disobedience of the law in sinne the third is the root and fountaine of sinne originall corruption These are three deadly woundes and three running sores in the hearts and consciences of all sinners Now Christ Iesus is perfectly righteous and in him a sinner may find three inestimable benefits answerable to the three former euils First the suffringes of Christ vpon the Crosse sufficient for all mens sinnes Secondly the obedience of Christ in fulfilling the law Thirdly the perfect holines of the humane nature of Christ these are three soueraigne medicins to heale all wounded consciences and they are as three running streames of liuing water to bathe and to supple the bruised and contrite heart Now commeth faith and first laieth hold of the sufferinges of Christ and so a sinner is freed from the punishment and guilt of sinne and from eternall damnation and thus the first deadly wounde is cured Againe faith laieth hold of the perfect obedience of Christ in fulfilling the lawe thus the second wound is cured Thirdly faith applieth the holines of Christs humane nature to the sinner then his nature is accepted of God as perfectly sanctified and so his third deadly wound is cured Thus a sinner is made righteous by the righteousnes of Christ imputed to him XXV From true iustification proceede manie other benefits and they are either outward or inward Outwarde benefites are three The first is Reconciliation by which a man iustified is perfectly reconciled to God because his sinne is done awaie and he is arrayed with the perfect righteousnes of Christ. The second is that afflictions to the faithfull are no punishments for sin but only fatherly and louing chastisements For the guilt and punishment of sinne was borne of Christ. Now therefore if a Christian bee afflicted it is no punishment for then God shoulde punish one fault twise once in Christ and the seconde time vpon the Christian which thing doth not agree with his iustice it remaineth therefore that afflictions are only corrections in the faithfull The third benefite is that the man iustified doth deserue and merite at Gods hands the kingdome of heauen For being made perfectly righteous in Christ he must needs merite eternall life in and by Christ. And therefore Paul called it the iustification of life Rom. 5. 18. XXVI Inward benefites proceeding from iustification are those which are inwardlie felt in the hart and serue for the better assurance of iustification and they are principallie fiue The first is Peace and quietnes of conscience As al men naturallie in Adam are corrupt so all men naturallie haue corrupt and defiled consciences accusing them arraigning them before Gods iudgement for their sinnes in such wise that euerie suspition of death and feare of imminent danger maketh a naturall man stand agast at his wits end knowing not what to doe but by faith in Christ the Christian is perswaded of remission of his sins and so the disquietnes of his conscience is appeased and hee hath an inwarde peace in all extremities which cannot be taken from him XXVII The slumbring dead conscience is much like to the good conscience pacified manie through ignorance take the one for the other But they maie be seuered and discerned thus First let the beleeuing Christian examine himselfe whether his conscience was afflicted with the sense of Gods iudgements and pressed downe with the burden of his sinne before hee came to that quietnes for then he may be in good hope that it was the Spirit of God who brought that peace because God hath promised That he will dwell with the humble and contrite to reuiue and quicken them But if hee haue alwayes had that peace from the beginning of his dayes he maie easilie deceiue himselfe by taking the numnesse and securitie of a defiled conscience for true peace of coÌ„science Secondly let him search from whence this peace of his conscience proceedeth For if it come from anie thing else but from the certaintie of the remission of sinne it is no true peace as manie flattering themselues in sinne and dreaming of a pardon are therevpon quieted and the Deuill is readie enough to put this into their mindes but this can bee no true peace Thirdlie let him examine himselfe if he haue a care to keepe a good conscience which if hee haue he hath also reciued from the Lord a good and a quiet conscience For if God bestowe vpon anie man a gift concerning his saluation he giueth him also a care to keepe it XXVIII The seconde inwarde benefite is An entrance into Gods fauour and a perseuerance in it which is indeede a wonderfull benefite When a man commeth into fauour with his Prince then hee is bolde to come vnto his Prince and hee maie haue free accesse vnto his presence and he may sue to his Prince for anie benefite or preferment whereof he standeth in neede and may obteine it before anie other so they which are in Gods fauour by reason that they are freely pardoned and iustified in Christ do boldlie approach into Gods presence and they are readie to aske and sure to obteine anie benefite that is for their good The third is a spirituall ioy in their harts euen then when they are afflicted because they looke certainely to obtaine the kingdome of heauen The fourth is that the loue of GOD is â—hed in the hartes of the faithfull by the holie Ghost that is that the holie Ghost doth make the faithfull verie euidentlie to feele â—he loue of God towards them and doth as it were fill their harts with it XXIX The second maine benefite is Adoption whereby they which are iustified are also accepted of God as his owne children FroÌ„ Adoption proceed many other benefits First the elect child of God hereby is made a brother to Christ. Secondly he is a King and the kingdom of heauen is his inheritaÌ„ce Thirdly he is Lord ouer all creatures saue Angels Fourthly the holie Angels minister vnto him for his good they garde him and watch about him Fiftlie all things yea greeuous afflictions and sin it selfe turne to his good though in his owne nature it bee neuer so hurtfull threfore death which is most terrible vnto him is no entrance into hell but a narow gate to let him into euerlasting life Lastly being thus adopted he may look for comfort at Gods hand answerable to the measure of his afflictioÌ„ as God hath promised XXX The inward assurance of Adoption is by two witnesses The first is our spirit that is an heart and conscience sanctified by the sprinckling of the bloud of Christ. Now because it commeth to passe that the testimonie of our spirit is feeble and weake God of his goodnes hath giuen his owne spirite to bee a fellow witnes with our spirit for the
my self is not in the gospel neither yet father mother sister brother kinsmā y t one should in loue be preferred before another The loue that springeth out of Christ excludeth no man neither putteth difference betweene one other In Christ wee are all of one degree without respect of persons Notwithstanding though a Christian mans hart be open to all men receiueth all men yet because his abilitie of goods extendeth not so farre this prouision is made that euerie man should care for his owne housholde as father mother thine elders that haue holpen thee wife children and seruants When a man hath done his duetie to his houshold and yet hath further aboundance of the blessing of God that he oweth to the poore that cannot labour and cannot get worke and ar◠destitute of friendes to the poore I meane which he knoweth and to them of his owne parish For that prouision ought to be had in the Church that euerie parish prouide for the poore If his neighbours which hee knoweth bee serued then is hee debter to the brethren a thousand miles off if he heare of their necessity haue himself anie plentie yea to the verie Infidels he is a debter if they need as farre forth as he doth not maintaine them against Christ. Thus is euerie mā that needeth my help my father mother sister brother in Christ euen as euerie man that doth the will of the father is father mother sister and brother vnto Christ. Timoth. Now ye somewhat perswade me of that which me thought at the first blush was against common sense Euseb. By Gods grace I will perswade you more yet How if our sauiour Christ Iesus should now dwell vpon the earth in pouertie want could you not be contented to bestow halfe your goods on him Timoth. Halfe my goods Nay truely all and my heart blood for I knowe if I should loose my life for him I should saue it Euseb. Verie well Christ is all in all Euerie Christian man to another is Christ himselfe and whatsoeuer is doone to the poore is doone to Christ himselfe and therefore your neighbours neede hath as good right in your goods as hath Christ himselfe which is heire and Lord ouer all And looke what you owe to Christ that you owe to your neighbours neede to your neighbour owe you your heart and life and whatsoeuer you haue or can doe Timoth. Wee need not giue our reliefe except the poore require it Euseb. Aske or not if they want you are bound to relieue them As Christ loued you so loue them Christ loued you being his enimie when I am sure of it you neuer asked remission of sinnes Timoth. Wee neede not releeue them often need we Euseb. Yes as long as you are able and as oft as they want If Christ should forgiue vs but once we should come short of heauen Timoth. The world is full of naughtines and lewde people take pleasure in dooing wrong and in slandering and in hindering their brethren how can you liue among them in quietnes do you vse to giue like for like Euseb. No you must vnderstand that there bee two states or regiments in the worlde the kingdome of heauen which is the regiment of the Gospell and the regiment of the worlde which is the temporall kingdome In the first state there is neither father nor mother neither maister mistres maide nor seruant nor husband nor wife nor Lord nor subiect nor inferior woman but Christ is all each to other is Christe himself there is none better then other but all alike good all brethren and Christ onlie is Lord ouer all neither is there any other thing to doo or other law saue to loue one another as Christ loued 〈◊〉 In the temporall regiment is husband wife father mother sonne daughter mistres maide man-seruant subiect Lord Now euery person is a double person and vnder two regimēts in the first regiment I am a person of mine owne selfe vnder Christe and his doctrine and maye neither hate nor be angrie and much lesse fighte or reuenge but must after the example of Christe humble my selfe forsake and denie my selfe and hate my selfe and caste my selfe awaye and bee meeke and patient and let euery man goe ouer mee and treade mee vnderfoote and doo mee wronge and yet I am to loue them and praye for them as Christ did for his crucifiers for loue is all and whatsoeuer is not of loue is damnable and cast foorth of that kingdome In the temporall regiment thou art a person in respect of an other thou art husband father mother daughter wife lord subiect and there thou must doe according to thine office If thou be a father thou must doe the office of a father and rule or else thou damnest thy selfe thou must bring all vnder obedience whether by faire meanes or by foule thou must haue obediencc of thy wife of thy seruants and of thy subiects if they will not obeye in loue thou must chide fight and correct as farre as the lawe of GOD and the lawe of the lande will suffer thee Now to the purpose whether a man maie resist violence and defend or reuenge him-himselfe I saie naie in the firste state where thou art a person for thy selfe alone and Christs disciple there thou must loue and of loue doe studie and enforce yea suffer all thinges as Christ did to make peace that the blessing of God may come vppon thee Which saith blessed are the peacemakers for they shall bee the children of God If thou suffer keepe peace in thy selfe onely thy blessing is the possession of this worlde but if thou so loue the peace of thy brother that thou leaue nothing vndoone or vnsuffered to further it thou shalt possesse heauen But in this worldlie state where thou art no priuate man but a person in respect of other thou must and art bounde vnder paine of damnation to execute thine office Of thy seruants thou must exact obedience and must not suffer thy selfe to bee dispised If thou art a ruler thou must take imprison and sley to not of malice and hate to reuenge thy selfe but to defende thy subiectes and to maintaine thine office the ruler must not oppresse his subiects with rentes fines and customes at all neither pill them with taxes and such like to maintaine his owne lustes but bee louing and kinde vnto them as Christ was to him for they be the price of his bloode I will shewe my minde more plainelie by one example You are in your fathers house among your brethren and sisters there if one fight with another or if anie doe you wrong you maie not reuenge or smite for that pertaineth to the father onelie But if your Father giue you authoritie in his absence and commaunde you to smite if they will not bee ruled but abuse you then you are another person Notwithstanding yet you haue not put off the first person but are a brother still and must
cut off from thee Christian. But Gods mercie farre exceedeth all these my sinnes and I cannot bee so infinite in sinning as God is infinite in mercie and pardoning Sathan Darest thou presume to thinke of Gods mercie why the least of thy sinnes deserueth damnation Christian. None of my sinnes can feare me or dismaie me Christ hath borne the full wrath and vengeance of his Father vpon the Crosse euen for me that I might be deliuered from condemnation which was due vnto mee Sathan If Gods purpose were not to condemne thee perswade thy selfe hee would neuer laie so manie afflictions and crosses on thee as he doth What is this want of good name this weaknes and sicknesse of the bodie these terrours of thy minde this dulnesse and frowardnes of thy hart what are all these I saie and manie other euils but the beginnings and certaine flashings of the fire of Hell Christian. Nay rather my afflictions are â—liuelie testimonies of my saluation For god as a louing Father partlie by them as with â—courges chastneth my disobedience and bringeth me into order partly conformeth me vnto my Sauiour Christ and so by little and little layeth open to mee mine owne sinnes that I may dislike my selfe and hate them and maketh mee to renounce the â—orâ—de thy eldest sonne and stirreth me vp to call vpon him to praie earnestly with â—grones and sighes which I am not able to expresse with anie wordes as I feele them Sathan Thy afflictions are heauie and â—omfortlesse therefore they can not be arguments of Gods fauour Christian. Indeed their nature is to bring griefe and heauines to the soule but I haue had ioy in the middest of my afflictions strength sufficient to beare them and after them haue ben many waies bettered which befalleth to none of the wicked and for that cause it is a great perswasion to mee that â— shal not be damned with the wicked world but in spite of all thy power passe froÌ„ death to euerlasting life Sathan After these thy manifold afflictions thou must suffer death which is moâ—â— terrible and a verie entrance to Hell Christian. Death hath lost his sting bâ— Christes death and vnto me it shall be nothing els but a passage vnto euerlasting life Sathan Admit thou shalt bee deliuereâ— from hell by Christ what will this auailâ— thee coÌ„sidering that thou shalt neuer comâ— to the kingdome of heauen for Christeâ— death only deliuereth thee from death eternal it can not aduance thee to euerlastinâ— life Christian. I am nowe at this time a member of Christs kingdome and after this lifâ— shall raigne with him for euer in his euerlasting kingdome Sathan Thou neuer didst fulfill the lawâ— therefore thou canst not come into the kingdome of heauen Christian Christ hath perfectlie fulfilled euerie part of the lawe for mee and by this his obedience imputed vnto mee I my selfe do keepe the lawe Sathan Be it so for all this thou art farre inough from the kingdome of heauen into which no vncleane thing shall euer enter thou although that Christ hath suffered death and fulfilled the lawe for thee yet thou art in part vncleane thy cursed nature and the seedes of sinne are yet remaining in thee Christian. Christ in the virgins wombe was perfectly sanctified by the holie ghost and this perfect holines of his humane nature is imputed to me euen as Iacob put on Esaus garments to get his Fathers blessing so I haue put on the righteousnes of Christ as a long white robe couering my sinnes making me appeare perfectlie righteous euen before Gods iudgement seat Sathan Indeed God hath made promise vnto mankinde in all these mercies and benefits in Christ but the condition of this promise is faith which thou wantest and therfore canst not make anie accompt that Christes sufferings Christes fulfilling of the lawe Christes perfect holinesse can doe thee anie good Christian. I haue true sauing faith The conflicts of Sathan with the strong Christian. Sathan THou sayest that thou hast true faith but I shall sift thee and disproue thee Christian. The gates of Hell shall neuer preuayle against my faith doe what thou canst Sathan Tell me then doest thou thinke that all the world shall be saued Christian. No. Sathan What shall some be saued and some condemned Christiam So saith the worde of God Sathan Thou then are peswaded that God is true euen in his mercifull promises and that he will saue some men as Peter and Paul Dauid c. and this is the onely be leefe by which thou wilt be saued Christian. Naie this I beleeue and more too that I particularly am in the number of those men which shall be saued and this is the beleefe that saueth me Sathan It may bee thou art perswaded that God is able to saue thee but that God will saue thee that is that he hath determined to aduance this thy body and this thy soule into his kingdome that he is most willing to performe it in his good time heerein thou wauerest and doubtest Christian. Nay Sathan I in mine owne heart am fully perswaded that I shall be saued and that Christ is specially my redeemer and O Lord for Christes sake helpe thou my doubting and vnbeliefe Sathan This thy full perswasion is onely a phantasie and a strong imagination of thine owne head it goeth not with thee as thou thinkest Sathan It is no imagination but trueth which I speake For me thinks I am as certaine of my saluation as though my name were registred in the Scriptures as Dauids and Pauls are to be an elect vessell of God and this is the testimonie of the holy spirit of Iesus Christ assuring me inwardly of my adoption and making me with boldnesse and confidence in Christ to pray vnto God the father Sathan Still thou dreamest imaginest thou louest and likest thy self and therefore thou thinkest the best of thy selfe Christian. Yea but God of his goodnesse hath brought foorth such tokens of faith in me that I cannot be deceiued 1. I am displeased with my selfe for my manifold sinnes in which sometime I haue delighted and bathed my self Rom. 7. 15. 24. 2. I purpose neuer to commit them againe if God giue me strength as I trust he will 3. I haue a verie great desire to be doing those things which God commandeth 4. Those that bee the children of God If I doe but heare of them I loue them with my hart and wish vnto them as to my selfe 1. Iohn 3. 14. 5. My heart leapeth for gladnesse when I heare of the preaching of the word 6. I long to see the comming of Christ Iesus that an end may be made of sinning and of displeasing God Apoc. 22. 20. 7. I feele in my heart the fruites of the spirit ioy loue peace gentlenes meekenes patience temperance the workes of the flesh I abhorre them fornication adulterie vncleannesse wantonnesse Idolatrie strife enuie anger drunkennesse bibbing
of the fruit which God had forbiddeÌ„ him he hath made vs all to rue it euen till this daie but here thou seest the fruits that grow not in the earthlie Paradise but on the tree of life which is within the heauenlie Hierusalem Fear no danger be bold in Christ to eate of the fruit as God hath commanded thee it wil quicken thee reuiue thee being dead thou caÌ„st not do SathaÌ„ a worse displeasure thaÌ„ to feed on the godly fruit of this tree to smell on the sweete leaues which it beareth coÌ„tinuallie that giue such a refreshing sauour VII Most men now a daies are secure cold in the professioÌ„ of the Gospel though they haue the plentiful preaching of it And the reason is because they feel not in theÌ„selues the vertue and mightie operation of Gods word to renue them they cannot feel it because they do not applie the word aright vnto their own soules Plaisters except they be applied in order time be laied vpon the wound though they be neuer so good yet they caÌ„not heal so it is with the word of God the parts of it which except they be vsed in order time conuenient wil not humble and reuiue vs as their vertue is VIII The common Christian euerie where is faulty in this thing Whereas hee loueth himselfe wisheth al good that maie be to himselfe hee doth vsuallie applie vnto his owne soule the Gospell alone neuer regarding the law or searching out his sins by it Tell him what ye will his song is this God is merciful God is merciful By this meanes it coÌ„meth to passe that he leadeth a secure life maketh no conscience of couetousnes of vsurie of deceit in his trade of lying of swearing of fornication wantonnes intâ—mperaÌ„cie in bibbing quaffing c. But he plaieth the vnskilful ChirurgioÌ„ he vseth healing plaisters before his poisoned and cankred nature haue felt the power paine of a Corasiue And it will neuer be wel with him vntill he take a new course IX On the contrarie part many good Christians leaue to apply the comfort of the gospel to themselues and onlie haue regard to their owne sinnes and Gods infinite vengeance And euen when Sathan accuseth them they will not sticke to giue eare to Sathan and also accuse themselues and so they are brought into feareful terrors and often draw neere to desperation X There is a third sort called sectaries who addict themselues to the opinion of some man These commonlie neuer applie the law or the Gospell to themselues but their whole meditation is chieflie in the opinioÌ„s of him whom they follow As they that follow Luther few of them follow his ChristiaÌ„ life they regard not that but about consubstantiation and vbiquity about Images and such like trumperie they infinitelie trouble themselues and all Europe too And in England there is a scismaticall and vndiscreet companie that would seeme to crie out for discipline their whole talke is of it and yet they neither knowe it nor will be reformed by it and yet they are enemies to it as for the lawe of God and the promises of the Gospell they little regarde they maintaine vile sins in refusing to heare the reading or the preaching of the worde and this is great contempt of Gods benefites vnthankefulnesse to him They are full of pride thinking themselues to be full when they are emptie to haue all knowledge when they are ignorant and had need to be catechized the poison of Aspes is vnder their lippes they refuse not to speake euill of the blessed seruants of God Well doe they aboue al things seeke the kingdome of God then let them be sincere seekers of it which they shall doe if in seeking Christs kingdome they seek the righteousnes therof vnto which they can neuer come but by the applying of the threatninges of the law and the comforts of the Gospell to their owne consciences But whereas they seeke the one and not the other they giue all men to vnderstand with what spirit they speake Consolations for the troubled consciences of repentant Sinners Sinner GOod syr I knowe the Lord hath giuen you the tongue of the learned to be able to minister a word in time to him that is wearie therefore I praie you helpe me in my miserie Minister Ah my good brother what is the matter with you and what aile you Sinner I liued a long time the Lorde he knoweth it after the manner of the worlde in all the lustes of my filthie flesh and then I was neuer troubled but it hath pleased God of his mercie to touch my heart and to send his own sonne that good shepheard Iesus Christ to fetch me home to his owne fold euen vppon his owne necke and since that time it is a woÌ„der to see how my poore heart hath beene troubled my corruption so boiles in me Sathan will neuer let me alone Minister Your case is a blessed case for not to be troubled of Sathan is to bee possessed of him that is to be held captiue vnder the power of darknes and to be a slaue vassall of Sathan for as long as the strong man keepes the hold all things are in peace Contrariwise he that hath receiued anie sparkle of true faith shall see the gates of hell that is the Diuell and all his Angels in their full strength to stand vp against him and to fight with an endlesse hatred for his finall confusion Christian. But this my trouble of minde hath made mee oftentimes feare lest God would reiect me and vtterlie depriue me of the kingdome of heauen Minister But there is no cause why it should so doe For how should heauen bee your resting place if on earth you were not troubled how could God wipe awaie your teares from your eies in heauen if on earth you shead them not You woulde bee free from miseries you looke for heauen vpon earth But if you wil go to heauen the right waie is to saile by hell If you will sit at Christs table in his kingdome you must be with him in his temptations You are as Gods corne you must therefore goe vnder the flaile the fanne the milstone and the ouen before you can bee Gods bread You are one of Christes lambes looke therefore â—o be fleeced and to haue the bloudie knife â—t your throte all the daie long If you were â— marke sheepe bought to bee solde you â—hould be stalled and kept in a fatte pasture â—ut you are for gods own occupying thereâ—ore you must pasture on the bare coÌ„mon â—biding stormes tempestes Sathans snatâ—hes the worldes woundes contempt of â—onscience and frettes of the flesh But in â—his your miserie I will bee a Simon vnto you â—o helpe you to carrie your crosse so bee it â—ou will reueale your minde vnto mee Christian. I will do it willingly my tempâ—ations are either against my faith in Christ â—r against repentance for