sonne into the world that whosoeuer beleeued in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Now when we are in the extremitie of all temptations we must still hold fast this promise and venture our soules vpon the truth of it This was Abrahams practice for in this temptation Gods meaning was to trie Abraham and to see what he would doe Now Abraham hee holdes fast the promise and yet obeyes God though all the reason in the earth cannot tell how that promise and that commandement could stand together But this was Abrahams faith though I know not nor reason knoweth not yet God knoweth and therefore seeing I haue his commandement I wil obey it and seeing I haue his word and promise I will beleeue that also and neuer forsake it And euen thus must we striue to doe in al temptations whatsoeuer yea euen in those that come from Satan which are full of malice and all violence In our heart and conscience wee must still hold and beleeue the promise of God and this is euer the surest and safest way to get the victory ouer Satā To hold that Gods promise shal be performed though wee knowe not how but rather see the contrary And though in humane reasoning it bee a note of ignorance and want of skill to sticke alwaies to the conclusion and question yet in spirituall temptations and trialls this is sound diuinitie Alwaies to hold Gods promise and to sticke fast to that conclusion and not to follow Satan in his Arguments neither suffer him by any meanes to driue vs from it Further in that this fact of offering vp Isaac was onely Abrahams triall we may obserue that it did not make him iust before God but onely serued to proue his faith and to declare him to be Iust. And therefore whereas Saint Iames saith Iam. 2.21 That Abraham was iustified through workes when he offered his sonne Isaac vpon the altar His meaning is that Abraham did manifest himselfe to bee iust before God by offering vp his sonne and not that by this fact Abraham of a sinner was made iust or of a righteous man was made more iust For indeede good workes doe not make a man iust but onely doe prooue and declare him to bee iust Thirdly God gaue Abraham this commandement Abraham kill thy sonne but yet he concealed from him what was his purpose and intent herein for God meant not that Abraham should kill his sonne indeede but onely to trie what he would doe whether he would still beleeue and obey him or not Where we see that God who is trueth it selfe reueales to Abraham his will but not his whole will whence ariseth this question Whether it be lawfull for a man according to this example of God when he tels a thing to another to conceale his meaning in whole or in part For answer hereunto we must knowe there are two extremities both which must be auoided in this case 1 That a man must alwaies expresse all that is in his minde 2 That in some cases a man may speake one thing and thinke another speaking contrary to his meaning But this later is no way lawfull and the other is not alwaies necessarie Wee therefore must hold a meane betweene both to wit that in some cases a man may conceale his whole meaning saying nothing though they bee examined namely when the concealing thereof doeth directly stand with the glory of GOD and the good of his brother Thus godly Martyrs haue done for beeing examined before tyrants where and with whom they worshipped GOD they haue chosen rather to die than to disclose their brethren and this concealing of their mindes was lawful because it touched immediately the glory of God and the good of his Church Secondly a man may conceale part of his minde but that must bee also with these two caueats First that it serue for Gods glory Secondly that it bee for the good of GODs Church Thus did Ionas conceale the condition of mercy from the Niniuites when he preached destruction vnto them saying Within fortie daies and Niniuie shall be destroyed though it is euident by the euent that it was Gods will they should bee spared if they did repent But that Condition God would haue concealed because it would not haue beene for the good of the Niniuites to haue knowen it sith the cōcealing of it caused them more speedily and earnestly to repent But out of these cases a man being called to speake must declare the whole trueth or else hee sinnes greatly against Gods commandement forsaking the property of the godly Psal. 15.2 And thus much of the first impediment of Abrahams faith The second impediment to Abrahams faith is contained in these words Offered his onely begotten sonne We knowe that the loue of Parents descends to euery childe naturally but especially to the onely begotten vpon whom beeing but one all that is bestowed which when there are many is diuided among them And therefore in all reason this might greatly hinder Abrahams obedience That God should command him to offer his sonne yea his only begotten sonne But yet by faith hee ouercommeth this temptation breakes through this impediment and offers vp his onely sonne Where wee note that true faith will make a man ouercome his owne nature Loue is the strongest affection in the heart especially from the father to the childe euen his onely childe And a man would thinke it impossible to ouercome this loue in the parent vnlesse it were by death there beeing no cause to the contrary in the childe But yet beholde Abraham by faith subdued this speciall loue which he bare to his onely childe God himselfe testified of Abraham that his loue to Isaac was great Gen. 22.2 and yet by faith hee ouercommeth this his loue This point is carefully to be marked as declaring the great power of true sauing faith for if faith can ouercome created and sanctified nature then vndoubtedly the power thereof will inable man to ouercome the corruptions of his nature and the temptations of the world for it is an harder thing to ouercome our nature which wee haue by creation than to subdue the corruption thereof which comes in by transgression And hence such excellent things are spoken of faith it is called the victorie that ouercommeth the world 1. Iohn 5.4 And God is saide by faith to purifie the heart faith strengtheneth the heart Acts 15.9 And through faith we are kept by the power of God vnto saluation 1. Pet. 1.5 Is this the power of faith to ouercome nature and the corruptions thereof then howsoeuer religion be receiued and faith professed generally among vs yet vndoubtedly there is little true faith in the world for euen among the professours thereof how many be there that subdue the sinnes of their liues and suppresse the workes of their wicked nature surely very few Now where corruption beareth sway and sin raigneth there sound faith cannot be for if faith were sound in men it would purifie
The second point is that faith alone and no other vertue nor spirituall power in mans soule is able to doe this And this may be proued by comparing it with all the principall vertues of the soule for amongst all there are none that may come into comparison with faith but hope and loue both which especially loue haue their seuerall and special excellencies yet haue neither of them nor both of them this vertue to apprehend and apply Christes righteousnesse The property of loue is to extend it selfe and with it selfe to carie manie passions or affections of the heart and to place them vpon the thing that is loued yet cannot loue be said properly to apprehend Christ for he must needes be apprehended before he can be loued And the proper action of Hope is to waite and expect for a blessing to come so hope waites for saluation but properly apprehends it not For saluation must first be beleeued and then hoped or expected so saith Ieremie Lament 3.26 It is good both to trust and to waite for the saluation of the Lord To trust that is to beleeue assuredly it will come there is the action of faith and to waite till it doe come that is the action of Hope Thus we see the seuerall natures and actions of these two worthy vertues But the proper action of faith is to apprehend and lay hold on Christ and his righteousnesse and to apply them to a mans owne soule and that being done then come Loue and Hope do their duties And so though loue last longer then faith doth yet faith is afore loue and makes the way for it To conclude this second point Faith is a hand to take hold on Christ his benefits Loue is a hand to giue out tokens of faith both to God and man For 1. Cor. 13.5 Loue seeketh not her owne but others good namely the good of them that are loued Hope is an eye looking out and wayting for the good things promised So that as faith is the hand of the soule so loue is the hand and hope is the eye of faith Loue the hand wherby it worketh and Hope the eye whereby it waiteth and looketh for the performance of such things as faith hath apprehended and beleeued If the Church of Rome thinke this any wrong to this holy vertue of loue to be the hand of faith let them know it is not ours it is the doctrine of the Apostle where he saith Faith worketh by loue If faith worke by it then surely loue is the hand of faith Thus faith worketh by loue waiteth by hope but beleeueth by it selfe And for this cause the righteousnesse that makes vs righteous before God is rather called the righteousnesse of faith then of any other Christian vertue or grace of the spirit And for the same cause is it that so often in S. Pauls Epistles it is called by the same name as Philipp 3.9 The third and last point concerning Noahs faith is that Noah was made heire of this righteousnesse A speciall commendation of his faith It made him heire of true and sauing righteousnesse that is it gaue him a true title vnto it made him heire apparant of that glory which it assureth euery one that apprehends it by this true faith and so he was made as certainly and as truly partaker of it as the young Prince is assured of his Crowne and Kingdom at his time or the heire of his Fathers lands Here two most worthy doctrines doe offer themselues to our view 1. The excellencie of faith 2. The excellencie of a Christian mans estate The excellencie of faith appeares thus It makes a holy man assured certaine of his saluation by Christ Iesus The Church of Rome saith it is presumption in any man to thinke so vnlesse he haue an extraordinary reuelation but we learne from the Scripture that if a man haue true faith that is able to assure him of saluation For faith makes him an heire of true righteousnesse and of saluation thereby Now we know the heire is most sure and certaine of his inheritance what-euer hee gets or loseth he is sure of that But this righteousnesse and saluation by it is his inheritance therefore he may be and is by faith assured of it The Papists therefore doe wrong vnto this doctrine and derogaâ—e from the dignitie of true faith But this is their custome they will extoll any thing rather then that which the holy Scripture so much extolleth namely true faith For if they knew what it is trulie to know Christ and to beleeue in him by that faith which worketh by loue they would then know that faith makes a man heire of happinesse and therefore most assured of it Secondly here we may see the excellencie of a Christian mans estate he is not naked nor destitute of comforts but is heire of a glorious inheritance by meanes of his faith and a Christian mans inheritance is Christs righteousnesse Out of which we learne First that no man by any good workes done by or in himselfe can merit true and iustifying righteousnesse the Pharisaical Papists teach so but their conceit is here ouerthrowen by the doctrine of the holy Ghost For sauing righteousnesse is his inheritance which we know is alwaies gotten by the Father and descends from the Father to the Sonne as a free token of his loue And it were scornfull and absurd to see a Sonne offer to buy his inheritance of his Father it being against the nature of an inheritance to come any other wayes but by free gift from the Father to the Sonne therefore our righteousnesse that must saue vs being as wee see here our inheritance let vs resolue of it we cannot buie nor merit it Againe heere is sure and solide comfort against all the grieâ—â—s and crosses and losses of this world Gods children must needes haue their portion of afflictions in this life But here is their comfort they may lose their goods liuings possessions their good names their healths their liues but their inheritance standeth sure and firme and cannot be lost Let them therfore here learne not to grieue out of measure for a holy man may say thus to himselfe and that most truly My Father may frowne on me for my faults and chastice me for my sinnes but I am sure he will not disenherite me for I am heire by faith of Christs righteousnesse and I may lose many things but I shall not lose that Thirdly and lastly here must Gods children learne their duties They are heires to a godly and glorious inheritance and Christes righteousnesse is their inheritance therefore they must learne to set and settle all their affections on this inheritance For there is nothing in the world more worthy to be affected then a faire inheritance We must therefore first labour aboue all worldly things for this inheritance namely to be made partakers of this righteousnesse This is that pearle which wee hauing found must sell all we haue to
words and promises God spake plainly and deceaued not Abraham and after at the time performed it So must we deale plainely and simply in our words and bargaines and thinke that to deceiue and ouer-reach by craftie words and double meanings and equiuocall phrases are not beseeming Christianity And we must make conscience of a lie else we are like the diuell and not God Also a Christian man must take heede what how and to whom he promiseth but hauing promised he must performe though it be losse or harme to himselfe if it be not wrong to God or to the Church or State Wrong to himselfe must not hinder him from performance Christian mens words must not be vaine they should be as good as bonds though I know it is lawfull and very conuenient in regard of mortality to take such kind of assurances Lastly Abraham had the promise his seed should bee so Gen. 15.8 And here we see it is so but he himself saw it not so that Abraham had the promise and we the performance So Adam had the promise of the Messias but wee see it performed The Patriarkes and Prophets the promise of the calling of the Gentiles but we see it performed See heere the glory of the Church vnder the New Testament aboue the olde This must teach vs to be so much better then they as God is better to vs then hee was to them and to excell them in faith and all other vertues of holinesse or else their faith and their holy obedience shall turne to our greater condemnation which haue had so farre greater cause to beleeue and obey God and so farre better means than they Which if it be so then alas what will become of them who come behinde them nay haue no care to followe them in their faith nor holinesse nor any duties of holy obedience Thus much for the Example of this holy womans faith and of the commendation thereof Now before he come to any more particular examples of faith the holy Ghost giues a generall commendation of the faith of all those ioyntly which are spoken of already VERSE 13. All these died in faith and receiued not the promises but saw them afarre off and beleeued them and receiued them thankefully and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrimes on the earth HItherto the Holy Ghost hath particularly commended the faith of diuers holy beleeuers Now from this verse to the 17. hee doth generally commend the faith of Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iaacob together yet not so much their faith as the durance and constancy of their faith Particularly the points are two 1. Is laid downe their constancy and continuance All these died in faith 2. That constancy is set fourth by foure effects 1. They receiued not the promises but saw them afarre off 2. They beleeued them 3. Receiued them thankefully 4. Professed themselues strangers and pilgrimes on the earth The first point touching these beleeuers is that as they begun so they held on as they liued so they died in faith All these died in faith The trueth of the matter in the words may be referred to all afore going sauing Enoch who died not yet he continued also constant in his faith and in that faith was taken vp but as for Abel and Noah they died in faith Yet I take it that principally and directly the holy Ghost intended no more than these foure I named and my reason is because the particular effects in this verse and the points whereby this their constaÌ„cy is amplified in the three verses followwing adoe all agree especially with these foure and not so properly with Abel or Noah so that I take he meaneth by all these all these men that liued in the second world since the flood All these died in faith that is in assurance that the promises made vnto them should bee performed in Gods good time These promises were principally these two 1. Saluation by the Messias 2. The possession of the Land of Canaan In this faith they died that is they held it through all asâ—aults and temptations to the contrary euen to the last gaspe and died therein In this their practice is commended vnto vs a most worthy lesson of Christianitie namely that wee must so liue that we may die in faith Many say they liue in faith and it is well if they doe so but the maine point is to die in faith There is none so ill but howsoeuer he liues yet hee would die well If hee would die well hee must die in faith For miserable is the death that is without faith And herein faith and hope differ from other graces of God Loue ioy zeale holinesse and all other graces are imperfect here and are perfected in heauen but faith and hope are perfected at our deaths they are not in the other world for there is nothing then to be beleeued nor hoped for seeing we then doe inioy all things but as they are begunne in our life at our regeneration so they be made perfect when wee die and they shine most gloriously in the last and greatest combate of all which is at the houre of death So that the death of a Christian which is the gate to glory is to die in faith Besides as life leaues vs death finds vs and as death leaues vs the last iudgement finds vs and as it leaues vs so wee continue for euer and euer without recouerie or alteration Now to die in faith is to die in an assured estate of glory and happinesse which is that that euery man desireth therfore as we all desire it so let vs die in faith and we shal attaine vnto it Saint Paul tels vs 1. Corinth 15.55 Death is a terrible serpent for he hath a poisoned sting Now when we die we are to encounter with this hideous and fearefull serpent He is fearefull euery way but especially for his sting that sting is our sinne and this sting is not taken away nor the force of it quenched but by true faith which quencheth all the fierie darts of the diuell Ephes. 6. If therefore wee would bee able to encounter with this great enemie in the conquering of whom who stands our happinesse and by whom to be conquered is our eternall miserie wee must then so arme our selues with faith that wee may die in faith for hee that dieth in faith that faith of his kils his sinnes and conquers death but he that dieth without faith death and sin seize on him and his sinnes liue for euer and his miserie by them Now if we would die in faith we must liue in faith else it is not to be expected For so these holy Patriarchs liued long in this faith wherein they died For their holy liues shewed plainely that they liued in that faith which the Apostle saith doth purifie our hearts Act. 15.9 Now if wee would liue in true faith the meanes to attaine it set downe by Gods word are these First wee must labour to get knowledge of
This besides the instance we haue in hand appeares plainly in Christes Apostles they were called by Christ to preach the Gospell to all the world and to plant his Church vniuersally and thereupon howsoeuer they were simple men before were furnished with extraordinary gifts of wisedome zeale knowledge and with this excellent grace of sauing faith which did sanctifie their other gifts for howsoeuer Iudas was numbred among them hauing been a Disciple yet he neuer came to the execution of the Apostleship but went astray from that ministration Acts 1.25 And in these later dayes when God restored his Gospell to light out of the darke myst of Popery hee raised vp extraordinarie men whom he endued with wisedome zeale and iudgement which gifts also he sealed vp in them by a liuely faith which they testified by their piety and godlinesse in life conuersation And this course he obserueth vsually in all those whom hee raiseth vp extraordinarily for the good of his Church This we must obserue to acquaint vs with a special difference betweene those whom God raiseth vp extraordinarily for speciall good and all arch heretiques and traytors that set vp themselues vnsent of God For many such wretches haue excelled in wisedome in worldly policy in zeale and authority whereupon they haue pretended and perswaded many that they were called of God But hereby especially they are to be discouered that they are voide of this rare gift of true sauing faith for look at their lyues and ordinarily for impiety they haue beene and are arch-diuels So that though they wanted not authority or outward zeale and wisedome yet they wanted faith which should purifie their hearts or else they would neuer haue liued in such notorious sinnes as they were discouered to doe And this is the triall which our Sauiour Christ directs vs vnto saying Ye shall knowe them by their fruites Math. 7.16 Let them therefore pretend what knowledge what zeale or authority soeuer they will if the fruits of faith appeare not in their lyues by obedience they are not called of God for the speciall good of his Church Thus much of these men in generall now wee come to entreate of them seuerally as they are propounded in the Text. THe first person here commended vnto vs is Gedeon the History of whose acts is laid down at large Iudges chap. 6. In his example note one point especially to acquaint vs with the manner which God vseth in begetting and encreasing true faith in the hearts of his children If we reade the Story we shal see that the Lord in the likenesse of an Angel called Gedeon once twice yea thrice to be a Iudge to his people But Gedeō greatly doubts of his calling therefore desires a signe of the Lord which God gaue him For the sacrifice which he offered was burned vp with fire from heauen yet still hee doubted and was in a greater feare then before euen of death it selfe but being confirmed by the Angell and set a-worke he brake down the Altar of Baall and built one to the true GOD and thereon offered sacrifice as God commaunded though with some feare And when the Midianites and Amalekites came armed against Israell hee is stirred vp by the spirit of God for their defence but yet still hee doubted of his calling and therefore againe asked a signe at Gods hands and had it and after that asked another which GOD also graunted Nowe hauing all these one in the necke of another at length hee knowes his calling and so goes in faith and defends Israell so that hee got the assurance of his calling by sundry particular signes and confirmations of his faith And though hee doubted greatly at the first yet after hee beleeues not onely that hee should bee a Iudge and Deliuerer of Gods people out of the hands of their enemies but this principally that God was his God and would giue vnto him euerlasting life Here then we haue a notable precedent of the manner of Gods working true and sound faith in the hearts of his children They receiue not this grace at once but by degrees God works it in them by little and little When a man is first called of GOD hee hath much doubting and feare but then God sends sundry helpes to weaken this feare and doubting and as they decrease so is faith encreased No man beleeues soundly at the first but weakely euen as he growes in yeares so he must grow in faith and the encrease of our faith is by continuance in the meanes and by experience of Gods loue and fauour And indeed the more faith encreaseth the more wee vse the meanes to grow therein and the more we delight in the meanes and at length after long experience of Gods mercy wee shall haue wrought in our hearts this gift of true liuely faith which shall be able to preuaile against all feare and doubting And thus much for the person of Gedeon The second person commended vnto vs is Barac of whom wee may reade Iudges 4. His Storie is large and plaine enough and therefore wee will not stand vpon it The third person is Samson of whom wee may also reade Iudges 13.14 c. Now touching Samson this question may well be asked how hee can be iustly commended for his faith seeing it may seeme hee killed himselfe Answere Samson did not kill himselfe for hee was called extraordinarily to be a Iudge ouer Israell for their defence and deliuerie out of the hands of the Philistimes Now when the Princes of the Philistimes were gathered together being his enemies and the enemies of God and his people hee cast the house downe vpon their heads to kill them therein because beeing blinde hee could not pursue them in battaile And therefore hauing them by Gods prouidence in his hands hee destroyed them as his calling was albeit hee lost his owne life in the same action Againe Samson in pulling downe the house purposed not directly and wilfully to kill himselfe but to aduenture his owne life by taking iust reuenge vpon his enemies and the enemies of God and therefore as Gods seruant he prayed first vnto God and so did no more thā the Souldier in the field ought to doe who bearing a louing minde towards his Countrey is content to aduenture his owne life for the destruction of his enemies in the defence of his Countrey and is resolued that if hee die in that defence hee dieth in his lawfull place and calling and dieth Gods seruant yea Gods Champion This did Samson and therefore may iustly be commended for his faith neither is this fact of his any disgrace but rather a notable commendation of his faith and an euidence of great zeale for Gods glory and of singular loue to his people The fourth person commended heere is Iephte of whom wee may reade Iudges 11. Iephte was the base sonne of Gilead borne of an harlot To be base borne is noted in Scripture as a matter of reproach and
fiue foolish virgins did but get the oyle of grace into the vessels of our hearts Knowledge in the word is a coÌ„mendable thing but not sufficieÌ„t to make vs stand in the day of triall We therfore must labour for true sauing graces especially for this to haue our hearts rooted and grounded in the loue of God through faith whereby we are assured that God is our father in Christ and Iesus Christ our redeemer and the holy Ghost our comforter and sanctifier This assurance of faith will stablish our hearts in all estates come life come death wee neede not feare for nothing shall be able to separate vs from this loue of God in Christ Iesus And thus much of the coherence of this verse with the former Now to the words Others also were racked c. Heere the holy Ghost begins to propound the fruites of faith for which this last ranke of beleeuers are commended vnto vs. And they are not such famous exploites as the former but nine seuerall kindes of sufferings vnto all which wee must remember to apply this clause by faith from the 33 verse as thus Through faith they endured racking mocking and so for all the rest Out of these effects in generall wee may learne two things First a singular fruite of faith for which it is heere so highly commended in this last ranke of examples to wit that by it the childe of GOD is enabled to beare whatsoeuer the Lord shall lay vpon him The torments wherewith mans body may be afflicted are manie and terrible and yet be they neuer so many nor so terrible true sauing faith will make the childe of GOD to beare them all for the honour of Christ. The effects of faith before set downe were many and singular but vndoubtedly this strength of patience which it giueth vnder the greatest torments for Christes sake is one of the principall This Paul doth notably testifie in this profession Romanes chapter 8. verses 38 39. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angelles nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Oh singular power of faith which so firmely vnites the beleeuer vnto Christ that no torments in the world no not all the power of Satan and his Angels can separate them asunder Question How doth faith worke this indissoluble power in cleauing vnto Christ Answere After this manner It is the property of faith to perswade the conscience of Gods loue and fauour in Christ and vpon this perswasion the heart begins to loue God againe Now by this loue doth faith worke and make a man able to beare all torments that can be inflicted for religions sake for Loue suffereth all things 1. Cor. 13.7 euen that loue wherewith one man loueth another how much more then shall this loue wherewith we loue God in Christ make vs to suffer any thing for his names sake Hence it is that loue is said to be strong as death and the coales therof are fierie coales and a vehement flame yea much water cannot quench loue neither can the flouds drowne it that is grieuous persecutions and torments cannot extinguish the same Nay such is the power of loue to GOD when it is feruent that it makes a man so zealous of Gods glory that if there were no other way to glorifie God than by sufferings the childe of God would rather yeeld himselfe to endure the torments of the damned than suffer God to lose his glory This wee may see in Paul Rom. 9.3 I would wish my selfe saith he to be separate from Christ for my brethren that are my kinsmen according to the flesh that is the Israelites meaning for the aduancement of Gods glory in their calling and saluation Such zeale likewise we may see in Moses for thinking that God should lose his glory if the Israelites were destroyed he prayes the Lord to pardon their sinne But if thou wilt not then saith hee raze me out of the booke which thou hast written This being the fruite of faith To make a man able and willing to suffer any thing for Christs sake we must heereby be moued to labour for true faith for tribulation may come nay some affliction will come on euery childe of God more or lesse Now without faith wee shall neuer be able to glorifie God vnder the crosse The iust must liue by faith in this estate Heb. 10.38 as here they endure racking burning hewing asunder c. and all by faith Secondly out of all these sufferings heere endured by faith note the minde and disposition of vngodly men towards Gods Church and people they are most bitterly bloudily bent against them for here they put in execution vpon Gods children whatsoeuer cruelty the diuell could suggest into their hearts And this hath beene their disposition and behauiour not onely before Christes incarnation but also euer since as may appeare by the manifolde strange tortures deuised against Christians in the Primitiue Church and both then and since inflicted vpon them Beholde it in the Church of Rome especially in their late Inquisition whereby beside the cruell racking of the conscience by vniust inquiries they put the Protestants to most cruell torments The consideration of this cruell disposition in the wicked against the godly is of speciall vse First it proues vnto vs that the religion which by Gods mercy we professe contained in the bookes of the olde and new Testament is no politique deuice of man but the sacred ordinance of the euerliuing God For if it were the inuention of man it would so fit their humour and accord with their nature that generally it would be loued and embraced and not one of an hundred would mislike it But we see it is generally detested This Sect is euery where spoken against Acts 28.22 naturall men reiect it and persecute it and the professours of â—t vnto the death This they doe because true religion is contrary to their nature as light is to darknesse and condemnes those wayes and courses which they best like of This reason shall iustifie true religion to be Gods owne ordinance euen to the conscience of the worldly Atheist his diuellish malice against it proues Gods diuine truth to be in it Secondly doe the wicked hate the godly because of their religion and profession then on the contrary wee must learne to loue religion because it is religion and the professours of it for their professions sake This is Christs instruction to loue a disciple because he is a disciple Mat. 10. Indeede wee must loue all men but especially those that embrace the Gospell of Christ and be of the housholde of faith for all such are brethren hauing one Father which is God and brethren ought to loue one another But alas this lesson is not learned for the world generally is giuen to mocking and scoffing
coÌ„pany At Abrahams request had there bin but 10. righteous men in Sodome all had beene spared for their sakes Gen. 18.32 When Ioseph dwelt in Egypt all Putiphars house and all in it though hee were a heathen man were blessed for Iosephs sake Gen. 39.5 When Lot was deliuered out of Sodomes destruction the Angels asked him Hast thou any sonnes in law that they might haue beene saued for his sake Gen. 19.12 When Paul and 276. soules with him suffred shipwracke and were all in present danger of drowning God saued Paul and for his sake all the rest God gaue him the liues of all that were with him in the ship Acts 27.24 And so here Noahs children and their wiues are spared for Noahs sake Let this encourage all men to serue God in truth and vprightnesse seeing thereby they shall not make themselues alone blesâ—ed but bring downe Gods blessing euen on their houses children and posterities yea the very places where and the people with whom they dwell shall fare the better for them And thus we see the causes reasons why not Noah alone but euen his houshold were also saued In the fourth place let vs obserue how the holy Ghost saith that Noah built the Arke not for the sauing of himselfe but of his houshold and it is so said for two causes First to shew that Noah though he were the head gouernour yet was one of the houshold for in the word houshold himselfe is comprehended Maisters and Fathers though they be gouernours yet must thinke themselues members of the houshold so will they haue more care thereof when they esteeme themselues members of the body and parts of the whole Secondly to teach vs what care Noah had for his family euen so great as hee prepared the Arke to saue them withall Here is an example of a worthy Maister of a houshold and yet all this was but for a temporall deliuerance Now if hee was so carefull for their bodily safety how much more was he to saue them from hell and damnation which he knew to be an eternall destruction of both soule and body Therefore doubtlesse as he was a diligent Preacher of righteousnesse to that sinfull world so principalâ—y a diligent Preacher and Prayer and Catechiser of his owne family that so he might make them Gods seruants and deliuer them from the eternall fire of hell Noahs example is to be a patterne to all Parents and Fathers of families to teach them care not onely for the bodies bodily welfare of their families but especially for their soules and spirituall welfare And if they be bound by all bonds of nature and religion to prouide for the bodies of their children let reason iudge how much more straightly they are tied to looke to their soules But S. Paul saith He that prouideth not temporall things necessary for his family is worse then an Infidel 1. Timo 5.8 Then what is he who prouideth nothing for their soules Surely his case is extremely fearefull Therfore when thou hast prouided meat apparell a calling and mariage house liuing for thy child think not thou hast done and so maist turne them off The world may take them thus But God will not take them so at thy hands No the greater duty remaines behind thou must prouide for their soules that they may know God feare his name Thou must with Abraham Gen. 18.19 Teach thy family that they may walke in the wayes of God I know Abraham saith God that he will do it And surely God will know all such as do so By doing thus men shal make their houses Churches of God as here Noahs was it would be far better with our Church State if men did so Ministers in the Church Iustices in the Country should haue much lesse to do if Maisters of families would do their duties But to goe further let vs see more particularly what this houshold was that was thus saued by the Arke First it was a family of foure men foure women not men or women alone but both and consisting of as many women as men Thus God would haue one sexe to loue another and one to think themselues beholden to the other the beginning of the first world was by one man one woman Of the second by foure men and foure women but alwaiâ—â— equall And here also God would teach men not to contemne the other though the weaker sexe for God saued as many of them from the vniuersall floud as he did men Secondly how many were they in all but eight persons Of the whole world no more were saued A miserable spectacle See what sinne can doe It can bring many Millions to eight persons in a short time See what it is to offend God Let vs not then glory in our multitudes but glory in this that we know and serue God for otherwise if our sinnes cry out to him against vs he can easily make vs fewe enow Thirdly what were these eight persons not one seruant amongst them all there were none but Noah and his wife his three sonnes and their wiues It is meruailous that here were none of Noahs seruants Some thinke he had none and that the simplicity of those dayes required no attendance but that each one was seruant to him selfe And they seem to gather it out of Gen 7.1 where God biddeth Noah Enter thou all thine house into the Arke And when they entred they are recounted in the seauenth verse to be none but himselfe his wife and his children therefore say they in Noahs house there were no seruants But why might not Noah haue seruants as well as Abraham and Lot had doubtlesse he had But behold a wonderfull matter Noahs owne seruants would not beleeue his preaching but chose rather to liue loosely with the world perish with it then to liue godly with their Maister and be saued with him This was and wil be true in all Ages that in a wicked age or in a wicked towne a Maister shal not be able to gouerne his owne seruants but the streame of common wickednesse and ill examples of other men doth draw them from the obedience of their Maisters They can readily alledge for themselues we wil not be vsed more hardly then other mens are we will not be tied to our houres bound to so many exercises we will do as others do Thus would Noahs seruants do and perished with the world So hard a thing is it for a good man to haue good seruants in such times or places where wickednes raigneth And thus wee haue seene in some sort How the Arke saued Noah and his houshold and what this houshold of his was Now besides this end and vse of the Arke we are further to know that whereas this sauing of them was but a corporall deliuerance from a temporall death this Arke hath also a spirituall vse which we may not omit for as many of Noahs family as were true beleeuers
it was a meanes to saue them another way euen to saue their soules for it taught them many things First it was an assurance of Gods loue vnto their soules for if hee was so carefull to saue their bodies from the floud they thereby assured themselues hee would be as good vnto their soules which they knew to be farre more pretious and excellent Secondly it shewed them how to be saued For as they saw no safety nothing but present death out of the Arke So it taught them that out of Gods Church and out of Gods fauour no saluation could be expected and so it taught them to labour to be in Gods fauour and members of his true Church Thirdly they saw they were saued from the floud by faith and obedience For first Noah beleeued Gods word that the floud should come then he obayed Gods commaundement and made the Arke as hee was commaunded And thus he and his by beleeuing obaying were saued through the Arke and without these the Arke could not haue saued them This taught them more particularly how to be saued namely by beleeuing God and obaying God and else no saluation For when they saw their bodies could not be saued without them It assured them much lesse could their soules be saued without faith and obedience Lastly this deliuerance by the Arke was a pawn vnto them from God assuring them of saluation if they beleeued in the Messias For seeing God so fully performed his promise vnto them for their bodily deliuerance vpon their beleeuing they therby might assure themselues he would performe his promise of saluation vnto them vpon their faith and true obedience Moreouer it strengthned their faith For when euer after any promise of God was made vnto them or any word of God came vnto them they then remembred Gods mercy and faithfulnesse vnto them in their deliuerance by the Arke and therefore beleeued Vnto these and many other spirituall vses did the Arke serue vnto Noah and to his houshold as many of them as were beleeuers But what is this to vs Indeede the Arke serued them for a temporall deliuerance it saued their liues therefore they also had reason to make spirituall vse of it But it saued not vs it serued vs to no vse corporall therefore how can wee make any spirituall vse of it I answere though wee had no corporall vse of the Arke yet there ariseth an excellent spirituall vse out of the consideration of it The Arke of Noah and our baptisme are figures correspondent one to the other that that Noahs Arke was to them Baptisme is to vs. Thus teacheth S. Peter 1.3.20.21 To the Arke of Noah the figure which now saueth vs euen Baptisme agreeth The same that S. Paul here ascribeth to the Arke S. Peter ascribeth to Baptisme The Arke saued them Baptisme saueth vs. Now the resemblaâ—ce betwixt these two figures hath two branches First as it was necessary for them that should be saued in the floud to be in the Arke and out of the Arke no possibility to escape So is it for them that will haue their soules saued to be in Christ and of his Church they must be mysticall members of Christ and visible members of his Church and out of Christ and his Church no possibility of saluation That this is true for Christ S. Peter proueth apparantly Acts 4.12 Among men there is no name giuen vnder heauen whereby to be saued but the name of Iesus Christ neither is there saluation in any other And that this is true for the Church he prooueth Acts 2.47 The Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saued See how such as are to be saued must ioyne themselues to the Church when they see where it is and all this is signified taught in Baptisme For the outward vse of Baptisme makes vs members of the visible Church the inward powerfull vse of Baptisme makes vs members of Christ himselfe The vse and consideration hereof should make vs all more carefull to be true members of Christ of his Church by making not onely a bare profession of religion but by seeking to be incorporate into Christ by faith and true repentance for this must saue vs when nothing els can As they that were out of the Arke no gold nor siluer could buy out their safetie no lands nor liuings no houses nor buildings no hilles nor mountaines nothing in the world nor the whole world it selfe could saue them but being out of the Arke they perished So if a man be out of Christ out of his Church no gold nor siluer no honour nor glory no wit nor policy no estimation nor authoritie no friendâ— nor fauour no wisdome nor learning no hilles of happines nor mountaines of gold can saue his soule but hee must perish in the flood of Gods eternall wrath For as it prooued folly in them that trusted to their high houses or catcht hold on the hils if they were out of the Arke so will it prooue much greater folly to them that shall trust to any meanes of saluation if they be out of Christ. And contrariwise as they that were in the Arke were sure to bee saued doe the waters windes and weathers stormes and tempests all they could so that still the more the waters rose the Arke rose also and was euer higher than they and the higher it was carried by the violence of the waters the safer it was from the danger of hils and rockes and so in the midst of danger they were out of danger and were saued in the midst of the water So he that is once truely in Christ is sure of saluation nothing can hinder it flouds of calamities may assault him and humble him but they hurt not his saluation hee is in the Arke he is in Christ nay the gates of hell shall not ouerthrowe him but through all the waues of the diuels malice through all tempests of temptations the blessed Arke of Christes loue and merits shall carrie him vp and at last conuay him to saluation this is the blessed assurance of all them that are truely baptized into Christ. But as for such as out of their prophanenesse either care not to be in Christ or contemne Baptisme let theÌ„ assure theÌ„selues they be out of the Arke they perish certainly This is the 1. part of the resemblance The second is this Noahs body going into the Arke hee seemed therein a dead man going into a graue or a tombe to be buried for he was buried in the Arke the Arke in the waters he depriued of the fresh airâ— gladsome light yet by Gods appointment it was the means to saue Noah which in all reason seemed to be his graue if Noah will be saued he must goe into this graue So they that will escape hell and damnation by Christ the true Arke of holinesse must be buried and mortified in their flesh and fleshly lusts and there is no way to come
or abrogater of the law but the fulfiller of it as the abrogater of the Ceremonial so the fulfiller of the Morall law If he fulfilled the Law for whom was it not for himself For as the Messiah was not slain for himself Dan. 9.26 so he obayed not the Law for himselfe For whom then for all that beleeue Therefore Christ doing it for them they fulfill the Law in Christ and so Christ by doing and they by beleeuing in him that doth it doe fulfill the Law Now if it be not amisse to say We doe in Christ fulfill the law No more is it to say Wee are made righteous by Christes righteousnesse though it be his and not ours but onely by faith Let vs then see in the second place what the Church of Rome obiect against it They first obiect thus As a man cannot be wise by another mans wisedome nor rich by another mans riches nor strong by another mans strength So can he not be righteous by another mans righteousnesse I answer The comparison is not alike For one man hath no propriety in another mans wisedome strength or riches but we haue a right and proprietie in Christes righteousnesse Againe the wisedome of one man cannot be the wisedom of another because they are two persons fully and equally distinct but it is not so betwixt Christ and a sinner for euery beleeuer is spiritually and yet truly and really conioyned to Christ and they make one mysticall body Christ being the head and euery true beleeuer being a member of that body and therefore that which is his righteousnesse may be also truly ours His because it is in him and ours because we are knit to him For by reason of this mysticall vnion betwixt him and vs all blessings of saluation in him as in the head are diffused into vs as his members or branches yet are as properly still in him as is the braine in the head of a man And thus though in sense and reason this cannot be yet by faith and Gods spirit the righteousnesse of Christ is made ours Secondly they obiect If this be so then God iustifieth wicked men but God will not doe so it is against the nature of his holinesse and Iustice. And againe hee that iustifieth the wicked is abhominable to God Prou. 17.15 therefore God will not doe so himselfe We answere The ground is good but the collection is vntrue God will not iustifie a wicked man that is true but that therefore a man cannot be iustified by Christs righteousnesse is false For God doth not iustifie him that lieth rotting in his former sinnes and weltring in his olde corruption but him that beleeueth in Christ and repenteth of his sinnes And that man in his faith is iustified and in his repentance sanctified and so he is made a new man yea as S. Paul saith He that is in Christ is a new creature 2. Corinth 5.17 For as it is in the first conuersion God turneth nor saueth no man against his will but first makes him willing by his owne work alone and then conuerteth and saueth him with his owne free will working together with Gods grace So is it in the work of Iustification God iustifieth no wicked man but makes him first iust and righteous in and by Christ and then accounts him so But then will some say the sinner hath no righteousnesse but that of Christs and that is in Christ and not in himselfe therefore he hath none in his owne person how then can he be any thing but a wicked man still I answer that is not true that is first affirmed The beleeuing sinner hath more righteousnes then that that is in Christ. That which iustifieth him is in Christes person But the sinner when he is iustified is also sanctified by the mighty work of Gods grace and so he is made a holy man and doth good and holy workes because he is in Christ though his sanctification be imperfect To this end saith S. Peter Acts 15.9 Faith purifieth a mans heart for it is impossible a man should beleeue and so be iustified but hee must also be sanctified in his heart and life Thus a sinner is iustified by Christs righteousnesse inherent in Christ himselfe and sanctified by Christs righteousnes diffused from Christ into the sinner And therfore his Iustificatiō is perfect because that that iustifieth him is still in Christ but his sanctification imperfect because that that sanctifieth vs is in our selues the one imputed to vs the other infused and inherent Againe I answere that if we take it in the sense of Scripture It is true that God iustifieth a wicked man For S. Paul saith Rom. 4. To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted to him for righteousnesse See God iustifieth the vngodly but how euen as we heard before not him that is vngodly after but afore he be iustified him that by nature and in himselfe is vngodly God iustifieth by working in him faith and repentance by which of an vngodly man he is made a man iustified and sanctified Their last obiection is If a sinner be righteous by Christs righteousnesse then Christ is a sinner by his sinnes for ther is the same reason of both But Christ is no sinner but the holy of holiest and S. Paul saith He knew no sinne 1. Cor. 5. and himself for himselfe chalengeth his enemies Which of you can reproue me of sinne If then our sins cannot make him a sinner no more can his righteousnesse make vs righteous I answer Here we graunt all if they speake the words of the Scripture in the sense of the Scripture for Christ was a true and reputed sinner in the sight of Gods Iustice as hee that becomes surety for another is a debter in his roome or as he that vndertakes for a man body for body must answer for him his owne body for his so in all reason and iustice Christ though hee had no sinnes of his owne yet being our surety and vndertaking for vs and standing in our steade our sinnes are iustly accounted his And as for these places many more like they are all vnderstood of personall sins from all which and the least contagion thereof he was perfectly free And therefore the same place that saith He knew no sin that is in for his owne person knew not what sinne was saith also that for vs in our stead he was made euen sin it selfe that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Thus Christ in himselfe more righteous then all men Angels In our steade is a reputed sinner and by the same reason we most vnrighteous in our selues are clothed with Christs righteousnesse and thereby are reputed righteous And as Christ though no sinner in himselfe by being a sinner in our steade and hauing our sinnes imputed vnto him became subiect to the wrath of God and bare it euen to death it self So we though not
righteous of our selues yet hauing Christs righteousnesse imputed to vs are made thereby partakers of Gods loue and for the worthinesse of that righteousnesse of his so made ours shall be glorified in heauen And thus now at last we haue found that true and that only righteousnesse which can make a man as it did Noah righteous in Gods sight Now it remaines to make vse of it First here wee learne how foulely our nature is defiled with sinne and stayned with corruption the staine whereof cannot be washed away with all the water in the world no nor with the bloud of all creatures no not couered with the righteousnesse of all men and Angels but onely with the righteousnesse of God And that sonne of God also if he will apply that righteousnesse vnto vs and make it effectuall must become man and liue and die and rise againe for vs. A meruailous thing is it and â—orthy of our often consideration that all the Angels and men in the world cannot make one sinner righteous but that Gods sonne must needes doe it And that our sinnes are so hideous as nothing can hide the filthinesse thereof from the eyes of Gods Iustice but onely the glorious mercy seate of Christs righteousnesse This may therefore teach vs how to esteeme of our selues and our owne natures Furthermore See here the great goodnesse of God to man God put perfect legall righteousnesse in Adams heart in his creation he receiued it for himselfe and vs and lost it for himself and vs. God in mercy purposing to restore man thus by himselfe lost and cast away giues him another and a better righteousnesse then before But because he saw man was so ill a keeper of his owne Iewels he trusts not him with it but sets that righteousnesse in the person of Christ Iesus and commits it to him to keepe Who as he truly knowes the full value and excellencie thereof and as he deerely loues vs So he will most safely keepe it for vs and clothe vs with it in his Fathers presence at the last day A point of vnspeakable comfort to Gods children to consider that their saluation is not in their owne keeping where it might againe be lost but in a safe hand where they shall be sure to finde and haue it when they haue most need of it and to remember that their righteousnesse being in Christ they cannot lose it For though they sinne and so lose often the comfort of a good conscience for a time yet they then lose not their righteousnesse which is then in Christ and to consider that when in this world they sustaine losses or iniuries or lose all they haue vpon the earth that yet their righteousnesse the riches of their soules is then in heauen full safe in Christs keeping and shall neuer be lost This should make vs learne to know Christ more and more and to giue him the loue and affections of our very hearts that so we may be able to say with blessed Paul 2. Timoth. 1.12 I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day Lastly if there be such a communion betwixt Christ and a beleeuer that our sinnes were made his and his righteousnesse made ours This may teach vs patience and minister vs comfort in all outward afflictions or inward temptations because it is certaine all our sufferings are his and hee is touched with all the wrongs done to vs. When hee was in heauen he calls to Saul Acts 9.4 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me and at the last day Math. 25.45 Whatsoeuer either good or euill was done to any of his children he saith was done to himselfe and accordingly it shall be rewarded as done to him And thus wee haue taught that true righteousnesse which iustifies a sinner and made Noah righteous and we see the vse of that worthy doctrine And in this first point we haue the longer insisted because it is one of the fundamentall points of Christian religion Hetherto of the first point namely what that righteousnesse is which is here spoken of The 2. point to be coÌ„sidered in these words is that this righteousnesse is that righteousnesse Which is by Faith It is so called because faith is the proper instrument created in the soule of man by the holy Ghost to apprehend that righteousnesse which is in the person of Christ nor can it be any waies else either apprehended or applied and therefore it is worthily called that righteousnesse which is by faith that is which by faith is made a mans owne or whereunto a man hath title by his faith Here therefore two points offer themselues to our obseruation 1. That true faith apprehends properly this true righteousnesse 2. That onely faith can doe it For the first it is proued by apparant euidences of Scripure S. Paul tells the Galathians 3.14 They receiued the promise of the Spirit by faith And S. Iohn saith That as manie as receiued Christ to them hee gaue power to be called the sonnes of God And least any man should thinke that to receiue Christ is not to beleeue in Christ he addeth Euen to as many as beleeue in his name Iohn 1.12 And therefore faith is fitly compared to a hand that takes hold on a garment and applieth it to the body being naked or to a beggars hand that takes or receiues a Kings almes so faith in a mans soule takes hold on Christs righteousnes which is the mercifull and liberall almes of the King of heauen and applieth it to the poore and naked soule of the beleeuer If any man aske how can faith apply Christ to the beleeuer I answer as a man being in his corrupt nature hath nothing to doe with Christ So contrariwise when the holy Ghost hath wrought faith in his heart by a supernaturall operation then wee are to know that as faith is the proper instrument to apprehend Christ So is Christ and his righteousnesse the proper obiect for faith to work vpoÌ„ For though it apprehend apply all other promises which God makes to our soules or bodies yet most properly and principally and in the first place it apprehends the promise of saluation and the righteousnesse of Christ. Now for the particular manner how faith doth thus we are to know that though it be spirituall inuisible and so not easily expressed to sense yet is it done as properly by faith as a garment is by the hand taken and applied to the body or a plaister to a sore If any aske further But when may a man know whether his faith haue apprehended and applied Christs righteousnesse to his soule or no I answere when hee beleeueth particularly that Christes righteousnesse is his righteousnesse and hath reconciled him to God and shall iustifie him in Gods presence then doth faith worke his true and proper worke for this cannot be done but by faith and where faith is this must needes be done