when hee said Mine eies gush out teares because men dishonour thee O Lord and in another place he protesteth that he doth hate them with a perfect hatred that loue not the Lord and againe that no notorious and incorrigible sinner should dwell with him Now fiftly as wee must hate Gods enemies so must we loue his friends as 1. Ioh. 3.14 it is said We are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Mat. 25.34 and Christ setteth downe a plentifull reward for a cup of cold water giuen to a distressed brother Now who these brethren bee Christ setteth downe to be such as do the will of his father so as it is not the affinitie in the flesh but the bond of the spirit that must vnite vs. And on the other side we must hate none in respect of his creation but in respect he peruerteth the vse of his creation for they beare the image of God which is louely but they deface and scratch it out to their owne damnation So as wee must hate not virum sed vitium the wickednesse of the man and not the wicked as he is a man Sixtly our loue of God must draw vs into the field for defence of his Maiestie for by this shall the master know his seruant loueth him if hee cannot digest to heare him euill spoken of yea by this shall it be knowne whether our way be to Canaan or no if we aske where it lieth in the wildernesse and if our bloud rise to heare Ierusalem euill spoken of and to heare the Lord who is the keeper of that citie reuiled and blasphemed Such were the spirits of Eliakim Shebnah and Ioan 2. King 18.37 that they rent their clothes when they heard Rabshakeh raile vpon the liuing God and Ezechiah when he heard it was grieued at it and spread himselfe before the Lord to call for a holy reuenge of that furie And so must euery true harted Christian esteeme the name and credit of God farre more tender then his owne and learne of Moses to be milde in ouerlooking an iniurie done to our selues Num. 12.3 Exod. 32.19 but to be iealous and zealous in recompencing seuen fold to them that teare in peeces the glorious name of the Lord Iesus Now we of that hath gone before must inferre the contrarie that is as all things worke for saluation to them that loue God so all things worke for damnation to them that hate him All which may be drawne and reduced into these two things first those that concerne this life secondly those that concerne the life to come and these may bee reduced into these foure First the graces of Gods spirit so much as they receiue of it is onely to make them vnexcusable for they shall surely perish though they be in the blade neere to ripenesse the reason is because when the holy Ghost hath giuen them as it were a purge to worke vpon them setting before them good and euill they not as weake stomached but as curst hearted doe cast it vp againe like beastly dogges Secondly the doctrine of saluation which hath this singular vertue to bruise and mollifie the flintie heart onely hardeneth theirs and maketh them rage like the dragon for Christ Iesus is but a rocke of offence vnto them preaching is but foolishnesse and the word a fauour of death vnto them and in the Sacraments they doe but crucifie Christ againe Thirdly the benefites of this life doe make them drunke that they can not see their miserie for in their fulnesse they doe neigh like horses and in their hearts they say there is no God they eate and drinke and rise vp to play making their life but as a May-game Fourthly the miseries of this life though therewith they bee sometime mollified as Esau was when be lost the blessing yet this is but like the iron put into the fire and so softned for a time but being taken out is made by that more hard then before Now for the reason why afflictions turne to the best to such as loue God it is because by his eternall purpose they are called to be saued so as the cause why God ordained some to the inheritance of his glorie was onely his purpose and pleasure that it should be so for Christ as Mediator is not the first cause of saluation For the Scripture saith So God loued the world Ioh. 3.16 that he gaue his Sonne whereby is euident and apparent that hee first loued it before he gaue his Sonne for first Gods purpose was to saue some this in time he executeth by creating man and woman in such estate as they might fall by their owne will hee nothing inforcing it nor compelling them thereunto Now when they were fallen then was there need of a reconciliation and now God bethinkes him of a Mediator so as in the order of causes the attonement which is in Christ must be after the fall for the foresight of the good or euill in a man is no cause for God either to saue or to damne any so as no man can determine the cause why God loued Iacob and hated Esau to be because of the goodnesse of the one and the wickednesse of the other and yet it is true that Esau was damned because hee was euill but why he was appointed to damnation rather then Iacob no cause can bee giuen but the Lords eternall and inuiolable purpose For otherwise Paul would neuer haue cried out Rom. 9.20 against the reason of man that he should not pleade with God who hath the power to forme the vessell after what fashion he pleaseth for if the foresight of good or euill had been the cause it had beene easily sounded and the Apostle would soone haue set it downe Hereupon we must gather an argument that saluation is meerely of mercie for whatsoeuer is the cause of the cause is the cause of the thing caused as the Sunne is the cause of the fruitfulnesse of the earth and God is the cause of the Sunne therefore God is the cause of the fruitfulnesse of the earth so through the righteousnesse of Christ we are all saued but Christ is made righteous meerely of the Lord therefore of the Lord we are all saued But this is to be vnderstood of God as of the first cause not as of the neerest cause So that to conclude this point euery man may giue a reason of his saluation namely because he is beloued in Christ but why hee was apappointed to be beloued in Christ no man is able to assigne or set downe a reason but wee must all bow in humilitie and resort onely to the purpose of God heere spoken of by the Apostle ROM chap. 8. vers 29. verse 29 For those which he knew before he also predestinate to bee made like to the image of his Sonne that he might be the first borne among many brethren THe Apostle heere proceedeth to proue that all things euen afflictions worke for the best to
all graces and so truely is it sealed vnto our soules that wee eate Christ though not corporally By the word we eate the flesh of Christ continually by faith and in the Sacrament it is only more plaine that we eate it because two senses are satisfied by it the eare hearing the word and the eie seeing the bread For the third testimony There comes a voice from heauâ—â— by the former miracles the Lord onely prouided for the witnesse of the eye but now hee prouides for the eare also Where wee learne the wonderfull wisedome and loue of God to exercise all our senses that thereby we might be brought to a certaine perswasion of these mysteries Among the Philosophers is a great question whether the sense of sight or of hearing bee better in it selfe True it is that sight in nature is more excellent as for celerity and quickenesse so for perspicuity and sharpnesse but if the doubt bee made of the profit of these two then hearing excelleth for we can see nothing but that is visible but many more things are to be heard of which thereby may be conueied to the heart to iudge of so the largenesse of hearing is greater in the profit Besides no man profiteth by sight vnlesse he vnderstand it by hearing for which cause it pleased God to apply both in the mystery of saluation that thereby we might be sure of it we neuer doubting of that we both see and heare Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10.17 and the holy Ghost bores the care Psal 40. and leades the eye to satisfie it setting before it in Baptisme water and in the Supper bread and wine so as it is prouided that the hearing might haue the word and the eye the sacraments Now in the voice consider what it doth expresse namely thâ— that flesh which stood there before them was the naturall sonne of God and this he is two waies first as he is the sonne of God by nature of the eternall substance of his Father howbeit let no man thinke fleshly of the matter for hee departed with no substance nor had any manner of change secondly as he was the sonne of Mary not by nature or adoption for then there had beene a time when he was not the Sonne of God but by personall vnion the man Christ being neuer a person by it selfe vntill it was personally vnited to the Godhead so as he was borne the sonne of God not by nature for he was of the nature of his mother so Mary is said to bee the mother of God not that she brought forth God but brought foorth that man that was God and this in respect onely of the personall vnion In that it is said my welbeloued Sonne vnderstand that all loâ—â— comes from him that comes to vs and wee are beloued only for Christs sake as Châ—â—◠〈…〉 praieth Iohn 17. I beseech thee good Father that as 〈…〉 â—â—â—d me so thou wilt loue them and giue them the same glory thou guest me This is God required to doe by his owne Sonne who can aâ—ke nothing shall be denied him With the same loue loue thou them as I am in them so are they in me And this ministreth singular consolation that when we consider Christ to be beloued we may withall remember that with the same loue the Lord loueth his natural son with the same doth he loue vs that are adopted so as when he beholds the beauty of his sonne in whose fore-head as in a golden plate are written all our names hee turneth from our filthinesse and embraceth vs as his owne sonne and the Father and sonne are all one in desire The Lord grant we may be able to comprehend it and be willing to entertaine it that this loue may constraine vs to loue him againe otherwise it brings foorth no effectuall fruit in vs. Againe since the Father tooke all delight in this Sonne Christ Iesus and that the whole Trinity was heere at his baptizing and that the father saith in another place Sonne I will glorifie thee still Iohn 12.28 let vs learne to magnifie the Lord Iesus let him bee our ioy for who is there in heauen or earth in whom wee can set our delight better then on him which thus pleaseth the father Let vs loue him that God loueth he is the only Priest to sacrifice for vs the only Aduocate to plead for vs the onely Prophet to instruct vs the only King to gouerne vs the onely shield to defend vs we shall be made rich through his grace only righteous through his obedience onely safe through his protection onely and saued through his mediation only He that glorifies the Sonne glorifies God and he that resteth vnder the wings of the Sonne shroudeth himselfe vnder the shadow of the most high then accursed be that man or that religion that holds Christ but as the chiefe Sauior and would haue other helpes ioyned to him for we must only haue Christ and wholly Christ and assure ourselues to bee â—aued onely in him our praiers to bee heard onely through him and our wounds to be healed onely by the sight of him and to what end should we ioyne others with him since all are beloued onely for him That there is a Trinity appeâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—er in this place aâ— namely the fathers voice 〈…〉 â—esence in the Done and Christ manifested and 〈…〉 flesh and these bee seuerall yet but onâ—â—e hoâ—â—â— and all and euery of them is leâ—â—â—uah It is a mystery only to be adored yet in some measure iâ— to be knoâ—en that they should be three persons yet but one God as for example take three men Paul Iames and Iohn heere be three persons and three men but it is not so in God for in things that bee created wee must consider they are onely limited therefore the same nature in Iohn is not the same natuâ—â—â— singular and in specie that is in Paul because they bee not onely two persons but diuided in quantity and that particular nature in particular that is in Iohn cannot be in Paul So for Angels take Raphael Gabriel and Michael supposing him to bee a created Angell the same particular angelicall nature that is 〈◊〉 one is not in another for they be not onely two persons of Angels but two natures not distinct but separate Now in God 〈◊〉 make a common essence which is Iehouah wherein doth consâ—â—â— three Elohims yet are they not three Iehouahs because his nature is simple and the selfe same is in them all and the same being is in God the Father that is in the Sonne and is tota to 〈◊〉 in euery one and the same in Vnity And if wee will haue thâ—â— Gods then must we make a substance diuided which cannot be but there is onely a distinction Angels are separate one from another and are one without another but in the Trinity it is otherwise The Sonne is in the Father the holy Ghost in theâ—â— both and they are all one The Sunne
behold the Sun-shine of the Lord in full measure which is the Sunne of light and of life yet we haue such a glimpse as wee cannot bee perswaded but it shineth vpon our soules And as the child in the mothers womb stirring neuer so weakly yet euen by that feeble motion she is assured that it hath life so the least light of the Sunne of righteousnesse is most sweet comfortable vnto vs. Which doctrine as it ministreth and bringeth consolation to a weake soule so must it be as a sharpe spur vnto vs that this righteousnesse may be encreased and that this spirit of God may delight to dwell in vs that we being grounded and growing daily in a perswasion of Gods loue towards vs it may enforce vs to loue him more and more and the strength and perfection of this loue may and ought to make vs resist and shunne all contrary means whereby our encrease and growth in faith may bee hindered And because this spirit of the Lords adoption is inward and can not be perceiued that many be deluded by Sathans subtilty and forgerie foisting and thrusting in another deed than euer God gaue vs especially working vpon the weake heart of man which being fraught and full of selfe-loue is easily perswaded of any good to it selfe therefore we must learne how to discerne whether it be the true euidence of Gods spirit or no which we haue within vs. And for that the Apostle here setteth down one effect and fruit of this spirit for all that is that there is a confidence of any good conscience to come boldly before the Lord as a child before his father to preferre our suites vnto him and to offer vp our praiers vpon the golden altar Reuel 8.3 that is the mediation of Christ by whose meanes and through whose obedience and suffering they shall sauour before the Lord as a sweet incense and the Lord shall put into them daily a new incense by the spirit assuring vs more and more of his louing fauor◠and we shall not hide our selues and run away when we are called Gen. 3.8 as Adam did but being disburdened of that which doth presse vs downe from the presence of God we shall come cheerefully before him and ioy our selues in that the Lord will looke so pleasingly vpon vs Other effects of this spirit and yet arising from the former are these If the spirit worke in vs the same affection towards God that nature doth produce in children toward their parents as first to loue God secondly to feare him thirdly to reuerence him fourthly to be obedient to him fiftly to be thankfull to him all which vertues be in good children who do alwaies acknowledge all they haue to proceed from their father as the speciall instrument from God and if we haue beare these affections to God our father as to loue him for his mercies to feare him for his loue to reuerence him for his goodnesse to obey him for his greatnes and to be thankfull to him for his kindnesse then may we assure our selues that we haue the spirit of adoption sealed vp in vs for our saluation In that we crie Abba Father learne that no obstinate or resolute sinner persisting deliberately in his sinne and his heart deliting in it can once open his mouth to pray nor neuer did pray The like whereof may be said of the hypocrite for though they may falsely perswade themselues that offering vp a few words in forme of a praier it is sufficient to purge the vncleannesse of their liues and that impudently and in presumption they may call God Father when their harts be impure and vncleane yet Iohn 8.44 Christ calleth them the children of their father the diuell And though Sathan may perswade an obstinate and wilfull sinner as he did Houah Gen. 3.4.5 that doing such an euill and wicked thing they shall not hang in hell alwaies threatening where God promiseth and promising where God threatneth vntill he take them in the lurch at the time of their death and then he ouerreckneth them yet it is certaine he cannot pray vnlesse he haue this spirit and this spirit none hath if they delight and sauour of sin so as though they cry Peace peace to their owne conscience and seruing the diuell will neuerthelesse vaunt themselues to bee the sonnes of God it is the Lords iustice that permitteth Sathan so to blinde them that they cannot see their sickenesse to the death for 1. Iohn 3.8 it is said He that committeth sinne is of the diuell Can the poison of Aspes and the sacrifice of praier proceed both from the same tongue No. Grapes cannot grow of thornes nor figs of thistles and Esay 66.3.5 the Lord saith that he that offereth sacrifice without trembling that is without reformation of life it is as if he killed a man which is most vnsauory to the Lord. So as lawfull things and things commanded be an abomination to the Lord when the soule and conscience is not answerable to the action and to the outward profession Howbeit things simply forbidden are sinnes both in the regenerate and vnregenerate and the prayers of these men that thus can lie on their beds and imagine mischiefe and yet can open their lippes by way of conference and speech with God are no better then those of the rebels in the North who when they had published all their mischiefe which tended to the ouerthrow of our dread Soueraigne yet ended and concluded their proclamation with God saue Queene Elizabeth Now concerning hypocrites that they cannot pray but by imitation of Christians as Parots looke vpon the rule of Dauid Psal 66.18 If I regard saith he wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me that is if I delight in sin my praiers shall not come neare him so as make what shew thou wilt if thy heart be not vpright it auaileth not For as it is said Iohn 9.31 God heareth no sinners that is no malicious and deliberate sinners which intend and compasse mischiefe in their inward parts howsoeuer in hypocrisie they dissemble it And it is certaine it is as impossible to pray without this spirit as to vnderstand without a soule Further obserue how this spirit begets in vs such peace of conscience that makes vs confident in crauing our wants at Gods hand as from the spirit of adoption cōmeth faith so from faith issueth and streameth inuocation and calling vpon God by praier This faith grounded vpō the loue of God in Christ doth assure vs that whatsoeuer is good in heauen or in earth God wil bestow it vpon vs then steppeth in praier and according as the soule is burdned either with a desire to be deliuered from danger or with an affection to haue some wants supplied or to declare and expresse our thankefulnesse it doth take the present occasion and for sloweth no time to enter into the sanctuarie of Gods presence and there to lift vp our weak hands and to send
Elizabet no doubt prayed in their youth for the fruite of their bodie but they were not then heard for the Lords time was not yet but when Zachary as priest was exercising the publike ministerie of the Church and both he and his wise striken in age then the Angell comes and tels him the Lord had heard his prayers and that his wife should haue a child Which may be a great encouragement to vs to grow perfect in this exercise and that the worke of praier may bee easie to vs because there is not a word falls to the ground but either it rebounds presently vpon vs againe with a blessing or that blessing is reserued for a better time when it trebles the ioy in receiuing an vnexpected benefit No doubt Iacob had fetched many a sigh for the losse of his sonne Ioseph Gen. 37.34 but if Ioseph had presently returned to his father before he obtained the honour in Egypt it had nothing so much cheared Iacobs heart Gen. 45.27 as it did when he saw the chariots sent to fetch him that he might see him in his state and dignitie So for the Lord to cary in his remembrance and to keepe as it were a booke of our prayers alwayes open before his eyes and either to heale vs when we are past cure as he did Dauid when he heard him out of the deepe of deeps or in his good time to put vs in mind of our owne prayers by the fruit doubled in our bosome when we thought our haruest past can not but exceedinglie stirre vs vp to magnifie his goodnes and to employ all the powers of our soule to please him Thirdly we pray for many things which we cannot obtaine and yet we must pray for them for if we cannot haue our desire here it shall be fulfilled in the life to come as when wee pray that Gods kingdome may come that we may be deliuered from temptation and that wee may not sinne which onely shall be performed in the life to come for God according to his owne disposition of times hath ordained that we his creatures should apply our selues vnto and therefore hath taught vs by his spirit as well to pray for the end as for the meanes Faith in this life being the foundation of our hope and our hope being perfited in the life to come through the loue of Christ so that as here we pray to haue our faith strengthened our infirmities cured our sins pardoned and Gods graces renewed in vs daily which be apples of such a tree as we taste of in this life so here we pray also that sinne may be abolished the number of Gods elect gathered and the worke of our sanctification perfited which is the end and perfection of the former and which is reserued for a better life when both our owne prayers and the intercession of Christ for vs also shall cease Fourthly obserue that God so heareth thy prayers that though he do not graunt formam the forme yet he graunteth finem the end of thy prayers Euen as Christ when he prayed in the garden Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me now shall wee say that Christ euer prayed and was not heard Mat. 26.39 God forbid and yet the cuppe did not passe from him yet was hee heard as the Apostle to the Hebrewes saith in that he feared for though hee was not deliuered from death Heb. 5.7 yet was hee freed from the horrour of death for an Angell was sent to comfort him 2. Cor. 12.8 So Paul when he prayed to be deliuered from the buffetings of Satan he had his desire thus farre the Lord graunteth the end of his prayer that is strength to abide it exempted he could not be but this was it the power of the Lord should be in him so much the greater as his temptations and afflictions were increased so that none must be discouraged nor grow cold though their first or second voice in praier be not heard for by this we learne first to continue in praier and in this doth the Lord secretly heare vs that wee breake not off Secondlie the Lord doth for a time withdraw his eares from the words of our mouth that we may know the deliuerance praied for comming from God we are not to appoint him the houre Thirdly we stay a time before our hands be filled with our requests to exercise our patience that our desire be not like the longing and fainting of a woman Fourthlie that by this small absence of the Lord in not hearing our praiers at the first we may learne to depend vpon his prouidence Fiftlie that we may vse them the better when we haue them and receiue them with the greater thankfulnesse because things wished for as they are gratefully receiued so are they carefully preserued ROM chap. 8. vers 28. verse 28 Also we know that all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God euen to them that are called of his purpose HEere the Apostle proceedeth to open another fountaine of exceeding comfort to the faithfull which is all things worke for the best to those that loue God but euery faithfull man is assured he loues the Lord therefore to him all things worke for the best and if all things then afflictions He proues it by this reason to those that be predestinate all things turne to the best but they that loue the Lord are predestinate therefore to them all things turne to the best And to proue this he setteth downe a reason vers 29. Those that be called in the eternall purpose of God them hath he predestinate to be like the image of his Sonne Heb. 2.9 that as he passed by the crosse and from the crosse to glory so shall wee being children of the same Father and who are borne and bound to resemble Christ our elder brother in this point chiefly To declare how afflictions worke for the best in Gods children we must vnderstand that afflictions be of two sorts either remedies to correct our corruptions and heale our infirmities or els exercises of Gods graces in his children that he may try them how much they will suffer for his sake For the first kind of afflictions we cannot doubt but they do worke for the best whether we consider them as chastisements for sins past or as preuentions of sins to come For sins that are committed the rod is necessary for he is a bastard that is not corrected that wee may see and loath the cause of our affliction that is our corruption as it is said 1. Cor. 11.32 We are chastised of the Lord because we should not be condemned with the world And to Dauid the Lord saith Thy sonnes I will correct for their sinnes but my louing kindnesse shall neuer depart from thee for the punishments of these our sinnes are pardoned in the sacrifice of Christ but so is not the chastisement for this proceedeth from the loue of God and Christ
our infirmities with the courage of fighting and by them to keepe vs waking that we may discerne the storme when it commeth and cast our ank or on Christ where it shall neuer be vnloosed Here the craft and wilinesse of flesh and bloud will so one take occasion of licenciousnesse as to say if our infirmities serue to do vs good and turne to Gods glory because by this meanes we see our weaknesse then it is good to make much of them euen as Porphyrius commendeth the treason of Iudas against Christ because by Christ his death saluation is brought to many But miserable and blasphemous is this opinion for this were to turne the grace of God into wantonnes for though our infirmities doe further vs many waies to saluation yet in it owne nature sinne is alway sinfull God can make Satan a Physitian to cure Paul yet is he euer Satan that is an enemie God can make the tyrannie of Pharaoh as a trumpet to stir vp the Israelites to crie to him for helpe Exod. 2.23 yet doth this nothing diminish from his malice to Gods people Luk. 22.47 Iohn 17.12 God can make Iudas by a kisse the executioner of his decree yet doth he continue the child of perdition So as we must striue against our infirmities because they be in themselues simplie euill though qualified and tempered with the Lords hand they turne to our good Adulterie it was a horrible sinne in Dauid though it was made profitable for his soule in bringing him to such a low degree of humiliation as is set downe Psal 32.6 For the heauens to be brasse as not good in it owne nature but it is a vengeance of we want the first and latter raine whereby to ripen the fruits of the earth yet at the praier of Eliah 1. King 17. and Iames 5.16 it rained not on the earth for three yeeres and six monthes that the Lords mercie and power might the more be seene yea the Lord can create light out of darknesse yet darknesse is alwaie darknesse Adams fall it was good in that end God had ordained it namely Gen. 3.14 to prepare the waie to raise vs vp a Sauiour of the seed of the woman but it was a most damnable sinne as Satan and Adam meant it for they did it in rebellion against God Further we must consider how the persons be qualified to whom all things turne to the best it is to them that loue God which is the most excellent and Christian commendation that can be this our loue issuing and streaming from that fountaine of the loue of God Euen as all waters come from the sea as from the well-head and returne thither againe boiling out of the veines of the earth so God sending forth the streames of his loue into our hearts it must euen from the very bottome of our hearts returne to him againe for wee haue nothing but what wee haue receiued Now there was neuer any Senacherib nor Iesabel but said they loued God therefore this true Christian loue of God that it may bee seene not to be counterfeit is accompanied with six properties first with a care to keepe his commandements for such is the rule of Christ If yee loue mee keepe my commandements which wee must doe so much the rather because the Lord hath giuen and forgiuen vs much hauing made vs of enemies friends as Abraham was tearmed to bee the friend of God hauing brought vs home when we wandred in the wildernesse of sinne Luk. 1â— 2â— as he did the lost sonne hauing fed vs when wee wanted and had no meanes to succour vs as hee did Eliah 1. King 17.6 hauing clearelie set off the debt which we did owe and cancelled the hand-writing which was against vs. If wee should not performe obedience to such a God and weare his commandements as a frontlet before our eies our condemnation could neuer be too heauy nor our stripes too many Howbeit euerie blasphemer sieth against his owne soule that dare say euen in the height of his wickednesse he soueth God for can a woman prostitute her bodie to a varlet and mingle her flesh with his strange flesh and yet trulie say she loues her husband it is not possible no more can anie man trulie call himselfe the child of Abraham if hee doe and performe the workes of the Diuell Secondlie Iohn 8.44 this loue of God must breed in vs a base estimation and account nay rather a contempt of these earthlie things in respect of Gods loue To such a passe had Paul brought his iudgement and his affections to Philipp 3.8 when he esteemed all things but as dung in comparison of the treasure of the life to come and that he might win Christ So Moses refused the pleasures of sinne in Egypt in respect of the assurance of Gods loue manifested in his afflicted seruants Exod. 2.11 and Peter and other of the Disciples were so rauished with ioie at the call of Christ Math. 4.20 that they left their nets and forsooke the world to follow him And this is that indeede which wee shall all finde at the last to bee the truest comfort for riches are transitorie and will beguile vs honour is slipperie and will deceiue vs the world is moth-eaten and weares awaie at least wee our selues are but claie and soone perish but the loue of God in Christ endureth for euer Thirdlie this our loue of God is accompanied with a feruent zeale of his glorie and more delight wee take heerein then in the enioying the wiues of our youth This was the commendation of the Church of Thy atira Reuelat. 2.18 and by this was their loue of God discerned by their increase in the workes of charitie faith and patience and by their zeale of Gods glorie that they profited and went forward in religion more at last then at first This kinde of loue is described Cantic 8.5.6 to bee stronger then death the coales thereof to bee fierie to expresse the zeale and vehemencie of it whole flouds of affliction cannot drowne it neither can anie treasure buie it Such was the loue of Paul and of Moses that wished themselues accursed to saue their brethren Rom. 9.3 Exod. 32.32 because they thought it more glorie for God to saue many then to saue one Fourthly this our loue of God must make vs presently hate all things whereby God is openly dishonored This was it that so fiercely inflamed the wrath of Moses Exod. 32.19 that when he saw idolatrie set vp by the peoples dauncing before the calfe he broke the Tables of the Law and burned the calfe and strewed the powder of it on the waters and in detestation of their superstition made the children of Israel to drinke thereof Hereof commeth that Ezech. 9.4 that they that haue the marke in their foreheads that is such as are sealed vp to saluation doe mourne and crie for the iniquitie of the times And such was the affection of Dauid
the beholding of the very face of God and there shall bee no markes set to keepe vs from the mount where the Lord dweleth Reu. 21.12 as there was Exod. 19.12 but as Paul speaketh 1. Corinth â—3 12 we shall then see him face to face and know him as wee â—re knowen of him and see him as God all in all that is â—ee shall behold the glory of God not standing vpon the veile of the flesh of Christ for then all mediation and intercession shall cease and this is part of that Christ praied for a litle before his death Iohn 17.24 that we might see that glory he had before the world was made for then we shall see Christ-God and the whole Godhead immediately raigning yet in Christ the Sonne of man and in vs but so as we shall no more leane and relie vpon the praiers of Christ for then he shall raigne no more as the Sonne of man in the midst of his enemies for this gouernement shall cease death which is the last enemy being then abolished and he then shall raigne ouer them vanquished as God Howbeit the fruit and benefit of this his mediation shall indure for euer and the subiection of his humane nature shall then more appeare because of the glory of his Godhead which shall then be seene fully euen such and the same as he had before eternitie yet shall this saluation more increase the glory of his humanity when we shall vnderstand and see it to bee personally vnited to the sonne of God who with God the Father and the holy Ghost shall be all in all Now the fruition and possession of this glory shal worke three effects in vs first it shall breed in vs an infinite loue toward God secondly an infinite ioy in God thirdly an infinite praise to God Infinitely shall we loue him that hath aduanced as to such honour as is endles and to such fellowship as is matchlesse our hearts shall be filled with ioy yet not able to comprehend or expresse it Mat. 25.23 therefore it is said Enter thou into thy masters ioy for this ioy is too great to enter into thee and besides the ioy we shall haue in our owne saluation we shall conceiue as great ioie for the saluation of others which is called ioy celestiall and we shall haue yet more ioy then before to see the Godhead so glorious the Lambe aduanced in our flesh and to be one person with God And this is aboue all ioies because we shal loue Christ far aboue our selues for the zeale of Gods glory shall euen eat vs vp and it shall be so great in vs as it cannot be so great for our owne saluation and then out of this loue and ioy as out of two fountaines ioyned in one shall spring and arise such continuall praise to God for this glory that we shal vncessantly sing to God in the Temple which is God himselfe so as we shall praise God in God and this shall be as the Prophet Esay saith from new Moone to new Moone and from Sabbath to Sabbath that is for euer for this loue of God is from eternitie in respect of our predestination and to eternitie in respect of our glorification and this is that we sigh and grone for and for which while wee are in the flesh absent from God wee continually pray for ROM chap. 8. vers 31.32 verse 31 What shall we say then to these things If God be on our side who can be against vs verse 32 Who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs all things also THe Apostle before set downe that God the Father by his eternall purpose hath foreacknowledged vs and foreloued vs with an euerlasting loue in his Sonne and not vs onely but all those that to the end of the world shall loue him and manifest and shew foorth this their loue by a sincere worship and religious care to keepe his commandements and how that the Lord as he hath ordained vs and them to the same glory so at the fulnesse of time by the dispensation of his wisdome by his spirit he doth call them by the instrument of his word by the same loue doth iustifie vs in his Sonne and will glorisie vs with himselfe Now he being ouercome with the thought and meditation of these things breaketh foorth into a woonder and admiration that seeing it is thus that the Lord hath taken it vpon him neuer to leaue vs till he hath aduanced vs to heauenly places euen the seat of the Lord Iesus what shall we say The answer is giuen with the question this we must say that since he is our God as appeareth by that which went before then is it impossible wee being thus backed and hauing the Lord our bulwarke that any creature can bee of that force or be so against vs no not the diuell in hell with all his power can hinder vs from the fruition of this glorie In the other words who spared not his Sonne c. there is a further consolation set downe vnto vs to make the heape of comfort greater that since the Lord gaue as it were iudgement against his owne Son and set him foorth to a shamefull death for vs and this when we were his enemies and strangers from the life of God how can it bee he should now denie vs any thing to further our saluation being made friends with him and reconciled to him thorow his Sonne This doctrine needeth rather deepe meditation then large explication for who doth not assume to himselfe sufficiently to vnderstand it being but thus much in effect that since God in his euerlasting purpose hath thus manifested his glorie and mercie and hath ordained the end which is his glorie in our saluation and to bring it that it may come to this end hath subordinated and set downe certaine causes as calling and iustifying it is impossible any thing should hinder our saluation If God he on our side Heereupon wee must not thinke that if God be on our side we shall haue no enemies for because God loueth vs therefore we haue the more enemies and therefore wee are persecuted and subiect to the hatred of the world as Christ himselfe expresseth Ioh. 17.14 The world hateth them because saith he they are like me So as in this place the Apostle doth not meane that we should expect any immunitie and exemption on from the eâ—mitie and malice of men but that wee hauing this heauenly securitie and assured certaintie of the Lords protection neither Angell nor man nor diuell nor torment shall be able to ouer come vs. For this is that Paul speaketh of All things are by Christ Col. 1.16 through Christ and for Christ that is all things are created by him all things are preserued through 〈◊〉 maintained for his glorie so that our saluation being alwaies ioyned with his glorie neither shall men breath nor the diuell
rage but to glorifie Christ which glorie of his is greatest in our saluation We therefore in a spirituall confidence of the Lords loue do challenge all men and all things that euer were created that what violence soeuer they offer vs or what punishment soeuer they inflict vpon vs it is so farre from presting vs downe as it maketh vs spread higher and furthereth our saluation for God is with vs and while the bridegroome is with vs wee cannot mourne The euill they can doe is but with the dragon to fight with vs and as the enemies of God to persecute vs and though they be led to do this by the malice of their harts yet they serue but as the Lords rods to chastise vs and as Apothecaries to make drugs to cure our infirmities but so as they cannot put in one dramme more then the Lord knoweth of for he hath the tempering of the cup as it is said of Salomon The Lord weigheth the enterprises of men and their actions are in his hands and the woorst they can doe vs is but this to shorten our daies by that meanes to hasten our ioyes Hereupon we are to gather and to lay vp this comfort that if the course of nature should be altered yet euen in this confusion of nature if we call vpon the Lord his eare is readie to heare and his hand to helpe vs nay if there be any speciall iudgement and vengeance determined against a citie or a people the presence of the Lords children doth euen binde his hands that he can doe nothing while they be there as Genes 19.16 till Lot was snatched out of Sodome the fire could not fall from heauen to destroy it So that if heauen and earth conspire against vs if sea and sand should imagine vs mischiefe if the Princes of the world should set their armies against vs and like grashoppers in multitude should lie waiting for our liues if the sorrowes of death and the pangs of hell should compasse vs yet this is our shade and comfort that we liue vnder the wings of the Almightie and that wee are to the Lord as precious as the tenderest part of his eie and he that commeth so neare him the breath of his mouth shall confume him and in the middest of all these calamities wee shall stand like mount Sion and shall feare no more then the heauens were affraid Psal 125.1 Psal 91.11 Gen. 11.4 when Nimrod and his companie would haue built vp a tower vnto them For the Lord hath giuen his Angels charge ouer vs and not a haire of our head shall fall without his prouidence but as the wicked haue many waies to hurt vs so hath the Lord farre more meanes to helpe vs. Who spared not his owne Sonne This is another consolation ministred vnto vs to stay vs from fainting in afflictions that if God hath giuen vs his Sonne when wee were his enemies then much more now being reconciled vnto him will he giue vs with his Sonne all things else In this consider two parts first what it is that is said heere God deliuered vp his Sonne to death secondly that if hee giue him hee will giue all things else In the first consider two parts first the person of him that was giuen vp it was his owne Son secondly who the persons be for whom hee is giuen vp namely for all the faithfull In the first which is the person of him was giuen vp to death doth appeare the wonderfull loue of God that would vouchsafe to bestow vpon vs rebels and runnagates no woorse thing then his owne Sonne Great was the loue of Abraham toward God Gen. 22.8 that so commaunded his naturall affections as to offer vp his sonne Isaac at the Lords commaundement vnto death hauing but one sonne and he giuen him by a speciall fauor to comfort his age and him whom he loued being vertuous and religious when he had no hope to haue any more sonnes and this being the sonne of the promise in whom both himselfe and the whole world should be saued that this child should not bee banished from him but put to death and killed not before his face but with his owne hand this was a great loue for flesh and bloud to fall into But yet farre greater is the loue of God toward vs who louing Christ a thousand times more then Abraham could loue Isaac Ioh. 3.15 because betweene heauenly and earthlie things there is no comparison that God should deliuer him vp not to the whip but to the gibber not by commandement as Abraham did but of his meere and voluntarie loue and motion not into the hands of them that sorrowed to see him afflicted but into the hands of butchers that cared not how cruelly they dealt with him and this not for his friends as Abraham did for he was called the friend of God but for traitors that would haue pulled the Lord foorth of his owne seate and not to death onely as Abraham did his sonne who by the losse of his life should presently haue gained heauen but to a most cursed death and detestable and this to bee performed not in a mountaine or secret place where there should be sew beholders as Abrahams was to haue beene done but euen before the face of all the Iewes to hang as a most odious and notorious sinner to suffer his accusation to bee no lesse then for blasphemie to haue him so debased as to haue Barrabas who for an insurrection and murther was cast into prison Lu. 23.18.19 Mat. 27.22 in the choice of the people preferred before him who not onely was condemned by Pilate prosecuted by the malice of the Iewes conuinced by false testimonies scorned at by them that bad him helpe himselfe when he was in such extremitie as hee could scarce speake but that euen God his Father should arraigne him in heauen hauing all the sins of the world cast vpon him that pressed him at one time to the highest and lowest part of hell Whereupon consider that for the sinnes in our person all the horrors of hell did compasse him and all the torments of the damned did seize vpon him Reu. 19.15 and God for the time accounted him his enemie and brought him to that exigent and extremitie as he was forced to crie Father why hast thou forsaken me for if he had not bin the Sonne of God it had bin impossible to haue sustained or endured it and yet being the Son of God he was driuen so low as an Angel was faine to be dispatched from heauen to comfort him and all this to befall him who in himselfe was not in any one particular sinfull being cleane by birth and holy by conuersation True it is the high Priest was angrie with him because he tooke him as an offender in his owne person but God was angrie with him as esteeming him a sinner in our person that he which had not deserued being smitten wee that had deserued might
a candle then had Obadiah hid an hundred of the Lords Prophets in a caue 1. King 18.4 that neuer bowed their knees to Baal Iob. 5.22 For the Lord doth but laugh at the policies of the wicked and he in his time will discouer their shame to their faces and lift vp the heads of his seruants aboue all the tyrants of the world Now for the meanes whereby wee obtaine this victory obserue that it is by a spirituall power of the holy Ghost enabling vs to so great a worke for such is our ambition to be great men as if Demas find no preferment by the Gospell 2. Tim. 4.10 he will nothing esteeme of Pauls company Such is our desire to be rich as if we gaine by our seruants that worke with the Diuell we had rather they should be possessed still then we would lose our gaine which we may see Act. 16.19 where Paul and Silas were haled before the Magistrates onely for casting out the spirit of diuination in the maide that got her masters great aduantage by diuining Yea such and so vehement are our naturall and earthly affections and so great our greedinesse to enioy the pleasures of our life that the mariage of a wife or the triall of a yoke of oxen shall keepe vs from Christ Mat. 22.5 Luk. 14.19.20 So that it must be a greater power then the faculty or abilitie of a man for if naturally we are not able to abide the snuffe of a candle much lesse to burne in the fire Why then so many examples as we see patiently induring death for the testimony of the truth of God so many testimonies haue wee of the Lords power to enable weake vessels to hold such scalding liquer For many through presumption of their owne strength haue apostated and Peter was well neare it notwithstanding his bragge that he would not leaue his master to the death if Christ his eie had not pierced his soule to repentance for his former denials Luk. 22.61 Dauid 1. Sam. 17.45.46 confesseth that it was not in his strength to contend with Goliah neither did he come to him with sword or with speare but in the name of the God of Israel who would close him into his hands And this in truth must be our paterne and our praise in these temptations and afflictions to flie out of our selues and to run to the wings of the Lord Iesus whose grace onely is sufficient for vs and whose power is made perfect in our weakenesse for where the flesh carieth a confidence in it selfe there is no roome for the spirit for the spirit helpeth onely those that be infirme and Christ is onely a Physition for a sicke sinner Mark 2.17 Now as wee are conquerors through him that loueth vs so let vs labour that Christ may thinke his loue well bestowed his bloud well spent and his victory for vs well gained by our loue of him againe that it may be as hot as the flame that whole flouds of waters may not quench it and so strong as neither terrors in persecution nor pleasures in life nor the anguish of death may make vs forsake our ankor Christ Iesus but that wee may hold our confidence in a hope sure and stedfast which shall at the last giue vs entrance into the veile whither Christ our forerunner is for vs entred in Heb. 6.29 ROM chap. 8. vers 38 39. verse 38 For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Augels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come verse 39 Nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. HEere the Apostle setteth downe a conclusion full of all consolation proceeding from a diuine and heauenly resolution and christian magnan unity extended and offered by the Apostle in the person of all the faithfull wherein he doth couragiously challenge and exultantly triumph ouerall creatures being assured that nothing that euer was created could finally separate him from that loue wherewith the Lord had loued him in Christ This conclusion standeth on two parts first in the enumeration or reckoning vp of some particulars which if any thing could seuer vs from the Lord it were likely to bee some of these he named Secondly because the Apostle could not insist in the induction or bringing in of particulars he vseth a generall comprehension of all things that nothing might bee excepted in these words nor any other creature the things reckoned vp are nine which be either one contrary to another or else diuers from other For death that cannot separate vs from God for though it be most terrible to the flesh to see his prefixed end yet this is so farre vnable to seuer vs as nothing hath greater power to ioyne vs to God through the death of him that ouercame death which appeareth likewise by this that euen the wicked though they loue not to liue the life of the righteous because it is tedious through afflictions yet they can wish with Balaam Num. 23. vers 10. that their last end may be like theirs who alwaies resigne vp their soules in rest vnto the Lord. And though some wicked may make a peaceable end whereby Satan hardeneth others to thinke they are beloued of the Lord because they depart like the light of a candle and some of the elect die troublesomely whereby Satan maketh his instruments to condemne the generation of the godly yet in their inward man they doe not onely patiently expect but deepely sigh for the day of their dissolution that being vncloathed of this corruption they may be crowned with the Lords glorie for they that haue receiued the earnest of the spirit the pledge of their inheritance and the first fruits of the Lords loue and vnto whom he hath sealed and assured pardon of their sinne they do know they haue cause to expect the reuelation and shew of their happinesse being heere tossed with sundrie waues of perplexed miseries and being sure there to arriue from a tempestuous voyage to a most blessed hauen And it is ioyfull to a Christian to bee deliuered from this careful life wherein euery day is the messenger of fresh sorrowes and wherein hee findeth his corruption so burdensome so as though Paul was taken vp into the third heauen 2. Cor. 12.4 yet hee cried Who shall deliuer me from this body of sinne For heere wee know our selues to be scarce worth the ground we go on we are so worne with care and so ground with affliction but then we shall enter into the presence of God and dwell with him perpetually To be short many haue beene so rauished with this ioy which wee see but as in a mist as they haue not onely giuen vp themselues to naturall death but euen suffered violent death embracing it as chearefully as the souldier that comes after his valour shewed to be made a knight or as the King that goeth to his
to her wallowing in the ruire Some will say True it is the spirit may bee quenched in 〈◊〉 hypocrite but neuer in the elect as 1. Iohn 3.9 Hee that is borne of God sinneth not And whom God loued once hee loueth alwaies This is true but then looke that thou stand vpon good and sound euidence when Sathan troubles thee for thou knowest how the burning lampes went out how the seed in the blade came to nothing and it is certaine that a man illuminate may sinne against the holy Ghost and therefore see that thou hast good title and groundest vpon good interest when thou shalt bee vexed with temptations For Rom. 8.13 if wee liue after the flesh wee shall die and as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God and who hath this spirit looke 1. Iohn 3.14 We are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren for hee that hath a soule must needes breath and he that hath the spirit must needs fulfill the fruits of the spirit Secondly albeit the elect haue receiued an euerlasting spirit whereof the Lord can neuer repent and which can neuer vtterly be quenched yet let vs feare and tremble for in the elect it may so bee obscured and ouerwhelmed that some of the graces of Gods spirit nay most of the graces yea the chiefest of the most nay all almost of Gods graces may in them be quenched as Dauid praieth Psal 51. Lord create in me a new spirit and yet he had it in him for in the same place he saith Lord take not thy spirit from me So as this exhortation not to quench the â—â—â—rit hath a double fruit in the hypocrite to make him vnexcusable in the elect to make them more circumspect and carefull in their conuersation for we must not be secure in as much as albeit the spirit of God in those that be his cannot bee absolutely quenched and wholly put out yet there may bee a great abatement of the spirit as not to be recouered without great touch and terror of conscience For first while a man feeles the presence of this spirit there is giuen him such ioy and with that a singular peace in the inward man and such securitie of his saluation that he feeles the loue of God spiritually to do him as much good as his meat and vpon this assurance he doth as it were behold the heauens open for the Lord to embrace him liuing or dying and he knoweth himselfe to be sealed vp in the blood of Christ vnto eternall life Now if this spirit be gone absenteth it selfe in spirituall operation together with this is our former ioy abated and the foundation of our hope begins to be shaken and being weake of our selues we are surprised with many feares and suspecting our selues to bee cast from the feare of God and our sinnes arising and flying vp like smoake in our eies we almost are brought to the case of Cain Gen. 4.12 to thinke that whosoeuer meeteth vs will slay vs. Secondly as vpon the enioying presence of the Lords spirit there springs an vnspeakable ioy and comfort in our hearts and we find that the Lords loue breedeth in vs an heauenly assurance of eternall peace and filleth our hearts with a mutuall and reciprocall loue of God our loue streaming and flowing from the well head of the Lords loue then it followeth that the lesse we feele the Lords loue toward vs the lesse we loue him againe and then we droope and languish in our selues our praiers be faint our meditations cold and when we should watch we with the Disciples fall asleepe and we feeling not the life of the spirit Mat. 26.43 we are greatly abated in our loue of holy and Christian exercises and we then only keepe a generall course in our profession and performe euery good thing as it were tedious vnto vs like Eutychus Act. 20.9.10 who came to heere Pauls sermon but was ouercome with sleepe Thirdly when the spirit is abated by the diminishing of the Lords loue towards vs and the withdrawing of our loue from him then because we haue grieued the spirit the Lord suffereth vs to fall into fearefull and presumptuous sinne as hee did suffer Dauid to fall into the sinne of whoredome with Bathsheba aggrauated with the murder of Vriah wherein hee lay frozen by Satans subtilty nine monthes at the least before he confessed it to God for it appeareth 2. Sam. 11.27 that the child was borne before Nathan the Prophet came to him and howsoeuer no doubt he could no more escape the pricke of conscience then he could stay the panting of his heart yet before that time not a word to God of any serious humiliation for his adultery So as neuer any of Gods children sinned more grieuously then he Mat. 26.70 except Peter who was not so much kindled at the fire of the high Priest as he was cold in his soule for first he lied in that he said hee knew not Christ secondly burst foorth into swearing and thirdly gaue himselfe to the diuell if it were he that was with Christ which the Lord most iustly suffered to befall him as a great chastisement since he neglected the louing forewarning of his master and though hee was neuer so much elect yet would the spirit neuer comfort him till he had with drawne himselfe to bewaile his sinne bitteâ—â— All which is liuely expressed Cant. 3.1 In my bed by night saith the church I sought him that my soule loued I sought hâ—â—â—â—â—t I found him not I went and rose and walked about the citie and by the streeâ—s and by open places I sought him but found him not thereby to declare that when the Lord once withdraweth his face from vs how hardly we shall win his fauour againe Fourthly when the Lord hath suffered vs to fall thus farre as we shall euen seeme to be swallowed vp of hell already though in the end he will restore thee yet first he will suffer thee to beare the shame of thy sinne in this life Gen. 9.23 1. Sam. 15.14 as Noah for his drunkennesse to be a scorne to his owne children and Dauid for his adultery to bee thrust out of his kingdome by his owne sonne which was such a griefe to him as all the ioy of his sonnes life did not so much comfort him as the sorrow of his death did wound him he mourning for Absolon 2. Sam. 19.33 as if he had doubted of his saluation But happy is hee that hath the thornes in his sides in this life and that is afflicted heere for though the Lord will neeuer take his louing kindnes from thee yet he will scourge thee not for any satisfaction of his iustice for Christ hath paied all but onely for a chastisement Lastly besides all this when the spirit is gone and abated it shall be such a terror to thy conscience such smart and vexation to thy whole minde as thou wert better bee almost
would haue beene glad if his purpose might haue beene confirmed by the Lords mouth And as it fareth with the sicke patient who affecting some meate hurtfull asketh the Physitian whether he may eate it or no who hauing the regiment of their bodies and knowing their disease telleth them no in no wise yet so strong is their appetite that they wil take it and onely would haue bene glad if the Physitian would haue approoued it So men will come to know the nature of sinne which being described to be vgly in it selfe yet seeming beautifull and gainefull in their affection they will stil embrace it shewing themselues to haue descended of that young man spoken of Matth. 19.16 who would needs bee questioning with Christ how he might goe to heauen and when he touched him in his wealth which he made his god as that he must fell all it is said hee went away sorrowfull for hee had great possessions Secondly obserue heere the order the spirit vseth placing iust dealing after sober liuing as if it were impossible to looke for true dealing where sobrietie went not before and therefore we hauing gone beyond the proportion of our old fathers and exceeding that sobrietie which was the auncient renowmed vertue of this age and nation iustice and iust dealing cannot haue her due course but the cloth must needs be stretched to maintaine our superfluities so as that of Ioel 1.4 fitteth for this What the Canker-worme hath left the Grashopper hath deuoured what the Grashopper hath left the Catterpiller hath deuoured c. So wee by the same proportion may saie in these daies That which purchasing which enlargeth it selfe like hel hath left that sumptuous building hath deuoured what this hath left magnificent furniture hath deuoured what this hath left pride of life hath deuoured and what this hath left ambition hath wasted for great men must be bribed and then poore men must needes be racked And therefore it is certaine if reformation beginne not at our selues that wee can pull downe whatsoeuer exalteth it selfe aboue the compasse of modestie comelinesse and sobrietie wee shall expect little trueth and iustice to others Thirdly obserue what this is commandeth vs to deale iustly it is not the law in terrour of death but the Gospell euen because the Lord doth purpose to saue vs by this grace so as it is a suite commended vnto vs by such a speciall token of the price of saluation as wee cannot chuse but performe it with great care vnlesse we will shew our selues greatly vnthankfull and prooue our hearts to be more then flintie Ieremie conuinceth Ierem. 35.14 the obstinacie of the Iewes by the example of the Rechabites who refused to drinke wine offred and set before them because their father Ionadab had so commanded them Heereupon saith the Lord Iuda I haue warned thee often but thou wouldst not incline thine eare nor obey me Of which example we must make this vse Rechah spake to his children but once the Lord hath spoken to vs often to liue religiously he was but the father of the flesh God is the father of our spirits his commandement was hard and his yoke heauy to forbeare the vse of lawfull things and necessarie as not onely to forbeare wine but they must neither sow nor plant and yet they kept it the Lords commaundement is that wee surfeit not with the cares of this life and that wee deale honestly with our brethren Rechah promised them but to liue long on earth our Father for our obedience hath promised vs eternall life so as both hee that commaundeth is higher and the reward that is giuen is greater Now followeth the third thing that is to be embraced and that is a godly life for it were absurd to be precise toward men and to deale wickedly with God and all is abominable if our religion toward God exceed not our righteousnes toward men To know what godlinesse is shall bee best discerned by the contrarie and vngodlinesse is three-fold first the worship of a false God secondly the worship of a true God falsly as the Iewes that executed the Lord Iesus and Paul that persecuted the Church of Iesus they did thinke they did God great good seruice thirdly such as worship the true God in a true seruice outwardly but with an vnzealous heart like Iudas that followed Christ and yet betraied him 2. Tim. 4.10 and like Domas that forsooke Paul and embraced the world yet did hee not returne to his idols againe and in truth there is no difference betweene these two last for it is all one to serue him fantastically as did the Pharisees as to serue him coldly as did the Laodiceans but now godlinesse is opposite to all these and is a true seruice of a true God in a true religion with a true heart And this is soone discerned by our affections for if we can tremble at the word preached and be possessed with the spirit of feare at the least offence and sinne which we can commit because we know that the maiestie of God is displeased and the spirit of God grieued and if from this feare doth spring sorow and from this sorow care of recouering our fall againe and when wee are cured can resolue and strengthen our selues in patience to goe vnder the yoke of afflictions and vnder the wheele of death for the truths sake we may assure our selues our paths are straight and that in our iourney toward God our feet be shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace not any way to be distracted with cares nor distrustfull with the troubles of this life Hence obserue that none are to be commended for their sobrietie and honestie vnlesse also they be religions which is proued thus None are honest but they that be cleane in heart no mans heart is cleane that is not purified in conscience and none are purified in conscience without faith and none haue faith that are not zealous and religious toward God for faith striueth by praier with God Thou wilt say loue is the fulfilling of the law but this loue toward our brethren implieth and of necessitie presupposeth a loue of God which constraineth vs to loue man for no more then a man can loue God and hate his brother no more can he hate God and loue his brother and if he loue God in this is euer included a loue and zeale toward his glorie Againe if we take the loue of our brethren to be that Paul speaketh of 1. Tim. 1.5 it is then agreed for then it is loue from a pure heart a good conscience and a faith vnfained which being grounded on Christ is the foundation roote and well head of all honestie and iust dealing Lastly obserue hence that the godlinesse here spoken of must haue two properties for first it must not be hidden in the heart but fruitfull and visible to the eie that the world may see it secondly we may not deferre our godlinesse but it must be
take◠from mercy And 1. Cor. 6.15 Your bodies are the temples 〈◊〉 the holy Ghost and yee are bought with a price therefore doe not prostitute them to vncleannesse but let the loue of God constraine vs to loue him againe Yet may wee not heereupon imagine that we make the law of God of no effect through faith nay as S. Paul saith Rom. 3.31 by this we rather establish the Law and that two waies first in the absolute obedience of Christ inherent in himselfe and imputed vnto vs secondly by the spirit of sanctification abiding in vs for the same righteousnesse the law commands the very same doth faith apprehend for we doe challenge the promise of God to saue vs by this that Christ in our person hath absolutely performed it so as there is no difference in respect of the substance but only in the maner of conueiance wherby we apply it vnto our soules So doth the Gospel command the same works that the law exacteth though there be a threefold difference between them for first the law commands works to gaine saluation by them the Gospell because saluation is already gained by the bloud of Christ for as S. Paul saith 1. Cor. 6 2◠we are bought with a price therefore we are debtors secondly the law giueth no power to worke that it commandeth for Moses that was the giuer of it could not frame his owne heart to do it therfore it is called a dead letter written in stones 2. Cor. 3 6◠which prefigured the harts of men but the Gospel in the elect neuer cōmandeth but first giueth grace and power to performe as the Lord neuer pardoneth any mans sin but he first writeth his law in his heart as S. Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 3.8 God sent his son to destroy the works of the diuel in vs and this is the argument of S. Paul Rom. 6.14 Let not saith he sin raigne in your mortal bodies that is haue dominion ouer you for yee are not vnder the law but vnder grace that giueth power to amend Thirdly the law commands works absolutely and admits of no repentance but the Gospel neuer excludes repentance the father euer waiting for the returne of his lost son so as it is true no whoremonger shal be saued continuing such a one but alwaies vnderstand repentance comming between staieth the iudgement for though our sins be of a purple or skarlet die yet if we turne to God the bloud of Christ hath this vertue 1. Ioh. 5.6 that it can make them white as snow so as the summe of al this is bloud water Ioh. 13.8 must go together faith in Iesus and the spirit of the Lord Iesus remission of sins and reformation of life must neuer be disioined Now for that the Papists say the expectation of a reward would make vs worke that in vaine should the worke be if there were no merit Wee answer that if a man freely shall gratifie his bondman with libertie and he shall after preserue his masters life by this hee hath not deserued his freedome for if he had remained still bond he had beene bound to haue done it and all hee can doe after is not to recompence his freedome but to testifie his thankfulnesse So whatsoeuer we can do or deserue we are bound to it by a double bond first of our creation secondly and much more by our redemption and after our saluation promised and purchased to doe well is nothing but dutie for we were bound to doe it before we were saued So as this is the order of exhortation in the Scripture All that haue hope 2. Cor. 7.1 must cleanse themselues not to clense themselues that they may hope but they haue hope therfore they must doe it Mat. 25.34 And not because we releeue the poore therefore wee shall be saued but because in mercy a kingdome is prepared for vs therfore as members of one bodie we releeue the poore And Abraham did not therefore offer vp his sonne that he might be iustified Gen. 22.8 but because he was iustified before Gen. 15.6 therefore he thought nothing too deare to gratifie the Lord with though it were with the sonne of the promise So heere we doe not therefore repent that the kingdome of heauen may come but wee must amend our liues and change our minds because the Messias is already come that will saue our soules Againe obserue he saith it is at hand noting a neere manifestation of him which was more then any of the Prophets could say whereupon Christ saith that there was neuer any Prophet so great as Iohn Baptist Mat. 11.11 yet the least in the kingdome of heauen is greater then he not comparing their persons for there were diuers of the Prophets as excellently qualified as Iohn nor that a Minister of the Gospell now should be greater then hee but that the ministery of Iohn was plainer then that of the Prophets they but foretelling indefinitely that Christ should come Iohn pointing at him with his finger that he was now comming and the ministery now being more excellent then Iohns because he preached but of the Messias at hand wheras we haue seene the fingers of this hand Christ to haue come with power to haue died with triumph and to haue ascended with glorie therefore let him that hath an eare heare and hee that hath hope let him arise for the kingdome is now come not at hand Iohn 14.12 Againe note the excellent Harmonie betweene Iohn the fore-runner and Christ the after-commer for Matt. 4.17 Christ vseth the very same words to perswade to amendement of life because the kingdome of heauen is at hand Which sheweth the agreement ought to be among Ministers and how wee may discerne whether they be of God or no for then as they all worke vpon one foundation so shall they all speake by one spirit and the voice of the herbinger agree with Christ and Christ with him pressing no other doctrine then that Iohn preached before For the fourth circumstance which is the warrant whereby Iohn was authorized to preach wee note that all callings in the Church of God must bee warranted expresly in the booke of God For if any were to bee exempted it was this of Iohns being extraordinarie but he is enforced to prooue it as if hee should say Though I am not Christ nor Elias in person howbeit in power of spirit I am yet looke in Esay 40.3 my authoritie recorded for the place of a Minister is not like the power of the Magistrate which though it be Gods ordinance in generall yet is it not in particular as that there should be this or that Magistrate as an Emperour Duke Chancellor and such like for this is humane and God hath giuen man this freedome by the remnant and portion of reason abiding in him to deuise what may be safest for the state And these offices as they be by man erected so may they be by him abolished But
the profanenesse of our mindes we make a sauour of death and as it were a trumpet of debate and sedition to consume each other yea Ioh. 6.66 we see how diuers of Christs disciples went backe from him when hee preached a long sermon touching the sacrament of the supper which is a badge of our friendship with God with our brethren which proceeded not from the sacrament but from their rebellion that their sinne might bee made more sinfull yea such contagion is there in our nature as wee make Christ himselfe the authour and finisher of our hope to bee our condemnation a stone to stumble at and a rocke of offence 1. Pe. 2.8 the cause not being in him who is the light of the world but in our selues making him an occasion of our darkenesse Iohn 3.19 which by this light shall be made in the end farre more sinfull and damnable Since then the power of our corruption is so forcible as it is able to peruert all the meanes ordained for our saluation as to make the commandement of God in his law the promises of God in the Gospell the seales of God in his sacraments and the loue of God in his sonne to be vaine and of no value this must teach vs to humble our selues in the lowest degree in a hatred and detestation of our flesh and sinfull faculties of our soule which are as the poisoned soile that either casts vs or corrupts all the seeds of fruitfulnesse or wholsomenes that we throwen into it whereas our sin being disclosed both by the law and Gospell it is the more to bee hated and abhorred because it turneth the edge and benefit of both these to our destruction For what could the Lord doe more to preserue our first parents in their innocency than to set as it were a double fence about his commandement forbidding not onely the eating of the fruit but the touching of it binding the hands that they should not conuey it to the mouth and yet more hath he done for vs taking vs out of the fire by casting as it were his Sonne in the fire though as if we had neuer beene scorched or else being past sense we carrie still the coles in our bosome and will not haue them quenched with the water of the spirit to newnesse of life But let vs not be so wilfull peruerse so strong headed and stifnecked as not to bee turned into the way by the rod of the law but hauing spent the portion of the flesh and wasted the lusts thereof let vs grow in loue with our fathers house for what fruit can we haue in those things whereof we shall be ashamed or which at length shall bring shame on vs Let vs therfore shake off the sinnes we haue delighted in and then haue we suffered in the flesh and then hath Christ suffered in the flesh for vs which if he haue then is our flesh destroied in vs which if it be then shall we cease from sinne which if we doe then shall we liue after the will of God though not in perfection yet reformable to the perfection of his will and then to vs that are sanctified shall not the law be grieuous nor burdensome as Saint Iohn saith 1. Iohn 5.3 but it shall reioice the heart giuing light to the eies and sweetnesse to the taste as Dauid saith Psal 119.7.8.9.10 God sending his Sonne c. This is the second generall pâ—n spoken of at first namely that what was impossible to the law is made possible in Christ wherein obserue foure things First the person which sendeth Secondly the person which is sent Thirdly the maner how he is sent Fourthly the end of his sending For the first which is God consider the cause mooued him to this mercy not any thing in vs but his owne loue and compassion towards vs as it is expressed Ioh. 3.16 God so loued the world that he sent his sonne and Ezek. 16.3.4 It is said concerning the Church of God that at the beginning she was born and begotten of the heathen her father an Amorite her mother an Hittite at the day of her birth shee had no mid-wife neither was shee washed but remained filthy shee had not so much as a swadling clout to couer her neither did any that passed by pitie her but shee was cast out in the open field lay polluted in her blood ready euery houre to perish In which words the meaning of the holy Ghost is to set forth our vnworthinesse our shame and our nakednesse If now an honorable person shall passe by and open his compassion on her and bring her home and spread his owne skirts ouer her feed her at his owne table make her beautifull and aduance her to great honour whereby she that was despised comes to be beloued of all nations and yet she should againe fall to her pollution and become a common strumpet if notwithstanding this vnthankefulnesse and apostasie he should draw her home againe and renue his former fauours towards her no reason could be giuen of this but the free mercy of him that did it euen so hath God like an honorable person full of all power and riches strength and maiesty mercy compassion seene vs polluted in our bloud before our birth borne of corrupt parents brought forth into a more corrupted place which is this world yet hath he said we shall liue he hath caused vs to bud as the flower of the field yea our time hath beene as the time of loue hee hath spread the skirts of his protection ouer vs entred a couenant with vs and we are become his now for vs to enquire the cause of this we can finde none but his willing loue to haue it so but let vs striue by the fruits of our liues to honor him and with the calues of our lippes to praise him that hath thus aduanced his mercy on vs and let vs not doe the worke of a presumptuous whore either in giuing rewards to the flesh or taking rewards of the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof lest the Lord diminish our ordinary as Ezek 16.27 and feed vs with the blood of wrath and lealousie Againe heere note that the Lord neuer worketh but when it is impossible and the cure desperate in the eies of men for when the Law could not saue vs then rather than hee would want a people and lose the glory of his mercy hee sent his sonne to saue vs. The woman Mar. 5.25 that had her issue of blood twelue yeeres and had spent all her substance among Physitians and auailed not when man could not heale her then Christ did it when he that had beene diseased 38. yeeres and had line long at the poole of Bethesda Ioh. 5.6 and could get none to helpe him in when the water was troubled then did Christ bid him take vp his bed and walke when Ioh. 11.39.42 Lazarus had been in the graue foure daies that it was impossible for man to restore
to Moses to be read to the people and to be left for vs their posterity it would teach vs how to be the friends of God as Abraham was for therein is both life and death set before vs Deut. 5.33 it is as a line and plummet to square our liues by and to measure our steppes to heauen in it is the reuealed will of God for vs and the secret for himselfe Deut. 29.29 in it are contained promises for obedience and a whole volume of cursings for breaking it so that if wee will be saued wee must please God and how wee shall doe this is set forth vnto vs in his law and if we separate our selues from the vse of this law then shall it become a killing letter to vs that is as oft as we read it we shall read our owne damnation as appeareth 2. Kin. 22.11 But if we study it to make it the rule of our obedience and as a light to direct vs through the darkenesse of this life then doth it conuert the soule condemning sinne in the flesh and freeing the flesh from sinne that if we fall we fall but in the armes of Christ for hee is the way wee are directed to walke in by the law So as in a word learne that the Apostle wil measure thy loue of God by thy loue of the law of God euen as an earthly Prince will discerne thy affection of him by thy subiection to his scepter Secondly obserue hence that of all the creatures of God the rebellion of man is greatest nay he only swarueth from the course of his first creation for heere we see how farre he is degenerate that being made after the image of God to glorifie him in his subiection to his law now he turneth the heele against him and hath framed a law to himselfe which he doth follow namely the lusts of the flesh denying any obedience to the law of his maker and not onely disarming himselfe of all possibility of subiection but putting on the armor of Gods enemy flatly opposing himselfe and standing in contradiction with the law of God But now the rest of the creatures of God they keepe the end of their creation the Sunne giuing her light for which she was made the Sea keeping her bounds wherin she was set the water yelding her power to cleanse for which she was ordained the earth bringing foorth her fruit as she was commanded euery beast of the field liuing in the ignorance of his strength and in his acknowledgement of man to be his head as he was at first enioyned whereas if they should alter their naturall course as the sunne to bring darknesse the watâ—â— to defile the earth to miscarry and cast all her fruit out of her wombe before it were ripe and the rest to peruert their ends for which they were giuen vs wee would count it as monstrous as for a man to goe vpon his head with his feet vpward and yet is the case of man more monstrous for where God made him a liuing soule hee hath made himselfe a dead carkase and a damned creature and where he had his reason sanctified to all good and knew no euill he hath now all the powers of his vnderstanding polluted that nothing but weeds and sinnes doe grow vp in him and where he had a law giuen him to bridle and keepe him in from ranging he hath taken the bridle in the teeth and wrung himselfe by his concupiscence out of the hands and protection of God nothing being able to curbe or keepe him in till he had cast himselfe out of the saddle namely the paradise of God and not resting thus foiled with his fall he stands now in armes against the Lord as if he threw him downe whereas alas the Lord tooke pleasure in the worke of his hands seeing it was very good and hee ouerthrew himselfe in pride and infidelity which stil encreaseth as his age increaseth and maketh him so rebellious as he is The consideration whereof this being the condition of the best of vs as we lie in the wombe ought exceedingly to humble vs and wound vs at the heart that what wee would condemn in the insensible creatures that we senselesly run into and yet the obedience wee see performed by them cannot draw vs to the subiection whereto we are tied which shewes vs to be farre more brutish then they and therefore what recompence of reward can we expect if we continue thus vntamed but as Salomon saith Prou. 1.31 to be filled with our owne deuises and cap. 5.22 to be holden with the cords of our owne sinne till destruction come like a whirle wind and carry vs away without recouery Againe learne hence who they be that loue and who they be that hate God such as keepe or keepe not his commandements according to the saying of Christ If ye loue me keepe my commandements and as is comprised in the end of the second commandement that mercy shall bee shewed to them that loue him and keepe his commandements but those that hate him and wil not haue Christ raigne ouer them but cast his yoake far from them he will pursue them with his wrath to the fourth generation And heere we are to iudge of two sorts of men the one that sinne of too much presumption the other that sinne of good intention the first are blasphemers profaners of the labbath drunkards adulterers vsurers such like that thinke all time lost which is not spent vpon their lusts dare braue the heauens as if there were no vengeance reserued for them these men chacing and hunting vp and downe to get new occasions of sinning not masking or dissembling but openly proclaiming the poison in their hearts by the scabs and vicers in their liues doe shew from what head they spring for making no conscience of sinne they are the brood of the serpent Ioh. 8.44 Ioh. 3.8 For he that is borne of God sinneth not that is he that laboreth to mortifie his flesh daily and to purge himselfe by repentance but he that will set fire to his affections that are already enraged and study how to inuent mischief he is of the diuel For the other sort they are such as will serue God after their fancies but this will not suffice for though they meane no hurt or that their conscience be perswaded that they doe is right yet heere wee see wee must not frame the law of God according to our conscience but bend our conscience according to the law of God to worship him as hee hath prescribed in his word for if good purposes or good intentions would haue serued then had the Iewes as great cause to be accepted of God as any for though they went about to establish their owne righteousnesse through workes yet heerein they did no more then they were taught by the Scribes Pharisees which were their leaders yea and they liued strictly as was commanded by the law of Moses and had a zeale
to reprooue vs no more which is the next steppe to damnation or else our conscience will pursue and follow vs with Hue and Crie as not to leaue vs till wee bee taken for resistance and withstanding of our conscience is a cloud not easily ouerblowen a fire not easily to be quenched and an inditement hardly to be trauersed but our sinnes shall stare vs on the face and crie for vengeance Now if our conscience bee brought asleepe by our custome in sinne either we shall die in this benummednesse and dulnesse of heart a most fearefull signe of reprobation and after death it shall weepe it fill in hell or else if the Lord do shew vs mercy after the sense and feeling of sinne so long discontinued he doth it as it were by the burning feuer of desperation for that is the cure of a Lethargy and doth so presse vs downe vnder the weight and burden of sinne as that horror shall be without and terror within yea wee shall seeme to be cast into the deepe of deepes and euery small sinne shall seeme accompanied with the huge hammer of the Lords wrath to bruise vs in peeces Further obserue as the Lords spirit alone cannot bring vs that heauenly security and blessed assurance of our eternall peace we hope for nor our owne spirits alone cannot do it so it must be the testimonie of both these concurring and meeting together For some are merely morall without religion thinking by a ciuill cariage of themselues to winne the sight of God others haue either a true zeale of a false religion as Paul had before his conuersion Rom. 7.9.10 or else they may be religious in shew hauing a counterfeit zeale of a true religion as the Laodiceans had Reuel 3.15 and yet both these thinke in their conscience they shall be saued when in truth they are as farre from the thing it selfe as they are neere to the conceit of it Another sort there is that deceiue themselues most grossely â—â—â—ken of Prouerb 30.11 There is a generation pure in their owne eies and yet they are not washed from their filthinesse that is from their open and enormous sins So as besides the opinion we must haue of our selues that we stand in Gods fauour wee must shew the seale of the Lord that is his spirit or else there is no sound ioy or any comfortable security that we shall be saued 1. Iohn 5.10 And for our actions euery of which must haue the allowance of our conscience wee must marke that a good intent will not make a good action for they that condemned Christ did it because he made himselfe equall with God Iohn 19.7 Iohn 5.18 which was expresly against the law written and therefore thought they had in this done God high and honorable seruice but Christ crieth Luk. 23.34 Father forgiue them they know not what they doe So Peter when Christ foretelleth of his death had an earnest desire to aduise his master to spare himselfe and therefore Mat. 16.22 he tooke Christ aside rebuked him but Christ vers 23. looking backe with an angry countenance bids him get him behind Sathan as being onely worldly wise and not vnderstanding the things that are of God So as we must know to the performance of a good worke the allowance of the heart and the warrant of the word of God must go together Verse 17. If we be children we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him This is inferred by direct consequent to that that went before as vers 13. where the Apostle exhorting to reformation of life doth it by a double contrary so as they insue and follow one another thus They that mortifie the deeds of the flesh are led by the spirit by being thus directed by the spirit they are assured that they are the sons of God by being his sons that they shall haue an inheritance therfore they that liue a holy life must needs be saued And because it might be ouestionable how this title of being Gods children is giuen vnto vs he hath resolued it befoâ—â— vers 15. by a double argument because the Lord in the Goâ—pell doth offer vs such grace as we may come freely and boldly to him as to a father and we stand not now in that terror that was in the deliuery of the Law but we are freed from that bondage The second argument was vers 16. because the spirit doth seale this euidence vnto vs that as our heart doth know what is in vs so doth the spirit also and this spirit doth witnesse that we are children and being children then we be heires which is the scope the Apostle driueth at in this 17. verse When the Apostle saith We are heiâ—â—s of God he setteth down what manner of inheritance it is that we shall haue heereafter not an earthly but a kingdome and a possession of eternity as that the Lord will neuer leaue vs till he hath lifted vs vp to that celestiall place where Christ himselfe sitteth Psal 84.10 It had been great fauor if we might haue been as Dauid speaketh but doore-keepers in the kingdome of heauen nay it might well haue satisfied vs if only our sinnes had beene pardoned or if we had been but the Lords friends or of his acquaintance so as any way hee would haue respected vs considering our rebellion but besides all this to be restored to our former honour nay to haue greater priuiledge then euer Adam had in his first integrity and to be aduanced to the Lords owne throne if all the hearts of men were one heart the full measure of this ioy and the depth of this the Lords loue could not once enter in nor be conceiued And fellow-heires with Christ This is to set forth the certaintie of the place of our inheritance God hath life for he is the fountaine of it but he dwelleth in fire Esay 33.14 and in a place not to be attained vnto therefore the Apostle setteth downe heere heâ—â— we come to it namely in Christ as it is 1. Iohn 5.11 God hath giuen vs eternall life and that life is in the Sonne and by his mediation is conueied to vs. Secondly in that we are fellow-heires with Christ note the excellency of the Lords fauour not only to giue vs life and to place vs with Angels but euen with his owne Sonne Whereby we see that his eare was open to the praier of Christ which he made â—â—ttle before his agony Iohn 17.20 I pray saith he for all that thou hast giuen me that thou wouldest Father 〈◊〉 them with the same loue thou louest me and crowne thâ—â—â— with 〈…〉 glory thou crownest me 〈◊〉 of this ariseth two comfortable priuiledges which the â—â—â—t haâ—e first if wee be heires with Christ in heauen much more are we heires of the transitory blessings of this life and being heires with him wee haue
hauing described the necessitie of these miseries that shall befall the elect the demand or question is most triumphantly answered when he saith In all these we are more them conquerors For the first which is the demaund it selfe it cannot be made plainer onely in the words To be separate from the loue of Christ we must not vnderstand it actiuely but passiuely not of the loue wherewith we loue Christ but of that loue wherewith wee are beloued of God in Christ For though our loue to Christ is so substantially rooted in our hearts as that it is Cant. 8.6 strong as death which ouercometh all things hard as the graue that swalloweth vp all things like the flame of God that whole flouds of water cannot quench yea such as we will not depart with for any money and such and so great as it is true that nothing thing can separate vs from the loue of Christ yet this is to be taken and vnderstood of the loue of Christ to vs as appeareth by the end of the 37. Luk. 22.60 2. Tim. 4.10 2. Tim. 2.13 and 39. verses So as if it were possible we should forget Christ or renounce him as Peter did or forsake him as Demas did yet he cannot forget vs for he is faithfull that hath promised For the second which is the testimonie out of Psal 44.22 that we that are Christians do as verily looke for these miseries as we do for the rising of the Sunne the Prophet setting it down as an absolute purpose of God not to bee preuented nor auorded and not onely permitting it as a thing which may and may not come In which words consider two points first what is the cause in Gods sight why the world afflicteth the Church secondly in what grieuous sort it is afflicted For the first the cause is set downe in these words for they names sake that is because thou opposest thy selfe against Anrichrist and dost not fall downe nor bow to Baal nor dost not fashion thy selfe after the world in swallowing vp their iolities and delights Wherein obserue that true Christians are not only subiect to common miseries as those that beare the face of fleshly Adam but to some peculiar calamities that neuer disquiet the wicked and this onely as they beare the image of that heauenly Adam Christ Iesus from which the world is exempted euen as the chaffe and the wheate they both feele the flaile but the chaffe is free from the milstone from the fanne and from the ouen for of these onely doth the wheate taste and happy is he that is ground fit for the Lords table for though the chaffe feele not the bitternesse of the mill nor the heare of the ouen yet marke what becommeth of it Hark 9.50 it is like vnsauorie salt good for nothing but to be cast foorth and is either troden vnder feete or caried away with the winde and so vanisheth in the aire Such is the case and estate of the wicked for when they are separated as tares from the corne either the Lord treads vpon them in his wrath or burneth them in his displeasure or bloweth them from his presence like the stubble Secondly obserue where it is said We are killed for thy names sake that though God doth neuer chastise any man vniustly because hee may haue occasion enough to afflict him for his owne corruption whereby he may be humbled yet heerein appeareth his infinite wisedome that hee maketh the cause of our sufferings to be more honorable bearing this title and superscription for the name of God the puritie of religion and because we will not communicate with the world in their superstitious deuotions So as the Lord changeth the nature of the chastisement and imputeth it as borne for none of our wickednesse but for the glorious profession of the Gospell the wicked not punishing in vs our sinnes but Gods graces for if we would partake with them in their lusts we might goe free For if Balaam would curse the people hee might soone rise to promotion Numb 22.37 and if Michaiah would please the king in his Prophesie hee need not befed with the bread of affliction 1. King 22.27 and if the three children would worship Nabuchadnezzars Image they might easily escape the fornace Dan. 3.12 but we must keepe our standing and not shrinke a foorâ— from the foolishnesse of the Gospell what stormes soeuer may arise for it is no more then as if Christ should borrow our lines for a time to do him credit withall which shall bee mightily rewarded Thirdly in that it is said killed for thy names sake there ariseth this consolation that forasmuch as our suffrings are ioyned with Gods glorie and are brought vpon vs for Gods glorie we may be sure they shall haue a good issue and shall end well for as he tendreth his owne glorie so will hee also tender vs. We thinke it strange that the wicked haue such a swinge in their delights and that wee hang downe our heads Yea Danid complaineth that seeing the prosperitie of the wicked he had almost in his haste accused God of partialitie but Paul 2. Thes Psal 73.13 1.5.6 prooueth that it is impossible since we that are thus tossed and vexed as it were in the whirlepoole of sorrowes are better then the world and in higher account with God but that there shall come a day when rest shall be giuen to our soules and vengeance powred into the bosomes of persecutors For there cannot be a truth more certainly to be beleeued then this that since we doe suffer at their hands who are woorse then our selues it is a sure token that there shall come a reuelation of Gods iudgement wherein the iron rod of the Lords wrath shall bruise them soule and bodie when wee shall be caried vp with S. Paul into the third heauen and with Lazarus into Abrahams bosome 2. Cor. 12.4 Luk. 16.23 and when the vengeance of the Lord shall pursue our enemies driuing them from his presence and from the glorie of his power 2. Thes 1.9 Fourthly in that it is said for thy names sake obserue that it is not the suffering of euery phanaticall or phantasticall spirit that shall be taken for the Lords truth for there may be such forcible illusions as men may giue their bodies to the fire or neckes to the halter for the supposed truth of Poperie then their suffering is as a seale set to a wrong instrument but it must bee in a true zeale of a true cause for the death doth not iustifie the cause to be good but the cause iustifieth the death to be holie and religious For Paul 1. Tim. 1.13 was a zealous persecutor when he was a blasphemer and yet though the did God good seruice but when God receiued him to mercie then hee forsooke and disclaimed the righteousnesse of workes So that if our sufferings be for God we must lay our foundation onely in Christ crucified harbouring and maintaining a pure