cannot admit Againe the heauenly Ierusalem is a place so pure that no vncleane thing nothing that worketh any abomination may haue any doings there Reuel 21. There is then no place for vs therein who are so besmeared and stained with sinne that whatsoeuer wee turne our selues vnto is before the Lord no better than abomination And this in generall may suffice touching this doctrine For we are dead 1. Here spiritually But now for as much as wee are not as soone as we come forth of the wombe cast into hell know therefore that euery one of vs are first come short of this glory in regard of spirituall and heauenly life of the which there is not by nature the least sparke remaining in vs we being starke dead in our sinnes as often the Scripture expresly speaketh Ephes 2.1 You were dead in sinnes and trespasses and Mat. 8.22 Let the dead bury their dead Liuing men then who are void of this spirituall life are no better in the Lords account than dead men who when they burie others dead as touching this bodily life it is as pretty a pageant as to see one dead corps carry or accompany another vnto the graue Yea let men frolick it and ruffle in pleasures and not onely liue in their conceits but liue brauely and deliciously yet euen in this condition they are but dead and the more thus they liue the further are they plunged into death as Paul saith 1. Tim. 5.6 of the widow Our naturall life being but a shadow of life that shee that liueth in pleasure is dead while she liueth It is but a conceit a name of life that naturall men haue it is but a goodly vizour drawne ouer a dead and rotten corps Thou hast a name that thou liuest but thou art dead saith our Sauiour to the Angell of Sardi Reuel 3.1 Notwithstanding heere the Lord doth let his Sunne to shine and his raine to fall on the vngodly together with his owne and these dead soules enioy many documents of Gods fauour and bounty whereby they neither seeme nor indeed are so wholly and vtterly separate from happinesse as they shall bee 2. Subiect to the bodily death Wherefore there is a second staire by which all of vs if the Lord succour not descend yet further from this blessed life and this glorious conditiō that is in death when a dissolution of soule and body commeth Then the body is committed to the earth where it feeleth no good at all as in life it did nor any euill and the soule is gathered to the spirits of apostate angels and reserued to eternall condemnation in chaines of darknesse Iude 6. Lastly 3. To death eternall there is yet one lower descent in the day of iudgement when as soule and body at the resurrection which is both of iust and vniust being reunited shall be separated for euermore from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2. Thes 1.9 and shall be cast into vnquenchable fier where the worme of their consciences shall neuer die but vncessantly vexe and torment them for euer And so we will in one handle the vses which are to be made of both these instructions Vse 1 First then we are to treasure vp these instructions in our hearts Is to furnish vs with matter of confession in our prayers that they may serue vs from weeke to weeke and from day to day to direct vs in our prayers for the confession of our sinnes wee haue all by rote and can vtter the words of Saint Iames though otherwise than hee speaketh them In many things we sinne all Iam. 3.2 But rare is that man that truly vnderstandeth what it is hee vttereth wherefore let these things be still present with vs that we may vnderstand fully and explicate in particular our corruption and misery To doe it feelingly and particularly when wee come before the Lord to make our confessions and prayers For to confesse our selues sinfull and miserable not know how wherin we are so surely is nothing else but with those wicked Iewes wherof the Lord complaineth For slight and generall confession is vnprofitable Isa 29. to draw neere to him with our lips while our hearts are far from him and to commit that from which Salomon dehorteth Eccles 4.17 viz. To offer vp the sacrifice of fooles babling with our tongues what we mind not And a mocking of God or vnderstand not Nay it is a plaine mocking of God vnto his face thus without knowledge and consciousnesse of our sinfulnesse in particular and the seuerall branches of it to confesse our sins Who would not take himselfe abused by such a debtor that should confesse that he were indebted to him if he knew for what but therein hee must pardon him For he could not call to mind wherein nor why nor how he should owe him any thing Such a flouting confession doe we make to God of our sinnes when in generall termes wee acknowledge them but in the meane while our heart doth not smite vs for any in particular nor can wee tell wherein we are so sinfull Wee must then bee well acquainted with this our miserable condition the knowledge whereof will helpe much to enlarge and excite our hearts to a feeling confession thereof and a more earnest crauing of Gods mercy for the cure of it And to driue it home vnto our harts To remedie which we must consider our state in sinne when we confesse that we are thus tainted in soule and body with the leprosie of sinne let vs seriously consider that we are in a most fearfull and lamentable estate To be fearfull and lamentable It is a fearful thing to haue a noysome disease a stinking or running sore on any part of the body but how much more lothsome and fearfull is it to be couered with boyles and scabs as was Iob and to haue nothing sound in the whole body but as the Prophet speaketh from the sole of the foot to the crowne of the head to bee laden with wounds and swellings and soares full of corruption Such a lamentable sight should we see in this ougly leprosie of sinne wherewith wee are infected if we could discerne it whose poyson and contagion goeth beyond the most fearfull and noysome diseases of the body And most contagious For be a disease contagious it is and not without cause terrible yet cannot it infect where it toucheth not but a pestilence oh how dreadfull is that accounted what running and flying from it is there which can only yet infect the aire and neere and neighbour places to the hazard of such as dwell at hand and thereabouts But this plague of sinne hath wrought vpon the whole creature to infect the very heauens and make all things subiect vnto vanity that as the garment and house which were infected incurably with the leprosie the one was to bee burned with fier the other razed downe and
on his Crosse 1. Pet. 2.24 Wherefore hee which was most iust and righteous offering himselfe a sacrifice for our sinnes who are vniust and bearing the punishment which our sinnes deserued hath paid our ransome 1. Tim. 2.6 and redeeming vs by this meanes is become that Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world and thus hee being made vnrighteousnes for vs by these his sufferings and if there were any further thing for vs to doe doing it also for vs. For he is the end of the Law Rom. 10.4 and in him we are compleat Colos 2.10 we are made in him the righteousnesse of God 2. Cor. 5.21 Christ is therefore in Ier. 23.6 called Iehouah our righteousnesse Malachy calleth him the Sonne of righteousnesse chap. 4. vers 2. because hee is first made vnto vs righteousnesse of God and then doth make vs righteous vnto God This doctrine hath three vses Vse 1 First whereas the Lord doth so iustifie vs of grace It sheweth the agreement of Gods iustice and mercy in our redemption that we are also made iust in the redemption of Christ we may see and contemplate that admirable mysterie how the Lords iustice and his mercy doe kisse each other There is all iustice vnto Christ whose soule felt the anger of God in that extremity that his body affected heerewith did sweat clotty blood who was broken euen with hellish torments by the hand of God for our sinnes and was humbled to the death of the Crosse There is all mercy to vs it is mercy that the satisfaction of Christ should be ours that all that he did should be accounted as done by our selues It is mercy that Christ himselfe the satisfier should bee giuen vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Paul Rom. 8.32 He hath gratified vs with his Sonne hee hath bestowed him freely on vs. Vse 2 Secondly this may be a comfort to a distressed conscience Jt sheweth where we may fetch righteousnesse to iustifie vs. For often beholding and feeling our filthinesse and corruption that is in vs wee are ready to think that we haue no iustice wherwith to stand and appeare before the Lord. But loe beloued here is righteousnesse enough for thee and for me and for the whole multitude of beleeuers we are righteous in Christ our Redeemer Yea but haply it will sticke somwhat with thee how thou shouldest be righteous with an others righteousnesse If a priuate man indeed should die How anothers righteousnesse may iustifie vs. hee could but satisfie for his owne sinne Gal. 6.5 Euery one in this order beareth his owne burthen But the case is otherwise with Christ for he was not a meere man but God in nature glory and maiesty equall with the Father and hee being not a seruant but the Sonne by nature was sent and made subiect to the Law that he might redeeme vs which were vnder the Law Gal. 4.4.5 And what Christ did or suffered he did not as a priuate person but as a publike in the name and behalfe of Gods elect and not of himselfe but as appointed therunto of God It was not for himselfe but for the faithfulls sake that Christ did sanctifie himselfe Ioh. 17.19 and God it is who doth make him righteousnesse vnto vs 1. Cor. 1.30 It is of force amongst men what one man doth in anothers name chiefly where there is a common agreement that it shall bee so And why may not it be thus in our iustification before God for if the iustice of God preuailed so farre that through the offence of one many shal be dead Rom. 5.15 much more shall his mercy cause that grace and the gift of grace that is righteousnesse which is by one man Iesus Christ should abound vnto many For the iustice of God serueth and ministreth to his mercy as Rom. 11.32 God hath shut vp all vnder vnbeleefe but to what intent doth Gods iustice this that so they should remaine so no but that place might bee made for mercy as it followeth that he might haue mercy on all Vse 3 Thirdly seeing the Lord doth make vs righteous in Christ his redemption It teacheth vs to renounce our owne righteousnesse let vs abandon our owne righteousnesse in this case counting our best deeds as menstruous garments reckoning all as drosse and dung to winne Christ that is to be found not hauing our owne righteousnesse but that which is through faith This righteousnesse is not the righteousnesse of meere man but of God and to bring ours hereunto were as foolish as to helpe the shining of the sunne with the light of some small spattering candle or to bring a drop of muddy water to a cleere chrystall ocean Now there remaineth one thing further to bee handled For though a remedy against an infirmity be found out though euery matter be knowne which concurreth to the confection yet vnlesse this be taken inwardly or applied outwardly nothing will be effected so beloued vnlesse the grace of God the redemption of Christ bee laid to vs after a sort and receiued all is in vaine Then this is the question in the third place how the remedies are to bee vsed and receiued The answere to this question is to be fetched out of the 25. verse and is contained in these words by faith in his blood Doct. 7. Which doth teach vs this doctrine that wee are euery one to apprehend the grace of God in the redemption of Christ to iustification We are tu embrace Christs redemption wrought for vs by faith by hearty and vnfained faith Faith hath been alwaies requisite as the instrument to take Christ our righteousnesse that so we might in Gods sight be iustified This is taught vs euery where Gal. 3.22 The Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the saith of Iesus Christ should bee giuen to all And Ioh. 3.16 So God loued the world that hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth on him should haue euerlasting life Where we see faith to be brought in as the instrument without the which neither the promise can bee appropriated nor saluation attained So Act. 16.30.31 Which is the instrument to receiue it when the question is made what shall I doe to be saued it is answered by the Apostle beleeue on the Lord Iesus thou and thy houshold and you shall bee saued And truly the righteousnesse of Christ hath not been of more ancient time giuen to men than faith hath beene appointed the receiuer heereof Wherefore it is called the righteousnesse of faith because it is receiued by faith as our righteousnes which God imputeth to vs. If we should search the register of the Scriptures a cloud of witnesses would compasse vs about for the confirmation of this poynt But by the way it seemeth more necessary to answere what may be obiected For aboue we haue taught you will say that the grace of God cannot stand with any thing in man How then will you aske
AN EPITOMIE OF MANS MISERY AND DELIVERIE IN A SERMON PREACHED ON the third of the Romans Vers 23. and 24. by Mr. PAVL BAYNE Hosea 13.9 O Israel one hath destroyed thee but in me is thine helpe Isaiah 53.6 All we like sheepe haue gone astray wee haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquity of vs all LONDON Printed by Felix Kyngston for Nathaniel Newbery and are to be sold at the Signe of the Starre vnder Saint Peters Church in Cornehill and in Popes-head Alley 1619. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR HENRY BAKER KNIGHT BARronet health honour and happinesse from and in the Lord. RIght Worshipfull although it bee a complaint perhaps not causelesse of too many bookes penned and printed in these dayes yet there is and euer will bee neede of new bookes chiefly such as sauour of the wholesome doctrine of Iesus Christ and set forward that knowledge of the truth which is according vnto godlinesse Nay surely it is no lesse worke of Gods prouidence to set open the fountaine of heauenly truth and to maintaine it in a perpetuall current by the preaching and writing of his faithfull seruants then that the waters of greater riuers and lesser springs doe runne with a continuall streame For what these are to the earth to water it that it may bee fertile for mens behoofe and serue their bodily wants the same are those to Gods Church to make it fruitfull vnto the Lord and relieue the spirituall want of mens soules Besides whereas the muddy and poysonous waters of false and hereticall doctrine of vngodly and filthy language like that a Reuel 16.3 noysome bloudy sea in which no soule could liue and breath the life of God doth daily bubble or rather puddle forth with proud and swelling streames through the tongues and pens of the diuels scribes or scriblers rather Is it not a singular blessing that the b Miraris si nōdum sapientia omne opus suùm impleuit Nondum tota se nequitia protulit Senec. nat quaest lib. 3. c. 32. fountaine of truth doth hold its course also from whence issue the wholesome waters of life to correct the poyson of the diuels puddle and preserue Gods people from the deadly contagion of it Which wholly to damme vp or in part to restraine were as great a despite vnto Gods people as was done vnto Isaac by the Philistims in c Gen. 26.15 stopping vp all the welles which Abraham had digged open What though in new bookes we bring to light specially in poynts of religion no new matter who I pray doth cauill at it in liuing fountaines that they run still the same waters in colour kind and tast we doe rather like them so much the better counting it a speciall benefit that by their perpetuall course as wee haue the same waters for kind so we receiue them euer fresh whereby they are the more pleasant for tast and the more wholesome for our vse So it is a commendation rather than any imperfections in our new writings that they propound still the same ancient doctrine touching faith good manners but haply in some new forme and method wherby they giue a fresher and more pleasant relish to these wholesome waters and so quicken mens dull and diuers appetites to the better liking of them and allure them the more liberally to drinke thereof I may therefore I trust to good purpose adde also this Sermon of that godly and faithfull Preacher Master Paul Bayne vnto some other books of his set forth by my selfe and others and open as it were one little fountaine more for thirsty soules to draw and drinke of Come to it and tast who will I assure him that hee shall prooue the waters thereof to be good sweet and wholesome Among water wonders d The French Comment on Bartas in the third day of his first week out of Mela. writers report of two springs not farre distant one from the other in one of the fortunat Ilands the one whereof doth yeeld deadly waters and the other very wholesome who so drinketh of the first is anone taken and torne with most painfull conuulsions euen vnto death against which the onely sure and present remedy is to drinke of the other fountaine there at hand This fountaine which here is opened riseth out of Paradise I meane the Scriptures with one head but in the course thereof it is parted into two streames The first giuing vs the tast of our sinfull and damnable state by nature is very bitter and in it selfe mortall but the second refreshing vs with the knowledge of our redemption by Christ is as the water of life and wine of Gods loue most cordiall and comfortable If any desire to be made whole and sound in soule he must drinke deepe of both The doctrine of our wretchednesse like vnto the e Numb 15.18 bitter and cursed water in the Law must search how sound we be within or rather make vs feele the sicke and rotten state of our soule And then the doctrine of our saluation by Christ like the f Ioh. 5.4 waters of Bethesda must restore vs curing vs of our inward rottennesse and outward sores whereof wee are deadly sicke g Is corde solus arido Christum sitit Sentit miseriam corde qui fracto suam We shall neuer thirst heartily nor relish fully the sweet waters of life in Iesus Christ vntill we haue drunk deepe of the salt and bitter waters of our owne misery Nor will they heale or worke vpon our soules to health vntill these make our vnsound and rotten hearts smart euen to death This fountaine I grant is not deepe and like h Isa 8.6 Shiloah doth runne but softly For it serueth rather for Gods Lambes to wade in than Elephants to swimme in and it aimeth more to bring men to a feeling of their misery in themselues and true reioycing in their saluation by Christ than to exercise their heads with curious contemplation of schoole-poynts What it is as it is no degenerate of-spring of a good man and worthy diuine not wholly vnknowne vnto you and sometime entertained by you I offer it most worthy Sir vnto your worships hands Entertaine it I pray you according to your wonted and natiue courtesie a vertue in the eyes of all eminent in you and which in a speciall degree is appropriate vnto your selfe and deriue some part of that loue and kind respect to this orphane Sermon which sometime you did shew vnto the author of it in his life For my part I haue sent it abroad with your Worships name wreathed so to speake on the fore-front thereof that wheresoeuer it doth passe it may report your singular kindnesse and good will many waies extended and yet continued toward me and stand vp as a witnesse of my thankfull remembrance and acknowledgement of the same An office which I hope will not be vngratefull vnto you who although you are