many respects I haue beene mooued to Dedicate to you Mr. Doctor and to you the rest of my louing friends for three reasons First because I conceiue that it doth more properly belong vnto you then to any other for to whom should it belong if not to you Mr. Doctor who succeed the Author of it in his pastorall charge whereby you may see how with what kinde of nourishment he fed his now your people And to what people doth it more properly belong then to you my louing friends for whom it was first conceiued studyed penned and preached Secondly that I might manifest my intire loue and hearty wel-wishing to you all amongst whom I haue exercised my Ministery for the space of nine yeares last past and still doe by the mercy of God Thirdly that I might bee a meanes of further knitting and continuing you in vnfained loue one towards another by ioyning you together in this Dedication of this worke whom God hath by his speciall prouidence ioyned together in that neere band of relation of Pastor and people That this may be and that you and all others to whom this Treatise shall come may gaine as much spirituall good as the Author in studying penning and preaching and I in publishing desire I doe and will pray to him that is the God of loue and the giuer of all good things and that through him who is the Sonne of his loue and the meanes and way of all good things to vs euen the Lord Iesus In whom I am yours in the seruice of the Lord William Holbrooke To the Christian Reader VNderstand Christian Reader that these following Sermons were giuen by the Author as they were written by his owne hand to his louing friend Mr. Edward Misselden Merchant who most Christianly and willingly vpon the first motion deliuered them vnto me and condiscended to the publishing of them knowing that bonum quo communius eo melius a good thing the more common it is the better it is for which thou art much beholding to him for by this meanes thou hast these Sermons as they were penned and preached by the Author without addition or detraction Reade and meditate throughly vpon them thou shalt not I assure thee repent thee of thy labour for thou shalt finde therein much deepe and necessary heauenly doctrine and through Gods blessing be furnished with armour of proofe against all dangers and troubles whatsoeuer that are vpon thee or may befall thee in this life Be thankefull to God for this and all meanes of thy spirituall good which he affordeth thee and forget not to pray for him who forgetteth not to pray for thee and the whole Church of God and who will euer bee thine in the seruice of the Lord William Holbrooke SAINT PAVLS TRIVMPHES OR The SAINTS Coniunction with GOD and support in TROVBLES In the 116. Psalme verse 10. the Prophet Dauid speakes thus of himselfe I beleeued and therefore did I speake In imitation of the practise of the Prophet the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 4.13 takes vp the very same speech We also beleeue saith hee and therefore wee speake And in imitation of that practise both of the Prophet and of the Apostle I am now come here to speake as God shall enable me that which God hath enabled me to beleeue I beleeue that which I speake and I speake that which I beleeue and because I beleeue it therefore I speake it And what is that which I beleeue and speake Euen the very same matter and words which the Apostle Paul beleeued and spake in the depth of his Afflictions THE FIRST SERMON ROMANS Chap. 8. Vers 38.39 For I am perswaded or I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. FOr I am perswaded or I am sure c. It being the ordinary portion of all Gods children to suffer many afflictions in this life It was therefore the ordinary practise of the Apostles to minister comfort and consolation to all Gods children against all their sufferings Thus the Apostle here in this place to comfort himselfe and the faithfull against all afflictions propounds two considerations First what the afflictions are that may befall Gods children Secondly what harme they can doe them And this he doth from the 35. verse First what the afflictions are that Gods children are subiect to in this life and they are of all sorts sore and heauy Tribulation Distresse Persecution Famine Nakednesse Perill Sword c. Secondly what harme can they doe to Gods children He doth not exempt vs from any bodily dangers for therein wee are as other men but they cannot endanger our spirituall estate to depriue vs of that they cannot seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord for so the question intends verse 35. Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shal Tribulation or Distresse As who should say nothing can No they are so farre from doing vs harme in our spirituall estate as that contrariwise we are much the better for them in that kinde In all these things wee are conquerors and more then conquerors through him that loued vs verse 37. And hereupon the Apostle growes to a peremptory resolution and determines the matter clearely both on his owne part and on the part of all the faithfull That neither life nor death nor Angels nor Principalities c. shall euer seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord verse 38.39 The parts of this Scripture are two First the Apostles resolution that neither life nor death c. shall euer seperate him from the loue of God Secondly his protestation of this his resolution I am perswaded or I am sure of it First the Apostles resolution that nothing shall seperate him c. The substance and effect whereof is this that true beleeuers can neuer fall away vtterly from grace which he expresseth in these termes that nothing can seperate vs c. So long as God loues vs we can neuer vtterly fall away from grace But God loues vs alwayes nothing can seperate vs from his loue Therefore we can neuer vtterly fall away from grace And that he might not seeme to speake vnaduisedly or rashly he knowes not what therefore he casts vp his reckoning before-hand as the wise King doth before he vndertakes War Luke 14.31 So doth the Apostle foresee and set before his eies all the causes dangers of falling away that may be thought of then heartens himselfe against them all against death against life against Angels c. and against all commers neuer shall any thing seperate vs from the loue of God neither death nor life saith the Apostle What danger soeuer befals vs it befals vs either in our life or in our death but
neither in death nor in life shall any thing seperate vs saith the Apostle therefore nothing can Yea but yet wee may be ouermatched with mighty enemies which are too strong for vs as Angels Principalities Powers the Apostle continues his resolution that God is infinitely more strong and mighty to saue vs then all our enemies are to destroy vs and therefore saith nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers shall euer preuaile against vs Yea but though our present state be good enough yet things to come are vncertaine We know not yet how hardly we may be bestead hereafter vpon our death-beds c. But saith the Apostle all shall be well then too our God is not a God a farre off but at hand too our louing God is not onely for the time present but for the time to come euen for all eternity his loue neuer changeth And therefore as our state is good for the present so it is for the time to come God hath secured vs for that too neither things present nor things to come Yea but there is a great height aboue vs we may bee snatched vp of that and a great depth below vs wee may be swallowed vp of that No saith the Apostle our God that loues vs rules in all things both in the highest heights and in the lowest depths that are and therefore it is neither the height of Heauen nor the depth of Hell that can separate vs Yea but there are infinite Creatures in the world and wee know not what mischiefe they may doe vs but saith the Apostle they are but Creatures and therefore in the hands and disposing of God their Creator who is our louing Father in Christ Iesus and therefore not any one of them can nor all of them together shall be able to separate vs c. Now secondly of his protestation I am perswaded or I am sure of it It is not a bare conceit but a full perswasion in me I doe not goe by thinkings and guessings but vpon a sure ground I am sure of it and here I make it knowne to all the world bee it knowne to the faithfull for their comfort and reioycing be it knowne to the wicked for their terrour and astonishment be it knowne to the Angels in heauen and be it knowne to the Diuels in hell that I am perswaded that I am confident in it that neither death nor life c. Oh Paul great was thy faith Oh thou beleeuing Man or Woman whatsoeuer thou art labour and striue thou to get this perswasion into thy heart and if thou canst not get this full perswasion which was in the Apostle yet labour to be a true Beleeuer make sure worke for that and then Paul doth here assure thee as himselfe that neither death nor life c shall euer be able to separate thee from the loue of God in Christ Iesus for Paul doth not speake this onely in particular of himselfe but of vs putting it the case of euery beleeuing Man and Woman He saith not nothing can separate mee but vs that is all the faithfull and surely hee had the Spirit and could not be deceiued and therefore what was his case is ours I am sure not any thing can seperate me and I am sure not any thing shall seperate them whosoeuer they be that haue sauing faith For I am perswaded saith the Apostle that neither death nor life nor Angels c. shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Now for my more orderly proceeding and your better vnderstanding I will cast this Scripture into this mould The whole substance of the Text doth spend and empty it selfe into these seauen particulars First is a matter of Implication and that is that there is a Communion or Coniunction betwixt God and the faithfull Separation presupposeth Coniunction when the Apostle saith nothing can separate vs from God it is necessarily implyed that there is a Coniunction betwixt God and vs for things that were neuer ioyned together cannot be said to be separated one from the other Then secondly he expresseth the Bond of this Coniunction and that is the loue of God Thirdly he shewes the ground and foundation of this Bond and Coniunction and that is Christ Iesus our Lord. Fourthly he declares a speciall Interest that the faithfull haue in Christ Iesus by a note of neere and speciall reference betwixt Christ and the faithfull our Lord. Fiftly the Apostle auoucheth the certainty of the safety of Gods Children amidst all dangers nothing can separate vs and this hee enlargeth in many particular dangers euen the greatest that can be imagined Death life c. Sixtly he protests his Confidence which hee hath concerning this their safety as being the vndoubted truth of God I am perswaded or I am sure c. Seauenthly he beares vp himselfe boldly vpon this assurance against all afflictions and dangers that euer did or euer could befall him for this is the maine drift of this whole discourse being propounded by way of a Reason for I am sure Why doth he insult ouer all these Because hee is sure and bold against them all Now to the particulars Doct. and first for the matter of Implication The Doctrine is this All true beleeuers are ioyned to God in Christ and haue a gracious and an holy and spirituall Communion and fellowship with him The point is but implyed here and therefore I must not be very large in it but yet because it is so implyed as being one speciall meanes of our standing fast in the state of Grace it must not be left vntoucht nor yet too sparingly handled It is a Doctrine hard to be vnderstood and I dare say it passeth the capacity of man to vnderstand it in the perfection of it I say it is hard to be vnderstood but it is harder to be beleeued but hardest of all to be practised we will speake somewhat of it therefore first by way of Explication that so we may the better vnderstand it secondly somewhat by way of Confirmation that we may the better beleeue it thirdly somewhat by way of Application that wee may the better practise it First for Explication Explication there is a twofold Communion with God one generall the other speciall the generall is common to all the Creatures all haue communion with God they in him and he in them they in him as their Creator he in them as his Creatures And this communion they haue with God in Christ too who is the first begotten of euery Creature and in him all things consist Colos 1.15.17 as if he should say Christ hath Communion with God for hee is the Image of the inuisible God the Creatures haue communion with Christ for hee is the first begotten of euery Creature and in him all consist and so consequently all the Creatures haue some kinde of Communion with God The speciall Communion is twofold either that Communion which the Angels haue
new 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man haue beene a Drunkard let him now learne to liue soberly If any man haue beene a Sabboath breaker or a swearer or a lewd liuer now that he is in Christ he must be a new Creature Away with all thy olde sinnes and see that all be new within thee Decke thy selfe with all spirituall graces Faith and Repentance and Loue c. keepe them alwayes in exercise that so thou maist be alwaies gracious in Gods eyes euer hauing your Lamps burning thus we shall walke worthy of this blessed Communion Vse 2 Foure things to be practised for the increase of this Communion Secondly this teacheth vs to maintaine this Communion and to encrease it in our selues and grow vp in it First by Prayer Psal 86.11 Knit or vnite my heart vnto thee saith the Prophet or make my heart one with thee and Iohn 17.20 Our Sauiour prayes for his Disciples that they might haue this Communion Now Dauid and the Disciples had this Communion before but yet they pray for the increase of it and if we aske we shall receiue Secondly wee must seeke to maintaine and increase this Communion by the Ministery of the Word 1 Pet. 2.2.3 Hast thou tasted how bountifull the Lord hath beene to thee in working this blessed Communion betwixt him and thee by his Word then labour to bee further confirmed in it by that Word Thirdly the Sacraments are forcible meanes to maintaine this Communion especially the Lords Supper for there God admits vs to his owne Table feedes vs with the pretious Body and Blood of his owne Sonne What Communion can be greater then this Besides heere in this Sacrament the meanes of this our Communion the Body and Bloud of Christ are tendred sensibly vnto vs to our our hands and to our mouthes Then as the hand takes hold and the mouth receiues the outward Elements so let the heart take hold on Christ crucified for our further Communion with him wee neuer sauingly meditate on Christ but we eate Christ but when we come to the Lords Supper there we doe more sensibly feede vpon him We haue the Signes the Bread and Wine and the Ministers speciall Application This is my Body which was broken for thee my bloud which was shed for thee c. this is a great helpe to vs And whosoeuer receiues this Sacrament beleeuingly as the Minister giues him the Bread and Wine so God conuaies Christ into his heart by his Spirit Lastly euery of vs that comes to this Sacrament must renew his Couenant with God and binde himselfe to be a truer seruant to God then euer before else he can haue no Communion with Christ in this Sacrament Fourthly that wee may maintaine and grow vp in this happy Communion wee must make much of the smallest portion thereof the least relish of Gods fauour the least motions of this Spirit the least degree of Sanctification the least measure of true grace make much of that little thou hast and vse it well and be sure thou shalt haue more Math. 23.21.23 the Seruant that doth imploy his little well shall be made Ruler ouer much Vse 3 The third Vse is to teach vs Thankefulnesse We must acknowledge admire and be rauished with the thought of the infinite goodnesse of God in assuming thee and ioyning thee to himselfe This our blessed Communion in Christ is infinitely more then if the greatest Potentate of the earth should take the meanest man that is to be his Fauourite or the basest woman that is to be his Spouse for here the great God of heauen and earth the King of Kings makes vs his Fauourites and his Spouse his owne associates both in grace and glory Let vs therefore consider this aright and poure forth our soules in thankefulnesse to God for this infinite mercy To prouoke vs the more to thankefulnesse let vs solace our selues in this Garden of Eden for this is the Paradice of God Let vs behold and admire the particular passages betwixt God and vs in this blessed Communion God knowes vs and we know God he walkes and talkes with vs and we with him he couenants with vs and we with him Hosea 2.23 he loues and honours vs and we loue and honour him he liues and dwels and delights in vs and we liue and dwell and delight in him In admiration of this great mercy of God let euery one of vs breake forth and say Oh glorious God how infinitely good art thou to my poore Soule Oh my poore Soule how infinitely thankefull oughtest thou to be to thy glorious God! The last Vse is for Comfort and for singular consolation Vse 4 to all true beleeuers It is a great comfort to vs that God is with vs and wee with him But that God should be in vs and we in God that he should be one with vs and wee one with him this is the comfort of all comforts For being thus with vs then if afflictions temptations persecutions death men or Diuels can preuaile against God and Christ then may they preuaile against vs But if God and Christ be stronger then all the aduersary powers that are or can be against vs then surely they shall neuer preuaile against vs that are one with God in Christ Iesus FINIS THE SECOND SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. two last Verses For I am perswaded or I am sure that neither Death nor life c. I Haue shewed the Dependance and Connexion of those words with the former from the 35. Verse Also I haue shewed you that they containe two parts First the Apostles Resolution neither Death nor life nor Angels c. should separate him c. Secondly his Protestation I am perswaded or I am sure of it I also opened the meaning of the words as you may remember which I will not now stand to repeate onely remember that I cast this Scripture into this mould and shewed you that it spent it selfe into these particulars First that which the Apostle implyes namely that there is a Coniunction betwixt God and true Beleeuers implyed in the word separate Secondly the Bond of this Communion and that is the loue of God Thirdly the Apostle shewes the ground both of this Bond and of this Communion and that is Iesus Christ Fourthly hee declares that there is a neere Interest betwixt Christ and the Faithfull our Lord. Fiftly he auoucheth the safety of Gods children in the middest of all dangers nothing shall separate them c. and inlargeth it in many particulars neither death nor life Sixtly hee protests the confidence he hath concerning this his safety I am perswaded or I am sure Lastly he beares himself boldly vpon this assurance that neither any thing that hath or shall befall him shall seperate him from the loue of God We haue begun with the first particular the matter of Implication and the point was this namely That all true Beleeuers are ioyned to God in Christ and haue a holy and spirituall and gracious
be content without the loue of God but this is but as grauell in their mouthes wanting the other they stand in slippery places and suddenly they goe downe to Hell Therefore let vs relish all things wee inioy as being sweetned with this loue of God our Wiues Children Friends Goods yea our owne liues and then when these are gone yet the loue of God whereby they were made sweet vnto vs will still remaine Let vs labour therefore for some relish of Gods loue in Iesus Christ it is hard to get it Faith onely workes it FINIS THE THIRD SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am perswaded or I am sure that neither Death c. THe dependence of these words with the former and the meaning of them in themselues I haue already shewed Also I cast this Scripture into this moulde shewing that the substance thereof emptied it selfe into these seauen particulars First the things implyed and that was that there is a Communion betwixt God and the faithfull in the word seperate which necessarily implyes a Coniunction with God things cannot be seperate that are not first ioyned together Secondly there is shewed the Bond of this Communion the loue of God Thirdly the Apostle shewes the ground of this loue and Communion Iesus Christ Fourthly he declares the Interest which the Faithfull haue in Christ Iesus by a tearme of neere reference our Lord. Fiftly he doth here auouch the safety of all Gods Children in the middest of all dangers and inlargeth himselfe in many particulars neither death nor life nor Angels c. Sixtly he professeth his owne confident perswasion that hee hath of this I am sure Seauenthly hee beares himselfe boldly vpon this confidence against all Commers Death life Angels c. Of the first and second points we haue spoken Now in the strength of God we are to procceede to speake of the third point and that is the ground and foundation of this loue which God beares to his Children and that is Iesus Christ Nothing is able to seperate mee from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus The Doctrine for our Instruction is this Doctrine The ground or foundation of all Gods loue which hee beares or shewes to true Beleeuers is Christ Iesus The Doctrine is contained within the Text fully and deliuered almost in so many words for marke the words the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus As if he should say the loue that God beares to true Beleeuers in Christ Iesus is setled in him erected in him and made good vnto vs in him as hee being the ground and foundation of it The Doctrine may seeme plaine enough at the first sight and so it is yet that we may rightly and soundly comprehend it or rather be comprehended by it Explication it needes some Explication First of the names Christ Iesus Christ signifies the annointed Iesus signifies a Sauiour and wheras he is called in Scripture sometimes by the name of Christ onely and sometime by the name of Iesus onely the Apostle here ioynes them both together Christ Iesus thereby to set forth the perfection and fulnesse of Gods loue to vs in his Sonne Iesus is the name of his Person Christ the name of his Office he is called Christ respectiuely to God by whom he is annointed he is the Lords annointed and hee is called Iesus in respect of vs whom he comes to saue he is our Iesus our Sauiour Behold how compleat and perfect Gods loue to vs in Christ is Hee loues vs in his person he loues vs in his office he loues vs in his Christ and in our Iesus in his annointed and in our Sauiour How could he deuise to loue vs more then is meant and contained in these words that God loues vs in Christ Iesus Secondly we are to speake somewhat of the phrase in Christ Iesus which is to be receiued vnder a distinction for there is a difference in the actions of Gods loue to vs in his Sonne I say a difference in respect of our Sense and in respect of Gods loue it selfe Some actions of Gods loue to vs are so in Christ that they are wholly suspended on Christ and his merits are the onely procuring cause of them As for example forgiuenesse of sinnes is an action of Gods loue to vs and yet this wholly depends on Christ and his merits that his precious bloud must procure this mercy for vs from God else they will neuer be forgiuen and this and the like loue of God is both in Christ and for Christ There are some other actions of Gods loue which arise meerely and onely out of the absolute will of God without any concurrance of Christs merits As the eternall purpose of God whereby hee hath determined to chuse some men to saluation this is an action of Gods loue meerely rising out of his absolute will without Christs merits for Christ is a Mediator and all his merits are the effects of his loue not the cause of it and yet this loue though it be not for Christ yet is it in Christ too Ephes 3.11 according to the eternall purpose which hee wrought in Christ Iesus that is in regard of the execution of it for euen this eternall purpose and all the actions of Gods loue which arise from his absolute will are effected and brought to passe in and through Christ This distinction wee must here vndergoe that so God may haue his right and Christ may haue his right that we may honor the Father so as that we may also honour the Sonne and the Sonne so as that the Father may not loose his honour that so the absolutenesse of the loue of God and the Mediation of Christ may not impeach one another Thirdly we must obserue that Gods loue in this verse is called the loue of Christ in the 35. verse shewing that God not onely loues vs in Christ but that Christ loues vs too We must conceiue it thus God loues his Sonne Christ Iesus and in him all true beleeuers Christ Iesus loues God the Father and in him he loues all true beleeuers and this is the right straine of Gods loue to vs in Christ Iesus So much for explication For proofe of this point Proofes looke into these places of Scripture Mat. 3.17 This is my beloued Sonne c. Here is a Proclamation from heauen published by Gods owne mouth God the Father speakes it of his own Sonne This is my beloued Sonne c. The words intend two things First the loue of God to Christ Iesus This is my beloued Sonne that is my most dearely beloued Sonne for so it is in the originall Secondly the loue of God in his Sonne to all those that he is well pleased withall in whom I am well pleased He doth not say with whom I am well pleased as my loue staying vpon him only but in whom as my loue extending it selfe to all that are in him This loue that God beares
to Christ extends it selfe to all men and Angels All the loue they finde of God it is in his beloued Sonne Christ Iesus Iohn 17.23 and 26. verses In the 23. our Sauiour saith Thou hast loued them as thou hast loued me speaking of the faithfull Heere wee see that the loue of God to Christ is the sample or patterne of that loue which he beares to vs Now is not the sampler or patterne the ground of that draught which is drawne by it then the loue of God to Christ must needes be the ground of his loue to vs In the 26. verse That the loue where with thou hast loued me may be in them With the same loue wherewith God hath loued Christ he loues vs Here he speakes more directly to the point then before in the 23. verse there was but a likenesse thou louest them as thou louest me Here is a samenesse or onenesse of each The same loue wherewith thou hast loued me may be in them It is not two sorts of loue or two seuerall loues that God beares to Christ and to vs but as God is most simple and but one so is his loue the same hee beares to Christ the same he beares to vs rooted and grounded in Christ and in and through him extended and communicated to vs 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe Here the Apostle speakes of the wonderfull loue of God to the true beleeuing world in Christ and hee comprehends all this loue of God in these words God reconciled vs to himselfe in Christ and withall shewes the manner how he hath reconciled vs to himselfe by not imputing our sinnes vnto vs. Here must needes be infinite loue and mercy in God to forgiue so many thousand sinners as there are beleeuers and so many thousand sinnes as euery beleeuer is guilty of from the beginning to the end of the world Here is infinite loue And what is the ground of all this that the Lord doth vouchsafe all this loue and mercy to beleeuers why it is altogether in Christ and this the Apostle sets out most significantly in the first words God was in Christ personally there was the seat of his loue and in Christ he loued vs and in him he reconciled vs to himselfe not imputing our sinnes vnto vs so that all Gods loue which he beares to vs is in Christ Iesus Ephesians 1. verse 6. To the praise of the glory of his grace wherewith hee hath made vs freely accepted in his beloued The Lord is very gracious vnto his children he takes vs into his fauour and sets his loue vpon vs vouchsafeth many kindnesses vnto vs and this is a glorious grace that hee vouchsafeth vs the glory of his grace God magnifies and glorifies his grace exceedingly on vs In what In that he doth accept vs saith the Apostle It is a glorious and an admirable grace that the Lord God being so great so holy and so glorious as he is should yet freely accept vs such poore sinfull and base creatures as wee are But what is the rule or ground of this of all this glorious grace It is Christ Iesus it is in his beloued saith the Apostle for so it followes in his Beloued that is in Christ Iesus Hee is the beloued Sonne of God So that wee see from proofes out of the Scripture that the point is cleere that all the loue grace and acceptance that euer God shewes to true Beleâ—uers it is in Christ Iesus it is rooted and grounded and founded in the beloued Sonne of God Christ Iesus The Reasons are drawne from the Scripture too Reasons and they are of two sorts some from our selues and our owne estate others from Christ First from our selues our Nature being corrupted God cannot loue this Nature of ours except he finde it in such a person that is free and pure from this corruption and that is Christ Iesus alone and therefore in him alone God loues vs Our Nature is corrupted with sinne Rom. 3.23 All haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God And God cannot loue but hate sinne and corruption Psal 5.4.5 Thou hatest all them that worke iniquitie thou shalt destroy them that speake lies God hates not onely the worke but the workers of iniquity Wee are so farre from being beloued of God that wee are hatefull to him of our selues and therefore God cannot loue our Nature except he finde it in such a person as is free from sinne and that is Christ alone He tooke our nature vpon him Iohn 1.14 The word was made flesh and he alone was free and pure from sin Isa 53.9 He had done no wickednesse neither was there any deceit in his mouth And therefore in him alone GOD loues vs. Reason 2 The second Reason is from Christ himselfe and that in many respects Take him any way in his Nature person office workes doings sufferings Christ Iesus yeelds vs not onely a cause but an euident demonstration thereof I will giue you some taste hereof For to speake of all is infinite and impossible First consider Christ in his relation to God and so he his the Sonne of God the onely begotten Sonne of God Iohn 1.14 Therefore he is the seate of Gods loue It is so betwixt the Earthly Father and his onely Sonne but if it should faile in man yet it cannot faile in God for Christ is called the Sonne of Gods loue Col. 1.13 Therefore hee is the very loue of his Father Therefore all they that are beloued of God are beloued in him or else they are not beloued Secondly consider him in relation to vs He is our head we his body Col. 1.18 and is not the sense and motion of naturall life originally seated in the head and deriued from the head to all the parts of the Body and so it is betwixt Christ and vs in the sense and motion of Gods loue in our spirituall life He is our head and all our spirituall life is in him and comes from him He is the Vine and we are the branches Iohn 15.5 and what iuyce or nourishment soeuer is in the branches for naturall growth it is first in the stocke or roote so it is betwixt Christ and vs what iuyce soeuer we haue to grow in Grace it is from this stocke euen from Christ himselfe Hee is the foundation we the building 1 Cor. 3.9.11 And doth not the whole frame waight and cost of the building rest on the foundation so the whole frame of Gods Church and that grace and worth of euery beleeuing member it rests wholly on Christ the foundation Thirdly consider Christ in the Common relation he beares to God and vs and so he is our mediator and that not onely to God for vs but from God to vs 1 Tim. 2.4 A mediator generally receiues of the one party and conueyes it to the other and so Christ receiues the loue of God and conueyes it to vs But this may be where the parties
in our Adoption Ephes 1.5 Who hath predestinated vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ in himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will Fourthly if we be in Christ wee are intitled vnto the continuance of his loue to vs for euer in our Sanctification 1 Cor. 1.2 Sanctified in Christ Iesus and Ephes 5 14. Christ is our sanctification hee is full of grace and truth Ioh. 1.14 Be thou in him and thou shalt receiue fulnesse of grace Eternall life is in him 1 Iohn 5.11 Be thou in him and thou shalt haue this life All the promises of God are yea and Amen in him 2 Cor. 1.20 they are his and in him they are ours they are made vnto vs in him and they are performed and made good vnto vs in him Againe if wee be in Christ all Gods blessings are ours Ephes 1.3 Blessed be God who hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in Christ Therefore if we be in Christ wee are happy whatsoeuer our state be in the world if we be in afflictions being in Christ he will helpe vs to beare them if in temptations hee will strengthen vs against them if wee be fallen from God by our sinnes if wee be in Christ he will raise vs vp againe and renew our peace with God If wee be in Christ hee will be all in all vnto vs hee will pacifie Gods wrath for vs he will procure his fauour abolish sinne bring righteousnesse deliuer vs from hell and bring vs to heauen Blessed men are we if wee can rest on Christ Iesus as our al-sufficient Redeemer and Sauiour Vse 3 The third Vse teacheth vs therefore to labour to be in Christ But how shall I get to be in him why by faith beleeue in him as thy Sauiour and Redeemer and then thou hast gotten to be in him as euer thou lookest to haue any fauour or any loue at the hands of God get to be in Christ by faith Yea but is it in my power to get faith I doe not say it is in thy power but yet thou must get it it is thy duty to labour for it and certainely if the Lord would not assist thee with his power and inable thee to beleeue he would neuer command thee so often to beleeue in Christ Not that all men generally shall or can beleeue for this is against the reuealed will of God for all men haue not faith but that euery particular man and woman may comfortably and particularly conclude for him and her selfe that certainly God will giue grace and power to beleeue vpon the vse of the meanes for this agrees with Gods reuealed will the Commandements and promises of God being tendred generally to all and no exception can be found in the word against any one in particular This the Diuell puts into the hearts of men that when the Minister exhorts them to beleeue and to get Christ they reply They know not whether they can beleeue or no or whether they were euer ordained to beleeue or no and thus the Diuell keepes them at a bay all their life that they neuer beleeue nor indeauour to beleeue But make thou no question whether thou canst beleeue or no but vse the meanes and indeauour to beleeue for if thou dost not beleeue thou shalt surely be damned put it to the tryall it may be thine endeauours may take effect and then thou shalt surely be saued What madnesse were it in thee not to put thy selfe to the tryall by vsing the meanes Many men haue beleeued vpon the vse of them and why not thou But thou wilt say I cannot vse the meanes at all thou maist at least in outward conformity But I cannot vse them as I should I answere doe it as thou canst doe thy best and so put thy selfe and thine indeauours vpon Gods mercy and humble thy selfe before the Lord for thy weakenesse vntowardnesse and hardnesse to beleeue Vse 4 The fourth Vse teacheth vs the plentifulnesse infinitenesse and abundance of Gods loue to Christ that had loue enough in him for all the beleeuing world beside In him all the nations of the earth the chosen and beleeuers are blessed in his loue they are loued in his righteousnesse all the beleeuers in the world are accounted righteous in his worthinesse they are accounted and made worthy of life and saluation This was infinite loue that God poured on his head as the Oyle on the head of Aron that runs downe to the skirts of his cloathing so Gods loue in Christ descends and runs downe on all the faithfull that now are or euer shall be to the worlds end And therefore first let vs consider of it and blesse God for it that hath poured out such infinite loue for the vse and benefit of the Church Thus the Apostle doth Ephes 1.3 Blessed be God who hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in Christ secondly let vs consider it and magnifie and honour the Lord Iesus Christ that is capable worthy and that is the store-house of such an infinite treasure so doth the Church in the Can. 1.2 Thy name is as an oyntment poured out c. Thirdly consider it and reioyce in it for thy selfe that thou art a true Beleeuer and that thou hast thy part and portion in this ouer-flowing loue of God for thy acceptance and saluation Ephes 2.3.4.5 God that is rich in mercy through his great loue wherewith hee loued vs euen when wee were dead by sinnes hath quickned vs together in Christ by whose grace yee are saued The Apostle would haue vs to reioyce in this that God so loued Christ that in him hee hath raised vs vp from the state of sinne to the state of grace and saluation Fiftly is Christ the ground of Gods loue to vs Vse 5 then this commends vnto vs the wonderfull loue that God beares to his Church in Christ Iesus First it is a most tender and affectionate loue Secondly it is most holy Thirdly it is most perfect Fourthly it is vnchangeable Lastly it is most comfortable First it is a most tender loue and affection that God beares to vs in Christ the bowels of our Lord Iesus Christ are marueilous deare tender and pretious to God and therefore the loue that God beares to vs in the tender bowels of his owne blessed Sonne must needes be marueilous deare tender and affectionate Zach. 2.8 Hee that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Why are wee so tender to God Why because hee tenders vs in the tender bowels of Iesus Christ Secondly it is a most holy loue our most holy God loues vs in his most holy Sonne Iesus Christ that holy one of God God doth not loue vs as many a wicked Father loues his Childe in his euill and wanton courses no that is prophane and carnall loue but hee loues vs with a holy loue in Christ so farre as we are washed from our sinnes in the bloud of Christ and as we be made conformable vnto Christ so farre as we
denie our selues and dye to sinne and rise againe to newnesse of life Thou that goest on in thy sinne neuer dreame that God loues thee in Christ except thou hast crucified the flesh with the lusts they that haue their part of Gods loue in Christ they crucifie the flesh Thirdly then this loue of God to vs in Christ is a most perfect loue Ioh. 17.23 God loues vs with the same loue wherewith he loues Christ and therefore it cannot but be a most perfect loue If God should loue vs in our selues it would be a very imperfect loue not worthy God because all the louely graces in the best of vs are stained with many imperfections and therefore God takes vs and sets vs into Christ forgiues all our sinnes in his death and couers all our vnrighteousnesse with his righteousnesse and so beholds vs and loues vs in him with a perfect loue and if we haue not this perswasion we shall neuer come to haue any true peace in our consciences Fourthly if God loue vs in Christ then his loue to vs is most vnchangeable and vnmoueable it is grounded and built on a Rocke and the Rocke is Christ Iesus and therefore can neuer be moued but stands fast for euer If any thing can alienate Gods loue from Christ Iesus then it may alienate his loue from vs If nothing can remoue his loue from Christ then nothing can remoue it from vs and let sinne and Sathan and all our enemies bodily and spirituall stand vp and say what they can doe against vs Can you draw vs from the loue of God wee will put you hard to it well doe your worst Can you draw the loue of God from Christ if you cannot as wee are sure you cannot then you cannot draw it from vs for it is grounded in Christ Iesus Lastly if God loue vs in Christ then this loue of God to vs is a most sweet and comfortable loue and that in all the former respects because it is a tender loue a holy loue a perfect loue and an vnchangeable loue yea but especially in this respect because it is in Christ Iesus the very name of Gods loue is very sweet and comfortable vnto vs but when the nature of it is tendred vnto vs in the name and person of Iesus Christ it is much more sweet and comfortable vnto vs To be sorted with Christ in any state whatsoeuer is very comfortable to the beleeuing soule to be in afflictions and reproaches with him yea to dye with him this is a comfortable thing to Gods Children Who would not thinke themselues happy to be ioyned with Christ in any of these Yea but to be sorted with Christ in the bosome of God in the loue of God that God should loue vs in Christ Iesus yea and with the same loue wherewith hee loued Christ Iesus Here is the comfort of all comforts and the fulnesse of our Consolation The last Vse teacheth vs that as God loues in Vse 6 Christ Iesus and measures forth all his proceedings to vs in him so must wee doe to God againe If wee doe any thing to God doe it in Christ If we beleeue in God let vs beleeue in him through Christ If wee pray to God let vs pray to him in Christ If we loue God let vs loue him in Christ If we obey God let vs obey him in Christ If wee worship God let vs worship him in Christ Whatsoeuer we doe in word or deed let all be done in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Colos 3.17 else it is abhominable to God our spirituall sacrifices are acceptable to God onely in Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 Againe is Iesus Christ the ground of all Gods loue to vs then let the ground of all our loue to God to the faithfull and to the Creatures be setled in Christ Doth God loue thee onely in Christ and canst thou not loue where thou seest Christ Or darest thou loue where thou dost not see him Seeing God loues where he sees Christ and loues not where he sees not Christ learne his example and frame loue to his loue Let vs loue the Creatures of God in Christ the Children of God in Christ let vs loue the ordinances of God in Christ let vs loue God himselfe in Christ and whatsoeuer we doe in the seruice of God let it be done in Christ whatsouer we doe in word or deed let all be done in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Yee come now to receiue the Sacrament of the Lords Supper then walke by this Rule in receiuing Let vs doe all that we doe herein in the name faith loue power and mediation of Christ Let vs receiue it in Christ as God giues it to vs for the loue hee beares to vs in Christ so let vs receiue it for the loue of Christ with a true purpose to serue God all our life and let vs bewaile our sinnes and know that all our worthinesse is in Christ and therefore let vs receiue it in the worthinesse of Christ beleeuing that God will make it effectuall to our soules in him And so receiuing it and doing all we doe in it in the name of Christ we shall receiue it with glory to God and comfort to our owne Soules FINIS THE FOVRTH SERMON Vpon ROMANS â—… the two last Verses For I am perswaded or I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels c. AS the Lord hath beene pleased to enable vs we haue entred into the handling of these verses and shewed the dependance of them with the former and the meaning of the seuerall tearmes of words that the Apostle declares himselfe vpon then I laide you downe seauen heads whereunto the whole force of the Apostles speech might be reduced the first was implyed and that was that there is a Communion betwixt God all true beleeuers Secondly the Apostle shewes the Bond of this Communion that is the loue of God Thirdly he shewes the ground of this Communion and of the bond of it and that is Iesus Christ Fourthly the Apostle declares the neere interest that the faithfull haue to Christ by a note of speciall reference our Lord. And this is the point we are now come vnto and if God shew vs strength in weakenesse it shall be our meditation at this time Christ Iesus our Lord The Doctrine hence is this Doctrine That there is a very neere and speciall reference betwixt Christ Iesus and all the faithfull whereby hee is interressed in them they in him He is our Lord saith the Apostle and consequently wee are his subiects and seruants for this is a terme of mutuall relation intending his right in vs and ours in him his superiority ouer vs and our subiection vnto him hee is our Lord and we are his subiects and seruants According to our manner we will speake somewhat of this by way of Explication Explication And therein wee are to consider of two things First of the Title Lord.
thornes and was stroke vpon that Crowne to adde affliction to his afflictions so we must looke for many thornes many afflictions and for affliction to be added to affliction But yet be of good cheere Christ will recompence all with a Crowne of Glory Let vs apply this to the Sacrament We come heere to the Lords Table this is a great honour to vs therefore let vs be thankefull for it Secondly let it comfort vs that if we come in repentance we shall haue our comfort sealed vp vnto vs to our hands to our mouthes and to our hearts Againe we professe Christ to be our Lord then let vs examine whether we feare him loue him and obey him as our Lord. Alasse wee must all confesse we come short in these duties let vs acknowledge this vnto him and let vs say Lord though we deserue not to be thy seruants yet thou art our Lord and let vs come with more faith and feare and loue and with more resolution to obey him better then euer we haue done If this Sacrament Seale vnto vs that Christ is our Lord it must also seale vnto vs that we are his seruants and then we must not honor him for an houre while we are here but all our life time If thou be the seruant of Christ he is thy Lord but if thou serue the world or thy belly or thy pleasure or any thing else and not the Lord Iesus in the truth of thine heart then he is none of thy Lord nor thou art none of his seruant And therefore when thou shalt come and knocke say Lord Lord open vnto me he will answere thee away from me thou art none of my seruant therefore let vs subiect our selues vnto him in all obedience both in doing and suffering as vnto our Lord and so he will recompence vs with grace here and with glory hereafter FINIS THE FIFTH SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am perswaded or I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels c. IN handling this Scripture as GOD in mercy hath giuen strength wee haue proceeded thus farre First wee haue shewed the dependance of the verses with the former then we shewed the meaning of the words in themselues After that we cast this Scripture for our better instruction and memory into this mould and shewed that it did empty it selfe into these seauen particulars First that which is implyed namely that there is a Communion betwixt God and the faithfull Secondly that which is exprest namely the bond of this Communion and that is the loue of God Thirdly the Apostle shewes the ground of this Communion and of this bond too and that is Iesus Christ Fourthly hee shewes that the faithfull haue a neere interest in Christ Iesus and this he sets forth by a terme of neere Relation our Lord Thus farre we haue proceeded already The fifth point is that the Apostle auoucheth the safety of all the faithfull in the middest of all dangers that they are subiect to nothing shall seperate vs from the loue of God And this he inlargeth in many particulars as by and by we shall see This is the fifth thing then that we are to consider of namely the safty of the State of Gods children in the midst of all dangers wee will propound the the Doctrine thus The hould that the faithfull haue in the loue of God through Iesus Christ it is a sure hould Doctrine the estate of grace that they are in is an vndefeasable estate nothing can void them nothing can depriue them of it Consider well the words of the obseruauation the very words whereof are in effect the very words of this Scripture and the whole matter of the obseruation is the whole matter of this Scripture For that which we haue spoken heretofore touching our Communion with God the bond of it Gods loue the ground of both Iesus Christ c. haue beene but preparations to this Truth and these points which follow touching the Apostle his certainty he hath and the vse he makes of it are but inferences from this truth This is the truth it selfe that is here peremptorily and precisely affirmed that nothing shall seperate the faithfull from the loue of God to them in Iesus Christ nor from the estate of grace that they are in And this the Apostle contents not himselfe onely to affirme in the generall but withall confirmes it in particular by a sufficient reckoning vp of all the parts of the Aduersarie power that is or can be against vs Death shall not nor life shall not nor Angels c. nor any other creature nothing shall seperate vs not any one of these dangers asunder no nor all of them ioyned together no nor any other added to them nor any other Creature put what you will to them nothing shall seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus and to put the matter out of all shew of doubt he saith not onely they shall not seperate vs but he puts it vpon an impossibâ—lity they shall not be able to seperate vs let them ioyne all their powers together and doe what they can they shall neuer be able to doe it Thus we see the Doctrine is naturally raised and the Apostle presseth it as the maine matter of the Scripture Explication I will speake somewhat as our order is for Explication of the Doctrine and therein I will handle but this one point Because the Doctrine speakes of the loue of God and of the state of grace we must know what it is to be in that state of the loue of God and the estate of grace for either it hath been our state or now is or hereafter shall be our estate else we can neuer be saued therefore before we shew that wee cannot fall away from this state it is needfull to shew what it is to be in it The estate of the loue of God and the state of grace is to be throughly reconciled to God through the precious bloud of Iesus Christ whereby we are iustified from all our sinnes and entred into a course of true sanctification It is called the estate of Gods loue in opposition to the estate of Gods wrath wherein we are all by nature Ephes 2.3 In this state of wrath God lookes downe from heauen vpon vs in mercy and receiues vs freely into his loue through Iesus Christ and so wee are translated out of the estate of Gods wrath into the estate of his loue It is called the estate of grace in opposition to the state of sinne that we are all in Rom. 3.28 All haue sinned c. In this sinfull state the Lord lookes downe from Heauen in mercy vpon vs and in Iesus Christ bestowes vpon vs the sauing grace of Iustification forgiuing vs all our sinnes and the grace of Sanctification making vs new creatures and so translates vs out of the state of sinne into the state of grace These things wee must
sinne therefore resolue deliberately rather to be drawne in pieces then to be drawne to sinne againe Fourthly wee must make our resolutions in confidence of Gods promises and empty our selues of all power to doe any thing as of our selues Lastly wee must goe to God by prayer for his Spirit that he may frame thy resolutions within thee Say Lord thou hast giuen mee these good resolutions let thy Spirit worke and confirme them in my heart and then they shall stand sure and if we can preuaile with God by prayer to frame these resolutions in our hearts they shall be sure to stand Thirdly that we may be established in grace and perseuere therein wee must daily rippe vp our hearts and our reines before God wee must discouer our sinnes and corruptions and infirmities and wants to God Psal 16.8 I haue set the Lord euer before me because he is at my right hand I shall neuer be moued The way to keepe vs from falling is to walke openly and nakedly before the Lord without dissembling reseruations circumloquutions neuer bee either afraid or ashamed to tell GOD what thou wantest for so much as thou failest in making thy selfe throughly knowne to GOD so much thou euer giuest thy selfe to fall away from grace Fourthly to preserue vs from falling from grace we must watch continually ouer our owne hearts that we doe not fall Matth. 26.41 Our Sauiour prescribes it of purpose as a preseruation from falling Thy heart is deceitfull aboue all things watch thy heart therefore at euery turne lest it fall away But alasse what will our watchfulnesse doe Yes it is very effectuall when it is ioyned with prayer Watch to keepe thy selfe and pray to God to keepe thee and thou shalt be well kept Bring God vnto thy watch by thy prayer and then though thou be heauy and sleepy yet hee neuer slumbers nor sleepes he will surely keepe thee Fiftly if thou beest fallen rise vp againe without delay sleepe not till thou recouer thy selfe Reu. 2.5 Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent Hast thou sinned oh what hast thou done Get thee to God humble thy selfe before him confesse and bewaile thy sinnes with a broken heart take hold on the promise of grace in Christ renew thy vow and promise to God and see thou performe it to be more careful for euer after and this do speedily It is a great aduantage that sinne gets of vs by resting in vs like a sore that is let alone it festers and is harder to be cured Sixtly if we will hold out in the estate of grace we must labour to be constant in all duties of Relâ—gion in hearing the Word meditating conferring practising it in receiuing the Sacraments in companying with the godly and this we must do not in formality and for fashion or custome that is the very moath that eates out the life of all godlines when we think if the duty be done all is well no matter how but this makes a foule bracke in the estate of grace but let vs not do these things for custome or formality sake but let vs see that the life and power of godlinesse be in vs in the performance of them Lastly let vs be sure we be alwaies going forward for surely our not going forward is some degree or beginning of going backward Phil. 3.13 We must forget those things which are behinde and reach forward to those things which are before Labour to weaken thy sinnes and to strengthen thy graces and to be more frequent in good duties and so shall we goe forwards and not fall away And now we come to the Lords Supper let vs not be content to receiue it in the Elements but let vs see that the life and power of it be in our hearts and then they shall be a powerfull meanes to keepe and helpe forward the beleeuing Soule in the state of grace Here the promise of God is sealed vnto vs for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and here we binde our selues to God for new obedience and here we eate Christs flesh and drinke his bloud after a spirituall manner and so shall neuer dye saith our Sauiour but liue for euer And so this Sacrament is a powerfull meanes to confirme vs in this Doctrine that the hould that the faithfull haue in the loue of God through Iesus Christ is a sure hould c. FINIS THE SIXTH SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am perswaded that neither Death nor life c. AS God hath beene pleased to giue strength and opportunity we haue proceeded in the handling of this Scripture to these fiue points the first is contained in the Text by way of Intimation namely that there is a neere Communion betwixt God and all the faithfull in Iesus Christ intended in the word seperation Secondly we haue spoken of the Bond of this Communion which is the loue of God Thirdly we haue shewed both the ground of this Communion and of the Bond of it and that is Iesus Christ Fourthly we haue shewed the neere reference that is betwixt Christ and the faithfull hee is our Lord and we are his Subiects and Seruants Fiftly we haue shewed the safety of all the faithfull in the midst of all dangers which the Apostle auoucheth here That neither death nor life c. shall seperate vs from the loue of God the Children of God are and shall be in the loue of God let their enemies doe what they can Now we come to speake of the sixt point and that is the confident perswasion which the Apostle hath concerning this heauenly truth I am sure hee is sure of it First I will propound the Doctrine in that the Apostle saith I am perswaded or I am sure that all the faithfull shall continue in the loue of God without seperation the obseruation is this Doctrine Gods Children all true Beleeuers may and ought to haue a confident perswasion in themselues of their owne certainty and continuance in the state of grace and saluation for howsoeuer the perswasion here spoken of is a personall and a particular perswasion of Paul I am perswaded yet the matter which he is peswaded of is generall to all beleeuers I am perswaded saith he that nothing shall seperate vs and therefore the estate of all true beleeuers being in it selfe as firme and sure as Pauls was then their assurance must be in some measure answerable to his To set the Doctrine right that we may receiue it in the truth of the Apostles intendment and apply it to our selues rightly against despaire and yet without presumption Doctrine cleared for such exceptions as seeme to lye in the Text. we are first to cleare it of some exceptions and then to bound it within certaine bounds or limmits First of the exceptions I doe not meane such exceptions as are made against the Doctrine it selfe for of them we shall speake in the vses but of such as are made against this Scripture
as God enabled vs in this present seruice to reduce the whole Summe of these two Verses to these seauen heads First that there is a Communion betwixt God and the faithfull so the word seperation doth presuppose secondly wee shewed the Bond of this Communion the loue of God thirdly we shewed the ground both of this Communion of the Bond of it and that is Iesus Christ Fourthly we shewed the neere relation that there is betwixt Christ and those that beleeue in him He is our Lord saith the Apostle Fiftly we shewed the certainty of the State of the faithfull in it selfe that neuer any thing should seperate them from the loue of God The sixt point which we handled the last time was the certainty of it in our owne hearts The seauenth and last point which now we are come to is That the Apostle beares vp himselfe boldly vpon this assurance against all dangers and troubles that euer did or could befall him And this is the maine reach of the Apostles whole discourse propounded here by way of reason for I am sure As if hee should say I may boldly and safely insult ouer all those dangers mentioned in the 35. Verse But why Paul art thou so bold for I am sure saith hee that not onely those dangers there spoken of shall euer seperate me from the loue of God no nor greater then they nor the instruments of them nor Abettors nor Authors of them shall euer doe it Be it life be it death be it Angels or Principalities or Powers c. Not any of all these shall be euer able to seperate me from the loue of God so farre off is it that Tribulations or Persecutions c. shall seperate me that none of these that are greater shall euer do it This is the iust connexion of these verses with the former and in this consist the full waight and power of the Apostles Reason Now concerning this seauenth and last point here are two things to be considered First we are here to consider of the dangers that the children of God are subiect vnto Secondly of the support and comfort they haue against these dangers And both these we are to consider of God willing first in generall then in particuler First we will speake of the dangers and that in generall that Gods children are subiect to and then we will come to the support they haue in them For first we must know what the dangers are before wee can know the support and helpe we haue in them we must first know the disease before we can know the remedy and concerning the dangers in generall take notice of these foure things First the variety of them they are not one but many of diuers kinds some dangers of life some of death dangers wrought by diuers meanes and instruments some by Angels some by Principalities and Powers dangers at diuers times some present some to come dangers from diuers places some from the height aboue some from the deph beneath here is the variety of them for the Apostle speakes not idlely in any of these words Secondly we must take notice of the compleatnesse and fulnesse of these dangers they are not onely many and diuers but euen all the dangers that may be for here is a sufficient and perfect reckoning vp of all sorts of dangers to the full there is not one danger that can euer be named or imagined but it may fitly be reduced to one of these heads that the Apostle here names either to life or to death or to Angels c. And that the Apostle may be sure to comprehend all dangers hee doth not onely name actuall dangers such as doe ordinarily befall vs both of life death but possible dangers to come as well as present nay such dangers as in our ordinary apprehension are impossible from good Angels which is hard to be conceiued how that may be Thirdly we are to consider the crossenes thwartnes of these dangers propounded here in opposition one to another and also in opposition each of them to our owne state and mind the Apostle makes our case herein to be like vnto Iudahs Isa 9.21 Manasses against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasses and both of them against Iudah So it is with Gods children in their tryals here is Death opposed to life and life opposed to death and both opposite to Gods children so here is good Angels opposed to bad and bad Angels opposed to good things present opposed to things to come and things to come opposed to things present height opposed to depth depth to height Gods children subiect to all these And this is the sting of our Crosses that we are thus crossed thwarted in our affliction as when we be pinched with pain on the right hand we turne to the left to find ease presently on the left hand we are pinched as much as before on the right yet such is the present portion of Gods children The 4 last point is that the Apostle propounds these dangers to himself to the faithful not as feares or shadowes or imaginations I fight not as one that beateth the aire saith the Apostle but as true reall dangers such as he doth acknowledge himselfe all the faithfull exposed vnto lookes to be encountred first or last with such things indeede The Doctrine that flowes naturally from this Scripture thus opened is this Doctrine That Gods children must make their account and set downe their rest vpon it that they shall be assaulted here in this world with all trials and dangers and distresses that euer possibly can befal them This Doctrine is easie enough to be vnderstood for Gods children see the truth of it daily in others and feele it in their owne selues but it is hardly digested It is a hard saying who can beare it Therefore that we may the better brooke it Foure preparations for the brooking of afflictions let vs receiue it vpon these preparations First wee must not think that all these dangers shall be heaped vpon euery one of Gods children in seuerall but they shall be distributed and parted amongst them all in common All the afflictions of the faithfull are but one cup and that Christ cals his Cup Matth. 20.23 Yee shall drinke indeed of my Cuppe It is Christs Cup and all the faithfull must drinke of it Yee shall drinke saith our Sauiour Euery one must haue his share and so amongst them they must drinke it all vp Now because none of vs knowes whether he shall drinke of the top of this Cup or of the middle or of the bottome till his turne come therefore euery one of vs must Arme himselfe to drinke of any part of it euery one is to make account that he is lyable to euery affliction The second preparation is this we must not thinke that these afflictions shall befall all Gods children alike No some must drinke deeper of it then others God hath
fall FINIS THE NINTH SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels c. WE haue proceeded in handling this Scripture as the Lord hath beene pleased to giue strength so far as that now we are come to speake of those particular dangers which the Apostle propounds to himselfe and to all the faithfull and the particular comforts which they haue to sustain themselues in them we haue spoken before in the generall of both Now we are to proceed to the particulars for so the Apostle makes mention of some principall and particular dangers here as Death life Angels c. wherin we must not thinke that our Apostle speaks rashly or at aduenture but vpon mature deliberation of set purpose he makes special choise of these particulars here mentioned as being the most materiall things whereby any danger may acrue to Gods children and secures himselfe and them of safety and preseruation against all these dangers Our Apostle vnderstood himselfe well for he spake as hee was moued by the spirit and the spirit neuer speakes idlely he spake it in the height of his faith and therefore in the height of his spirit and therefore he spake most seriously and aduisedly and not rashly and he spake it in the depth of his afflictions verse 36. and the words of the afflicted are not winde as Iob speakes that is a bare and empty sound but vsually they are full of matter and substance and surely that which the Apostle here mentions is so full of matter and substance that I could neuer find by my poore reading meditation prayers any full content touching the full sence and reach of the Apostle But a man may passe in a shallow boat ouer a deepe riuer and so farre as our lyne and plummet will reach wee will endeauour God willing to sound the depth of these mysteries Neither death nor life nor Angells c. shall separate vs. First of the first two particulars death and life By life and by death we are to vnderstand not onely the things themselues life and death but all occurrences and passages Our whole estate in life and death we are then to take it thus as if the Apostle had said I am sure that neuer any thing that doth befall Gods Children either in life or in death shall be able to separate them from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. The Doctrine is this All true Beleeuers are in good safetie vnder Gods assured protection against all dangers in life death Doctrine That the Doctrine may be the better vnderstood and beleeued take these two points for explication First Explication consider the dangers that are offered vnto vs in life and death Secondly let vs consider how farre all true beleeuers are in safety against them And first we will beginne with the dangers of life Two dangers of life Life indangers vs two wayes either on the right hand when we are too much in loue with it Or on the left hand when we are too much out of loue with it On the right hand life is in it selfe very sweet and much desired and delighted in but especially when it is seconded with outward comforts as health friends ease goods honours c. then it is much more sweet and desired Yea but Gods children must know that they must deny themselues forsake their own wills they must be crucified to the whole world the world must be crucified to them yea and happily they must bee called out to loose their liues for Christ and for his Gospell Now here is the danger whether they will loose their sweet liues or their sweet soules many of Gods deare children haue bin put to great plunges in this kind Peter himselfe though hee loued his Master dearely and profest that hee would neuer forsake him but resolued to dye with him yet when it came to the triall for the brunt of the proofe that either hee must forsake his Master or his life Peter had rather forsake his best Master then his sweet life When such tall Cedars shrinke in such a storme alas poore soules what shal become of vs the low shrubs Againe life indangers on the left hand by crosses whereby wee are too much out of loue with it After a time of well fare comes losses wants discontentments sicknesses paines infirmities temptations persecutions terrours of conscience they come What are wee to doe in this case Here are great dangers towards vs our hearts droope our spirits are dying wee are a burthen to our selues wee are weary of our liues heere is our danger Now whether are wee content patiently to endure this dying life or desperately to desire an vntimely death This was a danger of Ionas 4.3 It is better for mee saith hee to dye then to liue A fearefull speech of a Prophet of the Lord And so it was a danger of Iob chap. 7.15 My soule chuseth rather to be strangled and to dye Yea many of Gods deare children haue beene so hardly put to it in this kinde that they haue beene tempted to make away themselues and to put an end to a wearisome life by a desperate death I say they haue beene tempted to it but through Gods mercifull protection they haue beene kept from it Here are the dangers of life Secondly Death endangers vs another way How death indangers man The very name of death is terrible to vs and sometime the time of our death doth dismay vs and sometime the manner of our death troubles vs but the matter of death that scarres vs most of all when wee thinke with our selues that now wee must die and giue vp the Ghost and leaue all the world and forsake this present light that shines about vs when the body and soule must part that haue been all this while louing friends together the body to returne to the dust as it was and the soule to God that gaue it when wee thinke with our selues of the bitternesse and sowrenesse and pangs of death and of our particular Iudgement in death and the generall iudgement that shall come after death and begin to feele these things come vpon vs here is our danger Many of the children of God haue beene ready vpon their consideration hereof to let goe their hold in God and to say that God doth not loue them because he deales so rigorouslly and extreamely with them herein Adde herevnto that we may saue our liues and escape all these feares for the time if wee will our selues as in the case of persecution if we will forsake our Religion and deny our faith wee may saue our liues then the sweetnesse of life alluring vs on the one side the feare terror of death affrighting vs on the other side makes this a great danger oh what danger is vpon vs now in this case of our vtter seperation from the loue of God in Christ Iesus This
the same word is sometimes in the Scripture meant of the Angels both good and bad but the Apostle hauing mentioned them already in the former words there is no need that it should be meant of them in this word too Thirdly by powers vnderstand all the gifts and enablements that either these or any other mighty workers in the world are furnished withall as authority place strength wit policy c. for so the word in the originall vsually signifies not so much the agents themselues as the powers and enablements whereby they do worke so that lay all these briefely together and then the meaning of the words are thus much as if the Apostle should say I am sure that neither all the Angels good nor bad nor all the Rulers and Potentates Monarches and Magistrates of the world nor all the powers or enablements that these or any other are furnished withall shall euer be able to seperate me from the loue of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lord. Here is a high straine of assurance and wee must haue a great measure of faith to attaine vnto it The Doctrine that ariseth naturally out of the whole state of the words thus vnfolded is this Doctrine namely That howsoeuer it be that Angels both good and bad and Rulers great Kings and Emperours Potentates and Monarches of the world are mighty workers endued with great powers gifts and enablements yet neither Angels good nor bad nor all the Rulers and Potentates in the world endued with all their powers gifts and enablements shall neuer be able to seperate true beleuers from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. To auoide confusion we will handle the three seuerall branches of the Doctrine The first branch of the Doctrine euery one apart we will first begin with good Angels and then wee must apply the Doctrine thus That howsoeuer the good Angels are mighty workers great in power and enablements yet neither they nor all the power they haue shall be euer able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. For Explication of this point Explication in the opening of three particular wee are here to touch these three particulars as necessary for the vnderstanding of this Doctrine First what these good Angels are Secondly what is that Relation and Communion that is betwixt them and true beleeuers Thirdly what dangers they are that may befall true beleeuers by good Angels For the first what good Angels are Good Angels are certaine spirituall substances that kept their first estate and are immediate and continuall attendants before the presence of God that they are substances their actions prooue it they reioyce worship God passe from place to place and performe sundry actions and actions are neuer performed but by substances that they are spirituall substances the Scripture tels vs Heb. 1.7 He maketh his Angels Spirits that they kept their first estate the Apostle Iude implies verse 6. when he saith of the euill angels That they kept not their first estate thereby necessarily implying by opposition that the good Angels haue kept their first estate that is the blessed estate of excellency that God created them in Lastly that they are immediate and continuall attendants before God Daniel saw it in a vision Dan 7.10 The antient of dayes sate vpon a throne and who were his attendants the Angels Thousands thousands ministred vnto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him So we see what the good Angels be Many other things might be said of them but I touch these onely which of necessity we must know for the vnderstanding of the Doctrine in hand The second particular is what this relation and Communion is that is betwixt good Angels and true Beleeuers Surely it is a neere relation and heauenly Communion they and we are fellow-seruants as worshipping and seruing one and the same God The Angell himselfe auoucheth it Reu. 19.10 I am thy fellow-seruant They and wee are brethren in the testimony of Iesus as the same Angel affirmeth in the words following They and wee are fellow-Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem Heb. 12.22 Wee are their charge they are our guard and keepers They pitch their Tents round about vs for our safegard and protection Psal 34.7 They are our patterne we are their resemblance both for obedience whilest we liue here Math. 6.10 Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen and likewise for glory hereafter Luk. 20.36 Other bonds there are whereby they are associated to vs and we to them but these are the neerest and chiefest and most remarkeable The third and last poynt is what those dangers are that may befall true beleeuers by the good Angels To this I answere two things First that the Apostle doth not say here directly that the good Angels of themselues may endanger Gods Children but he speakes it here by way of supposition as if he should say suppose that they should endanger Gods children yet they could neuer separate them from the loue of God And this is very obseruable in the whole tenour of the Apostles speech that all the dangers which he mentions are put downe by way of supposition but safety and the comforts against them are set downe positiuely and directly As if hee should say suppose that the good Angels should endanger vs yet certainely they should neuer separate vs from the loue of God But especially it is to be marked in this particular concerning the good Angels for this is meerely a supposall that the good Angels of themselues should hurt vs. But why then doth the Apostle mention any such matter here I answere for the further confirmation of true beleeuers in the assurance of Gods loue I will cleare this place by another place of the Apostle in the very like kinde Gal. 1.6 If an Angell from heauen preach any other Gospell c. Will any man conclude from hence that therefore an Angell from heauen may or can preach any other Gospell then Paul had preached No but the Apostle speaks it by way of supposall onely and supposalls doe not affirme any thing in being Yea but why doth the Apostle then here vse the name of an holy Angell in this case I answere he had good reason for it that he might confirme them the better in the truth which hee had taught namely that we must be so stedfastly setled in the faith of the Gospell of Christ that if an Angell from heauen should teach any other Doctrine which is a thing impossible yet if he should we must defie him and hold him accursed And so the Apostle in this place makes the estate of Gods children so sure and firme that if the good Angels should set themselues against them to separate them from the loue of God in Christ Iesus which is impossible but if they should yet they could not doe it Secondly I answere that howsoeuer they doe not of themselues
They take the cause of Gods children to heart they reioyce at the good of Gods Church and children especially at the good of their soules so let vs worship God alone and let the good of Gods children especially the good of their soules bee the ioy of our hearts Let vs imitate them thus but yet let vs beware of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Papists Vid. originall in single life and angelicall perfection Fiftly speake not euill of those that are in place and dignity for the Angels giue not railing speeches 2 Pet. 2.10.11 The Angels doe it not let vs take heed we doe it not Sixtly offend not these Angels 1 Cor. 11.10 The woman ought to couer her head because of the Angels The Angels are about vs obserue our doings and marke our carriage if it be reuerent and agreeable to our profession they reioyce at it if wee mis-behaue our selues and carry our selues vnreuerently in our words gestures or apparell mis-beseeming our persons places or profession this offends and greeues them they distaste it and are displeased at it let vs take heed therefore that we offend them not Seauenthly let vs not worship them in any case for that is the way to incense them against vs. In the Reuel 19.10 and 22.8 when Iohn would haue worshipped the Angell Hee was angry see thou doe it not saith he worship God It is an horrible dishonor to God and much displeasing to the good Angels themselues they tremble at it and abhorre it Away with it saith the Angell worship not me worship God Which is worse the Thiefe or the Receiuer If I worship the Angels I am the thiefe if they receiue and accept of it they are the receiuers but they abhorre it Lastly let vs glorifie God for the Ministery of the good Angels the shepherds in Lu. 2.20 hauing heard many good things from the ministery of the Angels they returned glorifying praising not the Angels but God for their Ministery Take the benefit of it and giue the Angels due reuerence and respect for their Ministery but giue the honour glory of it to God alone thus did Daniel Chap. 6.22 and Peter Act. 12.11 they doe not ascribe their deliuerance to the Angell but to God that sent his Angell and yet they doe reuerently mention the Angell that was the meanes of it And we haue great cause to glorifie God for their Ministery for first it is a great comfort to vs what greater comfort can we haue by any of the creatures then to haue thousand thousands of Angels the best and greatest of Gods creatures euermore to attend on vs Secondly it is a great honor to vs the greatest honor God that can bestow vpon vs by any of the Creatures that the Angels that are farre more excellent Creatures by creation then our selues should be attendants on vs Oh let vs honor God greatly that hath so greatly honored vs. Thirdly all the good they doe vnto vs they doe it but as instruments it is God alone that is the authour of it therefore let God alone haue all the glory and honour of it Obserue these rules carefully and conscionably and I will assure thee from God that thou shalt be made partaker of the comfort and protection of the good Angels they shall attend vpon thee all thy life to preserue thee from euill and to incourage thee to goodnesse and to comfort thee in troubles and to helpe thee out of them and at thy death they shall stand by thee to cheere thee vp against the bitternesse and terrour of thy dissolution and to carry thy soule into heauen And yet this is not all for behold yet further at the day of iudgement they shall summon thy body out of the graue and place thee amongst the sheepe at Gods right hand that there thou mayest receiue that ioyfull and blessed sentence Come ye blessed inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world such honour haue all Gods Saints FINIS THE ELEAVENTH SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am perswaded or I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels c. THe Apostle here when he propounds the dangers that belong to the faithfull and the comforts against them hee sets them before vs in certaine rankes and orders And the first ranke is the dangers that come to vs by death and by life and the comforts against them and of that wee haue spoken The second ranke is of the dangers that come to vs by Angels Rulers and powers and that we haue entred into and shewed that by Angels are meant all sorts of Angels both good and bad both those that stand and those that are fallen Of the good Angels we haue spoken as it pleased God to giue ability Now we are to speake of the euill Angels that the euill Angels shall neuer be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. That the euill Angels must needs be here meant appeares because they are generally comprehended vnder the name of Angells which is common to all Angels both good and bad But especially the euill Angels are here meant because the drift of the Apostles speech necessarily requires that they should be here more specially intended for the euill Angels are the speciall instruments and chiefe procurers of all the dangers that tend to the separation of vs from the loue of God in Christ Iesus This is their maine reach and chiefe endeauour in all their practises against vs to make this separation and therefore they must needes be here specially intended in this challenge of the Apostle It were a small comfort to the faithfull for the Apostle to say that they were in safety because the good Angels should not hurt them for that were as much as if he should say hee were in safety because his friends should not hurt him for the good Angels are our friends and therefore will not hurt vs. But the Apostles reach is to auouch the safety of Gods children against all dangers that are or can be against them euen against the greatest and fiercest enemies that we haue and therefore hee must needs meane it especially of the euill Angels because they are the greatest and fiercest enemies that the faithfull haue And thus the Apostle hath brought vs into the meditation of the ground of all our dangers and woes and miseries namely the euill Angels or Diuels A fearefull and dismall argument in it selfe yet as it is here applyed by the Apostle it is a chearefull and a comfortable argument It is a fearefull and dismall thing to heare of our enemies but it is a comfortable thing to heare of the ouerthrow of them Let not any of vs therefore be afraid to heare of them we must not be afraid to fight with them and therefore much lesse to heare of them One thing the Apostle tells vs here as before wee haue heard for our sound comfort
communion and fellowship with him of this wee spake the last time as time did permit Now we are to come to the second point 2 Doct. the Bond of this holy Communion betwixt God and vs and that is the loue of God The Doctrine is this that the Bond of that holy Communion which is betwixt God and true Beleeuers is Gods loue to them The Bond of that holy Communion which true Beleeuers haue with God in Christ is the loue of God The Doctrine ariseth thus the Apostle speaking of the Impossibilitie of seperating vs from God or from our Communion with God expresseth it thus nothing can seperate vs from the loue of God thereby giuing vs plainely to vnderstand that the Bond whereby we are so fast ioyned to God in Christ so as nothing can seperate vs is this the loue of God towards vs. Explication consisting in three questions and answeres I will speake somewhat by way of Explication and certaine questions there are to be propounded and answered therein The first question is whether this loue of God here spoken or may not be meant of our loue to God as well as of his loue to vs for so some expound it and it agrees well with the phrase for so sometimes in Scripture the loue of God is taken for Gods loue to vs and sometime for our loue to God And also it agrees well with the drift of this place which is to shew the certainty of the faithfull in the state of grace not onely that nothing can remoue God from vs that he should cease to loue vs but also that nothing shall remoue vs from God that wee should cease to loue him And it agrees well with the Nature of our Communion with God for this being a mutuall Communion as well on our part with God as on his part with vs for as he saith to vs thou art my People so we say to him thou art my God Hosea 2.23 therefore there is necessary vse as well of our loue to him as of his to vs for the vpholding of this Communion I answere the loue of God here spoken of is meant directly properly of Gods loue to vs not of our loue to God for it must be vnderstood of such a loue that neuer failes but alas our loue to God doth faile many times but Gods loue to vs neuer failes therefore it must be meant of Gods loue to vs not of our loue to God there is indeed a great vse an absolute necessity of our loue to God so it is true that God will neuer suffer our loue to fall vtterly from him and so consequently it is true that nothing shall vtterly seperate vs from our loue to him Yea but that is not the drift of the place for the force and power of our vnseperable Coniunction with God doth not stand vpon the weake hold of our loue to God but vpon the strong vnmoueable hold of Gods loue to vs. The second Question is that seeing it is meant of Gods loue to vs then what kinde of Gods loue to the faithfull is here spoken of I answere there is a threefold loue which God beares to all true Beleeuers First God loues his children with a generall loue as they are his Creatures the worke of his owne hands and so he hates nothing that hee hath made and this is a prouiding loue for their maintenance and preseruation and this hee shewes in our daily Foode and Rayment and necessaries for this life Secondly he loues them with a speciall loue as men or as they are of the Nature of mankinde for the Nature of man is a louely thing in the eyes of God and this is a countenancing loue for the aduancement and honour of mankinde and this loue God shewed specially in the Incarnation of Christ when the nature of man was assumed into the person of the Sonne of God The third is a particular loue which he beares to them as they are his Children and true Beleeuers for a true beleeuing Saul is a most pretious Iewell before the Lord and this is a sauing loue for their grace and glory and this hee shewes in making vs one with himselfe inseperably and for euer and this loue it is that is here spoken of Nothing shall seperate vs from the sauing loue of God for grace and glory The third Question is why it is called a Bond The answere is because it performes such Offices in this case as a Bond doth for first a Bond serues to ioyne and tye things together into one Bundle and secondly being so tyed it keepes them fast together so that till the Bond be broken or taken off as wee see in a faggot or a sheafe they are neuer sundred so is Gods loue in this blessed vnion it ioynes together and till it selfe faile which can neuer be it holds vs fast to God for euer These things rightly vnderstood and well digested the Doctrine stands cleare in euery mans vnderstanding and iudgement against all difficultie and exception namely that the Bond of that holy Communion which is betwixt God and true Beleeuers is Gods loue to them in Christ The proofes of the Doctrine are these Proofes or confirmation 1. by Scripture Ier. 31.3 the end of the Verse I haue loued thee with an euerlasting loue therefore with mercy haue I drawne thee It is Gods owne speech to his owne people wherein first he professeth his loue I haue loued thee c. And then he shewes the fruits of his loue therefore with mercy haue I drawne thee c. The Lord shewes mercy vnto vs and in mercy drawes vs vnto himselfe into a blessed Communion with his owne Maiesty but what is the Bond whereby he drawes vs It is his loue to vs I haue loued thee therefore c. Hosea 11.1.4 When Israel was a Childe then I loued him and called my Sonne out of Egypt God cals vs out of the Egyptian darkenesse of Sinne and Death and Hell and takes vs to be his owne Children his Sonnes and Daughters but whence comes it that he enters into this league with vs It is from his loue I haue loued him c. then in the fourth Verse I leade them with Cords of man euen with Bonds of Loue where the Holy Ghost speakes expresly to the point in hand that the Bonds whereby God leades along in the wayes of saluation are the Bonds of Loue Cant. 2 4. He brought mee into the Wine-Cellar and Loue was his Banner ouer me He brought me into his Wine-Cellar there the Spouse euery true beleeuing Soule speakes of the sweet intercourse betwixt Christ and her brought me into his Wine-Cellar that is made me partaker of his spirituall sweet and heauenly comforts for that is meant by wine and loue was his Banner what is the vse of a Banner It is to gather together the Souldiers to the Company and Captaine to whom they doe belong Gods Banner ouer his people is
his lone It is the loue of God to his that gathers all true beleeuers together vnto Iesus Christ he being their Captaine and they his Souldiers to serue vnder his Colours Oh this is a sweet seruice to serue and to fight vnder the Colours and Banner of the loue of God in Iesus Christ Iohn 3.16 God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life God hath giuen vs his Sonne Iesus Christ that by faith wee might beleeue in him and haue Communion with him and hee that doth beleeue in him shall neuer perish but haue eternall life And whence is all this from his loue there is no bond to tye God to doe this for vs but onely his loue to vs God so loued the world c. Iohn 17.23 I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loued them as thou hast loued mee That Christ is in vs and God in Christ and that all the faithfull haue a perfect Communion with God in Christ These are plaine Euidences to the eye of the world that God hath sent his Sonne to vs and that he hath loued vs in some measure as he loues Christ himselfe and that this loue was the cause why he did all this for vs So much for proofes of Scripture to confirme this point Secondly by Reasons The Reasons of the Doctrine are these First all Reason 1 the good that euer God doth to all or any of his creatures it is meerely of his owne loue and good will towards them therefore this Communion which God affords the faithfull to haue with him is much more from his loue That all the good that euer God doth to any of his creatures comes from his loue we may see Psal 145.16 Thou openest thy hand and fillest all things liuing of thy good pleasure then much more this Communion I say much more for the Reason ariseth vpon many aduantages First if all the good he doth to the other creatures comes from his loue much more the good hee doth to man must come from his loue Man being the choise and prime of the creatures Secondly if to men in generall of loue then much more to true beleeuers being the prime and choise of men in Gods estimation Thirdly if all the good God doth to true beleeuers comes from his loue then much more this blessed Communion which is the Prime and Choise and indeed the very Summe of all the good wee receiue from God so that the reason stands very strong Reason 2 The second Reason is drawne from the nature or kinde of this Communion What is that It is such a Communion as is betwixt the Father and the Child 2 Cor. 6.18 I will be your Father and you shall be my Sonnes and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty Now betwixt the Father and the Childe the case stands thus so long as the Father loues his Child so long he doth well by him and delights to do him good when his loue failes then the good he doth him failes too that which binds the Father to doe his Childe good is his loue towards him Now Isay 49.15 can a Mother forget her childe and not haue compassion on the Sonne of her wombe though shee should yet will not the Lord forget his Children The loue of a father to his child is changeable but Gods loue to his children is vnchangeable that bond may be broken and so all flies in sunder but this cannot be broken and therefore we cannot be sundred from God Againe it is such a Communion as is betwixt the head and the members Ephe. 4.15.16 and wee know that it is from a louing respect that the head carries to the members of the Body whereby the members receiue life and sense and motion from the head they are knit together in loue as in the 16. verse as that being the knitter of the members amongst themselues and to their head and therefore consequently of the head to the members as the Apostle makes the matter very cleare in that place Againe it is such a Communion as is betwixt the husband and the wife Hosea 2.19 and loue is all in all in that Communion First it brings them together then it knits them together and it holds them fast together to the death so it is betwixt God and vs looke into the booke of Canticles with a spirituall eye and there we shall see this Communion of the beleeuing soule with Christ compared to the Communion that is betwixt man and wife and we shall finde that there is neuer a stitch nor passage in it but is from loue Ephesians chap. 5. verse 25. Husbands loue your wiues as Christ loued his Church All that euer is done betwixt man and wife must be in loue and so it is betwixt CHRIST and his Church Reason 3 The third Reason there is no moouing cause in vs why the Lord should thus ioyne vs and tye vs vnto himselfe therefore it is of his meere loue there is no moouing cause on our part for what did or could the Lord see in vs whereby he might be induced to doe this for vs Is it our multitude that should moue God Oh no saith Moses Deut. 7.7.8 The Lord did not set his loue vpon you or chuse you because you were more in number then any people for you were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loued you c. What is it then our Beauty that should moue God to draw vs and bind vs in Communion with himselfe No we were in our blood when God set his loue vpon vs and entred into Couenant with vs Ezek. 16.7.8 What then was it our Righteousnesse No neither Titus 3.5 Not by the workes of Righteousnesse which we had done but according to his mercy he hath saued vs What was it because we loued him first No saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 4.10 Heerein is loue not that we loued him but that he loued vs and sent his Sonne c. No I will adde this further for the strengthening of this Reason that we are so farre from hauing any thing in vs of our selues to induce God to this to make vs one with his blessed Maiesty as that all that is in vs of our selues is vtterly against this Communion all of vs are sinners so farre are we off from hauing Righteousnes we were sometimes enemies to God so far are we from louing God we haue deserued to be ioyned in Communion with the Diuels in hell so farre off are we in our selues from deseruing to be ioyned with God Wee are vgly and deformed in our selues by our wickednesse so farre off are we from hauing any beauty whereby God should set his loue vpon vs We are running away from God as the lost child so farre off are we from drawing neere vnto God All these are
seperaters from God and no ioyners to God therefore it must needs be loue and nothing but loue yea the infinite loue of God to vs in Christ Iesus that gathers vs and bindes vs vp within this Communion It is his loue to couer such a multitude of sinnes his loue to care for vs when wee were carelesse of our selues his loue to affect vs that hated him his loue to ouercome our monstrous euilnesse with his mercifull goodnesse his loue to rescue vs raise vs vp from the gates of Hell and to set vs in heauenly places his loue to assume vs that were cast-awayes in our selues to be associated with his blessed Maiestie this is such a loue indeed as is admirable infinite worthy of God who if he were not loue it selfe hee could not nor would not haue shewed forth such fauour vnto vs. The first Vse of this Doctrine is matter of Confutation Vse 1 against the Doctrine of Mans merits If loue be the bond of our Communion of God in Christ then there is no merit of Saints nor of Angels that could euer bee the cause of it no worke before or after Iustification doth merit this before Iustification God sets his loue vpon vs freely that is agreed vpon on both sides but after Iustification say the Papists we may deserue heauen No say we the loue of God is the bond of our Communion with God which as it brings vs to God so it tyes vs fast to him sanctifies vs and glorifies vs. Vse 2 The second Vse is for Instruction teaching vs that seeing all true beleeuers haue a true Interest in the loue of God they are all ioyned to God and the bond that tyes them to him is his Loue therefore all true beleeuers are seised and possest of the loue of God A matter worthy to be well considered of vs as that that will call vpon vs and prouoke vs to many holy Duties Fiue Duties to be learned from the loue of God to vs First therefore we must know and beleeue this that God loues vs 1 Iohn 4.16 We haue known Dutie 1 and beleeued saith the Apostle the loue that God hath in vs Let vs labour therefore to get some comfortable knowledge and perswasion in our hearts that God loues vs. Wicked men are vsually too forward and too presumptuous in this case they runne on in sinne and in their owne vilde courses not regarding Gods loue and yet they presume and and perswade themselues that God loues them and if any tell them the contrary they defie him On the other side Gods children they are too backeward They repent and pray against their sinnes and fight against them and striue after grace and yet they are hardly perswaded of Gods loue to them Therefore how shall wee know certainely that God loues vs Certaine signes marks that God loueth vs. I answere we may know it First in generall by this very point in hand if wee haue this Communion with God if wee be ingrafted into Christ if we be obedient to the Spirit if we be constant and conscionable in the vse of the Word Sacraments and prayer then certainely God loues vs and wee are within the compasse of this Bond. Secondly thou maist know it in particular by this Art thou pluckt out of thy sinnes hast thou parted with them for conscience sake hath thy master-sin receiued his deaths-wound within thee Is thy heart clensed in some true measure from thy wickednesse Oh then certainely God loues thee Psal 73.1 Surely God is good to such as are of a pure heart As it is the greatest signe that euer can be of Gods wrath vpon vs when he suffers vs to liue and to dye in our sinnes so there is no greater signe of his loue then this that our sinnes are cast out of vs and wee not suffered to liue in them Thirdly thou maist know it by thy loue to GOD if thou loue GOD it is most certaine that he loues thee and if God loues thee thou canst not but loue God But how may I know certainely that I loue God indeed for I may be deceiued in this as well as in the other I answere looke into thy Obedience if thou hast an obedient heart to God then thou louest God Iohn 14.21 where Christ expresseth both how we may know we loue God secondly how wee may know that hee loues vs If wee would know whether wee loue God looke into our obedience He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them is he that loueth mee And if we would know whether God loues vs let vs looke into our loue to him And he that loueth me shall be loued of my Father and I will loue him saith our Sauiour Fourthly wee may know Gods loue to vs by our chastisements Hebr. 12.6 Whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth but afflictions and chastisements are common to all good and bad to the wicked as well as to the godly I answere Afflictions are so indeed but chastisements are peculiar to Gods people onely But how shall I know whether mine be chastisements I answere out of the 10. verse When God chastiseth vs it is for our profit And what profit that wee might be partakers of his holinesse therefore if wee would know it to be a chastisement looke whether we profit by it to holinesse If wee grow in grace it is a certaine and most sensible yea and infallible signe of Gods loue I say both these together chastisements and profit by them is an infallible signe of Gods loue to thee If Gods hand be vpon thee in minde or body or goods any way or euery way if thou doest profit by it to holinesse and get grace thereby into thy heart then certainely God loues thee This is a sensible Argument and an infallible signe of it it must needs be much loue that turnes sower into sweet the sowernesse of thy chastisements into the sweetnesse of his grace Dutie 2 Another Dutie that we may learne hence is to bee thankefull to God for this his great loue Oh that we could in any measure worthily praise the Lord for this his great loue to vs It is worthy of more thankes then wee are able to giue wee should study therefore how to praise God for it stirre vp all the powers of thy Soule to this duty say with Dauid Psal 103.1 Oh my Soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy Name And that which Dauid would haue all Nations to doe that we must doe Psal 117.1 Praise the Lord Thy soule fares the better for this loue and all that is within thee fares the better for it and therefore stirre vp thy selfe and say Praise the Lord Oh my Soule for his loue towards thee and let all that is within me praise him for his loue say it with thy mouth and doe it with thy heart and let thy life say Amen to it and then this loue of God is well bestowed vpon thee Gods loue is
liuely and quicke to vs and therefore let our thankefulnesse be so to him Thirdly hence we learne this Dutie to take comfort Dutie 3 in this loue of God It may comfort thee in afflictions in sicknesse in pouerty at the houre of death Many times God brings vs to the gates of death yet let vs know that God loues vs and then our state is happy we shall haue a sweet and comfortable passage through death to life So it may comfort vs against all the disgraces and scornes of the world the world accounts vs as of-scourings yet here is our comfort that howsoeuer the world accounts of vs yet God loues vs and then it is no matter though the whole world hate vs. Againe this may comfort vs in our prayers which we make to God If wee can come to God and pray Lord remember mee in thy loue can the Lord choose but heare vs If we can come to God with a sound perswasion in our hearts that God loues vs then our prayers shall ascend as a sweet perfume to God and God will surely heare them and that quickly The fourth Dutie we learne hence is to keepe our Dutie 4 selues in this loue of God Iude 21. It is the richest Iewell that euer we can haue and hee that changeth this state of Gods loue for any other hee changeth heauen for hell Therefore doe not prouoke God to breake off his loue from thee displease him not breake not his Lawes resist not his Spirit of grace grieue not his Children neglect not Prayer the Word nor the Sacraments nor other meanes of grace but obserue him duely and be ruled by him and so thou shalt keepe in his loue aboue all things turne not backe to thy olde Sinnes and if thou dost sinne as who doth not presently humble thy selfe make thy peace with him by vnfained Repentance and prayer and faith in the Mediator Iesus Christ renew thy Couenant in him and thus doing thou shalt be sure to keepe in his loue for this is the mercy and goodnesse of God to vs he remembers whereof wee be made and that we cannot but fall yet such is his mercy that if we returne vnto him hee will loue vs still Dutie 5 Fiftly here wee must learne this Duty to recompence our God with loue againe If a man of any fashion loue vs we were very hard-hearted if we would not loue him againe If God loue vs therefore wee must much more loue him againe In many things we cannot recompence God againe God is mercifull to vs we cannot be mercifull to him againe and so in other things But God is louing to vs and wee may recompence him and loue him againe for his loue to vs Our loue to him indeed comes farre short of his loue to vs yet it is that which God requires and which hee will accept and that loue which wee cannot shew to God let vs peece it vp with our loue to his Children and to his Gospell and to his Ministers and thus we may in some sort recompence Gods loue which he shewes to vs. Vse 3 The third Vse It teacheth vs how to esteeme of this great loue of God Ephes 2.4 which passeth knowledge Ephes 3.19 How Why thus As the originall and procuring Cause of all the good that euer we receiue at the hands of God 1 Ioh. 3.1 Wee are the Sonnes of God saith the Apostle What doth he rest there No Behold saith he What loue the Father hath giuen to vs that wee should be called the Sonnes of God Gods loue is the cause of our adoption If you aske why God chooseth vs iustifies vs sanctifies and glorifies vs the answere is because he loues vs But if you aske why hee loues vs There can be no reason giuen of it but because he loues vs. This is the Bond of all it comprehends all the rest of the good that God doth for vs but is not comprehended of any of them This Loue is God and God is Loue. Lastly this shewes vnto vs the Excellency of that Vse 4 Communion which true Beleeuers haue with God The excellency of a true Beleeuers communion with God manifested in foure things 1 Neerenesse because it is bound vp and tyed fast within the vnbounded limits of Gods loue Psal 144.15 Blessed are the people that be so yea blessed be the people whose God is the Lord Consider the Excellency of it in these particulars First the neerenesse of this Communion it is of loue and therefore it is most neere Loue doth transanimate vs as it were and makes of two one as it is betwixt man and wife or as the Heathen man said of two friends that they had one soule and two bodies and so Gods loue makes vs one with God not as if God hereby were become man or man God in proper and precise tearmes but as in a Communion betwixt a man and his wife they are not one man or one wife but one flesh so the loue of God to vs in this Communion makes vs not one God or one man but one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 2. Freenesse Secondly consider the Freenesse of this Communion Hosea 14.5 I will loue them freely saith God Luke 1.28 freely beloued God loues vs freely as when a father adopts a Childe for his owne freely As if one of you should see a Childe goe vp and downe the streetes and you should take him into your House and freely adopt him and make him your Childe so doth God he loues vs freely and out of his free loue takes vs into his House and adopts vs to be his Children 3. Surenesse Thirdly consider the Surenesse of this Communion the Bond of it is Gods loue and his loue is euerlasting Ier. 31.3 no time can weare it out and Can. 8.6.7 Loue is strong as Death much water cannot quench Loue It is so betwixt man and woman much more betwixt God and vs It is not our sinnes can quench his loue no loue couers a multitude of sinnes 4. Sweetnesse Lastly consider the Sweetnesse of this Communion betwixt God and vs if it be from the loue of God then it is most sweet Cant. 1.1 Thy loue is better then Wine If a man haue but a sparkle of this loue in him it cannot but quicken him yea it will rauish him Psal 63.3 thy loue is better then life All the blessings that we inioy whether they be spirituall or temporall are no blessings to vs except they be sweetened with this loue of God our meate our drinke our life yea Heauen it selfe is no blessing vnlesse it be sweetned to vs by this Loue of God what good did heauen to the Angels that fell wanting this loue of God Oh the loue of God to a Sinner What is it It is the heart of our hearts the life of our liues and happinesse of our Soules Worldly men let them haue what the world can affoord them wealth and honours and the like they can
Secondly how it doth sute with the present purpose of the Apostle First of the Title Our Lord or the Lord of the faithfull or the Lord ouer his Church Christ is our Lord A Lord is a name both of honour and also of authority and power therefore when the Apostle saith Christ Iesus our Lord we must vnderstand that he is the owner and also the guider and ruler of the faithfull hee gouernes vs by his lawes and guides vs by his Spirit and keepes vs in his protection and imployes vs in his seruice The Lordship of Iesus Christ ouer the Church or ouer the faithfull is to be conceiued vnder these termes First that he is our speciall Lord secondly that he is our spirituall Lord thirdly that he is our sauing Lord and fourthly that he is our absolute and onely Lord. First Christ is our speciall Lord God the Father and God the holy Ghost as well as God the Sonne is our Lord and yet there is but one Lord as there is but one God but this is in a generall sence But Christ is our Lord not onely in respect of the Godhead as the other persons are but in a speciall manner as hee is our Mediator Acts 2.36 God hath made him both Lord and Christ that is God hath put this office and honour vpon him God hath appointed him to be our Lord in a special manner as he is our Mediator Secondly he is our spirituall Lord he is not the Lord of our bodies onely but of our soules and our consciences and this Lordship which he hath ouer vs he exerciseth not in any worldly state or outward pompe but in a spirituall state as a heauenly Lord Iohn 18.36 My Kingdome is not of this world as who should say I am a King but not an earthly King a Lord but not a worldly Lord but I am a spirituall King and a heauenly Lord. Thirdly hee is our sauing Lord he is the Lord of the whole world of the wicked as well as of the faithfull in a generall sence but to them he is a destroying Lord to vs hee is a sauing Lord 2 Pet. 2.18 Last and grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Christ is so our Lord as he is also our Sauiour and that not onely with a temporall saluation to saue vs temporally for so as the Prophet speakes hee saues both man and beast but as our eternall Sauiour to giue vs euerlasting saluation both in grace and glory Fourthly he is our absolute and onely Lord ruling vs meerely by his owne will freeing vs from all forraigne powers and authority whatsoeuer If any creature haue any Lordship or authority ouer vs as Kings Princes Magistrates Parents and Ministers haue it is as subordinate to our Lord Iesus Christ And whatsoeuer they doe to vs they must doe it as vnder him and whatsoeuer we do to them we must doe it as vnto Christ Col. 3.23.24 Whatsoeuer ye doe doe it heartily as vnto the Lord and not men knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the reward for yee serue the Lord Christ It is in him and by him that they rule ouer vs and it is in him and for him that we doe seruice to them for so is the rule in that place The second point for Explication is how this Title sutes here with the present purpose of the Apostle Surely it sutes very fitly with it for it is a point very materiall to the cause in hand that is to proue the stability of the faithfull in the state of grace For some happily might obiect and say What if the loue of God be set vpon vs in Christ how come wee to fare the better for it Yes saith the Apostle the same Christ in whom God loues vs is himselfe our Lord and we are his seruants therfore his care respect for vs is such that looke whatsoeuer loue God doth intend and beare to vs in him himselfe being our Lord will faithfully mannage the same at all times for our best safety and greatest good The Apostle had named mighty aduersaries as Death Life Angels c. and for our better encouragement against them all hee sets out our Captaine and deliuerer in a high and glorious title He is a Lord and therefore farre aboue all our enemies he is our Lord and therefore can and will deliuer vs from them all Proofes We come to the proofes There is nothing more frequent in the new Testament then this that Iesus Christ is called our Lord and no maruell for this is the very summe of the Gospel the Apostle makes it to be so Rom. 1.1.3 Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ called to be an Apostle put a part to preach the Gospel of God Concerning his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. I will onely serue my selfe vpon such places of Scripture where Christ is called our Lord in some speciall significancy that is with some speciall reference to some notable worke whereby he hath shewed himselfe to be our Lord. 1 Cor. 8.6 Vnto vs there is but one God euen that Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him Hee had shewed before that there are many Gods and many Lords to others but to vs that is to the faithful there is but one God Father one Lord Iesus Christ Mark how significantly the Apostle applies this Title Lord to Iesus Christ in respect of the Soueraigne Lordly power he hath ouer all things especially ouer the faithfull Christ Iesus hath supreame authoritie ouer all things all things are by him and we by him and therefore he is our Lord and our onely Lord we haue but one Lord. Rom. 7.25 I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord. The Apostle had complained before of the bitter combate which he felt within himselfe betwixt the flesh and the spirit and finding himselfe ouer-matched with the lusts of the flesh in the 24. verse hee cryes out for helpe Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee and presently he thinkes vpon Iesus Christ our Lord and vpon him he sets downe his rest I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord as if he should say it is Iesus Christ our Lord that hath appointed me to this combate It is Iesus Christ our Lord that giues me strength in the combate and it is Iesus Christ our Lord that in due time will deliuer me and giue me victory in this combate though I be ouermatched with these enemies yet he will ouermatch them Who should a man flie to in his distresse but to his Lord So the Apostle here flyes to Christ Iesus as to his Lord 1 Cor. 15.57 Thanks be vnto God who hath giue vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ The Apostle speakes there of Christ and of his Resurrection from the dead whereby he hath ouercome death not for himselfe onely but for the faithfull and in that
feele in our selues in some measure else wee were neuer in the state of grace To open the point more fully and familiarly the estate of the loue of God and the estate of grace consists in certaine mutuall passages betwixt God and man On Gods part to man there are two chiefe passages Gods loue the perswasion of Gods loue and on mans part there are also two chiefe passages Faith and Loue All those that God will saue he loues them from all eternity in Iesus Christ there is Gods loue and in due time he acquaints them with it and perswades them by his Spirit to beleeue it and to accept of it and to returne loue and obedience for it there is his perswasion On mans part man being ouercome with the sence of this loue and the force of his perswasion he yeelds to God and imbraceth this loue and beleeues the promise of grace and applies it to himselfe here is our faith and withall is carryed after that good God with the whole bent of his Nature and streame of his affections that so dearely loued vs here is our loue Take it thus those whom God in mercy doth purpose to saue he will come vnto commonly vpon the hearing of the Word or else in some speciall affliction at the least in some good imployment and takes vs aside and drawes vs into some serious meditation of our estate and he breakes with vs to this effect as if he should say Ah poore sinfull soule thou art in a miserable a fearefull and a damnable case led away euery day into sinne in a fearefull manner and euery houre of the day thou hast deserued my wrath and fearefull curse to fall vpon thee if thou go on in these sinfull courses hell and damnation is thy portion for euer but I haue pitty vpon thee and would haue thee to haue pitty vpon thy selfe I doe not desire thy death but that thou doe repent and liue and out of my infinite loue to mankinde I haue giuen my owne deare Sonne Christ Iesus to die for such poore wretched sinners as thou art and now I come to tell thee and doe tell thee by my Spirit that thou poore sinfull soule art one of these sinners that CHRIST hath purchased by his most pretious bloud therefore my Sonne hearken vnto my voyce Oh my Sonne giue me thy heart turne thy loue and thy affections wholly vpon me beleeue thou in me and beleeue in my Sonne Christ Iesus beleeue his Spirit his truth his promises cast away all thy sinnes neuer let them enter into thy heart againe and giue thy selfe to promise and performe a holy life be perswaded by my aduise hold fast by me and I will hold fast by thee doe thus and I will be thy Father and thou shalt be my childe for euer Thus God wooes and thus hee winnes euery sinfull soule And this perswasion of his is not only a bare tender of grace as if God should say thou shalt be saued if thou wilt but it is Gods operatiue work of grace which he perswades vs and makes vs able willing to do he bids vs beleeue and withall he giues vs his Spirit and causeth vs to beleeue in Christ he perswades vs to set our loue vpon him and withall hee sheds forth his loue into our hearts by his holy Spirit and makes vs able and willing to loue him This is the right state of sauing grace or of the loue of God and when this knot of grace is knit betwixt God and the beleeuing Soule it can neuer be dissolued by all the powers of hell So we see the Doctrine explained that the hould which the faithfull haue in the loue of God through Iesus Christ it is a sure hould the estate of grace that they are in is an vndefeasible estate nothing can voide them nothing can depriue them of it The proofes of this Doctrine are these Proofes Psal 125.1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion that cannot be remoued but remaineth for euer The persons there spoken of are the same that we spake of in the Doctrine they that trust in the Lord the faithfull say wee that by faith and confidence haue gotten sure hould of God in Christ secondly the estate there spoken of is the same we speake of a sure and firme estate by way of comparison is set downe to be as mount Sion the surety whereof is set downe by negation it cannot be moued and by affirmation but remaineth for euer The substance of the speech is this mount Sion is so firmely setled as it can neuer be remoued But all they that trust in the Lord are in such a state therefore all they can neuer be remoued but stand fast for euer Some obiect and say it is true that the faithfull so long as they trust in the Lord are vnmoueable but they may cease to trust in the Lord and so may be remoued I answere this is a meere illusion of the place and this Scripture cannot be so deluded for if they that trust in the Lord may cease quite from trusting in him then they may loose their hold in him but the place saith they can neuer loose their hold in God for then Mount Sion may be remoued but saith the Text Mount Sion can neuer be remoued therefore they can neuer quite cease to trust in God the Prophet concludes as well the surenesse of their trust that it shall neuer faile as the surenesse of Mount Sion that it should neuer faile he affirmes as well the surenesse of their faith as the firmenesse of the hold they haue in God Matth. 7.24.25 whosoeuer heareth of mee these words and doth the same I will liken him to a wise man that builded his house vpon a Rocke This wise builder is euery true beleeuer and the house there built is the Rest that he sets himselfe vpon how hee lookes to be saued the grounding of this house vpon a Rocke is the relying of the Beleeuer truely and wholly vpon Christ Iesus by a true and liuely faith in his bloud the raine fell and the flouds came and the windes blew c. These are his tryals by afflictions temptations persecutions c. The best beleeuer is sure to haue tryals enough euen to the vttermost as much as he can stand vnder and not more but here is his comfort his house shall neuer fall because it is built vpon a Rocke the true beleeuer hath gotten sure hold on God by faith in Christ and therfore he can neuer fall Ioh. 3.36 He that beleeues in the Sonne hath euerlasting life c. These are the words of Iohn Baptist and are confirmed by our Sauiour and that by tearmes of asseueration Ioh 6.47 Verily verily I say to you hee that beleeueth in mee hath euerlasting life Here is a true Beleeuer and what is his portion euerlasting life and he saith not he shall haue but he hath it hee is sure of it hee is possessed of
vpon these First If I must doubt of my saluation then my loue cannot be so intire to God as it ought How can I loue God so heartily when I doubt whether he loues me or no But if I know that God loues mee If I be confident in that then am I carried with the strength of my loue to him againe 1 Iohn 4.10 Hereby is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs. Secondly our prayers will be but faint prayers I shall pray but faintly if I doubt whether God will heare me or no. Iames 1.6.7 Aske in faith and wauer not neither let that man thinke that hee shall receiue any thing of the Lord. Marke 11.24 Whatsoeuer you desire when you pray beleeue that you shall haue it and it shall be done vnto you If we beleeue that God will heare vs this makes vs to pray earnestly but if we come wauering and doubting we shall haue little heart to pray nay wee shall not receiue saith the Apostle Iames. Thirdly our spirituall fight must needs be vncomfortable we shall hardly endure and stand out the combate if we doubt of the victory but if once we know that we shall ouercome that will make vs to fight to the knees in blood In the 7. of Iudges Gideon was fearefull at the first to fight against the Midianites but when God had promised him the victory then verse 15. he saith to the people Vp for the Lord hath deliuered into your hands the hoast of Midian and so it is with vs in our spirituall fight If we beleeue that we shall ouercome we will vp and fight manfully against all our spirituall enemies Fourthly our peace of conscience will be vnsetled What setled peace can there be of doubtings Againe our hope cannot be a liuely hope if we doubt of our saluation 1 Thess 5.8.9 Put on the Brest-plate of faith and loue and the hope of saluation for an Helmet for God hath not appointed vs vnto wrath but to obtaine saluation by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ If wee doubted whether God had appointed vs vnto wrath and not to saluation we should haue little comfort to put on hope of saluation for an helmet but if we be perswaded of our saluation then wee would put it on with good comfort Againe our patience will be heartlesse when wee haue no certainety of a Crowne Iames 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receiue the Crowne of life If once we beleeue that we shall receiue the Crowne of life we will endure all tryals patiently Again our repentance wil be but an hourly repentance if we haue not a good perswasion to find mercy Mar. 1.13 Repent and beleeue the Gospell We must beleeue the Gospell else we cannot repent Lastly faith mixt with feares and doubtings is but a small and a little faith Math. 8.26 Why are yee fearefull O yee of little faith And so in the whole course of grace all the duties of Gods seruice will be much dampt in vs if we goe not along with this full Sayle this full perswasion Yea but say the Papists where doe you finde in any place in all the Scripture that it is written that euery particular man by name shall be saued Is there any among you named in the Scripture If it be not written there how can it be beleeued I answere we haue as good cause to beleeue as if our names were set downe in Scripture God hath made his promises vpon such and such quallifications if I then finde these in my selfe I may build vpon Gods promises that they are made to me As if the King should proclaime that aâ—l his true-hearted Subiects should haue such and such fauours why if I finde I haue a true heart to the King I may conclude that I am there meant as well as if I were there named and so it is betwixt God and vs God saith in his word that whosoeuer beleeues and repents shall be surely saued then say I I beleeue and repent in my poore measure therefore I conclude that I shal be saued For the first Proposition the aduersaries agree with vs that whosoeuer beleeues and repents shall be saued but to the second they say how doe you know that you beleeue and repent I answere faith is an act and therefore may be known of the beleeuer as he that sees doth know he sees and he that heares doth know he heares c. and is not our beliefe a matter of our vnderstanding as well as of our will Therefore euery one that beleeues knowes that he doth beleeue it is a very vntoward faith that is without knowledge of it and he a goodly beleeuer that knowes not whether he beleeues or no. Math. 9.28 Iesus asketh the blinde men beleeue ye that I am able to doe this and they said vnto him yea Lord and so Ioh. 9.35.38 he asked the blinde man whom he had cured Dost thou beleeue in the Sonne of God Verse 38. He said Lord I beleeue Euery true beleeuer knowes and can truely say he doth beleeue Againe we may know we haue faith by the proper effects of faith which is a godly life Lastly we may know it by the Spirit bearing witnesse to our Spirits Rom. 8.16 And there cannot but be certainty of faith where there is the sence of faith by the Spirit Vse 2 The second Vse is for reproofe of some amongst vs that mince this matter of assurance We hope well say they that we shall be saued but we are not sure of it Doe you hope well It is fit you should and if your hope be a true hope it will neuer make you ashamed But let vs examine it doe you hope to be saued without ground or vpon some good ground If without ground then it is a vaine and foolish hope that will deceiue thee if vpon good ground then know that there is no true ground for hope but faith Faith is the ground of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 and therefore if we hope to be saued we beleeue we shall be saued for true hope is as certaine as faith Heb. 6.9 If we beleeue certainely wee hope certainely so much faith as we haue so much hope we haue and so much hope as wee haue so much faith we haue and therefore labour to know the ground of thy hope Why dost thou hope thou shalt be saued why because thou beleeuest thou shalt be saued The last Vse is to teach euery one of vs to labour Vse 3 for this confidence it is worth our labour it is the sweetest comfort that euer we can haue liuing or dying to know certainly that our sinnes are forgiuen vs in Christ and that we are perfectly in the fauour of God and haue true right and interest to heauen We looke into our Euidences for our Lands and make all sure for them much more should we make sure for our estate in grace and interest in heauen we had need
whether wee die that is for our state in death we die vnto the Lord that is we consecrate and offer vp our soules and bodies a holy Sacrifice to God Then secondly Gods protection ouer them in the end of the verse Whether we liue or dye we are the Lords whether wee liue that is for our estate in life we are the Lords that is the Lord protects vs. keepes vs and preserues vs in all dangers or whether we die that is for our state in death the Lord comforts vs saues vs and deliuers vs out of all dangers and euils that by death are threatned vnto vs so thou be a true beleeuer and labour to liue and die in obedience to God and then surely whether thou liuest or dyest thou art the Lords he will protect preserue and saue thee in all dangers of life and death which is as much to say that all true beleeuers are in good safety c. As in the Doctrine In Psal 73.23.24 The Prophet makes it his owne particular speaking to the Lord in the sweet meditation of his soule I was alway with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand thou wilt guide me by thy Councell and afterward receiue me to glory I was alwayes with thee saith the Prophet then he was euer in true safety Thou hast holden mee by my right hand therefore alwayes protected by God in all dangers here is intire safety yea but that is for the time past but what shall be for the time to come All safety too for his whole life thou will guide mee with thy Councell thy counsell shall free me from all dangers preserue me in dangers carry me safely through all my dangers that is for the state of my life but what shall become of vs at death All safety too euen to death in death and after death yea more then safety euen safety in glory and afterward receiue me to glory Phil. 1.20 I am confident saith the Apostle that the Lord Iesus Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death Paul applies it to his particular he is confident of his safety whatsoeuer comes that Christ shall be magnified in his body c. And how shall Christ be magnified in his body in life and death why in life by his manifold deliuerances from the manifold dangers of life and in death by his full deliuerance from all euils and dangers of life and death Consider life and death asunder first in life Gods children are in full safety vnder Gods protection all their life Psal 66.9 Our feete are subiect to many slippings and slidings whilest we walke here in this world euen all our lifetime yea but saith the Prophet God holdeth our soules in life and suffereth not our feete to slip that is God holds vs so as that wee shall not fall away from his loue in Christ Secondly in death they are in safety too vnder Gods protection Psal 116.15 Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints A poore childe of God lies vpon his death-bed and bemoanes himselfe his friends also greeue for him in the sight of the world he is in a greeuous and miserable state yea but in the sight and estimation of God his death is very pretious and deare the Lord loues him the Lord comforts him and at his death the Lord receiues his soule as a pretious Iewell into his owne bosome his death is pretious to the Lord it seperates the vile from the holy death seperates him from his foule sinnes and from his filthy corruptions and from his vncleane flesh and from the wicked world a pretious seperation but it neuer seperates him from the loue of God in Christ Iesus our Lord no it is so farre from that as God esteemes his children more pretious in their death then in their life Reason 1 The reasons why all Gods children are in such safety vnder Gods protection are especially these First because God is the Lord of life and death Deu. 32.39 I kill and give life and God is not onely the Lord of life and death it selfe but of the state of life and death he giues life and he disposeth of vs and of our whole estate in life and he inflicts death and disposeth our state in death we liue of the Lord and in the Lord and to the Lord and we die of the Lord and in the Lord to the Lord. I say he is the Lord of life and death and they are his seruants and they can doe nothing but what God will haue them to doe and therefore except God himselfe will hurt vs these can neuer hurt vs nor put vs out of his safty yea further seeing the Lord himselfe loues vs and protects vs life and death being his seruants shall be applyed and disposed of for the seruice of our safety and protection God is not gouerned by our state condition either in life or death but our state both in life death is altogether ouer-ruled by God framed according to his owne will so that his will being to doe vs good life and death therfore and our whole state in them must be answerable therunto Secondly the Ministry of Gods Angells that is Reason 2 another reason of it for both in life and in death we are vnder the custody of the Angells and that by Gods appointment as hee being the Prince of Angells God giues his Angels charge ouer vs to keepe vs in safety both in life and death and that is the true reason of our safety Psal 91.10 11. The Angels keepe vs and that vniuersally in all our wayes they keepe vs and that very charily and tenderly they beare vs in their hands and they keepe vs very safely and surely so that we dash not our foot against a stone Now the protection of the Angels is Gods own protection because it is by his appointment and therfore ascribe it not to the Creature it is due to the Creator blesse God for it The Angels doe many good offices for vs they waite on vs they destroy our enemies they comfort vs in our distresses and troubles but aboue al they guard our persons in the time of our life Psa 34.7 The Angel of the Lord pitcheth his Tents round about them that feare him deliuereth them And they guard our soules at the time of our death and carry them into Abrahams bosome as they did the soule of Lazarus Luk. 16.22 Here is the safety of Gods children vnder Gods protection both in life and death Thirdly Life and death are ours our friends and Reason 3 on our side and at our seruice 1 Cor. 3.21 All things are yours Life is ours and therefore all the passages of life are for vs and not against vs Death is ours and therefore all the passages of death are for vs not against vs Gods children haue a speciall title to life death to claime them for their owne they haue
endanger vs yet occasionally in regard of our weaknesse and corruption they may endanger vs We may in our weaknes abuse them or mistake their seruice or put our trust in them and so indanger our selues greatly by them I will giue you a plaine instance in the holy Apostle S. Iohn Reuel 19.10 and Reuel 22.8 he was a true beleeuer yet in his weaknesse by occasion of a good Angell he was in danger to commit a vile and most fearefull sinne the very sinne of Idolatry and that not once but twise and that though he were reproued for it A grieuous sinne but the Angell he hinders him See thou doe it not saith he worship not mee worship God In which we may obserue two things that doe effectually concerne the poynt in hand first that true beleeuers may through their corruption and weakenesse be indangered in the estate of grace by the good Angels yet secondly that God will neuer suffer them to be ouercome and swallowed vp of this it shall neuer preuaile vtterly to separate them from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And so now the Doctrine being thus cleared wee come to the proofes Proofes which are these Mat. 18.10 See that ye despise not one of these little ones for I say vnto you that in heauen their Angels alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in heauen These words are the words of our Sauiour and he ownes them by a speciall challenge I say vnto you I that know well what belongs to God and to Gods Angels and to Gods little ones I say vnto you despise not one of these little ones for in heauen their Angels alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in heauen The matter affirmed there is the continuall attendance of the Angels in the presence of God but the drift of the speech is to note the continuall care that the Angels of God haue ouer Gods weake children as appeares first by their title their Angels they are Gods Angels as he being their Lord and Master to whom they doe belong and they be our Angels as we being the children of that their Lord and Master and in respect of the care and charge that they are imployed in about vs. Secondly it appeares by the forme of the reason See saith our Sauiour you despise not one of Gods weake children see that you hurt them not for I say vnto you as who should say doe not despise them nor hurt them for if you doe surely their Angels will reuenge the wrong and hurt done to them Thirdly by the time alwayes this is not for a day nor a yeare but alwayes without ceasing put all these together and the Doctrine is here clearely proued that the Angels of God are ours they are for vs and not against vs they will be auenged on those that hurt vs and therefore will neuer hurt vs themselues and this is their care practise always they are euer imploide about our good and therefore they shall neuer separate vs from our greatest good of all from the loue of God in Christ Iesus Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes that shall be heires of saluation The Apostle speakes here generally of all good Angels Are they not all and doth not diuide them in office or nature but ioynes them in both they are all spirits by nature And what are they by office They are all ministring spirits and what ministry is it that they are imploied in sent forth c. God sends them forth from time to time to performe certaine offices about his children and his heires as a father makes his seruants to attend him that shall be his heire and they are sent forth to minister for their sakes that shall be heires of saluation They are most dutifull attendants on vs that are heires and they minister for our sakes that is for our good comfort and protection onely neuer for our hurt they know from God that wee are appointed to saluation and shall they at any time hinder vs of it They take notice of it that wee are heires to their Lord and Master and shall they being seruants goe about to hinder vs of the inheritance which their Lord and Master and our Father hath appointed to vs No surely they will not doe it but on the contrary they will helpe and further vs all they can thereunto Psal 91.11 12. Hee shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes c. God hath committed his children to the charge and custody of his Angels What to doe to keepe them not to destroy them and to keepe them in all their wayes they shall not faile them in any one passage of their life to beare vs vp in their hands neuer to suffer vs to fall vtterly frō God much lesse to cause vs so to fall that thou dash not thy foot against a stone They shall preserue vs from the harmes that our selues or others might do vnto vs therefore themselues shall neuer hurt vs in the least kind much lesse in the matter of grace and saluation A place so pregnant to prooue the infallible protection of Gods children by the Angels that the Diuell himselfe acknowledgeth it for a certaine truth and alleageth it for that purpose Math. 4.6 Lastly their practise makes this good by experience what good offices haue they done from time to time for Gods children preserued them from their enemies as Lot Gen. 19.10 deliuered them out of prison as Peter Acts 12. comforted them in their distresses Acts 27.23 24. freed them in their troubles as the Israelites Isay 65.9 shewed them and directed them what they must doe to be saued as Cornelius Acts 10.5 In a word infinite are the good offices that the good Angels haue done for Gods children but there is not one place extant in all Gods word to prooue that any good Angel hath done any harme to any one of Gods children No that is for the euill Angels to hurt vs they hurt vs altogether and neuer doe vs the least good but the good Angels they helpe vs alwayes they are altogether and onely to helpe vs and neuer to doe vs the least harme and therefore they with all the power they haue can neuer separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Reason 1 The reasons of this poynt may be reduced to these two heads First the good Angels will not hinder our saluation if they could Secondly they cannot doe it if they would First they will not doe it if they could for there are foure ingagements whereby the will of the Angels is so stirred and inclined towards vs as that they will neuer hurt vs if they could first the zeale of Gods glory Secondly obedience to Gods will Thirdly their dependance on Iesus Christ And fourthly their communion they haue with vs. First the zeale of Gods glory Isa 6.2 they
that all these wicked fiends shall never bee able to seperate vs from the loue of God in Christ Iesus and therefore there is no cause why the weakest beleeuing soule here present should be daunted at the hearing of this argument Let vs therefore proceed in the strength of God and in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and in the grace and comfort and direction of his holy spirit and in the light and direction of Gods word and we shall finde an heauenly light arise vnto vs out of this hellish darknesse The generall Doctrine concerning all Angels good and bad was the last time propounded which being applyed to this particular ariseth naturally thus Doctrine That howsoeuer it bee that euill Angells are mighty workers and great in power and doe maliciously bend all the power they haue against true beleeuers to make this separation of them from the loue of God in Christ yet notwithstanding not all the euill Angels with all their power and malice or all that they can doe shall euer be able to separate all nor any one true beleeuer from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. For the opening of this Doctrine I will propound these foure particulars wherein I shall lay open the whole nature of the poynt The first particular is what these euill Angels are The second how these euill Angels are fitted against vs Thirdly how they seeke to annoy vs And lastly how farre they may endanger vs. For first wee must know our enemies what they are and secondly we must know their prouision how they are fitted against vs and then thirdly we must know their courses how they may annoy vs and lastly we must know the euent and issue how farre they may endanger vs These being knowne the Doctrine shall be well and plainly vnderstood First We must know what these euill Angels are Explication in foure things concerning the euill Angells The euill Angels are those that left their first estate and are become vtter enemies to God and to man and to all the creatures especially to Iesus Christ and to Gods children and to all matter of grace and goodnesse First that they are such as left their first estate we may see in Iude 6. Secondly they are enemies for hence they haue their name Sathan and there is no name more commonly giuen them both in the Olde and New Testament then this name Sathan which signifieth an enemy And howsoeuer this name in the Scripture seemes sometime to poynt out the chiefe of Diuels yet it doth appeare that it is applyed in Scripture to all Diuels Math. 12.26 If Sathan cast out Sathan which is not meant of the Prince of Diuels as if the Prince should cast out the Prince but it is meant of all the Diuels if they should be one against another then how should their Kingdome stand They are enemies and they are vtter enemies deadly enemies and that first to God dishonouring him accusing him blaspheming him opposing against him to the vttermost of their power Secondly they are enemies to man they murthered vs all with one blow in the loynes of Adam and not content with that they still follow the blow and pursue mankinde with deadly hatred Thirdly they are enemies to all the Creatures seeking and working daily as much as in them lyes the vtter ruine and confusion of the whole frame and order of nature in the Sea in the winde and in the aire and in all places Fourthly they are speciall enemies to Iesus Christ this is that that galls these euill spirits that IESVS CHRIST the mediatour betwixt God and man comes to reconcile God to man and to deliuer man out of the power of these hellish spirits yea and that hee doth vtterly destroy and vanquish these euill spirits and all that take part with them euen all the powers or darknesse here is their edge and stomacke this heauenly person Iesus Christ in this heauenly office of the Mediatour is the principall obiect of all their hellish spight They fought against him by themselues and by their instruments all his life and at his death they layd on load and did bend and muster-vp all their forces and spit out all their venome against him Fiftly they are enemies to Gods children they are also a great eye-sore to Sathan they cannot endure them and it is hard to say whether Sathan hate our heauenly Father more for our sakes or whether he hate vs the more for our heauenly Fathers sake howsoeuer the Diuell is our aduersary in a specially manner 1 Pet. 5.8 Your aduersary the Diuell saith the Apostle he is a generall accuser accusing man to God and God to man but he is the speciall accuser of the brethren Lastly he is an enemy to all grace and goodnesse he hinders it he slanders it he hates it he suppresseth it with all his power hee knowes that if grace and goodnesse stand he must fall and therefore he labours to ouerthrow all grace and goodnesse that he may stand See this in one of his Impes Acts 13.10 Elymas the Sorcerer Oh childe of the Diuell saith the Apostle to him enemy to all righteousnesse c. If it be so with the Children that they are enemies to all goodnesse much more is it so with their father the Diuell So we see what these euill Angels are Secondly Let vs see how they are fitted against vs 2. In nine things concerning them for this is needfull to be knowne that so we may prouide against them They haue many aduantages whereby they are fitted against vs first they are very many secondly they are very strong thirdly they are very malicious fourthly they are very subtle fiftly they are very actiue and nimble sixtly they are very busie seauenthly they are very wel appointed eightly they are very well experienced and lastly they are very dangerous First They are very many Marke 5.9 One man was possest of a legion of Diuels now a legion containes sixe thousand what so many Diuels in one poore man how many thinke you are then in all the world Any one Diuell is too hard for any one man oh how hard then is that poore soule bested that is assaulted with many Diuels This is the case not of some of vs onely but of all of vs if we vnderstand our case aright Secondly As they are very many so they are very strong and therefore they are set out in Scripture vnder the similitudes of a strong man Luke 11.21 When a strong man armed keepeth the pallace c. and so of a strong beast yea the strongest of all Beasts a Lyon 1 Pet. 5.8 Your aduersary the diuell as a roaring Lyon c. and the hould which they haue in the heart of an vnregenerate man is said to be a strong hould 2 Cor. 10.4 they are very strong in getting the prey it shall escape them hard but they will seize vpon vs and they are very strong in keeping the prey when
greater dis-couragement And the speech containes two things first the enmity that should be betwixt the woman the Serpent betwixt their seeds that is betwixt Sathan mankind secondly the issue euent of it the enmity in the former part of the verse I will put enmity c. where we see first that this is a mutuall enmity that is of Sathan against vs and of vs against him he should exercise continuall enmity against vs and we must exercise a continuall enmity against him secondly it is a deadly enmity a deadly feude as we say not onely against the persons themselues but against their seed too it is a deadly enmity neuer like to be reconciled he and his seed against vs and our seede and we and our seed against him and his seed Thirdly this emnity is of Gods own ordinance I will put it saith God therefore neuer thinke it strange that Sathan is such a deadly enemy against vs God hath so ordained it neither must we thinke it much that wee are continually put to this fight against Sathan for it is God that hath imposed this condition vpon vs. Then the issue followes in the latter part of the verse It shall breake thine head and thou shalt bruise his heele Sathan shall but bruise her heele hee may tempt and trouble and disquiet Gods children and persecute them and take away their goods and happily their liues too but this is nothing it is but a little nibling at the heele it is nothing in respect of our soule It is but the heele that he can hurt some outward part but he can neuer touch vs in our head that is in the hold that we haue in the loue of God through Iesus Christ But on the other side the seed of the woman shall breake thine head saith God Sathan shall part with the greatest losse his head shall be broke and his power destroyed his purposes disappointed and at last himselfe vtterly vanquished and confounded Here is strong comfort for Gods children Yea but this is spoken of Christ himselfe he is the seed meant there I answere It is spoken of Christ indeed but withall vnderstand that in the case of Christ is set forth the case of euery beleeuing soule as Christ being the head and wee the members and therfore that which is done by Christ against Sathan is done for vs on our behalfe and to our benefit Matth. 16.18 Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it In the 16. verse Peter had made a glorious confession of sauing faith Thou art that Christ the Sonne of the liuing God In this 18. verse our Sauiour quits him and saith Thou art Peter c. as if he should say Is it so Peter that thou hast this faith in thine heart to make this confession of me Then I say vnto thee Thou art Peter and vp on this Rocke that is not vpon Peters person nor vpon Peters confession but vpon the matter of his confession Christ Iesus the Sonne of the liuing GOD vpon this Rocke will I build my Church that is all true beleeuers and that so firmely and surely that all the gates that is all the powers of hell shall neuer preuaile against it to ouerthrow it Hell hath many gates the gates of sinne death and the Diuell yet all these gates of hell and all these powers of darkenesse shall neuer be able to shake off this building from this foundation this Church from this Rocke to seperate any one true beleeuing soule from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord many other promises there are in the Scripture of this nature yea but these are but promises If these promises doe not sufficiently confirme our distrustfull hearts in the perswasion of this heauenly truth see it by experience and let that confirme vs. In Reuel 12.7 to 11. verse where the holy Ghost sets it downe as a thing already done there is set downe a battaile and the successe the battaile in the 7. verse Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon and his Angels fought Here must needs be a great Battaile when all the world is deuided into two parts to fight one against another What is the successe first on the Dragons part he preuailed not verse 8. hee was disappointed of his purpose all his labour against Gods children was lost and spent in vaine and in the 9. verse hee was cast out of Heauen and his Angels with him hee had a shamefull ouerthrow The successe in respect of the beleeuers what was that first great ioy and triumph in heauen verse 10. and secondly a glorious conquest verse 11. they ouercame him how by that blood of that Lambe c. This is the common estate of Gods Church and children and this euery true beleeuing soule shall surely finde in particular in his greatest fight against sinne and Sathan from time to time to the end of the world The Reasons of this point Reasons There are no reasons on our part why Sathan doth not preuaile against vs for we are ready to lye downe as beasts and to betray our owne soules and to be taken of him at his pleasure no all our stay and safety is meerely through God in Christ The first Reason is this God by his power restrains and limits the power of Sathan as we may see in Iob 1. and 2. Chapters when hee lets him loose vpon Iob it is with restraint still all that he hath is in thy power onely vpon himselfe put not forth thy hand Iob 1.12 And in the 2. Chapter and 6. Verse Behold he is in thine hand but saue his life Now the power of God is more mighty to helpe vs then the power of Sathan is to hurt vs 1 Iohn 4.4 Hee is greater that is in vs then he that is in the world and except the Lord should thus limit and binde the power of Sathan no man liuing could euer stand against him God restraines him and keepes him as a Lyon within barres and grates Secondly he restraines their rage and malice as he did Luke 8.33 where he turned the rage of the Diuels from the man that was possest with them vnto the swine Gods goodnesse is more able and ready to preserue vs then Sathans malice is to destroy vs. Thirdly God defeats the plots and purposes of these euill spirits Zach. 3.1.2 his wisedome ouer-reaches all their subtilties and watches ouer vs more effectually to saue then they with all their subtilties can doe to cast vs away Fourthly God endues vs with grace and strength from aboue to resist and stand fast that they may not preuaile against vs for it is not our owne strength we stand by but it is the power of God 1 Cor. 12.9 His grace and his power is all-sufficient to preserue vs. The last maine Reason is from Christ himselfe for he is Sathans vanquisher and he is
with God or that men haue with God the first wee will let passe as not so incident to the point in hand For the second the Communion which men haue with God it is of two sorts also generall or speciall Generall which all men haue with God by nature as men for Christ hauing taken vpon him the whole nature of mankinde all men doe Communicate with him as he is man they partake with him and he with them as man with man as the Apostle-shewes Heb. 2.14 For as much as the Children were partakers of flesh and bloud hee also himselfe likewise tooke part with them c. The speciall Communion is that which we haue with God through Christ by grace and this likewise is of two sorts either in the outward meanes or in the inward truth of grace In the outward meanes of grace and this is the case of all Professors of the Gospell that are outwardly called to the Communion of the word and of the Sacraments they haue Communion with God in Christ in respect of the outward meanes of grace and are reputed members of Christs Body and this they haue as Christ is head of the Church visible In the inward truth of grace and this is proper and peculiar to the faithfull onely that are effectually called and by faith truely ingrafted into Christ and this Communion they haue with God in Christ as Christ is the head of the Church inuisible that is of the whole company of Gods chosen and this is the true Communion here intended Vnderstand it thus God loues his chosen freely in Christ Iesus and in his loue giues his Spirit to his chosen by his Spirit hee workes faith into their hearts by faith Christ dwels within them and is made one with them and they with him and so in him they are made one with God so then if yee aske me what this Communion is I say it is our vniting or ioyning to God If yee aske me who are the persons that are ioyned they are true Beleeuers all they and none else If ye aske me in whom they are ioyned I say in Christ Iesus Lastly if yee aske mee what manner of Communion this is I say it is by grace and by the Spirit and therefore it is a spirituall and holy Communion and so you haue the whole Doctrine and euery branch of it plainely cleared and opened So much for Explication Now secondly for Confirmation Confirmation 1. By Scriptures and that shall be both by Scriptures and Reasons First by Scripture 2 Pet. 1.4 We are made partakers of the godly or diuine nature c. True Beleeuers are not onely made partakers of Gods blessings or of his guifts but of Gods nature and being And how not by way of partition as if some part of the godly Nature were taken from God and giuen to vs for that is impossible the diuine nature can neuer be deuided but by way of Communion as communicating in the nature of God by a blessed vnion 1 Cor. 6.17 Hee that is ioyned to the Lord is one Spirit The Apostle here affirmes two things of euery true beleeuer First that euery true Beleeuer is ioyned or glewed to the Lord as the word signifies Secondly the proceede of it and that is this that they are one Spirit Euery true Beleeuer is ioyned or glewed to the Lord there is our Coniunction Euery Beleeuer that is ioyned to the Lord is one Spirit there is the proceede of this Coniunction euen to an holy and sound Communion The Scripture speakes yet more particularly affirming that we are not onely ioyned to Gods being and nature but to euery person in the God-head This blessed Communion is made betwixt vs and the whole blessed Trinity the Father Sonne and holy Ghost as in the 1 of Iohn 1.3 Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ there is our Communion with the Father and with the Sonne 1 Cor. 1.9 Yee were called vnto the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ there is our Communion with the Sonne and in the 2 Cor. 13.13 The Communion of the holy Ghost be with you all c. there is our Communion with the holy Ghost We haue this Communion therefore with God the Father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost In precise tearmes take it thus wee haue a Communion with God in Christ through the Spirit God the Father is the subiect to whom wee are vnited Christ is the Mediator in whom we are vnited the Holy Spirit is the worker by whom we are thus ioyned and vnited God loues vs freely and in his loue giues vs his Spirit and thereby workes faith in our hearts and by Faith and by the Spirit Christ is made one with vs and we with him and in him wee are made one with God So much for proofes by Scripture The Reasons why there is such a Communion of the faithfull with God are these The first reason is Confirmation by Reasons Reason 1 the Loue of God to them Ezek. 16.8 When I passed by thee and looked vpon thee behold thy time was the time of loue and I spread my skirt ouer thee and couered thy nakednesse yea I sware vnto thee and entred into a couenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine What is the reason that the Lord did all this for his people It was his loue it was the time of loue and therefore he did ioyne them to himselfe and made them his Yet further our Communion with God in Christ is compared to a Marriage in Scripture Hosea 2.19.23 Ephes 5.31.32 Now why doth a Man marry a Woman Is it not because he loues her else hee dissembles but God cannot dissemble And therefore the maine reason why God marries vs and makes vs one with himselfe is this because he loues vs. Secondly the mediation of Christ makes this Communion God is in Christ and the Beleeuer is in Christ and there is the Communion the Beleeuer is one with God in Christ Christ by his Incarnation makes this Communion by his intercession he procures it and by his death he doth purchase it and by our sanctification he applyes it and makes it ours By his Incarnation hee makes it For Christ being God and comming downe and taking our nature vpon him and becomes man then there is Emanuel God with vs Matth. 1.23 not onely God with Christ as hee being made one with God but God with vs as we through Christ being made one with God and he with vs. Secondly in his Intercession he procures it as Ioh. 17.20.21.22 Neither pray I for these alone but for them also that shall beleeue in me through their word that they may all be one as thou Father art in mee and I in thee that they also may be one in vs Here Christ prayes for all true Beleeuers and what is his request that they all may be one c. that is there may be an holy Communion not onely betwixt
are equall but here God and man must be mediated betweene the parties are very vnequall and therefore here is a further matter to be pressed If the King be displeased with the subiect he that must mediate betwixt them and makes the peace must be such an one as the King loues that so dearely as that for his sake he can be content to forgiue loue the party that hath offended him in this case the loue shewed to the offender is granted in his loue to the Mediator So it is betwixt God vs we haue displeased him therefore Christ our Mediator he must be so dearely beloued of God that for his sake God wil be reconciled to vs so that the ground of all Gods loue to vs is in Christ Iesus Yea here is yet a further matter much more enforcing this Reason Here is such a mediation as the like is not found in the world againe The Mediator is in both the parties betwixt whom he mediates and both they are in him that is God in Christ and Christ in God Christ in the faithfull and the faithfull in him and therefore there can be no loue of God to vs but it must be grounded on Christ Lastly in respect of his absolute State in himselfe for what saith the Apostle All the treasures of the wisdome and knowledge of God are hid in Christ Col. 2.2.3 If all Gods Treasure be in him then the riches and treasure of Gods loue is in him too In him dwels the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily verse 9. If the fulnesse of the Godhead then the fulnesse of Gods loue dwels in him there is the ground seate and Residence of it And therefore the ground of all the loue that God beares to vs is in Christ Iesus Vse 1 The first Vse of this point for matter of Confutation of two popish Errours at once namely concerning the mediation of Saints and the merits of man Vnderstand this one point well that Christ Iesus is the ground of all Gods loue to vs and the multitude of mediators and mans merits will fall to the ground euen as Dagon did before the Arke Christ is the ground of Gods loue to vs What neede we any other mediators he onely brings vs into Gods loue and fauour and none else can doe it so for mans merits they cannot procure Gods loue Christ merits all at Gods hand If we can merit any thing it is either grace or glory and this wee cannot merit vnlesse wee can merit Gods loue and that wee cannot doe vnlesse we can merit Christ Iesus who is the infinite treasure of God for he is the seate of it and if we will say that we can merit Christ then wee may say that we can merit Gods loue else we can neuer do it and if we cannot merit Gods loue then we can neither merit grace nor glory I do not hereby dis-hearten men from good workes but from the pride of them Doe not thinke to merit any thing at the hands of God by them all our merit is in Christ for God loues vs onely in him The second vse serues to shew vs the wofull and Vse 2 miserable estate of those that are out of Christ First shewing the wofull estate of those that are out of Christ and the blessed and happy estate of those that are in Christ First the wofull and miserable estate of those that are out of Christ all that are without Christ that is that are not regarded of God in Christ they are in a fearefull taking God loues them not they may loue themselues and the world may loue and applaud them but God doth not loue them When these prophane wretches shall come to fawne on God in their priuate houses by reading praying singing of Psalmes c. What wil God say vnto them Away get you from me you are not in Christ I loue you not If they come to Gods House to heare the word to receiue the Sacraments to call vpon God with the Assembly or the like what will God say to them Get you hence you are not in Christ I loue you not But when they shall come before Gods iudgement seate and there make profession of their almes deuotion profession formality in Religion and the like what will God say to them Depart from mee yee accursed yee are not in Christ I loue you not In that day they shall feele and finde what it is to be destitute of Gods loue and to be out of Châ—ist for the euerlasting wrath and hatred and curse of God shall be shewed vpon them to the vttermost Ioh. 3.36 Hee that beleeues in the Sonne hath euerlasting life and on the contrary hee that obeyeth not the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him They that doe not beleeue and obey Christ they are exposed to the wrath and hatred of God it shall be their portion for euer The Apostle Eph. 2.12 speakes of the Ephesians before their calling and saith that they were without hope and without God in the world Hee that hath not his part in Christ hath no part nor portion in God but onely as the Beasts or the Diuels haue the maintaining hand of God for life and maintenance yea but there is no sauing loue of God to them that are without Christ but they are exposed to the curse and wrath of God And let vs take hold vpon one particular in that place for the present occasion It is said there That they were strangers from the Couenant c. You come heereto receiue the Sacrament the Seale of Gods Couenant see therefore that ye haue faith in Christ and be in Christ and that you be reconciled to God in him else you are strangers from this Couenant you haue nothing to doe with this Seale it concernes you not therefore if you be without Christ get you hence you are but Dogges and Swine in Gods estimation these precious pâ—arlâ—s these holy things of God are not to be communicated vnto you ye haue no part in these things Secondly Secondly shewing the blessed estate of those that be in Christ truely this shewes the happy blessed estate of all true Beleeuers that are truely in Chrâ—st and that desire to be â—â—ke vnto him They haue a happy state they haue true right and title to that loue which God beares to his dearely beloued Sonne and to all the pledges and fruits of it If we be in Christ wee are intitled to the beginning of Gods loue his Election for in Christ we haue our Election Ephes 1.4 He hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue Secondly in Christ we are intitled to the renewing of Gods loue to vs in our Redemption for in him we haue our Redemption Col. 1.14 In whom you haue redemption by his bloud c. Thirdly in Christ we are intitled to the application of his loue
we will not feare The Lord of hosts is with vs the God of Iacob is our refuge Psal 46.1.2.3 So it may comfort vs against all Sathans temptations the fiercest greatest and fearefullest that Sathan can assault vs withall Christ is our Lord and Master and can a Lord or Master see a faithfull Seruant of his wronged and oppressed by his enemy and not stretch forth his hand to helpe and rescue him If men will yet our Lord Christ will not nor cannot but the more fiercely wee are assaulted by our enemies the more ready will hee be to helpe vs. Therefore in the depth of temptation retire thy selfe to this sure Hold to Christ as to thy Lord and say vnto him Oh my Lord seest thou how I am oppressed with thy enemy and my enemy Wilt thou see me trodden vnder feete Vp Lord I pray thee fight for me suffer not my soule to be a prey to such a cursed enemy And surely if thou doest thus the Lord will be very ready to heare thee the God of peace will tread Satan vnder thy feet shortly Lastly it may comfort vs against death it selfe whosoeuer thou art that hast serued the Lord Christ in truth in thy life thou maist boldly put thy selfe vpon him as thy Lord at thy death hee whom thou hast serued all thy life will surely comfort thee at thy death and in death and after death therefore be not discouraged at death it is terrible and fearefull to Nature but let vs arme our selues for it before hand let vs before hand goe to Christ and let him be our Lord and then we may say to our soules at our death Oh my soule thou hast serued the Lord Iesus Christ thus many yeares be not now afraid to goe to thy Lord and master home to his owne house and we may turne to the Lord and say Oh my Lord thou hast beene my protector many yeares now Lord helpe me for now I stand in more neede of thy helpe then euer I did before Lord receiue my soule now into thy mercifull hands and if thou doest thus assure thy selfe thou shalt not be more ready to commend thy soule to him then he will be ready to receiue it into his hands The third Vse is for matter of dutie teaching vs Vse 3 that seeing Christ is our Lord we must cary our selues to him as to our Lord in all dutie as good and faithfull seruants he that doth so is the right seruant of Iesus Christ the true and sound Christian The duties we are to performe to him are many we will reduce them to these two heads Doing and Suffering In both these we must conforme our selues to Christ as to our Lord. In doing First if Christ bee our Lord we must beleeue in him trust in him and rest vpon him Isa 26.4 Trust in the Lord for euer for in the Lord God is strength for euermore and therfore let vs be confident in him rowle our selues vpon him and know whom it is that wee haue trusted and hazzarded our soule vpon him Let vs trust in the Lord when we see nothing in the world but desolation he is a Lord and therefore can doe for vs what he will and he is our Lord and therefore he will doe for vs what he can And if he can do for vs what he will by his absolute power and will doe for vs what he can of his meere grace and goodnesse why should wee not beleeue in him and rest vpon him both in life and death Secondly if he be our Lord then wee must reuerence him as our Lord. Mal. 1.6 If I be a Lord where is my feare Psal 2.11.12 Serue the Lord in feare and reioyce in him with trembling Kisse the Sonne c. Let vs therefore reuerence him in his Nature Person Word Ordinances in our hearts liues and all our courses Let this feare be alwayes before our eyes that wee may neuer sinne against him It is a fault to be taxed in many Christians that they come to the Word and to the Sacraments with little reuerence to God none at all to man God will be honoured with an orderly zeale Thirdly if Christ be our Lord then wee must loue him as our Lord. Deut. 6.5 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule Our loue must be such to him as his loue was to vs that is not colde or little but maruellous great so that he shed his bloud for vs. Hath our Lord loued vs thus dearely to lay downe his life for vs then let vs loue him as dearely let vs lay downe our liues if we be called to it for him Fourthly if Christ be our Lord we must imitate him Iohn 13.13.14 Yee call me Lord and Master and yee say well for so I am if I then your Lord and master haue washed your feete yee ought also to wash one anothers feete and verse 15. For I haue giuen you an ensample c. Thus we should imitate Christ in loue and humilitie and other graces wee are much wanting in these Duties now in these dayes but if Christ be our Lord wee must shew our loue and humility as Christ did thinke scorne of nothing that is to be done for the Children of God Euery seruant will follow his Lord if it be but in an ill fashion then let vs imitate Christ in his graces and conforme our selues to his fashions Fiftly if Christ be our Lord wee must serue and obey him as our Lord wee must doe what hee commands and nothing else and we must doe it as hee commands it to be done and we must leaue vndone that he forbids We must not be seruants to men wee must serue other Lords as vnder our Lord Christ and in his name much lesse must wee serue our owne lusts or the world Christ is our Lord and wee will serue him and not the world nor our owne sinfull lusts Secondly in our sufferings we must conforme our selues to Christ Let vs know for certaine that wee must looke for affliction The seruant is not aboue his master Matth. 10.24 It is the nicenesse of many Christians that their finger must not ake they must not endure one temptation they would fain flie from afflictions but we must looke for them Did Christ goe from the Crosse to heauen and shall not wee goe the same way we must take vp our Crosse and follow him Secondly as we must looke for them so we must carry our selues with patience as he did in them who when he was reuiled reuiled not againe when he suffered he threatned not c. 1 Pet. 2.23 Leauing vs an example saith the Apostle that wee should follow his steps verse 21. And therefore let vs labour to be patient in the least affliction for hee is thy Lord that puts thee to it And let them be our owne afflictions and then we shall the better beare greater afflictions Christs afflictions Christ ware a Crowne of
from whence the Doctrine is raised The first exception is this the word here translated I am perswaded or sure doth not alwaies in Scripture signifie such a confident perswasion as we heare speake of it signifies indeed a probable or hopefull opinion not a confident perswasion as for instance Rom. 15.14 I my selfe am also perswaded of you my Brethren that ye are full of goodnesse and filled with all knowledge c. Is this a confident perswasion The Apostle knew not their hearts and therefore could not be confidently perswaded of this it was onely a probable and hopefull opinion say they and so that in 2 Tim. 1.5 I call to remembrance the vnfained faith that is in thee which dwelt first in thy Grand-mother Lois and in thy Mother Eunice and I am perswaded that it dwelleth in thee also To this exception I answere that it is true that these places are to be vnderstood of a hopefull or charitable or probable perswasion and so the word may sometime signifie and yet in these places Paul might speake by speciall reuelation but wee will not stand vpon that But yet it is as true sometime this word signifies a certaine knowledge and a confident perswasion as Rom. 14.14 I know and am perswaded through the Lord Iesus that there is nothing vncleane of it selfe c. Here is a confident perswasion and so in the 2 Tim. 1.12 For I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day Here is a confident perswasion because it is ioyned with certaine knowledge and therefore the perswasion must be certaine too so that all this while the matter lyes in suspence for in some places it signifies a confident perswasion and in others a probable perswasion Which then is here meant Goe to the Rule Where one and the same word is vsed in diuers sences in diuers places of Scripture the circumstances of the Text must iudge and declare in what sence it is to be taken in that place Now looke into the circumstances of this Text and we shall finde that it is here to be taken and must be meant of a confident perswasion for in the 35. Verse the Apostle had confidently insulted ouer all dangers what shall seperate vs from the loue of God in Christ c. And he giues the reason of it in this Verse for I am perswaded c. Why doth he sleight his enemies so Because hee is sure nothing shall seperate him from the loue of God For I am sure Doth he so confidently insult ouer all dangers because hee supposeth or hath some probable opinion or slender perswasion That were too weake a ground to cause him to insult ouer such strong enemies as these are but because he is sure and certainly perswaded that they shall not hurt him therefore he may and doth safely and confidently insult ouer them therefore this a confident perswasion Againe in the 30. Verse he had pronounced himselfe a Conquerour yea more then a Conquerour as if the victory were already gotten In all these things we are more then Conquerours and he giues the reason of it in the 38.39 Verses for I am perswaded c. And doth the Apostle pronounce himselfe a Conquerour before he be sure of the Conquest that were a proud and a vaine boasting which Paul was free from but he doth pronounce himselfe a Conquerour vpon this perswasion here spoken of because hee is sure that neither death nor life c. can hurt him therefore the word in this place signifies a certaine and a confident perswasion such as the Apostle dares build his soule vpon against all commers Secondly it is excepted that Paul might haue this certaine perswasion that he nor any of the faithfull should euer be cut off from the loue of God by special reuelation Had he so They that make this exception will deny this when it comes to the proofe For if Paul had it by speciall Reuelation that he nor none of the faithfull shall euer fall away from the loue of God then it is certaine that the state of the faithfull is vnfallible and that they shall neuer fall from it for speciall Reueâ—ation is neuer of false things But secondly I say Paul had it not by speciall Reuelation but by the liuely power of a iustifying faith For first speciall Reuelations are of matters not reuealed in the word but this is secondly they are extraordinary this is ordinary as we shaâ—l shew in the proofes in others of Gods Children in their measure our perswasion is built vpon a sure and ordinary ground the promises of God rightly built vpon and his loue truely felt in Christ true faith and repentance c. and therefore Paul had not this certaine perswasion by speciall Reuelation The Doctrine limited and bounded within certaine limits Secondly we will bound this Doctrine within certaine limits and bounds and they are two The first is concerning all true beleeuers in generall the second concerning one and the same Beleeuer in particular First concerning all in generall we must not thinke that it is the portion of euery Beleeuer to attaine to this high straine of confident perswasion as Paul had no we must come short God giues his graces to his Children in seuerall portions to some more to some lesse as he will himseâ—fe but yet euery true Beleeuer hath some measure of this confident perswasion especially at sometimes and euery one must striue to haue it in the highest measure We must striue after the most excellent gifts saith the Apostle and when they haue it not it is their owne fault Euery Beleeuer must labour for it and when they come short of this height of perswasion they must know that they come short of that high straine that God would haue them come to and they must say with the man in the Gospell Marke 9.24 I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeliefe And so farre as we come short of this full and confident perswasion so farre our beliefe is tainted with vnbeliefe and yet this doth not vtterly ouerthrow our faith but it doth much disparage it for all this our faith is a true faith and we shall be saued by it So that the Doctrine stands firme that wee may and ought to haue this certaine and confident perswasion c. The second limit is concerning one and the same particular Beleeuer hee must not alwaies thinke to haue this confident perswasion alike the strongest faith is sometimes abated to much weakenesse There was a time when Iob said that though God did kill him yet would hee trust in him Iob 13.15 And there was a time againe when the same Iob said Oh that I might haue my desire that is that God would destroy mee c. Iob 6.8.9 Here is a great difference betwixt Iob and Iob betwixt Iob in the strength of his faith and Iob in the weakenesse of his faith yet still he had
sweet thing for thee to be ranged with Christ and with thy brethren the children of God Is it not a comfort to thee to dye with thy Captaine Christ with thy fellow-Soldiers the children of God Dauid Iob Paul and others therefore when thou saist thy case is worse then any others thou speakest thou knowest not what thou knowest what thy selfe feelest but not what another man feeles thine are greater happily then thy brothers to day happily to morrow his will be greater then thine a little affliction may be greater to him then a greater to thee hee that hath least hath as much for his strength as thou hast for thine Thou must suffer afflictions therefore take vp thine owne Crosse suffer thine owne afflictions beare thine own burthen that is thy thou art appointed and called vnto The Lord hath appointed them to vs 1 Tim. 3. and therefore we must willingly beare them in obedience to Gods ordinance in our fellowship with Christ and all the rest of Gods Children and then God that hath brought vs into the tryals will surely bring vs through them all with comfort safety and deliuerance euen vnto a Crowne of life Iam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that indureth temptations for when he is tryed hee shall receiue the Crowne of life But see thou be the Childe of God for afflictions are common to all but the comfort and benefit of them is proper to Beleeuers onely Dost thou suffer as a Christian then reioyce in it for then blessed and happy are we 1 Pet. 4.13 to the 16. Verse if we suffer for Christs sake for righteteousnesse sake for a godly life for obedience to God in crucifying the flesh then blessed are we if we thus indure temptations for after we are thus tryed we shall receiue this Crowne of life FINIS THE EIGHT SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities c. THe seauenth and last head that we reduced this Scripture vnto was the comfort and support that the Apostle hath in the loue of God through Iesus Christ against all feares and terrours whatsoeuer Wherein I obserued two things First the dangers of Gods children Secondly the comfort whereby they are sustayned in them Of both these I propounded to speake first in generall and then in perticular I began with the dangers in generall and shewed That the dangers which Gods children are subiect vnto are not onely such as they are subiect to with the rest of the world but also such as they alone are subiect vnto as persecution for Christs sake c. Now in the next place wee are to speake in generall of the comfort which Gods children are supported withall against all dangers and that is the true and holy assurance which they haue of the loue of God to them in Christ Iesus Now this comfort the Apostle doth extend and stretch out here vpon a double straine first by way of supposition secondly by way of insultation and triumph First by way of supposition for so his speech is to be taken as if he should say suppose or put the case that death or life or Angels c. should set themselues against vs to ouerthrow vs yet in the strength of my assurance which I haue of the loue of God in Christ Iesus I am comforted supported against them all Secondly the Apostle speaks by way of insultation or triumph for that the Apostle so intends it appeares partly by his manner of speech in the 35. Verse Who shall seperate vs as if he spake these things sleighting them and insulting ouer them and more plainely in the 37. Vers in all these things wee are more then Conquerours c. and thence be infers his protestation for I am sure that neither death nor life c. so that he speakes these words as a Conquerour by way of Triumph so that this comfort which he hath in this assurance is not a weake comfort but a marueilous strong comfort such a comfort that in the strength thereof hee may and doth insult and triumph ouer all dangers whatsoeuer These circumstances considered the Doctrine ariseth naturally thus namely Let vs propound to our selues what dangers soeuer may befall vs Doctrine yet notwithstanding the true and holy assurance that we haue of the loue of God towards vs in Christ Iesus shall be able to comfort and support our hearts against them all euen to a holy insultation and triumph ouer them There are two Questions to be considered of in the practise of the Apostle and so in this Doctrine The first question is Whether it be lawfull or fit for Gods Children to propound feares and dangers to themselues in their owne meditations Secondly how it can stand with distressed Beleeuers that they should triumph insult ouer their afflictions For the first question some will say haue we not sensible feares dangers enough vpon vs daily euen as much as we can stand vnder shal we increase our burthen propound more and greater feares and dangers to our selues I answere yes they may do it they ought to doe it it is no increasing but a lightning of our burthen If a man haue a grim and sterne aduersary to fight withall is it not wisedome for that man first to take a view of that aduersary to looke him in the face to see how he can brooke him before he vndertake to fight with him Oh beloued Gods children haue many grim sterne enemies to fight withal Persecution is a grim sterne aduersary and all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution Temptation is a grim and sterne enemy Gods children must be tried with many hideous feareful temptations Death is a grim sterne enemy we must passe through the terrors and sorrowes bars of death to the ioyes of life Hell is a grim stern enemy we must make account to touch at the gates of hell when we saile to heauen The Diuel is a grim stern aduersary Gods children must fight with Diuels If wee will be the good Souldiers of Iesus Christ we must wrestle fight not with flesh bloud only but against principalities powers euen against the Diuel himselfe And therfore hauing so many so grim sterne enemies that we must fight against haue we not iust cause then to propound such things to our selues in our meditations to see how we can brook them to hearten our selues against the feare euill of them Yet herein we must obserue two cautions wee must not propound to our selues vaine and friuolous matters without reason or ground that were to fight with our owne shadow but serious thoughts and grounded meditations of true dangers such as may or will befall vs more or lesse first or last Secondly we must not propound to our selues any thoughts of sinne for sin is a defiler and the least thought or
his power helpe and loue and then all their opposites shall be as a thing of nought they may scorne them And so Isa 43.1.2 Thus saith the Lord that created thee oh Iacob and hee that formed thee oh Israel I haue redeemed thee and haue called thee by thy name thou art mine When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the flouds that they doe not ouerflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt c. It may bee they shall neuer fall into these dangers but it is spoken by way of supposition as if God should say If thou shouldest fall into these or any other dangers yet in the assurance that God saith vnto vs thou art mine we shall safely and triumphantly passe through the fire and through the water and through all dangers that euer can be imagined so that we shall receiue no dammage by them in regard of our spirituall estate and we shall haue comfort in them in regard of our outward estate And so Psal 91. from the first to the last verse Who so dwells in the secret of the most high shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty c. One would thinke at the first sight that this were a repetition of one and the same thing for what is it to dwell in the secret of the most high but to abide in the shadow of the Almighty It seemes to bee the same but it is not so The former part of the verse shewes the assurance that Gods children haue in the loue of God they dwell or repose themselues in God the latter part shewes their safety and security that by his assurance they attaine vnto they abide in the shadow of the Almighty that is they are safe sheltered vnder the shadow of the Almighty And these two the Prophet enlargeth in the rest of the Psalme their assurance in the 2. verse I will say vnto the Lord oh my hope and my fortresse hee is my God in him will I trust Here is the repose of the children of God but what is their safety it followes in the rest of the Psalme safety against ordinary dangers The noisome pestilence the flying arrowes c. in the 3.5 and 6. verses Against supposed dangers verse 7. A thousand shall fall as thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come neere thee And against likely dangers in the verses following And in the 13. verse hee stretcheth out the safety of Gods children euen to insultation Thou shalt walke vpon the Lyon and the Aspe the young Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou treade vnder foote Seeing then that this Doctrine agrees so fitly with the state practise and warrant of the faithfull then it must needs be an vndoubted truth that let vs propound to our selues whatsoeuer dangers may befall vs yet our holy and true assurance of Gods loue to vs in Christ Iesus is able to comfort and support our hearts against them all euen to an holy insultation and triumphing ouer them Reason 1 The Reasons how it comes to passe that this true and holy assurance of the loue of God in Christ Iesus doth so fortifie the hearts of Gods children against all dangers I say the reasons thereof are many First this holy assurance tells vs that God is on our side and then what or who can be against vs It is our Apostles owne reason Rom. 8.31 If God be on our side who can be against vs that is to doe vs harme God doth not turne out his children single to the battell to shift for themselues but he goes forth with vs himselfe and helpes vs and comforts vs and strengthens vs and incourageth vs and teacheth vs and maketh vs to fight and fights himselfe for vs and gets the victory for vs and this our faith assures vs of and this comforts the hearts of Gods children and makes them confident against all dangers In the 2. Kings 6.15 16 17. when the Prophet Elisha his seruant saw the great hoast that compassed the City he was much terrified and cries out Alas Master how shall wee doe The Prophet answeres him Feare not they that be with vs are more then they that be with them This is like our case when Gods children looke about them and see a whole hoast of afflictions dangers persecutions and temptations compasse them about on euery side they cry out in their weakenesse Alas what shall wee doe Our Faith that answers Feare not there be more with vs then there is against vs. Is not God more then all the world God is with vs and this assures and comforts our hearts How sweetly doth Dauid cast himselfe vpon God in his greatest dangers Psal 23.4 Though I walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare none euill why for thou art with me thy Rod and thy Staffe they comfort me God is not only with him but he is with him to comfort him therfore he will not feare Reason 2 Secondly this holy assurance tells vs that God loues vs in Christ and what shall hurt Gods darlings Those whom God loues are as tender to him as the Apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 now we know that the Apple of a mans eye is most tender to him hee will see that that take no harme and so are they to God and therefore whatsoeuer goeth to wracke they shall haue no harme the bare perswasion of Gods loue to vs is comfort enough to establish vs in any trouble but faith doth not only perswade vs that God loues vs but perswades vs further that because he loues vs therefore hee will keepe vs and saue vs. And this fills our hearts with comfort and confidence in all dangers for can God loue vs and yet giue vs ouer as a prey vnto his and our enemies No it is not possible Reason 3 Thirdly our holy assurance tells and warrants vs that our sinnes are forgiuen vs and therefore all shall be well with vs If euer any thing do vs a mischiefe it is our sinnes will doe it all the euills in the world cannot hurt vs except our sinnes hurt vs Nothing can separate vs from the loue of God in Christ yea but our sinnes separate betwixt vs and our God Isaiah 59.2 but the beleeuing heart hath assurance that all his sinnes are freely and fully forgiuen him by the mercies of GOD in IESVS CHRIST and so our faith concludes that therefore they cannot separate vs and so that nothing can separate vs from God I say not but that though our sinnes bee forgiuen vs yet still wee are lyable to dangers and troubles of all sorts to grieue vs torment vs and to take vs away but this I say that no affliction can hurt vs as sin can hurt vs that is to condemnation they cannot put vs out of the fauour of God they shall neuer be able to seperate vs from the state of grace here nor glory hereafter and this is
was one of Sathans chiefe bolts that he shot at Iob Iob 2.4 Skin for skin and all that euer a man hath will he giue for his life These are the dangers of life and death great dangers horrible dangers well yet whosoeuer is the childe of God is in safety vnder Gods protection against all these Therefore the second point is to know how farre the children of God are in safety against all these dangers They are not exempted from any of these dangers in respect of the matter of them for so all things fall out alike to all to the iust and to the wicked Preach 9.2 There are some dangers of life and some of death and they fall alike to good and bad yea but the faithfull are in safety from the euill of all these dangers Iob 5.19 Hee will deliuer thee in sixe troubles and the euill of the seauenth shall not touch thee Troubles shall be vpon them but the euill of the troubles shall not touch them Psalm 23.4 Though I should walke in the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no euill Dauid might walke in the valley of the shadow of death as well as others but God is with him therefore he shall not feare the euill of the shadow of death And this is as much as our Sauiour prayed for and obtained for vs Iohn 17.15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keepe them from euill and therfore this is as much as we must or can looke for But what are these euils that we are subiect to in these dangers of life and death I answere Foure euils Gods people are freed from in affliction there are foure speciall euils in the dangers of life and death which all Gods children are freed from and which all the wicked fall into The first is losse of graces the second is the hardening of the heart by sinne the third is the furtherance of eternall damnation the fourth is the reuenging hand of God First losse of graces the seeming graces of the wicked may be and vsually are lost in their troubles and dangers their seeming faith their seeming repentance and their seeming obedience Luke 8.13 In time of temptation they fall away their faith is lost but Gods children can neuer loose their graces by their afflictions they may decay in some graces and the brightnesse of them may be dimbd and their edge blunted by the extremity of their afflictions but they can neuer be vtterly depriued of them Nay so farre off are Gods children from loosing their graces by their afflictions that they are gayners in grace by them by their afflictions their sinnes and corruptions are purged and they come forth like the pure gold as Iob speakes Iob 23.10 He tryeth me but I shall come forth like the gold The second euill is the hardening of the heart in sinne the wicked are hardened by their afflictions in sinne let Pharaoh be in danger of Gods iudgements and he will harden his heart in his sinnes but let Iosiah bee in danger of Gods iudgements and his heart will melt at them and he will humble himselfe before the Lord and so Iob 23.16 For God hath softened mine heart and the Almighty hath troubled me Iobs troubles softned Iobs heart and made him to feare the Lord. Thirdly the furtherance of eternall damnation that is another euill in these dangers to the wicked the tryals which they endure here are the beginnings of hell All these fearefull passages that befell Kaine in his life Iudas in his death were the beginnings of their passage into hell and condemnation but it is contrary with Gods children in their afflictions for all their afflictions are preuentions of condemnation 1 Cor. 11.32 When we are iudged wee are chastened of the Lord because we should not be condemned with the world Yea they are furtherances vnto heauen 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light afflictions which are but for a moment cause vnto vs a farre more excellent and eternall waight of glory Looke how it was with the Israelites and the Egyptians in the red Sea so it is with the wicked and the godly in their dangers of life and death they were both in the Sea together but the Israelites they passe safe through it and the Sea was as a wall to them on the right hand and on the left and a high way to helpe them forward in their passage from Egypt towards Canaan but the Egyptians were ouerwhelmed of it and it became their graue and they sunke to hell in it So the sea of all the troubles both of life and death are matters of vtter desolation to the wicked to further their damnation But all that befall Gods children in this passage of life and death are helpes and furtherances to the heauenly Canaan matters that further their saluation The fourth and last euill in these dangers is the reuenging wrath of God and this is the euil of all euils the true cause of all the former when God afflicts the wicked hee doth it to bee reuenged of them for their sins as a wrathfull Iudge But when he afflicts his children if it be in anger it is a fatherly anger and indeed it is rather a fatherly loue and a signe of his fauour Heb. 12.6 Whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth c. Iere. 10.24 Oh Lord correct me but in iudgement not in thine anger God corrects his children but he doth it not in anger fury no that is for the wicked Lay all these together First the children of God in all their troubles loose no grace no they are gayners by them secondly they do not harden their hearts in sin no their hearts are mollified by them thirdly their afflictions are not furtherances to hell but they further them to heauen Lastly they come not as the reuenging hand of God in fury vpon them but in loue as a father corrects his child and then see and say Oh how safe are all Gods children in all their dangers both of life and death So that we see the Doctrine is cleare that all true beleeuers are in good safety vnder Gods assured protection against all dangers of life and death For proofe of this point Proofes first consider life and death together and then consider them asunder and we shall find this to be true consider them together as Rom. 14.8 Whether we liue wee liue vnto the Lord or whether we die we die vnto the Lord whether wee liue therefore or die we are the Lords The persons there spoken of are true beleeuers wee and there are two things affirmed of them First their duty to God secondly Gods protection ouer them their duty to God in the former part of the verse in life and death whether we liue that is for the time of our life we liue vnto God that is we consecrate our bodies and soules our liues and all our endeauours to Gods seruice and to his glory or
are Seraphims that is hot and fiery spirits burning not in fury but in zeale for the glory of the Lord of hoasts Now they know that God is wonderfully glorified in the saluation of his children and therfore they will not hinder that at any hand but zealously aduance it to the vttermost of their power Secondly their obedience to Gods will they know it is Gods will to giue his children a kingdome and will they crosse his will No they obey and doe his will Psal 103.20 they will neuer crosse it They know their fellow-Angels frustrated their estate by disobedience and will they frustrate theirs too Noe they will not Thirdly their dependance on Christ and their loue to him Ioh. 1.51 Hereafter you shall see heauen open and the Angells of God ascending and descending vpon that Sonne of man All their ministry is from God to vs as in Christ and they are vpheld by Christ or else they are as changeable as the euill Angells were by nature and they know that Christ hath redeemed vs with his pretious bloud and will they seeke to cast away the price of his bloud They know that Christ hath committed vs to God his Father and will they incense vs against God or God against vs Lastly their faithfulnesse to vs and their communion with vs they take notice of vs as their fellow-seruants and therefore they will not hurt vs hee is an euill seruant that will smite his fellow-seruants this is odious on earth how much more in heauen if euer the holy Angels should entertain any faithlesse or treacherous thought against vs their fellowes and brethren heauen they know would neuer endure them Reason 2 The second reason The Angels cannot doe it if they would this agrees more fitly with the words of the Apostle that they shall not be able to separate vs. There are two vnmoueable barres whereby they are vtterly disabled from hurting vs in estate of grace The first is the soueraign power ouer-ruling hand of God the second is the neernesse of our communion with Christ First the soueraigne power of God and his ouer-ruling hand both ouer them vs that hinders them they are Gods elect Angels and we are Gods elect children and therefore God by bis soueraigne power will neuer suffer them to seduce vs nor suffer vs to be seduced by them Gods election must stand good for euer Secondly the neerenesse of our vnion with Christ that is another bar to hinder them Christ tooke our nature vpon him not the Angels Heb. 2.16 and herein we are a degree aboue the Angels Now this assumption of our nature into the person of Christ and his participation with vs therein is so sanctified and effectually ratified by faith and by the spirit to euery true beleeuer that they are truely one with Christ himselfe and can the Angels hurt Christ or betray Christ or separate Christ from Gods loue then neither can they hurt vs nor betray vs nor separate vs from the loue of God in Christ The Vses are these First since it is so that the Vses 1 good Angels can neuer impeach the estate of Gods children therefore it shewes that whosoeuer they be that doe fall away from the estate of grace by the occasion of good Angels that certainly they were neuer true beleeuers such there were in the time of the Apostles Coloss 2.18 That vnder a colour of Religion and humblenesse of minde did worship Angels such as the Monkes and Fryars bee at this day but what saith the Apostle in the 19. verse They that teach such things hold not the head that is they hold not Christ as their head they are vtterly voyde of Christ and so liuing and dying in that sinne they are vtterly void of the state of grace and saluation This sets such a brand of reprobation on the Popish Church and Religion that they are neuer able to claw it off They hold many other grosse points which at least by consequence ouerthrow the foundation Christ Iesus But of this point the Apostle saith directly That they that hold it hold not the head Christ A man cannot be a worshipper of Angels and belong to Christ And doth not the Church of Rome greatly adore and worship Angels doe they not reuerence them and call vpon them It is their professed Doctrine and ordinary practise I would faine see how they would answere this they are cut off hereby from the head Christ I doubt not but many of them are the Elect of God but then either the Lord keepes them that they fall into this sinne or if they doe fall into it yet God giues them repentance for it before they die that lo they shall not fall by it for euer But let vs beware and take heede of this sinne in our selues and euermore let vs take heed of Popery that doth maintaine and teach this grosse errour Vses 2 Secondly this teacheth vs the vndoubted certainty of the saluation of Gods children That Gods children should euer be cast off from the estate of sauing grace It is a thing impossible there is an absolute impossibility in it nay there is more then an absolute impossbility in it for marke how the case stands It is impossible that euer the good Angels should goe about to bend their power against vs to cast vs out of the loue of God But if they should yet it were impossible they should do it so that for Gods children to be cast out of Gods loue It is a thing more impossible then that which is indeede absolutely impossible Oh blessed be God that hath setled and stablished vs in such an holy and happy estate so stedfastly Oh that all true beleeuers would lift vp themselues and know their owne happinesse Oh that they would confidently beleeue this heauenly truth touching the certainety of their saluation Oh that they would be perswaded as confidently to beleeue it as the Apostle affirmes it wee should doe so it is our failing that wee doe not so what base minded wretches are we that beleeue that God loues vs in Christ and yet wee perplexe our selues with feares and distrustfull thoughts of this nature or of that of this or that casualty as if they should seperate vs from God Our faith should lift vs vp as high as heauen yea aboue heauen yea aboue the Angels in heauen in the matter of our assurance Our faith should say as the Apostle doth here I am sure that the Angels in heauen can neuer be able to seperate me from the loue of God and therefore much lesse can any other Creature or casualty whatsoeuer can any creature doe more then the Angels in heauen can But if wee consider further that these Angels these mighty and powerfull Angels are not onely not against vs but for vs affectionately for vs wholly for vs alwayes for vs and that they bend all their power to keepe vs in the loue of God and to make good the worke of our saluation what a