rich minerall not of gold siluer or pretious stones but of a more precious saluation wherein the deeper thou art able to digge the stronger clearer and greater sight of saluation ariseth vnto thee there is not in all the booke of God a place of holy Scripture which presents to the childe of God so cleare and certaine a sight of his election and glorification as this place doth wherein now we are trauailing for the holy Apostle in this golden chaine of Saluation doth in such sort knit our effectuall Calling with our Election and Glorification that the Christian vpon earth may euidently see what God in the heauens hath decreed toward him vve haue spoken of the first two lincks of the Chaine Prescience and Predestination now we proceed to speake of the third to wit our Calling Where first of all for our greater comfort let vs stand and consider how great and glorious are the benefits which God hath bestowed on the Christian before time the Lord hath chosen him after time the Lord will glorifie him in time the Lord doth call and iustifie him Worldlings also haue theirâ—owne prerogatiues wherin they place their glory those among them that haue most ample and auncient inheritances are counted most honourable but thou who art named a Christian if thou be so indeed looke to thine owne priuiledges and thou shalt see that the glory of a Christian doth far exceed the glory of the most honorable Worldling as the Psalmist spake of Ierusalem so may we of the Christian Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou man of God Election is the first and most auncient charter of the right of Gods Children to their fathers inheritance Calling is the second by it wee are knowne to be the Sons of God and our Election secret in it selfe is manifested to vs and others Iustification is the third by it vvee are infeft in Iesus Christ and made pertakers of all that is his Glorification is the last by it wee are entred heyres to our Father and fully possessed in his inheritance No King vpon earth can produce so auncient a right to his Crowne though with the Egyptian thou shouldest reckon thy beginning so many yeeres before the creation of the world yet canst thou not match the Christian he hath the most auncient charter of the most ample inheritance neyther can any man vpon earth be knowne his Fathers heyre vpon such sufficient warrand as the Christian for in the regeneration the Father communicateth to him his Image his Nature his Spirit whereby hee beginneth from feeling to call God his father and in life and mauners to resemble him No freeholder so surely infeft in his lands nor hath receiued so many confirmations thereupon as the Christian iustified who vpon his gift of righteousnesse and life hath also receiued the earnest the pledge the seale and the witnesse of the great King And last of all the Christian shall be entred to the full possession of his Fathers inheritance with such ioy and triumph in the glorious assembly of the Saints as the like was neuer seene in the world no not in Ierusalem that day wherein Salomon entred heyre to his Father Dauid then the earth rang for ioy but nothing câ—mparable to that ioy wherewith the heauens shall ring when all the Sonnes of God shall be caught from the earth into the ayre to meet the Lord Iesus and to be inuested in the Kingdome of their Father But now wee are to speake of this Calling wherein consists all our comfort for it is the middle lincke of this indiuisible Chaine he that hath it is sure of both the ends Our Calling is the first manifestation of our secret Election and and it is a sure forerunner of our Glorification being in effect the voyce of God foretelling vs that hee will glorifie vs. As the best way in a maine land to finde the sea is to walk by a riuer which runneth into it so hee that would proceed from Election to Glorification let him follow this Calling which is so to call it a riuer flowing out of the brasen mountaines of Gods eternall Election running perpetually vpward till it enter into the heauen of heauens which doe altogether ouerflow with that great and vnbounded Ocean of diuine Glory but wee are still to remember that vvee speake now of the inward Calling for the linckes of this Chaine are so comely framed by that most skilfull Artificer that they are all of a like compasse none of them larger nor narrower than another so that this Calling doth extend to no more nor fewer than those whom God hath chosen This inward Calling is the donation of Faith by the preaching of the Gospell or communication of the sauing grace of Iesus by which wee are moued to answere the Lord and follow the heauenly vocation for as the Lord by the preaching of the Gospell offers vnto all that are in the Church visible righteousnesse and life by Christ if they will repent and beleeue wherein consists the outward Calling so by his holy Spirit hee giueth to his Elect children iustifying Faith by which he openeth their hearts as he did the heart of Lidia to receiue the grace offered by the Gospell and herein consists the inward Calling The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby the Apostle expresseth it signifieth to euocate and chose out some from among others this shall make the greatnesse of Gods mercy toward vs appeare the more clearely if wee doe consider that wee and the reprobate were alike by nature borne blinde rebels and transgressors from the wombe and did walke on with them in the same course of disobedience which leadeth to damnation but it pleased God to call vs out of their fellowship and enter vs in a better couâ—se that wee might be saued A notable example where of wee haue in the calling of Lot out of Sodome the Lord hauing concluded to consume Sodome with fire for her abhominable filâ—hinesse hee first of all sent two Angels to call Lot out of it but Lot not knowing the danger lingred and delayed to follow their calling till at the length they put hands vnto him and forced him to goe out but when hee was set vpon the mountaine and knew the fearefull destruction of Sodome then no doubt hee acknowledged the wonderfull mercy which God had shewed vpon him it is euen so with vs wee are here soiourning in a Sodome which God will destroy and we haue our conuersation among those whose portion shall be in the lake that burns with fire brimstone from which the Lord being purposed to saue vs hath sent his Angels to vs not two but many Ministers of the Gospell of Grace exhorting vs to flye from the wrath which is to come but alas because wee know not the danger we flye slowly and delay to follow the heauenly vocation but in that day wherin wee shall be set vpon the mountaine of Gods saluation and shall
but phantasie and vanishing shewes nothing commends vs to God but this one to haue the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs. Againe wee see here that Christ and his Spirit cannot bee sundred except men will crucifie againe the Sonne of God Let no man therefore say that he hath Christ vnlesse hee haue the Spirit of Christ. As hee is not a man who hath not a Soule so hee is not a Christian who hath not the spirit of Christ no man counteth that a member of his body which is not quickned by his Spirit no more is hee a member of Christ who hath not the spirit of Christ hereby wee know that wee dwell in him and hee in vs because he hath giuen vs of his Spirit And as Christ and his spirit are not sundred so cannot the spirit be sundred from the fruits of the Spirit now the fruites of the Spirit are Loue Ioy Peace Long Suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meeknesse Temperance If the Spirit of Christ dwell in vs and if wee liue in the Spirit let vs walke in the Spirit this is the conuiction of carnall professors that while they say the spirit of Christ is in them they declare none of his fruites in their conuersation but to insist somwhat more in this same purpose Wee are to know that the effects and operations of the Spirit are twofold the one is a generall and common operation which he hath in the wicked for hee illuminates euery one who commeth into the world Neyther can any man say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Spirit euery spark of light and portion of truth bee it in whom it will flowes out of doubt from this holy Spirit That Caiaphas and Saul can Prophecie that Iudas can Preach all is from him but of â—his manner of operation is not here meant for this way he vvorketh in the wicked not for any good to them but for the aduancement of his owne worke The other kinde of the holy Ghosts operation is speciall and proper to the godly by the vvhich hee doth not onely illuminate their mindes but proceeds also to their harts and workes this threefold effect in it Sanctification Intercession and Consolation First he is vnto them a spirit of Sanctification renuing their harts by his effectuall grace hee first rebukes them of sinne he wakens their conscience with some sight of their iniquities and sense of that wrath which sinne hath deserued whereof arises heauinesse in their harts sadnesse in their countenance lamentation in their speech and such an alteration in their whole behauiour that their former pleasures become painefull vnto them and others who knevv them before wonders to see such a change in them From this he proceeds and leads them to a sight of Gods mercie in Christ hee inflames their harts with a hunger thirst for that mercie and workes in their hearts such a loue of righteousnesse and hatred of sinne that now they become more afraid of the occasions of sinne then they were before of sinne it selfe this resistance made to the â—entations this care to eschew the occasions of sinne is an vndoubted token of the spirit of Christ dwelling in thee This is the first operation of the spirit but it is not all he proceeds yet further by degrees for the kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seede into the earth which growes vp and vve cannot tell how first it sends out the blade secondly the eares and then the cornes so proceeds the kingdome of God in maâ— by degrees In the second place the holy spirit becomes to the godly a spirit of Intercession so long as vve are bound with the cords of our transgressions we cannot pray but from the time hee once loose vs from our sinnes hee openeth our mouth vnto God hee teacheth vs to pray not onely with sighes and sobbes that cannot be expressed but also puts such words in our mouths as we our selues who spake them are not able to repeat againe And thirdly hee becomes vnto them the spirit of Consolation if he be vnto thee a sanctifier and an intercessor hee shall not faile at the last to be thy comforter If at the first after that thou hast sent vp supplications thou find not his consolation descending vpon thee be not discouraged but be the more humbled for alas our sinnes shortens his arme and the hardnesse of our harts holds out his comforts we must fall downe vvith Mariâ— and lye still washing the feet of Christ with our teares before he takes vs in his armes to kisse vs with the kisses of his mouthâ— and if wee finde these effects of his presence going before humiliation of our hart and the grace of prayer wee may be out of all doubt that his consolations shall follow after Of this it is yet further euident against all those who deny that the Christian may bee sure of his saluation that hee vvho hath the spirit of Iesus knowes that hee hath him as he who hath life feeles sensiblie that he hath it and is able truely to say I liue â—o he who hath the spirit of Iesus knowes by feeling that hee hath him and is able to say in truth Christ liueth in mee Know yee not saith the Apostle that Christ Iesus is in you except yee be reprobates This shall bee further confirmed by considering those three names which are giuen to the holy spirit from his operation in vs hee is the Seale the Earnestâ— the witnesse of God the vse of a Seale is to confirme and make sure One of these two therefore must the Papists say that â—yther none are sealed by the holy Spirit or else they must confesse that they who are sealed are sure If they say that none are sealed by this Spirit they speake against the manifest truth of God grieue not the holy spirit by whom yee are sealed against the day of redemption And if they deny that they who are seâ—led by him are sure of that saluation which God hath promised he hath sealed they blaspheme calling him such a seale as makes not them sure who are sealed by him hee who hath the seale of a Prince rests assured of that which by the seale is confirmed to him aâ—d shall not the seale of the 〈◊〉 God the Spirit of promise confirme that man in the assurance of saluation who hath receiued him Neither is he onely the seale of God but hee is also the earnest of our inheritance and the witnesse of God he that beleeueth in the sonne hath a witnesse in himselfe what vvill the aduersarie of Christian comfort say to this if yee say that there are none to whom Gods spirit witnesses mercie from God ye speake against the Apostle the spirit beares witnesse to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God or if yee say that those vvho haue this testimonie of the
are the Heyres of God heires annexed with Iesus Christ and the heritage whereunto they are borne is eternall life therefore of necessitie they must liue Here first wee haue to consider what action and operation of the spirit this is which distinguisheth the Sonnes of God from other men The operations of the Spirit are diuers hee hath an vniuersall operation by which he works in all his creatures conseruing leading and directing them to his owne determined ends for in him euery thing that is hath the being liuing and mouing as euery creature is made by God so is it ruled and led by the Spirit according to his appointment Hee hath againe a more speciall operation in man and them backe againe seauen mightie nations of the Canaanits are gathered before them to resist them and hold them out of Canaan but the shepheard and leader of Israell steps ouer all these impediments as if they had not beene in the way and places his people in the mountaine of his inheritance and afterward when he concluded to bring his people from Babell homeward to Canaan he prepared a way for them in the Wildernesse he commaunded the mountaines to bee made low and the vallies to be exalted he commanded the crooked to be straight and the rough places to become plaine and it was done This is for our comfort the Lord who hath taken vs by the hand to lead vs into his holy habitation shall remoue all impediments that are before vs though Sathan like a Lyon spoyled of his pray snatch after vs though he double his tentations vpon vs and with manifold afflictions compasse vs though terrible death and the horrible graue stand before vs threatning to swallow vs by the way yet shall we see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing and ouer all our enimies shall be more than conquerors through him that loued vs and hath taken vs into his owne hand to lead vs to that inheritance which he hath prepared for vs. For it is manifest that both the beginning progresse and perfection of our saluation is ascribed to the spirit of God in holy scriptures when we were dead in sinne he quickned vs when he hath quickned vs he gouernes and leads vs and worketh continually in vs till he perfect vs. Thus is he the author and the finisher of our faith and all the glory of our saluation is his as wee cannot begin to doe well without him so we cannot continue in well doing without him if he lead vs not we wander from him and wearie our selues in the vvay of iniquitie It should serue to humble vs that wee are pointed out here to be but babes and children such as cannot goe by our selues vnlesse we be led by another As that Eunuch answered Phillip when he asked vnderstandest thou what thou readest how can I saith he vnderstand without a guide so may we answere the Lord when he commaunds vs to vvalk in his way how can wee O Lord that are but children and new borne babes walke in thy way without a guide It is a point of good religion to turne the Lords precepts into prayers Send out Lord thy light and thy truth let them lead mee let them bring mee into thine holy mountaine and to thy tabernacles Let thy good spirit lead mee vnto the land of righteousnesse When the Lord threatned that hee would no more goe before the Children of Israel to lead them as hee had done Moses tooke it so deepely to heart that he protested he would not goe one foote further except the Lord went with him and certainely if wee knew the manifold inconueniences whereunto wee shall fall if the Lord forsake vs wee would neuer enter our feete into that way wherein wee saw not the Lord going before vs in mercy to lead vs. Our life on earth should be ordered as was the life of Israell in the wildernesse the Lord went before them by day in a cloud by night in a pillar of fire when the cloud remoued they remoued what way so euer it went they followed where the cloud stood they camped thus the Lord led them by two and fortie stations fortie yeeres in the Wildernesse though Canaan was not farre from them yet they entred not into it till the Lord directed them The Lord hath in like manner praysed be his name for it brought vs out of the land of our bondage he might if he had pleased long ere now haue entred vs into our Canaan but it pleaseth him for a time to exercise vs and to haue vs walking vp and downe this Wildernesse Let vs possesse our harts with patience and reuerence the Lords dispensation in the meane time take heed that the Lord goe before vs that his word shine vnto vs as a lanthorne to our feete and that his holy spirit be our guide to lead vs in his righteousnesse then shall we be sure of a happy end of our iourney when wee liue not as wee list but vnder the gouerment of the holy spirit when our rising and lying downe our Verse 15. For yee haue not receiued the Spirit of bondage to feare againe but the Spirit of Adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father THe Apostle to strengthen his former argument sets downe a short discription in this and the subsequent verse of a threefold operation which the spirit maketh in them whom he leadeth for first he is vnto them a spirit of bondage working feare Secondly he is a Spirit of Adoption working loue through the sense of Gods mercy for hee not onely makes them whom hee leades the Sonnes of God but intimates vnto their spirits Gods loue towards them which otherwise was vnknowne vnto them and thirdly hee is a Spirit of intercession making vs to goe with boldnesse to the throne of grace and call vpon God as vpon our Father Of the which the first part of his argument is made cleare that they who are led by the spirit of God are the Sonnes of God yea by the testimonie of the Spirit they themselues know that it is so and therefore in most homely and humble manner acknowledge him for their Father This the Apostle propones in such a manner that hee applyes it particularly to the Godly Romaines vnto whom hee writeth Yee haue not saith he receiued againe the Spirit of bondage vnto feare as yee did in the time of your first conuersion yee haue proceeded further and haue experience of his other operations then yee felt him casting you downe with the sight of your sinnes but now ye feele him comforting you and raising you vp with the sense of Gods loue and mercy toward you in Iesus Christ. The spirit of God is called a Spirit of bondage vnto feare not as if hee made them in whom hee worketh slaues or bond-men but because in his first operation hee rebukes them of sinne in whom hee worketh and lets them see that bondage
them whom Godly Constantine properly called Tineas Sorices palatij subtile peruerters of the good inclination of Princes in manners and Religion where they can preuaile or yet to the disordered affections of his owne heart which if they be not restrained doe quickly turne the glory of a man into shame What did it profit Cham that hee was the Sonne of Noah the Monarch of the world and Patriarch of the Church in his time or that hee was the Heyre of the third part of the world vitia siquidem voluntatis vicerunt priuelegia naturae his owne vndantoned will bursting out in contempt of his Father brought vpon him that curse and shamefull name A Seruant of Seruants which was neuer taken from him Seeing God as saith the Apostle is the glory of man what honour can make that man glorious who caryes not the Image of God consisting in righteousnesse and true holinesse but especially a King whom the very Ethnicks called Animata Dei imago in terris should carefully keepe that Image which keeps his glory Naturally facilius alijs quam nobis imperamus but in very deed he shall neuer be a skilfull Ruler of others who is not first taught of God to rule himselfe decet eum qui alijs praefectus est interiora sua decenter adornare The best remedie against both these euils is to embrace that wholesome counsell giuen by God to the Gouernors of his people Let not the booke of the Law depart from thee but meditate in it day and night that thou maist do according to all that is written therein turne not away from it to the right hand nor to the left so shalt thou make thy way prosperous and shalt haue good successe Beware of those Lucifugae haters of the light because it discouers the darknesse of their errours Qui cum a Scripturis redarguuntur in accusationem Scripturarum se conuertunt As the wise men following the Starre were at length led by it to Christ so if according to Peters counsell yee take heed to the light that shineth in darkenesse not onely shall the day star arise in your heart but that cleare shining Sunne of Righteousnesse so named by Malachie euer rising and neuer going downe shall illuminate you with his brightnesse And herewithall take to you the domestique example of your Royall Father who stands before you as a paterne of pietie viuum omnis virtutis examplar it shall be no small proofe of your progresse in vertue and greatest praise among your godly Subiects that yee be a follower of him And so praying Almightie God that your happie deeds may exceed all that great hope which is conceiued of you I humbly take my leaue Your Graces humble Seruant and daily Oratour William Cowper Minister at Perth THE GLORIFICATION of a Christian. HERE FOLLOWES BY WAY OF CONclusion the third part of the Chapter contayning the Christians triumph against all sorts of Enimies Verse 31. What shall we then say to these things If God be on our side who can be against vs NOW followes the conclusion of the whole Chapter wherein the Apostle breaking off the course of his former speach gathers vp all that he hath spoken into a short summe he began at the first and lowest benefite which God in Christ hath bestowed vpon vs to wit deliuerance from condemnation this is indeede the least of his mercies yet so great that if we had receiued no more we are neuer able to yeeld vnto the Lord that praise which is due for it Yet as I said it is but little in respect of that which God hath done vnto vs and therefore the Apostle beginning at it ascends continually â—ll he comes to the last and highest which is our estate of glorification and so hauing tunne so high in the enumeration of Gods mercies towards vs that he can go no higher he bursts out into an exclamation as if he did say more cannot be spoken further comfort cannot be giuen but contents himselfe to make a briefe recapitulation of all that hee had said wherein first he triumphs generally verse 31. 32 thereafter perticularly and that first against sinne Who shall accuse who shall condemne verse 33. 34. Secondly against affliction who shall seperate vs from the loue of God outward and visible enimies cannot doe it by no sort of trouble verse 35. 36. 37. Inward and inuisible enimies are not able to doe it verse 38. 39. Thus like a valiant man stablished on Christ in his owne name and in the name of the rest of Gods children hee proclaimes a deâ—iance to all his enimies visible and inuisible whatsoeuer The generall triumph contayned in these two verses consists in these two In the first he glories that nothing can be against the Christian to hurt him the reason is because God is with him In the second he glories that the Christian can want nothing that is needfull for him the reason is seeing the Lord hath giuen vnto vs his owne sonne which is the greatest gift that can be giuen he will not let vs want any of his inferiour gifts If God be on our side His meaning is if God be with vs electing calling and iustifying vs that he may glorifie vs as hath beene said then we may be sure that nothing can be against vs. This I marke because worldlings iudge of Gods presence with men by the wrong rules to wit as Abimelech and philoc iudged of Abraham we see say they that God is with thee because thou prosperest in all that thou doest That which they iudged was true for GOD was present with Abraham indeed but the rule by which they so iudged was not sure for if this rule were sure how often might the wicked be iudged to be blessed who prosper in all they put their hand vnto the rich glutâ—on might be thought more happy than poore Lazarus but the presence wherof the Apostle speaks is not to be tryed by grace which grace flowing from thy effectuall calling is a surer argument to proue that God is with thee then if he should giue thee as he did Esau the fatnesse of the earth for thy portion and multiply vpon thee in neuer so great aboundance the things of this world And that we should not be deceiued to iudge otherwise our blessed Sauiour hath forewarned vs both by his word and example how that great troubles outward and inward are to follow them which follow him In the world sayth he yee shall haue trouble in me yee shall haue peace So soone as our Sauiour was borne Herod raged against him seeking his life to warne vs saith Chrisostome that so soone as wee are borne Christians wee should looke for trouble Iacob gat no sooner the blessing but incontinent Esau persecutes him Sosthenes before he was a Christian was a ruler of a Synagogue but after that he imbraced the Faith of Christ they depriued him of his office and scourged him Paul