason and doe so and thereby perswade vs of the truth of that he hath avouched he doth beget knowledge in vs rather then beleefe which is alwaies grounded vpon the authority and reputation of him for whose words-sake wee beleeue This vse of the worde is very common in the old and newe Testament where for the most part the other signification of trusting to is implyed VVill you see this in some sewe examples Abraham Gen. 15. 6 belieued God that is Abraham was perswaded that God would bee as good as his worde accordingly he trusted to him or belieued in him for the performance thereof That thus much is to bee conceiued by that beleefe of Abrahams is is euident by the Apostles disputation of it Who hauing alleag'd that testimony of Moses to proue iustification by faith or beleeuing in Christ in the applying of it expoundes beleeuing God by beleeuing in him To him that worketh Rom. 45. not but beleeueth in him that iustisieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnes where he deliuers that in generall which before he had said in particular Abraham beleeued God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse Verse 3. There is the particular touching Abraham To which the generall concerning all other men to beiustified must needs agree if the Apostles reason be of any force Abraham beleeued God To him that beleeueth in him that iustifies the vngodly that is God It his belieuing was counted to him for righteousnes His faith his beleeuing is counted for righteousnes Do you not see that to beleeue God in this example includs belieuing in God that is trusting to God or resting vpon God for that which Isai 28. 16. God is to performe Therefore the Prophet I say directly protesteth that he which beleeueth shall not make haste So that no man is accounted to beleeue God but hee that relyeth vpon him for the fulfilling of that which hee hath spoken or at the least that beleeuing of God only is accepted of him which procures a trusting in him for that which we beleeue he hath truly affirmed The new Testament is plentiful in such examples I will giue you a tast of them and leaue the rest to your farder meditation and to some other occasion that shall offer it selfe Rom. 10. 10. â—ereafter in this Gospel With the heart saith S. Paul man beleeueth to righteousnesse VVhat beleeuing is this the Apostle himselfe teacheth vs in the next verse where he proues that he had said by the testimony of the Prophet whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not be ashamed Verse 11. Ioh. 8. 30. Vers 31. The same is conâ—â—m'd by our Euangelist As he spâ—ke these things many beleeued in him Then said Iesus to thâ— Iewes which beleeued him Can any man doubt but the holy Verse 31. Ghost in the later verse meanes the same beleefe hee had mentioned in the former But what should I seeke any farder then this Chapter That which heere is called beleeuing afterward is exprest by beleeuing in Here he saith That al men through him might beleeue What saith Ioh. 1. 7. Verse 12. he in the 12 verse To them that beleeue in his name It may seeme perhaps that I haue stood ouer-long vpon this point but the necessity of the matter I doubt not wil excuseme in any reasonable mans iudgement especially if he consider that I haue almost dispatcht the whole question in that former discourse hauing shewd though but by the way diuerse examples of Beleeuing in or trusting to that I may be the shorter in that which remaines to be handled concerning beleefe as it is an action of the will resting or relying vpon somewhat for some benefit to bee receiued
their worldly cares or some other such respects from the due consideration of that whereof there is offer made them But the Hebrewes as Saint Paul there writes had receiued the light that is had giuen assent to the truth of that which was taught them and for the maintaining of it had indured as it is there witnesses greate fight in afflictions If we take the word in the former sense only for shining vpon the things that are needfull to bee seene that they may shew themselues vnto vs it is out of doubt that in respect thereof euery man is inlightned for so much as concernes the office of the light which is to make manifest those things that were not without it to be seene For so our Lord hath revealed the will of his Father concerning the meanes of saluation which Ioh. 1. 18. but by him had neuer beene publisht and proclaimed to al the world But this is rather lightning thē inlightning as he that carries a candle or torch with him inlightens not the party before whom he goes or to whō he comes but only lights him and in this sense our Sauiour doth but shewe men what is to bee beleeued Whereon there growes more question how it may be said that euery man is thus lighted For it is very manifest that there were many thousands in the world euen then when our Sauiour himselfe shone so brightly by his glorious workes and powerfull preaching who neuer heard or saw the one or other nor in any likelyhood of reason possibly could do What say I There were many thousandes I may truly say the thousand man then liuing neuer had nor could haue any sight of the light that then shined among the Iewes Yet I confesse that the light stretcht and spread his beames to the vttermost of his nature and strength Take example of the Sunne which in the height of summer riseth early mounts highe shines gloriously sets late and yet there are diuers nations in the worlde which haue not the least glimse of his light all the while he shewes himselfe to vs in these parts of the Hemisphere most apparant and bright Therefore when we read or heare That our Sauiour the true light lighteth euery man as much as in him lies we must not consider him as God but as the mediator of mankind become man As he was God he could haue giuen euery one then liuing in the worlde certaine knowledge that himselfe was ordained for the Sauiour of the world But he was heere to demeane him selfe as a person who by the diuine power of his Godhead could do al things but by the conditiō of his mediatorship was to doe no more then his humane nature might be known to be imployed in some way or other He taught the admirable secrets of God by his voice he wrought wōderful miracles by his almighty power but still it appeared to all men that by the word and wil of him whom they saw to be a man all those wonders weredon So then if we take this lightning of euery man for affording them the meanes of knowledge to saluation we must thus conceiue the matter that our Sauiour preacht and shew'd his miracles by himselfe and his Apostles and doth daily vouchsafe the knowledge of the truth to euery man without exception not forbidding his ministers to teach any man nor barring any from learning of them Let vs now see how we are to vnderstand the Euangelist that the true light inlightneth euery man Inlightning causeth him to discerne the truth of that which is deliuered so that the doctrine of the Gospell is alwaies effectuall to him that is inlightned The Lord opened the heart of Lydia that shee attended to the things that Paul Act. 16. 14. spake All that heard him were lighted but they only inlightned which beleeued the things hee spake How then may Christ be said to inlighten euery man since it is apparant many yea the greatest part beleeue not Surely the former answer satisfies this doubt very sufficiently Whosoeuer is inlightned hath this inlightning from the true light And this interpretation as I shewed before agreeth very well with the Euangelists words and meaning But let vs apply the common distinction to this purpose Christ inlightneth euery man as much as lies in him If wee vnderstand this of his absolute power wherby he is able as God to do al things it is manifestly false Else should euery man vndoubtedly beleeue For he is able to beget faith in the heart of euery man Therfore the most that can bee truly avoucht in this matter is this that hee is ready to inlightē euery man But this interpretation as far as I can conceiue doth not fully expresse the sense of the place if wee expound it of inlightning For it is one thing to inlighten an other thing to bee ready to inlighten What could the Euangelist say more of them that are actually inlightned I acknowledge the truth of the doctrine that our Lord is ready to refresh all that come vnto him to teach all that vse the meanes to learne but Mat. 11. 28. me thinkes this is not all that the holy Ghost in this place affirmes Therefore I had rather interpret the text either of lightning that the true light shines to all without exception no man being shut out from the hearing and reading of the Scriptures by any commaundement or restraint of the light it selfe or of inlightning that all which are made partakers thereof attaine to it only by this true light and both these expositions are true and may agree with the words meaning of the Euangelist to commend our Sauiour Christ as the true light of all men Now whereas some men herevpon would conclude that because the true light inlightens euery man therefore God hath not made choise of any man more then of all men to be heires of his glory in heauen they gather that which growes not of the text I will make it plaine by a short examination of the matter according to the former interpretations No man is barr'd the ministery of the worde Therefore saluation is intended alike to all If you adde in regard of the ministery thereof yet that you say will hardly proue true For though no man be abbridg'd of liberty to heare by any charge to the contrary from God yet many are not vouchsaf't the possibility of hearing How shall wee affirme then that in respect of the ministery of the worde saluation was intended alike to all I graunt that the meanes is affoorded in generall but I deny that therefore there is no difference in Gods purpose touching lightning of one nation more then of an other It is as free for any restraint made by God for the Turkes to haue the Gospell as for vs For they are Gentiles as well as wee But yet it were too greate vnthankfulnesse and absurdity to say that concerning the ministery of the worde God meant to light them to
white which hee sees to be blacke red yellow greene or of some other colour then white In such cases there is no manner of command in the will ouer the vnderstanding Well may it preuaile so farre as to hinder the vnderstanding in examining of a truth or in the professing of that it conceiues yea it may carry a man with violence to make contrarie profession to that he is perswaded of and knows but it cannot possibly be of force to inioyne it to holde this or that for truth otherwise then naturall or supernaturall light discouers it to be It is the will then that receiues Christ or refuseth him beleeues or beleeues not taking faith for trusting in Christ as wee doe not as the Papists doe for beleeuing the truth of that which is deliuered concerning him in the Scripture Neither yet is it to bee helde for true that there is any such power or office of free will as the Papists dreame of to bee concluded out of this place For I may not runne into a large discourse of the Doctrine but must keepe my selfe within the compasse of this one Text. The free will which the Papists fight for as for their free hold is an absolute libertie in the will of Man to choose or refuse at his owne pleasure This they say wee haue and vse in the accepting or reiecting of grace which is offered vs by God but so that it is left to vs to receiue or refuse it This Doctrine say I can not bee warranted by this scripture Let any reasonable man iudge Some refuse CHRIST some receiue him what will you inferre herevpon That therefore it is left to euerie mans choyse whether hee will receiue him or refuse him Tell me what you thinke of the first grace by which a man is inhabled to take or leaue I will speake as plaine as by any meanes I can that euery man may vnderstand mee It is agreed vpon on both sides theirs and ours that naturally no man hath any power to receiue CHRIST or to will to receiue him Therefore this Abilitie of the vsing whereof wee dispute is vouchsaf't to euery one that hath it by God and proceedes of him Shall I reason now as as our Papists doe Some men haue this grace by which they are able to beleeue some men haue it not Therefore there is free will in men to haue it or want it Will this follow vpon that No more will it that there is free will because some beleeue and some doe not Indeede if there were nothing els to bee found from which this difference might bee fetcht but onely the will of man there were some good reason to conclude freedome of will from choise and refusall But the case standing as it doth that wee can assigne a better reason of this diuersitie euen the worke of Gods spirit by grace in the hearts of as many as beleeue the Papists conclusion is weake and lame Some receiue some refuse Therefore say they there is free will by the power whereof the one sort beleeue and the other for not vsing that power beleeue not Nay rather say wee Therefore the grace of GOD workes more effectually in the hearts of some then of other some Is there any Christian soule whom this conclusion of ours will not content better then that of theirs Surely he must needs loue his owne glorie better then Gods that had rather ascribe his faith to his owne free will then to the grace of God Haue I not yet spoken enough or not plaine enough Bee not wearied I beseech you though I dwell a little longer vpon the matter I hope I shall better expresse my minde and you better vnderstand me That abilitie to beleeue comes of God and not of our selues it is out of question betwixt vs. The doubt is touching the vse of this abilitie For example Let vs suppose that both the theeues that were crucified with our Sauiour Christ had this grace bestowed on them by God that they were able to beleeue He on the right hand vseth this grace and beleeueth the other doth not vse it and continueth in vnbeliefe The question is whence this difference ariseth From the power of free will say the Papists From the workes of Gods grace say wee Wee deny not say they that the grace of God workes more effectually in the one then in the other but wee affirme that the reason of this difference in working proceeds from the diuers vse of free will in each of them If hee on the left hand had bin willing to beleeue the spirit of God would haue begotten faith in his heart If he had on the right hand bin vnwilling the grace of God would haue brought forth no faith in him Yet they touch not the point I presse them for a farder answere Whence was it that the one was willing rather then the other Speake out that all men may heare you Was it from himselfe or from God From both They are halfe ashamed to bee knowne what they hould and therefore striue to shift of the matter in this sort But it will not serue the turne I looke for a plaine and direct answere When both the theeues were alike vnwilling and might both alike become willing whence arose the beginning of difference betwixt them You cannot say it came from God for in respect of him they were yet both alike What remaines then to be answered but that the one of himselfe did yeeld to the motion of Gods spirit the other might haue done but woulde not I confesse you say there wanted assistance from God to leade him forward to the obtaining of Faith but yet you still auouch that the Originall of the difference was from the free will of man that yeelded not from the free grace of God that inclined him to yeelding For that grace was common to him with the other in whome there was no willingness at all What was become of the zeale of the glorie of God when men first broch't these deuises Is it not enough for vs that wee are willing to bee saued but that wee must also take the cheefe glorie of it to our selues Are wee so puft vp with pride and selfe loue that wee had as lieue perish as bee beholden to GOD for our saluation Blame mee not if I charge the pride of mans Nature very deepely in this case It is a matter that concernes my Lord and maister on whose message I come very neere Hath hee of himselfe vouchsafed meanes by which wee may bee saued hath hee meerely of his owne good will imparted the knowledge thereof vnto vs hath hee without any desert or desire on our part prouided to aduance vs to the estate of Sonnes from the condition of Seruants and doe wee grudge to let him haue the honour of it A little is too much for God nothing is enough for our selues Wee are content with much adoe to let it bee thought and said that wee are not able without grace
to doe that by which the fauour of GOD may bee procured But when wee haue once receiued from God abilitie to beleeue I speake still as the Papists doe against whom I reason then it lies in our owne power to be saued or to be damned There is no question of the later but the cause of damnation is alwaies in our selues and so in our selues that of our selues there is no possibilitie what grace soeuer wee haue receiued to escape it But the power to receiue Christ that wee may bee made partakers of that Inheritance of Sonnes is wholly frō God and not from our selues What said I The power It is not enough The will to vse that power It is not enough The will to vse that power is stirred vp put forward and inclined to it onely and altogether by God himselfe The act of the wil in resting vpon Christ is mine The inclining the will to doe this act is Gods and not mine I doe willingly and by mine owne choyse beleeue in CHRIST I am made willing marke what I say I am made willing not onely I am made able to will but directed and perswaded and brought to will yea inclined to this choise by the power of the spirit of God Doth any man doubt of this point Hee knowes not or considers not what it is to giue the glorie of his saluation to God Shall I so part stakes with God in this matter that I take the biggest for mine owne share I will barely propound the case let euerie Christian soule iudge vprightly betwixt God and himselfe That there is any possibilitie of saluation for man it is wholly and onely from God who without the counsell or perswasion of any creature appointed the meanes to saue vs by of his meere mercie and bounty That I among many other attaine to that grace by which I am inabled to beleeue and may if I will it is also from the same goodness and fauour of the Lord who doth not altogether leaue mee in this estate but moues and perswades mee by his spirit to vse the grace I haue receiued and to beleeue in Christ What woulde you haue more saith one Doe I not giue glory enough to God by acknowledging that possibilitie of faith both in generall and particular proceeds from his grace Looke not that I should answere thee I appeale to thine owne conscience to giue sentence of the matter Thou ascribest no more to God but that he hath giuen thee grace by which thou mayest beleeue if thou wilt Whence hast thou this inclination to will From Gods motion and perswasion Take heede what thou sayest How will this stand with that opinion of free will which makes the first difference betwixt thee other mē that beleeue not though they haue the like motions and perswasions from God It cannot be if thou wilt speak plaine but thou must professe that this willingness comes from thy selfe So then thus stands the case That we can beleeue if wee list it is of God that we list to beleeue it is of our selues For ought that God did for mee I might haue continued in vnbeliefe and bin damned that I might be saued I may thanke him that I am saued my selfe Is there any Christian heart that doth not rise against this Doctrine Can wee indure to thinke that wee are more beholden to our owne will for faith then to the grace of God Can wee be so vnthankfull so proud But I will stay my selfe least I seeme to bee perswaded that so grosse an error can finde place in a true Christian soule Nay saith one Rather it is a most grosse error to hold as you doe that a man is forced and drawne to beleeue by necessitie whether hee will or no. Out of question it is indeed a grosse error to haue any such conceite of a mans attaining to faith in Christ And yet giue me leaue to speake my minde plainely and freely I had rather be absurd in destroying the will of man then impious in ouerthrowing the glory of God But hee that rightly vnderstands what wee teach of mans beleeuing sees there is no cause to feare either the one or the other It is cleere certaine that the maine chance is safe the glorie of God being so carefully prouided for and maintained If wee erre our error is lesse dangerous For there is not so much danger in depriuing man of his free will as in robbing God of his glorie But wee doe man no wrong at all vnless it be a wrong to giue more to GOD then to man in the begetting of faith God perswades and inclines him to beleeue What forcing or drawing is this Yes say they For you teach that by this inclining of the heart GOD so workes vpon it that the partie cannot choose but beleeue Not choose For any force that is vsed against the nature of his will hee may choose In respect of euent hee can not I will speake plainer if I can God doth not force a man as the Oxe is drawne to the slaughter or a peece of Timber thrust forward by mayne strength but inclines the heart sweetely and gently according to the nature of it to him perfectly known yet so powerfully that it can not come to passe but the partie shall both will to beleeue and beleeue indeede Wee confesse there is a necessitie in regard of the euent that vpon this inclination faith shall certainly insue but wee denie all constraining or forcing by which the will shoulde lose his vertue or action No man beleeues but willingly No man is willing but hee that is inclined thereto by God No man is forced to willingness by any constraint I inquire not how the Lord inclines mee I beleeue that hee doth incline mee I finde I am of vnwilling made willing I see not any force vsed to make mee willing Other men refuse Christ willingly I receiue him willingly They are borne willingly to all that is euill I am made willing to whatsoeuer good I doe will It is not then power of free will but Prerogatiue of Honour that our Euangelist saith is giuen to them that beleeue in Christ Now for the farder amplifying of this mercie wee must consider the generalitie of the gift Which is such that it extends it selfe to all men whatsoeuer As many as receiued him to them hee gaue c. There is no distinction of Iewe or Gentile male or female rich or poore bond or free one or other but whosoeuer beleeues in Christ hath the Prerogatiue to bee the Sonne of God This in generall is that which the Apostle deliuers But for our better instruction it will not be amisse to handle the point somewhat more largely in these two parts First to set out the vouchsafing of this priuiledge to the Gentils as well as to the Iewes Secondly to apply it to the seueral estates conditions differences that are ordinarily found amongst men So shall the generalitie of the benefit appeare more
plainely and truly if wee respect the matter it selfe Reade them both at your leasure and I make no doubt but you will bee ashamed to thinke that beeing so meanely bred and brought foorth I speake as fauourably as I can wee should bee so strangely proud and insolent as for the most part wee are VVeake and base is our naturall beginning mighty and glorious is our spirituall adoption By that wee are borne the Sonnes of men by this wee are chosen the Sonnes of God In our first condition wee are brought foorth to all kinde of misery in our second estate wee are aduaunced to true felicity The one casts vs naked and forlorne vpon the bare earth the other lifts vs vp from earth to heauen That brings vs out of prison to punishment this leades vs from paine to pleasure with our conception begins our mortality our adoption giues vs entrance into immortality And doe we for all this stand doating vpon our naturall estate Are wee proud of that of which wee may rather bee ashamed What art thou that bearest thy selfe so high A Gentleman A Nobleman A Prince Heyre apparant to the Empire of the whole earth Bee it so yet was thy breeding and bearing no other then Iob and Ezechiell describe The poorest and basest wretche that goeth on the ground had the same manner of beginning and being Remember thy selfe as thy death shall bee like his dust to dust so was thy birth like to his bloud of bloud flesh of flesh Thou art the sonne of an Emperor Yet of a man Be not deceiued thy nature is no better then his though thy eares and sorrowes may proue more and greater A gentleman a nobleman a King are not names of diuers natures but of diuers troubles Adoption adoption is that which makes difference betwixt Humane and Diuine Caine and Abell were both Adams sonnes Ismaell and Isaac Abrahams All foure were borne a-like of bloud of the will of the flesh of the will of man But Isaac and Abell were adopted the sonnes of GOD Caine and Ismaell were neuer any more but the sonnes of men Looke how much God is more excellent then man so much more glorious is it to bee the sonne of God then of man Looke how much the spirit exceedes the flesh so much better is it to bee borne of the spirit then of the flesh If thou bee the adopted sonne of God by grace it skils not whose sonne thou art by nature Beleeue in Christ and thou hast the prerogatiue to bee the sonne of GOD. Neuer tell mee how meane and poore thy parents were Neuer boast how rich and noble they were Bloud and flesh man must hinder either all or none at all For in all these all are equall How meane soeuer thy bloud be it is bloud How noble soeuer it bee it is but bloud Thy nobilitie helpes not thy basenesse hinders not thy adoption Not of bloud not of flesh not of man but of God God needes no such time and meanes for adoption as thy naturall parents neede for procreation There is no stay but in thy selfe Thou shalt no sooner beleeue in the name of Christ but presently God will accept thee for his sonne Is so excellent an estate so easilie to be come by and doo wee refuse or delay to vse the meanes Surely there needes no other proofe that our second birth of regeneration is not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God then that so fewe are so borne againe I am come now to the last poynt of this Text and exercise which I will runne ouer verie briefely The prerogatiue to bee the sonnes of God belonges to them onely that receiue our Sauiour Christ by beleeuing in him Who are they that doe so receiue him They that are borne of GOD. What is it to bee borne of GOD To haue our vnderstanding inlightned with the knowledge of the Gospell our hearts inclined to embrace it so that wee wholly renounce our selues all trust in our owne righteousnesse all good opinion thereof and rest onely vpon Iesus Christ to bee reconciled to GOD by him This estate as our Euangelist teacheth vs in this place is not attained to by any power or desire of man but by the mighty working of GOD Psal 51. 10. who creates as the Prophet sayeth new hearts in vs changing stone into flesh taking our stonie hearts Ezech. 11. 19. Cap. 36. 26. out of our bodies and giuing vs hearts of flesh For the naturall man take him at the best with all the helpes that nature learning and education canne afforde is notwithstanding all these vnable to acknowledge or like of the meanes which God in his owne wisedome hath appointed for our saluation The holy Ghost giues vs the reason of it For sayeth hee by the penne of Saint Paul they are foolishnesse vnto 1. Cor. 2. 14. him and cannot bee discerned but by the spirit which no man can haue but by a second birth from GOD. I cannot stand to inlarge this point by many proofes neither is it greatly needfull because it hath beene done already in my former exercises and shall be done hereafter if it please God as occasion shall be offered Yet I may not at any hand forget because it especially concernes the glory of God the ende of all true religion to call to your remembrance what hath formerly beene deliuered touching the worke of God in bringing men to beleeue in Christ The summe of it is this that it is God which makes vs both able and willing to beleeue not waiting for the choyse of our freewill which like a free horse runnes headlong to infidelitie but gratiously and powerfully inclining vs to beleeue Doost thou then beleeue in Christ to saluation whereas many other that haue had the same worde outwardly by the ministerie of men and the same grace inwardly by the motion of the spirit offered to them continue in vnbeleefe Take heede thou doe not imagine that this difference proceeded from thy selfe That they doe not beleeue it is by their owne fault That thou doest beleeue it is by not by thine owne vertue Noe sayest thou I knowe that and confesse it I stood in need of the grace of GOD as well as other men I was not able to bee saued without it nor to procure it GOD of his owne goodnesse found out the meanes prouided them gaue mee knowledge of them inabled mee to embrace them All this I willingly ascribe to God Is this all thou giuest him many men at the least as thou perswadest thy selfe haue been equall to thee in all these fauours from God who yet neuer attained to beleefe in Christ I would faine knowe of thee how this difference grewe that thou beleeuest and they doe not They would not and I would Thou sayest well For indeede noe man euer beleeues but willingly Yet this doth not satisfie my doubt I demaund farther how came it to passe that thou wouldest and they would not Doe not aunswere mee Because I would For if that bee all thou canst say thou doest rather condemne thy folly then commend thy obedience in yeelding I sawe it was the onely course I coulde take for my saluation Did not those other which beleeue not see that too as well as thou Else the difference proceeded not from the choyse of thy will but from the cleerenesse of thy iudgement I graunt they sawe as much as I but they did not like it as well as I. Wee are neuer a whit the neerer for all this conference I aske still howe thou camest to haue a better liking of it then they had I vsed the freedome of my will better then they did I perceiue then when all comes to all the difference must arise from free well But our Euangelist sayeth Not of the will of man Otherwise there Rom. 3. 27. were verie iust and great cause in men of boasting and small glorie or thankes due to God euerie man being the principall cause of his owne saluation For as I haue shewed heeretofore thus might anie man that beleeues reason with GOD Why should I bee challenged of vnthankefulnesse
propounded in the first verse and repeated in the second In the former he is set out to vs by that which concerneth the nature of his Godhead and his person in the Godhead For his nature he is first said to haue beene eternall In the beginning Secondly to be God And the word was God Touching his person he is cald the Word or Sonne In the beginning was the Word Secondly his distinction from God the Father and yet his equalitie with God the father is signified when it is said that Hee was with God In the second 3. of the fiue points are repeated iointly in one sentence That the word was eternall equall to God and distinct from God O glorious and admirable mysteries Where are they now that lewdly and prophanely scoffe at Christian Religion because forsooth it teacheth nothing but that which is common and ordinarie Common and ordinarie So strange and extraordinarie are the secrets of the Gospell that no man of himselfe is able to deuise them by his wit or to beleeue them with his heart Take the deepest points of naturall Philosophie so they bee indeed true and a man of good capacitie will quickly and easily be brought to giue assent to the truth thereof because hee hath in him the light of naturall reason whereby they may certainely be discerned But the secrets of Christian religion are such and so farre aboue the reach of humane reason that although you make a man vnderstand them neuer so perfectly yet you cannot possibly make him acknowledge them for truth Truth in philosophie is such as that reason if a man suffer himselfe to be directed by it will enforce him to beleeue it Trueth in diuinitie is such as that the more we hearken to our naturall reason the lesse we are perswaded of the mysteries of religion It is for him and for him onely to incline the heart to the beliefe of those secrets who first reuealed them to be beleeued But what doe I While I labour to set out the excellencie of the Gospell by shewing that it conteineth many strange and hidden mysteries it may bee feared that I driue men away from the hearing and reading of it by the darkeness and profoundnesse of these secrets But be not discouraged brethren I beseech you If they were more obscure and deepe then they are yet who could despaire of sounding the depth therof as long as he may haue so skilfull and able a Pilot What though they be mysteries x 1. Cor. 2. 10 Yet hath God reuealed them to vs by his spirit euen by that spirit which searcheth all things yea the deepe things of God Could not hee y Iohn 11. 37 say the faithlesse Iewes that opened the eies of the blind haue caused that Lazarus should not haue died And cannot hee may wee confidently say that * Psal 8. 2 Out of the mouthes of Babes and sucklings hath ordeined strength because of his enemies that he might still the enemie and the auenger subdue the Rebellion of our corrupt reason bring it into obedience to beleeue his holy trueth Wherefore hath hee reuealed it but that it might bee knowen and acknowledged For your farder incouragement let our Euangelist S. Iohn be taken as an example Art thou young a Hieronym Catalog script in Ioann ad Dan. cap. 9 contr Ioui lib. 1. So was our Euangelist when it pleased our Sauiour to call him to the profession of the Gospell Witnesse the continuance of his life sixty eight yeeres after his Lord and Masters passion But thou hast not beene brought vp to learning What teaching and education had hee thinkest thou who b Mark 1. 19 was trained vp vnder his father a poore fisherman to get his liuing in the sweate of his browes by fishing What time could he haue to goe schoole whose maintenaunce depended on his labour and to whom all the paines he could possibly take would hardly afford some small means of a poore liuing You will say This fauour was extraordinarie Yet so that it was common to him with c Matth. 4. 18 his brother Iames and d Iohn 1. 44 with two other brethren his Countrimen Andrew and Peter But what speake I of two or foure Many and many thousands continually from time to time for almost these one thousand and sixe hundreth yeers haue beene brought to the knowledge and beliefe of these mysteries Is the Lords hand now shortened Doth he not still in mercy vouchsafe vs the meanes of knowledge and beleeuing What doe wee then with these doubtfull thoughts and vnthankefull hearts Away with them Away with them let vs desire and and endeuour to learne and e Ioh. 6. 45. wee shall bee all taught of God Yea with such a teaching as shall enlighten our vnderstanding incline our hearts confirme our memory reforme our affections and continually assure vs both of the truth that we beleeue and of the constant loue of God to vs in our perseuerance in beleeuing With this desire and confidence let vs in the feare of God addresse our selues to the hearing vnderstanding and beleeuing of these glorious mysteries The first whereof for I will handle them as they lie in the Text is this that The VVord was in the beginning Wherein for your better vnderstanding and memory f The course that is held in these Sermons I will first giue the sense of the Text 1. by expounding the words and 2. deliuering the meaning of the Euangelist 2. then I will handle the doctrine by 1. proouing the truth of it and 2. adding exhortation accordingly where it shall be needfull And this course if it please God I will follow in all the rest of the Gospell In seeking out the sense of this Scripture wee must enquire 1. who is meant by the VVord then wee must consider 2. what the Euangeliâ—â—â—aith of him In the former we must see how this tearm the VVord belongeth to him of whom it is spoken Secondly why that name is giuen him in this place In the later part these 2. points are to bee deliuered why it is said The VVord was rather then Hath beene 2. What is meant by those wordes In the beginning g The exposition of the words Who is meant by the Word The first point who is meant by the VVord is easie and manifest namely he of whom the whole Gospell is written Iesus Christ h Epiphan haercs 51. August de haeres cap. 8. 10 Theodor. haeret fabul lib. 2. the Sonne of God the promised Messiah Him the Heretickes Cerinthus and Ebion denied to bee God blasphemously auouching that he tooke his first beginning of his Mother the Virgin Mary Against their false and poysonous doctrine the holy Euangelist teacheth the Church that The word was in the beginning But let the Text it selfe speake Is i Ioh. 1. 1. not he called the Word of whom k Verse 7. Verse 4. Verse 7. Iohn came to beare witnesse At the 4.
I was before hee was or before him And I am before him but I am before hee was passeth my vnderstanding Yet by this our Sauiour would teach vs that in respect of his nature he is alwayes one and the same not like vs first Infants then Children afterwardes youthes in the strength of our age and life men in the decay of it old men and at last no men Thy yeeres ô my God f Psal 102. 24 saith the Prophet are from generation to generation Thou hast afore time laide the foundation of the Earth and the Heauens are the workes of thy hands They shall perish but thou shalt indure euen they all shall waxe olde as dooth a garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall bee changed But thou art the same and thy yeeres shall not fayle That this is spoken of our Sauiour Christ g Heb. 1. 10 the Apostle sheweth by proouing his God-head from that place To speake truely and properly we can not say of God either that Hee was or that hee is to come but onely that He is Therfore when Moses would needes knowe his name God answered h Exod. 3. 14 So rather then by the future I AM that I AM. Also hee sayd Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israell I AM hath sent mee to you It is hee onely that is as well because hee is of himselfe without dependance vpon anie other as also for that hee is absolutely without any change in himselfe whatsoeuer As for vs wee so are that in a manner wee are not because we neuer continue any time in the same estate without some alteration If we could as plainly see and as certainely iudge of the inward parts of a man as wee can of his outward countenance we should soone perceiue that hee is continually waxing or waning so that hardly can we thinke of any man that He is but while wee are thinking hee is not in the ende of our thought as short a moment as it is altogether the same that he was in the beginning thereof But our most glorious Sauiour IESVS CHRIST being eternall without beginning without middle without end is alwaies most perfectâ—y the same was is and is to come are in him without all kind of difference though to our weake capacitie it hath pleased him to vouchsafe so to speake of himselfe for our better instruction Come now thou that desirest to be for euer ioyne thy selfe to him of whose daies there shall neuer be end They that by faith become one with the Lord Iesus shall be sure to bee one with him in continuance look not back what thou hast not been heretofore but look forward what thou shalt be hereafter Father i Ioh. 17. 24 saith the sameour Sauiour I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am But where was he when he spake this In his humane nature vpon earth And there the Disciples at that time were as well as he But by his God-head he was euen then also in heauen where hee will haue all to be with him who beleeue in him k Ioh. 3. 16 that they may not perish but haue life euerlasting This testimony of the Euangelist concerning our Sauiours eternity was sufficient to stop the mouthes of those first Heretickes and to settle the faithfull in the true beliefe therof But Satan not discouraged by this fayle l Anno. 290 som 200. years after stirred vp the turbulent pestilent spirit of Arius a man of Alexandria in Egypt to call the Godhead of our Sauiour again in question It is Father The Word that became flesh shewed himselfe by his glory to be the Sonne of God Is it not the VVord of whom it followeth The onely begotten Sonne Verse 18. which is in the bosome of the Father hath manifested God Verse 3. vnto vs By the VVord all things were made By the Sonne u Heb. 1. 1. 3 sayth the Apostle He made the world And againe x Col. 1. 16 By him were al things created which are in heauen which are in earth What neede more words Our Euangelist sheweth through the whole Gospel that he speaketh of no other word then the Sonne of God These things are written y Ioh. 20. 31 sayth hee that ye might beleeue that IESVS is the CHRIST the Sonne of God Leaue we therfore these shifting blasphemies let vs labour to settle our harts in the assured belief of our Sauiour Christs diuine eternity To which purpose it shal be sufficient for vs to remeÌ„ber that which we heard ere while out of the * Psal 102. 27 Psalme Thou art the same and thy yeares shall not faile that testimony of Christ himself a Reuelat. 1. 8 I am A Ω the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come euen the Almighty What can the sottish heatheÌ„ the stubborn Iews or the brutish Turks now say Come ye that deride and persecute the true religion of the Lord Iesus you great wisards that despise all men as barbarous in comparison of your selues Are not you they that worship stocks and stones instead of the true God Are not the Parents of your greatest and auntientest gods easily to be knowen named I am ashamed to speak it but your folly wil not suffer it self to be hidden b Tertullian in Apolog. cap. 25 Were not the sepulchers graues of your soueraign god Iupiter the rest to be seene for many years by all men when you sottishly honoured them for gods in heauen whose carcases lay rotting amongst you in the earth But our God is eternall without beginning without middle without ending He became man in time he was God before all time he died was buried But he ouercame death rose again ascended in his body visibly vp to heauen Look not my brethren that I should discourse at large of these matters I haue bin too long already and I shall haue fitter opportunitie hereafter if God wil. Let the Iewes with all their malice the Romans with all their power deuise what vntruths practise whatsoeuer cruelty they are able our God sitteth in heauen and laugheth them to scorne causing his religion to continue in despight of both and thereby assuring vs of his owne eternall being for euer and euer As for the Mahometan though hee be incredibly shamelesse in lyes blasphemies yet hee is driuen to confesse that often in his sensless Alcoran that Iesus our God was holy vertuous wonderful in miracles a great Prophet of the Lord. Would the wretch Mahomet haue yielded so much to our Sauiour if euidence of truth coÌ„tinued so powerfully had not wruÌ„g it out of him But how could he be holy or not most prophane if hee made himselfe the Sonne of God and were not we should be as voide of sense as his absurde Alcoran if wee should
of whose punishment we are so affraid And yet what was this extremity in comparison of the intolerable wrath of God in the fire of hel where there is neither ease of pain nor end of misery f Psal 2. 12. O kiss the Son least he be angry and ye perish in the way g 1. Cor. 10. 22 Doe we prouoke the Lord to anger Are we stronger then he h Reuel 6. 15 Doe not the kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mightie men hide themselues in dens and among the rockes of the mountaines Doe they not Verse 16 crie out most lamentably to the mountaines and rockes Fall on vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth vpon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb Oh miserable comfortless wretches Flee you from the Lamb It is hee i Ioh. 1. 29 that taketh away the sins of the world If there be ny drop of mercy it is by the bloud of the Lamb if there be any hope of comfort it is in the gentlenesse of the Lamb. They are absolutely without al possibility of the least relief that can find no fauor at the hands of the Lamb. If the Lamb frown who wil look cheerfully vpon vs And dare any wretched miscreant nourish in his heart doubtfull thoughts of our blessed Sauiours eternall God-head For it is almost incredible that any man should be so desperate as blasphemously to denie it If we could heare but as it were a far off the hideous shreeks and most wofull lamentations of that wretch I spake of ere while our haire would stand vpright on our heads with horror and our hearts sink in our bodies for feare k Ioh. 5. 22 Hath not the Father committed all iudgement vnto him Must we not all stand before his throne to receiue sentence from him either of life or death Oh I where wilt thou bestow thy self poor naked miserable distressed soule It is vnpossible for thee to hide thy selfe To behold the wrathfull countenance of the Iudge it is intolerable Oh! how wilt thou tremble when thou shalt heare that dreadful voice l Luk. 19. 27. Those mine enimies that would not that I should raigneouer them bring them hither slaie them before my face Slay them I but so that they shal alwaies be dying and neuer dye For so is that â—eatefull â—entence which will loose the ioints make the knees knock together when it shall be heard m Mat. 25. 41 Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his angells Is it not better for vs then to acknowledge Iesus Christ to be God while we liue here may learn it then to be driueÌ„ to confess it when it shal auaile vs to nothing but to increase our iust damnation I am sory a sham'd that in this cleere sun-shine of the Gospell any man making profession of Christian religion should make doubt of so main a ground therof Neither would I haue wearied you my selfe with so large an exhortatioÌ„ but that I know too wel there is too iust occasion of it Yet I may not forget my selfe too much That which hath bin said is sufficient with the blessing of God without it nothing that can be say de Let vs now come neerer home and betake our selueâ— to that which is more proper to our calling For as the Angells that are ministring spirits though they be faine oftentimes to oppose themselues against the malice and fury of satan his instruments yet haue not this office properly assign'd vnto them but as it furthereth their principle charge to helpe them forward which shall be heires of saluation so the ministers of the Gospel must account it their especial duty to instruct comfort them that are the true members of the body of Iesus Christ To you therfore beloued in the same our Sauiour will I now addresse my speech euen to all you that beleeue in Christ to iustification Haue you learned that the Messiah your Sauiour is God almighty Do you firmly and stedfastly beleeue this without wilfull gain-saying or doubting Assure your selues the holy Ghost hath set you in the waie to euerlasting life But me thinkes I heare some poore soule sighing in himself striuing if it were possible to conceale his own thoughts from his own heart What is it thou dost so labour to suppresse what art thou so affray de to be knowen of Be not dismaied nor discouraged If thou tremble like n Marke 5. 33. her that heard our Sauiour aske who hath touched him remember with what ioy to her selfe she was discouered Promise thy selfe no lesse from him who will certainly o Mat. 11. 28 refresh all them that being heauy laden come vnto him What Those that haue now and then some doubt in them of his eternall God-head I euen those in despight of Satan and all his treacherie Let mee reason with thee a little Dost thou not beleeue that the scripture is the vndoubted word of God yes thou doost Art thou not perswaded that the same Scripture teacheth thee that thy Sauiour Christ is very God Thou art But thou hast many times some doubting of the point within thy heart What Dost thou doubt willingly as one that either thinkes it not to be so or at the least that was neuer resolutely perswaded that it is so Let me say more to thee Wouldst thou haue him bee God or no If thy affection desire to honour him all that may be if thy weake faith labour to ouercome this doubting Satan would haue thee doubt makes thee afraid thou doubtest but indeed thou dost beleeue It is not a property of the most sanctified men to bee without tentations but not to yeelde to them with ioy and liking True faith may be weake though perfect faith cannot Weaknes of faith wil admit occasion of doubting but not giue place to doubting Doost thou not finde it in thy selfe thy doubting neither brings forth denying nor receiues any kinde entertainement at thy hands then art thou wholly free from wilfull gainesaying or doubting Satan can not make thee beleeue that thy Sauiour is not God Only he makes thee afraid least he should not be God And how comes hee to this aduantage Surely by no other meanes but by driuing thee to examine the point by reason There can be but one God which is he that sent Iesus Christ into the world and not Iesus himselfe If thou tell him of the three persons hee demaunds further how thou canst conceiue that there should be three such persons and all they but one God As if p 2. Cor. 5. 7. wee walkt heere by sight and not by faith I know it is possible to beate the Deuill at his owne weapons and by the force of reason to maintaine against him that there is a Trinity of persons though that mystery by discourse
much and indeed too much for this sottish heresie It is also gathered from hence by some that the word is coeternall or equal to the Father in eternity A doctrin very true needfull to be knowne but such as was signified before when it was said that The VVord was in the beginning that it was with God Neither doth the beginning in this or the former clause note eternity but the time when all things began to be created Wherfore to shut vp the interpretation of this verse with shewing what I conceiâ—e to be intended in it by the holy ghost I am perswaded that the purpose of the Evangelist was to repeate that which in the former verse he had deliuered For if he had meaÌ„t to add a fourth point of the like kind to the other 3 in all liklyhood he would haue continued the same manner of writing by coupling this to that which went before and haue said And this was in the beginning with God If any man obiect that he doth not so in that which followeth he is already answered that in the next words the Evangelist comes to a new kinde of argument wherby he proues that which before hee had avoucht namely that the word was in the beginning was God At the least he describes the Word by outward effects towards the creatures not by his owne nature or properties Neither is this a bare repetition but a plainer instruction for the simplest that they may â—ssure theÌ„selues that the Word was in the beginning with God I graunt so much was implied before but not exprest to euery mans capacity Here the Evangelist speaketh so that all may vnderstaÌ„d him giues directioÌ„ for the interpreting of that clause The VVord was with God When was the Word with God In the beginning When as yet there was neither time nor place euen then had the Word his being with God I would gladly adde to all this that which is obseru'd by l Toletus in Ioâ—n cap. 1. Annot. 11. some as I perswade my selfe not without great likelihood that the Euangelist by his repetition would farther giue vs to vnderstand that The VVord not only was in the beginning but was then with God a worker in the creation of all things The ground of this interpretation is taken from that place in m Pro. 8. 22. the Prouerbs where this same Word is described by the name of wisdom There first his eternal Being is described Verse 30 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his waie I was before his works of old I was set-vp from euerlasting c. This description is continued to the end of ver 26. In the 27. the holy Ghost proceeds to shew vs that the same wisdome was with God as a nourisher when hee prepared the heauens when he set the compasse vpon the deep c. Yea it may be somewhat more particularly applyed Salomon sayth when he prepared the heauens I was there To that answereth this of our Euangelist This was in the beginning with God His nourishing as some expound it his creating or ordering of all things the holy Ghost heere expresseth at large in the words following By him were al things made The conference of these two places seemes to warrant this exposition as we haue seene I wil not striue much about it so wee apply this repetition to the strengthening of our fayth Concerning our Sauiour Christs eternall God-head doubtlesse we attaine to the principall thing intended by the holy Ghost And of that point what Christian can doubt though he would neuer so faine Dost thou not perceiue that the holie Euangelist deliuers it with aduise and deliberation It is not a matter that hee hits vpon but a point chosen by him to begin his Gospell withal It slips not from him at vnawares but is repeated vpon good aduisement Certainly this doubling of the point makes it manifest that the holy ghost would haue vs view and consider it throughly on al sides It is neither of small importance that it need not to be learned nor easie to be beleeued that it need not to be taught but once Wherefore is it propounded and repeated but that it might be vnderstood and remembred Vnderstood that no hereticks deceiue vs remembred that our hearts faynt not Hee that is God Almighty hath redeemed vs who shall bee able to hold vs Captiues Let vs not be afraid to defye sin hel death and the deuil himselfe n Rom. 8. 31. God is on our side who can be against vs Hauing thus expounded these two verses and finding in them some poynts which concerne the admirarable Doctrin of the most glorious and holy Trinity so many things also beeing spoken euery where in this gospel of the Father the Son and the holy Spirit I haue thought it necessarie both sor your instruction and the discharge of my dutie to bestow the rest of this hower in opening that blessed mystery Wherein according to the example of our Euangelist the whole course of the scripture I will content my selfe with the Euidence of the word without the curiosity of schoole diuinity It shall be sufficient for vs vnderstand that the scripture affirmeth that there is one God and three persons though we can see no reason how it can be so And farder in shewing that the three persons are indeed distinct one from another and not diuers respects of one and the same I will not stand vpon their nature in themselues so much as vpon those effects which beeing ascrib'd to them in the Scripture cannot as in shall appeare bee performed by anie one person Our Euangelist deliuers the point of our Sauiours diuine nature in a few words here in the beginning of the Gospell Hee proues it at large by many wonderfull works of his through the whole course of his writing This shal be my example and warrant Yet I would not haue any man think that I either condemne their paines and care who haue laboured to explaine these mysteries by the light of reason or affirme that the points themselues cannot stand with reason They are indeed aboue reason but yet not against reason As the light of nature cannot discerne them so it cannot disproue theÌ„ And the chiefe end of them that endeuoured to discusse these maters in some sort by reason was rather to stop their mouths that would not beleeue theÌ„ to inforce theÌ„ to beleeue Now this course in this place and auditorie I trust is needlesse I am sure with the greatest part it would be bootlesse For how many or rather how few are there heere present that are able to examine or conceiue the subtill arguments that haue been deuised and vsed in these questions Neither are wee to settle our faith by the waight of humane reason but to ground it vpon diuine authority Now to the matter Wherein that I may proceede the more orderly and be the more easily vnderstood First I will speake of the vnity of
hope will make a man try any course that shall be directed him It is a rare thing to find any man so void of hope to liue that he will not take whatsoeuer is offered him to continue life Is the remedy more greeuous then the disease what is easier in the opinion of ordinary men then to belieue Shall I tell you what I conceiue of the matter There are 2 lets that stay vs commonly from the seeking and embracing of this life Either we are too wel coÌ„ceited of our selues or not well enough perswaded of him in whom this life is Would you haue me seeke for life Let them looke after it that lack it I haue life already in my selfe and need not depend vpon any other for it I am rich and increased with goods and haue neede of nothing o Reu. 3. 17. saith the Church of Laodicea and yet indeed as our Sauiour there tells her She was wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked This conceipt naturally possesseth all men and where this is rooted and flourisheth there is neither roome for spiritual life to grow nor will to plant it But this because it is so agreeable to the pride of our corrupt nature is the lesse to bee wondred at The other hinderance whereby wee are helde backe from this life is more strange and lesse excuseable There are many that make open profession to all the world that they knowe themselues to be naturally dead and to stand in neede of life to quicken them yea they goe farder and in wordes acknowledge that the life they want is in Christ and yet like those Iewes I spake of ere-while they care not to ioyne themselues to Christ that they may be made partakers thereof This I take to be generally the estate of most of vs that are called Christians Do we not all professe beleefe in Iesus Christ Do we not thereby acknowledge that we are dead in our selues and looke to receiue life from him And yet how few of vs are there that indeed are so perswaded Thinke not much that I make this greeuous coÌ„plaint If we did truely beleue that in heart which we confesse from the teeth outward were it posssible we should be so carelesse where can you find me one amoÌ„gst a greate many that either knowes or cares to knowe how this life is to be come by Doth thy hart leap within thee for ioy as oft as thou hear'st that there is life to be had in Iesus Christ p Gen. 42. 2. When Iacob in a time of famin heard that there was food in Aegypt hee sent his Sâ—nns thither with all speed to buy some How far would they haue gon for life that trauailed into Aegypt for meate Thou hast heard there is life in Christ for â—ll that sitst stil thy house I should say ly'st stil in thy graue and thinkest it enough for thee to haue heard of it Thou doost but deceiue thy owne wretched poore soule What could it haue auailed Iacob that hee heard where there was corne to be bought if hee had not sent his Sonnes to fetch it But perhaps thou mak'st accouÌ„t â—hat thou hast it sure If I should aske thee when or how thou camst by it I doubt me thy answere woulde bee to seeke Go to I will not presse thee so far though well I might For this life we speake of doth not steâ—le into a man while he lies a-sleeping but is followed and sought for before it be obtained But I will only demaÌ„d this one questioÌ„ of thee Hast thou indeed found life in Iesus Christ Oh that it were as â—ruly as it is commonly spoken I will not examin thee vpon any Interrogatories Let thine owne soule tell thee in secret betwixt it and thee whether thy affection to this autor of life bee such as the feeling of so greate a blessing can not possibly chuse but make it He that saith he beleeues there is life in Christ and vseth no meanes to become partaker of it either thinkes he hath no neede thereof or accouÌ„ts it not worth the hauing or saith he knoweth not what deceiuing himself with an empty shadow the substance whereof he neither hath nor careth for What shall I say of him who brags he is possest of life in Christ yet neither honors Christ nor reioyceth in his own happines What else But that his heart beleeues not what his toong auoucheth But I dwel too long in the general Let vs come now to the particulars and first to the life of holynes which is so absolutely from Christ that the Apostle saith it is not himselfe that liueth but Christ that liueth in him Will you heare him speake I through the lawe q Gal. 2. 19. 20. saith S. Paul am dead to the law and that I might liue vnto God I am crucified with Christ Thus I liue yet not I now but Christ liueth in me For the spirit by which wee liue is r Eph. 4. 15. 16. the spirit of Christ resting in him as in the head and spreading himselfe abroad into euery one of the members to giue them their proportion of life and growth This is that which Å¿ Rom. 8. 2. in another place is call'd the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus and which is there said to haue freed vs from the law of sinne The Iewes bragd they were free by nature because they were Abrahams children t Ioh. 8. 33. 34. But our Sauiour aunsweres them that they were the seruants of sinne because they committed sin and could not be made free indeede but by the sonne Ver. 36. onely This our Baptisme teacheth vs as u Rom 6. 2. 3. 4. the Apostle sheweth at large The summe is that we are buried by Baptisme into the death of Christ that sinne may be slaine Ver. 11. in vs and raised againe by the power of his resurrection that righteousnes may liue and grow in vs. The conclusion is this Make account saith the holy Apostle that yee are dead to sinne but are aliue to God in Iesus Christ our Lord. x Eph. 2. 5. In whom wee were quickened when wee were dead in sinnes For y 1 Cor. 1. 30. Christ Iesus is made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Where are they now who finde themselues so perplexed with the sight and sense of that their naturall corruption Me thinkes I heare the sighes and grones of a poore soule lamentably complaining that shee can finde no ende of her wretchednesse no bottome of her running sore If she heale vp one two breake out for it If she make head against pride couetousnesse setts vpon her behinde her backe While she is busie with all the force she can make to withstand the lusts of the flesh that outwardly assault her her owne thoughts inwardly commit fornication Though shee keepe her hands from murder yet her tongue wounds deepely and deadly with euill speeches To conclude when shee
that is in Christ hath quickened thee Thou art questionless inlightened Shall I make bold to aske thee a â—ew questions concerning the mysterie of thy redemption the roote whereon the life thou talkest of groweth Wilt thou not abide to be questioned with of these points Heare me a little I doe it not to appose thee but to instruct thee At the least if thou wilt not answere mee yet giue mee the hearing while I open this great secret vnto thee Not that neither Shall thy pleasure lull thee a sleepe that thou canst not heare Shall thy profit carry thee away that thou wilt not see I were as good hold my peace as speake and not bee heard All men are willing and ready to conser of that whereof they haue skill and experience Thou canst not doe a souldiour a greater pleasure then to put him into some discourse of warre How gladly doth a Mariner take occasion to intreat of nauigation So all professions and trades easily fall into speech of that wherein they haue best knowledge Onely in the profession of christianitie the case is otherwise You shall finde many a one I would I might not truely say very many I am sure I may say ouer many that can not indure to speake themselues or heare other men enter into any discourse of life in CHRIST Tell me I pray you what is the reason why other sorts of professions are so forward in talking of their artes and trades Is it not because they make account they haue some good skill in them Could Christians be so backward to reason of matters touching their saluation but that they are priuie to their owne ignorance in such cases Shall a smith or a shoomaker delight to speake of his craft because he is skilfull in it and shal we hold off and shunne speech of our glorious redemption because but I will say no more for very shame of the world It were not possible we should auoide such communication if we knewe how to carry our selues in it without bewraying our ignorance How then stands the case with vs Are wee not inlightened Then are we not quickened If wee bee in darkenesse we are in death too This this it is be feared is the case of many of vs. There is no life in vs because there is no light in vs With this light wee may search our hearts and discerne whether we be indeede aliue or dead What know I concerning mine owne naturall estate What haue I learned of my first transgression in Adam What feeling am I come to of the horrible corruption where with my soule and body are defiled What vnderstand I of Iesus Christs natures and offices Haue I considered the infiniteness of the loue of God in sending his owne and onely sonne to be my sauiour Am I well instructed in the doctrine of his sufferings Is the value of his inualuable sacrifice magnified by me though not comprehended Let me yet come a little neerer How many are there that do not so much as know what Iesus Christ was what it is to bee iustified what it is to beleeue We are buried in the darknesse of death hauing nothing in vs but the bare conceipt of life I appeale to thine owne soule whosoeuer thou art that wouldest be saued I desire thee not to let mee see the light that is in thee but to looke into thine owne heart whether therebe any there or no. The triall is betwixt God and thee It is in vaine to say thou art inlightened For he knows what is in thee better then thou doost thy selfe And there is no greater argument of thy blindnesse then that thou doost not see it He that begins to see perceiues hee wants a great deale of seeing perfectly But he that was borne blind and continues so knows not that there is any such thing as sight to bee had but onely as hee heares other men talke of it Such is the estate of many professed Christians They haue heard I know not what rumours of Adam and his fall of CHRIST and his death and such other matters But they know no one point or other soundly and throughly either to their humiliation or consolation And yet for I must repeate it againe and often without light there is no life to be had in Iesus Christ How long then will you wander in darknesse When will you approche to life Let it suffice vs that we haue hitherto continued in ignorance yet the light shines vnto vs. Who can tell how soone the Lord will bee weary of waiting on vs and holding out the light of saluation to them that will not see Deceiue not your owne selues with a vaine hope of life as if it could be seized on by groping in the darke Be not wanting to your selues and assuredly yee shall be saued Christ Iesus hath prouided life sor you The same Christ Iesus is ready to shew you the way to it nay hath shewed it to you already if you would haue vouchsaf't to looke toward it And because you are not blind onely but dead also he hath sent vs his seruants and ministers to call vpon you to cry out vnto you to intreat you that you would open your eies and see the light It lies shining vpon your eie-liddes do but lift them vp and it will enter What shall you lose by receiuing sight What will it hurt you to be saued Is any man so hardly intreated to his owne good You shall not trauaile alone in the way to life Behold heere is company on euery side I and my brethren the Ministers will carry the light before you do but follow it and the light will bring you to life If any man for all this will roust in darknesse though hee refuse to see the light yet shall that discouer him both to God and men Art thou not ashamed to know that so many see thy blindnesse Art thou not affraid that the Lord himselfe will cast thee into eternall darknesse since thou takest no pleasure in light Rowse vp thy selfe and shake off this drowsinesse that CHRIST IESVS may giue thee light If thou wilt not neuer presse into this and the like places God is not deceiued Thou makest a shew of loue to the light when thou comest hither where it shines Is thy sight dim The light will cleere it Hast thou no sight at all The light will giue thee eies to see withall The light of the sunne appeares not but where there are eies alreadie and those open too But the light of life which is in CHRIST makes eies where it is desired and causeth life in all that are willing to haue it Whereof if any man doubt let our Euangelist resolue him who proceeding to shew vs the effect of the light tells vs that it shines in darknesse as it were offring it selfe to disperse and scatter whatsoeuer hindereth or staieth our full inlightning For though it follow in the later part of the verse that the darknesse comprehends it
a mislike of Iohn and his ministery into any mans hart Did he nourish any such conceit or incline any man to the retaining of it It is true indeed that Iohn was to execute his office only in Iewry and not to seeke out the Iewes in the seuerall Countries where they were dispersed But this doth not proue that his ministery therfore belongd not to them There was great reason why he should abide in those parts There was our Sauiour to bee borne there to bee baptised by him there to be showne to the people That was the lande in which the people to whoÌ„ Iohn was sent had their ordinary and proper dwelling And though many were dâ—sperst here and there yet this was the generall rendez-vous to which all were to resort for the worship of God the expectatioÌ„ of the Messiah If their worldly affairs occasions held theÌ„ir other places that they â—aÌ„e noâ— to heare Iohn preach veâ— was Iohns ministery in respect of the common end therof as free for them as for any other of the Iews whatsoeuer that they might haue beleeued And shall any of them that haue perisht through their own default or shal any Proctor for them open his mouth to blame the iustice or deny the mercy of God in prouiding for their saluation What dost thou climing vp to heauen and prying into the hidden counsaile of God to accuse him or excuse them Iohn was sent to beare witnesse that all men might beleeue Did he not accordingly shew himselfe to all that would see him Did he forbid or discourage any man from hearing If at any time he seem'd to driue men from him it was to driue them to Christ I graunt he was meane in his apparell homely in his diet solitary in his conuersation sharpe in his reproofes But he was faithfull and painefull in his ministery Though hee rebuked many that came to his baptisme yet the refused none that confest their sinnes It was not his purpose to with-hold baptisme from any man but to prepare all men that they might bee fit receiuers of it But what spend I time in defending of Iohn These mens quarrell is not to him but to God Alas poore wretches Whome do they prouoke How will they be able to maintaine their quarrell Nay rather O desperat miscreants O prophane blasphemers Was God in fault that they beleeu'd not Did he not promise them often that the Messiah shoulde come Did he not send his Angel euen Gabriell to foretell the precise time of his comming Did hee not prouide that Iohn should preach vnto them That hee might Mal. 4. 6. turne the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers least he should come and smite the earth with cursing And as if all this had beene a small matter did hee not take order that his promises should be left in writing to the ende that all men might know them Where was the fault now that these things were not knowne and beleeued Many of them could not read these prophecies But God had made euerie one of them capable of skill to read If their parents neglected the meanes or if themselues reguarded not the knowledge shall God beare the blame of their sinne and folly Will you except against the hardnesse of the points as they are deliuered in the prophecies of the olde Testament Nay rather condemne the hardnesse of their hearts that would not vnderstand that which as for those times was plainly and manifestly taught There was none so simple or ignorant amongst them but he had heard of the Messiah None almost so carelesse but lookt for his comming None so desperate but hoped for some good by his comming Why then did they refuse him Refuse him said I Nay why did they denie him disgrace him hate him persecute him murther him Because they knewe him not Did they not know him But they might haue done if they had beleeued Moses and the rest of the Prophets that testified of him But let all them goe Admitte they Ioh. 5. 46. had giuen no tokens by which the Messiah when hee should come might be knowne I will vrge none but Iohn Baptists testimony or rather I will not vrge it but name it Iohn is sent to them as it is generally knowne amongst them after an extraordinarie manner his father and mother being very olde and she all her life time time verie barren An Angell brings his father a message from God that his wife should conceiue and appoints him to call the child Iohn The father makes doubt of this promise is threatned and stricken with dumbnesse thereupon which according to the Angels threatning continues till the child be born The eight day after when hee is to bee circumcised the mother names him Iohn the kindred except against it because none of their Auncestors or stocke haue beene so called His fathers opinion is required Hee makes signes for a payre of writing Tables and confirmes his wiues direction by his consent thus written His name is Iohn Presently hereupon his mouth is opened and his tongue loosed and by the spirit of prophecy hee breakes out into a psalme of prayse and thankesgiuing to God These things are noysed all about those parts and there is great muttering among the people with wonder at the child what manner of man hee will prooue To increase this admiration the course of this childes life is yet more extraordinarie hee withdrawes himself from the company of men and liues in the wildernesse many yeares together at the last about the thirteth yeare of his age as it were vpon a sodayne He comes into all the Coasts about Iordan preaching the baptisme of repentaÌ„c for the remission of sins In a short time his fame growes sâ— great that the Rulers of the Iewes are halfe of opinioâ— that he is the Messiah yea there wanted nothing buâ— his owne word to make him beso acknowledged Heâ— cleares it and sayes plainely I am not the Christ No many dayes after this message euen the next day while these thinges were fresh in memorie hee tell them directly that Iesus whome also hee shewes them being now present with him is the Messiah after whom they inqure Consider now I beseech you a little the strange and wilfull blindnesse of this people Iohn the Baptist was a man in that credit and fauour with them that hee might haue beene taken for the Messiah if hee would haue taken the office vpon him Hee tels them he is not the man he assures them vpon his reputation that Iesus is hee to whome hee doth so much submitâ—e himselfe that hee holdes not himselfe worthy to vntie his shooe Tell mee nowe and speake boldely so thou wilt speake reasonably whosoeuer thou art what canst thou saye against the Lorde in this case Deuise a more likely meanes if thou caâ—st to perswadâ— them by Doth Iohn want authoritie to moue them All men held Iohn for a Prophet Lackes
was his not trusting in God The same point hee amplifyed in the verse following The Aethiopians saith he and the Lybians were Ver. 8. they not a great hoast with Charrets hors-men exceeding many Yet because thou didst rest on the Lorde he deliuered them into thy hand Therefore doth Iehosaphat exhort his people to the like trust in God and assureth them of deliuerance from their enimies therevpon Put your trust on the Lord your God saith he and yee shall be assured Chap 20. 20. We heard of the Reubenites before that the Hagarins were deliuered into their hands because they trusted in God 1 Chro. 5. 20. That the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the Israelits Because they beleeued not in God trusted not in his helpe Psal 78. 22. To this trust is blessednesse ascrib'd Blessed are all that Psa 2. 12. trust in him Yea with such a blessednesse as shal neuer fayle them They that trust in the Lord shall bee as mount Psal 125. 1. Syon which cannot be remoued but standeth fast for euer Tast and see saith the Psalme how gracious the Lord is Psal 34. 8. blessed is the man that trusteth in him Such a man will not be afrayd of euill tidings his heart is fixed and beleeueth in the Lord. This is to beleeue to saluation euen to haue his heart settled and to repose himself wholly and only Ps 112 7. Act. 16. 31. vpon Iesus Christ As for that perswasion which euery man must haue and wherein some woulde haue faith consist it followes him that is iustified and goes not before any mans iustification as faith must needes doe for the condition to be performed on our part to iustification is to Beleeue So then to beleeue in Christ is to rest vpon Christ but what is it To beleeue in his name Must his name bee rested vpon as if there were some especiall vertue in it In which of his names In IESVS or in CHRIST For of Imanuell it is needlesse to say any thing because hee is not once so called in all this Gospell and if the Euangelist speake of a name doubtlesse hee speakes of such a name as was knowne and ordinary neither woulde hee haue omitted it in the history if it had beene of such importance and vse It may seeme perhaps that Iesus is the name in which all men that will be saued must beleeue For that is it by which Saint Iohn commonly calls our Lord in his gospell and by which he was well knowne amongst men as hauing beene giuen him at the time of his circumcision Luk. 2. 21. and continued according to the custome of the Iewes We haue found him saith Philip to Nathaneel of Ioh. 1. 45. whome Moses did write in the law and of whome the Prophets writ Iesus the Sonne of Ioseph And of this name Iesus many excellent things are spoken in the Scripture That is said to haue cured the man that had beene a cripple Act. 3. 16. 6. from his mothers wombe At that name euen at the name of Iesus must euery knee bow By that name wonders haue beene Phil. 2. 10. wrought according as the Apostles prayed to God that healing and signes and wonders might be done by the name of his Act. 4. 30. holy Sonne Iesus Neither is this name effectuall for bodily cures only but as the Apostle Saint Peter profeseth Ver. 12. There is giuen no other name vnder heauen by which we must be saued But is there indeed such power in the name What then needed our Lord to haue come himself in the flesh seeing there were more then one of that name many yeeres before he was conceiued in the wombe of the blessed virgin in his mother Iesus the Sonne of Iosedec is Hag. 1. 12. famous in Hagge being high Priest after the peoples return out of the Captiuity But much more famous was osua 1. 1. 2. 3. the other Iesus who brought the people of Israell into the Land of Canaan and diuided to euery Tribe his proper in heritance That the names are all one though some would make a curious and an idle distinction betwixt them both the nature of the wordes shewe and the holy Gost in the new testament hath made it manifest by calling Iosua Iesus without any kind of difference in the name If Iesus had giuen them rest Afterwarde Heb. 4. 8. the Apostle in the same Chapter hauing occasion to name Iesus our Sauiour that hee might bee vnderstood to speake of him and not of Iosua addes his title Iesus the sonne of God What should that haue needed Ver. 14. if the name it selfe had afforded sufficient note of difference betwixt them But it is plaine in the originall Greeke and in the Syriake and Latine translations as also in our English that there is none The 70. Iewes that turned the olde Testament out of Hebrew into Greeke so exprest the names both of that Leader and of the high Priest Iosua 1. 1. Nowe after the death of Moses the seruant of the Lord the Lord spake vnto Ioshua Iesus sayeth the Greeke and so through out that whole booke So of Iehoshua the highe Priest Zach the third and the first And hee shewed mee Iehoshua or Iesus the high Priest so in the 3 6 and 8 verses of the same Chap. If the name giuen to our Sauiour Christ by Gods owne appointment had been diuers from the other surely the holy Ghost would not haue confounded them But now of purpose the same is retained that all men might vnderstand the reason of it as it is partly signified in that place to the Hebrewes concerning another Rest into which Iesus Christ hath brought the people of Israell the true children of God Hebrewes 4 8. For if Iesus had giuen them rest who was this Iesus but Ioshua then woulde hee not after this daye haue spoken of another What should I trouble you with many wordes of this matter By the name the partie whose name it is is signifyed Let the Apostle Peter expound himselfe His name hath made this man sound through faith in his Act. 3. 16. name Is it the name or faith in the name Iesus and not rather Iesus himselfe and faith in him And the faith which is by him sayeth the Apostle hath giuen him his perfect health The like wee haue touchinge the same matter in the next Chapter By the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth by him doth this man stand heer Chap. 4. 10. before you whole This sheweth that the Miracles which were wrought proceeded from the power of Christ not from any vertue in his name How then should saluation come from or by it Hearken what the Angell sayth when hee giues the name Thou shalt Mat. 1. 21. call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Not his name but Hee For the name had neither bloud nor life to giue in
their naturall being So are some euen as many as beleeue in Christ his sonnes concerning their spirituall beeing For it is God that creates as it were new hearts in them that restores that image of his which they had lost that giues them spirituall life and motion to all righteous and holy actions I do but name the things according to the present occasion leauing the handling of them to more fit opportunitie in the next verse It is enough that we vnderstand in what meaning wee are the Children of Godâ— because wee are borne of him and yet not his Sonnes by nature But is this that which the holy Ghost intendeth in this place to signifie that Christ is autor of regeneration to all them that beleeue I suppose this is not all For it is easie for euery man to discerne that the Text speaketh of such a being sonnes as followeth faith and beleeuing whereas the birth that is mentioned in the verse following goeth before faith which is one of those â—â—â—ces that are formed in vs and brought forth by that â—irth This is that the Apostle saith other where Ye are Gal. 3. 26. ill the Sonnes of God by faith in Iesus Christ First wee beleeue and then by beleeuing we are the sonnes of God This is as it were the second birth the first is that which necessarily must bee had before a man can haue any â—pirituall life in him For as our Sauiour tells Nicodemus That which is borne of flesh is flesh and that that is Iohn 6. borne of the spirit is spirit No man can possibly haue â—aith of the flesh but the spirit must beget a faithfull man There is no remedy then but wee must seeke for â—ome other being sonnes or that I may speake more â—hortly Sonne-ship Giue mee leaue to vse the worde because it is fit though somwhat harsh till it be worne smooth with often vsing Where shall wee finde that Sonne-ship wee inquire for Let vs examine what and how many kindes of Sonnes wee know amongst men not speaking of these which are made sonnes by alliance who is ignorant that there are two kindes of Sonnes by nature and by adoption The one is borne the other is chosen a Sonne The former kinde is so well knowne that it were idle to say any thing of it Of the later we haue small knowledge amongst vs by experience saue only in them who by their last Will and Testament make them their Heyres that haue no interest to their estate but onely by the fauour and appointment of the Testator Among the old Romans it was very ordinary as their histories lawes in that case prouided euidently pleÌ„tifully shew The scripture affords vs few or none examples of this kinde Wee haue a shadow of it in the course that Iacob tooke with Iosephs two sonnes Manasses Ephraim They were indeede his grand children or nephewes by nature But by fauour hee made theÌ„ equall to the rest of his sons their vncles so that they make two of the 12. Tribes Let my name Gen. 48. 16. saith Iacob be named vpon them that is Let them be accounted my sonnes as if they had bin begotten of my body The like may be said of Moses and Esther who were after a sort the adopted Children of Pharaohs daughter and Mordecai Of him the Text saith that his mother after shee had weaned him brought him to Pharaohs daughter and he was as her Sonne Which Exod. 2. 10. Heb. 11. 24. is farder proued by the Epistle to the Hebrewes that he refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter Of her it is recorded in the history that after the death of her father and her mother Mordecai who was her cosin Germane Est 2. 7. tooke her for his owne daughter By this Son-ship the partie thus adopted obtaines a title and interest to the estate of him that hath adopted him as if hee were his naturall child Of this sonne-ship by Adoption from God there are 〈◊〉 in loa lib 1. cap. 10. two kindes in the scripture the one a figure and resemblance of the other When the Lord sent Moses to Pharaoh for the deliuerance of the children of Israell hee gaue him this instruction for the discharge of his Embassage Thou shall say to Pharaoh Thus sayth the Lord Exod. 4. 22. Israell is my sonne my first borne Would you know what sonneship this was The Apostle wil resolue you where speaking of the prerogatiue that God vouchsaf't the Iewes he reckens among other blessings the Adoption Rom. 9. 4. what was that else but a choosing of that people out of all the nations in the world to be his peculiar vnder his protection The Lord sayth Moses set his delight in thy fathers to loue them and did choose their seede after them euen Deut. 10 15. you aboue all people Therefore did hee bestow vpon them the Land of Canaan a land especially furnisht by him with the blessings of this present life Flowing with milke and honey Glorious was this estate of theirs their Exod 33. 3. adoption full of fauour to the enuie of all the world their owne happy securitie But as glorious and bountifull as it was it was for all that but a shadow of the spirituall sonneship There is another manner of Adoption mentioned in the new Testament and imparted to them that beleeue in Iesus Christ When the fulnesse of time was come sayth Galat. 4. 4. 5. Saint Paule God sent foorth his sonne made of a woman made vnder the law That hee might redeeme them which were vnder the law that wee might receiue the adoption of sonnes According as he had predestinated vâ— saith the same Eph. 1. 5. Apostle to be adopted through Iesus Christ To vs thus adopted he giues the spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Abba Rom. 8. 15. father This is the sonneship the Euangelist speakes of in this place This is that spirituall Adoption by which wee are truely made the sonnes of God I shall not need to adde any farther proof of the matter because it hath appeared already that none of the other Sonneships can agree with that which is here auouched For to none of them is beleeuing required especially beleeuing in Iesus Christ but to this only To that Sonneship which is by creatioÌ„ it is neither lookt for nor possible that wee should bring faith For wee must needes be eâ—e wee can beleeue and our very being is our being sonnes So the Iewes vpon that promise of God to their father Abraham were borne not made sonnes their Adoption consisted not in the seuerall choyse of particular men but in separating the seede of Abraham Isaac and Iacob from all families and nations in the world whatsoeuer Neither is our spirituall sonneship of the former kinde attained to by faith but by it we are made faithfull Therefore to be sonnes is to be adopted by God for his children in Christ I will make
God Let mee reason with thee a little and take that I shall say in good parte For I doe it not to weaken thy perswasion but to strengtheÌ„ thy faith Hast thou euer confidered this point seriously and debated it aduisedly with thine owne heart Dost thou truly discerne and acknowledge that thou art naturally the child of the Diuell What Doost thou start at this Doe I seeme to wrong thee in abasing thy estate so much Thou art content to say thou art a sinner and it may bee thou doost indeed thinke thy selfe to haue deserued the wrath of God but thou canst not abide to haue it thought that thou wert at any time the Sonne of the Diuell This opinion would disgrace thee too much and affright thee too sore It were a harde matter for thee indeed euer to beleeue that God woulde make thee his Sonne if thou hadst this perswasion of thy selfe that thou art the childe of the Diuell I I am naught saist thou as other men are and I haue neede of Gods mercy and I hope hee will bee as good to mee as to any other But neuer thinke to make me beleeue that I am so bad Then indeed I had small cause to hope for any fauour at the handeâ— of God Tell me I beseech you Are not these the very thoughts of your hearts Doe you not thus flatter your soules If you knewe throughly what you are it were vnpossible you should so easily beleeue what you may bee But perhaps though you are not willing to knowe the worst of your selues in your estate by nature yet you are desirous to vnderstand the vttermost of the honour you may aâ—taine to by grace Well let vs conferre of this a little How many weekes or daies or houres haue you spent in the search of this Adoption which is vouchsaf't you in Christ Haue you learnd what it is to bee a Sonne Haue you made any estimate of the inheritance that is promised Doe you knowe the difference betwixt a seruant and a Sonne Is not al your trust in the plea of seruants If I doe my good will saith one I knowe God will accept of it What though I be ignorant of the mystery of my redemption Alas I am no Diuine no Scholler not booke learned God lookes for no such greate knowledge of mee I can tell that I must loue God aboue all things and my neighbour as my felfe If I doe this I am sure God will bee mercifull to mee and I shall goe to heauen O the blindnesse the wilfull blindnesse of ignorant men How long will yee despise the kind offer of the Lord When will yee begin to consider what honour he hath vouchsaf't you When will you haue any care to vnderstand your own happinesse The Lord God would haue you his Sonnes you wil continue obstinatly in the conditioÌ„ of seruants Hee would bestow heauen vpon you as an inheritance you will needes haue it as wages Hee offers to giue you title to it by adoption you striue to lay clayme to it by your owne purchase Would you choose to be seruants rather then Sonnes if you had any knowledge of these 2. estates You haue heard somewhat of the ioyes of heauen and you haue accordingly a plaine confused motion of the good estate of them that are there From hence ariseth a kinde of desire to bee partakers of those pleasures and by the flattery of selfe loue some manner of perswasion that ye shall enioy them But yee are as farre from knowing what it is to bee the sonnes of GOD as I shewed you were from beleeuing that you are the Children of the Diuell Is it any wonder then that wee make so light account of it who can desire that hee knowes not Where mens treasures are there also their hearts are Mat. 6. 21. Who is there that had not rather bee called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter then the brother of Iesus Christ To whome doth it not seeme a greater honour to bee the sonne in lawe of Saul then the adopted sonne of God A Lordshippe vpon earth is counted more worth then a kingdome in Heauen O the basenes of our thoughts O the error of our iudgement O the vilenesse of our affection wee bury our selues in the earth liker wormes then men Wee esteeme more of the pleasures of sinne for a season then of the euerlasting Heb. 11. 19. ioyes of God in Heauen Wee haue greater desire to the vaine titles of worldly honour then to the high prerogatiue of the sonnes of God prophane Esau Gen. 25. 32. that sold his brithright for a messe of pottage was a holy man in comparison of vs. Hee was driuen to the sale by a kinde of necessitie Wee by wantonnesse depriue our selues of this dignitie Hungeâ— made him part with that which was demaunded of him Fulnesse makes vs despise that which is offered to vs. It was in his conceite but a temporall possession that hee should haue enioyed It is an eternall inheritance that wee might possesse He remained Isaacs sonne still though hee lost his birth right wee by neglecting the prerogatiue of sonnes are vtterly shut out of Gods presence and fauour It were som what yet if we might be seruants For there is no place in the house of God that is not honourable But the case stands so with vs that we must either be sonnes or nothing I am sory the time cuts me off that I cannot follow and presse these matters as the worthiness and necessitie of them requires The Lord vouchsafe a blessing vpon that which hath bin spoken and prepare vs to a farder meditation of it in hearts to his owne glorie and our present and euerlasting comfort in Iesus Christ To wnome with the Father c. THE NINTH SERmon vpon the first Chapter of IOHN Verse 12. But to as many as receiued him to them he gaue the Prerogatiue c. THere are two thinges that ordinarily make men colde and negligent as in the pursuit of that they haue some minde to so in the desire of that which is offered ignorance of the worth thereof and a conceite that to them it will bee of small vse or profit To what end shoulde a man spend his time and labour in the search of that which when hee hath found it is not worth the taking vp and carrying away Or though perhaps it bee of some value in it selfe yet if I know not how to make any benefit of it I were as good spare my paines as lose my labour That neither of these two hinderances might holde vs from receiuing Christ by faith that we might become the sonnes of God and heires of euerlasting life in heauen In my last exercise I shewed both the excellency of this prerogatiue in it selfe and the inualuable profitte that would arise to vs thereof What greater honour can there possiblie bee imagined then to bee heyres apparant to the kingdome of heauen what higher aduancement can the conceite of men or
bee ignorant that hath had any desire to learne vnlesse like a man that lyeth in a ditch and streâ—cheth out his hands calling for helpe to all them that passe by hee refuse to set one finger to the ground for the raysing of himselfe Doo wee then despise so great an happinesse Though wee could bee so vnthankefull to God and yet that were monstrous yet howe canne wee bee so iniurious to our selues What shall I say Or vpon what shall I lay the blame It would bee verie strange and haâ—sh to most men if I should accuse them of not beleeuing Who would not be foreman of the Iurie to finde him guilty who would make daintie to giue sentence against his life that doth not beleeue whatsoeuer is deliuered in the Gospell Not beleeue sayeth one Hee is worse then a Turke or a Iewe that beleeues not I confesse it seemes scarcely credible to my selfe that any man professing religion should not beleeue But I holde it altogether vnpossible that a man should indeede bee perâ—waded in his heart that by beleeuing in Christ hee shall become the sonne of God and yet should bee altogether carelesse of beleeuing It is not vnlikely that wee haue a generall opinion of the â—uth of the Scripture but either wee neuer markt or neuer considered this and such like points that we might be throughly rooted and grounded in the bleefe therof O that I might intreat so much of you all and euery one as that you wold be pleased to bestow a little time â—n the meditation of this prerogatiue I make no question but if once you did stedfastly beleeue it you would neuer giue ouer till you had made your selues sure of so happy and blessed an estate The Prophet Esay considering a little the backewardness of the Iewes in receiuing saluation by the promised Messaih and a great forwardness to other matters reproues them for it in this sort Wherefore doe yee lay out siluer saith hee and not for Isay 55. 2. bread And your labour and are not satisfied May not we insâ—ly take vp the like complaint against the peruersenesse and vnto wardnesse of this age Doe not men beate their braines spend their spirits breake their sleepe wast their time shorten their liues by carking caring for the momentary trash of this world We rise erly we go late to bed we fare hardly we cloth our selues simply we toile moile like horses al for nothing What is all the wealth in the world to the riches in heauen What are all the possessions of the earth to the inheritance of that kingdome What is all the honor that the world can heape vpon a man in comparison of being the Sonne of God If it continue with thee as long as thou continuest aliue yet leaues thee when thou diest whereas that heauenly preferment abides with thee attends vpon thee after death or rather lifts thee vp and carries thee aliue to heauen For what though this sinfull earthly carcasse be destroyed yet the soule mounts immediatly vp to heauen taking possession of that inheritance and inioying it with al freedome comfort in assured expectation of proportionable glory wherewith the body in due time shall be clothed and beautifyed And doe wee still lie groueling vpon earth Wee shewe thereby whose children wee are vpon thy belly shalt thou goe said the Lorde to the olde serpent the Diuell and dust shalt thou eate all the daies of thy life See Gen. 13. 14. if wee doe not as much as may bee resemble him in this curse Wee roote and digge into the earth like Moles and feed vpon the white and yellow clay which with infinite labour and no small daunger we rent out of the very bowells thereof yea a shame to bee spoken though wee are not ashamed to doe it our immortall soule that hath nothing in it of any affinity with earth imploies her vnderstanding bestowes her affections perswades incourages strengthens thrusts forward her seruant body to so wearisome and so fruitlesse a labour Think you that a miserable wretch wheÌ„ he sits in his counting house looking ouer his bonds when his vsury mony will come in let them be as many thousand pouÌ„ds as they are hundred pence can take half that comfort in his trash that a poore Christian doth in his meditation when hee finds himselfe to be the Sonne of God Set thy selfe vp to the chin in the heapes of thy gold tumble and wallow in the midst of all thy pe lfe shouell it vp by bushells into quarter sacks stuff thy chists as full as thou canst till the sides and bottome are ready to fly out reccon vsury vpoÌ„ vsury to the vtmost farthing but heark doost thou not heare a fearfull voice that cries out vnto thee O foole this night they shall fetch away thy soul from thee then whose shal these Luk. 12. 20. treasures be that thou hast prouided What a man of thy state and aboundance in a moment come to nothing quaking and trembling at the very thought of it in the midst of al thy wealth Wouldst thou do so couldst thou do so if thou knew'st thou wert going to a most glorious kingdome in heauen Is it possible any man of indifferent discretion should be loth to change a Chamber in an other manâ— house for a royal palace in his own Realme and gouernment But why should I so much distrust your capacities or suspect your aflections I see you are able to compass great matters and haue strong desires to those things you like if I may but entreate so much of you as to vouchsase a little time to the meditation of this prerogatiue I make no doubt but you will both conceiue and affect it I doe not goe about to depriue you of any naturall faculty but as it were to lead you to the right vse of it I seeke not to roote out your affections but to grift vpon them such seions as may bring forth pleasant and lasting sruit Is thy vnderstanding great Here are greate mysteries in the search whereof thou maist imploy it For what wit what iudgement what conceit is able to sound the depth or valew the worth or comprehend the extent of this honour To bee the Sonne of God Is thy capacity but weake What is plainer what is easier then to vnderstand that by beleeuing in Christ thou shalt bee made the Sonne of God and ioynt heire of heauen with Christ Yea this doctrine wil teachthee how to satisfy thy most insatiable desires Doth ambition prick thee forward with loue of honour Why wilt thou not set thy minde on that which is true honour indeed The foolish vanity of men hath bewrayed itselfe that the conquest of the whole world would not suffice them All the autority and glory that the Emperours of Rome attain'd to could not quench their thirst of honour but that some of them would needes be worshipâ— as Gods If they could once haue attained the dignity of being the