of Circumcision hauing cut off that by which the sinne of the Fathers was deriued to the Children For in Regeneration which putteth off the old man and the body of sinne we are cut off from the stocke of the first Adam and graffed into the second Adam and from thence our pedegree is reckoned from the second into whom wee are ingraffed and not from the first from whom wee are cut off We are then beheld in him in whom God is wel pleased and not in him in whom God is offended Yea in stead of the guilt of the sinnes of our Fathers the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus descendeth vpon vs and we are so farre from the guilt of those whose corruption we haue put off that we are cloathed with the righteousnesse of Him whom we haue put on In the very conception of Christ Iesus the Holy Ghost stopped or cut off this streame of Corruption that it should not descend vpon him and that not descending neither did the guilt of old sins descend vpon him But what he had in his Birth wee haue in our New-birth when wee are New-borne of him For then is the guilt of old sins cut off the sinfulnesse being cut off by which it streamed downe vpon vs. Heb. 10. 17. And thus doe wee come to the New Couenant whereby the Lawes of God being written in our hearts not onely the sinnes of our Forefathers but our owne sinnes are put away for God forgiueth all iniquities and remembreth sinnes no more And indeede to this very Couenant doth God call vs in those places of Scripture where hee teacheth vs this way of putting off the sins of our Fathers For though he begins in the Law yet hee ends in the Gospell And we know that the Gospell is generally though secretly intimated in the Law Gal. 3. 24. which was a Schoolemaster to Christ. But here samewhat openly wee are called to the Gospell and New Couenant There are two places wherein God answers the Iewes that had set vp a Prouerbe against his Iustice. Ier. 31. 29. The Fathers haue eaten sower grapes Ezek. 18. and the childrens teeth are set on edge As if they should say Wee are righteous and haue not eaten the sower grapes of vnrighteousnesse but onely by our Fathers eating the teeth of vs their children must be set on edge Surely a terrible taxe and accusation of the Equalitie and Iustice of Gods waies That righteous Children should bee punished for the sinnes of vnrighteous Parents Heare the Force of their Argument standing vpon this Assumption That they were righteous God ioynes Issue with them iust in that point and tells them plainely that if they bee righteous they shall not dye but liue And because the Iewes by reason of the vaile on their eies still groped for a Legall Righteousnes Rom. 10 3. and as S. Paul saith being ignorant of Gods Righteousnesse goe about to establish their owne that is a Legall Righteousnesse God knowing their meaning talkes with them in their own language and accepts their challenge in their Legall termes Compare Ezek. 18. 5. 6. 7. 8 9. 19. with Leuit. 18. 4. 5. Gal. 3. 10. 12. Therefore he vseth the very words of the Law when he answers them setting forth to them a Legall Righteousnesse and with the very Legall condition Doe this and thou shalt liue But at length because hee knew that the Law made nothing perfect because it was weake and did not powerfully change the heart by the change and renewing whereof sinne with sinfulnesse may onely bee put off hee remoues their eies from the Law to the Gospell And therefore in Ezekiel he calls vpon them for a new heart and a new spirit without which all their legall Righteousnesse can neuer put off the sinnes of their fathers And in Ieremy Ier. 31. 31. c. God plainly tells them how this new Heart is to bee gotten euen by the grace of the new Couenant whereby the lawes of God are written in our hearts and the heart being changed by this grace by a blotting out of sinfulnesse and writing of holinesse the guilt of sinnes passed both ancient and moderne are all blotted out al-also for GOD forgiueth their iniquities and doth no more remember their sinnes for iustification is giuen together with sanctification where sanctification is not present iustification is absent Wherefore since God hath made known to vs this sound and sufficient remedy against the sinnes of our fathers let vs take it heartily and put away the sins and sinfulnesse of our fathers by putting on Christ Iesus in the new and second birth Rom. 8. 1. For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus but in stead of the guilt descending from our fathers Rom. 6. the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus shall descend vpon vs for by the obedience of this one many shall be made righteous For as sinne aboundeth so grace superaboundeth the breadth of Mercy exceeds the depth of Iustice for as Instice goes down to the third and fourth generation of them that hate God so Mercie spreades it selfe abroad vpon thousands of them that loue God and keepe his Commandements The righteousnesse of one if wee be one with that one shall bee more auailable to our Iustification than the sinnes of many from whose sinfulnesse wee are diuided shall be powerfull vnto condemnation 16. But while we are speaking of the sinnes to bee put off A sinne of our Ancestors made ours and made worse the name of it is Gluttonie there presents it selfe to vs another sinne which also hath beene the sinne of this Nation and withall we may take notice that it was a sinne of Sodom This sinne in the Scripture goes vnder the name of Fulnesse of bread and in our Language is plainly called Gluttony And this sinne hath beene so proper to this Nation that one puts Voraces for an Epithete of Angli and another when he will say he is full euen to the brim expresseth it thus Si saoul comme vn Anglois He is glutted like an English man It may bee some men out of naturall Philosophy will gather an excuse that the cold Climates haue need of more food because the heate being stricken in and so by vnion made stronger expecteth more fuell to feed it and to draw it away from feeding on that stocke of naturall humidity which is the lampe of life But this only pleads for such a measure which preserueth life but we speake of a measure that oppresseth life A filthy and vnreasonable and vnmeasurable measure proceeding of a filthy cause and going on in a bruitish way to a dangerous end The roote of this sinne which we speake of is Concupiscence and this Concupiscence hauing conceiued infects both vs and our meate and doth so turne our table into a snare that it changeth wholsome meate into poyson euen into the poyson both of body and soule No reason in the world vseth meate beyond
in and by how many Prophets yet euen at the last cast when the sword was whetting and readie to strike a Doore was opened to them Amend your wayes Ierem. 26. 13. and your doings and obey the voyce of the Lord your God and the Lord will repent him of the euill that hee hath pronounced against you What could bee more peremptorie than the prophesie of Ionah against the Niniuites A day was prefixed which stood before them and seemed to inclose them that they should neuer goe beyond it Yet their faith had espyed this doore of Mercy as it were by a little Crany Ionah 3. 9. Who can tell if God will turne and repent and turne away from his fierce anger that wee perish not Behold a strange Faith that so much beleeued in Gods mercy that it seemed to doubt of his truth Nay far bee that from so excellent a Faith They beleeued both the Truth and Mercy of God for they so much beleeued and hoped in his Mercy to penitent sinners that they beleeued that the same Mercy had left some secret way of Truth by which it might passe vnto them and they goe forth vnto it And in this point their faith seemed to exceed the faith of the Prophet For the Prophet thought his owne honour would bee lost if so peremptorie a sentence were not peremptorily performed But these men beleeued it stood well with the honour of God that a peremptory sentence vpon penitence might be dissolued And indeede theirs was true faith and his thought was but an errour For the word of God whose Truth is a true ground of Faith is the very foundation of that which they beleeued At what instant Ier. 18. 7. I shall speake of a Nation and concerning a Kingdome to plucke vp and to pull downe and to destroy it if that Nation against whom I haue pronounced turne from their Euill I will repent of the euill that I thought to doe vnto them Thus we see in the denunciation of Gods Iudgements there is an implied Reseruation and this Reseruation is the Doore at which the Nineuites and other beleeuing penitents may finde a way to escape Yea the peremptorinesse of the sentence which seemeth to hedge vs in may be the very meanes to bring vs to the way of escaping For the peremptorinesse of a sentence strikes the sentence strongly as it were a spurre into the sides of resty and dull flesh and bloud and stirs vp mankinde hardly to labour for that Issue which seemes so hard and almost impossible to be found And indeede this finding God vsually proposeth as the scope of his warning He tells vs of Iudgements comming that wee may finde the way to auoid them If he meant to destroy his readiest way were not to forewarne It was Sauls case when he was neere to the period of Ruine The Lord answered him not neither by dreames 1. Sam. 28 6. nor by vrim nor by Prophets Let vs therefore account premonitions to bee Summons vnto Iudgement but yet by a silent and implied Reseruation offering vs Mercie And betweene the time of denunciation and full performance let vs thinke that offer continued to vs. For the Time of warning is commonly a time of Truce betweene God and Man and a time of Respite between Wrath and Punishment Therefore is it called The day of a person or people euen a day of Grace Luke 19. 42 wherin iudgement is suspended and may bee preuented And if in this their day those things are not hid from their eies which may make their peace with God the peace of God will preserue them from the Iudgements of God Wherefore let vs not thinke that euery forewarning is a binding for a prediction ordinarily bindeth no farther than mens impeni tence bindeth it For in it selfe a premonition is an offer of loosing as well as a sentence of binding There is a gate of Mercy in it and man hath a Key wherewith to open it Yea the Iudge himselfe who seemes to inclose vs in prison calls vpon vs to make vse of it and by the hardnesse and difficultie of escaping stirs and spurs vs vp to an earnest seeking of the meanes of our Freedom 4. If any man aske what is the Key by which this gate is opened Spirituall helpes are the true helpes to set vs at liberty from Iudgements 1. Sam. 10. 27. he may plainly see it in the places alledged In euery one of them it is Repenting and Turning from euill waies But flesh and bloud replies in the language of Belial For as the men of Belial said of the King whom God had annointed Shall this man saue vs So flesh and bloud saith of the meanes which God hath sanctified Shal such an ayerie and inuisible thing saue vs Yet most true it is that inuisible things must saue vs or wee cannot bee saued Spirituall things are inuisible and spirituall things must saue vs. And no wonder for spirituall things worke our eternal saluation and if they can worke the greater why should they not be able to worke out the lesser saluation When a question is made concerning the great Saluation Act. 2. 37. 38. Men and Brethren what shall we doe to be saued The first word of the Answer is Repent And why should not the same answer serue for a lesser saluation Againe if wee looke vpon the way wherein wee came to be bound wee shall finde a spirituall way to bee our onely way to loosing If wee looke to heauen we shall finde it is God that bindes vs there and God is a spirit Now Ioh. 4. 24. according to the reason of CHRIST himselfe if God be a Spirit it is a spirituall meanes that can only bee powerfull with a spirit And if wee looke below we shall finde it is sin that prouoketh God to binde man and sinne is a spirituall disease euen a deprauation of the Image of God in the soule and spirit of Man or a fruit of it Now it is plaine that a spirituall remedy can only cure a spirituall disease The soule will not bee fed by the food of the body neither by bodily physicke will it bee cured Wherfore in regard of God who is offended and in regard of thy sinne that hath offended him behold the word of God turning thee from carnall and visible to spirituall and insuisible Remedies Micah 6. 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Riuers of Oyle shall I giue my first-borne for my transgression the fruite of my body for the sinne of my soule Hee hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to humble thy selfe in walking with thy God Neither hath God herein giuen meere words but his deeds haue beene as good as his words The Scripture is full of examples that this meanes which the world thinkes to be weaknesse hath beene strong vnto
men of Israel haue once beene smitten by the men of Ai and doe the second time flee before them Iosh. 8. 5. 6. 7. They will come out after vs saith Ioshua till wee haue drawne or pulled them from the City Then shall yee rise vp from the Ambush and seize vpon the Citie for the Lord your God hath deliuered it into your hand By this baite of infirmity doth God draw his enemies to open their mouthes to swallow the Church but then the hooke of Omnipotence that lyeth hid vnder it taketh and killeth them And euen now in the distresse of Gods Army wee see that done which Iohn saw before would bee done I saw the Beast Reu. 19. 19. 20. and the Kings of the earth and their Armies gathered together to make war against him that sate on the horse against his army And why should we not hope to see that euent which Iohn also saw following this gathering together And the Beast was taken and with him the false Prophet A second regard hath God to men in this lownesse of the Church and that is a regard to the Church it selfe For when God doth prepare a glorious victorie for his Church his Church must bee duely prepared for the receiuing of this victorie And this lownesse doth diuersly prepare her First it calls her to the life of faith to liue by faith and not by sight For when visible things faile her then is shee forced to run by faith to things inuisible when that failes her which she sees then she cleares vp the eye of faith that she may haue some euidence of things not seene Heb. 11. So S t. Paul saith of the widow 1. Tim. 5 5. that being desolate shee trusteth in God And as soon as Iehosaphat hath said Wee haue no might against this great company that commeth against vs neither know wee what to doe it presently followes 2. Chro. 20. 12. But our eyes are on thee 2. Cor. 1. And S t. Paul hauing receiued the sentence of death trusteth in God that raiseth the dead Thus when the outward eye seeth no helpe in the creature the inward eye of faith is awaked to look only on the Creator And indeed nothing but faith is fit to receiue a miraculous Mercie When God makes bare his Arme in some great and wonderfull deliuerance hee will haue his people by faith to looke vp to this arme and wholly to depend on it Therfore Christ Iesus when he is ready to bestow a miraculous healing he vsually calleth for faith to receiue it And euen now by the distresse of the Church doth God call the Church to this faith And no question if by this faith we be duly prepared for the great worke of Gods mercy in the deliuerance of the Church wee shall heare that gratious answer which the faithfull vsed to receiue Goe in peace thy Faith hath saued thee Lastly by the weakenesse of the Church God calls the Church to Repentance and so prepareth her for victorie Hee calls her by the fire of affliction from drosfe to puritie from wantonness to the grace of God from the forme of godlinesse to the power thereof There growes much drosse of Carnalitie about a Church in the time of ease and men turne the grace of God into wantonnesse There is wanton liuing wanton preaching and wanton hearing Men play with Religion and are not in earnest when they are about religious things Yea when they haue formally falsly done religious things they fall heartily to things of the world the false profession of true Religion being not much vnlike the profession of a false worship the consequence wherof is this Exod. 32. 6. The people sate downe to eate and drinke and rose vp to play But is such a Church fit for a glorious and miraculous deliuerance Can wee expect that God should make bare his arme to saue a Luxurious a Gluttonous a Drunken Congregation No it must bee purged from these and made white before God wil deliuer it and crowne it with victorie Therefore by this Esa. 27. 9. affliction shall the Iiniquitie of Iacob be purged and this is all the fruite to take away their sinne The Church is scoured and purged by affliction and being purged then may shee heare vers â— Hath hee smitten him as hee smote those that smote him or is hee slaine according to the slaughter of them that are slaine by him For the Iudgement that begins with the house of God but as a fiery triall 1. Pet. 4. 12. 17. shall end with the sinners and vnrighteous like a consuming fire When the first appeareth more pure glorious the second shall not appeare at all Wherefore if wee by our Corrections the Church of France by her late Chastisements and Germany by her present Scourgings would turn to him that smites them by turning from their sins to his righteousnesse surely Psal. 112. to the righteous light should arise in the midst of darknes Esa 32. 17 For the work of Righteousnes shall be peace and the effect of Righteousnes quietness assurance for euer Esa. 33. 1. And then withall followes a Woe to thee that spoylest and thou wast not spoyled when thou shalt cease to spoile thou shalt be spoiled Let God then haue of his Church the end of his chastisements euen true spirituall and sincere holinesse and then the chastisements of his Church will end But then will he begin with the enemies of his Church hee will awake as a Gyant refreshed with wine Psal. 2. 5. Hee shall speake to them in his wrath and vexe them in his sore displeasure Esa. 41. 12. Thou shalt seek them and thou shalt not finde them euen them that contended with thee They that war against thee shall be as nothing and as a thing of naught And thus while the Church by her lownesse is brought to puritie puritie brings her to victorie FINIS