that do beleeue he laid not downe our nature againe when he had wrought our redemption but carried it with him into heauen as one saith when Christ went away from vs hee lefte vs his pawne that is his spirit to assure vs hee would come againe to vs and tooke with him our pawne that is our flesh to assure vs we should come to him according as hee saith in Iohn I goe to prepare a place for you that where I am there you may bee also This is the misterye that the sonne of God came downe to the earth tofetch vs vp to heauen that after hee had sanctified our humayne nature in himselfe he might glorifie vs with himselfe as Paul saith He Phil. 3. shall change our vile body that it may be made like his glorious body which how excellent an estate it is no toung is able to expresse As the worst is past with Christ so the best is to come with Christians for he would not haue come from glorye to basenesse but to haue drawne vs from basenesse to glory therefore let vs be content with our Sauiour Christ himselfe to passe by the crosse to this crowne where we shall receiue the end of our faith which is the saluation 1. Pet. 1. of our soules The necessities of Religion or Mans Renouation IOHN 3. 3. Iesus answered except a man be borne againe he cannoâ— see the kingdome of God 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. OVr Sauiour Christ being excellent and famous when hee was vpon the earth many resorted to him to heare his doctrine and see his miracles and among the rest there was one Nichodemus who was a Pharisie a teacher and Ecclesiasticall ruler among the Iewes that came to him but secretly by night fearing the displeasure of the rest of his sect who loued not Christ nor his disciples as some looking Iohn 9. too much to men haue a kinde of fleshly shame or bashfulnesse in well doing and the higher any man is lifted vp in wealth authoritye or society with great men the stronger impediments he hath to keepe him from Christ But when he comes to our Sauiour Christ he salutes him reuerently and calles him Rabbi a title and saluation then commonly vsed to learned men and he saith to him we know speaking of himselfe his company thou art a teacher sent from God for no man could doe those miracles which thou doest except God were with him he knew him not to be the Messtas but tooke him for some speciall Prophet the rest of the Pharises asked him by what authority he did those miracles seeing he was not approoued by them that were the gouerners of the Church but Nichodemus being somwhat wiser then the rest confesses he had authority sufficient from God In the former chapter they required a signe of him to confirme his calling if it were extraordinary as Moses confirmed his calling by turning his rodde into a serpent and Elias by deuiding Iordâ—â— with his mantle but Nichodemus confesses there were signes ennow for saith he No man could doe those things that thou doost except God were with him Now although our Sauiour Christ might haue taken exception to his maner of comming by night and reprooued his feare of men and ignorance that he knew him not to be more then a Prophet yet letting passe these wordes that I haue read he beginnes with the chiefe point and that which was the cause of those faultes in him which was the want of grace and therefore saith Except a man be borne againe c. As if he should say although thou doost call me maister and thereby professest thy selfe to be a scholler yet I doe not account thee fit for my disciple except thou beest borne againe For by the kingdome of heauen heere is not ment the kingdome of glory in the next life as some haue taken it but the kingdome of grace in this life that is the true Church as it is taken in the fift of Mathew the Church is called Mat. 5. 19 the kingdome of heauen because the lawes whereby it is gouerned are from heauen the guiftes wherewith it is endued are from heauen the persons that are members of the true Church are Cittizens of heauen and because the Church is as it were the suburbes thorowe the which we must enter the Kingdome of heauen It is as if our Sauiour Christ should say thou hast made a iourney to heare me and thou hast vsed good wordes vnto me but that is not enough thou canst not bee accounted a true member of the Church except thou hast good thoughtes and good workes aswell as good words except thou beest borne againe that is generally made better both in thy minde and manners Let vs marke our Sauiour dooth not flatter him though he were a great man but seekes to profit him some doe much extoll small things in great men if they will heare a sermon or two giue courteous wordes and entertainement to a minister they greatly commend them although their mindes and manners be as vnformed as their naturall parents left them but we must follow our Sauiour Christes example to Nichodemus except they bee borne againe and reformed in hart and hand aswel as in toung except they be indeed generally sanctified aswel as they seeme to be so in some perticular it is nothing worth although they would goe twenty mile to heare the choisest Preacher in the country except they doe reforme themselues by the word conforme themselues to that which is taught therein they be no Christians This doubtlesse was an vnpleasant answer to Nichodemus for howsoeuer a naturall man can be content to haue something added to him yet he likes not to haue all condemned that is in him and to haue his estate called into question But our Sauiour Christ not regarding what would please him but profit him condemnes his first birth and telles him he must of necessity be borne againe neither doth he speake of Nichodemus in perticular but of all men in generall for saith he Except a man be borne againe and not of men onely but women also for that which was Nichodemus his condition is the condition of all by their first birth the Potter would not breake his pot to make it againe except it were ill made so God would not regenerate men except they were euill generated Therefore our Sauiour Christ dooth in these words both condemne our first birth and vrge the necessity of a new birth as if he should say except a man in the time of his life become better then hee is by his birth except a man be againe begotten of God who is a better father in the wombe Iam. 1. 18 of the Church that is a better mother by the worde that is immortall and better 1. Pet. 1. 23. seede and so becomes a new creature and hath better qualities he shall not haue a better inheritance It is as if he should say as a man is by
Christ who doth communicate to vs not onely his name his nature and his graces but also his priuiledges that we should be Kinges and Priestes that we should be Kinges and Priestes that we should haue interrest in the creatures and be wayted on of Angels therefore this is a great mistery that God is manifested in the flesh 4 From hence comes the mutual feeling and affection that is betweene Christ vs that he takes the injuries done to vs as done to himselfe as he saith to Saule why persecutest thou me when he went to Damascus to Acts. 9. persecute the Church he takes the benefites bestowed vpon his members to be bestowed on himselfe as he shal say at the last day when I was hungry ye gaue me meate Mat. 25. when I was thirsty ye gaue me drinke and he expoundes his meaning in saying that which ye did to one of these little ones that beleeues in me yee did to me as that which is done to the hand or foote by reason of a naturall coniunction reaches to the head so that which is done to Christians by reason of a spiritual coniunction reaches to Christ the head of the Church and on the other parte from hence comes the feeling griefes of Christians when Christ is blasphemed or dishonoured as Dauid sayeth Tâ—â— rebukes of those that rebuked they are fallen on me and the feeling comfort and reioysing that Christians haue when Christ is honoured his kingdome furthered and his will obeyed And from hence comes not onely the simpathie and â—eeling that Christians haue with Christ their head but that they haue one with another as members of the same body as the Apostle requireth Be like affected Rom. 12 one towards another mourne with those that mourne and reioyce with those that reioyce as in a naturall body there is not that feeling with the members of another bodie as of the same so in Christes misticall body there is not that feeling among the members of a strange body as among those that be the true Church and body of Christ therefore the scripture maketh thâ—â— a marke of a true Christian and disciple Iohn 13 1. Iohn 3. to loue thy brethren This is the great misterie that the sonne of God is manifested in the flesh whoâ— he is God is our father as he is man heâ— our brother and as he is God and man â—â— is our attonement maker therefore let â— not so looke to his humanity as we forgâ— his diuinitie least we be offended at â— basenesse as the Iewes were who callâ— him the Carpenters sonne and let vs nâ— so looke to his diuinity as we forget his humanity least we be dismaide at his brightnesse as the man was that said depart from me for I am a sinnefull man But let vs so consider the vniting of these two natures in his person that in him we may see our happye condition and know assuredly that as there is no saluation to them that are without him soe there is no condemnation to them that Rom. â— are in him hee knowes not religyon that knowes not this saith Maister Caluin Iustified in the spirit All that which followes in this verse serues but for the amplification of this mistery therefore hauing beene somewhat large in the former wordes I will bee briefe in the rest Iustification sometime in the Scripture dooth signifie to account a thing or a person iust and pure that is not so of himselfe and so it is taken commonly when it respectes vs who are by God esteemed iust by grace that are not so by nature but so it cannot be taken here for in this sence Christ cannot be said to be iustified except it bee from our sinnes that he had taken vppon him as our surety as Paule saith he Rom. 4. dyed for our sinnes and rose agayne for our iustification that is to say hauing by his Rom. 4. death payde the price of our sinnes hee was by his resurrection iustified and freed from them and in him wee are iustyfied from our sinnes and the punishmentes of them because the penaltye of our sinnes beeing payde by him can no more bee exacted of vs therefore Paule saith as by one mans disobediene manye were made sinners so by the obedyence Rom. 5. of one many were made righteous therefore contrarye to the opinion of the Papistes wee must fetch our iustification by the faith of the Gospell from him that is iust and hath kept the lawe and not from our selues that are vniust and cannot keepe the law therefore saith the Rom. 3. Apostle wee are iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the workes of the law and yet faith dooth not iustyfie vs as it is a quality in vs no more then to see patience or any other grace but as it is grace that layes hould of Christ neyther is it the quantitye or strength of faith that dooth iustifie vs but true faith how little soeuer that layes holde of the strength of Christ but I will stand no longer vpon this point though it be a speciall part of this misterye of godlynesse because the Apostle dooth not speake of this kinde of iustyfication heere as appeares when hee sayeth hee was iustyfied in the spirite Therefore iustification is heere to be taken in another sence that is to alow or acknowledge a thing or a person to bee that which hee is in himselfe when it seemed to some to be otherwise as where Mat. 11. it is saide wisedome is iustified of her children that is acknowledged to bee excellent wisedome Though other doe deny it and account it foolishnesse in this sence the Apostle speaketh heere when hee saith Christ was iustified in the spirite as if he should saye though hee were manifested in the flesh and seemed to bee a base person yet hee was found and acknowledged to bee the euerlasting and glorious God to the like effect the Apostle 1. Pet. 3. Peter speaketh of him saying Hee suffered in the flesh and was quickned in the spirite which is the same that Saint Iohn speaketh after hee had saide the worde Iohn 1. was made flesh hee addeth wee saw the glorye thereof as the glory of the onely begotten sonne of the father full of grace and trueth for though the sonne of God tooke on him our humane nature frailety he did not lay aside his deuine nature and maiestye but onelye couered vnder the vayle of the flesh as the sunne though it bee couered with cloudes yet the bright beames thereof doe sometime breake out and shew foorth it selfe to those that haue eyes so the beames of Christes Godhead did sometimes breake out and appeare to those that were not spirituallye blinde and not onelye in his excellent words and Doctrine speaking as it is sayde of him so as neuer man spake but in his gloryous transfiguration Mat. 17. vppon the mountaine which Peter calles the holy Mount where saith 2. Pet.
all which heare the word so plainely and plentifully preached doe not beleeue but rather considering the impediments of faith that are within vs and without vs it is maruell that any do beleeue for faith is not of our selues by nature it is the gift of Gods graâ—e and Ephe. 2. another manner of thing then many imagine seeing no man knowes it but those that haue it as no man knowes the sweetenes of hony but those that haue tasted it I will not enter into a common place of faith because I purpose not to go from the Apostles purpose onely thgat we may not be deceiued in iudging of it as many are let vs knowe that faith is a precious and vnspeakeable gift which God by his holy spirit workes in the hartes of his elect in measure whereby a man doeth applye Christ and all his good things to himselfe with comfortable assurance and whereby he is prouoked and inabled to thankefull obedience thus Christ being preached he was beleeued on in the worlde not talked on onely but beleeued on also he was talked on of many and beleeued on of some though but few in comparison as it is now but we must not rest in lip faith but labour for hart faith not rest in faith of the flesh but labour for faith of the spirite not rest in the faith of common Protestantes but labour for the faith of true Christians not rest in a dead faith that is without finite but labour for that faith which may maâ—e vs aliue from dead workes not rest in such a counterfet faith as is ouercome of the world but labour for that faith that â—â—oth ouercome the world for Christ 〈◊〉 ouercome for vs except â—◠〈◊〉 vs this is the commandement of the Gospell that we beleeue in him whome God hath sent that we beleeue this mistery noâ— only that God became man but that he did it for the saluation of men and not only of other men for so far hipocrites may go in beleeuing but of our selues euery one must beleeue that Christ so wrought the redemption of the Church generally as hee did it for him perticulerlye as a member of the same and if there had beene no more he would haue done it for him alone This is a part of this mistery to beleeue that Christ being in heauen and we in earth Christ beeing glorious and we base Christ being pure and we defiled should be one with vs and we with him But marke that it was said before Christ was preached to the Gentiles and now he was beleeued on in the world the Gentiles were great sinners yet when Christ was preached they beleeued in him Some may therevpon aske this question Doth Christ belong to wicked men no not so long as they bee wicked but the Apostles did preache this misterie of forgiuenesse of sinnes and saluation in Christ to those that do repent as Peter saith Amend your liues Acts. 2. and be baptised in the name of the Lord â—esus for the remission of sinnes therefore those that would beleeue this misterie must repent of their sinnes for the faith that wicked men boast of is but a fancie Repentance is a godly sorrow rising from the sight of our sinnes and the punishment due vnto them which causes a man to hate the deuill euill men and euill things to loue God good men and good things in his minde and to forsake the deuill euill men and euill things and to follow God good men and good things in his maners but it is not so needfull to shew now what repentance is as to perswade men to go about it neither is it so necessarie to shew whether faith or repentance be wrought first in a man seeing they are alwayes ioyned together and are at no time separated in a good man repentance though it may be said to be the last in nature yet it is the first in feeling Thus the Gentiles when they heard the Gospell beleeued in Christ as we may see in Zacheus and in those that burned their Luk. 19 Acts. 19. bookes of curious Artes at Ephesus and many other therefore those that became Christians are in the Epistles of Paul called Saints and if any that had beene receiued into the Church vpon a counterfeite shew of repentance did returne to his olde sinnes the scripture appoints him to be cast out and deliuered to Sathan as vnworthy of a Christian estate but those that did indeed beleeue in Christ became true Christians such as were redeemed iustified and sanctified by him Receiued vp into glory That is his manhood for his Godhead was alwayes in glorie but the Apostle meanes he was receiued into glorie in his manhood that he might enioy that life which was promised to those that keepe the law this is that he prayed for Father glorifie thy sonne with that glorie that I had with thee before the worlde Iohn 17. was This is that the Euangelist Marke speakes of He was taken vp into heauen Mar. 16. The manner of his ascention thether is set downe in the first of the Actes Acts. 1. Therefore he is not here corporally vpon earth as the Papistes say for we beleeue in the creede he assended into heauen which must containe him vntill his comming againe Acts. 3. this is that is saide of him he is crowned Heb. 2. with glory and honour not such glory only as the Saints and Angels haue but the highest degree of glory belonging to the head of the Church though he were base for a time yet is he glorious for euer which those that beleeue in him did see by saith as the theefe on the Crosse that said Lord haue mercy on me when thou commest in thy kingdome and therfore though in the primatiue Church the friendes of the Church did expostulate with them and say will ye beleeue and suffer for one that was crucified yet by faith they ouercame such reasons and knew he was another manner of person then they tooke him as it is said he was receiued into glory This is that which is said of him that hee sitteth at the right hand of God Ephe. 1. that is as Paule expounded it exalted farre aboue all principalitye and power Phil. 2. as it is said to the Philippians hee humbled himselfe to the death of the Crosse wherefore God hath exalted him and giuen him a name aboue all names that at the name of Iesus euery knee should bow this he saith of himselfe all power is giuen to me both in heauen and in earth that as he hath redeemed his people from their enemies so hee might defend them from them This is a great mistery that he which was brought so lowe should be exalted so high but is this all that he was glorified in his person No but that he might glorifie his members as Paule saith to the Thesselonians 2. Thess 1. He shall be gloryfied in his Saints and made maruelous in all those
and the practise of godlinesse fewe are exercised in them which shewes a carelesse minde but hee that is desirous to keepe a good conscience will enquire how they may doe it If men would doe as the Disciples of Mat. 13. our Sauiour Christ did and as good men did Num. 6. 9. 1. Cor. 7. 1. Acts. 2. obserue their doubts and write them either in their mindes or in their tables and propound them in conuenient place and company they might be wiser then they be and doe their duties better then they doe and auoide many sinnes that they fall into as the prouerbe is the blinde eates many a Flie yea many a Spider Iesus answered Verily I say to thee except Verse 5. a man be borne of water and of the spirite he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Because Nichodemus asked how a man could be borne againe that was olde our Sauiour Christ telles him how and because he vnderstood Christs former words carnally he telles him they must be vnderstoode spiritually The Papistes take these wordes to bee spoken of baptisme and say except a man be baptised he cannot be saued putting a necessity in baptisme vnto saluation it is true indeed that baptisme is necessary and that to saluation as all the meanes of saluation which God hath appointed are necessary and cannot be contemned without peril of condemnation but baptisme is not necessary to saluation in their sence as if none could be saued except they be baptised for the thiefe that was crucified with Luk. 23. 1 Christ who was conuerted after baptisme was instituted was saued and yet he was not baptised so if any should die without baptisme when they would cannot haue it it hinders not their saluation if infants die before they be brought to baptisme though negligence herein may be a sinne in the parents yet is it no preiudice to the childe no more then it was to those children that died without circumsition when they might not apply it before the eight day for if the want of baptisme should be shutte from saluation then it were possible to ouerthrow the election of God which Mat. 24. Christ denies But although baptisme bee called the 〈◊〉 and sacrament of regeneration because it doth signifie and outwardly represent to our eyes that clensing and renewing which the holy Gost dooth worke inwardly in our harts yet it is not our Sauiour Christes purpose in this place to speake of baptisme at all but to teach Nichodemus that in his former speach he ment not a carnall but a spirituall birth the reason why he names water is because often in the Scripture the spirit is set foorth by water to Iohn 7 38. shew the working of the spirit in those that are borne againe as water dooth wash away the filthinesse of the bodie and make the same more cleane so the spirit dooth clense and purifie the soule therefore it 1. Cor. 6. 11. is called the spirite of sanctification so that in these wordes it is as our Sauiour Christ should say I doe not meane that a man should be borne againe carnally but that he should be borne againe spiritually as yee are borne first like your earthlye father who is flesh so you must be borne againe like your heauenlye Father who is spirite and bee made pertaker as Peter speakes of his deuine nature not in substance 2. Pet. 1. 4 but in qualities as hee saith Bâ—â— Leui. 11. 4. 4. Mat. 5. yee holy as I am holy And as Christ saith Be yee mercifull as your heauenly father is mercifull And in that Christ saith heere A maâ— must be borne againe of the spirit it shewe 〈…〉 that regeneration consists not in a ciuill reformation such as the lawes of the countrie the companie that men keepe and the respect of their credit and outward safety may drawe them vnto but hee meanes that Christian reformation which the spirite thorowe the knowledge and faith of the worde of God dooth frame men vnto begetting a knowing in or iudgement a hating in affection and forsaking in conuersation of those things which are euill in them by their first birth that are contrarie to the worde and that tende to condemnation and on the contrarie begetting in them a knowing in iudgement a loue in affection and following in conuersation of those things which be good that they haue by a new birth that are agreeable to the worde and that tende to saluation Except yee be borne againe of the spirite thus saith our Sauiour Christ yee cannot enter into the kingdome of God To the same effect spake â—ohn Baptist to some of the other Pharisies who Luke 3. 8 came to him to be baptised which was an entrance into the Church Bring forth saith he first fruites worthie amendment of life as if hee should say What should you doe in the Church or what should you doe with the badge or name of Christianitie when you are still corrupt and naughtie men So our Sauiour Christ saith to Nichodemus heere What shouldest thou or any such as thou art doe in the new state of the Church where God is a King rules by his word and grace and where men and women are subiâ—ct to him in minde and manners whent hou art still an olde man in the strength of thy ignorance and naturall corruption for the Church is the doore of the kingdome of God and none are to be leâ— into the kingdome of God in this world so farre as men can iudge that shall haue no place in the kingdome of God in thâ— world to come for if the Apostle woulâ— haue knowne and grosse sinners to be 〈…〉 thrust out of the Church when they be in 1. Cor. 5. then he would haue them to be kept ouâ— that they come not in and in that Phi 〈…〉 did admit Sin on Magus it was because h 〈…〉 Acts. 8. did dissemble that which was not in him and pretended faith regeneration whe 〈…〉 he had it not but though he deceiued P 〈…〉 lip he could not deceiue Peter who perce 〈…〉 ued that he was an hipocrâ—â—e in the ga 〈…〉 of bitternesse we now receiue children 〈◊〉 baptisme and enter them into the Church because the parents beeing faithfull the 〈…〉 â—eede is holy in the account of the seruan 〈…〉 of God as the Apostle saith but we mu 〈…〉 1. Cor. 7. 14. see some testimonies of grace in themselue 〈…〉 before we receiue them to the other sacr 〈…〉 ment if any one will obiect â—udas he w 〈…〉 then no open offender and also it was th 〈…〉 the Scripture might be fulfilled And those that haue by baptisme beenâ— enticed into the Church must know th 〈…〉 if when they come to yeares of vnderstanding they doe not answer to that they professed in Baptisme to renounce the deuill and his workes and to beleeue and obey Gods word though they haue a place in the Church and be
accounted Christians among men yet they shall be shutte out of the kingdome of heauen with the Mat. 25. fiue foolish Virgins Therefore saith our Sauiour Christ Except a man bee borne of water and of the spirile except hee been cleansed from corruption and made partaker of the guiftes of sanctification he cannot enter into the kingdome of God But if a man be borne againe he shall enter our Sauiour Christ vseth the like speech in Math. 19. 9. He that putteth away his wife except it bee for fornication and marries another committeth adulâ—erie but if it be for fornication it is otherwise then so in this place he saith Except a man be borne againe hee cannot see the kingdome of God but if hee be borne againe he shall see it both heere and hereafter as Peter saith Blessed be God who hath begotten vs againe to 1. Pet. 1. inheritance immortall vndefiled rescrued in â—eauen for vs. It is not indeed our Sauiour Christes purpose to set foorth the excellencie of a regenerate and Christian estate that is shewed in other places of Scripture but his purpose is to shewe the necessitie of it and that without it a man cannot be saued That which is borne of the flesh is flesh Verse 6. Our Sauiour Christ confirmes his answere to Nichodemus as if hee should saye I would haue thee vnderstand I did not meane when I sayde a man must bee borne againe that a man should enter into his mothers wombe againe as thou diddest carnally take mee for if he could or should that would not profit him because it is carnall and all one with the first birthe for that which is borne of the flesh is flesh By flesh in the first place is meant the substance of flesh and in the second place the corruption of flesh as if hee should saye that which is borne of naturall parents bodilye is sinfull and corrupt If Adam had stoode in his first estate that which should haue beene borne of the flesh had not beene corrupt but holy but since Adam fell all that are naturallye borne of him are flesh that is to say corrupt both in body and soule and not onelye the inferiour partes of the soule as the thoughts and imaginations thereof which in Genâ—sis are sayde to bee euill Gen. 6. 5. continuallye but also the higher partes of the soule as the wisdome and conscience As Paul speaketh to the Romans Rom. 8. 〈◊〉 The wisedome of the flesh is emnitie against God and to Titus Their conscience is defiled Tit. 1. 15 And as the soule is corrupted so is the bodye and the partes thereof therefore Rom. 3 the Scripture speaketh of some men and saythe Their eyes are full of adulterie and the poyson of Aspes is vnder theyr lippes their handes are full of bloud their feete runne to euill Therefore the Ephe. 2. 5 Apostle sayth of all naturall men They are dead in trispasses Therefore when the Papists saye there is free-will in men by nature and some disposition to goodnesse they speake contrarye to our Sauiour Christ That which is borne of the fleshe is fleshe Let them shewe what parte of a man is vncontrouled in the Scripture and in what parte eyther of religion or conuersation wee are not directed from the highest point of â—aith to the lowest part of manners as how to eate and drinke and to apparell our selues Theâ—efore whatsoeuer the Papists doe ignorantly speake we must knowe as it is vnpossible for vs to doe any thing belonging to this life till we be borne so it is to doe any thing belonging to a better life till wee be borne againe for wee are not sufficient saith the Apostle of our selues to thinke a good thought but all our sufficiencie Phil. 2. 13 is of God who worketh in vs both the will and the deede that is by a spirituall and new birth for that which is borne of the flesh is flesh It is true that the corruption of our first birthe dooth not shewe it selfe in all alike but in some more then in other some are so incontinent that their owne wiues cannot serue them but are like fedde horses neighing after their neighbours wiues some are so intemperate that they become Iere. 5. 8. like Swine in drunkennesse and gormandize some are so furious as they care not who they reuile and rayle vppon some are so couetous that they will be guile and deceiue euerye one they deale withall other naturall men are more ciuill in shew but no better in deed some are in words as louing as Ionathan but in heart as spightfull as Absalon some are in words as honest as Susanna but in deede though secretly as vnchaste as Dalyla some haue new faces but olde hearts a newe cloake but an olde coate yea those that haue the best naturall guiftes as witte cloquence knowledge of humaine sciences and in some pointes doâ— seeme to shewe foorth speciall vertues as it is sayde of Socrates hee was so temperate that hee would neuer eate but when hee was hungrie and so pacient that hee was neuer seene to be angrie Scipio Affricanus is said to haue beene so pittyâ—ull that hee vsed his captiues as if they had beene his owne Souldyers There are also great things spoken of the Iustice of Aristides of the liberalitie of Mespania and of the chastitye of Lucretia But these or whatsoeuer such things haue beene found in Heathens they were nothing else but gilded sinnes because they proceeded from fleshe that is to say from pryde loue of praise and such like corruptions of nature and not from regeneration Mat. 6. 1. and the spirite of sanctification Therefore saith our Sauiour Christ That which is borne of the fleshe is fleshe as if hee should saye there is nothing but corruption in a naturall man neyther in his thoughts in his wordes nor in his workes if we could but see the heart and the corners and courses of a naturall mans life as it is indeede it would seeme more odious vnto vs then any thing that euer we sawe for all that is borne of the fleshe is fleshe and not onely all that is in a man when hee is borne is corrupt but all that afterwarde hee dooth thinke speake or doe according to his first birthe that is according to his naturall iudgement naturall affection and naturall conuersation Therefore the Apostle speaking of the estate of all naturall men saith There is none that Rom. 3. dooth good no not one For which cause wee are commanded in the Scripture to put off the corruptions of our nature Paul saith to the Ephesians Put of the olde man which is corrupte Ephe. 4. to purge them As the same Apostle saith to the Corinthians Purge the olde â—euin of 1. Cor. 5. maliciousnesse and wickednesse To denye them as our Sauiour Christ sayth Hee Mark 8. that will be my Disciple let him deny himselfe that is his owne corrupt iudgement and affection to
forbids and is contrarye to religion that doth so take vp the roome in a mans heart that it hinders the groweth of the word and keepe a man from the duties commanded in the same And by this we may see how to discerne of care if it be such as doth not hinder vs but further vs in the duties of godlinesse it is good but if it grow to that measure that it keepes vs from those duties that wee owe to God and to men it is naught which our Sauiour Christ reprooues Why care yee for meate saith he and for rayment that is beyond measure Mat. 6. as appeares by setting downe the practise of the Gentiles and by shewing that it hinders a man from seeking the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse To preuent this care Peter saieth Cast your care vppon God for hee careth for you Ritches is another thorne that dooth choake the word in this sort of men not that wee should thinke all rich men bee vnfruitefull professors for wee reade of Ioh Abraham Cornelius and others who were full of grace and goodnesse therfore hee dooth not say simply ritches but the deceitefulnesse of riches dooth choake the worde not that ritches doe deceiue all men but these kinde of men or rather deceiue themselues in the conceit of riches for riches are dead things without reason how then should they deceiue liuing and reasonable men if their own wrong iudgement and affection did not deceiue them but they thinke happinesse standes in being ritch as appeare by the saying of many when they speake of a ritch man they saye he is happy but they are deceiued how can they make a man happye when they cannot free a man from troubles but rather bring many troubles with them when as they cannot content a man but men hauing aboundance doe still desire more when they will leaue a man and he them Salomon in the booke of Ecclesiastes dooth shew plentifully there is no felicity but vanity in these things they thinke that riches are the best things especially that hee can 〈◊〉 haue in this life but they are deceiued a good name is better as Salomon saith in the Prouerbes A good name is better then siluer and golde wisedome is better as also Salomon saith blessed is the man that findeth wisedome Pro. 3. the marchandise thereof is better then the marchandise of siluer and the gaine thereof is more worth then golde Godlinesse is better as Paul saith to Timothie Godlinesse is the 1. Tim. 6◠great gaine they thinke ritches will serue their turne at all needes but they are deceiued for Dauid saith Riches auailes not in Psal the day of vengeance They thinke they can leaue them to whō they list but they know not whether they shall leaue them to a wise man or a foole saith Salomon Their life may be taken away this night as it is said Eccle. of the rich man in the Gospell that made his barne bigger and said he had foode laid vp for many yeares then whose shall these things be saith our Sauiour Christ Thus mē being deceiued with riches they choake the word and keepe them from their duties this also may teach a man when hee hath a right estimation and vse of riches when they further him in religion and practise of duties and when eyther by the getting our keeping of them hee is hindred in his dutye they haue deceaued him Voluptuousnesse or liuing voluptuously as Luke saith is another thorne that hinders Luke 8. the groweth of the word in mens hartes by voluptuousnesse is not ment the immoderate vse of the lawfull pleasures and delights of this life as the Stoike Philosopher condemned all pleasure but the sinfull and vnlawfull pleasures of the world and the immoderate and carnall vse of those that be in themselues lawfull whereby men are hindred frō their duties Some thinke they cannot bee choaked with ritches for they haue them not but poore men may be choked with immoderate cares some thinke they cannot be choaked with cares for they let the world go which way it wil but they may be choaked with voluptuousnes some thinke they cannot be choked with voluptuous liuing for they fare hardly go homely and toyle continually but they may be choked with riches some are choaked with one of these some with another of them some with all of them Our Sauiour Christ compares these things to thornes because they choake or hinder the groweth of the seed of the word that it cannot bring forth the fruite of piety of hospitality of equity of mercie of chastity of sobriety and such like as otherwise it would do When Iohn Baptist preached repentance to Herode he was choaked with voluptuousnesse and Mar. 6. loue of a harlot that hee could not bring forth the fruite of it When Diues should haue releeued Lazarus hee was choaked with ritches and voluptuous liuing that he could not bring foorth the fruite of mercy Luk. 16. When the Iewes by the Gospell were called to the marryage of the kings sonne they were choaked with the cares of the Mat. 22. worlde farmes oxen c. that they could not come When the word calles on men to keepe the Saboth they are choaked with these things they haue iourneyes to goe and other things in their head that carries them from obedience When men are taught by the word to pay their debtes to pay their tithes to make restitution of their wrongs the world choakes them that they neuer bring forth these fruites Many men know such and such duties are to be done and they will purpose to do them but such a building such a purchase marriage of such a daughter hinders and choakes them so as they neuer come at them but one saith Hell is full of purposes but heauen of performances such men pretend to worship God in hearing the worde but they worship their belly their mony as Paul cals couetous men idolaters and also of vosuptuous Ephe. 5. men hee saieth to the Philipians 3. Their God is their belly Many men would faine goe to heauen but they are so tyed to the worlde that they cannot walke in the waye to it many men will be religious but they will practise it no further then may stand with their profites and pleasures if the minister crosse those affections in them they will crosse him if they can and seeke rather to condemne his sayings then their owne doings yet men will colour their couetousnesse with religion and say they must prouide for their family if they in following the world did obey the word they would seeke and doe such things as might set forth Gods glory as well as their owne glory they would seeke to further Gods house aswell as their owne house which the word commandes also in following voluptuousnesse men excuse it by this we cannot bee Angels but the word teaches we must be Saints and do nothing contrary to holinesse