CERTAIN GODLY AND LEARNED Sermons Preached by that worthy seruant of Christ M. Ed. Philips in S. Sauiors in Southwarke Vpon the whole foure first Chapters of Matthew Luc. 11. vers 24.25.26 Rom. 8. the whole 1. Thess 5.19 Tit. 2.11.12 Iames 2. from the 20. to the 26. and 1. Ioh. 3.9.10 And were taken by the pen of H. YELVERTON of Grayes Inne Gentleman So runne that ye may obtaine heare that ye may learne practise that ye may liue for euer LOâ—â—ON Printed by 〈…〉 widow and are to be sold at her sho◠〈…〉 Church yard at the signe of the 〈◊〉 TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR CHRISTOPHER YELVERTON Knight one of the Iudges of the Kings Bench and the Ladie his wife H. Y. wisheth to your present prosperities the addition of many daies in the fruitfull feare of the Lord Iesus c. RIght Worshipfull it is inspired to man by grace to fetch the compasse of this life within the reach of a spanne Psal 39 and it is suggested to him by nature to spin out his web in many daies though it bee with manie dangers Howbeit if the wings of pride did not transport vs to the height of worldlinesse and the weight of opinion did not beguile vs in the taste of happinesse we might discerne in varietie of delights but superfluitie of desires Eccl. 2 in increase of riches but excesse of sorrowes in length of yeeres but strength of cares and in the choisest footing that we take but a changeable fleeting of our estate For if our affections might alwaies feed on Manna we would loath it Num. 1 if our inheritance did stretch to the plaines of Iordan wee would enlarge it and if our preheminence 〈…〉 to heauen yet would we raise vp our heads higher These were the itching humors of Euah lineally descended to vs who thought not Paradise spacious enough for her habitation nor the dainties of Eden sweet enough for her taste nor that presence of God good enough for her companie But where the superscription of Holinesse to the Lord is engrauen on the head and the perswasion of godlinesse to be gaine is engrafted in the heart there the lust of the world and the dust of the world shal be shuffled together as paires and pearles of equall account and continuance For let the glorie of a Christian be neuer so eminent it is not greater then Salomons nor yet Salomons so great as the Lillies let the arme of the wicked be neuer so mightie it is not stronger then Pharaohs and yet Pharaohs inferior to the course of waters let the power of his command be neuer so absolute it is not larger then Nabuchadnezzars yet stifned in pride he was streightned for 7. years within the walks of wild asses yea let the apparell he puts on be neuer so royall the place where he sits neuer so iudiciall the phrase of his speech neuer so plausible and the praise of his voice neuer so popular yet can he not be lifted vp aboue Herod nor Herod by these defended from the wormes Whether then we peruse the steps of the Saints or the state of vnrepentant sinners wee see their liues equally bound vp with the cords of corruption though vnequally matched in the ioy at their separation the one falling away like a flower transplanted to a better soile the other rushing vpon the rocke of Gods wrath either shamefully deiected with the terror of iudgement while they liue or else fearefully entangled with the sense of tormeâ—â— when they die It is not therefore amisse since an enterlude is as it were appointed to be plaied on this earth wee abound couetousnesse creepeth in so closely as it grudgeth the comfort of society if we be scanted impatiency breaketh out so fiercely as it despiseth the law of propertie if we be prouoked wrath roareth out so bitterlie for reuenge as it is no manhood to sheath vp iniuries if we bee pleased flatterie followeth on so shamefully for reward as it is no masterie to obtaine victories if we be weake we blame the worke of nature that we were not made of a firmer mettall if we be strong Iob 6.12 we blaze the art of nature as if wee were steele that could not turne the edge if we be sicke 2. Chr. 16.12 we plant our faith in the Physitian to cure vs yet being sound wee shake off temperance that might preserue vs Iob 32.4 when our leaues bee greene and our wits fresh because wee want the reuerence of the aged we crie that hoary haires might quickly couer vs and being arriued at age the doore of death wee wish that slipper youth might againe beguile vs euer peruerting the times and preuenting the meanes that God hath prefixed and wearying and wasting our selues soonest in possessing that we would enioy longest For though it be the pleasure of the Almightie that wee should cherish this lampe of life yet ought wee not to consume the oyle in prizing our delights at too high a rate Iames 4.3 nor in spending on our lusts in too large a measure And though like warie shipmen wee prouide for this crazie barke which is the bodie Mat. 6.25 yet must wee not permit immoderate care like a mercilesse canker to eate through our bones But the way to ballance our selues euen and not to stray beyond our tether is to captiuate our thoughts thus farre as to recken the world but as a cradle wherein we are rocked till we aspire to some age and growth in Christ our desires but as dreames wherewith we are deluded till we attaine to some taste of Gods loue in Christ this life but as a race wherein we are wearied and perplexed till wee can recouer some sight of Christ and this body but as a prison wherein our soules lie shakled vnder the hope of being blessed in the death of Christ To which affection and perfection wee shall then ascend when being taught by his word which is truth and led by his spirit which is life we can shake off selfe-will that runneth on so fast to destruction and sway downe selfe-loue that swelleth vp so high to presumption and can walke in humilitie as in the sight of God contenting our selues with the portion assigned vs as his gift and with the affliction sent vs as his triall crucifying the flesh as an enemy to the quickning of the soule and trampling on this earth as an insnarer of our feete in vanitie weighing sickenesse but as the fore-runner of sleepe and welcoming death but as the sickle of the Lords haruest beholding the graue as the faithfull treasury of our bodies and looking vp to heauen as the vndoubted Paradise of our soules Now there being but two impediments to this perswasion and tranquillitie of spirit 〈◊〉 9.35 either the corruption that resteth within vs or the sorrowes brought vpon vs while we breath heere the first cleauing and clasping so close about our loynes sinne being like a leprosie that hath couered
to serue the people not for ambition but of conscience if he be sound in the principall and hold the foundation though perhaps he be in some errour otherwise yet it is no reason to call his ministery into question For wee must qualifie and correct our selues from iudging hardly of them that differ from other Ministers in some points vsing the moderation of S. Paul to the Philippians like brethren supporting their infirmities Not but that Paul may withstand Peter to his face Phil. 2.3 Gal. 2.11 in that wherein he is iustly to be condemned as if for a few Iewes sakes hee will separate himselfe from the Gentiles with whom hee had before conuersed for this was offensiue to the Church of God otherwise Paul and Barnabas ought not Act. 15.39 to part asunder and breake company about small matters but one should appease the other in meekenesse of spirit Now for the answer of Christ it standeth on two parts first requiring him to do it secondly a reason Let alone for this time Where learne there is a kind of modesty vnseasonable though all are to thinke humbly of themselues which is that that hindereth a man from the execution of his calling and it is as if Christ should say Whatsoeuer I be stand thou vpon thy commission from God And if Iohn by this his calling was thought worthy to baptize the naturall Sonne of God much more may wee thinke our selues meet to preach to flesh and bloud what euer they be for though they haue not all vestem communem yet they haue cutem communem they differ not in birth though there bee some difference in apparell Neither are wee to abase our selues too much in the apprehension of our owne wants for as Paul saith who is worthy or sufficient to bee the Lords Ambassadour to haue the keies of heauen to shut it that not repenting men are damned and to haue Mat. 16. â—9 that they bidde on earth to be sealed in heauen Who is sufficient to be the Chancelour of that great king the Lord Iehoua or to saue a soule Who is worthy to be receiued as God himselfe as Christ saith He that receineth you receiueth me and he that heareth you heareth me Of himselfe no man But when the Lord hath once sanctified out polluted lippes and that we haue a booke giuen vs to eate and that our lippes be touched with the coale from the altar whereby we may not be worthy but vouchsafed to be worthy then though we be subiect to the same infirmities others be wee must notstand amazed or abashed at them so as we be hindred in our duties For if God will haue Moses goe to Egypt Exod. 3.12 he may not say Who am I that I should stand before Pharao Neither must Ieremy say Ier. 1.7 I am a child when the Lord hath once touched his mouth for be hee neuer so slow of speech the Lord Exod. 4.12 will teach him what to say And Iohn must not be so nice but he must baptise Christ since God hath giuen him that honour Further heere learn that if it so fall out a man in some congregation be more learned better exercised in the Scriptures then are those lippes which ordinarily doe preserue more knowledge though he haue profited more in mortification then his teacher as Dauid had in his time by his continuall study in the Law of God yet he is not to despise the ministery wherein ordinarily there is that sufficiency that it is able to instruct the best learned and to guide the most circumspect and what euer he be he must range himselfe in the common order of professors For Christ though hee haue in him the riches of all wisedome and the fulnesse of all grace must and doth himselfe vrgâ— to receiue baptisme at Iohns hands because it is Gods appointment for heere runne the siluer streames that can quench our spirituall thurst why then should others make themselues better then Christ who had need of Iohns ministery Dauid had most heauenly meditations and was wonderfull conuersant in the Scripture and as himselfe saith the law of God had made him wiser then his teachers yet he vouchsafed to submit himselfe to the hearing of them and thought his life forlorne when he was exiled from the Temple Psalm 84.1 and that the birds that bred there were happier then hee Much more are they faulty now that being farre short of that measure of religious knowledge was in Dauid doe exempt and banish themselues from the publike congregation And if it be intolerable to despise the sacramentall bread though thou hast as good at home much more punishable is it to despise the administration of the doctrine thinking thou canst profit as much at home for the greater blessing is knit to the publike ordinance and institution of God where euery man may buy wisedome without money For the second which is Christs reason it is because we are to fulfill all righteousnesse Then must Iohn baptize that is his righteousnesse and Christ be baptized for that is his righteousnes And thus was Christ baptized a signe of remission of sinne yet had he no sinne in him he was circumcised Luk. 2.21.22 yet had he no vncleane flesh his mother was purified yet was she not polluted by his birth but the reason is I haue saith Christ taken vpon me the forme of a seruant and they speaking of the elect must be made righteous in me In the generall learne this that what God hath commanded must be done and it is conuenient to accomplish all righteousnesse So as no exception must bee taken to any thing God prescribeth if Christ were bound to it in the office of a Mediator much more are wee to striue to come to this marke to performe euery taske that God setteth downe If thou sayest or sufficeth to embrace those things that are necessary for saluation I aske then what that is If thou doest account it that without which none can be saued then put away the Word and Sacraments for many are saued without these Indeed some things are more necessary then others as the Word begets and begins faith the Sacraments doe but confirme it 3â—â—◠〈◊〉 M and these are more necessary then the censures of the Church Some points destroy the foundation as to deny Christ to bee the Sonne of God others are not fundamentall about which there may be great errours in iudgement but yet let vs consider as neare as we can that wee fulfill whatsoeuer is commanded and the least being commanded with singular wisedome of the Lord must bee obeyed So Timothie is commanded by Paul 1. Tim. 5.21 to keepe all things not preferring one before another 8. â—1 dâ—â— We must not make a conscience of the least and neglect the greatest of stand amazed with the excellency of the highest so as we looke not downe to things inferiour commanded by the same God It is the commission Mat. 28.19 to preach and baptise as that the
Whereas wee so looke to the meanes on earth as if there came no blessing from heauen when as wee should in duty first lift vp our eies to the Highest that hee would adde his fauour to our labour for hee can make vs aswell want in abundance as abound in scarcity the dearest things a man can haue either for possession as lands or for affection as wife in the middest of persecution if the crosse be sanctified vnto vs by the hand of God in the want of both these we shall haue an hundred fold more that is more peace of conscienc more contentation of minde and more sweet tast of the Lords loue then wee should haue had auoiding this persecution in an hundred wiues or an hundred times more liuing We being now assured of Gods fauour and being but pilgrims on earth wee shall see Christ in the heauens with his armes displaied to imbrace vs a ioy surpassing all that worldly men can conceiue in all their superstuities this but tickling the sense and nothing contenting the mind the other wrapping vp the soule in assurance of full and perfect blessednesse For the second point which is the affirmatiue that is for the blessing of God and the way he hath deemed to bee most fit to maintaine our selues that is his word we are to learne a double vse the first speciall the second generall Speciall in the matter heere expressed for sustenance that it is the Lord who doth maintaine vs so as his blessing must be vpon the bread else it can affoord no nourishment Whereby are to be reproued those inordinate men that go vnto their meates like horses to prouinder and like hogges gathering the mast and neuer looking vp to the tree whence it falleth They should consider first that the bread vnlesse it be sanctified 1. Tim. 4.4.5 by God is none of theirs for we lost all the benefite of Gods creatures in the fall of Adam and can no way challenge them but by restitution in Christ and this must be by praier Secondly if wee would thinke that God could take away the strength from bread wee would feed more religiously let vs know that he may rot the graine in the clods or blast it in the eare he may restraine the latter raine that it may not yeeld in the barne vermine may consume it if it passe the flaile the mill the ouen yet in thy mouth it may be rats-bane and turne to poison or in thy stomacke it may become the gall of Aspes for why shouldest thou feede on Gods creatures not acknowledging them whence they come Set before thee the example registred in the Scripture Numb 11.33 quaâ—les came loth somely out of their nostrels and they died with meate in their mouthes hauing fat bodies and leane soules Therefore let vs pray that the food wee take may doe vs good otherwise wee haue no more right to vse them then the Israelites had to the quailes And as God can turne stones into bread so can hee also turne bread into stones for it is not the nature of the thing it selfe simply to nourish without a blessing but wine which doth comfort the weake the Lord can make it to the wicked a cup onely to infatuate them that their account may be the greater for vsurping the Lords creatures And this is the reason why wee are taught in the Lords praier to pray that our daily bread may be giuen vs thereby acknowledging first God to bee the giuer secondly that we haue trust that through our praiers onely it shall bee giuen vs thirdly that not onely the creatures themselues but the blessing vpon them comes from God for though our garments were as costly as the Ephod of Aron yet without his blessing they were nothing For so miserable is our condition that we are not able to liâ—â— one moment without the speciall prouidence of God For the second vse which is generall as it is true in bread so is it in all other things that without the blessing of God they can auaile vs nothing when wee are sicke wee seeke like Asa 2. Chron. 16.12 to the Physitian fixing our eies and fastening our hope only vpon this outward meanes whereas if the Lord hath called for a plague vpon vs what man can cure it vnlesse the Lord doe reuoke it So is it for warres men may prouide money munition and horses for the day of battell but victory commeth of the Lord for it is he that amazeth the rider Prou. 2â— 31 and asswageth the fury of the enemy and blindeth the wisedome of the Princes of the world that they shall faile in policy And how commeth it to passe saith the Prophet Hagge 1.6 that ye sow much and reape little weare much apparell and it doth not warme you drinke and your thirst is not quenched but onely that the Lord hath blowne vpon it hath blassed and not blessed it Therefore let vs learne to remooue this fault that by the secret infidelity of our hearts wee doe not attribute too much to the meanes for the Lord can feed without bread but bread cannot nourish without his blessing The vse then of this doctrine is double first for our indgements secondly for our affections For the first first we are heereby warranted to pray for things necessary for this life as Math. 7. it is said Aske and it shall be giuen you secondly that the expectation of these things from God and not to haue them without him is an outward profession that he is onely the distributer of them and therefore will giue to euery one his appointed portion Wee may not therefore simply pray for these outward and earthly things but with limitation first that they be subiect to the pleasure of God secondly that they be desired not for themselues but to glorifie God and to profit our neighbour Thirdly heere is confuted the error of the heathen that worshipped Ceres as the God of corn and Bacchus as the God of wine which howsoeuer they were the first inuenters of grinding the one and pressing the other yet both the Corne and the Grape come from God For the second which concerneth our affections heere is first reproued couetousnesse in getting the venome of all vertue and is contrary to the keeping of a good conscience before God and desiring of a good name before men making vs deafe to the noise of infamy For if the hand of God containeth all and the blessing of God continueth all to what end shall we tempt him or bury our selues as it were in the graues of lust Secondly is reprehended our vnthankefulnesse in vsing Gods blessings pasting by them with our eies shut and glorifying the meanes aboue the matter Thirdly our diffidence lest we should lose or want them for the fountaine of all riches streaming from the Lord hee can conuey vnto vs whole riuers of them and measure them vnto vs without stint if we depend vpon his prouidence Then the Diuell tooke him vp into the holy
the skinne as wee seeme to stand but on one foote from slipping into hell the other striking so deepe into the ioyes of this life that feeling as it were a quotidian ague of discomforts hanging vpon vs we can hardly weane our thoughts from listening to the knell of iudgement founding in our eares it is fit we prouide for our inward peace there being no outward balme able to asswage a raging conscience nor no externall Physicke of force to relieue a distressed soule We may not therefore iudge our selues safest when wee are freest from the buffetings of Satan for bearing in our bodies a diuided kingdom between the flesh the spirit represented vnto vs in the wrestling of Rebeccahs twins within her wombe Gen. 25.22 if we haue peace with God we shall haue warre with the dragon hauing forsaken Egypt in the way to Canaan Reu. 12.9 Exod. 14.9.10 we shal haue Pharaoh his captaines flie like grashoppers to feed vpon vs yea the liberty we haue in Christ the corruption of our hearts will labour to inuert to voluptuousnes the sweetnes we taste in his word Gal. 5.13 the vanity of our minds will endeuor to ouercast with drowsines Act. 20.9 the faith which we ground on his promises Gen. 3.4 the subtilty of the serpent will seeke to vndermine by doubtfulnes the conscience we make to offend the lusts of our flesh will contend for to couer with hypocrisy the detestatiō we haue of sin the concupiscence of our eies wil striue to out-reach with profanenesse the interest we haue to heauen the pride of our liues will perswade vs to exchange for trifles Gen. 25.30 With which temptations we may not be dismaied for where the siege is layd there is watchfulnesse to withstand but where no feare of the enemy is there the weapon rusteth and feeling a continuance of this contention between the law of the flesh and the spirit of life wee may bee assured that the seed of grace giuen vs from aboue which first drew vs into fight with our vncleannesse is well growen and that imputing the first thought of our peace to the loue of God Iohn 3.16 the full accomplishment of it to the death of Christ and the alone messenger and perswader of it to the holy Ghost and knitting the whole power of the worke the mercy in our preseruation the glory in our victorie to the arme and action of the almighty we shall haue our corruptions as it were closed in our hands and the pride of our resistance so abated in our liues as sinne shall but droupingly be seene in vs and mortality that cannot bee priuiledged with perfection shall yet be beautified with sanctification in such measure as we shall walke heere but as dispatcht from heauen on our Lords message to giue the sonnes of men a paterne of good life to forewarne them of their woes 〈◊〉 7. 〈◊〉 28.20 by bounding our desires within Iacobs compas the presence of the Lord to guide vs that we doe not stray his prouidence to feed vs that we do not starue and his bounty to cloth vs that we do not perish On the otherside so tender are our thoughts and so iealous our meditations of the loue of God Io◠6.4 as we are stricken with a trembling distrust to haue lost the starre of our direction and comfort in Christ when wee see our selues exposed to the shame of the world and the winds still to beate on our rudders where the wicked saile away proudly in a set calme our houses to be inclosed with snares when theirs are peaceable without feare and our liues to be bound vp in sorow Iob 21.24 when their brests as Iob speaketh are full of milke and their bones of marrow And when the apprehension of this feare hath taken such hold of our flesh as we thinke our selues smitten in displeasure and the tree of our hope to bee torne downe in wrath wee then wrastle with sinne as if the steps of our strength were restrained and looke vpon death as the Iailer that commits vs to the graue as a dungeon Hobeit euen in this doth the Lord reach forth a most approued cordiall to remoue the faintnesse of our hearts for hauing accesse into his sanctuary through the vnion communion we haue with Christ the vncleanues of our birth being wiped away in the sanctification of his nature our transgression remoued in his innocency our rebellion discharged in his obedience and the vtmost farthing paid in his sufferings and hauing the image of God we lost in Adam not renewed onely but a fairer and deeper stamp thereof engrauen and set vpon vs it being not now in our power to listen any more to the counsel of the flesh Christ bearing our names before him as his brest-plate and our bodies with him as members whereof he is head and hauing this written in the tables of our heart by the finger of no forgerer but of that comforter was sent from heauen and testified by ourselues in the pietie of our religion and purity of conuersation setting saluation before vs as a binding benefite euen to the losse of our souls to venture for the Lords glory Rom. 8.33 we may in a Christian resolution giue challenge at the gates of hell that nothing can be charged vpon vs as a debt and therefore nothing can light vpon vs as a punishment Wherefore if the Lord doe cast his cloudy countenance vpon vs it is that we should watch against the weaknesse of the flesh Mat. 16.41 which is then readiest to sleepe when temptation is nearest and yet if the streame of temptation cary vs into some sin from thence we slip into some shame in his compassion he cureth vs and yet in kindnesse doth correct vs. If he mingle our bread with care and lodge vs in the bed of darknes discomfort it is to weane vs from the flesh pots of Egypt and to aduance vs in the way to Canaan yet being driuen to any strait or exigent in this wildernes rather then we shall want it shall raine Manna Exod. 26.4 27.6 rather then we shall thirst the rocke shal yeeld vs water yea though the wicked be like the bramble who in confidence of their shadow dare chalenge to be kings ouer the trees of the forrest and our selues like sheepe Iudg. 9.15 who in simplicity grazing vpon the mountaines are either fleeced of the shearer when we are growne in wooll or snatched vp by the butcher when we are growen in flesh yet when death hath made vs both euen with the earth the graue shal be to vs a fold till our shepheard come and to them a shambles till the destroier of their soules shall haue receiued an endles commission to torment them What cause then haue we to shut our gates against the gasps of death or like trembling leaues to entertaine the gale or blast of sicknes which doth
when they came to their iournies end set downe by fiue circumstances First that they went when they were resolued Secondly that the starre appeareth againe and goeth before them Thirdly that it stands vpon the particular place where the babe lay Fourthly their exceeding ioy Fiftly how comming thither they find the babe in a base place yet they are not discouraged but reuerence him and giue him gifts For the first it is shewed that they went alone not one with them though this was the King specially borne for the saluation of the Iewes Wherein wee may admire their ingratitude and the impiety of the Scribes that pointed the way to others and yet vouchsafed not themselues to goe one foot to enquire after Christ Thus may Preachers be as Mercuriales statui set vp aâ— directors of others shewing the way to heauen and yet goe themselues to hell Perhaps they feared the cruelty of the king that if they should haue beene caried with an affection of seeing him it might haue cost them their liues or at least their honours Though it were so yet doth it not excuse their vngodlinesse to preferre the feare of a King that could but kill the body and touch the goods Mark 8.36 before the feare of the great King of the heauens that can destroy both body and soule For though the disciples and Apostles Act. 4.18 bee commanded that they should teach no more in the name of Iesus yet if the burden of the Lord be vpon them they may not but speake vers 20. the things which they haue seene and heard And though Micaiaâ— the Prophet 1. King 22.13 doe know what message will please the King yet though he be smitten on the cheeke and cast into prison hee must deliuer the counsell of the Lord. For as Saint Paul saith Gal. 1.10 If in these things I should please meâ— I were not the seruant of Christ. In that none of the people accompanied these Wise-men obserue their dulnesse and Atheisme that they all stay at home and yet they kept an outward shew and deuotion in seruing God and offered sacrifices which vnlesse they knew that they praefigured the death of Christ what made they of their temple but a butchers shambles Yet by their idlenesse that they would not steppe one foot to see him is perceiued that of the Messias spiritually they knew nothing Which is likewise to be feared of vs in these daies that we onely rest our selues within the reach of the Gospell for that it hath brought vs peace which peace hath purchased for vs profit and promotion but if the state might stand in quiet though Christ were banished from vs or if we might gaine more by Diana of Ephesus Act. 19.24 then by the God of Israel it is to bee doubted Christ might lodge long enough at Bethlem before we would goe to visit him Further obserue if these Wise-men had not left Herod to his canuassing of the matter the Scribes to their speculation the people to their trades if they had respected the example of the mighty or of the learned or considered the danger that it was a matter of treason if it had so beene taken they had not had this glory and honour to haue seene the Messias but they are glad to goe alone though they would be desirous to haue company Whereby we learne that to embrace religion and to ioyne our selues with the congregation of the Saints it is good in going if wee can get company for the greater blessing fals vpon a multitude howbeit we must haue this resolution to go what danger soeuer may befall and not to stay vntill others goe for thou shalt neuer see the Lord Iesus if thou stay till all Hierusalem doe goe with thee to Bethlem These Wise-men might haue said with themselues Wherefore should we goe see him since his owne people will not as Iudas asked Christ Ioh. â— 22 Why doest thou shew thy selfe to vs and not to the world but they take no occasion of stay but are resolute to goe alone Now if these heathen men were so earnest as to admit of nothing which might hinder them from beholding Christ in the flesh how much more ought wee to bee eager to heare Christ in his word and to see him in the Sacrament The Queene of Saba shall rise vp in iudgement against vs that came so farre to heare the wisdome of Salomon 1. Kings 10.1 and yet as Christ speaketh Mat. 12.42 a greater then Salomon is heere yet are we negligent in attending the voice of God Now for the second circumstance namely that the starre went before them consider the wonderfull wisdome of God that he doeth so qualifie and moderate the trials and afflictions of his seruants that euen to the greatest temptations if they mistrust not he giueth a most blessed issue for it might haue stricken these men with a strange astonishment and driuen them into great perplexity that they being of speciall reputation in their country and comming this tedious iourney and hauing such colde entertainment both in the Kings court and of the meaner people and hauing lost their direction the starre being vanished these things might greatly haue dismaied them not to haue gone any further yet they proceeding forward in their obedience the light that was quenched was againe of the Lord reuiued and with this they were comforted greatly seeing the resolution of the Priests concurring with the dumbe message of the starre Wherein also marke that the starre guided them to the particular place where the babe lay for if they had come to Bethlem it is likely none there knew it Christ his birth being a thing not dreamt of and he being a babe vnregarded and so much the more because he comes of the house of Dauid And if they had enquired of wicked men for such a thing they would but haue scorned them or else sought to haue intrapped them if of good men they had indangered themselues by discrying it Therfore not to need any helpe the Lord from heauen pointeth out the place vnto them wherin for our further instruction learne that God in euery good purpose doth goe before vs by his grace to make vs willing Phil. 2.13 as Saint Paul speaketh and with the same grace doth follow vs and confirme vs in the first worke that we shall neuer wash our hands in vaine but that as we are by his direction come to Ierusalem to seeke after Christ so wee shall by the same direction go strait to Bethlem where we shall see him as Dauid saith Psalm 25.12 They that feare the Lord shall know how to choose the right way For their reioycing at the sight of the starre appearing againe it implieth they were strangely discomforted at the losse of it Where note that if the Lord doe at any time quench the light of his spirit in vs or change the pleasure and eclipse the ioy of his countenance if sometimes wee cannot apply to our soules the sweet
hee shall be hold his destruction Exod. 14.28 in the red sea How oft 〈◊〉 Saul thinke and how sore did he thirst for the life of Dauid 〈◊〉 he misseth of his purpose and slaieth himselfe 1. Sam. 31.4 〈◊〉 make way for Dauid to the kingdome And such shall be the â—â—cesse of all that conspire against the Lord and his Christ to fall 〈◊〉 to the pit which themselues haue digged and to make the wâ—â—ked a ransome for the godly For the maner of Herods death though it be silenced by the Euangelist yet the Ecclesiasticall stories make mention of it as Iosephus and Eusebius which though it command not the conscience to beleeue yet the more to magnifie the Lord it is not vnfit to consider it He had a great swelling in his legs woonderfull rottennesse in his whole flesh his breath did so stinke as he could not be accompanied with he had such a disease in his parts of shame as wormes did crawle about them he was greedie of meat hauing the appetite of a dogge not to be satisfied his whole race was accursed after him hauing eight children within an hundred yeeres there was not any of their loines lest Archilaus heere spoken of was banished to Vienna and there died a beggar Antypas that beheaded Iohn Baptist and whom Christ called Foxe Luke 13.32 was banished to Lions in France and there died a most miserable abiect Agrippa the son of Aristobulus the sonne of this Herod an insolent and proud man was eaten vp with lice most shamefully Act. 12.23 The sonne of this Agrippa that would haue put Peter to death liuing till the destruction of Ierusalem there had his end Thus did the wrath of God rest vpon the familie of this cruell persecutor of Gods Church who was blasted in himselfe and his posteritie And thus did the Lord 1. Kings 14.10 sweepe away the house of Ieroboam as a man sweepeth away dung till it bee all gone and 1. King 21.21 did cut off the posteritie of Ahab for their prouocations wherewith they had prouoked him to teach vs to feare and tremble before his face and if we will be blessed in our selues and in the fruit of our bodie to looke vnto our paths that we lay not our hands to wickednesse Note further that we are not to feare what Princes can doe vnto vs for they liue no longer then they haue some seruice to doe for Gods glorie as it is said Col. 1.16 All things are in Christ and for Christ And Saul could not Acts 9.1 breath out threatnings against the Church of God had not the Lord some speciall purpose in it either for the exercising of his Saints or the waiting for his owne repentance Neither could Pharaoh so long â—â—ie his rodde vpon the Israelites were it not as S. Paul saith Rom. 9.17 that the Lord stirred him vp to shew his power in him For now when Herod had executed the children whereby God is glorified in their innocent death and his owne malice fully manifested then he dieth himselfe which may teach vs patience against the time of trouble knowing that the wicked are but as the weapons of the Lord to set an edge on our affectionâ— which otherwise would creepe vpon the earth and make vs forget our maker whereas by this meanes we oft times cast our 〈◊〉 on our deliuerer which is in heauen Further learne that though tyrants appoint vs as sheepe to the slaughter and in the malice of their hearts doe purpose to fleece vs yet sometime the butcher wanteth his knife and the sheepe in the shambles do escape therefore we need not to be afraid of them that haue not so much power as to kill the bodie vnlesse the Lord giue vs vp into their hands as Dauid saith Psal 7.12 speaking of the wicked hee hath bent his bow and spread his net and hath conceiued mischiefe but shall bring foorth vanitie and the euill intended shall fall vpon his owne hairy scalpe For the diuell that is stronger then man yea that aâ—meth the malice of men cannot stretch foorth his hand vpon the goods of Iob Iob. 1.12 much lesse touch his body without the permission of the Almighty Herod shall die and Christ shall escape if not the worst that flesh and bloud can doe is but 〈◊〉 send vs with the children of Bethlem into heauen for the Lorâ— is our shield and we are as neare deare vnto him as the apple of his eie yea he is our secret place and vnder his shadow we can not but be safe For the second point containing the obedience of Iosepâ— by his example we learne not to runne before Gods promises but patiently to waite vpon them for as hee is alwaies a sure deliuerer of his people so then especially when his mouth haâ—â— spoken it and vpon this Ioseph relied not stirring till he was called Moses was sure to bring the people of Israel out of Egypt Exod. 3.10 yet hee must staie for it fortie yeeres as if the Lord had forgotten to what purpose hee had appointed him Noab 〈◊〉 the Lords commandement entreth into the Arke and commeâ—â— not foorth till by the same commandement Gen. 8.16 he 〈◊〉 called foorth though by the not returning of the Doue he knâ—â— the waters were abated from the earth Dauid was sure to be king after Saul yet he waited so long as in his haste he said Psalm 116.11 All men are liers thinking that Samuel had abused him to tell him hee should be King which we must beware of for the cause why the Lord staieth many times is because his seruants crie not out vnto him nor presse him with importunity as Luk. 18.5 the widow did the Iudge or for that our curst heares will not come downe so as he is faine to vse the wicked as rods to chastise and humble vs. Heere also learne that as Christ commeth out of Egypt so the Lord draweth the Gospell out of the fire and giueth it some Sun-shine out of the darkest persecution yea and that as it is said Act. 12.24 in the time of the most ambitious and Lordly tyrants it shall grow and multiply exceedingly for so it hath pleased God that the hotest persecutors as was S. Paul haue embraced it and that kings haue submitted their scepters to the foolishnesse of preaching Which noteth vnto vs that the ignominy that lighteth vpon the crosse is not nor ought to be any occasion to disswade vs from it for the proceeding of Christs kingdome is aboue nature and the perswading to it is cleaue contrary to the custome of the world For saith Cyrus if a Lacedaemonian will serue mee if hee bee a foot-man I will make him an horseman if a horse-man I will giue him a Chariot if hee haue a Chariot I will giue him a Castle if a Castle a Citie and he shall receiue his gold not by tale but by waite But now in the groweth and age of a Christian it fareth otherwise for this is the condition of
giuen vp Rom. 1.24 to serue their owne lusts that profited not by that one light of nature whereby they were constrained to acknowledge a superiour power that made that excellent frame of heauen and earth If the Pharisees were thus sharpely charged and reprooued for not amending their liues at these few sermons of one Iohn Baptist much more may wee feare lest wee be swallowed vp of present destruction that haue had so many sounds of the Lords trumpets and yet haue not retired from our owne waies that after so much dressing and pruning and lopping haue brought foorth nothing but briers that haue deuoured so many full yeares of peace and yeeres of preaching and plentie and yet continue leane and ilfauoured in the course of our liues for now at the time of the Gospel as we see heere beginneth iudgement Secondly learne how faithfully Iohn executed and performed his ministery which stood in two parts as was foretold by Malachy chap. 4. to preach mercie and iudgement both which he performed in this one sermon Heere the Iesuits take occasion to say that we should dehort men from euill for feare of hell and exhort them to doe well in hope of heauen We say with Paul who is our patterne and forerunner that we haue weapons for all those that shall despaire after the obedience of Gods Saints fulfilled but we preach not onely to worke well in hope of heauen for as we are seruants we deserue nothing but as children wee are receiued to an inheritance bought for vs before we were so we striue not that men should keepe themselues from sin onely for feare of hell for the Lord will neuer account of such a soule as will doe nothing but for feare of the whip for hee loueth a free giuer and hateth constrained subiection and it is not the horror of damnation but the commemoration of the Lords mercie shewed toward vs in giuing his owne Sonne to so ignominious a death to ransome vs from that curse wee had incurred This is that containes vs within the bounds of obedience for if the heart bloud of the Lord Iesus will not make thy heart to relent and thy hands to tremble to put them forth to wickednesse then art thou in a desperate case Shall the feare of the gibber or the ghastly shew of death make one that was a traitor and now pardoned and aduanced vnto high place by the meere mercie of his Soueraigne shall this make him afraid to commit treason againe and nothing else nay the grace of his Prince shall rest alwaies before his eies and shall most forcibly perswade him to perseuere in his loialtie For this is the most effectuall of all others to mooue vs in the bowels of the mercies of Christ to keepe our selues cleane and washed because wee are already purified in his bloud and not for feare of falling into the pit againe Thirdly note that if any man will escape and auoide damnation he must of necessitie liue wel for he must be a tree bringing foorth good fruit Where first consider what is good fruit which is implied in the text it cannot bee good except the tree be good as Christ saith If the casting out of a diuell be a good worke why am not I a good man Matt. 12.28 Ioh. 7.21 So as first the person must be accepted before the worke be accepted and no person can please without faith that purifieth the heart and there is no such heart where religion dependeth not vpon the true worship of the law of God and by consequent there is no good faith where the heart is not cleansed by the spirit of God Since then a man must first be good before he can doe good it is impossible that anie man erronious in religion should produce a good worke Externall righteousnesse and the morall vertues of the Papists is a vizard that bleares manie mens eies and wee say that they are honest as well may we say it of them that hanged vp the Lord Iesus thinking he had spoken blasphemie because being but a poore wretch to see to he challenged himselfe to be the Sonne of God and in this doing they thought they had done God an excellent peece of seruice And for Paul before his conuersion who could except against his life nay as he testifieth of himselfe Philip. 3. â— hee walked according to all the ordinances the law prescribed yet after hee was called he accounted all his morall righteousnesse but as the excrement of a dogge And if religion do not distinguish betweene men the heathen shall condemne both vs and them who by the meere instinct of nature liued in the hatred of grosse sinnes and walked soberly without exception and yet are they already damned For first we must be good by grace and being adopted into Christ then we doe good and of all the trees of the forest as Ezec. 15.3 there is none but is better then the vine if it beare not grapes for the oake is good for timber and euerie tree may serue for some good vse but the farments of the vine if it be not clustered is fit for nothing but for the fire The Papists are good as okes to build monasteries and to set vp houses and places of religion but an vnfaithfull and vnfruitfull Protestant and Professor is good for nothing being but a rotten bough or branch of a fruitlesse and barren vine but to be burned So that to iudge a worke to be good it must bee good both quo ad fontem quo ad finem proceeding from an honest heart and driuing to a right end the glory of God to whom I owe honor Further to come to the true knowledge of good fruit let vs know what bad fruit is which is double first sinnes in substance such as are contrarie to the expresse commandement of God as adulterie is absolutely a sinne in Dauid as wel as in any other secondly sinnes by circumstance as giuing of almes Matt. 23.5 onely when the trumpet sounds to be seene of men or to come into the sanctuarie with a purpose to pray and presently to returne to his vomit againe for the Lord abhorreth what himselfe commandeth Esay 66. if it be not doâ—â— with that heart he commandeth The sacrifice of a sheepe is 〈◊〉 his sight as the bloud of a man not that he hateth the action but the hypocrisie in the action which staineth the whole a Hagg. 2.13 if an vncleane person touch the holy flesh the flesh it selfe is vncleane but holie flesh maketh not other flesh holy which was not so before Further obserue where it is said Euery tree that bringeth 〈◊〉 foorth good fruit shall be hewne downe that it is not enough not to doe euill but it is damnable not to do good for he doth not say the tree that brings foorth no fruit but that brings not forth good fruit For it is not enough for Zacheus Luk. 19 after his conuersion to be no poller or robber of
separates for it is the same word of life in it selfe but not to them that eate it not to the elect it is effectually conueied to the reprobate it is truely offered by God but separate by their vnbeleefe Therefore let vs consider the analogy and naturall relation in baptisme the externall thing is water such as is common the thing inward is the very bloud of Christ answered by the signe The application of water to the clensing of the body is answered by the applying of the holy Ghost the effect of water is to purifie from filth so is it of the bloud of Christ to purge from sinne and this two waies by killing and renewing by nortifying and quickning by the dipping in the water is represented the death of Christ and his resurrection signified by pulling out of the water that as we are buried with him in Baptisme so we shall rise with him by his spirit Why but hath Iohn no power but to put on water euery man may doe so and how is it then that 2. Cor. 3.6 Paul saith God hath made vs ministers of the spirit and not of the letter for there he compareth the Law to the Gospell Moses to the Apostles Moses gaue vnto the people the two tables which was onely a commandement externall for he could not change his owne heart nor apply his owne soule to the performance of the law but it was onely as if a man should write to a blind man to bid him reade or to a deafe man to bid him heare And can Paul doe any more to conuert the Corinths No but this is the difference the preaching of the Gospell which is the ministery of the spirit doth not onely require faith but giueth faith to be saued for of it selfe it is as easie to keepe the law as to beleeue Why but Paul saith to Timothy 1. Tim. 4.6 Attend on the worke of preaching to saue thy selfe and others and Paul of himselfe saith I begat you and Mal. 4.6 it was prophesied of this Iohn that he should conuert the hearts of men This is most true when the externall and internall doe ioyne and iumpe together and when they are not compared by opposition but are comprehensiuely taken together then we can bind and loose sinnes and as Leuit 16.16 then the Priest shall make thy soule cleane But as it was said that there was in paradise Genes 3.22 the tree of life not that it had any life in it but that they that should eate of it should liue for euer and so of the tree of knowledge which was so called by the effect it wrought making vs to know what good we lost and what nakednesse we fell into so it is said that we forgiue sinnes Iohn 20.23 because the word of reconciliation is put into our mouthes not that we doe it by any absolute authority but necessarily because our commission extendeth to it by God And so all morall matters vnder the law were but a meere pageant sauing that they sealed to them the inward which was the blood of Christ and where such efficacy was giuen to the sacrifices there the inward thing was attributed to the outward so as we must still hold that all power and sufficiency is of God 2. Cor. 3.5 Further obserue that Iohn of necessitie must giue water or else Christ can giue no bloud and except there be planting and watering nothing can grow So as we must learne to submit our selues to the ministery else can wee not ordinarily expect for any grace at Gods hands for he giues but increase and blessing to his worke-mens labour and though the voice of the Preacher be but a vanishing voice wanting power to affect the conscience and vertue to illuminate the eies for the voice cannot pierce the soule yet wee must humble our selues to Iohns ministery for by this voice doth the Lord giue life and as hee cannot hope for fruit that neuer sowed nor expect for wine that neuer planted no more can hee looke for life that neuer heard for faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10.17 and without faith there is no saluation So as vnlesse we doe embrace this ordinance of God to follow them whom hee hath made his armes to reach forth vnto vs the bread of life we can neuer beleeue and except we desire to be sealed with the great seale of heauen committed vnto them wee shall neuer be saued for as it is said Gen. 17.14 euery soule contemptuously refusing circumcision shall bee cut off and he that despiseth the bread doth betray and crucifie the Lord Iesus as the Iewes did that bad away with him Iohn must be regarded because he puts on water for who is not glad to receiue his pardon by the person of any and why should their feet bee contemptible that bring vs such newes from the mouth of God And if wee dare not in paine of damnation but thinke reuerently of the seales that is of water and bread in the Sacraments how much more must wee reuâ—â—â—ce the doctrine that is of far greater maiesty for the Sacraments are but blankes without the word Further consider heere in Iohns baptizing to amendment of life that as all Sacraments are couenants and in couenants there is alway something agreed on betweene both parties so in Baptisme God promiseth to receiue Christ to redeeme the holy Ghost to sanctifie and on the other side we promise to beleeue this and to repent vs of our transgressions For as Baptisme sealeth vnto vs remission of sinne so also doth it seale as it were from vs amendment of life and to whom soeuer the Lord sealeth this assurance that he will saue him to him also he sealeth regeneration and newnesse of life And as Paul saith Rom. 2.26 if vncircumcision beleeue well it shall bee saued rather then circumcision that is if the outward signe bee separated from the inward and not accompanied with cleannesse of heart and obedience to the commandement hee that wants the outward seale and yet is circumcised in heart is more to bee accounted of then the other Therefore let vs looke and take heed we performe the vow wee made before God and his Angels in our baptisme namely as to beleeue the promises so to repent and reforme our liues for he that will assure himselfe of the benefite of Baptisme must see what power he hath to subdue his corruptions He will baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire That is by the holy Ghost Christ will seale the pardon of their sinnes who hath the same power that fire hath as first to burne vp all trash and stubble secondly to purifie things that are to be purged thirdly to giue light in darkenesse fourthly to quicken things that are benummed and stiffe with cold So as let vs examine our selues whether wee haue felt these effects of this spirit for if he filthinesse and frâ—â—â—dnesse of our nature be burnt vp and consumed if our harts be swept and cleansed from vile and loose
Neither is this contrary to that God willeth not the death of a sinner for the difference is this God willeth not the confusion simply of any man as a thing wherein he delighteth but he willeth it as it is his iustice and what greater or better iustice can there be then to bee glorified in the condemnation of some that haue deserued it and he must be no more vnwillingly iust then vnwillingly mercifull Further learne that euen in this life the godly are gathered to heauen and so of the wicked that though they liue yet they are in hell So S. Iohn saith he that beleeueth is already passed to life Iohn 5.24 and Heb. 12.22 we are gathered already to the Patriarks and to the soules of iust and perfect men through hope and wee are as sure to haue that we hope for as we are of this we haue already namely the pledge of Gods spirit and Ephes 2. vs he hath gathered to the celesticall places vnder hope speaking as if it were already done though the reall gathering shal be at the latter day On the other side of the wicked it is said by the same spirit He that beleueth not is already damned the words are fearefull but it is so set downe to expresse the certainty of it not but that hee that is not beloued Ose 2.23 may be beloued and he that is not vnder mercy 1. Pet. 2.10 may obtaine mercy But looke in what state a man is in the Church in the same shall hee be after this life for whatsoeuer is bound on earth is bound in heauen and they that bee not bound heere being priuy hypocrites are notwithstanding bound in heauen and shall be so in hell also For the last which is vnquenchable fire thereby is meant the condemnation prepared for the reprobate not that wee must imagine there is any naturall fire there for first this fire can not pierce the soules of men nor the spirits of diuels and the paine must extend both to soule and body Secondly it is no more naturall fire then it is a bodily worme spoken of in the Gospell which shall gnaw the hearts and consciences of the damned Mark 9.44 Thirdly in Esay 30.33 it is said there was a great lake prepared for Kings with fire of much wood and it is absurd to thinke there is any wood there and a riuer of brimstone burning by the breath of the Lord which is not to bee intended of materiall brimstone but it is set out by such termes to expresse the vnspeakable torment of it not to be comprehended much lesse to be endured for the torment of fire and brimstone euen to flesh and bloud are strange and terrible therefore these speeches are vsed to conuey to our vnderstanding what we could not before conceiue So it is said in the Gospell that they shall bee bound hand and foot not that there be any bonds or chaines there Mat. 22.13 but the meaning only is that they are the prisoners of the Lord for euer neuer to be released but to be restrained from all libertie wherby they might in any sort be eased Againe hell fire is called Gehenna or Topheth which was a litle place where the Israelites did sacrifice their children in fire to the Diuels this being taken for the torment of the reprobate Now this torment is expressed two waies first in the extremitie of it secondly in the permanencie of it The first two waies First by that they shall feele both in soule and body secondly by that they shall lose both of them expressed 2. Thess 1.9 they shall be separated from the power of his presence and bound in chaines in euerlasting darknesse The greatnesse of this torment is expressed two waies first it shall be vniuersall in all parts and it is most fearfull in this life to be pained in euery part of the body at one time Secondly the particular torment thâ— euery one in hell shall feele as that Princes shall be tormented like Princes euery one according to the sinnes that he wrought in his body Mat. 10.15 as it is said in the Gospell It shall bee easier for Sodome then for them and yet they be in hell already for the damnation of Belzebub shall be the greatest and then of them that sinned against the holy Ghost and none of these shall haue so much as a drop of water to coole their toongues but they shall continually bee blaspheming of God for the which they shall continually be tormented And though this shall be great and grieuous such as they cannot yet they must abide yet shall it be a farre greater hell vnto them to thinke they haue lost heauen seeing Gods children to reioice that their persecutors be now plagued and that God is so auenged of them for their sakes For the second which is the endlesnesse of this torment it is a fire that shall neuer go out nor the flames wherof can neuer beâ—bated If there were but as many yeeres to endure it as there be grasse piles on earth or starres in heauen the conscience might somewhat through hope bee eased because at length it should cease but the end thereof cannot be imagined and this word neuer is fearefull Let this therefore teach vs rightly to embrace the Gospell that we may be wheate in this earthly floore of the Lord to the end we may be gathered into his heauenly garner MATH Chap. 3. vers 13 14 15 16 17. verse 13 Then cam Iesus from Galile to Iordan vnto Iohn to he baptized of him verse 14 But Iohn earnestly put him backe saying I haue neede to be baptized of thee and comest thou to me verse 15 Then Iesus answering said to him Let be now for thus it becommeth vs to fulfill all righteousnesse so hee suffered him verse 16 And Iesus when he was baptized came straite out of the water and lo the heauens were opened vnto him and Iohn saw the Spirit of God descending like a Diue and lighting on him verse 17 And lo a voice came from heauen saying This is my beloloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased NOW the Euangelist proceedeth to shew now Iohn exercised part of his Ministery euen toward the Messias himselfe and setteth downe how after Christ had liued long in Nazareth containing himselfe in Iosephs house till his heauenly father should consecrate him and call him forth to the great worke of the Ministery and of maiestie hee being now of thirty yeeres of age commeth to Iohn and requireth to be baptized in as much as he appearing in the flesh of man was to ioyne himselfe to them that confessed their sinnes Iohn by reuelation perceiuing that he was the Lord for they neuer met before this being in wise dome prouided of the Lord lest it might haue seemed a compact betweene them two to cosen the world refuseth to do it and put him backe earnestly acknowledging Christs excellency and his owne vnworthinesse In this bewraying the error of his
word in the ordinance of God should goe before the seale and in this respect it is necessary yet is it a Sacrament though there be no preaching and the want of the word doth not abolish the nature of the action So we must labour that all thing that sauour of corruption may be remoued yet not to seuer our selues from the Church by reason of some abuses And heere those are confuted that will submit themselues to some commandements and not to others We thinke no man can be saued without Baptisme if hee contemne it and why doest thâ—â— not aswell labour to haue thy child nurtured vp in faith and religion No man will come to the Sacrament without examination for if he do we account it damnable or who is he that taking the bread in the Supper would be found asleepe yet we thrust our selues into the temple to heare the Lord speake vnto vs not communing with our hearts before we come and suffering oâ—â— selues to be caught with sleepe when we are come And whence proceedeth this but that we doe not esteeme it as righteous as ordinance of God to come to the doctrine with preparation as to the Sacrament Certaine it is many may bee saued without Bptisme but being baptized and despising preaching if hee may haue it he is sure to be damned for what is the seale vnlesse there be a graunt precedent But we are almost like vnto the Pharisees that thought it no sinne to sweare by the altar but to sweare by the oblation on the altar was an hainous matter so to sweare by the Temple it was nothing Math. 23.18 but otherwise to sweare by the gold in the Temple which is most strange since the gold is nothing vnlesse it bee sanctified by the Temple So the Word doth separate and sanctifie the water and the bread and not they the Word for it hath life without them and who taught them to distinguish thus For if we will all go to Iohn to be baptized of him so must wee also to heare him preach Let vs beware therefore how wee leape at a Gnat and swallow a Camell Ioh. 13.8 Peter would as faine be cleansed as the rest of the Apostles then must he not be so nice as to deny this mercy to himselfe to haue Christ wash his feet But as we must measure euery thing by the commandement so must we likewise esteeme them according to the dignity and order that God hath commanded for this shall bee the best fulfilling of righteousnesse And Iesus when he was baptised c. Heere the Euangelist setteth downe what followed immediatly after Christs baptising namely the ordaining of him by an heauenly Oracle to be the great Doctor of the Church There were many glorious sights and apparitions whereby was testified to Iohn and the people that this was an extraordinary man By opening the heauens must bee vnderstood that they were as it were cut asunder that thereby they might know that this man was not to be considered as in the infirmitie of man but as one come from heauen Further Iohn and the people saw with their bodily eyes the bodily shape of a doue by which was represented Sacramentally an extraordinary presence of the holy Ghost which though it be euery where and so cannot be limâ—ted any where yet was it neuer so much present any where as in this place whereby was signified the perfusing and powring of all gifts and graces vpon the humane nature of the Lord Iesus And after their sight had beene thus confirmed yet was there a more excellent signe a voice from the liuing God that this man and this person that stood before them aggreuating and gathering himselfe among the company of sinners this poore man appearing but in the basenesse of this flesh was the very naturall Sonne of God begot by an incomprehensible generation in whom his soule delighted So as the summe is this There are testimonies giuen from heauen to Iohn and the people by sight and by hearing that this man that was but newly baptized was the onely and alone peace-maker of the Church The testimonies be three first the opening of the heauens secondly the descending of the doue thirdly the voice from heauen and the matter of the voice For the first vnderstand that albeit Christ had the heauens opened in part for the confirmation of his owne soule that hee was appointed to bee the great ruler of the Church who in his humanity had need of such a confirmation and that in part they were opened to giue him security to vndergoe this great office yet it was done especially for the confirming of Iohn and the people as Ioh. 12. A voice came from heauen saying I haue glorified him which came saith Christ vers 30. not for me but for your sakes So as heereby generally obserue in that the heauens are opened to authorize him to be the great Teacher that our duty is to heare him and the greater shall our condemnation be if we doe it not For though others speake by commission from God as Iohn and the Prophets yet this is true spoken of in the Hebrewes that if they went not vnpunished that despised them that spake from the earth that is being but men much lesse shall they escape that despise him who speaketh from heauen And since the Prophets Luk. 16.29 are to be heard and Iohn speaking in the authority of God much more are we to take heede that we neglect not the words of this great Teacher that speakes from heauen being God in flesh For the second testimony first may be demanded whether Iesus was destitute of this spirit before And if not why it is said now to light on him Colos 2 9. It is certaine as the Apostle teacheth that the God head dwelt bodily in his flesh and neuer any creature had so much as hee from the first moment of his conception And in that it seemes now to descend vpon him vnderstand that before hee led a priuate life and the time of his manifestation was not come at this time hee abstained from shewing any worke of his mediatorship and in this priuat course of life he had such a portion of the spirit as was meete but now when he was to exercise his office he hath his soule endued with a more excellent measure of grace Hereupon it is said Esa 61.1 The spirit of the Lord came vpon me to preach good tidings c. comming then in a speciall manner vpon him where we learne that as Christ in the lineaments and proportion of his bodie grew and increased so did he also in the graces of his soule and inward vertues as Luk. 2.52 hee increased in wisedome and in stature and in fauour both with God and men And howsoeuer hee had by right appertaining to him all grace yet it was powred downe by degrees and the greatest measure of all was at the time of his ascension The grace hee hath receiued is farre aboue
subtilties as it will be hard to keepe him out Whereas God doth this to exercise his seruants in praier and to make them more diligent in searching and not that we should turne it to a matter of security and idlenesse these men not being so deuout as they that worship the Sunne and Moone Reu. 12.4 for they haue some conscience We must know that Sathan is able to pull starres from heauen as it is in the Reuelation and hee doth not alwaies speake with the mouth of a Dragon therefore in these perplexities wee must approch to God Mat. 7.8 whose promise we haue Seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall be opened and Iohn 7.17 if any man haue an honest heart and good inclination to liue well I will shew him saith Christ from whence my doctrine is And the Lord hath promised to be a Schoole-master to the humble they being not prepossessed with preiudice and he will giue plentifully and neuer vpbraid O most bountifull inuitation of our gracious God whereby wee may bee assured that asking the truth hee will not giue error Luke 11.12 and desiring to be conducted in the right way he will not leade vs into by-paths no more then asking bread hee will giue vs a Scorpion but he will vphold vs in the most dangerous temptations whereas others hauing no desire at least in a single affection for their malice and preiudice may be iustly damned 1. Thess 2.16 But what shall we doe shall we make them like waxe flexible to euery impression or like bels tuneable to the eares of the heater What resolution is there for the conscience the text cannot speake It is written saith Christ It is written saith the diuell if they be written they are both true and must needs be contrary being cited by enemies We answer it is true the letter printed cannot speake and they that writ it are in heauen The Church therefore hath prouided certaine meanes whereby a man not preiudicate may know the truth which bee sixe first praier with Dauid that the Lord would open our vnderstandings and shew vs the light of his statutes Psal 25.12 and the way that wee may choose whereby our steps may be assured Secondly wee must vnderstand the words of the place in the originall tongue of the old Testament in the Hebrew of the new in the Greeke for this was the instrument sanctified to that purpose Thirdly we must consider the words what they be by themselues and what they bee together ioyned with others whether they bee to bee taken properly or figuratiuely which shall bee knowen if either they be not proportionable to the analogie and rule of faith or not agreeing with the circumstance of the place Fourthly to examine the drift of the place what went before and what followeth as Christ to one asking him how hee should get eternall life answered by keeping the commandements Luk. 18 2â— not meaning thereby that wee must come to it by our workes as the Papists gather Luke 10.26.29 but he speaking to one that iustified himselfe by keeping the Law spake after that sort to shew him his wound namely that that was not the way vnlesse he fulfilled all Fiftly by comparing and conferring of places one with another the true sense of the Scripture against the Scripture abused as Christ in this place doth and as else-where Loue couereth the multitude of â—â—nes 1. Pet. 4.8 conferre with this Prou. 10.12 Hatred stirreth â—peontention but loue couereth all trespasses loue being taken â—or the loue of men whereby things are qualified and the best made of the worst and not for couering of sinnes before God â—s the Papists would haue it but inding it before men So Aâ—raham was iustified by faith faith Paul Rom. 4.3 by works saith â—ames chapt 2.21 Saint Iames dealing with them that denied â—orks altogether S. Paul with them that stood too much vpon â—â—em the one speaking how aman might approue himselfe before men to be iustified the other how men are iustified before God Sixthly approue of no interpretation nor accept of any scripture which is not proportionable to the analogy and agreeable to the rule of faith which is threefold first the tenne commandements secondly the Lords praier thirdly the Creed of the Apostles As when it is said This bread is my body I must not take it for the very substantiall body of Christ as it was on earth because it is against my Creed which teacheth me to beleeue he is in heauen Againe if we eate him in the bread flesh and bone it crosseth a commandement Thou shalt not kill for it is cruelty so to rend his flesh betweene our teeth Oh but how shall vnlearned men doe this Let vs know that God is the teacher of the vnlearned and he wil not giue a stone if we aske food but he will instruct the humble and in compassion will bring them foorth of darknesse if they will confer with the learned as the Eunuch did with Philip Act. 8.31 and if they will frequent the word preached with the same hearts that the men of Beroea did heare Pauls sermons Act. 17.10 comparing then with the verity of the word written For the second how truely Sathan applied the Scripture he brought the place is taken out of Psal 91.11 and though his purpose was to abuse Christ hauing no promise of protection going out of his waies yet in this he saith truely that hee applied the pomise especially to Christ the naturall Sonne of God though it extend to all the faithfull for Christ is that ladder of Iacob Gen. 28.12 whereupon the Angels ascended and descended and so much did he himselfe tell Nathaniel of 1. Iohn 51. that he should see the Angels ascend and descend vpon the sonne of man for they are seruiceable properly to him as the sonne of God and of him it is principally true that the Angels do attendeâ— for though they serue vs it is but for his sake not that they are inferior to vs in themselues but God hauing for his sonnes sake made vs heires of glory and Christ vouchsafing vs to bee companions with him in his kingdome they minister vnto vs and by that ladder doe descend vnto vs hauing of our selues nothing Further note that the diuell doth know that Christ and 〈◊〉 Gods children must haue sufficient security from God thâ—â— walking in their calling and in the waies prescribed them they shall be guided by the prouidence of the most high which is our comfort that neither the pestilence that walketh by night Psal 91.5.6 nor the arrowes that flie by day neither the dragon nor the aspe the open furious nor the secret malicious tyrant shall once hurt vs for Sathan knowes and doth heere testifie that we dwell in the secret of the Highest and vnder his shadow that shall shelter vs from stormy blasts and boiling heate and no more shall wee need to feare Gen. 11.4 then did the heauens when
it commeth euer betweene the heart and the sinne for thus Sathan powreth in poison into the heart by the outward sense and our looks are as windowes whereat lust is let in and concupiscence inflamed Heereupon it is that the Saints of God haue made their praiers that the Lord would turne away their eies from beholding vanity Iob 31.1 and Iob made And if these that were so full of the holy Ghost so painful in crucifying their members so feruent in praier and so awfull of God did this much more ought we that are farre behind them in religious exercises and farre before them in fleshly desires haue a steddy hand ouer our selues and our senses that they bee not caught and insnared Therefore let vs yeeld nothing to the course of waters nor seeke to quench the fire with oile or abate our lust by dalliance Some haue the eies of the Cockatrice of Egypt that sendeth foorth poison to infect others and rebounding backe againe poisoneth it selfe For him that can scarse stand of himselfe it is not safe sliding on the ice nor for a weake braine to come neere an Iuie bush for in this hee betraieth his owne soule For the second which is the promise hee made him All these faith he I will giue thee and lest he might seeme to promise that was none of his owne it appeareth by S. Luk. 4.6 that he doth not challenge this as his of himselfe but as giuen him as if hee should say They are all giuen me and I wil giue them all to thee wherein partly hee saith true and in part lieth most shamefully His truth is in this that he acknowledgeth it to bee bestowed by a higher Lord but heereby he would insinuate that they are so giuen as the Lord hath vtterly renounced and abdicated his care of the world and hath left the earth to bee disposed by Satan or the wheele of fortune contenting himselfe with the gouernment in the heauens Where learne that though Sathan doth rule against Gods will and that he neuer allowed his power whee ruleth not without his will Heereupon we must vnderstand a double power the first giuen the second onely permitted All power thou hast saith Christ to Pilate is giuen this of my Father Iohn 19.11 But the Diuels power is so permitted as it was neuer ordained of God therefore it is not so lawfull as that of Magistrates be they neuer so wicked for this is so giuen as though it bee abused yet the authority in it owne nature commeth from God Reuel 13. The beast that was the Emperour of Rome came tumultuously and aduanced by warres had his authoritie giuen him from the Dragon Where wee must distinguish two things first the ordinance of God commanding such magistracy so farre as it is preheminence secondly their Apostasie their tyrannie persecution of the Saints and their vniust comming to that seate was from the diuell But the diuels power he executeth is no way lawfull as from God for he neuer commanded it so as he is a meere vsurper and according to this is the lieutenancy of Sathan which God doth suffer but not ordiane namely that princely imperious popish Priest of Rome neither Magistrate nor Minister and hath no power but from sathan and is absolutely as vnlawfull as the Diuels Where further consider that there is nothing so euill but it is by Gods decree though not allowed and it is good there should be euill And though the diuell as hee is the Diuell ruleth not well yet it is to Gods glorie for the exercising of his children by the buffetings of Satan to humble them lest they should waxe proud and for the condemnation of the reprobate by the suggestions of Sathan to ntangle them that they might not escape the iustice of God The second thing Sathan assumeth to himselfe is most false namely that they were his to dispose for since they were neuer giuen him he cannot assigne them ouer for hee hath gained no interest by vsurpation And this is true that Nabuchadnezzar Dan. 4. learned by liuing among beasts Now saith he vers 31. I see by experience which I could not before iudge of that the Lord of Lords disposeth of kingdomes But it may bee thought a strange impudency in the diuell to goe about to perswade the Sonne of God that he could giue these things for scarce any of vs would thinke his soueraignty so great It is true Christ could noâ—â—â— this proffer bee seduced but a great part of the world doth thinke that hee can dispose of the comforts of this life which is proued by the meanes they vse to come to these blessings vsing leud practises and vnlawfull meanes not for a kingdome but for a trifle which they would neuer doe if they were not perswaded the disposition of these inferiour things were turned ouer to the Diuell for God giueth nothing as a blessing but by a lawfull course so as vsing Sathans meanes how can wee thinke it commeth from God And that such is our iudgement also appeareth by the prouerbe Hee that liueth an honest man shall die a begger and what is this but to giue ouer the gouernement to the Diuell of these earthly things And though they aske their daisie bread of God yet they testifie that this their God is Sathan For note the meanes they vse For kingdomes can a man perswade himselfe that God setteth vp Princes and that promotion commeth neither from the East not from the West and shall he aspire to it by treason For authority can a man thinke that to come to a place is in the disposition of the highest when he is aduanced by bribery and corruption He that thinks to win somewhat from a Prince by flattery perswadeth not himselfe that God can dispose of Princes harts And he that comes to a liuing by simony thinks not that the holy Ghost hath appointed him there nor he that increaseth his wealth by vsury holds not that riches come from the Lord for all these meanes hath his mouth cursed Further for the promise hee will giue him all if hee will giue him but a knee a small matter and if he would acknowledge him a benefactor he would gratifie him as a person worthy with all he shewed him Now how euer Christ was not ouercome with this yet it mightily preuailes with the sonnes of men Looke into all particular places and we shall finde he hath many to crouch to him for a great deale lesse then this was Iudas will betray his master for thirty peeces of siluer Mat. 26.15 Doeg will flatter Saul 1. Sa. 22.10 and speake all euill of Dauid in hope of preferment Absolon will seeke his fathers life to step into his throne 2. Sa. 15.2 Ioab will kill Amasa 2. Sam. 10. to get but the chiefe captainship of the guard And Abimelech will slay threescore and ten men Iudges 9.2 to make himselfe way to the Crowne This made Balaam Numbers 24. that hee would faine haue cursed
vpon earth then doe we seeke Christ on earth when we know hee is gone into heauen But from whence hath he deliuered vs From hell Then must we take heed we doe not the workes of hell and of darknesse And then whither hath he brought vs Where he is that is in heauen Then if we will say we are married to him Ioh. 14.2 and that he was crucified for our sinnes and hath crucified sinne in vs and freed vs from sinne Sathan and condemnation let our conuersation be where his body is for where the dead corse is thither will the Egles resort and where the husband is thither will the wise haste to see him and to liue with him so that as Christ died in body so must we die in spirit that his spirit may haue his full worke in vs to raise vs vp to heauenly meditations Thirdly we must learne that betwixt the corporall and spirituall marriage there is great difference for the woman for certain causes may be diuorced from her husband and he being dead she may as lawfully keepe herselfe a widow as marry againe but in this our spirituall marriage there is neither diuorce nor widowhood for as soone as we are diuorced from the flesh and the lusts thereof we must not stay and remaine a widow but we must presently marry with the spirit of God and the fruites thereof and he shall remaine our husband for euer Howbeit we must know we haue no liberty to marry with our second husband the Lord Iesus vntill we be deliuerd from the whole body of sinne and the powers thereof as lust sensuality and such like and the meanes of this our freedome and deliuerance is in the body of Christ so as vnlesse the body of Christ hath destroied sinne in our naturall bodies we are not conioined vnto him We must then consider what there is in this bodie of ours which is a body of sinne Rom. 6.6 And in this body of ours there are three things First condemnation for sin Secondly disobedience by sinning Thirdly the corruption of nature which causeth this disobedience In the second place we must consider how we are deliuered from these three and how they be taken from vs. The first which is our condemnation is taken away by the satisfaction of Christ for our sinne the second which is our disobedience is taken away by the righteousnesse of Christ free from sinne and these things are without vs but the third which is the corruption of our nature is taken away by the powerfull working of Gods spirit within vs so that except we haue this third thing the spirit to abolish sinne in vs we are not yet flesh of his flesh and so none of his spouse For as for Christs satisfaction for condemnation and his obedience for our rebellion the very Turkes may hope for their saluation as well as we therefore it must be the slaying of sinne by the spirit that must assure vs of our coniunction and marriage with Christ for if corruption remaineth whence springeth disobedience then there remaineth for this disobedience condemnation for euery sinne committed by them that are regenerate is as it were the bringing foorth of a bastard vnto God which we know how much he abhorreth Sixtly this our coniunction with Christ is set foorth Ioh. 15.5 vnder the parable of the vine to which Christ is compared and we to the branches for as the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe vnlesse it grow vp with the stocke no more can we except we grow vp in Christ and as the branches receiue sap from the root whereby they fructifie so we being ingrasted into Christ receiue life from him whereby we are fruitfull in good workes and as the branches seuered from the body of the tree doe fall away and perish so if we once wither away and the graces of God decay and wax cold in vs drinking in the raine and yet not bringing foorth herbes meet for the dresser then are we neere vnto cursing and our end is to be burned Out of which learne that if thou cariest in thy life onely leaues as it were of thy profession Heb. 6.8 as the figge tree did that seemed greene a farre off and goodly and art not fruitfull in thy conuersation to walke as one redeemed out of darknesse thou art but as a branch broken off and as a blade that withereth before the time of haruest for as Rom. 11.16 If the roote be holy so are the branches and if the ground of thy heart be seasoned with the graces of God it will spring foorth into all thy members The Seuenth comparison is Ioh. 6.56 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him Where Christ is compared to flesh and bloud which we must not vnderstand of materiall but of spirituall eating which is comprehended by faith wrought in vs by the spirit reuealed to vs by the Sonne of God deliuered to vs by the word of God and sealed vnto vs by the Sacraments Since then our feeding on Christ doth draw such fruit after it bring such efficacy with it let vs labour to meet him in those meanes himselfe hath ordained namely in his word and sacraments the one being the store-house of his promises the other as it were a patent of confirming them to vs vnder the seales left vs by the King of heauen that as these infirme bodies of ours cannot be supported without the stafes of bread and drinke the one to kill the hunger the other to stanch the thirst wherewith our natures are assaulted so we may perswade our selues that our soules for their cherishing and refreshing doe require the like necessity to be sed with the flesh and bloud of Christ that we may grow vp perfect men in him and be freed from the scorching heat of desperation whereinto we may easily fall through that streame and current of sin wherewith we are carried in the whole course of our liues and from which wee cannot be saued but through the sprinkling of that blood which was shed for vs vpon the Crosse Now for the second point which is the profit and benefit we receiue by this Coniunction it is twofold first that Christ hath taken our sinnes and the punishment of our sinnes vpon him for he being without sinne was made sinfull for vs was wounded for our transgressions and as 1. Pet. 2.24 bare our sinnes in his body on the tree that by his stripes we might be healed secondly that by his death we are made partakers of his obedience and the reward of his obedience which is eternall life and of his graces and the glory for his graces which is eternall glory Touching the first profit it is double First he tooke our sinnes vpon him Secondly the satisfaction of our sinnes which is death the first by imputation the second really and sensibly for being clothed with our flesh and appearing in our persons he became the child of wrath subiect to
exceedeth all number and it is not possible for our thoughts to reach or to conceiue any end of it For this glory is like God the giuer of it that must be embraced for the excellency of it and thirsted after for the eternity of it Now as the Apostle heere perswadeth the necessity and yeeldeth the reason for patience in our afflictions Heb. 10.35 by the eternity of the glory which waiteth vpon vs as the iust recompence of our reward so must we learne to disswade from the pleasures of sin by the greatnesse and continuance of the sense of torment that waiteth on them And this standch in two points the first is called sensus poenae the feeling and smart of punishment which is aggrauated and made heauier in three respects first in the vniuersalitie of it that no part shall be free from torment but euery ioynt in thy body and euery power of thy soule shall be pained and vexed which is not so in this life saue onely in a fellow-feeling of one member with another for neuer any man was tormented in all the singular parts of his body at one instant Secondly in the extremity of it that as they shall be tormented in all parts at one time and that continually so one damned spirit shall be vexed more then another for as there be here degrees of sinnes so shall there be heereafter degrees of smart and punishments as Christ speaking of Hierusalem said It shall be easier for Sodme then for this citie and yet Sodome was in hell Thirdly in the necessity of it Mat. 11.23 the greatnesse of this their torment being much increased in that they shall haue no meanes to ease and lift vp or releeue themselues for they shall be bound hand and foote that they cannot stirre as we may see by the vsage of him that came to the Lords feast without his wedding garment And for the eternity of their torment Mat. 22.13 if they should suffer no more yeeres then there bee creatures on earth it were some comfort because they might espie some light of deliuerance but when there shall be no more heauens and when God shall leaue to be God and to lose his glory then the damned ghosts shall be eased The second aggrauation of their punishment is in this damno loci in the losse of heauen for it shall not so much vex them that they be tormented as that they haue lost those ioyes they see the Saints of God enioy This shall make them murmure and gnash their teeth and vpon their apprehension and conceauing of that they haue lost shall follow the remorse and sting of conscience that in their life time they despised to labour in mortification and newnesse of life for there are none damned Reuel 20.12 but their owne hearts shall tell them they are iustly damned Vers 23. And not onely the creature but we also which haue the first fruits of the spirit euen we doe sigh in our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our body c. to the 26. verse The Apostle still enlargeth the weight of glory spoken of before prouing it to be so great that the very frame of heauen and earth and all other creatures doe waite for the restitution and deliuerance of mankinde at which time they shall receiue their originall excellency Now Paul vseth an argument from the lesse to the greater that if the beasts and other insensible things which be accursed and subiect to this corruption by reason of the bondage whereinto man by his fall was inthralled and cast into do labour as it were in trauell till men be glorified and themselues for our sakes restored then how much more should wee wait for the reuelation of this glory wee that are sealed with the first fruites of the spirit and which in the Gospell may behold as it were in a glasse a great glimce and shew of this glory sigh after and wait for this great and glorious day not that wee should wish simply to be vnclothed but as the Apostle speaketh 2. Cor. 5.2.3 to be clothed vpon with our house from heauen and not so much that our selues might die as that sinne might be extinguished and our sanctification perfected Howbeit in this affection of ours there must be two things the first sighing and groning the second a patient waiting for that we hope for Where consider what that is we wait for and sigh for the Apostle heere calleth it adoption that is the accomplishment of that glory whereto wee are in Christ adopted or as himselfe expounds it the redemption of mankind euen as Dauid was King when he was anointed but he staied long for the reall possession of it and as Abraham had the land of Canaan giuen him which was performed 400. yeeres after In waiting and expecting for this redemption obserue and hold it as a principle and ground that howsoeuer the Philosophers haue dreamed of a simple immortality of the soule alone yet that we know and learne that except the body which we beare about vs be restored also the immortality of the soule is abolished otherwise it were a lame and imperfect restitution and otherwise in vaine had Iob said chap. 19.26 Though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet shall I see God in my flesh that is body and soule at the last day which is also plainely expressed heere by the Apostle in these words Redemption of the body Further obserue hence the dulnesse blockishnesse of man that is to take example and to be taught his duty euen of the insensible creatures who in their kind by the very instinct of nature can grone for the day of mans redemption and yet man himselfe though spurred on and prouoked can hardly be drawen to that duty which may teach euery one of vs to bee more watchfull in our Christian exercises that wee may learne to know and desire to approch neere the day of our redemption lest the creatures that want the vse of reason rise vp against vs to condemne vs for they faile nothing so much in their duties as man doth Pro. 30.25 nay Salomon sendeth the sluggard to the Ant and Pismire who by his sommer-labour prouideth for a hard and stormy winter Christ will haue vs learne innocency of the Doue and wisdome and prouidence of the Serpent and the Apostle heere will not haue a Christian man short of the creatures who traâ—ell in paine to bee deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God and therefore much more must we sigh for this redemption of our body wherein wee our selues haue the greatest interest Further in that the Apostle saith We doe sigh in our selues we learne that it is the dutie of euery Christian to be touched at the hart and to be prickt in his conscience as generally for the wickednesse of the whole world so particularly and more narowly for his owne sinnes for these be they whereby
sinne proues there is a law which law being broken bringeth death for the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6.23 The second sort is of them who though they be called by the booke of heauen and earth as the Gentiles were Rom. 1.20 who do see the eternall power of God in the creation of the world and other his works and liuing to a more vnderstanding age are euen by the light of nature without all excuse yet are they not inuited by the voice of the Gospell to rise from the dead but die in their sinnes as the Canibales Barbarians and the Iewes since their Apostasie to whom there pertaineth nothing but a fearefull expectation of iudgement Heereof followeth and is to be obserued that it is contrary to the scripture to thinke that it was the will of God from eternity that all should be saued for then it was his will likewise that all should come to the knowledge of their saluation for whom he hath ordained to the end them hath hee also ordained to the meanes whereas to the reprobate the sound of the word if they doe heare it is but as the noise of bels confusedly iarring in their eares and yet many there be that neuer heard it Why but it is said 1. Tim. 2.4 that it is the will of God all should be saued True all men not euery singular particular man but of euery singular condition of men some not all of all kinds but of all kinds some according to that speech of the Euangelist Mat. 4.23 Christ healed euery disease in Iury that is euery kind of disease not euerie particular disease Now if all men come not to the knowledge of the truth of God either it is done by the wil of God or against his will to say that it is against his will were impious and blasphemous for this were to hold that something could offer violence to the will of God and as if he might not otherwise haue purposed which must be far from a Christian heart to imagine If then this be done with his will then it followeth that his will is changeable if hee once meant to saue them for wee see some euen like dogges readie to rend them in peeces that offer them the pearle of the word whom if the Lord had purposed to saue Mat. 7.6 they should not continue persecutors of the truth as Paul saith of himselfe 1. Timoth. 1.12.13 It pleased Christ Iesus to put me in his seruice being before a blasphemer a persecuter an oppressor and I was receiued to mercy And where it is said 1. Iohn 2.2 that Christ is the reconciliation for the sinnes of the whole world it is to be vnderstood for the sinnes of all sorts and degrees of men gathered out of all the parts of the world and this Christ himselfe interpreteth Ioh. 17.9 when he said Father I pray not for the world and vndoubtedly he will neuer saue them he neuer praied for for whom he excluded from his praier them he neuer meant should haue benefit by his death nay hee had beene bound in duty to haue praied for all if all had been elected to saluation Now if it be asked why men are damned the answer is easie It is for their sinne howbeit it was purposed in the Lords vncontrolable decree that they should be damned before they euer sinned and being corrupt in themselues the Lord hardneth them either by withdrawing the meanes or the power of the meanes the first by ignorance the second by denying them vnderstanding hearts So as if it be demanded why the Lord hardned any it is because he found him corrupt in Adam if why hee damneth any it is because he found him a sinner in himselfe Whom he calleth he iustifieth that is doth absolutely pardon him all his sinne and absolutely impute vnto him all his Sonnes righteousnesse that as Christ for vs was made sinne so wee in Christ might bee made righteous so as iustification is the translation and remouing of our sinne to Christ and the translation and remouing of his righteousnesse to vs. To our sinne hee opposeth his obedience to the punishment of our sinne hee opposeth his satisfaction otherwise he had not fully acquitted vs by fulfilling the law vnlesse he had satisfied his Fathers wrath for our breach of the law in our corrupt birth For if a man could now fulfill all the law of God yet should hee not bee saued because he was borne corrupt and could not possibly satisfie for that was past and in performing the law afterward he should doe nothing but his duty But this is our comfort that the Lord seeing our weaknesse hath in his loue passed by it and seeing our thoughts to bee alwaies euill taketh no account nor reckoning of vs but were sembling the image of his Sonne the Lord reckoneth with him and striketh off our debts in setting them on his score who hath paid the Lord his full due euen to the vtmost farthing being in his birth cleane in his life holy and in his death obedient Whom he iustifieth he glorifieth In this life the Lord doth onely call vs and iustifie vs so as no man need say as Rom. 10.7 Who shall ascend into heauen for that were to bring Christ from aboue or Who shall descend into the deepe for that were to raise Christ from the dead for so much vertue and power of Christ as is needfull for vs wee taste of heere but our glorifying is reserued and followeth in the life to come hauing it heere only in spe and not in re in hope but not in hand This glorifying heere spoken of is meant not that wee shall haue at the last day of our separation when the world shutteth her doores vpon vs but of that glory wee shall receiue at the day of iudgement which is plaine and euident by that went before vers 21. namely that wee waite for the restoring of the liberty of the sonnes of God and for the freedome from the bondage of corruption Howbeit in the glorie of our separation two things are to be obserued first Reu. 2â— 4â— that we shall be freed from all feares and teares and shall haue sinne abolished secondly we shall enter into our Lords rest but the glory of the last day is farre greater and resteth in three things first in the resurrection and a waking of the body when it shall be made conformable to the body of Christ when it shall not liue by the soule only nor be maintained by outward and externall instruments of bread such like but it shall liue as the body of Christ liueth and be glorious like the Sunne which shall then exceed it selfe in glory Isay 65.17 2. Pet. 3.13 Secondly there shall be a new heauen and a new earth and in this new heauen shall dwell the soules of the Saints of God and all things else shall bee restored to their first maiesty Thirdly which is the greatest of all we shall then haue
Coronation for then shall we haue not Reedes but Palmes in our hands to shew our triumph and bee crowned not with Thornes but with Glory euen the glory that Christ had from the beginning Now for life that cannot doe it for there is no temptation in this life neither excessiue pleasure nor abundant profit not magnificent state that a righteous soule will not forgoe rather then forsake the righteousnesse of Câ—â—â—â— or their owne peace of conscience yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moses â—â—â—â—her then to lose the least light of the Lords conntenance we will refuse to be made glorious by our birth and chuse to suffer affliction with the children of God Heb. 11.24 and with Paul Phil. 3.8 to esteeme all things but as the excrement of a dog in comparison of the security and confidence we haue of the Lords loue towards vs so as we are Christs in our life also And though we doe desire to see the face and glory of the Lord yet as Saint Paul speaketh whether we be in our body at home absent Phil. 1.20 or abroad in our separation our soules still wait vpon the Lord for for this cause as Rom. 14.8.9 Christ died that whether we liue or die we might be the Lords Now for Angels Powers or Principalities by the names themselues may be vnderstood as well the good Angels as the bad wherof Paul speaketh 1. Cor. 6.3 Know ye not that we shall iudge the Angels that is the reprobate spirits for these be executioners of the Lords will though not by willing and loyall obedience as well as the other and though both these being seuerall haue in the scripture the same titles giuen them as the good are called Eph. 1.21 Powers and Principalities and so are the bad called by the same name Colos 2.15 where Christ is said to spoile and to traduce Principalities Powers to open shame and Eph. 6.12 We must fight against Principalities and Powers yet in this place by Angels are to bee taken the good and by Powers and Principalities the diuels The reason is because heere the Apostle maketh an opposition betweene contraries and also because in other places of the scripture where these same words are vsed to expresse the good Angels there is alwaies more added to their stile as Eph. 1.20 Thrones and Dominations are mentioned besides the other But it may be said will the Angels that are the messengers of God attempt any such thing as to part God and vs No it is impossible howsoeuer the Apostle speaketh excessiuely from the exultation ioy of his spirit for he reasons ab impossibili as if he should say if Angels which be the most excellent and most powerfull creatures could attempt to separate vs from the loue of God yet they could not for Christ which is the head of Angels hath ioyned vs to his Father and therefore much lesse any inferiour thing can doe it After this maner this Apostle speaketh Galat. 1.8 If an Angel from heauen should preach any other doctrine which is impossible let him be accursed So Rom. 9.3 Paul wisheth himselfe accursed to redeeme the Iewes and Moses praied to be rased out of the booke of life rather than the Israelites should perish which was not possible that the decree of God should bee frustrate But such was the vehemencie of their affection if the Lord would be intreated at their praiers And it was necessary for the Apostle heere to name Angels because they be the mightiest creatures and if they cannot part the Lord and vs much lesse can diuels for the worst they can doe is but to buffet vs whereby our infirmities shall be healed and as Christ said to Peter Satan desireth to winnow thee like wheat Mat. 22.31 but I haue praied that thy faith may not faile This also appeareth by that in the Reuelation 12.4 that the red Dragon cannot doe it though with his taile hee can draw starres from heauen that is discouer the hypocrisy of some great professors for first he waited vpon the woman as she was with child secondly in her deliuerie thirdly when the child was brought foorth to see first if he could haue destroied the Church of the Iewes and if not the Church of the Gentiles and if not the head of the Church the Lord Iesus or if not the whole bodie of the faithfull or if not some one of the faithfull but he was cast downe saith the text that is he was abased in his pride and sought to aduance and lift vp himselfe againe to heauen by destroying the woman and her seede that is by withstanding the saluation of the elect This Dragon hath especially two instruments first the great Beast that is the Romane Empire where was a name of blasphemie written in his fore-head which though it could with Eliah call fire from heauen yet could it neuer consume the faith of Gods chosen 2. King 1.10 nor euer draw one soule from Christ The second is the Romane Hierarchie raised out of the ruines of the former which though it could make the heauens brasse that it should not raine or the earth iron that it should yeeld no fruit yet could it neuer touch any that was written in the booke of the Lambe Reuel 5.3 for where hee sealeth none can open and where he openeth none can shut and as it is said in the former place They which are bought from the earth sing in great troupes a new song with the Lord Iesus For the other Neither things present that may be knowen nor things to come which may seeme to be doubtfull can make any separation of God from vs for the elect are sure the Lords grace shall assist them to the end neither height of heauen as Paul that was carried vp on high did not yet presume nor the depth of hell 2. Cor. 12.5 Ionah 2.1 as Ionas being in the belly of the Whale did not yet dispaire but had his praiers passing to heauen thorow the fishes mouth Iob. 13.15 Iob in the patieÌ„ce resolution of his spirit could say O Lord though thou kill me yet will I loue thee for hope which is the sure anchor of the soule maketh vs to enter with consideÌ„ce within the lists of the Lords presence and there staieth vs for the Lord doth know vs for his owne in his beloued Sonne Hence learne that a man may be assured he shall be saued for this place is without exception Yet some say this was a speciall reuelation Paul had of his owne saluation which is most iniurious to the whole text for though he saith I am perswaded as speaking of himselfe yet in the matter of the perswasion he ioyneth all the faithfull as that nothing can separate vs speaking generally of all which is proued also by many things and speeches before as verse 23. Wee grone for the redemption of our body Did Paul onely grone And verse 35. Who shall separate vs from the loue of God Was Paul only
nature but this is onely spoken in way of comparison by a figuratiue or borrowed speech speaking that of the dumbe creature which is onely to be applied to vs of vnderstanding for if there be such a feruent desire a longing a sighing and a mourning in these senselesse creatures for our deliuerance from this bondage of corruption vnder which wee are now held how much greater then should our desires willes and affections our sighings and mournings be who are sensibly and feelingly to be made partakers of this heauenly glorie and to this end is their feruencie brought in to stirre vs vp to the like or greater as a thing more neerely concerning vs. The like phrase of Scripture attributing life sense desire and affections to dumbe creatures is vsed in many places as Psal 114.3.4 When Israel went out of Egypt the sea saw it and fled Iordan was driuen backe the mountains leaped like rams and the hilles like lambes and vers 7. The earth trembled at the presence of the Lord the Prophet bringing in the creatures magnifying and reioicing at the maiestie of God in the destruction of his enemies and at his mercy in the deliuerie of his Saints that since these sensilesse creatures in their obedience in their kinde seemed to see this glorie and triumph at it much more should the people themselues that visibly saw it and sensibly felt it be rauished as it were with ioy at the so powerful presence of the Lord in making the sea as the drie land for their escape and rescue from the sword of their enemies After the like maner doth Dauid Psa 148.2.5 bring in the creatures in course as they were created praising the Lord in their kinde not in any forme or phrase of speech but the beautie of the Lord appearing in them by their obedience in obseruing that course wherein they are set heereby inuiting and stirring vs vp that haue sense feeling reason and vnderstanding to be more mindfull in our praise and thankesgiuing to God who are filled with greater plenty and haue a more spirituall and diuine beautie shining in vs than they haue So Esay the Prophet chap. 14.7.8.9 in derision of the tyrannie of the king of Babel bringeth in the whole world singing for ioy the firre trees and the Cedars of Lebanon reioicing and hell it selfe mooued at the death of so gold-thirsty an oppressor as he was as if it feared lest hee would trouble the dead as he did the liuing teaching vs by this that if the insensible creatures doe seeme to spread their boughes and bud foorth their flower at the destruction of tyrants as bringing rest and quiet to them how much more should we be affected at it that taste the smart of their crueltie and are kept but as a spoile and pray to saciate their bloudie and butcherly desires So Ionah 3.7 sackcloth must be put vpon the beasts and they must be kept from feeding as if they sorrowed for the affliction hung ouer their land not that they had sinned or could haue any affection of griefe in them but by this that the people might the more acknowledge their vnwoorthinesse as deseruing iustly not onely to be plagued of God in their persons but euen to be depriued of the vse and beenfit of the creatures whereby their present life was maintained And thus are the creatures brought in heere by the Apostle as inwardly smitten with sorrow for the sin of man and for his pollutions on the earth and longing after the aduancement of the sonnes of God to glory to set the sharper edge on vs who are to taste as it were the full cup of the Lords bountie and glorie in the highest heauens who will thus exalt the horne of his Saints Further vnderstand that by Creature in this place is meant all the creatures in the world as appeareth vers 22. where it is said that euery creature comprehending all doth grone with vs howbeit there are two sorts of creatures heere exempted namely Angels and men both elect and reprobate for the Angels elect they wait not as groning vnder vanity otherwise they desire it for the reuelation or triumph of Gods Saints in heauen because they alwaies stand before the Lord behold his glory Mat. 18.10 It is true indeed as Lu. 15.10 That the Angels of God reioice at the conuersion of a sinner because more glory is brought to God by his saluation but they need not this affection of groning or sighing heere spoken of because they are in paradise before the throne of God already Neither can it be meant of the reprobate Angels the brood of the diuell for first they wait not for vs vnlesse it be as Ren. 12.4 the dragon waited for the deliuerie of the woman to destroy vs neither doe they waite vpon vs vnlesse it be as Matth. 4.1 the tempter waited vpon Christ in the wildernesse Secondly they waite not for themselues for they feare nothing so much as the perfecting of Gods elect in number because that is the time of the perfefection of then torment at which they tremble Lames 2.19 the diuell euer thinking that Christ hasteneth too fast and commeth before his time to torture him Now for men it is not ment in this verse of the elect as appeareth by the words themselues for the waiting is not by them but by the creatures for them till they shall be restored to their libertie in glorie and so much is plainly set foorth vers 23. And not onely the creature but wee also that haue the first fruits of the spirit do sigh c. bringing the elect their waiting in by themselues not folding them vp in the general word creature Concerning the reprobate it is not meant of them for they are but of two sorts the one such as Peter speaketh of 2. Pet. 3.3.4 There shall come mockers which shall walke after their lusts and say where is the promise of his comming thinking because the Lord hath beene patient so long therefore the day of iudgement is but a tale to keepe men in awe So as these men cannot waite for Christs comming since they denie it and deride it the other are such as know there shall be a day of reckoning but feare it and put it farre off as loth to see it as their father the diuell because then they shall receaue according to that they haue wroughâ—â— the flesh which at that time shall turne to their sighing and groaning because they denied to themselues sorrow and griefe in the flesh So as all creatures but men and Angels are meant heere where we see the concordance and agreement as it were of the whole frame of heauen and earth not â—arring but ioining in one that they might be at the end of their labour and vanitie by their dissolution and change of their subiection into immortalitie Where it is said When the sonnes of God shall be reuealed we may vnderstand it fiue waies First that it is spoken in this
sense that all the sonnes of God are not yet reuealed for part are in heauen part in earth and part of them not yet borne Secondly touching the sonnes of God on earth they are not all yet reuealed in regard that the Lord calleth daily and maketh as it were a fresh addition to his church by the power of his word as he did in the Apostles time Peter by one sermon Act. 2.41 conuerting three thousand soules to Christ Thirdly they are not all yet reuealed on earth because the wicked cannot discerne them for as Christ was visible heere with vs yet was not knowen to the Scribes and Pharisees their eies through ignorance and malice being so shut as they could not see him euen so though the members of Christ are visible in themselues yet to the malitious and vngodly they are inuisible because they haue not the eies of faith to spie them out Fourthly the sonnes of God here on earth are not yet reuealed to the children of God for Elias 1. King 19.14.18 thought there had beene none left but himselfe to serue God when the Lord vnknowen to him had reserued seuen thousand that had not bowed their knees to Baal Fiftly there are many hypocrites among vs in which respect the sonnes of God on earth are not yet reuealed but at the latter day when the Angell shall come to make a separation then shall the fish be knowen from the frogges the sheepe from the goats and the sincere professor from the dissembler for then there shal be two in one bedde the one receaued the other refused who before were so linked in fellowship as it was vndiscernable that in their deaths they should haue such seuerall ends Howbeit the better sense for these words When the sonnes of God shall be reuealed is this When the sonnes of God shall be receaued vp to glory for then shall they know as they be knowen and then shall the restitution come when the sea and the graue shall yeeld vp all their dead and all the creatures receaue as it were their first robes of puritie and goodnesse wherein they were created Now vers 20. the Apostle setteth downe the reason why these insensible creatures doe thus waite for mans glorious libertie because they themselues are subiect to vanitie wherein wee are to consider two things First to what they are subiect Secondly by whom they are made subiect That the creature is subiect it is not to be stood vpon because it is granted of all men but this is no willing nor voluntarie subiection but by force and constraint for the horse must haue his rough rider or else the snaffle will not hold him in and the oxe must haue his yoke on his necke and his goad in his side or else he will not draw well and the mule as Dauid saith Psal 32.9 must haue his mouth bound with the bitte and bridle lest hee come neere thee with his heele Now that which the creature is subiect to is heere saide to be to vanitie and vers 21. to the bondage of corruption that is to a vanishing and fleeting estate and they are said to be so in three respects First in respect they haue lost their first comelinesse and order their first beautie and their first perfection in which they were created for as there is great difference betweene that gold that hath beene tried seuen times in the fire and that which is taken out of the veines of the earth mixt with other mettals betweene that sword that is newly varnished and that which hath line so long by as it is eaten through with rust betweene the shining of the sunne in his brightnesse when it is eclipsed or shineth in a gloomy day so is there as great or greater difference betwixt the heauen and earth all the host therein which then were made for the furnishing of Gods house toward the entertainment of Adam his sonne in paradise and the heauen and the earth which now are left vnto vs poisoned by the curse of God for Adams sinne with thornes and thistles barrennesse and vnholsome smels that the very corruption in the aire killeth both them vs. Secondly they are subiect to vanity in regard the wicked do enioy them and the godly oftentimes abuse them for the rust of the money which the vsurer hoordeth vp crieth in the eares of God because it is deteined by the vniust owner the gay apparell of the proud and ambitious do fret as it were themselues that they should hide the shame of them that are so shamelesse to snatch at the maiestie of God to shake his seate by their sinne the wine which is swilled in by the drunkards doth boile as it were in wrath that it was pressed out of the grape to heate their stomacks that deserue only to be inflamed by the fire of hell yea and euery morsell that falleth into the mouths of gluttons and wicked persons the Sunne that shineth on the vniust and the raine that lighteth vpon the fields of the oppressors and all creatures else that come within their fingring are grieued and doe wait with feruencie for the end of all flesh that they may no longer be forced to serue and sustaine the enemies of their maker for the sinnes of the wicked are so heauie and burdensome and their abuse of the creatures so intollerable that the earth groneth that it cannot swallow them vp as it did Korah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16.32 or otherwise bee disburdened of them though to her owne desolation as it was in the vniuersall floud Gen. 7.21 And againe if we that are sanctified vse them otherwise than they are ordained of God as that the Sunne should giue vs light to wander out of the way of holinesse that we should otherwise be clothed then as becommeth Christians or any further refreshed by recreation then to make vs the fitter for the ranging of our selues within the compasse of our callings heerein do we also make them subiect to vanitie because wee should vse the world as if we vsed it not with such moderation and comelinesse as not to snatch at any of them or to profane them for it is against the law of truce when we are at league with any either to surprise them or abuse them and wee through Christ are at league and peace with all the creatures as Iob saith Chap 5.23 Thirdly they are subiect to vanitie in regard those shal die which haue life in them and the rest shall be cleane melted and dissolued for this heauen and earth we now see shall heereafter be abolished as it is said Esay 65.17 I will create new heauens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind and Psal 102.25.26 The foundation of the earth and the heauens are the works of thy hands saith Dauid to the Lord they shall perish but thou shalt endure they shall waxe old as doth a garment and Reuel 21.1 I saw saith Iohn a new
encouraged to presse within the border of the mount when the horne of saluation shall be blowen For it is a miserie and madnesse to imagine the labour of a Christian to be mued vp within the wales of the ministerie or that men are so straitned in their vocations as that they may not looke aside to a sermon or that because the theese was saued on the gallowes Luk. 23.43 therefore heauen may bee wonne with a wet finger or that since the workers for an houre Mat. 20.9 had the penny with them that bore the paine and heate of the day therefore it shall suffice to come as Nicodemus did to Christ by night Ioh. 3.2 Nay we must know that as the promise of mercie is equall to all so the prayer and practise for mercie must be the same in all that we are no longer within the compasse of the Lords protection Psal 91 11. then wee walke in feare within the bounds of his direction that if religion be not the commander in our callings scarcitie or discontent will bee as mothes in our blessings and that if presumption misleade vs to pledge only a pang of deuotion for a sacrifice when the pleasure of our daies be past iudgement shall but requite vs if either death do strangle vs before we speake or the wrath of God rebound vpon vs when wee haue wept our fill For it standeth not with the Lords honour to be shaken off so oft when he would lodge with vs Ier. 32.33 nor with our duties to runne away so fast when wee should turne to him but that at length iustice must arise to preserue the maiestie of his mercy so much abased and so long abused which we haue sensibly felt the stripes being yet seene in our streets and may feare heereafter to bee more fierce 2. Sam. 24.14 by how much the sword of the enemie sharpened to destruction doth exceed the correcting hand of God tempered with compassion The Lord graunt this short setting of his face against vs may haste vs to haue peace with him that hath the ends of the world subiect to his power and the plagues of the world restrainable at his will so shall wee bee preserued from the venime and ransomed from the violence of them that seeke our soules and either still praise him in the land of the liuing Psal 56.13 or eternally dwell with him in the habitation of his Saints which God grant may bee your portions and the inheritance of your posterity Amen Yours in all dutie H. Yeluerton TO THE READER THinke not gentle Reader that the turning backe from the world is any looking backe from the plough Luk. 9.62 but by example iudge it safer to bend thine eie toward Zoar a place of rest then to wrest thy sight toward Sodome the citie of wrath Gen. 19.22 And since the earth was cursed for thy sinne in Adam Gen. 3.17 Gal. 2.16 Rom. 3.22 Matt. 6 20. Phil. 3.20 1. Ioh. 5 6. and thy selfe art saued by thy faith in Christ let the direction of thy thoughts to him be the messenger to thy heart that thou art in heauen for thou art not placed that thou shouldest be planted here but being bought from this earth by bloud cleanse thy selfe in this earth by water that since some inferior affections must needs be foule Ioh. 13.8 the dust may onely cleaue to thy feet thy head and thy hands be lift vp to God For if in the pride of thy flesh thou dost build thy nest neere him or in the profanenes of thy heart doest striue to be rich without him Esay 14.15 Gen. 11.7 Luk. 12.20 the least breath of his mouth shal batter thy seat to be seene no more scatter thy wealth as before the wind Yea the Lord hath choked thy fields with thistles Gen. 3.18 Iam. 5.3 wrapped vp thy treasure in rust that seeing the ground whereon thou standest to be out of Paradise and the staffe whereon thou leanest to bee but wood of the woorst sort thou mightest pray to haue the sword put vp that stops thee from the tree of life Gen. 3.24 and those boughes cut off that shadow thee from beholding thy sinnes borne in Christs body 1. Pet. 2.24 Now the humour that hindreth thy sight is the Crystall shew of brittle honor that sets thine eies on fire to follow after it for if Adam may be as God Gen. 3 5. there is no commandement can hedge him Gen. 33. â—â— if Esau may haue a traine of men at his heeles hee will soone digest the losse of his birth-right 2. Tim. 4.10 if Demas may but win the world he will haste to shake hands with the Saints of God But remember how with the fruite thy father swallowed wrath Ier. 31.29 which to this day hath set thy teeth on edge Mâ— â— 3 Mat 4.10 that the ioy the reprobate hath in his flesh is ioined with the hatred of God vpon his soule and that if the sonnes of men shall take the diuell at his word as the Sonne of God did not it is but a bitter recompence for the losse of the better part Mat. 16.26 when themselues are compassed with confusion Take the counters into thine owne hand and see what reckoning thou canst make of life what is past frighteth thee with the remembrance of it because so much of thy light is spent what is present burdeneth thee with the weight of it because in sweate and sorrow thou doest waste thy time what is to come troubleth thee with the incertainty of it lest the graue do swallow thee before thou see it yea make thy account as thou ought and thou shalt find it swifter then the weauers shittle Iob 7.6 Iob 9.25 and speedier then a Post caried vpon the wings of the wind for if the Lord steppe not betweene thee and death before thou canst lay one thy breath is gone What booteth it then so vnseasonably to ripen thy cares for the tares of this life for if thou heape vp siluer as the sand and prepare raiment as the clay yet building thy house as the moth not in thine owne but in anothers garment when thou shalt make thy bed in the darke Iob â—8 13 Ioâ— 16. â—â— and the first borne of death shall consume thy strength where then be the strings of thy hope thy horne being thus abased to the dust Of thy selfe thou art but a tree turned vpward hauing no sap from the earth and if thou beest not moistened with the deaw from heauen though by the sent of water thou maiest bud yet shalt thou perish in the blade because thou hast no spirit at the roote Therefore if thou expect in thy labour blessing in thy peace continuance in affliction comfort in thy death triumph thou must respect in thy calling honesty in thy pleasures iudgement Eccles 11.9 Tit. 2.12 in thy sorrowes mercy in thy life
soberly weighed doe confute those foure maine heresies risen heeretofore in the Church concerning this great mystery For the first that there be two natures in Christ is plainely expressed by Saint Paul Rom. 9.5 First he was according to the flesh of the seed of the Iewes secondly he is God ouer all blessed for euer And Esa 9.6 A child is borne and his name shall be the mighty God Heere then first is confuted the heresie of Martian who said Christ was God but not man but had onely an heauenly body of an imaginary substance and alleageth Phil. 2.7 for his ground where it is said he was made like vnto men and was found in shape as a man therefore no man indeed By the same reason he might haue concluded aswell hee had not beene God for in the same place vers 16. it is said he was in forma Dei in the forme of God But the Apostle there fully proueth his humanity vers 8. by his obedience to the death of the Crosse for if he had not taken true flesh he could not haue died nor yet haue satisfied for our sinnes And Gal. 3.16 it is said the promises were made to Abraham and to his seed which seed is Christ and Gal. 4.4 When the fulnesse of time was come God sent his Sonne made of a woman which proueth that he was truely man Secondly heere is confuted the heresie of Arius who denieth the diuinity of Christ and saith that onely in his humaine nature hee had participated vnto him some diuine thing and some heauenly vertue For as wee see heere he must be Iehouah not an inferiour God or a God by participation of some diuine excellency but he must be Deus ex seipso filius à Patre a God of himselfe a Sonne by reference to his Father And so much is expressed by S. Paul Rom. 9.5 for when he saith hee was borne of the Iewes according to his flesh he implieth he had somewhat else he had not of them set downe in the words following Who is God blessed for euer which word God howsoeuer in the Scripture it be taken essentially and personally essentially when it signifieth the whole Trinity absolutely as Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God onely and Act. 4.19 It is better to obey God then man yet in this place it is spoken personally of the Sonne as it is also 1. Tim. 3.16 God is manifested in the flesh Now there be foure arguments to proue Christ God equall to the Father and to be Iehouah coeternall in the Godhead as the Father first by the property of of his person secondly by the property of his essence thirdly by the power of his diuine workes and fourthly by the diuine worship that is due vnto him For the first hee is proued to be God by his generation for he was begotten of God whereby is vnderstood that he was of the same substance with God euen as hee that is begotten of a man is a man and therefore hee is called the proper Sonne of God which he is not as he was conceiued of the holy Ghost for then Mary hath a part as he was borne of her And this is proued by the Scripture that when we call him the Sonne of God wee vnderstand that he is God as his Father is Iohn 10.20 I and my Father are all one and Ioh. 5.17 I worke the same works and after the same manner that my Father doeth meaning that he was God as well as he And so the Iewes vnderstood him speaking in their language which made them goe about to kil him For the second it is proued he is God by the property of his essence which standeth in these foure things first eternity secondly infinity to be in all places thirdly by his knowledge of all things fourthly by his omnipotency For the first that he is from all times is proued Reu. 1.17 I am that first and that last spoken by Christ himselfe and lest this should haue beene vnderstood of the futher he saith ver 18. and am aliue but I was dead For the second which is his infinity it is said in Ieremy that God filleth all places and Psalm 139.7 Whither shall I flie from thy presence If I goe into heauen thou art there if into the deepe thou art there also And Christ saith of himselfe Iohn 3.13 hee being on the earth No man ascendeth vp to heauen but he that came downe from heauen that sonne of man which is in heauen and in an other place he saith Where two or three be gathered together in my name I will be in the midst of them Math. 18.20 For the third which is his knowledge of all things Reu. 2.18 it is said that the Sonne of God hath eies like a flame of fire Ioh. 2.24.25 Math. 9.4 and verse 23. All Churches shall know that I am the searcher of the reines and hearts and in another place it is said hee durst not trust the Iewes because hee knew their hearts For the fourth which is his omnipotency it is proued by sundry examples in the Scripture that hee was able to raise vp the dead by his owne vertue and Iohn 5.17 he doeth the same works which his Father doeth and Phil. 3.21 Christ shall raise vp our bodies by the same power whereby he subdueth all things For the third which is the power of his diuine workes as himselfe saith Iohn 5.17 I doe the same workes my Father doth all which are of three sorts the first concerning the creation the second of miracles extraordinary the third that tend to the saluation of his church For the first of these it is said Iohn 1.3 by him all things were made and nothing was made without him and Col. 1.15.16.17 he is the inuisible forme of the father for whom and by whom all things were created and in him all things doe consist And likewise for sustaining them being made we haue Heb. 1.3 He beareth vp all things by his mighty word For the second that is for miracles he raised vp dead men euen as his Father did without any inuocation to any other which the Apostles did not but by calling on his name whether it were for raising the dead or dispossessing the diuell as I command thee in the name of Iesus to come forth Act. 16.18 but Christ saith of himselfe Iohn 11.25 I am the resurrection and the life and Iohn 10.37 I doe the workes of my father Now for the third which are the works he did for the saluation of his church they are principally siue first election Eph. 1.4 God hath elected vs in Christ and 1. Cor. 1.5 In all things we are made rich in Christ and Ioh. 3.17 through him we are saued and in another place he saith Iohn 13.18 I know whom I haue elected The second is vocation now to enlighten the heart of man must needs bee the worke of God Math. 16.17 as it is said in Saint Mat. flesh and
Secondly from hence note the riches of the Lords mercy who to shew the power and vertue that was in this Sauiour begins to draw them and to open their hearts who had run furthest from him and giuen themselues most ouer to the diuell for such were these Wise-men who consulted with Sathan and practised the most detestable art of coniuring and witchcraft which by the iudiciall law of God was death yet at the doores of these men doth his spirit knocke From whence euery man may draw this particular comfort to himselfe that whatsoeuer his former conuersation hath beene though most irreligious towards God and vnrighteous to men yet there may a power bee giuen him from aboue to trauell toward that heauenly Ierusalem the Citie of God where he shall not now see Christ in his basenesse as these Wise-men did but in his absolute and perfect glory For if wee haue but faith to beleeue Gods promises and shall so far proceed in the worke of repentance as being called to the light to walke in the light and not to thinke much of our paines though we go farre to worship Christ but can walke on cheerefully after the example of these Wise-men we shall be sure with them to haue our ioyes more increased at our iourneys end than they were a first Now where they shew they were directed by a starre first vnderstand that the Natiuity of Christ depended not vpon the starre but the starre vpon his Natiuity Secondly we must not thinke that the Wise-men had this power to diuine by the starre that Christ was borne for first the starre was not naturall for it kept not a set course but as we may see in the text it did appeare and not appeare neither could this diuine light speake that such a Messias was borne though it might portend the birth of some great Monarch but this light was purposely created by God in heauen for vers 2. it is called Christ his starre and there was a secret impulsion by Gods spirit in the harts of these men on earth otherwise they would not haue tolde so dangerous a matter to Herod a king so cruell and an enemy to the king of Persia whence they came and though perhaps their Art might tell them somewhat and that they had the prophesie of Balaam the coniurer Num. 24.17 There shall come a starre of Iacob and a scepter shall rise of Israel and though they had the prophesie of Daniel chap. 9.24 of the 70. weekes in which this great king should come yet by all this they gathered it not but by Gods owne opening it vnto them Out of which we learne that when we haue any thing reueled to vs from God or that wee haue a commandement to doe a thing that we cast off all doubts and shake off all feare euen of the greatest tyrants for let Herod be neuer so much perplexed at the name of the true and new-borne King of the Iewes yet must the Wise-men aske the question and not depart from his Court till they be resolued And let Pharaoh be neuer so cruell and Exod. 10.28 threaten Moses if he doe but see him to kill him yet must he runne on in his duty and pronounce the death of the first borne euen the first born that sitteth on the throne of Pharaoh But the more speciall doctrine from hence is that God in wisdome doth so strangely qualifie the basenesse of Christ his birth that howsoeuer hee might seeme to the eies of men a vile abiect as Esay prophesied chap. 53.3 void of outward dignity yet God beautified him alwaies in his greatest vilenesse with some certaine marke of his Diuinity that it might be discerned that he that was in that flesh was more then a man as euen at this time that hee hauing but an oxe stall on earth for his cloth of estate should haue a starre in heauen to set foorth his glorie and that when there was no more thinking of Christ than of the man in the Moone among Herods Courtiers then he prouides that some Magicall practisers should humble themselues before him when the high Priests did despise him Thus did the Lord Luk. 2.8 reueale him first to shepheards the basest of ten thousand but to testifie his maiesty at the same time an host of Angels and a multitude of heauenly souldiers sang glory to him So was he Mat. 4.1.11 led into the wildernesse among wild beasts but the Angels waited on him as his pensioners and ministred to him in his wants So Mat. 17.25.27 he must pay tribute a token of subiection and yet the kings sonne ought to pay none but as this shewed him to be a man and a subiect so he told Peter his thought saying I will pay it but go to the sea and take it out of the fishes mouth so as to shew his diuinity he commanded the sea to pay it Againe he was maintained eleemozinarily hauing no garment but what was giuen him and the good women kept him by their contributions yet to magnifie himselfe againe he oftentimes fed many thousands with a little So Mark. 11.12.13 he comes hungry to the fig-tree wherein appeareth his basenesse but in the same action springeth foorth his maiesty as when he said Neuer fruit grow on thee heereafter and it was presently dried vp So God had appointed he should die and before his death to be whipped Mat. 26.67 to shew his humility but see how he exalted himselfe againe Mark 11.15 he whipped out the exchangers out of the temple and none durst so much as looke or make resistance against him Againe he must be hanged betweene two theeues but Luk. 23.42 he so qualifieth the basenesse and shame of his crosse as he worketh faith in the heart of one of them to call on him as a Sauiour and him he saueth And though at last he died to declare his manhood yet that hee was more then a man was expressed by the breaking of the veile of the Temple and by the strange eclipse of the Moone which was in plenilunio when it was full Moone For the second generall circumstance which is the effect of their inquiry what feare it wrought For the word Feare it signifieth such a troubling of the water as that mud ariseth shewing that this kind of feare seized on Herod and his Court howbeit their feare arose vpon seuerall respects Herod feared because he was somewhat acquainted with the prophesies which foretold that one should come to deliuer his people out of seruitude and he knew that all would worship the Sunne rising rather then the Sunne setting And that he was strangely affraid is noted by this that hee called vnto him the Wise-men and would haue learned of them somewhat whereas if he had beene prouident hee would haue sent some of his Courtiers on the iourney with them in colour of doing them courtesie that so they might haue gone to the very place to haue seene the child and by them the King might haue beene
sure to haue knowen the truth but it pleased the Lord he should be so besotted with this grosse feare that his wisdome was turned into foolishnesse that so the poore child might as yet escape the bloudy clawes of this cruell tyrant The people they were affraid and troubled because they had beene so long acquainted and made familiar with slauish seruitude that their hearts were euen growen hard and they were willing to sustaine this bondage so they might be quiet chusing rather to abide some tolerable seruitude then to endanger themselues further by the commutation of their state and change of their king Out of the feare of the king obserue the nature and condition of wicked and profane Princes who if the finger of God doe but come neere them and shake them in their seates they murmure and grudge and are smitten with feare as with the spirit of giddinesse for Herod feared lest hee should lose his kingdome if Christ should raigne so as it was the losse of the Crowne did so much affect him Euen so was the countenance of King Balthazar changed and his thoughts troubled when he saw the hand writing on the wall Dan. 5.6 which signified the diuision and losse of his kingdome for it is not in the power of Princes to stay their conscience from checking and accusing them nay it is as a butcher that will first flea and rifle them when their destruction draweth on Therefore let the great men of the earth beware how they spurne against the gouernement of Christ for hee is no lesse a King now then hee was then nay hee gouernes now with more maiesty then before and therefore they may not bee as Lions ouer his heritage 1. Pet. 5.3 but if they will haue their Scepters blessed in their hands they must suffer Christ to rule and themselues though Lords ouer others yet to bee but subiects vnder him In that the people were also afraid obserue the grosnesse and profanesse that was in these Iewes before these Wise-men came thither for as soone as they heard of the birth of their Messias they were presently astonished as if they had neuer heard of any such matter before and yet they knew that the Kingdome was now translated from the tribe of Iuda and that it was to bee restored they were exercised and vexed with great calamities as were their forefathers vnder Pharao Exod. 5.7 so as that might haue made them cast vp their eies to haue looked for a deliuerer The sacrifices they daily offered portending the dteah of Christ might haue put them in minde of his comming but they were so dead in sinne and licentious liuing as they dreamed of no such matter yea they sung out of the Psalmes continually in their Seruice Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord Ma. 21.9 Psal 118.26 yet when he is come it appalleth and like beasts voide of vnderstanding they had rather sleepe in a knowen slauery then enioy an vnknowen liberty their religion being but common deuotion and a set kinde of seruing God without sincerity which wrought no more in their consciences but that now as if they were heathen they tremble to heare of the name of a Sauiour Which ought to teach vs to lay religion at the heart and to keepe the fire burning lest if we neglect this acceptable time of grace and shuffle off the seruice of God as a thing of course wee grow and become as senslesse and profane in our selues as these Iewes did to bee troubled with Christes comming to vs in his word preached Againe in that it is said All Ierusalem were afraid it is to bee vnderstood onely of the greatest part for some waited and expected his comming in great hope Luk. 2.28.37 as Anna Simeon and Zachary but these were but as a sparke in comparison of a mighty fire Where we learne not to fashion our selues to follow multitudes the greatest number being alwaies enemies to the Crosse of Christ Luk. 12.32 as himselfe testifieth Mine is a little flocke But such is the power of the Prince of darkenesse and such strength hath corruption in vs as they leade vs altogether from the way of holinesse and the least occasion moueth vs to bee offended at Christ howbeit let vs retire our selues into the straites of godlinesse and let pirates roue vpon the maine Sea it is the narrow path that leadeth and the smaller company that entreth into Sion For in Sodome that great citie Genes 18.32 there shall not bee found tenne righteous nor religious and the house of Noah onely excepted Genes 6.11 the whole earth was corrupt before the Lord. It cannot therefore bee safe for vs to ioyne in amitie with the sonnes of men least wee bee wrapped in the same destruction and ouercome of the same feare wee see all Hierusalem troubled with Further obserue hence that if the birth of our Sauiour Christ in this basenesse strooke such terrors into the hearts of Kings how much more shall his second comming cause the very mountaines of the earth to tremble when hee shall appeare in power accompanied with hoastes of Angels and when heauen and earth shall flie before him That therefore his presence may bring vs ioy Psal 125.1 and that we may bee as mount Sion not to be shaken let vs lay aside the leauen of the flesh and put on this our Christ by whom wee haue redemption euen the forgiuenesse of our sinnes Ephes 1.7 for faith in him shall driue out all trembling distrust whatsoeuer where his comming worketh feare there the conscience threatneth destruction else would the wicked neuer cry to the mountaines to fall on them Luke 23 30. and to the hils to couer them Obserue againe by this great perplexity that arose both in Prince and people that it was alwaies the destiny of the Gospell to bring commotion to States and alteration to Kingdomes for now besides the generall feare that fretted their hearts the whole company of Diuines are troubled to turne their bookes and to seeke out what shall become of the matter This was but a beginning of that Christ himselfe spake afterward Matthew 10.34 I came not to bring peace but a sword not that the Gospell in it selfe causeth warres but that the wrath and vengeance of God might redound vpon the faces of his enemies for it maketh peace betweene men and men and God and men that the loue of God boiling from him to vs through his grace in the word might againe issue from vs to him through our obedience to the word Yet before the Gospell can enter to take roote and worke vpon vs it causeth hatred euen to the effusion of bloud this proceeding from the malice of Satan who by the growth of the Gospell loseth his iurisdiction and from our owne corruption that loue darknesse more then light because the Gospell discouereth our sinnes as the Sunne doth the motes that otherwise lie hid And againe it is a
that he is able by his power to disappoint the decree of God which is the nature of all Atheists to challenge absolute dominion vpon the earth thinking God to be shut vp in heauen but he that sitteth there laugheth them to scorne for Herod thought to haue had the life of the babe but the babe had his when the measure of his sinnes were fulfilled For the second generall point which is the obedience of Ioseph learne how willingly he takes vp his crosse he might haue thought himselfe a miserable man to haue maried such a wife as he might not accompanie with and the babe which was borne to be the cause of these vnseasonable troubles for these no doubt were the suggestions of flesh and bloud but he laieth aside consulting with the old man and fixeth his eie vpon God and casteth his care vpon the highest that as he had giuen the temptation so he knew he would likewise giue the issue like Abraham Gen. 22.8 who answered his sonne saying God will prouide a sacrifice and like this babe himselfe who afterward in his conflict of death Mark 14.36 though most tedious and grieuous to the flesh did yet submit himselfe to his fathers will So as the obedience of Ioseph is here commended by this that he presently dispatcheth not standing reasoning with the Angell nor waiting for the comfort of the day for cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently He knew this babe was the Lord of glory and that all the world could not murder him as yet because he had a worke to doe for the King of heauen yet seeing there is at this time no other doore of escape but flying hee is neither negligent nor carelesse but he accounteth all haste too little and in the night trusseth vp all he had whereby we may thinke he was exceeding poore and maketh no delay Where we learne that though we be sure the Lord will defend vs yet if we be in danger and the Lord hath opened a window for our deliuerance that we vse all possible dispatch Dauid was sure Saul could not surprise him because the Lord had promsed him the kingdome yet 1. Sam. 24.1 he hideth himselfe in caues and flieth frō one place to another to auoid his fury because though he had Gods oth that he should be king yet he would not tempt God by exposing himselfe to danger So Ioseph though he had the babe of life in his hands yet flies which is a matter of no distrust but of singular obedience because he is willed so to doe For the third point which is the fulfilling of the prophesie The Prophet Osea ch 11.1 after he had set downe the sinnes of the Israelites and had brought in God threatning them with his iudgements and with this iudgement as the greatest that he would distinguish the light of Israel by taking away his sonne which was their glory then hee is sent from God to comfort them againe after this sort that although they had beene rebellious whom the Lord had chosen in his couenant though they had not profited by his corrections and though it might agree with the Lords iustice to depriue them vtterly of his sonne yet forasmuch as Israel is his childe though he hath sent his sonne into Egypt that thereby they might consider their owne vnwoorthinesse yet for his meere mercy sake he will bring him forth againe and restore him vnto them Where we learne first that though we breake our couenant with God yet hee is faithfull that hath promised and will neuer breake his couenant with vs for his thoughts be not like our thoughts but he is the same for euer howbeit if the Lord do beare vs in his armes as he did Ephraim Osea 11.3 and leade vs with the bands of loue Iam. 1.17 if he take the yoke from our iawes and yet we will not acknowledge by whom wee are healed and in whom we are eased we shall wander in the desert of our owne lusts and languish as it were in torment of conscience before the Lord will vnfold the brightnesse of his Sunne and discouer the light of his countenance vnto vs. For though Christ shall be called out of Egypt at the last yet many sorrowes shall runne ouer the hearts of the Israelites before they shall see him Secondly in this prophesie obserue that there was neuer any thing shewed should come to Christ which was base but it was foretold before that when it came it might not seeme strange nor men might not be offended at it as heere is foretol◠his flying into Egypt and his basenesse that no man would vouchsafe to looke vpon him was foretold by Esay chap. 53.2 So was it foretold that not many mighty or noble should be called for as S. Paul saith 1. Cor. 2.8 none of the Princes of the world haue knowen the wisedome of God to the end we may not be offended with the base professors of the Gospell but may be as S. Paul calleth them 1. Cor. 4.10 fooles for Christ his sake So was it foretold that in the latter daies there should be scarse faith found vpon the earth as S. Paul speaketh 1. Tim. 4.1 that we may not be discouraged with the profanenesse of the world but that wee may labour to bee of the number of those fooles to whom the riches of the Gospell is reuealed and in the company of those few whose lampes shall bee found burning and whose faith shall be found grounded vpon the perswasion of Gods loue in his sonne MATH chap. 2. vers 16 17 18 verse 16 Then Herod seeing that he was mocked of the Wise-men was exceeding wroth and sent foorth and slue all the male children that were in Bethlem and in all the coastes thereof from two yeeres old and vnder according to the time which he had diligently searched out of the Wise-men verse 17 Then was that fulfilled which is spoken by the Prophet Ieremias saying verse 18 In Rhama was a voice heard mourning and weeping and great howling Rachel weeping for her children and would not bee comforted because they were not NOW followeth the persecution it selfe the perswasion of the Angell being like a flash of lightning before a clap of thunder wherein the Euangelist deliuereth three generall points First by what occasion Herod was so set on fire and exasperate to beethinke himselfe of these murthers namely because hee thought himselfe abused Secondly the execution of this massacre with the circumstances first of the place it was in Bethlem and the townes adioyning to it secondly of the persons they were children of two yeeres old and vnder Thirdly the Euangelist noteth the fulfilling of a prophesie anciently foretold that this comming to passe they might know it was no small matter and withall that the sonne of God was sent not to raigne as a Monarch but to be persecuted vnto bloud For the first Herod thought himselfe mocked not that he was so but onely deemed himselfe so Where
take◠from mercy And 1. Cor. 6.15 Your bodies are the temples 〈◊〉 the holy Ghost and yee are bought with a price therefore doe not prostitute them to vncleannesse but let the loue of God constraine vs to loue him againe Yet may wee not heereupon imagine that we make the law of God of no effect through faith nay as S. Paul saith Rom. 3.31 by this we rather establish the Law and that two waies first in the absolute obedience of Christ inherent in himselfe and imputed vnto vs secondly by the spirit of sanctification abiding in vs for the same righteousnesse the law commands the very same doth faith apprehend for we doe challenge the promise of God to saue vs by this that Christ in our person hath absolutely performed it so as there is no difference in respect of the substance but only in the maner of conueiance wherby we apply it vnto our soules So doth the Gospel command the same works that the law exacteth though there be a threefold difference between them for first the law commands works to gaine saluation by them the Gospell because saluation is already gained by the bloud of Christ for as S. Paul saith 1. Cor. 6 2◠we are bought with a price therefore we are debtors secondly the law giueth no power to worke that it commandeth for Moses that was the giuer of it could not frame his owne heart to do it therfore it is called a dead letter written in stones 2. Cor. 3 6◠which prefigured the harts of men but the Gospel in the elect neuer cōmandeth but first giueth grace and power to performe as the Lord neuer pardoneth any mans sin but he first writeth his law in his heart as S. Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 3.8 God sent his son to destroy the works of the diuel in vs and this is the argument of S. Paul Rom. 6.14 Let not saith he sin raigne in your mortal bodies that is haue dominion ouer you for yee are not vnder the law but vnder grace that giueth power to amend Thirdly the law commands works absolutely and admits of no repentance but the Gospel neuer excludes repentance the father euer waiting for the returne of his lost son so as it is true no whoremonger shal be saued continuing such a one but alwaies vnderstand repentance comming between staieth the iudgement for though our sins be of a purple or skarlet die yet if we turne to God the bloud of Christ hath this vertue 1. Ioh. 5.6 that it can make them white as snow so as the summe of al this is bloud water Ioh. 13.8 must go together faith in Iesus and the spirit of the Lord Iesus remission of sins and reformation of life must neuer be disioined Now for that the Papists say the expectation of a reward would make vs worke that in vaine should the worke be if there were no merit Wee answer that if a man freely shall gratifie his bondman with libertie and he shall after preserue his masters life by this hee hath not deserued his freedome for if he had remained still bond he had beene bound to haue done it and all hee can doe after is not to recompence his freedome but to testifie his thankfulnesse So whatsoeuer we can do or deserue we are bound to it by a double bond first of our creation secondly and much more by our redemption and after our saluation promised and purchased to doe well is nothing but dutie for we were bound to doe it before we were saued So as this is the order of exhortation in the Scripture All that haue hope 2. Cor. 7.1 must cleanse themselues not to clense themselues that they may hope but they haue hope therfore they must doe it Mat. 25.34 And not because we releeue the poore therefore wee shall be saued but because in mercy a kingdome is prepared for vs therfore as members of one bodie we releeue the poore And Abraham did not therefore offer vp his sonne that he might be iustified Gen. 22.8 but because he was iustified before Gen. 15.6 therefore he thought nothing too deare to gratifie the Lord with though it were with the sonne of the promise So heere we doe not therefore repent that the kingdome of heauen may come but wee must amend our liues and change our minds because the Messias is already come that will saue our soules Againe obserue he saith it is at hand noting a neere manifestation of him which was more then any of the Prophets could say whereupon Christ saith that there was neuer any Prophet so great as Iohn Baptist Mat. 11.11 yet the least in the kingdome of heauen is greater then he not comparing their persons for there were diuers of the Prophets as excellently qualified as Iohn nor that a Minister of the Gospell now should be greater then hee but that the ministery of Iohn was plainer then that of the Prophets they but foretelling indefinitely that Christ should come Iohn pointing at him with his finger that he was now comming and the ministery now being more excellent then Iohns because he preached but of the Messias at hand wheras we haue seene the fingers of this hand Christ to haue come with power to haue died with triumph and to haue ascended with glorie therefore let him that hath an eare heare and hee that hath hope let him arise for the kingdome is now come not at hand Iohn 14.12 Againe note the excellent Harmonie betweene Iohn the fore-runner and Christ the after-commer for Matt. 4.17 Christ vseth the very same words to perswade to amendement of life because the kingdome of heauen is at hand Which sheweth the agreement ought to be among Ministers and how wee may discerne whether they be of God or no for then as they all worke vpon one foundation so shall they all speake by one spirit and the voice of the herbinger agree with Christ and Christ with him pressing no other doctrine then that Iohn preached before For the fourth circumstance which is the warrant whereby Iohn was authorized to preach wee note that all callings in the Church of God must bee warranted expresly in the booke of God For if any were to bee exempted it was this of Iohns being extraordinarie but he is enforced to prooue it as if hee should say Though I am not Christ nor Elias in person howbeit in power of spirit I am yet looke in Esay 40.3 my authoritie recorded for the place of a Minister is not like the power of the Magistrate which though it be Gods ordinance in generall yet is it not in particular as that there should be this or that Magistrate as an Emperour Duke Chancellor and such like for this is humane and God hath giuen man this freedome by the remnant and portion of reason abiding in him to deuise what may be safest for the state And these offices as they be by man erected so may they be by him abolished But
sanctification for he is a true childe of Abraham that walketh in the faith and steppes of Abraham Roman 4.12 and they that doe otherwise as Christ saith Ioh. 8.44 are the children of their father To which the Pharisees in great indignation excepting What say they dost thou account vs bastards Abraham is our father No saith Christ so as trueth and meekenesse it selfe spake it yee are the children of the diuell For vnder this pretence of issuing from Abrahams loines they would despise that sonne and abandon that Messias in whom Abraham and the rest of the fathers looked and trusted to be saued Howbeit if we come to this why doth Ismael persecute the profession of Isaac and Esau sell his birth-right and Iacob embrace it as a pledge of the inheritance of heauen This commeth from the election of God who had purposed to giue this grace to the one and to denie it to the other the cause of his infidelitie resting in his owne soule And it was not an vniuersall promise plight to Abraham that he would be the God of euery particular singular man that should come from his line but it was giuen indefinitely without limitation to thy seed as of one which is that Paul prooueth Gal. 3.16 namely that there could be no reconciliation betweene the Iewes and the Gentiles but by that one seed which was Christ Now the cause Saint Iohn giueth and the reason hee alleageth why they should not thus flatter and deceiue themselues in the name of Abrahams seed is because God is able euen of stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham And at the first Abraham indeed was dead in respect of that strength of nature to beget a childe Gen. 18.12 and it was as easie to make a stone a man as to make a dead man get a man Out of which we learne that God is omnipotent not onely to do what he will but also to do more then euer yet he hath purposed to doe as heere he is able of stones to raise vp men but he neuer did it Answerable to that speech of Christ in the Gospell If I would I could command Mat. 26.53 twelue legions of Angels to rescue me yet he did it not Now three things there be which God cannot doe and yet sheweth no impotencie nor derogateth any thing from his omnipotencie as first he cannot doe contrarie to the propertie of his person as God cannot be begotten nor the Sonne of God cannot beget secondly that is contrarie to the essentiall properties of his Godhead Ier. 1.17 as he cannot repent nor change nor lie nor be finite for all these are signes of weaknesse and imperfection thirdly he cannot doe that which implies a contradiction as that a stone being a stone should be a man but of a stone he can make a man and of a man a stone as Lots wife was turned Gen. 19.26 into a pillar of salt but when she ceased to be a woman So against the Lutherans that hold they eate the very flesh of Christ in the Sacrament wee acknowledge that God is able to turne bread into flesh but then he must change the substance for I will neuer beleeue that that which I see and taste and touch as bread can being bread be flesh also So for the humanitie of Christ as it is his bodie it cannot be euery where for a bodie must haue his dimensities as height breadth and length and must be limited and circumscribed in a place certaine And it abridgeth nothing from his all-sufficiencie for it is contrarie to the nature of a substance to be euery where remaining a substance True it is the Lord can make the sea to stand vp as wals Exod. 14.21 on both sides for the passage of the Israelites but it was a sea still so he can make the Sunne against the course of nature Iosh 10.12 to stand still and stay his course but it was the Sunne still but he cannot make a body to be euery where for that doth abolish the nature of it Now is the Axelaied to the root c. This is the third point was deliuered namely the commination which Iohn vsed mixing and interlacing his sermon with the iudgements of God wherein he threatneth them with eternall damnation except they repent and become new men The whole speech is allegoricall and a continued borrowed speech which may be thus resolued God is compared to a husbandman for he had planted a vineyard in Iuda namely his church the people are compared to trees the ministerie of Iohn to an axe that will cut quickly either to hasten to damnation or to saluation As elsewhere it is compared to a Fanne that separates the chaffe from the wheat and in Ieremie to a hammer either to bruse a broken heart or to beat it downe to hell The roots of the trees are compared to the soules of men the forme of the speech prefigureth the finall sentence that shall bee giuen at the latter day the hewing downe signifieth the separation of the bastardly Iewes from the communion and fellowship of the true Israelites and casting into the fire setteth foorth their eternall damnation in hell so as it is thus much in effect You Pharisees presume not any longer vpon Gods patience for yee cannot now pretend ignorance as yee might haue done and for that time as Acts 17.30 God will not call you to any heauie reckoning he hath bene carefull to dresse his garden he hath suffered you to abuse the people by your gouernment in the Church but now looke vnto your selues for now shall my ministerie cut into your soules and shall shew whether yee be bastards or no and now shall it appeare who is the child of Abraham by receiuing Christ that commeth In that it is said now and that the axe is laid not to lop but to cut downe learne that when the Gospell is preached then the Lord comes to make a separation betweene the elect and the reprobate which could not before be discerned as it is in the Gospell there shall be two in one bed one shall be receiued and the other reiected for when this raine falleth then the Lord meaneth to trie who is truely planted and hath taken root in his sonne Luk. 17.34 and if as Heb. 6.7 it bringeth foorth herbes meet for the dresser then receiueth it a blessing but if the heart bring â—oorth thornes then is meere vnto cursing so as if any obstinately persist in the earth drinking in the moisture and yet increaseth not his damnation shall be the more iust because there is now no place for excuse left And to applie this more neerely to our selues if the Sodomites Gen. 19.28 were wasted with fire for abusing but one Lot If the Niniuites had beene destroyed Ionah 4.11 for not repenting at the preaching of one Ionah If they were put to death that despised but one Moses and the old world Gen. 6.13 swept away for contemning the preaching of one Noah If they were
iudgement that hee knew not all that pertained to his calling and ministery yet addeth a reason why he did this I can giue but water but thou canst giue the spirit to purge the conscience Christ seeing his modesty bids him leaue off to intreate of his excellency and his owne basenesse that he was as the Sonne and Iohn but as the day starre Let this goe saith Christ for thou and I both must labour to doe that God hath appoiâ—ted it is thy calling to baptize and mine to require it professing himselfe to bee in the number of repentants Iohn seeing that Christ shewed this actioÌ„ to be a part of that righteousnesse should be fulfilled did receiue him whereupon after Christ had beenâ— drenched in the water a miracle was seene the heauens to open the holy Ghost to descend a voice from his Father that this Sonne was principally beloued and for his sake all others should be beloued So as the Sauiour of the world was first baptized and then miraculously consecrated to be that great monarch of heaven and earth In the words there are two generall parts to bee considered first that Christ was baptized from vers 13. to the latter end of vers 15. secondly what-testimony was giuen from heauen for his consecration to the Mediatorship In the first there be these circumstances set downe first that Christ tooke paines himselfe to come secondly that Iohn at first refused him giuing a reason why he did so thirdly Christ replying vpon him with a reason added why he required it and why Iohn may not deny it For the first of these consider two circumstances first at what time Christ came secondly whence he came then the word shewes a continuance of the story then when Iohn had prepared a people by his ministery to receiue Christ and when the fulnesse of time was come and the time of his present prinate life expired Heere generally consider that God determineth the times and seasons of mens priuate and publike callings Moses was forty yeeres of age before God told him he should bee the delinerer of his people and after hee had discontinued and walked priuatly forty yeeres more then hee was called of God to that office Act. 7.23 Exo. 3.10 So Iohn was thirty yeeres old before hee began to execute his ministery So for Christ it might seeme tedious to his parents that hee should so long containe himselfe in their priuate house and albeit he was destinated and ordained from the wombe to this great office and worke yet he must expect his fathers pleasure before hee offer himselfe to goe forth of Galile It is true of all men which Ieremy speakes of himselfe ch 1.5 God called me saith he and sanctified me to be a Prophet from the wombe yea before I was fashoined So Paul Gal. 1.15 saith he was separate from his mothers wombe to preach the gospell yet they must both wait and attend for a reall calling The vse that is hence to be gathered is that as Christ contented and satisfied himselfe with a priuate life when by comming abroade he might haue come to great renowne in the world so much more are we to satisfie our selues with that place wee haue and leaue it to Gods wisedome who in fulnesse of time will call if he haue any imploiment for vs so as no man may beg or buy a calling or thinke all his graces buried if he enter not presently into the broade way of worldly fame for God will in time if he haue set him apart for his husbandry prouide him a place and meanes for his lawfull entrance and such an admittance as may secure his conscience For the second whence he came from Galile where may be demanded why Iohn went not to him he being but the seruantâ— the reason is first because Iohns ministery was appointed to be exercised in the wildernesse secondly it was to set forth the maiesty and to preserue the dignity and worthinesse of the ministery for in as much as Christ was to be baptized hee was to come thither as one that was to partake of some fruit of his office Which example and prefident shewes that no man ought to thinke himselfe too good to come to Iohn that is to the Minister of God in whose mouthes heehath put the words of reconciliation and in whose hands are the distribution of his seales And this condemneth all those that seeke to bring the Temple into their house or wait that the Arke should come to them Dauid we see though a King of high glory and renowne Psal 84 2.3 complaineth and mourneth that he could not haue accesse to the church of God and thought the birds happier theâ— he that sate and sung within the Temple And if the King of heauen the Lord Iesus did humble himselfe to goe to Iohn much more ought flesh and bloud to striue to ioyne themselues to the publike place where the ministery is exercised The second circumstance is Iohns forbidding of Christ to come to his baptisme Out of which place appeareth that Iohn acknowledged him to be the Messias though he was cloathed with sinfull flesh for he saith he had need to receiue the holy Ghost of him which none can giue but Christ Now how knew he this for by the wisedome of God it was wrought that they neuer saw nor met before therefore hee must needs know it miraculously euen as miraculously Luke 1.41 hee leapt in his mothers wombe when she first heard of Christs conception And if the signe to know him be the Doue as some would haue it how knew he him before It must be answered that God gaue him a secret reuelation to himselfe to discerne that this was the person in whom dwelt the God-head bodily Coloss 2.9 and after for further confirmation which was a signe a posteriori there was this exhibition of that token a Doue descending on him According as Exod. 3.12 Moses was told he should bee a deliuerer of the people of Israel and this was his signe that when he had done it he should sacrifice to God in the mount that is it should further confirme him for he knew it before when he went forth of Egypt with the people Where we may learne that if we walke simply as in the sight of God and make a conscience of our calling wee shall haue if need require an extraordinary presence and help of God to instruct vs and we shall be taught of him the secrets and wonders of the Lord. Further learne in this refusall of Iohn to baptise Christ that although a man may be an excellent Minister yet hee may erre concerning some chiefe point of his office and this to bee no disparagement to him euen as Iohn failed in this duty So as we draw out of this particular example this generall instruction against such as except against Ministers being of another iudgement then others be for if he be faithfull in the greatest duty of his calling and his end be
Sathan such a babe as he will bee out-faced with a word of defyance scorning at reproofe saying They will shield themselues from Sathan aswell as they that admonish them the foule feend shall haue no power of them and yet continue in the obstinacie of their harts labouring to extinguish the feeling of conscience that they may liue more licentiously they shall proue that Sathan can beare a few words so he be sure of the soule for they be but feathers and it is a lamentable way to defie a Lion and yet to come within his clutches thy soule hee will account gaine enough But he answering said It is written c. Heere followeth the resistance Christ made by the sword of the spirit to the temptation of the diuell Wherein are to bee obserued two parts first that he vseth the word to beate backe his fiery dart secondly what text he chose and the sense thereof in which there are two parts set downe the first negatiue Man liueth not by bread onely the second affirmatiue but by the word and promise of God if the meanes faile For the first of these consider hee doth not gratifie Sathan so much as to tell him whether he bee Gods Sonne or no neither doth hee worke any miracle as hee could haue done as well as pay the tribute out of the fishes mouth Mat. 17. vers 27. but he tels him plainely his speech is vntrue for a meere naturall man may liue without bread much more I that haue a priuiledge aboue men by my heauenly generation Where we learne to haue this resolution that vsing lawfull meanes how euer things sueceed or prosper that wee stand vpon the promise of God that wee shall neuer want a thing which shall continue firme when the mines of the Indies shall faile and a promise that no earthly Prince can make because hee cannot assure himselfe of his owne estate For he that did raine downe Angels food Exod. 16.15 not which they made but which they did minister he that could make the shooes of the Israelites not to weare cause water Num. 20.8 to issue out of a hard rocke command the winds to bring quailes in such a multitude sustaine Eliah 1. King 17.4 by the ministery of Rauens that hath at sometime Mat. 15.36 fed so many thousands with a few fishes the same God hath giuen vs his word that his prouidence shall bee as watchfull ouer vs not that we should looke to be fed by miracles or not to vse the meanes to feed our selues but thinke that come should grow without sowing as it did 2. King 19.29 in Hezechiahs time but that we may bee assured his hand is not now shortned for we doe not looke to be rapt vp to heauen as Enach was Gen. 5.24 before the Law or as Eliah was 2. King 2.12 after the law yet doe we expect that our soules shall go thither as did Lazarus Luk. 16.22 So though wee are not to expect to bee enabled forty daies to fast yet hee that did it this once did it to confirme vs that the same power of his Father doth still continue And among all Christs sermons hee euer tooke most perswasible reasons to make an impression of this in his disciples minds and to roote out that humour of worldlie pensiuenesse and carking carefulnesse that they might come to a meditation of the Lords prouidence As Luk. 12.22 Be not immoderatly carefull to heape vp vnto your selues riches for no mans life standeth in his goods which albeit in iudgement we discerne of yet in affection we are ouertaken And to perswade this he bringeth the Parable of the rich man vers 17. who when he had spent his care to fill his barnes and had thought to haue blest his soule in his substance the same night was depriued of his life Christ in that place shewing all care to be double first for the backe what we shall put on secondly for the belly what wee shall eate and perswadeth vs not to distrust the Lord in either the life is more then meate therefore he that gaue thee the one being greater will also giue thee the other being lesse Consider the rauens the Lord feeeds them and can he haue lesse regard of his children Insinuating vnto vs that wee should not feare the persecution which is accompanied with scarcity not stirring vp men to desperate courses to entangle themselues in needles troubles but hauing the crosse laid vpon them by others not brought vpon them by themselues then in a holy resolution of the cause not to feare for fiue sparrowes shall be bought for two farthings and yet not a feather of these much lesse shall a haire of thy head fall without Gods prouidence Secondly he perswades vs by this that our care can doe vs no good without Gods blessing For apparell wee see the Lillies garnished with such beauty as exceedeth Salomon in his glorie and if hee thus doatheth the grasse of the field much more will he prouide for vs. O that our hearts could conceiue the comfortable security that Christ giueth vs in resting vnder the wings of his Father for he is the same God now no lesse carefull then he was then if the fault were not in our infidelity that wee distrust him But seeke saith Christ the meanes whereby ye may come to saluation and all outward things shall be cast vpon you feare not litle flocke for he that will giue vs a heauenly kingdome wherein we may contemplate the glory of God for euer and hee that hath giuen vs his Sonne out of his owne bosome when wee were his enemies and had no grace to aske pardon how can he now deny vs any thing hee knoweth to be conuenient for vs Yet for our comfort let vs know that none haue this promise but the godly for the Lions that is the tyrants of the Church they shall want and be hungerbit Psal 34.10 but the righteous shall neuer be forsaken Many had more oyle then the widow of Sarepta 1. King 17.16 yet hers by reason of the promise of God wasted not but lasted longer then theirs so as not so much for the quantity as for the qualitie of hauing it in some competent certainety the children of the most high shall neuer want Where further we learne to forbeare the vsing of vnlawfull meanes for wee must make that reckening Abraham did Gen. 22.8 when Isaac told him there was wood but where was the sacrifice God saith he will prouide the Scrifice so wee must say God will prouide to releeue our necessities Let vs therefore owe nothing but loue not borrow where we cannot pay Rom. 13.8 and if the lawfull sweat of our browes will not affoord it let vs vse no shifts to disgrace our profession for what God hath cursed with his mouth hee cannot blesse in the vse therefore it is better to want with his fauour then to abound without it and better it is to be the Almighties begger then the Diuels belly
him but answereth him with one onelie word of detestation Auoid Sathan For the blasphemous may not bee reasoned with if they should it would make them but burst foorth into greater outrage against the peareles and matchlesse wisedome of God giuing vs likewise by this answer secretly to vnderstand that whosoeuer goeth about to withdraw vs from God is of the diuell so likewise are they that seeke by reason to disswade vs from the shame of the crosse Therefore Mat. 16.23 when Christ indeuoured to preuent the ignominy should come vpon the crosse and to make his disciples and the rest vnuanquishable when it should come it is said there Peter tooke him aside and vsed reasons to disswade him from such 〈◊〉 comfortable speeches whereupon Christ not mildly but sharply being displeased with this carnall excoption of his bids him 〈◊〉 Sathan that is as a great enemy to him and others And so whensouer flesh and bloud shal take exception against the mystery of godlinesse it is thus sharply to bee reproued Heereupon Rom. 3.31 exceptions being taken that the law serued to no vse because Christs obedience had absolutely purchased our pardon the Apostle in like wisdome of the spirit of God answereth not onely by a simple deniall but by a deniall with a detestatioâ—â— God forbid as that it is blasphemy to be of such opinion And sometime to this phrase the Apostle addeth more as Rom. 3.8 not replying one word but onely saith their damnation is iust rather setting before them their cursed end then conuincing them by reason for as Salomon saith A foole may not bee answered in his folly Out of the second answer which Christ maketh for our instruction and satisfaction obserue that God must haue both all outward and inward worship so as it is impious to thinke a man can keepe his soule for God when hee humbleth his bodie to strange gods and in this hee doth withdraw his reuerencâ— from his owne religion either through feare or profanenâ—â—â—â— reaching foorth part of the worship to another But wee must know God will haue both and in creating both hee challengeth both besides that of them both hee hath made but one man which cannot be diuided but goeth together For we are not baptised in our bodies onely but in our soules out soules only were not redeemed neither shall they onely bee saâ—ed but the whole man If the bodie then be the Lords both by creation and by redemption let vs giue testimony of his worship in both otherwise it is as if a woman should protest she loued her husband at the heart and in her soule and yet should prostitute her bodie to vncleannesse but wee are espoused and maried to the Lord therefore let vs keepe both for him vnspotted Lastly out of the diuels argument let vs learne to feare and serue the Lord for if gifts may draw on worship as he pretendeth by his proffer to Christ then hath the Lord offered farre more largely for vs I will giue thee saith he eternall life and it is no aduantage to winne the world and to take the diuels offer and after to lose our soules But let vs set God on our right hand in him we liue in him wee haue our being it is hee that feedeth vs with naturall and supernaturall things and blessings godlinesse hauing the promises of this life and of the life to come 1. Tim. 4.8 hee will make vs heires of the earth the world standing for our sakes we shall be heires of heauen Ioh. 1â— 2 Christ hauing prepared places for vs in his fathers house yea fellow heires with his owne Sonne tasting of no other loue Ioh. 17.24 nor feeling any other glory then his Sonne hath and therefore in the iudgement of the diuell hee shall worthily bee damned that refuseth so large an offer at Gods hand who giueth and neuer vpbraideth pardoneth and neuer reperteth Then the diuell left him c. This is the third part namely the issue and euent of the temptations had and sustained by Christ set downe in two things first that when the diuell could not ouercome him he left him secondly that the Angels attended and ministred For the first by this vnderstand that as Christ was tempted for vs and in our flesh ouercame for vs in his person so wee haue good and comfortable security that vsing the same meanes hee did according as we shall be enabled and through the grace of the same spirit wee also shall ouercome the Prince of darknesse for wee must not thinke our selues freed from these assaults the life of a Christian being a warfare the world the campe the first registring and inrolling of vs being in baptisme where we tooke a vow to be true to the Lord Iesus Christ is our victorious Captaine our enemies are the world without vs the flesh within vs as accessaries and the diuell as principall besides temptations on both hands Now the power we haue to repell these is the sword of the spirit the word of God the schoole where we learne this defence is the Church of God where we finde weapons both offensiue and defensiue a shield of faith to defend our selues and a sword of the word to offend the enemy And this may bee our comfort his rage will haue an end and his malice shall not preuaile but as Saint Iames saith If we resist him Iames 4.7 he will flie from vs that is he will hasten as fast away as he came fiercely toward vs for heere is promised victory to all that striue infeare For the second generally we note how it pleased God by wisdome and dispensation to dispose of the exinanition as I may so tearme it or the impairing and abasing of Christ while he was in the flesh that in the midst of the greatest ignominy and reproch yet he bore some marke and badge of his notable and diuine power whereby by the eies of faith hee might bee discerned to be the Sonne of God His basenesse appeareth in this that he liued in the wildernesse he was assaulted of the diuell he had no company but beasts hee was hungry and had no food but stones Sathan was busie with him to make him tempt his Father and in all this there was nothing but ignominy and extreame basenesse But after all this there breaketh foorth like the Sunne through the clouds a matter which maketh him knowen and discerned to be more then a man that the Angels come to doe him seruice And thus did it euer fall our that hee was neuer brought so low nor so neare the ground but there did at last shine forth an impregnable worke of his diuinity hee was borne in a stable his Cradle was a Manger there was lodging in the Inne but none for Mary Mat. 22. yet was there then a starre in the heauens to signifie to the Wise-men the birth of this noble personage hee was baptised by Iohn his seruant Mat 3.15.16 but a voice was heard from
against the expresse commandement of his maker to haue approched vnto God without the suffering and crucifying of the flesh of man in Christ Iesus neither had this punishment sufficed had not Christ in our flesh by his obedience recompensed our breach of this law of God And yet because this is the anchor of our hope the ground of our faith and the security of our happinesse heereafter the spirit doth more neerely bond it selfe to our capacitie teaching vs this heauenly mystery by seuen earthly comparisons First Rom. 13.14 It is Saint Pauls precept to put on the Lord Iesus Christ wherein he compareth Christ to garment which hath two properties first to couer our nakednesse secondly to keepe vs warme thus as we put on our apparell to couer the shame and to hide the nakednesse of our bodies so wee should put on the robes of Christs righteousnesse to couer the deformity of our sinfull soules and as by our garments our heat is kept within the body whereby our life is preserued so by our putting on of Christ we that otherwise should be frozen in our dregges receiue a spirituall warmth wherby the life of our soules is kept in and maintained and as while our garments are on vs wee are said to bee in our clothes but being cast from vs wee are euen ashamed of our selues and vnquiet till we haue got some other couering of place to hide vs in so while we are couered with Christ we are said to be in Christ but if we lay him aside then are we laid open to the shame of the world to the age of Satan to the tyranny of sinne and to the wrath of God Hence arise many fruitfull meditations for our particular instruction First that we thinke it a matter of more necessitie to be clothed with Christ then with our carthly garments and that we are neuer fully apparelled till wee haue put him on For by how much the soule is of more value then the body so much ought our care to be increased rather for the furnishing of the one then of the other in this respect also that the soule is the defence of the bodie that if we be sound and sincere within and haue spiritual heat at the heart there are no outward discomforts of pouerty reproch or persecution that can at all dismay vs. This Dauid hath taught vs out of his owne experience 1. Sam. 17.38.45 who went against Goliah not in the kings raiment though that was offered him but clothed himselfe with armour of better proofe the name of the Lord of Hosts who closed his enemy in his hand of farre greater strength than himselfe Naie to perswade and prouoke vs vnto this wee haue example euen in the time of Christ Matt. 14.36 that as manie as touched but the hem of his garment were made whole of bodily diseases and if there were such vertue in his apparell how much more strength and power is there in himselfe to cure all spirituall diseases of the soule and to keepe the body from sicknesse also vnlesse by sicknesse and infirmitie we shall thriue and prosper toward God Secondly when thou puttest on Christ be sure thou wearest him as thine vppermost garment both on thy body and on thy minde for that that is aboue the rest is best seene and let the world thinke of thee as it will it shall be thy true glorie to haue Christ seene in thy attire that thou goest comely and not vainely and garishly to haue him seene in thy speech that it be not wanton and blasphemous but such as may giue grace to the hearers and tend to edifying to haue him seene in thy behauiour and in all the actions of thy life that others by thy light may bee drawen out of darknesse that glory may bee giuen to thy father which is in heauen for if thou shalt think to weare Christ as we say next the skinne and shalt put any garments ouer him thou deceiuest thine owne soule and couerest thy selfe but with the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life which will lead thee to destruction for as Paul saith Col. 3.9.10 wee must put off the old man with his works and put on the new which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him Thirdly when thou puttest on Christ thou must take heed thou puttest him not vpon thy head or vpon thy hands or vpon any one part of thy body but he must be so put on as hee couer thy whole body from the head to the foote for if the diuell finde any part vncouered hee will possesse that therefore S. Paul Ephes 6.11 bids vs put on the whole armour of God that wee may be complet souldiers for if we be vnarmed in any part we may receiue a wound in that part which may be dangerous to the whole body so as if wee weare Christ onely in our mouthes that wee can talke religiously and haue him not in our feete to keepe vs from running astraie to wickednesse or haue him onely in our thoughts and not in our actions or in some of our actions and not in all then are wee not couered with Christ at all for saith the Apostle Ephes 4.15 wee must in all things not in some grow vp into him which is the head that is Christ Fourthly when thou hast once put on Christ thou must neuer lay him aside nor put him off againe for he is a garment that neuer weareth he is yesterday to day and the same for euer and his yeares shall not faile Hebr. 1.12 thou hast the same need of him and vse of him in the night as in the day in thy rest as in thy labour in thy health to prosper thee as in thy sicknesse to comfort thee in temptations to strengthen thee as in peace of conscience to secure thee for there being no time free wherin we are not subiect to fal we can at no time want his grace which must be our stay and sufficiencie 2. Cor. 12.9 Peter may well teach vs the vse of this lesson by the danger himselfe was in Matt. 26.70 by shaking off this garment in the high priests hall for he would needs before them all denie double it by an oth that he knew not Christ so as if Christ in mercy had not stucke close to him and kept himselfe on Luk. 22.61 by turning backe and looking on him wee see how euen in a chase and when there was no eminent persecution ouer him Peter had cast him aside as if hee had neuer receiued any former good by him which must make vs feare and tremble to giue such a guest no better enâ—â—â—tainement and such a garment no safer keeping since onely in the robes of Christ wee receiue our blessing and for his sake alone are beloued The second comparison is 2. Cor. 13.5 Know yee not that Christ is in you or dwelleth in you except yee be reprobates Where Christ is compared to our dwelling
houses that as wee dwell and abide in them so doth Christ by his spirit dwell and abide in vs. And 1. Cor. 6.19 Your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which ye haue of God And 1. Cor. 3.16 ye are the Temple of God and the spirit of God dwelleth in you And 2. Cor. 6.16 Ye are the Temple of the liuing God as God hath said I will dwell among you and walke there And Iohn 14.23 If any man loue me he will keepe my word and my father will loue him and we will come vnto him and dwell with him By which places appeareth how these earthen vessels of our bodies are honoured by being the habitation of God and of Christ Ephe. 2.22 that as by the former comparison wee are said to bee in Christ by putting him on vs so by this Christ is said to bee in vs by his dwelling and abiding with vs. Out of which wee must learne first to keepe our selues vnspotted of the world because we are to entertaine so great a Prince as the Lord Iesus for if we thinke all our labour too little to cleanse beautifie that roome wherein the Kings of the earth shall sit 1. Cor. 6.20 who are taken out of the same lumpe our selues are how much more must wee striue to haue all our members kept chast and sanctified which are as it were so many seueral roomes for him who by his heauenly generation is the Sonne of God Esay 9.6 the fathers Counseller and the Prince of peace Secondly by this dwelling of Christ with vs we are assured that wee are his for no man will willingly dwell in a house whereof he is not owner especially the heire of the whole world whom the heauen of heauens is not able to contain would not set vp his throne and seat in our soules if he did not delight in vs neither could hee take any pleasure to lodge with vs if wee were not his which may be our vndoubted comfort that Christ possessing the fort and castle of our bodies it is not possible for Satan either by deceitfull policy to surprise vs or by his fiery darts to stiâ—â—â—â—s or by his subtile illusions to ensnare vs or by his bitter and cruell inuasions to vanquish vs for as Ioh. 10.28 we are the sheepe of his pasture and none can plucke vs out of his hands The third comparison is in 1. Peter 2.4 where Christ and his members are resembled to a building for as a building cannot be firme and sure except it be built vpon a strong foundation no more can we stand one minute if we be not built vpon Christ and as the foundation and the rest of the worke make but one building so is it betwixt Christ and vs he being the chiefe corner stone elect and pretious we being liuely stones whereby wee are made a spirituall house vnto God by Christ Hence learne first That all our strength and sufficiency is from God for if we will be a building of our selues and lay our foundation in our owne righteousnesse a little sprinkling of persecution will wash vs away as it did Mat. 7.26 wash away the house that was so foolishly built vpon the sands but in Christ alone we liue mooue and haue our being it is he that can command the Sea to be as a pauement for Peter to walke on Matt. 14.29 who at the sight of a winde arising through weakenesse in himselfe is forced to crie Master saue me yea when as his disciples stricken with the feare and force of a storme challenged him as if he cared not though they perished Luk 8.22 Mark 4.39 he then being through their praiers awaked rebuked the windes and commanded the sea to be still and it was so Now if Peter that had such strength of faith as that the Church should be built vpon his confession and the rest of the Disciples that were so continually taught of Christ felt no power in themselues to resist the feares of the flesh without the hand of God much lesse are we able to set one foote forward toward the way of heauen or to draw one foote backward from the way to sin vnlesse wee lay the foundation on our rocke Christ Iesus who hath measured the heauens with a span holdeth the windes in his fist and hath sounded the deepes of the earth that whatsoeuer falleth on him shall be broken and whosoeuer resisteth him shall be dasht into peeces Secondly obserue that we are no further the house of God then we doe build vpon Christ and that since the foundation and the building make but one worke our praiers and all our other seruice of God must be offered vp vpon the golden altar which is Christ Reu. 8.3 â—â—at as Pauls reioicing Galat. 6.14 was onely in Christ crucified so may ours be resting our selues wholly vpon him and placing our whole contentment in him for as he is the strength of the building 〈◊〉 is hee also the honour of the building wee being without him a sinfull nation and a people laden with iniquitie but through him 1. Pet. 2.9 a chosen generation an holy nation and a people set at libertie to shew foorth the vertues of him that called vs. Let vs therefore beware we daw be not our selues with vntempered mortar bringing in the stubble of mans merit or inuention to make vp this frame no not so much as to haue any corner in this house that is not the least member of our body nor the least power of the soule to leaue vpon the arme of flesh or to be supported by the wisedome of vaine man for this were to settle part of the building vpon a rocke and the rest vpon the sands which will ouerthrow all for the whole man must be built vpon Christ and he must be the corner stone to ioine both the bodie and soule the flesh and the spirit vnto God For as the gold is neuer said to be purified till all the drosse be seuered from it so is it not sufficient to haue as it were some of our affections refined and the rest to remaine drossie and polluted but if we will be wedges of gold for the Lords vse and vessels of honour for his house Christ must be in euery part of vs to ioine vs to himselfe that we may be holy euen as he is holy The fourth comparison is Ephes 1.22.23 where God is said to haue giuen Christ to bee the head to the Church which is his body In which place Christ is compared to a body that as the members are knit and vnited to the body so are all wee as members ingrafted and incorporate into the body of Christ and as the members being thus vnited are said to be part of the body so we being ioined vnto Christ are said to be Christs and as the heat and life which is in the body is dispersed and diffused into euery member euen so the life the graces which
the euerlasting curse of God for so are we all by nature in which nature of ours he representing vs became vile before his father in respect of vs. But now for the punishment of sinne vpon him that was not imaginarie but true and sensible both in soule and body so extreame as in anguish of spirit he was driuen to crie My God my God why hast thou forsaken me yea the death he endured was in it owne kind accursed as it is written Deut. 21.23 Cursed is euery one that hangeth on the tree yea looke what miseries what wants what dangers he did vndergoe and taste of from his birth to his ascension into heauen the same he suffered and slept in onely for vs which cleareth the iustice of God that a righteous man should smart for vs sinners because we are in him and he in vs which I vrge the more that we may see the great price the sonne of God paied for our redemption to stirre vs vp to a better and deeper consideration of it he being the only shepheard that euer gaue his life for his sheepe the only lambe which being vnspotted in himselfe did euer take vpon him the scabbes and vlcers of the whole flocke the onely man full of sorrowes and experience of infirmities whom the world iudged as plagued smitten of God and humbled yet was it onely for our iniquities that the chastisement of our peace might be vpon him Therfore as Esay 53.11 let him see the trauell of his soule that is the fruit of his labour and the efficacy of his death in the saluation of vs his people For the other profit it is also double as first we are made partakers of his graces secondly of the glorie for his graces And this standeth also with the iustice of God that he being in vs and we in him God must needs with him giue vs all things also Now the graces we taste of by this coniunction are twofold first by imputation which is his satisfaction for our sinnes we being starke bankerupts able to pay nothing and the benefit of his obedience we being rebellious bastards able to fulfill nothing secondly in our selues but drawen and deriued from Christ the fountaine as the change of our affections reforming of our iudgements renuing of our minds mortification a sanctified life and these graces did farre more abound in Christ then euer they did in Adam in his integrity for he was flesh made â—â—t after the image of God wheras this flesh Christ had the God head dwelling in him bodily as Col. 1.18 had in all things the preheminence that we might tast of the fulnes of his graces as far as is fit And for the second much is the glory for his graces namly eternall life of this hee hath also made vs partakers ye as if he had no other errand to heauen he saith Io. 14.32 I go to prepare a place for you in my fathers house Therfore let vs not say in our hearts that is let vs not doubt but assure our selues that as Christ is ascended so shall we and it is no presumption to beleeue that the Lord for his Sonnes sake will saue thee for he hath first giuen thee his word and promise He that beleeueth and repenteth shall be saued so as if thou canst apply repentance to thy selfe thou maiest challenge him on his word and secondly thou hast his oath hee sware to Abraham that his seed through his faith should be blessed and this hath Christ sworne againe A men Amen he that beleeueth is already translated from death to life shewing the certainty of it by the maner of speech as if it were already done and if thou wilt relie vpon neither of the former he hath thirdly left thee a pawne that is his spirit to guide and conduct thee in the right way that though thy selfe connot be in heauen as yet yet thy affections may be in the bosome of Christ and that thy faith in his resurrection may assure thee of thy incorruption and thy comfort in his sitting at the right hand of God may rebound backe vpon thy owne soule in being an vndoubted testimony of thy exaltation and aduancement heereafter for where Christ is there by reason of this coniunction betweene thee and him thou must needs be also Hence ariseth a most comfortable instruction for an afflicted conscience for Sathan will lay a whole scrowle of particular sins before thee charge thee that there be many omitted wherein thou hast offended that corruption is so worne into thy bones and lieth so low at the heart as it cannot be taken forth but must needs rankle to damnation and that thy sinnes are in their number so many and in their weight so heauy as there can be no case nor satisfaction for them Thou must confesse thou art indeed in thy selfe a worme vnworthy to creepe vpon the earth but in Christ as bold and strong as a lion yea if thou canst appropriate the sufferings of Christ to thy selfe in particular as the Gospâ—â— propounds them generally thou maiest answer that by the â—â—rity of his birth the obedience of his life and the bitternesse of his death he hath clensed thee from thy sinne wherein thou wert conceiued made vp the breach of thy rebellion and ransomed thee from the cruelty of that second death whereinto thou wert plunged by thine actuall pollution this thou knowest because thou art one with him and he with thee True indeed sathan will confesse that Christ took our flesh vpon him as himself said in the Gospell that he was come before his time to torment him but yet he will suggest that Christ being but one his satisfaction can be but for one and he will tell thee in this truely that the sinnes of all men are infinite and the wrath of God for them is infinite for which the satisfaction of Christ must bee as infinite which saith he cannot be To which answer that as by the first Adam all men are made sinners so by the second Adam which is Christ all that beleeue are made righteous and as Adam can damne all that shall be damned for all in him did eate of the forbidden fruit so Christ can saue all that shall be saued for all in him are brought againe into the Paradise of God Reu. 2.7 In Rom. 5.14 and 1. Cor. 15.22 Adam is said to be a figure of Christ wherein they agree in this that as Adam gaue as much as he had to his posterity so doth Christ proportionably giue that he hath to those that be his Adam gaue sinne and death Christ giueth life and grace And they disagree in three respects first we receaue sin from Adam by nature but we receaue not the graces of Christ and life eternall by nature but by imputation and by grace only and not by imitation for we cannot imitate Christ in euery thing secondly by Adam came only originall sinne not actuall but Christ hath satisfied for both
obedience therefore now he may take his swinge in sin as Pro. 7.18 the harlot entised the yong man to take his fill of loue But we must know Christ hath not satisfied for vs to liue as we list nor redeemed vs from darknesse to light that we should runne to darknesse againe for a pardon is not giuen to a traitour that he should offend againe neither doth that pardon serue for offences to be committed after but so oft as he offendeth so oft shall he be punished or else he must haue so many pardons so Christ hath satisfied once and that hath taken away the guilt of al that went before but if we 〈◊〉 sume vpon this to sinne againe either we must looke for 〈◊〉 satisfactions which cannot be for there is but one sealed 〈◊〉 blood or else we must suffer so many punishments as wâ—â—â—â—mit sinnes Secondly it will be said since there can be 〈◊〉 satisfaction for sinne therefore we haue now liberty giuen 〈◊〉 sinne It is true indeed that the wrath of God could not â—â—â—ppeased for sinne nor satisfied without the bloud of the Soâ—â—â— of God and this was by him performed that being reconciled to his father we might no more fall at enmity for sin alone makes the separation betweene God and vs but that we might liue according to his will in newnesse of life howbeit there is a satisfaction God requireth at our hands but that is onely obedience in our affections holinesse in our actions humility in our hearts and thankefulnesse in our persons that we may bee as pretions stones in the brest plate of Christ to be represented to his father And therefore let vs abhorre such presumptuous and rechlesse impiety as either to liue as we list or to thinke wee haue time enough to repent before we die for who can tell when the cocke will crow or when death as a thiefe will steale vpon vs nay let vs remember it is said Reuel 22.11 He that is filthy let him be filthy still and in our age wee shall possesse the iniquities of our youth and therefore our life being but a span long the day is short enough by repentance to make our accompts with God euen and easie Thirdly obserue hence that we cannot serue God and riches Christ and Beliall the flesh and the spirit for their walkes and courses are opposite and contrary one to the other as may appeare by the Apostles putting of it negatiuely that we must not walke at all after the flesh Mal. 1.6 for if God be a father he will haue all the honour if a master all the feare neither will he suffer himselfe to be diuided or his worship to bee performed by halfes for this is as Eliah calleth it 1. King 18.21 the halting between two opinions but as before our conuersion the affections of sins doe force vs to bring foorth fruit vnto death so being called the strength of grace must thrust vs forward to bring forth fruits to God and not to our selues and therefore it is said Gal. 6.8 He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting so as though thou doest that which is lawfull yet if thou doest it more vnto men then vnto God thou sowest to the flesh and shalt receiue damnation but if thou seekest in thy whole life to please God more then men yea to please him though thou displeasest men then shalt thou of the spirit reape saluation for the end why God hath created and saued vs is to glorifie him in this life and were it not he respected and receiued glory by thy life what need he suffer thee to stay heere on earth but haue taken thee presently from the wombe to heauen but he suffereth thee to liue partly that by thy fruitfulnesse to God the corruption that is hid within thee may in part be abolished partly to distinguish between thee and the reprobate at the last daie when thou shalt be blessed and that worthily euen in the iudgement and acknowledgment of the damned for the fruites thou hast brought forth to God So as it standeth vs vpon to haue the eies of our thoughts the bent of actions wholy vpon God to hazerd yea to prefer his glory before the glory and comfort of our owne saluation for if we be not rich in God and good works then are we still dead in sinne then is not Sathan at all cast our of vs then are we so far from needing but to wash our feet Iohn 13.9 as we are wholly polluted hands head and all Howbeit because euerie one will say he brings foorth fruit to God and walketh in the spirit being inwardly greiued for his sinnes and resorting vnto publike praier and preaching which are indeed good steppes to trace a Christian by yet we must know this is not sufficient for the inward sorrow is inuisible and the comming to praier and to the word is deceiuable and communicable euen to hypocrites therefore we must bring forth visible fruit to be seene of men in performing towards them the duties of the second table by loue patience compassion and such like else is it as a light â—id vnder a bushell if it be not sensibly felt of men for their comfort and seene of men for their example that they which are without may be wonne and the rest which are of the same fold with vs may be stirred vp to glorifie God in heauen for the fruitfulnesse of his Saints on earth To which duties we may be the better encouraged because the whole fruit both in the practise of them and in the reward of them shall redound to our selues producing ioy and peace of conscience in this life and the crowne of glory in the life to come Rom. 6.22 Fourthly for thine owne comfort learne to make a difference betweene walking after the flesh and walking through the flesh the one being a following and pursuing of thy sinfull desires with greedinesse and with delight through that rage of corruption which rests within thee the other being a performing of thy duties to God and a walking with him though with weakenesse and infirmity by reason of that remnant of flesh which will be in thee til death so as though the good thou dost be not done so cheerfully so exactly so perfectly as it ought but is mingled with many imperfections that euen in thy own iudgement thou thinkest thine actions euill be not discouraged for albeit thou hast in truth cause to pray to haue not only thy euill actions but euen thy best actions to be forgiuen because they are a little tempered with the flesh yet know that this is the case of all the children of God which are effectually sanctified to haue naturally concupiscence in them which causeth these three things first either it maketh vs alwaies think euill thoughts secondly or else it hindereth vs from good thoughts thirdly or else it maketh
life yea scarce possible to abide his smell then Christ by the speaking of a word could doe it when Luk. 15.20 the prodigall sonne had wasted all and was reiected of all then the father receaueth him home againe when Ionas was Ionah 2.2 in the whales belly and as the text saith in the belly of hell that hee thought himselfe cast out of Gods sight then did the Lord bring vp his life from the pit and deliuered him when Daniel was put into the Lions den Dan. 6.22 to be made a pray for beasts then the Lord shewed his power by stopping of the Lions mouthes that they hurt him not when the three children Dan. 3.23 were cast into the fornace seuen times hotter then it was wont to bee because they would not consent to idolatry then did the Lord restraine the nature of the flames that it rather cooled then scorched them when Dauid 1. Sam. 23.26 was compassed on euery side by Saul and his company that he had no way to escape then God sent a messenger to the King to tell him of a power comming against himselfe whereby they left persuing him when the Isralites had the red Sea before them the mountaines on each side them and the Egyptians behind them Exod. 14.21 then did the Lord by a meanes to man impossible prouide for their safety The vse whereof is to our exceeding comfort that if we be closely imprisoned the Angell can vnloose vs when all doe forsake vs then will the Lord gather vs vp Psal 27.10 If we bee ready with Peter to sinke into the sea if we cry but Lord saue vs we shall be safe if we be as dead as the dry bones Ezek. 37.4 the Lord can and will put life into vs the slauery that the Pharaohs of the world can put vs to nor the bondage they can hold vs in is nothing to the Lord with whom nothing is impossible which if we could but once beleeue we would be lifted vp in what misery soeuer for the Lord 〈…〉 â—s from â—ell it selfe so as we are the cause of our â—â—ne miseries and of our discomforts in our miseries because we are so incredulous therfore let vs pray to the Lord to increase our faith that wee may neuer distrust in his power for that hee worketh not till it bee impossible hee is moued thereto by our pride lest if he should doe it by meanes wee might attribute it to the second causes and not to his prouidence and so rob him of his glory and on the other side if wee haue no meanes then we distrust his prouidence and so despaire as men without God in the world whereas our affiance in him should driue out all trembling distrust whatsoeuer for hee that hath thus prouided for our soules when they were mouldring away in our sinnes how can we feare but our bodies which with the soule make the whole man shall bee as deare and pretious to him also For the second which is the person sent it is the sonne of God wherein our vnworthinesse appeareth the more that vnlesse Christ had beene sent wee had not beene saued and this wil the more appeare by considering what we are without Christ euen heires of condemnation subiect to euerlasting curse and if we would haue a description of our selues without Christ before we were borne we deserued that the mid-wiues should teare vs and rend vs out of our mothers wombe and cast vs not into water as Pharaohs mid-wiues should haue done to the Israelites Exod. 1.17 but into the fire which might in some sort prefigure the heat in hell and that the first swathing-band should haue beene the chaines of darkenesse to bind vs fast to the diuel and that the first fire to warme vs at should haue beene that that burneth by the breath of the Lordâ— and that the first milke to cherish vs should haue beene poison to choke vs and that the first garment to cloath vs with should haue beene the wrath and vengance of God for we are so deformed in our conception as the Lord cannot discerne that euer any part of our image came from heauen so polluted in our liues as if the Diuell were let loose among vs yea for our sakes all the creatures both in heauen and earth are accursed except the Angels elect and the diuell who was accursed from the beginning and that ceremoniall leprosie in the law Leuit. 15. prefigureth and 〈…〉 morall vncleannesse and leprosie of our soules for in the law the chaire he sate on the bed he lay on the basen he washt in was vnclean the meat he eat yea the company he kept was so also now in regard hereof God sent his sonne to make that possible which was in vs impossible to make his worth answer our vnworthinesse that since his eie could not indure the sight of our vncleannesse it might delight in the beholding of his holinesse and that the hand that could not bee staied from being auenged on vs might through the obedience of his sonne be tied and fast bound from striking vs and that the violes of vengeance which were opened to bee powred forth on vs might through the pleasure he tooke in his sonne be stopt and diuerted from vs. Secondly it was necessary Christ should be sent for our sinnes being against the maiesty of an infinit God deserue iustice of the same nature which iustice must haue either infinite satisfaction or infinit punishment therefore God being both infinitely iust and infinitly mercifull there must be presented to him one of the same nature who by being infinite may reconcile both these if we should present our selues besides that we are but finit we must needes taste of iustice for what haue we but figge-leaues to couer our shame If we could offer the Angels for our attonemet it were too low a price for they are in themselues finite being at the first created and for this their creation they stand indebted to the Lord and the satisfaction they can giue is but their obedience which is their duty therefore the price of reconciliation must bee the Sonne of God who is infinite aswell as God himselfe equall with him in maiesty in power and in purity and he hath infinitely satisfied his infinite iustice and ioyned him in infinite mercy to vs that as Dauid saith Psal 32.10 we are now compassed about with mercy and we know whatsoeuer compasseth a man there is nothing can come vnto him but it must first come through that doth so compasse him so as wee being through Christ compassed about with the Lords mercy there can no sorrowes come neere vs but either mercy will keepe them out or if they come in they must come through mercy and proceed from mercy and not from iustice nor displeasure 〈…〉 â—â—â—rd in what manner he was sent In the similitude of â—â—â—â—full flesh Out of which learne that God could not be satisfied for sinnefull flesh but by flesh not by the similitude of flesh but of
meant by spirit for the first what is meant by flesh Christ tels vs Iohn 3.5 in his answer to Nicodemus saying That except a man be borne againe of water and of the spirit he cannot see heauen meaning thereby that before a man be regenerate he is nothing but flesh soule and body and all for that is borne of flesh is flesh and a cleane thing cannot be drawen out of corruption so Paul 1. Cor. 15.50 saith that flesh and blood cannot inherit heauen not meaning thereby that flesh wherein we are inclosed for the very substance of it shall see God but the old man the corruption of nature which is our mother wit and wil howbeit what this flesh is is more amply set downe Gen. 6.5 where it is said in the originall that all the very mould of the deuising thoughts of a mans heart are not inclined to euill but simply euill and not euill but onely euill and not onely euill but euill in all things and not onely euill in all things but euill in all things euery day and Saint Paul Rom. 3.10 maketh a full description of a fleshly man shewing what euery one is by nature There is none righteous no not one the reason is because there is none that seeketh God and for not seeking him they are all become apostats and by this their apostasie are become vnprofitable and being thus of no value their throate is an open sepulchre and being thus enlarged like hell they vse them either to deceit in that poison is vnder their lips or else their mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse which are two contrarie sinnes their feete are swift to shed bloud and destruction and calamitie are in all their waies and the way of peace they haue not knowen and last of all they haue not the feare of God before their eies which is the true cause of that cursed brood and chaine of sinnes that hang together Now for the second what is meant by Spirit and that is a diuine heauenly inuisible and supernaturall working of the holy Ghost in the hearts of Gods children in begetting them anew into the glorious image of Christ by changing into another quality and condition all the powers of their soules and affections of the heart which is done by faith in the outward man and by peace of conscience in the inner man by reason whereof the elect are saied euen in this prison of theirs to bee spirituall From hence obserue first that the world is diuided but into two kinds of people fleshly and spirituall for there is no meane betweene them howsoeuer the enemies of God are distracted into seuerall and sundry factions some denying the power of godlinesse through porfanenesse some diuiding the power of it through opinion of merit some thinking there is no God at all and some imagining he sits idle in heauen without hauing any sterne to guide and direct the frame of the earth yet doe they all erre alike in their hearts and being all out of the way they shall finde the same reward of their worldly wisdome and their end to bee damnation now these two sorts and conditions of men are easily discerned for by their fruits you shall know them the one sauoring the flesh pots of Aegyt the other the sweetnesse of the land of Canaan the one being taken vp and possessed by the pleasures of the flesh the other striuing and laboring in the workes of the spirit the one hauing sinne as it were alwaies vnder his nose sauoring nothing else the other hauing the spirit euer in his eie to diuert his feet from the snares and pleasures of concupiscence for by this word after which is in the text is signified in the original tongue to be guided and conducted and led by the flesh which sheweth our great infidelity in not beleeuing what the holy Ghost sets downe giuing it heere in precise commandement that we should not be directed by the flesh and binding this commandement in the breach of it with a peremptory curse of damnation for being guided by it and yet as if God could not make his word good or that we could wrastle our selues from his wrath our taste our smell and all our senses are busied onely in the workes of the flesh as if we would cast away our selues willingly whereas euen in naturall reason wee should abhor it for who would be conducted by such a one as cuts the throats of al he guideth or who is he that trauelling toward the desert will picke out such a guide as should lead him to be deuoured of wild beasts or who that hath his iourney by sea will make choice of such a Pilot as hath cast away as many as he conducted or who would entertaine a knowen theefe and a waster to be the steward of his house or who would take such a husband to be the guid of her youth as spends and wasts himselfe in licentiousnesse or what Prince will admit him to bee his cheefe counsellor that is a knowen traitor to his person or such a one to be captaine ouer souldiers as is a knowen and proclaimed rebell There is none so simple nor so profane but will dislike and detest the choice of any such guides and leaders and yet he that taketh his flesh to be his captaine his arme his guide a knowen and vnreconciliable enemy to the soule shall by the conduct of his owne corruption not onely lose his body but his soule also for if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the pit of perdition Therefore let the world loue her owne and the flesh pamper it selfe let Cain build him a citie Gen. 4.17 to hide him from the presence of the Lord let Esau follow his hunting Gen. 26.30 to satisfie his pleasure in the death of venison let Nimrod Gen. 11.4 build him a tower to get him a name vpon the earth let the rich man Luk. 12.17 heape vp his fruits till his barnes will hold no more let Diues Luk. 16 19.20 be costly in his apparrell and delicate in his fare euery day yet obserue thou but their ends and thou wilt not ioyne hands with them for Cain was branded of the Lord as a castaway Nimrod confounded for his pride Esau reiected for his profanenes the rich man snatched suddainly from his substance and Diues throwne downe to hell where he lies panting and criing for a drop of water and cannot haue it Againe in that it is said they sauour the things of the flesh obserue that all that is in a naturall and carnall man and commeth from him is but flesh that is sinne yea and the most excellent parts that are in him that is his wisdome deserueth death and is but as a worme in the shell to consume him for he wanting the spirit which is the life of the soule as the foule is the life of the body his soule his body his minde his will and his vnderstanding are but members as Paul
courts of God then a thousand in the kings palace and if this spirit was in him in the time of the law then ought there to bee a double spirit in vs that liue in this golden time of the Gospell But I would it might not be said of vs that the children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light for they lie stretching themselues vpon their beds straining their wits how to please the flesh with choice and variety of delightfull sinnes whereas wee through the smoke of that corruption that flieth vp to our eies are so blinded as wee thinke our selues incumbred with the comlinesse of the spirit straitning the times wherein the graces of God should be blowen vp and cherished in vs and giuing too large an allowance to the portion we share out for the flesh therefore if we will be spirituall men indeed we must lay vp the word of God in our hearts binding it as a signe vpon our hands wearing it as a frontlet before our eies and writing it vpon the posts of our houses that it may be as a master to instruct vs and as a line to direct vs that as neere as we can our thoughts may be hedged in that they range not after the concupiscence of the flesh our affections restrained that they rise not against the worke of the spirit our actions so squared as they may be fit timber for the building of such Temples wherein the Lord shall dwell by his spirit Lastly obserue the fruits the wisdome of the spirit bringeth which be two peace and life euen the two speciall benefits that the carnall man seeketh for yet misseth of for the flesh neuer giueth peace but is continually perplexed eating and being neuer satisfied flying and chacing themselues when none pursueth them neither can it bring foorth life the wicked being euer groping as in the darke so as we see what worldly men most seeke for that they are most destitute of for we all agree in the end of our desire that we would be blessed but in the substance wherein true blessednesse consisteth there is great difference The Philosophers speaking of happines were distracted into two hundred eighty eight opinions euery one intending some thing and yet resoluing nothing some pointing to the right hand some to the left some to the vally some to the plaine and yet all of them out of the way yea and the inlightened Christian that hath a true contemplation of right happinesse doth notwithstanding by the halting of his conscience confute that in practise which hee in heart alloweth confessing it to be ascribed to the spirit and yet seeketh it in the flesh placing it in heauen and yet looking for it in hell whereas it is better goe to heauen a begger then to hell an Emperour and as Mat. 8. better goe to heauen lame then to hell sound and yet such is our spirituall blindnesse that we had rather put it on the hazard of our soules then to lose any present comfort in the body But how canst thou thinke to finde hony in a waspes nest or to make a good garment of a spiders webbe or to receaue holesome food of a cockatrice egge or to perswade thy selfe of peace and life in following the flesh which the Lord hath cursed The onely happinesse of a Christian resteth in his wisedome in the spirit for by this he hath peace about him and peace aboue him though iudgement smiteth on euery side yet it spareth him for his conscience being vpright hee hath euer his pardon in his hand to plead though he be compassed with all the crosses in the world yet hauing the first peace in the forgiuenesse of his sinnes he is assured of his last peace also that is his lasting peace in life eternall That king was miserable that vnder his cloath of estate had a sword hanging ouer his head by a little threed and in this suspensed felicity he was so perplexed that he wished to be out of his rich misery much more may they wish it that haue the sword of the Lords vengeance shaking ouer them for studying onely the wisedome of the flesh which is so far from peace as it would hide it selfe vnder the hils and so farre short of life as it is the vndoubted messenger of a most desperate death But these be onely fruits of such a tree as the feare of God hath made wisely old betimes being planted by the spirit and growing vp in the spirit shewing by their conuersation vpon what stocke they are grafted and by what sap they are nourished tasting nothing but the true seruice of God wherby they are able to stand before him with a cleere conscience which is walled about in euery corner with the peace and fauour of God and reserued in his due time for the perfection of glory in the life to come ROM chap. 8. vers 7. verse 7 Because the wisedome of the flesh is enimity against God for it is not subiect to the law of God neither indeed can be THe drift of the Apostle in this verse as in the former is to shew that our sanctification is the onely security we haue of our saluation for to them that are in Christ there is life and peace and this our vnion with him is discerned by our walking in his spirit and this shall wee know when the things wee doe sauour of the spirit and this sauour is seene by performing the fruits of the spirit in the course of a godly life And that this is so he hath proued by opposing two contraries as namely by the godly life of a spirituall man and the godles life of a carnall man Now heere he sheweth a reason why the wisedome of the flesh is damnation because it is enimity against God So this verse standeth on two parts First he sheweth what the wisedome of the flesh is at plaine hatred with God Secondly patience that coles of fire may be heaped vpon their heads and whether these three meete together in any one man or any of them alone possesse him the wisdome of the flesh euer rebelleth against the wisdome of God and this I speake not of the folly of man but of the very best actions that flesh and blood can doe for the very best wisdome of the flesh was that of Peters toward Christ Master pitty thy selfe Mat. 16.22.22 and yet for this he was called Sathan so that to consult with flesh and blood is but to take aduice how to damne our selues for if we be at enmity with God it must needes follow wee are at friendship with the diuell Now for the second part which is the reason of this enimitie betweene God and the flesh obserue that if we will know how to please God it is taught vs in his law for if we would yeeld our selues subiect to it it being giuen and pronounced at first by the mouth of God written with his singer and sent by his Angell deliuered
the naturall powers of this life decrease by age and by infirmities but so it must not bee in our spirituall life for in this we must neuer neither stand still nor goe backward nor grow downward but still be stedfast in faith and walking on in loue like men alwaies running a race till wee haue attained the prize which prize is glorie Againe consider for this spirituall life that as the body whiâ—â— it hath the soule is but a naturall bodie spending like oile in the lampe and cannot but in the end die yet after this life shall be called a spirituall bodie not in substance but because in the resurrection it shall be quickned by the spirituall power of the holy Ghost so a man that hath but a soule if hee haue not the soule of the soule that is the spirit of God to quicken it he is but a naturall man and must needs be damned Againe as a bodie raised vp and quickned by another power can neuer die so the soule being a spirituall soule and hauing once receiued the earnest of the spirit and the power of sanctification from the holy Ghost can neuer die And in this respect we are exalted to a greater priuiledge than Adam had in his creation and it fareth better with vs than it did with him for it was aâ—btrarie with him and rested in his will to die or not to die whereas we hauing once drunke of the water of life and once tasted of this spirituall life we may neuer thirst and as S. Iohn saith 1. Iohn 3.6 we cannot sinne Ioh. 6.54 that is not to sinne but that we purge our selues vpon reproose and recouer our selues when we fall Further obserue hence that there is a double death and a double life first there is a death in the present corruption of sinne whereby in this life we deserue damnation Now that there is a death in this life is prooued 1. Tim. 5.6 the widdow that liueth in pleasure is dead while she liueth and Ephes 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Reuel 3.1 it is said of the Church of Sardis Thou hast a name that thou linest but thou art dead Secondly there is a death in the perpetuall condemnation for sinne which is first inflicted vpon the soule at the separation from the body and at the last day shal be laid both vpon the soule and body in a fearefull and full measure Answerable to this is life the first kind whereof is the grace of God vouchsafed vs in this our pilgrimage the second is the glory of God giuen vs in the life to come Now the life of the spirit hath three degrees first at the regeneration when we are renewed in our affections and do feele a change of mind within vs secondlie at the separation of the soule from the body when being as in were released out of the setters of this life she takes her flight to heauen for then doth the soule liue more excellently than it did before being freed from the bufferings of Sathan and the allurements of the flesh Thirdly at the generall resurrection when the world with the Iustes thereof shall passe away like a cloud and be wrapped vp like a clout for then both soule and body shall enioy the presence yea more than that shall liue the life of God for euer Euen so death in the reprobate hath three degrees first in the contagion of sinne secondly in the separation at the doore of death as it were when the soule alone goeth to the diuell thirdly at the resurrection when the body is reunited to the soule to receiue the fulnesse of their endlesse torment Againe the reprobate in this life and in the life to come haue a double misery coupled to their double death for first in this life they want the grace and fauour of God and bee euen like Cain Genes 4.14 afraid lest euery man should kill them Secondly they haue resident in them the diuell who being the God of this world hath and doth carrie them away daily in the power of darknesse Then in the life to come Iohn 16.11 they haue first a priuation or losse of the presence of God secondly a suffering and enduring of all torments 2. Thes 1.8.9 where there cries shall neuer bee pitied nor their paines euer bee eased Proportionable to these haue the children of God double comforts which may bee gathered from the contrarie of the former For first they haue the countenance of the Lord alwaies smiling on them and the strength of the Lord alwais supporting them in this life Secondly which is more they haue the true spirit of comfort dwelling in them and the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost doth continually feast with them while they liue heere And when we fall a sleepe for nothing else is death to the Saints as we may see in Stephen 2. Cor. 3.17.18 Act. 7.60 then doe we first stand alwaies in the sight of God and behold him face to face neither doth his glory then any whit amaze vs as it did when the veile was before our eies but it doth reioice vs and we glory in it Secondly we are filled with ioies vnspeakable and haue the full accesse and fruition of all that the heart can desire or seeke for Now the way to know that this life of God is in vs must be by the amendment of our liues and by the leauing of our sinnes for regeneration beginneth at repentance and repentance at leauing of sinne in which point euerie man must examine himselfe wisely for if thou hast not brideled thy tongue from bitter and blasphemous speech if thou hast not taught thy hands to worke truely without deceit and hast not brought thy heart to pray feruently without hypocrisie then hast thou no part in this regeneration and by consequent no fellowship in the life of God For righteousnesse sake That is as much as if the Apostle had said reformation of life and religion is the badge and euidence of the spirituall life we leade heere The cause of this is the righteousnesse of Christ which resteth in these two things first in satisfying the iustice of his Father for our sinnes as the Prophet Esay speaketh Esay 53.5 Hee was wounded for our transgressions and by his stripes are we healed secondly in fulfilling the law which he performed foure waies first by teaching it precisely secondly by obeying it exactly thirdly by suffering for our breach thereof meritoriously fourthly by sanctifying vs to doe it effectually But this kinde of righteousnesse is onely resident and inherent in the person of Christ howbeit the righteousnesse heere spoken of by the Apostle is a signe onely and a token that we are sanctified by the flesh of Christ and that Christ hath purchased saluation for vs and that we sighing vnder the burden of sinne Rom. 7.25 walking in a reformed life and waiting for the glorie that shall bee seene we shal be as
of the life of God and such a man hath his soule and body taken vp and dressed and dedicated to entertaine the holy Ghost and the holy Ghost abideth in him and Iohn 14.23 Christ saith If any man loue me he will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and we will come vnto him and dwell with him so as the whole blessed Trinity abideth in such a man which is a most princely prerogatiue and royall dignity which the faithfull haue that the King of heauen will stoope so low as to abide in the soule of a poore Christian Further obserue in that the spirit dwels in vs that as Christ before he tooke vpon him and assumed our flesh sent his herbenger before him to seele that house and sanctifie that wombe wherein himselfe would lie Mat. 1.18 that the virgine by that meanes was full of the holy Ghost euen so he still sendeth forth his spirit to take vp his lodging for him in the heart of euery Christian and to sanctifie them in some measure 2. Cor. 13.4.5 though not in that fulnesse he did the virgine And as God in no place on the earth was said to be more then he was in the Arke so is he in no creature so much as in the elect 1. Sam. 4.7 Psal 8.1.5.6.7 yea all the creatures by this meanes are made seruiceable to the elect Now when the spirit commeth vnto vs it findeth our hearts very ruinous like an old house yet such an habitation as by some ancient monuments shewes what stately building it was at first by creation then it falles a tempering and building it vp againe by the loue of God ingrafted in our hearts and it doth sift vs and cleanse vs and whereaâ—â—t findeth nothing but bare walles that is a departure of all the graces of God and a depriuation of them it filleth vs and infuseth vnto vs all heauenly vertues And as the Lord was in the Temple and yet not shut in and inâ—â—uded there but in that he was there it was necessary it should 〈◊〉 kept cleane as appeareth 2. Chron. 23.19 that for this purpose porters were set at the gates of the house of the Lord that none that was vncleane in any thing should enter in so we that are Christians being a type of that Temple that should be built of liuing stones whereof Christ must be the chiefe and corner stone and wherein we must beleeue that God dwelleth farre more spiritually and effectually then he did in the other we I say must be kept far more cleanely then the other Temple was In this respect also that this Temple wherein the Lord now dwelleth is our soules and bodies the Priest our selues to offer vp our selues the sacrifice our selues to be sacrificed in our soules and bodies vpon the altar which is our hearts but yet so as we are still acceptable onely in the sacrifice of Christ and in his priesthood Now this spirit that thus dwelleth in vs is called the spirit of sanctification in respect of the foure properties wherin it resembleth the materiall Temple For first as the Temple might not serue for a dwelling house but was onely consecrated to abide and continue there while they serued God so the temples of our bodies must not be taken vp of the lusts of the world to dwell there but bee dedicated onely to entertaine the spirit of Christ and secondly as the holy garments were onely worne in the Temple so ought wee to looke that wee attire our selues onely as becommeth Christians that stand alwaies in the presence of God thirdly as the holy meate was onely eaten in the Temple and fourthly the vessels onely there to be drunke in so this shewes that our bodies and all the powers affections and actions both of soule and bodie as well in the heart within as in all the vse of Gods blessings without 1 Iohn 2.17 must be separated from all earthly things to be by them estranged from the worship of God and be reserued only to holy vses that God and his glory may be the chiefest end of our life for so the Hebrew word to sanctifie signifieth to be set apart and not prostitute to any profane vse Hereupon it is that if in the Temples of Christians we see idols erected we are grieued and offended and that iustly because we see a great part of Gods seruice shall bee spent in bodily adoration which ought not to be for though it be true that God requireth to be worshipped of euery bone in the body yet principally in this sacrifice of praier and other religious exercises hee looketh at the heart and sets his eye on our affections to be worshipped in spirit and in truth Now if it be vnlawfull to erect and set vp an idoll in any Christian Temple Iohn 4.24 for so much doth the Scripture in expresse words testifie in many places as Pull downe their altars breake their images and burne them in the fire Deut. 7.2 12.3 Iudg. 2.2 with many such like places and speeches how fearefull a thing then is it that wee that are Christians should set vp idols in our soules the most beautified place that God hath on earth as the idols of couetousnesse hypocrisie filthinesse pride and such like which be inuisible and therefore worse then the other and which do secretly like a theefe steale away our hearts from the loue of God and as a moth doe euen feed vpon vs and consume vs till we suddenly fall into the wrath and displeasure of God Heere let vs further consider but how we vse our owne houses wherein we dwell in the tabernacle of this life and which ought to be but as tents to be carried at our backes Gen. 18.1 to put vs in minde of our pilgrimage for if the matter of the Church cannot affect vs nor touch vs at the quicke yet shall it set foorth our wickednesse and enlarge our condemnation that we esteeme more of our owne dwelling places wherein we sleepe to night and to morrow are cast into the graue then of that place wherein the Prince of heauen and earth taketh vp his abode how curious we are in scouring of our pots in sweeping of our parlots in plaiting of our garments and tricking vp our selues nicely and garishly yea no seruants can please vs but such as weare out their knees in rubbing our houses and how fearefull and shamefull a thing it is that we make no account nor reckening of that place where the whole Trinitie should abide that our houses shall be cleane where onely our dirty feet doe treade and out selues the vncleanest part of it and that through our wretchednesse and negligence in purging of our selues and cleansing of our soules we are rather dens fit for the damned spirits then temples meet for the holy Ghost to abide in for if our hearts be once ouergrowne with the weeds of profanenesse idlenesse couetousnesse and such like we may assuredly know that
behold the Sun-shine of the Lord in full measure which is the Sunne of light and of life yet we haue such a glimpse as wee cannot bee perswaded but it shineth vpon our soules And as the child in the mothers womb stirring neuer so weakly yet euen by that feeble motion she is assured that it hath life so the least light of the Sunne of righteousnesse is most sweet comfortable vnto vs. Which doctrine as it ministreth and bringeth consolation to a weake soule so must it be as a sharpe spur vnto vs that this righteousnesse may be encreased and that this spirit of God may delight to dwell in vs that we being grounded and growing daily in a perswasion of Gods loue towards vs it may enforce vs to loue him more and more and the strength and perfection of this loue may and ought to make vs resist and shunne all contrary means whereby our encrease and growth in faith may bee hindered And because this spirit of the Lords adoption is inward and can not be perceiued that many be deluded by Sathans subtilty and forgerie foisting and thrusting in another deed than euer God gaue vs especially working vpon the weake heart of man which being fraught and full of selfe-loue is easily perswaded of any good to it selfe therefore we must learne how to discerne whether it be the true euidence of Gods spirit or no which we haue within vs. And for that the Apostle here setteth down one effect and fruit of this spirit for all that is that there is a confidence of any good conscience to come boldly before the Lord as a child before his father to preferre our suites vnto him and to offer vp our praiers vpon the golden altar Reuel 8.3 that is the mediation of Christ by whose meanes and through whose obedience and suffering they shall sauour before the Lord as a sweet incense and the Lord shall put into them daily a new incense by the spirit assuring vs more and more of his louing fauor◠and we shall not hide our selues and run away when we are called Gen. 3.8 as Adam did but being disburdened of that which doth presse vs downe from the presence of God we shall come cheerefully before him and ioy our selues in that the Lord will looke so pleasingly vpon vs Other effects of this spirit and yet arising from the former are these If the spirit worke in vs the same affection towards God that nature doth produce in children toward their parents as first to loue God secondly to feare him thirdly to reuerence him fourthly to be obedient to him fiftly to be thankfull to him all which vertues be in good children who do alwaies acknowledge all they haue to proceed from their father as the speciall instrument from God and if we haue beare these affections to God our father as to loue him for his mercies to feare him for his loue to reuerence him for his goodnesse to obey him for his greatnes and to be thankfull to him for his kindnesse then may we assure our selues that we haue the spirit of adoption sealed vp in vs for our saluation In that we crie Abba Father learne that no obstinate or resolute sinner persisting deliberately in his sinne and his heart deliting in it can once open his mouth to pray nor neuer did pray The like whereof may be said of the hypocrite for though they may falsely perswade themselues that offering vp a few words in forme of a praier it is sufficient to purge the vncleannesse of their liues and that impudently and in presumption they may call God Father when their harts be impure and vncleane yet Iohn 8.44 Christ calleth them the children of their father the diuell And though Sathan may perswade an obstinate and wilfull sinner as he did Houah Gen. 3.4.5 that doing such an euill and wicked thing they shall not hang in hell alwaies threatening where God promiseth and promising where God threatneth vntill he take them in the lurch at the time of their death and then he ouerreckneth them yet it is certaine he cannot pray vnlesse he haue this spirit and this spirit none hath if they delight and sauour of sin so as though they cry Peace peace to their owne conscience and seruing the diuell will neuerthelesse vaunt themselues to bee the sonnes of God it is the Lords iustice that permitteth Sathan so to blinde them that they cannot see their sickenesse to the death for 1. Iohn 3.8 it is said He that committeth sinne is of the diuell Can the poison of Aspes and the sacrifice of praier proceed both from the same tongue No. Grapes cannot grow of thornes nor figs of thistles and Esay 66.3.5 the Lord saith that he that offereth sacrifice without trembling that is without reformation of life it is as if he killed a man which is most vnsauory to the Lord. So as lawfull things and things commanded be an abomination to the Lord when the soule and conscience is not answerable to the action and to the outward profession Howbeit things simply forbidden are sinnes both in the regenerate and vnregenerate and the prayers of these men that thus can lie on their beds and imagine mischiefe and yet can open their lippes by way of conference and speech with God are no better then those of the rebels in the North who when they had published all their mischiefe which tended to the ouerthrow of our dread Soueraigne yet ended and concluded their proclamation with God saue Queene Elizabeth Now concerning hypocrites that they cannot pray but by imitation of Christians as Parots looke vpon the rule of Dauid Psal 66.18 If I regard saith he wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me that is if I delight in sin my praiers shall not come neare him so as make what shew thou wilt if thy heart be not vpright it auaileth not For as it is said Iohn 9.31 God heareth no sinners that is no malicious and deliberate sinners which intend and compasse mischiefe in their inward parts howsoeuer in hypocrisie they dissemble it And it is certaine it is as impossible to pray without this spirit as to vnderstand without a soule Further obserue how this spirit begets in vs such peace of conscience that makes vs confident in crauing our wants at Gods hand as from the spirit of adoption cōmeth faith so from faith issueth and streameth inuocation and calling vpon God by praier This faith grounded vpō the loue of God in Christ doth assure vs that whatsoeuer is good in heauen or in earth God wil bestow it vpon vs then steppeth in praier and according as the soule is burdned either with a desire to be deliuered from danger or with an affection to haue some wants supplied or to declare and expresse our thankefulnesse it doth take the present occasion and for sloweth no time to enter into the sanctuarie of Gods presence and there to lift vp our weak hands and to send
God is dishonored and therfore thou must not slightly wish or earnestly pray for though this be well done a change of this corruption and a restitution both of the creatures and of man their head into the state of blessednesse and incorruption but thou must euen in a corner by thy selfe breake foorth as it were into a passion of affection with sighes and grones euen such as may fill the heauens to wait after and to thirst for that day wherein God shall triumph in the fulnesse and perfection of all glory and wherein man shall stand and continue in an incomprehensible degreee of happinesse But alas we are so intangled with the baites and nets of this vaine world that our affections sway vs to a cleane contrary course thinking our feete are neuer sure enough nor haue hold enough on the earth so pleasant doe wee esteeme our habitation here that we would thinke our selues most happie though heauen were neuer our inheritance if we might alway liue heere compassed about and enuironed with these false delights Which doth too much bewray our want and defect in meditation on heauen and heauenly things and sheweth what a scantling we keepe in Christianity outwardly onely to professe it and neuer to enter into the chamber of our hearts to see whether it be furnished with such holy Christian and religious sighs and grones as set forth commend the affection of such a Christian as vpon the comparison of these short troubles with that eternall weight of glory which shall come hath already planted his heart in heauen Lastly obserue hence that it is not possible for the reprobate but it is proper and peculiar to the elect onely to lift vp their heads in hope and expectation of this redemption which is signified by the Apostle in two phrases and speeches heere vsed namely that such sigh as first haue receiued the first fruites of the spirit secondly such as wait for adoption neither of which doe euer befall the reprobate for they may spring vp and flourish for a time but they haue no roote nor take no sap from the spirit and happily they may be weary of the world Gen. 4.13 as Cain was of his punishment by they haue no anchor of any other hope vnlesse they ioy to goe to hell which ought to moue vs with all heedfulnesse to looke to our waies and to labour our ingrafting into Christ for the world passeth Heb. 1.11 and both it and wee are folded vp as a garment and to dust we must and yet out of dust we must arise And if while we be in the body wee can be burdened and sigh that mortality might bee swallowed vp of life then are we most happy and happy in that alone but if thou findest thy selfe empty of such affections that thou canst not sigh for thy redemption which sheweth thou dost not hope for thy saluation then art thou of all men the most miserable and the estate of the beasts is better then thine for they sigh for the liberty of Gods sons and they shall haue part in this blessednes and thou shalt see it and then shalt mone thy selfe thou wantest it Iob 10.18.19 for if the earth might be thy graue and thou mightest perish in the dust thou mightst yet conceiue happinesse in senslesnesse after this life ended For wee are saued by hope In this the Apostle proceedeth to proue that as it is necessary for a Christian to grone so is it also to wait for the day of redemption which hee doeth after this sort We are saued by hope that is all our saluation standeth and consisteth in hope for hope apprehendeth and laieth hold on things absent and inuisible Heb. 11.1 Ephe. 3.9 Pro. 13.12 according to that speech Our life is hid in Christ that is so hid as it will be found though as yet it be not seene now hope that is deferred must needs as Salomon saith bee the fainting of the heart and therefore for feare of this fainting the Apostle releeueth our hope with patience Where we learne that it is the duty of euery Minister to salue vp all breaches and to resolue all doubts that any way may perplex the heart and soule of a weake Christian after the example of the Apostle heere who to releeue the infirmities of the faithfull against the storme of affliction setteth before them the crowne of glory which they haue wonne in the field by their fighting And because this glory was not present but followeth the battell and when the combat is ended then commeth in victory he sheweth though this glory and reward bee not subiect to the sight yet Christians haue an affection in them which is hope that nourisheth and staieth their expectation for a time the heart in the meane time leaping and being established through hope that it will come and yet that they may not bee discouraged in their hope though this glory come not so soone as it is looked for hee giueth them the plaister of patience which shall sustaine and support their hope for he is certaine that hath promised but not to bee prescribed a time by vs but hee must take his owne time and our patience must preuent all distrust Euen so must the feeders of the flocke deale with their people in all cases of doubt and wanering in matters of faith and religion so to compasse and beset the soule with reasons and arguments as it may rest secure and haue the food of comfort ministred vnto them against all doubts and perils that may arise For such ought Ministers to be Mat. 13 52. as are able to bring foorth of their treasure both new and old cures and remedies both against the auncient wilinesse and the fresh and new subtilties and temptations of that old serpent Further obserue we must not vnderstand this speech We are saued by hope as we doe this We are saued by faith For nothing doth concurre in the matter of iustification with God aboue but faith so as the meaning and sense heere is that our saluation consists in those things that we hope for and it were better tranflated We are saued in hope than we are saued by hope Heb. 11.1 for faith is the ground and foundation of hope for what can we hope for vnlesse we beleeue it As the ground of faith is the word and promise for why should we beleeue but in respect of God his promise Faith telleth vs we beate not the aire hope biddeth vs hold on our race finish the course fight the cumbat and then expect the crowne of glory Yea faith is sustained by hope that it doe not wauer and contained by hope that it doe not hasten but waite the time and it is confirmed by hope that we may hold on the faith Mat. 15.22 Example of this we see and haue in the Canaanitish woman who suffered three denials at Christ his hands each of them doubled with seuerall reproches and yet fainted
their right hand whom they meane to make their equals as Gen. 41.40 Ioseph was set at the right hand of Pharaoh being made ruler ouer all Egypt and 1. King 2.19 Salosom set Bathsheba his mother on the right hand so is it said by Dauid in the Psalmes the Queene fitteth on the right hand of the King So as the meaning is Psal 45. â— that Christ Iesus hath receiued from God the copartnership of soueraigne authority ouer all natures whatsoeuer and as he is man being also the Sonne of â—â—d and our elder brother is aduanced ouer all and hath received a name aboue all so as now the Father ruleth nothing but 〈◊〉 the person of his Sonne Secondly vnderstand that this sitting at Gods right hand though it was due to his humane nature and flesh from the moment of his conception and vniting the flesh to his diuine nature yet it is properly assigned to him after his resurrection or rather after his ascension For hauing in the forme of a seruant performed all obedience then did the Father crowne his obedience with this excellent glory and then was this soueraignty bestowed on him Which must teach vs much more patiently to wait vpon the Lord and not to expect our reward before we set forth or while we be running but when our race is finished and that wee haue borne the heat of the day and haue fought a good fight in the Lord. Thirdly for this his sitting that is the receiuing of his absolute authority though Christ as God neuer receiued it being equall to God much lesse after his ascension yet after his ascension he was in some sort aduanced in his diuine nature for as the Scripture saith The Sonne of God descended meaning thereby abased himselfe Rom. 10.7 and his glorie did not so fully appeare being hidden in the cloud of his infirme flesh yet as the Apostle saith by his rising and ascending was he mightily declared to be the sonne of God and by that was more manifested to be so Rom. 1.4 then he was vpon the earth This also he sheweth himselfe Iob. 17.24 when he praied to be glorified with the same glory he had with his Father from the beginnig not that it should then be bestowed vpon him but then miraculoussy declared to haue had it from eternitie Howbeit this his sitting heere spoken of is properly meant to be exalted in his flesh because this authority is giuen him as Mediator And in this respect Christ may bee said to be greater then himselfe and lesse then himselfe because his flesh is beneath his diuinity and his Godhead farre aboue his humanity And by this power giuen him he is glorified in the Godhead in the manifestation of it in the flesh by abolishing all his infirmities and replenishing his flesh with all maner of graces Colos 2.8 as it is said lâ—â— him dwelt the fulnesse of the Godhead Concerning the second point namely what fruits come tâ—â— vs by this his sitting at Gods right hand they are principally three first we learne by this that he doth inrich his Church generally and euery member particularly with so many graces 〈◊〉 the holy Ghost as shall be necessary to the glory of the head the edification of the whole body and the saluation of euery particular member according as it is set downe Eph. 5.26.27 that this Church might be without spot or wrinkle and without blame Secondly by this his presence with God he doth defend and protect his Church from all enemies whatsoeuer so as the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it And this is our comfort that since all power is giuen him he that hath felt our infirmities hath the tempering of the cup of our afflictions which we may boldlie drinke of and not refuse it no more then he did the bitter cup his Father gaue to him and assure our selues that no tyrants hand can touch vs further then he permits him which shall neuer be aboue our strength for Christ hath power enough to performe it and God hath will enough to doe it And since while he was in his humanity on earth the diuell could not enter into a heard of swine without his licence and permission Math. 8.32 and that as it is said in the Reu. 5.3 he doth so seale the doore as none can enter in vnles he open it what shall we thinke he will doe now being in his glory and at his Fathers elbow And while he was in the flesh being able by the word of his mouth to stay the raging of the sea Mat. 8.26 much more now can he and will he represse the rage and fury of our persecutors when it please him Thirdly he shall sit at the right hand of the father vntill all his children be fully glorified and his enemies destroied which are of two sorts first such as are to be abolished as death secondly or such as perfectly are to be vanquished and yet perpetually to be tormented as the diuel and the damned spirits for to them shall it be a day of horror and of howling Now for the fourth which is his intercession or his making request for vs consider two things first what is meant in that he is said to make petition for vs secondly what benefits redound and arise to vs by these his requests for vs. For the first that he is said to pray for vs it is the exaltation and aduancement of Christ Iesus in the office of his eternall priest-hood whereof there were two parts the one to expiate or offer sacrifice for sinne the other to pray for the people Now Christ was such a Priest as the power of his sacrifice continueth for euer and no more sacrifice is to be offered vp as it is said Heb. 10.12 this man meaning Christ after he had once offered one sacrifice for sinne sitteth for euer at the right hand of God Howbeit the second duty of his Priest-hood which is to pray for vs remaineth still but after an other maner not as he did vpon the earth when he prostrated himselfe to the ground and lifted vp his eies to heauen with trembling of heart and anguish of minde offering vp praiers as Heb. 5.7 with strong cries and teares vnto God being himselfe then but as a seruant to his Father but he exerciseth this office now not by any submission of gesture but by representing and setting before the eyes of his Father his sacrifice fresh and bleeding which turneth his Fathers countenance from our indignities and misdeeds to looke vpon himselfe as Heb. 9.24 He is entred into heauen to appeare now in the sight of God for vs standing there to be beholden For the second namely what benefits we haue by this his intercession and they are three first by this he fulfilleth all the types and figures of the law that heereby he might fully declare vnto vs that he is the euerlasting Priest prefigured by them that were vnder the law as Heb. 10.19 hee is said
to enter into the sanctuary of heauenly places that as Exod. 39.7 Aron had pretious stones in which the names of the children of Israel were written six in euery stone and twelne in his breast in euery one of them a tribe that hee might remember them to God in his praiers so Christ bearing in his breast our selues as precious stones is thereby put in minde to remember vs to his Father though our fathers hauing the veile before them were forbidden to enter into the holiest yet wee through the veile of the flesh of Christ Heb. 10.20 are permitted to come boldly to the face of the most high and holy God The second benefit is that all our praiers be sanctified and doe ascend to the seat of God through his petitions that is through his appearing before his Father they shal be heard of his Father Hereupon Paul faith Rom. 5.2 By him we haue accesse to the throne of grace to offer vp the sweet sacrifices of our selues by Christ who hath made the way for vs let vs therefore approch vnto him with confidence and this is that spoken of in the Reu. 8.3 the Saints poure forth their incense that is their praiers which is giuen to Christ hauing a golden censor that he should put a new incense vpon them vpon the golden altar which is himselfe that they might haue a gracious sauor and a sweet smell in the nostrils of his Father The third benefit of this his intercession is that which we shall neuer fully feele nor perceiue till his last praier be granted he made Ioh. 17.21 that we might be one in God and himselfe that is when we shall haue a full contemplation of the maiestie of God Lastly obserue that Christ shall make this intercession for the Saints till all his enemies be ouercome and all his children arraied in stately and royall garments and then shall his praiers cease for why should he pray any longer when his praier is granted but by this we may see that saluation of soules is no such easie matter as the world imagineth since it requireth this continuall exercise of the Sonne of God to make request for vs and if Christ in loue and compassion doe it for vs much more ought we to doe it for our selues ROM chap. 8. vers 35 36 37. verse 35 Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword verse 36 As it is written for thy sake are we killed all the day long we are counted as sheepe for the slaughter verse 37 Neuerthelesse in all these things we are more then conquerers through him that loued vs. THE Apostle vpon the heauenly and Christian security set downe in the premises inferreth and brings in a most constant and comfortable resolution vpon a stout magnanimity and spirituall courage by him conceiued that is that it is impossible any thing should make vs fall from the fauour of God which is in Christ The reason is this in those things wherein wee are more then conquerers wee cannot be remoued from Gods fauour but in these seuen things heere reckned vp tribulation c. all which are as needles in the flesh and wherein hee comprehendeth all other these being the worst wee are more then conquerers therefore neither anguish famine c. can separate vs from the loue of God As if he should say howeuer it be that men call not in question Gods loue while they liue in peace and enioy the pleasures of this life yet let vs see how far aduersitie may throw and deiect a man from this comfortable security that since Christ sits at the right hand of his father and there shal sit till all his children be fully glorified let vs take the greatest extremities that can light vpon the flesh Tribulations that is any kind of outward trouble or anguish that is such inward perplexity or distresse in soule that we are at our wits end like Lot Gen. 19.8 that must either giue forth his daughters or the Angels to the filthy Sodomites or persecution by famine that is able to breake a brazen wall it breeds such rage in the bones or nakednesse that is that wee bee so impouerished or beggered for the truths sake as we haue nothing to couer nor wherein to hide vs or the sword which is most ghastly for the quicke dispatch it will make all which ioyned together may be reckoned vp for the continuall portion of the church of God both before Christ and after 1. Pet. 4.17 for we need not suppose or imagine that this may come since it is so written Psal 44.22 that men doe nothing but offer vp the godly euery day and the wicked make no more account of them but euen as sheepe to the slaughter And since the comming of Christ the triall must be the greater as Saint Peter speaketh because the spirit is greater so as now iudgement must begin at the house of God But what is the issue and end of al this we are in these extreame calamities more then conquerers so far are we from fainting or falling and the Lord in the middest of these shall either send vs miraculous deliuerance as hee did to Daniel Da. 6.22 when he stopped the mouth of the lion that he could not hurt him or else hee will so qualifie the miseries that shall beare vpon vs with such extraordinary comfort that we would not exchange our aduersitie to ensnare our consciences with conditions in seruing of God and if the worst come that we be giuen vp to death the heauens shall bee open to receiue vs and the Angels shall be readie to carrie vs into the bosome of God Luk. 16.22 and our enemies shall stand astonished to see the courage of our christian soule so willingly embracing death in which is life and out of our bloud shall rise an hundred professors more for the bloud of Martyrs is the seed of the church when we our selues shall triumphantly ascend to the seate of the Almightie For the parts of the text they be these first the Apostle setteth downe a demaund by way of challenge and therefore implieth a person in these words Who shall c. as if he should saie I giue the challenge to the stoutest champion what euer he be whether he be the diuell that liueth in hell or his eldest sonne or all his sons that be on earth otherwise if the person that should accept this challenge were not vnderstood he should more properly haue said What shall separate vs c. Secondly he interposeth and bringeth in a testimonie out of the 44. Psalme to shew that he doth not put it by supposition that these troubles may come or may not come but that of all other the church of God is not likely but sure to sustaine them in the ineuitable necessity of Gods decree as if we that be heires of the couenant were created for nothing else Thirdly
heauen and a new earth for the first heauen and the first earth were passed away which agreeth with that 2. Pet. 3.10 The heauens shall passe away with a noise and the elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the works therein shall be burnt vp and howsoeure to our dimme and vnstable sight the heauen with the furniture thereof seemeth very glorious and beautifull yet euery day they decay and diminish by little and little and are alreadie as an old worne and rotten garment readie to be cast off and folded vp by the Lord. Hauing thus seene the threefold subiection of the creatures first vnto diminution of their first estate secondly vnto profanation and pollution thirdly vnto dissolution it now followeth to speake of the second thing pointed at before namely by whom the creatures are made thus subiect and this is set downe in the end of Vers 20. Not of their owne will but by reason of him that is God which hath subdued it vnder hope that they might heerein obey the Creators commaundement who was pleased to signifie by their wauering and transitorie estate what the weight of his displeasure was for the sinne of man yet was his mercie such as he would not subdue the world euer lastinglie vnder his curse but gaue it hope that it should be restored Where learne the great seueritie of Gods iustice and vengeance for the rebellion of our first parents which bounded not it selfe within the body of man who was the sole offender but extended it selfe as a cloud ouer all the inferior works of God which were made for man as his seruants And this sheweth the offence to be very high that it drew so heinous a plague after it for we must not in our vaine and peruerse thoughts against the wisedome of God lessen the sinne of Adam as being but the eating of an apple which was a small matter since he eat so temperately as but to â—â—ste of it and did neither spoile nor digge vp any of the trees of the garden making God as a hard and niggardlie master that will take so exact an account and strict reckning of his Steward for euery particular fruit committed to his charge and heereupon will dare challenge God as if his hand had beene too heauie vpon him O beware of these damnable and hellish conceits For first know thou it is the marke of a reprobate to thinke with Cain Gen. 4.13 thy punishment greater then thy offence for herein though it be but in secret doeth he secretly charge God with crueltie who as Abraham saith Gen. 18.25 being Iudge of all the world cannot but doe right Againe the libertie that Adam had to fill himselfe of all the other trees this one excepted sheweth the admirable bountie of the Lord that of all sorts of fruit he kept but one for himself as of all the daies of the weeke he hath reserued but one in a speciall sort for his own vse being herein more sparing to himself then to Adam or to vs yet do we profane that most because it is none of ours as Adam did thirst after that tree most because by speciall commaundement it was forbidden by God wherein his rebellion was much increased that could not be thankefull for the store he had but as if he should starue if he wanted this that was forbidden must set the edge of his appetite vpon this which was so forbidden threfore hath God measured foorth an euen plague of perfection equall with his sinne of presumption being punished not only in himselfe but in his whole posteritie with sorrow not only vpon his body but with anguish and horror vpon his soule also and not only with trouble and vexation in the beginning and entrance into this life being naked and not able to clothe himselfe hungrie and wanting strength to feede himselfe weake and not of power to arme himselfe but also being followed and pursued of this vexation both in the continuance and in the end of his life feeding sowerly vpon his labour and dying lothsomely if the curse were not remoued in Christ and languishinglie vpon his bed his paines heere being but the forerunners and remembrancers of weightier that are to come in the life to come Nay the Lord hath made his iustice like a hooke to runne thorough the nostrels of all his creatures they being all accursed for our sakes for as Iob saith Chap. 5.6 Misery commeth not forth of the dust neither doth affliction spring out of the earth meaning originally of it selfe but by reason of the sinne of man this being prefigured out vnto vs Leuit. 15. vnder the law for when one had the Leprosy the bed he lay on the stoole he sat on the basen he washt in was vncleane the companie he kept yea he that laid his fingers on that the leper had touched was vncleane also which setteth forth the spirituall leprosy of our soules through sinne and that all the creatures whereon man laid his hand or where on he slept yea or whereon hee lookt were polluted and defiled through his vncleanenesse so as whether wee looke aboue vs or about vs to heauen or to earth on the right hand or on the left before vs or behind vs or round about vs we can not but behold Gods great but yet his iust seueritie and vengeance for our transgression in Adam who would not exempt the poore creatures from his stroke which as we may say were in themselues harmelesse and innocent and this well weighed should make vs sigh and grone and mourne and cry for our sinnes that caused then so heauie a curse as hath euer since caused the world to weare as it were her mourning apparell the earth euen for the sinnes committed in our flesh hauing oft times her fruit ready ripened in her wombe and yet wanteth strength to be deliuered being eiâ—â—â—r blasted in the blade or not full eared for lacke of the latter raine so that if our meditations were sanctified as they ought as oft as we see a sheepe led to the slaughter so oft should we thinke and acknowledge that we haue deserued death better then the silly beast we being only in the sinne and the creature subiect to this vanitie but through our corruption And this must make vs take heed how we giue the raines to our affections which will soone ouerrunne and corrupt our religion for if God was so deeply displeased with sinne when it came alone into the world how doe wee vrge and prouoke him to wrath in these dayes that bring foorth so many new inuented sinnes that the dragon draweth not now with his taile the third part as he did Reuel 12.4 but euen all the starres of heauen after him there scarce being any sound professor to be found that either poisoneth not his religion with an opinion of indifferencie or mingleth it not with so much feare of man as he is farre short of that zeale that the Lord requireth of them that be worshippers of
him in spirit and in truth Now if any be so audacious and bold to aske why God was so sharp in smiting his creatures for the sinne of man Answere first with S. Paul Rom. 9.20 O man who art thou darest plead with God and call him to an account for his doings his secrets are too high for thee and his wayes past finding our Secondly if the creatures had not been punished with man and that he by his particular sin had not procured a generall curse then could not man in his weaknesse haue made any vse of the creatures in their innocencie vnlesse they had fallen with him for they had not been subiect to vanitie to haue been slaine and deuoured of men if in themselues they had not been accursed Thirdly God did not punish them in respect of themselues but in respect of vs for we know the children are punished for the reason of their parents not for any fault committed in their persons but for that the parents haue so highly transgressed the Princes lawes for by this he hath forfeited to the King what should haue descended to his children and this we thinke no hard part in an earthly Prince vnlesse it be in the case of Ahab who tooke the eschete of Naboths vineyard by a false plotted accusation of a supposed blasphemie against God and the King 1. Kings 21.13 then must we needs thinke that the King of heauen who cannot but giue righteous iudgement hath not dealt hardly in punishing and subduing the creatures to this subiection Adam hauing in his creation the rule giuen vnto him ouer them as a father hath ouer his child howbeit the Lord in this gaue no principall or set blow to them but only stroke them as it were through the sides of man that after that fall we might be punished euen oft times in the vse of them If any aske againe why God should thus proceed in making our wound the wider by punishing vs in his creatures since before the curse pronounced on them Gen. 3.15 the Lord had pardoned the guiltinesse of the sinne by the promised seed of the woman Answere This was the wisedome of the Lord in two respects first in respect of his elect secondly in respect of the reprobate for in regard of the elect they are not punishments for sinne the bloud of the womans feed hauing by vertue of Gods promise washed away the guilt of it but because there is yet a remnant of corruption there being much filth Iohn 13.10 hanging on our feet therefore they are as chastisements to increase the measure of our sanctification and the labour in purging and keeping our selues cleane by repentance and a holy life but now to the reprobate they are tokens and forerunners of Gods iustice and of the sword of vengeance which they shall feele heereafter among the damned so that when wee see the heauens made brasse aboue vs and the earth yron beneath vs the one withholding the raine the other not yeelding her fruits but suffring it to die in her wombe this is to vs but a chastisement for some passions vnsubdued or for some sinnes vnrepented of but it is a scourge and reuenge vpon the reprobate mingling his reioycing with repining and his store with grudging that the want of that he seekes may be as a fretting canker in his soule to fill vp the greater measure of his sinne verifying those speeches of Iob Chap. 8.14 His trust shall be as the house of the spider and Chap. 11.20 his hope shall be sorrow of mind For as for them that loue the Lord he vseth foure speciall remedies to make them fit for heauen first his spirit to guide them secondly his word to instruct them thirdly his chastisements to reclaime them fourthly death it selfe to end them and therefore when he correcteth vs in his creatures it is to see whether he can recouer vs as it were by the sight of another beaten before vs making them vnfruitfull that we might remember the want of our owne works mustering oft times the clouds together as if raine should fall yet staying it in the brest of the aire to put vs in mind of the hardnesse of our hearts and of the drinesse of our eyes that doe not weepe sufficientlie for our owne sinnes nor abundantly for the sinnes and abominations of the land it being as wee read Ezech. 9.4 an vndoubted marke of election set by the finger of God in the fore heads of his Saints to mourne and crie for the corruption and crueltie that is in a citie Againe we hauing formerly noted the seueritie of Gods iustice against sinne that we might auoid it so on the contrary we are to obserue his exceeding rich mercy both to the elect and to the reprobate that heereby we may be prouoked to follow him 〈◊〉 to what straites soeuer he shall cast vs his mercy to his chosen 〈◊〉 â—â—eth in this that though he hath laid such a curse vpon his 〈◊〉 â—atures whereas they may lay the curse on vs as the cause and 〈◊〉 they knew their owne strength would deuour vs the Lord in â—oue to vs and in power to them hiding it from them yet doth he force them to serue vs the vse of them all being sanctified and restored to vs in Christ and we being through him made owners and possessors of them for as Adam after his fall being secluded from the tree of life was thereby excluded from all the meanes that might maintaine life so Christ hauing by our vnion with him brought vs againe into the paradise of God where that rree groweth we are thereby endowed and inriched with all the creatures both in heauen and earth these being for his sake waiters and artendants on vs yea the very little ones that be elect as Christ saith Matth. 18.10 haue their Angels in heauen to defend them and as Dauid faith Psal 34.8 The Angell of the Lord pitcheth round about them that feare him Now his mercy to the reprobate is manifested in this that hee by his especiall hand and Commandement doth binde and restraine the creatures from rebelling against them for the heauens would fall vpon the whoremonger if God by his power did not chaine them vp the Sunne that shineth would scorch and burne the Vsurer if his force were not bridled by the finger of God the waters from aboue would fall like a sea vpon the blasphemer if they were not shut in by the patience of God yea all lewd profane and wicked persons should be melted by the heat stifled by the aire swallowed by the earth deuoured by the beasts choaked by their bread and euery creature would be auenged on them for the subiection brought vpon them if God by his prouidence did not restraine them for if they might haue their own wil they would surely do it Who is it saith God Ioh. 38.8 that hath shut vp the sea with doores that her proud waues cannot passe oner but I It is the Lord Iob. 39.12
if any fall with Dauid he may and shall rise againe with Dauid if hee pertaine to God but then hee must earnestly and soundly repent as Dauid did and to come to a true and serious confession of thy sinne indeed it shall be the hardest worke and cost thee dearer then euer any thing did Againe who would be so foolish to make of a particular and rare example a generall ground as to fall with Dauid for company to rise with him for company and because thou feest one sore wounded with a dagger to be cured to desire to be stricken with the same dagger to be healed with that man for company Nay if any hath falne from that grace he hath once receiued let him pray that he may rise againe but let him know that being falne if he had all the hearts in the world and could shed fountaines of teares he should finde them all too little and insufficient to lament soundly so as the Lord would come againe to comfort him Lastly heere may bee doubted since the spirit must not be quenched and that as hath bene taught before it must be maintained or else it will decay whether it be in vs to nourish this spirit as well as to quench it To this wee answer with Paul Philipp 2.12.13 Make an end of your saluation with feare and trembling for it is God that worketh in you both the will and the deed euen of his good pleasure so as we must feare but we must also worke And this spirit cannot be idle in vs so as wee must not stand gaping looking that the Lord should fill vs with his graces but wee must worke because the Lord worketh vpon vs. So then the Lord doth all meerely of his grace But heere is humilitie and diligence commended to vs and therefore doeth the Lord by his Ministers exhort vs to good workes to make vs more circumspect and chearefull in doing them for the holy Ghost worketh not absolutely and simply in vs but vouchsafeth meanes it selfe being the chiefe efficient to prepare the mind to receiue that grace to which wee are exhorted euen as wee all liue by Gods prouidence yet not without bread And as the safetie of a childs riding standeth in the fast holding of the father yet the words of the father to bid him hold fast maketh the childe more warie euen so exhortation maketh vs more warie in auoiding sinne for we are not dead stones but liuing instruments and therefore as we performe liuely actions of the bodie so must we haue spirituall operations of the minde the fruite and benefit whereof is discerned by the power and strength of the holy Ghost who worketh both in vs and by vs. Now for the second point which is the meanes how the commandement of not quenching the spirit may be best obeyed It is by making much of the Word and the Preachers thereof for by prophesie is meant such as haue the word of exhortation in their mouthes and of whom it is said Esa 59.21 The spirit that I put into their mouthes shall neuer depart from thee nor thy seede Whereby wee learne that as the spirit is giuen by the word preached so is it also maintained by the word preached and as there is no light without the Sunne no fructifying of the earth without the windowes of heauen be open nor no lampe burning without oile so is there no faith begun and continued without we be established in the word of grace Now if we finde sometimes no heart in the word but that it is irksome to the eare and vnpleasant to the sound let vs not therefore refuse the meanes and exclude our selues from hearing for oftentimes a stomacke is gotten by eating and though the spirit be quenched in vs in this grace yet let vs come where this grace is offered and though we heare not sometimes with such a rellish as we would and ought to doe yet let vs pray that our hearing may doe vs some good and that by hearing our stomacke may come againe And if we heare often and forget it yet let vs do that in this kinde of sicknesse which we doe in the distemper of our naturall bodies eat the oftner if wee eat much and cannot retaine it to digest it so if we cannot remember what we heare let vs heare the oftner because our memories are so weake so as if there be any preaching not neglecting our callings let vs partake of that foode and the Lord may in mercie so much blesse our diligence as we may by one Sermon learne so much as may comfort vs in the houre of death Lastly as in generall diseases of the bodie as in an ague all parts are weake but principally the stomacke yet it receiueth a medicine and the disease it selfe prouoketh vs to that so if Satan haue weakened thy stomacke so much as thou hast no list to heare the word let this dulnesse be so farre from discouraging thee as that it make thee lust and desire the more after it For as Paul said to the Centurion Act. 27.31 Except these abide in the ship yee cannot be safe when they of themselues would needs haue gone foorth and yet Paul had the absolute promise before that himselfe and his whole companie should be safe but this was conditionall if they obeyed the meanes that is if they abode in the ship Euen so they that despise the meanes of hearing refuse the mercie of reforming their liues and of mollifying their hearts whether they refuse of rashnesse as heare or heare not it is all one or of distrust as though I heare it will do me no good for assuredly except we heare as often as wee can we cannot maintaine this spirit and going out of this ship that is departing from the word preached it is not possible to be saued TITVS chap. 2. vers 11 12. verse 11 For that grace of God which bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared verse 12 And teacheth vs that wee should denie vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and that we should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world THE Apostle in the 9. and 10. verses going before did exhort seruants that were professors to shew themselues obedient to their masters according to the flesh in all things without offence to God and chargeth them that though they be in a base low degree yet they should labour to adorne the doctrine of Christ Now in the 11. verse he addeth a forcible reason to his former exhortation because that grace that is the doctrine of the Gospell which c. hath appeared to all men that is to all conditions of men that it might instruct them to lay aside prophannesse concupiscence of the eies all things that sauour of the world and to liue iustly toward men and religiously toward God waiting for the glorie to be reuealed The words diuide themselues into two parts the first commendeth the excellencie of the teacher which doth instruct vs namely the
prescribed and with that alacrity and resolution that we ought euen as Abraham did heere to the sacrificing of his sonne Secondly in this example obserue that if Abraham could for beare to command his naturall loue of a father to a child at the Lords commandement how much more shall wee bee vnexcusable that cannot command our selues from vncleannesse of the flesh and such like sinnes but will keepe our sinnes as tenderly and as long as wee keepe our liues and yet will bee counted the children of Abraham But wee must answer our selues as Christ did the Pharisees Ioh. 8.44 and as Saint Iohn did answer those to whom he wrot 1. Iohn 3.7 that we doe but flatter our selues with the name when wee are in truth the children of the diuell for hee that doth righteousnesse is righteous and if Abraham resigned vp the lawfulnesse of the tender affection of a father at the Lords commandement much more must wee resigne vp our affections and discourses in vnlawfull matters Further obserue that it is not enough for vs to deny our vnlawfull pleasures and appetites but wee must euen forbeare things lawfull if the Lord command it If hee call vs foorth to triall for the Gospels sake Mat. 4.20 we must with Peter and Andrew leaue our nets that is our calling and forsake our wiues that is our comforts Mark 9.47 and our selues euen to pull out our right eyes if they be any impediments to vs in the progression of faith and a good conscience and if there be any repugnancy that we cannot enioy our wiues and glorifie God we must not regard them in respect of God for if we doe the Lords mouth hath spoken it we shall neuer be saued Let vs therefore take heed how wee build for if our foundation be of stubble the day of affliction will soone consume it and wee shall be as blowne bladders emptied with the least pricke of any triall and as brasse that yeeldeth an hideous sound vnder the hammer but if we ground vpon that golden foundation of faith then in our afflictions shall we be as gold which is more agreeable in the sound and more pliable in the stroke and we lying betweene the anuill of death and the hammer of the Lords hand shall shew our selues in patience to possesse our soules euen like Abraham who without grudging did execute the Lords ambassage though most repugnant to nature and to the promise made Againe obserue as this matter of triall in Abraham turned in the end to a comfortable issue euen so shall it fare with vs in our afflictions and temptations and if we wil sacrifice vp our honor our affections our Isaac that is our laughter the ramme only shall die for it that is our cares our troubles our afflictions and our vexations shall be wiped away This is agreeable to that Mat. 10. Yee shall for my names sake forsake what you honour most and loue best and then followeth If any man doe this I will giue him in this life an hundred fold more that is more ioy more resolution and peace of conscience and more comfort in this base and low estate then he should haue had in an hundred fathers or an hundred wiues not regarding the quantitie but the blessing of God in the comfortable enioying of them This offereth singular consolation to those that suffer for the crosse of Christ that the thrones of this life shall onely be sacrificed and our soules and consciences shall rest secure filled with greater ioy in the end and issue of our troubles then euer wee were before And as the world saith that he is rich that is contented euen so we say that he is safe that resteth in the Lords hands And if we stretch foorth all our powers to embrace Christ then is he gone as a harbinger to prouide a place for vs in heauen Ioh. 14.3 and he that saueth our soules wee may well trust him with our bodies Further obserue that he offered vp his sonne and yet he did it not wherein we learne that the purpose of a mans heart being fully resolued to do a thing it is in the Lords eies as if he did it though he doe it not for therefore is Isaac said to be offred vp because he was so in the purpose of Abrahams heart which the Lord accepted as an execution of the thing it selfe And this holdeth both in vertues and in vices for if a man be called before the iudgement seate as an heretike in any time whatsoeuer and being called thus to triall offereth to seale his opinion with his blood and matters going further doth not relent what is this man in the light of God if his religion bee true but a Martyr though his life be after pardoned Not that euery resolution is taken of God as if it were performed for Peter was caried with a vehement precipitation and presumptuous conceit of his owne strength when he said Master though all men forsake thee yet will not I Iohn 13.37 but I will lay downe my life for thy sake and yet afterward vpon a small occasion he denied him But if a man stand in the day of his examination and triall and shrinke not but is ready to sacrifice his life for the defence of God his truth as Abraham was ready to haue sacrificed his sonne then because in the triall he did not relent but euen in this time did purpose it it shall be taken of God euen as this worke of Abraham done though not done and his life lost though he escaped with his life In like manner falleth it out in sinnes for if thy heart be full of a dultery and yet because shee that should bee thy harlot dallied too long with thee or else occasion did not fit thee wherby thou art kept from the act it selfe yet art thou a whoremonger in the sight of God Mat. 5.28 The like may be said of other sinnes for though Saul threw not a stone at Stephen but onely kept the clothes of them that did it yet is he Act. 8.1 inrolled in the booke of God as one that consented to his death Vers 22. Seest thou not that the faith wrought with his works and through the works was the faith made perfect 23. And the Seripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleened God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse and hee was called the friend of God 24. Ye see then how that of workes a man is iustified and not of faith onely This is the third part namely the amplifying of this example in the 22. and 23. verses together with the conclusion in the 24. verse Heereupon the Papists take occasion to say that not faith alone but faith together with workes worketh our iustification Whereunto we answer that there be some things wherein faith worketh alone and some things wherein it worketh together with workes Faith worketh alone with God it hath wings and flies to heauen it dealeth onely betweene God and Christ
the beholding of the very face of God and there shall bee no markes set to keepe vs from the mount where the Lord dweleth Reu. 21.12 as there was Exod. 19.12 but as Paul speaketh 1. Corinth â—3 12 we shall then see him face to face and know him as wee â—re knowen of him and see him as God all in all that is â—ee shall behold the glory of God not standing vpon the veile of the flesh of Christ for then all mediation and intercession shall cease and this is part of that Christ praied for a litle before his death Iohn 17.24 that we might see that glory he had before the world was made for then we shall see Christ-God and the whole Godhead immediately raigning yet in Christ the Sonne of man and in vs but so as we shall no more leane and relie vpon the praiers of Christ for then he shall raigne no more as the Sonne of man in the midst of his enemies for this gouernement shall cease death which is the last enemy being then abolished and he then shall raigne ouer them vanquished as God Howbeit the fruit and benefit of this his mediation shall indure for euer and the subiection of his humane nature shall then more appeare because of the glory of his Godhead which shall then be seene fully euen such and the same as he had before eternitie yet shall this saluation more increase the glory of his humanity when we shall vnderstand and see it to bee personally vnited to the sonne of God who with God the Father and the holy Ghost shall be all in all Now the fruition and possession of this glory shal worke three effects in vs first it shall breed in vs an infinite loue toward God secondly an infinite ioy in God thirdly an infinite praise to God Infinitely shall we loue him that hath aduanced as to such honour as is endles and to such fellowship as is matchlesse our hearts shall be filled with ioy yet not able to comprehend or expresse it Mat. 25.23 therefore it is said Enter thou into thy masters ioy for this ioy is too great to enter into thee and besides the ioy we shall haue in our owne saluation we shall conceiue as great ioie for the saluation of others which is called ioy celestiall and we shall haue yet more ioy then before to see the Godhead so glorious the Lambe aduanced in our flesh and to be one person with God And this is aboue all ioies because we shal loue Christ far aboue our selues for the zeale of Gods glory shall euen eat vs vp and it shall be so great in vs as it cannot be so great for our owne saluation and then out of this loue and ioy as out of two fountaines ioyned in one shall spring and arise such continuall praise to God for this glory that we shal vncessantly sing to God in the Temple which is God himselfe so as we shall praise God in God and this shall be as the Prophet Esay saith from new Moone to new Moone and from Sabbath to Sabbath that is for euer for this loue of God is from eternitie in respect of our predestination and to eternitie in respect of our glorification and this is that we sigh and grone for and for which while wee are in the flesh absent from God wee continually pray for ROM chap. 8. vers 31.32 verse 31 What shall we say then to these things If God be on our side who can be against vs verse 32 Who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs all things also THe Apostle before set downe that God the Father by his eternall purpose hath foreacknowledged vs and foreloued vs with an euerlasting loue in his Sonne and not vs onely but all those that to the end of the world shall loue him and manifest and shew foorth this their loue by a sincere worship and religious care to keepe his commandements and how that the Lord as he hath ordained vs and them to the same glory so at the fulnesse of time by the dispensation of his wisdome by his spirit he doth call them by the instrument of his word by the same loue doth iustifie vs in his Sonne and will glorisie vs with himselfe Now he being ouercome with the thought and meditation of these things breaketh foorth into a woonder and admiration that seeing it is thus that the Lord hath taken it vpon him neuer to leaue vs till he hath aduanced vs to heauenly places euen the seat of the Lord Iesus what shall we say The answer is giuen with the question this we must say that since he is our God as appeareth by that which went before then is it impossible wee being thus backed and hauing the Lord our bulwarke that any creature can bee of that force or be so against vs no not the diuell in hell with all his power can hinder vs from the fruition of this glorie In the other words who spared not his Sonne c. there is a further consolation set downe vnto vs to make the heape of comfort greater that since the Lord gaue as it were iudgement against his owne Son and set him foorth to a shamefull death for vs and this when we were his enemies and strangers from the life of God how can it bee he should now denie vs any thing to further our saluation being made friends with him and reconciled to him thorow his Sonne This doctrine needeth rather deepe meditation then large explication for who doth not assume to himselfe sufficiently to vnderstand it being but thus much in effect that since God in his euerlasting purpose hath thus manifested his glorie and mercie and hath ordained the end which is his glorie in our saluation and to bring it that it may come to this end hath subordinated and set downe certaine causes as calling and iustifying it is impossible any thing should hinder our saluation If God he on our side Heereupon wee must not thinke that if God be on our side we shall haue no enemies for because God loueth vs therefore we haue the more enemies and therefore wee are persecuted and subiect to the hatred of the world as Christ himselfe expresseth Ioh. 17.14 The world hateth them because saith he they are like me So as in this place the Apostle doth not meane that we should expect any immunitie and exemption on from the eâ—mitie and malice of men but that wee hauing this heauenly securitie and assured certaintie of the Lords protection neither Angell nor man nor diuell nor torment shall be able to ouer come vs. For this is that Paul speaketh of All things are by Christ Col. 1.16 through Christ and for Christ that is all things are created by him all things are preserued through 〈◊〉 maintained for his glorie so that our saluation being alwaies ioyned with his glorie neither shall men breath nor the diuell
and prostrateth it selfe before God in Christ vpon confession that the soule is Satans due and deserueth to bee bound hand and foote and to bee cast into prison as vnable to pay the debt it intreateth that this obligation may bee taken from Satan it wrastleth with death and damnation and terror of conscience Coloss 2.14 and craueth a pardon bringing nothing but the very heart blood of Christ And euen as the very looking vpon the Serpent healed them in the wildernesse Num. 21.9 and nothing else could appease the tempest Ionâ—h 1.15 but the very casting of Ionah into the sea and the sinnes of the people Leuit. 16.22 were laid onely vpon the Goate so faith in this petition of forgiuenesse brings nothing but commeth emptie and laieth all vpon the shoulders of Christ But now betweene men and men on earth faith worketh by loue so as if we bring nothing to men but faith it is certaine wee neuer brought faith from God for since thy heart is not discernable and the spirit and piety of the heart is vnsearchable in respect of men and good to God wee cannot doe our faith vpon earth must be as busie before men in workes as it is before God in the blood of Christ And as Martha and Mary Luk. 10.39 dwelled in one house one onely to heare Christ the other working and labouring to entertaine Christ euen so our faith with Mary must onely kneele at Gods feet to heare that comfortable voice of the pardon and absolution of our sinnes in the blood of Christ but our faith on earth must labour with Martha by loue and good works to entertaine and helpe our brethren Besides wee must consider that things may worke together but not together in the same worke Euen as Christ in the worke of mediation must haue two natures a diuine humanity and an humane diuinity and we say not that Christ as God onely nor as man onely is Mediator but by these two concurring together and as wee saie that Christ is not Mediator without flesh and as truely we saie that hee raised not vp his flesh by his humanitie but suffered in the flesh and was raised vp by the power of his diuinitie onely and that his diuinitie died not but his flesh onely and in this they worked seuerally in the flesh to be ouercome of death and in the spirit onely to ouercome death yet these two in the worke of our saluation doe worke together Euen so faith worketh with loue in bringing foorth sanctification and a holy life but in the verie apprehending of Christ his bloud this power to iustifie is of faith onely Like as the roote of it selfe giues life but the roote with the branches bring foorth fruite And as the fire maketh warme by heate and light and yet the heate of the fire warmeth alone but light is inseparable from it so no faith can worke well without workes but yet there are none iustified by the power of workes but by faith onely Now where it it said Faith wrought with his workes and through the workes the faith made perfect obserue that this is meant onely of a declaration to men for we are perfectly iustified in the sight of God by the bloud of Christ And though the hand be leprous yet it can receiue sound meate so though our faith be imperfect yet our iustification is perfect For there is but one pardon in heauen through that one death and passion of Christ and before a man be perfectly iustified he cannot do a good worke for we must first be in Christ before wee haue faith and must haue faith before wee can worke for these are fruits of faith And as a Toade is not therefore a Toade because it poisons but therefore poisons because it is a Toade nor a Serpent is not therefore a Serpent because it stings but stings because it is a Serpent so we are not ingrafted into Christ because we are good but being ingrafted into Christ wee are made good Lastly obserue in the wordes that wee are not iustified because wee worke but because wee shall be saued therefore wee worke Zaccheus Luke 19.8 had not saluation because hee restored foure-fold and gaue halfe his goods to the poore but because the Lord was come into his house and had taken possession of his heart therefore hee wrought these works of faith Neither was the poore man in the Gospell healed because he should sinne no more Iohn 5.14 but Christ faith Thou art healed therefore in signe of thankfulnesse for thy health looke to thy life that thou sinne no more for heauen shall not be giuen to workes but to workers and promise of eternall life is made to the workes of the iust as they are iustified Gal. 3.11.12 and they are iustified onely in Christ for in euery worke there is imperfection not but that the spirit could worke perfectly but that euery thing is receiued according to the measure of that that doth receiue it and wee in this life are able onely to receiue the first fruites and not the fulnesse of the spirit for the spirit is like the Sea that is able to fill any vessell but no vessell is able to containe it Now in the 23. verse two parts are to be considered first the purpose of the Apostle in alledging this Scripture secondly the sense of the matter deliuered For the first if Saint Iames cited this place to proue that Abraham was imputed righteous in the sight of God by this work of sacrificing his sonne hee must needes haue wrested this Scripture which were blasphemy to say being written by the singer of God for Abraham had this imputation of righteousnesse through his beleefe giuen him and pronounced by God himselfe Genes 15.6 before either Ismael or Isaak were borne so as then the meaning of the Apostle in alledging this scripture is onely to shew that that testimony which God gaue Abraham of the excellency of his faith was declared and approued to bee true by the performance and execution of this speciall worke Now for the second point concerning the sense of the place cited namely that Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse here we see that it is agreeable to the scripture that the obedience of the sonne which stood in two parts first in fulfilling the law secondly in satisfying for our sins is onely inherent in the sonne and was in him euen from the moment of his conception to the moment of his ascension and that wee haue onely his obedience allowed vnto vs and through the imputation thereof we are made iust not that it abideth in our selues for we are no better then Abraham but we haue it by imputation as Abraham had And this is a doctrine of great comfort and necessitie to be beleeued that wee haue it by imputation and not of our selues for now wee are sure it shall neuer faile vs nor wee shall neuer lose it as Adam at first lost