praises of God the godly count the greatest pleasure and happinesse in the worlde Psal. 62. 6. My mouth is filled euen as it were with marrowe and fatnesse that is with the most sweete and pleasant thinges when as I prayse the Lorde saith the prophet and againe Psal. 84. 5. Blessed are they that stande in thy courtes ô God for why they shall euermore be praising thee For although the faithfull might praise God though they liued out of the Church in a wildernesse yet for the greater aduancement of Gods glory they desire and labour that they may praise God not among wilde beastes and trees but in the assembly of Gods people as it were before many witnesses Nowe as touching the second duety of the creature which is to moue onely in the creator and by vertue receiued from him we knowe that as the bodies of the faithfull doe not moue themselues but are moued by the power of the soule within their bodies so neyther their bodies nor soules are moued by any other power but by the holy spirite of God for they doe not thinke their owne thoughtes desire their owne pleasures speake their owne wordes or doe their owne workes but are wholly moued and ordered by the spirite of God Lastly this property of a faithfull man is worthy to be noted that he is not onely patient in regard of the greatest euils which can be laid vpon him in in this worlde as hath beene declared in the chapter of Filiall subiection but also woulde be content if that it shoulde please God to destroy him vtterly and eternally Iob. 13. 15. If God kill me shall I not trust in him so Dauid saith 2. Sam. 15. 26. If I haue found fauour in the eies of God hee wil bring me backe againe to see the place of his worship but if he say I haue no pleasure in him what then beholde here I am let him doe to me whatsoeuer seemeth good in his owne eyes CHAP. XI Of mans subiection to God as to an husband THus wee see the diuers kindes of the renewed subiection of man correspondent to the kindes of created subiection to the which there is one other kinde of subiection to be added the which was not in the state of innocency and therefore coulde not be lost by the fall of man This is the subiection of the wife to the husband by the which bond it hath pleased God of his vnspeakable mercy and loue to tie the faithfull to himself so that they should be to him not onely as subiectes sonnes seruantes schollers and creatures but also as his espoused wife This straunge mariage is celebrated and extolled in that song of songes the which is wholly to be vnderstood of this spirituall mariage betwixt God and the faithfull likewise it is set downe Ephe. 5. verse 22. to verse 33. The husband is the wiues head as Christ is the head of the Church therefore as the Church is in subiection to Christ so ought wiues to be to their husbands This kinde of subiection is called Ephe. 5. 32 A great mysterie and therefore it needeth to be explained after this manner The riches of the loue and mercy of God redeeming man from sinne and death is so exceeding great as that he thinking it a small matter to restore him to that perfect and excellent estate from the which he fell doth aduance him to a higher degree both of holinesse of happines Hence it cōmeth that man is more nearely ioyned to God then he was before both in subiectiō in conformity But what bond of subiectiō can ioine man more neerely vnto God then the sonne is to his father after the which manner man was before ioyned to God as hath beene declared We answere that although this coniunction which is betwixt the sonne and the father be verie great yet the worde of God teacheth vs that a greater may be giuen to wit that which is betwixt the wife and the husband for this coniunction maketh two distinct persons to become one person and one flesh Mat. 19. 5 but that other coniunction hath no such strange effect And therefore it hath pleased god in mercy to tie knit man to himselfe not only with those bonds of subiection wherewith he was tied to him in the state of innocency but also with this newe and most straite bonde taking all the faithfull vnto himselfe not onely as his loyall subiectes as faithfull seruantes as toward schollers as orderly creatures and lastly as naturall sonnes but also as a most deare and beloued wife ioyned to himselfe with such an indissoluble bond of loue on his part and such loyall affection on their partes as shall neuer be broken euen as the husband taketh to himselfe his beloued spouse on whom he will bestowe all his loue riches care and whome he will defend against all euils and dangers whatsoeuer This contract made betwixt GOD and his Church is set downe Ezech. 16. the wordes are many yet worthy to be remembred Nowe when I went by thee and looked vpon thee behold◠thy time was come yea euen the time to wooe thee then spred I my clothes ouer thee to couer thy dishonesty yea I made an oth vnto thee contracted my self with thee saith the Lorde God and so thou becamest mine owne Then washed I thee with water and purged thy bloud from thee and I annointed thee with oyle I clothed thee with broidred worke and shodde thee with badgers skinne and I girded thee about with fine linnen and couered thee with silke I decked thee with costly apparrell I put braselets vpon thy handes a chaine about thy necke and I put a frontlet vpon thy face and earings vpon thine eares and a beautifull crowne vpon thine head Thus wast thou decked with gold and siluer and thy raimente was of fine linnen and of silke and of broidred worke thou diddest eate fine flowre home and oyle marueilous wast thou and thou diddest luckilie prosper into a kingdome and thy name was spread among the heathen forthy beautie c. For the further declaration hereof if we do consider the notable resemblance which is betwixt mariage and this new coniunction of man to God we shall haue greate cause to admire the wisdome of the holy ghost who in enditing the scriptures doth paint out such darke mysteries with so liuely colours and doth so fit earthly types to spirituall thinges The grounde of this newe coniunction whereby man is more nearely firmely and surely tied to God then he was before is the incarnation of Christ wherein our nature was inseparably vnited to the godheade in one person euen as the wife which before was of a diuers kinde bloude and name being now espoused to her husband becommeth one flesh bloude and bone with him yea one person called by one and the same name so that as the wife being thus as it were incorporated to her husband is more nearely
hauing greater means of knowing beleeuing and obeying God then man had on earth yea their sinne came from themselues by the suggestion of their owne mindes and the inclination of their wils but man sinned by their prouocation temptation and delusion who as if they had committed a small offence in sinning themselues did adde to their owne sinne the sinne of mankind Moreouer it was not needfull that God should restore these rebels to their former state for the illustration of his loue towardes this creature forsomuch as there are yet in heauen in the state of happinesse many thousands of holy Angels which are so many witnesses and preachers of the endlesse loue of God towards them Againe it was needfull for the working of the saluation of the elect that there shoulde be some aduersarye power opposing it selfe and labouring by all meanes to hinder it that so both the graces bestowed on men might be stirred vp and exercised and the power of God preseruing them from so great danger made manifest Lastly by this vncurable state of these Angels it appeareth that there neither is nor yet can be in any creature any such absolute perfection as that it might be able of it selfe by any proper inherent and naturall vertue and strength beeing not supported by the grace of God eyther to keep for euer or to recouer any good happy estate If it be obiected that the Angels may repente and so obtaine saluation wee answere first that it is vnpossible by reason of the nature of their sinne beeing the sinne against the holie Ghost that they shoulde euer truely repent and secondly that if they coulde after some sorte repente yet they are altogether vncapable of saluation because God hath not taken vnto himselfe the nature of Angels as he hath done the nature of man and so by ioyning it to himselfe who is life it selfe made it a liuing and holy nature the which is needfull for saluation as will appeare more at large in the treatise of iustifying faith Chap. 4. Sect. 3. But to leaue these foule spirits in the bottomlesse pit of hell let vs returne to the consideration of this third state of man the which although in substance it be nothing but the first estate restored yet it is to be preferred before it in these respectes First because it is certaine immutable and eternall it being impossible that any who is once brought from death to this state of saluation should returne backe againe but the first state of man was not onely variable but very short and momentanie as hath beene declared This ariseth not of any naturall and inherent strength of man but of the meere grace and loue of God supporting all his elect seruants in this state and watching ouer them least at any time they should fall away Secondly both the partes of the goodnesse of this estate which are the outward and inward coniunction of man with God or more plainely his happinesse and holinesse are greater then they were before The increase of happinesse the next section doth declare and for the other we cannot doubt but that the loue of man yea all the other partes of his holinesse are increased and doubled towardes God who nowe is not onely his Lorde and creator but also his sauiour and redeemer As he must needes loue more to whome manie sinnes are forgiuen then he who is saued by his owne holinesse for life is not of it selfe so acceptable at any time as it is after death Whereof more at large in the laste Chapter of the third parte of this treatise CHAP. II. Sect. 1. Of the happinesse wherein man was created HAppinesse is the enioying of the greatest highest and chiefest good to wit that which is fully perfectly primarely eternally essentially and onely good as is God onely Math 19. 17. There is none good but God onely Thus doe the Angels in heauen enioy God whose face or more plainely whose glory shining as clerely as the grace of a man doth in his face they doe continually behold Likewise man before his fall liued thus happily in the presence of God with whome he had daily and as wee may say familiar conuersation yea God did many waies reueale himselfe and his glory to him especially in the garden wherein he placed him This is perfect felicitie for hee who hath God who is the fountaine of all blessings ioy and pleasures hath all thinges belonging to happinesse Psal. 16 11. Thou shalt make me knowe the path of life for there is fulnesse of ioy in thy face or presence and in thy right hande there are pleasures for euermore From this fountaine of happinesse there flowed many streames euen all blessings whatsoeuer the preseruation or dignitie of the body soule or of the whole person of man did any way require first for his body it was in respect of the outwarde forme and proportion maiesticall beautifull gracious purchasing feare and reuerence of the other baser creatures and fauour euen in the sight of God for whose glory maketh whatsoeuer is any way commendable in the creature this remaneth in parte euen in the corrupt estate 1. Chro. 12. 8. Dauids men of warre had faces like Lyons Act. 7. 20. Moses being new borne was gratious in the sight of God Secondly the body of man was immortall whereof there is no question to be made seing that the scripture doth euery where teach vs that death came in by sinne 1. Cor. 25. 56. the sting whereby death killeth is sinne Rom. 5. 12. by Adam sinne came into the worlde and by sin death If we shoulde examine this doctrine by naturall reason it woulde be found very doubtfull for it may seeme that the body of man being made of earth shoulde of necessitie at length be resolued into earth againe as well as the bodies of all other cretures yea that it consisting of contraries continually fighting and consuming one another coulde not possibly but be at length destroyed For nothing that is deuided in it selfe can continue for euer Yea besides this naturall death mans body may seeme to haue bene subiect to outward violence as if it shoulde haue bene pierced with a sword or throwen downe from a high rocke no reason can shewe howe the immortality of it shoulde be preserued Whereunto we answere first that we are not to doubt of the word of God howsoeuer our shallow heads are not able to sound the depth of it Secondly that we may as wel suppose man to be immortall as to liue almost a thousand yeares as we read Gen. 5. 27. that Methuselā did for we may well thinke that those long liues of the fathers before the flood were euen the reliques of that immortalitie wherewith Adam was endued at the first neither are we to think it impossible to God to endue mans body with such an exact equall temperature as should continue for euer As for violent deaths although we cannot deny but man was
generall renouation of their mindes and also sin it selfe by the infirmitie of the flesh And therefore they haue an accusing conscience which is nothing else but the sight or knowledge of sinne in themselues Hereof follow diuers effectes in them as namely feare in respect of those temporall punishments whervnto they by their sins haue layde themselues open Secondly an encrease of humiliation in regard thereof And lastly this accusing conscience is as a bit to restraine the faithful from sinne checking them as it were in the teeth with the iudgments of God which they doe by committing sin pull vppon thēselues Thus we see what is the accusing conscience of the faithfull which then worketh when they fall by force of temptation into some greate sinne otherwise it doth not greatly vex and trouble them Yet as sinne is neuer wanting so it is neuer altogether idle Now let vs consider the contrarie worke of the conscience excusing the faithfull before God the which it doth first in regard both of their owne inherent righteousnesse and also of the imputed righteousnesse of Christ. In the first respect their conscience excuseth them not as being perfectly iust but as those who are Gods faithfull seruants performing vnto him tho imperfect yet true vnfained and heartie obedience Thus doth the Prophet Dauid often in the psalmes offer his innocencie and integritie to the triall of God This excusing conscience dare not shewe his face before the iudgment seate of God where it would be found as a filthie and defiled clout but it commeth into the court of Gods mercie and loue who rewardeth the Godlinesse of his seruants with temporall blessinges and security from temporall iudgments But the true excusing conscience loketh on the perfect righteousnes of Christ by vertue whereof it doth iustifie and absolue the faithfull as being fully and perfectly iust and free from all guilt of sinne This excuser is he who only can abide the triall of Gods iustice who maketh the faithfull reioyce in all miseries yea secure in regard of danger It maketh them triumph ouer sinne Sathan hell death and damnation and replenisheth their heartes with such a perfect peace whereby they feele the ioyes of heauen euen whilst they liue vpon earth wherof whosoeuer hath once tasted may counte himselfe thrise happie This kinde of excusing conscience commeth of a true faith as doth the former kinde of the other partes of sanctification and of holinesse of life the one freeth the faithfull from the feare of temporarie euils as the other doth from the feare of eternall death Of both of them ariseth the assurance of saluation which is the vndoubted perswasiō and certaine knowledge of a faithfull man that he is one of those who shalbe made partakers of eternall glorie But against this doctrine many do obiect say that it is impossible for any man to attaine to any such knowledge seing that the eternall counsels and decrees of God are so secret that no man hath at any time knowen the minde of God or beene of his counsell in that behalf Againe that this knowledge is to be gotten if by any meanes then either by immediate reuelation or by arguments drawen from a mans owne estate as from some fayth or holinesse which he fyndeth in himselfe The first meanes is generallie reiected The other being vncertaine cānot be a sure foundatiō whereon to build this certaine perswasions Lastly that by this meanes there would a dore be set open to all licentiousnesse Godlesse securitie For what neede he who knoweth certainly that he shal be saued take paines and sustaine trouble griefe in working his owne saluatiō by a Godly holy life To this we answer confessing that the number of the reprobate or elect cānot be knowen and also that this knowledge is not gotten by any immediate reuelation yet affirming that euery faithfull man may be and ought to be assured of his owne saluation and that by that wounderfull worke of regeneration wrought in him by the holy spirite the which doth euen leade the faithfull man as it were by the hande into the secrete counsell of GODS eternall election and doth there let him see not the state of other men but his owne name written in heauen For they who are truelie regenerate are truely called they who are truely called are iustified they who are iustified are that is they shalbe as certainly certainely as if they were already glorified Rom. 8. 29. 30. And therefore the scripure speaketh of the faithfull as of those who haue already attained eternall saluation Ioh. 3. 8. Yea this is done not without good cause For the regeneration of this life and the eternall glorie of the life to come are not two diuerse states or conditions but onely diuerse degrees of the same condition eternall saluation being nothing else but the perfection of holinesse and happinesse whereof the faithfull haue in this life receaued some parte as a pledge and earnest-pennie of the whole So that they hauing alreadie as we say one foote in heauen and gotten possession of it neede not doubt of their saluation but may confidently say as it is 1. Ioh. 3. 14. We knowe not we hope or gresse that we are translated already not that we shalbe hereafter from death to life not by any immediate reuelation but because we loue the brethren that is because we feele our selues endued with renewed holinesse whereof the loue of the Godly is a notable part And with the Apostle Rom. 8. 38. I am perswaded that neither death nor life neither Angels nor principalities neither thinges present nor thinges to come can separate me from the loue of God in Christ. But it may be further obiected that although true regeneration be a certaine signe and forerunner of saluation yet it is hard for a man to knowe whether his regeneration be true or onely a shadow and resemblance which is often in the reprobate and although he haue true faith and holinesse at one time yet he may loose and lack them at an other and so dispossesse himselfe of that estate of saluation wherein he was In both which respectes He that thinketh that he standeth ought to feare least he fall rather then to boast of the certaintie of his saluation We answere that true regeneration is not so small a matter neither maketh so light a chaunge in a man but that it may be plainely discerned where it is present Neither is it any vncertaine thing which may be lost but wheresoeuer it is there it doth euidently appeare at one time or at an other and where it once appeareth there it alwaies abideth For regeneration being a totall and a supernaturall change of the minde will affections thoughtes wordes and dedes of a man cannot be hid or doubtfull for any long time but will shewe it selfe both to the eyes of other men and much more to the conscience of the beleeuer himselfe For all though it commeth
rams as a sufficient ransome for the sinne of mans soule Mich. 6. 7. so that we finding no succor in this worlde are constrained to fly to the holy Angels and to craue their helpe in this behalfe But what can be hoped for at their hands whose righteousnes be it neuer so greate is no more then they doe owe to God for themselues being bounde to serue him with their whole mind hearte and the whole strength and power of their nature If it be imagined that their death might deliuer vs from death we answere first that no man can finde such fauour in their sight as that they will suffer themselues to be accursed for him from the happy and glorious presence of God which they haue enioyed in heauen euer since the first creation thereof Secondly if that we shoulde suppose such an impossible and inordinate loue in them yet the death of many angels coulde not satisfie Gods iustice for the sinne of mankinde but onely for the sins of some number much lesse performe all those things which are needfull for the effecting of our saluation and therefore euery one may say of him selfe O miserable man that I am whom no creature either in heauen or earth can deliuer from sinne and from the punishment of eternall death due vnto it Seing therfore that no creature can satisfie Gods iustice for the sin of man it remaineth that God shoulde either saue man without takeing any satisfaction for his sinne or else himselfe be this mediator for it hath already bene declared that God hath certainly decreed the saluation of man but both these are impossible for God can no more saue man without satisfaction made to his iustice then he can cease to be iust or to be God Againe it is no lesse impossible for God himselfe to make this satisfaction for first sinne cannot be imputed to the godhead but onely to some nature which is capable of sinne but the diuine nature cannot any way be made or imagined the subiect of sin no more then the fire can be made the subiect of extreame cold secondly if this impossibilitie were supposed that God could some way take the sinne of man vpon himselfe yet he could suffer no punishment for it for his nature is such that it can no way suffer much lesse sustain the punishment of eternall death due vnto our sinne What then can all the wit wisedome pollicie and inuention of man say to this case but onely acknowledge that mankind is in a most wretched miserable case quem ipsa salus seruare non potest whom God himselfe cannot saue But when man is brought to a bay and euen at his wits ende there the wisedome of God doth most appeare and that which seemeth impossible to man is possible with God who as he hath decreed mans saluation so he is able to bring it to passe and that not by taking away his owne iustice and essence but by satisfying and establishing it not by polluting the Godhead with the sin of man but by purging man from sin by the infinite power of the Godhead not by translating sinne from man to God but by making the nature of man able to beare the own burden by ioyning it to the nature of God not impairing his owne iustice but punishing the sinne of man more then it deserued and yet not consuming man in his wrath but declaring the endlesse riches of his mercy in sauing him from death that so all the praise glorie and thankesgiuing of our saluation might redound to God who is the beginner worker and finisâ—â—r yea the very meanes of it and who as he did in the beginning without the helpe or meanes of any creature create man in perfect holinesse and happinesse so againe he himselfe and that by himselfe doth restore him to perfect righteousnesse holinesse and eternall glory But it is needfull that we make a more plaine declaration of this mysticall and wonderfull doctrine especially it being the most happy and ioyfull doctrine which euer sounded in the eares or was at any time vttered by the tongue of man the summe of it is this The onely meanes whereby God coulde restore man to his first estate was that he himselfe should take vnto his diuine nature the nature of man so that he might in that nature take vpon him both the guilt also the punishmeÌ„t of our sin For this cause the sonne of God euen God himself did take vpon him our nature consisting of a body a soule indued with al the naturall powers faculties which are in man yea subiect to all humane infirmities yet without sinne This humane nature was begotten not by maÌ„ but by God it being formed fashioned not by the seed of maÌ„ but by the power of the godhead in the wombe of the virgin Mary who was of the linage of Dauid of part of her substance it being first sanctified by the holy Ghost from the inherent corruption of sinne so this nature being from the first moment of the conception vnited to the godhead in one person called Iesus the Sauiour of the worlde the promised Messias or the annointed or holy one of God and consisting of the diuine and a humane nature was brought foorth into the world in Bethlem in the land of Iury according as the prophets had foretold in the raigne of Augustus Caesar and so liued about 33. yeares till that in the daies of Tiberius Caesar it suffered a shamefull and violent death the which death of this humane nature was more then a sufficient ransome for the sinnes of the whole worlde because it was the death of God tho not of the Godhead and therefore it was of infinite merite and dignity yea it was more then the eternall death of all the men in the world although it had lasted but one moment of time as it continued but three daies For it is and that in the iudgement of any reasonable man a farre lesse matter that all the creatures in the world should die for euer then that God himselfe the creator of all things the Lord of glory and giuer of life yea who is glory and life it selfe should suffer death one minute of an houer So that the humanity of Christ gaue the possibility of suffering death as the diuinitie gaue the sufficiency excellency merite of this ransome or paiment made to God for the debt of man This incomprehensible mysterie of Gods wisedome and eternall counsell may be declared after this manner Suppose that there is in this or that countrey an absolute maiesticall and glorious monarch or king against whome many thousands of his subiectes rebell refusing to performe loyall obedience to his lawes The King seeing this rebellion purposeth so to deale in reuenging it as that not onely his iustice but also and especially his mercy and loue towards his naturall subiectes may appeare and therefore he meaneth to punishe their offence in himselfe by putting to death his owne onely
who seeing or hearing of Iesus the sonne of Mary liuing in so miserable a condition and dying so shamefull a death as he did would either beleeue him to be the eternall and omnipotent God of heauen and earth or to be able to saue others who did not saue himselfe from death or what man especially if he were indued with naturall witte and humane wisdom would forsake all the commodities profites pleasures and ioyes of this present world and indure the sorrowes reproches troubles losses dangers and manyfolde crosses whereunto the godly are subiect in this life in hope of an other life which is to all reason not onely vncertaine but also incredible Hence it is that the number of beleeuers is as nothing in respect of the infinite multitudes of vnbeleeuers who are almost as many as there are men in the world and that the more a naturall man doth excell in wit and wisdome the more vncapable of faith he is 1. Cor. 1. 27. Brethren saith the Apostle beholde your calling that not many wise men after the fleshe not many noble mightie or riche are called to fayth but God hath chosen foolish and weake things to confounde the wise Yea this difficultie of beleeuing is greater in these last dayes then euer it was before as Christ himselfe teacheth vs Luc. 18. 8. saying Thinke ye that the sonne of man when he commeth shall finde fayth on the earth And to the same effect Mat. 24. 12. 22. Because iniquitie shall abound the loue of many shall wax colde insomuch that vnlesse those dayes were shortned no fleshe should be saued The cause of this defect of fayth is first the aboundance of sinne before mentioned in that the sinnes of all ages doe euen flow together into the last as into a common sinke Secondly the state of the Church vnto the which God doth not reueale himselfe so manifestly and sensibly as he did in the first ages of the world in apparitions of Angels in visions and dreames invisible formes and sensible voyces speaking familiarly with his seruants as one man doth with another in holy oracles giuing answere to euery question propounded in temporall blessings bestowed on the faithfull and in corporall punishments laid on the wicked in the extraordinary giftes of prophecy and immediate reuelation of speaking straunge languages and working miraculous things By these and diuerse other meanes God did so plainely reueale himselfe to the old world that they who did not beleeue his word may be said to haue bene such as would giue no credence to their own senses But in these last ages God hauing once reuealed himselfe in his sonne in the gospell sufficiently for the saluation of the elect yea in trueth farre more clearely then euer he did before doth not any longer reueale himself by any of the aforesaid meanes but as it were hideth himselfe in secrete insomuch that he seemeth to most men eyther not to exist at all or else to haue wholly cast off the care and gouernment of the world and therefore men cast off all faith beleife and feare of God In regard of the which difficulties it standeth euery one in hand who tendereth his owne saluation to be both watchfull in preseruing faith and also diligent and carefull in seeking for it For howsoeuer no carefulnesse can without the blessing of God work faith in the hartes of men yet it is in the power of man to vse the outward meanes of attaining it the which whosoeuer doth as he ought to doe he neede not doubt of successe for so much as God is neere at hand to al those who seeke him Yea further whenas we suppose that we are indued with a true sauing faith we are to take heede least we be deceaued with that common errour of men who when they are ignorant of God and of his word and haue in their harts scarse any shadowe of true faith yet they are not ashamed to professe that they doe and alwaies did trust in Christ whereof if anie man doe doubt and beginne to examine their faith whether it be true or counterfait then they are grieuously offended thinke they haue great iniury offred But we are to thinke farre otherwise and knowing that true faith is a very rare thing not easelie to flatter our selues in a false opinion of it but rather to take a straite examination of our faith the which that we may the better doe we will now come to the fourth point namely to the signes whereby true faith may be discerned The signes are 〈◊〉 euen so many as there are in a regenerate man spiritual graces and seuerall partes of holinesse all which come from faith as from a fountaine or roote and therefore will certainely declare the sincerity of it as good fruite and sweete water shewe the goodnesse of the tree and fountaine and therefore he that would know â—ow vnfained his faith is must looke at the sincerity of his knowledge loue feare reâ—erence and obedience which he oweth to God if these graces be plentifull in his life his heart is truely replenished with faith but if this fruit doe not appeare his faith is not a liuing tree planted by the riuers of Gods blessings but a dead stocke hauing nothing but the outward forme of a tree But we shall haue better occasion to entreate of the signes of true faith when we compare it with that temporary faith which often hath place in the reprobate The fift question is whether this faith may be lost or no whereunto we answere as hath beene said before of regeneration in generall that where it is once truely imprinted in the heart by the finger of God there it remaineth for euer and although it be subiect to many alteratioÌ„s in regard of the greatnesse or meannesse of it yea although it seem somtimes to be cleane dead at the root bringing foorth little or no fruit yet there remaineth life hidden in the heart as there doth life and sap in trees in the middest of winter when they seeme to be dead and withered For the conuersion of a maÌ„ from infidelity to faith worketh such a total strange change in him that it is impossible that one should become of a faithfull man an vnbeleeuer The last question is how it commeth to passe that of all the spirituall graces which are in the mind will and affections of man and of all the partes of mans holinesse this onely should haue in it this wonderful vertue and force to apprehend Christ and to make a man perfectly iust before the iudgement seat of Christ and why not the true knowledge of God vnfained loue the feare of God or a generall holinesse of life and conuersation should not as well iustify a man as this one affection of confidence or affiance Whereunto we answere that this meanes of iustifying men by faith onely doth most of all make for the glory of God the which is the last end of al the decrees actions
of God for if man were accounted righteous for his holinesse or loue he might impute his saluation to his owne desert for perfect loue deserueth loue and holinesse will chalenge life as of due debt But affiance implieth a humble loyall and duetifull subiection acknowledging the vnworthines basenesse insufficiency and weakenesse of man and together the mercy goodnesse loue fauour bounty trueth and power of God This reason is vsed for this purpose Ro. 3. 27. what law or meanes of saluation doth take away all boasting from man and so giueth all the glory of our saluation to God not the law of workes or inherent holinesse but the law of faith yea of all the graces which are in man faith onely hath in it this naturall property to make a man partaker of Christes death and righteousnes and so of saluation For euen as a tennant inioyeth his house and landes not for that he loueth or feareth his lord or for any vertue wherwith he is indued but only because he doth depeÌ„d on his Lord and so doth purchase vnto him worship and honour by relying himselfe wholly vpon his loue fauor liberality constancy ability riches so standeth the case with man in respect of his saluation For no grace saue onely this affiance on God and on his mercy in Christ can conuey vnto vs remission of sinnes and eternall life In the which respect it is commonly said in holy scripture that faith doth iustifie not as it is a parte of mans holinesse whereof no one part no not all the partes of it if any one be wanting will serue to make a man righteous before God but as it hath in it this proper vertue to make the death of Christ the death of the beleeuer so the righteousnes arising of the said death the righteousnes of the beleuer For he that hath suffered death is iustisied from sin Thus much of the obiect nature attributes of euangelical faith It remaineth that before we proceed to the rest of the partes of mans holines we should declare the relatioÌ„ which is betwixt faith them It hath bene said of faith in general that it is as it were the root froÌ„ the which other graces do spring in that it tieth vs to God the fountain of al graces as to the only giuer of all happines the which thing is true of this euangelicall faith after a special manner For in that it ioineth vs to Christ it maketh vs partakers of the spirit of Christ or rather causeth an increase of all spirituall graces For regeneratioÌ„ is although not in time yet in nature before faith Therefore this faith is made the subiect of the spirituall life of the new man euen as the hart is in the body the fountaine of heat Gal. 2. 20. I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me in that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen his life for me And Act. 15. 9. Peter saith that God did purifie the hartes of the gentils that is as it is expounded verse 8. worke sanctification in them by faith In the which respect it is compared to the foundation of a house where vpon the whole buylding standeth and to the roote of a tree which giueth heate sappe and life to all the partes of it Coll. 1. 23. If ye continue founded and established in fayth and to a fountaine of liuing water Ioh. 7. 38. He that beleeueth in me out of his bellie shall flow riuers of the water of life And therfore it is put before all other graces 2. Pet. 1. 5. Ioyne to your fayth vertue and to your vertue knowledge temperance patience godlynes brotherly loue and kyndnes Hence it is that it is vsually distinguished from the rest of the partes of sanctification they being called by the name of loue or of the holy ghost 1 Tâ—ess 3. 6. Tymothie hath brought vs tydinges of your fayth and loue So it is saide Act. 6. 5. That Stephen was a man full of fayth and of the holy spirit not that faith it selfe is not a worke of the holy spirite and a parte of the spirituall holynesse of man but because it is the first worke of Gods spirite and the foundation of mans holinesse and saluation who must be by fayth freed from sinne and death before he can be endued with positiue holynesse and life Thus the Apostle doth often exhorte vs to fanctification and holynesse of life by an argument drawen from iustification which is the proper effect of faith as we may see Ro. 6. 14. sinne shall not haue dominion ouer you because you are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace But it may be asked how iustification doth bring foorth sanctification especially seing that to mans reason it is rather a motiue to a wicked and dissolute life that by the multitude and hainousnesse of our sinnes the mercy of God whereby they are pardoned might the more appeare Rom. 3. 7. and 6. 1. We answere that iustification doth of necessitie bring foorth sanctification and that diuers wayes For first the sense of the vnspeakeable loue of God whereby we are deliuered from eternall damnation doth inflame the hart of the beleeuers with a greate loue of God the which cannot be shewed any other way then by keepeing his commaundementes and by laboring to glorifie his holy name by a holy life Secondly God doth saue the faythfull not as stockes or stones without requiring anie worke action or duety at their handes but so as that he maketh them to be his fellow workers not that man can do any thing of him selfe without the grace of God but that man being endued and renewed by grace doth after a sort worke his owne saluation not by any naturall vertue but by the power of Gods spirite and therefore as Christ taketh away the guilte of sinne being committed so the faythful ought to endeuor that sin be not coÌ„mited Otherwise if they shoulde still of set purpose committe sin they should crosse Christ in the worke of their owne redemption defiling theÌ„ selues with sin whom he hath clensed with his bloud yea they should crucifie him againe treade vnder foote his bloude as a vile thing Thirdly the faithfull doe labour for sanctification as for the onely testimony of the soundnesse of their fayth and of the truthe of their iustification For fayth without the other partes of holynesse is but adeade and vnprofitable fayth Lastly the faythfull man knoweth that fayth is not of it selfe without the rest of sanctification sufficient for the attaining of saluation For although it alone dothfully iustify that is bring perfect remission of all manner of sinne whatsoeuer yet before that a man can enter into the kingdome of heauen he must be endued with perfect positiue holinesse the which cannot be made perfect in the worlde to come vnlesse it be begun and carefullie sought after
morall lawe and therefore it belonged to man in the state of innocencie This the heathen oratour witnesseth saying All they who are in the handes and iurisdiction of any other doe feare For although they be perswaded of their loue and mercy yea of their owne innocency yet they doe consider not onely what they will doe but also what they may doe The second cause of this feare was the surpassing and incomprehensible glorie and maiestie of God the which being fully reuealed hath force not onely to astonishe and amase but also to confound and consume any creature whatsoeuer yea although the saide creature be not stained with sinne and so not subiect to the anger of God For euen as a brittle glasse being filled with some extreame strong liquor cannot but burst in sunder not because of any antipathie which is betwixt them but because the glasse is not of sufficient strength to containe the liquor So is it with the creature when God doth appeare in perfect glory in regard whereof the Angels themselues are said to couer their faces least they shoulde behold it howe much more then hath man who is but dust and ashes and whose life is in his nosethrilles iust cause of feare Yea the brute beastes and senslesse creatures themselues who neither doe nor can sinne are sayd to be affected with this feare of the glorious maiestie of God Thus we read Psal. 29. The voyce of the Lord shewing it selfe foorth in power and glory doth breake the cedars of Libanus It maketh them skip like young calues yea it maketh the desert to quake the hindes to calue the mountaines to smoke and in breife all creatures what soeuer to melte away before his face And thus did man feare God in the state of innocencie for although he had daily conuersation with God yet he knewe that as a vessel of glasse clay or any brittle matter often meeting with vessels of brasse or yron may easely get a knock and so be broken to shiuers so might he be confounded by the glory of God if God did at any time reueale the same fully vnto him Thirdly man being in his first state had iust cause to feare God in regard of the weaknes and mutability of his owne nature which might easely be ouercome with some temptation and that in regard of the freedome of his will which might easely forsake God and imbrace euill by the which meanes he should not onely be subiect to the anger of God and to eternall death but also displease and dishonor God who had shewed him selfe so louing and bountifull a father and creator vnto him Thus we see the causes of this feare nowe we are to consider the vses of it First it serued as a bridle to restraine man from falling from God by disobedience For although man in this holy estate did obey God more for loue then for feare of punishment yet it pleased God to vse all meanes possible to keepe him from sinne and therefore he propounded not onely the rewarde of life to his obedience but also the punishment of eternall death to his disobedience whensoeuer it should happen as we read Gen. 2. 17. In the day wherein thou shalt eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt incontinently die Secondly this feare serued to keepe man as froÌ„ sin so from all presumptuous bold vndecent behauiour in respect of God For we know as it is commonly saide Familiar conuersation will easelie breede contempt Lastly man was by this feare put in minde and made to acknowledge as the basenesse infirmity mutability of his owne nature so also the infinite power authority and maiesty of God Sect. 2. Of the want of feare THe third heade of mans rebellion is the want of the aforesaide feare of God for since the fall man hath no regard either of the power might and maiesty of God or yet of the weakenesse of his owne nature as he had before but conceiueth amisse both of God and of himselfe But what maruaile is it that man doth not feare in consideration of the weakenesse and mutabilitie of his nature which may fall into sinne when as he feareth not the iustice of God and his eternall anger due vnto him selfe for sinne already committed For if man in his innocencie had iust cause of feare as hath bene declared howe much more ought he being sinfull For if he being righteous is scarslie saued howe shall he nowe appeare before the iudgment seate of God being guiltie of sinne And yet man in this sinfull state hath although greater cause of feare â—et lesse feare then he had before yea in truth â—one at all but is benummed with a senselesse securitie hauing no remorse of conscience nor feare of punishment for sinnes â—ommitted neither standeth in awe of the glorious presence of God This appeareth â—oth by the testimony of scripture in many â—laces as namely Rom. 3. 18. where a carnall â—an is described by this note That he hath 〈◊〉 feare of God before his eyes as also by â—ayly experience which sheweth vs that â—ery few in the worlde doe in their actions regarde whether they be good or bad whether pleasing or displeasing to God and so whether they be such which will bring vppon the doers some heauie iudgement or no whereas if mens hartes were possessed with the feare of God they would thinke him to be alwaies present with them and to beholde their doings and so they woulde be both restrained from euill and pricked forwarde to doe good but we see it to be farre otherwise for in committing sinne men thinke that they are safe and all is well if they can doe it so secretlie as that they may auoyd the shame slaunder reproch and anger of men together with the punishment prescribed by humane lawes But we need not stand in the inlarging of this point which is so manifest Sect. 3. Of renewed feare THe third head of renewed subiection is the feare of God the which is a singular grace and hath great vse in regeneration howsoeuer it may seeme to fight with fayth and hope morâ— then it did in the state of innocency seeing that the faithfull can not loose that holy and happy state wherein they are placed and therefore need not feare any euill being not only happy but also sure to coÌ„tinue so for euer To this we answere that although the feare of eternall death and misery cannot stand with perfect faith and hope whereby life and happinesse is certainely expected yea although the faithfull neede not feare the mutability and freedome of will beeing certaine of their finall perseuerance in faith yet there are many causes by the which they ought to be moued to feare God Hither we are to referre the causes of feare in the state of innocency whereof the most ought to be of more force to moue the faithfull to feare God then they were to man in his pure estate For shall man
being in happy innocency the holy Angels being in perfect glory yea the brute and senselesse creatures feare in regard of the glorious maiesty of God and shall the faithfull being sinful and miserable not be affected therewith But we know that the seruants of God haue alwaies feared his glorious presence Thus the people of Israell make it an impossible thing that a man shoulde see the glorie of God and liue And Manach Sampsons fafather saith Iudg. 13. 22. We shall die because we haue seene God Further the faithfull are not freed from the feare which the committing of sinne bringeth with it for although they know that no sin tho neuer so hainous can depriue them of the eternal loue of God in Christ or of eternall saluation yet they ought so much the more to feare to displease or dishonour God then Adam did in his innocency because God hath shewed himselfe more louing gratious and bountifull to them in their regeneration then he did to Adam in his first creation for God sheweth his loue farre more in bringing some fewe from the common death of mankind to eternall saluation then he did in creating all in a common state of life Neyther are we to thinke that the faithfull liuing in this worlde are so exempted from sustaining the punishment of sinne as that they doe not in this regard also feare God for although if we speake properly it cannot stand with the iustice and equity of God to punish the faithfull for their sinnes the which he hath already punished to the full in the death of Christ yet the fatherly chastisements which he layeth vpon them for their great presumptuous sinnes to keepe them and others from committing the like are often so sharpe as that they doe not without cause seeme to be grieuous and fearefull punishmentes Hence it is that this sentence is annexed to those grieuous iudgementes which befell any of the people That all Israell may heare and feare the Lord. The vses of this grace are as before to restraine the faithfull from sinne for although that be true which the heathen poet saith Odâ—runt peccare boni virtutis amore oderunt peccare mali formidine poenae yet two motiues are more effectuall then one especially in this corrupt state wherein the faithfull retaining some reliques of their corrupt nature are often frayed from sinne by feare when as the loue of God is not able to restraine them Pro. 16. 6. and 3. 7. and 14. 16. A wise man feareth and escheweth euil In this respect The feare of God is called the beginning of wisedome that is of an holy and vnblameable life Psal. 10. 10. Pro. 11. 7. because the godly man doth alwaies behaue himselfe as in the presence of the great and fearefull God of heauen Hitherto the rest of the vses mentioned in the first section of this chapter are to be referred which it is not needfull to repeate Yet there is one speciall commodity which the faithfull reape by this grace to wit immunity from temporall plagues for euen as it is said of a fierce and roring Lion that in the heate of his rage he spareth those beastes which yeelding themselues to his power doe by feare and trembling aske mercy at his handes so when as God is so prouoked to anger by the sinnes of his seruantes that no praiers or vowes can pacify him yet this submisse feare of his wrath doth quench the burning heat of it by the which meanes it commeth to passe that this feare of God doth not breed any trouble or disquietnes in the minds of the godly but rather freeth them from the feare of all euill whatsoeuer and therefore to conclude this chapter euery faithfull man ought to labour with all care both to haue in his heart and to expresse in his whole life and behauiour this singular grace of the feare of God that so he may call God his feare as he is called the feare of Isaac Gen. 31. 42. 53. where Iacob doth sweare to Laban by the feare of his father Isaac that is by God whom onely and no other thing in the world Isaac feared Thus we are exhorted Heb. 12. 28. Let vs labour to please God with reuerence and feare For euen our God is a consuming fire CHAP. VII Sect. 1. Of the subiection which man in his innocency did owe to God as to his father THus we see the first part of mans subiection with the particular dueties thereof the second kind of subiection is that which the sonne oweth to the father for God was to man in the state of innocency not onely a liege Lord and soueraigne King but also a gracious and louing father and that by vertue of the first creation the which is a kinde of generation For the creator giueth being and existence to the creature as the father doth to the sonne Yet not all the creatures are in this respect to be accounted or called the sonnes of God no more then men doe account those senselesse things which they fashion and make of clay woode or any such matter to be their children although they be their workemanship and therefore there is somewhat else in man which maketh him the sonne of God to wit the likenesse or similitude of man to God for man doth resemble God so as we see the sonne doth his father not in the outward shape of his body for God hath no shape neyther can be resembled to any thing that either is or can be imagined but in the inward holines of his soule the which is called in scripture The image of God whereof more hereafter Yet this is here to be noted that although man be by his originall and naturall state the sonne of God yet he is not so his sonne as is the second person of the Godhead who partaketh the very essence of the father whereas man hath not in him any part of gods essence but onely a shadow or light resemblance of it So that the second person is the sonne of God as is the natural sonne begotten by any man and therefore is of the substance of his father not differing from him in any respect saue only that the one is the father the other the sonne but man is the sonne of God so as he who is a son by some accidentall meanes as by law by adoption by tuition by susception or by any other way beside natural procreation For these sonnes do not participate the nature essence of their fathers but only do resemble them perhaps in countenaÌ„ce conditions name or in some such outward respect whereas in nature kinde and substance they are far differing from them But to proceed Man being not a senselesse or brutish but a reasonable creature is the son of God not he onely but also all the holy Angels who being likewise indued with the image of God are called the sonnes of God Iob. 1. 6. The sonnes of God came on a
good both in themselues and towards man and therefore there remaine the wicked spirites only the deuill with his helhoundes on whome this affection is to be exercised The which thing man might lawfully do requiting their accursed and spightfull hatred of God of his glory creatures and specially of man and his saluation with a vehement hatred desiring their eternall confusion not simply because they are sinfull and miserable for they are in that respect rather to be pittied but because of the nature of their sinne which being a desperate hatred of God hath belonging vnto it the imprecation of the Church of God Yet the deuill himselfe the Captaine of this wicked crewe is not so vehemently to be hated as God is to be loued because he is not so euill as God is good for God is simply infinitely and essentially good but the deuill is not infinitely euill because he is a creature nor absolutely for he hath some good in him as is the created might and power of his nature nor essentially for the substance of his nature remaineth vncorrupt as in the holy Angels Sect. 2. Of corrupt loue and hatred OF all the faculties of mans soule none are so much stained with the corruption of sin as are the affectiōs for as the wil is more froward frō good then the minde is ignorant of it so the affections are farre more outragious then the will is froward and no maruaile for they being of so violent a nature as cannot without much a doe be kept in due order by the force eyther of created or renewed holines how great shall we thinke their disorder sinfulnesse to be in this corrupt state wherin they may runne at random as farre as they list being not restrained by any superiour power Whereof it cōmeth that as they being sanctified and set on good doe procure a great encrease of holinesse as hath bene said so they being in a carnall and sinfull man esspecially where they are strong by natur do encrease his sinfulnesse vnto the highest degree the which as it is strong in the other faculties of the soule so in the affectiōs it may well be compared to a mad man set on horsbacke yea on a wild horse which cannot eyther stay himselfe or be staied by any other means till he haue run himselfe out of breath and life in all outrage of sinne The sinfulnesse of the affections consisteth in this that they are moued by contrarie obiectes for those which shoulde be stirred vp by the euilnesse of the obiect to abhorre it doe in that respect embrace it and moue toward it and contrarilie those which shoulde be moued by the goodnesse of the obiect to embrace it doe in that respect abhorre and auoid it as will appeare more plainly in the particulars as namely in loue and hatred the which affections are both common and strong in carnall men yet not holely rightly disposed in them for they doe rather loue that which they should hate and hate that which they shonld loue then loue and hate that which ought to be loued and hated First as touching God on whome man ought to set his whole loue a carnall man doth not know God much lesse loue him it being impossible that one should loue that which he doth not know as it is commonly saide Ignoti nulla cupido Yea if a naturall man doe by anie means attaine to some knowledge of God yet he is as farre of from louing him as he was before and which is more although God doe bestow neuer so many blessinges and pleasures vpon him as what hath he that he hath not receiued from God yet he cannot by them nor by any other meanes purchase his loue so greatly is the affection of man alienated from God Yet we cannot say that man doth by nature hate God for then his fall were as greate as the fall of the deuill and the rest of the wicked spirites which is not to be thought especially seing that we knowe that all men by the instinct of nature delight to haue a God according to their owne Imagination and him they will loue and honour Yet this may be truly-saide that it is naturall for man to encrease as in all other partes of his naturall sinfulnesse so also and especiallie in the want of the loue of God in so much that although not all yet many become haters of God as appeareth Rom 1. 30. For although men especially liuing in the church be restrained by the shame of the world and the feare of punishment from professing them-selues to be haters of God yet in that they doe hate the ministers and seruants of God which do zealously preach and professe his gospel behauing themselues spightfully contumeliously and malitiously towardes them it is euident that in their harts they doe hate God himselfe As Christ witnesseth Ioh. 7. 7. The world cannot hate you but me it hateth because I testifie of it that the workes of it are euil From this fountaine of the want of the loue of God commeth the want of loue towardes men For if the carnall man doe not loue God himselfe surelie it is not like that he loueth man for Gods sake because he is created or recreated after the likenesse of God What then doth sinfull man loue For we haue saide that this affection hath a strong and common vse in this corrupt estate surely he loueth himselfe if that may be called loue and not rather hatred which bringeth to euerlasting destruction and all manner of worldly and fleshly pleasures soft apparrell and to goe brauely sweete meates and to fare daintily faire buildings for outward pompe and vaine-glorie riche coffers without anie scarsitie new pastimes mery cōpanie sleepe ease idlenes warmnes whatsoeuer may please the minde or tickle the outward senses that is the thing which man loueth But what say ye to the streames which come from this self◠loue Doth not man in this sinful estat loue his parentes children wife friends and acquaintance We answere that he loueth all these by the instinct of nature and yet by the encrease of his naturall corruption it doth vsually come to passe as experience doth teach that most naturall men loue neither father nor mother sonne nor daughter sister nor brother wife nor friend kinsman nor neighbour nor any other saue only themselues So that man maketh himselfe an Idol loueing hinselfe wholly and only as he should doe God and bearing no heartie affection either to the godlie for gods sake or to his owne for his owne sake Sect. 3 Of the renewed holinesse of the affections and specially of loue and hatred AS the created so much more the recreated holinesse of man admitteth all the kindes of affections by the violence whereof as it is somtimes hindred and impaired so vsually it is set forward and augmented for euen as a shippe houlding her right course and hauing her sailes filled with a greate gale of wind
maketh a speidie gainfull and happie voiage howsoeuer if that she chaunce to meete with a rocke or to runne vpon some sand she is in greater danger then if she had made lesse hast and borne a lower saile So where the strength and force of these affections is wanting there is as lesse danger in respect of sudden falles so lesse abilitie of aspiring to any high degree of holines for that the graces of the holy spirit wanting their sailes or being be calmed for want of winde often lie floting vp and dowen and doe not make so euident or notable progresse in their course Of these renewed affections the most notable is called loue an affections so often commended vnto vs and so highly extolled in the scriripture as if it contained not one part onely but euen the wholle substance of created holinesse in the which respect it is saide to be The fulfilling of the lawe Math. 22 40. Rom. 13. 8. and the one halfe of renewed holinesse the which is vsually cōprised in these two words Faith and Loue which is sayde 1. Cor. 13. 13. To be greater then faith But that we giue neither more nor lesse to this affection then is due vnto it this is to be held that holinesse whether created or recreated doth not consist either in any one or in a fewe but in many graces amongest the which loue hath the first place assigned vnto it yea often the denomination either of the wholle holinesse of man or more commonly of the holinesse of all the practicall faculties Not as if it were the only grace for there are many distinct graces euen as many as there are distinct faculties of mans soule required in perfect holinesse or yet as if it were the chiefe grace for faith hath the first place although in nature it be not so excellent as loue which is an heroicall grace being the foundation and as it were the subiect and ground-worke not onely of loue but also of all other graces and of all holinesse whether created or renewed Why then is loue more spoken of and inculcated in the scripture then faith or any other grace We answere that the spirit of God hauing continually in enditing the scripture respect to the capacitie of men propoundeth and commendeth vnto them holinesse not so much in grosse and in generall as in some particulars which are more easely surely and certainly conceaued then the generall in the which respect loue is preferred before faith as being more euident apparant and sensible and therefore a more sure and infallible marke and note of generall holinesse The great appearance of loue ariseth of these two causes First because whereas faith hath relation to God onely loue extendeth it selfe both to God and men Secondly where as faith lieth hidden in the heart and minde loue is outward practical and therefore more apparant and sensible Againe loue is preferred before all other practicall graces because holinesse consisteth as partly in duties to be performed in respect of our selues so cheifely in duties to be perfourmed to others namely to God and to men the which a man cannot performe as he ought vnlesse he beare a loue and a harty desire of the good both of God and of man Thus much of loue in generall The particulars of it are these First the regenerate man loueth God aboue all the thinges in the worlde desiring his good in the aduancement of his glory much more then his owne saluation From the which fountaine of the loue of God springeth the loue of all men but especially of the Godly who are renewed according to the image of God in holinesse and iustice Psal. 16. 3. All my delite is in the holy ones which are here on earth and cheiflie in those which excell in vertue This loue of the saintes is an infallible signe of true regeneration and of the true loue of God namely whenas a man loueth an other hartelie and vehemently euen as it were his owne naturall sonne or brother for this cause onely he being otherwise astraunger vnto him for that he seeth in him manifest signes and argumentes of true and vnfained godlinesse 1. Ioh. 3. 14. We knowe that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren And Ioh. 13. 35. By this shall all men knowe that ye are my disciples if ye loue one another Nowe we come to the other fountaine of loue namely selfe-loue the which also hath place in the regenerate although in an other manner then in carnall men For they loue themselues yet so as that they loue God more by infinite degrees and their brethren as themselues Againe they doe not shewe or vse this selfe-loue in prouiding earthly and sensuall pleasures for their bodies but in procuring the eternall saluation of their soules and yet they doe and ought to loue themselues more then they doe any other yea to be more carefull for the good estate of their owne bodies and soules then of the bodies and soules of their brethren Yet this must be vnderstood in equall comparison for a faithfull man ought not to loue his owne bodie and to desire the safetie thereof more then the eternall saluation of his brother the which ought to be procured yea with the losse of our owne temporall liues Ioh. 3. 16. As Christ laide downe his life for vs so we ought to lay downe our liues for our brethren Yet a man neede not depriue himselfe of life for the safetie of the temporall life of his brother being a priuate man nor of eternall life for the procuring of his eternall saluation If any man doe here obiect the examples of Moses Paul of whom the one desired to haue his name blotted out of the booke of life and the other to be accursed from Christ for the good of the Iewes We āswere that the Iewes were then to be cōsidered not simplie as mē but as the whol visible church of God the confusion whereof coulde not but be a great hinderaunce to Gods glory the which ought to be procured euen with the eternall confusion of our owne soules if the case doe so require For so Moses alledgeth that if God did destroy his owne people the Egiptians who were spitefull enimies to God and his worshippe would laugh at their distruction and blaspheme God himselfe And so we cannot doubte but that the glory of God shall be wonderfully enlarged by the conuersion of the Iewes and therefore it may be more desired then our owne saluation From this fountaine of selfe loue flow the afore saide streames of speciall loue whereby the faithfull man is affected more to those who doe any way come neare himselfe then to those who are estraunged from him This partial loue is good and lawefull for why shoulde not man encline and cleaue more to those whom God hath ioyned more nearely vnto him Hence commeth the speciall loue due to parentes which cannot be wanting but in him
who is notoriously vnnaturall vnthankfull and vnholy For if a man loue the houses and places wherein he hath beene and liued sometime shall he not much more loue his parentes from whose bodies he came Secondly the loue of children with the loue of whom he that is not touched and enflamed may be accounted lesse affectionated then God himselfe and more senslesse then are the brute beastes An example of this fatherly affection we haue in Iacob of whom it is saide that he did loue his son Beniamin so dearly that his soule was so tied to the soule of Beniamin that he could not liue but would incoÌ„tinently dy for sorrow if so be he were taken from him Ge. 44. 36. This fatherly affection is so strong by nature that if it be not wel looked vnto it wil as a great riuer or streame rise aboue the bankes and due limites of it and cary a godly man beyond all due regard eyther of reason or of religion as appeareth plainely in that notable man of God king Dauid of whom it is said 1. King 1. 6. That he did cockour his sonne Adonia and could not finde in his heart to grieue him no not with a sharpe word And we know how he loued his vngratious sonne Absalon being more sorrowfull for his death who for his monstrous vnnaturalnes was not worthy to liue on the earth then he was glad for the victory which he himselfe had gotten and for his owne safety And therefore he did so bitterly lament his death saying O Absalon Absalon O my son Absalon would to God I had died for the. Thirdly from this fountaine commeth the speciall loue of those who are tied with the faithfull man in any outward bonde as in mariage or speciall friendship for the first â—o the mutuall loue which ought to be beâ—wixt the husband and the wife the scripture doth often exhort by arguments drawen from the institution of God who hath made them one person and one flesh Thus Ephe. 5. 29. No man euer hated his owne flesh but doth nourish and cherish it And therefore a man ought to loue his wife euen as his owne bodie and as Christ hath loued his Church Yea there is great reason and necessity of a great measure of mutuall loue betwixt man and wife For seeing they doe forsake their fathers mothers and kindred not dwelling any longer with them but betaking themselues to their owne house and to each other as to a perpetuall companion and partner in good and euill in ioy and misery how should not their loue be exceeding great The seconde outward bond of loue is friendship whereby we doe not meane any common good will and acquaintance but a speciall contract of perpetuall loueâ— such an one as was betwixt Ionathan anâ— Dauid whereof it is saide 1. Sam. 18. 1â— That the soule of Ionathan was tied to thâ— soule of Dauid And Dauid himselfe whâ—â— had best experience of it witnesseth thâ—â— greatnesse of Ionathaens loue 2. Sam. 1â— 26. Saying how am I grieued for thee 〈◊〉 brother Ionathan thou was sweete pleasaâ— vnto me thy loue was wonderfull to me passing the loue of women Lastly from this fountain of selfeloue commeth the loue of kinsfolks alliance acquaintance companions neighbours and of all whome God hath ioyned more nearely to vs then he hath done others CHAP. VII Sect. 1. Of ioy sorrow and pittie in the state of innocency BEside the foresaid affections of loue and hatred there were many other created in man as namely to let the rest passe ioy and sorrow which is contrary to it The first is a delight or pleasure conceiued by the present enioiing of some good thing whereby a man is mooued to seeke and embrace the said good as sorrow is the abhorring of some present euill as being bitter and vnpleasant Both these affections had place and vse in this first estate yet not equally for a great part of happinesse consisteth in ioy yea happinesse may be said to be nothing else but the ioyfull fruition of good and pleasant thinges whereas sorrowe is contrary to happinesse howe great cause and continuall vse of ioy man had in his innocency we may easely gather by those infinite blessings wherewith he was euen compassed about liuing not onely free from all troubles crosses afflictions daungers wants incumbrances and whatsoeuer thing might any way grieue or hurt him but also in abundance and superfluity of al pleasures belonging both to his body and soule in perfect strength and health in wealth peace and liberty in honour and glory and which is all in all and in trueth the fountaine of all true ioy in the fauour and loue of God The holinesse of this affection consisteth in this that it be correspondent and proportionable to the goodnesse and excellency of the obiect and that the ioy which man conceiueth by the fruition of any thing be greater or lesse as the thing it selfe is more or lesse excellent a greater or a lesse good and therefore man was chiefly to delight himselfe and to reioyce in God who is the chiefe and first yea the onely infinite goodâ— in the fruition of the presence and fauour of God in seruing praising God in meditating on the creatures workes wisedom power mercy and goodnesse of God Secondly as God hath put into euery one of his creatures a finite and proper goodnes so it was lawfull for man to be affected accordingly with the pleasure flowing from the said thing For example God created for the vse of man great variety of trees bearing sweete and pleasant fruite all which man might lawfully vse with ioy and pleasure Yea this ioyfull vse of the creatures was not onely permitted to man but also comaunded by God for so we read Deut. 26. 11. Thou shalt bowe thy selfe before the Lord thy God and thou shalt reioyce before him in all the good thinges which he hath giuen vnto thee thou and thy whole family For why he that reioiceth aright in the fruition of the creatures reioyceth in God the maker and giuer of them and by them is stirred vp to greater alacrity in seruing and praising God Now as touching sorrow it had also place in the pure nature of man which was subiect to this passion howsoeuer he being in perfect felicitie had not any great vse of it yet we may suppose some causes of sorrow euen in this happie estate both in man himselfe who might be moderately grieued for the want of some particular good and in some other respects as also in other creatures for the miserable estate of the wicked Angels hauing beene so glorious and happie especially the dishonour which they did many waies procure to the name of God could not but worke sorrow in the heart of man So that the sorrow of man in this first state being rather in regarde of others then of himselfe ought to be called pitty rather then sorrow The holinesse of this
affection consisteth in this that it be in greatnesse correspondent to the greatnesse of the euill diligently waied with the seuerall circumstances of it and also moderated and qualified with contentation in respect of the will of God by the which the said euill came to passe Sect. 2. Of corrupt ioy and sorrow THese affections ioy and sorrow doe remaine in the corrupt state of man yet after a farre diuerse manner for whereas before the ioy of man was chiefly in God in spirituall things now it is wholly in carnall sensuall and earthly pleasures before man neuer thought himselfe well but when he was praising seruing God meditating on his loue the manifold blessings receiued from him now man neuer thinketh on God if he by some outward meanes as the lawes of mē or the auoiding of the sham of the world be drawen to some spiritual exercise as is the hearing of the word praier or any other he taketh no manner of pleasure in it Yea it is irkesome tedious vnto him his minde and affections being set vpon worldly pleasures as namely in the abundance vanetie goodnesse and sweetnesse of meates and drinkes in sleepe and idlenesse in carnal and filthy lustes in pastime and merie companie in gorgeous apparrell statelie buildings large reuenewes in health strēgth riches honour and preferment in children friends and prophane knowledge or in some other of the same kind Not as if there might not a lawfull pleasure be taken in corporall and outward blessings as hath beene declared but man passing by God the giuer of all these blessinges placeth his whole ioy and felicitie in the fruition of them and so maketh them his Gods As the Apostle doth plainlie witnesse that the coueteous man is an idolatour He is not stirred vp by the sweetenesse which he feeleth in the vse of the creaturs to reioyce delight himselfe in God the giuer of them but is by them more alienated from God and being euen drunke with sensualitie forgetteth and contemneth God much more in prosperitie then in aduersitie and therefore God doth so often forewarne the people of Israel of forgetting him whenas they come into that pleasant land flowing with milke honny whither they went Hence it commeth that the ioy of a carnall man is vnconstant vncertaine and momentany euen as is the matter of his ioy For as no worldly thing is constant so the ioy which ariseth of worldly things must needes be vnconstant Yea while it doth continue it is not pure and sincere ioy but mingled with much sorrow and vexation of minde it being impossible that any man should haue such perfect ioy in this world in respect of worldly blessings as is voide of all manner of crosses and griefe And therefore Salomon saith Prou. 14. 13. That the hart of the wicked man is heauie euen while he laugheth and that sorrow is the end of his ioy Thus we see the sinfullnesse of mans ioy in this corrupt state Likewise his sorrow is not such as it ought to be he is indeede often grieued but not for the want of the fauour presence and grace of God not for his sins by the which he doth displease dishonour God not for the miserable estate of his soule rotting in ignorance atheisme infidelitie These things neuer trouble him but if he be in anie worldly miserie if in pouertie sicknesse danger prison in the displeasure of any greate and mightie man then he is ouerwhelmed and euen stricken deade with sorrow As for the miseries wherein he seeth other men to be the scripture doth often teach vs and daily experience doth testifie the same that a carnall man is cruell mercilesse voide of all pittie and compassion Sect. 3. Of holy ioy and sorrow IT now remaineth that we declare the holines of these affections in the state of regeneration wherein both ioy and sorrow haue so greate and continuall vse as that they may seeme to striue for the preheminence whether of them should beare the greater sway in the faithful Renewed ioy ariseth of the inward sense and feeling of the loue and mercie of God in Christ whereby a faithfull man knowing assuredlie that he hath attained remission of all his sinnes safetie and freedome from the anger and iudgements of God eternall happinesse with all spirituall and temporall blessings tending therevnto is and that not without good cause replenished in his soule with an exceeding and vnspeakable ioy in regard of this his happie state the greatnes whereof no man either knoweth or can expresse but he in whome it hath pleased God to worke it by his holie spirite Yea if we shall compare this renewed ioy with the ioy which man had in his first estate we shall see that the faithfull haue both greater cause of reioycing and greater ioy then man had in his perfect happinesse in that he hath not only attained to a more perfect absolute and certaine happinesse but also hath escaped the contrarie miserie euen the eternall wrath of God due vnto him for his sinnes whereof man had no taste in his first estate This ioy differeth from the ioy of the carnall man in many respectes the one reioyceth in God the other in the creatures the one in temporal vaine and momentanie the other in spirituall heauenlie and eternall things the one in the good estate of his bodie the other in the good estate of his soule The one sheweth his ioy in the vse of carnall pleasures the other in spirituall exercises Eph. 5. 18. Be not drunke with wine wherein is excesse but be ye filled with the spirit speaking to your selues in psalmes and spirituall songs making melodie to the Lord in your heartes And lastly the one is continuall constant abiding yea florishing so much the more in the middest of the greatest afflictions Rom. 5. 3. Act 16. 15. The other is short and vncertaine being cleane dashed with the least crosse that doth happen This renewed ioy although it be so exceeding great as hath beene saide yet it is mixed and indeede tempered with much sorrow so it hath pleased God in great wisdome and mercy to giue to his children in this life not the absolute perfection of that ioy and happinesse which he hath prepared for them but rather to temper the exceeding sweetnesse of it with sorrow and afflictions that so the bitternesse of the one might make the other the more welcome and acceptable vnto them The causes of this sorrow are diuerse some in the faithfull themselues some in others in themselues first and cheifly their sinnes whereby they doe displease and dishonour God who hath shewed himselfe to them so gratious bountifull and mercifull Secondly the manifolde temptations crosses and afflictions which doe daily befal them these howsoeuer by the gratious assistaunce of Gods spirit they doe often encrease this spirituall ioy yet being bitter and oftentimes intollerable to flesh and bloude they doe preuaile against
honour and all manner of worldly things such a one may become a vertuous and holy man but vsually he is so in euery respect that a man may see plainly in him a patterne of the encrease of naturall sinfulnesse Lastly spie out one of a gentle nature and ingenuous countenance vertuously brought vp from his first infancie hauing neuer vsed any euill companie but being continually giuen of himselfe to get learning and all manner of knowledge yea carefully inured by his parents tutors and teachers to the dayly practise and exercise of what soeuer thing is honest good right any way cōmendable lastly who hath no tru touch of religion is indued with a competent portion measure of the giftes of nature of fortune as they are ignorantly termed this man although he may by the peruersnesse of his corrupt nature treade all these things vnder his feete and become verie vitious yet vsually he may be an example of the decrease of naturall sinfulnesse These three men are all carnall and sinfull yet there is greate difference among them the which that it may the more plainly appeare we will compare them their diuers degrees of sinfulnesse together The first is the right naturall man The second is on his left hand hauing augmented his sinfulnesse The third on his right hand hauing diminished it The first is altogether ignorant of the true God and of his worship yet he thinketh that there is a God in heauen and doth worshipe his God verie diligently one way or other after his fashion The second is fully resolued in his mind by arguments inuented by him selfe and suggested by the deuill and other Atheists like to himselfe that there is no GOD and therefore that it is but follie to worship any The third man is persuaded by manie reasons that there is a God yea he knoweth the true God and performeth some parte of his true worshipe The first knoweth not what to thinke of God or to what thing to resemble him yet he thinketh him to be powerfull mightie and bountifull ascribing all his mishapes and his good lucke to his false God The second giueth all to blinde fortune wise counsell hardie aduentures yea he defieth God in his hart thinking that to trust in him is the next way to all mishap The third knoweth acknowledgeth that all thinges both good euill come from that only true GOD who is euery way infinite and incomprehensible yet knoweth not God in Christ as he ought to doe Likewise for the sinfulnesse of the will the mere naturall man cannot choose and incline himselfe to anie God religion or worshipe which is not sensible and therefore he cannot choose the true God and true holinesse the which are spirituall and contrarie to sense no not if these were propounded to his will either by his owne mind or by some other but chooseth for his part eating drinking sleeping ease pastime pleasure and voluptuousuesse The second man who is supernaturall in sinfulnesse detesteth and abhorreth the name of God and of any thing that is good but the third may haue an inclination to good Lastly the first man doth not in his life commit horrible sinnes such as are murther incest adulterie robberie or periurie being restrained euen by his owne conscience condemning these hainous sinnes and although he beare no loue to any but to himself to his owne yet he meaneth harme to no man As for the second he abstaineth from no sinne tho neuer so hainous wherevnto he is intised by any meanes Whereas the third man leadeth a life without all spot shew or suspition of any such matter yea he is good to euerie one as occasion is offered being farre from hurting any So that to be short the first man may be called a brute beast which is giuen to al sensualitie yet without either knowledge or practise of good or euill The second a deuil incarnate the third a carnall and sinfull saint Thus we see both by the naturall state of sinne as also by the increase of it what is the decrease of it Whereof we are to thinke and holde first that although it may be generall in any or in all the partes of mans sinfulnesse yet it can not be totall in any one much lesse in all for no part of it can be wholly diminished in an vnregenerate man Secondly this decrease doth take away the corruption of sinne more then it doth put the contrarie grace in the roome of it being in schoole termes rather pruatiue then positiue And therefore the carnall man in this decrease of sinfulnesse doth not so much knowe approue embrace and follow the true God and his worshippe as he knoweth all false gods to be no goddes condemning and detesting all idolatry And so in life although he can refraine himselfe from doing euil yet he is not able to performe the contrary Christian duties For the light of nature being increased by such meanes as a naturall man may vse will teach and may enable him to abstaine from grosse sinnes But the true knowledge and practise of good commeth onlie from the worke of gods spirite whereof it commeth that this decrease of sinfulnesse is not to be counted true holinesse neither any parte of it and so it is not effectuall to saluation Thus much in generall of the decrease of sinfulnesse nowe we come to the seuerall kindes of it the which are two in number naturall and supernaturall The first kinde whereof the third of the aforesaide carnall men may be a shadow we call naturall not that it is a naturall thing for a man to decrease in sinfulnesse in the which he groweth as naturally as the smoke goeth vpwarde and therefore it is a violent motion contrarie to his naturall inclination but because it may be attained by a naturall man in whom there is neither true regeneration nor any shadowe of it and that by naturall meanes without the worke of the holy spirite and therefore it may be seene not onely in carnall men liuing in the Church but also and that more plainly in many heathen and professed infidels who neuer heard tel of the true religion worshippe of God of whom many as it were laying violent handes on themselues and their naturall dispositions enclined to all vice and sinfulnesse haue gotten the habite that is the constant and permanent disposition of morall vertues as namely of iustice temperaunce sobriety and chastitie in somuch that they haue not onely led a life pure from the spottes of grosse sinnes but also haue after a sort chaunged their wils mindes and affections from an euil and vitious to a good and vertuous disposition This the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 2. 19. The gentils hauing not the written lawe of God doe by nature that is without spirituall grace the thinges contained in the lawe and so are a lawe vnto themselues Of this decrease we haue many and manifold examples euen some of all sortes of men
the minde is enlightned so often is the hearte affected by the which meanes it commeth to passe that of the aforesaide knowledge doth often spring in vnregenerate men a kinde of fayth commonly called temporarie because for the most part it is lost in processe of time It is to be discerned from effectuall and true faith by the fruites of it For as we cannot iudge what life and vertue is in the root of a tree which lieth hid in the ground but by the branches leaues and fruit which it sendeth foorth so faith which is hid in the hearte of man cannot be tried by any other meanes The fruites of true faith are al other spirituall graces all good and holy actions the which it sendeth forth plentifully and so carrieth with it a greate traine whereby it may be knowen but this temporarie faith is naked and destitute of these thinges either wholly or in greate part as hath beene saide of this shadow of regeneration in the former chapter But that which is doubtful whilst this saith standeth is in time made manifest when as the finall and totall decay of it doth shew what manner of faith it was For true faith abideth for euer but this temporarie faith may be lost by many meanes as first by heauie crosses and afflictions whereby it pleaseth God to trie his seruants as the pure golde is seuered from the drosse by the fier 1. Pet. 1. 7. Reioyce in your manifould temptations that your faith being tryed may be founde to be sound But of this sort of beleeuers Christ saith Math. 13. 21. That their faith dureth for a season but hauing no deepe roote it faileth when tribulation and persecution come True faith saith although God should kill me yet will I trust in him but this light faith is clean dismaied and euen nipt in the heade in time of any greate miserie Likewise it is lost by the force of sinne and of worldly pleasurs which make men to forget God and all the affiance which they had in him and so seeke for happinesse in this present world euen as the naturall life of man being in the heart is sōtimes kept down with extream sorrow sometimes dissolued with excesiue ioy 1. Tim. 5. 11. 12. Younger widowes will waxe wanton against Christ hauing damnation because they haue made voide their first faith By this meanes it commeth to passe that many who in their younger yeares haue had notable graces in them become in processe of time key colde in religion mere worldlings and cleane voyde of all faith For the longer that a man liueth the more he feeleth the pleasures of the worlde and so laying faster holde on them decreaseth in faith till it be vtterly lost as appeareth in many of the kinges of Iuda who were at the first sincere in the worshippe of God but in processe of time fell away Thus much of the decrease of infidelitie from the which there commeth a decrease of the other partes of mans sinfulnesse and a resemblance of all that holinesse which hath bene declared in the first part of this treatise for the carnall man hauing this knowledge and faith of God doth serue and worshippe him by hearing the worde and that with gladnesse by praying vnto God and by all other meanes Likewise he obeyeth God in the wholle course of his life he forsaketh his sin and is humbled with sorrowe in regard of them He liueth vnblamably in the eies of men yea and may be indeede iust vpright honest in all his dealing and finally doth in euery respect resemble the true beleeuer and yet the one is truely renewed vnto eternall life the other is but lightly affected and chaunged and that to his greater condemnation CHAP. VI. Of the naturall and supernaturall encrease of sinfullnesse NOw we come to the increase of sinne the which being as naturall to man as it is for the smoke to fly vpward may be more commonlie founde and more euidently seene then the decrease of it but the more that it is knowne of it selfe the lesse explication it needeth and therefore it shall suffice to declare it breifly after this manner The encrease of sinne is the diminishing of the reliques of Gods image in man Or thus to increase naturall sinfulnesse is to be sinfull against the lawe and light of nature For beside that man from his first infancie as he groweth vp in strength of body and minde doth also growe in sinfulnesse till he come to the state and ripenesse of it which hath bene declared in the second sections of the first and second partes there is an other encrease of sinne whereby man goeth yet further and so exceedeth himselfe and his naturall corruption This pointe of doctrine is set downe at large Rom. 1. from the 18. verse to the end of the Chapter Where the Apostle sheweth first the encrease of sinne against the first table of the lawe in that the gentils did worshippe God in the likenesse of man or of bruite beastes whereas man by the light of nature shining in the creation of the world seeth that God is of a farre more excellent powerfull and wonderfull nature then is man or any other creature Then from the 24. verse to the end he sheweth the encrease of sinne against the seconde table in that they were giuen to vnnaturall lust to the violating of all common equitie trueth and honestie in lying breaking couenantes in commiting horrible murthers in wanting all naturall loue and affection to their parentes and kinsfolkes in being cruell mercilesse and sauage euen as are bruite beastes and which is worst of all in being professed inuentors of newe sinnes and open maintainers of wicked and lewd men In this catalogue of the encrease of sinne against the second part of the lawe of God and of nature the Apostle inserteth one sinne of the first table to wit that many of the gentils became haters of God Whereas man naturally hath a kinde of deuout loue vnto his God for so we are to distinguishe the fall of man from the fall of the wicked angels as in other respectes so also in this that they by reason of the great measure of naturall strength and grace which was giuen vnto them fell from the highest degree of holinesse into the contrarie extremitie of sinne being nowe so farre from louing God as they did before that they beare a most desperate and extreame hatred vnto him as to their deadly enimie desiring and endeuoring by all meanes to hurte and despite him by obscuring his glorie whereas man naturally and commonly hath a blinde affection towardes God desiring both to worshippe and to honour him If we desire examples of this increase of sinne although it hath not place in all vnregenerate men of whome some doe diminish their sinfulnesse by meanes either of naturall or of spirituall giftes as hath bene declared and farre mo doe so restraine it that it cannot encrease in the which ranke all
men outwardly and ciuilly honest may be reckoned yet there is no age country or story which doth not aford many examples of men who haue exceeded in impietie against God and in iniustice towarde men and in all manner of wicked behauiour the ordinarie and common sorte of sinfull men by manie degrees The cause of this encrease of sinne is the crooked and corrupt diposition of mans wil which is wholly bent and set vpon sinne and doth so greedely and insatiably pursue after it as that vnlesse it be restrained by some meanes it can not rest till it come to the highest degree of wickednes For the which purpose it imployeth all the partes and faculties of the body and soule yea all inwarde and outwarde blessings what soeuer it maketh the minde deuise newe wayes of commiting sinne newe excuses pretenses coulours and defences for it being commited so that the greater gifts of the minde and of body that a man hath ceaued the fitter instrumentes hath his will and his corrupt desires to encrease sinne Here of it commeth that not idiots simple and vnlearned men not the weakest in body or the basest in condition not the poorest nor the youngest but the most witty learned strong noble rich aged are these notorious wicked ones The most horrible monsters in all outrage of sinne which any story doth mention were greate Emperours and mighty men as Nero Caligula and such other and who are so wretched couetous worldly so peruerse and obstinate in ignoraunce superstition infidelitie yea in hatred of all goodnesse as are they who by yeares haue gotten wisedome experience riches and honour so that we may easely acknowledge the trueth of that the Apostle writeth 1. Cor. 1. 26 Not many noble wise riche or great men are called to the sincere obedience of the gospell Hence it is that sinne doth more abound in this last age of the worlde then it did in old times wherein men were more rude simple and ignoraunt then children are in these daies who are so soone ripe and expert in all wickednesse as if they had bene borne perfect men not weake infauntes and no maruaile seeing that this last age is as it were a common sinke wherein all the sinnes errours heresies superstitions all the shifts craft deceipte yea all the wicked inuentions and practises of all ages are gathered together And therefore it bringeth foorth so great multitudes of expert practitioners in sinne who besides that which their owne inuention doth afford are furnished with the examples tryed experiments of all ages This the spirit of God hath foretold in the scripture as we see it is come to passe Math. 24. 12. Because iniquity shall abound in the latter times the loue of many shall waxe colde 2. Tim. 3. 1. This knowe that in the last daies shall come perilous times for men shalbe louers of their owne selues coueteous proude cursed speakers disobedient to parentes vnthankefull vnholy without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers intemperate fierce hauing no loue to those who are good traitours headie high minded louers of pleasures more then of God hauing a shew of godlinesse but denying the power thereof And againe 2. Pet. 3. 3. This first vnderstand that in the latter daies shall come mockers walking after their owne lustes saying where is the promise of his comming In these and other places of scripture the spirite of God hath foretolde and euen painted out the great corruption and sinfulnesse of these daies that we might beware least that we be drawen away by the infidelity and other hainous sinnes which raigne euerywhere so saue our selues as out of the fyer from this froward godlesse generation wherein we liue Lastly as the excellencie of naturall giftes and outward blessings being abused is the meanes of the excessiuenesse of sinne not of it selfe but by the corrupt disposition of our nature so the spirituall graces of God bestowed vpon men liuing in the Church doe often by the iust iudgement of God worke the same effect and that in far greater measure For as it is impossible that among heathen men they who are of smal wit capacity knowledge strength and riches should be wicked in so high a degree as they who excell in the foresaid respectes so it is not possible that any who hath not receiued some of the spirituall graces of God shoulde come to so high a degree of sinne as they in whome it hath pleased God to worke that shadowe of regeneration which hath beene declared in the former chapter Hence it is that none can fall into that extreame impiety which is the highest degree of sinne euen the sinne of the deuill and his Angels called in scripture the sinne against the holy Ghost which can neuer be forgiuen but they who did sometime before receiue grace from God to see loue and obey the trueth Heb. 6. 5. It is impossible that they who were once made partakers of the holy Ghost if they fall namely into this sinne which is an open wilfull and desperate hatred of God of his glory of his religion of his feruants and of all good thinges as many of the hebrewes did to whome this was written should be renewed by repentance This excellency of spirituall graces abused was the meanes whereby the wicked Angels fell into that extreamitie of sinne wherein they are and so it commeth to passe in men in whom this sinne by reason of the monstrous hugenesse of it is rare and happeneth not but in those who for their cruell spitefull desperate and malitious hatred to God and to the godly are rather to be counted diuels incarnate then reasonable men For it is harde for a Christian who hath once knowen God to cast away all feare of God and shame of men and for to burst forth into such outrage Yet as the scripture hath not for nought taught vs it so it commeth to passe although seldom yet oftner then it is well marked This encrease of sinne called supernaturall because it cannot happen but in a man after a sorte regenerate is taught by christ in the parable of the euil spirite which retourning to the place out of the which he was cast goeth not alone but taketh with him seuen other wicked spirites euerie one worse then himselfe and so the ende of that man is worse that is farre more sinfull then the beginning Euen as we see it commeth to passe in naturall thinges as namely in water which after it hath bene a little warmed becommeth more colde then if it had neuer had any heate in it And so men who haue had some heate of religion kindled in their heartes by the spirite of God if they contemne and abuse the saide graces become more wicked and irreligious then they who neuer knewe what religion ment CHAPTER VII Of the decrease of renewed holinesse ALthough the faithfull man being nowe truely regenerate by the spirit of God may boldely boast and
giuen and hee shall haue abundaunce And it is said of diuers in the booke of the Acts that they were full of faith and of the holy ghost This abundance in the minde is called Plerophoria a certaine and vndoubted perswasion said to be in Abraham Rom. 4. 21. Hereof cometh abundaunce of faith of loue Rom. 5. 3. and 15. 13. and of all graces as 1. Thess. 1. 3. the Apostle mentioneth the worke of their faith their laborious loue and their patient hope And 2 Thess. 1. 3. that their faith superaugescit that is encreaseth aboue the common and ordinarie measure and that their loue did abounde accordingly This aboundaunce of grace is to be seene in the prophets Apostles martyrs and many other of the seruantes of God who therefore are made types and patterns for vs to imitate and set before our eyes as lanternes full of light and as shining and blazing starres that we might both admire and labour to ouertake them in their excellent graces and especially in their particular vertues For thus the scripture mentioneth the vprightnesse of Enoch who walked with God in all his waies the patience of Iob. Iam. 5. 11 the faith of Abraham the meeknesse of Moses the courage of Iosua the faithfulnesse of Samuel the absolute perfection of Dauid being a man according to Gods owne hearte the wisdome of Salomon the zeale of Phinies Iosias and many others Thus Paule mentioneth his owne painefulnesse in preaching the gospel to be farre aboue the labours of the rest of the Apostles Thus he sayeth Rom 16. 7. That Andronicus and Iunia were men notable among the Apostles and of Timothie that none was like to him in faithful labour and care for the good of the church Philip. 2. 20. The notes and markes whereby this abundaunce may be knowen are these a burning zeal of gods glorie of setting forwarde his worship and gospel a vehement hatred of idolatrie and all shadowes of superstition a tender and bountifull loue toward the godly a minde vndaunted with any torment death or miserie a constant course of godlinesse in all outward chaunges whatsoeuer as the Apostle sayeth of him selfe Philip. 4. 13. That he coulde want and abounde be full and empty and that he coulde do all thinges a life free from any grosse sinne an extraordinary contempt of all worldly pleasures Lastly a manner of freedom from being either ouercome or almost tempted by any grosse sinne For although the corruption of flesh and the impudencie of Sathan who was not ashamed to tempt Christ to commit sin be so great that no man be he nener so holy may lay away his weapons and be secure in respect of temptations yet by the blessing of God and a long practise of all godlinesse the faithfull come sometimes to such a surpassing strength in grace that as the couragious horse going into the battel scorneth the feareful sounds noyse of the trumpets so this godly man wherof we speake in this chapter laugheth at the temptations of Sathan and the entisementes of the world yet not presuming on his owne strength but relying himselfe wholly on the mighty power of the spirite of God The meanes of attaining to this high degree of holinesse is to seeke it by earnest prayer at the handes of God from whom onely commeth euery good and perfect gift But the meanes which God vseth in giuing it are diuerse some good some euil in themselues and therefore not to be vsed by vs of the first sort are all holy exercises appointed by God for the begetting continuall encrease of grace to the carefull diligent long and continuall vse whereof God doth often graunt this happie successe euen as he blesseth the diligent and painfull hand with greate plenty in temporall thinges Of the second sort is the abundaunce of sinne before regeneration the which it pleaseth God some time to chaunge into this abundaunce of grace as we see that the highest floudes follow the lowest ebbes This God doth to make manifest the great power and efficacy of his spirit in renewing the elect which is able to bringe the greatest measure of holinesse out of the greatest wickednes as cleare light out of palpable darkenes This Christ teacheth vs. Luk. 7. 41. In the parable of the two debters whereof the greater had greater cause and also a greater measure of loue And in the example of the woman verse 47. Who loued much because many sinnes were forgiuen vnto her sowhere sinne doth abound there grace aboundeth much more Yea for this purpose God doth sometimes vse the hote fiercenesse of affections and the violent disposition of nature the which as of it selfe it carieth a man headlong into the most outragious sinnes so being sanctified by Gods spirite it becommeth the whetstone of holinesse Thus was the Apostle Paule both naturally and spiritually affected and therefore being an infidell he was a most superstitious pharisie more then mad in persecuting the church and becomming a faithfull man passed all others in vnquenchable zeale of Gods spirite Lastly as touching this abundance of grace no man can attaine so high a degree of it as that he may sitte downe as being at his iorneis end but as the greater riches that a man hath the greater is his gaine desire and encrease of riches so the more holinesse that any man hath the more carefully ought and the more fruitfully may he laboure in encreasing it Phil. 3. 13. Brethren saieth the Apostle I count not that I haue attained vnto any such perfection But still I doe forget that which is behinde and endeuore my selfe to that which is before That is I doe not minde that holinesse which I haue already receaued but doe continually thinke on that which I doe want as yet CHAP. IX Of celestiall holinesse ALthough we haue now gone as far in declaring the renewed holinesse of man as any man can in this worlde either in hauing or in practising it yet we are not here to rest as being come to the end of our iorney For if the aforesaid aboundaunce of spirituall graces which be it neuer so great cannot possibly be voide of sinne be absolutelie the highest degree this inconuenience which is in no wise to be admitted would of necessitie follow that man doth not in regeneration recouer as good a state and as great a measure of holinesse by the mercy of God in christ as he had in his first creation and lost by his owne sinne in Adam And therefore we are to goe on a little further in this treatise and in our desire till we come to such an absolute perfection of renewed holinesse as is free from the least spot of sinne whatsoeuer This perfection may without all question yea must necessarely be attained vnto For man can not be perfectly happie by enioying the presence of God into the which nothing being sinfull can enter as long as he is imperfectly holy Yet he