endanger vs yet occasionally in regard of our weaknesse and corruption they may endanger vs We may in our weaknes abuse them or mistake their seruice or put our trust in them and so indanger our selues greatly by them I will giue you a plaine instance in the holy Apostle S. Iohn Reuel 19.10 and Reuel 22.8 he was a true beleeuer yet in his weaknesse by occasion of a good Angell he was in danger to commit a vile and most fearefull sinne the very sinne of Idolatry and that not once but twise and that though he were reproued for it A grieuous sinne but the Angell he hinders him See thou doe it not saith he worship not mee worship God In which we may obserue two things that doe effectually concerne the poynt in hand first that true beleeuers may through their corruption and weakenesse be indangered in the estate of grace by the good Angels yet secondly that God will neuer suffer them to be ouercome and swallowed vp of this it shall neuer preuaile vtterly to separate them from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And so now the Doctrine being thus cleared wee come to the proofes Proofes which are these Mat. 18.10 See that ye despise not one of these little ones for I say vnto you that in heauen their Angels alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in heauen These words are the words of our Sauiour and he ownes them by a speciall challenge I say vnto you I that know well what belongs to God and to Gods Angels and to Gods little ones I say vnto you despise not one of these little ones for in heauen their Angels alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in heauen The matter affirmed there is the continuall attendance of the Angels in the presence of God but the drift of the speech is to note the continuall care that the Angels of God haue ouer Gods weake children as appeares first by their title their Angels they are Gods Angels as he being their Lord and Master to whom they doe belong and they be our Angels as we being the children of that their Lord and Master and in respect of the care and charge that they are imployed in about vs. Secondly it appeares by the forme of the reason See saith our Sauiour you despise not one of Gods weake children see that you hurt them not for I say vnto you as who should say doe not despise them nor hurt them for if you doe surely their Angels will reuenge the wrong and hurt done to them Thirdly by the time alwayes this is not for a day nor a yeare but alwayes without ceasing put all these together and the Doctrine is here clearely proued that the Angels of God are ours they are for vs and not against vs they will be auenged on those that hurt vs and therefore will neuer hurt vs themselues and this is their care practise always they are euer imploide about our good and therefore they shall neuer separate vs from our greatest good of all from the loue of God in Christ Iesus Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes that shall be heires of saluation The Apostle speakes here generally of all good Angels Are they not all and doth not diuide them in office or nature but ioynes them in both they are all spirits by nature And what are they by office They are all ministring spirits and what ministry is it that they are imploied in sent forth c. God sends them forth from time to time to performe certaine offices about his children and his heires as a father makes his seruants to attend him that shall be his heire and they are sent forth to minister for their sakes that shall be heires of saluation They are most dutifull attendants on vs that are heires and they minister for our sakes that is for our good comfort and protection onely neuer for our hurt they know from God that wee are appointed to saluation and shall they at any time hinder vs of it They take notice of it that wee are heires to their Lord and Master and shall they being seruants goe about to hinder vs of the inheritance which their Lord and Master and our Father hath appointed to vs No surely they will not doe it but on the contrary they will helpe and further vs all they can thereunto Psal 91.11 12. Hee shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes c. God hath committed his children to the charge and custody of his Angels What to doe to keepe them not to destroy them and to keepe them in all their wayes they shall not faile them in any one passage of their life to beare vs vp in their hands neuer to suffer vs to fall vtterly frō God much lesse to cause vs so to fall that thou dash not thy foot against a stone They shall preserue vs from the harmes that our selues or others might do vnto vs therefore themselues shall neuer hurt vs in the least kind much lesse in the matter of grace and saluation A place so pregnant to prooue the infallible protection of Gods children by the Angels that the Diuell himselfe acknowledgeth it for a certaine truth and alleageth it for that purpose Math. 4.6 Lastly their practise makes this good by experience what good offices haue they done from time to time for Gods children preserued them from their enemies as Lot Gen. 19.10 deliuered them out of prison as Peter Acts 12. comforted them in their distresses Acts 27.23 24. freed them in their troubles as the Israelites Isay 65.9 shewed them and directed them what they must doe to be saued as Cornelius Acts 10.5 In a word infinite are the good offices that the good Angels haue done for Gods children but there is not one place extant in all Gods word to prooue that any good Angel hath done any harme to any one of Gods children No that is for the euill Angels to hurt vs they hurt vs altogether and neuer doe vs the least good but the good Angels they helpe vs alwayes they are altogether and onely to helpe vs and neuer to doe vs the least harme and therefore they with all the power they haue can neuer separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Reason 1 The reasons of this poynt may be reduced to these two heads First the good Angels will not hinder our saluation if they could Secondly they cannot doe it if they would First they will not doe it if they could for there are foure ingagements whereby the will of the Angels is so stirred and inclined towards vs as that they will neuer hurt vs if they could first the zeale of Gods glory Secondly obedience to Gods will Thirdly their dependance on Iesus Christ And fourthly their communion they haue with vs. First the zeale of Gods glory Isa 6.2 they
respect he calls him our Lord For wherein did euer Christ Iesus shew himselfe more plainely to be the Lord then by his Resurrection And wherein may he Lord it more then in giuing his subiects and seruants victory ouer Death and Hell and all their enemies To proceed yet a little further in the proofe of this point according to this generall proportion of Christ being our Lord that is the Lord of all the faithfull wee shall finde that particular beleeuers haue laide particular claime to Christ euery one of them as to his Lord Luke 1.43 And whence commeth it that the mother of my Lord should come vnto me A strong faith in a weake woman to confesse Christ Iesus to be her Lord euen whilest he was in his mothers wombe My Lord that came downe from heauen for me My Lord that tooke flesh of the blessed Virgine my neere and deare Kinswoman euen for my sake to redeeme mee Iohn 20.13 They haue taken away my Lord c. She speakes it as a woman weeping and mourning but not out of a womanish passion but out of a spirituall and heauenly affection My Lord that hath forgiuen mee so many sinnes My Lord that hath cast out seauen Diuels out of me My Lord that hath stood it out manfully on the Crosse against all the powers of darknesse for the redemption of my poore sinfull soule Oh they haue taken him away and I know not where they haue laid him If I could tell where they haue laid him I would surely goe to him I would goe through thicke and thinne that I might enioy my Lord but alasse they haue taken away my Lord. Iohn 20.28 My Lord and my God It is the speech of Thomas he saw in our Sauiours hands the print of the nailes whereby he was fastened on the Crosse and in his side he saw the wound of the Souldiers Speare and vpon sight thereof he cryes out my Lord and my God as who should say Oh my Lord these wounds thou hast receiued for my sinnes and trangressions Oh my Lord c. The Reasons First Christ is our Lord because Reason 1 he made vs Euery free agent is Lord and Master of the worke of his owne hands He made vs therefore he is our Lord. Col. 1.16 By him all things were made Yea but so he is the Lord of the wicked hee made them too yea but he is our speciall Lord hee made vs not onely to be Creatures which is common to the wicked but to be new Creatures which is peculiar to the faithfull onely 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ let him be a new Creature Hee transformes and new moulds vs and makes vs new Creatures if we beleeue in him Our Lord Christ as he makes vs Creatures so he makes vs new Creatures Christ Iesus hath made vs both Creatures and new Creatures too and therefore he must needes be our absolute and speciall Lord. Secondly he is our Lord because we were giuen Reason 2 to him of God Iohn 17.6 Thine they were and thou hast giuen them me God hath giuen vs to his Sonne Christ and therefore wee are his in the best and surest right that may be What better right can we haue then to that which is giuen to vs freely And marke in what termes God hath giuen vs to Christ and by what right we are Christs Thine they were and thou hast giuen them mee In the same propinquity that we were Gods in the same propinquity we were giuen vnto Christ but we were Gods as he is our Lord and therefore we are Christs so too And marke further here how hee shewes himselfe to be their Lord and they to be his seruants I haue declared thy word to them that is I as their Lord haue set them their taske what they must doe that they may be saued And they haue kept thy Word saith our Sauiour that is as good and faithfull seruants to their Lord they haue followed my direction Reason 3 Thirdly he is our Lord because he hath deliuered vs from all our enemies Sinne Sathan c. Luke 1.71 A temporall deliuerer from a temporall bondage deserues iustly to be Lord ouer those whom he doth deliuer and this the Law and light of Nature taught among the Heathen for looke who it was deliuered another from any bondage his Lord hee was Our Lord Iesus Christ deliuered vs from the spirituall and eternall bondage and slauery of Sinne Sathan Curse Death Hell and Eternall damnation And therefore he must needes bee our Lord much more And this Reason may be yet further confirmed if we consider the intendment of Christ in our deliuerance and that was that we his seruants might serue him all the dayes of our life Luk. 1.74 Fourthly he is our Lord because he hath bought Reason 4 vs 2 Pet. 2.1 Denying the Lord that he hath bought them Naturall reason teacheth vs this Shall not a man be Lord of that he hath bought and truely and dearely paide for But Christ hath bought vs and paide dearely for vs not siluer and gold but his owne pretious bloud therefore he hath most soueraigne right ouer vs as our Lord and we are most strictly bound to him as his seruants It is the Apostles reason in the 1 Cor. 6 2â— Yee are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in you spirits for they are Gods This Doctrine is full of Vse the first Vse is concerning Christ himselfe the second is concerning vnbeleeuers and the third is concerning the faithfull The first Vse is concerning Christ himselfe He is Vse 1 our Lord This is an euident proofe of his Godhead he is our Lord and therefore our God Christ is sometime called the Lord and that intends his Soueraigne power and authority ouer all things sometime our Lord and this intends his Soueraigne power and supreame authoritie ouer the Church euery way the name Lord proues him to be God For to haue Soueraigne power and supreame authority ouer all things or ouer the Church cannot be giuen to any but to God Remember the termes before mentioned vnder which wee are to conceiue Christ to be our Lord and euery one of them will necessarily conclude that Christ our Lord is Christ our God First hee is our speciall Lord as hee is our Mediator and he must be God as well as man that he may be Mediator betwixt God and man Againe hee is our spirituall Lord he is Lord ouer our soules and consciences and a conscience well rectified acknowledgeth none ouer it but God Againe he is our sauing Lord and none can challenge this but God himselfe Saluation belongs to God alone Lastly hee is our absolute Lord to be obeyed without questioning without controule and without resisting in all things whatsoeuer he commands and this none can challenge but God onely I hope there is none here present that will either deny or doubt of Christs Godhead but there are many of vs that in prayer and
conference name Christ our Lord but yet neuer thinke of his Godhead which is the life of his Lordship both in himselfe and vnto vs Christ Lord without Christ God is no Lord at all Vse 2 The second Vse is concerning the wicked and vngodly vnbeleeuers If Christ be our Lord that is the Lord of the faithfull and of his Church then the wicked and vnbeleeuers haue nothing to doe with him that is as a sauing Lord What a desperate wretchlesse and wofull case are they in Iesus Christ is none of their Lord to saue them nor they are none of his seruants they yeeld him no homage nor obedience and therefore can expect no comfort nor saluation from him Consider both their life and their death In their life they goe vp and downe doing their owne wils and not Christs will neither are they ruled by his Lawes but like Lordlesse and Masterlesse men they goe about saying What Lord shall controule vs If they doe serue or be ruled by any Lord at all it is the Diuell his word is their Law they are ruled by his will and are at his becke Let him bid a wicked man sweare or lye or prophane the Sabboth be drunke steale c. straight way he will doe it he is led by the Diuell at his will as the Apostle saith Oh that the faithfull would and could performe such true seruice to their Lord Iesus Christ as these doe to their Lord the Diuell It is a foule shame to vs that wee yeeld not such true seruice to Christ as they doe to their Lord the Diuell and it is a foule shame in them that they yeeld such true seruice to the Diuell So at their death when they are on their death-beds doe they pray no saith Iob the wicked pray not at all times No they curse and rage and dispaire or at the best they are like to Naball their hearts are dead as a stone within them there is no spirituall life nor comfort in them they haue neuer a Lord in heauen to commit their soules vnto but the Lord whom they serued in their life the Diuell stands by them ready at their death to carry away their soules to hell when they part from their bodies as he did the rich mans and then this cursed Lord and Master that set them on worke and to whom they haue done such true seruice here shall truely pay them their full wages in euerlasting torments They haue sinned with the Diuell and his Angels here and therefore it is iust with God to giue them their part and portion and to damne them with the Diuell and his Angels for euer And then this our Lord Iesus Christ whom they neglected and opposed in their life and would not acknowledge to be their Lord hee shall shew himselfe to be a mighty Lord against them and then hee shall exercise his Lordly power and authority ouer them in wrath and vengeance to their eternall condemnation And then the very thought of the Lord Iesus shall be as terrible to them as the torment they endure to thinke that Christ should come downe from heauen to saue them and that they should be such wretches to serue the Diuell rather then him Vse 3 The third Vse is for the faithfull this toucheth them in many respects First here is the honour of the faithfull in that they serue this great Lord Christ Iesus is their Lord and they his Seruants When sundry Ambassadors meete together from sundry places in a strange Country he that serues the greatest Prince amongst them hath the precedency of place and honour before the rest because hee serues the greatest Lord We all liue here as Seruants to Kings or Nobles or Magistrates or Masters but the faithfull howsoeuer they serue other Lords yet their spirituall Lord is the Lord Iesus Christ and by how much he is greater then other Lords so much the more is their honour aboue all other Seruants whatsoeuer It was that which the Apostle Paul and other of the Apostles boasted of and so much comforted themselues in as we may see in their Epistles that they were Seruants to this Lord Paul a Seruant of Iesus Christ Iames the Seruant of Iesus Christ and so others A man when hee sends an Epistle graceth himselfe with the greatest title he can the Apostles grace themselues in their Epistles with this Title the Seruants of our Lord Iesus Christ as the greatest title they can haue Nay the very Angels in heauen take delight and comfort in it Reuel 22.9 I am thy fellow seruant saith the Angell to Iohn the seruant of the Lord Christ as well as thou Some thinke it a shame to be counted Christs Seruants What shall we be ashamed of that which is our greatest glory and honour with God God forbid In trouble and in persecution let vs acknowledge him to be our Lord that will giue vs full content both in grace and glory Let carnall and prophane worldlings reproach vs as in these dayes it is too common that wee are too precise and that we are zealous for the Lord of hosts that we make conscience of our wayes and that we keepe our selues from the corruptions of the times and that we will not runne with them into excesse of riot this is the scandall of the Crosse in these times that the faithfull will not company and symbolize with the wicked in their sinnes no we will not serue your sinnes wee serue the Lord Iesus Christ and if you reproach vs for it we will weare that reproach as our Crowne The glory of the wicked is their shame but the shame that the wicked lay vpon vs is our greatest glory though this be a shame with men yet it is honour with Christ hee will take knowledge of vs as his Seruants Secondly this is matter of comfort to Gods Children and they stand in great neede of comfort in these vncomfortable times why this that Christ is our Lord if we be sure of that it will support and cheere vp our hearts in all our distresses against desertions of men when men when friends yea when our Parents forsake vs our Lord Christ wil neuer forsake vs Psal 27.10 Though my Father and Mother should forsake me yet the Lord would gather me vp It comforts vs against all oppositions of men they are many great and strong they rage and plot and they band themselues together against the Lord and against his Christ but yet here is our comfort hee that dwelleth in heauen shall laugh our Lord shall haue them in derision Psal 2.2.4 So it may comfort vs against all our wants Christ is our Lord and therefore wee shall want nothing Psal 28.1 The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want Againe it may comfort vs against weakenesse and infirmities Christ is our Lord and his grace is all-sufficient for vs as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1.9 Againe it may comfort vs against all dangers present imminent and future Christ is our Lord therefore
the righteous haue hope in their death Prou. 14.32 But what hope hath the wicked if God take away his soule Iob 27.8 Yea but the time of my death that feares mee I would bee richer and I would be better before I die it is yet too soone to die I answere this is thy peruerse iudgement but whatsoeuer thou thinkest certainely God neuer takes away any of his children but in due time howsoeuer it seeme vntimely to vs Iob 5.26 Thou shalt goe to thy graue in a full age as a Ricke of Corne commeth in due season into the Barne And so the kinde of death that feares me happily it may be cruell or reproachfull by warre or the like I answere it is all one howsoeuer it be it cannot be worse then thy Sauiours and why should it dismay thee It is the same hand of God and hee is there present with thee to receiue thy soule Yea but death is bitter But Christ Iesus hath loosed the sorrowes of death Act. 2.24 and that not for himselfe only but for vs also yea he hath sweetned them by his victory 1 Cor. 15.54 Lastly the consequents of death they are the worst most fearefull iudgement and the graue and corruption c. I answere against iudgement thou must get faith and repentance and against corruption and the graue thou must beleeue that God will raise thy body vp againe Psal 16.10 And so for thy soule thou must commit it into the hand of God it is deare and pretious vnto him Hast thou serued the Lord with thy soule all thy life and art thou afraid to trust him with it at thy death We are apt to suspect what shall become of our soules at our death Let vs looke vpon Christ Iesus consider what became of his soule at his death it went into Paradise into Heauen And what for himselfe alone no but for vs yea meerely for vs so that the children of God are as sure of it as Christ himself Thus let vs comfort our selues with the application of Gods particular promises against our particular troubles and both in life and death let vs apply our selues vnderstandingly and feelingly vnto God and so shall we be safe vnder his protection against all dangers both in life and death FINIS THE TENTH SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am sure that neither life nor Death nor Angels c. THe Apostle speaking here of the safety of all true beleeuers in the estate of grace against all dangers that can possibly befall them he doth not content himselfe as you haue seene to speake of their dangers and comforts onely in generall but for our better satisfaction he enlargeth his speech to their dangers and comforts in particular And these particulars he sets downe before vs in fiue seuerall branches or ranks The first ranke of dangers comforts are of life and death For I am sure that neither death nor life The second ranke are Angels Rulers and Powers The third ranke are things present and things to come The fourth ranke is height and depth The fift and last ranke is as it were an extent of his speech to all things that can be imagined nor any other creature as if he should say if I haue omitted any other creature in the world in these particulars yet they shall not seperate vs. We haue spoken already of the first ranke death and life Now we are to speake of the second ranke of dangers and of our comforts against them nor Angels Rulers and Powers wherein we see there are three sorts of dangers Angels Rulers Powers In this second ranke the Apostle climbes vp a higher straine then before for here he specifies the most mighty and principall actiue workers that are in the world vnder God that either haue or may haue any hand in the indangering of our estate Life and death are but certaine states and conditions wherein wee are subiect to certaine dangers but Angels Rulers and Powers these are certaine chiefe liuing agents which doe or may endanger vs either by life or death For the meaning of these three words I confesse that there is great hardnesse in them and great difficulty amongst interpreters about them I will not trouble you with many expositions generally the words are expounded altogether of Angels and nothing else but herein some speake more boldly some more modestly They that speake more boldly take it thus by Angels they vnderstand the whole Army of Gods Angels in generall and by Rulers and Powers they vnderstand certaine distinct orders of Angels one aboue another But this though it be the iudgement of many of the learned yet it is a meere coniecture for there is no certainety set downe in Gods word what be the distinct order of Angels and for a man to take vpon him to speake of such high mysteries as these are without warrant from Gods Word is great presumption They that speake more modestly doe vnderstand by all these three words Angels Rulers and Powers one and the same thing that is all the Angels indifferently But why doth the Apostle here giue them seuerall names they answere that hee doth it in three seuerall respects They are called Angels in respect of their office they are messengers secondly they are called Rulers in respect of the excellency of their natures and Powers in respect of their mightinesse and strength This exposition comes neerest the Apostles meaning and it containes nothing in it against the rule of faith nor against the vse of the words nor against the drift and scope of the place c. Yet it comes short of the Apostles straine and doth not reach the full meaning of the place for the Apostle here in the height of his spirit makes a generall challenge against all liuing mighty workers in the world vnder God that they shall neuer impeach the safety of Gods children in the state of grace therefore the words must be expounded that they may comprehend all such agents whatsoeuer Now there are other mighty liuing workers besides the Angels therefore sauing the iudgement of the better learned we expound it thus By Angels we vnderstand all the Angels that are as well those that stand as those that are fallen as well good as bad for so the word naturally signifies For when the Scripture speakes of good Angels onely it cals them holy Angels Elect Angels mighty Angels the Angels of God c. but here it speakes of Angels in generall and therefore we are to vnderstand it both of good and bad By Rulers or Principalities wee vnderstand earthly Gouernours the great and mighty Monarches and Magistrates of the earth Kings Emperours and the like for so this word in the originall is expresly confined to this sence in two places of the Scripture Luke 12.11 And when they bring you vnto the Sinagogues and vnto Rulers c. And Titus 3.1 Put them in minde that they be subiect to Principalities or Rulers It is true that
themselues but betwixt them and God also and surely Christs prayer was neuer denyed but God heares him alwaies Iohn 11.42 therefore if he hath prayed for it he hath procured it Thirdly by his death he purchased it Reu. 5.9 Thou hast redeemed vs to God by thy blood c. Christ hath bought vs and paide dearely for vs euen his owne precious bloud and whom hath he bought vs to to God that we might be his that is that hee may own vs as his people and that we may own him as our God Fourthly he applyes it to vs and makes it ours in our Sanctification Heb. 2.11 For both hee that sanctifieth and they which are sanctified are all one Til we are sanctified we are neuer truly ioyned to God but when once we are sanctified that is when we begin to be truly holy in our harts in our liues then are we already admitted into this blessed Communion with Christ and so with God then hee that doth sanctifie and they that are sanctified are all one Reason 3 Thirdly the Bond of the Spirit is another reason of it Gods Spirit hath a speciall intercourse and doth mannage this whole businesse betwixt God and vs Gal. 4.6 God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts crying Abba Father God sends his Spirit into our hearts thereby God Communicates with vs as with his Sonnes By this Spirit we cry Abba Father and thereby we Communicate with God as with our heauenly Father there is Gods Communion with vs and ours with him All the exercises of Gods Communion with vs are carried by his Spirit If he teach vs hee doth it by his Spirit if he comforts vs he comforts vs by his Spirit if hee adopt vs he adopts vs by his Spirit if hee seales vs if he sanctifies vs hee doth it by his Spirit whatsoeuer God doth to vs in this Communion hee doth it all by his Spirit And on the other side all the exercises of our Communion with God are carried by his Spirit If we pray we pray by the Spirit if we beleeue we doe it by the Spirit if we loue God if wee obey God we doe it by the Spirit that wee pray to God that we beleeue in God that we hope in God loue and obey God it is all by the Spirit of God there is one and the same Spirit in God and in vs therefore the Bond of the Spirit is one speciall cause of this Communion which we haue with God The last Reason is from the nature of faith which Reason 4 is of this Nature that it vnites and ioynes the subiect or person beleeuing to the obiect or thing beleeued and makes them one By faith we are ingrafted into Christ Rom. 11.19.20 As a Syence is ingrafted into a Stocke and as that growes to be one with the stocke so is the soule that is ingrafted into Christ it growes one with Christ Christ dwels in our hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 And that is a blessed Communion and coniunction betwixt Christ and the true beleeuer If we beleeue presently we haue possession of Christ in our hearts an holy and an heauenly gift By faith we eatethe flesh of Christ and drink his blood Iohn 6.47.54 And whosoeuer eateth Christs flesh and drinketh his blood he liues in Christ and Christ in him vers 57. Here is an holy and an heauenly Communion See the liuely experience of this vniting power of faith in the case of Thomas Ioh. 20.27.28 he would not beleeue our Sauiour perswades him to be ruled by him and not to be obstinate not to be faithlesse but faithfull so soone as euer he beleeued he cryes out My Lord and my God so that by beleeuing in God God becomes our God and by beleeuing in the Lord the Lord becomes our Lord he is ours and we are his this makes the vnion And so much be spoken for matter of Confirmation Now lastly we come to speake somewhat by way of Application for the practise of Christians and the vses for Application are of two sorts the first sort of vses are for all men in generall the second sort are for those that haue found this fauour at Gods hand to attaine vnto his blessed Communion First in generall for all men Vses in generall to all men and that is for reproofe It serues to reproue a common errour amongst vs generally men thinke we shall be saued by Iesus Christ as he is without vs for thus we imagine that Christ came downe from heauen and tooke our nature vpon him dyed for Sinners and is ascended into Heauen to make intercession for the Church and whosoeuer beleeues thus of him shall surely be saued by him A gracelesse conceit such as hardens many thousands in their ignorance vnbeleefe and disobedience and carries them smooth to hell Oh my Brethren let vs not be deceiued Christ Iesus indeed is a Sauiour and a perfect Sauiour but he neuer saued any but such as had Communion with him that were in him and he in them they in him by faith hee in them by his Spirit else they can neuer be saued 2 Cor. 5.17 Except we be in Christ we haue no part in his Resurrection and Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Till we be in Christ wee are most damnable wretches if euer we will escape damnation we must be in Christ and Christ must bee in vs else we are Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.15 Hearken thou carnall Professor that thinkest to be saued by Christ as he is without thee but the Holy Ghost tels thee plainely that except Christ be in thee thou art but in the state of a Reprobate If any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8.9.10 To haue Christ within vs is to haue his Spirit within vs so that Christ must be in vs by his Spirit if we will haue any part in him It were a merry world for carnall Professors if they might be saued by Christ as he is without vs Then the vnclean man the proud man the malicious the couetous man and the drunkard and such like might take their fill in sinne and yet sit downe and blesse themselues and say Oh there is a Sauiour in Heauen Christ Iesus who sits at the right hand of God he will be mercifull vnto vs and forgiue vs and saue vs No no thou godlesse and gracelesse person there is no such way to Heauen Christ Iesus must be in thee by his Spirit else he will neuer saue thee thou must haue Christ thy Sauiour in thy heart else thou hast no Christ thy Sauiour in heauen Christ Iesus must be in thee to mortifie thy vncleannesse couetousnesse pride c. and to make thee repent of thy sinnes and forsake them and to cause thee to leade a new life or else hee will neuer take away thy sinnes Deceiue not thy selfe thou thinkest that thou art in a good case and shalt be saued I
seperaters from God and no ioyners to God therefore it must needs be loue and nothing but loue yea the infinite loue of God to vs in Christ Iesus that gathers vs and bindes vs vp within this Communion It is his loue to couer such a multitude of sinnes his loue to care for vs when wee were carelesse of our selues his loue to affect vs that hated him his loue to ouercome our monstrous euilnesse with his mercifull goodnesse his loue to rescue vs raise vs vp from the gates of Hell and to set vs in heauenly places his loue to assume vs that were cast-awayes in our selues to be associated with his blessed Maiestie this is such a loue indeed as is admirable infinite worthy of God who if he were not loue it selfe hee could not nor would not haue shewed forth such fauour vnto vs. The first Vse of this Doctrine is matter of Confutation Vse 1 against the Doctrine of Mans merits If loue be the bond of our Communion of God in Christ then there is no merit of Saints nor of Angels that could euer bee the cause of it no worke before or after Iustification doth merit this before Iustification God sets his loue vpon vs freely that is agreed vpon on both sides but after Iustification say the Papists we may deserue heauen No say we the loue of God is the bond of our Communion with God which as it brings vs to God so it tyes vs fast to him sanctifies vs and glorifies vs. Vse 2 The second Vse is for Instruction teaching vs that seeing all true beleeuers haue a true Interest in the loue of God they are all ioyned to God and the bond that tyes them to him is his Loue therefore all true beleeuers are seised and possest of the loue of God A matter worthy to be well considered of vs as that that will call vpon vs and prouoke vs to many holy Duties Fiue Duties to be learned from the loue of God to vs First therefore we must know and beleeue this that God loues vs 1 Iohn 4.16 We haue known Dutie 1 and beleeued saith the Apostle the loue that God hath in vs Let vs labour therefore to get some comfortable knowledge and perswasion in our hearts that God loues vs. Wicked men are vsually too forward and too presumptuous in this case they runne on in sinne and in their owne vilde courses not regarding Gods loue and yet they presume and and perswade themselues that God loues them and if any tell them the contrary they defie him On the other side Gods children they are too backeward They repent and pray against their sinnes and fight against them and striue after grace and yet they are hardly perswaded of Gods loue to them Therefore how shall wee know certainely that God loues vs Certaine signes marks that God loueth vs. I answere we may know it First in generall by this very point in hand if wee haue this Communion with God if wee be ingrafted into Christ if we be obedient to the Spirit if we be constant and conscionable in the vse of the Word Sacraments and prayer then certainely God loues vs and wee are within the compasse of this Bond. Secondly thou maist know it in particular by this Art thou pluckt out of thy sinnes hast thou parted with them for conscience sake hath thy master-sin receiued his deaths-wound within thee Is thy heart clensed in some true measure from thy wickednesse Oh then certainely God loues thee Psal 73.1 Surely God is good to such as are of a pure heart As it is the greatest signe that euer can be of Gods wrath vpon vs when he suffers vs to liue and to dye in our sinnes so there is no greater signe of his loue then this that our sinnes are cast out of vs and wee not suffered to liue in them Thirdly thou maist know it by thy loue to GOD if thou loue GOD it is most certaine that he loues thee and if God loues thee thou canst not but loue God But how may I know certainely that I loue God indeed for I may be deceiued in this as well as in the other I answere looke into thy Obedience if thou hast an obedient heart to God then thou louest God Iohn 14.21 where Christ expresseth both how we may know we loue God secondly how wee may know that hee loues vs If wee would know whether wee loue God looke into our obedience He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them is he that loueth mee And if we would know whether God loues vs let vs looke into our loue to him And he that loueth me shall be loued of my Father and I will loue him saith our Sauiour Fourthly wee may know Gods loue to vs by our chastisements Hebr. 12.6 Whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth but afflictions and chastisements are common to all good and bad to the wicked as well as to the godly I answere Afflictions are so indeed but chastisements are peculiar to Gods people onely But how shall I know whether mine be chastisements I answere out of the 10. verse When God chastiseth vs it is for our profit And what profit that wee might be partakers of his holinesse therefore if wee would know it to be a chastisement looke whether we profit by it to holinesse If wee grow in grace it is a certaine and most sensible yea and infallible signe of Gods loue I say both these together chastisements and profit by them is an infallible signe of Gods loue to thee If Gods hand be vpon thee in minde or body or goods any way or euery way if thou doest profit by it to holinesse and get grace thereby into thy heart then certainely God loues thee This is a sensible Argument and an infallible signe of it it must needs be much loue that turnes sower into sweet the sowernesse of thy chastisements into the sweetnesse of his grace Dutie 2 Another Dutie that we may learne hence is to bee thankefull to God for this his great loue Oh that we could in any measure worthily praise the Lord for this his great loue to vs It is worthy of more thankes then wee are able to giue wee should study therefore how to praise God for it stirre vp all the powers of thy Soule to this duty say with Dauid Psal 103.1 Oh my Soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy Name And that which Dauid would haue all Nations to doe that we must doe Psal 117.1 Praise the Lord Thy soule fares the better for this loue and all that is within thee fares the better for it and therefore stirre vp thy selfe and say Praise the Lord Oh my Soule for his loue towards thee and let all that is within me praise him for his loue say it with thy mouth and doe it with thy heart and let thy life say Amen to it and then this loue of God is well bestowed vpon thee Gods loue is
be content without the loue of God but this is but as grauell in their mouthes wanting the other they stand in slippery places and suddenly they goe downe to Hell Therefore let vs relish all things wee inioy as being sweetned with this loue of God our Wiues Children Friends Goods yea our owne liues and then when these are gone yet the loue of God whereby they were made sweet vnto vs will still remaine Let vs labour therefore for some relish of Gods loue in Iesus Christ it is hard to get it Faith onely workes it FINIS THE THIRD SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am perswaded or I am sure that neither Death c. THe dependence of these words with the former and the meaning of them in themselues I haue already shewed Also I cast this Scripture into this moulde shewing that the substance thereof emptied it selfe into these seauen particulars First the things implyed and that was that there is a Communion betwixt God and the faithfull in the word seperate which necessarily implyes a Coniunction with God things cannot be seperate that are not first ioyned together Secondly there is shewed the Bond of this Communion the loue of God Thirdly the Apostle shewes the ground of this loue and Communion Iesus Christ Fourthly he declares the Interest which the Faithfull haue in Christ Iesus by a tearme of neere reference our Lord. Fiftly he doth here auouch the safety of all Gods Children in the middest of all dangers and inlargeth himselfe in many particulars neither death nor life nor Angels c. Sixtly he professeth his owne confident perswasion that hee hath of this I am sure Seauenthly hee beares himselfe boldly vpon this confidence against all Commers Death life Angels c. Of the first and second points we haue spoken Now in the strength of God we are to procceede to speake of the third point and that is the ground and foundation of this loue which God beares to his Children and that is Iesus Christ Nothing is able to seperate mee from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus The Doctrine for our Instruction is this Doctrine The ground or foundation of all Gods loue which hee beares or shewes to true Beleeuers is Christ Iesus The Doctrine is contained within the Text fully and deliuered almost in so many words for marke the words the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus As if he should say the loue that God beares to true Beleeuers in Christ Iesus is setled in him erected in him and made good vnto vs in him as hee being the ground and foundation of it The Doctrine may seeme plaine enough at the first sight and so it is yet that we may rightly and soundly comprehend it or rather be comprehended by it Explication it needes some Explication First of the names Christ Iesus Christ signifies the annointed Iesus signifies a Sauiour and wheras he is called in Scripture sometimes by the name of Christ onely and sometime by the name of Iesus onely the Apostle here ioynes them both together Christ Iesus thereby to set forth the perfection and fulnesse of Gods loue to vs in his Sonne Iesus is the name of his Person Christ the name of his Office he is called Christ respectiuely to God by whom he is annointed he is the Lords annointed and hee is called Iesus in respect of vs whom he comes to saue he is our Iesus our Sauiour Behold how compleat and perfect Gods loue to vs in Christ is Hee loues vs in his person he loues vs in his office he loues vs in his Christ and in our Iesus in his annointed and in our Sauiour How could he deuise to loue vs more then is meant and contained in these words that God loues vs in Christ Iesus Secondly we are to speake somewhat of the phrase in Christ Iesus which is to be receiued vnder a distinction for there is a difference in the actions of Gods loue to vs in his Sonne I say a difference in respect of our Sense and in respect of Gods loue it selfe Some actions of Gods loue to vs are so in Christ that they are wholly suspended on Christ and his merits are the onely procuring cause of them As for example forgiuenesse of sinnes is an action of Gods loue to vs and yet this wholly depends on Christ and his merits that his precious bloud must procure this mercy for vs from God else they will neuer be forgiuen and this and the like loue of God is both in Christ and for Christ There are some other actions of Gods loue which arise meerely and onely out of the absolute will of God without any concurrance of Christs merits As the eternall purpose of God whereby hee hath determined to chuse some men to saluation this is an action of Gods loue meerely rising out of his absolute will without Christs merits for Christ is a Mediator and all his merits are the effects of his loue not the cause of it and yet this loue though it be not for Christ yet is it in Christ too Ephes 3.11 according to the eternall purpose which hee wrought in Christ Iesus that is in regard of the execution of it for euen this eternall purpose and all the actions of Gods loue which arise from his absolute will are effected and brought to passe in and through Christ This distinction wee must here vndergoe that so God may haue his right and Christ may haue his right that we may honor the Father so as that we may also honour the Sonne and the Sonne so as that the Father may not loose his honour that so the absolutenesse of the loue of God and the Mediation of Christ may not impeach one another Thirdly we must obserue that Gods loue in this verse is called the loue of Christ in the 35. verse shewing that God not onely loues vs in Christ but that Christ loues vs too We must conceiue it thus God loues his Sonne Christ Iesus and in him all true beleeuers Christ Iesus loues God the Father and in him he loues all true beleeuers and this is the right straine of Gods loue to vs in Christ Iesus So much for explication For proofe of this point Proofes looke into these places of Scripture Mat. 3.17 This is my beloued Sonne c. Here is a Proclamation from heauen published by Gods owne mouth God the Father speakes it of his own Sonne This is my beloued Sonne c. The words intend two things First the loue of God to Christ Iesus This is my beloued Sonne that is my most dearely beloued Sonne for so it is in the originall Secondly the loue of God in his Sonne to all those that he is well pleased withall in whom I am well pleased He doth not say with whom I am well pleased as my loue staying vpon him only but in whom as my loue extending it selfe to all that are in him This loue that God beares
thornes and was stroke vpon that Crowne to adde affliction to his afflictions so we must looke for many thornes many afflictions and for affliction to be added to affliction But yet be of good cheere Christ will recompence all with a Crowne of Glory Let vs apply this to the Sacrament We come heere to the Lords Table this is a great honour to vs therefore let vs be thankefull for it Secondly let it comfort vs that if we come in repentance we shall haue our comfort sealed vp vnto vs to our hands to our mouthes and to our hearts Againe we professe Christ to be our Lord then let vs examine whether we feare him loue him and obey him as our Lord. Alasse wee must all confesse we come short in these duties let vs acknowledge this vnto him and let vs say Lord though we deserue not to be thy seruants yet thou art our Lord and let vs come with more faith and feare and loue and with more resolution to obey him better then euer we haue done If this Sacrament Seale vnto vs that Christ is our Lord it must also seale vnto vs that we are his seruants and then we must not honor him for an houre while we are here but all our life time If thou be the seruant of Christ he is thy Lord but if thou serue the world or thy belly or thy pleasure or any thing else and not the Lord Iesus in the truth of thine heart then he is none of thy Lord nor thou art none of his seruant And therefore when thou shalt come and knocke say Lord Lord open vnto me he will answere thee away from me thou art none of my seruant therefore let vs subiect our selues vnto him in all obedience both in doing and suffering as vnto our Lord and so he will recompence vs with grace here and with glory hereafter FINIS THE FIFTH SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am perswaded or I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels c. IN handling this Scripture as GOD in mercy hath giuen strength wee haue proceeded thus farre First wee haue shewed the dependance of the verses with the former then we shewed the meaning of the words in themselues After that we cast this Scripture for our better instruction and memory into this mould and shewed that it did empty it selfe into these seauen particulars First that which is implyed namely that there is a Communion betwixt God and the faithfull Secondly that which is exprest namely the bond of this Communion and that is the loue of God Thirdly the Apostle shewes the ground of this Communion and of this bond too and that is Iesus Christ Fourthly hee shewes that the faithfull haue a neere interest in Christ Iesus and this he sets forth by a terme of neere Relation our Lord Thus farre we haue proceeded already The fifth point is that the Apostle auoucheth the safety of all the faithfull in the middest of all dangers that they are subiect to nothing shall seperate vs from the loue of God And this he inlargeth in many particulars as by and by we shall see This is the fifth thing then that we are to consider of namely the safty of the State of Gods children in the midst of all dangers wee will propound the the Doctrine thus The hould that the faithfull haue in the loue of God through Iesus Christ it is a sure hould Doctrine the estate of grace that they are in is an vndefeasable estate nothing can void them nothing can depriue them of it Consider well the words of the obseruauation the very words whereof are in effect the very words of this Scripture and the whole matter of the obseruation is the whole matter of this Scripture For that which we haue spoken heretofore touching our Communion with God the bond of it Gods loue the ground of both Iesus Christ c. haue beene but preparations to this Truth and these points which follow touching the Apostle his certainty he hath and the vse he makes of it are but inferences from this truth This is the truth it selfe that is here peremptorily and precisely affirmed that nothing shall seperate the faithfull from the loue of God to them in Iesus Christ nor from the estate of grace that they are in And this the Apostle contents not himselfe onely to affirme in the generall but withall confirmes it in particular by a sufficient reckoning vp of all the parts of the Aduersarie power that is or can be against vs Death shall not nor life shall not nor Angels c. nor any other creature nothing shall seperate vs not any one of these dangers asunder no nor all of them ioyned together no nor any other added to them nor any other Creature put what you will to them nothing shall seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus and to put the matter out of all shew of doubt he saith not onely they shall not seperate vs but he puts it vpon an impossibâ—lity they shall not be able to seperate vs let them ioyne all their powers together and doe what they can they shall neuer be able to doe it Thus we see the Doctrine is naturally raised and the Apostle presseth it as the maine matter of the Scripture Explication I will speake somewhat as our order is for Explication of the Doctrine and therein I will handle but this one point Because the Doctrine speakes of the loue of God and of the state of grace we must know what it is to be in that state of the loue of God and the estate of grace for either it hath been our state or now is or hereafter shall be our estate else we can neuer be saued therefore before we shew that wee cannot fall away from this state it is needfull to shew what it is to be in it The estate of the loue of God and the state of grace is to be throughly reconciled to God through the precious bloud of Iesus Christ whereby we are iustified from all our sinnes and entred into a course of true sanctification It is called the estate of Gods loue in opposition to the estate of Gods wrath wherein we are all by nature Ephes 2.3 In this state of wrath God lookes downe from heauen vpon vs in mercy and receiues vs freely into his loue through Iesus Christ and so wee are translated out of the estate of Gods wrath into the estate of his loue It is called the estate of grace in opposition to the state of sinne that we are all in Rom. 3.28 All haue sinned c. In this sinfull state the Lord lookes downe from Heauen in mercy vpon vs and in Iesus Christ bestowes vpon vs the sauing grace of Iustification forgiuing vs all our sinnes and the grace of Sanctification making vs new creatures and so translates vs out of the state of sinne into the state of grace These things wee must
can possibly haue in life or in death This therefore is for reproofe of many Professors that will pretend to haue faith but they care not for this assurance of faith if God giue it well and good if not they will not labour for it they thinke they haue faith enough to saue their owne soules There are diuers causes of this sinne Seauen causes why men labour not for assurance that men will not labour for this assurance of faith First some account it altogether needlesse therefore they looke not after it Will not ordinary assurance say they serue the turne Is it needlesse This is strange Can any man be too sure of his owne saluation Can we be more sure then needs of eternall life It cannot be Vsually such persons as these either liuing or dying finde the want of it and rue it to their great discomfort I haue seene the woefull experience of that which I speake and I haue obserued the righteous Iudgement of God vpon them Time will come when we shall haue more neede of it then we are aware Secondly others pretend modesty they say they dare not be so bold as to determine resolutely vpon their saluation It is Gods secret and they may not search into it I answere It is a secret indeed but yet such a secret as God reueales ordinarily to the humble and to his familiars God will say to his soule I am thy saluation and therefore this is a simple and a sinfull modesty not to be so bold as to seeke and accept that that God offers vs and bids vs seeke and take and which if we seeke we are sure to find and therefore this is a cursed modesty to say what shall I be so bold as to search into this This is somewhat like the vnprofitable seruant that hid his talent and said he was afraid to vse it Matth 25.24.25 But see what followes This wicked and sloathfull seruant must be cast into vtter darkenesse where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth verse 26. to 30. Thirdly others are lazy and lumpish and sluggish and loue their owne ease and therfore they will not quicken themselues to get this assurance What dost thou loue thine owne outward ease more then the greatest inward comfort of thy soule A grieuous sinne that a mans owne ease should keepe him from heauen Heauen was neuer made for any such sluggards to be receiued into it And therefore if thou doest not quicken vp thy selfe and doe thy best endeauour to looke and to labour for this assurance thou shalt be cast into Hell We see as before what became of that sloathfull seruant that would not imploy his Talent Matth 25.26 30. Cast ye that vnprofitable seruant into vtter darkenesse c. Fourthly others pretend that they haue no time at least not time enough to get it It is a long time in getting say they and you will not deny but that ordinarily it is gotten by long practise God sometimes giues it extraordinarily at an instant but ordinarily it is a long time in getting and wee haue no time to labour for it I would aske them that thus pretend want of time why God did giue them all their time Did he not doe it of purpose that thou mightst learne to know him and to beleeue in him and to obey him and to get assurance of his loue and fauour in Christ And hast thou time for all things else and not for this Hast thou time to eate and to drinke and to doe other worldly businesses yea to learne Religion too so farre as thou dost affect it and yet hast thou no time to acquaint thy selfe with the promises of God that thou maist get this assurance This thou doest not affect nor desire and therefore thou hast no time to get it If thou hadst a desire to get it and if thou didst know the comfort of it thou wouldst serue thy selfe vpon all times and seasons both Sabboth day and weeke dayes and vpon all exercises not onely spirituall but euen euery businesse thou takest in hand to helpe thee forward to get this assurance of saluation Fiftly others say it is impossible or at least very difficult to begotten they will not trouble themselues about it I answere it is not impossible to be had Iob and Dauid and Paul and others had it If it be impossible with men yet it is not impossible with God and it is the worke of God and not of man I grant it is hard and difficult to be got but so are all spirituall and heauenly things neuer thinke to come to heauen but through many difficulties Oh poore soule if thou didst know the admirable comfort and sweetnesse that this assurance will bring vnto thy soule both here and for euer thou wouldest endure and passe by all difficulties to attaine it Sixtly Others they cherish and fauour in themselues some knowne sinne and if they doe let them take this for a rule they shal neuer get this assurance the least knowne sinne cherished and fauoured in a man and assurance of saluation can neuer stand together no more then fire and water and therefore either leaue thy sinne or els thou must leaue the assurance of thy saluation This many haue proued true by experience therfore they like the Gadarens had rather leaue Christ then loose their swine so these had rather desperately loose the Assurance of their saluation then leaue their filthy sinnes and so they preferre their swynish sinne before the sweetest comfort of the soule A fearefull practise Seauenthly Others compare their faith with the faith of the ordinary sort of professors They say they see not such strong assurance in them and therefore they lift not to be singular they will stay in that they haue But first tell mee how doest thou know that others haue not such a strong assurance they may haue it for ought thou knowest and therefore to thee this is a false ground But secondly say they haue it not say that the world be destitute of it this is no excuse to thee seeing God will haue thee to haue it thou must not liue by mens examples but by Gods lawes Thirdly if thou wilt needs follow the example of men in this follow the example not of the worst but of the best as Abraham Iob Dauid Paul c. follow these for these hath God of purpose propounded and set downe in Scripture as patterns for vs to imitate euen in this grace of assurance And know that seeing all the ancient Fathers had it and it was their greatest grace therefore it is a shame for vs that we haue it not in some measure All these and such like are but gulls and delusions of Sathan to depriue men of their greatest comfort in life and death and of the strongest proppe of the kingdome of grace Let vs therefore examine our selues and see whether euery one of vs be not guilty of all or some of these and if wee be no
was one of Sathans chiefe bolts that he shot at Iob Iob 2.4 Skin for skin and all that euer a man hath will he giue for his life These are the dangers of life and death great dangers horrible dangers well yet whosoeuer is the childe of God is in safety vnder Gods protection against all these Therefore the second point is to know how farre the children of God are in safety against all these dangers They are not exempted from any of these dangers in respect of the matter of them for so all things fall out alike to all to the iust and to the wicked Preach 9.2 There are some dangers of life and some of death and they fall alike to good and bad yea but the faithfull are in safety from the euill of all these dangers Iob 5.19 Hee will deliuer thee in sixe troubles and the euill of the seauenth shall not touch thee Troubles shall be vpon them but the euill of the troubles shall not touch them Psalm 23.4 Though I should walke in the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no euill Dauid might walke in the valley of the shadow of death as well as others but God is with him therefore he shall not feare the euill of the shadow of death And this is as much as our Sauiour prayed for and obtained for vs Iohn 17.15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keepe them from euill and therfore this is as much as we must or can looke for But what are these euils that we are subiect to in these dangers of life and death I answere Foure euils Gods people are freed from in affliction there are foure speciall euils in the dangers of life and death which all Gods children are freed from and which all the wicked fall into The first is losse of graces the second is the hardening of the heart by sinne the third is the furtherance of eternall damnation the fourth is the reuenging hand of God First losse of graces the seeming graces of the wicked may be and vsually are lost in their troubles and dangers their seeming faith their seeming repentance and their seeming obedience Luke 8.13 In time of temptation they fall away their faith is lost but Gods children can neuer loose their graces by their afflictions they may decay in some graces and the brightnesse of them may be dimbd and their edge blunted by the extremity of their afflictions but they can neuer be vtterly depriued of them Nay so farre off are Gods children from loosing their graces by their afflictions that they are gayners in grace by them by their afflictions their sinnes and corruptions are purged and they come forth like the pure gold as Iob speakes Iob 23.10 He tryeth me but I shall come forth like the gold The second euill is the hardening of the heart in sinne the wicked are hardened by their afflictions in sinne let Pharaoh be in danger of Gods iudgements and he will harden his heart in his sinnes but let Iosiah bee in danger of Gods iudgements and his heart will melt at them and he will humble himselfe before the Lord and so Iob 23.16 For God hath softened mine heart and the Almighty hath troubled me Iobs troubles softned Iobs heart and made him to feare the Lord. Thirdly the furtherance of eternall damnation that is another euill in these dangers to the wicked the tryals which they endure here are the beginnings of hell All these fearefull passages that befell Kaine in his life Iudas in his death were the beginnings of their passage into hell and condemnation but it is contrary with Gods children in their afflictions for all their afflictions are preuentions of condemnation 1 Cor. 11.32 When we are iudged wee are chastened of the Lord because we should not be condemned with the world Yea they are furtherances vnto heauen 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light afflictions which are but for a moment cause vnto vs a farre more excellent and eternall waight of glory Looke how it was with the Israelites and the Egyptians in the red Sea so it is with the wicked and the godly in their dangers of life and death they were both in the Sea together but the Israelites they passe safe through it and the Sea was as a wall to them on the right hand and on the left and a high way to helpe them forward in their passage from Egypt towards Canaan but the Egyptians were ouerwhelmed of it and it became their graue and they sunke to hell in it So the sea of all the troubles both of life and death are matters of vtter desolation to the wicked to further their damnation But all that befall Gods children in this passage of life and death are helpes and furtherances to the heauenly Canaan matters that further their saluation The fourth and last euill in these dangers is the reuenging wrath of God and this is the euil of all euils the true cause of all the former when God afflicts the wicked hee doth it to bee reuenged of them for their sins as a wrathfull Iudge But when he afflicts his children if it be in anger it is a fatherly anger and indeed it is rather a fatherly loue and a signe of his fauour Heb. 12.6 Whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth c. Iere. 10.24 Oh Lord correct me but in iudgement not in thine anger God corrects his children but he doth it not in anger fury no that is for the wicked Lay all these together First the children of God in all their troubles loose no grace no they are gayners by them secondly they do not harden their hearts in sin no their hearts are mollified by them thirdly their afflictions are not furtherances to hell but they further them to heauen Lastly they come not as the reuenging hand of God in fury vpon them but in loue as a father corrects his child and then see and say Oh how safe are all Gods children in all their dangers both of life and death So that we see the Doctrine is cleare that all true beleeuers are in good safety vnder Gods assured protection against all dangers of life and death For proofe of this point Proofes first consider life and death together and then consider them asunder and we shall find this to be true consider them together as Rom. 14.8 Whether we liue wee liue vnto the Lord or whether we die we die vnto the Lord whether wee liue therefore or die we are the Lords The persons there spoken of are true beleeuers wee and there are two things affirmed of them First their duty to God secondly Gods protection ouer them their duty to God in the former part of the verse in life and death whether we liue that is for the time of our life we liue vnto God that is we consecrate our bodies and soules our liues and all our endeauours to Gods seruice and to his glory or
our Captaine and Protector and therefore it must needes follow that Sathan shall be ouerthrowne and neuer preuaile and that we shall neuer be ouerthrowne but euer preuaile That Christ himselfe is Sathans vanquisher and ouercommer we may see in that Gen. 3.15 Hee shall breake Sathans head Rom. 16.20 He shall treade Sathan vnder our feet shortly 1 Iohn 3.8 He it is that doth loose and vndoe the workes of the Diuell he foyled the Diuell hand to hand in all his temptations Math. 4.11 And he it was that rebuked the Diuell and cast out those foule spirits in his life as appeares in many stories of the Gospell And at his death he it was that destroyed them Heb. 2.14 He destroyed through death him that had the power of death that is the Diuell saith the Apostle at his death he spoyled them and triumphed ouer all the powers of darkenesse openly vpon the Crosse Colos 2.16 therefore Sathan must needs be ouercome can neuer preuaile Secondly Christ is our Captaine and Protector and therefore we cannot be ouercome but must needs preuaile Luke 22.42 Sathan desires to winnow euery one of vs that is to destroy vs but I haue prayed for you saith our Sauiour that your faith faile not Sathan he is a daily Sutor to God against vs Christ Iesus hee supports vs and is a continuall Sutor to his heauenly Father for vs Now if the Diuell shall be heard before Christ Iesus then we may perish But if Christ Iesus shall be heard in heauen before the Diuell then it is vtterly impossible that euer the euill Angels should preuaile against vs. The vses of this poynt are these The first is for reproofe Vse 1 It serues to reproue an ouer-weening conceit that many men haue of a possibility of Sathans preuailing against Gods children to cast them out of Gods fauour some hold it as a generall common possibility against all Gods children that Sathan may separate them from the loue and fauour of God and they plead hard for it too but these are but the Diuels pleaders proctâ—rs against God and wherein can they doe better seruice for the Diuell against God and against his wisdome and power and mercy and truth and promises what better Aduocates can there be for hell then these Papists and Arminians and others that hold this blasphemous errour are They doe highly aduance and magnifie the Kingdome of darkenesse ascribe more to it then to the kingdome of light ascribing a preuailing power to the kingdome of darknesse against the kingdome of light for is not euery true beleeuer a member of the kingdome of light if therefore the euill Angels can separate any one true beleeuer from the loue of God in Christ then the kingdome of darknes shal preuaile before the Kingdom of light Oh blasphemous impious and odious conceit Secondly It is for reproofe of some others that are onely fearefull and timerous of their owne particular estate that say in themselues oh surely I shall fall away from God though the Diuell be not able to plucke away others from God yet he may pluck me away the wicked fiend haunts me sore and surely hee will plucke mee away from God before he hath done with me Poore soules they would faine come neerer to God and be better perswaded of their estate but they dare not be so bold or cannot be so strong Well come and let vs reason together Sathan thou saiest will neuer let thee alone he is alwaies tempting thee and therefore hee will at last surely plucke thee away from God Oh thou of little faith why doest thou thus vexe and wrong thy selfe why wilt thou giue sentence with thine enemy against thy selfe Is it not enough for the Diuell to bragge and boast that he can pull thee out of Gods hands but thou wilt beleeue him and giue sentence on his side and say as he saith Tell me hath not God kept thee from him hitherto and wilt thou distrust him now whose truth and sauing mercy thou hast had so long experience of Doest not thou thinke in thy conscience that the Diuell hath alwaies done his worst against thee euer since thy first conuersion and yet through Gods mercy he hath not preuailed hitherto to separate thee from the loue of God in Christ Iesus but thou art still preserued why then doest thou distrust that he shall preuaile hereafter God is as strong to vphold thee as euer he was thy selfe if thou beest a true beleeuer doest daily grow in grace and so art more able to stand fast euery day then other though happily thou feelest it not and the diuell is weaker and more hartlesse euery day then other against thee as hauing laboured in vain all this while why therfore art thou thus discouraged beleeue not Sathan checke thy selfe for this vnbeleeuing heart and gather better spirits and put on more comfortable resolutions cast thy soule and state confidently on the Lord in faith in Christ and in obedience to his will assure thy selfe that thou being a beleeuing soule God hath set his marke vpon thee and therefore rest thou vpon him and all these euill Angells shall neuer be able to plucke thee out of the protection of his loue in Christ The second vse is for comfort here is matter of Vse 2 sound and singuler consolation to all true beleeuers First against euill Angels themselues secondly against their temptations thirdly against our sinnes Sathan is the euill Angell his temptations are his instruments whereby he workes and sin is his worke here is our comfort that neither Sathan himselfe nor his instruments nor his works shal euer preuaile against vs to plucke vs away from God First here is matter of comfort against Sathan himselfe and all the aduantages he hath against vs feare them not for they shall neuer be able to cast thee out of the estate of grace and of Gods loue Lift vp thy heart and consider how God hath furnished thee with particular comforts against al the particular aduantages that the euill spirits haue against thee First thou wilt say the euiil Angels are very many true but what then Did not Christ euen with one word cast out a Legion of Diuels at once out of one man Marke 5.8 then neuer feare them for their multitude that one onely God is infinitely more than innumerable Diuils Yea but secondly they are very strong It is true Sathan is the strong man indeed but Christ is a stronger man Luke 11.22 and ouercommeth him The Diuell is a roaring Lyon it is true yea but Christ is a Lyon too a ruling raigning Lyon he is the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah the royall Tribe he rules all and he makes that other Lyon the Diuell when he comes in presence to crie out and roare for feare and anger Luke 4.33.34 an vncleane Diuell cryed out with a loud voyce saying Oh! what haue wee to doe with thee c. therefore neuer feare them for their strength Yea but