immediately make our soules how then câ—me we stained with originall sinne it may receiue a double answer First that they come by sinne at their entrance into the body as in old time men might get the leprosie by entring into an house only infected with the leprosie and as men may now get the plague by going to the house lately visited therewith though no man dwell in the said house as also by putting on a garment comming from one that had the plague For the body is an house or garment of the soule comming from our polluted and defiled parents Secondly touching the said great obiection it is altogether curious to inquire of the manner when the thing is manifest For a man may as well inquire of Note them that were raised from death to life by the Prophets and by our Sauiour and his Apostles especially of the faithfull so raised Lazarus Dorcas c. how after their said restoring to life againe they became sinners againe and so subiect to death againe For being dead and their soules and bodies in death separated it cannot be denied but that during that time they were free from sinne both in body and in soule If therefore this bee a curious question how they became againe defâ—led with sinne and to need to pray for forgiuenesse of their trespasses then also is the former For there is the like reason of the one and of the other To returne to our former speech of adoption although God haue such a Sonne of his owne in whom he is well pleased yea many other sonnes likewise by creation keeping still that glorious image wherein they were created viz. al the blessed Angels yet because Adam had transgressed and that through his fal he had no children amongst the sons of men therefore it pleased him also to adopt vs vnto himselfe This then is one difference betwixt the adoption of God and the adoption of men that men only adopt children when they haue none of their owne but God adopteth vs though he haue one of his owne by nature and many by creation like vnto himselfe Another difference is that when men doe adopt there is Note not neither can be any second generation of him that is adopted whereby to make him like to him that doth adopt him being before vnlike vnto him For to make one like to another passeth the worke of any man But in our adoption to God there is not onely an acceptation of vs for his children but there is also an actuall regeneration and second birth wrought in vs by Gods spirit therefore called the spirit of adoption whereby we are made like to our Father that doth adopt vs. Secondly men hauing no children of their owne cannot adopt other in any or by any but God hauing a Sonne of his owne as we said doth in him and by him and through him as it were by marying of vs vnto him and incorporating vs into him adopt vs for his children Moreouer touching adoption the whole number of children adopted to God considered iointly together are accounted as one viz. as a daughter so made by marriage to the only Sonne of God Psal 45. 10. Hos 2. 9. in which respect the whole Catholike Church comprehending all the elect and children of God and no other is often called by the name of a Spouse and of one spouse vnto Christ Cantic 4. 8. 9. 10. and 5. 1. Iohn 3. 29. Reu 21. 2. and 9. and as of one wife Ierem. 3. 1. c. and the Church is said to be but one euen one alone and the only daughter of her mother Cantic 6. 8. and one body in Christ Rom. 12. 5. 1. Cor. 12. 12. Ephes 4. 4. But the children of God being seuerally considered according to the seuerall sex of euery one they are called the sonnes and daughters of God as before we heard Thus much of the eighth particular word in this text In the last place the Apostle doth rather repeat the name of 〈◊〉 God God then vse the relatiue his saying that we should be called the children of God rather then his children the more to keepe them to whom he wrote in a serious consideration of this their dignity whereof he speaketh and to make them the more to lift vp their eies and their minds and whole hearts to him whose children they are Thus much as breefly as I well could for the consideration of the particular words of this exhortation to the beholding of the great loue of God in making vs his children CHAP. IIII. Of the dignity of Gods children from the excellency of God himselfe who is their Father the rather because it is further prooued by the difficulty and greatnesse of the worke of regeneration that the sayd worke is altogether and only the worke of God NOW according to my method and order first propounded to my selfe I will more amply lay forth the mayne point of the dignity of Gods childreÌ„ viz. How great how admirable how incomprehensible this loue of God is in making declaring vs to be the childreÌ„ of God in such fort as hath been before touched For it cannot be but of very great excellency sith the Apostle hath made such a graue exhortatioÌ„ to the beholding thereof cuery word wherof is so emphatical significant as we haue heard And indeed so excelleÌ„t is it that as M. Rogers saith Chap. 3. of his sixt treatise so I may also say that when I haue said what I can of their state I must confesse that I haue said but a little NOtwithstanding I hope that this little shall be somwhat for the helping of them that considered not so much before and for the prouoking like wise of other to enter into further meditation of this argument and perhaps to write more largely there of then I haue done or could do For it is well worthy of the best meditation and largest writing that may be for the better comfort of such weake ones as whose hearts are almost broken with the manifold indiguities that dayly they meete with in the world and for the prouoking of all aduanced thereunto to more thankful â—es to him that hath so aduanced them and to make such other vses as after the point it selfe more largely handled shall be breefely noted To come therefore to the matter touching this dignity of the children of God let vs first of all consider the same by the excellency of him whose children they are hâ—â—e sayd to bee For he is described to be high and excellent to inhabite the eternity to be called by the name of The holy one and to dwelin the high and holy place Isai 57. 15. He is called The God of Gods and Lord of Lords A great God mighty and terrible Deut. 10. 17. Hensâ—d to haue 〈◊〉 his hands the deep places of the earth the height of the mountains the sea c. Psalm 95. 5. and to haue greatnesse and power and glâ—ry and victory
all maiestie accompanied with his holy Angels and comming to iudge the quicke and the dead as at his former comming in the forme of a seruant he came to be iudged and not to iudge This is called his appearing because as the Gospell or grace of God which bringeth saluation vnto all men is said now to haue appeared Tit. 2. 11. in respect it had beene kept secret before since the world began and had not beene so opened as it is now reuealed vnto the sonnes of men c. Rom. 16. 25. Ephes 3. 5. so Christ Iesus being ascended into heauen and there sitting at the right hand of his father is not now so manifested at least to the bodily sight as hee shall manifest himselfe at his second comming This time of this his appearing is his mariage day whereas all time before is but as it were the time of his and our betrothing and of the preparing of vs for that mariage day to be the fitter spouse for him All this sentence of our certainty and knowledge of our being Note made like vnto Christ at his appearing is not to bee taken as spoken in the person of the Apostle onely and of them to whom he did write but of all other the children of God whatsoeuer None must looke for this perfection and likenesse vnto Christ before this time of his appearing What then will some man aske doe you say of Enoch and Elias Of the one it is said that he walked with God and was no more seene for God tooke him away Genes 5. 24. And againe that By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death neither was he found for God had translated him Heb. 11. 5. Of the other of Elias that he went vp by a whirlewinde into Heauen 2. King 2. 11. Concerning therefore the two former examples of whom the question is mooued whatsoeuer men haue thought or doe thinke and whatsoeuer the former words may seeme to insinuate which their insinuated sense shall be opened afterward this I thinke that they are not yet bodily in heauen Enoch and Elias not bodily yet in heauen neither shall be till the resurrection of all flesh when all the rest of Gods elect shall receiue their consummation and perfect blisse My reasons for this opinion are briefly these First Heb. 11. 13. after the mention as well of Enoch as of 1. Reason Noah Abraham and Sara it is expresly said All these died in faith It were absurd to restraine the generall word all onely to the three last and not to extend it also vnto Enoch and Abel Therefore it is manifest that these two died as well as the other three If it be obiected that it is said before that Enoch was translated that he might not see death and that therefore if here this verbe died bee as well vnderstood of him as of the rest then there shall be contrarieties in one and the same place I answer that the reconciliation of this doubt is very easie namely by interpreting the former phrase that hee might not see death of not feeling death after the common painfull manner of men And so the word to see for to feele or to discerne or by experience to perceiue is often taken in the Scripture The waters saw thee O God the waters saw thee c. that is they did as it were feele and by experience perceiued thy power Psal 77. 16. So the Apostle saith I see another Law in my members c. that is I feele Rom. 7. 23. There might bee many other the like places alleged but these are sufficient That also of being translated signifieth nothing els but he was taken away in an extraordinary manner not seen of men but so secretly that no man knew or by any outward thing could iudge otherwise of him but as if God tooke him immediatly into heauen And so would God in that euill and sinfull age take him away so gently and extraordinarily dissoluing the soule and the body that men might thinke him to goe body and soule into heauen for the better honoring that holy life which he then liued the rather because all other liued so wickedly To any but very meanly exercised in the Scripture it is well knowen that many things are spoken according to the opinion of men according to that which they seemed vnto men So Samuel is said to haue been raised after death by the witch and to haue spoken vnto Saul 1. Sam 28. 11. c. Not that it was Samuel For they that die in the Lord rest from their labors Reu. 14. 13. and are not therefore at the call or command of witches but onely because he appeared in the likenesse of Samuel as Satan can change himselfe into the likenesse of an Angell of light 2. Cor. 11. 14 and because Saul and his company tooke him so to be My second reason is out of the same Chapter For of all the former and of diuers other examples afterward mentioned it is written thus All these through faith obtained good report and receiued not the promise God prouiding a better thing for vs that they without vs should not be made perfect verse 39. 40. If Enoch had beene taken vp in body into heauen then had hee beene made perfect without vs. My third reason is out of the same Epistle also Chapt. 9. 8. where the Apostle by the entrance or going once yeeâ—ely of the high Priest alone into Sanctum Sanctorum into the most holy place doth teach that vnder the Law and whiles the first Tabernacle was standing the way into the holiest of all was not yet opened What meaneth the Apostle by the holiest of all but heauen especially for the bodies of men to enter thereinto For howsoeuer God had prepared heauen to be the common receptacle of the soules of the righteous after death yet Christ was the first that entred in body And this seemeth to bee the stronger argument because in the description of heauen in the same epistle afterward Chap. 12. 23. it is called the city of the liuing God the celestial Ierusalem which hath the company of innumerable Angels the assembly of the congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen and God the iudge of all and the spirits of iust and perfect men and Iesus the Mediator of the new Testament Heere therefore is mention of Angels of God of the spirits of iust men and of Iesus the Mediator heere is no mention at all of any bodies or of any men altogether in heauen If any will reply that this is a description of the whole Church in heauen and in earth both gouernours children and seruants I answer that then the words the congregation of the first borne must comprehend the Church militant in earth and so there will bee none found in heauen but God Iesus Christ the spirits of iust and perfect men and the Angels So all bodies beside the body of Christ are yet excluded Fourthly
Cor. 5. 17. Galat. 6. 5. and to be created in Christ Iesus Ephes 2. 10. and 4. 24. So farforth therefore as we are in Christ we are the children of God And so many as are not thus incorporated into Christ are not in truth neither ought to be called the children of God Such perhaps may be so accounted by other yea peraduenture they may so account themselues But as those that are begotten in adultery by an adulterer may be reputed the children of the lawfull husband to the adulteresse and yet are indeed bastards and for the most part may be discerned so to be by their bastardly conditions so is it with them that liuing in the Church of God doe professe them selues to be the children of God and be so reputed by other and yet haue no communion with Christ Though they be reputed to be the children of God yet they are no better then bastards and bastards they bewray themselues to be by their bastardly minds and conuersation Although therefore in one respect we reckoned Christ before amongst the efficient causes of our regeneration and that therfore in respect of his excellēcy our regeneration also is to be accounted the more excellent yet in another respect he may also be accounted the materiall cause of our regeneration euen as naturall parents are both the efficient causes of our naturall birth and doe likewise communicate the matter of their bodies vnto ours And so the more excellent that before we heard Christ to be the more we may againe conclude the dignity of Gods children to be by his being the chiefe materiall cause as well as the efficient cause of their regeneration For as that that is made of siluer or gold or any other such like pretious matter is it selfe more pretious then other things made of brasse tinne lead yron Copper or any other such vile and base matter the quantity of things being alike otherwise a great vessell of copper may be better then a very small cup of siluer so the more excellent that Christ himselfe is who is the chiefe matter of Gods children and of whom they be called Christians as that that is made of gold is called golden and the children of God the more excellent needs must be their state and condition CHAP. IX More largely shewing other things concerning the matter of regeneration especially the renewing of the life of God in vs all that are new borne which before were vtterly void of the said life BVT leauing that point till afterward let vs in the next place looke into the excellent gifts and graces which by the former incorporation into Christ the children of God doe receiue and in respect whereof we are said to be partaker of the diuine nature and the which likewise may be esteemed as parts as it were of that matter whereof they do consist These things let vs consider by opposition of that vnto them that men are since the fall of Adam as naturally descending from Adam and being as it were boughs and branches of him In Adam and by Adam since his fall all men Christ himselfe onely excepted haue vtterly lost that excellent and glorious image wherein Adam and Eue at the first were both created Genes 1. 26. 27. This losse of that excellent and glorious image is described by this phrase of dying the death Genes 2. 17. This death was not a naturall death but it was a spirituall death It was not the separation of the soule and the body but it was the separation of God and man as touching that gratious familiarity which before had beene betwixt them As the soule is the life of the body so is God the spirituall life of the whole man For man is not said to be aliue vnto God any longer then he is in grace and fauour with God so that to die the death in that place was to be vtterly depriued of the inherent grace and fauour of God which before they were created in From that time therefore that our first parents had eaten of the forbidden fruit and thereby had defaced the image of God in them they were drowned ouer head and eares in all sinne and so now also in the state of condemnation and were no more able of themselues to haue gotten out of the same then a man drowned and dead in the bottom of a great riuer or pond is able of himselfe to get out And this is that dying the death before spoken of euen a spirituall death ten thousand times worse then any naturall death I meane then any separation of the soule and body though the same be by neuer so violent meanes For it is the beginning and first step vnto that euerlasting death of body and soule whereof afterward we shall speake more at large and from the which neither wee could haue freed our selues neither could any other creatures or all creatures if God himselfe had not sent his owne sonne as before hath been shewed And that spirituall life which is contrary to the said death and which is also the first effect of Christ in vs after that once wee are ingrafted and incorporated into him is the next point of the matter of our regeneration and being the children of God That we may the better see what this life of God is in vs let vs first more largely consider what the former death is and how all men are by nature wholly possessed thereof That therefore which the Apostle saith of the Ephesians is to be vnderstood of all men by nature viz. that they are dead in sinnes and trespasses Ephes 2. 1. without God and without Christ in the world verse 12. as not beleeuing in God or Christ and therefore being condemned already as before we heard our Sauiour to say Ioh. 3. 18. and the rather were they so indeed dead in their sinnes because they were the children of him that had the power of death that is of the diuell Heb. 2. 14. compared with Ioh. 8. 44. For Sathan hauing once put out the light and the life of God in Adam whereby he was the child of God like vnto God did make him a sonne to himselfe so that as before hee did beare the image of God so for euer afterward hee and all his Christ onely excepted did beare the image of the diuell in which respect it is saide generally that hee that committeth sinne is of the diuell 1. Iohn 3. 8. Thus we see that our naturall state is not as the Papists plead it to be by allegorizing vpon him that our Sauiour saith did fall into the hands of theeues and was by them wounded and left halfe dead Luk 10. 30. but farre worse not halfe miserable but altogether miserable not wounded and yet aliue though halfe dead but so wounded that we are altogether dead We haue a vegetatiue and an animall life as all liuing and brutish creatures haue we haue a reasonable life to talke and reason and discourse and determine and conclude of
naturall things and of things pertaining to this life whereby we differ from beasts but as touching the spirituall life whereby to thinke of any thing to affect any thing to approue of any thing to speake of any thing or to doe any thing towards eternall saluation of body and soule and as touching that life of God that is that life that is acceptable to God as the worke of God Ioh. 6. 29. and the workes of the Lord 1. Cor 15. 5. 8. are such as are acceptable to God as touching this life I say which is the first degree and the very beginning of eternal life to be afterward enioyed with God and his holy Angels in heauen all the whole posterity of Adam Christ only still excepted is altogether void of For as the root and stocke of a tree being altogether dead without any sparke of naturall life therin it is not possible that any of the boughs or branches can be aliue and as it is not possible for those men and women that are altogether naturally dead their soules and bodies being separated one from another to bring forth liuing children so it is not possible that our first parents beeing altogether dead vnto God and without the life of God before spoken of we or any other of their posterity should be aliue vnto God They may seeme to haue this spirituall life and this life of God because after a naturall manner they can conceiue and doe conceiue some things thereof yea sometimes the greatest mysteries thereof either after a meere carnall sort or by the speciall wisedom of God reuealing the same vnto them for the furthering of the saluation of other and for the making of themselues the more inexcusable and so for the increasing of their own condemnation but in truth and deed they are altogether destitute of it In this case it is with them as it is with many a woman that hauing a Tympany by the abundance of water or of some other matter of the said Tympany or other such like disease feeling some little stirring in her body like the mouing of a yong infant doth therefore thinke her selfe with child and yet in the end she is deceiued being not with child with any other thing then of a disease vnto death so I say many naturall and wicked men hauing some similitude and like actions of the life of God in them and feeling as it were some little motions of such life as it were little flashes suddenly wrought and suddenly vanishing like lightning do therfore thinke themselues with child of Christ and to haue conceiued him in the womb of their hearts but in the end they are deceiued and find themselues only with child of a spirituall sicknesse vnto death that is of hypocrisie and of a bare resemblance of the life of God in them and not to haue that life it selfe This is not only euident by the former testimony of the Apostle but also by another afterward in the same Epistle where he describeth our naturall state and condition to be that we had our vnderstanding darkned and were strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that was in vs because of the hardnesse of our hearts Ephes 4. 18. Thus I say in that place the Apostle describeth the state of all men naturally The same namely that we are all void of that life of God is manifest by other reasons To omit that before insinuated viz. that as the body is dead without the communion of the soule so man cannot be aliue vnto God that hath lost his communion with God and that indeed naturally men are without God in the world and that because they are without Christ Ephes 2. 12. by whom alone there is communion betwixt God and man and in whom alone is that life so that he that hath the sonne hath life and he that hath not the sonne hath not that life 1. Ioh. 5. 11. 12. although after a common manner effectiuely we all liue moue and haue our being in God Acts 17. 18. To omit I say this reason the same is further manifest because all meer naturall men are also without the immortall seed of God in them whereby they should be borne againe the children of God This immortall seed is the spirit of God as before we haue heard Meer naturall men therfore being without this seed how can they haue the life of God in them Againe if naturally we haue this life of God in vs it must be in our soules or in our bodies It is neither in our soules nor in our bodies therefore not at all Touching our soules what life of God can be in them when as we cannot so much as thinke a good thought of our selues 2. Cor. 3. 5. but al the imaginations of our heart are continually euill Genes 6. 5. and when as we cannot so much as will any thing that is good of our selues but it is God that worketh the will as well as the worke Philip. 2. 13. Where there is any life there will be some hunger and thirst after meat and drinke for preseruing of life or at least some desire of other meanes of life But alasse so farre are we from all hunger and thirst after either bread or water of life that we do vtterly refuse them and reiect them offered vnto vs. Yea that which is more we lay foorth our siluer for that which is not bread and we labour and take great paines for that which will not satisfie vs Isai 55. 2. Those things therfore being as it were the very breath of the life of God if we haue them not how can we haue that life of God it selfe For what life can there be without breath If our soules be thus dead what life of God can be in our bodies As our Sauiour saith If the light that is in vs be darknesse how great is that darknesse Matth. 6. 23. so may I say If the life that is in vs be deadnesse how great is that deadnesse Our eares cannot attend to the word of God therefore also not to any other goodnesse except God open our hearts Acts 16. 14. we cannot so much as turne our eyes from any vanity except the Lord do turn them Ps 119. 36. we cannot open our lips that our mouth may shew forth the praise of God except God do open them Psal 51. 15. neither can we so much as say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy ghost 1. Cor. 12. 5. Moreouer this our spirituall death doth appeare by our bearing all spirituall burthens though neuer so heauy without any sense and feeling of them What is heauier then sand yet all the sand â—n the whole world yea the whole earth with all the minerals of siluer gold lead yron tynne and pewter with all the quarries of stones with all the buildings and all other creatures thereupon is not so heauy as sinne Did not the imputation only of other mens sinnes vnto Christ lie so heauy
his right hand bold them from escaping If they should say the darknes shall hide vs the night should be light round about them Psal 139. 1. c. Therefore if God he thus from them touching his grace and only present in his wrath power iustice against them what alas shall it boote them to haue any of his creatures with them Truly nothing at all They were as good be alone If Salomon say Wo vnto him that is alone for hee falleth and there is no asecond to to helpe himvp Eccles 4. 10. how much more wocfull is the state of the wicked that are altogether destitute of the gracious presence of God For if he withdraw himselfe from them who dareth accompany them for any good By these things we see how great the prerogatiue of the children of God is by their communion with God But this is not all For this communion with Christ Iesus and so consequently with the other two persons in the deity is the more excellent not onely in respect of the excellency of the persons with whom our base nature is vnited neither in other respects before spoken but also because being once made it is indissoluble and vnteparable All the vnions before mentioned whereunto this vnion metaphorically and by way of similitude is resembled may be dissolued For the garment put on is also put off The most of our meat and drinke touching the matter thereof is eiected and cast out The vine and the branches as also any other tree and the boughs may be diuided by the axe or some other toole So may the corner stone and the rest of the building therewith coupled The inhabitant or tenant is oft times turned out of his house yea sometime the lawfull owner is cast out of his owne free-hold The naturall head and the naturall body yea the body and the soule of man are for a time separated by death Finally by the same meanes there is a separation betwixt the man and the wife But nothing whatsoeuer can euer dissolue the vnion betwixt the children of God and God himselfe Father Sonne and holy Ghost As the personall vnion betwixt the two natures in Christ the Godhead and the manhood could not be dissolued euen when the humanity it selfe touching the parts thereof was by death for a time dissolued the soule being in heauen with the father and the body lying in the graue but the knot once knit did continue in death it selfe and shall continue for euer so also is the vnion betwixt God and the children of God an euerlasting vnion As therefore the misery of man is in the separation of man from God who is blessed for euer and blessednesse it selfe so the happinesse of man is in his vnion and communion with God especially in the continuance thereof for euer As all the wicked and vngodly are most miserable by their being without God in the world as before wee haue heard euen so long as they so continue because all that while they are as farre from heauen as earth yea as hell it selfe and remaine in darknesse and in the power of satan Acts 26. 18. oh wofull condition so all the children of God hauing in their adoption this communion with God are happy and ten times happy because the benefit and comfort thereof hath no end CHAP. XVII Of the benefits of the children of God by their fore said communion with Christ and with the whole Deity and first of the forgiuenesse of sinnes TO proceed a little further into the foresaid communion of the children of God with Christ Iesus and by Christ Jesus with the father and with the holy ghost let vs somewhat more behold the excellency thereof by such benefits as the children of God doe thereby enioy wherein all wicked and naturall men so continuing haue no part or portion Here let vs first consider the great benefit of forgiuenesse of sinnes It is indeed a principall point as hath been before obserued of that mercy of God which was one of the principall motiues of God to worke the worke of our regeneration And of that mercy of God I haue spoken a little generally before Notwith standing this particular point thereof touching the forgiuenesse of sinnes is a little more largely here to be handled because this place in some respects is fitter for that purpose then the former the rather because it is not onely to be considered as a cause of regeneration but also as an effect and fruit of our foresaid communion with God Touching this benefit therefore that it is by our communion with Christ Iesus it is manifest because he is said to be the reconciliation for our sinnes and not only for our sinnes but also for the sinnes of the whole world 1. Ioh. 2. 2. By reconciliation for our sinnes and for the sinnes of the whole world the Apostle meaneth the sinnes both of all already regenerated and new borne and also of other the elect of God in the world remaining yet in their naturall and vnregenerate state Paul also saith that Christ gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from all iniquity c. Tit. 2. 19. What is it to redeem vs from all iniquity but to purchase a free and absolute pardon for vs of all our sinnes Moreouer he saith that in Christ we haue redemption through his bloud the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to his rich grace Ephes 1. 7. Coloss 1. 14. In both which places let this be obserued Note that the Apostle interpreteth the redemption of the elect to be the forgiuenesse of sinnes Why shall we so obserue this interpretation of the word redemption Because thereby the Apostle insinuateth a twofold or double redemption wrought by Iesus Christ one proper onely to the elect consisting in the forgiuenesse of sinnes and other things depending thereupon the other common to all as well to the reprobate as to the elect But what is this so common a redemption viz. It is a release from the bondage and obedience of the ancient ceremoniall law touching the going diuers times of the yeere to Ierusalem and performing there diuers rites and ceremonies in the worship of God namely the paiment of tithes and of first fruits the bringing of diuers oblations and sacrifices as also touching diuers kinds of washings and clensing men of the leprosie of pollution by handling the dead by any issue c. and concerning likewise abstinence from diuers kinds both of fish and flesh and many other the like things The redemption I say of men from obedience of these things is common to the reprobate and not peculiar to the elect For Christ Iesus hath so nailed the whole law of ceremonies and ordinances to his crosse that although Christ were taken down from the said crosse that although Christ were taken down from the said crosse yet they shall as it were so remaine fast fixed thereunto that they shall neuer come downe or be in force with men by anv authoritv from
common saying that the law resteth in pectore Iudicis in the Iudges breast and so one thing is law one yeere and the cleane contrary is lawe another But the word of God being no more variable in sense then in words but alwaies is constant as God himselfe is alwaies the same is so much the more excellent Therefore also the dignity of the children of God that haue this word for their constant rule both of their faith and of their manners is so much the greater For if once they haue the true sense of any part of the word they haue it for euer I might heere speake of a third perpetuity besides the former two of the letter and of the sense viz. touching the efficacy thereof in whomsoeuer it taketh roote downward to bring foorth fruit vpward For in such it neuer dieth but abideth to the eternall life of them in whom it is so effectual and powerfull For such are said to fulfill the word of God and to abide for euer 1. Ioh. 2. 17. Their soules in death it selfe liue with God in heauen and though their bodies consume for a time yet they perish not but shall be raised vp againe at the last day and be made like vnto the glorious body of Christ as afterward we shall heare Phil 3. 21. and so God continueth their God as well in death as in life in which respect it is said that God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing Marke 12. 27. But because by many occasions in many places of this treatise I fall into mention of this point therefore heere it shall be enough thus only to haue named it Thus much for the perpetuity of Gods word and so also for the first thing touching the word in this place viz. as it is a rule of faith and manners Now followeth the second consideration of the word in this place namely as it is a part of the armor of God whereby we are to defend our selues against the enemies of our saluation Touching this it is called the sword of the Spirit Ephes 6. 17. yea we are to obserue that in that place it hath not onely a single place but a double in the christiā armor there prescribed For the Apostle doth not only generally bid them to take the sword of the spirit which is the word of God but also more particularly he doth will them in verse 15. that their feete should bee shod with the preparation of the gospell of peace Neither is the word of God one part or two parts onely of the spiritual armor wherby we are to defend our selues against our spiritual enemies but also in a manner our whole christiā armor or at least the armory and storehouse out of which all the other parts of Christiā armor are to be had yea the principall meanes also whereby they are to bee obtained For from whence or by what means are we to haue the girdle of truth the brest-plate of righteousnes the shoes of the gospel of peace the shield of faith the helmet of saluation from whence I say or by what meanes are we to haue all these but frō by the word of God Therfore it seemeth that the Apostle did of special purpose set Note that in the last place as the meanes fountaine of all the rest By the word as there the Apostle calleth it the sword of the spirit we are to vnderstand all sentēces of Scripture touching doctrine all commandements of God negatiue against euill affirmatiue for that which is good all promises of blessings and all threatnings of iudgements and all examples both of such sinnes as are forbidden with the execution of Gods iudgements vpon such as haue committed them and also of all vertues with the performance of Gods promises vnto thē We are also further to obserue that the word is called the sword of the spirit not only because the word was first giuen by inspiration of God 2. Tim. 3. 16. and holy men spake as they were moued by the holy ghost 2. Pet. 1. 21. and the Prophets searched when and at what time the fore-witnessing spirit of Christ in them should declare the things that are now shewed c. 1. Pet. 1. 11. but also because we know not how to vse this sword but by direction of the spirit neither hath this sword any sharpnes for defence of our selues and wounding of our aduersaries except it bee accompanied and as it were edged by the spirit This sword was so vsed by Steuen against his aduersaries that they were not able to resist the wisedome and the spirit by the which he spake Acts 6. 10. By this sword Peter defended himselfe and other that spake strange tongues against them that maliciously said They were full of new wine Acts 2. 14. 15. c. By this sword Apollo mightily confuted the Iewes publikely shewing by the Scriptures that Iesus was the Christ Acts 18. 28. By this sword Iesus Christ himselfe defended himselfe against the diuell himselfe and at last put him to flight repelling all his assaults with this weapon It is written Man shall not liue by bread onely c. It is written Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God c. It is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue Mat. 4. 4. c. Christ could haue repelled Satan by his secret power but he did it rather by his Note word to commend his word in like cases against all his assaults He could haue put him to flight without any answer at the first but he suffered him to assault him diuers waies and answered all by It is written to teach vs likewise by the same weapon to defend our selues not against some but against all tentations This then is the priuiledge of all the children of God that though they haue many and mighty aduersaries yet they haue alwaies armour sufficient sufficiently to defend themselues against them all If at any time they receiue any hurt it is either because they draw not forth this sword of the Spirit or because they doe not rightly vse it Neither is this word only a sword to defend them but also a salue to cure them if by neglect thereof at any time or by not vsing it rightly they receiue any wound What was the cause of the death I meane of the spirituall death of our first parents Adam and Eue Because they drew not out the sword of Gods word against the Serpent as they should haue done Whereby were they cured and restored to life againe By the voice of God calling and as it were crying after them when they fled hid themselues from him What was the cause of the grieuous wound that Peter receiued in the high Priests hall a thousand times greater then that which before he had giuen to the high Priests seruant in cutting off his eare was it not because he had forgotten the former word of Christ admonishing him
the second death Reuel 2. 11. And this second death is tenne thousand times worse then the first death I meane then the separation only of the soule and the body yea it were better ten thousand times that the soule and the body of the wicked should die and vtterly perish and come to nothing as the life and body of beasts doe then that they should bee tormented as they shall be Therfore it is called by the name both of the second death and also of fire euen of the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Reu. 19. 20. and 20. 10. It is likewise called a worme and a fire Marc. 9. 44. c. where in verse 43. the word hell and sire are ioined together How intolerable also the paines and torment of hell bee it appeareth by that of the rich mans soule in hell Luk. 16. 23. 24. where it is said that he being touching his soule in hell and seeing Lazarus a farre off in Abrahams bosome marke this word afarre off against the Papists that will haue Abrahams bosome to be neere vnto hell and a part of hell it selfe he cried out to Abraham that Lazarus to whom before he had denied all comfort and to whom his dogs had shewed more mercy then himselfe he cried I say that Lazarus might be sent to dip the top of his finger in water for the cooling of his tongue Why so Because said he I am tormented in this flame Such then were his paines and torments that if he might haue had but a little ease for one member he would haue accounted it an exceeding fauour Such also shall be the torments of all other the wicked that shall be condemned And although the torments of condemnation be thus described by these fearfull things in this life yet the truth is that no fearefull thing in this world can sufficiently expresse the torments of the wicked in the world to come The most exquisite torments that euer haue been deuised by any mercilesse cruell and sauage tyrants for the bodies of men hanging burning either all at once or by piece-meales renting in pieces with wild horses pinching the flesh off with hot irons boyling in lead sawing broiling vpon gridyrons and such like all these I say are but sports pastimes delights and pleasures in respect of the torments to come in an other world All these degrees of condemnation hitherto spoken of are the more because the said condemnation so described shall be euerlasting without end without any mitigation that is signified by the worme that dieth not and by the fire that neuer goeth out Mark 9. 44. c. as also by the answer before spoken of of Abraham to the rich man tormented in hell therefore also we heard it before called euerlasting fire and euerlasting paine Mat. 25. 46. and euerlasting perdition 2. Thes 1. 9. Yea so farre is the condemnation of the wicked from all end and mitigation that when all other things shall haue a kind of end and when the soules of the wicked shall be ioyned to their bodies in the day of iudgment then likewise shal their torments be increased This much amplifieth all the former It is much to haue the frowning countenance and wrathfull sentence of God to be banished from his gratious presence and to be depriued of all good company and of all other good things to bee made a companion of diuels and to be cast into the place of vtter darkenesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth and there to be tormented with a worme gnawing and a fire burning all these things I say are very much though they should be but for a time but neuer to haue God to looke cheerefully vpon them or to speake comfortably vnto them to bee banished from his gratious presence for euer neuer to haue any good company nor any other comfortable thing to be alwayes companion with the diuels and to be throwne into the place of darkenesse from whence there is no hope of any redemption and to be tormented vnspeakably for euer without any mitigation to haue a worme alwaies gnawing within and neuer dying and a fire euer burning without and neuer consuming or wasting alas alas what eare doth not tingle to heare what heart doth not quake and ake tremble and shiuer to thinke vpon it Yea who quaketh not who in euery member and ioynt trembleth not to consider of it though himselfe be assured of freedome and discharge from it How then shall they quake quiuer and tremble that shall indeed bee so condemned All miserie and punishments here are somewhat mitigated to him that suffereth them by hope of an end at the last if not before yet at least in the houre of death The hardest apprentiship that euer was with the most cruel merciles master after the longest time serued had some cōfort by thinking the time thereof to come to bee shorter than that that was past The like may besaid of any other bondage But in the condemnation of the wicked the longest time is alwaies behind A beginning there is but no ending An hundred yeers past a thousand follow and so million after million O dolefull ô wofull ô fearfull condition When Saul heard of the losse of this life the day following not by the spirit of truth but by the father of lies satan himselfe not transformed into an Angell of light but only appearing in the habit of a Prophet He fell straightway all along vpon the earth and was sore afraid because of those words so that there was no strength in him neither could any body almost comfort him 1. Sam. 28. 17. Belshazzars countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him at the sight of the hand writing vpon the wall writing indeed his present ouerthrow yet not to his vnderstanding till Daniel did read and interpret the said writing that the ioints of his loines were loosed and his knees smote one against the other Dan. 5. 6. His bones as we say did rattle in his skin because from the guiltinesse of his conscience he feared the worst though as yet hee knew nothing How then think we was he perplexed when the sentence of God therein contained was executed vpon him Felix trembled to heare Paul but dispute or preach of righteousnesse temperance and the iudgement to come Acts 24 25. Alas then how do al those tremble and gnash their teeth that do already feele the execution of the sentence of condemnation in their soules And how shall they and all other the wicked quake and tremble in the day of iudgement when they shall receiue the full sentence of condemnation against their soules and bodies for euer and euer without reuocation without mitigation The more fearfull that thus it appeareth and is manifest shal bee the condemnation of the wicked that die in their sinnes the greater priuiledge prerogatiue and dignity it shall be to the children of God to be freed and discharged from the same I might haue illustrated all before
eldest brother and of the second brethren so of a king and his subiects so of the chiefe corner stone and of the other stones in the building As for other reasons of this our similitude and likenes vnto Christ they are also many Christ is the first fruits we the other Should not the first fruits and the other fruits be like Christ is the vine we are the branches Are not the branches like to the vine Christ is our husband we are his spouse and wife Is it not fit that the spouse and wife should be somewhat sutable and answerable to her husband Otherwise certainly they will not draw well together in one yoke Moreouer as Christ was made like vnto vs in all things sinne only excepted so is it meet we should in some things be made like vnto him As Christ was made base by taking vpon him the forme of a seruant for vs and in this respect was made like vnto vs in our basenesse so it is meet that wee should bee made by him like vnto him in glorie yea this is iust and righteous because Christ by his basenesse and by those things which he did and suffred for vs in his basenesse did purchase this our likenesse to himselfe in dignity and glory If hee therefore haue purchased it for vs and giuen the full price therof in our behalfe how can it be denied vnto vs As in this world wee are made like vnto Christ in ignominies reproches and suffring of other indignities so in the world to come we shall be made like vnto him in glory Rom. 8. 17. 2. Tim. 2. 12. This similitude and likenesse is in soule and in body In soule first in the perfection of the knowledge of God in the three persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost secondly in the perfection of holinesse and righteousnesse Notwithstanding this holinesse and righteousnesse is not only of the soule and inner man but also of the body and outward man as afterward wee shall heare in the next verse yea as wee haue heard before Of this similitude of soule touching knowledge the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 13. viz. first of it in this life verse 9. We know in part and we prophecie in part and secondly both of that and of the other which shall be in the life to come Now we see thorow a glasse darkly but then wee shall see face to face Now I know in part but then shall I know euen as I am knowen By the same place also may be gathered our similitude to Christ inwardly in holinesse and righteousnesse inasmuch as by distinguishing in that place loue which is the perfection of the law from faith and hope hee seemeth to insinuate that our faith and hope shall in the resurrection haue an end but that our loue shall continue and that therefore in this respect our loue is greater then either faith or hope Of our inward similitude and likenesse vnto Christ or rather both of our inward outward likenes in all holines and righteousnesse the Apostle speaketh saying If wee be grafted with him to the similitude of his death euen so wee shall be to the similitude of his resurrection Rom. 6. 5. Of our likenesse vnto Christ in our bodies the Apostle speaketh briefly Philip 3. 21. where he saith that Christ shall change our vile bodies vile here by sinne by the naturall frailty thereof and by the manifold calamities whereto it is subiect by sinne and make it like to his glorious body c. and more largely he speaketh of it 1. Cor. 15. 42. where most excellently he laieth it forth by comparing the seuerall points of the likenes of our bodies to the body of Christ by opposition of the contrary properties of our bodies in this life therunto It is sowen saith he in corruption it is raised in incorruption It is sowen in dishonor it is raised in glory It is sowen in weaknesse it is raised in power It is sowen a naturall body it is raised a spirituall body Afterward he proceedeth by similitude saying The first man is of the earth earthly the second man is the Lord from heauen As is the earthly such are they that are earthly as is the heauenly such are they that are heauenly verse 47. 48. Then he concludeth this point As we haue borne the image of the earthly so shall we beare the image of the heauenly verse 49. And afterward againe This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortalitie verse 53. So then this is the likenesse of our body hereafter to the body of Christ that as Christs body is now incorruptible glorious powerfull spirituall heauenly and immortall so our bodies shal be like incorruptible glorious powerfull spirituall heauenly and immortall Of our likenes vnto Christ both in our bodies and in our soules Christ seemeth to speak iointly when he saith The glory that thou gauest me I haue giuen them that they may be one as wee are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in me c. Ioh. 17. 22 23. Although this place of the Apostle touching our future similitude to Christ may be vnderstood of our through perfect likenes both in soule and in body yet it seemeth the Apostle Note speaketh especially of our likenes vnto Christ in our bodies because that especially is most hidden from the world of that especially it may be said that it doth not appeare what we shall be For our future likenes in soule and in our inner man touching the perfect knowledge of God and touching our holinesse and righteousnesse begun here and to be made absolute and complete like to the knowledge and holinesse of Christ himselfe in the resurrection is here much more eminent perspicuous and manifest then the foresaid future likenes of our bodies vnto the body of Christ For that our likenes of knowledge and holines and righteousnes is apparantly begun in this life so is not our likenes in body touching the properties before mentioned incorruptible glorious powerfull spirituall heauenly and immortall For our bodies seem no more qualified touching these things after regeneration then before yea rather the regenerate by yeeres and sicknesses c. seem to be and do indeed grow daily more base more weake and impotent bodies as well as the vnregenerate Againe that the Apostle here especially intendeth the similitude of Gods children in body to the body of Christ seemeth to be insinuated also by the proofe following from the effect viz. that we shall see him as he is For this being spoken chiefly of the bodily sight it followeth likewise that our likenesse vnto Christ confirmed thereby doth signifie chiefly our bodily likenes vnto him This our future likenes vnto Christ Christ in part shewed in the mountaine when not only himselfe was transfigured before Peter Iames and Iohn his face shining as the Sunne and his clothes being as bright as the light Mat. 17. 2. and as white as
in the description of the resurrection 1. Cor. 15. 52. there is no other sort mentioned but the dead to bee raised and the liuing at that time vpon the earth to be changed The trumpet shall blow and the dead shall be raised vp incorruptible and we viz all which at that day shall be liuing shal be changed The like is 1. Thess 4. 15. 16. 17. This say we vnto you by the word of the Lord that we which liue and are remaining in the comming of the Lord shall not preuent them which sleepe for the Lord himselfe shall descend downe from heauen with a shout and with the voice of an Archangell and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then shall wee which liue and remaine be caught vp with them also in the clouds c. In neither of both these places is there any mention of any but of the dead and of the liuing and remaining here vpon the earth Enoch therfore and Elias must be reckned with the dead accounted as dead though they died in an extraordinary maner neither violent or painfull to themselues or discerned by other Fifthly all the elect being compared to a body and it being contrary to the nature of a body that any one member should bee perfected till the body haue all the members belonging thereunto how can it bee that one or two of the members of Christs body should be perfected and wholly glorified in heauen Christ wanting many members and not being compleat in his said body till the very last age of the world and till the last point of the said age For who can deny but that there are many of the elect yet vnborne When also they shall bee all borne who can deny but that they shall be called one after another Till all be borne and all be called Christs body is not perfect Sixthly who can deny the Ministers of the Gospell to bee more excellent especially the Apostles and Euangelists who first planted the Churches among the Gentiles who I say can deny these to bee more honorable then any Ministers vnder the Law Much more then any before the Law This hath beene shewed before therefore I doe not now stand vpon it This only I adde that it is said of the Apostles as an honourable thing and as a dignity and prerogatiue of them aboue all other namely that they should sit vpon twelue seats or thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel Matth. 19. 28. It is likewise to be acknowledged that as the calling was more honourable then the calling of any of the Prophets so also they had more excellent graces not only speciall for discharge of their speciall places but also generally of sanctification Is this so How vnlikely then is it that any especially vnder the Law or before the Law should haue any degree of glory and be perfectly glorified before them Seuenthly there were some as wicked in their time before their time and after their time and daily are as they now in question were godly yea former times and these last times doe affoord many much more wicked then they then were or any other are godly Such was Ieroboam that made Israel to sinne Ahab and many other of the kings of Israel So Iudas that betraied our Sauiour the Pharisees that sinned against the holy Ghost the man of sinne called likewise the sonne of perdition the aduersarie that exalteth himselfe against all that is called God c. and many other contemners of the Gospell Yet none of these doe goe bodily into the place of all the damned till the day of iudgement Why then should wee thinke that they before named Enoch and Elias went bodily into heauen the place of the blessed This that I haue hitherto written of Enoch and Elias is the iudgement of diuers other that must bee acknowledged to haue beene glorious lights and worthy of much praise in the Churches Caluin indeed writeth heerein somewhat obseurely and I confesse somewhat aboue my reach and capacitie for first thus hee writeth vpon Genes 5. 24. euen word for word the Latine turned into English In summe saith hee speaking of Enochs taking away such a rapture or taking away was but a gentle and ioifull passage out of this world Yet he was not receiued into the heauens to glorie but was onely released of the miseries of this present life vntill Christ the first fruits of them that rise again sâ—ould come And sith bee was one of the members of the Church it was necessarie that hee should wait till all the members together should come foorth to meet Christ that the whole body might bee vnited to the head Notwithstanding in the very next words he doth much obscure that which before hee had written adding If any shall obiect that of the Apostle It is appointed all men to die once the solution is easie namely that death doth not alwaies make a diuorce of the soule and body but they are said to die which put off the corruptible nature in which manner they shall die whom the last day shall finde remaining These last words I confesse I cannot conceiue namely how any may be said to die whose soules and bodies are not separated and how they that shall be liuing at the last day may be said to die whom the Apostle expresly saith shall not die but only be changed Peter Martyr according to his manner writeth very largelie and somewhat I confesse different from something before written by me namely in his Commentarie vpon 2. King 2. 11. Notwithstanding in another place he commeth neerer vnto me and agreeth more with me In the former place first he writeth that it is not probable or Consentâ—â—eum like that these two Enoch and Elias should be taken to the places of blessednesse before Christ himselfe which is the first fruits of all had aduanced himselfe thither The words also of our Lord may seeme to perswade this who in Iohn saith No man hath ascended into heauen but the sonne of man that descended from heauen He therefore denieth any man to haue ascended into heauen before himselfe c. Yet afterward hee saith that they went bodie and soule into Abrahams bosome and he maketh Abrahams bosome a place aboue yet distinct from the glorious place where Christ and all his Saints departed this life are How sound this is I leaue to other of sound iudgement For my part I know no such distinction as he there maketh After this he proceedeth further denying them to haue died opposing himselfe to them that said as I haue written viz. that they died but yet an extraordinary kinde of death neither by any defect or decay of nature nor by any force and violence but after some other sort with ease and delight c. Notwithstanding in the other place before insinuated he differeth from that which himselfe had before written and agreeth with me For writing of the Eucharist against Steuen Gardiner
must such ministers as doe so preach that word of truth that thereby men are begotten againe vnto God be acknowledged to be the ministers of God and sent by God For doth not the Apostle ioine all these together calling vpon God beleeuing hearing preaching and sending them that did preach Rom. 10. 14. 15. And doth he not thereby plainly teach that they do go all together and that none can truely call vpon God which doth not beleeue none can beleeue which doth not heare none can heare which haue no preachers none can preach except they be sent and that consequently whosoeuer do so preach that men therby are brought truely to call vpon God and truely to beleeue in God they are sent of God so to preach Is not the same point further manifest by that argument whereby the same Apostle instifieth his Apostleship and ministery to the Corinthians euen by the successe and efficacie of his preaching amongst them against such as denied his Apostleship as many in these daies doe altogether deny all the ministerie of the Church of England Am I not saith he an Apostle c. Are not ye my worke in the Lord If I be not an Apostle vnto other doubtles I am vnto you for ye are the seale of my Apostleship in the Lord. 1. Cor. 9. 1. 2. And againe Neede we as some other epistles of recommendations vnto you or of recommendation from you yee are our epistle written in our hearts which is vnderstood and read of all men in that ye are manifest to be the epistle of Christ ministred by vs and written not with inke but with the spirit of the liuing God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart 2. Cor. 3. 1. 2. 3. What meane all these words Euen this that such had beene the successe of the ministerie of the Apostle amongst the Corinthians that both himselfe had good assurance in his owne heart of his calling vnto them and that other also might thereby euidently perceiue and vnderstand as much Doth not our Sauiour proue his sending as a Messias and to be a Messias by the workes which he did The workes that I do beare witnes of me that the father hath sent me Iohn 5. 39. As his workes beseeming a Messias and in the power of none but of the Messias proued him to bee the Messias so do not also the workes of ministers of the gospell and proper onely to such as are sent from God proue men to be such ministers Doubtlesse saith hee that being borne blinde had his sight giuen him by Christ this is a maruellous thing that ye know not whence he is and yet hee hath opened mine eies Iohn 9. 30. And againe If this man were not of God hee could haue done nothing verse 33. May it not in like maner and much more be said of the ministers of the Church of England to all them that make question of their calling Doubtles this is a maruellous thing that ye know not whence they be or deny them from whence they are and yet they open the eies of the mindes of many Yea euen of them that doe make such question of their calling and doe peremptorily deny them to be of God as those wicked Iewes to whom that poore man so spake denied Christ to be of God If such ministers were not of God they could haue done nothing in the lightning mens eies of their vnderstanding to know what the hope is of his calling and what bee the riches of his glorious inheritance in the Saints c. Ephes 1. 18. No man can make opposition to these things but hee must also oppose himselfe to the former scriptures And if the former scriptures be for the iustifying of the ministery of the Church of England as thereby the word of truth is preached to the effectuall begetting againe of men vnto God no other Scriptures can be against it for the nullifying therof because the scriptures do all most sweetely agree together without any contradiction of any one to any other As therefore when our Sauiour seeing many of his disciples to go back and to walke no more with him that is vtterly to leaue him said vnto the twelue will ye also go away Peter answered him Master to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternall life Iohn 6. 66. 67. 68. so my good brethren though ye doe see many to withdraw themselues from them that haue preached the words of eternall life and still do preach the same and though ye also be earnestly sollicited to doe the like yet determine in your hearts and answer accordingly To whom shall wee go these haue the words of eternall life The comparison obiected by some of children begotten to men as well by adulterie and fornication as by lawfull marriage thereby to insinuate that as such children do not iustify either adulterie or fornication so in like maner such Children as before we haue said to be begotten againe vnto God by the ministery of the Church of England do not iustify the said ministery this comparison I say is so odious so beastly so detestable and abominable that a man would wonder it should come from such men as they would seeme to be that obiect the same For in an adulterous generation as there is a common worke of God so who seeth not also a plaine worke of nature Yea such a worke of nature as is in the very beasts themselues in the procreation of other of their owne kinde But the regeneration of Children vnto God is a worke aboue all nature onely and wholly of God yea of the free grace and abundant mercy of God as afterward shall further appeare Furthermore touching this comparison it might as well haue beene obiected against the former argument of the Apostle from the successe of his preaching amongst the Corinthians as it is now obiected against vs reasoning in like maner from the efficacie and fruit of our ministery Againe all children either in adulterie or infornication begotten and borne in time of the Law were forbidden to enter into the congregation of the Lord that is to bee admitted to any publike office to the tenth generation Deut. 2 3. 2. Dare any man say the like of such as are begotten againe vnto God by the present ministerie of the Church of England Yea dare any man deny any so begotten to haue right and interest into all the promises and blessings of God for this life and for the life to come as well as any other begotten vnto God by the ministery of any other Herein beloued deceiue not your selues Halt not with God neither shew your selues vnthankfull vnto him by denying his rich mercie towards you in your regeneration If ye haue good testimony thereof to your owne soules If by the ministerie of the Church of England ye haue euer felt any true vertue of Christs death to the mortifying of sinne in you and of his resurrection to the life of righteousnes If
the first creation was as it were but one worke namely to make that which was not made before But in this worke of regeneration there is a double worke first to take away our naturall corruption secondly in stead thereof to create and forme Gods owne image 2. In the first creation there was no opposition no enemies no let no hinderance to God But in our regeneration there are many and mighty enemies and many great lets and hinderances and as it were blocks layd in Gods way Satan himselfe with all his angels and the whole power of hell do labor what they can to hinder tâ—â—s worke So also doth the whole world with all the power thereof Our hearts likewise with all the thoughts lusts and affections thereof and our whole man doe striue and struggle with God by all meanes resisting him and opposing themselues vnto this worke Yea sometimes the children of God themselues euen being regenerated doe interpose and oppose themselues to the regeneration of other For did not Iohn say to our Sauiour Master wee saw one casting out diuels by thy name which followeth not vs and we forbad him because he followed vs not Mark 9. 38. Could Iohn and the other disciples with him forbid another casting out of diuels in the name of Christ and not hinder the worke of regeneration Peter aduised Christ not to goe to Ierusalem there to suffer those things which he was to suffer Marke 8. 32. The like did all the Apostles Ioh. 11. 8. Peter also seeing Christs glory in the mountaine where Christ transfigured himselfe being rauished therewith would haue had Christ to haue continued there still and to haue built three Tabernacles one for him another for Moses a third for Elias Mark 9. 5. Could Christ by the foresaid counsell haue auoided death and not haue hindered the whole worke of mans redemption and therefore also of his adoption and regeneration yea had not the hinderance of Christs death been the way to haue fet all the saints from heauen that in their soules had been there before by vertue of Christs death after their translation into heauen to be suffered for them in earth The taking away of the cause must needs be the nullifying of the effects depending vpon that cause If any in great place doe bestow an office vpon an other as pretending the bestowing thereof to belong vnto his place shall not the receiuer of that office though hauing for sometime enioied the same be dispossessed thereof afterward by another that shall find the right of collating the same to be in him and neuer to haue been in the other that before had bestowed it The like might besayd euen of the dispossessing of the soules of the righteous of heauen it selfe if they had been admitted thereunto by virtue of his death that had not died Thirdly touching the difficulty of our second creation aboue the first in our sayd first creation God did no more for vs in our kind then for all other creatures in their kind He made vs perfect and so he made euery other creature perfect in his kind But in our second creation God doth not only more for vs then for the Angels that had fallen but also then for the Angels that stand as afterward we shall heare Fourthly in the first creation God wrought as God alone but in our second creation regeneration and adoption it was needfull that God should be made man and that God and man made one person should worke the said worke of our second creation regeneration and adoption as afterward also we shall heare more largely Fiftly our first creation and the first creation of all things was made as of nothing so also for nothing But our second creation was not only wrought of nothing and of lesse or at least worse then nothing for the new man is formed in vs but not of vs but it was also wrought at a price or by a price Note For Christ gaue himselfe for vs and we are said to be bought with a price as likewise shall be shewed anon Sixtly the first creation of all things was perfected and consummated in six daies but albeit our regeneration be begun in a moment yet it groweth by small degrees yea if one of the children of God be inclined to some speciall sinne as who is not how hard a thing is it in long time and by many mâ—â—â—es to represse and reforme the same And though a man doe liue many yeeres after his regeneration begun yet it is neuer perfected in this life neither shall be till our corruptible bodies haue put on incorruption and till that that is mortall be made immortall Seuenthly to illustrate this by similitude as it is more easie for the potter or glasse man to make an whole house full of pots or glasses then to set one together and make it as sound as it was being broken all to peeces so was it more easie for God at the first to make an whole world of creatures then now only to restore and build man vp againe and as it were to set him together againe being touching the image of God in him destroied and as it were broken in peeces All this of the difficulty of our second creation in comparison Note of the first creation is to be vnderstood but only in respect of mans iudgement touching the difficulty of things not simply in consideration of Gods power For to speake simply of Gods power all things are alike thereunto There is nothing harder or easier then another with God It is as easie for him to make an whole world yea many worlds as to make the least creature By this greatnesse of this worke the worke it selfe is the more manifest to be the worke only of God For if to make a man or to make an whole world be not the worke of any but of God himselfe as the whole Scripture teacheth vs how much lesse may we say that any but God alone can regenerate a man and make a man the child of God this worke being as hath beene shewed greater then the work of creation The more proper therefore that this worke of regeneration is only to God the more excellent needs must be the condition of them that by this worke are made the children of God According to the rarenesse of the workeman so is the worke it selfe esteemed If but one man in a country or in a kingdome can doe some speciall worke in what estimation is the worke it selfe what then shall wee say of this worke of regeneration and of making the sonnes of men the sonnes of God which none can doe in the world but only one euen God himselfe How honorable therefore is their stateâ— CHAP. V. Of the first moouing cause of our regeneration viz. which first mooued God to regenerate vs. AS in the former Chapter the dignity of Gods children hath been declared by the excellency of God who is their Father as also by this that God
them and therein had shed their bloud for vs it had been nothing to the blood of Christ because Christ was the Lord of the Angels and all the Angels were to worship him Heb. 1. 6. But to leaue that which was not and to returne to that which was it is much and exceeding much that God hath honored mankind especially his children by giuing vnto them all liuing creatures to be killed for preseruation of their present life Much more then is this honor and ten times greater then the heart of man can conceiue that God hath not spared his owne sonne but giuen him to the death Rom. 8. 32. yea to such a death as he suffered euen the cursed death of the Crosse that being dead in sinnes we might be made aliue Ephes 2. 5. and so receiue the promise of the spirit Gal. 3. 14. where by to call God our father and to be called the children of God This were a worthy meditation euery time we see sheepe or lamb or pigeon or chicken or any thing els by butcher or by any other body to be killed for vs it were I say a worthy meditation if then we could thinke and say This is a great honor of God towards vs that this innocent and harmelesse creature must die to preserue vs aliue But O Lord how hast thou honored vs by giuing thy sonne thy only sonne thy sonne whom thou louedst most deerely euen as thy owne soule thy sonne Iesus to be slaine and to suffer more then a thousand bodily deaths to make vs thy children that so we might liue in thy sight Did not Abraham greatly honor God when he was so willing to take now without delay or any stay for issue of him his sonne his only sonne his sonne Isaack in whom the promise was made of blessing for all nations his sonne whom he loued most tenderly not only for natures sake but also for the promise sake and to goe to the land of Moriah an vnknown country and to offer him that is to kill him with his own hands not to giue him to another to be offered and killed for a burnt offring an honourable but an hard and wofull kind of death for the naturall father to put his own naturall sonne vnto vpon one of the mountaines which God should shew him Genes 22. 2. he could not tell where did not Abraham I say greatly honor God by being willing and ready to doe it and by going so farre in the doing of it that the knife was in his hand to haue killed his owne sonne vpon Gods commandement in that behalfe and that therefore he had done it indeed if God himselfe had not countermanded him and forbidden it Doubtlesse Abraham did so thereby honour God that Abrahams faith in that behalfe hath beene the more renowned and honorable euer sithence and shall be renowned and honorable to the end of the world How then hath God honored vs by giuing his sonne for vs and how hath Christ Iesus honoured vs by giuing and offring vp himselfe a sweet smelling sauour and sacrifice to God for vs that did by our sinnes stinke most noy somely in the nostrills of God Abraham had receiued his sonne from God God had not receiued his sonne from vs. Abraham might haue had an other sonne from God as well as he had Isaak God could not haue an other besides Christ Abraham did owe his sonne and all that he had yea himselfe also to God God oweth nothing to vs. Abraham had a commandement to offer his sonne Isaak vnto God Had God any commandement or could any command God to giue his sonne vnto vs and for vs. Abraham and his sonne both were to dy at the last The sonne of God was as immortall and free from death as God himselfe because he was God with his father Abraham had had his sonne but a while but God had had his sonne from all eternity Abrahams sonne was like to himselfe but in part Gods sonne was perfectly and fully like vnto him In all these respects and in diuers other we plainly see how much more God hath honored vs by giuing his sonne as also how much more Christ hath honoured vs by giuing himselfe for vs then Abraham honored God by giuing his sonne vnto God that had first giuen him to Abraham Againe were it not a great honour to any poore and base subiect c. being in miserable bondage and captiuity as before I said for his Prince being wise and knowing what he doth or for such a sonne of such a Prince to giue a very great price for his ransome who then can expresse the honor that Christ Iesus hath done to vs in that being the sonne of his father tender and deere vnto him as Salomon speaketh of himselfe in respect both of his father and mother Pro. 4. 3. and being euen the sonne of his fathers desires as Bethsheba spake of Salomon and to Salomon Pro. 31. 2. and being full of wisedome and grace Luk 2. 40. and being the wisedome of his father Luk. 11. 44. And hauing all treasures of wisedome and knowledge hid in him Coloss 2. 3. who I say can expresse the honor that Christ Iesus being such as he is and alwaies was hath done vnto vs in giuing a greater price for our ransome and adoption to his father then all the kingdomes of the world ten thousand times told are worth For do we not account of all things according to the price that wise men doe giue for them Is then the adoption of Gods children lightly to be accounted for which Christ gaue as great a price as for our saluation This of the price which Christ hath giuen to make vs the children of God is the more because he gaue not the same price or any other for to redeeme the Angels that kept not their standing that they might with vs receiue the adoption of sonnes Before their fall they were so much more glorious then man before his fall by how much more their habitation and employment in heauen was more glorious then Adams in earth yet hath Christ Iesus in making in vs his children altogether passed them ouer and they are still reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darknesse vnto the iudgement of the great day Iude 6. How greatly therefore hath Christ honoured vs by giuing such a price to make vs the children of God who dwell in houses of clay and who touching part of vs are but wormes meat whereas he hath giuen none at all for them that before their fall were most glorious spirits dwelling with God himselfe in heauen Because also the holy ghost is of the same glory and excellency with God the father and God the sonne therefore the worke of the holy ghost in our adoption is likewise to be considered with the worke of the father and of the sonne For the father and the sonne worke not without the holy ghost As in the first creation it is said that the spirit of God
courtiers but also aboue the ancient Prophets yet for al that he commendeth the least minister of the Gospell aboue him saying Notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heauen is greater then he Mat. 11. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. The excellency also of the ministers of the word especially of the Gospell is manifest by the honorable names and titles giuen vnto them by God himselfe For are they not called in a speciall manner the men of God 1. Kings 13. 1. 2. Tim. 3. 17. Be they not intituled the lights of the world Mat. 5. 14 yea was not Iohn Baptist called a burning and a shining candle Ioh. 5. 35. Doth not the Apostle say of himselfe and of other We are Embassadors for Christ 2. Cor. 5. 20. Be they not called the salt of the earth Mat. 5. 13. because by their doctrine they should both suck out the corruption of men and season them as it were to be fit sacrifices for God Are not ministers of the word as well as Kings and Princes oft times in the Prophets as also in the writings of the Apostles called by the names of Pastors or shepheards Are not the ministers of the seuen Churches of Asia called starres and Angels Reu. 1. 20. Hath then the Lord alwaies imploied such honorable persons in the calling of his children that is both in the first gathering and begetting of them againe vnto himselfe and also in the feeding nursing and strengthning of them being so gathered and begotten And shall we thinke that the state of the children of God themselues is not likewise very honourable Princes and other men of great place and wisedome vse the more honorable persons in any businesse as before vpon other occasion wee haue heard by the example of Balak King of Moab of Hezekiah and Iosiah c. chap. 5. by how much the seruice it selfe is more honourable Shall we then thinke that the most high God of heauen great in wisedom and power would imploy so honorable persons vpon a businesse not sutable vnto them Doubtlesse as Princes sending forth such in Embassage or employing in some other great seruice such as before were not very honorable doe therefore grace and dignifie them with some new honorable titles as of Knights whereas before they were scarce esquires or of Barons whereas before they were but knights or of Earles whereas before they were but Barons that to this end that their ambassage or other works wherein they are imployed may be the more honorably accounted of yea and because their emploiment being it selfe honourable doth therefore require like honorable persons to be employed therein so because the worke of our regeneration is very honorable and to teach all men honorably to thinke of it therefore hath the Lord with such Titiles dignified and graced his seruants whom he doth employ to worke and effect the same If any notwithstanding that before said of the excellency and preheminence of the ministers of the gospell aboue the ministers of the Law euen aboue the great prophets shall for all that conceiue more honourably of the prophets then of the ordinary ministers of the gospell though there bee no reason so to do because as the ministery it selfe of the gospell is more honorable then the ministery of law and vnder the Law so the ministers also of the gospel are in like manner to be esteemed let such consider also that all the doctrine of the prophets is written for the begetting of the children of God in these dayes as well as it was preached in those dayes for the begetting of the elect then liuing So it is expressely sayd whatsoeuer things are writteÌ„ aforetime are writteÌ„ for our learning that we through patience comfort of the scriptures may haue hope Rom. 15. 14. What hope can there be without adoption and regeneration as shall afterward appeare If then the former writings of the prophets be as well for the regeneration of children to God now as the ministery of the present ministers why may not those writers be as well called ministers for vs as they were indeed for those ages wherein they liued yea they are so called yea they are sayd to haue ministred rather for vs then for themselues and for other that then liued with them So sayth the Apostle Peter most expressely speaking of the prophets that had enquired and searched of the saluation before spoken of by him and saying that vnto them it was reuealed that not vnto themselues but vnto vs they should minister the things which are now shewed by them that haue preached the Gospell c. 1. Pet. 1. 12. These words are not to be taken for a simple deniall as if the Prophets had not ministred at all vnto themselues and to other of those times the things that were afterward preached but rather they are comparatiuely to be vnderstood viz. that they did not so much minister those things to them of that age as to succeeding generations Therfore the regeneration of the children of God of these times is not wrought only by the present ministery but also by the ministery of the ancient Prophets How honorable therefore is that state and condition for the better working whereof the Lord hath not only now giuen present ministers and graced them with honourable names but hath also so many yeers before raised vp such worthy persons as the ancient Prophets were With this argument from the excellency of the instrumentall fathers of our regeneration let vs ioyne an other the like from the excellency of the instrument it selfe whereby the said instrumentall fathers doe beget vs againe vnto God that is from the excellency of the word of God For this is it wherof the Apostle Iames saith thus Of his owne will hath he be gotten vs againe with the word of truth Iames 1. 18. and whereby our soules are renued or restored Psal 19. 7. The Apostle Paul also saith In Christ Iesus haue I begotten you through the Gospell 1. Cor. 4. 15. It is that also whereby we being so regenerated and new borne are fed and nourished and doe grow to a perfect man in Christ Iesus 1. Pet. 2. 2. This word of God is not onely excellent in respect of the author thereof 2. Tim. 3. 16 and respect of the perfect matter therein conteined as afterward wee shall heare but also for these attributes thereof sure right pure cleane or cleane true c. Psal 19. 7. 8. 9. and for that it is called and is said to be the sword of the spirit Ephes 6. 17. liuely and mighty in operation sharperthen a two edged sword entring thorow euen vnto the diuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit and of the ioynts and of the marrow and dâ—scerning the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4. 12. So in these and in other respects it is said to be more to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold and to be sweeter then the hony and the hony combe Psal
vsed as the end of our predestination onely but also of the end whereunto wee were predestinated namely that we might be adopted or made the children of God Afterward also in the same Chapter the Apostle repeateth the same end of our election viz. that wee Which first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory Not much vnlike also is that place before alledged touching the end of our deliuerance from our enemies namely that we might serue him c. Luk. 1. 74. For that of our deliuery from our enemies doth import our adoption because all not adopted are still in the hands of their enemies and all that are deliuered from their enemies are the children of God When the Lord also saith If I be a father where is mine honor Malac. 1. 6. doth he not insinuate that this was the end why he had made them his children namely that they should honor him But of all other places that of Iames is most pregnant in this behalfe Of his owne will begat he vs with the word of truth that we should be vnto him as the first fruits of the creatures Iames 1. 18. In this place the Apostle speaketh directly of our begetting againe noting God himselfe to be the author thereof his owne will to be the mouing cause of him there unto the word of truth to be the meaâ—s all which haue been obserued before and that wee might be the first fruits of his creatures to be the end What is it to be the first fruits of his creatures Euen to be set apart in speciall manner for his seruice and glory as in the time of the law the first fruits were separated from all other and set apart from all common vses whereto other fruits might be applied and dedicated only to the speciall seruice of Gods worship Exod. 34. 25. Deut. 12 17 What can be greater then to honor or glorifie God In that our Sauiour teacheth vs in the first place and before all vea before the forgiuenesse of our sinnes to pray Hallowed be thy name or Glorified be thy name doth he not thereby plainly teach vs that the hallowing or glorifying of the name of God is more then all other things Doth not the Apostle teach that this ought to be the end of all the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Christ viz. the glory and praise of God Phil. 1. 11. Doth not our Sauiour himselfe complaine of the great trouble of his soule and pray thus vnto his father Now is my soule troubled and what shall I say Father saue me from this houre but therefore came I to this houre Father glorifie thy name Ioh. 12. 27. 28. We see in this praâ—er Christ to be in such an agony that as he was man he could scarce tell what he said yea that hauing praied the father to saue him from that houre he correcteth himselfe not as acknowledging his former petition to haue beene euill but onely to make that better that was good before that I say he so correcteth himselfe by remembring that houre from which hee praied to be deliuered to be the end of his comming And by the last clause notwithstanding of the said praier Father glorifie thy name we see further that hee preserreth the glorifying of his fathers name to the deliuerance from that houre against which before he praied Doth he not thereby teach that hee regarded not himselfe but was well content still to indure that agonie so that thereby he might glorify the name of his father If Christ therefore did so highly esteeme of the glory of God is it a small matter that we are made the children of God for the glory of God Doth not the Apostle further command that whether we eate or drinke or what soeuer doe wee should doe all to the glory of God 1. Cor. 10. 31. If then this ought to be the end of all things we doe must it not be acknowledged to be more excellent then all things that we doe For who will or can deny the end of things to be more excellent then the things referred to the end Againe what can be more honourable and glorious then to serue him that is most honourable and glorious The greater that men are the more honourable it is to serue them therefore to serue a king is more honourable then to serue any other How honourable a thing then is it to serue the king of kings Yea buâ— will some man say The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake Pro. 16. 4. that is for his owne seruice and glorie Nebuchadnezer also a reprobate and a most wicked man is called for all that the seruant of the Lord euen in and for the destruction of Ierusalem Ier. 27. 6. and 43. 10. yea the diuels in some sort doe the workes of God in executing the commission which God giueth them 1. Kings 22. 22. at least in performing the decree of God Acts. 2. 23. If these things bee so as indeed they are what singular thing or what preferment or prerogatiue is it for the children of God to bee borne or made the children of God for the glory of God and to serue God For do not all things yea do not the most wicked men yea do not the diuels themselues the same I answer that this that I speake of the end of the adoption of the children of God for Gods glory and seruice is to be vnderstood of their seruing and glorifying God in a more speciall and excellent manner then other do euen so much more as they are neerer to God and more dignified and aduanced by God then other are How is this Not by force as it were and only constrained by the ouerruling hand and power of God but willingly and cheerfully with a minde to serue and glorifie God in that which they do and being guided and directed thereunto by the same gratious spirit of God whereby they are made the children of God In the greater place that any is emploied about an earthly king or for an earthly king the greater honor is such emploiment for him that is so emploied So likewise the neerer the seruice of any is to the kings own person the more honorable is the same seruice God hath no greater emploiments neither any neerer to his owne person here vpon the earth then those things are wherein he emploieth his children Then such emploiment therfore cannot but be very honorable vnto them Though all things be made to the glory of God in a generall respect and so accordingly do serue his prouidence yet the elect and children of God in a speciall manner and meaning are called vessels of honor as contrarily the reprobate are called vessels of dishonor 2. Tim. 2. 20. Though therefore thereprobate themselues do also serue God in manner aforesaid vet their seruice it is but base in respect of the seruice of his children because such seruice is altogether seruise In the time of the law all
no other fountaine then at the word of God By the same meanes from time to time hath the Lord comforted his children Abraham Isack Iacob Dauid Hezekiah Paul and other in their afflictions euen by his word and by speaking vnto them When Iohn also wept much because no man was found worthy to open to read and to looke on the booke which before he had seen in the right hand of him that sate vpon the throne c. how was he comforted Not inwardly only by Gods spirit but outwardly also by one of the elders speaking vnto him and saying Weep not behold that Lyon which is of the tribe of Iuda that roote of Dauid hath obtained to open the booke and to open the seuen seales thereof Reuel 5. 5. Here is a double argument to proue the word of God to be the word of comfort First because Iohn in his heauinesse is comforted by the speech of one of the elders vnto him Secondly in respect of the matter of the said speech viz. that there was one found to open the booke and the seuen seales thereof For thereby the holy ghost signifieth that without opening of the book before shewed to Iohn there was nothing to haue comforted him Whatsoeuer benefits therfore whatsoeuer friends whatsoeuer outward delights whatsoeuer learning or other thing men haue yet nothing will soundly comfort them that are heauy hearted or exercised with feares but the word The woman in the Gospell healed of her bloudy issue for healing whereof she had spent all that she had vpon the physitians and was nothing the better doth sufficiently iustifie this For when our Sauiour hauing so healed her for nothing euen so perfectly healed her that she sensibly felt her selfe to be healed when I say our Sauiour hauing thus healed her did but aske who had touched him because he had felt vertue to goe from him she had no more comfort then before but for all the benefit Note of health so miraculously wrought in her she was possessed with great feare and trembling till she came to our Sauiour and till he spake vnto her saying Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath saued thee Luk 8. 47. 48. So then the former benefit did not comfort her though she had long desired it yea it seemeth she had more feare then before but the word that our sauiour spake was it that tooke away the feare and which did comfort her I might here also speake of Belshazar in what case he was Dan. 5. hauing no comfort in the word but of him and other like more afterward In the meane time let vs vnderstand that the word hath comforts of all sorts and for all afflictions of this life and of the life to come for body and for soule Is any of Gods children poore he can comfort himselfe with the word saying Feare the Lord yee his Saints for no good thing wanteth to them that feare him c. Psal 34. 9. So with those manifold comforts Mat. 6. 25. c. Luk. 12. 32. c. So also with the examples of Iacob Gen. 32. 10. of Elija of the widow of Zarepta and of the other widdow of one of the sonnes of the Prophets before mentioned and with Gods mighty prouidence towards the Israelites in the wildernesse in feeding them with Manna and quailes and in giuing them water out of the rocke Is any child of God in disgrace or in base condition he can comfort himselfe with 1. Pet. 5. 5. and 6. and with the examples of Ioseph Dauid Ester and Mordecai whom the Lord raised vp from the dust and made to sit with Princes yea and some of them to be Princes Is any of them in prison He can comfort himselfe with the examples of Ioseph Ieremiah Peter and Paul who were not only in prison but whom also the Lord most mightily deliuered out of prison Hath any many and great aduersaries He can consider that If God be with him he need not feare who is against him Rom. 8. 29. and that The Lord is alwaies at hand Philip. 4. 6. And how the Lord deliuered Iacob from Esau and from the Sechemites and Dauid from many mighty enemies Is any sicke and sicke vnto death He can call to mind how Hezekiah being so and told also by the word of God that he should die was vpon his praier miraculously restored to health and had his life drawn out for fifteen yeeres more 2. Chron. 32. 24. c. He can also remember that Dauids soule was deliuered from the graue Psal 103. 4. and that Epaphroditus being sicke and neere vnto death God had mercy on him Phil. 2. 27. Hath any man lost all his goods in one day yea children also c. He can comfort himselfe with Psal 24. 1. and with the example of Iob who hauing lost goods and children did not only say The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken Blessed be the name of the Lord Iob. 1. 21. but who also had all and more then all restored vnto him at the last Iob. 42. 10. Is any man heauy loaden with his sinnes doth he feare the wrath of God and euerlasting condemnation and doth he not find or feele any comfort yea doth he feele the terrors of death Oh how may he comfort himselfe with the doctrine of Gods mercy Psal 103. 9. c. before handled with the end of Christs comming to heale them that are sicke not the whole to call sinners not the righteous to repentance Mat. 9. 12. 13. to seeke and to saue that which was lost Luk. 19. 10. that euery one that beleeueth in him might not perish but haue euerlasting life Iohn 3. 6. with the words also of the Prophet Ho euery one that thirsteth c. Isai 5. 5. 1. with the words of our Sauiour Come vnto me all ye that are weary and laden and I will refresh you Mat. 11. 28. And lastly with the examples of such as haue found comfort in such an heauy condition and against great and many sins viz. of Dauid of Salomon of Manasses of Peter of Mary Magdalen of Zacheus of Paul and of diuers other Seing then the word of God hath such excellent and such sweet comforts for euery malady for euery affliction for euery heauinesse who can sufficiently expresse the dignity and prerogatiue of the children of God thereby For they only can receiue comfort by it The childrens bread doth not belong to whelpes Mat. 15. 26. Neither do the holy things of God belong to dogs neither doe such pearles become swine Mat. 7. 6. All this hitherto said of the word is the more both in respect of the writing thereof and also of the preaching thereof In both these respects I say the prerogatiue of the children of God by the word is the greater For as touching the writing thereof howsoeuer the Papists would perswade that it was written onely by the voluntary accord of man not by any expresse commandement of God 〈◊〉 and that therefore it
great and small that did beleeue as Rom. 15. 30. Ephes 6. 18. c. and in other places before alledged Yea he hoped for great comfort by their such praiers Philip. 1. 19. Philem. 22. If it be a great benefit to haue a good friend for furtherance of our sutes to mortall Princes is it not much more for euery child of God to haue all the rest of Gods children on earth speciall fauorites with God to be furtherances of their sutes vnto him Verily though a man despaire of his own praiers yet might he haue exceeding comfort in the praiers of all the rest of Gods children This shall suffice to haue spoken of the prerogatiue of Gods children both by their liberty and boldnesse for making their own praiers to God and also by that that other yea all other of Gods children do remember them euen euery one another so often as they pray to God themselues CHAP. XXII Of the communicating of many titles of Christ to the children of God TO proceed yet further into the benefits which the children of God haue by their communion with Christ such is their prerogatiue thereby that as they are called the children of God by grace as Christ himselfe is by nature the sonne and the onely sonne of God so likewise they haue many other of his names and titles communicated vnto them in holy Scripture For first of all this name Christ is attributed to the whole body of the Church whereof euery true child of God is a member 1. Cor. 12. 12. And therefore Christ doth professe that whatsoeuer good or euill is done vnto any that are ingrafted into him is done vnto himselfe Matthew 25. 40. and 45. Acts 9. 4. In which respects as such are called by the name of Christians Acts 11. â—6 so they may also euery one of them bee called petty Christs or little Christs because as the word Christ signifieth nothing else but annointed and as Christ is said to be anointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes Psal 45. 7. so it is said of euery one of vs that are his members that the anointing which we haue receiued of him dwelleth in vs and that we need not that any man teach vs but as the same anointing teacheth vs all things 1. Ioh. 2. 27. And as the pretious ointment poured vpon the head of Aaron ran downe vpon his beard and so also vpon other his inferior parts Psal 133. 2. so the pretious ointment of Gods spirit powred vpon Christ Iesus our head hath so descended vpon vs his members that of his fulnesse we haue all receiued grace vpon grace Ioh. 1. 16. Neither is this name only Christ thus communicated to the children of God but also the name Iesus touching the signification thereof For what doth it signifie but a Sauiour So the Angell himselfe interpreteth it Thou shalt saith hee to Mary call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Mat. 1. 21. Now it is not onely said to Timothie and in him to all ministers of the word that by taking heede to himselfe and to learning and by continuing therein hee should saue himselfe and other 1. Tim. 4. 16. but it is also said of all other the children of God that by praier instruction admonition c. shall conuert a sinner from going astray out of the way that they shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes Iames 5. 20. So likewise Iude writing to all sorts not onlie Ministers but other exhorteth them to haue compassion on some in putting difference and to saue other with feare pulling them out of the fire c. Iude. 22. 23. Doth not the Apostle by these words insinuate that they that shall so saue other though it bee with feare may in that respect bee called a Iesus or a Sauiour instrumentally The name Ioshua in signification is all one with Iesus and therefore Ioshua is called Iesus Acts 7. 45. because by sauing the Israelites from their bodily enemies hee was a type of Christ Iesus that should saue his people from their spirituall enemies If therefore Ioshua were so called in that typicall respect why may not they bee so called that are the instruments of Christ Iesus to saue men from their sinnes and so consequently from euerlasting damnation Againe as Christ is called the first fruits of the dead 1. Cor. 15. 20. and as in a typicall respect of Christ all the first borne of cleane liuing creatures al the first fruits of other things were in the law and by the law dedicated and consecrated vnto God so the Iewes in former times in respect of Gods special couenant with them Ier. 2. 3. and much more now all whom God of his owne will hath begotten againe with the word of truth are called by the name of the first fruits of God Iames 1. 8. Reu. 14. 4. As Christ is called a King and a Priest so likewise it is said that he hath made vs vnto God Kings and Priests Reu. 1. 6. and 5. 10. wherewith the Apostle Peter accordeth saying that wee are a roial Priesthood 1. Pet. 2. 9. which is al one with that which the Lord saith by Moses of the Israelites in that respect wherein before wee heard the Iewes to be called the Lords first fruits that if they would indeed heare his voice and keepe his Couenant c. then they should bee his chiefe treasure and a kingdome of Priests c. Exod. 19. 6. And indeed touching these two attributes how can wee but bee Kings and Priests being incorporated into him and made one with him to whom most properly and principally the said two attributes doe belong More particularly to begin first with the last we are Priests first in offring vp our bodies that is our whole selues a liuing sacrifice vnto God holy and acceptable c. Rom. 12. 1. and that first by crucifying the old man and letting out the blood of our sinnes which is the life of our said old man and then by seasoning our selues with the gracious word of God as some sacrifices were seasoned with salt Leuit. 2. 13. and as the Apostle requireth our speech to be seasoned Colos 4. 6. Secondly wee are called Priests for our offring vp to God the calues of our lips Hos 14. 3. and the spirituall sacrifices 1. Pet. 2. 5. both of Praiers Psal 141. 2. and of Praises Psalm 50. 14. and 23. as also of doing good and distributing Heb. 13. 16. and of other duties of righteousnesse Psal 4. 5. Thirdly wee are called Priests not onely in respect of the former sacrifices but also because if need require we must be ready to giue our liues for Gods glory and for the strengthning of the faith of other which is that which the Apostle meaneth by being offred vp vpon the sacrifice and seruice of the faith of Gods elect Phil. 2. 17. According to which phrase also the Apostle saith againe that hee was ready
would haue the yonger women to be chast Tit. 2. 5. Notwithstanding by the figure synecdoche that putteth the speciall for the general this word is vsed for all vertues and in this very place here is not only the verbe but also the primitiue whereof it is deriued in the words following as he is pure which being spoken of Christ noteth all the vertues that were in him euen his perfect holinesse and righteousnesse without any sinne at all This verbe in the generall signification thereof is borrowed as now it is vsed from the manner of the law for purifying themselues according to the ceremonies of the law either after they had any waies defiled themselues or before they were to come to the passeouer or to be imploied in any other holy worke So it is vsed Iohn 11. 55. Acts 21. 24. and 24. 18. The law being abrogated when the Apostle wrote this it cannot be taken for any ceremoniall purging but for a morall purging from sinne So also it is taken Iames 48. Clense your hands ye sinners and purge your hearts ye wauering minded men So also 1. Pet. 1. 22. Seeing your soules are purified in obeying the truth This word therefore in this signification of it noteth all sinne to be a filthy thing and not only adultery fornication and other such bodily vncleannes which euery man accounteth filthy to be filthy but euery other sinne also The wicked do account of some sinnes as speciall ornaments Pride is vnto them as a cbaine and cruelty as a garment Psal 73. 6. So we see that many in these daies thinke themselues the trimmer and the gaier for going in strange apparell fet from other countries and contrary to their sexe the man wearing womans apparell especially the woman wearing mans apparrell and contrary to their kind men and women conforming themselues rather to beasts then to any sobrietie and the men wearing long haire euen long locks behind contrary to nature and not only like to women but also like to some vnreasonable creatures and women wearing such kindes of periwigs that if a man should come out of the land of the liuing where he had not seene any such thing hee would hardly know what kind of creatures they bee but would take them to be some strange monsters only bred in this country These things haue beene proued before to be condemned in the word and to be greeuous sinnes yet in these things diuers take a great pride esteeming of them as of goodly ornaments yea so farre are some gone in impiety that they thinke it a great ornament â—o sweare great and fearefull othes and that they doe not account of him for a gentleman but rather for a clowne and a foole that cannot and doth not ordinarily in his common speech most wickedly and prophanely rap out all manner of othes The like doe some account of that foule and more then beastly sinne of drunkennesse But howsoeuer these and other the like sinnes be accounted as ornaments yet the holy Ghost doth account them as foule things and doth often call all sinne by the name of filthinesse 2. Cor. 7. 1. Iames 1. 21. or of uncleannesse Rom 1. 24. and 6. 19. 2. pet 2. 10. And it is not to be neglected that in cuery one of these places there is in the originall a seuerall word though they be all interpreted either filthinesse or vncleannesse For 2. Cor. 7. 1. is one word Ianâ—es 1. 21. another the primatiue whereof signifieth most properly such filthinesse as is gathered in the top of the fingers betwixt the nailes and the flesh Rom. 1. 24. and 6. 19. is another word and another in 2 Pet. 2. 10. what doth all this variety of words teach vs Truly this that such is the foulnesse and filthinesse of all sinne that no one word is sufficient to expresse or set forth the same Let men therefore please themselues as much as they will in it it is but a foule and filthy thing yea so foule filthy and lothsome that they that hauing been deliuered from it do returne againe vnto it are compared to the dog that returneth to his vemit and to the sow that being washed doth also returne to her mire againe wherin before she had wallowed 2. Pet. 2. 22. Can any thing be more lothsome then such mire and then the vomit of a dog Let no man blame me for writing so homely I vse the words and phrase of the Apostle yea it is the cloquence of most wise King Salemon Pro. 26. 11. and in both places of the holy ghost himselfe to make all sinne the more odious vnto all men But alas is it not a strange thing that many base persons should be so squaimish nice and dainty that they should condemnâ— that for rudenesse and thinke much to heare it spoken which that great and mighty King Salomen and God himselfe haue vsed for eloquence Is it not much more strange that men euen of the greatest sort should daily defile themselues with that and tumble and wallow in it ouer head and cares soule and body which is a thousand times more filthy and beastly then either the mire of a sow or the vomit of a dog and reproue those that set forth such filthinesse by the words of King Salomen of the Apostle and of the holy ghost Thus much touching the first respect of my obseruation of this word viz. concerning the signification thereof Touching the tence the Apostle speaketh not in the time past or in the time to come saying either he hath purged himselfe or he will purge himselfe but in the time present saying purgeth or doth purge This teacheth that this is and must be a continuall worke because sinne whereof this purging is doth alwaies remaine touching the blot stame and blemish thereof Though they that once be regenerated to be the children of God be iustisied and discharged from the guilt of all their sinnes as also freed from the bondage of them yet touching the staine of sinne that doth and shall alwaies remaine as along as we be clothed with corruption For who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am cleane from my sinne Pro. 20. 9. There is no man that sinneth not 1. Kings 8. 46. In many things we sinne all Iames 3. 2. And who needeth not daily to pray for forgiuenesse of trespasses What man also lineth and shall not see death There are certaine times of the yeere fitter for purging of the body for bodily health then other as the spring is best of all and the fall of the lease next to that So also in those times that are sit there are some daies fitter to purge either with pilles or with potions or by vomits or by clysters or by letting of bloud But for this spirituall purging of our selues from sinne all times are like all daies ahke none better then other except only when there is fitter opportunity in respect of fitter meanes as also in respect of some iudgement and