the other parte of this doctrine which is predestination And in the other Chapters he onely handleth their manners Thus you see the scope of the Apostle Now lette vs consider the Scripture whiche is reade thus c. After that the holy man of God Paule had satisfied the doutefull and wauering myndes and ouerthrowen the subtill and crafty reasons of those who most impudently ascribed the causes and meanes of their saluation to workes he addeth this 8. Chapiter wherein wee are to knowe that there are conteyned twoo principall thinges First a conclusion of those thinges whiche he set doune in the former Chapiters Secondely a comforte and consolation for all those who imbrace this Doctrine and cast from them those relikes of errour The conclusion whiche I spoke of contayning in it an affirmation of the whole disputation from the viverse of the first Chapter vnto this 8 Chapter is confirmed this sentence without good woorkes is onely graunted saluation too the electe The confirmation is in the seconde verse of this Chapter wherein the thirde verse is expounded a doubt as it weare of the weaknesse and inabilitie of the Spirite whiche is aunswered in the same verse by an argument ex aduersis that is contraries whiche affirming are perpetually opposite That these thinges are onely graunted to those whiche are regenerat is set forth in the fourth verse ex dissentaneis whose first parte sette doune in the 5. verse is plainly declared of the effect following in the twoo next verses hauyng their owne conclusion in the 8. verse The seconde parte of the afore saied argument is in the 9. verse Where are bothe the propositions of this syllogisme Who so is in the spirite hath the spirite You are in the spirite ergo The latter proposition or as it is termed the Minor or assumption is confirmed by the effecte of the graftyng into Christe in the 10. verse and effectes of the spirite in the 11. verse The conclusiō of the firste parte is in the 12. verse and set forthe by two disagreing argumentes in the 13. verse the latter being proued in the 14. verse by an enthimeme or imperfect syllogisme whose proposition is confirmed by the effectes and testimones of the spirite in the 15. and 16. verses Whiche parte thus orderly set doune the Apostle directed still by the same spirite entreth into the disposition and artificiall setting doune of the comforte whiche the Children of God receiue by that faythe in whose assurance he hath so laboured Which comfort he taketh not of the vaine delites whiche carnall men wishe or hope for in this life But first of that company whiche we haue with Christe in the ende of the 17. verse Secondely a comparatis in the 18. verse thirdly of an argument a Maiori in the 19. verse All thinges doe looke for this comforte muche more wee whiche God hath blessed with reason and called to the perticipation of his mercies in Christ Iesus And this lookyng for is contayned more largely in the 20.21.22 and 23. verses Fourthly of the matter of hope 24. and 25. verses the spirite helping and prayer 26. and 27. Fiftly of the ende of our afflictions 28 God working the same whiche hath predestinated vs as 29. and 30. verses Sixtly of an argument a Maiori 31.32 to the whiche he anexeth a most excellent conclusion and affirmation of the whole parte beginning at the 33. verse vnto the ende Thus you see deare britheren what order I am to obserue in the treatise of this Scripture whiche that I maie dooe too the glory of God c. I tolde you that the firste parte was a conclusion whiche the blessed Apostle Paule added to that notable disputation whiche he before had handled to the beating doune and erecting againe bothe of Iewe and Gentile and to the repairyng in them whom God of his mercye hath called that the Image of perfection from whiche we fell with our forfathers whose tokēs we beare I meane original sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this woorde beyng without that accente whiche the Grecians call accentum graue is a note of copulation and proueth this to bee ioyned to some disputation goyng before and addyng these woordes followyng he giueth them in steade of a Buckler to defende vs in that daie of battaile when the Deuill shal bee readie to giue the onset and to ouercome vs if wee arme not our selues with this armour either to preuente his malice or valiantly to resist his force And here the wisedome of God by his seruaunt Paule ioyneth three especiall thinges to be marked Firste the imperfections often incident euen to the faithfull Secondlie the greate fauour of god Thirdly the regeneration of the Spirite Whiche if wee perfectly consider then it shal be impossible for Hell it self to preuaile against vs the imperfections are sett doune in walkyng after the fleshe whiche worde fleshe maie bee taken either for the outwarde man the whole man that is bodie and soule or for the present tyme If therefore any of the children of God doe externallie offende God as when the Childe of God boweth hym self in time of persecution to an Idoll or with desire of minde and consent of bodie fall into any synne as when God giueth vp his children to worke accordyng to their owne hartes and so fall into some greeuous synne as adulterie swearyng liyng suche like lastly whē those whom God hath called liue accordyng to the course of the worlde either fashion them selues therevnto in their behauiour Religion or apparell and thus disagree from the written woorde then I saie thei walke after the fleshe and yet thei so sinne that for Christ his sake these sinns shal not be laied vnto their charges And therefore thei flye vnto that mercie offered and acknowledge the same The seconde thyng that I noted to bee Gods fauour towardes vs whiche pardoneth and forgiueth vs so that although synne assault vs and oftentymes subdue vs yet wee acknowledge our selues to bee free from the power of Death and the cursse Thus fell Dauid in committyng adulterie with bloud thus fell Moses at the waters of strife in smityng the rocke Thus Peter Mary Magdalen and others whose falles were not to death but to their farther confirmation And although the blodie Papistes trustyng in the defence of a foolishe distinction of synnes Veniall and Mortall and willyng in their grossenesse to play and ieste with God saie that mortall sinnes must paie a greate raunsome but veniall synnes to bee pourged with more easie remedies as with mumbling vp and often repetition of the Lordes prayer with sprincklyng of holie water or the absolution of the Masse would take awaie this place because it is saie thei a paradox of the Stoickes makyng equalitie of synnes yet lette vs beloued thus thinke that if this were not true that euery one should dye for euer because the rewarde of synne is death because the same soule that synneth shall dye Yea let vs be
fleshe marke also how the Apostle propoundeth and proueth the second For where in the ninth verse he setteth doune the Propositions I toulde you before whiche weare They whiche are in Christe haue the Spirite You are in hym The conclusion is in the twelfth verse the coniunction of the Trinitie is suche that no reasonable man can denie the one to bee so anexed to the other that wheare mercy is shewed in the one there grace aboundeth by the other The assumption he proueth by the effects of our graftinge into Christe by whome although he acknowledgeth all thinges to come Yet in this principally he comforteth them that beside the benefite thei receiue and enioye in this life euen then when their fleshe lieth in the Grounde For so I expounde Corpus for the one parte of the body onely their Spirite shall liue in peace and the Bodie whiche as yet is not purified from corruption shall receiue life by the grace giuen by him in whome they are ingrafted An other proofe of the assumption is in the 11. verse and it is of the effectes and working of the holy Ghoste as if a man would saie truly it is an hard thing to fleshe and bloud to thinke a bodie burned eaten with the foules of the Ayer or consumed with the same to meete againe and to bee ioyned together parte to parte and then the whole to the soule yet if suche an one whosoeuer looke too the power of the Spirite and acknowledge Iesus Christe to haue risen by the same Spirite and then acknowledge him selfe to be a member of Christes bodie he shall easely discerne this and se that the power of the Spirite is not diminished but that it is the same whiche it was from the beginning and too whome euery creature shall giue in accompte and before whome euen the Sea shall bringe all the bodies it hath swallowed the Beastes and foules all that they haue deuoured and eaten and the Sonne shall restore those Bodies it hath consumed But as this power is not denyed to Christe although it be here by wordes giuen to the Father but is made common with them bothe so is this action of the holie Ghost not all togeather to be referred to the last rising whiche shal be doune in the twinkling of an eye but euen to the daiely helpes that this spirite ministereth to vs whereby he prepareth vs to bee fitte members of his Soonne Christe and to bee made meete heires of his kyngdome by the bloud of his sonne Now then the conclusion is in the 12. verse whiche sheweth that wee renounce the fleshe when we suffer Gods Spirite to rule our actions and wholie depende vppon his prouidence and if wee doe so then we are in Christ that is we liue accordyng to his will and walke in his cōmaundementes as it is saied to the Ephesians if wee liue in the Spirite then wee walke in the Spirite And although we see that this conclusion thus gathered doeth shewe a truthe yet the Apostle proueth it by certaine disagreyng argumentes whiche I will touche in a woorde or twoo because the effect of them was sett doune before The first therefore containeth a sharpe threatenyng againste the wicked and a comfort to the godlie this threatenyng he placeth here to bee as a pricke in their bodies to stirre them vp to call for grace and not to put their trust in them selues or to thinke that thei may be saued without the righteousnesse therof for if thei dooe so thei shall surely dye And why truely because thei transgresse the Commaundement and no maruell For if a mortall Prince appoint a Lawe to bee kepte and decree that the breache thereof shal be punished with Death if he apprehende any transgressor he shall dye without mercie And shall a man deale so with his brother and shall not the Lorde deale more seuerely with his owne handie woorke if it rebell and saie why hast thou doen thus and thus to me The cōfort he promiseth to all those whiche giue their indeuour to woorke the will of God and to deny the will of the flesh although thei cannot doe it as thei should The seconde proofe of his conclusion is that thei are the soonnes of God if soonnes Then fellowe heires and alwaie so directed by the Spirite whiche thynges he proueth in the 15. verse by the effectes of the spirite and in the 16. by the testimonies of the same spirite the effectes are the suretie of truste in whiche all the faithfull beleeue and the takyng awaie of feare and waueryng acknowledgyng our selues not to come to mounte Sinai where all thyng were terrible and the people as striken with death fell doune and cried that the Lorde should not speake vnto them where Moises hymself was afraid but we are come to Sion to the heauenly Hierusalem where wee haue the Mediatour of the newe Testamente And where the Spirite of God assuryng vs of his clemencie causeth our spirite to cal vppon hym and to take hym as our heauenly Father whiche we durst not to doe without suche assuraunce and this is that Spirite whose vniuersall actions sustain all Creatures whose particular actions giue all other blessinges whiche are vnto vs seales and pledges of euerlastyng life and heauenly inheritaunce ¶ The seconde part THus I haue spoken of the first parte of of this Chapiter which was a conclusion and as God hath giuen me knowledge and vtterance I haue in sinceritie of the worde shewed the true meanyng and order of the Apostle whiche I meane to doe God willyng in this laste parte whiche is a consolation drawen of sixe argumentes inferryng a godlie and comfortable conclusion of this firste parte of the doctrine of this Epistle The first argumente is drawen of the fellowshippe wee haue with Christe 17. verse we are the sonnes of God as he is and beyng sonnes we are made free partakers of our Fathers treasures and are appointed to haue our inheritaunce with hym with the condition followyng that we walke not accordyng to our owne appetite but prepare our selues to bear his crosse whiche if we doe not then is there no hope for vs. And here wee haue a double comforte that euen in the beginnyng of this Crosse and in the sufferyng of afflictions we haue Christe to be an equall sufferer with vs Secondly that as wee now suffer with him so shall we liue with hym euerlastyngly Neither is this doctrine to be kepte close because that some hereby would affirme the abilitie of workes for we knowe that woorkes doe not sette doune any cause of saluation but the meanes and waies by whiche we are appointed to come thereunto The seconde argumente is a comparatis that is as the learned knowe twoo simple argumentes compared together to the settyng forthe of the one 18. verse He compareth thinges present with thinges to come and setteth doune the vanitie of thynges present in respect of
the others For al the afflictions and euill dealynges of menne against the children of God are nothyng Therefore I rather agree to their sentence that make these wordes a confirmation of the former cōfort then to some that saie thei are a maner of correction because that he lighteneth the heauinesse of the Crosse in comparyng with it the greatnesse of the glorie And that he might the better arme the myndes of the faithfull with pacience he compteth all troubles and afflictions whatsoeuer whiche sodainly passe awaie nothyng in respect of the ioyes of the life to come Where by the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche is futura he meaneth aeterna so that by the glorie to come is meante the eternall glorie The third argumente is a Maiori all thynges looke for the accomplishyng of this comfort therefore muche more man 19. verse And here wee are taught pacience to abide the good will and pleasure of the Lorde because there is no elimente nor any part of the worlde whiche doeth not feele this present miserie and yet suffer in hope of the resurrection So then euery creature doeth with reuerence euen bareheaded and with greate diligence craue at the handes of God to bee dissolued and to receiue those greate fruites and blessing of eternall life after thei haue put of their corruption but some will saie that beastes haue no hope that is true but hope is ascribed vnto them that wee might more earnestly seeke the kyngdome of God and with open eyes looke for the comfortes whiche shall neuer end whiche are mentioned by the reuealyng of the sonnes of God and he sheweth reasons in the nexte twoo verses of the firste parte of this comparison for saieth he the Creatures suffer with vs euen againste the course of their nature neither can thei come to their former estate but shall still dye and be corrupte vntill the soonnes of God be restored bothe in bodie and soule to that perfectiō whiche was lost in Adā But note firste here that this whiche is called will is a naturall inclination wher by all reasonable Creatures desire their perfection And here is a notable figure called Prosopopeia whereby he maketh the senselesse creatures to labour and to will or nill and further to shewe their obedience and in hope to bee restored for the Sunne and the Starres fulfill their courses and sure motions the Ayre the Water yea euen the beast of the feelde and all creatures doe diligently their dueties and yet all this is in hope to putte of their olde corruption and to bee restored into a better estate as the children of God shal bee but not to bee partakers of their ioyes Now that wee haue seen our corruption to bee suche that euen all creatures yea the verie heauens are polluted thereby in the nexte verse repeatyng first the suffering of the treatures he sheweth the greatnesse of the libertie and ioyes by a similitude of a womans grownyng in childbed whose sorrowe is greate yet when a man childe is borne she receiueth suche a comfort that all her sorrowes are forgotten So after wee haue wallowed with synne and haue polluted all creatures yet beeyng called of God our sorrowes are no more frutelesse then the woman whiche reioyseth for thei are taken awaie quite and our synnes are blotted out Now in the 23. verse he commeth to the latter parte of the comparison and exhorteth by the example of these creatures whiche daiely wishe for our reuelation to bee more circumspect and to looke more narrowlie vnto our selues that where we are burdened with synne wee maie sighe and grone and yet paciently looke for the mercies of God as also to strengthen our selues by the lookyng for of this blessednesse that wee maie so prepare our myndes to ouercome all present sorowes and miseries for that we are the first fruites of the Spirite by Christe who assuryng vs by the testimonie of his Spirite euen in vs of our redemption doe boldely chalenge the benefite of Gods eternall decree whereby he electeth vs before the beginnyng of the worlde as it is in the Gospell and therefore sent his soonne to paie the price of our redemption whiche cannot profite vs except the fruites therof should appeare in our heauenly renuyng and regeneration The fowerth argumente is of the nature of Hope in the 24. and 25. verses for this comfort is especially wrought by faithe whiche faithe maketh vs to hope assuredly that after we haue finished our course wee shall attaine the croune and therefore he saieth that hope is not reposed in those thynges whiche we see or hādle but in those whiche wee assuredly looke for and then he sheweth that hope is pacient long sufferyng nowe this pacience so strengtheneth vs that in the middest of tribulations wee doe not dispaire neither thinke muche of the differryng of a benefite And why Truely because the health of the faithfull is hid frō them because the health of the faithfull is laied vp in hope neither is hope at any tyme without pacience and therefore by paciēce is the health of the faithfull made perfecte Now least that any man should either faint vnder the burden of the crosse or chalenge to muche to hym self if he hath been aided by the Spirite of God he sheweth the meanes wherby the Spirite bryngeth to this Grace Faithe and Hope 26.27 verses Where we learne thus muche that the Spirite doeth euen as it were a greate burden beare our infirmittes whiche beeyng by the Apostle put in the Plurall number sheweth the continuaunce of this goodnesse least we should faint when wee were after a greater measure afflicted Furthermore wee see a newe goodnesse added to the former assistance of the Spirite that it doeth not onely arme and strengthen our infirmities and seale vs vp to eternall healthe but euen daiely putteth into our hartes and mouthes that forme and order of praier by whiche wee are to craue the goodnesse of our heauenly Father And least wee should bee dismaied when wee praiyng after our owne phantasies be not heard he saieth in this 26. verse that the Spirite doeth praie for vs that is doeth cause vs to shake of our former negligences and to prepare our selues to praier yea that wee maie doe this with a zeale he doeth as it were put into our hartes wordes and sighthes whiche the Father acknowledgyng to come from his owne Spirite whiche dwelleth in vs dooeth heare our praiers directed by that Spirite and doeth easely graunte our requestes The fifte argumente is of the ende of our afflictions 28. verse thus he saieth seeyng wee our selues haue paste the pikes of these afflictions and feele a ioye in our spirites wee doe not thinke but doe knowe and assuredly perswade our selues that this comforte so proued before belōgeth to vs and al thinges are so tempered from aboue that that whiche the worlde thinketh to