law to saue vs appeares in two things things first it craued that of vs which we had not to giue namely perfect obedience vnto all the Lords commandements and that vnder paine of death which albeit most 1 It craues that which now our nature cannot giue iustly it be required of vs considering that by creation we receiued from God a nature so holy that it was able to doe the law yet now by reason of the deprauation of our nature drawne on by ourselues it is impossible that wee can 2 It giues not that which our estate now craueth performe it Secondly the law could not giue that vnto vs whereof we stoode in neede namely that the infinite debt of transgressions which wee had contracted should be forgiuen vnto vs this I say the law could not doe for the law commands obedience but promises not pardon of disobedience yea rather it bindes the curse of God vpon vs for it And againe we stood in neede of a supernaturall grace to reforme deformed nature and this also the law could not doe it being a doctrine that shewes vs the way to life but ministers not grace vnto vs to walke therein but all these which the law could not doe Iesus Christ by whom commeth grace and life hath done vnto vs. Where first we haue to marke the pittifull estate of those Miserable blinde are they who seeke liâ—e in perfect obseruance of the Law who seeke life in the obseruance of the law which here the Apostle saith is impossible for the law to giue they seeke life where they shall neuer finde it The Apostle in another place calles the law the ministerie of death and condemnation and that because it instantly bindes men vnder death for euery transgression of her commandements so that he who hath eyes to see what an vniuersall rebellion of nature there is in man vnregenerate to Gods holy law yea what imperfections and discordance with the law are remanent in them who are renued by grace may easily espie the blinde presumption of those that seeke their liues in the ministrie of death Yet so vniuersall is this error that it hath Yet such are all the children of Adam by nature ouergone the whole posterity of Adam nature teaching all men who are not illuminaâ—ed by Christ to seeke saluation in their owne deedes that is to stand to the couenant of works But the supernaturall doctrine of the Euangelist teaches vs to transcend nature to goe out of our selues and to seeke saluation in the Lord Iesus and so to vse the law not that we seek life by fulfilling it which here is impossible but as a schoole-master to leade vs vnto Christ in whom we haue remission of our sinnes sanctification of our nature acceptation of our imperfect obedience benefits which the law could neuer aford vnto vs. Inasmuch as it was weake because of the flesh The Apostle doth in such sort ascribe to the law an impotencie to saue vs that hee blames not the Law but the corruption of The impotencie of the law comes not of the law which is good but of our owne corrupted nature our fleshly nature being not able to fulfill that righteousnesse which the law requireth yea as the Apostle hath taught vs before so farre is our nature peruerted by our Apostasie from God that we are not onely vnable to doe that which the good and holy law of God requires but also we become worse by the law for by the commaundements of the law sin reuiues in our nature and takes occasion by the law to become more sinfull and so like a desperate disease it conuerts that medicine which is ministred to cure it into a nourishment and confirmation of the sicknesse it selfe It is Our nature becomes worse by the law the nature of contraries that euery of them intends the selfe to expell another whereof it comes that there is greatest cold in the bosome of the earth euen then when the Sunne with greatest vehemencie shines on it to califie and heat it euen so our corrupted nature doth neuer shew it selfe more rebellious and stubborne than when the law of God beginnes to rectifie it As an vnruly and vntamed horse the more he is spurred foreward the faster he runnes backward so the peruerse nature of man nititur semper in vetitum is so farre from being reformed by the law that by the contrary sinne that was dead without the law is reuiued by the law and takes occasion to worke in vs all manner of concupiscence The Apostle is not ashamed to confesse that he found this in his owne person Augustine also examining Aug. lib. 2. confess cap. 4. his former sinful life doth hereby aggrauate his corruption that in his young yeeres hee was accustomed to steale his neighbours fruit not so much for loue of the fruit for he had better at home as for sinfull delight he had to goe with his companions to commit euill so that where the law should haue restrained his sinfull nature it was so much the more prouoked to sinne by the law Let therefore the Semipelagians of our time say to the contrary what they wil let them magnifie the arme of flesh to diminish the praise of the grace of God and dreame that mans nature vnregenerate can bring forth merits of congruitie or workes of preparation yet doth the Lord herein greatly abase man when he telleth him that not onely he cannot doe that which the law requireth but that also the more he is commaunded the more he repines vntill Grace reforme him God sending his owne Sonne The Apostle proceeds and How Christ hath done that which the law could not let vs see how the Lord by Christ hath wrought that saluation which the law could not Wherein first it is to be marked that the Apostle saith not we sought from the Lord a Sauiour but that the Lord sent him vnto vs vnrequired Surely neither man nor Angell could haue euer thought of such a way of Saluation the Lord hath found it out himselfe in his incomprehensible wisedome a way so to saue man that the glory both of his mercie and iustice shall be saued also Most properly therefore is he called Pater non iudiciorum sed misericordiarum Father not of iudgements but of mercies for both the purpose and the Why God is called father of mercie not of iudgements meanes of our saluation are from himselfe he hath found causes without him moouing to execute his iustice he hath beene prouoked thereunto by the disobedience of apostate Angels and men but a cause mouing him to shew mercie is within himselfe this praise is due to God it is the greatest glory that can be giuen vnto him Abhominable therefore is that errour of fore-seene merites by which the aduersaries doe what they can to obscure the praise of the bright shining glory of Gods mercie His owne Sonne Iesus Christ is called Gods owne How Christ is Gods
Christs seruants but also Secondly Sworn seruants we are sworne for baptisme as on the part of God it is a seale of the couenant of grace to confirme that promise of remission of sinnes which God hath made to vs in the blood of Iesus Christ so on our part it is a solemne resignation of our selues and our seruice to the Lord wherein we giue vp our names to be enrolled among his souldiers seruants swearing binding and oblieging our selues to renounce the seruice of the Diuell the World and the Flesh and this oath of resignation we haue renued so oft as wee haue communicated at his holy Table Whereof it is euident that they who haue giuen their names to Christ and yet liue licentiously walking after the flesh are for-sworne Apostates guiltie of persidie and of foule apostafie and desertion from Iesus Christ And thirdly not onely are wee bought and sworne but Thirdly wee haue receiued wages before hand for seruice to be done we haue receiued wages and payment in hand which should make vs ashamed if we haue so much as common honestie to refuse seruice to the Lord whose wages we haue receiued already It may be saide to euery one of vs which Malachie in the name of the Lord spake to the Leuites of his time who among you shuts the dore of the temple or kindles a fire vpon Mal. 1. 10. my altar in vaine who among vs can stand vp and say that hee hath done seruice to the Lord for nought Consider it when ye will for euery peece of seruice ye haue done to the Lord ye haue receiued wages more then ten times who hath called aright on his name hath not been heard who hath giuen thankes for benefits receiued hath not found Gods benefits doubled vpon him who hath giuen almes in the name of the Lord and not found increase I speake not now of rewards which God hath promised vs I speake onely of that we haue receiued already the least of Gods mercies shewed vpon vs already doth farre exceede all that seruice that we poore wretches haue done vnto him as therfore we are content to receiue the Lords pay let vs neuer refuse to giue the seruice of our bodies and spirits vnto him But alas is not this the common sinne of this generation But many receiue that from the true God which they returne not to him but sacrifice to Idols Hos 2. 8. to receiue good things out of the hand of God and with them to sacrifice vnto other Gods to vvhom they owe no seruice at all A horrible sacriledge a vile idolatry for this the Lord complaines of the Iewes they haue receiued my gold and my siluer and made vp Baal to themselues and the same complaint stands against the prophane men of this age The couetous man as riches encrease doth hee not set his heart vpon them though with his tongue hee denie it doth hee not say within himselfe that which Iob protested hee would neuer say to the wedge of Gold thou art my confidence The glutton when he hath receiued from God abundance of Wheat Oyle and Wine though he know the commandement be not filled with wine wherein is excesse but be Eph. 5. 18. filled with the Spirit yet how oft takes hee in superfluous drinke and spares not for loue of it to grieue the Spirit sacrificing to his belly as vnto God those things which bindes him to doe seruice vnto the Lord thus neither are the benefits of God returned to doe honour vnto him from whom they come but sacriligiously also abused to the making vp of Baal or some other Idoll abhominable to God for which it is most certaine that the moe wages these Atheists haue receiued for doing seruice to God which they neuer did the more fearefull plagues and stripes from God shall be doubled vpon them Againe we marke here that there is a double debt lying A double debt lying vpon vs the one the debt of sinne which we must seeke to be forgiuen the other the debt of obedience which we must seeke to performe vpon vs the debt of sinne and the debt of obedience vvee are freed of the one by a humble seeking and crauing of the remission thereof through Iesus Christ for the debt of sinne the Lord Iesus hath taught vs daily to seeke Gods discharge Lord forgiue vs our debts and indeede as euery day we contract some debt so it is great vvisedome by daily repentance to sue the discharge of it for they who neglect to do it their debt multiplies vpō them it stands vncancelled in the register of God written as it were with a pen of iron and the poynt of a Diamond and they shall at length be cast into that prison for non-payment wherein will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for euer But as for the debt of obedience whereof the Apostle here speakes wee cannot with a good conscience desire the Lord to discharge it nor exempt vs from it but we must in all humility craue Grace of God that we being enriched by him who of our selues are poore may be able in some measure to pay and performe it Where if the weake Children of GOD obiect and say A three-fold comfort for the godly for the debt of obedience how then can vve but drowne in this debt seeing no day of our life wee can pay to the Lord that debt of obedience which we owe vnto him To this there is giuen a three-fold comfort first the Lord dealeth with vs as a louing liberall 1 The Lord to whom we owe it giues vs wherewith to pay it man dealeth with his debter who knowing that he hath nothing of his owne wherewith to pay him and not willing to put him to shame stops priuately into his hand that which publikely againe he may giue vnto him so the Lord conuaies secret grace into the hearts of his children whereby they are in some measure able to serue him but as Dauid protested so may we all whatsoeuer wee giue vnto the 1 Chron. 29. 14. Lord wee haue it of his owne hand Secondly the Lord 2 He accepts for a time part of payment our God is so gracious that hee is content to accept part of payment at our hand till wee be able to doe better if our faith be but like the graine of Mustard-seede yet if it be true the Lord will not despise it though our repentance be not perfect and absolute though our prayers be vveake though wee cannot doe the good that wee would yet the good that wee doe is accepted at his hands through Iesus Christ And thirdly wee haue this comfort that the more 3 The more wee pay of this debt the more wee are able to pay wee pay of this debt of obedience the more wee are able to pay In other debts it is not so for if the more be payed out by him that is indebted the lesse remaines behinde
the sinfull lusts thâ—reof But alas the corruption of our nature is so great that without great circumspection we cannot nourish the body vnlesse wee also nourish sinne in the body many vnder pretence of doing duty to the one failes in the other so they pamper the body that they quench the spirit ouercome with gluttony they are not able to pray VVee are vvith the godly to keepe a meane betweene these two extremities as a ship if it be ouerladed Discipline whereby wee beat downe the body would neither be too strait nor too remisse is easily ouerwhelmed by the water or if it be too light and not ballassed is easily driuen out of the due course by the winde as a horse if he be hungred cannot serue his Master or if fed aboue measure waxes insolent and kickes against his rider so is it with the body neither would it be so weakened that it be not able to performe the works of Christian Ephra Syr. lib. 1. cap. 9. duty neither yet so pampered that it become a burthen to the soule and an impediment to spirituall exercises But in this age we neede not greatly to admonish men of the one But most men faile in excessiue pampering the body extremity the debt men owes vnto their bodies is payd with a large measure and running ouer it is not onely serued to necessity but so ouercharged with superfluity that oftentimes it loathes and abhorres those aliements by which it liues the soule in the meane time put to a sober dyet left famished without any morsell of heauenly bread whereby it should be refreshed and strengthened whereof it comes that the lusts of the flesh waxe strong and the life of the spirit wonderfully decayes Though the other member of the opposition be not here Many Lords striuing for mans superiority and to haue man their seruant exprest yet it followes necessarily wee are debters to the spirit And so wee may gather of these words how there are sundry Lords striuing for the superiority of man The World with her pleasures allures man to follow her but pretend what shee will in truth her word is decipâ—â—ra The flesh would haue man a seruant to her lusts she wants not her baytes wherewith to beguile him but in truth her word is infiâ—iam Sathan strongest of the three vsurpers superiority ouer man hee craues that man should fall downe and worship him hee wants not promises enough faire in show but in truth his word is interficiam Iesus Christ our lawfull Lord he also cals vpon vs and exhorts vs to serue him hee hath life in the one hand durable riches and honour in the other and in truth his word is râ—ficiam I will refresh you Now in this strife to whom shall we yeeld our selues but vnto him who cryes reficiam Let vs therefore say with Dauid O Lord no wight can make title to me but onely thou all others that exact Psal 119. 94. But forsaking the rest wee should yeeld our selues seruants to Christ and why any seruice of vs are but vncouth Lords to whom we are not oblieged they are but tyrants striuing to oppresse vs Câ—rtant in me de meipso cuius potisâ—â—mâ—m esse videar they striue saith Bernard within me about me to which of them chiefly I should seeme to appertaine but O Lord Iesus I am thine I haue no King but thou come therefore and raigne in mee and remoue these offences out of thy kingdome happy are they who can so render themselues to the Lord for in the houre of death what is it that men craues more then that the Lord Iesus should acknowledge them for his who will not in that houre beg that mercy at the hands of God Lord receiue my Spirit but assuredly if thou yeeld it not to him in life when he requires it he shall not receiue it from thee in death when thou wouldst tender it to him â—he Lord graunt that in our whole liues wee may acknowledge our selues as debters of daily seruice vnto him so shall the Lord in death welcome vs as his faithfull seruants and receiue vs into his rest Verse 1â— For if yee liue after thâ— flesh yee shall dye but if yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit yee shall liue THis word of the Lord pronounceth before The Apostle stands here as a messenger of mercy with a sword in his mouth to terrifie men from the way of death hand vpon you who liue after the flesh a condemnatorie sentence yee shall dye which how euer yee esteeme to be light when you heare it yet yee shall finde it heauy vvhen it shall be executed vpon you To you againe who mortifies the deedes of the body by the spirit there is here pronounced an absoluatorie sentence yee shall liue vvhich in the end shall yeeld you comfort surpassing all that the pleasures of sinne or gaine of vngodlinesse can afford vnto you As that Cherubin therefore stood in the entry of Paradise with the blade Gen. 3. 24. of a shaking sword to keepe Adam from the way of the Not like that Cherubin a minister of iustice to hold Adam out of paradise Tree of life so the Apostle stands here betweene vs and death with a sentence like a two edged sword in his mouth to keepe the sonnes of Adam as farre as hee can from the way of death the one stood as a minister of Gods iustice the other stands as a messenger of mercy The Lord hath sworne by himselfe as I liue I desire not the death of a sinner Ezâ— 18. 32. but that he should returne and liue he iustifies his word by his Both the word and deed of the Lord declares that he craues not the death of a sinner deed in that in all ages of the world he hath sent out messengers to warne them to goe by the way of death so that now if any man perish it is because he stops his eares at the warning of the watchman of God for thou canst not say but Moses and the Prophets Iesus Christ and his Apostles and Preachers haue met thee in the way of thy sinne and warned thee many a time by the word of the Lord that if thou walke on that way thou shalt assuredly dye where thou passing by them all rushest headlong after the lusts of thy flesh and so thou perishest and thy blood shall be vpon thine owne head As the Apostle to the preceding exhortation annexed an argument a debito from that which we are bound to doe so now hee subioynes another argument partly a damno from the losse wee incurre if wee doe it not in these words if yee liue after the flesh yee shall dye and partly a commodo from the vantage we shall reape if we doe it in these words if yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit yee shall liue If wee were such men as wee should be the former exhortation That the
their desertion which is their spirituall disease are euill Iudges of themselues for they perceiue not that which they possesse there may be an muincible hope of mercie in that soule wherein for the present there is no sense of mercy and this all the Children of God may marke in their owne experience for whereof I pray thee hath it come that thou a weak man hast foughten so long against principalities powers hast endured so many yeares the fearefull assaults of Sathan thou hast beene troubled with doubting but hast not dispaired thou hast beene cast downe and hast not perished thou hast fallen and yet risen againe thy enemie hath thrust sore at thee yet hath hee not preuailed against thee No power no pollicie of Sathan hath euer beene able to quench in thee that spark of life which the Lord hath breathed into thee Out of all doubt thy standing hath beene from this spirit of Adoption who hath wrought in thine heart a deeper sense of mercy then that any contrary power is able to root out yea or thou thy selfe art able to perceiue hereof hath come thy standing both in tentations which are from thine aduersaries and in these desertions whereby the Lord hath exercised thee Thus haue we comfort not onely in the The standing of a Christian in his apparant desertions proues that hee was not deserted indeede glorious effects of Gods mercie wrought in vs when wee feele his presence but also by our standing and perseuerance in desertions wherein it seemes to vs that the Lord hath absented himselfe from vs two excellent comforts for the Christian for thy standing in desertions proues that thou wert not deserted apparent desertions are not desertions indeede surely the Lord will not faile his people nor forsake Psal 94. 14 his inheritance Againe thy standing against so many assaults of the Diuell proues that the least sparke of Christs liuely grace in a Christian is stronger than that the gates of hell are able to preuaile against it Be therefore comforted O thou man of God for if it had beene in Sathans power to haue quenched thy life hee would haue put it out long or now be assured thou shalt preuaile and obtaine the victorie in the strength and might of that mighty Lord the Lord Iesus Christ Verse 17. If wee be Children wee are also Heyres euen the Heyres of God and Heyres annexed with Christ. THe priuiledges of a Christian albeit they be commonly spoken of yet because they are not considered are commonly contemned men not deepely pondering with themselues what a high preferment this is that a vessell of clay should be made the Temple of the liuing God and the Heyre of vvrath should become the Heyre of grace and glory therefore the Apostle in this Chapter describing the excellent state How glorious the priuiledges of a Christian are of a man iustified by faith in Christ Iesus from the time that once he began to make mention of the benefits he hath by Christ can hardly make an end but from one proceeding to another hee ascends by a continuall gradation till at length he come to such an height that hee is compelled to breake off the course of his speech and to conclude with an examination what shall wee then say to those things Hitherto hee hath letten vs see how by Christ wee are deliuered from condemnation how we are made the free-men of God freed from sinne and death how wee are also made the Temples of God wherein hee dwelleth by his Spirit and that yet more also wee are made the Sonnes of GOD. And now hee goes vp a degree further to tell vs that wee are the Heyres of God and Heyres annexed with Christ Iesus What shall wee then say but as the Psalmist saith of the Citie of God Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou Citie Psal 87. 3. of God so will we speake of euery Citizen thereof Glorious Psal 144. 15. things are spoken of thee O thou man of God Blessed are those people whose God is the Lord and are called to this happie fellowship wherein they are made subiect vnto him who is King of Saints Let vs be glad and reioyce in the Lord let our hearts and our mouths be filled with his prayse except the Lord had reserued mercy for vs wee should be made like vnto Sodome oâ— Gomorrha but now the lots are fallen to Isai 1. 9. vs in pleasant places and wee haue a faire heritage Blessed be the GOD of our saluation from henceforth and for euer If wee be Children As for the Apostles order in these The Sonnes of God cannot but lâ—ue because they are the heires of God words wee are to remember that the Apostle here insists in the confirmation of that part of his reason that they who are the Sonnes of God shall liue Now he lets vs see the necessity thereof the S 〈…〉 s of God are the Heyres of God and the heritage whereunto they are borne is eternall life therefore of necessitie they must liue Wee haue here first to consider that high preserment Gods goodnes is shewed to all his creatures â—ut his inheritance is reserued to his Sonnes Gen. 25. whereunto wee are called in Christ not onely to be the Sonnes of God but declared also to be the Heyres of God The heyre in a family hath this prerogatiue that albeit the hand of his Father be not closed from giuing good things vnto others yet the inheritance is reserued for him As Abraham gaue gifts to the Sonnes of Kâ—turah but kept his best things for Isaac so the Lord our God shewes his great bountifulnesse in that hee makes his Sunne to shine and Math. 5. 45. his raine to fall downe vpon the vniust no lesse than the iust yet herein stands the comfort of his children that hee reserues his best and most excellent things for them Neyther is it his creatures that hee giues to them but hee giues himselfe vnto them in a portion as he promised to Abraham so he performes it to all the seed of Abraham I am thy exceeding great reward and therefore doe the godly so craue him that without him nothing can content them O Lord thou art my portion said Dauid My Soule saith to Psal 119. 57. Lam. 3. 24. the Lord thou art my portion said Ieremie But as for them who can content themselues with the gifts of God suppose they neuer enioy himselfe they declare they are but Seruants who are not to bide in the house for euer and not the Sonnes of God Againe wee haue to marke here that albeit the Lord All the Sonnes of God are his heyres and yet the inheritance is not diminished haue innumerable sonnes yet are they all his Heyres No Monarch in the world can beautifie his children with this priuiledge as to make them all his heyres and not diminish his Empire but the Lord herein declares the riches of hiâ— glorious inheritance that all
Where for the comfort of the weake Christian vve are The wounded cōscience euen of the godly desires not death to consider whether the godly be alway in this estate that they dare lift vp their heads with ioy and pray for Christs second appearance or not To this I answere that their disposition herein is according to the estate of their conscience as the eye being hurt is content to be couered with a vaile and desireth not to behold the light vvherein otherwise it reioyceth so the conscience of the godly being any way wounded is afraid to stand before the light of the countenance of God till the time that it be cured againe And this made Dauid to craue that the Lord would spare him a Psal 51. 9. Psal 86. 3. little and giue him space to recouer his strength but after mourning and earnest calling for mercie the conscience being pacified then doe the godly say vvith Simeon Now Lord let thy Seruant depart for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation Luke 2. 29. For the Adoption He said before that we haue receiued Adoption is either begun as now or accomplished as we looke for it the spirit of Adoption and now he saith that vve waite for Adoption but vve must vnderstand that there is a begun Adoption vvhereby vve are made the sonnes of God and that vve haue receiued already there is in like manner a consummate Adoption vvhereby we are manifested to be the sonnes of God and entred into the full possession of our fathers inheritance and that we waite for The redemption of our bodies As there is a two-fold adoption There is also a two-fold redemption first of the soule frō sin secondly of the body from death Ephes 1. so also a two-fold redemption the first is defined by the Apostle to be the remission of our sinnes and that we haue receiued already the second is called in that same Chapter the redemption of the possession and here the redemption of our bodies and this wee looke for to come As the soule was first wounded by sinne and then the bodie vvith mortalitie and corruption so the Lord Iesus the restorer who came to repaire the wound which Sathan inflicted on man doth first of all restore life to the soule by the remission of sins which hee hath obtayned by his suffering in the flesh and therefore the Herald of his first comming Ioh. 1. 29. Reu. 20. 5. 6. cryed before him behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world This is the first Resurrection blessed are they who are partakers of it for vpon such the second death shall haue no power but in his second comming we shal also be partakers of the second redemption hee shall redeeme our bodyes from the power of the graue wherein now they lye captiued and deliuer them from the shame of mortalitie and corruption Let this comfort vs against the present base and contemptible Cōfort against the present base estate of our bodies state of our bodies now they are but filthy sinckes of corruption and vessels so full of vncleanenes that the Lord hath appointed in the body fiue conduits to purge the naturall filth thereof and after this they are to be laid downe in the bed of corruption the wormes spread vnder them and aboue them as it is said of the King of Ashur shall deuoure 2 King 19. and consume their flesh the earth shall eate vp their bones and turne them into dust the braine which was the seat of many proud and vaine imaginations becomes after death oftentimes the seat of the vgly toad the reynes that were the seat of concupiscence engendreth serpents and the bowels vvhich could neuer be gotten satisfied with meate and drinke shall be replenished vvith armies of crawling wormes but against all these vve haue this comfort that as presently we haue obtained remission of our sinnes so are we assured of a glorious redemption of our bodies qui enim Bernard resurgit in anima resurget in corpore ad vitam for he that riseth now in his soule shall hereafter rise in his body to eternall life And of this euery man is admonished that if he loue his He who hath the first redemption shall be sure of the second body he should in time take heed to the estate of his soule see that it be partaker of the first redemption which is the remission of sinnes and be sure thy body shall be partaker of the second redemption It is a pittifull thing to see what preposterous care is taken by men for conseruation of their bodily life there is nothing they leaue vndone vt differant mortem quam auferre non-possunt that they may at the least Bernard prolong and delay death which they cannot cut away but if men take so much paines and suffer so strait a dyet of body and bestow so great expenses that they may liue a short while longer vpon earth what should men doe that they may liue for euer in heauen Verse 24. For wee are saued by hope but hope that is seene is not hope for how can a man hope for that which he seeth IN this verse and the subsequent the Apostle An obiection answered answeres an obiection seeing hee said before that wee haue receiued the Spirit of adoption how hath hee said now that wee are still waiting for adoption He doth therefore teach vs that both these are true we are saued now and we look for a more full saluation hereafter we are adopted now and wee looke for the perfection of our adoption hereafter and that it is so hee proues here by this reason the saluation that now we haue is by hope therefore it is not yet come nor perfected The necessitie of this consequence depends vpon the nature of hope which is of things that are not seene nor as yet come to passe This place is abused by the aduersaries to impugne the This verse abused to impugne Iustification by Faith doctrine of iustification by Faith we are saued say they by hope and therefore not by Faith onely That wee may see the weakenesse of their reason wee will first compare Faith and Hope in that relation which they haue to Christ secondly in that relation which they haue mutually among themselues For we deny not that Faith Hope and Loue each one of them haue a place in the worke of our saluation but the question betweene vs and them is concerning the right placing of them First then it is certaine that both Faith Hope compared in their relation to Christ Faith and Hope looke vnto Christ Iesus Christ and that vvhich hee hath conquered vnto vs is the obiect of them both but diuersly for faith enters vs into a present possession of Christ and his benefits he that beleeueth in me saith Ioh. 3. 36. our Sauiour hath eternall life hee saith not onely hee shall haue it but also that presently hee
they sit downe to their banquetting tables to refresh them or lyes downe in their beds to rest them The Apostle who suffered all sorts of affliction for the Gospell giues this for a reason that the loue of Iesus constrayned him Thus much concerning the effects of holy loue by which wee are to make sure our calling and consequently our election for our euerlasting comfort Euen to them that are called according to his purpose Hitherto the Apostle hath summarily set downe his third principall A confirmatiō of his third and last argument of comfort argument of comfort and now in the end of this verse he shortly breakes vp the confirmation thereof which is this they who loue God are called according to his purpose therfore all things must worke for the best vnto them The necessitie of this reason shall appeare if wee consider that the Lord cannot be frustrated of his end Those whom the Lord in his immutable purpose hath ordayned to glory and whom according to that purpose he hath called in time how can it be but all things must worke vnto their good for the vvorking prouidence of God vvhich is the executer of his purpose doth so ouer-rule all incidents which fall out in the world and doth so gouerne all secondary and inferiour causes that of necessitie they are directed to that end whereunto the supreame cause of all to wit the purpose and vvill of God hath ordayned them This is shortly set downe in these vvords and more largely explaned in the two verses following It is the last reason of comfort and the highest for now the Apostle leades vs out of our selues and sets vs vpon that rocke vvhich is higher than vve hee carries vs by the hand as it vvere out of the earth vp into heauen and lets vs see how our saluation is so grounded in Gods eternall purpose that no accident in the vvorld can change it Wee haue here then three things euery one of them depending Comfort that the ground of our saluation is in God the tokens thereof in our selues vpon another the loue of God flowing from the calling of God and the calling of God comming from the purpose of God vnto vvhich the Apostle here drawes vs that we casting our anchor with the vaile and resting in the Lords immutable purpose may haue comfort in all our present tentations It is most expedient for the godly to marke this that our manifolde changes doe not interrupt our peace let vs consider that the Lord hath in such sort dispensed our saluation that the ground thereof is laid in his owne immutable purpose but the markes and tokens thereof are placed in vs after our calling the markes and tokens are changeable like as wee our selues in vvhom they are are changeable but the ground holdes fast being laid in that vnchangeable God in whom falles no shadow of alteration Esay 46. Ioh. 10. 2 Tim. 2. I am God and am not changed My sheepe none can take out of my hand The counsell of the Lord shall stand and his foundation remaines sure It is true that the tokens of election cannot be sully taken away from any that is effectually called nay not in the greatest desertion yet haue they in vs their owne intention and remission And this should comfort vs against our daily vicissitudes and changes when wee feele that our Faith doth saint our life languishes our hope houers and vvee are like to sincke in the tentation vvith Peter and our feeble hands fall downe with Moses yet let vs not dispaire no change in vs can alter Gods vnchangeable purpose he who hath begun the worke in vs will also perfect it Because I am not changed saith Mal. 3. 6. the Lord therefore is it that yee O sonnes of Iacob are not consumed This purpose of God is called otherwise the will of God Our calling conuersion flowes from Gods purpose therefore all the praise of it belongs to the Lord. and the good pleasure of his Will In that the Apostle saith our calling is according to his purpose it teacheth vs to ascribe the whole praise of our saluation to the good pleasure of his will and not to our owne foreseene merits That poyson of pride vvhich Sathan poured into our first Parents and by vvhich they aspyred to be equall with God doth yet breake forth in their posterity the corrupt heart of man euer ayming at this to seeke vnto himselfe either in part or in whole the power and praise of his owne saluation This is to start vp into the roome of God and to vsurpe that glory which belongs to the Lord and he will not giue to any other than the which no greater sacriledge can be committed against the Lord. O man content thee with that which the Lord offers thee and let that alone vvhich hee reserues vnto himselfe My peace saith the Lord I giue to you my glory I will not giue to any other The first Preachers of the Gospell were Angels they proclaymed glory and peace but glory they gaue to God which is on high and peace they cryed to the children of his good will which are vpon earth It is enough that peace and saluation is giuen to be thine but as for the glory of saluation let it remain to the Lord. Hee is for this called the Father of mercie because mercie For this cause he is called the Father of Mercie and not of Iudgement 2 Tim. 1. 9. bred in his owne bosome Hee hath found many causes vvithout himselfe mouing him to execute iustice but a cause mouing him to shew mercie hee neuer found but the good pleasure of his will therefore the Apostle saith the Lord hath called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his purpose and grace Surely except the Lord had reserued mercy for vs wee had beene like to Sodome and Gomorrha but it pleased him of his owne good will of the same lumpe of clay to make vs vessels of honour vvhereof hee made others vessels of dishonour And who is able sufficiently to ponder so great a benefit and therefore howsoeuer the blinded Pharisee sacrifice to his owne net and make his mouth to kisse his hand as if his owne hand had done it yet let the redeemed of the Lord praise the Lord let them cry out with a louder voyce than Dauid did O Lord what are wee that thou art so mindfull of vs Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but to thy name giue the glory for thy louing kindnesse and thy truth for our saluation comes from God that sits vpon the throne and from the Lambe To thee O Lord be praise and honour and glorie for euer Now as for the calling wee are to know that the calling Our calling is twofold and the inward calling is a declaration of our election of God is twofold outward and inward He speakes not here of the outward calling of which our Sauiour
which runneth into it so he that vvould proceed from Election to Glorification let him follow this Calling vvhich is so to call it a riuer flowing out of the brasen mountaines of Gods eternall Election running perpetually vpward till it enter into the heauen of heauens vvhich doe altogether ouerflow vvith that great and vnbounded Ocean of diuine Glory but vvee are still to remember that vvee speake now of the inward Calling for the lincke◠of this Chaine are so comely framed by that most skilfull Artificer that they are all of a like compasse none of them larger nor narrower than another so that this Calling doth extend to no more nor fewer than those vvhom God hath chosen This inward calling is the donation of Faith by the What the inward calling is preaching of the Gospell or communication of the sauing grace of Iesus by vvhich vvee are moued to answere the Lord and follow the heauenly vocation for as the Lord by the preaching of the Gospell offers vnto all that are in the Church visible righteousnesse and life by Christ if they vvill repent and beleeue vvherein consists the outward Calling so by his holy Spirit hee giueth to his Elect children iustifying Faith by vvhich he openeth their hearts as hee did the heart of Lidia to receiue the grace offered by the Gospell and herein consists the inward Calling The vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhereby the Apostle expresseth it In this Calling there is a taking of some leauing of others signifieth to euocate and choose out some from among others this shall make the greatnesse of Gods mercy toward vs appeare the more clearely if wee doe consider that vve and the reprobate were alike by nature borne blinderebels and transgressors from the wombe and did vvalke on vvith them in the same course of disobedience vvhich leadeth to damnation but it pleased God to call vs out of their fellowship and enter vs in a better course that vve might be saued A notable example whereof vve haue in the calling of Lot out of Sodome the Lord hauing concluded to consume Sodome with fire for her abhominable filthinesse he first of all sent two Angels to call Lot out of it but Lot not knowing the danger lingred and delayed to follow their calling till at the length they put hands vnto him and forced him to goe out but when he was set vpon the mountaine and knew the fearefull destruction of Sodome then no doubt he acknowledged the wonderfull mercy which God had shewed vpon him it is euen so with vs we are here soiourning in a Sodome God hath taken vs out from amōg the children of wrath as he tooke Lot out of Sodome vvhich God will destroy and wee haue our conuersation among those vvhose portion shall be in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone from which the Lord being purposed to saue vs hath sent his Angels to vs not two but manie Ministers of the Gospell of Grace exhorting vs to flye from the wrath which is to come but alas because we know not the danger we flye slowly and delay to follow the heauenly vocation but in that day wherein we shall be set vpon the mountaine of Gods saluation and shall stand at the right hand of Iesus and heare that fearefull condemnation of the wicked Depart from me c. when we shal see the earth open and swallow them then shall we reioyce and prayse the mercie of our God O happy time vvherein the Lord sent his messengers among vs to call vs from the fellowship of the damned There is no difference by nature betweene the Elect and No difference by nature betweene elect men reprobate till our calling make it reprobate neyther in inward nor outward disposition till God make it by grace Paul as bloudy a persecuter as euer vvas Domitian or Iulian. Zacheus as vnconscionable and couetous a Worldling as was that rich Glutton damned to hell The elect and reprobate men before Grace make a difference are like two men vvalking in one iourney vvith one minde and one heart like Eliah and Elisha walking and talking together when a chariot of fire did incontinent seperate them and Eliah is taken vp into heauen Elisha left vpon the earth not vnlike is it when the vnlooked for calling of God commeth and seperateth those two who before were walking together yea running in the same excesse of ryot the one changing the course of his life returneth back again to the Lord from whom he had fallen whereas the other not touched with the same Calling meruailes that his former companion hath forsaken him and walketh stil on stubbornly in the former course of his sinnes to his condemnation Apply this vnto your selues and see whether this effectuall Calling hath seperated you in your conuersation from the wicked or not an euident argument that ye shall be seperated from them in their condemnation Blessed is he that Psal 1. walketh not in the counsell of the wicked nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornefull And if wee finde after tryall that the Lord hath called The time of our calling is to vs as the deliuerance from Egipt or the yeare of Iubily to Israel vs then should vvee alway shew forth his prayses vvho hath translated vs from darknesse into his meruailous light The Lord shewed a great mercie to Israell vvhen hee deliuered them out of the house of bondage he set the remembrance of that benefit in the forefront of his law as a bond euer oblieging them vnto thankfulnesse but their bondage was not so horrible as ours Pharaoh oppressed their bodies and compelled them to worke in bricke and clay yet their spirits were free to sigh and crie to GOD for the bondage but here so long as wee were the slaues of Sathan hee compelled vs to vvorke the abhominable vvorkes of darknesse and vncleannesse and therewithall did so captiue our spirits that wee could not so much as cry and sigh vnto God for the bondage and therefore our deliuerance should neuer goe out of our remembrance and our hearts and mouthes should euer be filled with the prayses of our Redeemer when we think of this yeare of Iubilie wherin he hath opened the doore of the prison and set vs at libertie as the freemen of God who were the captiued and bond-slaues of Sathan The Author of this calling is the Lord euen hee who Calling being a new creation is onely wrought by God calles things which are not and makes them to be Calling is a new creation and the first resurrection The Lord that commanded light to shine out of darknesse is he who hath giuen to our mindes the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Iesus Christ It is he who creates in vs a new heart and puts in our bowels a new spirit that we may walke in his statutes As man when hee was not could not helpe to create himselfe
the man whose wickednesse is forgiuen Psal 32. 1. whose sinne is couered and vnto whom the Lord impuâ—es not his iniquitie As hee that lay sicke sixe and thirty yeares of Luke 5. 25. the palsie arose with great ioy when Iâ—sus relieued him and he that was a creeple when he found that his feete which Acts 3. 8. had failed him so long did now serue him leaped for ioy and followed the Apostles into the Temple to praise God so that soule which findes it selfe freed from the guiltinesse and seruitude of sinne of all burthens that euer lay vpon man the heauiest to beare will with much more abundant ioy exult and triumph in that mercy of God vvhich hath made it free Secondly let the Apostle here stand vnto vs as an example Both by promises and examples doth the Lord confirme poore penitent sinners of the like mercy of God to be shewed vpon our selues how great sinners soeuer we haue beene if wee follow him in the like faith and repentance The Lord our God is not content by his word to promise mercy vnto penitent sinners but also confirmes vs by the examples of his manifold mercies shewed to others before vs when we looke vpon them let our weakenesse be strengthened let vs not thinke that the Lord will close that doore of mercy vpon vs if we knock aright which hee hath opened to so many before vs hee who hath beene found of them who sought him not vvill he hide himselfe from vs if forsaking our sinnes wee seeke him in spirit and truth Let his mercies shewed to others be vnto vs as cordes of Loue to draw vs among the rest and Hos 11. 4. like oyntments powred out the sweet smell whereof may delight vs to runne after him for that meekenesse which is in thee O Lord Iesus we will follow thee we haue heard that thou despisedst not the poore sinner thou abhorredst not the penitent theefe nor the sinfull woman that powred out teares before thee nor the Cananitish woman that made supplication to thee nor the woman deprehended in adultrie nor him that sate at the receipt of custome thou abhorredst not the Disciple that denied thee yea the persecuter of thy Disciples thou receiuedst to mercy In odore horum Cant. 1. 3. vnguentorum curremus post te In the smell of these thy sweet oyntments we will runne after thee O Lord. But vvee are to marke that before the Apostle came to The Apostle fought long before he came to triumph 1 Cor. 2. 3. this triumphing hee vvas long exercised vvith fighting he confesseth to the Corinthians that his preaching vvas among them in great feare and trembling that in his personall conuersation he was beaten and buffeted with an Angell of Sathan that hee had terrours vvithin and fightings without and what terrours are wee to thinke did trouble him out of doubt the sight of his sinnes the greatnesse of the iudgement to come did terrifie him whereof we are warned how wee must fight before wee triumph and mourne How can they triumph that haue not fought nor resisted so much as to shedding of teares farre lesse to the shedding of bloud 1 Sam. 30. 16. before the Lord comfort vs if wee cannot triumph with the Apostle it is because wee haue not foughten with the Apostle for let be that vvee haue not yet resisted vnto the bloud how many among vs can say that they haue resisted vnto the teares that is who striues with God as Iacob did with prayers and teares to obtaine a blessing Carelesse securitie hath farre ouer-gone vs and we are become like those Amalekits who returning from the spoyle of Ziglag and supposing they were past all danger cast their armour from them and spread themselues abroad in the fields to eate and drinke and to sport themselues when in the meane time the deuouring sword vnlooked for came vpon them It fareth euen so with the multitude of this generation they are become so carelesse in the spirituall warfare that as if there vvere no more battels to be â—oughten they walke vvithout the armour of God and spread themselues abroad in the fields of fleshly pleasures and not so onely makes themselues a pray to their deuouring enemie but defrauds their soules of that inward ioy arising of spirituall victory vvhich they who continue in fighting findes at the end of euery battell Now to enter into the vvords The Apostle conioynes The tongue of the wicked is a fornace of fire wherein the godly are tried these two interrogations together very conueniently Who will accuse who will condemne because howeuer there be many forward enough to accuse vs there is none who haue power to condemne vs. It is not the Apostles meaning that vve shall vvant accusations for the world Sathan and our owne conscience shall not cease to accuse vs Laban searched narrowly Iacobs stuffe to see if he could get any thing wherewith For sometime they accuse them publikely and in iudgement to charge him but more narrowly doe vvorldlings search the words and deeds of the Christian seeking whereupon to accuse them and where they can finde none yet vpon shadowes of euill they are bold to publish false reports or at least by priuate surmisings seekes to disgrace them Moses a man approued of God yet accused as an vsurper Ieremie the Prophet albeit he so loued his Country people that in secret his soule mourned for their desolation yet did they accuse him of treason alleadging that he had made defection to the King of Babell Daniel a man beloued of God accused and condemned of Darius his counsellers as a rebell to the King the Israelites who returned from captiuitie accused by Tobie and Sanballat of sedition the Christians of the primitiue Church oppressed with horrible slanders The first weapon wherewith Sathan fights against the Godly is the tongues of the vvicked for hee looseth their tongues to speake euill before he loose their hands to doe euill to them therefore said Augustine Lingua impiorum Aug. confes lib. 10. est quotidiana fornax the tongue of the wicked is a daily fornace vvherein the Godly are tryed let no man thinke to serue God in a good conscience but hee must be purged in this Ouen ye are not of the world said our Sauiour therefore it is that the world doth hate you and speake euill of you Ioh. 15. 19. As for their priuate surmisings they are of two sorts sometime they charge Gods children with euill which they haue done indeede but whereof they haue repented them and herein they are malitious that the sinnes vvhich God Sometime they speake euill of them priuately and that either maliciously charging them with sins they haue done but haue repented hath forgiuen they will not forget but this should not prouoke vs to impatience seeing they blame vs for nothing for which wee blame not our selues why shall wee be commoued let vs not thinke shame to say
soules within the vaile vpon that Rocke which is higher then we Iesus Christ To them that are in Christ The Apostle you see changes the manner of his speech when he spake of the power The Apostle excludes not himselfe from that naturall miserie wherevnto others are subiect of sinne remaining in our nature hee spake of it in his owne person but when hee speakes of our deliuerance by Iesus Christ hee speakes of it in the person of others Thus the Apostle by an holy wisedome doth order his speech for the comfort of the children of GOD for least that other weake Christians might be discouraged by reason of their sinnes hee speakes of remanent sinfull corruption in his owne person to declare that none no not the holy Apostles are exempted from it Of deliuerance againe he speaks in the person of others least any should thinke that the Neither excludes hee others from that mercy which hee himselfe hath receiued grace of Christ were restrayned onely to such singular persons as holy Apostles and were not also extended to others Commonly these who are of such a tender Conscience makes exception of themselues as if the comfort of other Christians belonged not to them the Apostle therfore includes within the communion of this benefit all whosoeuer Pastors people learned vnlearned poore rich weake and strong prouiding that they be in Iesus Christ Men who are truely godly in the matter of miserie chiefly condemne themselues therefore the Apostle calles himselfe the chiefe of all sinners but they neuer exclude others 1. Tim. 2. 15. from the same communion of mercie I know sayes the Apostle that there is layd vp for mee a crowne of glory and 2. Tim. 4. 8. not onely for me but for all them who loue the second appearing of the Lord Iesus It is farre otherwise with naturall men blinded with Naturalists blinded with presumption doe far othervvise presumption they extoll their owne righteousnesse aboue others in their conceit with the proud Pharisee condemneth euery other man as a greater sinner than himself they carrie in their bagge two measures by the one they take to themselues making much of the smallest good which is in them by the other they giue setting that by for light which is most excellent in another Our Sauiour properly expresses their corrupt iudgement when hee compares it to the light of the eye which can see any other thing better than it selfe and can espie a moat sooner in another than a beam in it selfe After this manner hipocrites looke out curiosi ad Aug. confes lib. 10. cognoscendum vitam alienam desidiosi ad corrigendum suam curious searchers of the life of others carelesse correcters of their owne Mens peracute perspiciens alienos errores tarda Basil hexam hom 9. est ad proprios cognoscendos defectus the minde that sharply lookes to the faults of others doth but slowly consider her owne defects but let vs learne by the precept of our blessed Sauiour and practise of this holy Apostle rather to looke to our selues searching out our owne sins then neglecting our selues to pâ—attle vainely of the sinnes of other men That are in Christ But now to come to the matter The Our vnion with Christ expressed by fiue similitudes in holy Scripture spirit of God in holy Scripture expresses our vnion with Christ by fiue sundry similitudes first by a marriage wherin Christ is the husband and we the spouse Secondly by a body whereof Christ is the head and wee the members Thirdly by a building or house wherein Christ is the foundation or ground stone and wee the vpper building vpon him Fourthly by the similitude of ingrafting wherein Christ is compared to the Vine and wee to the branches grafted into him Lastly by the similitude of feeding wherein Christ is compared to the foode and wee to the bodie which is nourished As for the similitude of Marriage the strongest bands of As Eue was to Adam his vvife his sister and his daughter so are vve vnto Christ coniunction that euer was betweene two creatures was betweene Adam and Eue for Eue was his Wife his Sister and his Daughter his Wife being ioyned with him in marriage by God she became one flesh with him she was his Sister made immediately by the hand of that same Father who made Adam and that without Adams helpe shee was also his Daughter for of him shee was made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh All these wayes are wee alyed vnto Iesus Christ wee are his spouse in respect of that mutuall contract and couenant which is betweene vs he hath married vs to himselfe in righteousnesse iudgement mercie and compassion We are his Sonnes and Daughters in respect of regeneration which is our new creation we are also his brethren and sisters in respect of the spirit of adoption by whom we acknowledge God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ to be our father also in him and his sonne Iesus to be our elder brother Yet is our allyance with Christ so neere that all these Yet this expresseth not our allyance with Christ therfore other similitudes are vsed whereof we haue spoken cannot expresse it and therefore ye shall sinde that there is not a way by which in nature two things are made one but from it the spirit of God borrowes similitudes to declare how Christ and we are one in him as the branch in the tree we are of him as Eue was of Adam we are of him as the house is built on the foundation we are one with him and that many manner of wayes one with him as brother with brother as husband and wife as the body and the head as meat and that which is nourished what meruaile then considering all these that the Apostle with boldnes breakes out in this glorious triumph there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ seeing we are in him as branches in the tree it is not possible that we can wither or decay for want of the sap of Grace so long as he doth retaine it and that shall be for euer seeing we are built on him like an house vpon a sure foundation what storme can ouer blow vs let the winde rise and the raine fall we shall not be ouerthrowne because wee are the building of God standing vpon a sure foundation seeing we are his spouse who can haue action against vs our debts fall to be payd by our husband he liueth to make answere for vs seeing we are his conquered inheritance who will take vs out of his hand My sheepe can no man take out of my hand saith our blessed Sauiour Most happy then and Iohn 10. 28. sure is the estate of all those who are in Christ Iesus But leauing other similitudes let vs consider that this In the similitude of ingrafting foure things considered phrase to be in Christ is borrowed from planting or ingrafting Our Sauiour
and life As no This life is a thorow-way or middle passage eyther to heauen or hell man commeth eyther to a Pallace or a Prison but by the entry thereof so no man goeth eyther to heauen or hell but by the way thereof A wicked life is as a thorow-way to that prison and place of darknesse he who goes on in it without returning shall out of all doubt vvhen hee hath passed the path-way enter into the prison and a godly life is the very way to heauen hee that walkes in it persâ—uering to the end shall enter at last into that Pallace of Glory which is the Paradise of God Salomon saith that where the Eccles 11. 3. tree fals there it lyes and experience teacheth vs that it fals to that side on vvhich the branches thereof grow thickest if the greatest growth of our affections and actions spring out after the Spirit out of doubt wee shall fall to the right hand and shall be blessed but if otherwise thy affections grow downward and thou walke after the flesh then assuredly thou shalt fall to the left hand and die in sin vnder the curse of God But seeing they who walke after the flesh are dead already They who liue in sin are dead and yet a worse death abides them in hell how saith the Apostle they shall dye To this I answere both are true presently they are dead and yet a more fearefull death abides them That they who liue in their sinnes are dead already wee shewde before for sinne is that vnto the soule of man vvhich fire and vvater are to the body that is to say an vnkindely Element in the which it cannot liue but certainely a more fearefull death abides them which the spirit of God calleth the second death vvherein they shall not onely liue depriued of life wanting all sense yea and all hope of the mercy of God but shal also feele the full measure of his wrath due to their sinnes powred out vpon them Now albeit they be dead in sinne and depriued of the fauour of the Creator yet the vaine comforts of the creatures doth so betwitch and blinde them that they know not how wretched and miserable they are but when the last sentence of damnation shall be pronounced vpon them they shall not onely be banished from the presence of God into euerlasting perdition where the fire of the Lords indignation shall perpetually torment them but also the comfort of all Gods creatures which now they haue shall foâ—sake them The least degree of their punishment shall be a fearefull The least degree of their punishment shall be a fearefull famine of all worldly comforts Ioel. 1. 12. Reu. 18. 14. famine of worldly comforts The Pomegranat Tree the Palme Tree the Apple Tree shall wither The Apples after which now their soule lusteth shall depart from them they shall finde none of them yea if a cup full of colde vvater might comfort them it shall not be giuen vnto them thus you see how they are dead and yet a more fearefull death abideth them Therefore the spirit of God to expresse the fearefulnesse Why that second death is called a wrath and a wrath to come of that second death he calleth it a wrath and giues it these two titles first hee calleth it a vvrath prepared by God Salomon saith the wrath of a King is the messenger of death what then shall we say of the wrath of God Secondly he cals it a wrath to come to teach vs that it farre exceedes all that wrath that we haue heard or seene The drowning of the originall world the burning of Sodome a great wrath but nothing comparable to the wrath which is to come Beside this both the place the vniuersality and the eternity The place of the damned shewes the greatnesse of their iudgement Reu. 21. 8. Esa 30. 33. of their punishment serues to let vs see if wee looke to them how horrible this death is which here is threatned against them who liue after the flesh As for the place it is called the wineprâ—ssâ— of the wrath of God the lake that bâ—rnes with â—ire and brimstone Tophet prepared of old deepe and large the breath of the Lord like a riuer of brimstone â—oth kindle it It is that great deepe which the damned spirits themselues abhor they know it to be the place appointed for their torment all that they craue was onely that the Lord would not send them thether to be tormented before the time It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a place wherein is no light to see therefore Iude called it blacknesse of darknesse and our Sauiour called it vtter darknesse Iude verse 6. Mark 9. 48. 1 Pet. 3. 19. Math. 5. 22. there is in it a burning fire but without light a gnawing worme without rest Saint Peter cals it a prison and our Sauiour cals it Gehenna for the horrible scrieches of them who are burnt in it and the vile and stinking filthinesse wherwith it is replenished And as for the vâ—â—uersality of their paine It is certaine The vnâ—â—uersality of it Nothing in man shall be without paine all Gods plagues shall concor to punish him that as euery thing in them sinned so euery thing in them shall be punished No power of their soule no member of their body shall be free from that wrath Surely it should astonish man to consider this for if now any one of Gods ordinary plagues inflicted vpon any one member of the body be so insufferable how intollerable vvill that paine be he who now is payned with the tooth-ach takes some comfort when he sees another tormented with the collicke and he also if he see another burnt vp with Anthonies fire beares his owne crosse the more patiently because he sees a greater laid vpon another No man in this life suffereth all things one cryeth with the Shunamites sonne for excessiue dolour alas my head my head another with Antiochus my belly the third with Asa my feete my feete but what are all these comparable to that paine vvherein head and belly and feet yea the whole man shall be racked vpon the torments of Gods wrath and that not with one plague onely but with manifold for as all the waters of the earth runne into the great Ocean so all the plagues of God shall concurre and meete together in hell for the punishment of the damned But yet the eternity of that paine doth still increase the The eternitie of it horrour thereof there shall be no end of their punishment their fire shall neuer be quenched their worme shall neuer dye they shall seeke death as a benefite and shall not finde it The fire of Sodome was ended in a day the deluge of water that drowned the originall world lasted but a yeare the famine that plagued Aegypt lasted but seauen yeares the captiuity of Israell was ended in seauenty yeares but this wrath of GOD vpon the damned shall endure for
applyes it particularly to the godly Romanes vnto whom he writeth Yee haue not saith he receiued againe the Spirit of bondage vnto feare as ye did in the time of your first conuersion ye haue proceeded further and haue experience of his other operations then yee felt him casting you downe with the sight of your sinnes but now yee feele him comforting you and raising you vp vvith the sense of Gods loue and mercy toward you in Iesus Christ The spirit of God is called a Spirit of bondage vnto feare Why in his first operation he is called a spirit of bondage to feare not as if he had made them in whom he worketh slaues or bond-men but because in his first operation hee rebukes them of sinne in vvhom he worketh and lets them see that bondage and seruitude vnder which they lye vvhich works in them an horrible feare but in his second operation hee is a spirit of Adoption making them free who were bound before comforting them vvith the sight of Gods mercie whom before he terrified with the sight of their owne sinnes to the one hee vseth the preaching of the Law which discouers our disease to the other the preaching of the Gospell which points out the Physition As the proclayming By the preaching of the Law he discouers sin and wrath due to it which causeth feare Mat. 3. 10. of the Law wrought a terrour in their hearts who heard it so doth the preaching thereof for who can heare himselfe accursed and condemned by the mouth of GOD and not tremble Iohn the Baptist began at the preaching of the Law Now is the axâ— laid to the root of the tree euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire then hee proceeded and poynted out the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world by the first hee prepared a way to the second for his Auditours being cast downe in themselues vvith the threatning enquired earnestly what shall wee doe then that wee may be saued and were glad to heare of a remedy It is out of doubt that they who are not touched with a remorse for their sinnes nor a feare of the wrath to come and into vvhose hearts neuer entred that care what shall I doe that I may be saued haue not knowne as yet so much as the very beginnings of saluation Wee are not then to thinke here that the Apostle is Hee is not here comparing the godly vnder the Law with the godly vnder the Gospel comparing the Godly vnder the Gospell with the Godly vnder the Law but hee is comparing the Godly vnder the Gospell with themselues their second experience of the operation of the Spirit vvith the first it is true that once saith hee yee receiued the Spirit of bondage working feare this was his first operation in you but now yee haue experience of another and are made partakers of a more excellent operation hee is become vnto you a Spirit of Adoption by vvhom yee call vpon God as vpon your Father For the Godly vnder the Law vvere partakers of this same spirit of Adoption which we haue receiued and were For they vnder the Law had the same couenant of grace that we haue Rom. 10. 5. vnder the same couenant of Grace but it was exhibited to them vnder types and figures for the couenant of vvorkes whereof this was the summe Doe and liue being broken and dissolued in Paradise through Adams transgression incontinent the Lord bindeth vp with man the other Couenant of Grace whereof this is the summe beleeue and liue All the Rom 1. 0. 8. godly Fathers before and vnder the Law looked for life in that blessed seede of the woman Iesus Christ whom they beleeued was to be manifested in the flesh and so they were saued but as I said they had this couenant signified vnder legall ceremonies and shadowes which were to be abolished at the comming of the Lord Iesus as now they are and in this respect the Apostle in that Epistle to the Hebrewes calleth it an old Couâ—nant which was to be disanulled not in regard of the substance but of the manner of the exhibition thereof for all they who haue beene saued from the beginning are saued euen as we are euen by faith in Iesus Christ but as for that manner of exhibition by which it was proposed to the Fathers it is now abolished And this for vnderstanding of the words For ye haue not receiued It is here to be obserued that the Wee are receiuers of the spirit God the giuer Apostle calleth vs receiuers of the Spirit of adoption for it warneth vs that God is the giuer and that therefore wee should be humble in our selues and magnifie his rich mercie toward vs for what hast thou O man which thou hast not 1 Cor. 4. 7. receiued and herewithall wee are admonished to account much of those meanes by which the Lord communicateth his spirit vnto vs. The Lord might haue illuminated the The Lord giues his Spirit by the ministrie of his word minde of that Eunuch by the mediate working of his owne Spirit and made him vnderstand that Scripture which he was reading without an Interpreter but it pleased him to doe it by the ministrie of Phillip hee might in like manner haue Acts. 8. communicated his holy Spirit to Cornâ—lius and his friends but he would not doe it but by the ministrie of Peter hee commanded therefore Cornelius to send for him to Ioppa Acts. 10. where it is very worthy of marking that in the very time of Peters preaching the holy Ghost fell vpon the hearers for it should moue vs to reuerence the ordinance of God It hath pleased the Lord by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue 1 Cor. 1. 21. so many as beleeue and so many shall beleeue as are ordayned vnto eternall life Be content therefore to receiue saluation by such meanes as God in his wisedome hath concluded to giue it thinke not that yee can be contemners of the word and partakers of the spirit if yee be desiâ—ous to receiue this spirit of adoption reuerence this ministrie of the word by which the Lord communicates his spirit to such hee will saue To feare aâ—aine c. It is here to be enquired seeing none Gods adopted children are not exempted from all sorts of feare of the children of God liues on earth without feare how is it the Apostle sayes we haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe That distinction of seruile and filiall feare by the one whereof the wicked feare God for his iudgements and the godly for his mercies will not resolue this doubt for the godly also feares God for his iudgements my Psal 119. flesh trembles for feare because of thy iudgements otherwise the threaâ—nings of Gods word were not to be vsed to Gods children if they were not to be feared Wee are therefore to
Fiue sorts of feare consider that there are fiue sorts of feare mentioned in the booke of God The first is a naturall feare the second a carnall feare the third â— seruile feare the fourth a filiall feare the fist a Dâ—abolicall feare The naturall feare is one of the affections of the soule 1 A natural feare created by God Adam was endewed with it in the state of innocencie and our blessed Sauiour wanted it not of whom it is written that when hee entred into the garden he began to be afraid As for carnall feare the obiect whereof is flesh 2 A carnall feare or at least that which flesh may doe it is a great enemie to godlinesse and therefore our Sauiour forbids it feare not Mat. 10. 28. them who are able to kill the body but feare him who is able to cast both soule and body into hell fire yet are the dearest of Gods children subiect vnto it This feare made Abraham deny that Sarah was his Wife made Peter denie that Christ was his Lord this feare made Iâ—nas refuse to goe to Nâ—niuie and made that worthy Prophet â—amuâ—â— vnwilling to annoint Dauid for he feared least Saul should slay him yet are they so subiect vnto it that the feare of God at length ouercomes in them The third soâ—t is seruile feare the obiect whereof 3 A seruile feare is the iudgements of God onely and this is proper to the wicked they feare the plagues of God but so that they loue their sinnes and hates and abhorres euery one that doth snibbe or restraine them in the course of their sinnes The 4 A filiall feare fourth is filiall so called because it is proper to the sonnes of God they doe not onely feare him for his iudgements but loue him and feare him for his mercy mercy to with thee Psal 130. 4. O Lord that thou mayst be feared As for the Dâ—abolicall feare 5 A Dâ—abolicall feare Saint Iames saâ—th the Diuels know there is a God therefore they feare and tremble thâ—y haue receiued within themselues Iames. 2. 19. the sentence of damnation they know it shall neuer be recalled they seeke no mercy nor shall they obtaine it and the seruile feare of the wicked shall at the last end in this desperate feare of the damned finding themselues condemned without all further hope of mercy they shall tremble and feare continually Of this it is euident that the feare whereof here he speaks From what sort of feare we are exempted is the first part of filiall feare namely a feare of that punishment which is due to sinne and to the godly is an introduction to worke in them feare of God for his mercies conioyned with loue so then his meaning is cleare albeit in the time of your first conuersion you were striken with a feare of that wrath which is the recompense of sinne yet now the spirit of adoption hath not onely released you of that feare of damnation which you conceiued at the first through the knowledge of your sinnes but hath also made you certaine of saluation and assured that God is become your Father in Christ Iesus In the wicked the feare of Gods vvrath once begunne encreases daily till it proceede as I spake to that desperate feare of the damned but in the godly the feare of Gods In the godly feare prepareâ— a place for the perfect loue of God and then departs it selfe iudgements is but a preparation to the loue of GOD feare shall not alwayes abide in their hearts for when God shall crowne them with his mercies and his loue in them shall be perfect then perfect loue casts out feare therefore Augustine compares the feare of Gods iudgements in the godly to a Needle that goes through the â—eame and prepares in it a place for the thread which is to remaâ—â—e so doth the feare of Gods iudgements goe through the secret seames of the heart and prepares a place for the loue of God which shall abide and continue for euer in the godly when feare shall be away The Lord at the first deales hardly vvith Mat. 15. his children as our Sauiour delt with the woman of Câ—naan whom he comforted at the last and as Ioseph entreated his brethren roughly whom at the last for tender compassion hee embraced with many teares but all these terrours and feares wherewith GOD humbles his owne are but preparatiues to his consolations at the length hee shall make it knowne to them that he is their louing father as for the wicked though they haue not suffered from their youth the terrours of God it is because they are reserued for them Neither are they euen now exempted from their owne But in the wicked feare of wrath once begun encreases till it proceede to desperate feare feares for albeit there were none to reproue them their owne consciences sends out accusing thoughts to terrifie them and if at any time they shall heare the word of God faithfully and with power deliuered vnto them then doe they much more tremble feare for the word strengthens the conscience to accuse and terrifie them but feare is both the first and last effect it workes in them and therefore is it that being so oft disquieted with hearing of the word as Foelix was with the preaching of Paul they are no more desirous to heare it but rather hates it and abhors it because it testifies no good vnto them more then Micaiah did to Achab and so they neuer attaine to this other operation of the spirit they are not transchanged by hearing into the similitude of the sonnes of GOD neither receiues that comfort which comes by feeling the loue of God in Iesus Christ The spirit of Adâ—ption Adoption is eyther naturall or Adoption is eyther naturall or spirituall spirituall the spirituall Adoption is eyther of a whole Nation and so the Apostle saith that the Adoption pertained to the Israelites because the Lord chose them to be a peculiar people to â—iâ—selfe or then it is of particular men and so it is a benefit belonging to the children of GOD onely What naturall Adoption is and of it speakes the Apostle in this place Naturall Adoption the Lawyers define it to be â—ctum legâ—â—imum â—â—itantem naturam repertum ad corum sâ—latium qui liberos non habent A lawfull act imitating nature sound out for the comfort of them who haue no children of their owne but spirituall adoption differs farre from it for it is a lawful act not How the spirituall Adoption excels aboue the naturall imitating but transcending nature found out by the Lord our God not for the comfort of a Father that wants children but for the comfort of children that wants a Father We being by nature miserable orphanes hauing no Father to prouide for vs it pleased the Lord our God to become our Father in Christ and to make vs by Adoption his sons and daughters not for any
one to call vpon God but now alas where one with a contrite hart cryes to God for mercie how many by continuance in sinne cryes to him for iudgement what maruell then the arme of the Lord be shortned toward vs and he doe not help vs As they who resolue to lift any heauie burthen ioyne As many hands lift a burthen importable to one so their hands together vnder it and so by mutuall strength makes that easie to many which were impossible to one so when we are assembled together to lift from off our heads by vnfayned repentance that burthen of the wrath of God which our sinnes hath brought vpon vs if there be among vs no deceiuers but that euery man in the sinceritie of his heart ioyne his earnest supplication with the prayers of his brethren what a blessing may wee looke for Take heede therfore how you behaue your selues in the holy assemblies of the armes of God how you cry with your brethren if yee be deceiuers yee shall not be partakers of that blessing which shall come vpon them vvho worship him in spirit and truth where they shall goe home to their houses iustified and reioycing through the testimony of the spirit that their sinnes are forgiuen them ye shall go out as Cham went out of the Arke more prophane than yee came in with the curse of God vpon you because yee set not your hearts to seeke his blessing Neither is this vnion of our desires onely to be obserued Not in publike prayers onely but in priuate also is vnion in Prayer commended in our publike prayers but in our priuate also so our Sauiour taught vs to pray as remembring others with our selues Ouâ— Father and not my father onely to tell vs that in the armes of our affections wee should present our brethren to God with our selues We greatly offend the Lord when wee haue finished our prayers so soone as wee haue powred out some few petitions for our selues as if Gods glorie vvere to be aduanced in no other but in vs alonely If Abraham prayed for Sodome because he knew that Lot was in it shall we not pray for Ierusalem wherein are so many of his sonnes and daughters his Lots indeede and chosen inheritance Wee are now all in Christ made Priests to our God and Reu. 5. 2. 6. therefore as Aaron when hee went in before the Lord carried with him on his breast in twelue precious stones the names of the twelue tribes of Israel so are wee in our prayers to God to present in our hearts with our selues the rest of our brethren This is for them who forgets the fellowship vvhereunto They are bastard children who pray for themselues and not for Ierusalems peace they are called vvhile they professe themselues to be the daughters of Ierusalem and yet neglect to pray for her peace they declare themselues to be but bastard children Yet their negligence is tolerable in regard of the malice of others who make a iest with their mouthes at the diuisions of Reuben and with the prophane Edomite reioyces at the desolation of Israel they encrease with their speech the disease of the paralitique body of this Church but labours not to binde it vp by their prayers with cursed Cham they make a sport of the nakednesse of their father if they can see it but couers it not with blessed Sem therefore shall his blessing be far from them Wee cry Prayer is called a crying not in regard of the Praier why it is called a crying loudnesse of the outward voyce but earnestnesse of the inward affection It is true that in publike prayers hee who is the mouth of the rest should speake so that others may follow him and know vvherein they should say Amen neither is it vnlawfull in priuate Prayer circumstances of time and place permitting it yea rather the voice rightly and sincerely vsed is profitable to waken the affections to hold vp thy hands vvith Moses to lift vp thine eyes toward Exod. 17. Acts 7. Psal 108. Iudg. 5. God with Stephen to aduance thy voyce vvith Dauid if with these also thou ioyne thine heart as did Deborah this is to make a sweet and pleasant harmonie vnto the Lord. Yet none of these the last accepted is absolutely necessarie Vse of the tongue not absolutely necessary in prayer Exod. 14. 15. 1 Sam. 1. 12. 13. in Prayer Moses his tongue was silent at the red Sea for any thing we read yet his affection and desire vvas a loud crying voyce vnto God Anna in the Temple powred out her hart vnto God suppose Eli heard not her voice The Lord needes not the tongue to be an interpreter betweene him and the hearts of his Children he that heareth without eares can interpret the prayers of his own children vvithout their tongue Some prayes vvith their lips onely these are accursed deceiuers For the Lord knows the first conception of prayer in the heart Luke 1. let vs leaue that to hipocrites some praies both with heart and mouth and these doe vvell to glorifie God vvith both because hee hath redeemed them both others haue their tongues silenced and can speake no more then Zacharie when hee vvas stricken with dumbnesse yet are the desires of their hearts strong cryes in the eares of the Lord of hoasts hee that knew Ieremy and Iohn the Baptist in the wombe and saw Nathaniel vnder the figge-tree doth also know the prayers of his children conceiued in their hearts though they should neuer be brought forth by speach of the mouth and this for their comfort who through extremitie of sicknesse or otherwise are not able to vse their tongues in prayer to God Farther wee learne here that the Parent which begets The Parents of Prayer Prayer is the Spirit of Adoption the mother that conceiues it is the humble and contrite heart for no proud vncleane and hard heart can pray vnto God the wings whereby it The wings whereby praier ascends ascends are feruencie and an heauenly disposition feruency is noted in the word of Crying for as in crying there is an earnestnes of the powers of the body to send out the voice so in prayer should there be an earnestnesse of the powers of our soule to send vp our desires As incense without fire makes no smell and therefore the Lord commanded it to be sacrificed with fire in the Law so prayer without feruency sends vp no sweet smell vnto the Lord. Our heauenly disposition required in prayer is collected out of this that hee to whom wee speake is our Father in Heauen if our mindes be earthly we can haue no communing with him that is in heauen wee must therefore ascend in our affection enter within the vaile if wee would speake familiarly with our Father Prayer this manner of way sent vp and presented to our aduocate and intercessor the Lord Iesus out of the hand of Faith cannot but returne a fauourable answere if
not at the first as in the very time of Prayer Daniel receiued his answere yea at the beginning of his supplication Dau. 9. 22. 23. as the Angell Gabriel informed him the commandement came forth to answere him yet shall not the Lord faile in his owne good time to fulfill the desires of them who feare him Manifold examples of holy Scripture lets vs see that Efficacie of Prayer euery petition returns with profit Gen. 18. Prayer this way powred out vnto God is most effectuall At fiue sundry petitions did not Abraham bring the Lord from fiftie to ten euery petition returnes to Abraham some vantage faine would Abraham had Sodome preserued for Lots cause at his first request hee got this answere that the Lord would spare it for fiftie righteous mens sake if they might be found in it but at the last from fiftie hee brings him to ten as long as Abraham prayed the Lord answered and for euery petition hee yeelded something to Abraham and most comfortable it is that the Lord ceases not from answering till Abraham ceased from asking any more Acts 10. When Peter prayed vpon the house top he fel into a trance and saw a heauenly vision when Iesus prayed vpon Mount Mat. 17. Tabor he was transfigured and if at any time the children of GOD be transformed from an earthly disposition to a heauenly they finde in their owne experience that it is in the time of prayer Sathan for this cause is a most troublesome enemy to the Sathan an enemie to the Word and Prayer exercises of the word and of prayer because the one is the mother the other is the nurse of all the graces of God in vs eyther he makes them lightly to esteeme the exercise of prayer or then doth what hee can to interrupt them in it as that Pithonisse interrupted Paul while hee was going to Acts 16. 16. pray so hath that aduersarie a thousand wiles whereby eyther before prayer he seekes to diuert them to some other businesse or in the action to trouble them and diuide the powers of the soule by vncomely and prophane motions If Iehoshua stand before the Lord Sathan shall stand at his Zach. 3. 1. Gen. 15. right hand to resist him Vnlesse therefore with Abraham we driue away the rauening birds from our sacrifice vnles with the Israelites wee stand on Ierusalems wall with a weapon ready in our hand to repell the aduersarie as oft as he comes to stay the worke of God it is impossible that our hearts can continue in feruent prayer to God Yet the restlesse opposition of the aduersarie should not make vs to breake off this exercise of prayer but the more we finde Sathan angry at our prayers the more should wee be prouoked to pray if he felt not himselfe hurt and his kingdome weakened by our prayers he would not so busily trouble vs in prayer yee see hee troubles vs not in such exercises as troubles not him speake as long as you will of vvorldly affaires refresh the body with eating and drinking exercise the body in playing in these and such like hee interrupts vs not because they offend him not but if vvee goe by prayer to vvound the head of the serpent then vvill he doe vvhat he can to sting vs. And herewithall let vs remember that any other practise Other exercises of religion may at a time be omitted with an excuse but the neglect of Prayer is vnexcusable of religion men may omit it and be excusable but the neglect of prayer cannot be excused It may be at a time thou hast not giuen almes to the needy because thou hadst it not it may be thou hast not come to heare the vvord because thou hast beene diseased but as for the neglect of prayer wherewith wilt thou excuse it labouring with thy hands in thy vocation needs not to hinder the lifting vp of thy hart vnto God if thine heart be good euery time euery place is conuenient for prayer with Ieremy thou maist pray in the Ieremiâ— 36. Daniel 6. Gen. 24. Luke 6. 14. prison with Daniel in the denne vvith Ionas in the Whales belly vvith Dauid in the bed vvith Isaac in the fields with Iesus on the mountaine for thou thy selfe art the temple of the liuing God the sanctuarie vvherein hee will be worshipped and shouldst alway carry about vvith thee and within thee that golden Alter whereupon incense should be euery morning and euening sacrificed vnto the Lord thy God so that if thou doe not pray it is because thou vvilt not Abba Father c. But vvhat is this that the spirit teacheth It is a strong Prayer if by the Spirit thou canst call God thy father vs to cry the Apostle saith that he teacheth vs to cry vpon God as vpon our Father Is this inough in prayer to call vpon GOD thy Father yea if thou canst so call him from this spirit of Adoption for all Gods children are not indued with a like grace of prayer it is effectuall inough to draw downe vpon thee all those blessings vvhich the Lord communicates to his sonnes his name shall be sanctified in thee his kingdome shall be aduanced in thee he shal teach thee to doe his vvill thou shalt not want thy daily bread he shall forgiue thee thy sinnes and preserue thee that thou fall not into tentations all comfort rests vnder this name of a father if thou canst so call him in saith the riches of his mercies are thine As the heauens are aboue the earth so are his thoughts What comfort we haue in this that we may call God our father aboue ours if then earthly fathers carrie so kindely an affection toward their children vvhat louing affection may vvee thinke is there in our heauenly Father toward vs Shall I cause others to beare saith the Lord and remaine barren my selfe shall the Lord communicate to men the name and heart of a Father and fill them with compassion toward their children and shall hee himselfe to vvhom the name of a Father most properly belongs vvant the heart and compassion of a Father toward his children let it be farre from vs so to thinke Seeing the Lord will haue such tender mercy in vs that are mortal creatures that not onely seauen times but seauentie times seauen times vvee forgiue our brother in the day vvhat readinesse to forgiue the sins of his children must there be in himselfe and seeing our Sauiour in the Gospell points out so great a commiseration Luke 15. in that earthly Father toward his prodigall Sonne that when he saw him a farre off comming homeward hee ranne and met him and sell vpon his face and kissed him vvhat louing kindnes may vve looke for at the hands of our heauenly father if we doe repent of our wandrings and resolue wâ—th our selues to returne vnto him Againe wee see here that the holy Spirit teacheth vs to Prayer to creatures
his sonnes are his Heyres and yet the inheritance enioyed of many is not the lesse Neither are we to thinke this impossible for seeing the Lord hath endued the Sunne in the firmament with this propertie that albeit the light thereof be communicated vnto many yet is it not the lesse in it selfe plurium oculos pascit Aug. de verb. dom in Euan. Ioan. ser 64. tamen tanta est quanta erat illi pascuntur illa non minuitur it feedes the eyes of many they are nourished and it is not diminished may wee not much more thinke that the heauenly light communicated to many shall for all that not be impared In earthly inheritances it is so the moe be partakers of them the lesse they are but it is not so in the heauenly there needes no strife among the brethren for diuision of the inheritance for the rich portion of one shall be no preiudice to another Neyther shall vvee that are called to be the sonnes of They who were borne in the first age of the world shall not be perfected without vs. Heb. 11. 40. God in this last age of the world suffer any preiudice that many hundred yeares before vs some haue bin entred heires of that kingdome God prouiding a better thing for vs that they without vs should not be perfected Adam the first that euer was made the sonne of God by creation and afterward the first sonne of God also by regeneration together with the rest of those faithfull Patriarches that followed him hath in regard of yeares long before vs inherited the promises yet shall it not preiudge them who in the last age of the world are called to the fellowship of the faith of Christ yea hee that shall be the last borne sonne of GOD in the earth by regeneration shall also be partaker of this priuiledge of the inheritance And this should greatly encourage vs to serue our God considering that how euer many of our brethren be entred before vs whose example should confirme vs yet the portion prepared for vs shall not be the lesser There is also another difference for in the earthly inheritances In earthly inheritances the Father dyes or the sonne inherit but here the sonne must dye or else he cannot inherit Psal 102. 26. the Father must first die before the sonne come to the full possession thereof but in the heauenly we our selues must die that we may possesse the inheritance For our Father is the auncient of dayes the heauens are the works of his hands they shall perish but hee doth remaine they shall waxe olde as doth a garment but he is the same and his yeares shall not faile He is the Father of eternity in whom there cannot fall so much as a shadow of change farre lesse is he subiect to death but as for vs by suffering death we must enter into our kingdome we cannot see him so long as we liue nor be satisfied with his image till we awake therefore should the day of death be a ioyfull day vnto vs because it is the Psal 17. 15. day of our entrance to our inheritance Vnnaturall worldlings reioyce at the death of their Parents because by it they come to the heritage they carry merriest hearts within them when they put on their blackest garments but as for vs we should reioyce at the day of our owne death it is not the day of our sorrow as naturall men accounts it but the day of our delight in the which we enter into the fruition of our heauenly inheritance He cals vs not onely the heyres of God but annexed heyres Theophilact with Iesus Christ that so he may shew Nos grandes futuros haeredes that we are to be great heyres The Lord Iesus hath Christs twofold right to the inheritance and how in the second onely we are annexed with him a two-fold right to his Fathers inheritance one by his eternall generation and so he is the heyre of God in a manner proper and peculiar to himselfe onely the other hee hath by conquest for by the merit of his death he hath conquered eternall life for all his brethren and this right he communicates vnto vs whereby we also become heyres annexed with him in the first he admits no companion in the second he cals vs to be partakers with him And this serues vnto vs not onely for a speciall comfort How all these great mercies should prouoke vs to walke worthy of our heauenly vocation in the houre of tentation and day of death as wee marked before but should also prouoke vs to answere the heauenly vocation by a holy disposition seeing wee are the sonnes of God shall wee not resemble his image seeing wee are called to be heyres of an heauenly inheritance shall we any more minde earthly things Farre be it from vs that wee should be prophane like Esau who sould his birth-right Gen. 25. 2 Tim. 4. Phil. 3. 8. 9. for a mease of pottage or like Demas wee should forsake the fellowship of our brethren and imbrace this present world but let vs rather with the holy Apostle account all things to be but dung in respect of the excellent knowledge and fellowship of our Lord Iesus Seeing Christ must be our comfort in death when all other comforts will forsake vs let vs make him our ioy and pleasure in life that so both in life and death he may bean aduantage vnto vs for these things for which miserable worldlings forsake their God shall in the end forsake them Let a couetous man see in the houre of his death those treasures of gold and siluer which he sought in his life more than God and they shall be no more pleasure to him than was those thirty peeces of siluer to Iudaâ— vvhich hee tooke in exchange of Iesus Christ Present a spoonefull of Wine to the drunkard whose belly was his God in his life time and hee shall not be able to receiue it Let the harlot stand at that time in the sight of the whoremonger she may encrease his sorrow and terrifie his conscience but shall not render him comfort Yet these are the strange Gods after which most part of the world goes a whooring but let vs not cast in our portion among them we are partakers of the heauenly vocation called to be the sonnes and daughters of the liuing God blessed shall we be if we walke worthy of our calling For Sathans silly offers are not to be compared to these high mercies wherunto God hath called vs in Christ Ioh. 14. 15. Heb. 2. 11. Math. 17. 5. For we see here whereunto we are called by adoption we are made the sonnes of God and brethren of Christ of rebels we are made the seruants of God yea more than that the friends of God hence forth call I not you seruants but friends yea more than friends he hath made vs brethren he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all
of our hearts vncleane cogitations and affections whereby we haue trode in the filth of sinne before we pray for those are neuer lawfull but most vnlawfull in the time of prayer As for worldly cogitations they are sometimes lawfull but neuer in the time of prayer As Abraham vsed his Asses to serue him for his iourney but when he came to Mount Moriah the place of the vvorship he left them at the foote of the hill so the thoughts of the vvorld are sometime tollerable if we vse them as seruants to carry vs through in our iourney from the earth to heauen but we must not take them with vs into the holy place wherein the Lord is to be worshipped To help vs to the preparation before prayer let vs consider Motiues to preparation first that he to whom we speake is the Father of light and we are by nature but the children of darknes call therfore vpon him in the sinceritie and vprightnesse of thine heart for he loues truth in the inward affections Secondly he is the Father of glory come therefore before him with feare and reuerence for thou art but dust and ashes Thirdly hee is the Father of mercy repent thee therefore of thy sinnes and then draw neere vvith a true heart in assurance of Faith The second thing requisit is attention in Prayer the Lord 2 That there be attention in Prayer to whom we speake is the searcher of the heart and therefore we should beware that wee speake nothing to him with our mouth which our heart hath not conceiued For it is a great mockerie to the Lord to desire him to consider those petitions vvhich wee haue not considered our selues we scarcely heare what we say our selues and how then shall we craue the Lord may heare vs We finde by experience that it is not an easie thing to gather together in one and keepe vnited the powers of our soule in prayer vnto God Sathan knowes that the gathering of our forces is the weakening of his kingdome and that then we are strongest when vve are most feruent in prayer and therefore doth hee labour all that hee can to slacke the earnestnesse of our affection and so to make vs more remisse in prayer by stealing into our hearts if not a prophane at least an impertinent cogitation so that vnlesse wee fight without ceasing against the incursion of our enemie like Abraham driuing away the rauening birds from his sacrifice vnlesse vve expell them speedily as oft as they come vpon vs it is not possible that wee can entertaine conference with God by prayer And thirdly after thy prayer thou shouldst come away with reuerent thanksgiuing It is the fault of many carelesse 3 That after prayer there be thanksgiuing to God vvorshippers they goe vnto God as men goe to a Well to refresh them when they are thirstie they go to it and their face toward it but being refreshed they returne with their backe vpon it euen so doe they sit downe to their prayers without preparation powre them out without attention and deuotion and when they haue done goes away without reuerent thanksgiuing whereas indeed euery accesse to God by prayer should kindle in our hearts a new affection toward him if we consider that when vve pray and gets any accesse so oft are we confirmed in this that he vvho hath the keyes of the house of Dauid and opens and no man shuts hath opened to vs an entrance to the throne of grace vvhich shall neuer be closed againe vpon vs whereof there should arise in our hearts a dayly encrease of ioy vvhich should make vs to abound in thanksgiuing Makes request for the Saints Wee haue further to learne The curse of Moab is vpon prophane men they pray and preuailes not that none are partakers of the grace of Prayer but men sanctified in Christ Iesus the Spirit requests for Saints not for prophane and impenitent men howsoeuer sometime they babble for themselues yet are their prayers turned into sinne The curse of Moab is vpon them they pray and preuailes not As without sanctification we cannot see God so vvithout sanctification vve cannot pray to God euery one that calles on the name of the Lord should depart from iniquitie Doe we not feele it by experience that the further we goe from our sinnes the neerer accesse we get vnto the Lord and on the contrarie doth not the Lord protest against his people the Iewes albeit yee make many prayers yet Esay 1. 15. Ierem. 7. 9. I will not heare you for your hands are full of bloud Will you steale murther and commit adulterie and come and stand before mee in this house where my name is called vpon before your eyes behold euen I see it and will for this cause cast you out of my sight But here seeing it is for Saints onely that the Spirit requests Seeing the spirit requests for Saints onely how shall we know that he requests for vs who are sinners 1 Ioh. 1. 8. vvhat shall then become of mee may the vveake Christian say who am the chiefe of all sinners To this I answere that in vs vvho are militant here vpon earth both of these are true vve are sinners and vve are Saints but in sundry respects If we say wee haue no sinne wee lye and the truth of God is not in vs. And if our aduersarie say that there is nothing in vs but sinne hee is also a lyer That therefore we may know how these are to be reconciled let vs consider that the Euangelist Saint Iohn saith hee that is borne of 1 Ioh. 5. 18. God sinneth not and in the same Epistle speaking also of men that are regenerate and borne of God he saith if wee say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues The Apostle Saint Paul speaking of himselfe in one and the selfe same place affirmes that he did the euill which he would not and yet incontinent Rom. 7. 15. 17. hee protests that it was not hee but sinne dwelling in him The resolution of this doubt vvill arise by considering In the christian man are two men the new and the old that in the Christian man are two men the new man and the old the one the workmanship of God the other the workmanship of Sathan the one but young little weake in respect of the other like little Dauid compared to the Gyant Goliah Yet the new man vvho is weakest hath this vantage that he is daily growing whereas the other is dayly decaying the life of the new man vvaxeth stronger and stronger the life of the olde man vveaker and weaker the one tending to perfection the other vvearing to a finall destruction Now the Lord in iudging of the Christian lookes not God iudges of the Christian by the new man and not by the old to the remanents of sinne in him which are dayly decaying but to the new workmanship of his owne grace in him vvhich is daily