before the Lord Doe yee so requite the Lord O yee foolish people and vnwise But as this was the first affection which Sathan through infidelitie peruerted turning it from the Lord and setting it vpon the forbidden tree so it is the first affection which in the regeneration is rectified by Faith and by which faiâ—â— workes in the sanctification of the rest turning it from the creature and setting it vpon God Where we are to consider of the lawfull obiects of our loue aâ—d of the due measure of loue we owe vnto euery one of them The obiects of our loue are three the first is God the second is our selfe the third is our neighbour The first and principall obiect of our loue is the Lord our God whom we ought so to loue that wee loue him aboue all things and that for no other thing more than for himselfe in loue the Lord will not suffer a companion neither Father nor Mother Wife nor Children nay not thy owne life should be so deere to thee as that for any of these thou shouldst offend thy God otherwise hee tels thee himselfe that thou art not worthy of him and he will not reckon thee among those that loue him Non amat Christum qui aliquid plus quam Christum amat he loues not Christ who loues any thing more than Christ and then doe wee loue something more than him if from him wee seeke any thing more than himselfe This is a mercinarie loue when man loueth God for his gifts It was obiected by Sathan vnto Iob but falsely for euen then when he was spoyled of all the earthly comforts which God had giuen him yet the loue of God continued in him from which he blessed the Lord. As the woman which loueth her husband because hee is rich is rather to be called a louer of his riches than of himselfe so the Worldling who with the carnall Israelite doth worshippe God for his wine and his oyle and the rest of those good things which God giues men is but an hyreling not a sincere worshipper nor a chast louer of the Lord his God The second obiect of our loue is our selues for in that the Lord requireth that I loue my neighbour as my selfe it is manifest that first of all I ought to loue my selfe Hee that loueth not God cannot loue himselfe and hee who loueth not himselfe cannot rightly loue his neighbour without the loue of God all the selfe loue which is in man is but selfe hatred As the franticke man who in his fury wounds his owne body is pittyed of all men as one that hath no pittie of himselfe so the prophane man who by multiplying transgressions slayeth his owne soule is more iustly to be accounted an hater of himselfe it is the holy loue of God that first teacheth thee to take heede vnto thy selfe to preserue both soule and body from the wrath to come and that worketh in thee an holy care to conforme thy selfe to the Lord whom thou louest and with whom thou desirest to remaine for euer Thus being taught to loue our selues we shall also learne to loue our neighbour the ordered loue of our selues being as I said that patterne according to which wee should loue our neighbour Prius itaque vide si nosti diligere teipsum tunc committam tibi proximum quem diligas sicut teipsum Learne therefore first of all to loue thy selfe and then will I commit thy neighbour to thee that thou maist loue him as thy selfe Si autem nondum nosti diligere te timeo ne decipias proximum sicut te but if otherwise thou hast not learned to loue thy selfe I feare that as thou deceiuest thy selfe thou wilt also deceiue thy neighbour louing him so that thou draw him into the sâ—are of sin with thy selfe to both your destructions this is not loue but hatred for hee who loueth any thing truely hateth euery thing that would destroy it as hee that loueth a garment hateth the moth that consumeth it and hee that loueth a tree hateth the worme that eateth it vp so hee that loueth a man will also hate the sinne that slayes the man otherwise if thou cherish that which destroyeth him thou hatest him indeed and louest him not It is commonly thought a needlesse lesson to teach a man how to loue himself but in very deed it is most needful it being a common disease among men â—mare res suas magis quaÌ„ seipsos to loue any thing which is theirs better than themselues quis vtilemâ—iudicet vitae alienae quem videt inutilem vitae suae and who can iudge that hee can be profitable vnto other men whom hee seeth vnprofitable yea hurtfull vnto himselfe Though it be principally said to Preachers yee are the light of the world and salt of the earth yet doth it also saith Chrisostome appertaine to euery Christian but hee that hath not so much light as to shine to himselfe how shall hee shine vnto others how shall hee guide them except it be as the blinde leades the blinde and both of them at length fals into the ditch and hee that hath no salt to pouder his owne speeches nor to eate vp the corruption of his owne heart how can hee effect the reformation of others Thus you see how the spirit of grace reforming our affection of loue sets it vpon God our sâ—lues and our neighbour Now as for the measure of our loue toward these wee are to know that the loue of our selues and our neighbour is bounded and limited but the due measure of the loue of God is to loue him without measure Three conditions are required in our loue to God to wit that we loue him with all our heart with all our minde and with all our strength wee must loue him earnestly that other loue draw vs not from him but his loue may be so strong in our heart as to banish out of it all other vnlawfull loue vincat dulcedo dulcedinem quemadmodum clauus clauum that so the sweetnesse of Christ may ouercome in vs all sweetnesse of the creature as one nayle driues out another The Apostles loued Iesus with an hearty affection wee haue said they forsaken all thingâ— to follow thee yet had they not learned to loue him with all their minde that is wisely with knowledge and vnderstanding for they loued him so that they liked not his sufferings and had no will that hee should dye the speaches giuen out before hand by our Sauiour of his death they could neither conceiue them nor approue them therefore did our Sauiour rebuke them If ye loued me ye would certainely reioyce that I goe vp to my Father out of doubt their affection was toward him but they did not yet vnderstand how good it was for the glory of God and mans saluation that Iesus should dye and therfore could not reioyce in it And the Apostle
Peter when hee heard that Iesus behoued to suffer because hee loued him said to him Maister pittie thy selfe but receiued this answere Goe behinde me Sathan for thou vnderstandest not the things that are of God culpans in vtroque non affectum sed consilium blaming in them both not their affection but their vnderstanding yet afterward when Peter was better informed that Iesus behoued to dye and rise the third day hee disswaded him no more but rather promised that hee would dye with him hee had now learned to loue Iesus not onely with his heart but also with his minde not earnestly onely but also wisely yet when it came to the poynt hee denyed his Maister at the voyce of a Damsell because hee had not learned to loue him with strength as hee did afterward when he had receiued the holy Spirit in greater measure hee loued Iesus euen to the very death with so strong an affection that before the Counsell hee choosed rather to dye for Christ than to denye him Licet vitam tunc minime posuit deposuit tamen in so much that albeit hee lost not his life yet hee freely laid it downe for Iesus These are thee three whereunto wee are to aspyre in all our life to loue the Lord heartely to loue him wisely for inconsiderate zeale and temerarious precipitation doth not please him and to loue him with so strong an affection that wee chose rather to suffer death than to forsake him But alas how farre are wee from this holy disposition who can say hee hath attained to that measure of holy Loue which the Law of God requireth in him and therefore should vve endeuour to grow daily in loue earnestly praying the Lord that hee vvould breath by his Spirit vpon that little sparke of heauenly life vvhich hee hath created in our hearts that it be not extinguished with the ashes of our corruption but may increase and become a great flame to burne vp our affections with such a loue of God as may carry vp all the powers of our soule toward him To this effect let vs meditate frequently vpon these foure causes for vvhich wee should loue the Lord first for that which hee is in himselfe to wit the fountaine of all goodnesse the greatest and supreame good if it be good that man would haue let him loue the Lord to vvhom there is none like in goodnes inuenito si potes aliquid pretiosius Deo dabitur tibi finde out if thou canst any thing more pretious than God and it shall bee giuen thee The Platonists by the light of nature saw that all the pulchritude and beautie which shineth in the creature vvas but spendor quidam summi illius boni which should transport vs in our affection toward him from whom it came Pulchrum coelum pulchra terra sed pulchrior qui fecit illa the heauen and earth are beautifull but more beautifull is hee who made them and therefore as oft as any good in the creature beginneth to steale our heart after it let vs in our affection goe vp to the Creator considering that the Lord hath not made these beautifull or profitable creatures that we should go a whooring after them but that by them as steps we should climbe vp to him that made them and rest in him The second cause that may breed the loue of God in vs if we meditate vpon it is that the Lord hath first loued vs Inuenimus eum sed non praeuenimus we haue found him but we did not preuent him we knovv him novv but were first knowne of him hee found vs first and that euen vvhen vve vvere enimies vnto him dilexit non existentes imo resistentes he loued vs vvhen vve vvere not yea vvhen vve vvere rebels against him and shall vve not novv being reconciled by the death of his sonne endeauour to loue him againe Thirdly the Lord by his continuall gifts hath testified his loue to vs he hath not beene vnto vs as a wildernesse or as a land of darknes if we vvill remember and tell what the Lord hath done to our soule vvee shall finde vvee are ouercome with the multitude of his mercies and there is none that hath deserued the loue of our hearts comparable to the Lord. If our loue be free let vs set it vpon him who is most worthy to be loued and if it be venall let vs also giue it vnto him who hath giuen vs most for it And fourthly it shall waken in vs the loue of God if vve consider in our hearts what great things the Lord hath promised to giue vnto vs euen such as the eye hath not seene and the eare hath neuer heard life without death youth without age light without darkenesse ioy without sadnes a kingdome without a change and in a word he shall then giue vs a blessed life non de his quae condidit sed de seipso not of those things which hee hath made but of himselfe But to returne to our former purpose that we may know vvhether this holy loue be created in our hearts by the spirit of grace or no we must try it by the fruits and effects of loue whereof novv it shall content vs to touch a few First it is the nature of Loue that it earnestly desires and seekes to obtaine that which is beloued Hereby shalt thou knovv whether thy affection of loue be ordered by Christ or remaine as yet disordered by Sathan The affection which Christ hath sanctified will follow vpward seeking to be there where he is Euery thing naturally returnes to the owne originall as the waters go downe to the deep from whence they came so carnall loue powred out like water returnes to Sathan who begat it and carries miserable man captiued with it downward to the bottomles pit but holy loue being as a sparke of heauenly fire kindled in our hearts by the holy Ghost ascends continually and rauishes vs vpward toward the Lord from whom it came not suffâ—ing vs to rest till we inioy him Let this then be the first tryall of our loue if wee vse carefully those holy meanes by which vve keepe and entertaine familiaritie with our God it is an argument that vve loue him and what other meanes is there by which man vpon earth is familiar with God but the exercises of the word and prayer Godly Dauid who protests in some places that he loued the Lord prooues it in other by the like of these reasons O how loue I thy law it is my meditation continually and againe I haue loued the habitation of thine house and the place where thine honour dwels One thing haue I desired of the Lord that I may dwell in the house of my God all the dayes of my life to behold the beautie of the Lord and to visit his holy temple As this doth serue for the comfort of those who delight in the exercise of
the word and prayer so doth it serue for the conuiction of those to whom any other place is more amiable than the labernacles of God an euident proofe they haue not the loue of God because they neglect the meanes euen when they are offered by which familiar accesse is gotten vnto the Lord. And againe because the fight we haue of God in this life is but through a vaile and the tast we get of his goodnesse is but in part and that in the life to come the Lord will fully embrace vs in the armes of his mercy and kisse vs for euer with the kisses of his mouth therefore is it that the soule which vnfainedly loues the Lord cannot rest content with that familiaritie which by the Word and Prayer it hath with God in this life but doth long most earnestly to be with the Lord where shee knoweth that in a more excellent manner shee shall embrace him whereof proceedeth these and such like complaints As the Hart brayeth for the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God O when shall I come and appeare before the presence of my God My Soule desireth after thee as the thirsty land For I would be dissolued and be with the Lord Therefore come euen so come Lord Iesus But alas here are wee taken in our sinnes thou sayest thou louest the Lord but how is it then that thou longest not to see him neyther desirest thou to be with him yea a small appearance of the day of deaâ—h or mention of the day of iudgement doth terrifie and afray thee where as otherwise if thou didst loue him they would be ioyfull dayes vnto thee seeing in the one wee goe to him and in the other he commeth to vs to gather vs and take vs thether where he is Surely those men who contenting themselues with the gifts of God in this life thinke not long to enioy himselfe are but like an adulterous woman who if so be shee possesse the goods of her husband regards not albeit shee neuer see himselfe I confesse indeed wee may reioyce in all the gifts which God hath giuen vs as in the tokens and testimonies of his loue but wee are alwayes to vse them with this protestation that nothing giuen vs in this life be allowed vnto vs for our portion and inheritance and that no contentment euer come vnto our hearts till wee get himselfe who gaue them If the loue of the Corinthians made the Apostle to say I seeke not yours but you how much more should the loue of God compell vs to say vnto him It is not thy gifts O Lord but thy selfe I long for thou art the portion of my soule if thou wouldest giue me all the workes of thine hands yet shall I neuer haue comfort nor contentment except thou dost giue me thy selfe Therefore O thou whom my Soule loueth shew me where thou feedest where thou lyest at noone and dost rest for why should I be as shee that turneth aside to the flockes of thy companions Blessed is he that hungers and thrists for thy righteousnesse for hee shall behold thy face and be filled with thine image for in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore The second tryall of our loue is Obedience and an holy care in all our callings to serue and honour the Lord. Preachers must be tryed by this rule Peter louest thou mee feede my flocke Gouernours and Counsellers must be tryed by this Can yee say in truth with the Godly Gouernour Dauid I loue the Lord then will yee also say with him what shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits how shall I shew my loue toward him and what shall I doe in my time for aduancement of his glory If thou dost loue the Lord then wilt thou be a nourishing Father to his Church a carefull aduancer of his kingdome a wise prouisor to remoue those stumbling blocks which hinder the course of the Gospell If yee loue the Lord then will yee stand vp with Dauid and say Doe not I hate them O Lord that hate thee doe not I earnestly contend with them that rise vp against thee surely I hate them with vnfained hatred as if they were mine vtter enimies If ye honour the Lord as Dauid did the Lord shall blesse you as hee blessed Dauid Dauid sware vnto the Lord that hee would not rest till hee found out a place for the Lord euen an habitation for the mightie God of Iacob And the Lord sweares againe vnto Dauid that of the fruit of his body hee would set vp one to raigne after him But if otherwise there be nothing in you but a care to stablish your selues and your houses vvith the neglect of the glory of God then remember that the curse of Shebna and not the blessing of Eliakim shall be vpon you Yee shall not be fastned as a nayle in sure place but shall be rolled and turned away like a ball the Lord shall driue thee from thy station and out of thy dwelling place shall hee destroy thee For the wicked shall not haue his desire his thoughts shall not be performed neyther shall hee be established on the earth but euill shall hunt him to destruction The Lord shall take thee and plucke thee out of thy Tabernacle and roote thee out of the Land of the liuing And generally all of you in your callings remember that the value of your Christian loue must be tryed by the same touchstone not by your words but by your workes If any loue mee saith Iesus let him keepe my commandements but here also the hypocrisie of this age is discouered as the Iewes called Iesus their King and bowed their knees before him but spat in his face and buffetted him so the bastard Christians of this age call Christ their Lord and bowe their knees before him yet by their sinfull life they crucifie him and tread his bloud of the couenant vnder their feete they kisse and betray him with Iudas it is but a Scepter of reed they allow him for they giue him no commaundement ouer their affections wherefore great is the controuersie which the Lord hath this day with the men of this generation The third tryall of loue is Bountifulnesse the Apostle sayth Loue is bountifull experience proues that euery louer bostoweth bountifully on that which hee loueth yee loue your bodyes and therefore largely bestow vpon them to feede them and cloth them yea with excessiue apparrell yee loue your Children and lets them want no needfull thing for them yea yee loue your beasts and spares not to bestow largely vpon them onely you say you loue the Lord but wherein are yee bountifull toward him It is true that in nothing can a man be profitable to the Almightie but are there not workes commaunded vs which should so shine before men that by them
God by their beginnings What inconueniences arise from this precipitation Psal. 39. 9. Psa. 116. 10 Psa. 116. 13. He that will iudge of Lazarus on the dunghill shall think him more miserable than the rich Glutton But wee shall best iudge of the works of God if we tarry till they be ended Esay 48. 22. Psal. 37. 37. Gods wonderfull wisdome in causing things of so contrary qualities to agree to do one worke God hath rested from the worke of creation not of gubernation Ioh. 5. 17. His prouidence extends to the smallest things Iob. 22. 13. 14. Psal. 113. 1 King 20. Augustine In greatest confusion of things let vs keepe our comfort the end of them shal be our good Gen. 37. c. The end of all the wayes of God is our good Psal. 25. 10. Iob. 13. 15. Yea euen when he seemes to be most angry with his children he is working their good Iob. 6. 4. Isa. 38. 17. 13. 14 2 Cor. 7. 5. Chrisost. in Mat. hom 14 Rom. 11. 13 For the working of God with his children is by contraries Sathans stratagems are directed to the good of the godly Ambr. lib. 1. de paeni ca. 13 Sathans accusations for sinnes past are vnto the godly preseruatiues against sin to come And his tentations to sinne chases them to the throne of grace 2 Chron. 20. 13 Ambr. ibid. As the Philistims vnderstood not Samsons riddle how sweete came out of the sowre so cannot worldlings that comfort is in the crosse Iudg. 14. 14. Rom. 5. 3. 2 Cor. 4. 13. Heb. 12. 11. Afflictions profitable to the children of God Lam. 3. 27. Psal. 119. 71 Ioh. 15. 2. The wicked putrifie and rots in their prosperitie Iere. 48. 11. 2 Sam. 7. 14. 15. Death workes also the good of Gods children Death compared to the red Sea Egiptians drowne in it But the Israelits of God shall goe through it How the enimies of Gods childreÌ„ against their will procures their good Gen. 50. 20. 1 Sam. 29. Death of the body to a Christian is but as the renting of Iosephs garment from him Chrisostome Since to euery Christian all things work for the best much more are we to think that this is the priuiledge of the whole Church Gen. 12. 3. A warning for Kings such as are in authoritie Hester 4. 14. Exod. 7. They who rise to authoritie not to the good of the Church shall assuredly fall Examples â—â—ewing how God hath altered the state of worldly Empires for the good of his Church In Pharaoh king of Egypt In the Monarch of Babell and Persia. Therefore in our greatest mutations our hart should not be moued from confidence in God Iob. 19. What is a christians best A wicked man is at his best when he is first borne for the longer he liues the moe sins he multiplyes Ierem. 9. 3 A man continuing in sinne compared to one gathering a treasure With euery new sinne he gathers a new portion of wrath A Christians best beginnes in the day of his conuersion Ioh. 6. 3. The day of our conuersion was a day of diuâ—siâ— betweene vs our old sinnes which wee should not forget Seeing our best is not in this life let vs possesse our â—oules in patience How they are to be pittied who reioyce in things present as in their best things Luke 12. 19. Wisd. 5. 7. Miserable worldlings who take more paines to get keep any thing than Iesus Christ. Psal. 50. 22. How all things worke for the worst to the wicked The persons to whom the former comfort belongs are described to be such as loue God and are called by him Three things inseperably knit 1. Gods purpose concerning vs 2. his calling of vs 3. our loue toward him None can loue God but such as he hath chosen and called It is thought a common thing to loue God but none can loue him who are not beloued of him 1 Ioh. 4. 10. He that would know Gods purpose toward him let him go downe to his own heart and not vp to Gods counsell Ioh. 21. 15. Loue the first affection that Sathan peruerted And the first which in our regeneration is rectified by the spirit of grace The first obiect of reformed loue is God August de temp ser 223 The second obiect of reformed loue is our selus He cannot loue his brother who loues noâ— himselfe Augustine Man hath need to learne how to loue himself rightly Aug. ad frat in Eremo ser. 30. Amb. lib. 2. offi cap. 12. Loue to our selues and our neighbor â—â—uld be measured but our loue to God should be without measure Bern. in Cant ser. 20. Three conditions requisite in the loue of God Mat. 19. 27. Iohn 14. 21. Mat. 16. 22. 23 In this life wee are farre from that measure of the loue of God which should be in vs. Foure meditations helpful to encrease in vs the loue of God We should loue him because he himselfe is the supreame good Because he hath first loued vs. Bernard He hath declared his loue by innumerable gifts already giuen vs. Hee hath yet greater things which he hath prepared for vs to giue vs. Aug. de ciuit dei l. 10. c. 18 Our loue to God must be tryed by the effects thereof Property of Loue it longs to obtaine thaâ— which is beloued We loue not God if we vse not the exercises of the word and prayer seeing by them onely we haue familiaritie with God vpon earth Psal. 119. 97 Psal. 26. 8. Psal. 27. 2. We loue not God if we long not to be with him in heauen wher he shews his most familiar presence Psal. 42. 1. Psal. 143. Phillip 1. Reuel 22. How by this tryal it is found that many are void of the loue of God Cant. 1. 6. The effect of true loue is obedience and a care to please the Lord. Iohn 21. 15. Psal. 139. 21 What great blessing belongeth to them who in their calling seeke to honour God Esay 22. 23. Psa. 140. 11 Psal. 52. 5. But this age in word calleth Christ their King but casts off his yoke Iohn 15. 10. The propertie of loue is bountifulnesse 1 Cor. 13. 4. The last is readines to suffer for his cause A confirmatioÌ„ of his third and last argument of comfort Comfort that the ground of our saluation is in God the tokens thereof in our selues Esay 46. Ioh. 10. 2 Tim. 2. Mal. 3. 6. Our calling conuersion flowes from Gods purpose therefore all the praise of it belongs to the Lord. For this cause he is called the Father of Mercy and not of Iudgement 2 Tim. 1. 9. Our calling is twofold and the inward calling is a declaration of our election All mankinde are considered standing in three circles they onely are blessed who are within the third Zach. 13. 9. Mat. 7. 21. Where euer the Gospell is preached to cal men there God hath toward some a purpose of loue Acts. 16. Acts. 18. 10. If this were coÌ„sidered it wold work a
tenth part of your thoughts or words haue been bestowed vpon him No no it is the shame of many that they haue taken more paynes to keepe a signet on their hand than euer they did to keepe Iesus in their hart they wander after vanitie and follow lyes they forsake the fountaine of liuing waters Oh consider this yee that forget God least hee teare you in peeces and there be none to deliuer you The last lesson vve obserue in this part of the Verse is this as all things workes for the best to them who loue the Lord so all things workes for the vvorst vnto the vvicked there is nothing so cleane which they defile not nothing so excellent vvhich they abuse not Make Saul a King and Balaam a Prophet and Iudas an Apostle their preferment shall be their destruction if they be in prosperitie they contemne God and their prosperitie becomes their ruine if they be in aduersitie they blaspheme him and like raging waues of the sea cast out their owne dirt to their shame yea what speake I of these things euen their table shall be asâ—are vnto them Iesus Christ is a rocke of offence vnto them the Gospell the sauour of death vnto them and their prayer is turned into sinne and what more excellent things then these As a foule stomacke turnes most healthfull food into corruption so their polluted conscience turnes iudgement into gall and the fruit of righteousnesse into wormewood And all this should prouoke vs to a holy care to become good our selues or else there is nothing were it neuer so good can be profitable to vs. To them that loue God We haue heard the Apostles last argument of comfort which is that the Lord so ruleth all things by his prouidence that those things which seemes to be against his children are made to worke together for the aduancement of their good Deus enim adeo bonus est vt nihil mali esse sineret nisi etiam adeo esset potens vt ex quolibet malo possit elicere bonum for God is so good that hee would suffer no euill to be were it not he is also so powerfull that of euery euill hee is able to draw out good Now wee proceede to the persons to whom this comfort belongs who are first described to be such as loue God secondly as are called according to his purpose Here are three things conioyned together euery one depending on another First the purpose of God vvhich is no other thing but his eternall and immutable decree concerning our saluation Secondly our calling flowing from this purpose Thirdly a loue of God wrought in our hearts by this effectuall calling These three are so inseperably conioyned together that from the lowest of these we may goe vp to the highest of that vnâ—ayned loue of God which is in thee thou mayest know that he loued thee and in his vnchangeable purpose hath ordayned thee to life This is the greatest comfort that can be giuen to men vpon earth to let them see that or euer the Lord laide the foundations of the earth he first laid the foundation of thy saluation in his owne immutable purpose which being secret in it selfe and obscured from vs is now manifested vnto vs by our effectuall calling But of this we will speake more God willing hereafter The loue of God then is set downe here as a principall effect and token of our calling As the Lord calles none effectually but those whom hee hath elected so none caâ— loue him but those who are effectually called by him yea thou thy selfe who now loues the Lord before thy calling louedst him nod thy heart went a whooring from God and thou preferredst euery Creature before him and for the smallest pleasure of sinne thou caredst not to offend him It is thought among the multitude a common thing and an easie to loue the Lord and euery man abhorres in word to be counted such a monster as hath not the loue of God but they are farre deceiued for man till he be called by grace cannot loue the Lord herein is loue not that we loued God but that hee loued vs. If now we doe know him and know him so that we loue him it is because we were first knowne of him and so knowne that we were beloued of him not that there is any equalitie betweene these loues or that we are able to match the Lord in affection non enim pari vbertate fluunt hi duo amores for these two loues flowes not in a like plentie as the running of a little strand is nothing in comparison of the great Ocean so is our loue to God as nothing if it be compared with his incomprehensible loue toward vs yet is it most certaine amor Dei amorem animae parit it is Gods loue to vs which begets in the soule a loue to God Nemo itaque se amari diffidat qui iam amat let no man therefore who loues God distrust that he is beloued It is very comfortable that among all the pen-men of the holy Ghost none doe speake more of loue than Iohn euen hee who vvas Christs beloued Disciple whom hee loued aboue the rest for it doth teach vs that whosoeuer is greatly beloued of God shall also become a carefull practiser of loue toward others That therefore we may know the heart of God toward vs it shall not be needfull that we enter into his secret counsell but let vs goe and enter into our owne hearts and there we shall finde resolution albeit the Lord send not now to you that are men an Angell to witnesse as hee did to Daniel that he was a man greatly beloued of God or to testifie to you that are women that which he did to Mary that shee was freely beloued of the Lord yet so many of you as vpon knowledge in sinceritie can say with Peter Lord thou knowest that I loue thee haue here a testimonie no lesse certaine to wit his owne Oracle in his word to make you sure that yee are beloued of him And that the comfort may be the more sure vnto vs seeing loue is the principall token of our calling wee will speake a little of Loue that so we may know whether wee be endued with this most excellent grace of the spirit or no. Naturally the affection of Loue iâ— man is so inordinate that not vnproperly Nazianzen called it dulcem tyrannum a sweet tyrannie that by deceitfull allurements compels the whole man to follow it and it is not onely in it selfe distemperated but altogether set vpon wrong obiects our loue being so set vpon the creature that we neglect the Creator a fearefull ingratitude that where in the beginning the Lord set vp man as Prince and ruler ouer all his creatures putting all the workes of his hands in subiection vnder him that man should meet the Lord with such vnthankfulnesse as to set in his affection euery creature
thee sinne committed by thy selfe no no when he beginneth to smite thee hee shall neuer lift vp his hand from thee but double his stripes vpon thee and there shall be no end of thy sorrow As the ioyes prepared for the godly so the paines prepared for the wicked are such as the eye neuer saw the tongue cannot vtter nor the heart conceiue That place of the damned is the great deepe the Ocean of all the iudgements of God all his temporall plagues are but like little riâ—ers and strands running into it If therefore the beautie of Sion doth not allure vs let the terrour of Sinai afray vs. The Lord proclaimed his Law in a fearefull manner vpon mount Sinai but in a more terrible manner will hee execute it if Moses who was so familiar with the Lord trembled when hee heard it proclaimed what horrible feare shall ouer-take the wicked when they shall see it executed vpon themselues Let therefore the children of wisedome hearken in time to the ioyfull tidings of peace which are daily proclaimed on mount Sion let vs drinke of the still and peaceable waters of Siloh which flow from it let vs embrace that mercy which Iesus by the merit of his death hath conquered vnto vs that so wee may be saued from the wrath which is to come His owne Sonne Iesus Christ is called Gods owne Son both in respect of his diuine and humane natures for as hee is God he was begotten of the Father by so vnspeakable a generation that as Esay saith none are able to declare it and as hee is man hee is the Sonne of God conceiued by the holy Ghost made man indeed but not after the manner of other men but of this see Verse 3. But gaue him for vs all This is very often alleadged in holy Scriptures as an argument of the great loue of God toward vs that he gaue his sonne to death for vs and so it is indeed for it is not by any corruptible thing as Gold and siluer that he hath redeemed vs but by the precious blood of his owne Sonne the Lambe vndefiled and without spot There is no man will giue much for that whereof he esteemes but little we measure the price of a thing according to the worth of it in our iudgement euen so of the greatnesse of that gift which our God hath giuen for vs wee may estimate the greatnesse of his affection toward vs. Pretious indeed in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints who to redeeme vs from death spared not to giue his dearest sonne vnto the death It was the Lords reasoning to Abraham now I perceiue thou louest mee because for my sake thou hast not spared thine onely sonne and haue we not much more cause to turne ouer the same reasoning to the Lord now Lord we perceiue thou louest vs because for our sake thou hast not spared thine onely one sonne The Lord shed abroad in our hearts more aboundantly the sense of that inestimable loue that we may be carefull to requite the kindnesse of the Lord putting his holy will before all things in our affection and endeauouring in holy loue to serue him who hath saued vs. Shall hee not with him giue vs all things also Wee are to vnderstand all things that are needfull for vs And here it is necessary that we put a difference betweene our right and our possession The children of God haue the right and propertie of all Gods good creatures for Christ their Lord is the heire of all and hath made them with himselfe fellow heires All things are yours saith the Apostle and yee are Christs and Christ is Gods But as for the possession of them the Lord giues it or with-holds it according as hee sees may be for the good of his children We know our father Abraham had the right of Canaan when he had not the possession of it and are not therefore to thinke it strange that the Lord giues not alwayes possession of that to his Children whereof they haue the right But as for the wicked they haue possession without a right and therefore shall be punished as theeues and robbers and violent vsurpers of Gods creatures whereunto Iesus Christ who is the heyre of all hath neuer giuen them a right Secondly wee marke here that the giuing and dispensation of earthly things is from God if wee could remember this it would moderate our care and make vs in our callings first to seeke the Lords blessing loath any manner of way to take the things of this world vnlesse we see they be giuen vs out of the hand of God For we are to know that Sathan who is a counterfaiter of God doth also arrogate to himself though falsely to be the giuer of things hee that durst say to the sonne of God all the kingdomes of the earth are mine I will giue them to thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me will hee stand in awe to speake it vnto sinnefull man No indeed it is his daily tentation by which he circumuents many intangling their hearts with the loue of worldly gaine that to obtaine it they care not to lye to steale to sweare to oppresse to deceiue one another which in effect is to fall downe before Sathan and worship him Thus Sathan rules in the kingdome of Babell like a spirituall Nabuchadnezar presenting to his subiects his great image of gold accompanied with all sorts of musicall instruments that is worldly pleasures vvealth and prosperitie which bewitch the simple and makes them fall downe and worship yeelding themselues seruants to Mammon But happy are those children who refuse so to do and can stand vp vvith their father Abraham lifting vp his hand to heauen can say I will not haue so much as the latchet of a shoe from the king of Sodome I will haue nothing by any crooked or indirect meanes out of the hand of Sathan or any of his instruments the buddes of Balak shall not hire me to doe euill neither the wages of iniquitie nor the reward of Sodome for doing good shall euer cleaue to my hands I will looke for my portion from the Lord. Againe seeing God is the giuer of all things let vs learne with the Apostle in whatsoeuer state we are to be content remembring that euery mans portion of vvorldly things is measured vnto him from the Lord. We see that a steward in a familie ministers not alike vnto all that are in it the aged and the young the seruant and the Lord receiues not a like portion yet no man gainsayes it and shall vve not reuerence the Lords dispensation who is the great steward of his familie in heauen and earth shall vve murmure against him if he giue Beniamin a double portion and bestow vpon some of his children these worldly things in greater aboundance than he doth vpon others farre be it from vs for he dispenses these
vs to grow and preserueth our soules in life Though he be in heauen and we on earth no distance of place can stay this vnion for seeing the members of the body howsoeuer scattered through sundry parts of the world so farre that many of them haue neuer seene others in the face are notwithstanding knit together by the band of one spirit into one holy communion why should it bee denyed but that the head and members of this mysticall body are also one by the same Spirit suppose the head be in heauen and the members on earth or what need is there to enforce for effecting of this vnion such a corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament as cannot stand with the truth of Gods word Now the comforts that ariseth vnto vs of our communion with Christ are exceeding great for first we haue with him a communion of natures hee hath taken vpon him ours and hath communicated his nature vnto vs. Of the first after a sort all mankinde may glory forasmuch as Christ tooke not on the nature of Angels but the nature of man yet if there bee no more the comfort is small yea the condemnation of man is the greater that the Lord Iesus came vnto man in mans nature and man would not receiue him But as for the godly let them reioyce in this that the Lord Iesus hath not onely assumed our nature but also made vs pertakers of the diuine nature before hee assumed our nature hee sanctified it and now hauing by his owne spirit ioyned vs to himselfe wee may bee out of doubt hee shall not cease till he hath fully sanctified vs. It is a notable comfort that the worke of our perfect sanctification is not left vnto vs to doe the Lord Iesus hath taken it into his owne hand to performe it what then shall hinder it I am perswaded that hee who hath begunne this good worke in you will performe it against the day of Iesus Christ. Hee who at his pleasure turned water into Wine hee who made the bitter vvaters to become sweet hee who makes the wildernesse a fruitfull land and the barren woman to become the mother of many children in a word hee who calles things which are not and causeth them to bee is hee not able to make sinners become Saints or shall hee not perfect that worke of the new creation which hee hath begunne in vs As for man he may begeâ— children but cannot renew their nature he may marrie a Wife but cannot change her conditions no more than Moses qui Aethiopissam duxit sed non potuit aethiopissae mutare colorem who married an Aethiopian woman but could not change her colour But the Lord Iesus hath so loued his Church that hee shall make head and remanent members euidently shewes that this spirituall life is but weake in vs. Last of all by our ingrafting in Christ wee haue this comfort that we are sure of the benefite of perseuerance and that because as the Apostle saith we beare not the root the root beares vs our saluation depends not vpon vs for that were an vnsure foundation it depends vpon him because we are in him we grow and increase yea the older we be in Christ the more we fasten our roote and flourish for they who are planted in the Courts of the Lord flourish in their old age and bring forth fruit and wheras other branches may be pulled away from their stocke eyther by violence of winde or force of the hands of men or at least consumed by length of time it shall not be so with them who are in Christ they keepe not him but are kept by him because I am not changed therefore yee are not consumed O yee sonnes of Iacob but as to those who are not planted in Iesus bee who they will they shall be pulled vp they shall not continue in honour The Princes of the earth their breath shall decay they shall returne to their earth and their thoughts shall perish the Iudges thereof shall bee made as vanitie as though they were not planted nor sowen or as if their stocke tooke no root in the earth The Lord shall blow vpon them and they shall wither the whirle-wind shal take them away like stubble O silly glory of worldlings which dieth to them oftentimes before themselues at least with them their beâ—utie consumes when they go from the house to the graue their pomp doth not descend after them Onely happy sure is the state of that man who is in Christ neyther life nor death things present nor things to come shal seperate him from the loue of God Now the lessons of instruction are chiefely two first is a lesson of humilitie seeing it is so that in Christ we haue life let vs be humble in our selues forasmuch as that which we haue we haue of another so taught the auncient fathers agreeable to holy scripture eleauen hundred yeers before vs which I mark the rather to point out the agreement in one truth between vs and the Fathers of the primitiue Church Ita sunt in vite palmites vt illi nihil conferant sed inde accipiant vnde viuant sic quippe vitis est in palmitibus vt vitale subministret illis non sumat ab ijs ac per hoc manentem in se habere Christum manere in Christo discipulis prodest non Christo the branches are so in the vine that they giue nothing vnto it but receiues from it that sap of grace wherby they liue but the vine is so in the branches that it ministers life vnto them and receiues nothing from them that therefore Christ abideth in vs and we in him is profitable to vs who are his Disciples but not vnto himselfe Thus they learned from our Sauiour who in his speach to his Disciples denyes that man is able to doe any good thing without him as the branch can beare no fruit except it abide in the root no more can ye except ye abide in me for without me ye are able to do nothing And that which is subioyned doth yet more humble vs praeciso palmite potest de viuae radice alius pullulare qui autem praecisus est non potest sine radice viuere though a branch be cut off from the root another may spring out but the branch which is cut off cannot liue without the root it withereth and is meet for nothing but the fire he that falleth away from Christ shall perish like a withered branch but the Lord Iesus shal not want another who shall grow vp in him we stand by faith let vs not be high minded but feare The second is a lesson of thankfulnesse wee who professe that we are in Christ should be fruitfull in good works herein saithâ—our Sauiour is my Father glorified that yee beare much fruit There is such a liuely power in this stock of
the praise of the bright shining glory of Gods mercie His owne Sonne Iesus Christ is called Gods owne Sonne to distinguish him from all others who are his sonnes by adoption onely Christ is the Sonne of God by nature by that diuine inutterable generation whereof Esay saith Who can expresse it Thus is hee Gods owne sonne that is coeternall and coessentiall begotten of the Father before all time by the full communication of his whole essence vnto him in a manner that cannot bee expressed And in the fulnesse of time hee became man God being manifested in the flesh and in regard of his humane nature which was conceiued of the holy Ghost and vnited in a personall vnion with his diuine hee stands in the title of Gods owne sonne after so singular a manner that hee admits no companion The last of these two the Apostle makes the first point of the misterie of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh wherein he bridles our curiositie for if his manifestation in the flesh that is his incarnation be a mysterie that goes beyond our vnderstanding what shall we say of his diuine generation a mystery indeed to bee adored not to be enquired an article proposed to be belieued not to bee disputed The Arrians seeking to search out this vnsearchable mysterie with naturall reason by infinite degrees more foolish then if they had presumed to number the starres of heauen or measure with their fist all the vvaters in the Sea they stumbled and fell being neuer able to comprehend how the son that was begotten should bee coeternall and coessentiall to the Father who begot him therefore the worthy Fathers of the primitiue Church to expresse the presumption of these arrogant spirits drew them down from the dangerous speculation of these high mysteries far aboue their capacitie to consideration of things which are in nature Si in Creatura genitum inueniri potest coaeuum genitori an non aequum est conced as posse ista in creatore coaeterna inueniri if in things created that which is begotten may be found equall in time to that which begat it why should it be denyed that in the Creator the begetter and begotten are equall in eternitie When a candle saith Augustine is first lighted at once there are two things the fire and the splendor or light if it be enquired whether the fire come from the light or the light from the fire all men will agree that the splendor or light comes from the fire but if againe it be demanded which of them is first or last in time it cannot be determined But vvherefore shall vve vse these similitudes as the Creator is aboue the creature so is that mysterie aboue all the secrets of nature no similitude can bee found in nature so much as shadow that most high and supernaturall mysterie yet is the endeuor of these godly fathers commendable vvho haue laboured to bring downe men to the exercising of their wits in things vvhich are below like vnto themselues leauing curious inquisition of higher secrets vvhich as I haue said are to be receiued with faith reuerenced vvith silence not searched out by curiositie O man bee not high minded but feare In the similitude of sinnefull flesh Wee must not so vnderstand these words as if Iesus had onely the similitude of a naturall bodie no hee was very man made of the seed of Dauid he hath taken on our flesh indeed yet was he not a sinfull man but separated from sinners A holy One from the first moment of his conception conceiued of the holy Ghost A Stone cut out of the mountaine without hands The Flower of the field that groweth without mans labour or industry The second Adam very man as was the first but not begotten of man So then the word similitude is not to be ioyned vvith the word Flesh but with the word sinfull He tooke on mans nature without sin yet subiect to those infirmities mortalitie and death which sin brought vpon vs he appeared like a sinfull man being indeed without sinne in the shape of a Seruant content to be made inferiour not onely to Angels but to men of the vilest sort sold for thirtie pieces of siluer not so worthy to liue as Barrabas ranked vvith Theeues on the Crosse and reputed as a Worme of the earth thus being voyde of all sinne yet was hee handled as a sinner and most wicked malefactor Wherein wee are to consider so farre as vve may though vve cannot comprehend it that vvonderfull loue vvhich the Lord hath shevved vs in this vvorke of our saluation how deere and precious our life hath beene in his eyes perceiue by the greatnesse of that prise which hee hath giuen for vs for vvho vvill giue much for that vvhereof he esteemes but little it was not vvith gold nor siluer nor any corruptible thing that the Lord hath redeemed vs but vvith the precious bloud of his owne Son Iesus as of a Lambe vnblemished and vnspotted If Dauid considering the goodnesse of God towards man in the vvork of creation fell out into this admiration O Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him or the Son of man that thou doest visite him how much more haue vve cause so to crye out considering the riches of God his vvonderfull mercies shewed vs in the vvork of redemption It vvas a great kindnesse vvhich Abraham shewed to Lot vvhen he hazarded his owne life and the liues of his familie to recouer Lot out of the hands of Chedarlaomer but not comparable to that kindenesse which our kinsman the Lord Iesus hath shewed vnto vs who hath giuen his life to deliuer vs out of the hand of our enimies The Lord shed abroad in our hearts more and more abundantly the sence of that loue that wee may endeauour to be thankfull for it by this threefold dutie first of thanksgiuing secondly of seruice thirdly of loue toward those who are beloued of him As for the first our life should bee a continuall thanksgiuing and worshipping before him who hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud When the children of Israell had passed the red sea suppose they had a wast wildernesse between them and Canaan yet they praised God with a song of thanksgiuing and the Lord appointed an yearely remembrance of that benefit If smaller mercies are to be remembred with thanksgiuing what shall wee think of the greater As for the second which is seruice Zacharie teacheth vs that for this end God hath deliuered vs from all our enimies that all our dayes wee should serue him in righteousnesse and holinesse the reason why the Israelites bound themselues to giue subiection and obedience to Dauid was that he had deliuered them from the hand of the Philistins the same reason Ezra vsed to the Iewes returned from captiuitie to make them obedient to the Lord Seeing thou O Lord hath
speaking in the name of the Lord not thy merits for if I should seeke thy merits thou shouldst neuer bee pertaker of my gifts When the Apostle Saint Paul had reckoned out how hee had laboured more aboundantly in the worke of the ministerie then all the rest of the Apostles hee subioynes as it were by correction yet not I but the grace of God in me learning vs when vve haue done all the good we can to be humble in our selues and giue the glory to God if he promise vs a crowne nihil aliud coronat nisi dona sua he crownes no other thing but his owne gifts if by promise hee bindes himselfe a debter vnto vs to giue vs a reward debitor factus est nobis non aliquid a nobis accipiendo sed quod ille placuit promittendo he is become a debter vnto vs not by receiuing any thing from vs but by promosing freely to vs that which pleased him and therefore when we are exhorted to mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit let vs first turne this and the like of the precepts into prayers that the Lord would enable vs by grace to doe that which he commaunds vs and then when in some measure we haue done it that we returne the praise and glory to the Lord. Mortifie c. Seeing the first part of our sanctification is called mortification vve are to consider hovv in this word there lurkes a rule vvhereby euery man may try hovv farre forth he hath profited in sanctification vve see by experience that the neerer a man drawes to death the lesse motion is in him but after hee is once dead hee moues not at all present him pleasant obiects they delight him not praise him yet he is not puffed vp speake euill of him yet he is not offended euen so is it with the spirituall man the greater progresse he makes in sanctification the motions of sin are euer the weaker in him the pleasures of the world moues him not as they were wont if thou praise him the breath of thy mouth cannot lift him vp if thou offend him the more he is mortified the lesse he is grieued As a man saith Basile being dead is seperate from those with whom he was conuersant before so hee who is mortified is instantly sundred in his affections from those who before were his familiar companions in sinne yea those actions wherein he delighted before are a griefe vnto him now it is a vexation of his soule to heare and see the vnrighteous deedes of the wicked which were wont to be vnto him the matter of his sport and laughter Therefore doth he wish and so should we that we might alwayes die this kind of death foelix mors quae alienum facit hominem ab hoc saeculo certainly it is a happy death which alienates and turnes away the hart of man from the loue of this world Bona mors quippe vitam non aufert sed transfert in melius for it is a good kinde of death which doth not take life away but changes it into a better But alas how farre are we from this spirituall disposition doth not the angry countenance of one in wordly authoritie terrifie vs the disdainfull words of men doe they not put vs out of the state of patience if the world flatter vs are we not puft vp if she frowne vpon vs are wee not cast downe and this our great weakenesse proceeds onely from the strength of sinne in vs this lets vs see what cause we haue to bee humbled considering that hauing liued long in this time of grace yet haue we profited little in the mortification of our sinfull lusts and affections Againe out of this same word of Mortification wee learne that the worke of our Sanctification is a worke of difficultie not accomplished without labour paine and dolour for it receiues these three names as to bee called Mortification Regeneration and Circumcision As no birth no death no cutting off the flesh can bee without dolour and sorrow so the conuersion of a sinner is not wrought without inward paine and sorrow The Infant that hath laid but nine Moneths in the wombe of the mother is not deliuered without great paine suppose shee conceiued it with pleasure and shalt thou thinke to part with sinne which in thee was conceiued with thee and which since so often thou hast nourished with pleasure and not to proue the dolours of the New-birth No assuredly In the worke of mans conuersion there is the contrite spirit the humbled heart the mourning weede the melting eye the pale countenance the voyce of lamentation let not such as feele them if they find therwith a rending of their affections from their old sins be troubled for these are but the dolors of their new birth and for others who know not these inward humiliations and wrestlings of the Children of God they haue iust cause to suspect themselues that they haue not so much as the beginnings of Mortification Regeneration and spirituall Circumcision By the Spirit Nature will not destroy our sinfull lusts they are mortified by the Spirit of Christ and therefore vve are to nourish and entertaine this Spirit by the meanes before prescribed As those Beasts which sacrificed to God vnder the Law were first slaine by the knife of the Leuite and then offered to God vpon the Altar so the Lord Iesus must mortifie our affections by the power of his word and Spirit before they can be presented acceptable sacrifices to the Lord our God Yee shall liue As I spake of death which is threatned so speake I of life here promised this temporall life cannot bee the recompense of righteousnesse for it is common both to the Godly and the wicked If in this life onely we had hope of all men wee were the most miserable but the life here promised is eternall life the beginning whereof presently vve enjoy by the Spirit of our Lord who hath quickned vs so that wee may say now I liue yet not I but Christ Iesus liueth in mee the accomplishment thereof wee looke for hereafter Thus hath the Apostle set before vs both life and death he hath shewed vs the way how wee may eschew the one and attaine to the other the Lord graunt that according to his counsell wee may make choyse of the best Verse 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sonnes of God IN this Verse the Apostle subioynes a Confirmation of his preceding argument in the last part thereof hee hath said If yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the Spirit ye shall liue now he proues it They who mortefie the deedes of the body by the Spirit or they who are led by the Spirit of God for these phrases are equiualent are the Sonnes of God therefore they must liue the necessitie of the consequence is euident of that which followeth the Sonnes of God
so hath that aduersary a thousand wiles whereby either before prayer he seekes to diuert them to some other businesse or in the action to trouble them and diuide the powers of the soule by vncomely and prophane motions If Iehoshua stand before the Lord Sathan shall stand at his right hand to resist him Vnlesse therefore with Abraham we driue away the rauening birds from our sacrifice vnles with the Israelites we stand on Ierusalems wall with a weapon ready in our hand to repell the aduersarie as oft as hee comes to stay the worke of God it is impossible that our harts can continue in feruent prayer to God Yet the restles opposition of the aduersary should not make vs to breake off this exercise of prayer but the more we finde Sathan angry at our prayers the more should we be prouoked to pray if hee felt not himselfe hurt and his kingdome weakened by our prayers he would not so busily trouble vs in prayer yee see hee troubles vs not in such exercises as troubles not him speake as long as you will of taught of God we cannot saith the Apostle call vpon him in whom we beleeue not As for the Angels wee beleeue that they are which the Saduces did not but we beleeue not in them and therefore will not pray vnto them In all the old Testament we read no prayer made to Abraham albeit hee was the father of the faithfull none to Isaac or Iacob or Moses or any other of the fathers departed In a hundreth and fiftie Psalmes no prayer is made to Cherube or Seraphin though they in their psalter of the Virgin haue turned ouer all the prayses and petitions made to our Lord into petitions to our Lady as if where Dauid saith O Lord rebuke mee not in thine anger wee were also to say O Ladie rebuke me not in thine anger and O Lord thou art my righteousnesse O Ladie thou art my righteousnesse and so forth in the rest but we may boldly say with Bernard libenter certe gloriosa virgo tali honore carebit the glorious Virgin is willingly content to want such a honour The Angell would not suffer Iohn to prostrate before him doe it not saith he I am but thy fellow seruant this one of those blessed spirits witnesses to vs in name of all the rest that it is the will of the Saints of God in heauen that we who are vpon earth should reserue to the Lord his owne worship and giue no part thereof to creatures yea they are offended when that honour is offered to them which is due to their Lord. Where if that common obiection be brought which Ambrose did obuiate in his time posse nos per istos ire ad Deum sicut comites peruenitur ad regem that men by such mediators may goe to God as they goe to Kings by those who are honorable in their courts to them we answere with him hoc est misera vti excusatione this is to pretend a miserable excuse for men goe to kings by courtiers because the king is but a man ad Deum autem quem nihil latet promirendum suffragatore non opus est sed mente deuota but as for the Lord from whom nothing is hid there needs no such procutor to make him fauourable vnto vs onely there is required a deuout minde for in whatsoeuer place he who is truely godly speaks vnto God the Lord shall answere him And lastly that the Apostle here ioyneth two words of sundry languages Abba Father it is to teach vs that euery tongue is sanctified to the vse of Gods children and that it is lawfull for vs to pray in any language if so be we vnderstand it but to binde people to pray in a language they vnderstand not or for him that should be the mouth of God in the exercise of diuine worship to speake to the people in a strange language which they vnderstand not is a sacrilegious tyrannie That which God powred out as a cruse on the first Babell that one of them vnderstood not what another said and the people knew not what the builders craued in the second Babell is receiued as a blessing The Caldeans a fierce and cruell nation were sent against the Iewes speaking to them in a language which they vnderstood not to punish in them the contempt of the voice of God which they would not learne nor vnderstand and now the messengers of Antichrist a cruell and mercilesse people are come out speaking to the world in an vncouth language for punishment of them that receiued not the loue of the truth A faithfull seruant of the Lord had he neuer so many languages had rather speake in the Church fiue words with vnderstanding that others might be instructed than tenne thousand otherwaies he is but an hireling and a false Apostle that purposely speakes to a people in a language they vnderstand not Wee giue thanks to God who hath deliuered vs from this most fearefull captiuitie and confusion of Babell thou art but a lyar against the holy Ghost and a wilfull murtherer of thine owne soule by faithlesse presumption The other sort of men are the Children of God who because they finde not alwayes within themselues this testimony of the Spirit in a like measure are therefore cast downe and made oftentimes to think they neuer had it for as none are more ready to boast of the spirit then they who haue him not so none complaines more that they want him then they who possesse him The Children of God in this being like vnto rich worldlings who suppose they bee possessours of much yet the great desire of more which is in them causeth them to esteeme that which they haue as nothing and therefore comforts not themselues with the lawfull vse of that which they haue but vexes their spirits with restlesse thoughts for that which they want euen so it is customable with the Children of God albeit they haue attayned to a good measure of faith and loue of God and are euen become rich in the grace of the Lord Iesus yet are they so desirous of more that many a time they esteeme nothing of that which they haue but goe about mourning and complaining that they haue no faith no loue no grace no life in which extremitie we see that many in their weaknesse offend the Lord their God Herein therefore is the Christian to bee admonished that hee keepe mediocritie to lament thy wants and to thirst for more grace is a sure token of a spirituall life but let vs so complaine for that which wee vvant that wee bee comforted in God for that beginning and little measure of grace which wee haue remember that the same mouth of God which commaunds thee to mourne commaunds thee also to reioyce we want not matter of both matter vve haue of mourning for which wee may lament with the Apostle O wretched man that
the first fruites of them who rise from the dead The priuiledges of the first borne were two first excellencie of strength for hee had a double portion secondly excellency of dignitie for he vvas the Prince and priest of the rest of his brethren now both these most properly appertaines to our eldest brother Christ Iesus Excellencie of strength is his hee hath receiued the double portion for hee receiued not the Spirit in measure as wee doe but the plentitude and fulnesse thereof was communicated vnto him and the comfort thereof redounds vnto vs for he receiued it not for himselfe but for vs that of his fulnesse we might all receiue grace for grace Excellencie also of dignitie is his for beside that glory which hee had with his Father from the beginning hee is also as our head crowned with glory and dignitie all power in heauen and earth is giuen him and he is set ouer his brethren as the onely high Priest of the liuing God who makes attonement for the sinnes of his brethren as the onely Prophet and teacher of the whole familie of God for so hath the Father authorized him This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him Let vs therefore submit our selues vnto him seeing God the Father hath set him ouer vs let vs not be disobedient to that heauenly proclamation heare him Woe be to them that subscribes not vnto the excellencie of his dignitie But alas if the world proclaime such pleasures as shee hath to giue by any sport or play or such profits as she can yeeld at her fairest fayres and markets O what a frequent concourse of people is made vnto her but if the Priests of the Lord stand as they did of old in the west part of Ierusalems temple on their seuerall turrets to blow their two siluer Trumpets and warne the people to resort vnto the house of the Lord or if now any other manner of way signification be made vnto them to enter into the courts of the Lord with praise how few shall hee finde flocking vnto the house of God in respect of them who abides without and followes the world and which is yet more to be lamented there are many of those who heare the word of Christ and yet doth not change the manner of their conuersation for any commaundement he can giue them speake what he will they doe what they like they come to the holy assemblies of his Saints but are like those vncleane beasts which entred into the Arke of Noah they came in vncleane and went out vncleane Neither of these vnlesse they amend shall be pertakers of that saluation which Iesus the first borne hath purchased to the rest of his brethern But to let them alone and to returne to the instruction of Gods children though apostaâ—e Israell fall from him as a people that haue no portion in Ishai nor inheritance in the sonne of Dauid yet let Iuda cleaue to their king let vs acknowledge his supereminent excellencie reuerence him for our first borne elder brother Among other brethren the more the elder hath the lesse remaines to the younger whereof it falles out that many a time there is strife among them for diuision of the inheritance but here the more our elder brother hath the greater is our good seeing whatsoeuer he hath receiued as mediator he hath receiued it to be communicated vnto vs hee hath receiued strength not to subdue vs or ouergoe vs but to protect vs from our enimies which he hath also done for he hath broken the gates of hell and carryed them away more triumphantly vpon his shoulders than Sampson did the gates of Azzah Wee who are poore in our selues are made rich in him we who are weake are in him more than conquerours and therefore let vs resolue for euer to abide in him Among many brethren This brotherhood of our with Christ consists not in the communion of the same flesh and blood for so euery man were Christs brother but it stands in our spirituall vnion with him by regeneration those are the sonnes of God and consequently the brethren of Christ who are borne not of blood nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man but of God by the operation of his Spirit and immortall seede of the word In the carnall brotherhoode though the parents be one yet the inheritance is not one though the seede of flesh be one yet the soule that quickneth the body in both is not one but in the spirituall brotherhood the parents are one the inheritance one the seede whereof they are begotten is one the spirit which quickneth them all is one It is not then Baptisme nor externall profession which proueth a man to be the kinseman and brother of Christ it is the spirit of Iesus which whosoeuer hath not the same is not his and whosoeuer hath him it is certaine they become new creatures Great is that dignitie certainly whereunto we are called and matchlesse is that loue which the Lord Iesus hath carried toward vs who not content to make vs his seruants hath made vs his brethren If hee had shewed vs no more kindnesse then Abraham did Lot his kinseman yet euen for that had hee beene worthie to be loued for euer but behold what a greater loue our Lord hath shewed vnto vs we forsooke him more vnkindly than Lot did Abraham yet did hee still retaine his kindly affection toward vs when we were carried away captiue by spirituall Chedarlaomer he did not onely hazard but laid downe his life of our Redemption Moses is greatly praysed for that when hee was honourable in Aegipt hee left the court of Pharaoh to visit his brethren esteeming the rebuke of Christ in his people greater riches than all the treasures of Aegipt and Ioseph is also commended that being second person vnder Pharaoh in the kingdome of Aegipt yet he was not ashamed of his Father and brethren albeit they for their trade being sheepekeepers were abhomination to the Aegiptians But all these are not comparable to that loue which the Lord Iesus hath borne toward vs in that notwithstanding our base estate hee hath not beene ashamed to call vs his brethren The Lord make vs thankfull and shed abroad in our hearts the sense of that loue which hee hath borne toward vs that we neuer be ashamed of him for no Crosse that for his sake can be laid vpon vs. Verse 30. Moreover whom he predestinated them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them also he glorified THere is no part of holy Scripture which is not stored with the words of eternall life but as that part of earth which is rich of minerals of gold and siluer is more esteemed than other land were it neuer so fruitfull so ought this place of holy Scripture to be accounted of vs all as contayning in it a most
to Ioseph when she pulled the garment from him There are three notable things for which we striue and which the world is neuer able to take from vs the loue of God which he hath borne to vs the grace of God which hee hath communicated to vs in our calling the glory of God and eternall life which hereafter doth abide vs no power of man nor Angell is able to depriue vs of these things An example whereof we haue in that notable warriour of God Patient Iob whom the Lord set vp as an obiect of all Sathans buffets and against whom hee was permitted to vse all the strategems of the spirituall warfare that possibly hee could hee crossed him not onely in his goods in his children and in his owne body but also in his minde by his wife hee tempted him to blasphemie by his friends to diffidence yet by none of these could hee ouercome him In his outward troubles his resolution was the Lord hath giuen the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord for euer in his inward terrours his resolution was Albeit the Lord would slay me yet would I trust in him so impossible is it for Sathan by any tentation whatsoeuer to seperate from the loue of God his Children chosen called and iustified To cleare this let vs yet know that God is many manner of wayes present with his children in trouble first hee is with them by preuenting the danger so that hee will not suffer the intended euill of the enimie to come neere them so he brought Senacherib to see Ierusalem without but suffered him not to shoot so much as a dart against it within Somtime again the Lord enters his children into the trouble as Daniel into the den Ioseph into the prison the three Children into the fire but deliuers them in such sort that both his glory and their comfort is greater than if they had not beene in trouble at all Sometime hee suffers his children to end their mortall liues in trouble and yet is with them strengthening them by his glorious might to all patience and long suffering filling them with such a sense of his loue that in death they rest vnder the assurance of life The practise of this see in the examples of Eliah and Paul when Iezabel vowed to haue the life of Eliah yee shall see that the Lord is with him sometime to hide him that albeit Achab and Iezabel seeke him they cannot finde him sometime God lets Achabs captaines see where hee is but consumes with fire them that came proudly to take him Sometime hee presents him to Achab and Iezabel but bridleth the tyrants that they haue no power to stirre him The Apostle Paul in like manner being sent prisoner to Rome the Lord assisted him in such sort that hee deliuered him out of the mouth of the Lyon Nero and yet the second time suffered him to fall by the sword of the same tyrant shall wee thinke that the Lord was not with the Apostle to assist him the second time as well as the first let it be farre from vs. The Lord was with him indeed to make his death a seale and confirmation of that Gospell which hee had preached in his life The comfort then remaines that howeuer God worke with his children in trouble no aduersarie is able to take from vs that for which wee striue to wit grace and glory they may be vnto vs as the sharpe rasers of God to cut away our superfluities but shall neuer be able to bereaue vs of the end of our Faith which is the euerlasting saluation of our soules Verse 32. Who spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all vnto death how shall he not with him giue vnto vs all things also NOw followeth the second part of the Apostles generall triumph wherein hee gloryeth that the Christian can want nothing needfull for him for seeing the Lord hath giuen vnto him the greatest and most excellent gift to wit his owne Sonne is it possible that he will denie him any secondary or inferior gifts needfull for him Sathan who is a lyer from the beginning accused the Lord of two things first of an vntruth albeit the Lord hath said it yet ye shall not dye secondly of Enuy. In the first Sathan is proued false and the Lord is found true for are they not dead to whom the Lord said yee shall dye In the second Sathan is found a calumniator for what good tree will the Lord refuse to his owne who hath giuen vnto them this excellent tree of life which brings with it vnto them all things needfull for them To amplifie this great loue of God the Apostle saith not simply that hee gaue his Sonne for vs but that hee spared not to giue him O wonderfull loue the Naturall and onely Sonne of God is not spared that the adoptiue sonnes may be spared for our sins being imputed to him by the ordinance of God his Father and voluntarily accepted by himselfe so the punishment of our sinnes and chasticement of our peace was laid vpon him that by his stripes wee might be healed The bitter cuppe due to vs was propined to him for the which albeit hee prayed to his Father that if it were his will this cuppe might passe by him yet the Father spared him not but held it to his head till hee dranke out the vttermost dregs thereof So straite is the Iustice of God that sinne being imputed to the Sonne of God who had no sinne of his owne is pursued to the vttermost The greatest example of Iustice that euer the Lord declared in the world the drowning of the originall world the burning of Sodome the plaguing of Egypt were terrible proofes of the straitnesse of diuine Iustice but nothing comparable to this Which I marke partly for a comfort to the Godly and partly for a warning to the wicked it is our great comfort that the saluation which Iesus hath purchased vnto vs hee hath obtained it with a full satisfaction of his Fathers Iustice so that now wee that are in him are not any more to feare it The great Iudge of all the world will not doe vnrighteously to require that againe from vs which our Christ whom hee himselfe hath giuen vnto vs hath payed for vs. And as for the wicked who are not in Christ how miserable will their state and condition be for they must beare the punishment of their owne sinnes in their owne persons If the burden of that wrath due to our sinnes caused Iesus to sweat bloud and to say that his soule was heauy vnto the very death O how shall the burden of this wrath presse downe the wicked it is euen a horrour to think of it their faces shall be confused without and their spirits oppressed within with tribulation and anguish hee that spared not in his owne Sonne sinne imputed vnto him will hee spare in
the heauens hath ministred food to Gods people as in that barren wildernesse wherein Israell soiourned the earth yeelded no fruit but the heauens rayned downe Manna and Quailes and sometime the heauens haue beene as brasse yet in the earth hath the Lord prouided nourishment as he did by the Rauens and the Widdow of Sarepta for Eliah and if otherwise it please the Lord by famine to inflict death vpon his children then he strengthens their spirits with the bread of life and comforts their hearts with hid Manna so that they can say to worldlings as our Sauiour said to his Disciples I haue bread to eate that yee know not of and so no famine can seperate them from the loue of God Nakednesse This is also a great tentation partly for the shame and partly for the decay of naturall life which followes it Before the Iewes crucified Christ they striped him naked of his garments Basile makes mention of fortie Martyres who being striped naked were put foorth in the night to be pined with cold and afterward burnt with fire in the day Of these it is euident that nakednesse is one of those tentations whereby Sathan seekes to trouble our faith and patience but he who hath put on the Lord Iesus for a garment neither shame nor losse of naturall life procured by nakednesse can seperate him from the Loue of God Where we may perceiue how different the dispositions of the Christian and the worldling are The men of this world esteemes nakednesse their shame and places a great part of their glory in gorgeous garments and no meruaile quia dâ— proprio non habent decorem necesse est vt aliunde mendicent for hauing no glory of their owne they must borrow glory from others From the Beasts of the earth they borrow skins wool from the Fowles of heauen they borrow feathers from the Wormes they borrow silk from the Earth siluer gold from the Waters pearles and of these doth man make vp his begged glory whose glory in the beginning was to be clad in the image of God but what is it decor qui cum veste induitur cum veste deponitur vestis est non vestiti that beautie which is put on and put off with the garment is not the beautie of the person but of the garment Yet are these but licitae quodammodo insaniae if they be compared with the madnesse of others who alter by artifice the shape and colour of the countenance which God hath giuen them Manus deo inferunt cum illud quod formauit reformare conantur for they put hands as it were into God while they prease to reforme that which God hath formed Nescientes quia opus dei est omne quod nascitur diabeli quod mutatur I know they excuse their fact with the couerings of comelinesse and necessitie but praetextu tegendae turpitudinis in maiorem turpitudinem incidunt for worldlings are neuer so naked as when they are best apparelled As for men truely godly they will thinke shame of wickednes but not of nakednesse improbum vocarite pudeat non pauperem aut ignobilem blinde Egiptians may account sheepe keepers abhomination but true Israelits will thinke shame to be prophane but no shame to be poore those godly ones in the wildernesse clad with sheepes skins and goates skins were more honourable in the eyes of God than Herod in his royall robe of shining siluer glancing the more brightly by the shining of the Sun vpon it if we will credit Iosephus But what of all this our vnwillingnesse to want superstuitie of apparell argues that we are euill prepared to endure nakednesse for Christs sake Againe we learne here that seeing nakednesse is one of those crosses whereby the Lord tryes the faith and patience of his children and that then it is time for vs to endure a crosse when God layes it vpon vs it cannot be good religion to impone it to our selues where God layes it not vpon vs. It is a hard thing to keepe mediocritie not to be either too remisse in religion or too superstitious Wil-worship what euer shew of godlines it hath in the eyes of men is but abhominable idolatry in the eyes of God and we are not to place true religion in those things which he hath not required the false Prophets ware a rough garment but it was to deceiue the Priests of Baal spared not to lance their owne flesh but it is reiected by God as blinde zeale to walke bare footed or weare a garment of haire without linnen or wooll next the skinne to carry on our head a Franciscanes hood and at last to be buried in it If these things haue in them such holinesse as they pretend is it not a meruaile their holy Father the Pope is not careful to make himselfe more holy by changing his triple Crowne with a Franciscanes hood or that his Cardinals are so inconsiderate as to redeeme by so excessiue prices a Cardinals hat the haire garment being better cheape and much more meritorious of eternall life Perills The life of a Christian is full of perils euery place vnto him is a palaestra in the sea in the land in the citie in the wildernesse goe where he will hee shall encounter with perils These are so many probations of our Faith and Patience of Gods truth and prouidence Our preseruation depends on our protector euen the Watch-man of Israell who neither slumbers nor sleepes As a Father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord on them who feare him and wee know that a naturall father doth neuer looke more pittifully vpon his childe than when hee sees him in greatest danger and shall we expect lesse kindnesse from our heauenly Father The men of this world when they send out their seruants in commission goes not with them themselues knowes not their danger and are not able to preserue them but the Lord our God when he sends out his seruants foresees the perill goes with them to preserue them Feare not for when thou passest through the water I will be with thee and through the flouds that they doe not ouerflow thee The more perils we fall into the more experience haue wee of Gods louing preseruing vs for the which wee may say perils may well make vs grow in the sense of the loue of God but cannot seperate vs from him Sword This is the last and by it the Apostle expresses any kinde of violent death for vnto these also the seruants of God and his best beloued Children haue beene subiect euer from the beginning The Apostle gloryes that no kind of death can seperate vs from Christ yea as he saith in another place it conioynes vs more neerely vnto him as Nebuchadnezzans fire loosed the bonds of the three children but hurt not their bodyes so death inflicted by man may loose our bodily bonds but cannot
vnproperly compared to a Rock in the sea which being beaten on euery side vvith vvaues raysed by the wind yet stands vnmoueable vnbroken it selfe breakes them that assaults it Againe yee see that the Apostle who speaking of the estate of christians vpon earth sayd before wee are slaine all the day long saith now we are more then conquerours strange it is that hee who is slaine should be a conquerour but so it is the christian battell euery way is meruailous paâ—tly because it is foughten within and against himselfe and partly because then is hee a conquerour when â—ee seemes to be vanquished being the member of that head who obtayned greatest victory vvhen hee suffered most shamefull death Through him that loued vs. The Apostle doth so giue comfort to the christian that he reserues the glory vnto the Lord the strength whereby we preuaile is from him that loued vs not from our selues It is very comfortable to consider that a christian is not a man standing or liuing by himselfe he hath his being in Christ as long as there is life in him we cannot die it is true that sometime being deserted and left to our selues we fall away for a time as we may see in Peter vvho at the voyce of a Damsell denyed the Lord Iesus and this is to teach vs that the praise of our standing perseuering and ouer-comming pertaines to the Lord. Verse 38 For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come 29. Nor height nor any other creature c. THe Apostle continuing in his triumph mounts to an higher sort of enimies and hee also proclaimes defiance to them affirming that neither death nor life nor Angels nor things present nor things to come nor any other creature whatsoeuer if any other be are able to seperate vs from the loue of God Of the which wee haue first to learne that a Christian man in this life may be perswaded of his saluation neyther is it to be accounted presumption for as much as in so doing hee leanes not vpon himselfe but vpon the word and promise of God which the Lord hath confirmed by an oath that hee may make sure to the heyres of promise the stabilitie of his counsell Where if the aduersary obiect that the word of the Lord out of all doubt is true and that they who beleeues and repents shall be saued but euery one who saith hee beleeues doth not beleeue and so cannot be perswaded of his saluation To this I answere that hee who repents vnfainedly and beleeues knowes as certainely that hee hath repentance and faith as hee who hath in his hand a iewell knowes that he hath iâ— and therefore may conclude with himselfe that the promises of saluation made to the penitent beleeuers belongs vnto him for albeit it be true there be many in the Church like vnto those fiue foolish Virgins who suppose they haue that which they shall not be found to haue in the end yet is there no reason to conclude that because some are deceiued all are deceiued because some thinke they haue faith and haue it not therefore none can be sure that they haue faith Out of all doubt where the Lord Iesus dwelleth by his Spirit hee makes himselfe knowne to them in whom hee dwelleth according to that Know ye not that Christ is in you except ye be reprobates and these names giuen to the holy Spirit of Adoption doth also confirme the same truth for hee is called the Seale the Witnesse earnest penny of God which names hee receiues from his effects and operations which hee workes in them to whom hee is giuen eyther therfore must the aduersary say that there are none to whom the Spirit is giuen or they must graunt that they to whom he is giuen are sure the first they will not affirme the second they cannot with reason deny for what is this to say that a man hath the Seale the Witnesse and the Earnest of God giuen to confirme the promise of God and yet all these doe not make him who hath them sure of saluation But here least that which I haue said discourage them who are of weake consciences let them know that this assurance of saluation doth not alway continue with the Christian in a like measure for here wee doe so beleeue that we want not our owne vnbeleife and albeit our faith when it is in the full strength ouer-comes all doubting yet is it oftentimes so weake that it is againe disquieted with doubting for which if we pray instantly with the Father of that child Lord I beleeue but helpe my vnbeliefe wee may be sure at length Faith shall ouercome and thus farre teach we concerning the assurance which the Christian man hath of his saluation But as for that Religion which teacheth doubtings and pronounceth them accursed who hold that a man may be assured of saluation wee accurse it as a doctrine enimie to Faith and Saluation such as is the doctrine of the counsell of Trent Si quis dixerit hominem renatum teneri ex side ad credendum se certo esse ex numero praedestinatorum anathema sit It is strange to see that where they teach a man is able to fulfill the whole Law of God and by his workes to merit eternall life yet they accurse him if hee say hee is sure to be saued so directly doth one point of their false doctrine impugne another But indeed it is no meruaile if their Religion can yeeld no comfort nor certaintie of saluation to the weary conscience because they draw men from off the foundation Iesus Christ in whom onely it is promised that wee shall finde rest to our soules and would make vs to leane vpon rotten foundations such as the merit of Masses the vertue of our workes and humane satisfaction and because all these cannot yet satisfie the doubting consciences of men they suspend them with a vaine hope of greater comfort which they shall finde in their forged and comfortlesse Purgatorie thus doe they hold the poore people comfortlesse both in life and in death But as for vs wee will abide on the rocke renouncing all purgation but the purgation of his bloud wee will content our selues with Iesus Christ in whom the Father is well pleased that in him we may finde rest to our soules which neyther in our selues nor in any other creature shall wee euer be able to finde Let them call it Presumption Non arrogantia est sed fides praedicare quod acceperis non superbia est sed deuotio it is not presumption but Faith or otherwise if wee say vnto him who hath begotten vs by the lawer of regeneration Pater bona praesumptio est Father this said Augustine is a good presumption And to the same effect said Bernard Propter hoc data sunt signa quaedam
manifesta salutis vt indubitabile sit â—um esse de numero Electorum in quo ea signa permanserint This is the truth of God agreeable to Scripture and auncieâ—t Fathers which wee doe affirme howeuer they doe accurse it That neyther life By life vve are to vnderstand the pleasures of this life strong tentations indeed for in the hearts of many they preuaile against the loue of God that we may learne to despise them and to count with the Apostle all things to be doung in regard of Iesus let vs looke vnto those two things which discouers vnto vs the vaniâ—e of worldly pleasures first they are most loathsome to them who haue them in greatest abundance and aâ—e most admired of those who haue them not A proofe of this we haue in Salomon who wanted nothing delectable vnder the Sunne yet by the very vse of them he found the vanitie of them and was moued to abhorre them It is far otherwise with heauenly pleasures the more we tast of them the more wee esteeme of them hungring still for more we cannot be satisfied with that which wee haue gotten already Secondly worldly pleasures are of this nature that if they be continued without intermission they turn into pains therefore is it that those same things which now we choose for recreation incontinently they become wearisome vnto vs and wee cast them away so that it is not so much by themselues as by the change of them that we are delighted Sola vicessitudine recreamur being weary of walking we refresh our selues with sitting againe being vveary of fitting we rise to refresh our selues with walking and so fareth it with all the recreations of this life being continuall they become wearisome So oft therefore as Sathan by worldly pleasures would steale away our hearts from the loue of God let vs consider how vaine and small a pleasure it is vvhich he would giue vs in respect of that vnspeakeable ioy which he would take from vs. Nor death By death vvee vnderstand not onely death it selfe but all those paines that goe before it and terrouâ—s which accompanie it There vvas neuer life so long but it hath beene concluded by death no life so pleasant but the paines of death shall swallow vp all the pleasures therof As the seauen leane Kine deuoured the seauen fat the seauen yeares of famine consumed the fruit of seauen yeares of plenty so shall the dolours and terrours of death eate vp all the pleasures and delectations of this vvretched life If vve suffer the pleasures of this life to bewitch vs be sure the terrours of death shall confound vs. It were therefore good that as Ioseph of Aramathia had his sepulcher in his Garden so vvee season all the pleasures of our life with remembrance of our death this is summa Philosophia Yet our comfort is that if wee liue in Christ no terror of death can seperate vs from him yea death conioynes vs neerer to the Lord Iesus then wee were before wee see oft-times by experience that the children of God haue so triumphed in the very dolours of death and reioyced in the sense of Gods loue that they haue forgot all their bodily paines As the top of mount Pisgah was to Moses the place of his death and the first place wherein euer hee got a sight of Canaan so shall death be to the children of God where we lay downe the sight of this world there shall wee take vp the sight of eternall life which shall neuer be taken from vs. Nor Angels By Angels here I vnderstand not elect Angels for they are not enimies to vs but ministring spirits for our saluation but reprobate Angels for these names of Angels principalities and powers are common both to good and euill Angels And they are so called partly from the power which God hath lent them and partly from the message vvherein hee imployes them for sometime they are sent out as messengers of his wrath to punish the wicked and so an euill spirit was sent from the Lord to punish Saul and sometime to exercise the godly and so an Angell of Sathan was sent to buffet the Apostle Paul for his humiliation we are not exempted from their tempting but praysed be God we are exempted from their tyrannie dominion Their working in regard of the wicked is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the efficacie of errour for the Lord hath giuen them vp into the hands of Sathan but their working in regard of the godly is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tentation Alwayes seeing so long as we liue wee must wrestle against so strong enimies let vs watch and be sober let vs stand with the compleat armour of God vpon vs. Againe we mark here how that our estate in Christ is better than the estate of Adam by his first creation for then an apostate Angell drew Adam to an apostasie also from God but now no Angell is able to seperate vs from the loue of God the reason is the couenant which God made with Adam was without a mediatour hee had the keeping of his owne saluation in his owne hand but the couenant of grace with vs is bound vp in the mediator Christ Iesus to whom the Father hath committed vs that hee might redeeme and saue vs hee hath taken vs into his hand and none are able to take vs from him our saluation depends not on our selues it is not in our keeping but in his and therefore is it most certaine Principalities nor powers These names are not to terrifie or astray vs seeing as I said these reprobate Angels haue no power but that which is lent and limited of God Therefore Saint Iude saith that they are reserued in chaines vnder darknesse and here for our comfort we are to consider how that there are two chaines wherewith they are bound and other two wherewith they are tormented the first chaine that bindes them is their owne nature the second is Gods prouidence the first restraines them that they cannot doe the euill which they would the second restraineth them that they doe not the euill which they can Sathan being a naturall creature is bounded within the compasse of nature his insatiable malice would doe much more euill than by nature he is able to performe for aboue or contrary to nature can hee worke nothing and againe many euils is hee able to doe by naturall meanes which the prâ—uidence of God permits him not to doe The tormenting chaines which are vpon him are an euill conscience and the wrath of God for as he growes in euill doing so groweth his conscience worse and worse and the wrath of God accordingly encreaseth vpon him with which two he is continually tormented Nor things present nor things to come This is a great amplification of our suretie that neyther present euils inflicted vpon vs nor any euill to come can seperate vs
from the loue of God And hereof wee are warned that all our battailes are neyther present nor past some of them are to come let vs not waxe secure because of our fore-past victories When Israell came out of Egipt one nation followed them to pursue them but when theyâ—passed Iordan seauen nations came against them sure it is our hindmost battaile will be the heauiest and our last tentation greatest the horrour of hell the rottennesse of the graue the conscience of sinnes past the dolours of present death all standing vp at one time to impugne our faith but shall not be able to seperate vs from that loue of God wherein stands our life Againe wee are taught here that Christians are sure of perseuerance nothing to come can seperate vs from the loue of God this is proued first from the nature of GOD who is faithfull and will confirme vs vnto the end perfecting that which hee hath begunne in vs secondly from the nature of the seede whereof wee are begotten againe for it is immortall thirdly from the nature of that life which by that seed is communicated to vs it is the life of Christ which is not now any more subiect vnto death Neyther height nor depth By these I vnderstand Sathan hath two manner of wayes by which he wrestles against men some he mounts on the chariot of presumption others hee castâ— downe into the deepe of desperation by prosperitie hee puffes vp many to make their fall the more shamefull those tentations which he vsed against our blessed Sauiour doe wee think that hee will spare them against other men hee set him vp vpon the pinnacle of the temple of purpose if he could to haue throwne him downe and againe tooke him vp to the top of an high mountaine where making a shew to him of worldly kingdomes hee promised to giue them if hee would fall downe and worship him and albeit with these tentations hee did not preuaile against our blessed Sauiour yet how many in this world are daily bewitched with them that without any refusall they fall down and worship him But as Simon Magus while he assayed to flye from the top of the capitall vp into heauen was throwne downe to his destruction so shall the prosperitiâ— of those men bee their ruine and their high estate as a pinnacle whereupon they shall not continue Happy is the man whose heart is not exalted against God by any preferment that can come to him vpon the face of the earth for hee who rising in dignitie riseth also in pride against the Lord is raised vp as Pharaoh was that God may declare his power in casting him downe Nor depth The other sort of Sathans tentations tend vnto desperation whom hee seeth hee cannot puffe vp hee doth what hee can to cast downe by feares perturbations vvrong conceptions but our comfort is both by the Apostles testimonie and our owne experience wee may be cast downe but wee cannot perish Nor any other creature Now in the ende the Apostle doth draw his speach to the height his confidence is so great that not being content with the enumeration of aduersaries which hee hath made hee defieth yet all other whatsoeuer if any other be for hee speaketh this by way of supposition if there be yet any other creature than those whom I haue named I am sure be what they will they cannot seperate vs from the loue of Christ. Heâ—e in the last roome wee doe obserue the surety of a Christian aboue all other men in the world onely the Christian is sure his estate shall neuer be changed Worldlings may thinke with Babell in her prosperitie I shall neuer be moued and with the rich Glutton promise to themselues many yeeres to come but they shall be deceiued none of them shall continue in that slate wherein presently they stand the Lord shall driue them from their station as it were with wheeles and shall roll them like a ball as hee threatned to Shebna Pharaoh his pompe shall perish in the redde sea Nebuchadnezzar shall be changed from a Monarch of men vnto a companion of Beasts Manasses from the Pallace shall goe to the Prison and all the men of the world shall goe from the house to the graue their beautie and royall pompe shall consume as a Moth onely the Christian shall stand for euer in that happy vnion and fellowship with GOD this is the state of the Christian this is his life this is his glory and from it nothing present nor to come shall euer be able to transchange him Euerlasting praise therefore be to the Lord our God through Iesus Christ. Amen FINIS Act. 9. 15. Gen. 9. 27. Rom. 15. 19 2. Cor. 12. Philip. 3. 8. 1. Cor. 2. 9. Psal. 20. 1. Psal. 21. 1. Psal. 56 4. Psal. 18. 43 Gen. 49. 23. Gen. 49. 25. Psal. 21. 3. Psal. 18. 50 Gen. 12. 1 Psal. 68. 20 Reuel 9. 11. Numb 23. 8 Iob. 1. 10. 2. Kin. 18. Esa 37. 29. 2. Chr. 16. 9 Esa. 8. 12. Psal. 69. 9. Psal. 21. 7. Some books of holy Scripture meeter for vs then others are August de temp ser. 49. Why among the Epistles this to the Romanes is first Ierom. epist. ad Paulin. Two parts of this Chapter the first containes comfort against sinne The second comfortagainst the crosse This order of the Apostle is manifest out of his owne conclusion Rom. 8. 31. vers 33. 34. ver 35. Cant. 2. 4. Cant. 5. 1. Subdiuision of the first part Proposition Coherence of this Chapter with the former The Apostles former lamentation turned into a triumph Math. 17. 2. Psal. 50. 21. The life of a Christian is a mixed webbe wrought of trouble and comfort 2 Cor. 1. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 3. Bernard Psal. 125. 3. Hose 6. 2 Chrisost. in Mat. hom Papist wrongfully collect here that there is sin on or damnable act in them who are in Christ. Aquinas Caietane on this place Cypriain orat dom Reasons why the Lord suffers sin to remaine in the iustified man For the exercise of our Faith Aug. in Ioan. tract 41. 2. Tim. 2. 5. For our instruction that we may know what benefite we haue by Christ. Bernard For the greater glory of God and Sathans greater confusion Iosh. 10. 23. Rom. 16. 20 Ciril catech 8. 1 Cor. 15. 25 How Sathan is daily confounded in the godly Christians are not exempted from the condemnatory sentence of men But from the condemnatory sentence of God Iohn 5. 24. Three sundry dyats the Lord keepes against the wicked in the processe of their condemnation The first is kept against them in the iustice court of their owne Conscience Psal. 50. 5. â— Ioh. 3. 20 Aug. hom 50 The second is kept against them in the houre of death Aug. epist. ad Hesych The third dyat shall bee kept against them in the day of generall iudgement Dan. 12. 6. Reuel 10. 8. This iudgment shall proceede by