in respect of them for that their number is alwaies the greater â—as shee is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy in respect of the godly for that they are the better part Wherfore all vngodly and faithlesse dissembling hypocrites as they seeme onely to be holy and are not so they seeme also but are not in deed the true members of the holy catholike church For how can they haue the church to be their mother which are not begotten againe of the immortal seede of the word of God which liueth and lasteth for euer How can I say those bee members of the holy catholicke church and haue her for their mother vvho haue not God for their father who as they honour not God as a father neither endevour to resemble his image so he doth not acknowledge them for his sonnes nor accept them as inheritours of his heavenly kingdome And doth not our creede reach vs also that this holy catholike church of Christ is a communâ—on of saintes who haue in this life remission of sinnes and shall attaine in the life to come to a glorious resurrection and to lâ—e everlasting But the wicked vngodly dissembling hypocrites the sonnes of the bond woman which are base-borne and bastarde brethren they haue no part nor portioÌ„ in these blessings of God with the sonnes Gal. 4. 30. of the free woman which are the elect chosen children of God and the true members of the holy catholicke church of Christ Wherefore the church of Rome greatly disgraceth this holy catholike church of Christ in that shee would allowe an interest in her to impuâ—e and vngodly dissembling hypocrites as on other respectes shee advaunceth her to high in assigning her that priviledge that shee cannot erre and graunting that ability vnto her children whereby they may perfectly fulfill the law of God Div. 4. That the church may erre in matters of faith THe Apostles prophets had their doctrine from God not onely mediately by instruction but also immediatly by revelation Holy but revelations are now ceased and the church hath her doctrine now mediatly onely by instruction out of the divine and sacred scriptures and therefore the church may erre albeit the Apostles and Prophets were free from errour For in learning out of the scriptures the dulnesse and blindnes of our capacity oftentimes misseth of the true sence and meaning thereof which is no impediment when as the spirite of God by revelation vseth not the blockishnesse of our vnderstanding to bring vs to the knovvledge of God but doth immediately by his power shâ—dde it in our heartes or else teacheth vs by such as are instructed immediately 〈…〉 2. Div. 3. That every member of the church breaketh the law and doeth not perfectly fulfill the same NO man loveth the Lorde with all his heart power and strength so that all his â—ffections cogitations thoughts are only employed in the Lords service and in obedience to his commandementes and therefore no man perfectly fulfilleth the whole law For our loue doth so follow ouâ— knowledge that no man can perfectly loue God that perfectly knoweth not his loue and goodnes towardes vs but in this life wee knowe but in 〈◊〉 13. 9 parte vvee vnderstande but in parte wee see as through a glasse and in a darke speaking and so our loue also is but in parte it is no wise so perfect as it ought to be VVherefore that perfect loue beeing not in any which the lawe requireth that which wanteth thereof is sinne â—…p 29. and a breach of the lawe and commaundementes of God For to loue the Lorde withall our hearte soule and strength is not a point of perfection counselled onely in the gospell aboue the lawe but a necessary duety commaunded in the lavve and therefore our Saviour calleth it in slâ—tte tearmes not onely a commaundement 〈◊〉 â—…2 38. but also the first of the commaundementes VVherefore all being guilty of the breach of this commaundement there is none that is able to fulfill the vvhole lawe much lesse to doe any worke of supererogation more then is commaunded in the law of God Many prowde debtours hauing not as yet wasted their whole stockes but beeing only declining and ready to fall conceaue so well of themselues and of their owne ability that when they looke but vpon the particular billes of their debt they conceaue some hope to recover and to bee able in time to discharge all but vvhen they cast them all togither and so take a viewe of the totall summe that appeareth by and by to bee so great that thereby they are cleane dismaide and discouraged and vtterly excluded from all hope But the pride of our Romish banke-ruptes is in a farre higher degree in that the summe of all the commandements contayning the summe of our vvhole debte bee it neuer so great and neuer so huge yet it doeth not mooue them to acknowledge their inhabilitie but they still imagine themselues to be able to fulfil the whole lavve and so to discharge their vvhole debte yea and more also vvith the surplussage vvhereof beeing due vnto them The meanest in the church of Rome are taught that they may fulfil al the commandementes whereas the very best in the church of Christ more or lesse faile in all vppon a reckoning and an accountes they thinke themselues able to helpe tovvardes the dischardge of the debtes of others also VVhereas in trueth if vvee vvoulde duely looke into the greatnesse of the duety that is required at our handes in any one of the commaundementes wee should perceiue the very debte of every one of these particular billes to amounte and grovve to so great a summe that as long as vvee liue heere in this life such is our spirituall penury and beggary vvee are neuer able to discharge the same 1. CoÌ„mand For vvho is there euen amonge the most perfecte and iust that neuer preferreth profite or pleasure or the satisfying of one affection or other before iustice and righteousnesse and before his loue and obedience to God thereby placing them after a sort in Gods throne 2 who alvvaies so highly conceiveth of the incomprehensible maiesty of the almighty Iehovah as hee ought to doe and of his incomparable and vnmatchable glory that cannot be resembled by any similitude without great impeachment and derogation to the same 3 Who conceiveth so reverently of the infinite power of the most mighty creator of heaven earth that hee neuer taketh his glorious and dreadfull name in vaine but euer vseth it with such reverence and feare as is due vnto it 4 VVho sanctifieth on that manner the Sabaoth day that ceasing altogither from satisfying his owne vvill hee suffereth the Lord by his holy spirite and sacred vvorde vvholy to vvoâ—ke in himselfe and so employeth himselfe only in his service Yea who is it that keepeth a perpetuall Sabaoth vnto the LORDE 5 VVho is it that so honoureth his pâ—rentes and the rest of his
be saued he will haue theÌ„ come Neh. 8. 12. 2. Tim. 2. 4. thereto by the knowledge of the truth And therefore this is also sette downe as a marke of all such as the Lord wil receaue into the covenant of mercy by Christ Beholde this is the covenante that I vvill Ier. 3â— 34. â—…b S. 11. make with the house of Israell after these daies saith the Lord I vvill set my lawes in their mindes and in their harts will I write them and I vvill be their God and they shall bee my people they shall not teach each one his neighbour saying know the Lord for they shall know me even from the least vnto the greatest of them The which promise how it was accoÌ„plished by the preaching of the gospel in the primitiue church Theodoret may witnesse one for all We doe manifestly shew you saith Theod. de â—…rat grâ—c affect â— 5. he the great power of the doctrine of the Apostles and prophets for the whole face of the earth vnder the sunne is full of such wordes and the Hebrew bookes bee not onely translated into the Greeke but also into thâ— Romane Aegyptian Parthian Indian Arabian Sâ—yâ—hian Slavon and in a worde into all tongues which the nations vse to this day You may everie-where see our doctrine vnderstoode not onely of such as bee teachers in the church and instructers of the people but also of tailers weavers smithes all artificers yea also of women and not onely of them which bee learned but of victuallers pudding makers handmaides and servantes Neither those men onely that dwell in citties but husbandmen also vnderstande the same one may finde ditchers and heard-men and planters of vineyardes disputing of the trinity and of the creation of all things and having better knowledge of the nature of man then Plato and Aristotle had Now if in the primitiue church this were an evident testimony of the great power of the glorious gospell of Christ that it was able to settle the knowledge of the greatest mysteries of christian religion in the hearts of such as were but of the meanest basest callings and if it were a commendation then for such as were the meanest and simplest among the professors of the gospell of Christ that they were able to discourse dispute even of the deepest points of their christian faith how is the case altered now in these our dates as if the same word had lost his former power and were not able through the antoâ—s blessing to bring to passe the same effect or as if that which was then so commendable in the professours of christian relâ—gioâ— were now to be condemned for curiosity pride and presumption aâ— our Rhemistes would beare the world in hand in their preface to their translaâ—ion of thâ— new Testament CHAP. 3. division 1. 2. 1 Whether every faithfull christian may assuredlie knowe whether hee beleeueth aright and hath a true iustifying faith or no 2 Whether every faithfull christian knowing that he is in the faith may know also assuredlie whether he himselfe hath remission of sinnes and eternall life by faith in Christ THese questions because they lay opeÌ„ vnto vs the I beleeue maâ—ke wherevnto all true christians doe aime euen our association with Christ and the fruites thereof being the most sure and strong foundation of all christian comfort and consolation I wil therefore by Gods most gracious assistance handle them somewhat more at large and vse the more words in the opening of the same And first concerning the first No maÌ„ ought to make professioÌ„ of that before God and his congregatioÌ„ which he knoweth not assuredly whether it be so or no for that were but meere dissimulation and hypocrisie and as it were a deluding and mocking of God but every true christian ought to make profession of his faith euen before God and his congregation after this particular manner I beleeue and therefore he ought assuredly to know that he doth beleeue And so saith S. Austine the Epist 112. faithfull man doth see his owne faith whereby hee doeth answere without doubting I beleeue Secondly it were bootlesse for a christian man to examine himselfe whether he hath a true iustifying faith or no vnlesse vpon due examination and triall he might be able sufficiently to discerne the same but the faithfull christians are commaunded to examine themselues Proue your selues saith the Apostle Noses teipsum 2. Cor. â—3 5. vvhether yee are in the faith or no examine your selues know yee not your owne selues that Iesus Christ dwelleth in you vnlesse yee be reprobates The Apostle in this place speaketh of that faith whereby Christ dwelleth in the harts of the faithful which can be no other then the true iustifying faith or if he did speake of the doctrine of faith yet his reason were as forceable as otherwise For if it be needful for vs to examine our selues whether we hold a right opinioÌ„ iudgmeÌ„t in the doctrine of faith theÌ„ much more it lyeth vpoÌ„ vs to proue our selues whether we faithfully reioyce in the same doctrine place our cheifest coÌ„fort happines therein 1 Pet. 1. â— which is an evideÌ„t marke of a true iustifying faith otherwise our right opinioÌ„ in maters of faith wil be to vs as it is to the devils theÌ„selues only to our greater coÌ„demnation Furthermore as one may vnderstaÌ„d by the true nots of iustice patieÌ„ce such like whether he be a iust a patieÌ„t man even so by the notes markes of faith he may assuredly know whether he hath a souÌ„d faith The which notes markes of a right faith of a true faithfull christiaÌ„ Rom. 15. 4. should not haue ben set downe in the Lords booke wherein whatsoever thinges are written they are writteÌ„ for our learning but that the faithfull by examining theÌ„selus therby mightht assuredly perceaue vnderstaÌ„d that they held a right faith The markes are these 1. First the harty vnfained loue of the word of God For a faithful maÌ„ knowing the great benefit that coÌ„eth to himselfe by his true faith not only maketh great accouÌ„t therof but also entirely loueth and embraceth the meaÌ„es wherby it was begotteÌ„ at the first wherby it is dayly streÌ„gthened encreased Now faith cometh by hearing hearing by the word of god The word therfore is deerer vnto the faithful Ro. 10. 17. theÌ„ gold yea theÌ„ much fine gold sweeter also theÌ„ the hony the hony coÌ„be Psalm 19. A. 10. 1. 2. al the day loÌ„g doth he study in it meditate theron day night therby he doth becoÌ„e as a tree plaÌ„ted by the water side which bringeth foth his fruit in due seasoÌ„ whose leafe doth never wither In deede originally we are defiled with sin are by nature the children of wrath vntill Ephes 2 3. Iames 1. 18. the Lord of his owne good will begette vs againe by the word of truth
and prefermentes of this world will growe out of tail with vs and become vnsavoury in respect of the same And therefore as it is a note of a man of earth to haue his heart glued to the thinges of this eaâ—…n and to be greedy to devour the draffe thereof so to haue our heartes set vpon heaveÌ„ly things is a token and marke of an heavenly minde and of a Aug. de Charitate person that belongeth to the kingdome of heaven Let every one saith Austine examine himselfe what he loueth and thereby he shall perceaue to what city he belongeth if he loue the world and worldly things as flâ—…lenes riches and honour he is a citizen of Babylon but if he loue God he is a citizen of Ierusalem 5. The last is in respect of that infinite and endles loue of God which is confirmed vnto vs in Christ Iesus to desire by all meanes possible to shewe a dutifull thankefulnes vnto him both by louing the thinges which he loueth and by honouring the persons which he honoureth If yee know saith S. Iohn that God is righteous knowe yee also that he which 1. Ioh. 2. 29. doth righteously is torne of him For if we resemble Gods image in holines wisedome and righteousnes then assuredly we are Gods children if our fruite be good we are good trees if the streames of our actions runne cleare and pure then it is certaine and sure that the fountaine of our harts is purified by faith and that so wee belong to the number of the faithfull So likewise that a louing affection towardes our brethren in Christ is an infallible marke of a true christian our Saviour Christ himselfe teacheth by this saith he shall all men knowe that ye are my desciples if ye loue one another Ioh. 13. 36. 1. Ioh. 3. 14. Aug in ep Ioh Tract 5 So S. Iohn by this we knowe that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Let everie one saith S. Austine returne home into his owne hart and if he finde there brotherly loue let him be secure for he is already passed from death to life he is already vpon the right hande To loue a man for that he is a man is a pointe of humanity to pitty a man because he is in misery is the duety of mercy but to embrace a man for that he is a christian man is a point of christianity Math. 11. 41. He that receiueth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall haue a prophetes rewarde and he that receaueth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall haue a righteous mans rewarde and whosoever shall giue to one of these little ones to drinke a cuppe of colde vvater onlye in the name of a disciple verely I say vnto you hee shall not loose his reward For he that honoureth Gods graces which he bestoweth vpon his children declareth thereby that he himselfe hath his part portion in those graces and he that loueth Gods servantes for that they are beloued of God shevveth himselfe also to be beloued of God So then these being the sure and certaine signes of a true sauing and iustifying faith if vve may assuredly knovve that they bee in vs albeit they bee in vs but in some measure that is to say If vvee assuredly knowe whether we vnfeignedly loue the most precious word of God and place our vvhole trust and faith onely in God taking the incomparable dignity of the death of CHRIST duely pondered weighed to be the mother â—urce of this our stedfast faith if we reioyce in our gracious calling to the estate of salvation in Christ as in our greatest and chiefest blessednes and in respect therof are ready willing to loue the things which he loueth to honour the persons which â—e honoureth theÌ„ we may also assuredly know that we haue obtained a true sauing iustifying faith that we beloÌ„g to the nuÌ„ber of the faithful But these things we may assuredly know whether they be in vs or otherwise especially vpoÌ„ due examinatioÌ„ triall 1. Cor. 2. 21 Rom. 2. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conscientia I knowe what I know For howsoever we may counterfeite deceaue others who canot looke into the secrete corners of our heartes yet we cannot deceaue our owne spâ—rites consciences whereby we are wâ—…ting to our owne waies as the very names thereof do sufficiently declare vnlesse we will wilfully claspe them and close them vp And yet the couÌ„cel of Trent hath peremptorily defined Con. Trid. c. 9. de fide iustified that none can know by the certainty of â—aith but that he may be deceaued that hee hath obtained grace that is as I take it that he hath attained to the estate of grace Yea our Rhemistes are so shameles Rhe. in 4 c. 1. ep ad Cor. that they are bold to avouch that the very Apostle S. Paul duâ—st not assure himselfe that he was iustified neither could take vpon him to be iudge of his owne heart and cogitations whether they were pure 2. Tim. 4 7. 2. Cor. 1. 12 11. 23. Rom 7. 25. or no contrary to the most evident plaine asseveâ—ations of the Apostle himselfe in diverse places of his own epistles yea coÌ„trary to the plaine words of that very verse whereon they ground this their observation where the Apostle testifieth that he had fouÌ„d his conscience cleare and his cogitations pure I am not saith he guiltie in conscience of anye thinge And vvith as greate vntruth is that iust and holy man Iob charged with the ignorance of the estate of his owne soule and with a doubtful feare even of all his works For albeit hee might feare both in respect of the imperfections of his best vvorkes and also in respecte of his vnknowne and secrete sinnes for vvho knovveth hovve ofâ—e heâ— offendeth and especially at that time vvhen the Lordes hande vvas so heavie vpon him yet what an assured testimonie he had in himselfe of a good conscience and vvhat an vndoubted assuraunce of his ovvne righteousnesse iustice fortitude chastitie puritie equitie vprightnesse compassion mercye liberalitie bountiâ—ulnes magnanimitie and humility he himselfe testifieth most excellentely and at large and if such as know the same would not giue testimony thereto yet Iob. 29. 31. he assureth himselfe that God will witnesse the same and therevpon resteth as fully contented And verily it hath been an ordinary practise of the dearest saintes and servantes of God bâ—ing best vvitting to themselues of their owne innocencye sinceritie and vprightnesse in performing their dutyes both to God and to man not onely vvhen they haue beene falsely accused and slaundered but otherwise also to make protestation thereof even before the Lorde to mooue him to take their cause being the cause of his faithfull servants into his owne handes to cleare them and to succour them and to encrease Psal 7. 8. 26. 1. his graces
beleeue though one rose from the deade Signes â—uk 16 31. â—ar 16. 20. â—eb 2. 4. vvrought by diuine power were diuine witnesses to giue testimony to the doctrine that it vvas diuine nowe the doctrine is receaued as a diuine doctrine what neede is there of witnesses stil to testifie the same Hee is a monster saith Austine that as Aug. de civ Dei l. 22. c. 8 yet seeketh for a miracle The doctrine in truth of Antichrist and of all false prophets hath neede of new miracles because their doctrine is straunge and new and the Deuil as the spirite of Mat 24 24. â— Thess 2. 9 â—hrys in Mat. hom â—9 Christ hath foretolde shal be ready to furnish them vvith great variety thereof that so hee may prevaile the more by them and leade the greater number thereby into errour VVherefore in that the church of Rome boasteth greatly of her miracles and taketh exception against our doctrine for vvant thereof thereby shee betrayeth her infidelity and bewrayeth her selfe not to bee the church of Christ but the very seate of the great Antichrist Opposit 4. The faithfull servauntes of Christ by the preaching of the worde of God having their secret sinnes disâ—layed and their consciences touched to the quicke and feeling in their hartes the divine power and maiesty purity and perfection thereof lightning their mindes sanctifying their affections and converting their soules doe fall downe as the Apostle saith and worshippe God and say that God is in you of a trueth acknowledging the preachers of that worde to be Gods ministers and 1. Cor 14. 25. the worde it selfe to bee Gods word vvhereof they haue so good proofe and so sufficient warrant in their owne heartes whereas faithlesse hypocrites having felt within them no such divine power of Gods heavenly worde doe not beleeue it to bee the worde of God for the words sake it selfe but for the outwarde testimony and witnes of the church THE mighty and powerfull worde of Christ is the scepter of Heb. 1. 8. 4. 12. Isa 11. 4. Apo 19. 15. his kingdome whereby he ruleth and raigneth in the heartes of his loyal and obedient subiects the most sharpe sword whereby he subdueth and vtterly destroyeth all his enimes By it he beateth downe in the heartes of his chosen infidelity Idolatry pride and vnthankefulnes and whatsoeuer lifteth vp it selfe against God and planteth faith piety humility and an hearty desire of sincere obedience and thankefulnes vnto God In this word being laide open the infinite and inestimable dignity of the sufferings and death of Christ whereby ful reconciliation is obtained with God satisfaction made for sinne to the vttermost and a perfect purchase made of the kingdome of heauen how are the faithful encouraged with ful assurance of faith to come vnto God and to place their whole trust and confidence in him As by the dreadful denunciations of Gods wrath against all iniquity and sinne set downe in this word especially by that seuere execution of the iustice of God in the death of Christ in whom the sins of all the elect were so seuerely punished that in vnspeakeable mercy they might be most freely pardoned vnto themselues how are the faithful touched to the quicke pricked at the very hearts humbled and after a sort cast downe into hell that they might be lifted vp againe by the Lordes mercy tast see how gracious the Lord is So like wise vvhen the infinite wisedome equity iustice righteousnes integritie puritie sanctity vprightnes which is in every one of the commaundementes of God is made knowen in some measure to everie of the faithfull how doth it winne all his affections to the loue of this lawe and cause him to lay it vp fast in his heart as a most precious and invaluable treasure O theâ— saith he with the prophet David the law of the Lord is an vndefiled law 〈◊〉 19. converting the soule the testimony of the Lord is sure and giueth wisedome vnto the simple the statutes of the Lord are right reioice the hart the commandement of the Lord is pure giueth light vnto the eies the feare of the Lord is cleane indureth for ever the iudgmentes of the Lord are true righteous altogeather And more to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then the hony and the hony combe The SamaritaÌ„s who at the first were induced to beleeue in Christ vpon the testimony of the womaÌ„ which said vnto theÌ„ come see a man which hath told me all whatsoever I did is not he thâ— very Christ wheÌ„ they had heard theÌ„selue the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth had felt in their heartes the power of his doctrine theÌ„ they said to the woman that first brought theÌ„ to Christ Now we do not beleeue for thy words for we haue heard him our selues â—…h 4. â—…om 13. â—ug Conses â—ib 8. â—ap 12. do beleue that he is the very Christ So Austin wheÌ„ he was a coÌ„teÌ„tious carnall Manichee would not beleue the gospell but for the testimony of the church but when by the divine oracle being admonished to take the booke of God into his haÌ„ds to reade therein he had read Let vs walke honestly as in the day-time not in gluttony and drunkennes nor in chambering and wantonnes nor in strife and envying but put yee on the Lord Iesus and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lustes of it this did seeme so holy heavenly and divine a doctrine vnto him and such an admiration and alteration it wrought in his hart that theÌ„ no doubt he did not beleeue for the bare outward testimony of the church but for the divine fruite vertue power puritie of the divine word of God that he himselfe had felt in his own hart VVherefore in that the children of the church of Rome doe teach and avouch that they doe not nay cannot beleeue the divine scripture to be the worde of GOD but for the testimony of the church it is manifest that they haue not felt the divine power thereof in their heartes nor haue beene translated thereby out of the slavery of Satan into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Opposit 5. The mighty and speedy prevailing of the Gospell of Christ both at the first publication thereof by the Apostles of Christ and also at the renovation of the same in these last daies and that vvithout any earthly helpes or furtherances yea maugre the malice and spite of the Devill who set all the power and pollicy of the world with might and maine to suppresse and to roote out the same declareth the great â—fficacy of this most mighty truth vvhich thus hath hitherto and will still prevaile IT is a thing worthy to be obserued that the mystery of iniquity 2. Thes 2. 7 beganne even in the Apostles times creeping in by little and little being long in working before
Appius Claudius for fidelity Fabritius for abstinence Scaevola for courage Cato for severity Cimon the Plut. in vita Cimonis Athenian for liberality Of whom it is recorded that he tooke away the moundes and fences from his groundes that the stranger and poore might take what fruite they would to refresh and satisfie themselues there withall besides he prepared a large supper ordinarily to the which any poore man might come and receiue sustenance and if he mette any auncient citizen in ragged and torne attire he commaunded one or other of his follovvers to chaunge his apparell with him and of his retinue that accompanied him some carried large suÌ„mes of mony that if they mette with any honest poore man they might giue vnto him all that he needed And yet vvhat vvere all these so glorious and goodly workes but bare shadowes counterfeites of vertuous actions rather then vertuous actions indeede Yea what were they but Splendid a peccata The best workes of the vnfaithâ—ull aâ—e no better then sinnes Rom. 11. 20. beautiful sinnes And as for the parties themselues shal we therfore esteeme them to haue beene good trees for that they had such an outward shew of good fruite Surely the spirit of truth doth testifie of vs that we are all by nature brambles breers wild â—…ues vntill we be grasled into the true oliue Nowe it is faith that doth grafte vs into the true olive as infidelity doth breake vs of Without saith then we are no better then brambles briars and wilde olives And whâ—… Dee men gather grapeâ— of thorâ—es figges Math. 7. 16. of brâ—arâ— Or doth the wilde oliue bring forth a kinde and natural olive Wherfore all these before named so famous and worthy personages in the eies of flesh bloud for al their glorious shew of goodly fruite living without faith without Christ vvithout God being Ephes 2. 12. alâ—ans from the â—ommâ—n wealâ—h of Israell and from the covenants of grace must needes vndergoe that heavy but iâ—st sentence of the Lord of the vineyard Cutte downe the vnprofitable trees for why Luke 13 7. Math. 3 10. cumber they the grounde And againe Now is the aâ—e laide vnto the roote of the treesâ— therfore every tree that bringoth not forth good fruite is bowâ—n downe and cast into the fire For if I giue al my goods to the poore 1. Cor. 13. 3 and haue not loue it profiâ—…th me nothing that is if this liberall fact of mine proceede not from a sincere harty affection to the good of my neighbour as likevvise if this harty affection towarde my neighbour come not from a sincere loue towardes God vvho is loued for himselfe and in whom also I love my neighbour yea if this my loue towardes God flow not from his loue in Christ towardâ— me embraced and apprehended by a true and lively faith all this my releiving of the poore cannot releiue my selfe and all this my mercy toward the needy cannot be a meanes to convey over vnto me the Lordes mercy For vnlesse all my goodnes be after this manner derived from God the onely fountaine of all goodnes well it may vnto men seeme to be goodnes yet it shall not haue his allowance from God But now let vs returne againe vnto our Saviours rule Beware of false Prophots which come vnto you in sheepes cloathing but inwardlie are ravening wolves ye shall know them by their fruites True teachers which with their harts sincerely embrace that holesome doctrine which they professe with their mouthes togither with their faith full disciples and schollers are as trees planted in the paradise of God and watered with the pure streames of the river of the vvater of life that floweth throughout the paradise of God and so receiving the blessing of God doe there by bring forth fruit good in truth and substance and not in shewe onely or outward appearance whereas false teachers as bastard plantes setled in the wildernes of this barren and vnfruitful world and wette with the venemous drops of the infected and deadly puddles of humane devices and dreames doe thereby bring forth fruit sometimes holesome and good in shew but never in substance For an infected fountaine cannot yeeld forth holesome water neither can a corrupt faith bring forth an vncorrupt life For the mind and vnderstanding are the leaders and guides vnto the will and the affectious and therefore if they be misledde with falshood errour and wander and goe astray in the bye pathes of impiety vngodlines howe can they direct the will and affections in the right way of piety and godlines Verily vnto whomsoever God in his iustice hath denied the knowledge of the groundeâ—and principles of a sound faith to them also he doth deny the gift and blessing of an holy life seeing that selfesame holy doctrine that is the cause of an holy faith is also the cause of an holy life as it is made manifest in the fourth motiue As on the contrary side vnto whom God in his mercy hath given the faithful acknowledging embracing of the grounds and principles of a sounde faith vndoubtedly to them hee doeth likewise graunt the practicall knowledge of an holy life For true faith and sincere loue which are the mother and nurce of all good workes are as Hypocrates twinnes borne togither and living without separation so that if one of them be strengthned the other receiveth strength also and if one of them be weakned the other is weakned they go alwaies hand in hand and bee inseparable companions and never breake company giue entertainement to the one thou must giue entertainment to the other sâ—ut the one of them out of thy dores and the other will in no wise be thy guest nor abide vvith thee the least moment of time For albeit a bare naked knowledge of the grounds of faith may be severed from the practise of a godly life yet a faithfull embracing and a sincere reâ—oiceing in them can never be idle and vnfruitfull but alwaies is accompaned with good works which giue witnesse vnto the sincerity Qui non fac it bonuÌ„ non credit bonum soundnes of faith and do sufficiently declare the holinesse of the doctrine from whence â—hey proceede Holy doctrine embraced but in shew and in hypocrisie may be vnfruitfull but being sinâ—…ly received it maketh good trees which cannot bee without gâ—…d fruite Now then this being evident that good workes are the infalhble notes of a good faith it remaineth that as in the former part of this treatise we declared that faith to be only sounde and catholike which was agreeable to the grounds of faith more briefly abridged in the Apostles Creede and set downe more at large in the canonicall seripture so now we set downe those divine rules of an holy life which are delivered in the same books wherevnto we must frame all our works if that wee desire to bee assured that they shall
or rather that is risen again who is also at the right handâ— of God and maketh request to God for vs. Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or â—…kednes or perill or sword As it is written for thy sake are we killed all the day long and are as sheepe appointed for the slaughter Neverthelesse in all these things we are more then conquerours in him that loued vs. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor thinges to come are able to seperate vs from the loue of God vvhich is in Christ Iesus our Lord. In which words it is manifest that the apprehension of the loue of God in Christ doth breede such a strong faith and confidence in God that the faithfull are thereby fully perswaded that they shal be never finally forsakeÌ„ of God not vaÌ„quished cleane overthrowen by the force and furie of all their enemies Now as this loue of God breedeth faith in God so also it engendreth 1. Ioh. 4. 19. loue towards God We loue God saith S. Iohn because he loved vs first and hath revealed this his loue vnto vs hath made vs to apprehend it with the eies of our faith and to be assured Ignoti nulla cupido Tantfi diligimus quantum credimus Gre. in Ez. ho. 22. perswaded of the same For if God loue vs and we be ignorant of it how can we loue him againe for the same For our charity doth so depend vpoÌ„ our faith that so much we loue God as we know and beleeue his loue and goodnesse towards vs. A strong faith a strong loue a weake faith a weake loue For God worketh not in vs as he doth in those creatures which are vtterly voide of al vnderstanding and reason and so haue no sense and feeling of the Lords working in them but in the worke of our regeneratioÌ„ first he informeth the vnderstanding with knowledge and thereby moveth the affections and will Now faith beeing the eie of our spirituall vnderstanding whereby with Abraham the father of Ioh. 8. 56. the faithfull we behold the day of Christ and reioice therein first in him apprehendeth the loue of God towards vs then kindleth in our harts our loue towards him For true faith is not idle 1. Tim. 1. 5. Gal. 5. 6. and vnfruitful but first worketh loue and then worketh by loue shee is the mother of loue in that shee first breedeth it and then Aug de fide operibus c 22. Greg. in Ezek. ho. 9. Faith is the life of loue not loue the soule of faith by loue bringing foorth all good works shee is the grandmother of all good workes And hereof it is that Austine saith that it may rightly be said that all the commandements of God pertaine to faith if not a dead but a living faith that worketh by loue be vnderstoode For as Gregory teacheth Faith is the doore and entrance vnto good workes not good workes vnto faith Neither is loue the soule of faith that quickneth it and giveth it life but faith is the very life of loue and maketh it liuely and industrious in her worke And therfore the Lord vseth to sette before the eies of his faithfull servants his owne loue testified by his sundry and manifold blessings and so causeth them to manifest their loue towards him by their readie obedience to all his commandements And hereof it is that they are called the friendes of God Abraham the friend of God Moseâ— Iac. 2. 23. the friend of God So our louing Saviour vnto his deare disciples HeÌ„ceforth cal I you not servaÌ„ts for the servaÌ„t knoweth not what the master Ioh. 15. 15. The faithfull are accepted of God as his frendes therfore are put in assurance of his loue doth but I haue called you friends for what soever I haue heard of the father I haue made manifest vnto you And what is true and sincere frendshippe but a mutual and interchangeable ben evolence and good wil not lying hidde or kept secret within the closette of the hart but breaking forth and manifesting it selfe by the effectes And therfore in that the â—aithfull are called the frendes of God it is evident both that they feele the loue of God towards themselues â—oÌ„finned vnto them by his gracious blessings that they likewise are stirred vp to loue him to testifie the same by their ready obedience to his will yea this is one sure signe of the speciall loue of Christ towards his that he doth shew himselfe not vnto Ioh. 14. 21. the world but vnto them and so raiseth vp in them faith and loue and strengtheneth them in his feare If a prince favour his subiect and he knoweth it not he must needes loose a great part of the benefit and comfort that he might receiue therby if that he did perfectly vndestand so much And verely that favour caÌ„â— not be great that can be altogeather concealed and kept close A little fire may be covered vnder ashes so preserved for some time but if it be kept so long it wil be extinguished cleane put out but a great fire wil not bee covered but wil shewe it selfe by heate smoke flame even so the great fire of the Lordes loue towards his elect cannot long be hidde but it will make it selfe manifest vnto them sooner or later by the effectes therof Earthlie parents conceale in part their loue from their children beeing in their tender yeares least they should waxe wanton and be made the worse for the same but when they are once come to ripenes of age and to yeares of discretion then they commonly seeke to make it manifest vnto theÌ„ by al the meanes that possibly they caÌ„ and they desire nothing more then that they should be through ly perswaded therof and he is a bastard a very vnnatural child worthy to loose both his name and inheritance which either will not be perswaded of the kind tender affection of his parents towards him or else is made therby more careles negligent to do his duty Even so our heavenly father whose tender loue affectioÌ„ towards his elect so far exceedeth the kindnes of al earthly pareÌ„ts as God exceedeth man testifieth his loue kindnes and care towards his continually either by his gifts or by his corrections or by both albeit he doth not at al times make theÌ„ feele so much it is for this end that wheÌ„ he doth so they should be more throughly moved to mislike theÌ„selues the more for their formet vnkindnes also to loue the Lord the more for his coÌ„stant and coÌ„tinual loue towards such as theÌ„selues were who before had so little regard so much as to take notice of such loue And therfore aâ— such as either wil not be perswaded of the fatherly affectioÌ„ of God towards theÌ„selues condeÌ„ning the same of
pride presuÌ„ption or else abuse it to the hardening of their harts by hartening theÌ„selus therby in their sinnes declare theÌ„selus to be bastards not sons being so farre of both froÌ„ the affectioÌ„ also froÌ„ the duty of natural sonnes Why If but a frieÌ„d having testified his loue towards vs â—y some fewe favours should vnderstand that wee stil stoode in doubt either of his sinceriâ—y or coÌ„stancy towards vs did imagm that either he did but disseÌ„ble with vs orelfe that he were vsriable quickly changed would he not thinke himselfe much wroÌ„ged seing he had so wel deserved before had giveÌ„ vs good cause to conceaue better of him And doth God bestowe any gift vpon any of his faithful servaÌ„ts but in al sincerity setled coÌ„stancy with a stedfast purpose to do them good And shal they stil doubt either whether he ever loued theÌ„ at al or else whether he wil ever coÌ„tinue to loue theÌ„ stil Surely they cannot do him a greaten dishonor seing therby as much as in theÌ„ lieth they rob him of â—is sincerity endlea goodnes of his eterâ—al mercy loue Wherfore the most sincere servaÌ„tes of God as they acknowledge themselues to be most highly honoured of God in that hee hath vouchsafed to cast vpon them so vnworthy wretches the eies of his loue and to haue testified the same by the manifold giftes of his mercy eveÌ„ so they are mostâ— desirous to magnify GOD by ascribing every good gifte vnto his most free and vndeserved goodnes and by receiving them al from him as pledges of his great loue and confirmations of his gratious favour yea the more they feele the heate of Gods loue cherishing and comforting them with his gratious blessings the more is the fire of their loue kindled towardes God and the greater is the flame of their obedience and thankfulnes That debteâ— loued most which receiued Luk. 7. 43. the greatest frendship having his whole debt most freely forgiveÌ„ him albeit it was never so great And Mary loued much for that her many sinnes were remitted vnto her albeit they had bin before never so grievous So Peter loued Christ more theÌ„ his fâ—llowes for that he had greater favour to be received the sooner to grace to be streÌ„gthened in the faith before his fellowes albeit he had sinned aboue his fellows And verely Gods grace revealed Gods grace revealed is no cause of sinne but Gods grace concealed and so contemned 1. â—or 2 8. Luk. 19. 42. doth not cause sin but Gods grace coÌ„cealed so conteÌ„ned Gods grace revealed giveth grace soone winneth allowance approbatioÌ„ so causeth al obedieÌ„ce thankfulnes but Gods grace vnknowen is easily coÌ„temned causeth stubbornes rebellioÌ„ that cried out so eagerly crucify him crucify him if they had knowen it they would never haue crucified the Lord of glory if they had knowen those things that did beloÌ„g to their peace they would hever haue so long stood out haue shewed themselues such wilfull obstinat recufaÌ„ts against their God against their owne good If that supersâ—itious carnal woman of Samaria had knowen the gift of God who it was that theÌ„ coÌ„muned with her Ioh. 4. 10. she would not haue stoode pelting with him for a draught of her water but she would without delay haue asked of him the water of life Wherfore the most louing Lord of Abraham Izaak Iacob of al the faithful of what kindred country soever albeit hee doth not vouch safe to shew this mercy to the world of the reprobatâ— as to shew himselfe to theÌ„ yet hee cannot long keepe close his loue from his chosen but doth manifest the same more and more vnto them as hâ—e knoweth it best for them in his divine and heavenly wisedome For if Ioseph could not long keepe in the tender bowels of his brotherly loue towards his vnkinde and vnnatural brethren but that it brake out with streames of teares and disclosed it selfe to their great astonishment and if David could not conceale his fatherly affection towards his most vndutiful and rebellious sonne Absolom no not at that time when he had behaved himselfe so lewdely and had so attempted his vtter overthrow but that it brake out in his straight charge to Ioab his general and to the residue of the captaines of the armie O â—e good to the young man for my sake the which petition whoÌ„ it did not prevaile with Ioab but that he stretched forth his owne hand to take away his life how doth that teÌ„der harted father take on vpon the â—elatioÌ„ therof O my soâ—ne Absolom my sonne my soâ—ne Absolom would God I had died for thee ô Absolom my sonne my sonne And yet the kindneâ— of earthly brethren and parents and that towards their most kind louing brethren children is but as a sparke of the great fire as a droppe to the huge sea of the loue of Christ our elder brother of God our heaveÌ„ly caelestial father CaÌ„ he theÌ„ altogeather coÌ„ceale his loue froÌ„ vs keepe vs froÌ„ that ioy vnspeakable glorious which we are to receive by the revelatioÌ„ therof The foure leapers that came into the Sirians tents whoÌ„ God had caused to flie in al hast to leave their tentes ful of al treasure store when they had wel eaten drunken and hidde also good store of treasure for theÌ„selues considering weighing the great necessity of their prince people by reason of the extreame famine that was among them could reason betweene themselues and say We â—… not well this day is a day of good tydinges wee hould our peace come therfore let vs goe tell the kings â—ousholde They thought 2. King 7. 9. it an offeÌ„ce to coÌ„ceale from their countrey being in extreme misery the remedy that God had appointed for their delivery And shal we thinke that whereas the Lordes owne deare and chosen children without some sence and assurance of his favour loue testified by his manifolde and gratious blessings are ready still to be overwhelined with the horrors of despaire the Lord will not cause the light of his countenance to shine vnto them that so the clouds of distrust that keepe from them the bright beames of his favour may be dispersed and the tempest of dispaire aswaged allayed In deede when they beginne to waâ—e waÌ„ton with peace and plentie and to neglect their duety vnto their good GOD and being at rest heere in this world slacke their passage towards their passagâ— to wordes their heavenly countrey and beeing filled with earthly delights become slow to seek after the true treasure God seemeth for a time to withdraw his favor from them after a sort to hide himselfe to suffer them to bee beaten with many rods â—yea he doth seeme to be grievously offended displeased with theÌ„ himselfe â—o correct chasten them with his owne hands And
he hath ratified the same with holy sacraments as with his own seale annexed therevnto And verely if circumcision much more Rom 4. 11. baptisme and the Lords supper may worthily be called seales of the righteousnes that cometh by faith The cuppe saith our Saviour Christ Luk. 22. 20 is the new testament in my blood that is to say a seale and an assuraÌ„ce of the graunt of the remission of sinnes and eternall life giuen vnto you through my bloud which is the summe of the new testament And to what end tendeth both these sacraments of the new testament but to assure all the faithfull that they hauing put on Christ haue their sinnes washed away through his blood and that their soules are fedd with very Christ the heaveÌ„ly Mannah Galat. 3. 2â— bread of life whereby they are sustained to everlasting life The cuppe of blessing saith the Apostle which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion 1. Corinth 10. 16. of the body of Christ that is to say there all participatioÌ„ of these outward elementes and visible signes are they not most certaine pledges and assurances to all the faithfull of their spirituall vnion and communion with Christ and all his blessings And was not this the iudgment of those godly learned fathers of the councell of Nice in that they will that this holy sacrament of the Lords supper should be sent vnto penitent persons lying in their death beddes which stood as yet excommunicate for apostasie or for some other notorious crime that by the participation of that celestiall food they might be assured of their coÌ„munion with Christ and his church and of the remission of their sinnes and eternall life and so enabled to passe over in peace the end of their laborious and painefull life The which most comfortable doctrine is most coÌ„veniently set downe in our English liturgy at the celebration of these holy misteries in these wordes The body of our Lord that vvas giuen for THEE preserve thy body and soule to everlasting life The blood of our Lord that was shedd for THEE c. For hereby everie faithfull christian that reverently receiveth this holy sacrament may assure himselfe that the spirituall life that is nowe begunne in him and shall be made perfite in the worlde to come 〈◊〉 wrought by the speciall loue of Christ now dwelling in him by a true faith so that he may boldly say with the Apostle both â—n his life In that I nowe liue I liue by the faith of the son of God who loued Gal. 2. 20. Me and gaue himselfe for Me and also at his death I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith hence forth 2. Tim. 4. 7. there is laide vp for me a crowne of righteousnes c. And from whence also proceedeth that ioy in the holy ghost and that peace of God that Ro. 14. 17. 5. 1. passeth all vnderstanding which is felt in the heartes of the faithfull servantes of Christ in their greatest crosses and most greevous afflictions but of a faithfull perswasion of the remission of their sinnes and reconciliation which God procured for them by the death of Christ Otherwise also how could they serue the Lord Luc. 1. 74. Eph 3. Heb 10 22. Iaco. 1. 6. without feare and come vnto him in their praiers with boldnes yea in assurance of faith without wavering without doubting Yea how could they come vnto him not as vnto an offended and an angry iudge but as to a louing and a mercifull father saying O our Father which art in heaven And from whence else proceeded their solemne protestations that they did assuredly knowe that they were in the estate of grace and in the favour of God and that God was their God in particular and after so stable and stedfast a manner that nothing was able to sever them from his loue We knowe that we are of God I know that my redeemer liueth My spirite 1. Ioh. 5. 19. Iob. 19. 25. Luc 1. 77. Psal 18 1. 116 16. reioyceth in God my Saviour The Lord is my strength my castle my deliverer my God and on the other side Behold Lord I am thy servant I am thy servant and the sonne of thine handmaide Yea so great a stay and comfort had the prophet David in this assurance of his owne â—aith that he protesteth his adversities being so many and so Psal 27. 13. grievous as they were he should vtterly haue fainted but that he did beleeue verily to see the goodnes of the Lord in the land of the liâ—ing The which most comfortable assurance of faith was such a stay also to the blessed Apostle S. Paul that howsoever an whole army of Rom 8. 37. tribulations did presse sore vpon him yet he protesteth that hee was a conqueror yea more then a conqueror through him that loued Rom 8 37. him being most assuredly also perswaded for the time to come that neither death nor life nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come should be able to seperate him from the loue of God which was in Christ Iesus our Lord. Neither vvas this comfortable assuraunce of faith a speciall and an extraordinarie prerogatiue granted only to some principall persons among the faithfull but a gifte in some measure common to the whole church For all the children of the church being the children of God are led by the spirite Rom 8. 14. 2. Cor. 2. 12â— of God whereby they know such thinges as are giuen vnto them of God And they are all indifferently commanded in the Lordes praier to call God their father the which name they cannot sincerely vse vnlesse they be perswaded in some measure of faith that he beareth a louing and a fatherly affection towardes them having receaved them into favour for his Christes sake and giuen them a place among the number of his children And vvhy 1 â—oh 5. 13. else saith S. Iohn writing to the whole church in generall these thinges I vvrite vnto you that beleeue in the name of the sonne of God that yee may knowe that yee haue eternall life and that yee may beleeue in the name of the sonne of God So S. Paule writting to the church of the Corinthians in generall Proue your selues knovve yee not your owne selues how that IESVS CHRIST dwelleth in you vnlesse yee bee reprobates and in his former epistle Kâ—ovve yee not that your 1. Cor. 6. 15 19. bodyes are the members of Christ Knowe ye not that ye are the temples of the holy Ghost which is in you whom ye haue of GOD that yee are not your ovvne By the vvhich testimonies of Christ his Apostles it is evident that not a fewe onely but also every mâ—mber of the vniversall church in their times and according vnto the measure of
vertue of CHRISTS bloode to vvash and clense the staines of all the sinnes of the faithfull were infidelitie or not to doubt thereof but to doubt vvhether it bee availâ—able to purge and clense THINE iniquities sinnes is to bewray thine infidelity in another degree even in that thou beleevest not thy selfe to belong to that number nor yet to bee partaker vvith them of their mercie VVherefore to teach the faithfull that they shoulde bee persvvaded of the remission of their ovvne sinnes through the death of Christ is to plucke vp the rootes of infidelity it is not to teach pride but faith nor to open a gappe to all â—inne and vvickednesse but contrarivvise most effectuallie to provoke to repentance loue and thankefulnesse and to the practise of all other christian dueties Aâ—d in truth we cannot bee rightly offended with our selues for offending so merciful and gracious a God vntill he hath given vs some sense feeling of his vnspeakeable mercy towardes vs in assuring vs of the pardon of our offences and sinnes Neither can vve vnfainedly loue the Lord and desire to be thankfull vnto him as we ought to be vntil we be perswaded that he loueth vs and beareth a kinde affection tovvards vs. Neither yet can we wholy resigne our selues to God vntil we perceiue that we are not our ovvn but that we are bought with a price that so we should 1. Cor. 6. 20 sanctifie the Lorde both in our bodies and in our spirites which are the Lordes My beloued sâ—ith the spouse is mine and I am his he hath Cant. 2. 16. giuen himselfe to me and hath assured me of his loue and therefore I giue my selfe to him and assure him of mine obedience VVee loue him saith Saint Iohn because he loved vs first For as 1. Ioh. 4 19. one fire kindleth another and one heate raiseth vp another so the â—iâ—…y heate of the Lords kindnes and loue felt in the hearts of the faithful doth kindle againe the fiâ—e of their loue and thankefulnesse towards God causing them to busie all their thoughtes and cogitations how they may after the best manner perfourme this there bouâ—den duety and service to God When the Lord by the prophet had mentioned his great mercies bestowed vpon his people of Israel the prophet straâ—t-waies in the person of the people breaketh out into these words Wherewithall shall I come before Mich 6. 6. the Lorde and bowe my selfe before the high God Likevvise David vppon the like consideration VVhat shall I render vnto the Psa 116. 12. 103. 1. Lorde for all his benefites bestovved on mee and againe Praise the LORDE O my soule and all that is within mee praise his holy name praise the LORDE O my soule and forget not all his benefites vvho forgiueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities vvhâ— saueth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindnes In which words we may perceaue that the sence and feeling of the Lords mercies in reâ—…tting to the prophet David his manifold sinnes was in him as a great vehement flame kindling in his very hart soule a most fervent zealous desire of magnifying and extolling the Lords mercies So Mary loved Luc. 7 47. much because manie sinnes vvere forgiven her â—eeling first the great aboundance of Gods loue tovvardes her selfe in pardonâ—ng her manifolde and grievous sinnes vvhich caused in her as it vvâ—re a reflexion and reciprocation of her loue towards God for those his great and endlesse mercies And surely if the small kindenes of a man and that towardes his enimy doth oftentimes â—eape coales of fire on his heade turning malice into meekenesse Rom. 12. 20 and currishnes into kindenes and so overcomming evill with goodnes how much more the infinite loue of God in pardoning our manifold and grievous sinnes being once felt within vs vvill it not possesse our soules with his loue and winne al our affections to his obedience Surely it vvil cause vs to reioyce if wee may suffer any tribulation for his names sake or performe any other duety whatsoeuer that may be grateful and acceptable vnto him We reioice saith the Apostle in tribulations knowing that tribulation Rom. 5. 4. bringeth foorth patience and patience experience and experience hope hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shedde abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost And to say the truth who euer were greater enimies to carnal security and dissolutenes of life more zealous followers of Christ more religious embracers of true piety and godlines then such as aboue all other haue felt the loue of God most aboundantly towardes themselues in assuring them most vndoubtedly of the forgiuenes of all thâ—ir sinnes of their inheritance in the kingdome of glory Wherefore this doctrine which teacheth the faithful to raise vp themselues to a stedfast assurance of Gods mercies tendeth neither to pride noâ— to dissolutnes of life but that doctrine which teacheth to doubt of Gods favour is no better then a flat stepmother to faith and a naturall nurce to infidelity For he that wil rightly come vâ—to God must come vnto him without doubting whereby we see that faith Iac. 1. 6. and doubtfulnesse cannot wel agree together So vvhen God promised Abraham a sonne in his old age adding further that Rom 4. 2â— in his seed al the nations of the earth should be blessed Mâ—t â—4 31. Rom. 14 23 In Gen 4â— The popish faith â—…ke to the Infidell Poets he doubted not saith the Apostle through vnbeliefe shewing thereby that doubtfulnes ariseth of infidelity Wherefore for any that professeth himselfe to belong to the number of the faithfull to doubt of the performance of any of the Lordes promisâ—s in generall or in particular of the promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall life made to al that beleeue doth argue a very small faith at the least if it doe not convince the party of â—latte infidelity Non si mihi Iuppiter ipse sâ—…n â—…at â—…am sâ—crem hoc contingere ponâ—… Wherefore as Martin Luther truely avouched if there were no other errors and heresies in the doctrine of the church of Rome but euen this that they teach that the faithful which are iustified before God ought not yet assure themselues of 〈◊〉 owne iustification and of their owne vndoubted calling vnto the estate of grace but remaine stil pensiue and doubtful of the remission of their sinnes and of their interest in the kingdome of glory yet this alone were a sufficient motâ—ue to make a separation from her as being the mother of infidelity and not of faith Div. 3. That we ought to beleeue onlie in God and not in the church or in anie creature THose things which the Gentiles offer vp in sacrifice they I beleeue in God I beleeue the church offer to devils not to God the Iews all hereticks beleeue not in the true God but
themselues many also of the râ—probaâ—e beleeue the mystery of the Trinity the truth of the doctrine coÌ„cerning the vvorkes of the creation redemption and sâ—…ctification but they looke for â—o benefite to redounde to themselues by the fame therefore they beleeue and tremble beeing excluded from all hope But this true catholike faith teacheth the faithfull so to beleeue the doctrine concerning God and his vvorkes that they beleeue also in particular that the benefite thereof belongeth to themselues beeing already receiued into the housholde of faith and made members of the holy catholike church For otherwise then by this faithfull perswasion how could they be induced to beleeue in God and to place their assured hope and confideÌ„ce in him For to beleeue that God is a father redeemer and sanctifier to other and to doubt whether he be such a one to me also were but a cold comfort and a very faint and feeble motiue to induce me to beleeue in God to devote my selfe to his service and to associate my selfe to his church VVherefore it is not to be doubted but that the liuely members of the holy catholike church hauing an holy assurance of the grace and favour of God towardes themselues and being resolued that he is now become their louing father in Christ and hath cast all their sinnes into the bottome of the sea doe thereby beleeue and reioyce in Gods mercies and so grow daily by little and little into a stedfast aâ— assured perswasion of their full and finall glorification But the church of Rome teacheth her children not to seeke for any assurance in particular of the favour of God and of the remission of their sinnes by the death of Christ but still to doubt and to be in suspence thereof so by keeping them from the true faith excludeth them out of the number of the faithfull and so by consequent out of the true church Whereas the true church the spouse of Christ hauing a stedfast assurance of the loue of her bridegrome is thereby induced not onely to trust confidently in him and to loue him againe but also to testifie the same by harkening most reverently vnto his vndoubted will and resting her selfe onely vpon his most sure word and yeelding all â— Pet. 1. 19. obedience to the same And hereof it is that this true church is sometime called Gods feilde wherein the most pure seede of his Math. 13. 3. holy worde is sowen and not the darnell and cockell of mens inventions sometime his sold wherein are his sheepe which harken onely Ioh 10 5. to the voice of their sheepheard not to the voice of a stranger sometimes Gods family and housholde wherein he ruleth alone all autority Eph 2. 19. of commanding being yeelded to him sometime the mother of the faithfull hauing her children begotten by the immortall seede of the worde of God and nurced also by the sincere milke thereof drawen out of her two brestes which are the olde and the newe testament Lastly Aug in ep Ioh. tract 3. Apoc. 8. 20. she is called a goldeÌ„ candlesticke for that she resteth not on her own light but holdeth out the candle of the word of God to al such as are of his family houshold to direct them therby in the waies of the Lorde and to detect vnto them all stumbling blockes by pathes which might cause them either to stumble or fall or else to wander out of the right way And the verie name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a convocation or congregation doth signifie a company wakened by the shrill call of the voice of a crier out of the drowsie sleepe of ignorance and sinne emploied in the workes and the waies of piety and godlines By all which appellations is signified that the true church hath her children begotten onely of the immortall seede of the word of God and nourished with the sincere milke of the same directed by the light thereof and alwaies ruled by that autority wakened thereby when they fall a sleepe and reclaimed when they beginne to wander made fruitfull also to all good workes Now the church of Rome hath her children begotten also of the corruptible seede of mens traditions and ruled by her owne decrees and decretals for shee will not haue them harken onely to the voice of the true shephearde vttered in the sacred scriptures nor to be obedient to the commaundement of the master of the family onely therein contained nor to be guided by the candle onely of that vndoubted will of God shee deemeth that foode to be to harde meate for them and therefore shee setteth before them the festivityes of her golden legend so causing the prophecy of the Apostle to be fulfilled who saide that the time should come that men shoulde turne away their eares from the truth and 2. Tim 44. should be turned vnto fables Moreover shee addeth to the Canonicall scriptures the bookes Apocrypha and her vnwritten verities to the written word and whereas the holy scripture is profitable after so sufficient a manner to teach that the faithfull christian the man of 2. Tim. 3. 17 God may thereby be made absolute and perfect shee denieth this sufficiency and perfection thereof and whereas the spirit of truâ—h calleth this word a light she calleth it darke and whereas hee avoucheth it to be easie to him that will vnderstand she chargeth it to be an obscure and hidden doctrine even to the Lords owne chosen and peculiar people yea whereas our blessed Saviour the very wisedome of God speaking to the multitude commandeth them to search the scriptures yet shee very flatly forbiddeth the same Ioh. 5 39. Where by it is evident that seeing shee thus disgraceth the holy scriptures inspired of God that vndoubted worde of the bridegrome and his last will and testament sealed with his own blood calling light darkenes and darkenes light harkeneth not wholy â—sa 5. 20. to his decrees therein contained neither suffereth him to strike the stroke only to rule therewith in his owne family repealing disanulling his direct coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts that therefore shee is not to be esteemed the chast faithfull spouse of Christ but a cursed harlot a faithles adulteresse The which thing that it may more evidently appeare I wil here set downe sixteene distinct direct oppositions betweene the true church and the false betweene the faithfull servantes of Christ and the Sinagogue of Satan the limbes of Antichrist Opposit 1. The faithfull especially vnder the raigne of Antichrist flye only to the scriptures as to the onely sufficient iudge for the deciding of all controversies and that according vnto the precise commandement of Christ and the ensample of his faithfull servantes whereas seducing and seduced heretikes take away this key of knowledge and shut the gates against the truth not onely defaming the faithfull for the study of holy scripture but also disgracing those most holy bookes
haue beene the eâ—ormities of prince people in this church of Rome that they haue poisoned after a sorte the very aire where they liued and haue caused those who in some respectes were their favorites friends thus to haue cast their own dunge in their owne faces and to haue dashed over their mishapen â—eatures with the blacke coale of euerlasting â—nfamy â—herefore small cause hath the viperous brood of this venimous generation thus to hisse against vs and to spet out their poison against our persons for albeit we bee not angels without spot yet we be not Englishmen Jâ—alianate that is Devils incarnate much lesse against our most The holy doctrine of the gospell vniustly charged to be the seed of all wickednes and sinne Luk 10. 20. The certainty of faith the assuraunce of election no hinderer but a fu therer of pâ—ety godlines holy and pure doctrine as if that were the seede of all wickednes and sinne The certainty of our election to eternall life and the assurance that we are the childreÌ„ of God haue our naâ—nes written in heaven which is the most forcible inducement of all other to cause vs to reioice in the Lord and to walke as the children of God and to haue our coÌ„â—ersation in heauen they accuse to be the mother of pride prâ—tumptioÌ„ and of carnal socurity and dissolutenes of life What is it credible that when J continually cal to my remembrance and set before mine eies that God to assure me that hee is my gracious God and louing father hath created mee and sustained me from my mothers wombe hath preserved me from these and these dangers and hath bestowed vpon me these these blessings hath made these these his creatures to serue to my vse that I might the better serue him yea and hath caused these mine affections to haue beene good and profitable vnto me is it credible I say that the assurance of this so great kindnes loue should breed in mine hart vnkindnes to God and the neglect of his honor of mine owne good Either is it credible that when I continually call to my remembrance set before mine eies that God to assure me of my reconciliation vnto himselfe and of my receiuing into his fauor hath reuealed vnto mee his sonne Iesus Christ the pledge of his loue and the meanes of my reconciliation hath opened vnto me his perfect obedience to the whole lawe not for himselfe but for my righteousnes and his invincible patience euen theÌ„ when he dranke so deeply of that so bitter cup of his painfull passion that it caused him to sweat water blood not for his owne but for my sins when I say this is revealed by Culpamea culpa mea culpa mea maxima God to be done for me by so worthy a person who according to his manhood receiued the spirit without measure and according vnto his godhead was infinite holines purity and peâ—fection it selfe that so I might bee assured of so absolute a righteousnes and so full a satisfaction for all my sins as might stand before the most exact iustice of God is it credible I say that the assurance of so great kindnes loue should breed vnkindnes in mine hart and a carelesnes of embracing and holding fast so great mercy and of continuing in such loue Either is it credible that when I continually cal to my remembrance and set before mineeies that God to assure me of mine adoption into the place number of his children hath sealed me with the spirit of adoption and hath by him sanctified mine vnderstanding with the knowledge of his most exact iustice in punishing my sins with such severity vpon my surety that I might be assured of mine acquitting from the same and of his endlesse and vnspeakeable mercy in sparing not his own sonne to spare me and of his wisedome in making his iustice and mercy so to conspire togither for my fuller assuraÌ„ce of my salvation wrought thereby when heereby also my iudgement and affections are so rectified and sanctified that I esteeme to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified and account all other things as losses and dong that I might win Christ and be found in him and be made partaker of the fruit of his death and of the benefire of his resuâ—…ection is it credible I say that so great kindnes should breed vnkindnes in mine hart and cause mee to prophane and to treade vnder foote this holy blood and to bee grievousome to this so comfortable spirit Lastly is it credible that when I cal to my remembraunce and set before mine eies that God to certifie mee of his fauour and loue hath opened vnto mee in his worde that greate charter and graunt of remission of sinnes and of eternall life in Christ Iesus and for my further assuraunce thereof hath written his gracious promises as vndoubted evidences thereof in mine hart that I might no more doubt of my most assured obtaining of these so great giftes then I neede of the admitting and allowing of these evidences that hee hath given me to shew for the â—ame when I come to appeare before the throne of grace is it I say credible that this so great security for mine everlasting blessednes should with â—raw mine hart from the loue of my blessednes and cause me to waâ—ke in cursed and damnable waies which tende to eternal miserie and woe Sure I am that the goodlier our temporal possessions are the better evidences we haue to shew for the same and the kinder our parents were that bestowed them vpon vs with charge not to passe them away in any case the more careful we shal be to keepe the same both for the loue of our most kinde parents and also for our owne welfare and good and shal the assurance of the most glorious inheritance of the kingdome of heaven given vnto me by mine heavenly father whose kindenes so much surpasseth the kindnes of any earthly parentes as God himselfe surpasseth man make me carelesse to keepe so goodly and glorious an inheritance to performe the wil and commandement of mine heavenly father VVhere Matth 6. 22. your treasure is saith our Saviour Christ there will your hart be also And therfore if this wil not moue me throughly to set mine hart and affections on heavenly things that I haue so good evidence for them that they are assuredly mine and that I shal vndoubtedly reape by them such an huge harvest of vnspeakable blisse what wil then moue perswade me therto yea if hereby I am allured drawen vnto sinne what is able to induce me to piety and godlines But this argument hath beene touched in the former is more fully handled in the latter part of this treatise therfore omitting now to wade further therin let vs come to examin whether that other maine point of the Gospel I meane Iustification by faith without works
set vp in the place thereof a translation made without any speciall or extraordinary revelatioÌ„ vnder the pretence of more greater corruptions crept into the one theÌ„ into the other As if the Lord had not had â—he same care to preserue the truth in the bookes penned by his owne publike registers and notaries as in the translation of such an one whose greatest praise caÌ„not be but this to be their faithful disciple and scholler And as if the Lord had not had the same regard to keepe vnpollâ—…ted his owne divine and heauenly doctrine in the most pure fountaines and springs as in the impure streames and rivers And yet how doth shee also esteeme of the wil of God set downe by the pen of her translator Do not some of her deare children compare it to a nose of waxe and to a shipmans hose which may be turned and wrested every way and sit falshood as wel as truth And doth shee not charge it to bee shadowed with such obscuâ—ities ambiguities that the truth thereby cannot be cleared without the light of an Interpreter and the right faith cannot be found out wiâ—hout the helpe of the Pope his councels Now is this to honour the Lordes will and to reverence it as holy pure and perfect Were that to be esteemed an holy pure and perfect will and testament of an earthly father which is involved with such obscurities and ambiguities that the children cannot vnderstaÌ„d the legacy that is therin bequeathed vnto them nor yet the duety that is required at their handes but that they must still fall at variance and ods among themselues be ready still to go to law one with another or at the least be driven continually to seeke to the lawyers for the opening and explaning of their manifold doubts May not such a will be said to be at the least very vnadvisedly penned and if it were done of set purpose very wickedly also Now the will and testament of our heauenly father was of set purpose peÌ„ned by the spirit of god after that very manner as it is set downe in the bookes of the old and new testament and therefore in that the Church of Rome doth charge these bookes with such obscurities and ambiguities that the children of God cannot vnderstand that heavenly legacie that is bequeathed vnto them therein nor yet that duty that is required at their handes but that they must needes be at variance and fall out about â—he â—…ne continually vnlesse they resorte continually vnto the decision of the Pope and to the determination of his approved counâ—els for the dissolving of all their doubts and for the clearing of all their controversies what else doth shee herein but most impiously charge the most holy pure and perfect wil and testament of our heavenly father not only to haue bin very vnadvisedly but also to haue bin most wickedly penned But let God be true and al men liars as it is written that thou mightest be iustified in thy words overcome wheÌ„ thou art iudged And Rom. 3. 4. let all the most glorious works of the children of pride be vtterly condemned for that they doe them not in most humble obedience to the most holy pure and perfect will of God or that which is farre more heinous and impious for that they are not ashamed in their bookes published in the eies of all men thus to defame and slander that most holy pure and perfect will of the most holy pure and perfect God 2 The will of God is to bee respected in doing our workes for that it is acceptable wellpleasing to god Coll. 3. 20. 1. Tim. 2. 3. Eph. 5. 10. Heb. 13. 16. The second reason why we should haue such a respectiue regard to the wil of God in doing our works is for that what is conformable to his will cannot be but well-pleasing and acceptable to himselfe Children saith the Apostle obey your parents in all thinges for that is well-pleasing vnto the Lord. So to Timothy I exhort therfore that first of all praiers supplications intercessions and giving of thaÌ„ks be made for all men for kings and for such as be in authority that vvee may lead a quiet life in all godlinesse and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior So likewise to the Ephesians Yee were once darknes but nowe yee are light in the Lord walke as children of the light approving that which is wellpleasing vnto the Lord. So also the Apostle to the Hebrewes To do good to distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is wellpleased Now that which God willeth that no doubt he liketh and that which he himselfe commaundeth is assuredly wellpleasing and acceptable in his owne eies For if it bee a pleasure to a wise man when his counsell is obeyed and a griefe and corrasive when it is despised esteemed vaine and nothing worth so it cannot be but wellpleasing vnto him in whom are hid al the treasures of wisdome knowledge when his counsels are obeied and he cannot be but highly offeÌ„ded when they are trodden vnder foote and lightly regarded When blind blockish and sottish men shall so lightly esteeme of the wisdome of God which hee hath made manifest in his owne ordinaÌ„ces that they shal imagine that they themselues caÌ„ invent a better or at the least as good a manner of serving of God as hee himselfe hath ordained in his own word what can be more odious and abominable before God As on the contrary side when men ascribe that perfection of wisdome to the will and commandeâ—ents of God as that they fully perswade themselues that in them are contained his whole and entire worship and service therefore do busie themselues most carefully about the fulfilling of the same this their respect and obedience to the law of God cannot be but a most acceptable sacrifice vnto God For as wee can no better please the prince theÌ„ by being careful to obey the Placita principum princes pleasure so we cannot better please God nor testifie our loue better vnto him then by our carefull keeping of his commandements If yee loue me saith our Saviour Christ keepe my coÌ„mandements Ioh 14 15. and 21. Our loue to God is best shewed in our obedience to his wiâ—l expressed in his owne commandementes And againe he that hath my commandements keepeth them â—he same is he that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will loue him and shew my selfe vnto him And againe if any man loue me he will keepe my word and my father will loue him and we will come vnto him and dwell with him he that loveth me not keepeth not my worde By the which so often repetition of one the selfe-same thing so easily to be conceaved and to be born away at the first our Sauior Christ would haue it throughly setled in our harts that we cannot
but onely counselled by God and left to be ordained by their special care For that belike they were to bee more careful and zealous then God himselfâ— for those things that did most principally coÌ„cerne his owne honour For the better clearing of the which matter let vs briefly examine these two points First whâ—ther it be likely that God would barely adviâ—e and not peremptorely commande all such dueties as did most pâ—incipally concerne his owne honour Secondly whether thosâ— workes which are enioined by the founders of the religious orders of the church of Rome be of greater dignity perfection then those which are required in the law of God Now concerning the first of these pointes let vs consider â—hat if in any There is nothing essentiallie belonging to the service of god which is barely couÌ„selled and not precisely commaÌ„ded by god himselfe army nothâ—ng bee done without speciall charge and commission from the generall without whose appointment to attempt any thing how needfull soever it bee and what prosperous successe soever it hath yet it is punishable by marshiall discipline and if in the government of the familie of a wise master among men who is able and at leasure to manage his own affaires there is nothing done without the commandement of the master of the family who only hath authority to commande in his owne house or if any thing be done without his commandement yet al matters of the greatest moment and importance are straitely precisely commanded by him and not lest to the voluntary choice and good liking of the servants themselues how then may it be credible and to be beleeved that the Lord of hosts the most sufficient and provident generall of the greatest army and the wisest master of the most noble family woulde more straitly commande the carefull performance of meane matters then of such as are of greater moment and weight yea that he would noâ— coÌ„mâ—nde them at all to any of his souldiers and servants but onely giue advise and counsell therin otherwise leaving them to their owne choice Verily our Saviour Christ telleth the hypocriticall Pharisies that were so strict in tything of minte cummin and annise Mat. 23. 23. seede and were so loose in the greater pointes of the law mercy iudgement and truth that howsoever they ought not to neglect the due performance of the least duety that God had commaunded yet they ought to haue employed their greatest care aboute the fulfilling of the greatest duty for that that was more exactly required by God Now if the Lord hath most principally required the more carefull performance of the more principall duties that are commanded in his own law and hath appointed a greater punishment for the neglect and contempt of the same shall we imagine that he hath left altogether vnexacted greater duties then are enacted in his owne lawe Either is it credible that God himselfe by the ministery of Moses his greatest servaÌ„t would enact lawes and statutes of meaner importance yea that he himselfe would come as it were in his owne person to proclaime theÌ„by the voice of an Angell with thundringes and lightnings terrors Exod. 20 18 feare maiesty and glory to procure the more reverence and obedience to the same and to leave those of the greatest moment to be ordeined by Francis Dominike and Layola without any such or the like solemnity Or was it true only at the first delivery of the law that there was no nation so great that had lawes so righteous as was Deut. 4. 8. all that law that was then delivered to the people of Israell and written into two tables by the Lords owne finger must there needes now be exception taken aginst the same in the rules of al the relligious orders of the church of Rome which commaunde workes of greater holines and dignity and such as tende to a steppe of Mat. 23. 37. higher perfection What hath not God commanded vs in his lawe to loue him with all our hart soule and strength and our neighbour as our selues and to vse all meanes ordained by him to the stirring vp of our selues to the performance of his loue And was not it a flatte commandement of God before the name of any Frier was heard of given to all the servants of God without exception That they should Psal 1. 2. Coll. 3 16. 1. Thes 5. 16 so meditate on the lawe of God day and night that it might dwell in them most plentifully that they should reioyce evermore pray continuallie and in all thinges giue thankes that they shoulde deny themselues and mortifie al maÌ„ner of corrupt affections which were any way preiudicial to the loue of God and their neighbour that they should offer vp to cod in sacrifice their bodily meÌ„bers as servaÌ„ts to righteousnes their soules replenished with faith loue feare obedience thaÌ„kefulnes the like devoting themselues al that they possesse to the most honorable service of the alsufficient God Wherfore to come to the second question what greater duties The works enioyned to the popish votaries are not of greater perfection then those that are commanded in the law of God to be observed of all Christians 1. Tim. 4. 4. do the rules of our Romish Friers exact theÌ„ these that are enacted by the law of God What is it a thing of greater perfection to abstaine from mariage then from whoredome froÌ„ meate then from surfeiting from riches then from pride covetousnes and oppression What is it a more acceptable duty to abstaine froÌ„ Gods creatures and from the lawfull vse of such things as are the blessings of God made created for the vse of his servaÌ„ts theÌ„ to abstaine froÌ„ the workes of the devil which are damnable cursed with the autor of them Is it a worthier worke to abstaine froÌ„ mariage then to bring vp childreÌ„ in the informatioÌ„ of the Lord which may be zealous maintainers of his worshippe service when we our selues cannot continue any longer in this world to praise the Lord Is it a matter of greater value to abstaine from meate and riches then with thy foode to feede the hungry and with thy riches to releiue the needy yea theÌ„ to build churches to the maintenaÌ„ce of Gods service to erect colledges for the encrease of learning to found hospitalls for the reliefe of the poore and to build schooles for the educatioÌ„ of youth Verily the wise maÌ„ thought poverty to be a steppe rather to wretchednes theÌ„ to blessednes and therefore praied particularly against the same saying Giue me not Prov. 30. â— poverty And our Saviour himselfe hath taught vs that it is an happier thing to giue then to receive to helpe others by our gifts theÌ„ Act. 20. 35. to become begging Friers to seeke to be releived by the helpe of others And he shal not say at the last day Come yee blessed of my father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from
of the meanest witch that hath before bouÌ„d her selfe vnto him And hee doeth extenuate all that service that Iob himselfe had done vnto God for that he was so sufficiently hyred thereto paide so well for it and that before hand Doth Iob saith he feare Iob. 1. 9. God for nought Haste thou not made an hedge about him and about his house and about al that he hath on every side Thou hast blessed the works of his hands and his substance is encreased in the land and therefore what great thing is it that he doth so regard thee hath he not very good cause so to do Verily if he did not seek to serue thee after the best manner he were the wickedst wretch that ever lived Now if the most envious and malicious wretch of all other who by his intollerable ingratitude and vnthankfulnes had deprived himselfe most iustly of al the Lords blessings could yet notwithstanding reason after this maÌ„ner how much more ought the true and faithfull servants of God themselues which do and for ever shall enioy the inestimable favour of his vnchangeable loue set the loving kindnes of the Lord alwaies before their eies making it a sharpe spurre to stirre them vp to walke on forwarde in the Lords truth and even to run the way of his coÌ„mandements And that Psal 16. 3. so much the rather for that the Lord himselfe hath beene so carefull to remember them thereof in sundry places of divine scripture and that after a most vehement and patheticall manner Ier. 2. 31. O yee generation take yee heede vnto the word of the Lord Haue I bin vnto you a wildernes or a land of darknes Wherfore say my people we are Lords we will come no more vnto thee Surely I haue not bin as a wildernes but as a most fruitful land ministring vnto you all blessings in all aboundance And therefore yee ought to haue beene most fertile in my feare and most plentifull in my service This most ample beneficence of God towards his people is so apparant that he appealeth therein even to themselues O yee inhabitants of Ierusalem and men of Iudah iudge yee I pray you betweene Isa 5. 3. me my vineyard What could I haue done any more vnto my vineyard that I haue not done vnto it So likewise in the Prophet Micah O my Mich. 6. 3. people what haue I done vnto thee or wherein haue I grieved thee testifie against me Surâ—… I brought thee up out of the land of Aegypt redeemed thee out of the house of servants and I sent before thee Moses Aron and Myriam O my people remember now what Balaak king of Moab had devised and what Balâ—am the sonne of Beor answered him froÌ„ Shittim vnto Gilgall that yee may know the righteousâ—es of the Lord. The recital of the which so great kindnesse and loue did so inwardly touch the very hart of the Prophet of the residue of the faithfull to whoÌ„ it was vttered that immediatly in their person he calleth as it were al the powers of his soule to a consultation howe al dâ—tiful thankefulnes may after the best manner be rendred vnto God for these his so large and ample mercies Wherewithall saith he shall I come before the Lord and bowe my selfe before the most high God Shall I come before him with burnt offrings and vvith calâ—es of an yeare olde will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rammes or with teâ— thousand rivers of oile Shall I giue my first borne for my transgression the fiâ—ite of my body for the sinne of my soule Hee hath shevved thee ô man what is good and what the Lord requireth at thy hands Surely to do iustly and to loue mercy to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God Wherby we may learne what be those sacrificeâ— that are best acceptable to God first to do iustlie in giuing to God that which is due to God and to man that which is due to man Secondly to sheâ—e mercy to them that are in misery and lastly to haue Gods goodnes alwaies before our eies our owne vnworthines that so wee may learne to humble our selues to renouÌ„ce our owne worth and to cleaue vnfeinedly vnto God yea to deny to die vnto our selues that so we may devote out selues and our whole liues only to God And verely when the Lord hath once revealed shewed vnto vs how he hath loued vs and given himselfe vnto vs and hath abounded towardes vs in his gracious blessings and hath caused al his creatures to serue to our vse theÌ„ shal we desire in al sincerity to loue and please him and to resigne our selues wholy to his service When God shal say vnto vs ye are my people then shal we answere thou art our GOD. When Christ shal haue Hos 2. 23. made manifest his tender affection to his spouse haue taught her to say my beloued is mine and hath assured me of his â—idelity Cant. 2. 16. then shal shee reply I am his and am fully resolved to keepe true touch and faith with him His loue is mine and shall bee alwaies before mine eles and my service is his and shal be continually in his sight If a master among men should giue vnto his servant an annuity of 20. nobles by the yeere or some little farme or other living if hee serue him not therefore at his becke hee crieth out straight waies against his ingratitude but if he happen to ioine against him in any cause or suite and that with his professed and deadly enemie how intollerable an indignity doth this seeme in his sight Now we our selues haue receaved from our grand master and Lord not only some small parte portion of our liueing maintenaÌ„ce but our selues also whatsoever we enioy out lot tâ— is fallen out vnto vs in a good grouÌ„d we haue a very goodly hevitage Psal 16. 6. for the Lord himselfe is our portioÌ„ he doth maintaine our lotte What vnkind vnthankful wretches are we theÌ„ if we surrender not backe againe vnto him both our selues al that we enioy to be prest ready at his coÌ„mandemeÌ„t If we keepe not a continual remeÌ„braÌ„ce of these inestimable mercies sette theÌ„ not alwaies before our eies wee bee worthy to be cleane cast out of his sight vtterly to be put out of his remeÌ„braÌ„ce If so ful streames flowing froÌ„ so pure a fouÌ„taine do not moisteÌ„ the dry barreÌ„ soile of our soules make vs fruitful to al good works theÌ„ are we verely but badd grouÌ„d â—…re to the curse whose end is to be burâ—…d Vndoubtedly as al the rivers flowing out of the sea returne thither againe so empty theÌ„selues after a sort into their mothers lappe eveÌ„ so the Lords innumerable blessings issuing froÌ„ the maine sea of his loue vnto the vse of his faithful sincere servaÌ„ts are thaÌ„kfully returned by them backe againe and faithfully employed
in his seruice The bondslaues of Satan seeme sometimes to drawe nigh vnto God to seeke the advauÌ„cemeÌ„t of his honor glory but it is either afflictioÌ„ that forceth theÌ„ to cry that they might be delivered Psal 78. 34. Hos 7. 14. Ioh. 6. 26. out of the haÌ„d of the oppressor or they howle vpoÌ„ their beds for corne wine and follow Christ for more bread the gratious gifts of God already receiued do not allure them to come in sincerity to God For they say not in their heartes O let vs feare the Lord which giueth vs raine â—arely late in due season and reserveth Ierem. 5. 24. for vs the appointed weekes of harvest Neither doe they say vvhere Iob. 35. 10. is the God that made vs that giveth vs songes in the night vvhich teacheth vs more then the beastes of the earth and giveth vs more wisedome then the fowles of the heavens But the sincere servantes of Thankfulnes for benefits already received bringeth the faithfull to God wheras hope of profite to come and their owne necessities force hypocrites sometimes to flie vnto him 2 Reg. 5. 17 Is 38. 20. The contemplation of Gods mercies our owne defectes vnworthines is the proper cause of all sincere devotion especially the manifestation of the endles loue of God in Christ is the peculiar cause of faith by faith of all other parts of piety godlines Christ knowing that God hath advaunced them with honour aboue al the residue of his creatures seeke to advaunce his honour aboue al other yea they most duly weighing with theÌ„selues how deeply they are endebted vnto his divine maiesty for his gracious gifts already receiued desire rather to discharge some of the billes of their former debtes then more more stil to grow in arearages Naaman the Syrian being al his life long brought vp in most grosse blindnes Idolatry when he was cured of his leprosy by the goodnes of the God of Israel that is by the goodnes of the only true God Now saith he I know that there is no God but only in Israel therfore wil I not heÌ„ceforth offer any burnt offring or sacrifice to any other God saue to the Lord. So wheÌ„ Ezechias had obtained of God a great deliverance froÌ„ his most dangerous disease howe doth he sing vnto the Lord reioice in his goodnes vow vnto God perpetual homage service The graue saith he caÌ„not coÌ„fesse thee death caÌ„not praise thee but the liuing shall coÌ„fesse thee as I doe this day the father to the children shall declare thy truth The Lord was ready to saue me therfore wil I sing my songs in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life The like may be said of al the residue that haue vnfeinedly given themselues vnto God For how were they drawen therevnto but by the linkes of his loue by the chaine of his blessings Devotion saith Aquinas is a special act of religion importing nothing else but the devoting of a mans hearte to the prompt service of the almighty God the cause wherof is the contemplation meditation of the Lords benefits of our owne defects For if we would duly weigh coÌ„sider with our selues the Lords most bountiful largesse towards vs which are vnworthy of the leasts of his mercies deserue nothing but vengeance and wrath especially if we would religiously record that one invaluable gift of God who so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoever beleeved in him should not perish but haue life everlasting it would not otherwise be but that we should be wounded and pricked at the very hearte for our former contempts disloyalties and rebellions against so good and gratious a GOD and should also be made more careful for the time to come to looke better vnto our steppes and to be more respectiue serviceable vnto our God For so wrought this heavenly phisike in Peter Paule with al the residue of the servants of Christ it purged a way the putrified humours of corrupted affections recovered theÌ„ to spiritual health life It is sufficieÌ„t saith St. Peter that wee haue speÌ„t the time past of our life after the lustes of the GeÌ„tiles walking in 1. Pet. 4 2. Our defectes Gods loue Our dutie or devotioÌ„ vvantonnes lustes drunkennes and in abominable Idolatries But nowe seeing we knowe that Christ hath suffered for sinne we ought also to suffer in the flesh and to cease from sinne and henceforward to liue as much time as remaineth in the flesh not after the lustes of men but after the vvill of God So likewise the Apostle St. Paule Wee also our selues vvere in Tit. 3. 3. Our defectes Gods loue times past vnwise disobedient deceiued serving dâ—verse lustes and vâ—lâ—ptuousnes living in malitiousnes and eâ—vy hatefull and hating oâ—… another but when the boâ—…tâ—fulnes and loue of God our Saviour toward man appeared he not onely saved vs from the guilte of our sinnes by giving himselfe a ransome for our soules but also hee destroyed the power Our dutie or devotioÌ„ of sinne in vs and so raysed vs vp to newnes of life For albeit the wicked turne the grace of God into wantonnes saying let vs sinne that grace may abound yet the saying grace of God teacheth the godly another lesson even to deny vngodlines and worldly lustes and to live Tit. 2. 11. iustly soberlie and godly in this present world looking for the blessed hope appearing of the mighty God and of our Sâ—viour Iesus Christ vvho gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from all â—…iquitiâ— and purge vs to be a peculiar people to himselfe zealous of good workes So likewise albeit the LORDES temporall blessinges are to the wicked as thornes choaking vp the good seedes of pietie and godlines and as baites to snare them and to drawe their heartes from God and as chaines to binde them fast vnto the varities of this wicked world yet to the godlie they are as sweete sauce to make them â—eede more eagerly vppon the foode of their soules and as spurres to make them runne more readilie in the way of Gods commaundementes and as ladders to lifte them vp vnto GOD that so they may come to the fruition of his greater blessinges For to the pure all thinges are pure in so much that their verie sinnes make them to hate sinne the more and the little tast of the LORDES mercies causeth them more vehemently to thirst after a full cuppe of the same mercies yea the more they see their owne wantes and the LORDES fulnes the more they are stirred vp to renouÌ„ce themselues to cleaue Eph. 5. 8. Our de fectes Gods loue Our duty or devotioÌ„ vnfainedly vnto the Lord. Yee were darknes saith the Apostle but now yee are light in the Lord Walke as children of the light as if he should haue said vnto them Remember your
this wrathfull countenance of God of al other calamities crosses is most grievous burdensome vnto them and doth aboue al other miseries vexe and torment their tender harts casteth theÌ„ downe to the gates of hell Then in anguish of soule and bitternes of spirit they powre forth whole streames of complaineâ— crying out and saying Will the Lord absent himselfe forever and will he be no more entreated Is his mercy cleane gone for ever Psal 77. 7. and is his goodnes come vtterly to an end far evermore â— hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he shut vp his loving kindnes in displeasure TheÌ„ said I this is my death againe O Lord how long wilt thou be angrie Psal 80. 4. with thy people that praieth Thou hast fed them with the bread of teares and hast given them plentâ—…snes of teares to drinke thou haste made vs to be a very strife vnto our neighbours our enemies laugh vs to scorne Turne vs againe O God of hosts shew vs the light of thy countenance and we shall be safe And yet in truth when the Lorde most sharply chasteneth his God is nearest to his servants in their asstictions albeit he seemeth to be then farthest of he sheweth then most of all the effect of his loue allthough they for the present feele it not Psa 119. 71. 75 ver own deare children he is not in wrath offended with them but in great loue most of all then tendreth their good his grace and favour is not absent but then especially is present with them albeit they for the very instaÌ„t feele not the same For what is it that in and by their afflictions worketh in them humility repentaÌ„ce patience obedience an earnest desire to feele the Lord gracious and favourable vnto them aboue all things to behold the light of his countenaÌ„ce Are not al these the most evident effects of the favourable presence of God with theÌ„ of the most neere assistance of his grace Doth he not herein shew theÌ„ the light of his couÌ„tenance make manifest vnto them his loue to their great benefit good Surely David did most thaÌ„kfully acknowledge so much saying It is good for me that I haue beene in trouble that I might learne thy statutes And againe I know O Lorde that thy iudgements are righteous and that thou not of wrath but of very faithfulnes hast caused me to be troubled And therfore Ieremy praied for the Ier. 10 24. same as for a thing beneficiall and good Correct vs O Lord yeâ— in thy iudgement not in thy fury For God chastiseth his children in loue albeit he punisheth the wicked in wrath And therfore both Iob. 5. 17. Iob David iudge not that the godly when they are afflicted are in a bad but in a right good and blessed estate Blessed is the man say they whom thou chastenest O Lorde and teachest in thy lawe that thou maiest giue him patience in time of adversitie vntill the â—it bee digged vp for the vngodly And therefore the Apostles did reioice in Rom. 5. 3. tribulations knowing that tribulations bring forth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shedde abroade in our heartes by the holy Ghost The loue of God then apprehended by faith not only engendereth Hope Patience ConfessioÌ„ in vs loue towardes God but also hope that maketh not ashamed and patience that maketh vs to reioice in tribulations and to be couragious and constant in the confession of his truth albeit all manner of crosses accompanye the same For out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and therfore if vvith the hearte wee beleeue to righteousnesse wee will bee ready vvith the mouth to confesse vnto salvation I beleeved saith David Rom. 10. 10 Psal 116. 10 2. Cor. 4. 13 and therefore haue I spoken so vvee also saith the Apostle beleeue and therefore speake And verily if wee doe beleeue that GOD from everlasting hath acknowledged vs and hath written our names in the booke of life howe can it bee but that wee shoulde thankefully acknowledge him before the greate congregation and willingly confesse him before the whole worlde Yea how can it bee but that wee shoulde continually make our resorte to Praier him by praier in all our necessities and craue his gracious aide to assiste and strengthen vs in all those afflictions and crosses which vvee endure for his most holy name sake The vnfaithfull vvho vvill not bee persvvaded of the fatherly loue and favour of God towardes them cannot come with any cheerefulnes to make their praiers vnto God for howe can they call vppon him Rom 10. 14 on whom they haue not beleeved but the faithfull that beleeue that God is become their loving father in Christ that by him they haue such interest in God in al his blessings must needs coÌ„e to him with great coÌ„fideÌ„ce hope powre out their whole harts continually before him and present vnto him all their petitions and requests And verily they need not to be ashamed to come into his presence seeing they are cloathed with the most precious garments of Christ their elder brother and haue him to bee their continuall advocate solliciter to pleade their cause In deed the more they behold their owne nakednes and shame take a true view of the rotten ragges fained garments of their owne righteousnes and the more deepely therewithal they meditate vpon that strange and admirable goodnesse of God that would cast the eies of his loue vpoÌ„ such loathsome wretches they haue great cause as to be ashamed of their abominable corruption so to be waile and lament their intollerable vnthankfulnesse And so the prophet Ezechiel hath testified that the faithful shal Eze. 16. 63. be confounded in themselues and hange downe their heads never open their mouthes for shame when they shal behold the loue of God towards them in Christ which hath freely pardoned all their iniquities and sinnes when I say they shal see on the one side how gracious God is to them on the otherside how grievous they themselues haue bin vnto God An ensample wherof In the praier of Manasse affixed at the end of the bookes of the Chronicles we haue in Manasse king of Iudah vnto whoÌ„ when the Lorde had given a little taste of his promise of mercy and had giveÌ„ him some assurance of the remission of his sinnes and of his receiving into favour how doth he debase and cast himselfe downe as if he were the only offender among all the servants of God and all other were as it were no sinners in comparison of him And how doth he exaggerate and amplifie his own transgressions as if they were more then the sande of the sea and togither withall so odious and abominable that he was not worthy to behold the heavens for the same
I haue provoked thy wrath saith he and haue done evill before thee I did not thy will neither kept I thy commaundements I haue set vp abominations and multiplied offences I haue sinned O Lord I haue sinned I acknowledge my transgressions O Lord forgiue O Lorde forgiue me and destroy me not with mine iniquities And verily vntill we haue some sight and sense assurance of the mercy of God in Christ pardoning our sins the ougly sight of our owne deformities will driue vs more and more from God and wrappe vs faster and faster in the bands of sinne and be ready to drowne vs in the gulfe of despaire as it may be seene in Caine Iudas the like But when Christ shall once looke vpon vs with the eyes of his mercy shall giue vs some assurance of the remission of our sinnes as he did vnto Peter whome he mercifully forewarned not only of his fall but also of his pardon of his recovery and of his duety in regard of the same I haue praied for thee Peter Luk. 22. 31. that thy faith faile not and thou being converted strengthen thy brethre this favourable aspect of Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse will cause vs with Peter to loue him the more and not only to single out some solitary place that we may bewaile our vnthankfulnes with bitter teares but also to be more feareful and careful for the time to come least we be overtaken againe with the like offence For a reverent regard and feare least we offende so good a God Feare whom we can never endevour sufficiently to please is caused also by the due apprehension of the Lordes mercies There is mercy Psal 130. 4. with thee O God saith David therfore shalt thou be feared For as the naturall and kind child reverenceth his father and feareth to offend him not so much for dread of the rod or for hope of the inheritance as for that he hath had already manifold experience of his fathers kindnes and care for him even so the deare children of God having had in former times very good experience of the Lords loue do reverence feare him from the very bottome of their harts and are thereby made watchfull and wary not to offend Behold saith S. Iohn what loue the father hath shewed vs that 1 Ioh 3. 1. we should be called the sonnes of God Now we are the sonnes of God but it doth not appeare what we shall be but this we know that when he doth appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And he that hath this hope purgeth himselfe even as he is pure In which words it is manifest that hope rising out of faith and the expectation of future blessednes out of the apprehension of former loue doth cause the faithfull to purge clense their harts least they offend their holy and pure God with their impurities Though we sinne say all Sap. 15. 2. the godly as it were with one voice that is though wee sinne through infirmity which cannot be avoided in these daies of infirmity yet we are thine for we know thy power but we sinne not that is presumptuously or we giue not over our selues to sinne knowing that we are thine for to know thee is perfect righteousnes and to know thy Ioh 3. 14. power is the roote of immortality For as the childreÌ„ of Isâ—ael were healed of the sting of fierie serpents by looking vp to the brasen serpent even so the faithful looking vp vnto CHRIST crucified are cured of al their spiritual maladies and haue their sinne slaine in them and are raised vp to newneâ— of life Zache desiring but to see CHRIST was immediatly converted and made a Christian Olde father Simeon beholding Christ desired presently to departe out of this life thinking that hee had lived long inough seeing hee had liued to see his Saviour with his bodely eies All the faithfull that haue had some true view of our Our whole conversion to God is wrought by his loue in Christ apprehended by faith Ioh. 17. Saviour Christ do more more desire to behould him still and that not without very great cause For the more they see him the more they loue him and the more they feele themselues to liue in him and by him This is everlasting life saith the auctor thereof to knowe the onely true God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ For rightly to know faithfully to embrace the endles vnspeakable loâ—e of God in Christ who hath consecrated himselfe both in his life and death to the working of our deliverance out of the hands of sin death damnation doth worke in the faithfull the death of sin and life of righteousnes and so layeth the foundation of that life heere which shal be made perfect in the world to come Now saith the Apostle I liue not but Christ liveth in me and the life that I now liue I liue by the faith of the sonne of Eph. 6. 15. The loue of God revealed in the Gospel is as shoes wherby we are enabled to walke on readily in the Lordes waies be they never so full of sharpe stones and pricking thornes God who hath loued me given himselfe for me The Apostle lived not he was dead in himselfe but Christ by hiâ— spirit word lived and raigned in him and that because he beheld with the eies of faith that great endles loue of Christ who both had lived and died for him And hereof it is that the Gospel of Christ the powerful instrumeÌ„t ordained by God both to begett streÌ„gthen faith is compared to shoes is part of that furniture wherwithal the souldiers of Christ haue neede to bee armed in their most hard daungerous fight against al the powers of the kingdome of darknes And verely there are so many thorns pricks of worldly cares and so many sharpe stones of crosses and persecutions lying so thicke in that straight and narrow way that leadeth to life that the passage of the faithful would be greatly stayed if not altogither stopped therin were they not al well shodde with the preparation of the Gospel of peace and had not that gladsome ioyful tidings of their recoÌ„ciliation with God made them most resolute to passe on along for al those sharpe stoÌ„es to endure al withal patience Now then by these things that haue bin delivered it is evident and cleare that not onely faith ariseth out of the true apprehension of the inestimable loue of God in Christ but also loue hope patience confession praier repeÌ„tance feare a religious care both to liue to die vnto God to devote our selues wholy to his service And yet we must not so conceaue heereof as if this one blessing All the Lords gratious giftes and blessings are furtherers of faith obedience in the godly Ier. 14. 20. of our redemption wrought by CHRIST did not onely
each one the other therein then how much more ought they to doe it which are appointed to be publik officers for the same purpose How ougâ—t they especially most carefully to put in practise the exhortation of the prophet by calling continually vnto the people and saying Praise the Lord and call vpon his name and declare his workes among the people Sing vnto him sing praises vnto him and let your talking be of all his wondrous works Reioice in his holy name let the harts of them reioice that seâ—ke the Lord. Seeke the Lord and his strength seâ—ke his face continually Remember the maâ—veâ—lous works that he hath done the wonders and the iudgments of his mouth â—h yee seede of Abraham his servant ye châ—ldren of Iacob his chosen he is the Lord our God â— The 〈…〉 â—…ssistance accordâ—… to his own covenant And yet if all men faile in their duety the Lorde himselfe will not faile in that covenant which he hâ—th made with all his chosen wherein hee hath promised that hee himselfe will write his lawes in their heartes and plant them in their mindes and that he will doe the same so sufficiently that it shall not be a matter of absolute necessity for every one to exhort and to admonish his neighbor saying know the Lord for they shall all know me saith the Lord even Ier. 31 34. from the greatest vnto the least So and so beneficiall it is vnto all the Lords people to know the Lord and his gracious blessings to keepe a continuall remembrance of the same and therefore so and so many meanes hath the Lord appointed in his vnspeakeable wisedome and goodnesse for the stirring vp of every one of his faithful servants to the ready and careful performance of this so beneficiall and necessary a worke So and so carefull hath the Lord been that the people devoted vnto his service should want no meanes to strengthen further them in the holy exercise of sincere devotion Now let vs see how the church of Rome which boasteth so highly of her owne great devotions land of the huge multitude of all manner of good works which so and so abounde among her children religiously extolleth the Lords mercies what a carefull remembraunce shee keepeth of his goodnes seeing as it hath beene shewed that is the mother and the nurce of all sound and sincere devotion and the fountain welspring of all good workes The word of God in setting downe the great gracious blessings of God doth declare vnto vs these three pointes First the cause of them even his owne goodnesse and loue secondly the end which is the manifestation of his goodnes and loue thirdly the effect which is the working therby in the harts of his chosen of al inward graces outward dueties also both to God to our neighbour The grace goodnes loue and mercy of God is the full fountaine froÌ„ whence all his blessings doe issue flow The great blessed worke of mans redemption issueth from thence as our Saviour testifieth So God loved the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but haue Ioh. 3. 16. life everlasting The great blessed worke of the creation and all the residue of his gracious blessings many of the particulars wherof are set down by the prophet Ps 136. come also from thence even because his mercy enduâ—eth for ever This mercy loue of God is not oâ—ly most ample large but also most free vndeserved For every good gift and every perfect giving commeth downe froÌ„ Iac. 1. 17. aboue froÌ„ the father of light we hold all that wee enioy from this grand vniversal lâ—ndlord therefore we must pay our whole rent to him performe only to his court our suit service we are endebted vnto him alone for the loane of al that we possesse therfore to him alone we must discharge all our debt His loue also is most free vndeserved he seeketh therin not to gain any thing to himselfe but only to do good to benefit other this doth farther set forth the greatnes of his loue so doth enlarge the bil of our debt SecoÌ„dly the end why God bestoweth his blessings is that they might be vnto vs most plaine demoÌ„strations of his loue most certain testimonies of his goodnes Shew me saith St. Iams thy faith by thy works I wil shew thee my faith by my works Iac 2. 18. 1. Ioh. 3. 18. My childreÌ„ saith St. Iohn let vs not loue in word in toÌ„gue but in work in truth That loue theÌ„ is in truth that is effectual in works and that faith is souÌ„d right that sheweth it selfe in the fruits Wherfore god who would haue his choseÌ„ know be fully perswaded that he loveth theÌ„ in truth sheweth it forth to them by his most gracious and manifold blessings as by the effects fruits therof and this is also a great addition vnto his loue Thirdly the Lord maketh his loue manifested by his blessings the meanes to beget and to encrease faith loue repentance and the like in the hearts of his elect and chosen children he putteth them not out to vse nor taketh any encrease for them for his estate cannot be bettered nor his blessednes encreased the profite and encrease accrueth to vs and therefore by them we merite nothing at the hands of God nor make him thereby any way endebted to vs but wee our selues are more and more still in his debt for the free lone francke gift of all his blessings Now then to returne againe to the first point The loue of God is the ful fountaine of all manner of his blessings both bodyly and ghostly and he himselfe is not only the author but also the disposer and bestower of them all the blessings themselues and the meanes are of him and the working also of the one and the other Temporal meanes are in themselues nothing without the speciall power of God working in them by them Man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God And life consiseth not in the great aboundance of all such thinges aâ— doe belong to the maintenance of life The horse is counted but a vaine thing to saue a man neither can he deliver any one by his much strength the watchman also waketh but in vaine vnlesse the Lord keepe the citty So spirituall meanes also are nothing without the effectuall power of the almighty working by them for that is the very soule and life of all He that planteth is nothing and hee that watereth is nothing but God that giveth the encrease Iohn the Baptist can baptise but with water Austine can but speake to our bodyly eares Christ baptiseth only with the holy Ghost and he that hath his chaire in heaven is he only that can teach the heart The water in baptisme can
choice of him before all other to prefer him to bee our only God So the Prophet David foreseeing by the spirite that God woulde gather vnto him his elect and chosen out of all nations of the whole earth cryeth out vnto them and saith O bee ioyfull in the Lorde all yee lands serue the 〈◊〉 100. 1. Lord with gladnes and come before his presence with a song Be yee sure that the Lord he is God it is he that hath made vs and not we our selues we are his people and the sheepe of his pasture c. Be ye sure saith David build vpon this that God is the true God that he hath made vs and taken vs also to be his people and therefore he exhorteth againe and againe to reioice in the Lord to be thaÌ„kfull vnto him for his great goodnes So S. Peter yee are saith he to all the faithfull to whom he wrote a chosen generation a royall nation 1. Pet. 2. 9. and an holy people that yee shoulde shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknes into his marveilous light Likewise Saint Iohn Behold saith hee what loue the father hath shewed vs that vvee 1 Ioh. 3. 1. should be called the sonnes of God c. Why Hee that is but in a play to beare the person only of the sonne of an earthly king and that but for the space of two or three houres will in no wise then demeane himselfe like to a cullian A sonne saith Malachy honoureth his father and a servant his master If I then saith God himselfe Mala. 1. 6. vnto his people be your father where is my loue and if I be your master where is my feare Now every meane Logitian knoweth that a Inepta est probatio obscuri per aequè obscuruÌ„ multo magis per magis obscurum thing not knowne or but meanly appreheÌ„ded is to receiue light and confirmation not from an argument which is as obscure and doubtfull much lesse from that which is more doubtfull and obscure For how can that which is darke it selfe driue away darkenes or how can that which is doubtfull it selfe remoue doubtfulnes Wherefore in that the spirit of God doth exhort the faithful not to serue themselues but the Lorde for that â—hey are bought with a price and therfore are not their own but the Lords and to walke soberly because they are the children of the day and to do such things as accompany salvatioÌ„ for that they are ordained to salvation and to employ themselues not to base vses but to the most honourable service of the Lord because they are vessels of gold prepared to glory and so forth it followeth necessarily that it ought to bee vnto them as evident and as certaine at the least that they are not their own but are bought with a price that they are the children of the day that they are ordained to salvatioÌ„ that they are vessels of golde prepared to glory as that they should serue not themselues but the Lord that they should walk warily as in the day that they should do such things as accompany salvation that they should employ themselues not to base vses but to the honourable service of God And verely no other argumeÌ„t of it selfe alone is able to asswage the flames of selfe loue which are so great and to cause vs to deny our selues our friendes pleasures and commodities bee they they never so sweete and to make vs willingly to beare the disfavours of prince and people alians and allies and to vndergoe all manner of crosses and afflictions bee they never so burdensome and bitter but onely that invaluable loue of God manifested in that glorious worke of mans redemption and in the residue of his blessings of grace When the Apostles seemed to wordly wise men to be stark madd for that they so willingly submitted themselues to so many and great inconveniences that they might giue testimony to the Gospell of Christ the Apostle St. Paule setteth downe the cause that moued them ther vnto saying The loue of Christ constraineth vs because we thus iudge that if one bee deade â— Cor. 5. 14. Christes â—oue toâ—…ards his â—aithfull â—ervants â—elt in their harts not onely allureth but even compelleth theÌ„ most willingly to vndergoe all manner of burdens in his service for his glorie for al then we weâ—e al deade And he died for al that they which liue should not henceforth liue vnto themselues but vnto him that died for them and rose againe The loue of Christ then is the most forcible argument even to compell and constraine vs to do our duties to God be they never so contrary to our corrupt affections yea it maketh the yoke of Christ light easie to the spirit whâ—ch otherwise is so burdensome vnto the flesh And hence it is that those of the faithful which haue had greatest revelation of the grace of Christ and strongest assurance of his loue haue most of all died vnto themselues and liued vnto Christ and haue aboue all other denied their owne sweete selues and renounced their Jearest pleasures and commodities and haue with such a burning affection embraced their sweete Saviour and redeemer and so highly esteemed of his most precious blood that all other sweete things haue after a sort growen out of tast with them and all other precious thinges haue become of no price I am deade saith St. Paule to the lawe and am crucified with Christ I liue and yet Gal. 2. 19. not I nowe but Christ liveth in me and in that I liue nowe in the flesh I liue by he faith of the Sonne of God who hath loued mee and giuen himselfe for mee I see well saith Austine in an Epistle to Dardanus that thou doest esteeme little of mee although I make great account of thee and it is for that thou art young and I am olde thou vvise and I vndiscreete thou rich and I poore thou more vertuous then I am yet I will deny that thou hast a better God thâ—n I or a better law or a better redeemer thâ—… I for in the matter of redemption the Lord dealt so equally among all men that I vvill not acknovvledge any advantage in thee or anie superiority in mee O good Iesus saith hee O the redeemer of my soule vvherevvithall shall I requite thy clemencie or satisfie thy goodnesse for not shedding better bloode for all thine electe then thou diddest for my sinnes alone Novve vvhat caused this man of GOD thus to humble and debase himselfe in respecte of himselfe and thus to advaunce himselfe in respect of GOD and to cry out that he knew not how to be sufficiently thankfull vnto his gracious redeemer but a greater revelation of the grace of CHRIST and a stronger assurance of his loue then ordinarily is graunted to the coÌ„mon sort of the faithfull The which thinges also stirred vp the like passions in Cyrill and Bernard and
east them into an holie extasie and carried them after a sorte out of themselues and made them to haue little regard Cyrill in haec verbâ— sanguis â—ius sit super noset filios nostros of this present vvorlde and of the pompe and glorie thereof vvhich yet are so glorious in earthly mens eies To vvhat ende saith Cyrill shoulde I have vvealth and hope for the inheritance of the goodes of this vvorlds seeing alreadie I am made heire of thy most precious bloode and redeemed vvith thy most glorious death Why should I not verie much esteeme of my selfe seeing thou hast shedde as much bloode for mee alone as thou hast done for all the vvorld So Bernard O good Iesus O the loue of my soule vvho Bern. in haec verbai desiderio desideravi c. amongest mortall men doth so desire to make his life perpetuall as thou didst desire to loose thine for mine What pleasure vvilte thou take on the vvorld to come vvith thine elect seeing heere vppon earth thon didest call that day vvherein thou didest suffer Easter that is a great and solemne feastivall daie And againe O good Iesus O the redeemer of my soule doe I not happely owe thee as much as all the vvorlde ovveth thee seeing I have cost thee as much bloode as all the vvorlde hath done By the which testimonies of these holie men it is evident and plaine that an holie assurance of the great loue of CHRIST vvho hath died for our sinnes in particular and rose againe for our iustification is the strongest purgation to cleanse our soules from deade workes and to quicken them vp to an heavenly life and to strengthen vs in the ready preformance of all such duties as are most gratefull and acceptable to God And verely all manner of good vertuous works seeme they never so glorious in the eies of mortall men are most vile and base in the sight of God vnlesse the loue of Christ be the worker of them al and vnlesse they are performed as well deserved dueties for his sundry and manifold vndeserved mercies How then can there bee any true devotion at al in any of the children of the Church of Rome if they followe the doctrine â—f the assurance of the loue of God in Christ be the strongest band to binde vs to God then the doubtting therof must needs lette vs loose to runne a stray at random out of the Lordes waies as if we were at our owne liberty to liue as wee list The base borne bastardes of the church of Rome condemne in the legitimate children of God the holy assurance of his fauour and loue as Sap. 2. their former brethrren the elder sons of Satan haue done before theÌ„ Eph. 3. 18. of their mother who teacheth them to bee still in doubt of the loue of Christ in particular towards themselues of their effectuall calling into the state of grace and of the remission of their sins and eternall glory seeing the faithfull apprehension sence assuraÌ„ce of Christs loue the fruits therof is the only effectuall worker of all true devotion Howe can either the church of Rome be the faithful spouse of Christ seeing shee stil standeth in doubt of the loue of her bridegrome or her children bee the children of God our heavenly father seeing they are and must be still in doubt whether he beareth a fatherly affection towards them Surely a faithful spoufe cannot still stand in doubt of the loue of her most kind and carefull husband neither can the naturall and kinde childe alwaies feare whether his natural kind father beareth a louing and a fatherly affection towards him seeing hee hath testified the same by his manifold blessinges And therfore the church of Rome caÌ„not be the true spouse of Christ seeing shee knoweth not assuredly whether shee is his beloued neither can her children be the true children of God our heaveÌ„ly father seeing they are and must be stil vncertaine and doubtfull of his kind and fatherly loue of the most principal effectes thereof Nay in that they condemne the true children of God of pride presuÌ„ption for that they are not abashed to make a bold confession of their knowledge of God and of their assurance of his loue and to glory that he is their father and they his sonnes heereby they declare themselues to belong to the congregatioÌ„ of them alignant yea that they are the children of the devil himselfe in that after the very selfesame manner they condemne the holy faith of the children of God as their elder brethren haue done before theÌ„ in the second chapter of the booke of wisdome VVherfore all ye our deere brethren which are as yet covered with the blacke and darke doctrine of the church of Rome which came out of the bottomles pitte from the very prince of darkenes himselfe even as many of you as belong to the number of Gods elect defraud not your selues any longer of the comfort and fruit of Christs loue by continuing still doubtful of the same with the children of vnbeleife but rather labour with al saints that yee may comprehend what is the bredth depth length heigth to knovv the loue of Christ that passeth knowledge that so yee maÌ„y be filled with all fulnes of God Be ye not desirous to continue any longer doubtful of the remission of your sins of your election to eternal life according vnto the doctrine of the teacher of infidelity which yet boasteth himselfe to be the successour of St. Peter but striue yee 2. Pet. 1. 10 rather to make your election sure by your workes according vnto the most holy doctrine of St. Peter himselfe And as I doubt not but that yee vnfainedly desire to bee fruitful and plentifull in all good workes so labour yee by al meanes possible to compreheÌ„d the loue of Christ and to feele in your harts the coÌ„fortable fruits thereof which are the strongest motiues not onely to perswade but after a sort to constraine force vnto the ready persormaÌ„ce of al good workes Be ye not so foolish still to imagine that your workes which are the fruites of the loue of Christ the effectes of your election and iustification bee the causes of the loue of Christ of your election iustification Especially whereas it is God that worketh in you the wil and the deede and that of his owne meere mercy and good wil in Christ and thereby maketh you more endebtted vnto him by the continuance encrease of his blessings take yee heede of that grievous and intollerable pride wherwith the Devill the defacer of the grace and glorie of Christ hath hitherto beguiled you by making you thinke that God is endebtted vnto you by meanes of your good workes and that by them you merite at his hands remission of sins eternal glory For verely if the kissing of our owne handes that is the ascribing The ascribing to our owne witte industry
of Gods temporall giftes is a deniall of God and therefore much more the ascribinâ— of eternall life to our own merites but of our temporal goods and possessions vnto our owne industry and witte be an iniquity to be condemned because it is a deniall of God then is it a greater iniquity more to be condemned and a more heinous deniall of God to robbe him of the glory of his greatest giftes by ascribing them vnto our owne merites But herein is fulfilled the prophesie of Saint Peter * 2. Pet. 2. 1. who hath plainely foretolde that as there were then false prophets among the people so there shoulde bee false teachers among vs who shoulde prively bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lorde that bought them The truth is that the children of the Church of Rome confesse in word their redemption wrought by Christ but wheÌ„ they theÌ„ selues labour to purchase heaven by their ovvn merites do they not plainely disallowe the sufficiencie of the purchase thereof made by Christ Yea whereas our Rhemistes are so bolde as to call the iustice of God which is residenâ— in Christ appreheÌ„ded by our faith and so imputed to vs because it was wrought for vs a new no iustice a phant asticall apprehension of that which is not a falsâ— faith and an vntrue imputation and to affirme that there is no righteousnes Rhem in c. 3. ep ad Rom. whereby we are iustified before God but that which is inherent in vs being giveÌ„ to vs of God by Christ that therby we might merit for our selues our iustification salvation doe they not in flat tearmes deny Christs own inhereÌ„t righteousnes wherby we are iustified saved ascribe the same to our own inherent righteousnes If a friend should procure of a father some portion of a stocke for his son by the which being well emploied encreased the son should in some spate of time purchase a good farme were the friend or the father or the son to be tearmed the purchaser thereof It is plaine and manifest that none but the son Why then if Christs own righteousnes inherent in himselfe and imputed to vs be a new no righteousnes not the price of our redemption but our owne inherent righteousnesse procured of God our heavenly Father by the death of Christ as by the mediation of our dearest friend then wee our selues are the purchasers of everlasting life and so our owne Saviours and redeemers and are no surther beholding to Christ for the same then for that he hath procured for vs some portion of loue repentaÌ„ce obedience and the like the which being well emploied and encreased by our owne free will is the only price that is given for that heavenly purchase But far be this blâ—sphemous doctrine from the heartes of all true and faithfull Christians let it bee enough for vs to enioy the fruite of our salvation purchased by Christ let vs giue to his owne most pure and perfect obedience this glory that we esteeme it bee the only price that is or could bee equivalent vnto that so great and worthy a purchase And whereas the great endlesse loue of God our Father electing iustifying vs freely in Christ are the steppes vvhereby God descendeth to vs to finish his worke heere begunne in vs by bringing vs heere in this lâ—…e to our sanctification and to our glorification in the life to come and vvhereas also the Lorde in his high and admirable vvisedome hath appointed that this his greate and endlesse loue in electing and iustififying vs freely in Christ should bee the only effectuall meanes to worke our conversion and sanctification and the most strong and forcible motiue to in duce vs to the ready performaunce of all such holy vvorkes as are the steppes and staires to our glorification let vs not presume to perverte this order and course ordayned by God in his greate wisedome by setting the cart before the horse by turning all â—opsie turvey by chaunging the effectes into the causes and the causes into the effectes by placing the highest steppes in the lowest roomes and the lowest in the highest by altring the first into the last and the last into the first and yet all this is done by vs if vvee make our sanctification and good vvorkes the merit orious causes of the loue of God and of our election iustification by CHRIST vvhich are but the effectes and fruites of the same Nay rather seeing God hath not only loved vs but also hath made manifest the same vnto vs by his manifold blessinges by giving our selues vnto our selues and all this glorious vvorlde to our vse and service by giving vs his ovvne deare sonne to iustifie vs by his bloode and to sanctifie vs by his spirite and to leade vs by his worde in the right way to our full and finall glorification howe oughte wee to serue him that hath thus served vs and honour him that hath honoured vs and loue him that hath loved vs to be most desirous to testifie the same by our careful continual emploiment in all those works which he himselfe hath ordained for vs to walk in that in most ready and humble obedience vnto his will not onely because it is holy iust acceptable welpleasing vnto himselfe and the wil of him vnto whom we owe all obedience in respect of his supreme auctority over vs but much more for that we are so deeply endebtted vnto him in respect of his infinite endlesse mercies Seing theÌ„ the wil of God must be the rule squier of al our workes or else they will grow much out of square therfore it coÌ„cerneth vs most nearely to make most diligent inquiry by what meanes we may attaine to the assured knowledge therof that so we may conforme our selues wholy therevnto The knowledge of the most certaine and vndoubted will of The sure certaine â—…ill of God â—s onely to â—e learned â—ut of the Canonical scriptures God is now to be found only in the word of God revealed to the Prophets Apostles by the spirit of God sette downe by theÌ„ in the Canonical Scriptures For as words are given to vs of God that therby we might signify each to other the seÌ„ce meaning of our minds eveÌ„ so hath the Lord himselfe revealed to vs by his written word what is the meaning of his wil hath coÌ„manded vs to seeke for the same onely from thence This commandement Deut. 30. 11. saith Moses which I command thee this day is not hidde froÌ„ thee neither is it farre of It is not in heaven that thou shouldest say who shall goe vp into heaven and bring it vnto vs and cause vs to heare it that we may doe it Neither is it beyond the sea that thou shouldest say vvho shall goe over the sea to bring it to vs to cause vs to heare it that vvee may doe it But the word is neere vnto thee even
holy pure perfect gratefull and acceptable to himselfe also for that it is his will vnto whoÌ„ I am ten thousand times bouÌ„d to yeeld al dutiful submissioÌ„ obedience both in respect of his soveraigne auctority that he only hath to rule over my conscience soule also in regard of his infinite blessings which he of his owne vnspeakeable goodnes in Christ hath most freely fully bestowed vpon me And verely our obedience performed to the vvill of God in these respectes is a sweete incense and a most acceptable sacrifice to God wherwith we after a sort gratifie God and grieve the Devill are as an heaven to all holy Angels and a very hell vnto al vncleane spirits So like wise when we are tempted to any wicked worke wee must thus reason with ourselues and say this worke ought in no wise to be done by me no not the least desire to accomplish the same ought once to haue any entrance into my hart because it is contrary to the holy pure perfect will of God agreeable vnto the impure will of the Devill because it is most offensiue grievous to God most gratefull acceptable vnto the Devill because it is a great dishonour to him to whoÌ„ all honour is double due both in respect of his soveraigne auctority over me and also in regard of his manifolde mercies collated vpon me and it is a great honour vnto that most cruell and infamous tyrant the Devill who presseth vpon me thereby to take me captive to the vtter destruction both of my body and soule We are debters as saith the Apostle yea very great debters as great as great may be but not to the flesh nor to our selues nor Rom. 8. 12. to the devil vnles it be that we owe to these al maÌ„ner of evils miseries whatsoever but we are debtters to God that for the loue of a thousand talents for the gift of ten thousand more yet if we haue but a sincere desire to discharge this our debt our most gracious creditour will not onely straitwaies forgiue it all but also wil giue vnto vs ten thousand times more Yea the sincere desire of being obedient to the will of God vpon the former respects and the true care according as God hath enabled vs in some measure to discharge this our debt is a very great mercy a very gracious favour wherby we are more and more endebtted vnto him And verely this is al the discharge of our debt that hee requireth at our hands that we willingly gladly acknowledge him of whoÌ„ we haue received all that we so highly esteeme of his giftes and presume of his good will that we are stil desirous to been debtted vnto him more more by al relligious hearing reading and meditating vpon his holy and sacred word by all servent and devout praier bee continually begging and craving for more and after a sort extorting it out of his handes For his desire is not to be benifited by vs but that we should still more and more bee benefited by him and hee vvould haue vs to acknowledge his loue and to grovve into a stedfast assurance therof that therby we might be more effectually stirred vp to reioyce in his goodnes to be thankful vnto him for his manifold mercies especially he would haue vs most midfully to record that vnmatchable blessing of our redemption wrought by Christ his inestimable loue made manifest therin that therby our hearts might be renewed our affections saÌ„ctified dying to our selues living to God employing our selues to every good worke And hereof it is that the spirit of God especially in the bookes of the new testament doth so often make mention of Christ and of our redemption wrought by him and of his great loue manifested therein as being the matter and subiect of those bookes a â—aÌ„st vvhereof I vvill giue vnto thee in some sentences of one of those bookes penned by Saint Iohn as they be pointed vnto by that learned preacher of the vvord Mr. Robert Rolloc in his commentaries vpon the same booke No man hath soone God at any time the onely begotten sonne of God vvho is in the bosome of the father hee hath revealed him Ioh 1. 18. The Philosophers in all ages haue most painfully searched after truth in their Physikes Ethikes Mathematikes and the rest But the knowledge of the Father in the Sonne doth only deserue the name of truth For to what purpose is it to comprehend in minde heaven and earth and all other thinges if a sinner doth not knowe God in Christ the redeemer That is vnlesse he feele God favourable vnto him and forgiving him all his sinnes in Christ which only doeth pacifie the troubled conscience hee can haue little true comfort in all his knovveledge of all other things be it never so great and smal courage to come vnto God and to rest in him and so to take hold of everlasting blessednes Therefore our Saviour himselfe after that he had said no man knoweth the father but the sonne and hee to whom the sonne hath revealed him Math. 11. 28. immediately addeth Come vnto mee all yee that are wearie and heavy laden and I will refresh you VVhereby hee signifieth that God being revealed in Christ there doeth follovve peace of conscience and vnspeakeable ioy in all those that doe cast their sinnes vpon him The nexte daie Iohn stoode and tvvo of his disciples and beholding Iesus vvalking hee saide beholde that lambe of GOD. Iohn 1. Chap. verse 36. As Iohn oftentimes gaue witnesse to Christ so it is no lesse necessarie at this time that the sacrifice and death of Christ be repeated and reiterated againe and againe For as the Iewes were ignoraunt that Christ the lambe of God shoulde bee offered vppe in sacrifice so vvee after a sort haue forgotten that hee hath beene sacrificed and hath already suffered for our sinnes For vvhat meane these sinnes which so every where abound adulteries murders rapines sacriledges even so many sinnes of all sortes vvhat say I doe they meane but that wee haue forgotten that our Saviour Christ hath suffered for vsâ— For ifit did come into our mindes that vvee vvere once boughte with so greate a price vvoulde vvee so sell our selues and become captiues to so manye sinnes If vvee did remember that vvee vvere washed with the most precious bloodof CHRIST vvoulde vvee againe so defile our selues vvith the filthy mire of this vncleane vvorlde After that Saint Peter had commended vnto the faithfull certaine necessary vertues 2. Peter 1. 9. Hee that hath not these saieth hee is bloude and seeth nothing a farre of but hath forgotten that hee vvas purged from his olde sinnes For let all bee sure of this that who edomes murders and the like to them that make profession of the faith of Christ are not therefore sinnes onely for that they are contrary to the lawe of God
but especially for that they are after a sorte committed in a mockaâ—e of the bloode of Christ and doe proceede from the forgetfulnesse of his death The which if it bee so then vve must hold this for a sure thing that wee ought not to be grieved so much for that we haue broken the commandement of God as for that wee haue forgotten that wee were redeemed by the bloode of Christ and haue contemned the great price of our most glorious redemption VVherefore that wee may be brought the sooner to repentaunce and to acknowledge the greatnesse of our sinne vve must all our whole life be busied about this that we may vnderstande hovve great is that price of our redemption and that vve may so worthyly esteeme of the blood of the new testameÌ„t as we ought to do It followeth in the nexte verse And the two disciples heard him so speaking and they follovved Iesus Ioh. 1. 37. That testimony which Iohn the Baptist gaue of Christ that he was the lambe of God before two of his disciples causeth them to come to Christ and to follow him Whereby wee learne how effectuall is the preaching of Christ yea how powerfull is one worde or two concerning Christ and his crosse to alter and change the very heartes of men Verily there is no other speech whereby a stony hart may be made flesh and an vnfaithfull man may be made faithfull Speake as much as thou liste of the most famous factes of all the Kinges and Emperours that ever haue beene and of their goodly vertues and great glory these things may delight the minds of men but they wil not renevv them But speake thou of the man crucified a thing in shevv base and foolish this vvord of the crosse which is foolishnes to them that perish is the wisdome power of God to theÌ„ that are saved Nay that we may let passe these profane persons with their deedes teach againe againe the very law of God eveÌ„ this law is weak by reason of the flesh Rom. 8. 3. But that which the law cannot the worde of the crosse can Now what is the cause of this great efficacie The Lord which is the matter and subiect of this word is a spirit which is able to set our harts at liberty in so much that if they be once fixed vpon him the vaile of corruption which before did so cleaue vnto vs wil soone be taken away and if we do duely looke into that glory of his which doth shine in the gospel as in a glasse we shall be changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of God Before Phillip called thee I saw thee when thou wast vnder the figge tree Ioh. 1. 48. The more any one doth search into the vnsearchable riches of Christ and the greater revelation hee hath of the same the more is his faith and loue also encreased and the more vnspeakeable and glorious is his ioy 1. p. 1. 8. Wherefore this ought to be our continuall labour day and night by praier and by reading and meditating vpon the scriptures to seeke after the mistery of Christ that so at the length there may be opened vnto vs the treasures of all knowledge and vnderstanding that are hid in him and so al other things may be vnto vs as trash in comparison of that inestimable treasure It is strange to see how the Apostle that looked most into that excellent mistery could never satisfie himselfe in setting forth and amplifying the greatnesse thereof God saith he which is rich in mercy of his great loue wherwith he loved vs. Eph. 2. 4. Hath given vnto vs so worthy a Saviour in whom are bid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Coll. 2. 3. Haue care therefore saith he that yee may be able to comprehend what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints Eph. 1. 18. He saw much and beleeved much and magnified much this great mistery Verily verily I say vnto you from hence forth yee shall see the heavens open and the Angels of God ascending and descending vpon the sonne of man Ioh. 1. 51. The opening of the misteries of faith engendreth faith and the revealing of Christ maketh a Christian Speake to men of heaven and of everlasting life and of al maÌ„ner of blessings both bodily and ghostly and yet they cannot beleeue vntill they see Christ by whom and for whom are all these things For if we be throughly touched with the sense of sinne and of the wrath of God most iustly provoked to punish vs for the same wee must first finde him that hath satisfied the iustice of God for our sinnes before wee can hope for eternall life Yea if I do not beholde Christ and haue him present before the eies of my minde it is so far of that I should see heaveÌ„ and heavenly glory that I shall feele nothing but terrours and feares and extreame anguish and bitternes of soule But when Christ doth once shine vnto me then is there sure hope of eternall life They then that desire to bee partakers of all manner of blessings and to be assured of life everlasting must seek Christ and set him before their eies and behold him true God and true man who died for their sins and rose againe for their iustification and thence will issue and proceede a ful trust and confidence of obtaining al such benefites blessings which he hath thereby purchased for them That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirite is spirite Ioh. 3. 6. The only presence of Christ by faith is the means wherby the spirit worketh our regeneration Now Christs preseÌ„ce is imperfectly appreheÌ„ded in this life by faith but perfectly by sight in the life to come And hereof it is that our regeneratioÌ„ which is but imperfect in this life shal be most perfect in the life to come This we knowe saith S. Iohn that when Christ doeth appeare we shall bee like him for wee shall see him as hee is 1. Ioh. 3. 2. Yea that presence of Christ shal be so glorious and so effectuall in vs that it shall transforme even our vile body and make it like to his glorious body Phil. 3. 21. For we must know that the presence of Christ is not like the presence of earthly princes the which if thou beholdest a thousand times thon shalt be made thereby never a whit the more glorious but if thou once truely beholde the glorious presence of Christ thou shalt straitwaies bee changed and transformed into the same As Moses left vp the brasen serpent in the wildernes so must the son of man be lifted vp that whosoever beleeveth in him shoulde not perish but haue life everlasting Ioh. 3. 14. As they which beheld the brasen serpeÌ„t were healed of the sting of the fiery serpents which otherwise could not bee cured So theÌ„ beholding of Christ lifted vp vppon the crosse doth cure
vs of the most deadly sting of the spirituall serpent the Devill It may seeme strange that the beholding of a deade man should have such vertue efficacy as to giue life to the behoulders yet so it is for that this dead body is a quickning spirit and the word of his crosse is the power of God to salvation to all that beleeue And indeede you cannot duely thinke vpon this shamefull ignominious crosse but that yee shall be moved thereby to call to mind the most glorious and admirable loue of God who so loved the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but haue life everlasting Now if God loue vs be on our side who can be against vs if he hath confirmed his loue towards vs in that he spared not his only begotten sonne but gaue him for vs all how may wee be most fully assured that he will with him giue vs al things also Hereby saith S. Iohn haue we perceived loue in that hee layed downe his life for vs. 1. Ioh. 3. 16. So S. Paules Herein saith hee Christ setteth out his love towards vs that while we were sinners therefore not worthy of the least mercie hee died for vs and so shewed vs the greatest mercy Rom. 3. 8. If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith vnto thee give mee drinke thou wouldest haue asked of him and he would haue given vnto thee the water of life Ioh. 4. 10. In teaching the ignoraÌ„t we must labour especially to worke in them a thirst of the water of life the sweetnes wherof if we had once tasted al other thiÌ„gs would grow out of tast with vs and we would after a sort thirst only after this water This water of life then aboue al other things is to be made knowen to the people of God the vertue therof is continually to be sette forth seeing it is not condemned but where it is vnknowen And hereof it is that Christ himselfe his spirit his spouse and all his faithfull members bestow so much labour in pointing to this full fountaine of the water of life and in commending the vertues therof I am the living bread saith our Saviour Christ that Ioh. 6. 51. came downe from heaven hee that eateth of this bread shall liue for ever And againe If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke he that beleeveth Ioh. 7. 37. in me as saith the Scripture out of his belly shall flowe rivers of water of life And againe I am the dore if any man enter by mee he Ioh. 10. 9. shall be saved and goe in and out and finde pasture And againe I am the Vine yee are the branches every braunch that beareth fruite in me my Ioh. 15. 2. father purgoth that it may beare more fruite And againe I am the way the truth and the life no man commeth to the father but by me By all which figuratiue speeches one and the selfesame thing is sette forth vnto vs even that Christ is the doore wherby we haue entrance to God in the enioying of whose favour presence consisteth life that he is the way to the caelestiall IerusaleÌ„ where true life is to be enioyed in the greatest perfection that he is the true propitiatory sacrifice wherby the wrath of God is throughly pacified all other in respect thereof beeing either meere shadowes or false counterfeites that he is the bread water meat and foode of life whereby life is not onely bredde at the first but also still maintained and preserved for ever Likewise our Saviour testifieth of the spirit of God that he shall testifie of him and shall receive Ioh. 15. 26. Ioh. 16. 14. of his shall glorifie him by giving testimony vnto the holines of his doctrin vnto the dignity of his death the Angel setteth downe the same as a sure note of the spirit of a true Prophet The Apoc. 19. 10. Ioh. 5. 39. testimony of Iesus is the spirite of prophesie that is is a sure marke of the spirit of prophecy Yea what is the scope and end of all the scriptures but to give testimony vnto Christ What is the continuall exercise of the spouse of Christ and all her legitimate children but to haue their eies fast bent vpon Christ their mouth continually open in his praise The whol booke of the Canticles is principally spente in the extolling of the excellencies of the bridegrome by his louing spouse vnder diverse semblances and similitudes And wherein especially laboured Iohn the Baptist the friend of the Bridegrome but in preparing the peoples hartes to embrace Christ Behoulde the Lambe of God saith he that taketh Ioh. 1. 29. 26. away the sinnes of the vvorld I baptise vvith water vnto repentance but there is one among you who albeit he came after mee yet hee was before mee whose shoe-latchet I am vnworthy to vnloose he shall baptise vvith the holy Ghost and with fire And againe He must encrease but I must Ioh. 3. 30. decrease Lastly what did all the Apostles teach They preached Iesus and in him and by him the resurrection of the dead and all other benefites and blessinges whatsoever they preached Iesus to be the Lord and themselues the servants of all men for Iesus sake And verely al other waters are but draffe durte in respect of the most pure waters of this fountaine all other riches are but 〈…〉 of this inestimable and invaluable treasures 〈…〉 dishes are but as the scrappes of a beggars 〈…〉 of the most sweete and comfortable both tast 〈…〉 Mannaâ— and bread of life the feeding 〈…〉 to â—…ke the best of it is but the Iuglers feast 〈…〉 by feeding on Christ The children of 〈…〉 Synagogue howsoever they pretend that they care 〈…〉 they haue never indeed fedde vpon him truly 〈…〉 should haue had by him health strength and life to 〈◊〉 that they would never haue fedde vpon masses and 〈◊〉 and vpon their owne or other mens merites for the furâ—…â—…ing of everlasting life But if these meÌ„ wil by no means 〈◊〉 â—…ded to come togeather with vs to feede onely vppon 〈…〉 bread of life at the Lords table let them feed still at the 〈…〉 vpon that deadly poison which is sette before them 〈…〉 â—…mous serpent But let vs feed vpon Christ Io◠〈…〉 for his flesh 〈…〉 and his blood is drinke indeede His patience is the only price wherby our soules are fully ransomed his righteousnes the onely roabes whereby our nakednes is wholy covered wherby we are presented most perfectly pure righteous holie 〈◊〉 before the tribunal seat of the Lords iustice His death is only able to kill sinne in vs and his resurrection is onely of force to raise vs vp to newnes of life They that being moved by other reason seeme to abstain froÌ„ sin to work righteousnes do the same but outwardly in shew