greater sinners then those that perish greater sinners are in heaven then some in hell Alas what are we may we say as Mephibosheth said to David that the Lord should look upon such dead dogges as we are to dye pro vermiculis vernaculis for bondslaves for base wormes compounded of slime and dust and the Devils poyson a lyon for a dog the Kings sonne for a traytor a man for a worme nay for some Snake or Serpent that had stung his friend to death Yea and when he died not for Angels but passed by those vessels of gold and embraced us vessels of clay CHAP. V. We must study to know Christ in his Satisfaction ANd thus we have heard how we are to study to know Christ in his crucifixion It followes thirdly and lastly We must study to know Christ in his satisfaction in two particulars 1. That there is no other name under heaven whereby we can be saved but onely by the name of Jesus Christ Not by Saints Angels our merits or Opera nostra sunt dona dei per pauca multis malis per mixta Aug. Quisquiâ— enumerat merita sua quid enumerat nisi mertia tua Aug. good works Alas what could we merit that were ungodly sinners enemies Or what good thing could we doe to inherit eternall life If wee could scourge out rivers of bloud out fast Moses and Elias glaze our eyes with teares naile them to heaven with devotion weep a sea of tears yea of bloud Should we pray never so much yea weare out our knees in prayer read never so much the Word of God and other good books heare never so many sermons refraine from all grosse sins build Hospitals give all our goods to the poore and our bodies to be burned yet can we not make God satisfaction thereby or obtain salvation Mich. 6. 8. 1 Cor. 13. 1. 2 Nay Though we should attaine to never so great a degree of repentance and sanctity of life yet could we not obtain salvation thereby nay our perfect holinesse in heaven is not the meritorious cause of our salvation there but the righteousnesse of Christ much lesse a Christians graces here on earth which made Paul desire with the loss of al his own righteousnesse to be found in Christ Not having Phil. 1. 9. 6. Tutius est c. â—ell his own righteousnesse but that which is in him by faith It s true Christians may look to their graces as evidences of their part in Christ and salvation and the clearer they are the greater will be their comfort but not as causes They may likewise make use of duties as meanes to bring them to Christ and salvation but not to be saved by them As the Dove made use of her wings to fly to the Ark but trusted not in her wings but in the Arke Suppose those that were stung with fiery serpents had used any other remedies or medicines to cure the poyson besides looking upon the brazen serpent had they not been of no value Or as those that in the time of Noahs flood trusted to their own houses the highest trees or mountains or any other thing besides the Ark were they not all drowned so must they all perish that expect salvation by any other name but only by the name of Iesus Christ whether Turks Iews Pagans Papists ignorant and civill persons among our selves or whoever 2. As we are to believe there is no salvation out of Christ so we are to know that Christ is a sufficient Saviour to save Heb. 7. 25. perfectly those that come to him and trust in him from these two grounds First because he hath perfectly fulfilled the law for us whereby we stand as 1 Joh. 4. 17. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Rom. 5 19. righteous in the sight of God as Christ was for us and God accepteth of us as if we had fulfilled the law in our owne persons And secondly because he hath fully satisfied the wrath of God for all our sins and pacified him towards us as if we had never sinned or as if we our selves had suffered for them in hell for ever Col. 2. 14. blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances against us so as now nothing can be read against us And this appeares by his resurrection Ascension and sitting at the right hand of God in his glory triumphing over all his enemies which were not for satisfaction but to make application of our redemption for testification of the sufficiency of his satisfaction Hence saith Paul it is Christ that died yea Rather that is risen Rom. 8. 34. again thereby shewing the sufficiency of his death that God is satisfied and all is finished Nay certainly Christ hath satisfied God more abundantly for us then if we our selves had gone to hell for ever for we had been but alwaies satisfying and God had not been fully satisfied but in Christ he is fully and for ever satisfied so as now we may plead pardon not only from mercy but from righteousnesse and justice it self Rom. 1. 17. and Rom. 3. 15. 16. So then we must conclude that Christs satispassion is our satisfaction as Luther pleaseth to call it for by Christ crucified we are justified and if the least of his sufferings were meriti infiniti of infinite Non moriendo Greg. Sine Christi adventu Athanas Minima Christi poena So Cypr. and Bern. merit so that God could have saved us without Christ as Athan. or with Christ not dying for us as Greg. or with the least degree of his sufferings as Cypr. yet I am sure all his sufferings were meriti definiti determined of God and now we are sure all is finished CHAP. VI. We must study to know Christ with Application ANd thus I have finished the first particular mentioned namely how we ought to know Christ by speculation viz. to know him in his incarnation 2. In his crucifixion 3. In his satisfaction which though it be the lowest forme of knowledge yet many remain ignorant of it and without this knowledge we cannot attain to the higher forme of knowledge of application 2. And so we proceed to the second particular we must study to know Christ with the knowledge of application not only to know Christ as a Saviour but that he is my Saviour stood in my room bare my sins suffered the wrath of God for me wherby God is as wel pleased with me as if I had suffered for them in my own person in hell eternally To be able to say with Job a Iob. 19. 25. I know that my Redeemer liveth and with Thomas b Ioh. 20. 28. my Lord and my God and with Paul c Gal. 2. 20. he loved me and gave himselfe for me and with Simeon mine eyes have seen thy salvation d Luk. 2. 30. First This is the sweetest knowledge The sunne is sweetest when it shines out and not when hid in a cloud so God is sweetest when he lifts up
gleaned And Iob awhile may be stript of his goods Children and all his comforts but ere long he doth enjoy them doubled to him even as much more of every comfort as he had before Iob 42. 12 13. 2. But however it shall alwayes worke for our spirituall good By the sad Eceles 7. 3 Heb. 12. 10 Iohn 15. 2. looke the heart shall be made better Like those in the time of the sweating sicknesse that were smitten with Rosemary branches to keep them waking and from sleeping to death though they cryed out at the smart of the blows against those that smot them O you kill me you kill me whereas alas they had beene killed with their disease if they had not been smitten Or as tender mothers that give their children sometimes bitter wormwood and Aloes but t is to kill the wormes or else they would never let their children tast so bitter a potion and likely too it is sweetened with sugar There is a foure fold spirituall good by afflictions to every one that knowes Iesus Christ savingly 1. They keepe the heart tender and humble pliable and buxome to God Remembering my wormwood and my gall my soule hath them in remember ance and is humbled in me Lamenta 3. 19. 20 as they did David when Shemei cursed him and when God chastised him with the pestilence It 2 Sam. 24. me me adsum c. is I have sinned what have those sheepe done And Jonas after he was cast into the sea and restored the second time he could find his way to go right to Nineveh 2. They keepe us from backsliding for else we would lose our graces as too much sunneshine makes the corne to shale and lose its fruit 3. They make us feare to sin that have so smarted for sin The burnt child dreads the fire exellent is that speech of Iob Iob 34. 31 32. Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have borne chastisement I will not offend any more That which I see not teach thou me and if I have done amisse I will doe no more As a child will feare to commit that fault for which he hath well smarted 4. They make us grow in holinesse and weane us from earthly delights as the Israelites bondage made them weary of Egypt They are but Gods pruning knives to let us bleed and purge us that we might bring forth more fruit John 15. 2. like as we see flowers smell sweetest after a shower Or as the burning bush that burned yet consumed not but was the brighter for the fire Or as gold put into fire loseth its drosse but nothing of its substance and is made the purer gold Or as grapes under the presse make the sweeter wine Or as wheat under the flaile hath its chaff beaten off and is the purer corne So are afflictions to all that are in Christ and know Christ theirs They make them like Roses which though sweet alwayes yet they never drop sweet water but when the fire is under them Or as spices when beaten to pouder then they smell the sweetest 3. Thirdly Afflictions shall increase 2 Cor. 4. 17. Mat. 5. 12 our crown of glory the deeper our die is in affliction the better shall we weare our scarlet robes in heaven Rom. 8. 18. I reckon saith Paul our sufferings in this life are not worthy our glory that shall be revealed Chrysost said if one man did suffer all the sorrowes of all the Saints in the world yet they are not worth one houres glory in heaven 4. Fourthly and lastly The knowledge of Christ and him crucisied with a saving applicatory knowledge is most comfortable in the hour of death Such a one can triumph over death saying Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory Because 1 Cor. 15. 56. though death in it self be full of anguish and is the destruction of nature yet if thou art in Christ and knowest Christ is thine the cup is sweetned with good ingredients For thou art sure of two things 1. Thou art sure to die comfortably ordinarily and not fearing but longing for death we know saith Paul when this our tabernacle is broken we have a house not made 2 Cor. 5. 1 2 3. with hands eternall in the heavens wherfore we sigh and grone to be clothed with our house which is in heaven When I walk through the the valy of the shadow of death saith David I will feare no evil for thou art with me and thy rod and staff comforteth me Psal 23. 4. Luke 2 29 Phil. 1. And Simeon Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eâ—es have seene thy Salvation Yea somtimes before they go into heaven they are rapt up into the third heaven with joy as Paul was in his rapture 2 Cor. 12. though in another manner Some have professed they never felt such joy in all their lives as at the hour of their death Paula that noble Lady when one did read to her Cant. â— 11. The winter is past and the singing of Birds is come yes she replyed the singing of birds is come and so she went singing into heaven another being as they thought in a swound a little before her end they cryed give her some Rosa Solis but she put it back saying I have Rosa Solis you know not off Ambrose said to his friends about him when he died I have not so lived that I am ashamed to live nor yet feare I death because I have a good Lord. Glover from whom God did hide his face long before yet when he was going to the stake said to his frind Austen he is come he is come But you will say Object do such alwayes die comfortably I answer Answ Not alwayes but ordinarily for sometimes God hides his face from his own at death as a just punishment for their want of close walking with God in the time of their prosperity c. and besides we know death is fearfull in its best lookes called the King of feares as is a lion though his teeth and claws be beaten out or as the Hauk to the Partridge who trembles at the very fight of her scattered feathers or like a serpents skin that is formidable though stuft with straw The vertuous Lady Jane when she covered her eyes with her handkerchief and was to ly down on the block to receive the stroake of death she cryed out O what shall I do where is it where is it she was filled so full of feare though her faith failed not yea Christ himselfe feared death with a naturall holy feare Yet I say thou art sure at the least to be freed from despairing feare and to be able John 13. 13. to say with Iob Though he kill me I will trust in him as our blessed Saviour on the crosse stil called the Lord his God when he felt no comfort from God my God my God why hast thou forsaken me And the reason is because Christ hath
Yet ever remember the more sin is mortified the more faith is vivified the more the disease weakens the more health strengthens Doubt 7 Yea but I have relapsed into my old sins that I have vowed and covenanted against a thousand times and therefore I am but a dog that have returned to my former vomit or as a sow that was washed I have returned to my former mire I answer there are relapses into enormities which are peccata vastantia conscientiam these a godly heart doth seldome relapse into though sometimes through weaknesse of grace they may as Peter and others Secondly there are relapses into infirmities which are peccata quotidianae incursionis which we cannot help and God hath left daily to humble us with all and of which none are free as rash anger idle words vaine thoughts distraction in prayer c. And these the best do daily relapse into for originall sin doth still retaine its inclination to sin in the most sanctified heart Rom. 7. 23. Col. 3. 4. 5. Again there are relapses of wilfulnesse Ier. 31. 18. 19. 20. and of weaknesse now thy relapses are of weaknesse and not of wilfulnesse thy heart still is on Gods side there is a great difference between a woman forced and an alluring adulteresse between our entertainment we show to a friend whom we rejoyce to see and bid welcome c. and to a thief that breakes into our house of whose company we are weary and long to be rid of He is not a swine that is driven into the mire but he that delights to wallow in the mire Now if thy relapses are of weaknesse feare not for he will forgive us that so offend not seventy times 7 times but seventy thousand times every day as long as we live we must pray Lord forgive us our trespasses neither do future sins repeal former pardons Peccata semel remissa nunquam redeunt Neither can a child of God so sin as some think as to be in the stata of damnation by them no not for an houre And because it is an assertion that hath much troubled many I shall be larger in setting downe the arguments some make gainst it with the answer to their objections Object Some affirme that grosse sins of beleevers are not pardoned no not in heaven till they do actually repent of them that they cannot say My God and my Christ c. but do incurre an actuall guilt of eternall damnation redundant upon the person at least pro tempore so as if David should have died before his actuall repentance c. he should have been damned It s answered the sins of beleevers are not only actually pardoned in heaven after actual repentance but before any subsequent act of repentance even at once in the first act of Beleeving and Repenting So as if David and Peter had died one in the act of his adultery and the other in the act of his denyal of Christ yet they had been saved though as they say they cannot conceive a regenerate person can commit a known actual sin without some present act of repentance some resistance of spirit cald displicentia vel renisus voluntatis Cum peccant ea tantum parte qua non sunt regeniti peccant secundum vero interiorem partem nolunt detestantur peccatum ergo non plena voluntate peccant Zanch. Epist 91. p. 114. And to this agrees that in Gal. 5. 17. 1 John 3. 9. Rom. 7. 13. 24. But that he stands a condemned man till solemn acts of repentance as confession petition c. they deny 1. Because in the first act of beleeving our sinnes are so pardoned as there is no place or time after left for condemnation he that believeth hath everlasting life John 3. ult and cap. 5. 23. but if at any time any one sin were not pardoned he were for that time under the curse in the state of condemnation Gal. 3. 10. but can a man have right to heaven and hell at the same time 2. Because still he is regenerated 1 Iohn 3. 9. the seed of God remaineth in him but he that is in the state of regeneration cannot be in a state of condemnation at the same time 3. Still hee remains a beleever and a penitent person in habit at least except by his fall he hath lost all grace as the Arminians hold but a beleever is still a justified person Rom. 5. 1. they say they cannot see how that man can be properly said to be justified though he be acquitted of a thousand offences if he stands guilty of any one offence for which at that time he is in the state of condemnation except we will say a man may be in a state of Justification and condemnation of life and death at the same time 4. In the present act of his sinne he is united to Christ and a member of Christ but a member of Christ cannot be in the state of condemnation for then at the same time a member of Christ may be a member of the Devill 5. He is still an adopted child of God notwithstanding his fall John 1. 12. 13. but every adopted child is an heire of heaven if sonnes then heirs Rom. 8. therefore till he loseth his son-ship he cannot lose his right to life it would seem strange that God at the same time should be pater hostis reconciliatus infensus a father and an enemy 6. If greater sins are not forgiven till after actuall repentance then neither are the least and smallest sinnes committed every moment forgiven till after actuall repentance for all sinnes deserve condemnation as well the least as the greatest though some deserve a greater degree of torment Gal. 3. 10. Rom. 6. ult secondly there is the same way appointed by God for the pardon of the smallest sins as of the greatest viz. faith and repentance but it cannot be true of the smallest sins because then a beleever should never be justified a minute together for as for idle thoughts c. we are continually acting and so a beleever should almost every minute be in the state of death and then they see not but in ictu mortis he may perish except the last operation of his spirit be actuall repentance Yea if lesser sinnes peccata quotidianae incursionis need daily repentance surely that daily repentance is actuall repentance and then even those sins are not forgiven till actuall repentance 7. Then it is certain a beleever after his fall into some grosse sinnes shall live so long by Gods decree till he actually repents as the elect shall till they beleeve but they conceive this hath no warrant from scripture that a beleever shall not die in the act of a grosse sin as adultery selfe-murther bitter and malicious speeches when perhaps the provoked party may immediately run him through kill him yea this they say seems to judge too rigidly of those that die by selfe-murther as drowning hanging stabbing themselves
63. 1. And all this in expectation of what he should suffer when no hand touched him but his Pliny reports of a serpent that when it stings it fetcheth all the blood out of the body but it was never heard of any before that did sweat blood own thoughts of what he was to suffer like dry Roses that under a fire distill sweet water 2. No burthen on him or bodily labor but the burthen of his spirit and of our sins 3. In cold weather for they had a fire to warme them 4. All his whippings thornes nayles never fetchr a bloody sweat from him as his owne thoughts did 5. If the thoughts of his sufferings were so terrible what were his sufferings themselves 6. His mournfull speeches and wrastling prayers shewed in what a bittternesse of grief his soule was when he cryed out My soule is heavy to the death and prayed three times O my Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me O the burthen of a wounded conscience As in Spira groaning under sinne as Christ for sinne it is intollerable It is a fearfull thing to fâ—ll into the hands of the living God And sure our sinnes should draw some drops of teares from our eyes that fetcht so many drops of blood from our Saviours whole body * Heyward sanct 7. He was crucified in his apprehension when he was betrayed by Judas who sold our Saviour for thirty peeces of silver who yet bought us with his dearest blood who kissed him with his lips and Typified by the beasts that were bound with cords to the Altar sought to kill him in his heart And they bound him with cords to teach us that by nature we are bound with the cords of sin and deserve to be bound hand foot and cast into hel fire Act. 8. 23. Thou art in the bonds of iniquity 2. To loose us from the bonds of wickednesse Col. 1. 13. 3. To teach us that bonds and imprisonments Acts. 21. 13 await us in this life but Christ hath sweetned them with his bonds whose bonds were bonds of love as it was love to Dalilah made Sampson bound 8. He was arraigned at the barre before Pilate an earthly Judge that wee might not be arraigned as malefactors before God at the day of Judgement for John 5. 24. He that believeth shall not come into judgement Indeed he shall have judgement 1. of examination 2 of approbation 3. of Remuneration 4. But not of condemnation 9. Againe he was crucified in that he was spit upon the most contemptible act almost that can be especially because being bound he could not readily wipe it off but stood with their filthy spawlings upon his face Esay 50. 6. I hid not my face from shame and spitting 10. He was crucified in his mockings blindfolding him asking him who smote him making sport with him as the Philistines did with Sampson when his eyes were put out The Roman Emperours had five priviledges 1. A Crown of gold was set upon their heads 2. A Scepter put into their hands 3. Clothed with purple rayment 4. Spoken to on the knee 5. Salutations All these they did in scorne to Christ 1. They crowned him with thornes Matth 27. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sharp as a needle or sword able to peirce the hardest heele and then smote him on the head thereby driving in the thornes and making his head all bloody 2. They put a reed into his hand instead of a Scepter 3. They cloathed him with a purple garment 4. They bowed their knees in scorn 5. They saluted him with haile King of the Jewes A great crucfixion to a noble spirit to be thus mocked But all this was for our exaltation for 1. he was crowned with thornes that we might be crowned with a crowne of glory Doe men gather grapes of thornes yet the bloud of Christs thornes was the bloud of our grapes 2. He had a reed in his hand to teach us to him it belongs to sway the Scepter Esay 6. 9 And perhaps to testifie that he will not break the bruised reed 3. He was cloathed with a purple robe that he might cloath up with the Isa 1. 16. purple robe of glory and purge us from our purple sinnes If your sinnes were as scarlet I will make them white as snow 4. They bowed the knee to teach us that every knee should bow and yeeld subjection to him Phil. 2. 10. 5. They saluted him as King to teach us he is the onely King of his Church 11. He was crucified in his scourgings being a shamefull punishment fit for dogges slaves and vassals A strange sight Matth. 27. 28. Isa 19. 1. to see a King scourged especially by his vassals A punishment they threatned Nero to scourge him to death adjudging him rather a beast then a man what is it to see the God of heaven stript naked and scourged before the multitude And as it was shamefull so it was very painfull because he was in his enemies hands which its likely would show him no mercy that sought his life Hierom saith six were appointed two to beat him with rods till they were weary and two with cords till they were weary and two with wires till they were weary Indeed sometimes they did not onely virgis caedere but whipt them with plummets of lead or sharp bones at the end of the cords which tare off the flesh to the bone called chastising with Scorpions If the Jewes scourged him it is likely he received forty stripes save one but it is probable that as he was sencenced by the Roman Judge so he was scourged after the Roman manner by Roman souldiers more cruelly who usually have not the lightest hands nor softest hearts certainly till the bloud issued out abundantly The ploughers ploughed on my backe they made long furrowes Psal 129. 3. Yea the very bones appeared Psal 22. 17. I may tell all my bones And so great was this punishment that Pilate himselfe thought it would have moved compassion from his enemies hearts and therefore he brought him before them saying Beâ—old the man Per vulnera patent Christi viscera Beâ—il Corpus loris verberatum ad corpus nostrum glorificandum Bern. Oh the love of Christ Christ might say as Zipporah said to Moses Sponsa sanguinum es mihi A bloudy Spouse thou art to me But this was that by his stripes we might be healed and freed both from the rods and lashes of a wounded conscience and from the Scorpions of eternall torments And to tel us afflictions and scourges in this life are like to be our portion Christ bids us every day to take up a Crosse and tels us all God loves he Luk. 9 23. Rev. 3. 19 chastens â—astigat quos amat etiamsi non amat castigare He chastens all he loves though he loves not to chasten God had one Son sine flagitio but hath no son sine flagello Heb. 12. he had
knowledge of the creatures by naturall instinct yea and of God too but had not the least scintillas of the knowledge of Christ Plato by light of nature wrote of God the Creator but could not write a word of Christ the Redeemer and the reason is because wee may see something of God a Creator in the Creature but all the frame of heaven and earth could not bring the least knowledge of Christ a Redeemer But this knowledge came by speciall revelation immediately from God e 1 Col. 1. 26. and therefore is especially to be inquired after 1 Cor. 2. 7. We speake the mystery of God even the hidden wisdome which God ordained before the world to our glory Secondly Reas 2 the knowledge of Christ is the most excellent knowledge because the excellency of all other knowledge is included super-eminently in the knowledge of Christ as the brightnesse and beauty of all the Starres appeare in the Sunne And this appeares in these five respects 1. The excellency of the knowledge of God appeares in the knowledge of Christ 2. The sweetnesse of the word consists in the revelation of Christ 3. The knowledge of all the workes of God are not so excellent as the knowledge of Christ 4. The excellency of man is that he knoweth Christ 5. The excellency of the workes of man are that they proceed from man indued with the knowledge of Christ First I say the sweetnesse and excellency of the knowledge of God himselfe appeares in the knowledge of Christ The light of the knowledge of the glory of God shines in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 6. And this appeares in three particulars 1. In regard of his person for he is the image of the invisible God the print of 1 Col. 1 15 the face of God is seen in him even the wisdome holinesse goodnesse mercy c. and all the attributes of God did shine in his sonne in a super-eminent manner and that in carne visibili in visible flesh even as the Moone resembles the Sun or as some times the child is the very picture of the Father So that Christ might truly say he that hath seen the sonne hath seen the father because he hath seen the attributes of the father shining in the sonne And hence he is stiled the brightnesse or luster Heb. 1. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his fathers glory and the Character or expresse image of his person g Secondly in regard of the worke of Redempt ion wh in all the attributes of God shine forth more gloriously then ever they would have done if Christ had not redeemed us As the glory of his wisdom to find out such a way to save man by uniting God and man together Rom. 11. 33 which the wit of men and Angels Psa 85. 10. could never have found out The glory of his holinesse and justice against sin that rather then sin shall not go unpunished his owne sonne shall be punished The glory of his mercy goodnesse and Ioh. 3. 16 love that rather then man shall dye his own sonne shall suffer for us he shall dye that we may live he shall be crucified that we may be glorified The glory of his power that he is able to bring life out of death to fetch hony out of the Lions Carkasse and to support mans nature to beare such infinite wrath And hence it is when Christ was borne that the Angels came out of heaven singing and rejoycing saying Now Glory to God on Luke 2. 14 high As if God had never the like glory revealed before no not in the work of the whole CreatioÌ„ certainly if we had stood in innocency we could never have conceived God so just and severe against sin so merciful and loving to let his own son suffer to shew mercy to us c. as now we see he is in our redemption by Iesus Christ 3. But thirdly and especially the sweetnesse of the knowledge of God appeares in the knowledge of Christ in relation to us Because to know God without Christ is to know him our enemy a revenging God a consuming fire which makes us feare and tremble to thinke of God As it is with the Divels and was with Adam after his fall he ran from God as his greatest enemy But to know God in the face of Jesus Christ is sweet and comfortable This is life eternall to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent And the reason is because now we know God to be our God our mercifull loving gracious and reconciled father which is in heaven that now we can with open face and not like Trayrors with our faces covered behold the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. As Moses could with delight see God passe by in all his Royalty and glory when he was hid in the Rock so Gods attributes shining out of the Rock Christ Jesus are sweet and lovely to us that Rock was Christ For now if I know God to be a wise God that knowes all things that are done on earth the greater is my comfort for then he is the more able to know what I want and to take care of me Is he a holy God The better for me because then he is the more able to sanctify me a Ioh. 1. 16. Is he a just God The better for me for then he must needs pardon me seeing Christ his own sonne hath dyed for me Rom. 8. 33. Is he very mercifull Then he will spare me and take pity upon me b Mal. 3. 17. Psa 130. 34. Psal 103. Is he loving and amiable in his disposition Then he will take pleasure and delight in me Is he strong mighty and powerfull then he is the more able to defend me from my greatest and strongest enemies Rom. 8. 31. Is he a rich God that hath all things in heaven and earth the better for me for then he is the more able to provide for me what ever I stand in need of because God is my God reconciled to me and all that is in God is for me But on the contrary out of Christ the thoughts of God are terrible to us we look upon him as our greatest enemy As the Devils that look upon God out of Christ they beleeve tremble Or as a slâ—ve that looks upon his cruell master or as a foule felon upon a severe Iudge I knew said the evill servant thou wast an hard man And the reason is because all the attributes of God are now against him All this is against me saith Iacob c Gen. 42. 36. Is he a wise God the worse for me for then he is more able to find out my sins and knowes all the wickednesse my heart is privy to d Jer. 17. 9 Is he holy then he must needs hate me that am so filthy e Hab. 1. 13 Is he just the worse for me for then he must needs punish me and
but they have been stung with a thousand Bees For so God hath told us before hand though we have golden dreames of framing a Paradise of pleasures to our selves here yet we shal find the gates of Paradise shut on earth open onely in heaven Our Paradise is now become a Bochim a place of Lamentation for so he hath decreed Cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life Thornes and h Gen. 3. 18 19. thistles shall it bring forth unto thee But will Christ feed us with vanities vexations With earth and ashes No no he will feede us with the dainties of heaven and will open unto us the treasures and Iewels that are found in the richest Cabinet of God himselfe Eph. 1. 3. He will give us Grace and glory and no good thing will he withold from us if we walke uprightly Psal 84. ult First He will give us the grace of justification Col. 2. 13. a pardon for all our sins and deliverance from hell and death Rom. 8. 1. Reve. 20. 6. He will say to us as to the Palsy man be of good cheare thy sinnes are forgiven thee Matthew 9. verse 2. and as to weeping Mary Woman thy sinnes are forgiven thee Luke 7. And this alone is a greater blessing then all the riches in the world Blessed is that man whose iniquities are forgiven Psal 32. 2. He will give us the grace of acceptation we shall be looked upon and accepted as righteous as Christ himselfe was for us for as he is so are wee in this world 1. Ioh. 4. 17. i 2 Cor. 5. ult 1 Cor. 1 ult 3. He will give us The grace of sanctification Not onely pulling off our chaines of darknesse the devils fetters k Col. 1. 13 but also decking us with the Jewels of holinesse the Angels glory by clothing our soules with divine inclinations to be made partakers of the divine nature â—Ezek 16. 12. Ioh. 1. 16 and our hearts to be made after Gods own heart 4. The grace of Adoption of vassals and children of the divell to be the spouse the members of Christ nay the sonnes of God m Ioh. 1. 12 which perhaps is that new name spoken of Reve. 2. 17. Now behold what love the father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sonnes of God! n 1 Ioh 3. 1. thereby intimating that he beares to us the affection and protection of a father to his children 5. He will give us the grace of reconciliation whereby God is as good friends with us through Christ as if we had never offended him Col. 1. 21. 6. The grace of Cooperation for we are able to doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth us Phil. 4. 13. John 15. 44. 7. The grace of corroboration for his grace shall be sufficient for us that no sin shall have dominion over us Rom. 6. 14. 2 Cor. 12. 9. 8. The grace of coagulation enabling us to grow in grace till we come to the measure of Grace that God hath appointed us to come unto Eph. 2. 21. 9. The grace of preservation to continue to the end 1 Pet. 1. 5. we are kept by his power through faith unto salvation our life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. so as Nothing shall ever separate us from his love for who can pluck us out of the hand of God and of Christ Joh. 10. 28. Rom. 8. ult 10. The grace of consolation for he will send the holy Ghost not onely the sanctifyer but the comforter to cheare our hearts as he promised us Joh. 15. 26. which exceeds all other joy and comforts being unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet 1. 8. 11. Lastly he will give us the grace and gift of glorification if we know Christ is ours then we know heaven is ours and all the pleasures that are in it That that day we dye we shall be with Christ in Paradise for the same glory thou hast given me I have given them saith our Saviour Joh. 17. 24. and we shall sit together with him in heavenly places Eph. 2. 6. Other knowledge may bring pleasure and content but no other knowledge can bring salvation but onely the knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified can the sonne of Ishai give you orchards and Gardens c. said Saâ—l and can the knowledge of earthly things inrich you with these treasures 2. Secondly As Christ gives better things then the world hath so more satisfying These earthly things are cald empty pits because they are empty of content though there may be some good in them yet not the good we expect that is content Because nothing can give content but that that joynes God and the soule as friends together for which end it was created and without whom the soule can finde no content in all things else but flies up and down like a Bee from one flower to another from one comfort to another to get more sweetnesse but when once it enjoys God it saith I have enough as Jacob said I have enough my sonne Joseph is a live and then is as quiet as a Bee in her hive a bird in her neast a Beast in her den or the Dove in the Arke because God is alsufficient A Gen. 17. 1. Bee flyes from one flower to another because she wants hony enough in that flower but when she is put into a pot of hony then shee seekes no farther A thirsty man give him a glasse of water he is not satisfied for saith he this little water is not able to quench my great thirst but cary him to a river and then he saith he hath enougth Thirdly Christ gives more durable riches then the world hath Al other things have their time to leave us Hic acquiruntur hic amittuntur Here they are gotten and here they are lost The world is like the gardens in France or Italy where men may eat of the fruits of the garden what they please while they are in the Garden but can cary nothing out for then the Gardner searcheth and emptyeth their pockets even so when death comes she will empty our pockets that we can carry nothing with us out of the world Our time is a comming that we must bid a sad farewell to all things here farewell husband I shall never see thy face more farewell wife farewell children friends Riches have wings Honours are like a cristall glasse Quo magis splendescit citius frangitur And pleasures like bubbles of sope pleasant to see to but quickly blown out Luk 10. ult Rom. 8. ult riches honours and pleasures both sinfull and lawfull And perhaps if we be not the better provided we shall bid farwell God farwell Christ the joyes of heaven and eternall happinesse But Christ abideth ever If we know Christ ours we shall never bid farwell to Iesus Christ He is the good part that shall be never taken from us Then we may
say as Dives spake though brutishly Soule take thine ease and be merry for thou hast goods laid up for many yeares yea even to all eternity Eterna erit exaltatio que bono latatur aeterno That joy lasts for ever whose object remaines for ever 4. But fourthly and lastly Christ brings with him the blessings of this world also Matth. 6. 33. All these shall be cast upon you into the bargaine as a loafe to the dozen or a little handfull to the measure All things are yours if you be Christs for Christ comes not vacuis manibus empty 1 Cor. 3. 26 handed And this appeares in foure particulars 1. First we shall have certainty of provision We may say with David the Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want for God hath said it I will never leave thee nor for sake thee Psal 23. 1. Heb. 13. 5. Hath he given us Christ and will be not with him give us all things else Rom. 8. 32. What can God deny us that is good for us that hath not denyed to give his son for us Will a man give us the Garden and not the flowers The Land and not the trees and will God give us heaven and deny us earth Are not two Sparrowes sold for a farthing and yet your father provideth for them Wil God take care for Sparrowes and young Ravens c and not for thee O thou of little Faith Will a man take care to feed his cattle in the field horse in the Stable Swine in the Sty and not for his wife and children that sit at his own Table We are ready to say especially the poorer sort as Isaac said to Abraham Here is wood but where is the Sacrifice Here are mouths but where is the meat But let us answer our soules as Abraham did his son O my son God wil provide Or perhaps we will say as the Disciples said to Christ Here are a few loafes and two little fishes but alas what is that among so many And yet you know with the blessing of Christ it served them all The Prodigal could say if once I could get home into my fathers house there is bread enough When Hagar looked into her bottle and saw that empty she fell a weeping but when shee saw the fountaine or well of water then shee was satisfyed for then she knew she could fill her bottle againe So regard not so much though thy bottle be empty remember the Well is ful I have been young saith David and now am old yet I never saw the righteous forsaken nor their seed though begging their bread as Broughton reads it Psal 37. 15. Though perhaps we may want what we desire yet we shal never want what God sees best and fittest for us to do him service withal Alwayes the greatest estate is not fittest for us as a great shooe fits not a little foot nor a great saile a little ship nor a great ring a little finger which though it have more Gold in it yet a lesser were better and fitter for us Bellarmine in his Catechism hath an excellent expression supopse saith he a King having many children of severall ages should apparel them in cloth of gold Now he that is 16 yeers old hath more gold in his robe then the child that is but five or six yeere old yet the child would rather have his own garment then his elder brothers because saith he it is fitter for me So if thou hast that estate that is fittest for thee surely that is best for thee 2. Secondly As we shall have certainty of Provision so we shall have it with better right as comming to us not onely by providence but from the Covenant of Grace and streaming to us through the bloud of Christ Wicked men have a prâ—videntiall right as Creatures as appeares Acts 5. 4. Was it not thine own while it was with thee But the Saints receive them as the Spouse and members of Christ who is heyre of all Now a man were better have courser fare weare meaner cloathes c. when they are paid for then richer and be in the books and his cloathes not paid for 3. Thirdly we shall have our blessings Deut. 28. blessed and sweetned with our Fathers love which doubles their sweetnes like as sweet water sprinkled upon sweet flowers makes every flower smel the sweeter or as wine sweetned with sugar makes it more pleasant Whereas all out of Christ have them with our fathers curse Mal. 2. I will curse their blessings yea I have cursed them already So Rom 11. 9. Let their table be their snare a trap and a stumbling block c. And so they become like sweet flowers poysoned the sweeter the more dangerous Hence wicked men out of Christ may injoy all good and yet injoy no good at all Nay the more they abound in blessings the more their curses abound Suppose a Father should give a small portion to his child but withal saith Son take this portion it s but little but thou hast it with my love and I pray God blesse it to thee And to another he gives a greater portion or perhaps he puls it from him as the Prodigall did from his father but withall saith Take it and choak with it let it be accursed to thee Now there is great difference between a gift received with our fathers blessing and with his Curse God give me a little with my fathers blessing rather then a great deale with my fathers Curse better is a little with the feare of the Lord then greatreasures and trouble therewith saith Solomon Prov. 15. 16. 4. Fourthly and lastly These are given in hand as pledges of our future hopes Take these for present but greater things are laid up for thee hereafter Psal 31. 19 How great are the things thou hast laid up for them that fear thee He that knowes Christ to be his may say I have these and heaven too I have these and Christ too these are not my portion that is to come But these are the wicked mans portion Psal 17. 14. They have their portion in this life there is all they must expect no more they may say I have house and land riches honours and pleasures but I have no part in Christ or Heaven with Dives I am merry now but to night I may be in hell with him Now what joy hath a condemned man in the society of all his friends in daintiest fare in all delights and pleasures whiles he wanteth his pardon every houre expecting execution CHAP. XI That the knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified is the most comfortable knowledge 3. NOw followeth the third and last reason why we ought to study to know Jesus Christ and him crucified Because it is the most comfortable knowledge in the world In other things He that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow But the more a man knowes of Christ and his part in him the greater is his joy A poor godly man
promised that neither life nor death shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ our Lord Rom. 8. ult 2. And secondly If thou knowest Christ to be thine thou art sure to dye a blessed death Reve. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord. c. because that day and houre thou diest that day thou art sure thy soule shall be with Christ in paradise for to all that know Christ savingly death is but the harbenger to bring their Cyprian soules to Christ Ejus est timere mortem qui ad Christum nolit ire saith a father let him fear death that is loth to go to Christ do not thou feare that desirest to be dissolved and to be with Christ Death to thee is but as thy fathers horse to cary thee to thy fathers house or like Iosephs Chariot ratling with its wheeles ready to carry old Iacob to his son Ioseph so is death ready to carry thee to thy Saviour Iesus Alas our misery lies in our life morimur dum non morimur not in our death therein lies all our happynesse for we shall not die but live still onely we shall exchange the place of our living instead of Egypt to live in Canaan instead of earth to live in heaven Now are wee afraid to live No life is sweet then feare we not to die for that brings the sweetest and most happy life and will make an exchange of a life of misery for a life of glory Indeed to them that know not Christ O how bitter is death It must needes sting them like a serpent because they go from all their hapinesse to all their misery Death of it selfe is bitter but herein lies the sting and strength of death to all out of Christ in that it is entailed to eternall death they may say as once Elisha did 2 Kings 6. 32. Behold the murtherer death is come to take away mine head And is not the sound of his Masters feet even of the divel and hell behind him mori non metuo said one sed damnari metuo I feare not to die but I feare to be damned When Saul was told by Samuel as he took him to be to morrow thou shalt be with me therefore what else but in heaven yet the newes pleased him not his conscience preached otherwise to him but Saul fell all along on the earth and was sore afraid and there was no strength in him 1 Sam. 28. 20. so Belshazzar did read the hand writing before Daniel read it and trembled for his conscience told him there could come no good newes from heaven to such a wretch as he was And verily herein lyes the sad condition of all men that know not Iesus Christ savingly That though they may make themselves merry and be pleasant in their lives yet death makes them miserable they shall lye down in sorrow Esa 50. 11. And though now Christ seemes like a roote out of a dry ground having nothing in him why they should desire him Esa 53. 2. for though he hath made rich promises yet not of such things as they care or desire to be rich in and with such hard conditions too as seem unreasonable even the parting with their dearest lusts yet at death what would men give for assurance that Christ were theirs Would they not prefer this knowledge before all earthly blessings As Severus said if I had a thousand worlds I would now give them all to be found in Christ As crock-back Richard the third in his distresse cryed a Kingdome for a hors O then they will cry a Kingdome for a Saviour CHAP. XII A Reproofe of those that know nothing of Iesus Christ Vse 1 IF this be so that we ought to study to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified then they are justly to be reproved that know nothing of Iesus Christ and him crucified There are five sorts of them who know nothing or very little of Iesus Christ and him crucified First the heathens who are the greatest part of the world and of whom there are milions of milions at this day who want the meanes of knowledge and can never attaine salvation for if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that perish 2 Cor. 4. 3. And they are without hope Eph. 2. 12. Qui cuiquam salutem promittit sine Christo nescio utrum ipse salutem habere potest in Christo Aug. Acts 17. 31 Ir is true some conceive it is a sinne in Heathens to want habituall knowledge of Christ because it was in Adam in innocency and it had beene his duty so to have acted if God had commanded him as now he doth command all men Therefore habituall knowledge of Christ seems still to be required even of heathens Yea and actuall applicatory knowledge of all to whom Christ is revealed because the want is their sinne for which they shall be damned John 16. 9. Mark 16. 16. But where the Gospel is not revealed as among the Heathens there it seemes not a sinne for we are not bound to act that which God never revealed to Adam nor since There is Lex interna id est internus Deiconceptus and externa or revelata Now Gods secret will is not our Law but his will revealed Leges factae instituuntur cum promulgantur Rayner Panth. Some indeed think the moralized heathens that walked by the light of nature were saved as Chrys Clemens Alexand. Erasmus Casauhon and others but Christ tels us the contrary Act. 4. 12. Though in comparison of us that have the meanes they are said to have no sin Ioh. 15. 22. I grant whether it be a sin or no in the Heathens not to know Christ to whom he was never revealed is a question But of this I am sure if their negative infidelity be no sin being ignorantia privationis or negativa yet their positive fidelity is odious in that they trust to dumb Idols to the stock of a tree c. when as the light of nature tels them that they themselves are better then that they trust in by whichlight of nature they shall be judged Rom. 2. 12. yea light of nature tels them a living creature is better then the picture as a lamb in the field or a bird flying in the aire c. are better then a picture of them And yet saith one si accepto spiritu occurrerent ut monstra haberentur 2. The Turks that acknowledge God a father yet deny Christ a Redeemer though they heare of Christ yet despise him reject abuse him and his members and prefer their Mahomet before him whose sin is greater because their own religion is so absurd fleshly and filthy and his rewards all fleshly fitter for swine then men 3. The poore scatter'ed Iewes of whom and for whom Christ especially came to them still Christ is a mystery they acknowledge Moses law and the Prophets but reject Christ as an impostor looke for a saviour to come
been too strong for thee I doubt Doubt 3 because I doubt I have so many temptations that I nothing but doubt though I know the word is true and I cannot object against it But God hath said being justified by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5. 1. I answer there is a twofold doubting either from want of faith which is not properly doubting but totall infidelity and distrust or secondly from weaknesse of faith when it assents to the promises yet is joyned with suspicions and feares Now these may stand with faith as the poor man that wept saying Lord I beleeve help my unbelief a Mark 9. 24. for the root of infidelity within us will oppose faith b 1 Thes 3. 10. Heb. 3. 12 1 Pet 5. 8. and neither is it our case alone though we are ready to say no body hath so many temptations as we have c. but of all Gods people Simon Satan c Luk. 22 31. hath desired to winâ—ow thee as wheat c. But I have prayed that thy faith shall not faile thee 2. Secondly I answer Paul saith indeed we have peace with God and so we have for God is at peace with us though we do not alwayes discerne it as the root remaines sometimes when the flower is gathered But he doth not say we have peace with the world with the divel with our lusts c. for the world will now hate us that loved us before and the divel will tempt and assault us bitterly that seemed quiet before and our own sinfull lusts will now wound vex and trouble us that we regarded not before and God will ost afflict us more then he did before Fourthly Doubt 4 I doubt because I cannot act faith my faith failes me I cannot rest my soule upon Christ I answer we must distinguish between the habit and the act of faith the habit or grace of faith that is the inward principle or quality of faith infused by the holy-Ghost this never failes but is an abiding quality now abideth faith hope charity c. 1 Cor. 13. But the act of faith may cease for a time and doth in the best sometimes especially in time of temptation as it was in Abraham when he said of his wife she is my sister in David who said I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul and in Peter when he denied Christ and forswore him A man may have a hand yet somtimes through distemper not be able to put it forth yet God hath promised Though we believe not that is sometimes are not able to act faith yet God is faithfull be cannot deny himselfe 2 Tim. 2. 13. Fifthly Doubt 5 I doubt because I want assurance comfort when some rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious they have tasted hidden Manna and have gotten the white 1 Pet. 1. 8. stone and the new name which no man knowes but they that have received them and are filled with peace that passeth all understanding 1. I answer first comfort is not the standing dish of a Christian in this life as we make not a meale of sweet meats but they are as a second course to close up the stomack your conduit pipes do not runne sweet water all the yeere but at a Kings Coronation or at some day of speciall solemnization we give Cordials onely when men are sick Our Lord Christ after his resurrection appeared indeed to his Disciples but hee was quickly gone it was but a sight and away as Latimer said of the spirit it is going and coming comfort is reserved for Heaven and we have but a taste on earth to teach us to walk by faith and not by sight and to teach us to expect our life of comfort in Heaven and not on earth 2. Comfort is not of the essence of faith but a degree of glory Christ himselfe wanted comfort when he cried out 2 Cor. 5. 7. Iohn 20. â—9 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me but he wanted not faith but he still called him his Lord his God So David when he prayed to God to restore to him the joyes of his salvation had no joy nay instead of it he roared all day Psal 32. So Iob Heman and others and yet their faith failed not Now we are not to believe so long as comfort lasts but so long as the promises last which are better then comfort without them if we have not the shining of his countenance let us be glad of the shining of his graces if we have not the sun-light of his spirit let us be glad of the star-light of the fruits of his spirit if we have not the Holy-Ghost the comforter let us be glad of the Holy Ghost the humbler sanctifier c. He that makes joy and comfort the ground of his faith to rest upon rests upon an inconstant object and will be tossed up and down daily with continuall feares let us bring our feeling down to our faith and not our faith to our feeling he that will not beleeve God in his promises would hardly beleeve if he had comfort from him how shall we prove our comfort but by the promises 3. That is the strongest faith that can believe without comfort yea when God frownes upon us as Iob did though he kill me yet will I trust in him Every body can say the sunne shines when we see the light and feel the heat as Christ said to Thomas thou wilt not believe except thou seest but blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed as David did Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me still trust in God c. and Isa 50. 10. he that feareth the Lord though he walks in darkenesse and seeth no light yet let him stay himselfe in the Lord and trust in his God Sixthly Doubt 6 I doubt because I have strong lusts still remaining when as you know faith purifieth the heart a Hab. 3. 17. and if any be in Christ he is a new creature old things are past away and all things are become new b 2 Cor. 5. 17. and they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the lusts thereof c Gal. 5. 17. But I am the old man I find the old inclination to old sinnes c. I answer Christ and sin cherished allowed d Psal 66. 18. 1 Iohn 3. 9. cannot stand together but Christ and â—in mourned under may dwell together as in Paul that cryed out O wretched e Rom. 7. 24. ult man that I am who shall deliver me c. and in my mind I serve the Law of God but in my flesh the Law of sin For grace is seen as well in opposing as overcomming corruption because corruption would never dislike corruption The Lord lookes not so much what we are but what we would be neither doth he measure us so much by our actions as by our affections Caution
that no man can be saved without faith and repentance alwayes acting sometimes a man is not able to act faith yet I beleeve he is not then unjustified so nor yet is he able alwayes to act repentance yet notwithstanding he stands then justified before God and pardoned 4. Object A beleever by his relapse loseth not his right but fitnesse for heaven not â—us ad rem but jus in re as the Leper had right to his house but might not come at his house before he was clensed A subject outlawed is a subject still and hath right to the lawes but he cannot make use of that right till his outlaw be reversed They ans God appointed a leper legally unclean should be separated c. to typifie that no unclean unregenerate person should come into heaven but a beleever in Christ is by imputation washed sanctified Ioh. 13. 10 and never to be counted unclean And our fitnesse for heaven is not by our owne inherent righteousnesse but by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to us by faith Phil. 3. which is imputed to us so long as wee remain beleevers 2. If a beleever by any actuall sinne contracteth the guilt of eternall death he loseth not onely his fitnesse for heaven but his right to heaven for a time at least Rom. 6. ult Gal. 3. 10. neither can a beleever be in a condition with a subject outlawed and the contrary they conceive cannot be proved 5. Object Sin must be committed before it can be pardoned ubi non est culpa ibi non est remissio Answ It s answered so sin must first be coÌ„mitted before it can be punished either in our selves or in our surety yet Christ died for our sins before they were committed But God foresees all things to come as present or else it had been injustice in God to punish Christ without a fault committed or for faults not committed 6. Object A beleever may be excommunicated for grosse sins out of the Church and therefore till the Church receive him he is excommunicated out of heaven Answ It s answered that is he may be excommunicated out of the externall society of the visible Church but they cannot cast him out for having nothing to do with Christ and salvation if he be a beleever absque errante clave 2. All excommunication is usque ad fidei paenitentiae testimonia publica till he testifies his repentance yet the excommunicate must needs repent and have his sin pardoned by God before he can restifie it so as an excommunicated person before he be received into the Church may be pardoned by God and fit for heaven 2 Cor. 2. 5. 6. 7. Object What need we then feare sins or ask pardon for them if they be remitted in the first act of beleeving Ans It s answered there is a twofold forgivenesse In foro poli in foro soli 1. In foro dei in the Court of God 2. In foro conscientiae in the Court of conscience Now in Gods Court all sins past present and to come are actually pardoned at the very first act of beleeving and repenting But secondly in Court of conscience to have apprehension or comfort of pardon so they are not pardoned that is we shall have no comfort or assurance of the pardon of them till we actually repent of them which is called our renewing by repentance Heb. 6. as is seen in David Psal 32. and Psal 51. who till he confessed his sin and actually repented he roared all day and his moisture c. and he had no comfortable assurance that his sin was pardoned till then Nor Peter till he wept bitterly Again a beleever prayes for pardon daily of his trespasses for two reasons 1. To have his faith strengthened in his pardon and to have more assurance of it for our faith at the best is weak and full of doubtings but especially after great fals which blot our evidence that we cannot well read it and hide Gods countenance from us as clouds hide the shining of the sunne 2. We contract though not an eternall yet a temporall guilt by actuall sins and are liable to temporall corrections though not eternall damnation not by way of satisfaction but of castigation For Christ which hath pardoned the punishment will not alwayes pardon the temporall chastisement but will often visit us with sorer and more grievous afflictions in this life then he doth wicked men 8. Object If you object that the qualifications required for pardon are confession of sin 1 Iohn 1. 9. Repentance Act. 3. 19. c. Ans It s answered in an unbeleever it is requisite there be actuall faith and repentance before he be actually pardoned in heaven or in his conscience But he that is a beleever and hath received Christ by actuall faith and repentance Subsequent repentance is required to evidence his pardon to his conscience but not to procure a new pardon in heaven before God which is done in one act as they affirme 2. As before was expressed they cannot conceive how a child of God can commit an actuall sin without some degree of actuall repentance in the very act of sin and therefore if actuall repentance were necessary before they can be pardoned yet why is a subsequent more solemne actuall repentance required absolutely necessary to pardon beside the present act of repentance in the act of his sin 3. If faith goes before repentance as many affirme then a man is actually pardoned before he doth actually repent because by faith we are justified which is only testified by our repentance 9. Object Then David c. might joy in God whilst he lay in his sin c. Ans It s answered there is no condition a beleever can be in but he hath cause to rejoyce in God Hab. 3. 17. Phil. 4. 4. rejoyce in the Lord alwayes c. yea as in his God his Christ c. though he cannot alwayes do it yet he hath cause also at the same time of great sorrow bitternesse and griefe that he should offend his God so gracious to him and provoke God to punish him and bring scandall to religion c. Even Paul when he mourned under his sin Rom. 7. 24. yet rejoyced in Christ verse 25. Secondly if he dorepent without some precedent or concomitant act of faith is it not the repentance of an unbeleever and so not acceptable to procure pardon c. 10. Object I will forgive their iniquities Ier. 31. saith God ergo they were not pardoned before It s answered though they were pardoned before yet they are not pardoned to our consciences till we actually repent nor is the temporall correction remitted So then they conclude grosse sins of Beleevers cannot as they conceive be committed without some present act of repentance and the habit both of faith and repentance still remaining though not alwayes acting they are not for a moment in a state of condemnation but are only liable to temporall punishments And
Those that honour me I wil honour even here so farre as he sees good for us and in heaven eternally But on the contrary God will staine the pride of all glory Es 23. 9. and turn our glory into shame Prov. 25. 27. As to eat too much honey is not good because it turns into gall and bitternes so for a man to seek his own glory is not glory why because God turnes it into shame and infamy In the last place we must preach 9 Exemplarily Christ examplarily In holy conversation thas life and doctrine goe together and do not crosse each other Be thou an axample to the flock saith Peter 1 Pet. 5. 3. We must say as Gideon to his souldiers Iudg. 7. 17. look on me and do likewise We must not bind hâ—avy burthens upon other mens backs and we our selves not touch them with one of our fingers as did the Pharisees The Priests had on their breast-plates Vrim and Thummim because they were not only to give light of direction by teaching but also to be a patterne of perfection in their practice They had also upon the fringe of their garments bels and pomegranates typifying their sounding doctrine and their fruitfull life but if there be nothing but bels and no pomegranates they may make a noise but it will be like sounding brasse and tinkling cymbals And the disciples when the Holy Ghost came upon them had cloven tongues as it were fingers on their tongues to teach them their words should be their works It was the mark of a bad man but it is the note of a good minister to speak with his feet and teach with his fingers Prov. 6. 13. He must be tota vox not vox praeterea nihil Let the people say As we have heard so we have seen The people should see the preachers voice acted in his conversation Like the Angels that had wings and hands under their wings Ezek 1. 8. 1. Ministers are called Angels because perhaps we should be as Angels in our lives in comparison of other men but if Angels fall they turn divels We are cald starres which are the ornaments of the heavens because we should be the ornaments of the Church but if we be spotted and blemished with sinfull lives we are not the starres but stains and blemishes of the Church O then let our care be to be holy as Angels are holy yea as God is holy in all manner of conversation walking with God in our closets in our families in our words and speeches not given to foolish talking and unseemly jeasting but sober and gracious our lips dropping as an honey combe forgetfull of injuries slow to anger patient in afflictions ready to do good to all but harmefull to none and a companion of them that feare the Lord. We areas a city set upon a hill our conversation is narrowly looked into a little spot is soon seen a little hole soon spied in our coat yea if there be none they will make one if they can As Plutarch observs The least blemish in the face be it but a wart is more perspicuous then deformed scars in the rest of the body for a scarr in the body may be covered with garments but a mole in the face is apparent to all Therefore let our light so shine that men Matth. 5. 16. may see our good works and glorifie our father which is in heaven 2. We are called to draw neer unto God and be with God as it were in the mount as Moses was therefore we had need be holy I will be sanctified of them Medius inter deum populum debet esse similimus Rain Panth. Levit. 21. Zach. 3. 4. that comâ— neare me Levit. 10. 3. it was written upon Aarons forehead when he stood before the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holinesse to the Lord and no man that had any blemish could be made a Priest When Iohoshua the high priest stood before the Lord he was then commanded to put off his filthy garments Unclean hands are unfit to carry Gods ark Alas who are we to speak to God and live much lesse to speak from God to the people that they may live When God appeared in his holinesse wo is me said Isaiah I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the king the Lord of hosts Es 6. 5. 7. He was afraid to look upon God till God sent an Angel to him that said Thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin is purged How holy had they need be that draw neer to so holy a God who can dwell with everlasting burnings Es 33. 14. that is have coÌ„munion with the holy God Surely none other but he that walketh righteously as verse 15. Hence the Priest in the old law was not to go up by steps unto the altar least his nakednesse should have been discovered thereon Exod. 20. ult and they were appointed linnen breeches from the loynes to the thighs for the same end typifying Exod. 28. 42. 43. how holy we ought to be that draw near unto God that no filthy nakednesse do appeare 3. Then indeed we preach with authority Id â—um imperio dicitur quod priâ—s agitur quà m dicitur Suadet loquentis vua Non oratio when we practise that our selves which we preach to others As our blessed Saviour taught with authority not as the Scribes because he did and taught Act. 1. 1. he taught by example as well as precept Learne of me saith our Lord Christ that I am meek and lowly So Ioh. 13. 15. when he washt his disciples feet I have given you saith he an example that you should do as I have done unto you c. Then is there life in our doctrine when there is doctrine in our life and likely that that comes from the heart goes to the heart and ordinarily affects more then all studied phrases and Rhetoricall flourishes Why did Herod reverence Iohn-Baptist but because he was a just Matth. 6. 20. man and holy in his conversation For holinesse is venerable Godlines with power is full of majesty This made wicked Saul so reverence the Prophet Samuel he was afraid of him And Ahab Elias And Ioash Iehoiada Yea a child or poor man-servant or maid-servant in a family have a throne set up in the heart of a wicked master father c. But on the contrary our words have little power with the people when our lives are contrary as the Scribes and Pharisees taught with little authority because they said but did not Words Dicta factis deficientibus erubescunt Quid verba audiam facta non video blush where deeds faile Physitian heale thy selfe Thou that sayest a man should not steal dost thou steal saith the Apostle Rom. 2. Suppose a man should smite another with a wounded arme alas he would smite but faintly because while he smites another he bleeds himselfe Mr. Dyke on Philem. tels a