it so returnes much kindnes vnto others as sap to the plants grasse to the beastes meate to the Serpent and many kinde and timely fruites vnto men yea it is kind to many that are vnkind vnto it They which receiue all curtesies and pâ—rte with none are like to Cerberus in the fable that let in all but would suffer none to returne But let vs loue one another ferueÌ„tly as Christ hath loued vs declare the inward affection of our heartes by the signes thereof in our liues For this trâ—â—e may be discerned by her fruits this grace may be knowne by her works Some man might say saith Iames thou hast faith shew mee thy faith by thy works Euen so thou saist Iam. 2. 18. thou hast loue shew mee thy loue by thy workes Can there be life without breath or fire without heate so there can be no true loue without some loue-tokens Christ hath demonstrated his loue vnto vs by giuing vs his blood so do thou declare thy loue to thy neighbour by giuing or doing those things that argue charitie Hereby saith Iohn 〈◊〉 percâ—iued loue because he layed downe 1 Ioh. 3. 16 〈◊〉 life for vs wherefore we ought to lay downe our liues also for the brethren Take heede therefore that thou dost not despise calaumniâ—te persecute and oppresse them For this were to shew thy selfe a very Dung-hill which receiueth wholsome ayre sweet shewers and the pleasant sun-beames which will do a garden good and sendeth nothing out of it selfe but stinking smels and filthy vapours Thirdly seeing that Christ did so loue vs as that he gaue vs his bloud his Vse 3 heart-blood we may assure our selues that he wil not stand with vs for earthly things He will not surely sticke to giue vs the necessaries of this life that stood not with vs for his blood but willingly fore-went it for vs especially considering that he is able to giue vs all things because he is heire and Lord of all things being God doth know Heb. 12. when they will do vs good and when harme This kind of reasoning the Apostle vseth to the Romanes saying If God spared not his owne Son but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with Rom. 8. 32. him giue vs all things also Euen so say I If Christ the â—teâ—nâ—l son of God hath not spared his blood but hâ—tâ— washed vs in it and hath giâ—en hâ—mselfe to death freely for vs what reason haue we to thinke but â—haâ— he will giue vs al other things that are câ—nueâ—ient for vs. If he giue the dearer he will neuer dâ—ny the cheaper if we be fit for to receiue them So much of the fourth Doctrine CHAP. VI. By nature we are vncleane Sin makes vs vncleane and vgly Wherefore we ought to take out â—oure lessons FIftly forsomuch as Iohn saith Christ hath washed vs from our sins I Doct. 5 conclude that we are by nature foule and filthie For there is no clensing where there is no corruption there needes no purging where there is no pollution Where there is no soare there needes no salue where there is â—o offence there needs no pardon and where there is no drosse there needs no refining Therfore in that Christ is saide to wash vs it must be supposed that we are not cleane And indeed how can it be otherwise by nature with vs seeing we haue in vs the spawne of wickednes and the seedes of all sins are by nature dead in trespasses children of wrath hauing all our imaginations Eph. 2. 1. 3. euill from our youth continually being borne in iniquitie and conceiued in Gen. 6. 5. 8. 27. sinne as Dauid doth ingenously confesse And the Apostle Paul saith that Ps 51. 5. Rom. 8. 7. the Wisedome of the flesh is Enmitie against God thereby shewing that the best desires the purest inclinations the sweetest affections in naturall men are euill corrupt filthy therefore also thâ—â—â— very hearts which are the fountaines of them the forge from whence they come For if the fruit be naught the tr 〈…〉 be good if the bran 〈…〉 es be by nature rotten the root cannot be sound and if the streames be naturally bitter the spring cannot besweet But what is that which makes vs filthy Surely sinne and therefore If 59. 3. Christ is sayed to haue washt vs from our sinnes Thou hast saith God defiled Ez. 28. 18. thy sanctification by the multitude of thine iniquities therefore iniquity doth defile The Israelites are sayed to haue Ez. 36. 17. defiled their land by their owne waies and by their deeds and the Lord saith that their way was before him as the filthines of the menstruous There is no cloth so white but the Dyer can make it black so there is no man so pure but sinne can pollute him It is pestilent as the plague and as filthy as the plague-sore Iobs botches did not more defile his body then sinne doth defile our soules It is as myre in our waies as rottennes in our bones as a canker in our bodies and as wormes in our maw Our sinnes are the biles and botches of our soules the weedes that choke vs the moaths that fret vs and the lees that corrupt the vessels of our hearts What shoulde this teach vs What good may wee reape by this doctrine Surely much For first by Vse 1 the consideration of it wee are moued to lament our estate by nature as also the condition of all impenitent and vnconuerted sinners Because till Christ hath washed vs in his bloud we are most loathsome and vgly stained with actuall sinnes innumerable and ouer whelmed with originall corruption which like a leprosie running from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foote hath polluted all the powers of our soules Secondly wee are taught to detest and abhorre sinne A dead carion doth Vse 2 not stinke so ill in the nose of man as sinne doth in the nostrils of the Lord. It is like a dampe that suffocates the spirits like an open sepulcre that corrupts the avre and as dead flies which Eccle. 10. 1. doe putrifie the oyntment of the Apothecarie It is not onely filthy in it selfe but it makes the sinner also foule vntil he be washed froÌ„â—t filthy like a maÌ„ full of running sores or leprous spots Thirdly it sheweth the madnesse of many men that welter in wickednesse Vse 3 and please themselues in their sinnes as pride couetousnesse drunkennesse idlenesse fornication hatred epicurisme What doth this argue in them but either grosse ignorance as palpable as the darkenes of Aegipt or else a swinish disposition and deadnes of spirit whereby they delight in tumbling in the mire being besoâ—ted and inâ—atuated with their owne lusts and drunken with their owne sinnes It is strange to see how feare full men are of the plague of the body and yet feare not the plague of the soule which is sinne It is
a wonder to see how carefully men will aâ—oide a pest-house or a place infected and yet care not to runne vnto the harboures of beastly drunkennes and filthy lust the very schooles of the diuell and stewes of vncleannes infected with the plague of vngodlinesse as dangerous to his soule that with delight frequeÌ„ts them as is a house infected with the pestience to the body As we are careful to shun the dirt in our wayes and to keep our apparell cleane and our bodyes free from diseases so wee ought vnlesse like mad-men wee feare no danger to labour that our soules may be free from the loathsome and mortall disease of sinne and that we be not defiled with the dâ—â—t of iniquitie nor bemyred in the puddle of wickednes but that we may be cleane and pure Vse 4 Lastly therefore wee are taught to pray with Dauid Wash mee throughly Psal 5. 12. from mine iniquitie and clense mee from my sinne And indeede we shall not be cleane vnlesse the Lord doe purge vs throughly our sinne doth hang so fast about vs and inuiâ—on vs. It doth not onely besmeare and grime vs on the out-side but it tainteth the in-side also It doth not onely cleaue as it were to the skin as Iuy to the rind of an oake but it lyeth in the bones it is got into the pyth and lurketh in the heart as a Fox in his hole a Lyon in his den or as the plague doth in the body Let vs therefore labour to be deliuered of it Desire God to bathe thee in his Ez. 36. 25. sonnes bloud and to power cleane water euen the clensing water of his spirit vpon thee If our clothes be spotted we are careful to rub out the spots and shall we neglect to get out the filthy spots of sinne out of our soules If a man were weather-beaten vpon the Sea he would wish that he were vpon the shore or if he were in some loathsome and stinking dungeon he would gladly be out of it Beloued there is no sea so dangerous no dungeon so foule and stinking as our sinnes let vs therfore labour to be deliuered from them let vs desire God to lay the tempest and with the prosperous gale of his grace to bring vs safe to the shore and by his hand to draw vs out of this dungeon And as Dauid prayeth Bring my Psal 142. 7 soule out of prison that I may praise thy name So let vs pray him to bring vs out of the prison of sinne and to take from vs the bolts of wickednes and to clense and dresse vs and to strip vs of our prison garments that beeing set at libertie we may serue him freely and glorifie his name for his kindnesse to vs. CHAP. VII Remission of sinnes is through the bloud of Christ Though Christ did merit our pardon yet God the Father may be said to forgiue vs freely in two respects SIxtly seeing the Apostle saith that Doct. 6 Christ hath washed vs from our sins in his blood I gather that Christ is our Heb. 9. 11. 12. onely High-priest who by his owne blood hath purchased the pardon of our sins satisfied the iustice of God for them and so remoued their guilt punishment from vs. He hath washed vs therefore now we are cleane He Is. 53. 4. â—5 was wounded for our transgressions the 〈…〉 ment of our peace was vpon him and by his sâ—ripâ—â— we are healed Surely he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and caryed our so 〈◊〉 And Paul expressely saith that Eph. 1. 7. by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two haue redemption to wit the remissiâ— of â—ins By his owne blood saith the Holy Ghost he entred in once into the holy place obtained eternall redemption for vs. And to deliuer vs from the Gal. 3. curse of the Law he was made a curse All which testimonies of holy writ doe serue fulficiently to proue remission of sins by his blood Now wheÌ„ we heare that sin is forgotteÌ„ we must also know tâ—a the punishment is taken away For common reason sheweth eius quod 〈◊〉 est nullam esse poenam that ther is no punishment dâ—e for that which is not But sin is not wheÌ„â—t is once forgiuen For the Lambe of God hath taken it away And indeed ther is â—o great affi 〈◊〉 betweene sinne and the punishment thereof that the Hebrewes were wont to call them by one name by Gen. 4. 7. Leuit. 20. 17. 19. which the Scriptures signifie that sinnes are then punished and neuer but then when the fault is not forgiueÌ„ And iâ— tâ—â—s be true that God retaineth the punishment when he doth not remit the fault then by the law of contraries it followeth that God doth not retaine the punishment when he doth remit the fault But by the merit of Christs blood 〈◊〉 fault is forgiuen therefore the punishment also which followeth the fault in respect of desert vt vmbrasequitâ—r corpus as the shaddow doth the body and as light the Sun Furthermore seeing those that looked vpon the brazen serpent were cured both of their stingings and of the paines that ensued why may wee not say that they which looke vpon Christ with the eye of saith are not only deliuered of their sinnes and biting of the serpent Satan but also of al paines and punishments which by desert at least doe followe them 2. Augustine sayeth That Christ De Ver. Dei Ier. 37. tooke away both the fault and the punishment And Tertullian saith Exempto reatu eximitur et poena that when the De Bapt. guilt is taken away the punishment is remoued By which it is euident that both fault and punishment are forgiuen vs through the bloud of Christ Qu. It may be theÌ„ demaÌ„ded how god can be saied to forgiue sinne freely seing Christ hath merited the pardon of it by his blood An. I answere in two respects First because we by our selues haue not procured the pardon but Christ for vs of his mere good will Secondly because God did freely of his owne benignitie send his sonne to bee our ransome as Christ himselfe doth witnesse God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Ioh. 3. 16. sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life By which we see plainly that gods loue is the primary cause of our redemption by Christ Neither must the iustice of God be called into question for laying our sins vpoÌ„ him that knew no sin and for punishing the innocent for the offenders For the righteous may suffer for the vnrighteous Christ may without the breach of Iustice bleed for vs purchase pardoÌ„ by his blood if these fiue conditions do concurâ—e in his passion First his blood-shed must be voluntarie without compulsion Secondly it must be perfectly propitiatory able to satisfie him to the full that is offended Thirdly he must be of the same nature for whome he suffereth Fourthly he must be able to preserue himselfe from perishing
by one Spirit we are all the children of one father and one mother and we haue all one elder brother one iustifier one iudge we are all ordeined to one kingdome to one family and are ruled by the same lawes we are all the subiects of one king the seruants of one Lord the sheepe of one shepheard the disciples of one Maister and the people of one God we haue all one hope of our calling one faith one baptisme and one body to feed vpen we are all the Patients of one physitian the building of one architect the vessels of one potter the temple of one Spirit the field of one husbandman and the hearers of one gospel we are all the members of one body the stones of one building the branches of one vine and trauellers in one way to one citie from Aegypt through the wide wildernesse of this wicked world vnto new Ierusalem celestiall Canaan a paradise of perpetuall pleasures Finally we are all in grafted into one stock incorporated into one body wee receiue sap from one roote sense from one head light from one lampe and water from one fountaine therfore good râ—ason is there that wee should loue and like affect fauour and embrace one another Fiftly it is fearefull and grieuous to hate or not to loue our brother For first it is a breach of Gods commandement who forbiddeth vs to hate our brother Leuâ—t 19. 17 Luke 22. 39 and commandeth vs to loue him as our selues Now hee that keepeth his commaundements dwelleth in him and hee in 1. Ioh. 3. 24. him but horrible calamity shall befall those that do without timely repentance transgresse and break them for their worme shall not die neither shall their fire be quenched and they shal be an abhorring Isay 66. 24. vnto all flesh Secondly hee that hateth his brother is in darknes and walketh in darknesse and knoweth not whether he 1 Ioh. 2. 11. gâ—eth because that darknesse hath blinded his eyes he is an vnregenerate person and is not illumined with the light of Gods Spirit but walketh like a blinde Bayard being possessed with the spirit of ignorance blinded with the darknesse of Aegypt out of the kingdome of light of grace of Christ and in the kingdome of darknesse of sinne and Sathan Thirdly Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a man-slayer and yee knowe that 1. Ioh. 3. 1â— no man-slayer hath eternall life abiding in him but is is obnoxious to eternall death and destruction Fourthly he that loueth not his neighbour knoweth not God Vndoubtedly if a man did know 1. Ioh. 4. 8. God truly that is if he did acknowledge him and knew him as he hath reuealed himselfe vnto vs in the couenant of grace if he knew him to be his God his Sauiour and louing friend and father in his sonne Christ Iesus he would not he could not but loue him and those also that are his sons and seruants elected created called iustified adopted santifyed and preserued by him as well as he himselfe Fiftly he that loueth not his neighbour is not the child of God For in this are the 1. Ioh. 3. 10 children of God knowne and the children of the Diuel whosoeuer doth not righteousnes is not of God neither he that Loueth Not his brother Sixtly he that loueth not his brother doth euidentlie declare that he loueth not God himselfe For how can he that loueth not his brother whome he hath seene loue God whome he hath not seene And whosoeuer 1. Iohn 3. 14 hath this worlds good seeth his brother haue need and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him Seauenthly he which loueth not his neighbour doth shewe that his Rom. 6. 23. heart is hard and â—lintie that it was neuer mollified with the oyle of grace that he hath not a good conscience faith vnfained and that he neuer truely tasted of Gods loue nor of the sweetnesse of Christs blood neither that he did euer seriously consider and meditate of those bitter pangs and painefull passions which hee sustained whiles he liued and when he died as well for his neighbour as for himselfe To conclude this first argument He that 1. Ioh. 3. 4 loueth not his brother abideth in death As he abideth in the death of his soule being dead in sinne so he remaineth subiect to the death of his soule and bodie which is the wages of sinne Sixtly if we would but consider the Rom. 6. 23. excellencie and the excellent vse and commodities which come by this godly loue it would make vs all to be in loue with it and not onely to like it in it selfe or in others but in our selues also â—ea and to shew it in our liues and dealings First true loue commeth of God who is loue it selfe the very fountaine of all 2. Ioh. 4. 78. Galat. 5. 22 true loue For euerie good giuing and euerie perfect gift is from aboue and commeth down from the father of lights And Iam. 1. 17. 1. Cor. 4. 7 in truth what haue we that we haue not receiued Now the glorie of the giuer makes the gift more godly And who can be more glorious then God the Psal 2. 4. 10. Math. 6. 13. king of glorie to whome all glorie doth of due belong Secondly loue is an inseparable companion of true â—aith For as Paul sheweth 1. Tim. 1. 5. loue comes out of a pure heart a good conscience and faith vnsained And as Gregorie saith Iuantum credimus tantum diligimus As we beleeue so we loue Euen as light doth accompanie the Sun so doth loue attend vpon faith And as there is no fire without heat so there can be no true faith without loue Here also is loue againe commended because it flowes from that faith whereby our hearts are purified Act. 15. 9. Heb. 11. 6. and without which it is impossible to please God and commeth not but from a conscience which is at peace rest and doth excuse a man So then whosoeuer doth loue truely whome he ought and as hee ought may assure himselfe that hee doth beleeue truelie that his conscience is good before God and his heart purged by faith in the blood of Christ Thirdly such a loue of our brethren is asure signe of our election vocation regeneration and adoption For euery 2. Ioh. 4. 7. one that loueth is borne 〈◊〉 God knoweth God And Peter exhorting vs to giue diligence to make our calling and election 2. Pet. 1. 7. 10. sure sheweth vs that if among other vertues we haue also brotherly kindnesse and loue we shall neuer fall and therfore may assure our selues that we are elected and effectually called Fourthly the loue of our brethren is in Christs account accepted and reputed of as loue shewed vnto himselfe as appeareth plainely by that speech which he will vse to his sheepe when he shall come to iudge them Math. 25. 40. In as
who is true God And thus Marie contrarie to the opinion of Nestorius may be saide to be the mother of God to wit of that person or of that man who is God So we must vse to say that a man hath eies hands and legges and that truely yet the soule which is the more excellent part of man hath not any such For it is an incorporall and spirituall substance If it be demanded froÌ„ wheÌ„ce the blood of Christ doth deriue such dignitie and desert as that it procureth the pardon of sinne or the clensing of our soules from all corruption I answere that it proceedeth from his God head or person because it was the bloud of God the bloud of that innocent and iust man that is also truly God therfore it was of admirable excellencie and of inexplicable vigour and value sufficient for merit to haue cleÌ„sed a thousand thousand worlds of sinnes If further it be demanded how they that were before Christ and we that doe liue since his death can be truely said to be washed from our sinnes by his bloud which is not now shed nor then could be seeing that hee was not borne I answere Christ is the Lamb of God Reu. 13. 8. that was slaine from the beginning of the World to wit in respect of faith and of Gods eternall decree and gracious acceptation so that his bloud is not nor euer was drie in regard of merit efficacie but whosoeuer did receiue and applie it to his heart by faith was purged from his sinnes which is signified when it is said that He hath washed vs that is he hath clensed purified absolued or procured the remission or absolution of sinnes for all the elect faithfull people of God wheresoeuer or whatsoeuer Therefore Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 2. 2. that he is a Reconcilation for the sinnes of the whole world of the Elect. And the authour to the Hebrâ—wes saith that hee Heb. 2. 9. tasted death for all men that is for the Elect of all sorts and sexes and for them onely And therefore he saith that his Math. 26. 28. blood was shed for many and not for all without exception of any God commaunded the Arke and the Mercy-seat Ex. 25. 10. 17. to be made of one length and breadth thereby shewing that his Mercy in Christ should be extended no farther then the Church If Christ would not Ioh. 17. 9. safe the reprobate a praâ—er we may not think that he would giue theÌ„ his blood From sinnes Siâ—â—â— saith Iohn is theâ— transgression of the Law euen euery aberration from the Law of God 1. Ioh. 3. 4. which is the Rule of our obedience the Touchstone of all our Actions and as it were the Epistle of the Creator to his creatures Sinâ—â— is either originall or actuall Originall sinne consisteth in the guiâ—â— of Adams first transgression and in the want of that puriâ—â—e wherein we were aâ— first created and in an incâ—ination and propensiue to all manner of wickednesse Actuall â—innâ— is any preâ—â—rication and breach of the lawâ—â—r will of God in thought word or worke whether by commission of euill or omission of good Now by sinnes in this place we must vnderstand all both originall and actuall euen all transgressions of Gods commandements whether legall or eâ—angelicall and the punishments due vnto vs for them where obserue that he calleth Sinnes our Sinnes for Sinne is our owne and not Christs For he 2. Cor. 5. 21. knew no sinne Neither are they Gods For he is not the author of that whereof Non est auctor eius cuius est vltor Fulgent he is the reuenger And Dauid saith Thou art not a God thâ—t louest wickednesse neither shall euill dwell with thee Psal 5. 4. So then the meaning of the words is this Christ hath purchased the pâ—rdâ—â— of all our sinnes and hath deliuered vs from the guilt punishment of them all by the merite of his Sacred blood whereby hee hath appeased his Father and couered vs from his wrathfull indignation as with a â—â—yle But yet that wee may attaine to the perfect vnderstanding of these words two questions had need to be answered First it may be demaÌ„ded how Christ can be saide to haue washed vs from our sins seeing that sin remaineth in vs vnto death For our satisfaction herein we must know that Christ is â—â—â—de to wash our sinnes away in his blood because hee hath therby procured their pardon so as that they shall neuer be imputed to vs vnto condemnation For sin is washed away two waies First when God forgiues it and layeth it not to our charge and this he doth in the iustification of a sinner Secondly when he mortifieth it and repaireth his ruinated image within vs and this is called the washing of sanctification Now the washing of sanctification is properly vnderstood in the text SecoÌ„dly it may be demanded wherin the absolution washing away of sin in Iustification by the blood of Christ differeth from the ablution purging of it in sanctification by the water and fire of the Holy Ghost Or wherin remission of sinnes differs from regeneration and wherein they iump They agree in three respects First in their efficient cause For God is the author of both through the merit of Christ Secondly they haue one commune instrumentall cause which is faith Thirdly they haue one generall end to wit the glory of God and the saluation of our soules But yet they differ very much in other respects First in their forme or nature For remission of sins is an action of God wherby he doth couer our sins in the blood of Christ not imputing them to vs but to Christ RegeneratioÌ„ is a work of God wherby through the effectuall operatioÌ„ of his Spirit he doth alter and change the heart mortifying the flesh illuminating the mind refining the affections and sanctifying all the parts of the body and all the powers of the soule Secondly they differ in their subiect For the minde the will and the affections are the subiects of sanctification but not of the remission of sins The obedience of Christ is imputed to vs and is not inhoerent in vs as are the graces of regeneration Remission of sinne is an action of God out of a man but mortification is within a man Thirdly their obiect is diuerse For the law is the obiect of sanctification but remission of sinne respecteth the obedience of Christ Fourthly they differ in their effects For remission of sins makes vs to be accounted no sinner but so doth not regeneration The abluâ—ion of sin in iustification is our absolution but the ablution of sin by sanctification is not our absolution but a consequeÌ„t signe thereof Remission of sinne keepes â—â—n from condemning vs but regeneration keepes sin onelâ— from tyrâ—nnizing and doâ—â—ering ouer vs. Fiâ—â—ly Remissiâ—n of sins is pâ—rfect in this life and acted at one instant by Rom. 8. 1. God though we come
not the same pâ—rson with his father but he is the Ioh. 10. 30. 1. Ioh. 5. 7. samâ— God The distinction betwixt thâ—m is not in râ—spect of nature essâ—ce or time for so they are one but in respect of their manner of subsisting in that one natâ—re Ob. 8. Eightly Christ is man and if hâ— be God also â—f he haue the nature both of God and Man then he is two distinct persons but this Gods word will not admit therfore he must needs want one of them Ans Indeed Cerinthus maketh Christ and Iesus two distinct persons Nestorius taught that there are two persons in Christ but without warrant from the word For although Eph. 4. 10. Christ haue two distinct natures the Dâ—itie and the Humanitie yet is he but one person For the person of the Son of God existing a true person from all eternitie did assume the humane nature being no person of it selfe into the vnitie of his person did appropriate it vnto himself without coÌ„founding or defacing the properties of either of the two natures so that albeit there be two distinct natures the diuine humane â—et there is but one person as a man is but one true person though two distinct natures concurre in him one of the soule and the other of the body It is true I graunt that the Word is a person but I denie that the soule and body of Christ being vnited to make a perfect man do make a distinct and perfect person For a persoÌ„ must not onely be sâ—me particular and singular thing but it must also subsist and consist by it selfe and must not be susteined of any other But Christs humane nature froÌ„ the first beginning therof was susteined by the person of the Word For it was at once both formed assumed of the Word into the vnity of his person made proper to the Word without this assumption or personal vnion it neither was nor had been nor should be Plin. Histo nat lib. 16. c. 44. A resemblance whereof wee finde in the plant called Misselto which grows not but in a tree of another kinde and thence receiues his sap Neither is this any disgrace but rather an honour to his humanitie because it doth subsist by the person of the Word And albeit all the faithfull be vnited to the Word yet it is onely in a lower degree to wit by communication of grace and not by communication of personall subsistence So theÌ„ we see that though there be two distinct natures in our Lord yet it doth not followe that he is two distinct persons because his manhood is not a person as other men are but Iohn is a person but so is not Chrâ—st as he is man Vse 1. a naâ—urâ— Thus much for the Doctrine the vses â—ollow First the consideration oâ— Christs God-head teacheth vs to respect and honor him with all diuine worship in humilitie and sinceritie of heart He is God therefore we must honour him as God and being God he is omniscient and all-seeing his â—ies are a flame of fiâ—e not more terrible then peircing All things are nâ—â—ed before him and no thâ—â—gâ—â— is hid from his vnderstanding It is not fig-leaues that can couer vs nor the hils that can hide vs from his eye sight Secondly it should terrifie the wicked that dishonour him that reiect his Vse 2 lawes cast off his gouernment and disgrace his seruants For being God he is able with ease to be reuenged of theÌ„ All creatures in heauen and earth are at his becke His authoritie is absolute and his power infinite All power in heauen and earth is giuen him and he Is 〈◊〉 6. Math. 28. 18 shall regine till he hath put all his eneâ—â—â—â— vnder hâ—â— feet Tâ—ose that will not that he reigne ouer theÌ„ shal be brought and 〈◊〉 before him Nâ—â—preces 〈◊〉 〈…〉 m neither price nor praying will perswade him if once he take in hand to iudge them to condemne them It is good for them therefore to take the â—â—â—e and to repent before it be too late Thirdly this doctâ—iâ—e maketh much Vse 3 for our comfort For seeing Christ is God we may assure our selues that he is as wel able as wilâ—â—ng to do vs good and to deliuer vâ— from euill and doth liue euer to defend and protect vs. For beeing God he is immortall and immutable Therefore we which are hiâ— may boldly say I will not feaâ—â— what mâ—◠〈◊〉 what man can do vnto me For he 〈◊〉 is our friend and fâ—uourer is God omnipotent and he will not leaue vs nâ—r forsake vs Art thou assâ—ulted by Satan fâ—ie to Christ thy God he can as easily â—mite him to the ground as Dâ—â—â—d did Golâ—ah Art thou vexed with sinne then go to him for he is able to saue thee from it He can drowne thy sinnes in his bloud as he drowned the Egâ—ptiâ—â—s in the sea Do the terrors of death arrest thee Do the pangs of hell seaze vpon thee Be not dismayd thy Suertie is God he can take away sinne which is the sting of death and can refâ—eâ—h tâ—y soule with the ioyes of 1. Cor. 15. 56. heauen Art thou poore or afflicted with sicknesse Comfort thy selfe and faint not For thy Lord is God he can either release thee from thine afflictioÌ„ or relieue thee in it as he did Daniel in the deâ—â—e of Lyons and the three children in the fierie furnace that thou shalt rather receiue good then susteine harme If he please not to deliuer thee yet he can and will if thou wilt not â—linch but depend vpon him vouch safe to giue thee fortitude patieÌ„ce to endure it And for the thorny crowne in this world he is able to honour thee with a crowne of gold of golden glorie glorious eternitie in the world to come Finally doe thine enemies presâ—e thee and seeke to deâ—oure thee Feare not For thy king is God and therefore able to conuert or subâ—eâ—t them He can either destroy them himselfe or make them to slay one an other as the enemies of good 2. Chro 20. 23. â—ehoshaphat sometimâ—s did Fourthly this doctrine serueth to Vse 4 conâ—ute the opinion of Eunomius who held that Christ was a mere man also the errour of the Monothelites who thought that Christ had one wil only but seeing that he is not only man buâ— God it followeth that he hath both an â—umane and a diuine will according to his two distinct natures which are not confounded in that one person by reason of the personall vnion but do truly â—â—separably and indiuisibly continue without confusion conuersion or transmutation So much for this second doctrine CHAP. IIII. The true members of Christ cannot be cut off and perish this conclusion is proued THirdly in that the Apostle here Doct. 3 saith that Christ hath washed vs in his Bloud we see how little reason there is for any to thinke that any of his true members can be cut off from
theâ—â— sins and might be shrouded from the wrath of God Now if thou know and acknowledge Christ and his voyce in the sacred scriptures and in the ministery of his Messengers if thou belieue in his name if thou doest hearâ— his voyce and subiect thy selfe vnto it if thoâ— striue to resemble him and dost labour â—o follow â—im walking in hâ—s waâ—â—s and treading in â—â—s footsteps which hâ— hâ—th printed for hee to come after in them then mayst thâ—u assure thy selfe in truth that thou art the Ioh. 10. 4. 14. 26. 27. Sheepe of Christ For Christ himselâ—â— doth brand all his sheep with these very marks And Paul further affirmeth Gal. 〈◊〉 24. that they which are Christs haue crucified the flesh So that if thou dyest to sin and dost mortifie the lusts of thy flesh and labourest to liue to God in newnâ—sse of lâ—fe thou mayst safely conclude that thou dost actually belong to Christ and his fold and that thou art actually washed from thy sins in his bloud and consequently that thou art in the state of grace and in the number of the faythfull Lastly tâ—is doctrine serueth to ouerthrow Vse 7 the Papists most vncomfortable assertion who teaâ—h that a man clensed in Christs bloud and iustifyed may fall from God from grace and perish For not one dramme not one drop of Christs bloud can be spilt in vaâ—ne He that is once washed in it is alwaies cleane There is no condemnation Rom. 8. 1. to them that are in Christ Iesus Theiâ— sinnes may ware with them but Bellate non debellare quaterâ— non decutere Math. 16. 18 they shall not vanquish them The diuell may shake them but he shall not shake them downe Hel gâ—tes may open theÌ„selues against them but they Math. 16. 18. shall not pâ—euayl against them The castle of their consciences may be besieged but it shall not bee sacked it cannot be ransackâ— For God will not giue them ouer wholly vnto their enemies he will deâ—end their cause maintaine their quarrell dispell their enemies preserue his work and confirme 1. Cer. 1. 8. them vnto the end Thus much for this third doctrine a fourth followeth CHAP. V. A looking-glasse to behold the loue of Christ in The consideration of it affordeth vs three instructions Fourthly in that the Apostle saith Christ hath washed vs in his bloud frâ— Doct. 4 our sins his loue is cleared and greatly coÌ„mended to vs. For what is nearer to a man then his life And what is dearer to him then his bloud his heart bloud Christ hath layed downe his life that we might liue Christ hath parted with his bloud his heart bloud to do vs good to purchase our pardon to purge Omnes humanes sanâ—t medicina dolores Propert vs from our sins The diseases of the body are cured by naturall medicines but our sins which are the diseases of the soule are clensed only by the bloud of Christ And that this might be done he did freely forgoe his life and loose hâ—s bloud which argueth is exceeding loue vnto vs. Greater loue then this saith Ioh. 15. 13. Christ hath no man that a man should 〈◊〉 dâ—wne his life for his friend It is not possible for a man to manifest his loue more effectually then by giuing his life for another and therfore our Apostle 1. Ioh. 3. 16 â—aâ—th Hereby haue we perceiued loue that hee layed downe his life for vs. If Luk 7. 38. the woman declareth her loue by washing Christ feet with her teares then great is the loue of Christ that hath washed vs in his bloud And his loue appearâ—th â—et more plainely insomuch Act. 3. 15. Act. 20. 28. as he who is the Lord of life and God of heauen and earth did lay downe his life for vs wretches and hath washed vs in his bloud who by nature are his enemies If thou hadst a most pestilent and strong aduersarie and hadst also a friend that did freely lay downe his life to preserue thâ—e from him were it not â—n argumenâ— of his inward and hâ—â—â—e loâ—â— vnto thee Sinne is thy mortall and implacable enemy too hard for thâ—e â—o coÌ„quer by thy selfe it is impossâ—ble for â—hee to saue thy selfe from that intollerable calamitie which it brings Christ thy soules friend hath ouercome it Heâ— hath smote downe great Goliah the Prince of darknes the friend and father of thy sinnes He is thy Sampson that by his death hath slaine the Philistines euen all thy sins Hee hath ouerwhelmed Pharaoh and the Egyptians Satan and all thy sinnes in the red sea of his bâ—â—ud His bloud hath suâ—kt out the â—eart bloud of thine enemies and hiâ— death hâ—th beene the death of them all therefore â—hou cansâ— noâ— chuse but see his admâ—â—able lâ—ue vnto thee seeing he shunned not death but spâ—lt his bloud and hath embrued thee in it to doe thee good Iâ— thou hadst committed some offence against a king for which without his speciall pardon thou shouldest be condemned to death and executed and if by all the meanes thou couldst make thou art not able to procure it if the kings onely sonne and heyre whome also thou hast dishonoured should voluntarily without thy suite and against thy desert laye downe his life and loose his bloud for thy pardon and absolution did hee not shew vnspeakeable grace and giue an vndoubted testimony of his pittie towards thee Thou canst not but confesse it Thou â—ast committed many capitall and grieuous offences against the Kings of Kings his owne and onely Son Christ Iesus whome thou hast oft disgraced oft abused hath fâ—eely without thy desert and when thou hadst no grace of thy selfe to desire him hath giuen his life for thy life he hath dyed to preserue thee from eternall death which is the wages of thy Rom. 6. 23 sinne he hath purged and rinsed thee in his blood that thy soule might not bleed his blood hath bought thy pardon canst thou then deny that he loues thee Hath he not aboundantly testified and confirmed his pittie towards thee Thou canst not but acknowledge it The consideration of this doctrine Vse 1 teacheth vs to remonstrate our loue to him And seeing that be spared not his blood for vs let vs also be readie to part with ours for him if he shall require and except it of vs. Dauid saith Ps 126. 1. I loue the Lord because he hath heard my voice euen so should we loue the Lord Iesus because he hath bathed vs in his bloud yea let vs extoll his loue from our hearts and celebrate his name in worde and worke Secondly it teacheth vs to be beneficiall and bountifull in benefits to our Vse 2 brethren For we ought to resemble our elder brother When we receiue a benefit of others we are by the receit thereof put in minde to doe good to others The earth is kind For as it receiues kindnesse of others as heaâ—e of the Sun and raine of the cloudes
beene the doctrine of the Church in former ages Gregorie saith The author of life layed downe his life Pro electorum vita vsq ad mortem se tradidit author 2. Num. in Ez. li. 1. In Leuit. lib 17. c. 2. that they might liue which are elected vnto life Eusebius saith that Christ suffered for the saluation Mundi Saluandorum of all those that should be saued Hist l. 4. c. 15. And Radulphus peremptorily affirmeth that the blood of our High-priest Christ was the expiaâ—ion Omnium credentium or atonement of All beleeuers And no maruell for beeing the blood of God it must needs be of more worth with God then the blood of all men the life of all Angels and the being of all creatures though they were as many more as they are haue beene or shal be euer yea then if all men and Angels should haue suffered eternally Thus we haue seene that remission of All the sinnes of All the Elect and of All punishments dâ—e vnto theÌ„ for their sinnes is procured only by the bloud 〈◊〉 Christ who in his owne person by himselfe hath fully satisfyed the iustice of his Father for vs and as Augustine saith hath made our sins his sinnes that he might Nostra delâ—cta sua delicta fecit vt suam 〈…〉 nostraÌ„ iust nam facâ—â—et Gen. 27. 15. 27. make his righteousnes our righteousnes wherewith we being 〈◊〉 as Iacob was with his brother 〈◊〉 garments we do receiue the blessing of God as he receiued 〈◊〉 Now that we may not prize the pardon of our sins at too 〈◊〉 a price 〈◊〉 Christ 〈…〉 〈◊〉 not be 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 seriously the wooâ—th and comfort of it As first 〈◊〉 was not procured as pardoÌ„s vse to be by wordly 〈◊〉 but by the bloud of God Therefore Peter saith Dei non Deitatis of God not of the God head that we were not redeemed with corruptible things as with siluer and golde but with the pretious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot And therefore Paul may truly say that 1. Pet. 1. 13. 19. 1. Cor. 6. 20. 〈◊〉 23. wee are bought for a price euen for the 〈◊〉 price that any one could pay For what can bee more costly then bloud or what more deare then life Now a pardon so dearely payed for should not 〈◊〉 regarded Secondly remission of sinnes is an irreuocable act of God Sinnes being once nayled to the crosse of Christ shal neuer be taken down aliue and beeing once buried in his graue they shall neuer rise againe to condemne vs. Riches remaine not alway nor the crowne from generation to generation Fauour Pro. 27. 24. is deceiptfull and beauty is vanitie Pro. 31. 30. Strength wil decay and pleasures will passe away And what is your life It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a time Iam. 4. 14. and afterwards vanisheth out of his sight For all flesh is grasse and all the glorie of 1. Pet. 1. 24. man is as the flower of grasse the grasse withereth and the flower falleth away But the pardon of sinne endureth for euer and this is the pardon which is preached among you and is by Christ procured for you Thirdly when Christ doth actually wash vs from our sinnes then he doth also begin to reforme and sine vs. And as by meriting the remission of sinne he keepes it from condemning vs so by sanctifying of vs he stayes it from ruling in vs. So that when Christ hath once washed vs in his bloud sinne may be truely said to be in part consumed in vs and wee no sinners at all in Gods account Fourthly the prayers of the wicked are abominable to the Lord but when God hath pardoned our sinnes wee may boldely pray with assurance to be heard For it is iniquitie which makes the separation betwixt vs and God Your sinnes saith Isaiah haue hid his face from you that he will not heare Therefore his eares are opened when sinnes Is 59 2. are pardoned 〈◊〉 satisfied and his wrath appeased Fiftly when mens sinnes are remitted then their mindeâ— are setled their Rom. 5. 1. 〈…〉 consciences are 〈◊〉 For sinne which is the fire-brand of contention and a makebâ—te betwixt vs and God is taken froÌ„ vs so as that it shall not bee impuâ—â—d to vs. When the Sea-men had cast Ionah froÌ„ theÌ„ into the sea the sea ceased from Ion. 1. 15. her aging so when God shall cast our sinnes from vs behinde his backe and shall diue them and vs into the bloude of that 〈◊〉 Lambe Christ Iesus the fire of his wrath shall be quenched all the windes and waues of our soules shal be calmed and our troubled consciences shalâ— be pacified as that without danger of drowning wee may floâ—t with 〈◊〉 sayle with the pleasant gale of his grace vpon the troublesome 〈◊〉 as of this world in true tranquilitie 〈◊〉 our Pilot Christ doe bring vs safely to the Hauen of our Hope and land vs where wee shall 〈◊〉 On the contrary wicked and vngodly wretches haue no true peace at all but are either without sense like stockes or else feele the flasâ—â—ngs of 〈◊〉 fire withâ—â— their soules being gnawed with the worme of an accusing conscience and are like the raging sea that cannot rest Is 57. 10. whose waters cast vp mire and dirt Sixtly The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord Yea his very Pro. 15. â—6 Prâ— 21. 27. sacrifice is abominable But when our sinnes are forgiuen the defectes in all our good workes are couered Yea then and not till then doe we worke any thing well and pleasing in the sight of God Therefore Salomon saith The sacrifice of the wicked who hath not beene washed in the bloud of Christ is abomination to the Lord but the prayer Pro. 15. 8. of the righteous which no man can be said to be before his sinnes be forgiuen is acceptable vnto him And Augustine truly saith that good workes do not goe before iustification but follow Bona opera sequuÌ„ter iustificatum non praecedunt iustificandum after There must first be a spring before there can bee a Riuer First there must be a fire before there can be burning Indeede good workes may be seene sooner then the pardon of sinne as light is vsually seene before the Sun appeareth and a man doth often see the light of a candle before hee see the candle it selfe though in nature they doe not goe before but follow And so good workes in nature follow the pardon of our sinne Seauâ—uthly those whose sinnes are forgiuen are inuested likewise in the righteousnes of Christ and shall die the death of the righteous which 〈◊〉 wished Peace shall come they shall Num. 23. 10 rest in their beds Their ende is peace Their death is as life they die to liâ—e Is 57. 2. For whom God doth iustifie that is whose sinnes hee doth remit whose Pâ—al 37. 37. persons
because of them Most of his Apostles â—f not all were poore and the deaâ—est children of God are subiect to greâ—uâ—us crosses and haue beene in all Act. 16. 31. ages Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be loued Returne from All thy sinnes and do that which is right and thou shalt surely liue and not die how Ez. 18. 21. poore base or vile so euer thou maiest be Yea further thogh thou beest wicked and by thy sinnes an enemie to God yet dispaire not but beleeue and repent For Christ doth not die for vs because we are holy he doth not wash vs because we are cleane out by washing vs he makes vs cleane Christ did not die for the righteous but for the Vngodly and for the Vniust and therefore Paul saith God setteth out his loue Rom. 5. 6. 1. Pet. 3. 18. towards vs seeing that while we were yet Sinners Christ dyed for vs. Beâ—â—eue therfore and repent leaue sinne liue vprightly assure thy selfe of the blood Rom. 5. 8. of Christ for the remission of thy sins His merit â—s greater then thy miserie Rom. 4. 5. Rom. 3. 22. and a saluâ— made of his blood is able to cure all the sores of thy soule Thirdly seeing the bloud of that one man Christ Iesus hath clensed vs all Vse 3 from all our sinnes we are admonished to loue one another Some of vs are not washed in the bloud of one and the rest in the bloud of another but we are all washed in the bloud of one and one hath washed vs al therfore we ought al as if we were but one to loue agree one with an other This kind of argument is vsed by the prophet Malachy Mal. 2. 10. when he saith Haue we not all one father Hath not one God made vs Why doe wee transgresse euery one against his brother And the Apostle exhorting the Ephesians Eph. 4. 3. 4. to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace vseth this as a reason to perswade them too it because there is one body one spirit one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and Father of all Euen so say I Forasmuch as one man one God Christ Iesus who is both God and man hath washed vs all from our sinnes by the merit of his most pretious bloud why should wee transgresse one against another as wee vse to doe And why doe wee not rather affect and embrace on an other Doe we not all come out of his loines Eph. 5. 30. Are wee not all flesh of his flesh and bones of his bones Hath not be washt vs all for himselfe Doe wee not all spring froÌ„ that water from that bloud which sprang 〈◊〉 him when he hanged on the crossâ— I noâ—â—e that bread of life which we all eate off that well that water of life which we all drinke off that meane or that wish to liue Doe wee all breath by him â—aue we all theâ— emission of all our sinneâ— by his bloud Hath hee communicated his bloud to vs all And shall we disgrace abuse contemne and oppresse one an other We should rather be kind courteous louing folowing 〈◊〉 â—hings which concerne peace and amitie and Rom. 14. 19. wherewith one may edifie an other Fourthly seeing our sinâ— cost Christ his bloud we may as in a glasse behold Vse 4 the rigour and seuetitie of Gods absolute iustice who would be pacified only by the bloud of his owne Sonne By which we see that he is not altogether mercy as many foolish and presumptuous Totus Deus est miserie ordia non to taliter persons dâ—e imagine It is true indeede that God is mercifull and so â—iche in mercie as that hee sent his Sonne to saue vs but yet with â—ll he is so iust that rather then sin should scape vnpunished hee hath made his Sonne to beâ—re the punishment of it And as for those thaâ— will not by fayth receiue hâ—s sonne and will not reforme their liues but goe on in sinne without repentance hee hath for the manifestation of his iustice reserued to eternall â—orments And theâ—efore Iob saith The Iob. 21. 30. wicked is kept vnto the day of destruction and they shal be brought foorth to the day of wrath And the Psalmist saith accordingly In the hand of the Lorde there is a cup and the wine is red it is sul Psal 75. 8. mixt and he powreth out of the same surely all the wicked of the earth shall wring out and drinke the dregs thereof We see therfore that his mercy doth not shoulder out his iustice Let no man therefore sinne in hope of pardon For our God is euen a consuming fire to consume vp all impenitent sinners and it Heb. 12. 29. Deut. 4. 24. Heb. 10. 31. is a fearefull thing to fall into his hands Fiftly we may see the heynousnes of sinne For we must not thinke that Vse 5 small which cost so great a price and made the bloud of God be shed for the pardon of it Let vs therfore detest our sins account theÌ„ greuous not smal They displease God they deserue his iudgemeÌ„ts they prouoke his anger they hinder his blesâ—ings they trouble our peace and procure our death Like the Ier. 5. 25. worme they eat the wood wherin it was bred they destroy the soule wherin they we eingendred Plinie wriâ—eth that the Vipers kill their damme at their coÌ„ming fâ—orâ—h Euen so the byâ—th of sin is in desert Hist nat lib. 〈◊〉 cap. 62. the death of the sinner Our sinnes crucified the Lord of life they were the nayles that pierced him the thornes that pricked him and the speare that was thrust through him He for our sinnes laid downe his life and spilt his bloud They made him grone and sigh they made him sweat water and bloud they tormented his soule and made it heauy vnto death yea they made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee The consideration of these things Math. 27. 46 should moue vs vnlesse like mountains we wll not be moued to relinquish and abhorre our sins When Peter had told the Iewes that they had crucified the Lord they were strucken as with a thuÌ„der-bolt from heauen and beeing pricked in heart they cryed 〈◊〉 Men and brethren what shall wee doe Thy sinnes Act. 2. 37. haue crucified the Lord of glory they nayled him fast vnto the crosse they would not die till he was dead hee was faine to make a Bath of his bloud of his best bloud his Heart-bloud to clense wash thee from them Repent therefore and relent condemne and accurse them forsake and hate them Wilt thou liue in theÌ„ that made Christ to die wilt thou delight in them that made Christ to mourne Canst not thou mourne for them that made him to bleed Indeed Pro. 14. 9. the Foole maketh but a mocke of sinne But wilt thou needs be that
foole Is Pro. 26. 3. not a rod prepared for the fooles back Doest thou not know that the foolish Ps 5. 5. shall not stand in Gods sight and that he hateth all them that worke iniquitie Vpon the wicked he shall raine snares fire Ps 11. 6. and brimstone and stormy tempest this is the portion of their cup. But Life is in the way of righteousnesse in that path there Pro. 12. 28. is no death What shall we then thinke of those that delight in wickednes and that draw iniquitie with cordes of vanitie Is 5. 18. sin as it were with cartropes What shal we say of those that make a trade of vsury a life of drunkennes an occupation of swearing swaggering lying deceiuing oppressing which eueÌ„ plow vpoÌ„ the faces of pore meÌ„ come their money vpoÌ„ their skins which notwithstanding al admonitions and instructions to the contrary go forward in their irregular vnnaturall and irrelgious courses with out 〈◊〉 like Pharoahs ill fauoured and leane-fleshed kine which thought 〈◊〉 had eaten vp Gen. 41. 21. seauen fat kine 〈◊〉 yet as ill-fauoured as they were before Surely it argueth that as yet they are not washed froÌ„ their sinnes For they that are washed from sinne make conscience of sinne A dying vnto sin is begunne in them to whome the death of Christ is actually applied which he sustained for them It argueth that sinne is not onely in them but that they also are in sinne like an house that hath not onely fire in it but which is also in the fire readie to be consumed in it It argueth that they are as yet in the power of the Diuell who leades them captiue like Beares by the lips to do his will Finally it argueth horrible securitie in that they neither regard the iustice of God and his seueritie against sinne nor weigh that sacred blood which was shed for sinne For questionlesse if men did seriously consider those manifold and inextricable dangers in which they were by sinne and that nothing would satisfie God for sinne but the blood of his owne and onely Sonne it would daunt them much and make them to hate and leaue them though there were but one sparke of sauing grace within them A man we see cannot indure the sight of that sword wherewith his father was put to death Christ is our Father and we are his Seed Children His soule was powred Is 9. 6. Heb. 2 13. Is 53. 10. Is 53. 12. out vnto death for our sinnes He was both wounded slaine for them They were as I may say the sword that slew him Let vs therfore loath leaue them Let not them be our ioy which were the causes of his sorrowes Make not that thy myrth which was the cause of his mourning and had made thee mourne had not he mourned for thee Is it seemely for thee that art washed from sinne like a Soâ— to pollute thy selfe with sinnes Did not Christ die that we should liue to him 2. Cor. 5. 15. that dyed for vs And did he not giue himselfe for a people that should be Tit. 2. 14. zealous of good works He bare our sins saith Peter in his body on the tree that 〈◊〉 being dead to sinne should liue in 1. Pet. 2. 24. righteousnes Let vs therefore renounce our sins forsake our enormities which are indeed our chiefest deformities and let vs giue our selues to the workes of holinesse Yee are not your owne For ye 1. Cor. 6. 19. 〈◊〉 are brought for a price Christ hath giuen his bloud for you Therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit They be Gods they be Christs he hath bought theÌ„ dearely Be not the seruants of men be not the seruants of sinne Turne vnto me saith the Lord for I haue redeemed 1. Cor. 7. 23 thee so I say turne vnto Christ for he hath redeemed thee he hath washed Is 44. 22. thee from all thy sinnes in his blood And beeing made free from sinne ye are Rom. 6. 18. made the seruants of righteousnes Therefore as ye haue giuen your members seruants to vncleannes and iniquitie to commit iniquitie so now giue your members Rom. 6 19. seruants vnto righeousnes in holinesse For as Peter saith it is sufficient for vs that 1. Pet. 4. 3. we haue spent the time past of the life after the lust of the Gentiles walking in wantonnes lusts drunkennes gluttony drinkings and in abominable idolatries Sixtly seeing Christ is said to haue Vse 6 washed vs from our sinnes wee see that Christ in his owne person did put away sinne and so abolish death For z. Tim. 1. 10 we are not only washed in his bloud but also washt by him And thus we see first that Christ shed his bloud freely For hee washt vs as it were with his owne hands and besides we know that his God-head which giueth dignitie to his bloud is free from all constraint Secondly wee see that we are not onely washed by the father and by the Holy Ghost but by the Sonne also For those workes of the Trinitie Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indiuisa which are wrought vpon the creature are common to all the persons differing onely in their manner of working The Father washeth vs from sin because he hath of his grace sent his Son to take away our sin for that he forgiueth sin for the sacrifice of his Sonne The Sonne is said to wash vs from sin because hee doth in his owne person pay the price of sin by the merit of his bloud which he shed procure the pardon of it And the holy Ghost also may be said to wash vs because hee worketh faith in our hearts whereby we do apprehend the bloud of Christ and apply it to our selues in special and because hee sealeth the pardon to our soules and giues vs the assurance therof in our Consciences Seuenthly seeing that wee haue the remission of our sinnes for the bloud of Vse 7 Christ we are taught to know that the sacrifices vsed before his comming were onely typicall and not properly satisfactorie It is impossible saith the Apostle that the bloud of bulles and goates should take away sinnes They were Heb. 10. 4. onely â—ipes or figures shadowing out that absolute and all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ euen the sacrifice of his soule and bodie which he beeing our High-priest as God incarnate did offer vnto his father vpon the altar of his God-head for the expiation of our sinnes And therefore a I such ceremonies are to be adiudged dead seeing Christ the substance of them hath performed that which they did shadow forth Eightly seeing our sinnes are purged Vse 8 by the bloud of Christ wee may perceiue a differeÌ„ce betwixt his bloud and the bloud of Martyrs For though Sanguis Martyrum sit semen Ecclesiae God so blesse the death of his Martyrs and make their bloud so fertill that
like seede cast into the ground it may seeme to reuiue and send forth many moe to professe that truth for which it was split vpon the ground yet it is in it selfe but the bloud of those which are no more then men though more holy then most men and it is not shed for the pardon of sinne but for the testimonie of the trueth the manifestation of a good conscience the declaration of a strong faith and for the remonstrance of their loue of Christ On the contrarie the bloud of Christ is his bloud who is essentially God and it is also the ransome of our sins And therefore it is no wonder that some of the Martyrs haue suffered their bloud to be shed more quietly in appearance then he did his For they suffer not for sinne but feele God reconciled to them But he suffered for the sinnes of all the Elect their whole burthen lay vpon his backe And he did not onely suffer a bodily dissolution but euen the very pangues of hell also 〈◊〉 sorrowes of death did compasse â—im â—bout and the torments of hell did seize vpon him Hee felt the wrath of God in his soule and bodie and as 〈◊〉 speaketh the worde 〈◊〉 quiet and assisted not nor deliuered Lib. 3. aduers Hoer the 〈◊〉 manhood vntill a sufficient 〈◊〉 as finished and fulfilled Now many Martirs feele the fauour of God exceedingly and somtimes also when they suffer in an vnvsuall and extraordinarie manner For their passions are not as his was punishments for sins but corrections and tryalls appointed by God for the confusion of his enemies the confirmation of his truth and the testification of those noble vertues wherewith hee did adorne them And to dispatch this point Christ spilt his bloud so as that neuerthelesse he was to rise againe to life in a short time after But when Martyrs shed their bloud and lay downe their liues they continue dead till they be raysed vp by Christ their head at the last resurrection Ninthly seeing our sinnes are purged by the bloud of Christ we see the Vse 9 ouerthrow of their opinion who think that the soule of Christ descended into Hell whiles his body were in the tombe to suffer there for the soules of men But what neede that seeing his bloud did merit the pardon of all our sinnes and seeing hee bare our sinnes as Peter teacheth in his bodie vpon the crosse Considering also that hee 1. Pet. 2. 24. suffered in his soule most greeuous tortures whiles he liued as appeared by his bloudy sweat terrible out-cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken Luk. 22. 44. Mat. 27. 46. Mat. 26. 38. 39. Vse 10. mee To draw to an end Seeing Christ hath procured the pardon of our sins by his bloude wee are taught to renounce all opinion of humane satisfactions Some thinke to pacifie God by pattering ouer the Pater-noster the Creede and the ten commandements Some thinke to stop the mouth of his iustice with their good works and lamentable out-cries But the truth is we are iustified and saued by Christ alone Hee is our onely Mediatour and Aduocate His bloud is our onely Purgatorie His mercie is our onely merit His death is our life His sacrifice is our satisfaction For as Paul sheweth wee are al iustified freely by grace through Rom. 3. 24. the redemption that is in Christ And as Basil saith there is vna expiatio one In cap. 1. Is satisfactorie sacrifice or expiation of sin to wit that bloud which was shed for the saluation of the world Therefore Augustine saith All my hope is in the death of my Lord. Shall wee thinke to satisfie Manuall cap. 32. our sinnes by prayer Then may a beggar by craning his almes deserue them and a debtour by requesting the pardon of his debt may be said to discharge it Or shall wee thinke to procure the pardon of our sinnes by good deedes Then a man by paying of one debt may discharge an other For we are bound to doe good deeds Wâ—e were created in Christ to good workes which Eph. 2. 10. God hath ordained for vs to walke in And we were borne to doe good and not to liue to our selues or to follow the desires of our flesh Yea saith Augustine Nihil boni feâ—isti thou hast Praesatin Psal 31. done nothing that good is and yet remission of sinnes is giuen thee And Paul saith that God iustifieth the vngodly therefore all our good deeds doe follow the remission Rom. 4. 5. of our sinnes which is a part of our iustification and therefore can be no causes meriting it Let vs then lay the foundation of our redemption in the bloud of Christ It is a sound foundation and not saâ—die firme and not false Whatsoeuer is founded rightly vpon it shall neuer be confounded Let vs therefore beware of the Church of Rome concerning humane satisfactions by praying fasting Martyrdome contrition c. Touch not the fringe of her garment least thou receiue of her poison Say with Iohn that Christ hath washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud Conclude with Augustine that there is one mundation one purgation of the vnrighteous to wit the purging bloud Iniquorum vna mundatio est sanguis Iusti De Trin. li. 4. c. 2. of Christ that iust one For as Plinic saith of the hearbe 〈◊〉 that it driueth away all poison of serpents euen soe the bloud of Christ doth chase away our sinnes which are the poâ—son of the Serpent Satan and doth fully reconcile Hist na lib. 22. cap. 20. vs vnto God CHAP. XI The admirable vertue inestimable price of Christs bloud is proued and declared Sundry motiues are vsed to moue vs to seeke it and to labour to be possest and assured of it LAstly seeing Christ hath washed Vse 11 vs all from All our sinnes in his blood we plainely see that it is full of strength and vertue most meritorious and excellent It is a strong medicine that ouermaisters sinne the bane the pest and poyson of the soule A small shewer will not lay a mightie wind and a smal mater cannot satisfie a king for a thousand traytours So if the blood of Christ were not exceeding vertuous meritorious it could not possible calme the raging wind of Gods wrath for sinne it could not possible satisfie his Maiestie for our sins which are innumerable and procure his royal pardon for vs that are so many God shewed no small power in bringing the Israelites out of the land of Egypt the house of bondage and in confounding Pharoah the rest of the Aegyptians their enemies which pursued them So Christ hath shewed great power to be in his bloud and bloudy death seeing by it he hath deliuered all true Israelites from thraldome vnder sin and Satan and hath cut the throate of all their enemies He must needs be a very mighty prince that is able to preserue al his subiects froÌ„ al their enemies so as
that there shall not any of them perish So the blood of Christ which saueth all his â—oyall Subiects from all their mortall enemies cannot but be full of might and verâ—ue It is a good blade which will cut asunder a barre of iron therfore surely the blood of Christ is powerfull seeing it hath câ—ackt in sâ—nder the iron baâ—res of our sinnes hath consumed them to powder That water must needs be verie vertuous for qualâ—tie if it be but of smal quantity which is able to quench a mountaine of fire Christs blood for measure was not much therefore we mâ—st needs confesse it to be full of merit full of vertue seeing it both quenched the fiery mountain of gods wrath and dissolued the mountanie masse of mans sinne Death considered as it is an effect and punishment of sinne is as it were Hells mouth like the man that turnes the ladder whereon the Malefactour readie to be executed standeth Now the blood of Christ hath not onely taken away the second death but hath also changed the nature of that first It hath made it a Key to open the doore let vs loose from al our sinnes it hath made it an Axe to strike off the head of our flesh it hath made it an Ariadnes threed to bring vs out of the labyrinch of all earthly miseries and as a Boate to transport vs vnto the hauen of â—ternall happinesse and therefore we mâ—st needs coÌ„lesse it is of â—nclesse merit of admirable verâ—ue Let vs therefore Beloued not with Thomas put our hands inâ—o his side but let vs plunge our selues wholy both Ioh. 20. 27 soule and bodie into his blood For he is that Pelican that feeds vs to eternall life by his blood His blood is that Hyssope by which we are clensed and the Balme of Gilead whereby Ps 51. 7. Leuit 24. 7. our soules are cured WheÌ„ Elisha went about to restore to life the Shunamites sonne he lay vpon him and put his 2. King 4. 34. mouth vpon the childes mouth his own hands vpoÌ„ his hands his eyes vpon his eyes stretched himselfe vpon him Euen so if thou desirest to be receiued to euerlasting life set thy selfe by faith vpoÌ„ the crosse of Christ apply thy hands to his hands thy feete to his feet thy mouth to his mouth thine eyes to his eyes thy sinful hart to his bleeding hart and bath thy selfe by faith in his blood For euen as the Israelites which were stung to death by the fierie Serpents Num. 22. 9. were cured if they looked vp to the brazen Serpent so if we which are stung to death of that old Serpent by sinne which is his poy soned tooth and venomous sting will looke vp to Christ our brazen Serpent hanging vpon the crosse with the eye of faith Ioh. 3. 14. 15 we shal be deliuered from all our sins his blood is a counterpoyson effectuall against them all The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plinie writeth hath a propertie to frustrate Hist nat lib 37. c. 4. the malicious effects of poyson and to expell vaine feareâ—t at posseâ—â—e the mind So the blood of Christ is able to preserue vs from the mortall effects of sinne which is more deadly then the deadliest poyson and being applyed to the heart by the hand of faith it will expell the feare of damnation and fill the soule with ioy When the corps of the dead souldier beeing tumbled into Elishaes graue had touched his bones he presently reuined 2. King 13. 21. euen so shall wee by a spirituall touching of Christ dead buried be deliuered from finne the life of death and shal be quickened to eternall life And as the woman which had the bloodie Math. 9. 20. issue was cured by touching the hem of his garment so shall we though we did exceed in number the Stars of heauen the sands on the Sea-shore we I say should haue all the bleeding wounds of our soules healed if we will touch his blood with the finger of a Act. 10. 43. true faith For vnto him giue all the Prophets witnesse that through his Name All that beleeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes His Name hath made vs noble his death is our deliuerance his humiliation is our exaltation his shame is our glorie and his blood the price of our pardoÌ„ Which things notwithstandâ—ng we possesse by faith and by faith 〈◊〉 do receiue and not without it For as the branch or science receiueth no sap from the roote vnlesse it be ioyned to it and as the parts of the bodie haue neither sense nor motion except they cohere with the head and be conioyned to it so we that are branches of that noble Vine Christ Iesus the members of his bodie haue neither life nor motion we receiue not the Ioh. 15. pardon of our sinnes nor partake of any of his benefits vnlesse we be vnited to him and be knit vp together with him Now we are not vnited if we haue not faith For vs the vnioÌ„ is made by the Spirit in respect of God so it is made by faith in respect of vs. But that I may presse this point a a little further If thou hadst a mortall and inexoâ—able enemie and knewest a safe course whereby thou mightest be deliuered from him thou wert thine owne enemie if thou didst refuse to take it especially if there were no other way but that Sathan is thine irreconciliable enemie Sinne which is his Mâ—nion is thy deadly foe For as Plinie recordeth of the Flower-de-lis that it Hist nat l. 11. c. 2. prouoketh sleepe but consumeth nature so though sinne may seeme to satisfie a carnall corrupt affection by giuing it a kind of contentment and rest yet in truth it is an vtter enemie to the spirit and like Iuy it suckeâ—h out the verie sap of the soule Now the blood of Christ is onely able to quell these thine enemies to redeeme thee from that cursed condition to which thou art obnoxious by them Labour therefore to be partaker of it thou art thine owne enemie if thou doâ—st neglect it Plinic saith that men were wont to carie Polium about them to chase away Lib. 21. cap. 20. SerpeÌ„ts But the most soueraigne amulet or preseruatiue which men can haue against Satan and their sinnes is the blood of Christ applyed by faith vnto their hearts The sicke do seeke vnto the Phisitian that their bodies Admedicam dubius coÌ„fugit aeger opem Ould might be preferned from temporarie death and shall not we seeke to Christ that great Phisitian of the soule that washing vs in his blood we might be preserued from that eternall death of soule and bodie So soone as he had touched the Leaper he tooke away his leprosie euen so if he please to touch vs with his vertuous touch the touch Luke 5. 13 vs with his vertuous touch the touch of his woundes we shal be deliuered from our sinnes His blood
is as well able to take away our sinnes to make them vanish out of Gods eye like smoke as that great invndation of water was to drowne the world or as the fire was to burne vp Sodome Dost thou thinke that thou hast no need of him Thou art as wel able to discharge thee of thy sinnes as to remoue a mountaine or to draine the sea If the bodie be out of temper there is vse of the Phisitian Thou art distempered both in soule bodie by reason of thy sins in which thou art by nature not onely sicke but dead and Christ can onely cure thee therefore she vnto him And say thy sinnes be smal yet are they many and mortall all Many little flint-stones will 〈◊〉 ship as well a few mil-stones But thou art by thy 〈◊〉 a Rebell thou hast committed high â—reason against God and without 〈◊〉 pardon which cannot be procâ—â—ed but by the mediation of Christ 〈◊〉 is not possible for thee to escape damnation Therefore make hast to Christ before the degree come forth and before the fierce wrath of the Lord do come vpon thee and thou be as chasse before the wind WheÌ„ Christ liued vpon the earth the people peâ—ceiuing his admirable power and willingnesse also to cure the diseases of the bodie they brought their diseased to him from euery place and he healed them Beloued he is aâ—able to cure the diseases of the soule therefore seeke vnto him seeke with faâ—th from the bottome of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he will not â—epell the. To him that thirsteth he Reuâ— 21. will be-sprinkle him in his bloud frankely They were carefull for the bodie and shall we be carelesse both of soule and bodie They were carefull for others let not vs then be carelesse of our selues They went to him when he liued in disgrace and in the shape of a seruant plagued and not regarded humbled of God reiected of men Is 53. 3â— knowne of many but acknowledged of few mournfull and not mery seene to weepe but neuer said to laugh But now he is in great glory maiestie far exceeding all earthly Monarches and therefore we neede not be ashamed to seeke vnto him Wherefore let nothing hinder thee but as they that brought Luk. 5. 19. the palsie man vnto him let him downe to him through the tyles of the house when they could not come neare him for the prease of the people euen so do thou breake through all impediments 〈◊〉 not thy purpose but proue euery way leaue no stone vnrolled proceed constantly and test not till thou beest come vnto him Leaue him not till Nullam noÌ„ moue lapidem with Iacob thou hast obteined a blessing till he haue washed thy soule in his bloud as he did his Disciples feet in Ioh. 13. 5. Math. 15 28. the water The Cananitish woman would not leaue him till she had gotten him to driue the Diuell out of her daughter so do thou neuer giue him ouer til he haue cast him out of the hold of thy heart released thee of thy sins which do possesse thee which will destroy thee without his hand of grace And as Esay exhorteth those that are mindfull of the Lord to giue him no Is 62. 7. rest till he repaire and set vp Ierusalem the praise of the world euen so giue Christ thy Lord no rest leaue him not take no nay till he haue redeemed thee from thy sinnes till he haue restored thee into grace with God and haue set thee vp as high as thou wast fallen low before Shall the allurements of the world or the pleasures of sinne restraine or inueigle thee Know yee not saith Iames that the amitie of the World Iam. 4. 4. is the Enmitie of God Whosoeuer therefore wil be a friend of the world maketh himselfe the enemie of God Did not Moses that man of Gods owne moulding vs therfore be his Patients put our selues into his haÌ„ds There is noone natural medicine able to heale all kinds of Et quoniam variant mor bi variamus artes Mille mali species mille salutis erunt Ouid. â—ore sicknesses And therfore diuerse sores haue diuerse salues seueral maladies haue seueral medicines ofteÌ„tims But the bloud of Christ is a present remedie against all the maladies of our soules the merit thereof being once appyed to vs remoues them all They are all to it as dust before a Whirlwind or as flax before a flame of fire The leprosie is a fearefull disease but the leprosie of the soule is more fearefull Now as Naamans leprosie was 2. King 5. 14. clensed in the riuer Iordon so is originall sinne the leprosie of our soules and all other sinnes that spring thereof washed cleane away from vs in the bloud of Christ Though our sinnes were as crimsin though they had double died our soules had taken neuer to deepe roote in our haâ—ts though they were red as scarlet neuer so bloudy neuer so grieuous yet his bloud can 〈◊〉 them out it can vncolour vs and make vs white as snowe Behold a crow which is blacke through a red glasse and she will seeme red like the glasse The bloud of Christ is beautifull and precious sweet and louely in the sight of God and therefore if God behold vs through it we shall notwithstanding all the blacknesse of our sinnes appeare bright and beautiful faire and amiable in his eyes Albeit by our sins we deserue nothing but wrath yet euen as the propitiatory couered the Ark and Decalogue and as the cloudes do Ez. 25. 21. shroud vs from the scorching heate of the Sunne so doth Christ couer our sinnes with his bloud and preserue vs from the fire of his fathers wrath and wrathful indignatioÌ„ If it were so that a man had a medicine to preserue men froÌ„ the bodily death all the world wold flock after him so sweet a thing is life and shall we take no paines to come to Christ to possesse Christ who by his bloud can make the graue a bed death a sleepe a pleasant sleepe a welcome sleepe a ioy full night of ease and also saue the soule both soule bodie from endlesse death and dolefull desolation For euen as those which besprinkled Ex. 12. 7. 13 the posts of their doores with the bloud of the Paschall Lamb escaped the destroyer so those shall neuer be destroyed whose hearts are washed who are besprinkled with the bloud of Christ that true Paschall Lamb which Ioh. 1. 29. taketh away the sinnes of the world hath abolished death and brought life and immortality 2. Tim. 1. 10. vnto light through the Gospel For what can hinder life and procure death but sinne But sinne yea all the bandes and bolts of sinnes are no more with Christ then those greene cordes were in the hands of Sampson which hee brake as a threed of Towe when it feeleth Iudg. 16. 9. fire He can as easily remoue the
to Amos 1. 23 rip vp women with childe to enlarge their borders shall not we seeke the death of our sinnes that would â—ip vp our soules and vtterly consume vs if Gods mercy did not hinder The wicked watcheth â—s 37. 32. the righteous seeketh to slay him and shall not we marke our vnrighteous affections and labour to kil them Shall they practise against the godly and shall we do nothing against vngodlinesse Ps 37. 12. kings cannot indure to be thwarted and ouer topt in their owne kingdomes Wee are kings wherefore then should we suffer our sins to braue vs and to vaunt themselues within vs Here we may lawfully resemble Diotrephes 3. Ioh. 9. Math. 23. 6. and the Pharisees who hunted after preeminence and the highest roomes We may lawfully challenge the primacy ouer sinne and it is wisdome and worthy our labour to seeke for a seate aboue sinne It is neither maiestie nor modestie but sordide and seruile humilitie or negligence for a king to suffer a slaue or obiect to sit about him And thus far also we may be like Caesar who could brooke no superiour Agamemnon and Pompey Nec quenquam iam ferre potest Cesarue priorem Pompeius ve parem Lucan who could endure neither superiour nor equall Yea we ought to stand vpon our dignitie against sinne and to tread it downe When Pharoah saw the Israelites increase fearing least they should growe too mightie for him he said vnto his people Come let vs worke Ex. 1. 10. 11. wisely with them least they multiply and therevpon they set task masters ouer them to keepe them vnder with burdeÌ„s so should we deale wisely with our sinnes that they multiplie not in vs nor wax too mightie we should beate downe our bodies labour to subdue them to vs. Neither must we only represse and keepe them vnder but labour also to subuert and kill them vtterly And to this end we ought to put on the whole armour of God that we may be able to resist conquer them Stand therefore with your loynes girded Eph. 〈◊〉 14. 5. about with veritie hauing on the brest-plate of righteousnesse and your â—eet shod with the preparation of the gospell of peace And aboue all take the Shield of faith wherewith ye may quench All the fierie darts of the wicked and take the helmet of saluation the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God where with ye may strike of the head of sin pray alway When tydings were brought that the Ammonites and Moabites were comming against Iâ—hoshaphat to battell that 2. Chro. 20. 2. 3. 6. good king set himselfe to seeke the Lord prayed vnto him for his assistance And as he confessed that he and his people were not able to encounter with so great a multitude so also he shewed hâ—s confidence and hope in God Our eyes saith he are towards thee And the Lord gaue him an admirable victorie So when Sâ—tan and our owne corruptions conspire together to worke our ouerthrow we ought to flie to God by prayer for his grace that our faith may not faile but that we may abide the brunt and obtaine a victorie ouer them And as Dauid prayed Ps 145. 1. Hide not thy face from mee Deliuer me â—o Lord from mine enemies And for thy mercy slay mine enemies destroy all theÌ„ that oppresse my soule Cast forth the Ps 144. 6. lightning scatter theÌ„ So do thou desire him to shiâ—ld thee with the buckler of his grace to dispell thine ignorance with the light of his Spirit to coÌ„found the Diuel and al thy sinnes which oppresâ—e thy soule and to defend and deliuer thee from all thy spirituall enemies which are too mightie 〈◊〉 hee For it is God that giueth deliuerance to Ps 144. 10. kings both temporall and spirituall He is able to destroy the mightiest and to releeue the weakest For great is Ps 147. 5. our Lord and great is his power his wisedome is infinite His greatnesse if he shew it is able to daunt the greatest His power and his wisedome if he list to vse it is able to frustrate the deuises of the wisest râ—tâ—rt them vâ— on their owne heads Let vs therefore in aâ—l our conflicts with sinne in all our combats with the diuel commit our selues vnto him No victorie can be lookâ— for without him And thus much for our Prince-hood CHAP. VI. Fiue vses made of our Priest-hood Nine sorts of spirituall sacrifices Christ is the Altar whereon they must be layed Of the time when thy must be offred Preparation consisting in two things must be made before they be offered The manner which we must obserue in offering stands in fiue duties The ende of offering them is of two kindes And of the latter there are eight set downe IT remaineth nowe to deliuer those instructions which may be gathered froÌ„ the consideration of our priest-hood First forsomuch as wee are Priests it is our dutie to labour for true spirituall knowledge that we may execute our our office faithfullie and discreetly The legall Priestes were to bee men of Mal. 2. 7. knowledge for the Priests lips saith the Lord shall preserue knowledge and I see no reason wherefore wee that are Euangelicall or spiritual priests should be voyd of vnderstanding ignorant The oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his masters crib and shall wee be ignorant Is 1. 3. of God that owneth vs and of Christ that is our Lord and master Peter exhorteth vs to growe in the knowledge of 2. Pet. 3. 18. Christ therefore we ought to haue the knowledge of him For as a man cannot increase in wealth vnlesse he haue some wealth so no man can growe in knowledge except hee haue knowledge A thing must bee before it can be bigger Those therefore that like the wicked coloured out by Iob desire not the knoowledge of Gods wayes but are Iob. 21. 14. Plin. nat hist l. 9. c. 32. content to liue without eyes like Sea-winckles and are by reason of their peeuishnesse as vnteacheable as Swallowes which as Plinie writeth cannot be Hist nat l. brought to learne those I say doe plainly shewe that they are not as yet called home to God but are in thraldom vnder the God of this world who hath blinded their mindes and leadeth them captiue at his will Surely they can be no good Priests no good men A very Pagan led onely by the light of nature was able to say that it was a sin to be ignorant of those things that doe quod magis ad nos perâ—net nâ—â—ciâ—e malum est et quae sit natura boni Hor. most concerne vs and not to know the nature of that which iâ— good God commanded that Aaron the Priest should weare a plate whereon was graued Holynes vnto the Lord and that vpon his brest-plate should be the Vrim and the Thummim euen so
his loue who is goodnesse it selfe and to be perswaded of his grace that is the fountaine of grace and the author of al true glorie Fiftly this assurance is an vndoubted token of true faith yea indeed the verie forme and sap thereof For what else is sauing faith but a particular certain perswasion and assurance of Christ his loue and of those benefits which are deriued from it Now he that hath true faith may assure himselfe that he is a faithfull man a Gal. 3. 26. Ioh. 10. 26. childe of God a sheepe of Christ possessed with the kingdome of grace and entituled to the kingdome of glorie Sixtly this assurance is the more to be respected because it is appropriated to the Elect. For it is not possible that any of the Reprobates who are forsaken of God not beloued of Christ should in their consciences be truely assured of the loue of Christ Indeed as he that is in a dreame may thinke he hath cloathes on his backe and mony in his purse though he haue not any so the Reprobate may be so held with a dreame or possessed with a spirituall phrenzie that he may imagine himselfe to be in the fauour of God and to partake of Christs loue albeit indeed he be not so but is a verie vasâ—all of Satan and a vessell of wrath ordained to eternall damnation Q. How then may some man say shall I come to this assurance A. I answer he that loueth Christ as Christ hath taught him may know for certen that Christ loueth him And a man shall neuer truly loue Christ till he be persuaded in some measure that Christ doth loue him We loue him because he loued vs. Secondly he that is carefull to serue and honour him may assure himselfe that he is beloued of him For Christ himselfe saith that both hee and his Father do loue those Ioh. 14. 21. that keep his commandements Therfore be thou sure that thou doest obey him and then thou mayest assure thy selfe of his loue Thirdly a man may know that Christ loued him of he find in him selfe the fruites of the Spirit which are found in none but in those whom Christ doth loue These fruits are peace of conscience ioy long suffering Gal. 5. 22. gentlenes goodnes meeknes temperancy and brotherly loue And albeit the Reprobate may haue these fruits in shew yet he hath them not indeede as the Godly haue All is not the Sun which shineth neither is all that Gold which glisters For if they should be tryed by the touchstone of the word it would appeare that their mettall were not good golde but guilded copper and that their vertues were Laruae aâ— simulacra virtutum NaÌ„ vt Hieron ait â—ine Christo omnis virtus vi tium est but masked vices couered only with the vaile of sanctity like many apples which haue red cheekes but rotten cores For they come not from Christ they are not framed vpoÌ„ the stithy of an honest heart with the haÌ„mer of Gods word by the finger of his holy Spirit Et August Virtutes nisi ad Deum referantur non sunt virtutes neither are they vsed in that manner to that end which God coÌ„mandeth which God liketh They be rather natures gifts then Gods graces naturall moralities and not morall graces Finally if thou woldest yet know further how thou maist attaine to this assuraÌ„ce then obserue diligently Gods dealing with thee from time to time and flie vnto Christ in heauen with the wings of thy soule by earnest and incessant supplication bow downe the knees of thy soule before him and desire him of his loue to send his holy Spirit into thee that may teach thee to crie Abba father and may assure thee of his loue vnto thee Whatsoeuer thing we aske of him with confideÌ„ce to be heard for his names sake if it like him he will without faile bestowe it on vs. CHAP. VII The sins of the faithfull do not put out the eye of Christs loue and extinguish the fire of his grace SIxtly seeing that the Apostle saith that Christ loued those Churches in which notwithstanding there were sundry defects many wrinkles many moles many diseases we may see that those are too blind and too vncharitable who censure all those as quite â—alleÌ„ from grace and vtterly out of Gods fauour who do fall into any greeuous sin or haue the plauge-sores of sin as it were running vpon them A man may haue the Leprosy and yet liue the life of nature so a man may through naturall â—raâ—ltie haue the leprosie of sin in his soule yet liue the life of grace A man may be a liue yea and liue thogh he haue the plague in his body so may he liue though he be sick of the plague of sin for no sin shall quite put out the life of grace in him that is regenerate Noah Lot Dauid and Peter fell greeâ—ously but yet their falls were not vnto death though in themselues they were deadly Paul was not afrayd to call the back-sliding Galathians Brethren Gal. 1. 4. 11 and to say according to his iudgement of charity that Christ did giue himselfe for their sinnes A man may fall though he fall not quite away And as Augustine saith The righteousnes Iustitia sanctoruÌ„ in hoc mundo magis peccatorum remissione coÌ„stat quam perâ—ectione virtutum of saints in this world consisteth rather in the remission of sins then in the perfection of vertues Our best perfection is to confesse and labour to correct our imperfection A Father may suffer his child to stumble fall in his presence and yet loue him dearly and so Christ whose children and sâ—ed we are may Heb. 2. 13. Is 53. 10. suffer vs to fall into sin and yet continue firme in loue For he doth it to make vs to distaste our pride to despaire These vses men should make of their falls of our owne strength to depend vpon him to ascribe our standing vnto him to cling the closer about him to seeke and sue vnto him for his aide to blush at our selues to thinke more charitably of other men that fall to renounce Sathan their natiue corruptions to wax wise and warie of falling and to teach other men to looke the better to ther feet and to shew his grace by helping of them vp againe Yet neuerthelesse we must be verie vigilant and take heed that we giue not the reignes to sinne For though Christ may loue a man that sinneth so it be of weakenesse yet he hateth his sinne perhaps he wil correct him sharply for it and carrie himselfe for a time like an enemie But as for him that walketh in sinne and weltereth in his wickednes sinning with full consent of will without remorse of conscience Christ doth either actually haâ—e him as if he be a Reprobate or at the least he doth not actually reueale his loue vnto him thogh he be one of Gods Elect
neither can this sinner whiles he so coÌ„tinueth without repentaÌ„ce distinguish himself from a Reprobate For when Christ declareth his loue actually and effectually to any man theÌ„ he smites his heart with the sword of his Sâ—irit and worketh such an alteration in his soule that thence-forward hee shall die to sinne and liue to righteousnes When Euilmerodach disclosed his Ier. 52. 31. 33. loue to Iehoiakim he brought him out of prison and changed his prison garments so when Christ doth actually reueale his loue vnto a man then he brings him out of the prison of the diuell he vnlooseth the bolts of sinne he changeth his rayments of wickednes and doth apparell him with the rich robes of his owne righteousnes And as that penitent â—aylour to manifest his good will to Paul and Silas did not Act. 16. 33. onely fetch them out of the prison ut also washed their sâ—â—ipes so Christ when he reuealeth his speciall loue vnto any then doth he wash the wounds of their soules with his blood and batheth them in the waters of his holy Spirit He casteth them as it were into a furnace and consumeth the drosse of â—in with the fire of his grace Therefore Paul saith that those who Gal. 5. 24. are Christs hâ—â—e crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts And saint Iohn saith that whosoeuer is borne of God sinâ—eth 1. Ioh. 3. 9. not meaning with full consent of heart he sinneth not vnto death he liueth not without repentance in his sinnes he drinketh not iniquitie as fishes do water he selleth not himselfe to worke wickednesse as Ahab did 1. King 21 25. Wherefore as wee must not account a man forsaken of Christ because he is ouertaken with some enormitie so againe we must take heed that we do not wilfully giue our selues vnto any manner of sinne because we heare that his loue is constant that sinne cannot make a diuorce betwixt him and vs and an vtter separation if once we were in his fauour and were vnited to him This were transcendent impietie and verie horrible ingratitude CHAP. VIII Christs Loue is the fountaine Primum Mobile indeede immobile of all good things that come to vs. His loue is not merited by vs. Seauenthly in that the Apostle giues the priority of place to Christs loue seating it before the benefits which we receiue by him I gather that his Loue is the scaturidge and foundation of all those works which he wrought for vs. His loue was the Anuill whervpon they were all forged it was the Spring from whence they sprang and the Pipe or Chanell through which they ran to vs who are as Cisternes to receiue them Therfore we must renouÌ„ce and abiuâ—e all opinion of our owne merits or foreâ—eene preparations Oâ—â— best merit which yet is no merit is to confesse freely that we can merit nothing nothing at all that good is For vnto vs belongeth nothing but opâ—â—â—â—ame and confusion of face for euer Dan. 9 8. It is Gods mere mercie and his pitie not our merits or pietie that we perish not in our sinnes And if we either wâ—â— well or worke well we must ascribe it solie to Gods good will who worketh in vs the will and the deed of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. Hiâ—vellâ— noÌ„ 〈◊〉 substaÌ„tia voluÌ„tatis sed Why did God honour the World with his onely Sonne Was it not because he loued the World So Christ de 〈◊〉 qualitate accipituÌ„r Ioh. 3. 16. saith for God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely Sâ—nne to all that lay hold vpon him with the hand of a liuely faith Yea but was not his loue procured by our loue Did not our loue of him drawe his loue to vs as the Load-stone doth yron Verily no for herein saith Iohn is that loue not 1. Ioh. 4. 10. 19. that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne in loue to be a reconciliation for our sinnes We loue him because he loued vs first Why hath God raysed vs from the graue of sinne and quickened vs in his sonne and saued vs Was it not because he loued vs Paul teacheth vs to thinke so no otherwise and thereâ—ore saith But God who is rich in mercie through 〈◊〉 great loue wherwith he loued Eph. 2. 4. 5. 〈◊〉 when we were dead by sinnes hath quickened vs together in Christ by whoâ—â— grace ye are saued What mooued Christ besides his loue to giue himselfe to death for vs Iust nothing in vs therefore 1. Ioh. 3. 16. Iohn saith hereby we haue perceiued loue that he layed downe his life for vs. By whome saith Paul we haue redemption Eph. 1. 7. through his blood according to his rich Grace Nothing at all but pure loue made him bestowe himselfe vpon the Church it was his grace and not her goodnesse not because she was faire and wâ—rthie but because he was fanourable and gracious Therfore the Apostle saith Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for Eâ—h 5. 25. 26. her that hee might sanctifie or make her 〈…〉 e and holy clense her by the washing of water through the word By which we plainly see that his loue is the forge fountaine from whence our holines our happines and all spirituall celestiall and eternall benefits whatsoeuer do proceede and come Thus much concerning the loue of Christ The workes or tokens of his loue come now to be considered in the next words Here endeth the first part ⧠THE SECOND PART REV. 1. 5. And hath washed vs from our sinnes in or by his blood CHAP. I. The sense is giuen diuerse doubts are remoued remission of sins consenteth with regeneration in three things and differs from it in seauen other THe Apostle hauing affirmed that Christ did loue vs he doth immediatly coÌ„firme his affirmation by setting down two notable works performed by him for vs being vndoubted tokens and fruits of his loue vnto vs. The former wherof is expressed in the wordes recited His Blood that is the merit and validitie of his blood And by blood we must vnderstand his whole passion the which was accomplished at the effusion of his blood vpon the crosse For albeit as touching the diuine nâ—â—ure he cannot properly be saide to haue blood in that the Deitie is a most pure simple perfect and incomprehensible Essence void of composition alteration yet as concerning his humanitie he hath blood he shed his blood and died And for that the humane nature is not a person subsisting by it selfe but is receiued into the vniâ—â—e of his person as he is the eternall Sonne of the Father a true distinct person existing from al eternitie therfore by a figure that which is proper to one of his natures is attributed to his whole person Whence it is that Paul saith that God hath purchased the Act. 20. 28. Church by his owne blood that is God incarnate or that person
sit vpon his throne reigne for euer And the language of the scriptures is that he was conceiued and borne not that he passed or ran through her Rather Act. 2. 30. Math. 1. 20. 23. Luk. 2 7. therefore Apâ—lles was the pipe through which this vayne conceite came into the world from Satan the fountaine thereof who is a lyer the Ioh. 8. 44. Ioh. 14. 6. father of lies as he that is truth it selfe affirmeth The errour of Apollinaris who held that Christ had not a reasonable soâ—le but that his Deitie is in stead thereof But this opinioÌ„ Christ himself directly Math. 26. 38. crosseth when he saith My soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is very heauy vnto death and the scripture saith Hâ— yeelded vp the Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is as impossible for a true man to haue no soule as a liuing tree to haue no sap or for the sunne to haue no light or to speake more fitly aâ— it is impossible for a thing to be this or that without the forme or formall cause which makes it so to be As there can be no perfect body without the head so ther can be no perfect man without a soule The errour of Iodochus Harchius a Libertine who imagined that Christ had a double flesh one naturall from the virgin Mary now glorious in the heauens the other spirituall intelligible and made by the power of God of bread wine But we read but of one body one flesh and one blood which â—e â—ad The errour of 〈◊〉 who taught that the humane nature of Christ was after the vnion endowed with the properties of the Diuiâ—tie Indeed Damaâ—cene and Gregory say that the flesh Greg. Nâ—sâ— of Christ was dâ—ified but they meane it in respect of the comunction thereof to the diuine nature in one persâ—n and in regard of those admirable gifts by when his humane nature is not abolished but become more excellent then all crâ—atures The errour of the V 〈…〉 ries who attribute to Christs humaâ—â—â— the essentiall properties of the Dâ—uiâ—â—â—e as to bee present euery where Which ouerthroweth the nature of a true body which is finite and circumscripâ—ble Tâ—llâ—â— propâ—â—â—tateâ— tol it naturam For take away the properties of a thing and thou shalt destroy the nature of it And albeit his Deitie is in all places without exception yet it doth not follow that his Humanitie should be so too because it is personallâ— vâ—â—ted to it no more then that the pearle in the ring should-extend â—â—sâ—â—se as farre as the ring because it is iâ—yned to it or fastned in it Indeed 〈◊〉 things are so vnited together as that one of them reacheth no further then the other then one of them can be no where but the other wil be there also But if one of them extend beyâ—nd the other then wheresoeuer the leâ—â—er is there the greater is also but not so on the contrarie The body of the sâ—nne and the light thereof are câ—nioyned and yet the sunnes body doth not really reach as farre as the â—â—ght doth The eye and the sight are nearely coâ—â—oyned and yet the sight reacheth to many things vnto which the eye doth not extend it selfe Because therefore Christs manhead is farâ—e exceeded of his Godhead it can be no where but his Godhead will be Psal 139. 7. 8. 9. Non sequitur vt quod in Deo est sit vbique vt Deuâ— there also being infinite so well for place as it is for time and power and it cannot bee in euery place where his Godhead is It doth not follow saith Augustine that that which is in God should be euery where as God And though Christ sit at the right hand of God yet it doth no more â—ollow therof that he should be in all places then that as man he should be really before all time And whereas the Apostle saith that hee ascended to fill all thingâ— his meaning is not that hee Eph. 4. 10. ImmortalitateÌ„ ei â—edit naturaÌ„ non abstulit August went vp to fill all thing with his humanitie which is indeed become immortall but is noâ— depriued of the naturall properties thereof but by the distribution of the gifts of his Spirit into the hearts of the elect in what place soeuer they liue Or as Bernard pleaseth to turne and vnderstand it that hee might 〈◊〉 vt adimpleret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things which were foretold and which were required to our saluation And so the Greeke word signifieth Math. 15. 17. where Christ saith I came not to destroy but to fulfill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law Lastly seeing Christ was a true man and therefore hath a true body as other men all infirmities being now laâ—de aside it ouerthroweth the opâ—nion of the Râ—miâ—h Synagogue 〈◊〉 teacheth that his body is cor 〈…〉 ly and â—â—â—st 〈…〉 lly in the Sa 〈…〉 nt We beleeue that his body 〈…〉 ade of the purified substance of 〈◊〉 Viâ—gin and noâ— of Bakers bread 〈◊〉 that aâ— hath the essentiall properties of a true body as length latitude â—â—â—cknesse and circumscription and â—â—â—t it is noâ— both visible in heauen and invisible vpon earth And although hee promised to be present Math. 28. 20 â—â—th his Disciples to the end of the world yet we must not thence conclude that his body was to continue among men vppon earth after his aâ—conâ—ion For those words are to be vnderstood onely of the presence of Ier. 23. Enter praeâ—enter Deus hiâ— vbique potenter his power grace spirite or godhead which filleth heauen and earth Indeed it is true that as hee hath taken his body with him vp so he hath left his body behinde him that is his Church vnto whom also he hath giuen leaue to consecrate certaine outward elements to be signes and seales of his body and bloud and which is Eph. 5. Col. 1. by a kinde of figure tearmed his body and bloud For the body of Christ is three-fold Naturall Mysticall Sacramentall But wee speake in this place of his naturall body to which the soule is vnited to make a true humane nature CHAP. III. Christs God-head is proued by foure arguments A Second doctrine hence ariseth in that the Apostle saith that Christ Doct. 2 hath washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud wheÌ„ce I coÌ„clude that Christ is not onely man but also God For there cannot be that vigour vertue or validity in the bloud of any mere maÌ„ which is able to purge men of their sinnes and to procure the pardon of them and to satisfie the infinite iustice of God for them Therefore our Redeemer must needs be true God that his bloud might be meritorious and effectuall with God Besides this collection we haue euident testomonies out of holy writ and inuincible arguments to confirme this truth For the first Isaâ—ah saith that Christ shal be called the Mightie God Is 9. 6. Iâ—râ—my saith that his name
him and vtâ—erly tall away and perish To omit many inuincâ—bâ—e arguments there is no liâ—â—lihood that Christ would shâ—d his bloud for him that shall perishâ—n his sâ—ns It is not probable that he will part from those willingly for wâ—â—me he payed so dearly Therfore Qui nos taÌ„to pâ— tâ—o emit noÌ„ vult perâ—â—e quos emit Aug. Setm. 109. Augustine saith He which bought vs for so great a price will not haue those to perish whom he hath bought And Christ himselfe saith that he giueth eternall life to those for whome he layeth downe his life â—â—h 10. 15. 28. Indeed they that seeme to be washed in his bloud but are not may fall and perish A fâ—antique man may think himselfe to be as rich as Crâ—sus though hee be indeed as poor as Codrus as Irus Bedlams whoop sing shout and laugh as if they were the only happy men in aâ— the world when alaâ— their case is most pitifull and so many men may think theÌ„selues câ—eÌ„sed in the bloud of Christ and clad with his rightâ—ousnes and so caâ—â—y themselues aâ— if they were out of aâ—â— danger of damnation when as in truth their state is damnable they neâ—â— truly felt the heat of that bloud tâ—â—y neuer came in that bath But he thaâ— is once actually and effectually bathed in it shall not dâ—e eternally Christ died that we might not die and who can make his death of none effect What can let or take away the veâ—tue of his death and the invaluable merit of his bloud I am persuaded Rom. 8 38. sayth Paul that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to 〈◊〉 nor height nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to separate vs from 〈◊〉 loue of God which is in Christ Iesus â—ur Lord. And I am verily persuaded also that Christs death caÌ„not be nullified nor the price of his bloud diminished Now if Gods loue by which we â—iue do continue constant to vs and if the bloud of Christ by which our sins are clensed and couered in the sight of God remaine in ful force value nothing lessened or abated it cannot be that any of vs who are his chosen should perish and be damned The vse of this doctrine is manifold First we see a plaine difference Vse 1 betwixt the Sheep of Christ and the Goats of Sathan betweene Gods seruants and the Diuels slaues These may these must perish but those shall not they cannot perish For they are Math. 25. 41 Ioh. 10. 28. 1. Pet. 1. 5. kept by the power of God through fayth vnto eternall saluation Secondly we see the state of man by Christ the second Adam to be better Vse 2 then it was by creation in the first Adam For the righteousnes which we receiued in him was mutable but the righteousnes which we receiue in Christ is immutable The righteousnes which we did receiue in him we did also through him loose in him but the righteousnes which through Gods imputation we receiue for and from Christ continueth ours for euer so as that Peccata semel remissa nunquaÌ„ redeant et semel iusti semper iusti habeamur our sins being once remitted shall neuer after come to a reckoning and being once accounted righteous we shal so remaine for euer And for inherent righteousnesse when grace is once ingrauen vpon the tables of our hearts by the finger of God it shall neuer wholly be rased out For we haue now potentia et actum perseuerandi both the power and his grace therto inspiring vs a will to perseuere and the very act of perseuerance Adam indeed could haue continued righteous if he had would but he had not the grace to continue constant the will to perseuere for euer Thirdly we see manifest manifest distinction betwixt those that are redeemed Vse 3 by the bloud of Christ and those that are ransomed by earthly Princes For those that are redeemed by Christ continue his for euer None shall take Ioh. 10. 28. them out of his hand neither shall they reuolt from him For he will put his feare in their heartes that they shall Ier. 32. 40. not depart from him Neither can they by death be cut off from him or vanish out of his seruice For after death they shall serue him more perfectly in their soules and after their resurrection they shall performe absolute honour for euer to him But they that are redeemed or deliuered out of captiuitie by Princes may of subiects become desperate enemies perâ—icâ—ous traâ—tours irreconciliable and incorrigible Rebels Or if they continue loyall yet at death their seruice is expired and in the life to come he that was once the subiect and inferiour may be promoted aboue him that was the Lord. Fourthlâ— we ought to be thankfull for this benefit We would thinke our Vse 4 selues much obliged to a man that did giue vs a good outward estate and made it sure vnto vs how much shall we then thinke our selues indebted vnto Christ who hath freely procured vs a most blessed inward estate whereof we shall neuer be depriued but shall enioy for euer Surely we cannot but confesse our selues to be greatly bound vnto him for this grace and if we will not be vnthankefull we ought to set our hearts vpon him and our hands to his works forsaking those things which doe any waies displease him Fiftly this doctrine ministers exceeding Vse 5 solace to the soule It is no small ioy to a Subiect to heaâ—e that he cannot loose his Princes fauour and to an hâ—iâ—e that he cannot loose his in heâ—â—ance Euen so it cannot but â—oy the heart of any faythfull man to consider that he cannot be defeated of his inhâ—râ—tâ—nce and that being once iustifyed he shall continue so for euer and shall neuer fall away from God and perish Sixtly the consideration of this one Vse 6 priuiledge that belongs to them that are washed from their sins in Christs bloud should make vs to commend and admire their estate and should moue vs to labour to be in their number to be assurâ—d that we haue been bathed in that bloud What would nâ—t many men do to haue assurance that they should neuer die the death of the body What then should we refuse to do that we might in our consciences be persuaded that we shall escape the death of soule and body If thou beâ—st but assured that Christ hath clensed thee in his bloud from thy sin which is the cause of death theÌ„ mayest Rom. 6. 23 thou be perâ—uaâ—ed also that thou shalâ— noâ— dâ—â— O 〈…〉 how maist thou know that Christ hath clensed thee Surely if thou canst but truly â—ay that thou art a Sheâ—p of Christ then mâ—st tâ—ou also say that Christ hath washed thâ—e from Ioh. 10. 15 thy sâ—ns For he hath layed downe hiâ— life and shed his bloud for his sheep Ephes 1. 7. that they might be redeemed froÌ„
gates of hell with their hinges and carie them away as Sampson did the gates Iud. 16. 3. of Azzah which he tooke away posts and all and layed them vpon his shoulders Non est in Medico semper releuetur vt aeger Interdum docta plus valet arte malum Ouid. and caryed them vp to the top of a mountane Indeede there are some bodily diseases which no naturall medicine can remoue if they be permitted to continue long without looking to them In some cases the best Physitians are at a stand and altogether vnable to cure their distressed patâ—ents But the bloud of Christ is vnresistable it is of such infinite vertue validitie that the long continuance and growthe of our soule-sicknesseâ— cannot hinder our recouery and redemption from them if he please to 〈◊〉 in it Let vs therfore admyre the wonderfull vigour of it thirst after it as Sampson did for water Iud. 15. 18 Ioh. 5. 2. And as many came to the poole Bethesda to be healed of their diseases so let vs with speed betake our selues to Christ that being washed in his bloud we may be clensed of our sinnes Delayes are dangerous there is not so warme a SuÌ„mer but there is as cold a winter The It is good to make hayâ— vvhiles the Sun shineth and the vveather is faire Tyde â—arryeth for noâ— man Therâ—fore now seeing wee haue winde and Tyde with vs let vs way aâ—â—ker hoyse vp our sayles and away We are by nature vnworthie enough thereof though wee should not make our selues more vnworthie by neglecting or deferring to seeke to be partakers of it And when wee haue once begun to seeke it as the Church neuer left looking him till she Cant. 3. found him so let vs neuer cease seeking till we enioy it till we feele the sweetnes of it For without it there is no life but death no weale but woe no light but night no felâ—city but extreme miserie It is truely said of Baptisme that not the want thereof but the contempt doth damne a man but for the bloud of Christ a man that wants it shall be damned though hee neuer did contemne it For there is no saluation Act. 4. 12. but by Christ Let vs therfore without delay labour to be partakers of him let vs neuer be aâ— rest til we be perswaded in our hearts that our sins are forgiuen and couered in his bloud froÌ„ the sight of God But doe men thus Nay doe they not the contrarie Beholde the multitude consider the studies and the practises of the most Many seek after fame honor Many â—unt after pleasures vain delights which the Diuell vseth as a Glasse and a Feather to drawe men within the reache of his net Many search after riches and seeke for euery greene thing Iob. 39. 11. like the wilde Asse as if all religion were pinned vpon the slâ—eue of Mammon But fewe seeke after the bloud of Christ as their liues do testifie to their faces And yet it doth as farre surpasse those other as the richest gemme doth the poorest peble The tallest Cedar doth not so much ouertop the poorest shrubbe the highest Oake doth not so much outreach the shortest hearb the heauens are not so far aboue the earth as that Sacred Bloud is aboue all earthly things If thou wert as olde as Methusalem as wise as Salomon as strong as Samson as rich as Croesus as renowmed as Alexander yet all were nothing if thou wantest but this one thing For without Christ without his bloud they would not they could not stand before the throne of God Thy wisedome without Christ is folly Thy gorgeous braue attyre without his righteousnes is filthy nakednes Thy birth is basenes vnlesse hee begat thee And thy bloud is tainted vnlesse thou hast beene bathed in his bloud In a word without it thou art loathsome vglie a fire-brand of hell and a vassall of the Diuell Stirre vp thy selfe therefore shake off thy drowsines awake and arise get thee to Christ call for his bloud sue for it mourne for it Knocke at the gates of grace leaue not till thou hast obtained thy sute cease not vntill thou feele the vertue of it It is full of influence full of vigour full of health full of saluation therefore labour to possesse it striue to enioy it Shal one with Haman hunt after honour Shall an other with Foelix gape for a bribe Shall some with Balak Saul run after wizzards Shall many with Naaman seeke after bodily health And shall not we make haste to Christ and seeke for his Bloud which is the fountaine of health the foundation of honour a Castle of comfort a bath for thy soule a shielde of defence the poyson of sinne the bane of iniquitie and as a canopie to couer vs from the wrath of God As wee therefore either respect that or desire our owne peace and welfare let vs make conscience of this dutie And thus much for the first worke or benefite wherby Christ doth demonstrate confirme his loue vnto vs. The second comes now to be discussed set downe in the words ensuing Here endeth the second part ¶ To the right vertuous Gentle-woman Mistris Elizabeth Leueson GReat is the Lord great is his power his wisdome is infinite and his greatnes is incomprehensible The Lord delighteth in them that feare him attend vpon his mercie Hee hath exalted the Horne of his Saintes and taketh pleasure in them For his Loue is euerlasting and his mercie endureth for euer The Lord is gracious and mercifull he is righteous in all his wayes and his mercies are ouer all his works He is rich in grace and aboundeth in goodnes Hee spared not his owne and onely Sonne euen that Sunne of Righteousnes which shineth in vs with the beames of his grace and doth enlighteÌ„ vs with the light of his Spirit but gaue him for vs all to death hath by him cleansed vs from all vncleannesse and made vs vnto himselfe a royall holy Priest-hood that wee should offer vp vnto him spirituall sacrifices and shew forth his vertues who hath called vs out of darknesse into his maruellous light O the wonderfull loue of God vnto vs His mercy is great aboue the heauens For hee hath troden downe our sins His louing kindenes is exceeding great towards vs. For he hath made vs his Priests he hath clothed vs with righteousnes and hath annoynted vs with the oyle of gladnesse Hee hath made vs his Kings hee hath set vs in the Throne of grace hee hath put a Scepter of righteousnesse into our hands and will one day crowne vs with the Crowne of glory This hohour is and shal be to all his Saints What shall we now render to him for these his benefits towards vs I will offer saith Dauid a sacrifice of Psal 11. 6. 17. Psal 146. 2. praise vnto thee for thy fauours will call vpon the name of the Lord. I