are the Heyres of God heires annexed with Iesus Christ and the heritage whereunto they are borne is eternall life therefore of necessitie they must liue Here first wee haue to consider what action and operation of the spirit this is which distinguisheth the Sonnes of God from other men The operations of the Spirit are diuers hee hath an vniuersall operation by which he works in all his creatures conseruing leading and directing them to his owne determined ends for in him euery thing that is hath the being liuing and mouing as euery creature is made by God so is it ruled and led by the Spirit according to his appointment Hee hath againe a more speciall operation in man and them backe againe seauen mightie nations of the Canaanits are gathered before them to resist them and hold them out of Canaan but the shepheard and leader of Israell steps ouer all these impediments as if they had not beene 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 he prepared a way for them in the Wildernesse he commaunded the mountaines to bee 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 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 he 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 we see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing and ouer all our enimies shall be more than conquerors through him that loued vs and hath taken vs into his owne hand to lead vs to that inheritance which he hath prepared for vs. For it is manifest that both the beginning progresse and 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 hath quickned vs he gouernes and leads vs and worketh continually in vs till he perfect vs. Thus is he the author and the finisher of our faith and all the glory 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 we wander from him and wearie our selues in the vvay 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 Phillip when he asked vnderstandest thou what thou readest how can I saith he vnderstand without a guide so may we answere the Lord when he commaunds vs to vvalk in his way how can wee O Lord that are but children and 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 would 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 he would not goe one foote further except the Lord went with him and certainely if wee knew the manifold inconueniences whereunto wee shall fall if the Lord forsake vs wee would neuer enter our feete into that way wherein wee saw not the Lord going before vs in mercy to lead vs. Our life on earth should be ordered as was the life of Israell in the wildernesse the Lord went 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 went they followed where the cloud stood they camped thus the Lord led them by two and fortie stations fortie yeeres in the Wildernesse though Canaan was 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 walking vp and downe this Wildernesse Let vs possesse our harts 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 feete and that his holy spirit be our guide to lead vs in his righteousnesse then shall we be sure of a happy end of our iourney when wee liue not as wee list but vnder the gouerment of the holy spirit when our rising and lying downe our Verse 15. For yee haue not receiued the Spirit of bondage to feare againe but the Spirit of Adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father THe Apostle to strengthen his former argument sets downe a short discription 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 he is a Spirit of Adoption working loue through the sense of Gods mercy for hee not onely makes them whom hee 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 boldnesse 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 who 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 hee applyes it particularly to the Godly Romaines vnto whom hee writeth Yee haue not saith he receiued againe the Spirit of bondage vnto feare as yee did in the time of your first conuersion yee 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 ye feele him comforting you and raising you vp with the sense of Gods loue and mercy toward you in Iesus Christ. The spirit of God is called a Spirit of bondage vnto feare not as if hee made them in whom hee worketh slaues or bond-men but because in his first operation hee rebukes them of sinne in whom hee worketh and lets them see that bondage
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 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 this dwelling of the spirit is in vs it is not without vs the kingdome of God is within vs if hee dwell hee will dwell in our hearts by faith 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 hipocrits who drawes neere the Lord with their lips but their harts are farre from him accursed deceiuers vvho hauing a male in their flock vowes and sacrifices a corrupt thing vnto the Lord vvhich I doe not speake as if I did condemne the outward seruice done in the body to the Lord prouided it flowe from the hart Ye are bought with a price 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 sorts of men among vs who are in two extremities vve haue some who are become scorners of the grace of God in others neither can they be humbled themselues in the publike 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 sinne is to be reserued to the iudgement of God vvho onely knowes the hart and that those same things vvhich they mislike in their brethren 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 shall not thy brother lift vp his hands and 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 Wee read that Iacob sought a blessing from the Lord with tearrs and obtained it Esau sought a blessing from his father with teares and crying and obtained it not were the teares of Iacob the worse because Esau also shed teares Iudge not least thou bee iudged the iudgement of Hypocrisie as I haue sayd belongs to the Lord. On the other extremitie are they who thinke they haue 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 tâ—ye they when they goe out whether or no they haue met with the Lord found mercy and returneth home to their houses iustified as the Publican did It is true wee are to glorifie God with ouâ— bodyes 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 bee worshipped in spirit and truth Wee are called by the Apostle the Temples of God Salomons Temple the further it 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 out 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 bee holy without his lookes his words his wayes should all declare that God dwelleth in his heart hee should haue ingrauen as it were on his forehead Holinesse to the Lord as Aaron had but much more should hee bee holy within betweene the secrets of his Soule should the Lord haue his residence and in his heart the testimonie of God which is the word of God should dwell plentifully But as for the wicked they are eyther compared to open 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 but within full of rottennesse hauing a shew of godlinesse wanting the power thereof But the man is blessed in whose heart there is no guile hee is a Nathamell indeede a true Israeliâ—e 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 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 hee who is to come or shall wee looke for another so the second is concerning them who are to bee 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 hee 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 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 hee speakes without exception bee 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 floure of the field the Spirit of the Lord iudgeth of all the glory of man as of the pompe of Agrippa he came downe saith S. Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is all
but phantasie and vanishing shewes nothing commends vs to God but this one to haue the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs. Againe wee see here that Christ and his Spirit cannot bee sundred except men will crucifie againe the Sonne of God Let no man therefore say that he hath Christ vnlesse hee haue the Spirit of Christ. As hee is not a man who hath not a Soule so hee 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 hereby wee know that wee 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 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 somwhat more in this same purpose Wee are to know that the effects and operations of the Spirit are twofold the one is a generall and common operation which he hath in the wicked for hee illuminates euery 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 bee 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 â—his manner of operation is not here meant for this way he vvorketh in the wicked not for any good to them but for the aduancement of his owne worke The other kinde of the holy Ghosts operation is speciall and proper to the godly by the vvhich hee doth not onely illuminate their mindes but proceeds also to their harts and workes this threefold effect in it Sanctification Intercession and Consolation First he is vnto them a spirit of Sanctification renuing their harts by his effectuall grace hee 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 harts sadnesse in their countenance lamentation in their speech and such an alteration in their whole behauiour that their former pleasures become painefull vnto them and others who knevv them before wonders to see such a change in them From this he proceeds and leads them to a sight of Gods mercie in Christ hee inflames their harts with a hunger 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 â—entations this care to eschew the occasions 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 kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seede into the earth which growes vp and vve cannot tell how first it sends out the blade secondly the eares and then the cornes so proceeds the kingdome of God in maâ— by degrees In the second place the holy spirit becomes to the godly a spirit of Intercession so long as vve are bound with the cords of our transgressions we cannot pray but from the time hee once loose vs from our sinnes hee openeth our mouth vnto God hee teacheth vs to pray not onely with sighes and sobbes 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 hee becomes vnto them the spirit of Consolation if he be vnto thee a sanctifier and an intercessor hee 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 and the hardnesse of our harts holds out his comforts we must fall downe vvith Mariâ— and lye still washing the feet of Christ with our teares before he takes vs in his armes to kisse vs with the kisses of his mouthâ— and if wee finde these effects of his presence going before humiliation of our hart and the grace of prayer wee may be out of all doubt that his consolations shall follow after Of this it is yet further euident against all those who deny that the Christian may bee sure of his saluation that hee vvho hath the spirit of Iesus knowes that hee hath him as he who hath life feeles sensiblie that he hath it and is able truely to say I liue â—o he who hath the spirit of Iesus knowes by feeling that hee hath him and is able to say in truth Christ liueth in mee Know yee not saith the Apostle that Christ Iesus is in you except yee be reprobates This shall bee further confirmed by considering those three names which are giuen to the holy spirit from his operation in vs hee is the Seale the Earnestâ— 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 â—yther none are sealed by the holy Spirit or else they must confesse that they who are sealed are sure If they say that none are sealed by this Spirit they speake against the manifest truth of God grieue not the holy spirit by whom yee are sealed against the day of redemption And if they deny that they who are seâ—led 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 hee who hath the seale of a Prince rests assured of that which by the seale is confirmed to him aâ—d shall not the seale of the 〈◊〉 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 hee is also the earnest of our inheritance and the witnesse of God he that beleeueth in the sonne hath a witnesse in himselfe what vvill the aduersarie of Christian comfort say to this if yee say that there are none to whom Gods spirit witnesses mercie from God ye speake against the Apostle the spirit beares witnesse to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God or if yee say that those vvho haue this testimonie of the
and seruitude vnder which they lye which works in them an horrible feare but in his second operation he is a spirit of Adoption making them free who were bound before comforting them with the sight of Gods mercy whom before he terrified with the sight of their owne sins 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 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 axe 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 with the threatning enquired earnestly what shall wee doe then that we may bee 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 whose 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 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 with the first it is true that once sayth 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 pertakers of a more excellent operation hee is become vnto you a Spirit of Adoption by whom yee call vpon God as vpon your Father For the Godly vnder the Law were pertakers of this deny that Sarah was his Wife made Peter deny that Christ was his Lord this feare made Ionas refuse to goe to Niniue and made that worthy Prophet Samuel vnwilling to annoint Dauid for hee 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 sort is seruile feare the obiect whereof 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 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 is with thee O Lord that thou mayst be feared As for the Diabolicall feare Saint Iames saith the Diuels know there is a God therefore they feare and tremble they haue receiued within themselues 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 wherof here he speaks 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 cleere 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 wrath 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 iudgements is but a preparation to the loue of God feare shall not alwayes abide in their harts 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 seame and prepares in it a place for the thread which is to remaine so doth the feare of Gods iudgements goe through the secret seames of the hart and prepares a place for the loue of God which shall abide and continue for euer in the godly when feare shall bee away The Lord at the first deales hardly with his children as our Sauiour delt with the woman of Canaan whom hee comforted at the last and as Ioseph entreated his brethren roughly whom at the last for tender compassion hee imbraced 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 hee 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 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 Felix 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 than Micaiah did to Achab and so they neuer attaine to his other operation of the spirit they are not transchanged by hearing into the similitude of the sonnes of GOD neither receiues that but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not like the strong bloud of God but the blood of man But as for the Children of God they can not be deceiued of their generation they know that God is their Father and with greater homelinesse and more freedome of spirit yea and surer knowledge they call God their Father then any son in the world is able to call on his earthly Father Whereby we cry The Apostle here doth teach vs that it is by the spirit of
his body and leauing them whole and sound hath stricken the heart with such terrours that most valiant men hauing eyes could not see hauing a tongue could not speak hauing hands could not strike to defend themselues and hauing feete could not doe so much as runne away their heart being taken from them by God they are left in a strait and comfortlesse estate But farre more miserable are they when the Lord turnes their owne hearts against themselues and makes them a terrour to themselues A fearefull example whereof wee haue in Belshazzar who seeing nothing without him but the figure of a hand which stirred him not was so stricken and pursued with his owne heart within him that his flesh trembled his countenance waxed pale his knees smote one against another If man considered this he would be loath to prouoke the Lord vnto anger seeing hee can neyther sustaine the wrath of God nor eschew it Moreouer wee are taught here seeing our Prayer is a conference with him who searcheth the heart that we should alway pray with our heart for otherwise if wee draw neere him with our lips our heart being farre from him hee will curse vs as deceiuers that hauing a male in our flock doe sacrifice a lame thing vnto the Lord that is in stead of the seruice of our hearts doe offer vnto him the seruice of our lips The Lord hath no delight in the sacrifice of fooles who are rash with their mouth to vtter a thing before him not considering that hee is in heauen and they are vpon earth the mouth may reach to men who are beside vs the heart onely may reach to God who is aboue It was a very godly protestation that Dauid made Try me O Lord and prooue my thoughts in the night and see if at any time I haue spoken that to thee with my mouth which I haue not thought with my heart and albeit wee haue not as yet atteyned vnto it yet is it that holy sinceritie whereat wee should ayme in all our prayers so to speake vnto God that our conscience may beare vs record that we lye not and that we haue spoken nothing with our mouth which we haue not thought vvith our heart We are therefore for the right ordering of our prayers to take heede to these three things First preparation before prayer Secondly attention in prayer Thirdly reuerent thanksgiuing after prayer As for the first as Moses and Iosua put off their shooes before they came neere the Lord so are we to remoue out 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 the iourney but when he came to mount Moriah the place of the worship he left them at the foot of the hill so the thoughts of the world are sometime tollerable if wee 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 first that he to whom we speake is the Father of light and we are by nature but the children of darknes call therefore 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 he is the Father of mercy repent thee therefore of thy sinnes and then draw neere with a true heart in assurance of Faith The second thing requisit is attention in Prayer the Lord to whom we speake is the searcher of the heart and therefore we should beware that we 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 which we haue not considred 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 we 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 we fight without ceasing against the incursion of our enimie like Abraham dâ—iuing away the rauening birds from his Sacrifice vnlesse we expell them speedely as oft as they come vpon vs it is not possible that wee can intertaine conference with God by prayer And thirdly after thy prayer thou shouldst come away with reuerent thanksgiuing It is the fault of many carelesse worshippers they goe vnto God as men goe to a Well to refresh them when they are thirstie they goe 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 indeede euery accesse to God by prayer should kindle in our harts a new affâ—ction toward him if we consider that when we pray and gets any accesse so oft we are confiâ—mâ—d in this that he who 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 which shall neuer be closed againe vpon vs whereof their should arise in our hearts a daily encrease of ioy which should make vs to abound in thanksgiuing Makes request for the Saints We haue further to learne that none are pertakers 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 without sanctification wee 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 contrary doth not the Lord protest against his people the Iewes albeit yee make many prayers yet I will not heare yoâ— for your hands are full of blood Will you steale murther and commit adultrie and come
rich minerall not of gold siluer or pretious stones but of a more precious saluation wherein the deeper thou art able to digge the stronger clearer and greater sight of saluation ariseth vnto thee there is not in all the booke of God a place of holy Scripture which presents to the childe of God so cleare and certaine a sight of his election and glorification as this place doth wherein now we are trauailing for the holy Apostle in this golden chaine of Saluation doth in such sort knit our effectuall Calling with our Election and Glorification that the Christian vpon earth may euidently see what God in the heauens hath decreed toward him vve haue spoken of the first two lincks of the Chaine Prescience and Predestination now we proceed to speake of the third to wit our Calling Where first of all for our greater comfort let vs stand and consider how great and glorious are the benefits which God hath bestowed on the Christian before time the Lord hath chosen him after time the Lord will glorifie him in time the Lord doth call and iustifie him Worldlings also haue theirâ—owne prerogatiues wherin they place their glory those among them that haue most ample and auncient inheritances are counted most honourable but thou who art named a Christian if thou be so indeed looke to thine owne priuiledges and thou shalt see that the glory of a Christian doth far exceed the glory of the most honorable Worldling as the Psalmist spake of Ierusalem so may we of the Christian Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou man of God Election is the first and most auncient charter of the right of Gods Children to their fathers inheritance Calling is the second by it wee are knowne to be the Sons of God and our Election secret in it selfe is manifested to vs and others Iustification is the third by it vvee are infeft in Iesus Christ and made pertakers of all that is his Glorification is the last by it wee are entred heyres to our Father and fully possessed in his inheritance No King vpon earth can produce so auncient a right to his Crowne though with the Egyptian thou shouldest reckon thy beginning so many yeeres before the creation of the world yet canst thou not match the Christian he hath the most auncient charter of the most ample inheritance neyther can any man vpon earth be knowne his Fathers heyre vpon such sufficient warrand as the Christian for in the regeneration the Father communicateth to him his Image his Nature his Spirit whereby hee beginneth from feeling to call God his father and in life and mauners to resemble him No freeholder so surely infeft in his lands nor hath receiued so many confirmations thereupon as the Christian iustified who vpon his gift of righteousnesse and life hath also receiued the earnest the pledge the seale and the witnesse of the great King And last of all the Christian shall be entred to the full possession of his Fathers inheritance with such ioy and triumph in the glorious assembly of the Saints as the like was neuer seene in the world no not in Ierusalem that day wherein Salomon entred heyre to his Father Dauid then the earth rang for ioy but nothing câ—mparable to that ioy wherewith the heauens shall ring when all the Sonnes of God shall be caught from the earth into the ayre to meet the Lord Iesus and to be inuested in the Kingdome of their Father But now wee are to speake of this Calling wherein consists all our comfort for it is the middle lincke of this indiuisible Chaine he that hath it is sure of both the ends Our Calling is the first manifestation of our secret Election and and it is a sure forerunner of our Glorification being in effect the voyce of God foretelling vs that hee will glorifie vs. As the best way in a maine land to finde the sea is to walk by a riuer which runneth into it so hee that would proceed from Election to Glorification let him follow this Calling which 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 which doe altogether ouerflow with that great and vnbounded Ocean of diuine Glory but wee are still to remember that vvee speake now of the inward Calling for the linckes 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 whom God hath chosen This inward Calling is the donation of Faith by the preaching of the Gospell or communication of the sauing grace of Iesus by which wee 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 will repent and beleeue wherein consists the outward Calling so by his holy Spirit hee giueth to his Elect children iustifying Faith by which he openeth their hearts as he did the heart of Lidia to receiue the grace offered by the Gospell and herein consists the inward Calling The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby the Apostle expresseth it signifieth to euocate and chose out some from among others this shall make the greatnesse of Gods mercy toward vs appeare the more clearely if wee doe consider that wee and the reprobate were alike by nature borne blinde rebels and transgressors from the wombe and did walke on with them in the same course of disobedience which leadeth to damnation but it pleased God to call vs out of their fellowship and enter vs in a better couâ—se that wee might be saued A notable example where of wee haue in the calling of Lot out of Sodome the Lord hauing concluded to consume Sodome with fire for her abhominable filâ—hinesse hee 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 hee was set vpon the mountaine and knew the fearefull destruction of Sodome then no doubt hee acknowledged the wonderfull mercy which God had shewed vpon him it is euen so with vs wee are here soiourning in a Sodome which God will destroy and we haue our conuersation among those whose portion shall be in the lake that burns with fire brimstone from which the Lord being purposed to saue vs hath sent his Angels to vs not two but many Ministers of the Gospell of Grace exhorting vs to flye from the wrath which is to come but alas because wee know not the danger we flye slowly and delay to follow the heauenly vocation but in that day wherin wee shall be set vpon the mountaine of Gods saluation and shall
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 aperto 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 weâ— cannot see Alwayes of this which we haue spoken we exhort you who as yet stands strangers from grace to consider how miserable your estate is It should peirce thy very hart for griefe to consider that the grace of God hath conuerted so many in the cittie yea perhaps in the familie wherein thou dwellest and hath not lighted vpon thee but left thee in thy old sinnes If the Lord should so doe to you as hee did to Israell in the dayes of Achab cause it to raine for three yeeres and a halfe vpon all the land about you and not vpon your land would you not take it as a token of Gods anger aganist 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 yeeres the showres of his sauing grace hath discended vpon otheâ—â— 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 yeere and sometimes a day of saluation some dayes are longer and some are shorter but they haue all an end The lewes had a faire long sommer day of Saluation sixteene hundred yeeres did the Lord offer grace to the house of Sem but now the bright shining Sunne of righteousnesse hath gone downe vpon them and darknesse is vnto them instead of diuination and other sixteene hundred yeeres hath the Lord been offering grace to the house of Iapheth perswading them by the Gospell to come and dwell in the tents of Sem and that by their seuerall families hee beganne at the Churches of the East they had their owne day although but a short winters day compared with that of the Iewes From them in the East the light is now come praised be God to vs in the West now is our day how long it is to continue with vs who can tell While therefore the light is with you walke in the light least darkenesse come vpon you Let vs consider the season for if once the day of grace goe by vs wee shall neuer finde it againe For suppose this day of saluation were to shine vpon this land still on to the worlds end yet what is it to thee seeing the day of grace endeth to thee in the day of thy death after that the Lord shall neuer any more offer mercy vnto thee in that the Apostle wils vs to doe good while we haue time he tels vs that after this there is no time let vs not thinke quod apud inferos ad faciendos fideles atque liberandos euangelium praedicatum sit vel adhue etiam praedicetur quasi ibi sit Ecclesia constituta that the Gospell euer hath ben or yet is preached in hell to worke Faith in men there for their deliuerance as if there also were a constitute church in it Here by preaching grace is offered to thee that if thou wilt beleeue thou mayst be saued but if now thou dispise it there remaines nothing but a fearefull looking for of iudgement And no lesse deceitfull is that opinion that by suffering hereafter thou mayst redeeme that life which here thou hast not obtayned Vita hic aut amittitur aut tenetur cum istinc excessum fuerit nullus paenitentiae locus nullus satisfactionis effectus Now life is eyther kept or lost for when wee goe out of the body there is no place of repentance no effect of satisfaction It is a principall pollicie of Sathan to steale away from man the time of Grace he will not simply say to any man yee neede not to repent at all hee knoweth the most prophane man will abhorre that hee seekes onely a delay thou needest not saith hee to repent as yet and so stealeth away one day after another till the day of Grace be gone When Pharaoh was stricken with Frogges and Moses offered to him that when hee would bid him hee would pray to God that hee might be deliuered from them it was but an vnwise answere hee gaue him Pray for mee to morrow it had beene better for him to haue said Pray for me presently but more miserably blinded are they to whom the Lord presently offers saluation they delay not till to morrow onely but till the next yeere yea for many yeeres they are called vpon in their youth but they refuse to repent till they be old seeking first leaue to kisse their father that is to follow their owne pleasures before they will resolue to follow the Lord Iesus and so lets their dayes one after another be stollen away from them till at length they be taken away in their sinnes and the day of Grace be closed vpon them And whom hee Called them also hee Iustified Hauing spoken of our Calling wee come now to speake of our Iustification This is a new benefit different from the former benefit of our Calling posterior to it in order of working but not in time for in the same moment wherein the Lord by effectuall Calling giues vs faith to beleeue he doth also iustifie vs. That wee may vnderstand what a benefit this is we are to know that the word of Iustifying hath three principall significations First to iustifie is all one with this to sanctifie or to infound by grace new qualities into the soule of man and so Iustification is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu motus ad Iustitiam as Dan. 12. They who iustifie many shall shine as Starreâ— for euer and in