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
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
pulchra terra sed pulchrior qui fecit illa the heauen and earth are beautifull but more beautifull is he who made them and therefore as oft as any good in the creature beginneth to steale our heart after it let vs in our affection goe vp to the Creator considering that the Lord hath not made these beautifull or profitable creatures that we should go a whooring after them but that by them as steps we should climbe vp to him that made them and rest in him The second cause that may breed the loue of God in vs if 2 Because hee hath first loued vs. we meditate vpon it is that the Lord hath first loued vs In 〈◊〉 eâ—m sâ—d non praeuentmus we haue found him but wee did not preuent him we know him now but were first known of him he sound vs first and that euen when wee were enemies vnto him dilexit non existentes into resistentes he loued Bernard vs when we were not yea when wee were rebels against him and shall we not now being reconciled by the death of his sonne endeauour to loue him againe Thirdly the Lord by his continuall gifts hath testified his 3 He hath declared his loue by innumerable gifts already giuen vs. loue to vs he hath not beene vnto vs as a wildernesse or as a land of darknesse if wee will remember and tell what the Lord hath done to our soule we shal finde we are ouercome with the multitude of his mercies there is none that hath deserued the loue of our hearts comparable to the Lord. If our loue be free let vs set it vpon him who is most worthy to be loued and if it be veniall let vs also giue it vnto him who hath giuen vs most for it And fourthly it shall waken in vs the loue of God if wee 4 Hee hath yet greater things which he hath prepared for vs to giue vs. consider in our hearts what great things the Lord hath promised to giue vnto vs euen such as the eye hath not seene and the eare hath neuer heard life without death youth without age light vvithout darknesse ioy without sadnesse a kingdome vvithout a change and in a vvord he shall then Aug. de ciuit dei l. 10. c. 18 Our loue to God must be tryed by the effects thereof giue vs a blessed life non de his quae condidit sed de seipso not of those things which he hath made but of himselfe But to returne to our former purpose that we may know whether this holy loue be created in our hearts by the spirit of grace or no wee must try it by the fruits and effects of loue whereof now it shall content vs to touch a few First 1 Property of Loue it longs to obtaine that which is beloued it is the nature of Loue that it earnestly desires and seekes to obtaine that which is beloued Hereby shalt thou know vvhether thy affection of loue be ordered by Christ or remaine as yet disordered by Sathan The affection which Christ hath sanctified vvill follow vpward seeking to be there where he is Euery thing naturally returnes to the owne original as the waters goe downe to the deepe from whence they came so carnall loue powred out like water returnes to Sathan who begat it and carries miserable man captiued with it downward to the bottomlesse pit but holy loue being as a sparke of heauenly fire kindled in our hearts by the holy Ghost ascends continually and rauishes vs vpward toward the Lord from whom it came not suffering vs to rest till we enioy him Let this then be the first tryall of our loue if we vse carefully Wee loue not God if wee vse not the exercises of the word and prayer seeing by them onely we haue familiaritie with God vpon earth Psal 110. 97. Psal 26. 8. Psal 27. 2. those holy meanes by which we keepe and entertaine familiaritie with our God it is an argument that wee loue him and what other meanes is there by which man vpon earth is familiar with God but the exercises of the word and prayer Godly Dauid who protests in some places that he loued the Lord prooues it in other by the like of these reasons O how loue I thy law it is my meditation continually and againe I haue loued the habitation of thine house and the place where thine honour dâ—â—els One thing haue I desired of the Lord that I may dwell in the house of my God all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to visit his holy temple As this doth serue for the comfort of those who delight in the exercise of the word and prayer so doth it serue for the conuiction of those to whom any other place is more amiable than the tabernacles of God an euident proofe they haue not the loue of God because they neglect the meanes euen when they are offered by which familiar accesse is gotten vnto the Lord. And againe because the sight we haue of God in this life Wee loue not God if we long not to be with him in heauen wher he shews his most familiar presence is but through a vaile and the tast wee get of his goodnesse is but in part and that in the life to come the Lord will fully embrace vs in the armes of his mercy and kisse vs for euer with the kisses of his mouth therefore is it that the soule which vnfainedly loues the Lord cannot rest content with that familiaritie vvhich by the Word and Prayer it hath with GOD in this life but doth long most earnestly to be with the Lord vvhere shee knoweth that in a more excellent manner shee shall embrace him whereof proceedeth these and such like complaints As the Hart brayeth for the Psal 42. 1. riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God O when shall I come and appeare before the presence of my God My Psal 143. Phillip 1. Soule desireth after thee as the thirstie land For I would be dissolued and be with the Lord Therefore come euen so come Reuel 22. Lord Iesus But alas here are vvee taken in our sinnes thou sayest How by this tryal it is found that many are void of the loue of God thou louest the Lord but how is it then that thou longest not to see him neyther desirest thou to be with him yea a small appearance of the day of death or mention of the day of iudgement doth terrifie and afray thee where as otherwise if thou didst loue him they would be ioyfull dayes vnto thee seeing in the one wee goe to him and in the other he commeth to vs to gather vs and take vs thether where he is Surely those men who contenting themselues vvith the gifts of God in this life thinke not long to enioy himselfe are but like an adulterous woman who if so be she possesse the goods of her husband regards not albeit shee
houre of death wee heare that ioyfull sentence Come to me thou Mat. 25. 21. faithfull seruant c. This night thou shalt be with mee in paradise Marke 23. 43. Math. 25. 34. Come and inherit the kingdome prepared for you Till then our peace is not alway without perturbation our ioy Yet our peace and ioy are not perfect in this life and why not without heauinesse nor our confidence without feare yea in our best estate we liue vnder expectation of a better For the iudgement of conscience suppose it be diuine yet it is not supreme nor absolutely perfect because the light we haue to informe conscience is but in part If thy conscience be euill and accuse thee it cannot accuse thee of all the euill which is in thee for if our conscience condemne vs 1. Iohn 3. 20. God is greater then our conscience and will much more condemne Deus scit in nobis quâ—d ipsi nes 〈…〉 s. God knoweth Aug. in Ioan. tract 42. that in vs which we know not our selues And if thy conscience be good and excuse thee yet can it not beare record of all the good which God by the Spirit of Grace hath wrought in thee And therefore for our comfort may wee turne that sentence if our conscience excuse vs God is greater then our conscience and will much more excuse vs. And hereof it commeth that our conscience can neither haue perfect nor perpetuall rest in this life because as is said it dependeth and looketh alwayes for that supreme and absolutory sentence of the highest Iudicator yet so much assurance haue wee and that vpon most certaine grounds whereof we will speake God willing hereafter as makes vs in our greatest tribulations to reioyce vnder the hope of the glorie of God And herein hath the Lord magnified his meruailous mercyes towards vs in that he hath not onely set vs free A great comfort that the Christian knowes before hand the sentence to be pronounced vpon him from condemnation but hath also forewarned vs before we come to iudgement that we shall not be condemned Yea so tender a regard hath the Lord of vs that in his last and supreame Court sentence of absolution shall first be pronounced vpon his children before that sentence of coÌ„demnation be giuen out against the reprobate that the Godly finding themselues in surety should not be discouraged to heare the fearfull reiection of the wicked Let vs not therefore be afraid when so it shall please the Lord to remoue vs out of this earthly Tabernacle seeing that before euer wee goe we know our sentence Pharaoh his Butler was not afraid Gen. 40 13. to goe before his Iudge because Ioseph foretold him that hee should be restored to his office and may not we with greater boldnesse goe before our King seeing we are fore-warned that he will restore vs vnto a more happy estate then that which we lost in Adam This we haue spoken of the glorious deliuerance which But how glorious this deliuerance â—s wee shall best know when we shall be set on mount Sion the iustified man hath in Iesus Christ our best knowledge is but in a part and we are not able to speake of these mercies of our God according to their excellencie The Lord is able to doe vnto vs aboue all that we can aske or thinke The Christian may looke for much more to be giuen him through Christ then any thing that euer he heard or hath conceiued in his owne minde When Lot was compelled to Gen. 14. goe out of Sodome by the Angels he considered not how mercifull the Lord was vnto him and therefore lingred and prolonged the time but being thrust out of Sodome by the Angell and set vpon the mountaine which the Lord had assigned to him for a place of refuge vnto him then no doubt considering the greatnesse of that iudgement which the Lord had executed vpon Sodome the smoke whereof we may well thinke he saw with Abraham the next morne mounting vp like the smoke of a Furnace then no doubt hee was moued in his heart to magnifie the Lords mercie toward him and if in Zoar where he was still in feare hee acknowledged that his life had beene precious in their eies who were sent to deliuer him much more may wee thinke hee was thankfull at the first on the mountaine when he saw their fearefull confusion and his meruailous preseruation It is euen so with vs wee are yet in Sodome which shortly will be burnt vp with fire the Lord doth daily send his Angels to vs warning vs to escape for our life but alas we prolong the time we delay to turne to the Lord loath we are to goe out of Sodome and all because wee know not with the Apostle the terrour of that day but surely when 2 Cor. 5. Reue. 11. the Lord shall set vs on mount Sion among those thousands which follow the Lambe and we shall see the smoake of the damned ascending continually when we shall stand at the right hand of the Lord Iesus and shall heare that fearefull sentence pronounced on the wicked and see the speedie and terrible execution thereof the earth opening incontinent to swallow them then shall we perfectly know how greatly the Lord hath magnified his mercies towards vs in deliuering vs from so fearefull a condemnation Last of all as this is the happy estate of them who are in How miserable are they who are not in Christ Christ that now there is no condemnation for them so is it the contrary miserable estate of the damned doe what they will euery action of their life makes out the processe of their most iust condemnation for to the vncleane all things are vncleane yea euen their consciences are defiled and Tit. 1. their prayer is abhominable and turned into sin but thanks be to God through Iesus Christ who hath deliuered vs from this most vnhappy condition To them who are in Christ. Albeit the former mentioned Deliuerance by Christ pertains not vnto all men onely to them who are of the houshold of Faith deliuerance from the wrath to come be most comfortable yet this which is subioyned should waken euery man to take heed vnto himselfe when we heare that this deliuerance is limited and restrained onely to them who are in Christ It is true that by the offence of one man the fault came on all to condemnation but by the obedience of one all are not made righteous only they who receiue the abundance Rom. 5. of grace and gift of righteousnesse shall raigne in life through one Iesus Christ As therefore we haue receiued within our selues by nature the sentence of death knowing that we are borne heires of the wrath of God by disobedience so wisedome craues that we neuer rest nor suffer our eyes to sleepe nor our eye-lids to slumber but that wee should recount our former sinnes in the bitternes of our heart and
resurrection which for the same cause is called by our Sauiour the day of regeneration for then shall hee change our mortall bodies and make them like vnto his owne glorious body thus by his dwelling in vs haue we the reparation both of our soules and bodies The other benefit we enioy by his dwelling in vs is the 2 He prouides all necessaries where hee dwels Iren. cont val lib. 4. cap. 28. benefit of Prouision where he comes to dwell hee is not burdenable after the manner of earthly Kings but his reward is with him for he hath not chosen vs to be his â—aâ—itation for any neede he hath of vs sed vt haberet in quem collocaret â—ua beneficia but that he might haue some on whom to bestow his benefits non indigeâ— nostrâ— ministerio vt domini seruorum sed sequimur ipâ—um vt homines lumen sequuntar nihil ipsi praestantes sed beneficium a lumine accipientes hee hath no need of our seruice as other Lords haue neede of their seruants but we follow him as men follow the light giuing nothing to it but receiuing a benefit from it It falles commonly out that where men of meane estate Not like kings of the earth who oft times are burdenable to them with whom they lodge Aug. de verb. Apost ser 15. receiue to lodge those that are more honourable they disease themselues to ease their guests but if thou receiue this rich spirit of the Lord to lodge non angustabâ—ris sed dilataberis thou shalt not be straited but shalt be enlarged saith Augustine he knew the comfort hee reaped by this presence of GOD and therefore could speake the better thereof vnto others quando hic non eras angustias patiebar nunc implesti cellam meam non me exclusisti sed angustiam meam when thou Lord dwelst not in me much anguish of minde oppressed me now thou hast filled the cellers of my heart thou hast not excluded me but excluded that anguish which troubled me In a word the benefits wee receiue by him doe not onely concerne this life but are stretched out also to eternall life Dauid comprises all in a short summe the Lord is a light and defence hee will giue grace and glory and no good thing shall be withholden from them that Psal 84. 11. loue him The greater benefits we haue by the dwelling of Christ What duties of thankfulnes we owe to our Lord who dwels in vs. in vs the more are we obliged in our dutie to him O how should that house be kept in order wherein the King of glory is resident what daily circumspection ought to be vsed that nothing be done to offend him not without cause are these watch-words giuen vs grieue not the spirit quench Eph. 4. 30. 1. Thes 5. 19. not the spirit There are none in a family but they discerne the voyce of the master thereof and followes it they goe 1 That we discerne the voyce of our Master and obay it Math. 8. 9. out and in at his commandment if he say vnto one Goe he goeth if to another Come he commeth if the Lord be our master let vs heare euery morning his voyce and enquire what his will is we should doe with a promise to resigne the gouernment of our hearts vnto him for it is certaine he will not dwell where he rules not as he will admit no vncleane thing within his holy habitation so will he not dwell with the vncircumcised in heart the Lord will not take a wicked man by the hand nor haue fellowship with the throne of iniquitie If holy men when they see brothels Macar hom 12. abhorre them and goes by them how much more shall we thinke that the most holy Lord will despise and passe by their soules which are polluted rather like to the filthie stewes of Sodome than the holy sanctuary of Sion for the Lord to dwell in And if hereby the weake conscience be cast downe reasoning That euery day we sweepe and water his chamber with the besome teares of repentance Zach. 13. 1. within it selfe alas how can my beloued dwell with me who am so polluted and defiled remember that the more thou art displeased with thy selfe the more thy Lord is pleased with thee for thy daily pollutions hee hath appointed daily washings in that fountaine which he hath opened to the house of Dauid for sin and for vncleannesse Sweepe out thy sinnes euery day by the besome of holy anger and reuenge and water the house of thy heart with the teares of contrition quoniam sine aliquo vulnere esse non possumus medelis Cyprian spiritualibus vulnera nostra curemus seeing wee cannot be without some wounds of Conscience let vs daily goe to the next remedie that with spirituall medicines wee may â—ure them chasting our selues euery morning and examining our selues vpon our bed in the euening And againe seeing we are made the Temples of the That in his Temple there want not morning and euening sacrifice holy Ghost there should be within vs continuall sacrifices offered vnto God of prayer and praising together with a daily slaughter of our beastly affections Among the Israelites Princes were knowne by the multitude of their sacrifices which they offered vnto God but now they who sacrifice most of their vncleane affections are most approued as excellent Israelites of the Lord who can best discerne an Israelite From the time the Lord departed from Ierusalems Temple the daily sacrifice and oblation ceased and where there is not in man neither prayer nor praysing Macar hom 28. of God nor mortification of his beastly lusts but the spirituall Chaldeans hath come in and taken away this daily sacrifice it is an euident argument that the Lord dwelleth not there Last of all let vs marke here that the Apostle sayth Bastard professors lodges this holy spirit in a wrong roome Ephe. 3. 17. this dwelling of the spirit is in vs it is not without vs the kingdome of God is within vs if he dwell he will dwell in our hearts by saith for he himselfe requires the heart As for them who lodge him in their mouths by professing him in their eyes by aduancing them to heauen in their hands by doing some workes of mercy and not in their hearts these are carnall men not spirituall pretend what they will hipocrites who drawes neere the Lord with their lips but their hearts are farre from him accursed deceiuers who hauing a male in their flocke vowes and sacrifices a corrupt thing vnto the Lord which I doe not speake as if I did condemne the outward seruice done in the body to the Lord prouiding it flowe from the heart Ye are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6. 20. therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit for they are Gods And this also is to be marked for the amendment of two Humble gestures of the bodie in
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
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
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
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
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
which our immortall husband Iesus Christ hath prouided for vs to sustaine vs that we saint not through our manifold tentations that compasse vs in this barren wildernesse We come then to the first part of the Chapter wherein Subdiuision of the first part the Apostle keepes this order First he sets downe a generall proposition of comfort belonging to the iustified man Secondly he subioynes a confirmation thereof Thirdly he explanes his reason of confirmation and fourthly applies it first by commination of them who walke after the flesh secondly by consolation of the godly against the remanents of the flesh thirdly by exhortation of both not to walke after the flesh In the proposition againe set downe Verse 1. first he points at the comfort Now then there is no 1 Proposition condemnation secondly he sets downe a limitation restrayning this comfort to them who are in Christ thirdly hee subioynes a clearer declaration of those persons who are in Christ to wit they walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Verse 1. Now then This is a relatiue to his former discourse Coherence of this Chapter with the former and is as I haue said a Conclusion inferred vpon that which goeth before Seeing we are iustified by Faith in Iesus Christ and are now no more vnder the Law but vnder Grace seeing we are buried with Christ by Baptisme into his death that like as he was raised from the dead by the glory of his Father so we also should walke in newnesse of life hauing receiued that spirit of Christ whereby wee fight against the Law of sinne in our members which rebelleth against the Law of our minde seeing it is so we may be sure that the remanent power of sinne in vs shall neuer be able to condemne vs. We see then that these words containe the Apostles glorying The Apostles former lamentation turned into a triumph against the remanents of sinne the sense whereof in the end of the last Chapter made him burst out into a pittifull lamentation and cry O miserable man who will deliuer me from the body of this death but now considering the certaintie of his deliuerance by Iesus Christ he reioyceth and triumpheth Wherein for our first lesson we marke the diuersitie of dispositions to which the Children of God are subiect in this life somtime so full of comfort that they can not containe themselues but must needs breake forth into glorious reioycings at other times so far deiected in mind that their ioy is turned into mourning and this ariseth in them from the variable change of their sight and feeling The Disciples on mount Tabor seeing the bright shining glorie of Christ were rauished with ioy but incontinent Math. 17. 2. when the cloud ouershadowes them they become afraid If the Lord let vs feele his mercies wee are aliue but if hee hide his face and set our sinnes in order before vs wee are Psal 50. 21. sore troubled As the troubles we haue in this life are not without comforts Blessed be God the Father of our Lord 2. Cor. 1. 3. Iesus the Father of mercies and God of all comfort who comforts 1. Pet. 1. 3. vs in all our tribulation so our ioy saith Saint Peter is not without heauinesse the one arising of the knowledge of that vndeserued inheritance reserued for vs in heauen the other of our manifold tentations to which wee are subiect here vpon earth it is these vicissitudes and changes which wrought in Dauid such different dispositions as appeareth in him in the Booke of the Psalmes and which all the godly may by experience finde in themselues Pascimur Bernard hic patimur for here we are so nourished with the comforts of God that we are nurtred with his crosses It is the Lords dispensation and we are to reuerence it resting assured that the peace and ioy which once the Lord hath giuen vs may be interrupted but can neuer vtterly be taken from vs the Lord who will not suffer the rod of the wicked for euer Psal 125. 3. to lie vpon the back of the righteous least they put out their hand to wickednesse will farre lesse suffer his owne terrours continually to oppresse our consciences least we faint dispaire Hose 6. 2. though he wound vs he will binde vs vp againe after two daies he will reuiue vs and we shall liue in his sight Weeping may abide in the Euening but ioy shall come in the Morning The chosen vessell of God shall not alway lament and crie woe is me sometime the Lord will put a song of thanksgiuing into his mouth make him to reioyce thus de aduersis Chrisost in Mat. â—om prosperis admirabili virtute vitam Sanctorum contexuit Deus The life of a Christian may be compared to a webbe so meruailously mixed and wouen of comfort and trouble by The life of a Christian is a mixed webbe wrought of trouble and comfort the hand of God that the long thread thereof reaching from the day of our birth to the day of our death are all of trouble but the weft interiected with manifold comforts And this haue we marked vpon the coherence of the beginning of this Chapter with the end of the former Now in these words it is to be obserued the Apostle saies Papist wrongfully collect here that there is no sinne or damnable act in them who are in Christ not there is no sinne in them who are in Christ but he saith there is no condemnation to them hee hath confessed before that he did the euill which he would not and that hee saw a law in his members rebelling against the law of his minde but now he reioyceth in Christ that sinne in him is not able to condemne him It is then a false exposition of these words which is made by Caietane and Aquinas Nihil Aquinas Caietane on this place est damnabile in illis qui sunt in Christo nullus actus quo mereamur damnari that in them who are in Christ there is nothing worthy to be damned no act that merits damnation for the Apostle condemnes these motions of sinne which he found in himselfe as euill and repugnant to the Law of God and if the holy Apostle was not ashamed to confesse this of himselfe what blinde presumption is this in them to exempt themselues or others from such motions as are worthy to be damned we shall still confesse our guiltinesse there remaines in vs of our owne which the Lord might condemne if he would enter into iudgement with vs and shall so much the more praise his mercie who hath deliuered vs from condemnation and further comfort then this the Apostles words do not afford vnto vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is no iudgement no sentence to be giuen against them who are in Christ Surely our righteousnesse in this life consists rather in the remission of sinnes then in the perfection
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
vses this same similitude Iohn 15. And in it we haue these things to consider First who is the stock or root secondly who are the grafts or branches ingrafted thirdly what is the manner of the ingrafting fourthly some comforts and instructions arising hereof The root or stocke whereinto this ingrafting is made is Iesus Christ called by himselfe the true Vine by the Apostles 1 The stocke or roote Iohn 15. 1. Rom. 11. 17. Isaiah 11. 1. the true Oliue by the Prophets the roote of Iesse and the righteous branch this roote that great husbandman the eternall God prepared to be as a stocke of life wherein he ingrafts all of Adams lost posteritie whom he hath concluded to saue to the praise and glory of his mercie After that in the fulnes of time God had sent him into the world clad with our nature and he had done the work for which he came the Lord laid him in the graue and as it were set him in the graue but at once like a liuely roote he sprang vp and rested not till his branches spred to the vttermost ends of the earth and till his top mounted vp vnto heauen for there now he sits and raignes in life who before was humbled to death The branches or graftes ingrafted in him are of two 2 The branches whereof some are only externally ingrafted these may be cut off Rom. 11. 22. sorts first all the members of the Church visible who by externall Baptisme are entred to a profession of Christ baptised with water but not with the holy Ghost this kinde of ingrafting will suffer a cutting off if thou continue not in his bountifulnesse thou shalt also be cut off For they haue not the sap of grace ministred to them from the stocke of life but are as dead trees hauing leaues without fruit they haue 2. Tim. 3 5. a shew of Godlinesse but haue denied the power thereof These are no better then Esau who lay in the same wombe with Iacob borne and brought vp in the same Family of Isaac which was the Church of God marked also with the same sacrament of Circumcision Nam sicut ille ex legittima mater natus gratiam superbe spreuit reprobatus est ita qui in Aug. de bap cont Donatist lib. 10. cap. 10. vera Ecclesia baptizantur gratiam Deâ— non amplectuntur cum Esauo reijciuntur For as hee being borne of a lawfull Mother proudely despised Grace and was cast off so they who are baptised into the true Church of God and embrace not the grace of God shall be reiected with Esau neyther shall it auaile them that by an externall kinde of ingrafting they haue beene adioyned to the fellowship of the visible Church The other sort are they who beside the outward ingrafting Others internally ingrafted and to these belongs this comfort whereof we haue spoken are also inwardly grafted by the holy Ghost in Iesus Christ in such sort that Christ is in them and they in Christ and can say with the Apostle Now I liue yet not I any more but Christ Iesus liueth in me these haue in them that same minde which was in Iesus the Gal. 2. 20. onely sure argument of our spirituall vnion with him for if any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same is not his and they who are quickned and ruled by his spirit are assuredly his As for the manner of the ingrafting it is spiritual wrought 3 The manner of the ingrafting it is made by the word spirit by the holy Ghost who creating faith in our heart by hearing of the Gospell makes vs to goe out of our selues transire in Christum so to relie vpon him that by his light we are illuminated by his spirit we are quickned by the continuall furniture of his grace we perseuere and increase in spirituall strength in a word so we liue that in our selues we dye Euery lampe of the golden candlesticke hath his Zach. 4. owne pipe through which these two oliues that stand with the ruler of the whole world emptie themselues into the gold that is euery member of the Church of Christ receiues grace from that fulnesse of Grace which is in him through the secret conduits of the spirit whereby he causeth vs to grow and preserueth our soules in life Though he be in heauen and we on earth no distance Distance of place staies not our vnion with him of place can stay this vnion for seeing the members of the body howsoeuer scattered through sundry parts of the world so farre that many of them haue neuer seene others in the face are notwithstanding knit together by the band of one spirit into one holy communion why should it be denyed but that the head and members of this mysticall body are also one by the same Spirit suppose the head be in heauen and the members on earth or what need is there to enforce for effecting of this vnion such a corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament as cannot stand with the truth of Gods word Now the comforts that ariseth vnto vs of our communion 4 Comforts arising of this our vnion with Christ with Christ are exceeding great for first we haue with him a communion of natures he hath taken vpon him ours and hath communicated his nature vnto vs. Of the first after a sort all mankind may glory forasmuch as Christ tooke not on the nature of Angels but the nature 1 Communion of Natures of man yet if there be no more the comfort is small yea the condemnation of man is the greater that the Lord Iesus came vnto man in mans nature and man would not receiue him But as for the godly let them reioyce in this that the Lord Iesus hath not onely assumed our nature but also made vs pertakers of the diuine nature before he assumed 2. Pet. 1 4. our nature he sanctified it and now hauing by his owne spirit ioyned vs to himselfe we may be out of doubt hee shall not cease till he hath sanctified vs. It is a notable comfort that the worke of our perfect A notable comfort the Lord who sanctified our nature that he might assume it will also sanctifie vs seeing he hath vnited vs to himselfe Phil. 1. 6. sanctification is not left vnto vs to doe the Lord Iesus hath taken it into his owne hand to performe it what then shall hinder it I am perswaded that he who hath begunne this good worke in you will performe it against the day of Iesus Christ He who at his pleasure turned water into Wine he who made the bitter waters to become sweete he who makes the wildernesse a fruitfull land and the barren woman to become the mother of many children in a word he who calles things which are not and causeth them to be is hee notable to make sinners become Saints or shall hee not perfect that worke of the new creation
consider what thou hopest to be after this 2 What we hope to be after this life life dost thou not hope to raigne as a King in the heauens and wilt thou now liue as a slaue to Sathan vpon earth Is any man crowned except he sâ—riue as he ought or doth he receiue the prize who runnes not the race or can hee obtaine the victorie who neuer wrestled why then fightest thou not why runnest thou not why beginnest thou not to raigne in earth as a king ouer thy lusts seeing thou hopest to raigne as a king in heauen in glory Doe not deceiue thy selfe that crowne is for conquerours not for captiues Non sperare potest regnum coelorum cui supra propria membra regnare Ber. de persecutione sustineÌ„da cap. 11. 1. Iohn 3. 2. non donatur hee cannot looke for that heauenly kingdome to whom it is not giuen to raigne ouer his own earthly members Wee know that when Iesus shall appeare we shall be like him for wee shall see him as hee is and hee that hath this hope in himselfe purgeth himselfe euen as hee is pâ—re Certainly if the Lord through Grace prepare thee not for his Heauenly Kingdome thou canst neuer say with a warrant that the Lord hath prepared that kingdome for thee And thirdly the consideration of the present occasion 3 What presently we may be should waken vs to goe out of this house of bondage for now the Sonne of God offers to make vs free a Prince of greater power is content to enter into confederacie with vs hee promiseth to restore vs to all the priuiledges wee lost in Adam yea to giue vs much more than euer we had in him and shall we neglect so faire an occasion When Cyrus king of Persia proclaymed liberty to the Iewes to goe from Babell the place of their captiuitie homeward to Ierusalem it is said that all those went forward whose spirit God had raised vp and now when the Lords annoynted proclaymes liberty to the captiues and the opening of the door to them that are in prison I know that none shall follow his calling but such whose spirit the Lord hath raised vp the rest being miserably blind delight to lye still in captiuitie thinking their bondage liberty The Lord giue vs grace that we may discerne the time of our visitation that with Dauid we may aduance our eyes toward the Lord who hath begunne to plucke our feet out of the nâ—t and that still we may lift vp and stretch out our hands vnto him till hee haue deliuered vs fully from the power of the enemie This being spoken of the bondage we are now to consider Our deliuerance from this bondage is to be ascribed vnto Christ only Heb. 13. 9. Reuel 7. 1â— Isai 42. 8. that our deliuerance from it is here ascribed to Iesus Christ Thy perdition is of thy selfe O Israell But our saluation belongs to the Lord and to the Lambe that sits vpon the throne Let no man therefore be so vnthankfull as to ascribe any part of this glory to another my glory will I not giue to another saith the Lord the glory of a temporall deliuerance God will not giue it vnto man hee would not saue Israell vnder Gideon with thirtie two thousand and why least Israell should vaunt against the Lord and say my right hand hath done it Or euer he entred his people Israell into the land of Canaan he forewarned them that they should not say it was for their righteousnesse and will hee then thinke yee giue the praise of this most notable deliuerance to the Creature No the whole booke of God witnesseth that it is not for our righteousnesse but for the praise of the glory of his rich mercie that we are entred into heauenly Canaan Did Peter Iames and Iohn helpe the Lord Iesus in that agonie which he suffered in the garden no surely be bad them watch with him and pray but when hee was sweating blood they were sleeping when he was buffeted in Caiphas hall did not Peter deny him when he went to the Crosse did not all his disciples forsake him and those who loued him most dearely did they not stand a farre off from him Certainely he alone troad the wine-presse of the wrath of God he alone bare the punishment of our sinnes in his blessed body on the Crosse to him therfore alone pertayneth the glory of our saluation As for the persons to whom this deliuerance pertaines Mercies of god shewed vpon others should confirme vs if we repent to looke for the like to our selues the Apostle names himselfe among them hath freed vs not to exclude but rather to confirme all others who are in Iesus Christ For he confesses of himselfe that he was receiued to mercy for this end that God might shew vpon him an example of long suffering to them who shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life therefore it is that hee speakes of this deliuerance in his owne person for the confirmation 2. Tim. 1. 16. of others who hauing beene before as hee was notorious sinners are now become such as repents and beleeues And indeed euery example of GODS mercy shewed vnto others should serue to strengthen vs. Audientâ—s Christum non horruisse confitentem latronem c. when we Bernard heare sayth Bernard that the Lord Iesus abhorred not the penitent Theefe on the Crosse that hee despised not the sinfull Cananitish woman when she made supplication nor the woman taken in Adulterie nor him that sat at the receipt of Custome nor the Publicane when hee sought mercie nor the Disciple that denyed him neither yet the persecuter of his Disciples in odore horum vnguentorum â—urramus post cum in the sweet smell of these oyntments let vs runne after him Alwaies we see that the Apostle doth speake vnto others Preachers not pertakers of that mercy which they of a deliuerance obtayned by Christ as being also pertaker thereof himselfe As he was a Preacher of Christ so he was a follower of Christ he beate downe his body by discipline least that preaching vnto others hee should haue beene a pronounce to others are most miserable reprobate himselfe and therfore he now speaks as one who is sure that hee also hath his portion in Christ Otherwise what comfort can it be either to Preacher or professor to speake of that life and grace which commeth by Christ Iesus they themselues in the meane time being like to that miserable Atheist Simon Magus to whom Peter gaue out that fearefull sentence thou hast neither part nor fellowship in Acts. 8. 21. this businesse or like those Priests in Ierusalem in the dayes of Herod who directed others to Bethleem by the light of the word to worship Christ but went not themselues or those builders of Noahs Arke who helped to build a vessel for preseruation of others but perished in the deluge themselues or like Bilhah and Zilpah who brought
forth and nourished free men vnto Iacob but remayned themselues in the state of bond women from this vnhappie condition the Lord deliuer vs and make vs partakers of that mercie and grace whereof hee hath made vs Preachers and professors From the Law of sinne and death Heere the Apostle shewes from what it is that we are deliuered Dauid saith many deliuerances giueth the Lord to his annoynted he spake Psal 18. 51. it of himselfe and it is true of all the Children of God By a great deliuerance he saued Noah in the deluge Lot in the burning of Sodome Israel out of Egypt Ioseph in the prison Daniel in the denne the three Children in the sierie furnace but all these are small if they be compared with this deliuerance from sinne and death Where first we learne how the Apostle conioynes these Sinne death God hath conioyned who shall seperate them two sinne and death if we be deliuered from the first wee shall also be deliuered from the second but if wee abide in the first we shall be sure not to escape the second if therefore Sathan say vnto vs as he did to our first Parents though yâ—u eatâ—â—f this forbidden tree yee shall not dye let vs answere him he hath proued already a shamelesse lyar and we are not any more to credit him that same penaltie lyes vpon euery sinne which was layd vpon the first if ye doe it ye shall die God hath conioyned them and who shal seperate them though the Lord speake not instantly to euery sinner as he did to Abimelech behold thou art but dead because Gen. 20. 3. of this sinne yet is it true of euery sinne when it is finished it brings out death So soone as Ionas entred into the Sea saith Chris hom 5. ad popu Ant. Chrisostome the storme rose to teach vs that Vbi peccatum ibi procella where there is sinne specially committed with rebellion there will not faile to arise a storme of the wrath of God It is true indeed the sinner in committing of sinne doth What a deceiuer Sathan is in tempting to sinne not perceiue this being blinder than Balaam he walkes on in an euill course and sees not the sword of Gods vengeance which is before him but imagines alway to reape some good either of profit or pleasure by committing of sinne for these are Sathans two baites vnder which hee couers his deadly hookes It is therefore a point of singular wisedome to decerne betweene the deceit of sinne present and the fruit of sinne to come betweene that which Sathan promiseth and that which we finde in experience performed He promised to our Parents that they should be made like vnto God but in very deede hee made them miserable like himselfe And if thou wilt also obserue that which thou findest in thy owne experience what fruit hast thou of a Rom. 6. 11. sinne when thou hast committed it doth not darknesse arise in thy minde heauinesse in thy heart terrour feare and accusing cogitations in thy conscience Euery man may finde it who list to marke it by moe then a thousand experiences in himselfe that Sathan is a shamelesse deceiuer yea more deceitfull then Laban who promised to giue to Iacob Gen. 34. beautifull Rahel but in the darke he gaue him bleare-eyed Leah be assured he will change thy wages promise thee one thing and pay thee with another As Hamor spake to his Sichemites so doth Sathan to his blind-folded Citizens he perswaded his people that if they would be circumcised all Iacobs substance and cattell should be theirs but indeed the contrary ensued for the goods of the Sichemites befell to the house of Iacob and they themselues perished by the sword Let vs therefore beware of the inuenomed tongue of the Diuell mentitur vt fallat vitam pollicetur vt perimat Cypr. lib. 1. Epist. 8. he lyes that he may deceiue he promiseth life that he may inflict death say he what he will let vs beleeue the word of the Lord confirmed by dolefull daily experience the wages of sinne is death God hath knit them together and who shall seperate them So oft then as Sathan by the deceit of sinne would beguile Sinne seemes sweet but the fruit thereof is bitter thee remember that though sinne seeme to be sweet the fruit thereof is exceeding bitter if thou feare not sinne feare that end whereunto sinne leades thee dulce peccatum sed amara mors sinne is sweet but death is bitter remember that the wages which Sathan promiseth and man would haue hee shall not get but the wages which God threatneth and man would not haue shall assuredly be payed him for this is the miserie of those who walke in their sinnes illud propter quod peccant hic dimittunt ipsa peccata Aug. hom 42. sâ—cum portant that for which they sinne they leaue it behinde them and carrie their sinnes away out of the world with them So that in the end when they shall gather the profite of all their former sinnes into a summe they shall find no other but that fore-told by the Apostle What profit Rom. 6. 21. haue ye now of all those things whereof ye are ashamed surely there is no fruit but shame and death to be pluckt from the forbidden tree of sinne But heere it may be obiected by the weake conscience Comfort for the godly who are troubled with the tentations of sinne of the godly how can this comfort be ours that wee are freed from sinne who find our selues so continually assaulted yea oftentimes oppressed of sinne For answere let vs marke that the Apostle saith not wee are fully freed from sinne in this life but we are freed from the law of sinne that is both from the commanding and condemning power thereof Sinne doth not now raigne in our mortall bodies as before neither hath it power any more to detaine vs vnder death But as for the temptations of sinne there is no sort of men more troubled with them then they whom God hath begunne to deliuer from the Law of sinne for Sathan being impatient of his losse seekes daily to recouer his former dominion From the time that once the Gibeonites made peace for themselues with Ioshua all the rest of Ioshua 9. the Kings of Canaan made warre against them and so soone as we enter into a couenant with the Lord Iesus Sathan shal not faile the more hereely to assault vs seeking to recouer his old possession yet if as the Gibeonits did we send speedily messengers to our Iehosua to shew him how wee are troubled for his sake hee shall not with-draw his helping hand from vs. Our deliuerance from sinne is begunne now but not Our begun deliuerance from sinne the Lord shall perfect 1. Cor. 1 8. Phil. 1. 6. perfected but we know that our God is faithfull by whom we are called hee shall also confirme vs to the end Euen hee who
own son Sonne to distinguish him from all others who are his sonnes by adoption onely Christ is the Sonne of God by nature by that diuine inutterable generation whereof Esay saith Who can expresse it Thus is hee Gods owne sonne that is Esay coeternall and coessentiall begotten of the Father before all time by the full communication of his whole essence vnto him in a manner that cannot be expressed And in the fulnesse of time he became man God being manifested in the flesh and in regard of his humane nature which was conceiued of the holy Ghost and vnited in a personall vnion with his diuine he stands in the title of Gods owne sonne after so singular a manner that he admits no companion The last of these two the Apostle makes the first point Christs diuine generation a great mysterie 1. Tim. 3. 16. of the misterie of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh wherein he bridles our curiositie for if his manifestation in the flesh that is his incarnation be a mysterie that goes beyond our vnderstanding what shall we say of his diuine generation a mysterie to be indeed adored not to be enquired an article proposed to be belieued not to be disputed The Arrians seeking to search out this vnsearchable mysterie with naturall reason by infinite degrees more foolish then if they had presumed to number the starres of heauen or measure with their fist all the waters in the Sea they stumbled Mans curiosity restrained from searching it and fell being neuer able to comprehend how the son that was begotten should be coeternall and coessentiall to the Father who begot him therefore the worthy Fathers of the primitiue Church to represse the presumption of these arrogant spirits drew them down from the dangerous speculation of these high mysteries farre aboue their capacitie to consideration of things which are in nature Si in Creatura genitum inueniri potest coaeuum genitori an non aequum August est concedas posse ista in creatore coaeterna inueniri if in things created that which is begotten may be found equall in time to that which begat it why should it be denyed that in the Creator the begetter and begotten are equall in eternitie When a candle saith Augustine is first lighted at once there are two things the fire the splendor or light if it be enquired whether the fire come from the light or the light from the fire all men will agree that the splendor or light comes from the fire but if againe it be demanded which of them is first or last in time it cannot be determined But wherefore shall we vse these similitudes as the Creator is aboue the creature so is that mysterie aboue all the secrets of nature no similitude can be found in nature so much as shadow that most high and supernaturall mysterie yet is the endeuor of these godly fathers commendable who haue laboured to bring downe men to the exercising of their wits in things which are below like vnto themselues leauing curious inquisition of higher secrets which as I haue said are to be receiued with faith reuerenced with Rom 11. 20. silence not searched out by curiositie O man be not high minded but feare Christ came like a sinfull man but without sinne In the similitude of sinnefull flesh We must not so vnderstand these words as if Iesus had onely the similitude of a naturall bodie no he was very man made of the seed of Dauid he hath taken our flesh indeed yet was he not a sinfull man but separated from sinners A holy One from the first moment of his conception conceiued of the holy Ghost A stone cut out of the mountaine without hands The Dan. 2. 45. Cant. Flower of the field that groweth without mans labour or industry 1. Cor. 15. The second Adam very man as was the first but not begotten of man So then the word similitude is not to be ioyned with the word Flesh but with the word sinfull He tooke on mans nature without sin yet subiect to those infirmities mortalitie and death which sin brought vpon vs he appeared like a sinfull man being indeed without sinne in the shape of a Seruant content to be made inferiour not onely to Angels but to men of the vilest sort sold for thirtie pieces of siluer not so worthie to liue as Barrabas ranked with Theeues on the Crosse and reputed as a Worme of the earth thus being voyde of all sinne yet was hee handled as a sinner and most wicked malefactor Wherein we are to consider so farre as we may though How deerely the Lord loued vs perceiue by the price he hath giuen for our ransome we cannot comprehend it that wonderfull loue which the Lord hath shewed vs in this worke of our saluation how deere and precious our life hath beene in his eyes perceiue by the greatnesse of that price which he hath giuen for vs for who will giue much for that whereof hee esteemes but little it was not with gold nor siluer nor any corruptible thing that the Lord hath redeemed vs but with the precious blood of his owne Son Iesus as of a Lambe vnblemished and vnspotted If Dauid considering the goodnesse of God towards man in the work of creation fell out into this admiration O Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him Psalm 8. or the Son of man that thou doest visite him how much more haue we cause so to cry out considering the riches of God his wonderfull mercies shewed vs in the worke of redemption It was a great kindnesse which Abraham shewed to Lot when he hazarded his owne life and the liues of his familie to recouer Lot out of the hands of Chedarlaomer but not comparable to that kindnesse which our kinsman the Lord Iesus hath shewed vnto vs who hath giuen his life to deliuer vs out of the hand of our enemies The Lord shed abroad in our hearts more and more abundantly the sence of that loue that we may endeauour to be thankfull for it by this threefold dutie first of thanksgiuing secondly of seruice thirdly of loue toward those who are beloued of him As for the first our life should be a continuall thanksgiuing Our thankfulnes againe should be testified by this threefold dutie and worshipping before him who hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his blood When the children of Israell had passed the red sea suppose they had a vast wildernesse betweene them and Canaan yet they praised 1 Continuall thanksgiuing God with a song of thanksgiuing and the Lord appointed an yeerely remembrance of that benefit If smaller mercies are to be remembred with thanksgiuing what shall we thinke of the greater As for the second which is seruice Zacharie teacheth 2 Seruice vs that for this end God hath deliuered vs from all our enimies that all our dayes we should serue him in righteousnesse Luke 1. 74.
Abraham There is nothing colder than Ice yet saith Augustine it is melted and made warme by the help of fire A thorny ground saith Cyril being wel manured yet becomes fertile Ciril catec 2 Psal 107. and the Lord saith the Psalmist turneth a barren wildernes into a fruitfull land he rayses the dead he makes the blind to see and the lame to walke he causes the Eagle to renue Psal 103. his youth shall we then close his hands and thinke it impossible for him to make the sinner conceiued and borne in sinne to cast the ould slough of nature and become a new creature And this haue I marked to keepe vs from that presumptuous Iudge not rashly of any mans reprobation iudging as to conclude any mans reprobation because of this present rebellion thou knowest not what is in the councell of God though in regard of his conuersation for the present hee be a stranger from the life of God And againe for our selues that we may magnifie the mercie of the Lord our God who hath done that vnto vs by grace which nature could neuer haue done that is hath made our rebellious hearts subiect to his holy law and wee are sure he will also performe that good worke which he hath begunne in vs. The word which the Apostle vseth here to expresse The rebellion of the wicked against God exempts them not from his dominion mans natural rebellion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noteth such a rebellion of mans corrupt nature as is not subiect according to order we are not to thinke that any rebell were hee neuer so stubborne can exempt himselfe from subiection doe what he can he bides vnder the Lords dominion but a naturall man saith the Apostle giueth not orderly subiection vnto God Ieroboam shooke off the yoke of his lawfull Lord and Rehoboam was notable to controll him But let man repine as he will can he cast off the yoke of the Lord No no if man refuse to declare his subiection by an humble submission of his spirit to the Lords obedience the Lord for all that shall not lose his superioritie but shall declare his power vpon man by controling him he shal bruise him like an earthen pitcher with a scepter of iron that refuseth to bowe his heart vnder the scepter of his word Let the wicked cry in the pride of their nature wee will breake the bonds and cast off the yâ—ake of the Lord yet hath hee Psal 2. them fast bound in chaines goe where they will his hand is stretched ouer them and they shal not be able to eschew it O foolish and most vnhappie condition wherein man How miserable the wicked are who being subiect to God by necessitie refuse voluntary subiection Psal 18. liueth rebelling against the will of his Superiour and it profiteth him not for by no meanes can he exempt himselfe from his power surely all the vantage that the wicked reapes by repining against the Lord is that they multiply moe sorrowes vpon their owne head for with the froward the Lord will shew himselfe froward he wil walke stubbornly against them who walke stubbornly against him and adde seauen times more plagues vpon them As the Bird snared in the grin the more she struggleth to escape the more shee is fastned so the wicked the more they rebell the hardlier are they punished the faster they flie from the hand of Gods mercie the sooner they fall into the hand of his iustice It is further here to be obserued that the Apostle sayth carnall wisedome â—◠〈…〉 ties with God the word he vseth Nature vnregenerate doth not onely sin but multiply sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the plurall number otherwise it could not agree with the Substantiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof we learne how our nature not renewed by grace doth not onely sinne but multiply sinnes and transgressions against the Lord. O how this should humble vs that we haue not onely sinned but also multiplyed sinnes If any one sinne be enough to condemne man in what estate doth he stand who hath gathered against himselfe such a heape of transgressions more in number then the haires of his head If Adam for one transgression Psalm 40. 12. fled away from Gods presence what meruaile if horrible feare and perturbation possesse the sonnes of Adam who haue multiplyed against the Lord so many transgressions If the earth once cursed for Adams sinne was cursed the second time for Caine his sinne how oft is it cursed Gen. Heb. 2. 2. now If iudgement grow like wormewood and euery disobedience and transgression hath it owne iust recompence of reward what a treasure of wrath hath man now stored vp against himselfe who hath multiplyed so many sins against the Lord An arme of the body once broken saith Augustine August de temp ser 58. is not restored without paine and dolour to the patient but if it be after broken it is hardlyer cured a Conscience once wounded is confounded at the light and presence of God what then shall be to them who haue wounded themselues so often to death and stabbed through their soules with innumerable transgressions Let no man therefore flatter himselfe because his sinnes Though our sins were neuer so small this should humble vs that they are many for in any thing many smales make a great are small but let him be humbled and mourne considering that they are many It may be thou art not guiltie of the grosest actuall sinnes shall this diminish thy contrition Is there any thing smaller then a pickle of sand yet many of them collected become a heauier burthen then man is able to beare and drops of water though they be small yet if they be multiplyed becomes great riuers It is not alwaies the great waues of the Sea that ouerturneth the ship but the drop that sipes in at the leake shall sinke her also if it be neglected let vs not then neglect to purge our soules because we are not stained with grosse sinnes considering that the smallest sinnes often multiplyed are waightie enough to presse downe our soules to the lowest hell if we goe not to Christ to be eased of our burden And last we learne here that the cause of inimitie between Cause of inimitie betweene God and man is in man God and man is not in God but in man who will not ranck himselfe in the roome of a subiect giue to the Lord the place of a commaunder there is no question betweene the Lord and man but this onely whose will should be done the Lord craues that man should subiect himselfe to the will of God but man aspires to make his owne will the rule of his actions In this miserable estate liues man not renewed by grace hee hath set vp within himselfe a will contrary to Gods most holy will Woe be to him that striueth Isay 45. 9. with his maker If the will of God be
publike exercises of diuine worship prophanly scorned by some sorts of men among vs who are in two extremities we haue some who are become scorners of the grace of God in others neither can they be humbled themselues in the publik assemblies of the Saints nor be content to see others expresse their inward motion by outward humiliation they sit downe in the throne of God and condemnes others for hipocrisie not remembring that the sinne of hipocrisie is to be reserued to the iudgement of God who onely knowes the heart that those same things which they mislike in their brethreÌ„ the Lord hath allowed in others The Apostles precept commaunds vs to lift vp to the Lord pure hands in prayer Dauids practise teaches vs to aduance our eyes to the Lord shal not thy brother lift vp his hands his eyes to the Lord shall he not sigh to God nor mourne in his prayers like a Doue as Ezekiah did but thou incontinent wilt taxe him of hipocrisie We read that Iacob sought a blessing from the Lord with teares and obtained it Esau sought a blessing from his father with teares crying and obtained it not were the teares of Iacob the worse because Esau also shed teares Iudge not least thou be iudged the iudgement of Hypocrisie as I haue said belongs to the Lord. On the other extremitie are they who thinke they haue Superstitiously abused by others done enough when they haue discharged some outward exercises of religion though they take no paine to sanctifie the heart to works of diuine seruice On the Saboth they come to the house of God they bow their heads like a bulrush with the rest they pray and praise the Lord in the externall formes with the rest of the congregation but considers not whether or no they come into the temple by the motion of the Spirit as Simeon did if they pray and praise the Lord with prepared hearts as Dauid did neyther trye they when they goe out whether or no they haue met with the Lord found mercie and returneth home to their houses iustified as the Publican did It is true we are to glorifie God with our bodies because they are his but most of all with our spirits because God is a spirit he loueth truth in the inward affections and delights to be worshipped in spirit and truth We are called by the Apostle the Temples of God Seeing we are the temples of God we should be more beautifull within then without Salomons Temple the further in was the finer in the outward Court stood an Alter of brasse whereupon beastes were sacrificed in the inward Court was an Altar of gold whereupon incense was sacrificed but the Sanctuarie or most holy place did farre exceed them both in it was nothing but fine gold in it the Lord gaue his Oracles from betweene the Cherubins in it stood the Arke of the couenant wherein was the Tables of the Law And so indeed the Christian ought to be holy without his lookes his words his wayes should all declare that God dwelleth in his heart he should haue ingrauen as it were in his forehead Holinesse to the Lord as Aaron had but much more Exod. 28. 36. should hee be holy within betweene the secrets of his Soule should the Lord haue his residence and in his heart the testimony of God which is the word of God should dwell plentifully But as for the wicked they are eyther compared to open But the wicked are compared sometime to open and sometime to painted Sepulchers sepulchers their mouth being like that gate of the Temple called Shallecheth out of which was carryed all the filth of the Temple the abhomination of their heart being made manifest by their mouth or then in their best estate they are compared to painted Sepulchers beautifull without Math. 23. 27. Psal 32. 2. but within full of roâ—tennesse hauing a shew of godlinesse wanting the power thereof but the man is blessed in whose heart Iohn 1. 47. Rom. 2. 29. there is no guile hee is a Nathaniell indeed a true Israelite who is one within whose praise is not of men but of God But if any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his The comfort being ended now followes the Caution The secondary great question in religion is this who are Christians Euery man saith Salomon boasts of his owne goodnesse but the Lord saith the Apostle knoweth who are his As the first great question in Religion is concerning the Sauiour of the world Art thou he who is to come or shall Math. 11. 3. wee looke for another so the second is concerning them who are to be saued if the iudgement be referred to man now euery man among vs accounts himselfe a Christian If iudgement be sought from the Lord here he giues one answere for all If any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his Albeit among men there be an allowable difference of A soueraigne rule whereby Christians of all estates must be tryed estates yet concerning Christianitie both King and Subiect rich and poore learned and vnlearned comes all to be tryed by one rule It is a common thing among men to esteeme somewhat more of themselues for the priuiledge of their estate wherein they excell others but the Apostle destroyes the pride of all their glory with one word If any man so he speakes without exception be what thou wilt beside were thou neuer so noble neuer so rich neuer so learned if thou hast not the Spirit of Christ thou art none of his all the priuiledges of men without Iesus are nothing that which is high among men is abhomination to God Man in his best estate is altogether vanitie the glory of flesh is but as the flowre of the field the Spirit of the Lord iudgeth of all the glory of man as the pompe of Agrippa Acts. 25. 23. he came downe saith Saint Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is all but fantasie and vanishing shewes nothing commends vs to God but this one to haue the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs. Christ and his Spirit are not sundred Againe we see here that Christ and his Spirit cannot be sundred except men will crucifie againe the Sonne of God Let no man therefore say that he hath Christ vnlesse he haue the Spirit of Christ As he is not a man who hath not a Soule so he is not a Christian who hath not the Spirit of Christ no man counteth that a member of his body which is not quickned by his spirit no more is hee a member of Christ who hath not the Spirit of Christ 1 Iohn 4. 13. hereby we know that we dwell in him and hee in vs because he hath giuen vs of his Spirit And as Christ and his spirit are not sundred so cannot the spirit be sundred from the fruits of the Spirit now the fruites of the Spirit are Loue Ioy
Gal. 5. 22. 23. 24 Peace Long suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meeknesse Temperance If the Spirit of Christ dwell in vs and if wee liue in the Spirit let vs walke in the Spirit this is the conuiction of carnall professors that while they say the spirit of Christ is in them they declare none of his fruites in their conuersation but to insist somewhat more in this same purpose Operations of the spirit are two-fold We are to know that the effects and operations of the Spirit are twofold the one is generall and common operation which he hath in the wicked for hee illuminates euery 1 Externall common to all men Iohn 1. 1 Cor. 12. 3. one who commeth into the world Neyther can any man say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Spirit euery spark of light and portion of truth be it in whom it will flowes out of doubt from this holy Spirit That Caiaphas and Saul can Prophecie that Iudas can Preach all is from him but of this manner of operation is not here meant for this way he worketh in the wicked not for any good to them but for Intern 2 proper all and godly to the the aduancement of his owne worke The other kinde of the holy Ghosts operation is speciall and proper to the godly by the which he doth not onely illuminate their mindes but proceeds also to their hearts and workes this threefold effect in it Sanctification Intercession and Consolation First he is vnto them a spirit of Sanctification renuing Three effects wrought by the speciall operation of the spirit in the godly their hearts by his effectuall grace he first rebukes them of sinne he wakens their conscience with some sight of their iniquities and sense of that wrath which sinne hath deserued whereof arises heauinesse in their hearts sadnesse in their countenance lamentation in their speech and such an 1 Sanctification alteration in their whole behauiour that their former pleasures become painefull vnto them and others who knew them before wonders to see such a change in them From this he proceedes and leads them to a sight of Gods mercie in Christ he inflames their hearts with a hunger and thirst for that mercie and workes in their hearts such a loue of righteousnesse and hatred of sinne that now they become more afraid of the occasions of sinne then they were before of sinne it selfe this resistance made to the temptations this care to eschew the ocasions of sinne is an vndoubted token of the spirit of Christ dwelling in thee This is the first operation of the spirit but it is not all he proceeds yet further by degrees for the kingdome of God is as if a man should cast seed into the earth which growes vp and we cannot tell how first it sends out the blade secondly the eares and then the cornes so proceeds the kingdome of God in man by degrees In the second place the holy spirit becomes to the godly a spirit of Intercession so 2 Intercession long as wee are bound with the cords of our transgressions we cannot pray but from the time he once loose vs from our sinnes he openeth our mouth vnto God he teacheth vs to pray not onely with sighes and sobs that cannot be expressed but also puts such words in our mouths as we our selues who spake them are not able to repeat againe And thirdly he becomes vnto them the spirit of Consolation 3 Consolation if he be vnto thee a sanctifier and intercessor he shall not faile at the last to be thy comforter if at the first after that thou hast sent vp supplications thou find not his consolation descending vpon thee be not discouraged but be the more humbled for alas our sinnes shortens his arme Math. 26. and the hardnesse of our hearts holds out his comforts we must fall downe with Marie and lye still washing the feet of Christ with our teares before he take vs in his armes to kisse vs with the kisses of his mouth and if we finde these effects of his presence going before humiliation of our heart and the grace of prayer we may be out of all doubt that his consolations shall follow after Of this it is yet further euident against all those who That a Christian who hath Gods spirit knowes that he hath him deny that the Christian may be sure of his saluation that he who hath the spirit of Iesus knowes that he hath him as he who hath life feeles sensiblie that he hath it and is able truely to say I liue so he who hath the spirit of Iesus knowes by feeling that he hath him and is able to say in truth Christ liueth in mee Know yee not saith the Apostle Gal. 2. 20. 2 Cor. 13. 5. And therefore may be sure of saluation is proued by three names giuen to the holy spirit that Christ Iesus is in you except ye be reprobates This shall be further confirmed by considering those three names which are giuen to the holy spirit from his operation in vs he is the Seale the Earnest the witnesse of God the vse of a Seale is to confirme and make sure One of these two therefore must the Papists say that either none are sealed by the holy Spirit or else they must confesse that 1 He is Gods Seale they who are sealed are sure If they say that none are sealed by his Spirit they speake against the manifest truth of God grieue not the holy spirit by whom ye are sealed against Ephe. 4. 30. the day of redemption And if they deny that they who are sealed by him are sure of that saluation which God hath promised he hath sealed they blaspheme calling him such a seale as makes not them sure who are sealed by him he who hath the seale of a Prince rests assured of that which by the seale is confirmed to him and shall not the seale of the liuing God the Spirit of promise confirme that man in the assurance of saluation who hath receiued him Neither is he onely the seale of God but he is also the earnest of 2 Gods earnest 1 Iohn 5. 10. our inheritance and the witnesse of God hee that beleeueth in the sonne hath a witnesse in himselfe what will the aduersarie of Christian comfort say to this if yee say that there are none to whom Gods spirit witnesses mercie from God yee speake against the Apostle the spirit beares witnesse to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God or if yee say that those Rom 8. 16. who haue this testimonie of the spirit are not sure of mercy 3 Gods witnesse ye blaspheme as before and speake yet manifestly against the Apostle who sayes that the witnessing of this spirit vnto our spirit makes vs to cry Abba father But we will speake more of this hereafter But now to conclude this verse seeing hee who hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his
for the fourth it shall be the estate of the Saints of God in heauen Let not therefore the children of God be discouraged by Comfort our estate in this life is neither our last nor best estate looking either â—pon the remanents of sinne in their soule or the beginning of death in their body for why this estate wherein now we are is neither our last nor our best estate out of this we shall be transchanged into the blessed estate of glorious immortality our soules without all spot or wrinckle shall dwell in the body freed from mortality and corruption made like vnto Christs owne glorious body which the Lord our God who hath translated vs out of our second miserable estate into this third shall not faile to accomplish in his time Againe it comes to be considered here seeing by Iesus Christ life is restored to the soule presently why is it not also restored to the body vvhy is the body lâ—st vnder the Our soules being quickned yet our bodies are left vnder death for foure causes power of death to be turned into dust and ashes vvas it not as easie to the Lord to haue done the one as the other To this I answere that at any time life should be restored to our bodies is a mercy greater then wee are able to consider if wee will looke to our desâ—ruing that for a while hee will haue them subiected to the power of death the Lord in his wise dispensation hath thought it good for many causes First for performance of his truth 〈◊〉 but dust Gen. 3. 21. and to dust thou shalt returne If man had dyed no manner of way how should the truth of GOD appeare and if that death due to man had not beene inflicted vpon him how 1 Fâ—r reconciliation of Gods mercy truth Ber. in annuÌ„ Mar. ser 1. should his mercy beene manifested this controuersie God in his meruailous wisedome hath setled Fâ—at mors bona habet vtraque quâ—d petit let death become good and so both his mercy and his truth hath that which they craue for in the changing of the cursed nature of death and making that temporall which was eternall doth his mercy appeare and in the dissolution of mans body into dust for a time doth his truth appeare Secondly the Lord hath done it for manifestation of his 2 For the cleerer declaration of Gods power owne power accounting it a greater glory to destroy sinne by death then by any other meanes Death is the fruit of sinne and the weapon whereby Sathan intended to destroy mankinde and so deface the glory of the Creator but the Lord cutteth off the head of this Gâ—liah vvith his owne sword hee turneth his vveapon against himselfe by death he destroyes that same sinne in his children which brought Chrisost in Mat. hom 2. forth death A meruailous conquest that Sathan is not onely ouercome but ouercome by the same meanes by vvhich before hee tyrannized ouer men And thirdly the Lord 3 For our instruction that wee may know what great mercy God hath shewed vpon vs. suffers our bodies to taste of death that we may the better consider that excellent benefite vvhich vve haue by Iesus Christ for if the death of the body notwithstanding that the nature thereof is changed be so fearefull as vve see in experience how miserable should vvee haue beene if the Lord had inflicted deserued death both of soule and body 4 For our conformitie with Christ vpon vs And last that we might be conformed to him who is the first borne among many brethren it behoueth vs by death also to enter into his kingdome For righteousnesse sake This righteousnesse that bringeth The life our soule hath flowes from Christs righteousnesse Rom. 5. 21 Hos 13. 9 Reu. 7. 10. life is the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to vs by Grace as iâ— euident out of that As sinne had raigned vnto death so might grace also raygne by righteousnesse vnto eternall life Sinne which causeth death is our owne but that righteousnesse which bringeth life is of Grace Our perdition is of our selues but our saluation commeth from the Lord and from the L 〈…〉 be that sitteth vpon the Throne No preseruatiue then against death but this righteousnesse it presently giues life vnto our soule and afterward shall restore our dodyes from the power of the graue such therefore as are the children of wisedome will be carefull in time to be partakers This righteousnesse is known by sanctificatioÌ„ of this Iewell This righteousnesse hath inseperably annexed with it Sanctification by thy sanctification try thy selfe and see whether or no thou hast gotten life through the righteousnesse of Christ deceiue not thine owne hart in the matter of saluation assure thy selfe so far forth thou doest liue as thou art sanctified As health is to the body so is holines to the Soule a body without health fals out of one paine into another till it dye and a Soule without holines is polluted with one lust after another till it dye As the Moone hath lightlesse or more according as it is in aspect with the Sunne so the Soule of man enioyes life lesse or more according as it is turned or auerted to or from the Lord thus let euery man iudge by his sanctification whether if or not hee be partaker of that righteousnesse of Iesus which bringeth life vnto the soule Miserable are those wicked ones who want it they are twise dead saith Saint Iude that is Iude. ver 12. both in soule and body not so much as a heauenly breath or motion is in them but wee ought to giue thankes vnto God who hath giuen a beginning of eternall life vnto vs. Last of all there is here a notable comfort for all the Comfort wee haue a life which no death can extinguish children of God that there is begun in vs a life which no death shall euer be able to extinguish albeit death inuade the naturall vitall powers of our bodies and suppresse them one after one yea though at the length he breake in vpon this lodging of clay and demolish it to the ground yet the man of God who dwels in the body shall escape with his life the Tabernacle is cast downe that is the most our enimie can doe but he who dwelt in it remoues vnto a better as the Bird escapes out of the snare of the Fowler so the The prison of the body being broken the soule that was prisoner doth escape soule in death slighters out and flies away with ioy to her maker yea dissoluing of the bodie to the man of God it is but the vnfolding of the net and breaking open the prison wherein hee hath beene detayned that he himselfe may be deliuered The Apostle knew this well and therefore Phil. 1. 21. desired to be dissolued that he might be with Christ As in the battell betweene our Sauiour and Sathan Sathans head
Gen. 3. was bruised and hee did no more but tread on the heele of our Sauiour so shall it be in the conflict of all his members with Sathan by the power of Lord Iesus wee shall be more then conquerours The God of peace shall shortly tread Rom. 16. 20. downe Sathan vnder our feete the most that Sathan can doe vnto vs Manducet terram meam dentem carni infigat Amb. de poen lib. 1. cap 13. conterat corpus let him lick the dust let him eate that part of mee which is earth let him bruise my body this is but to tread vpon the heele my comfort is that there is a seede of immortall life in my soule which no power of the enemie is able to ouercome It is true that so long as wee enioy this naturall life with Wicked men dye eyther vncertaine of comfort health of body the losse that comes by the want of the spirituall life is not perceiued no more then the defects of a ruinous house is perceiued in time of faire weather but when thy naturall life is wearing from thee if thou want the other how comfortlesse shall thy condition be when thou shalt finde in thine owne experience thou haddest neuer more then a silly naturall life which now is to depart from thee In this estate the wicked either dye being vncertaine of comfort or then most certaine of condemnation Those who are strangers from the life of God through the ignorance Ephes 4. 18. that is in them hauing no more but the light of nature the best estate wherein they can dye is comfortlesse if for want of light they know not that wrath vvhich is prepared for the vvicked and so are not greatly terrified yet farre lesse know they those comforts vvhich after death sustaines the Christian that they should be comforted The Emperour Hadrian when he dyed made this faithlesse lamentation Animula vagula blandula quae nunc abibis in loca O silly wandring Soule vvhere away now wilt thou goe and that other Seuerus proclaiming the vanitie of all his former glory cryed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue beene all things and it profits me nothing the one saith he found no comfort of things that were before him the other saith he found no comfort of things that were behind thus the wicked dye comfortlesse good things to come they neither know nor hope for good things past profit them Or most certaine of condemnation not Or if they haue beene such wicked men as by the light of the word haue knowne the will of their master and yet rebelled against their light they go out of the body not onely comfortles but certain of condemnation hauing receiued sentence within themselues that they shall neuer see the face of God and such was the death of Iudas let vs not therefore rest contented with the shadow of this vanishing life let vs prouide for that immortall seed of a better life within vs which receiues increase but cannot decay it waxeth stronger the weaker that the bodily life is but cannot be weakned far lesse extinguished by bodily death he that findes it within himselfe shall reioyce in death he shall dye in faith in obedience and in spirituall ioy Committing his Soule vnto 1 Pet. 4. 19. God as vnto a faithfull Creator he rests in him vvhom he hath beleeued being assured that the Lord will keepe that which he hath committed vnto him The Lord worke it in vs for Christs sake Verse 11. But if the spirit of him who raysed vp Iesus from from the dead dwell in you he that raysed vp Christ from the dead shall also quickâ—n your mortall bodies because that his spirit dwelleth in you IT is a comfortable saying of the Apostle If in 1 Cor. 15. 19. this life onely we had hope of all men wee were the most miserable for it doth teach vs that albeit in this life we haue great comforts through Iesus Christ yet greater abides vs in the life to come And therefore the Apostle contents not himselfe barely to make mention of such comforts as presently wee haue but hee proceedes now to acquaint vs with greater comforts which hereafter we shall enioy He hath shewed vs that the death whereunto we are subiect is not totall for it strikes He hath shewed our death is not totall now he shewes that it is not perpetuall onely vpon the basest part of man Now he shewes that it is not perpetuall the body shall not be kept for euer vnder the bands of death the spirit of Iesus who now dwels in it shall deliuer it from the bondage of corruption raise it from the dust and quicken it vnto glory But if the Spirit c. We haue here first of all to marke Euery promise of mercy is conditionall againe that the Apostles speech is not absolute but conditionall All the promises of comfort made in the booke of God are conditionall This is a great comfort the Lord shall quicken your mortall bodies but conditionally that his spirit dwell in you Whom hath the Lord promised to satisfie such as hungers for righteousnesse whom hath he promised to comfort not the carelesse nor wantons but such as mourne to whom hath he promised forgiuenesse of sinnes not to the licentious liuers but to the penitent to whom will he giue eternall life not to the Infidels but to such as If wâ— like gods comforts let vs take heedâ— to the condition on which they are promised beleeue If we esteeme any thing of the comforts of God let vs take heed to the condition for except the condition in some measure be wrought in vs the promise shall neuer be accomplished vpon vs. It were good for the men of this age to consider this more deepely who sleeping in presumptuous conceits of mercy thinke how euer they liue they shall be saued In all the whole Bible there is not one promise without an annexed condition In the couenant betweene God and man there is a mutuall stipulation as the Lord promiseth something to vs so he requireth another thing of vs with what face canst thou stand vp and seeke that mercy vvhich God hath promised who neuer endeuouredst to performe that dutie which God hath required Againe vve haue here occasion to consider those excellent The benefits we haue throgh the indwelling of the spirit in vs are further declared Gal. 2 20. benefits vvhich we haue by the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs beside that vvhich vve heard verse 10. As if those were too little he further doth vnto vs these great things first he giues life to the soule and makes it in the body to liue the life of Christ so that the Christian may say Now I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me Secondly when Soule and body are sundred by death he leades the soule to liue with God in glory which is the second degree of eternall life and thirdly
he casts not off the care of the body but preserneth the very dust and ashes thereof till the day of the resurrection vvherein he shall quicken it againe restore it to the owne soule and glorifie both which is the third and last degree of eternall life Surely there was neuer a house hyre so wel payd in the world thou who sets thy soule body There was neuer a house hire so well paid as lodging for a short vvhile here on earth that he may dwell in it O vvhat recompence hast thou to looke for he dwels vvith the on earth and thou shalt dwell vvith him in heauen thou didst lend him a lodging for a few yeers and he shall receiue thee into his euerlasting habitations and thou shalt be for euer with the Lord. Neyther shall he shew his mercy vpon thy soule onely The holy spirit shall keepe the body wherein he dwelt euen when it is laid in the graue but as I haue said vpon thy body also it vvould seeme that the Lord hath deserted it as a â—ontemptible thing vvhen it is laid downe in the graue but be assured that hee who dwelt in it vvill not leaue it nor cast off â—he care thereof no not when it is turned into dust and ashes Comfortable is that vvhich the Lord promised to Iacob vvhen he bad him goe downe to Egypt Feare not to goe for I will go downe with thee and I will bring thee vp againe He forewarned him that he should dye in Egypt and that Ioseph should close Gen. 46. 4. his eyes but he promiseth to bring vp againe his dead body vnto Canaan O what a kindnesse is it that the Lord will honour the dead bodyes of his Children The praise of the O what a kindnes conuoy of Iacobs corps the Lord will neither giue it to Ioseph nor to Pharaohs Seruants with their Chariots who in great number accompanied him the Lord takes it vnto himselfe I will bring thee vp againe saith the Lord the like kindnesse and truth doth the Lord keepe for all the remanent of his seruants Is thy body consecrated is it a vessell of honour a house and temple wherein God is daily serued he shall honour it againe he shall not leaue it in the graue neither cast off the care thereof but shall vvatch ouer the dust thereof though it tast of corruption it shall not perish in corruption The holy Spirit who dwelt in the body shall be vnto it He is a holy balme wherby the body shall be preserued immortall as a balme to preserue thee to immortalitie this same flesh and no other for it though it shall be dissolued into innumerable pickles of dust shall be raised againe and quicned by the omnipotent power of this Spirit It is a pittie to see by what silly meanes naturall men seeke the immortall conseruation of their bodyes and cannot obtaine it there is no helpe nature may yeeld to prolong the death of the body but they vse it and because they see that deat cannot be eschewed their next care is how to keepe it in the graue longest from rottennesse and corruption and how vvhen themselues are gone to preserue their names in immortall remembrance with the posteritie thus by the very instinct of nature are men carried away with a desire of eternitie Worldings seeke immortalitie the wrong way Esay 55. 2. but herein are they foolish that they seeke it the wrong way they lay out their siluer but not for bread they spend their labour and are not satisfied immortalitie and life is to be sought there where the word of the Lord directs vs let the Spirit of Christ dwell in thee and thou shalt liue otherwise though thou wert the greatest Monarch of the word though all thy meate were soueraigne medicines though thy body were laid in graue with as great externall pompe as worldly glory can afford to any creature and thy flesh were embalmed with the costliest oyntments these are but miserable comforts perishing preseruatiues thou shalt lye downe in dishonour and shalt be raised in greater dishonour to euerlasting shame and endlesse confusion Now as we haue these three degrees of eternall life by Life is first restored to the soule and then to the body the Spirit dwelling in vs so are we to marke the order by vvhich he proceedes in communicating them vnto vs first he restores life to the soule and secondly he shall restore life vnto the body saith the Apostle where the one is done be assured the other shall be done the one is the proper end of his first comming therefore his Heraulds cryed before him Behâ—ld the Lambe of God who taketh away the sins Iohn 1. 29. of the world In his second comming shall be the redemption Phil. 2. 21. of our bodyes when he shall appeare hee shall change our vile bodyes and make them like to his owne glorious body Let this reforme the prosperous care of man art thou desirous that thy body should liue be first carefull that life be communicated to the soule for surely the redemption of thy body shall not follow vnlesse the restitution of thy soule goe before O porteâ— cor nostrum conformari humilitati cordis Bern. de aduen dom serm 4. Christi priusquam corpus conformetur glorioso corpori eius our heart must first be conformed to the humilitie of Christs heart before that our body be configurated to his glorious body this is the first resurrection blessed are they that are partakers of it for vpon such the second death shall haue no power But it is out of doubt qui non resurgit in animaâ— resurget in corpore ad poenam he that riseth not now in his soule from his sinnes shall rise hereafter in his body to iudgement But now leauing the condition to come to the comfort he that raysed vp Christ from the dead saith the Apostle shall also quicken your mortall bodies What necessity is there here What necessity is here that hee who raysed Christ shall also raise vs that he vvho raysed Christ shall raise vs yes indeede the necessitie is great the head and the members of the misticall body cannot be sundred seeing the head is raysed from the dead no member can be left vnder death the Lord vvorkes in euery member according to that same mightie Ephe. 1. 29. power by vvhich he wrought in the head his resurrection necessarily imports ours seeing he arose not as a priuate man but as the head of all his members full of power to draw the body after him and to communicate that same life to euery member which he hath declared in himselfe Christ is risen from the dead and is made the first fruits of them that 1 Cor. 15. 20 sleepe the first fruit is risen the after fruit shall in like manner follow Vixit in coelum carnem nostram tanquam arhabonem pignus tâ—tuâ—s summae illuc quandoqueâ—redigendae the
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
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
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
the crafty enemie can very well change his tentations vpon thee if he be repulsed at any one part whereat he was wont to enter hee vvill goe about and seeke vantage at another and therefore seeing our enemie is restlesse and the matter he vvorkes vpon is our manifold infirmities let vs walke circumspectly and pray continually standing with the whole compleat armour of God vpon vs that we may resist him Where for our encouragement let vs marke that albeit Comfort our standing in tentations past prooues wee haue been supported by a stronger than hee is that impugnes vs. our infirmities be many and our enemie strong yet in all our conflicts we are not alone but haue an helper who sustaynes vs. And this thou mayest finde in thine owne experience if thou wilt consider with me whereof comes this that so many yeares thou hast endured the battaile against principalities and powers Is it not of the Lord whose secret help hath sustayned thee how oft hast thou beene compassed with fearefull tentations standing like Israell in the red sea with mountaines of waters about thee threatning to ouerwhelme thee how many times hast thou receiued within thy selfe the sentence of death and beene so farre cast downe that thou hast thought with Dauid there hath been nothing for thee but death and reiection from the fauour of God how oft hast thou looked to be swallowed vp of thy enemie and giuen vnto him as a pray and yet hath the Lord beyond thy expectation deliuered thee from so manifold deaths Mayst thou not feele that the powers of hell are not able to quench that sparke of light and life which God hath created in thee No no assuredly if it had beene in the power of Sathan to haue put it out it should haue beene done long or now but blessed be the Lord it is hee who keepes our soules in life and whose secret grace continually sustaines vs. The greatnesse of this comfort shall yet appeare the better How the holy Spirit beares with vs and ouer-against vs euery burthen laid vpon vs. if we consider the word here vsed by the Apostle which signifies that hee lifts with vs and before vs in the burthen We see by daily custome that the burthen which is too heauie for one is made easie by the help of an other two ioyning hand in hand lift vp that which one is not able to doe and the burthen of Affliction which to our Nature is intollerable by the help of the Spirit becomes portable and easie for he lifts not onely ouer-against vs but least our part of the burthen should ouer-match vs hee lifts also with vs which the double composition of the word imports herein then is our comfort that the Lord our God is not like vnto other Lords and Maisters of the world if he send vs forth to doe any worke in his name he goes with vs himselfe to assist vs what good he commands vs to doe he helps vs to doe it and whatsoeuer crosse he layes vpon vs he strengthens vs to beare it being as I said euer present with vs not as a spectator onely but as an actor For we know not The Apostle this way hauing generally Our infirmities proceed from the want of Prayer set downe his second principall argument of comfort proceedes to a particular explication thereof wherein first he lets vs see that our infirmities proceed of the want of a spirituall disposition to prayer and secondly that the way by which the Spirit helpeth our infirmities is by the grace of prayer Prayer then is here recommended vnto vs as a soueraigne remedie against all our infirmities In our heauiest tentations vvee get comfort as soone as vvee get grace to pray Ascendit precatio discendit Dei miseratio vvhen Augustine Prayer goes vp the mercy of God commeth downe deijcitur Ambrose de fuga saeculi cap. 7. Wee recouer our strength by Prayer Satan cum tu ascenderis Sathan is cast downe when thou dost ascend by Prayer At the Lords Command the blinde sees the paralitique walkes the dumbe speakes the deafe heares shee that was sicke of the Feuer riseth and ministers then comes these commaundements out when thy Prayer preuailes with the Lord light comes to resolue our doubts comfort to mitigate our trouble strength to sustaine our weaknesse blessed is the man to whom the Lord keepeth open this doore of refuge that hee may say in his greatest distresse with Iehoshaphat O Lord wee know not what to doe 2 Chron. 20. 12. neyther is there strength in vs against this people but our eyes are towards thee for hee may be sure of comfort in time of neede Againe wee learne here that it is not so easie a thing to It is not an â—asie thing to pray pray as commonly men professe it is thought of many that it is an easie thing to pray therefore they begin it and goe through it as if it were a worke of no difficultie but alas if wee knew our owne naturall inabilitie and how rare a grace the grace of Prayer is we should not so vainely professe in our words that wee can pray as earnestly beseech him with the Disciples that he would teach vs to pray As that Eunuch professed that hee could not vnderstand without Acts. 8. 31. a guide so may we that we cannot pray without a guide it is easie to speake of God but not so easie to speake vnto God hee that will speake to God saith Ambrose must speake to him in his owne language that is in the language of his Spirit Prayer is not a communing of the tongue with God but Prayer is a communing of the soule with God of the soule with God and of such a soule onely as is taught by the holy Spirit how to pray it is true the Lord vnderstands the thoughts of euery mans heart but the language acceptable to God are those motions of the heart which are raised by his owne Spirit and he that wants this Spirit can not speake vnto God in Gods language Let this serue to reforme the corrupt iudgement of many who thinking themselues able enough to pray passe ouer their dayes without the grace of Prayer a fearefull punishment of carnall presumption This naturall inabilitie to pray consists in these sometime Our natural inabilitie to pray is eyther in our corrupt vnderstanding by which we seek things vnlawfull the fault is in our vnderstanding fallimur putantes prodesse quae poscimus cum non prosint wee are deceiued thinking those things to be profitable for vs which are not so the Iewes not content to be fed with Manna according to the Lords dispensation will haue flesh which the Lord giues them but in his anger and their posterity not content with the Lords gouernement will haue a King like other nations which the Lord gaue them but in his wrath Of this sort are they who send out in stead of lawfull prayers
difference betweene delaying and denying the Lord for a time delayes that which hee vvill not deny non vt neget sed vt commendet sua dona Augustine and againe tardius dando quod petimus â—â—stantiam nobis orationis Chris in Mat. hom 10. indicit the Lord vvhen he is slow to giue that vvhich vve aske doth it onely that he may commend his gifts vnto vs and make vs more instant and earnest in prayer For the better vnderstanding of this let vs distinguish If the Lord refuse that which we will it is because it is not for our weale our petitions sometime wee seeke those things vvhich are not so expedient for our selues to be granted as refused vnto vs and in these non audit nos ad voluntatem vt exaudiat ad salutem the Lord regardeth not thy will but thy weale The Apostle buffeted by an Angell of Sathan besought the Lord to remoue that tentation from him but obtained not his will the Lord saw it was not for his weale and not onely doe we read that men beloued of God haue beene refused in mercy but others haue had their petitions graunted in anger which we may see not onely in the Israelites who obtained flesh vvhen they sought but in his anger but also in those damned Spirits vvho sought licence of the Lord Iesus to enter into Swine and obtained it but to the greater augmentation of their vvrath If therefore thy petition vnto GOD be for a thing absolutely And the refusal of any thing to his owne is not without the grant of a better necessarie to thy saluation be assured that howeuer the Lord delay it he shall not simply refuse it and if otherwise thou craue a thing not absolutely necessary for thee if the Lord refuse to satisfie thy vvill therin it is that he may doe according to thy weale When the Disciple asked Iesus of the resurrection Lord wilt thou at this time restore the Acts 1. 6. kingdome of Israel he satisfied them not in that which they craued It is not for you saith hee to know the times or seasons which the Father hath put into his owne hand but another thing meeter for them and lesse craued of them hee promised vnto them But ye shall receiue power of the holy Ghost when he shall come vpon you and ye shall be witnesses vnto me A comfortable answer indeed an exchange most profitable for vs and wee rest content with it So be it euen so be it O Lord giue vs thine holy Spirit and deny vs any other thing thou wilt And of this againe we learne that we liue onely by mercy Prayer which obtaines all other gifts is also a gift of God therefore the praise of all is due to the Lord 1 Cor. 4. 7. for not onely those things which we obtaine by prayer are begged by vs and giuen by God For what hast thou O man that thou hast not receiued but we see here that prayer it selfe whereby we get all things is also a gift of God if we wanted not of our owne we would not seeke of another by prayer and if we could also pray of our selues we needed not another to teach vs. Etiam ipsa Oratio inter gratiae munera reperitur it is the Lord vvho commands and vvorketh in vs both the vvill and the deed vnto him therfore belongs the praise of all Wee haue here also to consider a great comfort for the Comfort for the godly wheÌ„ no man will speake for them they want not Intercessours godly vvho are ofttimes redacted to that estate that there is none among men to speake for them Ieremie cannot finde out Ebed-melech neyther haue the Prophets of the Lord one Obadiah to hide them Daniel had none to speak for him al stands vp that had credit to procure that he may be cast into the denne those that should be friends oftentimes become foes to the seruants of God but euen at this time their comfort is that not onely they haue Iesus the Iust an Aduocate for them at the right hand of his Father but haue also the Spirit the Comforter within them an Intercessor for them Miserable therfore must they be who bend their tongues Miserable are those who bend their tongues against them for whom the holy Spirit maketh request 2 Chron. 18. to speake against those for whom the holy Ghost maketh request vnto God that rebuke which the Prophet gaue to Iehosaphat vvhen he vvent out to help wicked king Achab wilt thou help them that hate the Lord we may turne to those in our time that are enemies to the Children of God Will ye hurt them whom the Lord helpeth The children of God in all their infirmities haue the holy Spirit for their helper vvhat euer man speakes against them hee maketh request vnto GOD for them It cannot then otherwise be but in the end comfort must be to them and confusion vnto their enemies That oracle which Zeresh gaue to Hamans Esth husband shall assuredly prooue true vpon all the enimies of God in word or deede If Mordecai be of the seede of the Iewes thou shalt not faile to fall before him If Eliah be the man of God though not a fire from heauen yet doubtles a wrath from heauen shal ouertake his enemies Only let those who are troubled by the malice of wicked men make sure vnto themselues that they haue the Spirit of grace and of glory resting in them partaker with them of their afflictions Pet. and then let them be assured that eyther their enemies shall become their friends or then the righteous Lord shall render vengeance vnto those that trouble them With sighes Last of all wee learne here that the godly No malice of men can cut off the intelligence of a Christian with the Lord. haue an intelligence with the Lord their God which no power of man is able to cut away For howeuer they may be separated from the company of men and locked vp in vnaccessible places yet can no man hinder their accesse vnto God and speaking with him yea suppose they should cut their tongues out of their heads for it is not by words but by sighes they make request vnto God and their sighes may well be increased by trouble but cannot be destroyed And herewith also let the children of GOD comfort themselues when they are brought vnto that extremitie that neither eye hand nor tongue can serue them in prayer let them looke vnto good king Ezekiah who being so vveakened with bodily diseases that hee could not speake distinctly vnto God yet his mourning like a Doue and chattering like a swallow entred into the Lords eare and brought back a comfortable answere to him Verse 27. But hee that searches the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the Spirit for he makes request for the Saints according to the will of God LEast any man should thinke the sighes of the It is a
him For albeit the Lord rested God hath rested from the worke of creation not of gubernation Ioh. 5. 17. the seauenth day from the workes of creation so that hee made no new kinde of creature after that day yet did hee not rest from the vvorkes of prouidence or gubernation whereof our Sauiour saith my Father workes hitherto and I worke When man hath finished a vvorke hee resignes it to another to be gouerned as the Wright vvhen he hath builded a ship giues it ouer to the Marriner to rule it neyther is man able to preserue the vvorke of his hands neyther yet knowes hee vvhat shall be the end thereof It is not so with the Lord as by the vvorke of creation hee brought them out so by his prouident administration he preserues them and rules euen the smallest creatures directing them vnto such ends as he hath ordained them for in the counsell of his will How euer some Ethnicks haue beene so blinde as to His prouidence extends to the smallest things thinke that God did neglect the smaller things vpon earth scilicet is superis labor est and Epicures also vvhose false conceptions of the diuine prouidence are rehearsed by Eâ—iphaz How should God know how should hee iuâ—ge through Iob. 22. 13. 14. the darke clâ—ude the cloudes hide him that hee cannot see and hee walkes in the circle of heauen yet it is certaine hee rules Psal 113. not a part onely but all hee is not as they thought of him a God onely aboue the Mâ—one No though he dwell on high yet he abases himselfe to behold the things that are on earth he is not onely a God in the mountaines as the Syrians deemed 1 King 20. but a God in the vallies also There is nothing so great nothing so small but it falles vnder his prouidence yea hee numbers our hayres and keepes them not one of them can fall to the ground without his prouidence Si sic custodumtur Augustine super flâ—a tua in quanta securitate est anima tua if hee so keepe thy superfluities how much more will he keepe thy soule Let it therefore content vs in the most confused estate In greatest confusion of things let vs keepe our comfort the end of them shal be our good of things we can see fall out in the world that the Lord hath said All things shall worke for the best vnto vs. Let vs not question with Marie how can this be nor doubt with Sarah how can I conceiue nor with Moses where shall flesh be gotten for all this multitude but let vs sayth Augustine consider the Author and such doubts shall cease As he hath manifested his power and vvisedome in the tempering of this world making Elements of so contrary qualities agree together in one most pleasant harmonie so doth it appeare much more in gouerning all the contrary courses of men to the good of his owne children One notable example wherof wee will set downe for all Iacob sends Ioseph to Dothan Gen. 37. c. to visit his brethren his brethren casts him into the pit Reuben releeues him the Midianites buyes him and sels him to Potiphar his Mistresse accuses him his Maister condemnes him the Butler after long forgetfulnesse recommends him Pharaoh exalts him O what instruments are here how many hands about this one pooreman of God neuer a one of them looking to that end which God had proposed vnto him yet the Lord contrary to their intention makes them all worke together for Iosephs aduancement in Aegipt But now to the particulars There is nothing in the world The end of all the wayes of God is our good which works not for our weale all the works of God all the stratagems of Sathan all the imaginations of men are for the good of Gods children yea out of the most poysonable things such as sinne and death doth the Lord draw wholesome and medicinable preseruatiues vnto them who loue him All the wayes of the Lord saith Dauid are mercy Psal 25. 10. and truth marke what he saith and make not thou an exception where God hath made none All none excepted therefore be thou strengthened in the Faith and giue glory vnto God resoluing with patient Iob albeit the Lord would Iob. 13. 15. slay me yet will I trust in him Sometime the Lord seemes to walke in the way of anger against his children which hath moued many of them to Yea euen when he seemes to be most angry with his children hee is working their good Iob. 6. 4. poure out the like of these pittifull complaints the arrowes of the almightie are vpon me said Iob the venome whereof doth drinke vp my spirit and the terrours of God fight against me thou settest me vp as a marke against thee and makes me a burthen to my selfe Thy indignation lyes vpon me said Dauid yea from my youth I haue suffered thy terrours doubting of my life For felicitie I haue had bitter griefe said Ezekiah for Isa 38. 17. 13. 14. the Lord like a Lyon brake all my bones so that I did chatter like a Swallow and mourne like a Doue I am troubled on euery side said the Apostle hauing sightings without and terrours 2 Cor. 7. 5. within Yet in all this dealing the Lord hath a secret way of mercy in the which he walkes for the comfort of his children it is but to draw vs vnto him that he shewes himselfe to be angry with vs aduersatur tibi Deus ad tempus vt te secum Chrisost in Mat. hom 14 habeat in perpetuum the Lord is an aduersarie to thee for a while that he may for euer reconcile thee to himselfe And this albeit for the present we cannot perceiue and can see no other but that the Lord hath taken vs for his enemies yet in the end wee shall be compelled to acknowledge and confesse with Dauid it was good for me O Lord that euer thou Rom. 11. 13. correctedst me for the Lord is meruailous in his Saints O the deepenesse of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out His glory is great when he workes by meanes his glory appeares greater when he works without meanes but then his glory shines most brightly when he works by contraries It was a great vvorke that hee opened the eyes of the For the working of God with his children is by contraries blinde man but greater that hee did it by application of spettle and clay meanes meeter to put out the eyes of a seeing man than to restore sight to a blind man So he wrought in the first creation causing light to shine out of darknesse so also in the worke of redemption for by cursed death he brought happy life by the crosse he conquered the crowne and through shame he went to glory And this same order the Lord still keepeth in
the worke of our second creation vvhich is our regeneration hee casts downe that hee may raise vp hee kils and hee makes aliue he accuseth his children for sinne that so hee may chase them to seeke remission of sinnes hee troubleth their consciences that so hee may pacifie them And in a word the meanes vvhich hee vseth are contrary to the vvorke it selfe vvhich he intends to performe in his Children Hee sent a fearefull darknesse on Abraham euen then vvhen hee vvas to communicate vnto him most ioyfull light he vvrestled vvith Iacob and shooke him too and fro euen then when he came to blesse him hee strooke the Apostle Paul with blindnesse at that same time vvhen hee came to open his eyes hee frownes for a while vpon his beloued as Ioseph did vpon his brethren but in the end with louing affection shall hee embrace them he may seeme angry at thy prayers as he put backe the petitions of that vvoman of Canaan but at length he will graunt a fauourable answere vnto them Let vs not therfore murmure against the Lord by whatsoeuer meanes it please him to vvorke It is enough we know that all the wayes of God euen when he deales most hardly vvith his children are mercie and tends to the good of those who loue him And as for Sathans stratagems it is also out of doubt that Sathans stratagems are directed to the good of the godly they worke for the best to them vvho loue the Lord not according to his purpose indeede but by the Lords operation who directeth all Sathans assaults to another end then hee intended and trappeth him continually in his owne snare If vnder the Serpents shape hee deceiued Adam vnder the Serpents name shall the Lord curse him and all those vveapons whereby hee seeketh to destroy the worke of Gods grace in vs doth the Lord turne to destroy the workmanship of Sathan in vs I meane that whole bastard generation of peruerse affections what Sathan hath begotten vpon our mutable nature by a most vnhappie and Ambr. lib. 1. de poeni ca. 13 vnlawfull copulation De veneno eius fit spirituale antidotum of this poyson the Lord maketh a spirituall preseruatiue Sathans accusations for sinnes past are vnto the godly presâ—ruatiues against sinne to come The experience of all the Saints of God proues this that Sathan by his restlesse tentations doth destroy himselfe which is most euident both in his tentations for sinne committed tending to desperation as also in his tentations vnto sinne tending to presumption Euery accusation of the conscience for sinne past is vnto the Godly man a preseruatiue to keepe him from sinne in time to come he reasoning with himselfe after this manner If mine enemie doe so disquiet my minde with inward terrour for those sinnes which foolishly I did by his entisement why shall I hearken to him any more and so encrease the matter of my trouble for what fruit haue I of all those sinnes which I did by his instigation but terrour and shame and shall I looke that this forbidden tree can render vnto me any better fruit hereafter O what a faithlesse traytor is Sathan hee entiseth man vnto sinne and when he hath done it hee is the first accuser and troubler of man for sinne When hee comes first vnto vs he is a tempter when we haue finished his worke which is sinne he is an accuser of vs vnto the Iudge and when hee returneth he returneth a troubler and tormenter of vs for those same sinnes which he counselled vs to doe Stop thine care therefore O my soule from the voyce of this deceitfull enchanter His tentations againe vnto sinne are vnto the Godly And his tentations to sinne chases them to the throne of grace man prouocations that spurre him forward vnto the throne of grace for while as wee finde his restlesse malice pursuing in vs that little sparke of spirituall life vvhereby the Lord hath quickned vs and our owne weakenesse and iâ— abilitie to resist him then are we forced with Israell in Egypt to sigh for the thraldome and to cry vvith Ieâ—oshaplâ—â— O Chron. 20. 13. Lord our God we know not wâ—at to doe but our â—â—es are toward thee And who feeleth not this that the grace of feruent prayer wherein otherwise wee saint our heart being more ready to fall downe than the hands of Mâ—ses vnlesse they be supported is greaâ—ly intended in the Children of God by the buffets of Sathan as is manifest in the holy Apostle Magna certe potestas quae imperat Diabolo vt se ipse destruat Ambr. ibid. a great power of God this is certainly which commandeth Sathan to destroy himselfe Se enim destruit cum hominem quem tentando supplantare studet ex infirmo fortiorem efficit for then doth hee destroy himselfe when the man whom hee seeketh to ouerthrow by his tentation of a weake man is made stronger by those same mâ—â—nes Thus the Lord our God ouershootes Sathan in his owne bow and cuts off the head of Goliah with his owne sword his holy name be praised therefore Now as concerning outward afflictions it is true that as As the Philistims vnderstood not Sampsons riddle how sweet came out of the sowre so cannot worldlings that comfort is in the crosse Iudg. 14. 14. Rom. 5. 3. 2 Cor. 4. 13. Heb. 12. 11. the Philistims could not vnderstand Sampsons riddle how sweet came out of the sowre and meat out of the eater so cannot Worldlings vnderstand that tribulation bringeth out patience and that our light and momentanie afflictions cause vnto vs a farre more excellent and eternall waight of glory but the Children of God haue learned by experience that albeit no visitation be sweet for the present yet afterward it brings the quiet fruit of righteousnesse vnto them who are thereby exercised and that there is more solide ioy in suffering rebuke with Christ than in all the pleasures of sinne which endure but a season As Moses the typycall Mediator of the olde Testament made by his prayer the bitter vvaters of Marah become sweet so Iesus the true Mediator by his passion hath mittigated to his children the bitternesse of the crosse yea hath made it profitable vnto them The prodigall sonne concluded not to returne home to Afflictions profitable to the children of God his Father till he was brought low by affliction Hagar was proud in the house of Abraham but humble in the vvildernesse Ionas sleepeth in the ship but watcheth and prayeth in the Whales belly Manasses liued in Ierusalem as a Libertine but bound in chaines in Babell hee turneth his heart vnto the Lord his God Corporall diseases forced manie in the Gospell to come to Christ where others enioying bodily health would not acknowledge him The earth vvhich is not tilled and broken vp beares nothing but thornes and bryers the Vines waxe wilde in time vnlesse they be pruned and cut so would our wilde hearts ouergrow with the
noysome weedes of vnruly affections if the Lord by sanctified trouble did not continually manure them It is good therefore said Ieremie for a man to beare the Lam. 3. 27. Psal 119. 71. Ioh. 15. 2. yoke in his youth and Dauid confesses it was good for him that he was afflicted yea our Sauiour saith euery branch that beares fruit my heauenly Father purges it that it may bring forth more fruit No worke can be made of gold and siluer without fire The wicked putrifie and rots in their prosperitie stones are not meet for pallace worke vnlesse they be pollished and squared by hammering no more is it possible that we can be vessels of honor in the house of our God except first we be fined and melted in the fire of affliction neyther can we be as liuing stones to be placed in the wall of heauenly Ierusalem except the hand of God first beat from vs our proud lumps by the hammer of affliction As standing waters putrifie and rot so the wicked feares not God because Psal 55. Iere. 48. 11. they haue no changes and Moab keepes his sent because hee was not powred from vessell to vessell but hath beene at rest euer since his youth And therefore O Lord rather than that we should keepe the sent of our olde naturall corruption and liue in a carelesse securitie without the feare of thine holy name and so become sit-fasts in our sinnes no rather O Lord change thou vs from estate to estate waken vs with the touch of thine hand purge vs with thy fire and chastise vs with thy rods alway Lord with this protestation that thou keepe towards vs that promise made to the sonnes of Dauid I will visit them with my rods if they sinne against mee 2 Sam. 7. 14. 15. but my mercy will I neuer take from them So be it O Lord euen So be it The same comfort haue we also against death that now Death workes also the good of Gods children in Iesus Christ it is not a punishment of our sinnes but a full accomplishment of the mortification of our sinne both in soule and body for by it both the fountaine and the fluxe of sinne are dryed vp all the conduits of sinne are stopped and the weapons of vnrighteousnesse broken And though our bodies seeme to be consumed and turned into nothing yet are they but sowen like graynes of Wheat in the field and husbandry of the Lord which must dye before they be quickned but in the day of Christ shal spring vp againe most glorious And as for our soules they are by death releeued out of this house of seruitude that they may returne vnto him who gaue them therefore haue I compared death to the red sea wherein Pharaoh and his Aegiptians were drowned Death compared to the red Sea Egiptians drowne in it and sancke like a stone to the bottome but the Israelites of God went through to their promised Câ—â—â—an so shall death be vnto you O miserable Infidels whose eyes the God of this world hath blinded that no more then blinded Aegiptians can yee see the light of God shining in Goshen which is his Church though yee be in it to you I say your death shall be the very centre of all your miseries a sea of the vengeance of GOD vvherein yee shall be drowned and shall sincke with your sinnes heauier than a mislone about the neck of your soules to presse you downe to the lowest hell But as for you who are the Israelites of God ye shal walke But the Israelites of God shall goe through it through the valley of death and not neede to be afraid because the Lord is with you his staffe and his rod shal comfort you albeit the guiltinesse of sore-passed sinnes yet remayning in the memory the terrour of hell and horrour of the graue stand vp on euery side like mountaines threatning to ouerwhelme you yet shall yee goe safely through to the land of your inheritance where with Moses and Miriam and all the children of God euen the congregation of the first borne yee shall sing prayses ioyfully to the God of your How the enemies of Gods childreÌ„ against their will procures their good Gen 50. 20. saluation Now in the last roome concerning the imaginations of men against vs wee shall haue cause to say of them in the end as Ioseph said to his brethren yee did it vnto me for euill but the Lord turned it to good The whole history of Gods booke is a cloud of manifold witnesses concurring together to confirme his truth therefore among many wee will be content with one When Dauid was going forward in battaile against Israell with Acish King of Gath vnder whom 1 Sam 29. he soiourned a while in the time of his banishment the remanent Princes of the Philistims commanded him to goe backe and this they did for the worst to disgrace him because they distrusted him but the Lord turned it vnto him for the best for if he had come forward he had beene guiltie of the blood of Israell specially of Saul the Lords annointed who was slaine in that battell from this the prouident mercy of God doth in such sort deliuer him that no offence is done by Dauid to Saul or his people because Dauid came not against them neither yet could the Philistims blame him because he went back by their owne command So a notable benefit Dauid did receiue by that same deed wherein his enemies thought they had done him a notable shame And where otherwise it pleaseth the Lord to suffer wicked Death of the body to a Christian is but as the renting of Iosephs garment from him men to lay hand on the bodies of his children yet all they are able to doe is but like the renting of Iosephs garment from him As he doth sustaine small losse whose garment is cut if his body be preserued so the Christian when his bodie is wounded vnto the death yet hath hee lost nothing which he striues to keepe for he knowes it is but a corruptible garment which would decay in itselfe albeit there were no man to rent it Non sunt itaque timenda spiritui quae fiunt in Chrisostome carne quae extra nos est quasi vestamentum let not therefore our soule be afraid for those things which are done to our bodies for it is without vs as a garment that doth but couer vs. Thus haue we seene how that there is nothing so euill in it selfe which by the prouident working of God is not turned to the good of his children Whereof arises yet vnto vs this further comfort that seeing it is the priuiledge of euery one who loues the Lord it must much more be the priuiledge of the whole Church that promise made to the Father of the faithfull I will blesse Since to euery Christian all things worke for the best much more are we to thinke that this is the
priuiledge of the whole Church Gen. 12. 3. them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee vve may easily thinke belongs also to all his seed euen to that congregation of the first borne The Lord will be a wall of fire round about Ierusalem and the glory in the middest of her he vvill keepe her as the apple of his eye and make Ierusalem a cuppe of poyson to all her enemies and a heauie stone vvhich vvhosoeuer striueth to lift shall be torne therewith though all the people of the earth were gathered together against it the vveapons made against her shall not prosper and euery tongue that shall rise against her in iudgement shall be condemned This is the heritage of the Lords seruants and the portion of them that loue him for the church is that Arke which mounts vp higher as the water increases but cannot be ouerwhelmed the bush which may burnâ— but cannot be consumed the house built on a rocke which may be beaten with vvinde and raine but cannot be ouerthrowne The Lord who changeth times and seasons vvho takes A warning for Kings and such as are in authoritie away Kings and sets vp Kings hath reproued Kings for his Churches sake yea hee gouernes all the kingdomes of the earth in such sort that their fallings risings their changes and mutations are all directed to the good of his Church In one of these two sentences all the Iudges of the vvorld may see themselues and foresee their end for eyther that shall be fulfilled in them which Mordecay said to Este who knowes if for this thou art come to the kingdome that by thee deliuerance may come to Gods people or else that which Moses Hâ—ster 4 14. in Gods name said to Pharaoh the oppressour of the Church in her adolescencie I haue set thee vp to declare my Exod. 7. power because thou exaltest thy selfe against my people May wee not behold here how vnsure their standing is They who rise to authoritie and not to the good of the Church shall assuredly fall and how certaine their fall who when they are highest abuse their power most to hold the people of God lowest what else are they but obiects whom the Lord hath raised vp to declare his power and iustice vpon them If we shall marke the course of the Lords proceeding euer since the beginning of the world we shall finde a blessing following them whom he hath made instruments of good vnto his church and that such againe haue not wanted their owne recompence of wrath who haue continued instruments of her trouble When the Lord concluded to bring his Church from Examples shewing how God hath altered the state of worldly Empires for the good of his Church Canaan to soiourne in Egypt he sent such a famine in Canaan as compelled them to forsake it but made plenty in Egypt by the hand of Ioseph whom the Lord had sent before as a prouisor for his Church and by whom Pharaoh was made fauourable to Iacob but when the time came that the Lord was to translate his Church from Egypt to Canaan when hee altered Pharaohs countenance and raised vp a new King who knew not Ioseph hee turned the Egyptians hearts away from Israel so that they vexed Israell and made them to serue by crueltie Thus when the Lord In Pharaoh king of Egypt will bring them to Egypt hee maketh Pharaoh fauourable which also brings a blessing vpon Tharaoh and his people but vvhen the Lord vvill make them to goe out of Egypt hee maketh another Pharaoh an enemie vnto them whereby both they are made willing to forsake Egypt and Pharaoh prepares the way for a fearefull iudgement on himselfe and his people Againe when the sinnes of Israel came to that ripenesse In the Monarch of Babell and Persia that their time vvas come and their day drew neere the Lord stirred vp the King of Babell as the rod of his wrath and staffe of his indignation Hee sent him to the dissembling Esay nation and gaue him a charge against the people of his wrath to take the spoyle and the pray and to tread them vnder feete like mire in the streets and to this effect that the Lord might be auenged of the sinnes of Israel hee subdued all the kingdomes round about them vnder the King of Babell that no stoppe nor impediment should be in the way to hold back the rodde of Ashur from Israel But yet againe vvhen the Lord had accomplished all his worke vpon Israel and the time of mercy was come and the seauentie yeeres of captiuitie expired then the Lord visited the proud heart of the King of Ashur and for his Churches sake he altered againe the gouernement of the whole earth translating the Empyre to the Medes and Persians that so Cyrus the Lords annointed might performe to his people the promised deliuerance All which should learne vs in the greatest changes and Therefore in our greatest mutations our hart should not be moued from confidence in God Psal alterations that fall out in the world to rest assured that the Lord will vvorke for the good of his Church though the earth should be moued and the mountaines fall into the middest of the Sea yea though the vvaters thereof rage and be troubled yet there is a riuer whose streames shall make glad the Cittie of our GOD in the middest of it yea if they vvho should be the nourishing Fathers of the Church forsake her and become her enemies they shall assuredly perish but comfort and deliuerance shall Esth appeare vnto Gods people out of another place The Lord for a vvhile may put the brydle of bondage in the Philistims hand to humble Israell for their sinnes but it shall be taken from them at length his Church shall with ioy draw vvater out of the Well of saluation and praise the Lord saying though thou wert angry with mee thy wrath is turned away and thou comfortest mee yea Sion shall cry out and shout for ioy for great is the holy One of Israel in the middect of her And therefore in our lowest humiliations let vs answere our enemies Reioyce not against mee O mine enemie though I fall I shall rise when I shall sit in darknesse the Lord is a light vnto me I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him vntill he plead my cause and execute iudgement for mee he will bring me forth to the light and I shall see his righteousnesse then he that is mine enemie shall looke vpon it and shame shall couer him who said to me where is the Lord thy God now shall hee be troden vnder as the mire in the streets yea so let all thine enemies perish O Lord. For the best This good or best is no other thing but What is a christians best that precious saluation prepared to be shewed in the last time reserued in the heauens for vs and whereunto wee are
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
ex meritis nostris quod principium bonorum operum est ex nobis consummatio ex Deo To affirme that any merit vpon our part must be presupposed the prescience whereof was the cause of predestination is no other thing but to affirme that grace were giuen of our merits and that the beginning of good workes were of our selues and the consummation thereof were of God therefore saith hee the words are to be read this way more conueniently whom he fore-knew them he also predestinated to be made like vnto the image of his Sonne vt ista conformitas non sit ratio praedestinationis sed effectus that so this conformitie be not a cause of predestination but an effect But beside these this errour is conuinced by manifold Sanctification is an effect of predestination and therefore not a cause of it Ephes 1. 4. proofes of holy Scripture the Apostle saith hee hath chosen vs in Christ therefore not in our selues he saith againe that wee should be holy and without blam hee saith not he chose vs because he foresaw that wee would be holy so hee sets downe sanctification as an effect of Predestination Now it is certaine that one effect of Predestination may well be the cause of an other posterior effect as the preaching of the word is a cause of faith and faith is a certaine cause of iustification but no effect of Predestination can be cause of it Againe he saith The Lord hath saued vs and called vs with 2 Tim. 1. 9. an holy calling not according to our workes here yee see that in our calling our workes and Gods purpose are manifestly opponed so that the putting of the one is the remouing of the other thus neyther in our Election before time nor in our calling in time hath the Lord regarded our workes or foreseene rectitude of our will but the good pleasure of his owne will And I pray you what other thing could the Lord foresee The calling of God finds euery man in an euill estate Esay 48. 8. in vs than that vvhich hee foresaw in the Israelites I knew that thou art obstinate and thy neck an iron sinew and thy browe brasse I knew that thou wouldest grieuously transgresse therefore I called thee a transgressor from the wombe yet for my Names sake will I deferre my wrath and for my praise will I refraine it from thee that I cut thee not off yea in so many places of holy Scripture doth the Lord plead the cause of his owne glory that it cannot be but a most fearefull sacriledge against so cleare a light for a man eyther in part or in whole to make his own merits a cause of saluation When the Lord called Abraham hee found him an Idolater when hee called Paul hee found him a persecuter when he called Matthew hee found him a Publican when hee called Mary he found her possessed with Diuels all that euer receiued grace stand vp as so many witnesses of his glory Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but to thy name be Psal 115. 1. the praise And to these obiections which the braine of man hath Obiections of men against Gods predestination answered brought out against this truth of God to cleare themselues and charge the Lord with vnrighteousnes they are all sufficiently answered by the Apostle that the Lord by reason of his absolute authoritie ouer all his creatures hath power of the same lumpe to make one vessell of honour for to Rom. 9. 10. shew the glory of his mercy and an other vessell of dishonour to shew the glory of his iustice seeing this power is not denyed to the potter ouer his clay how dare man speak against it in the Lord ouer his creature O man who art thou that pleadect with God Woe be to him that striueth with his Maker If I dispute with thee O Lord thou art righteous how euer I iudge of thy counsell and of the manner of thy working thou art asway righteous Si non vis errare if thou Aug. in Ioan. tract 26. wilt not erre saith Augustine iudge not the Lord why one is saued the Apostle tels you I haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy Misericordia eius misericordiae causa why another Aug. Epist 59. ad Paulin is reiected Causa potest esse occulta iniusta esse non potest the cause may be secret but cannot be vniust qui infactis Dei rationem non videt infirmitatem suam considerans cur Gregor in Iob cap. 9. non videt rationem videat hee that seeth not a reason of the Lords doing let him looke to his own infirmitie and he shall see a reason why hee seeth it not The Lord hath hid euen from most wicked men the purpose of their owne reprobation till it come to the execution and then shall they receiue an answere from their owne consciences to stop their mouthes which now they will not receiue from man Euery one of the damned shall be compelled to acknowledge that the iudgement executed vpon them is righteous But now to returne to the doctrine wee haue first to obserue Predestination takes not away the second causes and meanes of saluation out of the signification of the vvord which I marked before that the Lords determinate counsell and predestination takes not away the nature properties nor necessities of secondarie causes and meanes of saluation but rather establishes them for those whom God hath appointed to saluation he hath also appointed to those meanes which may bring them vnto it It is therefore a blasphemie which is frequent in the mouthes of carnall professors if I be elected howsoeuer I liue I shall be saued and if otherwise I be a reprobate liue as I will I cannot mend it this is no other thing but Sathans diuinitie if thou be the Sonne of God Sathans diuinitie teacheth Atheists to despise the means of saluation cast thy selfe downe from the Temple thou shalt not dash thy foote against a stone as if the sonnes of God were licensed to despise the second and ordinarie meanes and not rather bound to vse them but in very deed as it is against the nature of fire to be cold so is it impossible that the elect man effectually called can reason after this manner yea the more he heares of election the more hee endeauours to make it sure by vvell doing knowing that no man can attaine to the end of our Faith which is the saluation of our soule but by the lawfull and ordinarie meanes Both temporall and spirituall blessings the Lord wil haue God giues his blessing by meanes therefore they shuld not neglect the meanes who seeke the blessing Hos 2. 21. vs to seeke them by the lawfull and ordinarie meanes the Cornes cannot serue Israel except the earth beare them the earth cannot beare them except the heauens giue raine the heauens can giue no raine except the Lord command them Therefore vvhen the
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
and Lazarus when hee was dead helped not to raise himselfe so a stranger from Grace helpes not to call himselfe to the fellowship of Grace the Lord who makes the barraine vvombe a mother of many children makes also the barraine heart to be fruitfull The praise of our calling belongs to the Lord onely Nemo dicat ideo me August de verb. Apost vocaâ—it quia colui Deum quomodo coluisses si vocatus non fuisses let no man say therefore hath God called me because I worshipped him for thou couldst not haue worshipped him vnlesse he had called thee The calling of God findes euery man eyther vainely or Man hath not so much as minde of it when it comes to him wickedly exercised When God called Paul to be a Preacher he found him a persecuter when he called Matthew he found him sitting at the receipt of custome when hee called Peter and Andrew they were mending their nets no such minde had they as to be fishers of men As Saul was seeking his Fathers Asses when Samuel came to call him to the kingdome and as Rebecca had no errand to the Well but to water her Fathers goods when Eliezer came to seeke her in marriage vnto Isaac so if wee doe enquire at our owne consciences how wee were exercised when God called vs we shall finde our hearts were set vpon the trifling things of this world and that we had no minde of his kingdome let the praise therefore of our calling be reserued to the Lord onely As this worke of calling is the Lords onely so hee extends it to none but vnto those who are chosen it makes a particular seperation of a few from the remanant and doth None are called by this calling but they who are elect so distinguish between man and man in all rancks estates that of two brethren as Iacob and Esau of two Prophets as Moses and Balaam of two Kings as Dauid and Saul of two Apostles as Peter and Iudas of two theeues the one is taken the other is reiected The first distinction betweene man and man was in Gods eternall counsell and this is secret the last distinction will be in that last day wherein the one shall stand at the right hand of Iesus the other at the left and that shall be manifest the middle distinction is presently made by this calling of God his Gospell is the arme of his Grace being extended sometime to one corner of the world sometime to another according to his owne dispensation to seuer out his owne from among the remanent of the world Whereof it comes to passe that this sauing grace of the What a wonderfull distinction this calling makes among men Gospell enters into a land but not into euery Citie it enters into a Citie and not into euery family it enters into a family but comes not on euerie person of the family Of Husband and Wife of Maisters and Seruants of Parents and Children of Brethren and Sisters the one is taken the other reiected It came to Iericho and chose out Zacheus it came to Philippi and chose out Lydia and the Iaylour it Act. 16 14. Rom. 16. entred at Rome into the Court of Nero but lighted not vpon Nero it entred into the Family of Narcissus but not into the heart of Narcissus As the Lord so gouernes the cloudes that he makes them raine vpon one Citie and not vpon another so doth hee dispense the dew of his grace that he makes it drop vpon one heart not vpon another The Gospell is preached to many but the blessing that comes by the Gospell abides onely vpon the children of peace Let euery one among you see to himselfe this preaching of the Gospell among you assures vs that the Lord hath a haruest here that is a number that belongs to the election of Grace but who they are that are his the Lord knoweth but as for vs we may lament as Augustine did of the hearers of his time In apâ—rto est vnde doleam c. the matter of our griefe is manifest for wee see many of you who hitherto haue receiued the word of grace in vaine but the matter of our comfort is not so apparant yet doe wee not doubt but that among this chaffe the Lord hath some good Wheat whom he will perfect by our Ministrie and gather into his garner to his glory and our comfort when wee shall see that fruit of our labour which now wee cannot see Alwayes of this which wee haue spoken wee exhort you Miserable are they whom this calling hath not seperated who as yet stands strangers from grace to consider how miserable your estate is It should peirce thy very heart for griefe to consider that the grace of God hath conuerted so many in the Citie yea perhaps in the family wherein thou dwellest and hath not lighted vpon thee but left thee in thy olde sinnes If the Lord should so doe to you as he did to Israell in the dayes of Achab cause it to raine for three 1 King 17. yeares and a halfe vpon all the land about you and not vpon your land vvould you not take it as a token of Gods anger against you O hipocrite that can discerne the face of the skie and can marke the tokens of his anger in the creature canst thou not discerne the state of thy own soule nor consider this sensible curse of God that these thirty or forty yeares the showtes of his sauing grace hath discended vpon others round about thee but neuer vpon thy selfe thou possessest still a hard a barraine and fruitlesse heart What shall I say vnto thee to cut thee off from hope of mercy and to send thee to dispaire I haue not that in commission there is euer some hope of a better as long as God calles vpon thee but of this one thing I can certifie thee that for the present thy estate is lamentable and if this grace goe by thee in time to come as it hath done for the time forepassed it had beene better for thee that thou hadst neuer beene borne The time of our calling is but short and limited let it not goe by vs without grace but let vs striue to redeeme it It is called sometimes an acceptable yeare and sometimes The time of our calling is called a yeare a day to tell vs it is but short a day of saluation some dayes are longer and some are shorter but they haue all an end The Iewes had a faire long Sommer day of Saluation sixteene hundred yeares did the Lord offer grace to the house of Sem but now the bright shining Sunne of righteousnesse hath gone downe vpon Amos 8. 9. them and darknesse is vnto them instead of diuination and other sixteene hundred yeares hath the Lord been offering grace to the house of Iapheth perswading them by the Gospell to come and dwel in the tents of Sem and that by their seuerall families hee
away from it to the right hand nor to the left so shalt thou make thy way prosperous and shalt haue good successe Beware of those Lucifugae haters of the light because it discouers the darknesse of their errours Qui cum a Scripturis redarguuntur in accusationem Tertull. Scripturarum se conuertunt As the wise men following the Starre were at length led by it to Christ so if according to Peters counsell ye take heede to the light that shineth in darknesse not onely shall the day-starre arise in your heart but that cleare shining Sunne of Righteousnesse so named by Malachie euer rising and neuer going downe shall illuminate you with his brightnesse And herewithal take to you the domestique example of your Royall Father who stands before you as a paterne of pietie viuum omnis virtutis examplar it shall be no small proofe of your progresse in vertue and greatest praise among your godly Subiects that yee be a follower of him And so praying Almighty God that your happy deedes may exceed all that great hope which is conceiued of you I humbly take my leaue Your Maiesties most humble Subiect and dayly Oratour William Cowper Minister at Perth HEAVEN OPENED HERE FOLLOVVES BY VVAY OF conclusion the third part of the Chapter contayning the Christians triumph against all sorts of enemies Verse 31. What shall wee then say to these things If God be on our side who can be against vs NOw followes the conclusion The conclusion of the whole Chapter consisting first of a generall secondly of a particular triumph of the whole Chapter wherein the Apostle breaking off the course of his former speech gathers vp all that he hath spoken into a short summe he began at the first and lowest benefit vvhich GOD in Christ hath bestowed vpon vs to wit deliuerance from condemnation this is indeede the least of his mercies yet so great that if we had receiued no more we are neuer able to yeeld vnto the Lord that praise which is due for it Yet as I said it is but little in respect of that which God hath done vnto vs and therefore the Apostle beginning at it ascends continually till he comes to the last and highest which is our estate of glorification and so hauing runne so high in the enumeration of gods mercies towards vs that he can go no higher he bursts out into an exclamation as if he did say more cannot be spoken further comfort cannot be giuen but content◠himselfe to make a briefe recapitulation of all that he had said wherein first he triumphs generally ver 31. 32. thereafter particularly and that first against sinne Who sh 〈…〉 accuse who shall condemne verse 33. 34. Secondly against affliction who shall seperate vs from the loue of God outward visible enemies cannot doe it by no sort of trouble verse 35. 36. 37. Inward and inuisible enemies are not able to doe it verse 38 39. Thus like a valiant man stablished on Christ in his owne name and in the name of the rest of Gods children hee proclaimes a defiance to all his enemies visible and inuisible whatsoeuer The generall triumph contained in these two verses consists The first part of his generall triumph nothing can be against the Christian to hurt him in these two In the first he glories that nothing can be against the Christian to hurt him the reason is because God is with him In the second he glories that the Christian can want nothing that is needfull for him the reason is seeing the Lord hath giuen vnto vs his owne Sonne which is the greatest gift that can be giuen he will not let vs vvant any of his inferiour gifts If God be on our side His meaning is if God be with vs Worldlings euill iudges of Gods presence who measure it by externall prosperitie electing calling and iustifying vs that he may glorifie vs as hath beene said then we may be sure that nothing can be against vs. This I marke because worldlings iudge of Gods presence with men by the wrong rules to wit as Abimilech and Phicol iudged of Abraham we see say they that God is with thee because thou prosperest in all that thou doest That Gen. 21. 22. which they iudged was true for GOD was present vvith Abraham indeed but the rule by which they so iudged was not sure for if this rule were sure how often might the wicked be iudged to be blessed who prosper in all they put their hand vnto the rich glutton might be thought more Not by inward Grace happy than poore Lazarus but the presence whereof the Apostle speakes is to be tryed by grace which grace flowing from the effectuall calling is a surer argument to proue that God is with thee then if he should giue thee as he did Esau the fatnesse of the earth for thy portion and multiply vpon thee in neuer so great aboundance the things of this world And that we should not be deceiued to iudge otherwise The presence of God exempts not his children from trouble both inward and outward our blessed Sauiour hath forewarned vs both by his word and example how that great troubles outward and inward are to follow them which follow him In the world saith he yee shall haue trouble in mee yee shall haue peace So soone as our Sauiour was borne Herod raged against him seeking his life to warne vs saith Chrysostome that so soone as wee are borne Christians wee should looke for trouble Iacob gat no sooner the blessing but incontinent Esau persecutes him Sosthenes before he was a Christian was a ruler of a Synagogue but after that he embraced the Faith of Christ they depriued him of his office and scourged him Paul a persecuter is in great worldly honour commissioner of the high Priest and Elders of Ierusalem but when he becomes a Preacher his former friends becomes his enemies The same is also true in inward tentations vvhen our Sauiour began to discharge the publicke office of the Messiah Sathan began to tempt him of his two most excellent Apostles the one was winnowed by Sathan the other buffeted by the Angell of Sathan and all to tell vs that notwithstanding the Lord be present with vs yet wee may be tempted as our Sauiour was winnowed as Peter was buffeted as Paul was and therefore let vs despise the iudgement of worldlings and lying conclusions of Sathan who vvould make vs to esteeme our inward and outward tentations to be tokens and arguments of Gods departure from vs. The whole world consists of two contrary factions Againe perceiue here how in the world are two contrarie factions the one alway militant against the other This inimitie was proclaimed by God in Paradise and hath continued since like as it shall for euer without reconciliation onely let vs take heed vpon what side we stand if we stand vpon that wherein God is Captaine and all the Saints of Christ are Souldiers we
with the Apostle it is true I was such a one but now I am receiued to mercy I will not so loue my selfe that I will hate him who reproues mee for that which I haue reproued in my selfe of vvhatsoeuer minde he doe it sed quantum ille accusat vitium meum tantum Aug. cont lit Petili lib. 3. cap. 10. ego laudabo medicum meum but looke how farre hee accuses my fault so farre vvill I praise my Phisition vvho healed me Sometime againe their surmisings are most false they Or then falsely charging them with sinnes which they neuer did charge vs with things which wee neuer did but these backbitings should be disdayned of vs like the barking of beasts he who knowes with Iob that his witnesse is in heauen and can say vvith the Apostle that he hath a good conscience vvithin him what needes hee to care for the iudgement of men without him Notitia nostri certior intus est the surest Aug. epist. 6. lial viduae Amb. lib. 1. offic cap. 6. knowledge of our selues is within vs. Neither are wee to be so base minded as to think that there is plus ponderis in alieno conuilio quam in nostro testimonio that there is more waight in another mans calumnie than in the testimonie of our owne conscience Augustine being misreported of by Petilian gaue a notable answere for my selfe saith he I am not that which he hath called me if yee thinke that he knowes me better than I know my selfe choose you which of vs you will beleeue Let not therefore the detracting speeches of men interrupt No speach of man can make vs any other thing then that which we are our peace remembring their tongues can make vs no other thing than we are it is not Ventilabrum areae dominicae the fanne of the floore of the Lord that can seperate the chaffe from the Corne. Secondly their euill speaking commends vs to GOD blessed are yee when men reuile you and Mat. 5. 11. speake all manner euill of you for my sake be glad and reioyce for great is your reward in heauen Qui volens detrahit famae Augustine meae nolens addit mercedi meae he that with his will impaires my name against his will augments my reward I haue spoken the more of this purpose partly because it is a common craft of Sathan to oppresse good men with misreports vt qui conscientiae suae luce clarescunt alienis râ—moribus sordidentur Ambrose and partly because our weakenesse is easily ouercome with this tentation Seeing the Lord will haue vs to sustaine the strife of tongues let vs strengthen our selues let vs so vvalke through good report that wee be not puft vp and through euill report that we be not cast downe but that by weapons of righteousnesse on the right hand and on the left we may ouercome Now as for Sathan he is stiled the accuser of the Saints Sathan â—tiled a calumniator or accuser why Reue. 12. 10. Hee accuseth God vnto man of God night and day and sometime hee accuses God to man sometime man to God and sometime man to himselfe In Paradise he began and accused God charging him with enuie and in the same trade of lying doth he still continue For sometime he lyes against the iustice of God when he saith to the licentious liuer albeit yee sinne yee shall not dye that so hee may puffe him vp to presumption sometime he lyes against the mercy of God as when hee saith to the weake in faith your sinne is greater than that God can forgiue it that so hee may driue him to desperation sometime hee lyes against Gods prouidence as when hee saith to them that are in necessitie the Lord hath cast you off and will no more prouide for you that so he may prouoke them to put out their hand to wickednesse Secondly he is a restlesse accuser of man vnto God as Hee accuseth man vnto God yee may see in the example of Iob he heard the Lord commending him yet he spared not to traduce him vvhen he could not gaine-say his actions he gaine-said his intention and affection hee charged him to be a hireling and not a sonne a mercenarie vvorshipper who serued God for his gifts and not for himselfe albeit after tryall he was found a lyer And herein we are to consider how faithlesse a traytour Sathan is for those same sinnes vvhich man doth by Sathans instigation he is the first accuser of man for them vnto God Oh that man could remember that Sathan is A discouery of Sathans trayterous dealing euer doing one of these three against him first hee is a Tempter of man to sinne secondly vvhen sinne is committed hee is an accuser of man vnto GOD for those same sinnes vvhich he tempted him to doe and thirdly hee is a tormenter of man for them vnlesse they be remoued by repentance But Iesus Christ our Lord is of a plaine contrarie disposition first he disswades vs from sinne warning vs of the danger and then if of weakenesse wee sinne hee offers himselfe an aduocate for vs if vvee repent These things my 1 Ioh. 2. 1. babes I write to you that yee sinne not but if any man sinne wee haue an aduocate with the Father euen Iesus the iust These two compared lets vs see what a great difference there is betweene them that knowing the deceitfull malice of the diuell vve may learne to abhorre him and the heartie vnfayned affection of Iesus Christ toward vs vvee may loue and follow him Thirdly Sathan accuses man vnto himselfe hee deceiues Hee accuseth man vnto himselfe the vvicked and beares them in hand that they are the sonnes of God and labours to perswade the godly that they are reprobates denying that they haue Faith or Repentance or any spirituall grace There is nothing so true but Sathan dare denie it hee that durst call it in doubt to Christ himselfe vvhether hee vvere the sonne of GOD or no vvill that shamelesse lyar spare to doe it vnto others But let vs worke out our saluation in feare and trembling and Philip. 2. 12. make sure our calling by vvell doing that vvee may haue within vs the infallible tokens of our election and as for the rest let vs keepe this ground seeing the worke of our saluation is done by God in despite of Sathan Sathanâ— testimonie in it is not to be regarded though he vvould call vs as he did Paul and Sylas the seruants of the liuing of God yet are we not the better neither the worse albeit hee pronounce vs to be such as are abiect and cast away from the fauour of God And last the children of God are accused of their owne Conscience accuseth eyther vpon right or wrong information consciences these are eyther such as proceede from sufficient light or from wrong information If conscience accuse vpon light vvhich shee hath receiued out of the
vvord of God her sentence is diuine and wee are to regard it if otherwise shee accuse vpon vvrong information it is the errour of conscience and we are to remedie it by sending conscience to seeke the warrant of her sentence out of the word of God It is very expedient that vvee put a difference betweene Conscience error of conscience to be distinguished conscience and the errour of conscience vvhere conscience discernes not according to the Law of the supreame Iudge it cannot but erre eyther in being ouer large and then shee pronounceth those things lawfull vvhich are vnlawfull or ouer strait and so she declares those things vnlawfull vvhich are lawfull for if this be not obserued vve shall be disquieted while wee hearken to the errours of conscience as if they vvere the iust and lawfull accusations of conscience Sometime againe conscience presents to men sins which Why the Lord leaues remembrance of a sin in the conscience after that it is pardoned they haue done many yeares agoe and vvhereof they haue repented for vvee are to know that albeit the Lord after repentance forgiue the guiltinesse of sinne yet he will haue the memorie thereof to remaine in that conseruing facultie of conscience called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it may both serue to humble vs for the euill vve haue done as also to preserue vs from sinne for the time to come And sinne this manner of way retayned in the memory I compare it to thornes and bryers which in the middest of a garden are hurtfull and hinder the growth of good fruit but being put in the hedge are profitable to preserue them so sinne as long as it is in Sin euill in the affect on but good in the memory the affection is very pernitious for then it chokes the seed of the word of God in them but being taken out of the affection and set in the memory is as a hedge to the soule to preserue it from wilde and raging beasts that would come in and deuoure it thus for our humiliation the Lord keepes in vs a remembrance euen of those sinnes vvhich hee hath pardoned but so that vvith the remembrance of the euill which we haue done our conscience doth also excuse and comfort vs with the remembrance of our vnfained repentance toward God And if otherwise the conscience accuse vs for those euill deeds which we haue done and whereof we haue not repented it is of Gods great mercy toward vs vvho by inward 1 Cor. 11. 31. trouble wakens vs to iudge our selues now that wee should not be iudged of the Lord in the world to come As this is the comfort of Gods chosen so doth it point As no creature hath place to accuse the godly so by the contrary all shall stand vp and accuse the wicked Malach. 3. 5. Ioh. 5. 45. Luke 9. 5. Iosh 24. 27. Deut. 4. 26. Iam. 5. 3. Math. 23. 3. vnto vs the contrary miserable estate of the reprobate for there is nothing in heauen and earth which shall not stand vp against them to accuse them the Lord himselfe shall come neere them as a swift witnesse against them O miserable are they to whom the Lord is a Partie a Iudge and a Witnesse as our Sauiour said to the Iewes Moses and all the seruants of God shall be witnesses against them yea the dust of the feete of those who brought the glad tidings of peace shall witnesse against them the stones of the field said Ioshua the heauens and earth said Moses their moth-eaten garments said S. Iames yea they themselues said our Sauiour shall vvitnesse against themselues vvoe be vnto them they must be presented to iudgement but shall haue none eyther in heauen or earth to speake for them nothing vvithout them nothing within them which shall not be a witnesse against them when they are iudged they shall be condemned and their owne conscience shall say righteous is the Lord and iust are his iudgements It is God that iustifies Of this ye may see clearely that The arguments of our comfort are not brought from our innocencie but Gods mercy Iustification as the Apostle vseth it here is a iudicial terme for he oppones it to accusation and condemnation but leauing that because vvee marked it before in the poynt of Iustification we will adde this more that the Apostle brings not the reason of his comfort from his owne innocencie but from Gods mercy he saith not there is nothing in mee worthy to be accused or to be condemned but his comfort is that whateuer it be God hath pardoned it This is it that breedes vnquietnesse and perturbation in many weake consciences they seeke vvithin themselues that which should commend them to God as if they could not be saued vnlesse they were perfect this commeth of Sathans singular subtiltie who labours to creepe in betweene vs and our warrant as if our owne innocencie were the warrant of our saluation and not Gods mercy nor Christs merit It is true It becomes vs for our greater comfort to nourish within our selues the tokens of Grace but to conclude that because they are weake therefore wee cannot be saued it is Sathans sophistrie with which wee should not suffer our soules to be abused Verse 34. Who shall condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs. THe Apostle insists in his particular triumph The death resurrection ascention and glorification of Christ assures vs of immunity from condemnation against sinne and he demaunds now who shall condemne it may be as we heard there be some bold to accuse but is there any saith the Apostle that hath power to condemne none at all and that he proues from the death resurrection exaltation and intercession of Christ for as all these were done for vs so do euery one of them render vnto vs the sweet fruit of consolation Of the comfort arising from Christs death we haue spoken before The next is his resurrection we haue comfort saith the The great cōfort wee haue of Christs resurrection Apostle in his death but much more comfort in his resurrection therefore saith the Apostle It is Christ who is dead or rather who is risen againe for if wee looke to Iesus dying albeit in death hee shewed himselfe a powerfull Sauiour yet in his death his glory was greatly obscured vnder the couering of mortalitie which againe in his resurrection was more cleerely manifested for hee was declared mightily to be the Sonne of God by his resurrection and hath made Rom. 1. 4. vs sure of the remission of our sinnes for he had not come out of the prison of the graue if hee had not payed the vttermost 1 Cor. 15. 17. farthing of our debt If Christ saith the Apostle be not yet risen then are we yet in our sinnes thanks be to God we may turne it
is desined by Augustine is competent to none but Christ Aug. con Epis Par. l. 2. c. 8. Three manner of wayes are things known 1. by sense 2. by report of creatures 3. by reuelation from God intercession that it can be competent to none but to Iesus Christ It is commanded saith he that euery Christian pray to God for another Pro quo autem nullus interpellat sed ipse pro omnibus hic vnus vâ—rusque mediator est but he who requests for all and for whom none requests is the onely one true Mediator And where againe they alledge that the Saints of God in heauen are not ignorant of things done vpon earth we are to know that things are knowne three manner of vvayes first by hearing and seeing Secondly by reflex as by looking in a glasse those things are made knowne to vs which are behind our backes and thirdly by report This second and third way say they there is no doubt but Saints that are in heauen know those things which are done vpon earth but both of these are false for if they say they know our estate by report of Angels or such as are departed this life how can that be seeing wee know that when Hanna prayed in the presence of Eli yet he knew not her trouble yea those Mone of these waies do saints departed know our miseries who liue in one familie are not priuy to the tentations of others that which they knew not in their life how shalt thou make them to know it when they are dead If againe they say that they haue it by reuelation from God then I pray you consider how the one errour of Papistrie dashes against another for sometime in the same controuersie they say that as in earthly courts wee must first communicate our petitions to those who must be our mediators to the King now if it be so that they haue no intelligence of our estate but such as they receiue from God vvherefore shal we pray to them to commend our cause vnto God who knowes it better than they and pitties it more than they as Augustine prettily obserues out of that Parable proponed by our Sauiour wherein hee who knocked at midnight to seeke bread from his neighbour found the vvhole family a sleepe onely the Master of the house answered opened and gaue him that which he craued Nullus Aug. detemp serm de ianâ—torâ—b â—s respondit quia omnes tenuerat somnus non Angâ—li non Archangeli non Prâ—phetâ— non Ministri None of the Poâ—ters answered because they were all asleepe neyther Angels nor Archangels nor Prophets nor Seruants made any answere but O Lord albeit so it be answere thou me for at thee I knocke thou art the doore licet puer 〈…〉 Psal 121. dormiâ—nt tu non dormis qui custodis Israel albeit thy children sleepe yet thou that keepes Israel sleepes not But leauing them let vs pray to the Lord in vvhom wee â—n exhortation to content vs with Christs mediâ—tâ—on Ioâ— 2. 1. 1 Tim. 2. 5. Zach. 4. 10. beleeue let vs vse the mediation of Christ whom S. Iohn recommends to vs an aduocate with the Father whom S. Paul calles in this place our intercessor and in that to Timothie our onely one Mediator For knowledge his eyes are like flaming fire and his seauen eyes goe through the earth for compassion hee came into the earth to seeke vs when vvee knew him not and hee gaue his life for vs that wee might liue he speaks perpetually to his Father for vs by the merit of his death and cryes to vs by himselfe in his word Mat. 11. 28. Come to me all you that are weary and laden and I will refresh you Let the Papist say what he wil to any other than Christ or any other before Christ will I neuer goe so long as hee cryes Come vnto me Verse 35. Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword WEe haue heard the Apostles particular triumph His particular triumph against the crosse no crosse can cut vs oft from the loue of God against sinne now followes his particular triumph against the crosse he glories not in this that Christians are without a Crosse yea rather he shewes it is the lot of Gods children to be exercised with all sorts of crosses but herein hee reioyces that no crosse can seperate vs from the loue of God In this quarrell the Apostle prouokes all enemies whatsoeuer corporall or spirituall present or to come and against them all he takes vp the triumph in his owne name and in the name of all the children of God Neuerthelesse in all these things we are more Verse 37. then conquerors through him that louâ—â— vs. Our loue to God cannot fully nor finally be put out by any trouble nor yet the sense of his loue to vs. By the loue of Christ we are to vnderstand here that loue wherwith God in Christ hath loued vs for so hee expounds it himselfe through him that loued vs. It is true also that the sense of our loue to God once shed abroad in our hearts by the holy ghost can neuer fully nor finally be taken from vs I say fully and finally because of those inward tentations wherewith Gods children are so exercised that the sense of that loue in them is greatly diminished but in all those spiritual desertions and oppressions Faith ouercomes at length and â—ets vs see the face of God our mercifull Father shining 2 Cor. 4. 9. toward vs in Christ we may be cast downe but wee cannot perish if Peter be ready to sincke Iesus Christ shall succour But here the Apostle vnderstands the loue of God to vs which can neuer be altred him But as I said by the Loue of God I vnderstand that loue which hee hath borne toward vs from this most constant loue it comes to passe that wee vvhe are weake and silly creatures cannot be ouercome notwithstanding the multitude of mighty enemies that are against vs. If our saluation were in our owne custodie and wee stoode by our owne strength the smallest tentation would ouercome vs our feet are ready to slide and then our feeble hands le ts go that hold of mercy which once we had gotten but howsoeuer we loose our hold the Lord holds it fast for vs wee may change but hee remaines the same because the Lord hath loued vs and whom he once loueth he loueth to the end Iohn 13. 1. therefore it is that it cannot be but well with vs hee loued vs before we were yea before the world was made If we search the beginning of Gods loue towards vs wee may runne vp in our thought to the beginning of the world but Psal 90. 2. cannot attaine to the beginning of this Loue before the mountaines were made and thou haâ—st formed the world euen from euerlasting to euerlasting thou
his wonderfull wisedome in the harmonie of contraries 324 God rests from workes of creation not of gubernation 325. he workes by contraries 327. his purpose toward vs how it may be knowne 341. See presence God painted in a mans image by Papists and how it is idolatrie 423. 424. Gods Martyrs and Sathans different 442 Godly described 267. oft-times straited in trouble See affliction 432 Glorie to come most certaine 229. prepared to be reuealed 237. by the glorie already reuealed wee may iudge of that which is not reuealed we shal see more there then we can heare in this life 238 Glorie to come both great and certaine 249. how we should be changed for that glory 263. Meditation of the glorie to come recommended 238. our estate in heauen expressed by soure words of great importance 239. excellencie of that glorie 239. Foure things concerning the life to come 239. how fortie dayes company with God changed the face of Moses 240. Since our bodies shall be glorious how glorious shall our soules be 240. See inheritance Glorie of one shall be the glorie of another 241. Persons glorified there are all excellent and singular 241. whether or not shal we know one another there 242. The place of it shewes the greatnes thereof 242. Three places of our residence compared 243. the glorie of the outward court of Gods palace being so glorious the inward must be much more glorious 245. Eternitie and prospecuitie of it 245. Soliditie of it 246. why wee seeke it not 248. glorie of Worldlings how silly 247. let vs seeke the best 247. our highest and best estate 395 Gospel where it is preached there God hath some toward whom he hath a purpose of loue 359. the gospell neither comes nor goes by mans procurement but by God his purpose 361. how this should work in vs a reuerence of the Gospell 359 Grace commâ—nded 96. communicate to few 370 H Harmonie of contraries wonderfull in the creation 324. Harmonie of man his soule and bodie by creation now turned into discord 135 Heart knowne to God only 307. why hidden from men 310. herein appeares God his soueraigntie ouer man that hee is vpon his secrets 311 Heart only puts a difference betweene a Christian and a counterfaâ—t 310 Hardnesse of heart great in this age 272 Hope depends on sure warrants 281. 282. 283. hope described 284. compared to the Egge 286 Humilitie commended 30. 267. I Image of God our eldest glorie .. 374 Impatience in trouble 289 Inheritance heauenly and the nature of it 213. 214. Inimitie with God how foolish are they who keepe it 95 Insidelitie repressed 28 Infirmities how manifold 297. comfort in them 295. how wee should strengthen our selues where we are weakest 297 Ingrafting of a Christian into Christ explaned 24. 25. 26. how he beares fruit as soone as he is planted 31 Ioy three-fold 397. how it is not found but in the depth of a contrite heart 397 Ioy to come how tasted by Worldlings 248. Ioy of things present how vaine 340 Iudgement generall how it will proceede according to the bookes 12. how terrible it will be 13. the remembrance thereof should keepe vs from sinne 14. No mercy will be offred after the last day 15. the christian knowes before hand what will be his sentence in the last day 16. Iudgement delayed confirmes the wicked 129. how foolish they are in so doing 129. Why iudgement is executed on some not on others in this life 130. it is a great iudgement not to be iudged in this life 130 Iudgement three-fold which man may haue of man 104 Iudas punished before Caiaphas and why 40 Iustification by Faith 278. takes not away from the Christian hope and loue 281. Calumnie of the aduersaries here-against confuted 281 Iustification posterior in order to time not in calling 389. three manner of waies taken 389. opened to condemnation 390. State of the controuersie betweene vs and the Papists concerning iustification 190. Destraction of first and second iustification improued 394 Iustification sanctification distinct benefits but inseparable 395 Iustice of God cannot strike vpon vs and why 407. miserable are the wicked who must beare it for euer K Knowledge neither of naturall nor morall Philosophy could profit to Saluation 88. can not preuent an euill end 89. brings out death 88 L Laments of the godly turned into triumph Law cannot saue vs and why 63. Naturally men seeke life in it but in vaine 64. impotencie of tho law is of vs not of the law 65. how is it and shall be fulfilled in vs 75. how not fulfilled in this life 76. we are freed from the curse of the law not from the obedience thereof 80. it discouers sin and causes feare 189. Life prophane is a great dishonour to Christ 37. a false witnessing against Christ 38. full of sacriledge 39 Life of a Christian is a mixed webbe 5. a holy life a sure marke of our vnion with Christ 38. it is the first martyrdome 38. three helpes of a godly life 47. our life should be a continuall progresse in godlinesse See walking our life tels whose seruants wee are 166. they who liue in sin are in death and shall die a worse death 174 Life present a thorow way to heauen or hell 173. it is not the right recompence of godlinesse 180. 181. how it is a momentanian life 232. by what similitudes the vanity therof is figured 232. the pleasures thereof are worme-eaten 233 Life present a point betweene two eternities so to speake 363. a stage play 246. it is neither the place of our rest nor our glorie 430. our estate here is neither the last noâ— the best 135. in this life he hath fewest yeares who hath liued longest 234 Life eternall hath three degrees 396. S. Paul a strong witnesse of the pleasures thereof and why 277. See glory Libertie purchased to vs by Christ bindes vs to himselfe 160 Loue of God toward vs may be seene in the price that hee gaue for vs. 68. 407. 409. Loue of the godly 70. compared to bread 286 Loue is the first affection that God sanctifies and the first that Sathan peruerts 344. it is not an easie nor common thing to loue God 343. none can loue him but his elect effectually called 342. the obiects of our loue 344. 345. he cannot loue his brother who loues not himselfe 345. man hath need to learne how to loue himselfe 346 Loue to our selfe and others should be in measure to God without measure 346. Three conditions required in the loue of God 347. Wee are farre from the loue of God we should haue 348. Meditations to encrease this loue of God in vs. 349 Loue tryed by the effects 349. he louâ—s not God who loues not the Word and Prayer 350. and longeth not to be where he is 350. Loue tryed by obedience 352. a proofe that many are without loue 351. Loue is bountifull 353. our loue to God cannot be fully and finally bequeathed 328 Lustes of the
operations but God is the same who workes all in all for to one is giuen by the Spirit the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge to another the gift of healing to an other the operation of great workes but none of these are the operations whereby the Sonnes of God are to be discerned seeing all these hee vvorkes also in the wicked We are therefore more particularly to consider how is And these former are coÌ„mon to the wicked but he hath a singular operation in the godly whom he leads it that this Spirit leades the Sonnes of God the auncient Fathers expresses it in two words hee leades vs mâ—nendo monendo that is by informing our minde with his admonitions and inclining our harts with his motions for the holy spirit leades vs not like vnto blinde men vvho are led by their guide a way vvhich they know not themselues but he opens our eyes and lets vs see a farre off our heauenly 1 Monendo by informing their mindes Canaan and Ierusalem vvhich is aboue for he that neuer saw the Lord how can hee follow him or how can he forsake the doung of the earth who hath no eyes to discerne those excellent things which are aboue This illumination of our minde is the first beginning of our saluation therefore the Apostle praying for the Ephesians craues that the Ephes 1. 18. Lord would lighten the eyes of their vnderstanding that they might know the hope of their calling and the riches of that glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints He prayeth also for the Philippians that they may abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement whereby they may discerne things that are excellent And for the Collossians that they may be filled with the knowledge of the will of God and of spirituall vnderstanding teaching vs also to remember it in all our prayers as a most necessarie petition And after that the spirit of God hath opened the eyes of 2 Mouendo by alluring their hearts his children and carried them vp with Moses to the top of Pisgah that is by heauenly contemplation giuen them some sight of Canaan then he also moueth their hearts making them cheerefull willing and resolute to walke toward it for hee drawes vs not against our wils but makes vs willing to follow him It is true he giues also to the wicked some taste of the ioyes of the life to come but he changeth not their hearts they haue some new sights of it but retayne their old affections they like it also but will not redeeme it so deere as they thinke as with the losse of their carnall pleasures in this life but to the godly with the new minde he giues them also a new heart hee inflames them with so feruent a loue of those things which hee had letten them see that they are content to renounce the world and accounteth her best things to be but doung so they may obtayne the Lord Iesus and be made partakers of the high prise of the calling of the Saints of God And beside this he doth in such sort conduct vs that hee 3 By remouing al impediments out of the way which may hinder vs to follow him remoues euery impediment out of the way which may hinder vs when hee carryed his people Israel by his strength to his holy habitation O what impediments was in the way I the red Sea the waste Wildernesse the riuer Iordan Pharaohs horsemen and chariots pursues them behinde to draw them backe againe seauen mighty nations of the Canaanits are gathered before them to resist them and hold them out of Canaan but the shepheard and leader of Israel steps ouer all these impediments as if they had not been in the way and places his people in the mountaine of his inheritance and afterward when he concluded to bring his people from Babell homeward to Canaan hee prepared a way for them in the Wildernesse hee commanded the mountaines to be made low and the vallies to be exalted he commanded the crooked to be straight and the rough places to become plaine and it was done This is for our comfort the Lord Comfort who hath taken vs by the hand to lead vs into his holy habitation shall remoue all impediments that are before vs though Sathan like a Lyon spoyled of his pray snatch after vs though hee double his tentations vpon vs and with manifold afflictions compasse vs though terrible death and the horrible graue stand before vs threatning to swallow vs by the way yet shall wee see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing and ouer all our enemies shall be more than conquerors through him that loued vs and hath taken vs into his owne hand to leade vs to that inheritance which he hath prepared for vs. For it is manifest that both the beginning progresse and The beginning progresse and perfection of our saluation is from him perfection of our saluation is ascribed to the spirit of God in holy scriptures when we were dead in sinne he quickned vs when he had quickned vs he gouernes and leades vs and worketh continually in vs till he perfect vs. Thus is hee the Heb. 12. 2. author and the finisher of our faith and all the glorie of our saluation is his as wee cannot begin to doe well without him so we cannot continue in well doing without him if he lead vs not wee wander from him and weary our selues in In that we can not walk without a guide we are warned that we are but babes Acts 8. 30. 31. the way of iniquitie It should serue to humble vs that wee are pointed out here to be but babes and children such as cannot goe by our selues vnlesse we be led by another As that Eunuch answered Philip when he asked vnderstandest thou what thou readest how can I saith he vnderstand without a guide so may we answere the Lord when hee commands vs to walke in his way how can wee O Lord that are but children and It is good religion to turne Gods precepts into prayers Psal 43. 3. Psal 143. 10. new borne babes walke in thy way without a guide It is a point of good religion to turne the Lords precepts into prayers Send out Lord thy light and thy truth let them lead mee let them bring mee into thine holy mountaine and to thy tabernacles Let thy good spirit lead mee vnto the land of righteousnesse When the Lord threatned that hee vvould no more goe before the Children of Israel to lead them as hee had done Moses tooke it so deepely to heart that he protested hee would not goe one foote further except the Lord went with him and certainely if wee knew the manifold inconueniences whereinto we shall fall if the Lord forsake vs wee would neuer enter our feete into that way wherein we saw not the Lord going before vs in mercy to leade vs. Our life on earth should be
ordered as was the life of We ought to follow our guide as Israel did the Lord in the wildernes Israel in the wildernesse the Lord vvent before them by day in a cloud by night in a pillar of fire when the cloud remoued they remoued what way so euer it vvent they followed vvhere the cloud stood they camped thus the Lord led them by two and fortie stations fortie yeeres in the wildernesse though Canaan vvas not farre from them yet they entred not into it till the Lord directed them The Lord hath in like manner praysed be his name for it brought vs out of the land of our bondage he might if he had pleased long ere now haue entred vs into our Canaan but it pleaseth him for a time to exercise vs and to haue vs vvalking vp and downe this Wildernesse Let vs possesse our hearts with patience and reuerence the Lords dispensation in the meane time take heed that the Lord goe before vs that his word shine vnto vs as a lanthorne to our feet and that his holy spirit be our guide to lead vs in this righteousnesse then shall we be sure of a happy end of our iourney when we liue not as vve list but vnder the gouernment of the holy Spirit vvhen our rising and lying downe our resting and remouing and all the actions of our liues are gouerned by his direction As many as are led by the spirit If all were led with the All that professe Christ are not led by his spirit spirit of God the Apostle would not vse this distinction so many and no more are the sonnes of God as are led by the spirit of God The name and dignitie of the sonnes of God doth not belong to all men who are the Lords by creation nay not to all those who are his by profession As in the Arke of Noah there was a cursed Cham and a blessed Sem as in the schoole of Christ a traiterous Iudas and a beloued Iohn so are there many in this mixed fellowship of the visible Church who by outward profession pretends the stiles and priuiledges of the sonnes of God but are not of the Israel of God belongs not to the adoption Thinke it not therefore sufficient that yee are gathered to the fellowship of the visible Church but consider what place yee doe possesse in it I wish from my heart that none among vs all vvere in this barne-floore of Christ like vnto chaffe for it will be cast out and burnt with vnquenchable fire but that wee may all be found to be that good Wheat vvhich shall Math. 3. 12. bâ— gathered into the Lords garner it is indeede a great benefit that vvee are brought to the fellowship of the visible church which is so to cal it the outâ—ermost chamber of the house of God but onely blessed are they who are led by the spirit farther in to that secret chamber where God shewes his familiar presence and vnto which none are admitted but they who are of the communion of Saints And as for them who are not led by this spirit of grace What spirit leads the wicked Esay 29. 10. Hos 4. 10. it is certaine they are miscarried by another Spirit Concerning their minde the spirit of slumber couers their eyes that they cannot see and concerning their hart it is misruled by the spirit of fornication which causes them to erre and goe a whooring from God thus are they led not as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brought to the Lord in a peaceable manner whereof I haue spoken but as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 driuen violently and carried away from the Lord ouerhaled with the furie of their affections snared of the Diuell and taken of him at his will Acts 7. 51. Esay 63. Ezech. 13. 3. resisting the holy Ghost yea vexing the holy spirit of the Lord. O miserable and vnhappy condition fearefull is the vvoe that lyes vpon those who follow their owne spirit let vs therefore take heed to our selues our wayes vvill declare vvhat spirit is our gouernour What made Caleb and Ioshua trust in the Lord and rest on his word vvhen all Israel murmured against him prouoked him to anger and compelled him to sweare that they should neuer enter into his rest what made them constant in so great a desertion the Lord declares it himselfe but there was another spirit in Numb 14. 24. my seruant Caleb saith the Lord. Certainely they who are led by the spirit of the Lord will wait vpon him and follow him albeit all the vvorld should forsake him but as for those who wanders from the Lord in the way of iniquitie their deeds makes it manifest they are led by the spirit of errour Last of all we learne here that all the sonnes of God are All the sonnes of God are partakers of his spirit pertakers of his spirit there is but one song among all those thousands triumphant in heauen that followes the Lambe and there is but one spirit in all these militant vpon earth that followes the Lord. Earthly fathers were they neuer so wise and holy doe not alway beget wise and holy children regenerate Adam hath wicked Caine for his eldest sonne faithfull Abraham hath faithlesse Ismael godly Isaac brings out prophane Esau religious Ezekiah begets idolatrous Manasses but the Lord our God whom so euer he begets he communicates vnto them his owne spirit and transformes them into his owne Image and therefore they are conuinced to be shamelesse lyers who in their deedes shew forth the image of Sathan and yet glories in vvord that they are the Children of God they are bastards and not the sonnes of God for it cannot be that the Lord should beget children to any other image but vnto his owne Verse 15. For yee haue not receiued the Spirit of bondage to feare againe but the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father THe Apostle to strengthen this former argument A three-fold operation of the Spirit in the Sons of God sets downe a short description in this and the subsequent verse of a threefold operation which the spirit maketh in them whom he leadeth for first he is vnto them a spirit of bondage working feare secondly hee is a Spirit of Adoption working loue through the sense of Gods mercie for he not onely makes them whom he leades the Sonnes of God but intimates vnto their spirits Gods loue towards them which otherwise was vnknowne vnto them and thirdly hee is a Spirit of intercession making vs to goe with boldnes to the throne of grace and call vpon God as vpon our Father Of the which the first part of his argument is made cleare that they vvho are led by the spirit of GOD are the Sonnes of God yea by the testimonie of the Spirit they themselues know that it is so and therefore in most homely and humble manner acknowledge him for their Father This the Apostle propones in such a manner that he