our selues as grafted in Christ and members of one bodie heere we come as sheepe into ourspirituall fold all linked and combined in the same prayers with one heart and voyce praysing and lauding the name of God And if we consider our communion with the Saints and Angels of God and the Church triumphant which is in Heauen heere we ioyne and meete to glorifie the same God in earth which the Angels doe in Heauen which diuine and celestiall company how can we better represent then in this spirituall randiuouze singing Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath Heauen and earth are full of the maiesty of thy glory c. Thirdly if the zeale of our profession moue heere we professe and testifie the name of God the right worship and the truth of our calling against Turkes Iewes Infidels Sects Aduersaries Men Diuels and all the enemies of Gods truth sounding and ringing out our zeale for the prayse and glory of God that all the world may heere it And lastly if the loue of our Lord Iesus Christ compell vs heere wee assembled are so oft assured of his presence as we come together in his name and when all other places are subiect to abuse our high wayes and fields to riflings and robberies our Markets and Streets to quarrellings to deceiuings our common meetings to wrongfull and fraudulent dealings our Courts to strife and janglings whereas disorders are seene daily in our houses and our secret Chambers can tell of our vncleannesse the reuerence of this place confoundeth lewd sinners and keepeth it at least from all open prophanation and abuse But where is our zeale if it be not in our Temples nay if it be against them Had God holinesse which he might bestow vpon this place and is he so bare of it that now he hath none left Did hee spend all vpon mount Sinai and hath he neuer a blessing left for our Herebs Yes some of that was bestowed vpon Salomons Temple wherefore CHRIST was euen eaten vp with the zeale of that house Which howsoeuer it were shortly to be prophaned and made desolate yet was it holy to Christ as long as it stood But our deuotions are gone out of Gods house to our owne houses we decke and beautifie them because we loue our selues as we would Gods house if we loued God God hath long agoe complayned of this Is it time to build to your selues seeled houses and let my house lie wasle Which being so no maruell that the same vilenesse and contempt which we haue suffered to fall vpon our Churches and Church orders is now fallen vpon our selues I speake not this to grace ceremonies or outward behauiours of Religion otherwise then shadowes to that body shadowes they are to the body of Religion but such as well become the body Onely this I protest if holinesse be gone out of the toes and feete of our Church yet let vs keepe it in the heart still And if wee haue forgotten the place in which we stand let vs not forget the person before whom we stand which is God the Lord the high owner of Heauen Earth which is neere to vs how euer we are farre from him which doth enspire with his spirit not onely the head and honourable parts but the toes and the feete to whom the heart is due and the spirit and all our strength But of how many of vs doth he not receiue the calues of our lips This most high great God sanctifie vs all in our seueral standings before him and grant vs all holy toes holy feete holy knees holy hands holy lippes holy hearts to the glory and prayse of his name in Christ our Lord Now to God the Father Almightie with God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost three persons and one God be rendred all honour prayse power dominion and glory now and for euer So be it Amon. CHRISTIAN PATIENCE The fift Sermon MATTH 5. Vers. 38. 39. 40. 41. 38 You haue heard that it hath beene said an Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth 39 But I say vnto you resist not euill But whosoeuer shall smite thee on thy right cheeke turne to him the other also 40 And if a man will sue thee at the Law and take away thy Coate let him haue thy Cloake also 41 And whosoeuer will compell thee to goe a mile goe with him twaine WHen Moses sent Spies into the Land of Canaan to search the Land and the goodnesse thereof and to bring of the fruit when the Messengers made report that it was a fruitfull Land and flowing with Milke and Honey and represented the fruit thereof which they brought the people were all without doubt moued with a wonderous desire to make forth and possesse that Land but when some of them reported that there were Giants in the Land and that there seemed no possibibility of entrie but by warre and bloud shed see how quickly they were turned VVould God we had died in the land of Aegipt or in this Wildernesse would God we were dead The Preachers of Gods word which are sent of God as Spies to search and inquire into holy Scripture what good things God hath laid vp in the Kingdome of Heauen for those which trust in him when they certifie you that the eye hath not seene nor the eare heard and that the good things which God hath prepared for those that loue him haue not entred into the heart of man who burneth not with desire to enter into the Kingdome of heauen and to be partaker of euerlasting blisse with the Saints in light But when we tell you of losse and hazard of suffering blowes on the cheekes of wrestling of fighting with the Giants of this world and suffering all things to the effusion of bloud for the Kingdome of heauen what a world of menturne backe and start aside Wee bring you to this Scripture as to the waters of strife A maruaile to see the people which all escaped drowing in the Sea were almost all drowned in a little lake There is this difference betweene vs and the murmuring Israelites they said we will goe backe into Aegipt we goe backe but say notso The words of Christ will trie who are his he that taketh not vp his Crosse and followeth Christ is not worthy of him We should beare our Crosse I would we could be contented that our Crosse might beare vs. Euery true Disciple of CHRIST is crucified with CHRIST his hands are nayled he cannot strike his feete are nayled he cannot pursue reuenge he is also fast bound and tied that hee can moue no ber of his body to resist euill If wee mistake not our profession our honor is to be reuiled our gaine our treasure to forsake all our fighting to flie from place to place our glory in our wounds our victory in death What then if all our manners and liues and actions doe crosse this
infinite difference bewixt Gods teaching and mans teaching which driueth away our sinnes as the winde the mist which ouercommeth our ignorance as the light the darknesse which consumeth our euils as fire the wax and the Sunne melts the Snow which couereth our nakednesse as the Heauens couer the earth which createth our newnesse as he created heauen and earth of nothing See the Apostles being taught by the spirit which were idiots and simple men as was knowne to all men are not onely at the instance repleat with all heauenly knowledge themselues but are made the onely Doctors and Teachers of all the world beside And cannot that Son which made those silly fishermen the lights of the world by one whole infusion of faith lighten my closet and chamber I meane the secret corners of my heart Heare we what Saint Paul saith God that commanded the light to shine out of darknesse is he which hath shined in our hearts to giue the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. But you will obiect the Apostles had the gift of that knowledge by miracle and those gifts were extraordinary and now they cease euery man that will haue knowledge now must eyther learne of others or seeke it in his booke I deny not but that those gifts which are gratis data giuen freely and not gratum facientia as is the distinction of the Schoole-men not iustifying or making a man acceptable to God of which sort were the gifts of tongues and vnderstanding all Scriptures I say I doe not deny but they are ceased and were giuen onely to the Apostles and Ministers and some others by imposition of the Apostles hands in the primitiue Church for these are not giuen them which receiue them for their owne saluation but for the saluation of others and we haue the vse and collation and benefit of the same gifts being by their preaching brought to the knowledge of God but this I say the gift of faith which is giuen vs by which we are inwardly regenerate and know God though it be ordinary and shall be euer in Gods Church to the end of the world yet is it of higher power and greater miracle for regeneration of euery Soule that is grafted in Christ speaketh as much to the prayse of Gods power and glory as the creation of heauen and earth made of nothing and this is wrought in vs by which wee are made the sonnes of God in the same instant as was that knowledge extraordinary and by God immediately and by Gods free gift and in all that are saued alike absolutely necessary for all that are saued Lastly we can shew this by examples of them which beleeued Zaccheus a Publicane an Heathen man the first houre he beleeued heareth Christ say vnto him This day is Zaccheus a childe of Abraham The Thiefe is admitted to Paradise for one confession Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome Christ our Lord replyeth Verily verily I say vnto thee this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise The soule and bodie-sicke Woman in one houre goes away sound thy faith hath made thee whole The Eunuch in that houre that he beleeueth Iesus to be the sonne of God is baptised Three thousand are conuerted to Christ at one Sermon and that same day were added to the Church This ground of Scripture was there all to be beleeued No more did Saint Paul require of the Iaylour but this Beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thine household This was eternall life this is eternall life this euer shall be eternall life to beleeue c. Thus we haue the way of life made compendious and playne and that â—…um necessarium that one thing which is necessary cleere and euident at the first opening of the Scriptures for as God hath so ordered for our bodily life that those things which make not for necessity but for lifes beauty onely and ornament are abstruse and hard to finde and stâ—…ut vp in the bowels of the eaâ—…th or hidden in clests of the Rockes or in the bottome of the Sea as Pearles and Gold and pretions stones because they are neyther necessary nor fit for all men but those things that are of lifes substance and are necessary for our being and sustenance are ready and offer themselues to euery mans hand as ayre and water and corne and fruits of the earth so many things with which the Spouse of Christ may be adorned and beautified he buried as it were in deepe and prefound sense of Scripture which yet many by continuall meditation and study doe dig forth like pearles and precious stones but that without which our soules life cannot haue her being or subsisting those things which are the very bread and drinke of our soules viz. to know the true God and Iesus Christ whom the father hath sent that I say is so plaine perspicuous and easie to finde in holy Scriptures that we cannot misse of eternall life vnlesse we will deny our selues to it What then was thy purpose O Sauiour Christ to set downe this one rule and ground for all to end all controuersies to stay all disputation to take away all doubts to cut off all schismes and factions to build vs sure vpon the rock to set the marke of all trueth high in the tower of the Scriptures to make plaine the way to Heauen When a way is vnknowne to a farre country where is much treasure many will seeke it some by climbing Mountaynes some will venter the Desart some will seeke passage by Sea some by Land and some by East and some be West but when discouery is made of a passage and the way is knowne being made playne and easie no man will seeke dangerous circuits and windings but passe by the knowne way For this way to eternall life was vnknowne to the world some climbed vp by the steepe of their owne workes some wandred in the desarts of mens doctrines some had blinde Phylosophers for their guides some seducing Southsayers some were led by the light of the creatures some sounded the deepe of mans reason Iesus Christ hath made this way straight and knowne and discouering the neerest cut or passage sayth this is it haec est to beleeue the Father of Christ the onely very God and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ. Now that we may not doubt let vs stand and inquire of the passengers let vs aske our Father Abraham this was his way as our Lord Iesus said Abraham desired to see my day and saw it Let vs aske the Prophets To him all the Prophets beare witnesse Let vs enquire of the law The Law was our Schoolemaster to Christ. Aske the Apostles all the blessed Martyrs this was the onely poynt they sealed with their bloud that Christ was God Aske our Lord Iesus I heare him say
note to whom our Lord speaketh For hee doth not instruct the Magistrates or rulers in their duty which were not present to his Sermon For hee speaketh to his Disciples and the people which had no authority and singling them out a Vobis dico I say to you So the Disciples and the multitude which beare no office are forbidden to reuenge priuate injury offered Fourthly Christs Disciples and the multitude did dreame of an externall and politicall kingdome of the Messiah which should be armed with externall and kingly power and authority and vanquish their enemies but CHRIST here foretelleth that they must looke for no such thing no such bodily Sauiour but rather prepare themselues to suffer smitings on the cheekes and spoyle of goods and bitter injuries and reproach Neyther should-they receiue assistance of the Magistrates themselues which are called the Shieldes of the earth but rather haue layd vpon their backes by them also most grieuous and heauy burthens Fiftly and lastly CHRIST setteth downe heere the forme of his kingdome which is spirituall and heauenly For to the eies of the world his kingdome appeareth not If my Kingdome were of this world then would my Ministers fight for mee that I should not be deliuered to the Iewes Different from this estate are earthly kingdomes which are ordered vnder wholesome defence of Lawes and Authority and power temporall which yet as we haue shewed is the ordinance of God Therefore he which is a Free-denizon of heauen and of the House and Family of God may be also a citizen in an earthly corporation and estate as S. Paul proued himselfe a citizen of Rome and appealed to Caesars Iudgement seate Acts 25. 10. I cannot forbeare to speake whether the Pharises peruerted with falser glossing the law of Moses or our aduersaries the words of Christ. Saint Peter from whom the Pope challengeth his high Supremacie could not finde exemption from the Magistrate allowed him out of these words of Christ but was contented to be vnder authoritatiue correction of heathen rulers so were all the Apostles but Peters successors haue shaken off all authority of Christian Magistrates I pray you of what Scripture sauoreth this Stile To be iudged of none Well let vs graunt the Pope this liberty to be free of all soueraignty temporall and sithence it must needs so be let all the shauen Priests haue immunity from all Secular power And not onely challenge this prerogatiue when the Magistrate may seeme to offer them injustice and wrong but in cases in which themselues stand guilty of most notorious crimes But whence hath he learned to be aboue all authoritie Nay who gaue the Beast with the great Horne power to push Kings out of their Thrones to depose the Magistrate to stop the ordinary course of Iustice to maintaine the subjects in disobedience to assoyle them of their oathes of allegeance and how was it found an act meritorious to murder kings a point of highest godlines to lay wicked hands vpon the annoynted ministers of God If there be any light in the word of God if any truth in the truth hence may we know that man of sinne which is an aduersary and exalteth himselfe aboue all that is God For if the Magistrates be Gods on earth as Christ himselfe saith and shall be shewed the Pope extolling himselfe aboue all Authority of earthly Princes aduanceth himselfe aboue all that is God on earth And if Christ be the King of Heauen which flatly denyeth his kingdome to be of this world The Pope by joyning to the spirituall the temporall sword exalteth himselfe aboue all that is God in Heauen Well I I leaue you to consider further This I dare say hee will take no blowes on the cheeke For our present matter in hand wee stand by these assured that the Magistrates authority is warranted by God and to this end to punish the doers of euill and therefore it is lawfull by authority of Gods word for any that is wronged to seeke that ordinance for redresse onely we are forbidden to auenge our selues Therefore the Widow did not offend which sought the injust Iudge Now priuate reuengings draw friends on both sides and parties and confederacies and so the resisting of the euill is a cause to spread it further But when the Magistrate punisheth no man taketh part no man resisteth no man is offended onely the euill is taken away and the Delinquent by exemplary justice done made a terrour to all offendours But you will say Vengeance is mine saith the Lord. True But God himselfe saith That they which beare rule are Gods And Christ himselfe so interprets that Scripture Therefore when they strike God striketh when they kill God killeth they haue his Sword they haue his Ordinance they haue his Seate they haue a speciall name they haue a speciall annointing from him Therefore they are free from offending when they kill offendours or euill doers of that Law which saith Thou shalt not kill And that commandement of not resisting euill bindeth not them nay rather they highly sinne against God if they resist it not We haue it then most euident what Christ intendeth when he saith Resist not euill For when wee haue receiued wrongs and are destitute of helpe from the Magistrate then ought wee not to auenge our selues and by priuate resistance requite euill with euill but to compose our selues to meekenesse and patience in forbearing to forgiue our enemies and not onely to temper from all outward force but to quench all inward and inordinate heate burning to reuenge We must keepe the peace of Christ either by publique resisting or priuate forbearing And rather suffer the losse of our liues than to haue the sweet fruit of quiet patience destroyed in vs. If spittings smitings woundings killings might shake our hope or take away the comforts of Gods spirit who could be Christs Disciples We may keepe GODS peace in warre no tumult no fire or sword of our enemies can take it from vs. For him wee serue for sauing our soules and for an euerlasting deliuerance And shall we forsake him for an houres paine and a blow on our cheekes Hee that striketh our shadow toucheth not our body And hee that killeth the body toucheth not the soule Must the followers of Christ goe to Heauen by a common way Shall those constant Patients which are in the diet of Saluation feare taking some bitternesse in their potion or letting a little bloud They write that Archimedes had his mind so fixed on a few Mathematicall lines which he drew in the dust that hee attended not while the Citty was fired about his eares But how many thousands of professours of Christ can wee name whose Faith hath beene so fixed in God that they haue despised the cruell siege and battery which the enemies of CHRIST haue laid to their flesh and bloud But because this Doctrine soundeth vnreasonable to eares of
earthly Sauiour vnder whom they should haue riches and plenty and peace and protection in the world when the Messiah himselfe telleth them that they shall not be free from the very Magistrates which shall most injustly handle and persecute them For by the Magistrates all that professed Iesus Christ were smitten spoyled of their goods banished most cruelly tormented and killed by Kings by Gouernours by Deputies Lieutenants Iudges by Edicts Proclamations Lawes Decrees Counfailes all vniust and cruell things were done to the Martyres of Christ. We see how needfull it was for the Church that Christ should say vobis dico to you I speake for they that cannot keepe this saying cannot be Christs Disciples If now then brethren we haue Christian Magistrates which shield vs from wrong yet let vs learne this lesson if God should put vs vnder Antichristian authority which may doe vs wrong and still consider that albeit we are now in Sanctuary in a peaceable state in a quiet and protected Church yet we haue taken vpon vs that profession which must not stinch or shrinke when highest iniustice and extreamest vexation shall be inflicted And as we ought to prepare our selues against the greatest thunders and stormes of persecution so let not little puffes and flawes of iniuries remoue vs from our hope for what bastard Christians are we if with lesse patience we suffer a light disgrace or contemptible iniury then those holy Martyrs endured the shedding of their bloud We know it is a diuine and heauenly blessednesse to suffer wrong if Gods word did not protest so we may heere it out of the mouth of an heathen King Regium est audire male cum facias bene It is kingly honour to heare euill when thou dost wel Doubtlesse euen they which fight but for an earthly Country do glory in their wounde as Cicero in his fragments hath of one Salustine which had his face most fowly scathed in fight quo ille de honestamento vultus maxime gloriabatur of which deformity and dishonesty of his face he most gloried and boasted Will a man that hath long beene perilously tost in a dangerous Sea care if the ship split and teare in pieces if he may grapple with the shore So did not that braue souldier Tarchon Frangere nec tali puppim statione recusa arrepta tellure semel Since now I haue attain'd the shoare Let ship be all to pieces to are Let our bodies rent and split so we may land our soules in Heauen let vs not care what we suffer but for what we suffer for God for Christ Iesus for glory and life in Heauen Now let vs reason thus doe priuate men do vs wrong let vs seeke the Gods on earth to the Magistrates do these Gods on earth oppresse vs let vs appeale to God in Heauen for God hath not giuen authority so to men that he hath reserued none to himselfe God sitteth in the assembly of Gods he indgeth among Gods Doe we stand vpon the deerenesse of our flesh and goods O how much dearer should our soule and life in Heauen bee But who can endure so many iniuries Then tell me if we cannot sustaine the shaking of the leaues how shall we endure the cutting downe of the tree For we owe to Christ not only these but the forsaking of all deniall of our selues If then things of small moment cause vs to renounce the word we make open protestation that we will neuer die for Christ where then now shall we finde such as will foresake all when in vs such slight and momentary euils poize downe all our faith in Christ When thou hast a grieuous ach or sicknes in thy body thou doest not preferre before enduring the paine to die presently to the flesh and rather then we will beare a little griefe or bitternesse in our soule doe we preferre to die to God Then let vs seeke another reremedy there is one thing that can cure all euils whatsoeuer The loue of God in Christ. This Saint Paul opposeth to life to death to Angels to Principalities to Powers to things present to things to come to height to depth to all creatures whatsoeuer saying What shall separate vs from the loue of Christ And doe not we speake to Christians And in such a multitude of these which professe Christ is there such a fewst of them which follow him Are we still like leane Bulls in the rich and plentifull Pastures of the Gospell but the Apostles are dead and those great lights of examples the Patriarches the Prophets the holy Martyrs and wee haue their Sepulchers with vs yet let their hope their zeale their fayth their constancy their Patience liue I speake with more vehemencie because I know not what concernes vs more then this Scripture our Houses our Liuings and Estates and Children our Liues our selues are not so much ours as this In your Patience you shall possesse your soules Loe we stand vpon being or not being vpon the hauing or loosing our soules The God of loue and peace giue vs all the spirit of Meekenesse of Hope and Patience that in the sweet loue of Iesus Christ we may ouercome all hardnesse of heart all bitternesse of tentation Amen THE FVLNESSE OF CHRIST The sixt Sermon MATTH 5. Vers. 17. Thinke not that I am come to destroy the Law I came not to destroy but to fulfill it THE Iewes feared the dissolution of their State and Lawes and Customes and the destruction of their Temple and would make Christ the Author for such a brute was blowne abroad whether the Predictions of the Prophets which spake against their Feasts and Sabbaths and Sacrifices gaue them to vnderstand or that the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ in so many Signes and Wonders and powerfulnesse both of Word and Workes caused them to thinke hee would make some change or that hating him they would cast on him an aspersion of malice as an enemie to the lawes and religion established or that it was fatall to the Sinagogue which was so neere to her last period to haue some vniuersall notions and presagements of her dissolution Whether it were any of these or all the fame went currant of Christ that hee would make an alteration but of the dissolution of their state and policie Christ was no more the cause then the man which is murthered is cause that the malefactour is executed As for the law and religion hee was so farre from taking them away that the cause of his comming was onely to fulfill them as hee saith I came to fulfill the law So that vnlesse the fulfilling of the law be a repealing of the law Christ cannot be said to abrogate the law The Iewes themselues transgressed the law and made the ordinance of God voyd by their traditions They might haue accused themselues but they accuse Christ and stand so in feare that he will disanull it that they doe as much as in them lieth
sealed Booke of which none was found worthy in Heauen or Earth to open the seales but you may see the Lambe take the booke and open the Seales when he saith This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares When first the seales of ceremonies were put to the law written the finger of God was seene So Pharaohs wise men confessed when they said Digitus Dei hic est the finger of God is here After when God sent his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ into the world the same finger of God was seene If I in the finger of God doe east out Diuels and then did the Lambe of God pull open the whole booke of the law when the fire of his passion melted like waxe his flesh and bloud that we might see in him ouery least impression of those figures and signes and characters to the least shadow and all their contents So now the least we can imagine of Christ is to haue but fulfilled the Law and the Prophets which for the law of signes hath not onely in truth and fulnesse of satisfaction exhibited all but more then the ceremonies did or could signifie and for the predictions of the Prophets hath not onely made good all things whatsoeuer the Prophets spake of him but more then they were able to speake for the ceremonies which did require to be fulfilled in spirit and truth they were all contayned in lesse then fiue bookes but if it should be written what Christ was made and spake and wrought and suffered and testified in their fulfillings The Euangelist saith The a whole world were not able to contayne the bookes As for the Prophets we must consider they spake of Christs birth miracles teaching of his death and passion of his Priesthood his righteousnesse glory kingdome c. Yet were they but poore and niggardly interpretours of that which Iesus Christ in his owne person did represent They did tell vs of this Sunnes rising to the world but how farre inferiour was their relation to this Suns rising No meruaile for how could such a bottomlesse Ocean empt it selfe out of those narrow conduits of the lips of men Therefore they spake of the light but darkely for when we saw the face of that glorious one how rude was their draught Little things increase by fame but of the onely begotten sonne of God we may say as the Queene of Saba said of Salâ—…mon It was a true word that I heard in mine owne land of thy sayings and wisedome Howbeit I beleeued not this report till I came and had seene it with mine eyes but loe the one halfe was not told mee for thou hast more wisedome and prosperity then I haue heard by report Right so may we say it was true O Christ Iesus which wee heard by the Prophets of thy wisedome and power and maiesty and glory but we beleeued not their report but when we saw thee come and shew thy selfe to the world loe the one halfe was not told vs. What could the Prophet Isaas say more then yee heauens send the dew from aboue and let the clouds drop downe righteousnesse But how bare and poore is the conception of the dew in the ayerie cloud to the incarnation of the Sonne of God in the Virgins wombe and what comparison with Canaan to Heauen the drowning of Pharaoh with the vanquishing of the Diuell what is their red Sea to the bloud of Iesus Christ what Iosuahs Sunne standing in Heauen to the Sonne of Gods descending into the world and dwelling with men To this purpose did the holy Prophet pray Open thou mine eyes that I may see the wonderfull things of thy law He did not desire to haue his eyes open to see the Passeouer eaten or the bloud of Goats and Rammes sprinkled or sprinkling with Water or Sabbaths or Feasts for to these his eyes were opened he saw them well The wonder of the law is lesus Christ signed and sealed to the world vnder those egene and poore signes which is Vere admirabilis Deus his name is Wonderfull Counseller the mightie God c. and in him onely we wonder at the Counsell of God which hath by him vnclasped that darke booke of Ceremonies and Riddels of the law and opened the contents of saluation in the light of-the Gospell giuing vs for the Letter the Spirit for shadowes the body truth for figures fulnesse for emptinesse for darkenesse light for bondage freedome for death life for Moses for Eliah for Prophets for Men for Angels One Iesus Christ which raigneth in Heauen But I most conclude onely I will alledge two places which the Apostle hath to shew Christs fulfilling of the law for we will giue the Ceremonies leaue not onely to demand impletion of their greatest and most important signes let them racke themselues to their least shadow and demaund satisfaction for euery tittle and poynt And in like sort wee will not onely make euen with the Law morall to mens vnderstanding but to satisfie the vtmost demaund of GODS iustice in rigour stretching the Law to punish not onely the act and deede but the entent and thought as Christ doth in this Chapter till sinne be shaken as I may say out of the wombe of concupiscence and that first cradle in which it was rocked S. Paul saith of Christ Who hath put out the hand-writing of ordinances which was against vs and contrarie to vs hee tooke it out of the way and fastned it to his crosse Ergo hee hath satisfied the condition of the law for hee could not cancell the band till hee had paid the debt For the law when it stood vnfulfilled was in her whole strength and vertue but now by Christ his death the law is made voyd and of none effect Then the lawes demaund hath beene fully satisfied Now euery obligation doth witnesse against it selfe that when the condition is performed it is voyd though it it be not actually cancelled it mattereth not then though Christ did not actually naile the law of ordinances to the Crosse this was enough to disanull the lawes whole vertue and power when to all the lawes demaund hee made in himselfe full tender vpon the Crosse before so many witnesses God and Angels and Men. Here then wee must conceaue the band is cancelled where the debt is discharged Againe the same Apostle that which was vnpossible to the law c. God sending his owne Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the law might be fulfilled in vs. Then it is too little to say Christ hath fulfilled the law or that by satisfying he hath freed himselfe for he hath done it for vs and in vs and our faith in Christ doth not take away the law but establish it when all these things are spiritually performed in vs which the lawes signes and figures did protend So wee haue for the law a law legem