before wee are not able to walke in any other sometimes againe if we be in the way we are carelesse and secure in the vse of the holy meanes of saluation Whereas if with feare and trembling wee could see the narrownesse of the way and the difficulties both through our owne weaknesse and wickednesse and others malice through which we must passe we would keepe a constant and a carefull watch Secondly consider that we are very heauy headed and apt to be ouertaken with drowsinesse Euen the Church it selfe saith Cant. 5.2 I sleepe and Paul found by experience such a fault in the nature of man Rom. 13. Ephes 5. when he said to the Romanes It is now time that we arise and to the Ephesians Awake thou that sleepest yea and the Deuill hath foure cradles wherein ordinarily he doth rocke vs. The Deuils foure cradles The first is the ignorance of our selues when wee doe not see the danger and deepnesse of our corruptions As the darkest places are fittest for vs to sleepe in both because the eye doth there want that inlightned meanes by which it doth gad and is kept waking as also because no danger can be discerned so is the darknesse of ignorance a fit cradle to sleepe out the time of our watchfulnesse The second cradle is grosse and full feeding of the things of this life Wee say in the prouerbe That when our belly is full the bones would be at rest and we finde it true by experience that when our hearts are set where God hath set our heeles to wit vpon the earth and earthly things we are too too apt to be lulled asleepe and not at all to minde our eternall good The third cradle is labour and toyle after those things that perish Euen as wearinesse by labour doth make vs apt to sleepe so when the worke of this world doth take away the worke of a good conscience our whole bodies and soules may be stolne from God for there is no watch kept The fourth cradle is the neglect of the meanes which should keepe vs waking namely the word of God prayer meditation and the voice of the spirit in these which is as the rushing of the winde to shake the houses of our hearts As when a man wearied shutteth himselfe vp into such a roome as keeps him from the noise of his children seruants yea and the winde it is a signe that he purposeth to sleepe and take his rest so when we carelesly vse and separate our selues from such meanes as God hath appointed to keepe vs waking how can we doe other than snort and so forget that God hath set vs in a watch-tower to keepe the quarter of our bodies and soules from sudden surprizall by the enemie Seeing therefore that we are so apt to sleepe and that the Deuill hath so many meanes to lull vs into it therefore we must watch Thirdly consider that wee lie open to many dangers Sometimes afflictions set vpon vs and without this wee shall soone let goe our hold of Christ It is true indeed that they are but sufferings a little 2 Pâ—â— 5 1â— yet what are wee that we should not be gained vpon if our fingers doe but ake in Christs quarrell without watchfulnesse Sometimes prosperitie troubleth vs and without this our sobriety will be indangered 1 Pâ—t â— â— therefore be sober and watch saith Peter Sometimes the Deuill doth set vpon vs and it shall cost him a fall if he doe not draw vs either into presumption or despaire 1 Pâ—â—â— 8 but watch saith Peter for he goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure Yea and alwaies the flesh will be too craftie for vs 〈◊〉 â—â—caâ—◠〈…〉 qâ—â—a â—â—â—astan◠〈…〉 â—am non in qâ—ntâ—â—â—ianis inâ—â—rstâ—â—bus for though wee haue weakned it and got the better hand of it in the more great sinnes which doe wound and waste the conscience yet it hath daily inrodes by the aduantage whereof it still plotteth and practiseth new treasons and will foile vs without bridling it and walking circumspectly by watchfulnesse Lastly consider that without watchfulnesse wee shall not be so well acquainted with our owne weaknesses It would be a strange though no new thing for vs to be well seene in things abroad and ignorant of our owne affaires yet without this such will be our case and so we shall not be able to watch vnto prayer which is the third and last Vse which we are to make of this Doctrine Vse 3 In the third place therefore seeing the end of all things is at hand let vs striue to watch vnto prayer Let vs be so carefull in the sober vse of all outward things and in the keeping of faithfull watch both without and within that out of the feeling of our owne miserable estates without Gods speciall helpe in these last times of the world we may be driuen vnto God in prayer to helpe vs. For the pressing of this forget not that order which I haue obserued in the former but consider first what it is to pray and secondly how we may be stirred vp to watch vnto prayer First to conceiue what it is to pray you must know that the matter about which all prayer is conuersant is either good or euill As prayer doth consider euill What it is to pray it doth acknowledge it complaine to God against it and seeke the remedie of it As prayer doth consider good it doth beg the being of it the maintenance and increase of it and thanketh God for it So that to pray is vpon the sight of sinne to confesse it lament it and to sue for pardon and vpon the knowledge of grace humbly to beg at Gods hand that it may be and be maintained and increased and to thanke God for it all In which description you may perceiue that hee that would pray must haue these six things in some degree or other to meet in him First he must know his sinnes For as no man will beg that doth not know his pouertie either in truth or shew and as no man can beg well for himselfe who doth not know the particular wants which hee groaneth vnder so neither will nor can he pray that knoweth not his spirituall pouertie yea his particular sinnes Secondly he must haue a spirit of complaint against sinne For as no man will seeke to be rid of that guest whom he cannot in some respect or other with a free spirit complaine against so neither will we seeke to be rid of sinne if we cannot thus complaine to God against it Alas Lord my sinne it is rebellious against thee against me it wounds my conscience robbeth me of thine image blotteth and defaceth grace and maketh me the obiect of thy heauy displeasure Thirdly he must be like that poore man who speaketh supplications Hee must neuer giue God rest till he haue mercy vpon him and seale vnto him by the spirit of adoption and sanctification the pardon of
not to wonder that it should bee called a new creation or else haply wee may call it a new structure or building as when the Apostle saith Ephes 2.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wee are his workemanship built in Christ to good workes And the reason is because the foundations of sin are ruinated the rotten posts of sinne pulled downe and when the drosse of the substance and faculties of bodie and soule which still remaine are scowred and pared off through the worke of the Spirit we grow vp into a holy building fitted for God to dwel in Would you haue in a word now what this new creature is I answer It is The hid man of the Heart which contrary to all powers of darknesse and the corruption of our owne hearts is through the worke of the Spirit by the Word builded vp from the seeds of grace towards a full age in Christ to resemble the excellencie of Gods image in all the parts and powers of the bodie and soule Secondly Why is hee that is in Christ a new creature This being the second point to bee considered Why he that is in Christ is a new creature 1. In respect of acceptation receiue I beseech you a fourefold reason of it First in respect of acceptation because God doth account them that are in Christ new creatures accepting the will for the deed and couering our imperfections with his merits Whence are those speeches of Christ to his Church My loue behold Cant. 1.14 15. thou art faire behold thou art faire thine eyes are like the doues my welbeloued behold thou art faire and pleasant Whence doth the Apostle say That the Church hauing receiued sanctification from Christ Ephes 5.26 27. is a glorious Church to him not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing Whence I say doth the Holy Ghost speake vnto Gods people Let vs as many as be perfect bee thus minded Philip. 3.15 as if they had no sin but onely because God doth accept vs for such seeing wee are in Christ 2 Of apparition Secondly He that is in Christ is a new creature in respect of apparition to the world A burning candle cannot lie hid in a light lanthorne no more can grace in the heart of him that is in Christ Faith that inrighteth vs to Christ cannot but be seene It will easily make an apparant difference in vs from what we were When the Apostle Peter saith 1 Pet. 1.3 It is sufficient for vs that wee haue spent the time past of the life after the lusts of the Gentiles walking in wantonnesse lusts drunkennesse in gluttony drinkings and in abominable idolatries doe we not thinke that this difference in the Christians liues did easily appeare to the Gentiles 1 Pet. 4. â— Yes surely therefore it both seemed strange vnto them that they runne not with them into the same excesse of riot and also they spake euill of them euen so is it with all new creatures As they appeare to the good to be new as Paul did Gal. 1.21 23. when of a persecuter he became a preacher of the faith which before he destroied insomuch as they glorified God for him so they appeare to the wicked to be new and therefore their by-words tants reproaches and disgraces are more ordinary with them then their thanksgiuing to God for so gracious a change 3 Of inchoation Thirdly He that is in Christ is a new creature in respect of inchoation Old things are passed away behold all things are become new There are new eyes leauing with delight to behold vanitie 2 Coâ— 5.17 Psal 1â— 9. â—â—b 31.1 couenanting against lust and searching into the wonders of Gods law there are new eares stopped against the inticements of the serpent and open to heare what God will speake there are new tongues Psal 85.8 not to sing the old dittie of nature Psal 40.3 but to sing a new song to the praise of our God and Sauiour that so the tongue of the righteous may be like fined siluer there are new hands Prou. 10.20 Esay 58.4 not to smite with the fist of iniquitie not to pull in with rapine and robbery but to deale according to abilitie the dole of mercy to men in misery Eccles 11.1 to cast our bread vpon the waters to turne ouer the pages of Gods Booke that the Word of God may dwell plentifully in vs Coloss 3.16 Apocal. and to giue the right hand of fellowship to euery good action within our reach there are new feet Rom. 3.15 Psal 122.2 not to bee swift to shed bloud but to stand in thy gates O Ierusalem and so farre as the bodie can execute it to run the way of Gods commandements Psal 119. there are new vnderstandings to know and acknowledge the truth that is according to godlinesse Titus 1.1 new wills and affections to come vnto Christ to loue him Matth. 11.28 to feare him to cleaue vnto him to put a mans whole trust in his mercies and merits Matth. 5.6 Psal 119.5 new desires to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and new consciences to bee watchfull ouer all our waies 2 Tim. 4.5 Psal 39.1 and not to let the least sinne to passe without a strict examination condemnation and settled purpose and resolution against it In all parts there is newnesse and as Christ hath giuen vs a new commandement so we through the power of Gods spirit do giue him a new obedience in all the powers of our soules bodies Fourthly Hee that is in Christ is a new creature in respect of communion because hee hath fellowship in the holinesse of Christ which doth as it were cast him into a new mold Col. 1.19 It pleaseth the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Iohn 1.16 and out of his fulnesse wee doe all receiue grace for grace Which grace doth not onely couer sinne but cure sinne according to that of the Prophet Esay 53.5 The chastisement of our peace is vpon him and with his stripes we are healed How therefore can it be otherwise but that such a man should be a new creature seeing before times hee had fellowship with corrupted Adam and so was the childe of wrath but now he hath fellowship with him who aboue Dauid is a man after Gods owne heart euen his welbeloued Sonne in whom he is well pleased 2 Application You haue heard now the Doctrine of the Text opened vnto you namely that hee that is in Christ is a new creature now if you will be attentiue you shall heare the application of it for the benefit of our soules To apply it then we shall make a double vse of it Vse 1 First we learne as wee doe desire to finde our selues to be in Christ so to be carefull to see our selues to be new creatures No new creature no Christ wee must be in Christ as I haue shewed vnto you if we
is able to receiue it for the nourishment of his soule which communion doth in this differ from a bare spirituall communion Signis adhibitis vel non that all sacramentall communion is spirituall but all spirituall is not sacramentall because this is in the lawfull vse of Gods signes to this purpose So we haue a spirituall fellowship with Chirst when the spirit of God doth apply Christ vnto vs by faith and doth so bring home and concorporate him vnto vs that from the fountaine of his holinesse in whom all fulnesse dwelleth we finde our selues inclined and quickned to all holy obedience and can feelingly say That in that we forsake sinne it is from the power of Christ and in that wee purpose and endeuour good it is by the same power also And of this spirituall communion doth the Apostle speake in this place The fourth phrase is in these words I liue in the flesh He doth not say that he liued of the flesh or after the flesh as if he danced after natures pipe but In the flesh As all are not Israel that are in Israel so all are not of the flesh or after the flesh that are in the flesh What therefore is it to liue in the flesh It is to liue in the body for as flesh is taken for corrupted man when the Apostle saith That flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdome of heauen and for the corruption of man as when the holy Ghost saith The flesh lusteth against the spirit so is flesh taken for the body of man by an elegancy of speech when a member is taken for all the parts integrall or for the whole And thus it is taken in this place I liue in the body The fifth hard phrase is in these words I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God What doth he meane by this I liue by faith which doth its right office to spie out to run vnto and to receiue the Sonne of God For whereas vpon the former speech that Iesus liued in him it might be said Must not the heauens containe him Yes saith the Apostle for he liueth in me by faith not by sight But you will say why is it called the faith of the Sonne of God Not because wee should conceiue that faith which Iesus Christ had in himselfe but that faith in vs whereby he is had and possessed of vs and is so called for three reasons First because the Sonne of God hath purchased it for vs. The Father would not haue willed it vs the Holy Ghost would not haue wrought it in vs if Christ had not bought it for vs. Secondly because only the Son of God in Christ doth make our faith to be lawfull and laudable As Christ is man he is a creature and we must not flie to any creature for life and saluation and therefore not beleeue in him This then is it which makes our faith in him to be warrantable that hee is the onely Sonne of God Thirdly because it is not beleefe in any other person in the diuine nature that doth conueigh life vnto vs. As veines arteries sinewes muscles and the like doe not conueigh life sense and motion into the parts of a mans body but as they doe receiue them from their owne proper head and heart from whence they are shot so faith doth not conueigh spirituall life but as it doth receiue it from our spirituall head Christ Iesus Thus you may see our faith Relativè Obiectivè Instrumentalièr called the faith of Christ in respect of that relation which is betwixt him and it he being the sauing obiect of it and that being the instrument to conueigh life from him to euery beleeuer Thus we haue the seuerall phrases of the Text which in their totall sum make vp the Apostles meaning to be thus much Summe of the Text. Doe not thinke that by the doctrine of Iustâ—fication by faith alone in Christ I doe abolish the doctrine of Sanctification by the same Christ for by vertue of my vnion with Christ by faith I doe finde that from the fountaine of his holinesse out of whose fulnesse I doe receiue grace for grace my sinful lusts are crucified and I perceiue my selfe so quickned in the inner man translated from one glory to another into the Image of God that I dare say It is not I that now liue but my Sauiour who liueth in me by faith whereby hee purifieth my heart to make mee a peculiar Christian to himselfe chosen vnto good workes We hauing now stayed long enough vpon the sense may it please you from the seuerall deductions to desire further benefit And to this end in these words let vs consider two things First Paul his method which is this He was first killed and then he was made aliue Secondly Paul his matter in which he doth in his owne person set downe a double estate of ours First our estate in nature which is implied and may â—e thus expressed that vntill we haue faith we are but dead men For if wee liue only by faith in Christ then before we haue it we are but dead men Secondly our estate in grace which is expressed and may be set downe in three chiefe points of doctrine First that wee haue communion in the death of Christ Secondly that by vertue of this communion we liue by Faith Thirdly that it is from the vertue of Christ that we are quickned vnto all holy obedience To come first to Pauls method we are to obserue that as Paul saith He is crucified before he liueth So We must die before we can be made aliue I might here distinguish betwixt death naturall death ciuill as it is termed in Law death spirituall and death eternall that so I might signifie what death I meane but that it is plaine enough without that labour Only remember that it is one thing to die for sinne as malefactors who are put to death another thing to die in sinne as finally impenitent sinners and another thing to die vnto sinne as the godly In which sense we must die before we can be made aliue As it is with the bodie we must all die or all be changed 1 Cor. 15. before we must liue for euer which the holy Ghost maketh plaine by the similitude of Wheat or some other graine so is it with the soule Hence is it that God doth both exhort vnto this death Coloss 3.5 when he saith Mortifie your earthly members and also promiseth life vpon that death when hee saith Rom. 8.13 If yee mortifie the deeds of the bodie by the Spirit yee shall liue Neither may we wonder at this truth whether we consider the goodnesse of grace or the malice of sinne First if we respect the goodnesse of grace it is expressed by two effectuall words for this purpose For sometimes it is called a Resurrection Apoc. 20.6 Iohn 5.25 as Iohn saith Blessed are those that haue part in the first Resurrection And
Christ The dead shall heare the voice of God and shall arise Both which places doe speake of a gracious arising from sinne As therefore the holy Ghost saith All must first die and then comes the resurrection to iudgement So all must first die to sinne or they shall neuer arise to liue godlily Sometimes againe it is called a Quickning Psal 119.25 as when Dauid saith Quicken me according to thy Word As therefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15. O foole that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die So neither are our soules quickned except they thus die Secondly if we respect the malice of sinne it is such a deadly aduersarie that we cannot be deliuered from death in sinne but by the death of sinne if we doe not kill sin sinne will kill vs. As AZahel pursued Abner like a swift Roe so doth sinne vs euen vnto the graue and will neuer giue vs rest till it be quite vanquished in the perfect mortification of the bodie against the day of the Resurrection As therefore wee doe desire that grace may liue so wee must striue that this deadly enemie of grace may die Vse 1 We hauing thus considered the truth of this point may deriue from it both matter of doctrine and matter of exhortation As for doctrine it learneth vs that there must be a thorow change in all the children of God before they can be termed gracious Iohn 11. As when Lazarus who stunke in his graue was raised from death to life there was a thorow change in him a change in his parts essentiall and a change in his parts integrall in which respect a man might well haue said here is not the same man euen so is it with euerie one of vs when God makes vs gracious which change that we doe not conceiue to be substantiall we must marke as we are often taught that as there are three things to be considered in an instrument the bodie the strings and the harmonie wrought by the skill of the player So in man there is the bodie and soule the faculties and the worke of them Now touching this change the bodie soule and faculties remaining intire the change is made in the last when discord thorow the whole man is changed into concord and anomie in all the powers of man into conformitie to Gods will For this cause sanctification may be compared vnto our sense of touching If of blinde wee are made seeing there is a change but in the eye if of deafe wee are made hearing there is a change but in the eare if our smelling be restored there is a change but in the nose if our tasting be brought to vs againe there is a change but in the pallat but if our feeling be lost and restored there is a change in the whole bodie So is it with this spirituall Resurrection and quickning which worketh a change in the powers of the whole bodie and soule in putting them ouer to Gods vse There must be a new vnderstanding quickned to know Gods will a new heart quickned to incline vnto it and imbrace it new bodily instruments quickned to be weapons of righteousnesse vnto holinesse yea and the whole man 2 Cor. 5.17 or a new man or a new creation both in the whole soule and bodie and spirit to be kept blamelesse vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus 1 Thess 5.23 Thus in the first place let vs take notice of this point that so we entring into our selues and viewing the whole man may discerne by a change or no change whether we are sanctified and quickned yea or no. Vse 2 Secondly this point serueth also to exhort euery one of vs to a conscionable care to trie whether we haue life in vs yea or no. If we liue we can say as the father of his prodigall sonne This my sonne was dead and is aliue So I was dead yea I am dead vnto sinne and am aliue Wee haue no more assurance that we are aliue than we haue certaintie that we are dead If England and Ireland lay claime to one peece of ground the triall must be this Put a snake into it if it liues it belongs to England if it dieth it is Irish ground Right so if there be a controuersie betweene God and the Deuill whose possession man shall be the triall shall be thus Put the Serpent sinne into him if it liue he is the Deuils if it pine away and die he is part of Gods heritage Will you inquire then how we shall know whether sin die in vs yea or no I answer as a man may know whether another be dead vnto nature by the antecedent of death to wit sicknesse by the concomitants of death namely the decay of senses and pangs of death and by the consequents which are coldnesse and putrefaction So answerably we may know whether we are dead vnto sinne these three waies First by this antecedent which goeth before it namely See these three more largely in my Sermon on 2 Cor. 5.17 if we be sicke of sinne If as a man surcharged with grosse humours is neuer at ease till he haue abated them by vomit or purge so we oppressed with our sinnes can haue no rest in our soules till wee haue discouered sinne to our selues by examination opened it to God by confession executed reuenge vpon it by godly sorrow and purged it by faith in Christ then sinne is in a good degree to death Secondly by these two concomitants which goe with it First the sense of sinne must decay If therefore our eyes doe feebly behold vanitie and not with that vigour and content as before if our eares cannot endure to heare of it if we flie from the garment spotted of the flesh as from a Serpent if we finde no rellish and sauour in it but with an honest heart can say to it as to an vnprofitable thing Get thee hence then are wee in a second degree in the death of sinne But if secondly wee are come to the pangs of this death and doe finde that our sins through our lothnesse to forsake them haue striued and struggled as for life haue disturbed the peace of our soules haue sadded the flesh as those that mourne for the death of their friends haue comforted the spirit as those that reioyce at the death of enemies and so haue made the paines of the new birth the greater then are we a degree further in the death vnto sinne Thirdly we shall know it by these consequents which follow vpon it to wit coldnesse and putrefaction If therefore the heat of sinne be ouer Esay â— and the spirit of burning doe by degrees take possession of the place to consume it and if it rot and stinke in our account and make vs a burthen to our selues so long as it retaineth liuelihood in any corner of our bodies or soules then this is a fourth degree in the death of sinne and that which may assure vs of
a good measure of attainment to the crucifying of sinne and liuing vnto grace and godlinesse In the feare of God let vs now returne into our owne hearts and examine our selues when we are still by these signes to see what proceedings we haue made in passing from death to life that so if we finde our selues to haue part in the first Resurrection we may be assured of our portion in glory to come Hauing thus brought home Paul his method vnto our consciences and knowing that these two things are speciall meanes vnder God to worke it vpon vs to wit the knowledge of our danger and the knowledge of our deliuerance therefore let vs goe on to consider Paul his matter in this Text. In which concerning our miserie implied we are to obserue That without faith we are but dead men If faith in Iesus Christ be our life then without it wee must needs be dead That which God said to Abimelech when he had taken away Sarah Gen. 20. Abrahams wife Thou art but a dead man may be said of all men before their conuersion to God Hence is it that Paul telleth the Ephesians That till Christ came they were dead in sinnes and trespasses Ephes 2.1.5 And the Colossians Col 2 13. That till God quickned them with Christ they were dead in sins and in the vncircumcision of the flesh In this respect those Hypocrites who neuer cast their natural hackle Iude vers 12. are said to be twice dead and plucked vp by the roots yea and for this cause Christ accounteth such no better than dead Iohn 8.24 both when he saith Except yee beleeue that I am he yee shall die in your sinnes As also when hee chargeth Sardi to be dead Apoc. 3.1 and biddeth that cold disciple to follow him Matth. 8.22 and let the dead burie the dead that is let those who for want of faith are spiritually dead in sinne attend vpon the funerals of those who are corporally dead for sinne Neither is this obscurely signified by the Ancients when they doe compare a sinner who goeth on in his naturall course to Lazarus who had beene dead foure daies The first by the lust of sinne the second by consent to sinne the third by the practise of sinne and the fourth by custome in sinne Consuetudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati when vse in sinning doth take away the sense of sinne as in a starke dead man We will not wonder that without faith we should be in no better case if we shall consider the fit resemblances betweene faithlesse and dead men which may be set downe as so many reasons in forcing this truth First because as in dead men naturall heat is extinguished so that if you bring them to the fire put strong waters into their mouthes rub them chafe them yet no heat appeareth so where there is no faith there is no zeale for heauenly things In their owne quarrels they doe with Nebuchadnezzar heat the fornace seuen times hotter but in the quarrels of God they are key-cold as we say and are frozen vpon the dregs of their owne secure hearts as vpon the Icie Sea Secondly because as dead men are so senslesse that their eyes see not their eares heare not their hands touch not their pallats taste not and their nosthrils smell not so in them who are void of faith their eyes see not from whence they are fallen or into what miserie and danger by sinne and punishment their eares heare not the voice of God that they may be saued God calleth out Awake thou that sleepest stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light but they heare not the voice of this charmer charme he neuer so wisely Thirdly because as dead men smell earthly and are carried downeward to the center without any aptnesse to rise and eleuate themselues so where there is no faith men sauour of nothing but the earth according to that of the Prophet O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord and are carried downeward like moles and muck-wormes and would be beholding to God if they might alwaies liue here in ease singing Peters song vpon the Mount Master it is good for vs to be here Fourthly because as dead men though they haue no life or sense or motion in them yet they haue their eyes looking vp to heauen except as in Iaacobs case some Ioseph close them so faithlesse men will haue an eye to heauen and lookes to that purpose as Balaam when he desired to die the death of the righteous though they are like the writings of liuing men vpon dead mens tombes or a scrole of Scripture going out of the mouth of a man painted in a Church window or on a wall Fiftly because as dead men are subiect to corruption which made Augustine when he beheld Caesars corps in his sepulchre at Rome say to his mother Monica Behold Caesar fallen to rottennesse his belly burst with swarmes of wormes in the hollow of his head where his christ all eyes stood two hungry toads are feeding his teeth appeare for want of lips to couer them and then he crieth out Where is thy magnificence O Caesar so the faithlesse are corrupt like an apple rotten at the coare like an old doating tree perished at the heart Psal 14. according to that of the Psalmist Corrupt are they and are become abhominable in their wickednesse there is none that doth good no not one Vse 1 Thus we haue taken a view of our miserie in this point and may easily receiue from it both matter of doctrine and practise First for doctrine wee may learne three points First what is the reason that so many heare the word and so few are benefited Truly herein lieth the cause because men want faith and so are dead Call and hollow and whoope in the eare of a dead man pinch and pull him yet he ariseth neuer the sooner and we doe not wonder because he is dead so neither can we wonder that those who are dead in sinnes and trespasses doe not heare the voice of God and liue because they are dead Secondly we learne that we haue no disposition in our selues to faith and goodnesse Alas wee thinke that wee haue faith to please God withall at an houres warning therefore we presume to goe on in sinne till the houre of death But can a dead man command faith in the houre of need I know that when God hath inlightned the vnderstanding and reuealed Iesus Christ the obiect to be receiued and rested in and sanctified our soules by giuing vs the spirit of faith which taketh away our naturall death then we are co-workers with God according to that old and true saying The will being first wrought vpon Voluntas acta agit doth together worke with the first mouer but take a man in his first abilitie and possibilitie to helpe himselfe and the bodie is not lesse able to helpe it selfe without
the soule than the soule is to help it selfe without the liuing seeds of faith foregoing and fore-planted in the new creation of our hearts Thirdly we learne from hence also that so long as we are without faith our bodies are but as it were our dead soules graues 2 Cor. 5.1 If the bodies of Gods children are an earthly house or a house of mud walls as well as others then the bodies of naturall men cannot but be loathsome graues And what should dead men doe with other dwellings or why should we thinke other of dead mens habitations For doe but marke First the soule doth annoy the good with many loathsome smels of sinne and damps of iniquitie as out of a graue As God doth as it were smell a sauour of rest in the exercises of faith in Iesus Christ and a sweet perfume in the faithfull prayers of his children so doe the soules of the godly also and as sinnes make many stinks in the nosthrils of God so likewise in the nosthrils of good men Againe the faiâ—hlesse soule as if it were pent vp in a graue hath no freedome nor elbow-roome in the bodie to exercise it selfe either in naturall or spirituall things In naturall things it cannot giue a power of growing sense or reason at its pleasure for how many dwarfish dumbe deafe and foolish men and women are there in the world how is it with all of vs who can neither adde one cubit to our stature nor mâ—ke one haire either blacke or white In spirituâ—ll things wee are dead as I haue said Lastly as a graue doth make that bodie that is put into it to rot and turnes it for the most part into its owne common nature so the bodie if God doe not worke by the miracle of faith and sustaine vs by vertue of the couenant will more corrupt and make the blinde soule more earthly sensuall and deuillish For as hee that cannot worke but by a bad instrument will be brought so out of square that custome will breed another nature neuer to bring forth better fruits so the soule being tied vnto the bodie as to its proper instrument it not being eleuated by the spirit of faith through custome and long continuance is brought to rot in bodily exercises and earthly things Seeing therefore that our bodies are graues for our naturall dead soules oh that all of vs might take notice of it All I say both good and bad that the good might be weary of the world seeing their whole life is but a liuing in Golgotha among dead mens graues and skuls that the bad might content themselues with a meane graue except they had more hope of a comfortable resurrection That dead man were but possessed with Deuils who hauing no hope of a ioyfull resurrection should spend all his time in dressing vp and adorning his graue so are all dead men in sinne who hauing no hope of the fauour of God and of Christs dwelling in their hearts by faith doe yet spend all their time in prouision for the graue of their bodie the very throat whereof is an open sepulchre venting the stinke of their rotten hearts Vse 2 Secondly for practise we learne from hence how to carry our selues to our vnconuerted friends to wit as those who pitty them and pray for them and vse all meanes for a holy resurrection Hast thou a husband a wife a childe or any friend or enemie that hath not faith Pitty them mourne ouer them as Christ ouer dead Lazarus and as thou wouldst mourne ouer thy dead friend Pray to the liuing God that he would quicken them And as in the time of Christs being vpon the earth they either brought their dead corps to Christ or besought him to come to them so let vs deale with our faithlesse friends that is let vs seeke by all meanes to bring them to Christ in the word and prayer to see if yet Christ will meet them in his owne ordinances to raise them out of their stinking graues of sinne Oh that we would neuer forget to deale thus with those to whom we stand neerest in relation that so at the length custome if not conscience may preuaile with vs to doe it vnto others especially considering as I said before that it is full of discontent and misery to spend our daies among dead mens tombes Come we now from this miserable estate of ours by nature to our estate by grace Touching which the first point which the Text offereth to be considered is this That we haue communion and fellowship in the suffering and death of Christ. This is plaine from the words of the Apostle I am crucified with Christ which cannot be but by vertue of our communion with him It is true that if wee consider Christ as an indiuiduall person and vs as particular branches of another stocke we haue no fellowship with him For whereas fellowship betwixt disioyned persons may arise either by working the same worke in kinde which another doth Operando as in Corporations brethren of the same Trade or by a co-working and partnership in the same worke Cooperando as when two men are conuersant in one and the selfe-same businesse Consâ—ntiendo or else by consenting to the act of another man as when Dauid had fellowship in the murther of Vriah whereas I say wee may be thought to haue fellowship with Christ one of these three waies yet we neither being actually crucified nor crucified with Christ nor consenting to his crucifying for vs we cannot be said to haue fellowship with him Neuerthelesse if we do consider Christ as the head of his Church and vs as the members of his bodie if wee doe consider him as set apart sealed of God the Father to be a surety for vs and vs the parties to whom he is giuen and for whom bound our communion and fellowship standeth firme with him Now that we may the better conceiue it we must know that we haue fellowship with Christ in three things First in his Natures for the Sonne of God is made partaker of the humane nature that hee might make vs partakers of the diuine nature He became the sonne of man that we might become the sonnes of God 2 Pet. â—â— Wee wanted sonship God could not giue vs that which he had not therefore the Sonne of God alone tooke the nature of the sonnes of men that he might restore vs to the dignitie of the sonnes of God Secondly we haue fellowship with Christ in his goods for wee hauing nothing else that may be truly said to be ours hee takes our cursed ragges of sinne vpon him and hath communicated vs the riches of his glory Thus saith the Apostle God hath made Christ sinne for vs to wit 2 Cor. 5.21 by imputation and is made vnto vs wisdome righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.30 sanctification and redemption Thirdly we haue fellowship with him in his estates His honourable estate is ours for wee are
shoot in diuine spirits and infuse holinesse into his members But saith the beleeuer I haue beleeued in Christ yet I finde not my bloudy issue of sinne to be staied with this touch Listen therefore a while It is possible for vs to haue spirituall life and not to discerne it And if yet further thou doe inquire how this our communion with Christ may so be aduanced that we may finde life deriued into our soules from our spirituall touch of Christ I answer In the vse of three ordinarie meanes of saluation First in prayer Aske and I will giue If the spirit of supplication commeth once then as it bindeth Gods hands as when God said Now Moses let me alone so it openeth Gods hands as Elias did when he obtained showres yea and openeth all the passages betwixt Christ our head and vs his members whereby spirituall life is deriued into vs. Which of Gods children haue not felt sinne stabbed and dying in this dutie and Christ liuing to controll sinne and to comfort vs against all discouragements Secondly in the word of God preached Heare and your soules shall liue Where is he who hath heard of conscience and not of custome who hath not found Christ in this dutie lashing the seared conscience quickning the dead affections inclining the rebellious will and drawing out resolutions from the whole man to follow Christ Thirdly in the Sacrament the bread and cup is the spirituall communion of the bodie and bloud of Christ What faithfull man hath not felt Christ cast an inward shame vpon the soule for entertaining him into so foule an house Yea and how easie is it in that seale of Gods fauour to finde him pricking the soule for sinne past and strengthning the weake hands of faith against sin to come As thou wouldst haue comfort to thy soule markâ— how Christ deriueth holinesse in these meanes of saluation that thou maist finde it drop by experience that so thou perceiuing him to be such a fountaine opened to the house of Dauid for sinne and for vncleannesse maist runne vnto him for cleannesse and follow after for comfort and stabilitie in all thy courses Thus we haue considered our miserie to lament it and our deliuerance to worke in vs thankfull hearts As therefore the Iewes vowed If I forget thee ô Ierusalem let my right hand forget her cunning so with an humble resolution depending vpon the power of Christ for performance let vs determine to write Christ in red letters in the tables of our hearts and neuer forget him to be the well-spring of life and holinesse that all things may be losse and dung vnto vs in respect of that treasure which is in him to our endlesse ioy Soli Deo gloria THE TRIAL OF True Religion VPON IAMES 1.27 By ROBERT ABBOT LONDON Printed by John Haviland for Nathaniel Butter 1623. TO HIS MVCH RESPECTED FRIENDS Master PETER CVRTHOPE Gentleman and Mistresse IANE his most deare and beloued Wife Grace in this world and glory in the world to come through Christ our common SAVIOVR My right worthy friends HOW can I be vnmindfull of you who finde you still mindfull both of me and mine My studies are much refreshed by you both if then amid my studies I acknowledging others kindnesses should be forgetfull of yours my thankfulnesse would bee neere a wracke Receiue therefore this my poore Preseâ—t and if I cannot shew my selfe in what I would I hope you will accept of what I can Bookes were neuer more plentifull as knowledge they doe abound as waters of the Sea yet there was neuer more need of good ones as being one speciall meanes to pull downe sinne and Antichrist I cannot commend mine to be such yet as Gods gifts I can commend my desires to be forward as I am able to doe God seruice both by tongue and pen. I see the iustice of God giuing ouer some who had no loue to the truth to beleeue the lies of the Man of Sinne. And God hauing made me a poore Watchman in his Church I would willingly warne mine owne sheepe of the danger both by word and writing yet before it goeth to others it doth come vnto you both acknowledging your furtherances of it and crauing your fauours both to entertaine and vse it as your owne We poore Schollers doe wearie our bodies many waies by writing amongst the rest But a valiant man will not stand vpon the breach of his weapon so he may get the victorie nor we vpon the wearying and wearing of our bodies if we may gaine what we fight for to wit the acceptance of our labours by them to whom wee doe intend them together with the saluation of their soules How-euer the successe may be my hope shall lift vp my head amid all my faintings Neither doe I feare but that good people will giue approbation to what I haue rather laboured to doe than done My aime is but to striue for Religion and for that Religion which will giue vs comfort before God I haue considered many times the danger of Idolatrie as first that Idolaters are a sottish people who through Gods iust iudgement Esay 46.6 7 8. Esay 54.9 c. withhold the truth in vnrighteousnesse and will not walke in the light of reason Secondly that they are a cruell people Dan 3. like Nebuchadnezzar who garded his Idoll with a fiery fornace and heat it seuen times hotter for the true worshippers of God and like the ancient persecutors vnder the Romane Emperours who put Christians vpon crosses and stakes who did teare and scratch their sides with nailes and clawes who cast them vnto beasts and burnt and broyled them with fire and the like Thirdly that they are an alluring people who haue their vermilion Images like those that tempted Ierushalem and their great rewards like the Deuill Matth. 4. All this will I giue thee saith he to Christ if thou wilt fall downe and worship mee In which respects as Images or Idols are called Louers so Idolaters Whore-mongers who will spare for no cost or paine to satisfie their lusts like Nebuchadnezzar who made his Image of gold Dan. 3. and countenanced it with varietie of musicke to wooe the minds of the simple and to stirre vp superstitious affections And hauing laid vp these things with my selfe and seeing withall that Poperie cannot with all its subtill euasions wash it selfe from deepe staine in this kinde equalling if not exceeding euen Heathenisme it selfe in varietie of Idolatrous louers as we may see by comparing the multiplicitie of heathenish and Romish Idols When I haue considered I say Vide Wolfgang Muscul in Psal 16. Episc Der. in diat de Antichr cap. 7. l. b. 3. cum multis alijs that as the Heathens had protecting Idols for Nations as Belus for the Babylonians Isis and Osyris for the Aegygtians Neptune for the Africanes the Sunne for Rhodes Iuno for Samos Venus for Paphos Apollo for Delphos Quirinus for Rome Minerua for Athens and
worship God and say plainly That God is in you indeed Oh that now and euer God would giue vs hearts to liue like those that are sent By the arme Physitians passe iudgment of the heart Per Brachium fit iudicium de Corde and the people of our Sending by our Actions If therefore your tender consciences do enquire how yee may so liue Oh that I could perswade you to satisfie them by obseruing these three rules First striue to behaue your selues like men of knowledge by taking heed to doctrine to reading they that must diuide the word of God aright and buckle with such cursed wits as are in many places abroach to defend the waies of sinne had neede be more then idle or Idoll Shepheards They that must haue an eye as far as they can to discerne the state of their flocks that they may encourage the strong adde strength to the weake and defend all as neare as they can from the priuy blames of their secretest aduersaries had neede be such Messengers such Interpreters as beseeme that glorious calling Indeed Vt prodeat vt appereat os vt finem faciat if it would suffice a Minister that he come vp into the Pulpit and speake and make an end we might soone perswade our selues that we are sent but I like Luthers iudgment well who requireth three things in a sent Preacher Prayer Study and Temptation The first to preuent and follow studie the second to practise prayer and the third to sweeten both Wee must pray that wee may studie profitable things wee must studie that we may doe answerable to our petitions both towards our selues and others and wee must finde by experience in the combats with the power of darknesse that we being tempted against both doe fight the good fight of Faith Now whether it bee thus with vs I appeale vnto our soules as in the sight of God Secondly seeke your Masters honour He is an Antichrist who comes in his owne name but hee that can say with Iohn Baptist He must encrease I must decrease he is the man that is sent How many times doe our accusing thoughts hit vs in the teeth with our seeking our selues How did that speech become a dying Prelâ—te So the Church may liue and florish Modo viuat ac storeat Ecclesia me moriente ago non curo I care not though I dye And how would the speech of Ecebolius become vs in another case Trample vpon me vnsauory salt so my God may be honoured But alasse as a false-hearted woer who is sent to speake a good word for his Friend speakes one word for his friend and two for himselfe so I doubt deale some of vs with God For our Masters sake whose Ambassadors wee are for our soules sake which we do pawne vnto God thinke seriously vpon these things And know this for a truth that by how much more wee make God to appeare in his Treasure hiding humane wisdome and speaking by power from on high in euidence of spirit and our selues to be but earthen vessels by so much more we may perswade our hearts that wee are sent of God If you aske me what particular direction I propound vnto my selfe in seeking of my Masters honour I answer the Sun is called in Hebrew tongue by three names The first signifieth the warme Sunne because nothing is hid from the heat thereof The second doth signifie the glistering Sunne because it being an excelling sensible dazeleth the eies of all beholders The third signifieth a Minister or Seruant because God by it doth minister light heat and precious fruits to all people vnder heauen When therefore I doe consider that Ministers are called Starres in Gods right hand and withall that this great Starre which God sends out of the Chambers of the dust doth thus declare the glory of its Maker I thought my selfe bound euen so to seeke the honour of God by the light of Doctrine by the heat of zeale and by the fruit of a good life The same direction I commend to you the light of Doctrine must shine from you the heat of zeale must shew in you and the fruit of a good life must be brought forth by you First neuer forget that you are charged before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall iudge both quicke and dead to be instant in preaching the word So that if the dignity of your Flockes who are co-heires with Christ or the price of their redemption which is the blood of Iesus or the hungring of their soules for spirituall food doe not mooue you to powerfulnesse yet let Gods forenamed charge O vtinam tam vigiles reperirentur ad curam quam alacres currunt ad cathedram I know that Bernards complaint may fitly take place Oh that men were as watchfull to discharge their Cures as they are cheerefull to runne vnto their Chaires But though Israel play the harlot yet let not Iudah sinne though others be carelesse yet be it far from you euen from your thoughts and inclinations Is it difficult be strong in the grace that is in Christ Iesus and not in your selues Doth it exhaust your spirits care not to sacrifice your selues in the seruice of the Church so your God may haue honour and his people edification Secondly what Christ saith to the Angell of Laodecea Be zealous and amend that would I say to you For what more needefull We dwell like men vnder the friged zone our Parishes Friezeland our people frozen into the mud of the world and dregges of sinne and will not you be hissing hot in spirit When Paul saw the Idolatrie of Athens his spirit was stirred within him and shall we haue no pietie to God no pitty to men Our words in our owne cases manifest heat Caro suscepit dignitatem anima perdidit honestatem and shall we be in Gods key cold Ah let it not be said That the Flesh hath wonne honour and the Spirit hath lost honesty I adde no more to this but these few words Let vs take heed lest as luke-warme creatures God doe spue vs out of his mouth as a dishonourable burthen For the last be carefull for a good life Ambrose saith that Speech without life is not Gods I will not say so I know that God may speake out of a bush that is good for nothing but burning Yet this I say concerning him who honoureth not his Master with the fruit of a good life that I doubt whether he can assure himselfe that he is of Gods sending when as his steps lead towards hell though his finger point towards heauen How frequently doth God presse the good life of a Preacher Yea I remember the godly care which the great Synderion amongst the Iewes had to this purpose They sate in a Chamber of the Temple to trye and iudge the Priests both for their Genealogies and blemishes by whom whatsoeuer Priest was found disallowable was cloathed in black and so went out
we loue the bag better than the Pulpet and we delight more to prare with them for ours than to pray with them for themselues and theirs we are spots and blots in the beautifull assembly of the Saints What beauty is it to see those that should liue in Heauen and draw their people after them to liue in the holes of the earth like Moles and muck-wormes Who will beleeue him that saith Heauen is the best place in the world when all his businesse is to make his nest vpon the earth I dare not say that there ought to be no care for earthly things for we haue bodies that doe depend vpon vs as well as soules but when the thorns do so choake the good seed in vs that the beauty of Gods house decaieth then woe vnto vs. Thirdly it may be done by our wickednesse if the white Nazarites become as blacke as coales if Iacobs smooth voice be accompanied with Esaus rough hands if studies be turned into tap-houses and tauernes and holy tongues which should speake blessings into tongues of wantonnesse and vanity how doth the beauty of Gods house in vs looke like a stinking dunghill to all godly beholders In the feare of God therefore cast we these filthy coales out of our hands we haue sinned against Gods beauty too much already and these miserable times doe call for more beauty in our selues and for more godly care by praying preaching and examples that more of Gods beauty may appeare in those congregations ouer which God hath made vs Shepherds Oh it is a fearefull case to refuse operatiue knowledge Hosh 4 and to forsake the law and fearefull shall be the iudgement vpon such Priests Hosh 10. they shall weepe for want thornes and thistles shall grow vpon their altars Vse 2 Thus haue I spoken vnto you my brethren and so vnto you as I haue not forgot my selfe behold if you will not heare I will turne vnto the people Listen my beloued you haue heard that Gods house hath glorious beautie to draw you to loue it I beseech you by the mercies of God to yeeld vnto two suites which I shall make vnto you My first suit is that you willl bee prouoked and fiered with this beauty I could tell you that the name of this place is the Lord is there that Iesus Christ walketh about this candlesticke that the Holy Ghost is present to second the word in the hearts of all beleeuers that the good Angels doe pry into with admiration the holy fellowship which we haue with God and man but though I doe passe by the beauty of persons the beauty of things may through Gods blessing preuaile with vs. Would you goe to heauen It is the beauty of Gods house which shall lift you vp thither Would you faine see Satan vanquished it is the beauty of Gods house shall doe it the preaching of the Gospell shall make Satan fall downe from heauen like lightning Would you discouer the wickednesse of your owne hearts that you may amend It is the beauty of Gods house that is the discerner of our thoughts and intents of our hearts Heb. 4.12 13. Would you willingly see God in his ordinances and more than an earthen vessell in the congregation of the Saints It is the beauty of Gods house that will manifest the secrets of your hearts vnto you 1 Cor. 14.24 25. and will make you fall downe on your faces and say plainly God is in vs indeed It is true indeed you will say that you can pray and sing Psalmes and that you can haue the word of God at home and therefore this is no such great beauty But let me say with the Apostle Heb. 13.22 I beseech you suffer the words of exhortation for I haue written vnto you in few words as if I should say It is necessary that with a good heart you goe to behold the beauty of Gods house in the preaching of the word because the Scripture is so briefe My second suit is that you would doe your best to make the beauty of Gods house appeare more beautifull through you He that seeth the worth of a thing thorowly will doe his best to make it appeare the more worthy through him both in affection in word and in action he will thinke of it more intirely hee will speake of it with greater praises commendations and if it be within his reach and he be capable he will doe his best to procure it So let vs deale with the house of God and the beauty thereof let vs thinke of it as of the glory of Israel the testimony of Gods presence Let vs not thinke our best words too good for it either in thanksgiuing to God that we haue had it thus long or in praying to him that hee would be pleased for Christs sake to continue it amongst vs still or in commending it to others and perswading them to giue it that right and place in their hearts which it requireth and for our actions ô that we would liue worthy of it Holinesse becommeth Gods house for euer from which if we degenerate what can we expect but that God should take away this beauty and giue vs vp to vile affections to goe a whoring after our owne inuentions What shall I now say vnto you I will put you in minde of a pretty custome in Hungary If an Hungarian bee called a coward he doth neuer wash off the disgrace except he haue proued himselfe in single combat with a Turke I confesse I haue done as much as called you all cowards He that vseth switch and spurre doth as much as tell others that his horse is dull and he that vseth pressing exhortations and motiues doth all one as if he should tell them that they are dull of hearing and too slow to right their owne causes against the propensity of their cursed natures to the contrary You shall neuer wash off this aspersion except you enter Duell with that damnable Turke Security I might tell you how it lulleth vs asleepe in a cursed peace and makes euery one of vs from top to toe neither to minde heauen nor hell how it makes vs pollute our consciences and sinne against them for a friend for a see how it makes the foundations of the earth to be out of course but I passe these things and intreat you only to see how it makes vs prophane Gods Sabbaths pollute his ordinances because it doth blinde vs from seeing the beauty of the Lord. Oh therefore as wee loue God and our soules let vs fight against it by walking as in the sight and presence of our God and as by thinking speaking doing all things in this meeting as if the great king of heauen and earth were with vs in our charge inquiry verdict and sentence so by humbly crauing at Gods hand with the blinde man in the Gospell Lord that I may receiue my sight that wee seeing Gods beauty may admire it we admiting it may
as the Apostle saith God hath put all things vnder his feet and hath giuen him to be the head ouer all things to the Church which is his body Secondly Christ hath most perfectly whatsoeuer may be most necessary for the life and saluation of his Church It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Col. 1.19 2.9 Iohn 1.16 and out of his fulnesse we all receiue grace for grace he being made of God vnto vs wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 Apoc. 9. Ioh. 10 27 28. Eph. 5.26 Rom. 8. He doth redeeme the Church by his bloud preserue it by his power instruct it by his Word renue and lead it by his Spirit Thirdly in all the controuersies betwixt God his creatures and the Church shee hath none to answer for her to pleade her cause and procure her peace Es 9.6 Eph. 5.23 but onely Iesus Christ the Counsellor and Prince of peace as the wife her husbâ—nd Fourthly Christ doth the duty of a Head that is giue spirituall sense by the sauing vnderstanding of spirituall things and motion by giuing strength and power to walke in them Yea he doth knit and ioyne the parts together to him by merit and spirit Eph. 4.16 and giue effectuall power to euery pâ—rt to doe its office Yea he so farre doth these good offices for his Church as her Head that as the head cannot be taken from the body without the certaine death and ruine thereof so as it is well said without Christ the Church is nothing else but as a dead carkasse Thus Christ being the vndoubted Head of the Church we may be sure that that is the true Chruch whereof hee is the Head Secondly wee cannot bee assured that that is the true Church whereof the Pope is the head and that vpon these grounds First we haue no assurance that Iesus Christ requires a Deputy in this world to wit as Mediatour for wee know that a Deputy serueth to supply the absence of the principall whereas Christ is alwaies present by his word spirit Mat. 28.20 Ioh. 14 16. Totum Christi secuâ—â—â—m esse essent aâ—c Act. 3.21 Totuâ— Christus secundum â—sâ—â— pâ—rsonâ—e Act. 2â— 28 Ioâ—â—â—â— If you say that he is absent in respect of bodily presence I confesse that if you respect the whole essence of Christ his body is in Heauen and the Heauens must containe him till his comming againe but if you doe respect the whole person of Christ of whom when the Scripture doth speakâ— it doth attribute that vnto whole Christ which is proper to either nature so we say that Christ is present with vs though his body be in Heauen because we are not without the blessed communion and fellowship of the diuine nature Neither to his sufficient presence doe we neede his body now for though the Kings body bee onely at the Court yet is he a sufficient head for gouernement vnder God of his whole Kingdomes as his body politike Secondly we cannot be sure if Christ were altogether absent that any man in the world by vertue of any coined diuine anointing is able to supply his place For though as God the Kings and Princes of the earth are his Deputies to see his lawes obserued and to execute his iudgements because he hath made them so yet as Mediatour and Head of the Church he hath none partly because he hath made none Heb. 7.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and partly because his office is such as passeth not from one to another For euery worke of a Mediatour is a compound worke issuing from two natures concurring in the same action as the carued worke of Aholiab and Bezaleel was the issue of their bodies and soules in which respect there is required a strength aboue any created power Thirdly because the Papists say that the Pope is not the head of the Church in such a soueraigne and principall manner as Christ but the Ministeriall Head ouer the whole Church vpon earth therefore I adde this that we cannot be sure that a deputation of any inferiour gouernment and ministery is put ouer to any one man whatsoeuer For there are three things which doe hinder our through perswasion in this point First that Christ doth reserue euen outward administration in his owne power For it is he which sendeth forth his word and spirit which hath ordained a ministery fitted Euangelists Pastors Doctors whence he is called the Arch-shepherd It is he who assisteth his ministery with power and hath prouided the trumpet and sword of the magistracy to call and to dissolue counsels to summon and to disparcle armieâ— to defend his Church so farre as it is good for her from Satan the liar by heresie and Satan the murtherer by persecution Therefore what need haue we of a ministeriall head Secondly that there is no ministeriall head but must worke ministerially that which the principall head doth principally For else it is but a rotten head such as the Wolfe found in the caruers shop without wit or braines But no mortall man nor Angell can doe that which Christ our head doth because the office of his headship is executed by two natures concurring in one person Christ as I said before Thirdly Christo sâ—cluso that then there should be a Lordlike power ouer the whole Church vpon earth out of Christ in some creature which cannot be For ye know what Paul saith There are many diuisions or diuersities of ministeries 1 Cor. 12.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or administrations but the same or one Lord. So that as it is with Kings who are neuer out of their kingdomes though there are diuers officers vnder them yet there is but one in whom there is Regall power and that is the king himselfe so in this kingdome of heauen vpon earth the Church I meane though there are diuers offices yet hee keepes the royalty in himselfe which if he haue put ouer vnto another it must either fasten vpon him sloth or at the least ease to put the burthen of gouernment vpon a weaker persons shoulders or it must make vs say that hee hath done a needlesse thing to make a substitute in his own presence to doe that which is impossible 4. Lastly if Iesus Christ were absent and it were possible that there could be a deputy yet wee cannot bee sure that the Pope is he And of this I shall giue you foure grounds of suspicion First because it standeth vpon improbable interpretations such as can neither arise properly nor figuratiuely such as cannot be deriued by any succession to confirme the doctrine which they now hold concerning their great head They say that God said to Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church and to thee will I giue the keies of the kingdome of heauen and againe feede my sheepe Therefore they say he said to Peter as their new doctrine concludeth I make thee Vicar and
and depth of Gods loue to vs in Christ and seeâ—ng there superabundant store of loue merit power to doe vs euerlasting good our hearts are ouercome to ecche out to God I come Lord I come and so the Father bestoweth the Sonne vpon vs and vs vpon him Vse Now men brethren and fathers hearken what securitanes can perswade themselues that they are of this Church though they hold their heads neuer so high amongst vs none none can doe it Are they that are corrupt and lie rotting in carnall wisedome and proud enmitie against God that goe a whoring after pleasures profits honours according to their seuerall dispositions are they I say cut off from the wilde oliue Are they whose soules were neuer filled with shame sorrow feare for sin and who neuer from a bleeding heart confessed their particular sinnes vnto God or from a melting soule begged pardon resoluing for euer after to be disposed as God shall please are they I say pared and made fit to grow into one bodie with the head Are they who neuer haue had experience of sin-sicke soules who doe neuer see by any comfortable adiudication their wants supplied in Christ who do not pant after him in such meanes as God hath appointed are they I say ingrafted into Christ No no when these things come to passe heauen and hell will be all one kingdome As you will be kind and louing people to your soules therfore apply these three particulars to your hearts and neuer thinke your selues to be of the true Church though you are in it till you find them in some measure wrought in you Gentlemen who are giuen to that studie know that there is an abatement of honour in Heraldrie to him that telleth a lie or is deuoted to the apron or committeth Idolatry to Bacchus And do we not thinke that God will clip the wings of those who thinke to fly aloft to this honour to be of the true Church and yet liue in sinne Yes write this for a truth that as sure as all are not Israel according to the spirit which are of Israel according to the flesh so surely none are vniuocall members of that Church wherof Christ is the head but those who find in themselues this totall alteration from their estate naturall to a feeling and comfortable estate in Christ Iesus But secondly you will now aske me what are those ligatures and ties whereby we are knit vnto Christ that wee may grow together with him For those are of the true Church who are knit vnto Christ by the true bands I answer therefore that they are the sauing and sauourie truths in the word of God This is that alone which makes our faith apt to conglutinate and glew vs to Christ Who is my mother saith Christ and who are my brethren Matth. 12.48 Who are those that are knit vnto me by the neerest bond They that heare the word of God and doe it that is Luke 8.21 they that receiue the truth of Gods word by faith and conforme themselues vnto it these are the men Antiquitie cannot knit vs vnto Christ for age is no crowne of honour except it be found in the wayes of righteousnesse Succession cannot doe it except together with it wee depart not from the true faith which was formerly holden Bonum et verum convertuntur Vnitie cannot doe it except it be good and nothing is good which is not true The bare titles of Catholike and Apostolike cannot doe it except together we forsake not the Catholike and Apostolike doctrine and truth Holinesse cannot doe it except it be holinesse agreeable to the truth without which there is none for Christ saith Sanctifie them by thy truth Ioh. 17. Thus you see that truth is that very glew and cyment in the hand of faith that must knit vs vnto our head Vse Oh therfore let vs striue and contend for the faith as Iude speaketh which was once giuen vnto the Saints Iude v. 3. If euer we stroue for it now is the time now more than euer because their destruction is neerer doth the Pope hound out as our Soueraign termeth it great swarmes of Iesuites to disgrace the Scriptures and to steale away the word of truth from vs. Blessed is he that holdeth fast in this fearefull time of temptation Apoc. 16.15 Behold I come as a theefe saith Christ blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments of holy truth and true holines lest he walke naked and men see his filthines Ob. It may be you will say That if truth knit vs to our head truth is at Rome Sol. I answer that it may be so for Antichrist ruffles as God in the temple of God 2. Thes 2.4 which hath the Scripture but the Church of Rome the Popes apostacie consisting of head and members vnited by the doctrine of Trent hath it not Ob. If you say that the truth was once at Rome Sol. I grant it but it doth not follow that therefore it should be there now A fuisse ad esse non sequitur Es 1.21 22. 1. Thess 1.8 the faithfull Citie may become a harlot and her wine may be mixed with water and Thessalonica from whom sounded out the word of the Lord in Macedonia and Achaia and whose faith which was towards God spread abroad in all quarters is now a cabine of vncleane Turkes yea and who knoweth not that a chaste virgin may in time become a stinking harlot Euen so is it with Rome Ob. If you aske mee When went the truth from Rome for some or other must needs obserue it Sol. I answer Is it not gone except I can shew the time An apple may be rotten though I cannot shew the time when it began because it began at the coare A man may be sicke vnto death though I cannot tell when his disease began to preuaile against him So the Church of Rome though by reason of her strength and that good temper shee was in while Martyrs possessed her seat she stood out long before she kept her bed because she was not heart-sicke at the first infecting of her blood in which respect haply her first lying downe cannot be obserued of euerie eye yet hee that hath but one eye may see that she is sicke vnto death by her sicke and powerlesse actions as her surfetting vpon temporall glory Laesae actiones laesas arguunt facultates her vomiting vp of the wholesome food of Gods word her desire not to be stirred from her old rotten couch her pettishnesse if we doe but touch her to trie whether sicke or sound and many the like symptomes not only of a declining but of a desperately consuming estate Ob. Yea but you will say That in other heresies the persons broaching and the time when is obserued Sol. I answer That it doth not therefore follow that this can be done in Poperie for it is a mysterie as the Apostle saith and as Iohn saith Great Babylon the
purge sinne as well as pacifie Gods wrath for sinne These and the like odious lies doe they put vpon vs and our religion But blessed and beautifull are we when such men as they are speake all manner of euill against vs falsely We cannot thinke our selues the more deformed for their false charges whose whole Apostacie is a mixture of lying and vanitie from head to taile They call the Pope the Head of the Church when he is neither able to be present with the whole bodie nor infuse capitall spirits into any one member The Pope calleth himselfe A seruant of seruants when yet he seemes to be a prouder Lord than the Turke breathing out nothing but soueraigntie and vnlimited iurisdiction and would thinke foule scorne that any earthly Potentate or King should be preferred before him Their Iesuites will be so lyingly called of Iesus the Truth when as it hath beene often told them and cannot be disproued as Abshalom was vniustly called the Fathers peace being the Fathers warre so they are not without blasphemie so called seeing they doe nothing more than cunnicatch the wealthy gull the poore disloyalize subiects conspire against Princes vndermine States and Kingdomes and vnder the hood of Religion kindle warres and closely lay the cause vpon others Yea and what is their religion but like these grand practisers one thing in shew another thing in truth and none other but a draught of deadly wine in a golden cup. Secondly our Religion striues by all might and maine to keepe the head whole and that is Christ only Yee know that hee is called beautifull whose head is so though hee haue a crooked bodie a withered hand and a gowtie toe so may our Church and Religion well be accounted because we cleaue vnto keepe whole and sound to our power our whole head both God and Man by nature Priest Prophet and King by office that hee might be the alone Sauiour of his people We know how the Church of Rome doth share out his honour with his offices and diuide them betweene Christ and others See of this subiect Dr. Fownes his Trisagion His Kingly Office is parted betweene him and the Pope his Priestly betweene him and the Saints his Propheticall betweene him and their traditionall Church But for vs Ephes 1.23 we desire that he may fill all in all things we doe striue that he may increase though we and all the world perish decrease and come to nothing yea as Dauid said of the sword of Goliah which was laid vp behind the Ephod there is none to it so say wee of our blessed King Priest and Prophet there is none to him neither shall there be any but hee in whom wee will seeke the least dragme of beautie Thirdly our Religion is not only beautifull in the head but scoureth off the least blot from the whole bodie It keepeth all the Commandements entire When wee consider that they were written with Gods owne finger and deliuered with so many miracles we neither dare change the first Commandement See for this Hispa Refor Bellar. Ample declaration of Christian Doctrine nor dash out the second as the Church of Rome doth We dare not admit of the Masse for feare of hauing any other god saue the true God We dare not embrace Popish Traditions for feare of giuing God that worship which is not his owne our consciences will not so farre abuse vs as to giue vs leaue to entertaine a seruice vnknowne lest we should serue God in vaine and not giue him his worship in the right manner we cannot spend the Lords day in seeing Masse or only in praying though it be the sweetest of our seruice knowing that because God doth in the Commandement of the Sabbath chiefly aime at our edification Es 2.3 we must goe vp to the house of the Lord that he may teach vs his waies and wee may walke in his paths We settle the Chaire of State vpon Princes renouncing a superiour power among men to excommunicate them and put case the Pope doe to his vtmost hunge them with his Bulls we renounce and hate the not accounting of them Kings and the executing of them as delinquents to him and to his Pope-holy-Church Yet lest wee should flatter them we tell them that they must be Fathers not Tyrants that so they may not be wilfull hinderers of that honour which is due vnto them Hauing thus pressed vpon the head for orderly politique gouernment we learne of God to presse vpon the heart the seat of valour that there be no taking away of life through base cowardise Can we thinke of poisonings stabbings vnderminings strengthning the hands of wickednesse sadding the hearts of the good by lies and impostures We can sooner looke vpon the persons of our enemies without malice their wrongs without desire of reuenge their prosperitie without enuie and digest all our griefes by venting them into Gods bosome by feruent and faithfull prayer We presse vpon the seat of Lust and teach our appetites that as we must liue so we must liue honestly lest we be a burthen to the earth We cannot abide the slighting of Fornication the blanching of Priests Minions and Concubines the stinke of Stewes with that cursed caution If thou canst not liue chastly yet carrie it warily Si non castè tamen cautè We teach that honest persons must haue honest maintenance by possessing their owne that they must maintaine their right by truth As we cannot maintaine our Religion by lying Legends or our persons and causes by equiuocation so can we not but be carefull to presse and teach that there be no lyer amongst vs for gold or gaine yea wee will not suffer the whole soule to be at rest with her concupiscence Can wee flatter the heart with the neglect of the first motions of sinne by the flesh though the spirit doe not consent as if a knaue be not a knaue because an honest man reproues him for it No wee will labour that there be peace at home without mutinie that there be such soundnesse of minde and such a peaceable possession of our owne soules in the enioyment of God as nothing that is others may or doe disquiet vs. Thus doth our Religion rub off the rust of all sinne pressing this as a note of an vpright man to haue an equall respect to all Gods Commandements yea that the least rubbish of Hypocrisie may not by our good wills sticke vpon our Church wee aime at and endeuour the through mortification of the whole bodie of sinne and reformation of all our hearts The Popish Church whatsoeuer it talke of mortification and what glorious shewes soeuer it doth make to that end either by whippings wherein yet Baals Priests went beyond them or by drawing their bloud like Pharisee draw-blouds or by going bare-foot like the Heathens in their bare-foot solemnities Nudepedalia sacra or by their precious Pilgrimages forced Fastings and the like yet it is farre
and I pray God they may see it from true mortification and reformation of heart For doe but consider that either they doe not know or will not know the right enemie wherewith they should fight to this end that is the cursed Flesh which is in our bosomes For when the Scripture speaketh of the lusts of the flesh which we must mortifie they doe sometimes vnderstand our bodies and therefore for the suppressing of it Vnderstand me not as if I did condemne Fasting and other laudable bodily exercises but onely as shewing by these principall weapons what principall aduersarie they fight against to wit the bodie Ephes 5.28 29. they doe presse vpon bodily exercises as Fastings whippings Haire-cloth bare-foot visitings of Temples Shrines and the like whereas the bodie and the spirit may well goe hand in hand as the Apostle saith No man euer yet hated his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it euen as the Lord the Church to wit so farre forth as it may be done without making Nature either proud or wanton Sometimes againe they doe vnderstand the brutish and inferiour facultie of the soule whereby it affecteth and desireth profits pleasures as meats drinkes cloathing and procreation But euen this also in it selfe cannot be said to be our enemie which being well manned is of so good and necessarie vse in the life of man that without it there would neither be preseruation of particulars nor kindes Nature would neither preserue it selfe nor the succession thereof in its like In both these they misse the marke and shoot at a friend in stead of an enemie In which respect a man may goe to the height of their taught deuotion and yet be as arrant hypocrites as euer were But as for our Church the whole bent of it tends to perfect our sanctification in the feare of God 2 Cor. 7.1 It makes the flesh to be the corruption of our whole nature both in our bodies and soules The corruption of our mindes by enmitie and ignorance of our consciences by stupiditie and furie of our cogitations by vanitie of our wils by rebellion of our desires by disorder the like So that we teach and presse that the minde must goe to the pot as we say as well as the appetite yea the wisdome of it whereby we exalt our owne righteousnesse and set vp our holinesse and other worth as cursed idols as well as the brutish folly that is in our carnall desires We doe not flatter the minde with an aptnesse to spirituall wisdome or the will with an aptnesse to will good if it be excited by the Spirit that so we may dishonour Gods worke of grace and make our selues something when we are nothing but as we doe giue the greatest glory of good as it is wrought in and by vs to the minde sanctified for which cause the whole worke of our conuersion as it is well obserued is called the changing of the minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 3.2 so in sinning we make it the arch-rebell in yeelding it selfe so freely to thinke of wickednes so fully to discourse of the profit pleasure and honour of it so friendly to parly with euery suggestion which offereth it selfe to our corrupt hearts that it is euen basely bribed and blinded to giue way to the consent of our wills to the greedinesse of our desires to the swift mouing of our affections and to the eagernesse of our actions to doe those things which are wicked in the sight of God and man Oh how doth this make vs to denie our selues and flie vnto him that is made wisdome 1 Cor. 1.30 righteousnesse sanctification and redemption to vs while the Popish Church liuing in a seeming holinesse in some of her choise members doth yet vnholily rest vpon her owne wisdome though it be to the tolerating of Stewes to the filling of Rome it selfe with the cries of Sodome But say they what are their vnholy Stewes more than our vnholy Vsury For if Stewes be collerated amongst them to preuent a greater mischiefe so is Vsury amongst vs. But stay a while As Leontines pointing to his gray haires said to the Antiochians Hac niue liquefacta multum erit luti When this snow is thawed there will be much dirt so when this blister is pricked may we say there will appeare much vlcerous matter For the clearing therefore of our Church in this point of Vsury that the Stewes of Rome may the more stinke in the nostrils of good men consider two Questions First whether England doe permit Vsury as the Church of Rome doth the Stewes Secondly whether if wee did it might stand in equall ballance with a Stewes To the first I answer two things First that England doth not permit Vsury but restraine the abominable griping that was brought in by the Iewes For if you looke into the Law you shall finde it called a Statute against Vsury yea it calleth Vsury a vice and sinne and saith it is detestable as you may see in tâ—e Statutes at large where the Prefaces are yea I haue heard as I take it men skilfull in the Law say that if it can be proued by bond that a man doe but take ten shâ—llings in the hundred for Vsury hee forfaits the whole summe Therefore the Vsurers are so craftie as to make their Creditours vpon the lending of an hundred pound to become debtors to them for an hundred and ten or eight or seuen or the like by bond and not to binde them to giue ten pounds for the meere vse of an hundred Secondly England dealeth not with Vsury as Rome doth with the Stewes for shee doth blanch and excuse it and therefore sometime they say that it is but a permission of a lesse euill to auoid a greater as Sodomy Buggery and the like when yet vnder this cloake Ely might without blame haue suffered the sins of his sonnes in the porches of the Tabernacle to preuent more hainous sinnes and further degrees of Sodomy Sometimes againe they tell vs that they doe not permit them without meanes to reclaime them both by punishments and preachings as if it could excuse them to permit houses of sinning that they may exercise their censures they are mad men that build houses for theeues and burne them downe when they haue done Sometimes againe they will tell vs that the rents and pensions so gotten are imployed to maintaine penitent harlots as if God delighted in the price of a harlot or it were lawfull for vs to doe euill that good might come thereof Thus would the Church of Rome like a harlot put a beautifull complexion vpon an vgly face yea from such like and other filthinesse euen in their holy Fathers the Popes See Bellar. in his preface to his bookes De Pontif. Rom. they can draw an argument of glory and renowne to Peters chaire as being a signe of Gods speciall hand that it hath endured so long But as for vs we are readie to condemne
passe to the matter propounded pawse wee a while vpon the two phrases in the Text. First Doe yee not or haue yee not iudged in your selues say some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doe or haue yee not discerned or put a difference in or with your selues say others Let euery man abound in his owne sense where faith is not impeached or destroyed and the Scripture wilfully wronged and neglected The Word is knowne to be passiue and is deriued of a word that signifieth to iudge And whereas iudging doth imply foure acts in it that is hearing inquiring conuicting the wrong doer and passing sentence some doe vnderstand it of the act of all foure when they expresse it thus Are yee not iudged in your selues Others vnderstand it of the sinne against all foure or at the least against the last vpon the abuse of the three former when they expresse it thus Are yee not partiall in your selues Others vnderstand it of the act of conuicting which I am the more willing to follow because of that apt addition In your selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Implying that though they would not passe righteous iudgement yet by diligent inquisition and knowledge of the cause they were conuicted in the Court within As for the second Phrase how shall I expresse it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall I say Iudges of vniust cogitations as if I meant to vaile and obscure it Or Iudges of euill thoughts in more plaine and popular termes Or â—udges wickedly deliberating It may be the words may more fully be expressed That which is translated Thoughts doth signifie a secret reasoning about or discussing of a thing within a mans selfe as with another whereby he doth argue the case and debate the matter both by asking and answering and so resoluing within a mans selfe And therefore as sometimes it is translated thoughts as when Christ saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 15.19 Out of the heart come euill thoughts so as aptly is both the word from whence it commeth rendered to reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 5.22 Matth. 16 8. and the word it selfe reasonings as when the Scribes and Pharisees thus argued Christ forgiueth sinnes therefore he blasphemeth Iesus perceiued their reasonings and said What reason you in your hearts Now these reasonings debatings dialogues and discourses are called Thoughts which are the meanings of the minde to and fro about those things which it apprehendeth and are of two sorts For either they are about the nature essence excellencie and vses of things in generall which may be called Theoreticall thoughts or about the same things as they are to be apprehended approued disallowed practised or disauowed of vs in particular which may be called practicall thoughts because by them the soule viewing and staying vpon it selfe and comparing it selfe with the first patterne doth shape a course for the owner to walke in so farre as it apprehendeth and doth comfort and confound accordingly So that indeed these thoughts are only the worke of the conscience vpon the ill cariage whereof in corrupt reasonings the same conscience doth play the corrupt Iudge in withholding the truth in vnrighteousnes as we may see in this particular For the question lying whether a rich man were to haue respect meerely for his riches sake before a godly poore man and their thoughts beating vpon it and chewing it vp and downe by varietie of motion because they saw more outward glory comming by the one than the other and moâ—â— danger preuented they did imprison the â—ruth and 〈◊〉 â—orrupt Iudges concluded gaue sentence against â—he poore Saints and so they became Iudges of euill reasonings Now you see in this Verse the ground of my parable where I would consider two things First the power of practicall conscience Secondly the abuse of that power For as it is with most power it is abused vnto sin namely to serue mens owne turnes and the like so the power of our consciences which is to reason it out and conclude accordingly is abused to iudge wickedly euen against conuiction To speake first of the power of our consciences you must know as I haue said that to dialogue in our selues is to aske and answer in our selues The power of our Consciences and to giue iudgement according to reason And to Reason is vpon two premises to inferre a conclusion and this is a iudiciall proceeding The Proposition like the Iudge doth open the truth and like a witnesse doth beare witnesse vnto it The Assumption like the Iurie doth apply it to the parties to be tried The Conclusion like the Iudge doth giue and passe the sentence This is the summe of what I haue to say from hence For the more cleare deliuerie whereof that we may as fully as we can comprehend the vertue of these reasoning thoughts lay we downe first these two propositions in generall and so we shall fall to the particulars The first generall proposition is this that God hath established an assize for iudgement within our selues Hence is it that we are said to be Iudges To conceiue therefore aright of it consider that there is the Iudgement seat or Court Hall within a mans selfe An Assize within vs. the partie to be tried man himselfe the Iudge witnesse Iurie the conscience which shall proceed according to true allegations and proofes and all these sweetly inwrapped in these reasoning thoughts Yea and that all things may be carried the more fairely there is the law imposed vpon the reasonable creature as apprehended by him to be the rule and records The causes and grounds of this Assize are these two First in respect of God that God may haue an account of the state of man from himselfe and man may be brought to liue in holinesse and righteousnesse vnder God For looke as a King of a country doth ordaine Assizes to be kept in his seuerall Shires and Counties that hee may haue an account of the iustice of his Magistrates estate of his country liues of his subiects and that he may preserue them in peace and loue in their seuerall places so God hath appointed this petty Assize that he may haue an account of the conscience how the minde doth rule and gouerne how the whole man is gouerned in righteousnesse holinesse and sobriety how the state of the body and soule stands before God in the case of life and death and that the desires and affections may be kept from mutinie and rebellion and the whole man may be brought vnder the subiection of Gods will Vel medio huminis naturalis vel medio luminis fidei Our vnderstandings either by the light of reason or by the light of faith should haue the law of God presented vnto them whereby they should suruey both morall duties and the mysticall points of Diuinitie our inuentions should finde out variety of dutie for vs our memories should keepe the records our wils should chuse and command all good actions our
iudgements should sit at hand to giue aduice our affections should attend vpon them to maintaine and defend all honest resolutions and actions against all commers and lastly our desires should worke naturall instincts to practise them and the whole man should doe accordingly Or thus God hath placed the powers of the soule in excellent order for the gouernment of man Our mindes in a throne aboue to gouerne all the motions dispositions passions and affections of the heart our hearts are set in the midst to receiue information from the mindes to direct themselues and our desires and valorously to flie vpon them by feare loue ioy anger and the like if they shalâ— rebell our desires are set lowest to be corrected by the heart and gouerned by the head Now that God may haue an account how this worke within vs goeth forward and we may be furthered in our course to happinesse God hath appointed our consciences to keepe Assizes to try whether we haue beene faithfull yea or no. The second ground of our Assize is in respect of our selues that we may be the better prepared for the great Assize of the day of Iudgement whensoeuer it shall come Yee know that we beleeue that such a day shall come and that Christ shall keepe it in that nature which he assumed and wherein he suffered As therefore all our musterings before particular Captaines should not be for shew or fee but the better to fit vs to carry our selues in a martiall manner before our King or Generall if need require so these particular Assizes are but for the better fitting of vs for our great account before and vnto God And therefore when Dauid had arraigned himselfe at home he goeth to God and saith Try and examine me whether there be any way of wickednesse yea or no. Vse What shall I say now I will intreat you so farre to tender the glory of God and the good of your soules as diligently to attend to the businesse within Our soules doe so liue in our senses and wee are so inured to earthly things Facti sumus fugitivi a cordibus nostris that wee are made runnagates from our owne hearts But if euer we would haue a glorious triall before our God let vs see how our cause will stand or fall before the barre of our owne hearts I know that in the case of good we may be deceiued by the voice of conscience For the law of nature which should direct vs being in a great part dashed out and ignorance of the word being wilfully fauoured there are many fearefull euils which we doe not apprehend as euils as for example to sinne in thought is nothing for thoughts are free to sinne in word is but a word and what is that so we sinne not against our neighbour it is no matter though we make bold with God to sinne with the times to doe as others doe to walke in the waies of our fathers is good religion yea and besides such is the darknesse of our cogitations that in the midst of diligence that which we know is not the tenth tenth part of what we are ignorant of How therefore can it be other but that our owne hearts should deceiue vs in good yet in the case of euill we may assure our selues that it doth not make vs worse than we are in and of our selues Though in affliction oâ—â—onâ—cience oâ— panâ—â—â— oâ— the new birth â—t may make our estates worse thâ—n they are we being more senâ—â—ble of our â—stâ—tes from within than of that from without As therefore it is not safe for vs to rest in the voice of conscience when it makes vs good for Paul knew nothing by himselfe yet was he not thereby iustified so we must be carefull to heare what conscience saith when it layeth sinne to our charges that so Gods Assize there may goe on to Gods glory and our good What will it auaile vs to be crowned with a May-flower garland of the praises of this world if we walke not in the presence of our owne hearts Quest It may be you will say If God hath granted out a warrant for the keeping of this Assize why then is it not feelingly kept in euery man Answ I answer that wee may finde foure causes of this The first is ignorance For as the eye worketh not in a darke place where it cannot by a fitted conueiance receiue variety of obiects so the conscience worketh not where there is not the light of knowledge from the word of God to direct it by The second is hardnesse of heart for as a man that is dead or hath a deaded or astonished bodie for the present cannot feele any order or disorder any whip lash or gash so a seared crusted and senselesse conscience is not sensible of the cursed garboiles in the soule nor capable of any orderly proceeding against them The third is spirituall madnesse for as mad men cannot keepe any faire quarter with themselues much lesse can it be expected that he should wisely execute any deputation from others so spiritually mad men who are out of their wits with selfe-loue and loue of this world who runne vpon the pikes of hell-dangers who will not be perswaded by the praiers and teares of their best friends are neither fit nor able to receiue order from God for so high and so excellent imployment The last is pride For as in a countrey where there is no disorder if it were possible in these cursed daies of sinne for such an one to be there is no Assize because no need so when we are Pharisies in iustifying our selues priding our hearts in our ciuill righteousnesse and therefore setting our passions on worke vpon whomsoeuer shall discouer their hellish nakednesse there is no inward Assize because as they thinke there is no need Quest It may be you will say seeing these things doe hinder it how may I further the keeping of it Answ I answer As in generall we must striue to root out ignorance to rent our hearts to come vnto our selues as the prodigall and to be nothing yea hell in our owne eies so in particular I would commend three meanes to this end especially The first is our praiers to God to write the records of his truth in our mindes and hearts An Assize cannot be kept without law nor this without the law of God But if once we can get the law written in our mindes and in our hearts so as it doth not onely gild our vnderstandings but goare our hearts and leaue a new impression of holinesse to the Lord then we shall see a full Court presently and such wounding inditements for sinnes past with such crying out for the Psalme of mercy that we shall haue no rest till we haue rowled our selues vpon God in Christ and haue found our selues in some measure sealed with the spirit of promise against the day of redemption The second meanes is our not disturbing the Court but suffering
till it hath brought vs downe to the desperation of hell Thus we haue passed the generalls of this reasoning In reasoning there is first the to descend now vnto the particulars wee shall first meet with the proposition which is the first part of reasoning wherein wee doe propound and beare witnesse vnto that truth which is made knowne vnto vs. 1 Proposition Whence I offer this point to be considered that In our selues there is a witnesse which will propound the truth according to knowledge From hence is it that Paul ioyneth these two together to wit the knowledge of God and the knowledge of our owne hearts 1. Cor. 2.11 No man knoweth what is in man saue God and the spirit that is the conscience From this witnessing power Dauid saith Psal 51.3 My sinne is euer before me and the brethren of Ioseph were compelled to vtter this speech Wee verily sinned against our brother Gen. 42.21 in that wee saw the anguish of his soule when he besought vs and we would not heare him therefore is this trouble come vpon vs. Yea and God himselfe implying this power vnto Kain Gen. 4. saith Sinne lieth at the doore Sinne lieth at the doore What is that We ordinarily looke vnto one of these three senses either the punishment of sinne is at hand for amongst the Hebrew sinne is taken for the punishment of sinne as Christ is said To be sinne for vs 2 Cor. 5.21 or else thy sinne is not secret for thou shalt be no more able to conceale it than that which doth lie at the doore in euery ones view or else the conscience of thy sinne shall forthwith fly vpon thee because the witnessings and twinges of the conscience doe ineuitably follow sinne But if wee take all these three together they make one intire sense as if God should say Kain thou canst not so hide thy sinne from mee but that it will inwardly fret and gnaw vpon thy conscience and outwardly draw speedie vengeance But more fully to open this witnessing power of conscience I would consider foure points First Whether wee in our courses can lie hid from our consciences I answer for a time wee may both through the weaknesse of nature when the naturall conscience doth not take notice of sinne Acts 15. as when the Gentiles accounted fornication a thing indifferent when the people of Calicute and Narsinga doe without regret worship the deuill when we walke in the waies of our Fathers whether good or bad without checke and the like as also by the iust iudgement of God when he doth giue vs ouer for our sins to hardnesse of heart and to a cauterized conscience as the Gentiles Rom. 1. who because they did not glorifie God with their naturall knowledge were giuen ouer to vnnaturall sinnes Yet wee shall not alwaies sleepe thus securely it will looke vpon vs with a witnesse and speake so loud in our eares that we shall see a map of our miseries as Theodoricus did the face of Symachus whom he had murthered in a fish-head on his table and shall make vs leaue behinde vs such a desperate will when wee die as English Hubertus did who had beene a couetous oppressor I yeeld my goods to the King my bodie to the graue my soule to the deuill The second point is this to consider seeing we cannot lie hid from our consciences what conscience doth witnesse I answer It witnesseth both our sins and our righteousnesse As for our sinnes this is that ancient officer of God whereby he doth reproue vs and set our sinnes in order before vs. If wee sinne in our thoughts Psal 50.21 conscience taketh notice of it for as we will say for our owne cleering In my conscience I did not so much as thinke it so Paul said of the Gentiles their thoughts accused or excused them Rom. 2. yea and those that are come from the knowledge of conscience to the feeling of it can with griefe tell that conscience doth thus If we sin in our wills and affections conscience taketh notice of it As Paul saith Rom. 9.1 My conscience beareth mee witnesse by the Holy Ghost that I haue great heauinesse for you So on the contrary if his will and affections had not beene carried the right way his conscience would haue beene vpon the backe of him for it as we see in his reluctâ—tion betweene the flesh and the spirit Rom. 7.15 I allow not that which I doe yea what I hate that I doe If we sinne in our words conscience presently heareth therefore Solomon obseruing it saith Take no heed to all words for oftentimes thine owne heart knowes that thou hast also cursed others If we sinne in our actions conscience will not ouerpasse them It told Iudas that hee had sinned in betraying innocent bloud and makes infinite complainâ—s and conâ—essions in all sorts of people at some times or other Seâ—ondly as for oâ—r righteousnesse conscience doth witnesse our sonship as the Apostle saith Rom. 8.16 The spirit of Goâ— beareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the children of God as also our new obedience and holinesse For this wâ— see plaine in the example of Paul Heb. 13.18 2 Cor. 1.12 Act. 23.1 whose conscience told hiâ— That hee was willing in all things to liue honestly that in simplicitie and godly purenesse he had his conuersation in the world and that in all good conscience he serued God In the third place if it be demanded how the conscience doth witnesse I answer that you that feele it know and from my feeling I expresse it thus The vnderstanding is the spy to informe from that light which it doth receiue either from Nature or from the Word of God the Memorie is the recorder of the court within for all the passages of mans life we cannot in this kinde learne the art of forgetfulnesse for though wee may seeme to forget it for a time as the sonnes of Iacob did the selling of Ioseph yet in day of affliction houre of death and day of iudgement our reckonings will be bleeding new and then this diuine power doth take a view of our whole liues and from that office which God hath giuen it witnesse truly and bring to passe all our doings as in the sight and presence of God If now in the fourth place you will aske me Why the conscience doth in these reasonings as a witnesse propound the truth I answer In two respects First In respect of God that God may bee manifested to be a iust God in his proceedings There aâ—e many secret sinnes which no man in the world can witnesse for which if God should proceed against vs he might seeme vniust To the end therefore that God might be cleered in the day of vengeance hee hath set a witnesse within our selues which will not lie Secondly In respect of our selues because it might be of excellent vse through the whole course of our
a by word among the multitude But blessed conscience incourage thy friends and discourage them that flout at thee with that true but fearefull saying Esa 66.5 Heare the Word of the Lord all ye that tremble at his Word your brethren that hated you and cast you out for my Names sake said Let the Lord be glorified but hee shall appeare to your ioy and they shall be ashamed Lastly we must doe our dutie to conscience by paying tribute to it and yeelding to it honourable meanes of maintenance Giue tribute to whom tribute belongeth shall wee haue a gouernour and will wee starue him for want of maintenance God forbid Decke therefore the table of thy conscience richly with the Word of God let thy conscience vse it as in the sight and presence of God attend with all the parts and powers of thy bodie and soule in state vpon this honourable gouernour and if thou canst not giue it entertainment answerable to its place weepe to God for more grace that as one said to Saint Augustines weeping mother Non potest perire tantarum lachrymarum filius A sonne for whom so many teares are shed cannot perish So thy conscience for which thou doest weepe to God may not be corrupted or want necessary meanes of maintenance Secondly Conscience as a Iudge must doe its office to and for vs both in our selues and to God for looke as a Iudge doth a double dutie a dutie of iustice in the country and a dutie of account in the Court so likewise hath the conscience a double dutie to performe In the Court within we must expect a fourefold action of a Iudge frō it The first is Remurmuration As a Iudge doth or should fret and grudge at euery euill cause that comes before him and cannot abide that any Gallio should either plead the excuse or defence of it so conscience must worke an inward repining when any of the aduocates of sinne doth blanch the least wickednesse The least sinne is hellish in its sight the greatest is ten times damnable The second is Instigation Looke as a Iudge doth or should prouoke to euery good occasion for the repressing of vice and encouragement of vertue so conscience must goad vs vp and stirre vs forward to take euery good opportunitie to doe good vnto our bodies and soules to the honour of God The Iewes who were as the swift Dromodaries were not more eager to commit wickednesse than conscience must be to doe that which is good in Gods sight The third is Condemnation Euen as a Iudge doth condemne the guilty and pronounce definitiue sentence against him whatsoeuer he be whether friend or foe rich or poore because he heareth causes speake and not persons so dealeth conscience yea euen against the owner of it if he doe offend Therefore the Apostle speaketh of those who are selfe-condemned Or looke as if a souldier demeane himselfe not well in battell the Iudge Martiall may cause his Escocheon to be pierced Euen so conscience must pierce the heart of the offender by a full pronouncing of the iudgements of its God The fourth is Absolution As a Iudge doth absolue the guiltlesse and when his innocencie doth once appeare doth make no delayes or demurres or the like to keepe him from the comfort of his cause so when conscience findeth innocencie it crieth out Well done good and faithfull seruant enter into thy Masters ioy Know thine office conscience And as thou wilt answer it to him from whom thou hast thy most immediate deputation see thou deale righteous-Iudge-like in all these particulars Secondly there is a dutie of account that the conscience oweth vnto God also Euen as a Iudge doth giue an account vnto his Soueraigne of the state of his countrey liues of his people and iustice of his inferiour Magistrates and the like so must our consciences giue an account to God what state our soules are in and how our wills and affections doe rule and obey within vs. See therefore O conscience that thou doe it faithfully Goe to the Court of heauen after euery daies Assize tell God how it stands with thee in the case of life and death Helpe O King I haue found rebellion in thy kingdome without thy pardon all will perish with thy pardon without thy wisdome to plant religion to order thy subiects and to preuent future mutinies all will come to naught Thus deale faithfully with thy soule And as good Iudges will not trust particular Iustices with the gouernment of the Countrey lest they should make their owne gaines and aime at their owne priuate ends more than at the publike good but will diligently search into their proceedings that so their account may be the more current so the good conscience will not commit the gouernment of the soule to the will and affections but will euery day search into their courses that so they may giue the more through and honest account vnto our God and King Thus hauing viewed the power of practicall conscience in these reasoning thoughts which are in vs 2 The abuse of the power of Conscience we come to the abuse of this power in iudging euilly and partially euen against conuiction Whence we may note That it is no newes that there is disorder and corruption in the iudgements of our owne hearts and consciences Yee know that Paul found out this wickednesse of old To withhold the truth in vnrighteousnesse Rom. 1.18 euen so is it still The prisoner to be tried within vs is Truth the case to be tried is whether Truth should be set at libertie to be a guide to our actions yea or no Truth pleades for her selfe as the cause of poore Christians in this place but the Iurie of will and affections heareth not they are corrupted with carnall wisdome pleasure profit or the like and therefore in commeth the fore-man Will and saith I will doe as I haue done and I will be perswaded as I haue beene perswaded and so Reason like a corrupt Iudge giueth the sentence that Truth must into prison and rebellion and wickednesse flourish If now you will aske me what are the reasons of this corruption in our inward iudgings I answer that I shall giue you foure reasons of it First the want of the loue of God If we loued God we would loue his honour if wee loued his honour wee would carrie an equall and vpright course in passing sentence yea though it were to the crushing of that which is most deare vnto vs. Deut. 33.9 Thus Leui is said to say to his father and mother I haue not seene thee neither knew he his owne brethren nor his children when hee was to execute the iudgements of God Secondly want of vnion in our selues An armie put to rowt cannot keepe order so neither can a man that is diuided in himselfe As it is in the cursed Alehouse businesse it thriues the better for a proud separation that is found amongst those that should helpe
Testament in his bloud Luke 22.20 Now doe but briefly collect these points together seeing without Christ we shall perish for euer because without Christ we haue no sauing right to our naturall ciuill gracious or glorious life because all sauing good comes vnto vs by couenant and Christ is the Couenant of his people therefore it is necessarie that we be in Christ Thirdly to conceiue this yet more fully I shall shew you how many waies we may be in Christ How many waies wee may be in Christ To speake then to this point we may be said to be in Christ three waies First by Ordination and appointment in Baptisme for God hath ordained Baptisme to be the outward signe and seale of our putting on Christ Gal. 3.27 and to be the outward meanes of our grafting with him to the similitude of his death and resurrection Rom. 6.5 For the laying on of water doth signifie and seale our buriall with Christ and the wiping of it off our resurrection which because it is conditionall in respect of the effectuall working of it to wit so farre forth as we shall when we grow to yeeres of discretion manifest our effectuall faith by making the right vse of Baptisâ—e that is keepe the couenant which we publikely enter with God in it Rom. 11.22 therefore it admiâ—teth of a cutting off and standeth or falleth as the condition is obserued Secondly we are in Christ by Acceptation for God doth account of vs as in him he being the prince of our saluation and that generall root and stocke which stands in the roome of the whole Church before God In which respect as the whole Church being the body of Christ is called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 Beâ—ma in manud ling. lâ—at cap. 2. ex Keckerm so likewise and that not by the fond conceit of the vnlearned may Christ be signified by the name of the Church as well as other members when Paul saith The Church is the pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3.15 As the first Adam was the generall root of mankind and stood in the nature and name of all mankinde before God and receiued and lost all the indowments of his nature both for himselfe and vs so also was it and is it with the second Adam he is the root and head that stands in the roome of all his Church to pay for them and purchase for them Thirdly we are in Christ by Contract and couenant not onely by outward contract which is outwardly and solemnly made in the face of the Church in Baptisme and renewed in the Lords Supper but by inward contract whereby God doth marrie vs vnto him for euer and whereby God being the God of vs and our posteritie after vs the Children of beleeuing parents are holy 1 Cor. 7.14 Hosea 2.19.20 Of this the Prophet speaketh in the name of Christ I will marrie thee vnto me in righteousnesse and in iudgement and mercie and in compassion I will euen marrie thee vnto me in faithfulnesse and thou shall know the Lord alluding it may be to the coniugall knowledge of man and wife and signifying that we shall haue spirituall communion with God and through the worke of the Spirit bring forth fruit vnto God Looke as therefore man and wife doe become one flesh and are concorporated either into other by vertue of that contract and couenant of God betwixt them made Prou. 2.17 and that actuall knowledge which they haue either of other so those that are thus giued vnto the Lord as the Apostle speaketh are one spirit and are so vnited vnto Christ 1 Cor. 6.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there is a mutuall fellowship betwixt him and vs in three things First in Natures be being made partaker of the humane and we of the Diuine Nature Secondly in Goods 2 Pet. 1.4 he being made sinne for vs and wee the righteousnesse of God in him Thirdly in Estates 2 Cor. 5.21 Rom 6.5 â—â— l. 2.9 20. â—â—l 3 1. 〈◊〉 â—â— 6 we being grafted into the similitude of his death and hauing the old man crucified with him and being risen with Christ and fitting with Christ in heauenlâ— places and Christ suffering with vs and being honoured with vs as Christ saith He that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth me according to that of the Psalme Psalme Thine enemies haue reproched thee O Lord because they haue reproched the footsteps of thine anointed Thus haue I opened the first part of the doctrine of the Text namely the partie who is spoken of Hee that is in Christ. God stirre vp our hearts aboue all things to be thankfull for Christ through and with whom we haue this estate Wee can with some sense and feeling be thankfull vnto God for those mercies we receiue with our senses Oh that our hearts would be alike if not more inlarged for those which we receiue with our soules by faith To come now vnto the second point that is the predicate or that which is spoken of him that is in Christ A new câ—eature namely That he is a new creature consider with mee two points First What this new creature is Secondly Why hee that is in Christ is a new creature What it is For the first either wee may call it a new man 1 Pet. 3 4. which is called by Peter The hid man of the heart for the word creature is taken by Iesus Christ for man Marke 16.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as when he saith to his disciples Preach the Gospel to euery creature that is to men who by an excellencie are called creatures they being the most excellent of all the sublunary workes of Gods hands or wee may call it A new creation as the word seemeth to be vsed by Paul otherwhere Rom. â— 2◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he saith The whole creation groaneth and this the rather because it is a difficult worke and farre aboue all created power yea it is more difficult than to create a world it hauing all cursed powers againsâ— it and therefore the Holy Ghost speaking of the creation of the world Psal 33.6 saith By the Word of the Lord were the heauens made Psal 8.3 and againe When I behold the heauens the worke of thy fingers Psal 102.25 and againe The heauens are the worke of thy hands as if the greatest strength that was put to that worke was but the power of a hand But speaking of the purchase and procurement of this new creation he saith Luke 1.51 He hath shewed strength with his arme Esay 9.6 and the gouernement is vpon his shoulder and againe A body hast thou prepared mee Hebr. Yea and he hath made his soule an offring for sinne Esay 53. as if his bodie and soule must be imployed in this worke whereby he would signifie the difficultie of this worke All which may easily teach vs
displease God as God and doth carrie the Deuils stampe vpon it though it were neuer so small though neuer so profitable or pleasurable vnto vs though God did not see and iudge and the Deuill would not execute wee would not willingly commit it Behold this is our cutting off without hands Oh my beloued Christians now enter into your hearts and I hope that by this signe you shal see your selues to be in Christ If when you compare your selues with them that walke in naturall courses and see that you are cut off from them in iudgement in heart and in conuersation you can in simplicitie and godly purenesse say Lord thou knowest that our care hath not beene only to haue holinesse to the Lord without but to reforme our hearts and to dresse them vp for thee according to those spirituall abilities which thou hast giuen vs. Thou knowest Lord that we haue complained sighed and prayed vnto thee against the bodie of sinne and death and because thou louest the soule best we doe account all the sinnes of the soule most fearefull and therefore haue laboured against the blindnesse vanitie and carnall wisdome of our minds against the deadnesse and securitie of our hearts and the like It is not hid from thee our God that we haue beene and are vpright with thee Psal 18.23 and haue kept vs from our wickednesse not so much because it hurt vs as because it dishonoured thee not so much because it displeased vs as because it displeased thee and was contrary to thy most holy Law and Nature in the inâ—oyment of the communicable glorie whereof standeth our ioy and happinesse If it be thus with our soules at the least according to the desires purposes and endeuours of our hearts and if we doe groane vnder the want of that full measure of it which we might attaine vnto then we may comfort our hearts with this perswasion that we are in Christ The second Signe of our being cut from the first Adam is taken from the effect of it which is tendernesse of heart and conscience We know that a thing newly cut is tender as we may see in the example of Sychemites Gen. 34. newly circumcised And this was the reason why the Israelites were not circumcised in the wildernesse because through tendernesse they might not be vnfit for warre or trauell Now you must know that this our cutting off from Adam which being so done as it is alwaies doing till death is still fresh and bleeding new doth breed a double tendernesse First an inward tendernesse which is discouered by a sensiblenesse of our owne estate Secondly an outward tendernesse which is manifested by our sensiblenesse of anothers touch Wee are inwardly tender ouer our owne estates when with quicknesse we can apprehend the sinfulnesse of our natures Thus it was with Paul Rom. 7.18 when he professed to know that in him that is in his flesh dwelt no good thing This will fill vs with godly sorrow with a base opinion of our selues with Christian watchfulnesse and with a care to our power and in our places to preuent sinne in others and not willingly to admit of any thing that may kindle any lust or increase the practise of any sinne We are outwardly tender vnder anothers touch either in respect of euill or good In respect of euill when it is death and daggers to our soules that God should be dishonoured As in respect of our selues if sinne doe but touch our eares eyes tongues hands or thoughts we doe speedily turne them ouer to Gods vses desiring God to protect them and make them weapons of righteousnesse vnto holinesse so in respect of others like Iosephs irons it entereth into our soules that God should be dishonoured by them It was thus with Moses who Exod. 32.32 when he saw how greatly God would be dishonoured if hee should destroy a people whom he had so newly deliuered by his mightie power was so tender of that euill that he desired God rather to rase him out of the Booke of life You can parallele this with Paul his example also Rom. 9.3 Oh how excellently had they profited in Gods Schoole and learned to manifest their cutting off from the old stocke by their tendernesse vnder the touch of sinne Wee shall well imitate them when we can make all the rest of the petitions in faithfulnesse and truth to follow Hallowed be thy name In respect of good also wee are tender vnder anothers touch when we startle at the touch of God If God touch vs with his threatnings we must be as sensible as hee that said Psal 119. My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy iudgements If he touch vs with his promises we must hide them in our hearts and be so rauished with them that wee can feelingly say How sweet are thy promises to my mouth Psal 119. 1 Sam. 3. yea sweetâ—r than honey to my mouth If he touch vs with his precepts we answer with Samuel Speake Lord for thy seruant heareth and our hearts can eccho as Dauids did to this precept Psal 27.8 Seeke yee my face saying Thy face Lord will I seeke What shall I now say I will call vpon all our soules to apply this signe Let vs examine our owne hearts vpon our beds Psal 4. and be still Assure our selues of this that if we would fiâ—de our selues to be cut off from Adam wee must finde our selues tender Psal as I haue said Me thinks I heare you say that your sinfull estate is a burthen too heauy for you to beare that daily you groane to God vnder the sense of it as Paul Rom. 7. Wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death That you are grieued when God is dishonoured and because he is dishonoured daily therefore the very thought of it doth daily make you sigh Me thinks you say that you heartily desire that your eyes could gush out riuers of waters because men keepe not Gods law Psal 119. and that you quickly apprehend the touch of God in all his word or at the least if you cannot that your soules are filled with godly sorrow and that you doe desire God to circumcise the fore-skin of your hearts Deut 30.6 If it be thus then feare not but that you are in an vndoubted way to your being in Christ But if otherwise that our hearts are hard and senselesse of our owne miseries and Gods touch then woe woe woe vnto vs we are farre from being new creatures and so farre from Christ and so farre from heauen and happinesse T he second generall way whereby we may proue our selues to be new creatures We must be grafted into the new stock is by our ingrafting into the new stocke for before we are in Christ we must be grafted in Now in this ingrafting which is by the power of faith whereby we are through Gods ordinance made one with
Christ in his life death resurrection and ascension there being two things distinctly to be conceiued which yet goe together in time first our being made members and secondly our receiuing the gifts of members vpon this I say there will grow two questions wherein our consciences will desire satisfaction whereunto I would intreat you to attend in their order The first is this How we may know that we are made liuing members of Christ How we may know that we are made liuing members of Christ It is a sweet question and worthy our consideration Therefore marke diligently that this secret will be discouered vnto vs by three signes especially The first signe of our being a member of Christ is If we are borne againe No member can be a member of the bodie but by naturall generation and therefore in the want of armes and legs all that are made by Artizans are but counterfeit members so none can be a member of Christ but by spirituall regeneration Therefore through the power of Gods spirit and word we must finde an alteration in all the parts and powers of the bodie and soule from what we are by nature This is called a turning in the Scriptures when of Prodigals we become Conuerts feeding no longer vpon the husks of swine those noysome and filthy lusts of the flesh but of the feast of fat things and fined wines as Esay speaketh or of the fat calfe which God hath prouided Esai 25.6 Luke 25. that is chearing our hearts with the wisdome of Christ against our folly and blindnesse with the righteousnesse of Christ against our guiltinesse with the sanctification of Christ against the reliques of our sinne and vncleannesse 1 Cor. â— 3 and with the redemption of Christ against our apostaticall and back-sliding hearts The second signe of our being a member of Christ is If we receiue new sense and motion from the head As in the naturall bodie all the members doe receiue sense and motion from the head so in the spirituall bodie For though there be no naturall connexion of parts betwixt Christ and vs Act. 3.21 the heauen containing him in respect of his bodily presence and we being here on the earth yet by vertue of the spirituall ligatures and ties of faith which is Gods ordinance to this end wee haue no lesse reall coniunction though we cannot see it than naturall head and members haue Wee cannot see the coniunction betwixt man and wife who yet are one flesh though they are a thousand miles asunder Prov. 2.17 by vertue of that contract and couenant of God betwixt them The vnion betwixt the beasts and the wheeles in Ezekiels vision was not visible Ezek. 1.21 yet it was reall because the spirit of the beasts was in the wheeles which made them moue together and stand still together So it is betwixt our Head and vs. If therefore by vertue of this vnion we doe not daunce after natures pipe which the Apostle calleth walking after the flesh or sowing to the flesh or fulfilling the lusts of the flesh but are moued to walke after the spirit so to runne that we may obtaine not to be clogged with the earth but to haue our conuersation in heauen to sit with Christ in heauenly places and in our whole course though with much strife and reluctation to moue vpwards then may we safely say that we are members of Christ The third signe of our being a member of Christ is if we worke for the head As the whole naturall bodie is vnder the obedience of the head so the whole spirituall bodie doth worke for its head as for its king and soueraigne If the head be warred against the foot runneth or standeth and the hand doth defend if the head be in peace the whole bodie maintaineth its honour vseth meanes to better vnderstanding to ripen iudgement to corroborate memorie to quicken senses and to performe other offices vnto it So must we worke for Christ he must increase we must decrease All our labour must be to maintaine his honour therefore wee must denie our selues to wit our naturall iudgements wills affections and the worth of our workeâ—â—hat Christ may be all in all vnto vs and wee may cry out with that blessed Martyr None to Christ none to Christ Oh that we had hearts to try our selues by these signes How great will our comfort be if we can finde our selues to be members of Christ Some men ioy that their armes and legs are members of sound and healthfull bodies but it is no matter though the outer man perish so long as the inward man by being a member of Christ is renewed daily I bowe therefore the knees of my heart vnto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and beseech him that hee would grant both to you all and me and all Gods people that wee may for euer proue our selues to be borne againe to receiue heauenly motion from Christ and to worke for him that so wee may proue our selues to be his members I will open a little light vnto you in these three points We may know our selues to be borne againe How wee may know our selues to be borne againe if God haue giuen vs a conscionable care to nourish the hid man of the heart Euery thing hath a naturall instinct to nourish it selfe so soone as it hath a naturall production euen so must wee haue 1 Pet. 2.2 For therefore Peter saith As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that yee may grow thereby As babes desire the mothers dug so must our soules if they be regenerated desire the word of God How is that 1 Vnappeasably I answer First wee must desire it vnappeasably Giue a childe houses and lands gold and gaine profit and pleasure and nothing will content it but a dug so all the world is worth nothing to Gods babes without the word Psal 1 19. as Dauid saith The word of thy mouth is dearer vnto me than thousands of gold and siluer Secondly we must desire the word constantly 2 Constantly Little children doe not onely desire the dugge waking but when they are asleepe their lips will be going so Gods babes though they being ouertaken with drowsinesse cry out with the Spouse I sleepe yet their hearts awake Cant. 5.2 and when they are most drowsie they will be nibbling vpon the word yea they cannot be content without it For looke as the needle of a Diall doth nothing but tremble and shake and hath no rest till it be turned vpon the North pole so the heart of Gods childe can haue no peace in any degree of securitie till it be raised feelingly to imbrace the word of God againe 3 Cryingly Thirdly we must desire the word cryingly Euery one of vs do see the new-borne babe to cry for the dugge euen so must we for the word We must cry to God for it and desire him that we may neuer be
the good Word of God which is able to saue our soules As wee doe wry our mouthes with the new borne babe after the dugge of Gods Word so with the growne man we haue a good stomacke and appetite vnto it The huskes of mans wisdome and humane traditions are hunted after of those of whom the Apostle saith Beware of dogges Phil. 3.2 but the man of God hungreth to heare God speake And because he knowes that he is borne againe for the kingdome of God therfore though when he meets with the things of this world he doth thankfully embrace them vse them as if he vsed them not yet he seekes after the things aboue Col. 3.1 aboue the world the Church aboue nature grace aboue the fauour of Princes the grace of God aboue sinne a Sauiour aboue earth heauen If therefore it be thus with our soules that as all creatures do seek their meats sutable to their natures the Lion flesh the Horse grasse the Fowles Wormes the Catts Mise and the Bees hony so we doe hunt after these things then haue we entred into this life Secondly Those helpes that doe respect our enemies are our naturall vigilancy and watchfulnesse against that which doth thwart and oppose life And from this head I shall commend vnto you two signes of life The first is Sensiblenesse of the least degree of death or opposition of life He that is in an irrecouerable estate 2 Sensiblenesse of death findes not the least degrees of death creeping vpon him and when hee is readie to die saith He is well whereas he that is well is sensible of the least distemper but if a man be dead he doth not feele death it selfe he heares no alarum to battaile sees not the approach of any enemy nor smels the stinke of any wound So if we be in a spiritually-dead estate we feele not killing sinne to approach Prou. as Solomon saith of the foole Hee casteth fire-brands arrowes and mortall things and saith I am not in iest So we make sport vnto our selues in the committing of sinne and say Doe we not liue Yea if we be dead let God send one letter of defiance vnto vs after another for our sinnes we heare and heare not we know and vnderstand not and though from â—he crowne of the head to the sole oâ— the foot there be no part whole 〈…〉 nothing but botches and blaines full of corruption yet wee smell not the stinke of the corruption of our wounds we runne not to the bâ—lme of Gilead wee desire not the good Samaritane to helpe vs but if wee are aliue oh how doe we scud from death as the fearfull Hare from the greedie Hound How doth the least approach of this death by the least sinne make vs cry out with Paul Wretched man that I am Rom. 7. who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death Poore Christians who are deiected and cast downe at the fearefull fight of their owne guiltinesse the more sensible they are of the death of sinne the more they cry out of themselues as of dead men whereas if they would passe righteous iudgement they should conclude that the spirit of life is in them 3 Fiâ—hing against death The next signe of life is fighting against that which would take it away The liuing worme being trod vpon will turne vp the taile Heare O worme Iacob so wilt thou if thou haue any life in thee When the worme feeleth the earth to be shaken presently it commeth running out of the earth fearing the approach of the mole so if thou liue when thou feelest the shaking of the cabbin of thy ease and securitie thy bodie I meane by paineâ— acheâ— and diseases then thou dost presently startle come to the doore to see what newes meet thine enemy death disarme him and pull out his sting that at the last â—he conquest may bee thine Againe is there life in vs then the Spirit of life doth fight against the flesh â—om â— â— lest wee liuing after it do die Oh how doe liuing men striue against the whole bodie of sinne and death How doth the spirit lust agaâ—nst the flesh Yea Gal. 5.17 how doth the liuing spirit get the vpper hand and sight more manfully euery day than other especially against that sinne which doth most crosse it I haue kept me from my wickednesse saith Dauid that is Pâ—â—l 18.23 that sinne whereunto hee was most inclined euen so must we if we haue this new life This is the way to finde all liuing grâ—â—es to increase all sin to be in a decaying estate For we know that there is no equall match betweene the old man the new as God smites the enemies of his people on the checke bone that is Psâ—l 3.7 hee deales not with them as with men but as with boyes in stead of opposing them with swords and stauâ—â— hee sends them away with a boxe on the eare so will the liuing spirit deale with the dying flesh it will master it at the last as a growne man would a childe and ouercome it with lesse difficultie though not without all danger to it selfe Secondly Where there is the life of grace there will be an imployment of our strength in the acts of life The actions of liuing men are proper to men that are aliue so are they to these new men From this head therefore I shall giue you further two sorts of signes either such as doe concerne a mans owne indiuiduall person or those which are shewed for succession in propagating their kinde They which doe concerne a mans person are two 4 The breath of the new man First if we can freely draw the breath of the new man It is a signe of life to men of the world if wee can freely draw that breath which God doth offer for the prolonging of naturall life so likewise is this a signe of this new life if wee can freely draw the breath of Gods mouth which God doth breathe vnto the hid man of the heart And what breath is this but the Spirit of the Lord in the Scriptures Marke therefore if wee can draw in the Word of God to the cooling comforting and refreshing of our weary hearts which pant vnder the burden of sinne and if we can put it out againe both to coole the violence and fierie courses of sinfull men and to heat and warme the lukewarme and frozen hearted sonnes of men this will assure vs that we liue the life of God 5 Seruice of God The second signe which doth concerne our persons is this If wee doe put ouer our whole bodies and soules to the seruice of God For as then wee doe liue a naturall life when we doe imploy all our strength to the seruice of nature and as then wee doe liue a loyall life to our Soueraigne when wee are wholly taken vp for his honour and maintenance in good so then wee liue the life of
God which is called a new life when both in bodie and soule we are taken vp for the seruice of God Dead and cursed Idols serue not them who gaue them all their imaginarie liuelihood they haue eyes and see not eares heare not but it must be otherwise with vs if we liue Our mindes must be inlightned with the eye-salue of Gods word in some comfortable measure to know our selues and God in Christ our memories must be confirmed to lay vp the promises of God in our hearts our consciences must be cleared at the least to begin to testifie truly of our estates in Christ our wills must be inclined to put ouer all that wee are and haue to the honour of our Sauiour our affections must be wooed to runne vnto Christ and to rowle themselues vpon him for the succour of the whole man our desires must be insatiably carried after him aboue all things our bodies must haue all the parts and powers of them directed to doe the will of God cheerefully and to be weapons of righteousnesse vnto holinesse Rom 6. and because there are failings in euery one of these therefore we must attend them with godly sorrow and supply their defects by faith in Christ in whom all their wants are couered Thus must our whole liuing man attend vpon the seruice of the liuing God It is true that we owe dutie to others as well as to God as to countrey kindred friends yea to our selues yet all this must be done as seruing the Lord Rom. 12.11 and then may wee be said to serue the Lord when all our seruice either to him or other is imployed according to Gods will Oh that we may euer see our selues new creatures by this new seruice How easie will it then be for vs to see vs in Christ prepared vnto good works to the glory of God our eternall comfort Lastly 6 Begetting to God that signe of life which is shewed in propagating our kinde is this If we striue to beget others to God Wee see that it is naturall to euery liuing creature to gender and by the blessing of multiplication to bring forth liuing creatures like vnto themselues so is it naturall to this new creature in vs to shed abroad that grace whereof wee haue beene partakers to beget others to God Christ weddeth Peter to this worke when he saith Luk. 22.32 When thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethren so likewise Paul Timothie saying What things thou hast heard of me by many witnesses 2 Tim. 2.2 the same deliuer to faithfull men which shall be able to teach others also So that here is a spirituall line wherein new creatures must be begotten vnto God Paul begetteth Timothie Timothie faithfull men as they proue or as they are to wit to the increase of grace and faithfull men others If therefore we can say that we are not satisfied with our owne goodnesse Iam. 5.20 Dan. 12.3 but haue a spirituall pronenesse to conuert a sinner from going astray and to turne many to righteousnesse that we may see more men like God and walking holily before him after the manner of the liuing then build vpon it that we are liuing men Thus haue we through Gods assistance ended the first Vse The Doctrine of the Text was this that He that is in Christ is a new creature The Vse was this to learne vs that we must labour to be new creatures if we would perswade our hearts that we are in Christ To this end I haue directed you how we may proue our selues to be new creatures both by our cutting off from the old stocke and by our grafting into the new As for our cutting off from the old I haue shewed you both how it is wrought and how it is discouered As for our grafting into the new I haue shewed you that in it we are made members with the signes of it and that in it also we doe receiue the gifts of members that is our dying vnto sinne for which we must both doe and suffer as also our liuing vnto grace which I haue also striued in some measure to manifest vnto you What shall I now say vnto you I will heartily inâ—â—â—at you that you will be all of one minde in prouing your selâ—es by these notes whether yee are in Christ yea or no. Dâ—ferre not a worke of such moment Yee may all die before yee are aware this night may your soules be taken from you and then woe woe and a thousand woes vnto you iâ— ye are not in Christ Or it may be yee may liue longer but what comfort is there in that estate wherein we haue not the least securitie that we are in the fauour of God Heare therefore the words of the Prophet something altered Fanne your selues Zeph 2.1.2 fanne you ô people whom I would faine haue to be the beloued of God before the decree come forth and yee be as chaffe that possâ—th in a day and before the fierce wrath of the Lord come vpon you and before the day of Gods anger come vpon you for why why will ye die ô ye house of Israel I say no more but leaue you thus in the consideration and to the practise of this first Vse Vse 2 The second Vse which we make of this point is this Seeing he that is in Christ is a new creature therefore wee learne that if we sinne against Iesus Christ and walke in the old trace of corruption we are not in Christ Such as are in Christ must be new creatures and Christ cannot but spew out him and disclaime him vtterly who pretending to be a member doth yet sinne against him If now that yee may auoid this danger you shall aske me how we may be said to sinne against Christ I answer How wee may be said to sinne against Christ that infinite are those sinnes which wee commit against him yet as more direct I name onely sinnes of two sorts either such as are committed against the members or such as are committed against the head Sometimes we may sinne against Christ in sinning against his members and that two waies First in others when we doe persecute the mysticall bodie of Iesus Christ that is the saints and people of God when we are either Ishmaelites in persecuting them with the tongue or Saulites in persecuting them with the hand For what is this but to persecute Christ seeing Christ said to Saul Act. 9. Why persecutest thou me Secondly in our selues when we professe our selues to be flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone yet liue like deuils incarnate when we take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot drunkard lyar 1 Cor. 6.15 or swearer and the like What greater indignitie can there be to Christ his bodie than to take his members and giue them vnto the Deuill Sometimes againe we more neerely sinne against Christ our head and that both in his owne peâ—son and
by some short Mementoes of what I haue formerly taught I thought that it would become me a little to write something whereby the weake faith of me vnworthy thy Abel might speake being dead and in the publishing of which I might not be altogether vnmindfull of the kindnesses and fauours of my louing friends Hence then commeth this Sermon to appeare which though in respect of the manner it be rude and homely yet it hath matter which is worth our consideration It presseth sobrietie watchfulnesse and prayer which are necessary and vsefull duties euery day and it will stand vp as a little sea-marke to point at those rockes of the Papacie from which it hath pleased God hitherto to preserue you I know that your temptations haue not beene small nor seldome kindred and kinde opportunities haue giuen much aduantage to the tempters but by how much more open you lay by so much greater appeareth the glory of God in your weaknesses which haue beene preserued from the defilements of the filth of Babylon Long and euer may that gratious worke be continued vpon you and yours And I humbly pray God that as the Aegyptians did vse to offer in sacrifice to their cursed gods of the fruit of the Peach-tree which is not altogether vnlike to a mans heart and of the leaues of the same which are like to a mans tongue thereby teaching that God requireth both tongue and heart so you may still continue and abound in offering vp the outward and inward man in publike and priuate seruices to the true God I hope that from sound knowledge you doe throughly hate the many lies wherewith our aduersaries doe seeke to disgrace vs and our cause as of the noueltie impuritie and blasphemie of our Religion and the like and haue learned from the Persian Law after the third lie to enioyne a man perpetuall silence or if that be not in your power yet neuer to beleeue him more I know that as it is said of Aspes they are of a skie colour and hide their inuenomed teeth within soft gummes so yee shall see and haue seene the Proctors of Antichrist veluet-mouthed and like heauen in appearance mustering the Fathers yea and Scriptures in such order and equipage as if in the cause of Religion all were theirs but I remember what we reade of Balme Pozel de Patef Dâ—i that Vipers are nourished with the iuice of it which they turne into poison and that they with their whole broods are delighted with the shadow of the leaues of it yet the iuice of Balme is an excellent remedie against their poyson Euen so the maintainers of Schismes and Heresies doe feed vpon the Balme of Gilead I meane the sacred Scriptures and Fathers abused and doe turne those wholesome viands into poyson and yet that very word of God and vnsophisticated antiquitie are excellent remedies against all their impostures of false doctrine whatsoeuer Let mee therefore beseech you in the entertainment of any doctrine to vse Gods spectacles still that no false colours may deceiue you to the preiudice of your soules and so to prouide for sobrietie and watchfulnesse in prayer in these perilous times that yee may not be like to vnthriftie seruants who hauing their allowance of candle spend it out in gaming and riot and at the last are faine to goe to bed darkling This would be a wofull abuse of that light of knowledge which God hath giuen you From this therefore euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath preserued your Worships hitherto keepe both you and yours for euermore Thus he humbly prayeth who heartily desireth the well-fare of your bodies and soules ROBERT ABBOT A PREVENTER OF SECVRITIE 1 PETER 4.7 The end of all things is at hand be yee therefore sober and watch vnto Prayer THIS speech of the Apostle is short in words and long in sense Brevis in verbis longa in sententijs He hath spoken much in a little and the further opening and applying of it shall by the blessing of God bring it close both vnto our heads and hearts As therefore God saith vnto his people Heare O my people Psal 50. and I will speake so say I Open your hearts and eares wide and through Gods assistance I shall not feed you with the winde but offer you the connexion scope and meaning of the words that at the length yee may taste of the good word of God in the application of it for the benefit of your soules For the Connexion Connexion conceiue it thus The Apostle Peter from the beginning of this Chapter goeth forward to exhort vnto holinesse and to this purpose he vseth diuers arguments The first is drawne from that communion and fellowship which we haue with Iesus Christ our Head in his sufferings Christ hath suffered for vs and in our roome in the flesh that is in his humane nature As therefore he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sinne So it behooueth vs hauing suffered that from hence forth wee should liue not after the lusts of men but after the will of God That faith which vniteth vs to Iesus Christ is a liuing faith which liueth both to kill sinne and to quicken vs to grace As wee reade of a certaine tree which bringeth forth such leaues as doe goe when they fall to the ground as if they were aliue so the godly man as from the tree of Faith he doth bring forth leaues of profession so when they fall off for the vse of themselues and others they doe not proue dead and vnprofitable but going and liuing for the ruine of sinne and the vpholding of the kingdome of Christ The second Argument is drawne from that wrong which we haue done vnto God already by our vnholinesse in times past It is sufficient for vs that we haue spent the time past of the life after the lusts of the Gentiles as if he should say we haue done wrong enough vnto God alreadie in liuing wickedly let vs not for shame goe on still but let vs now liue vnto God Esay 59.15 Or as others reade it Hee that departeth from euill is counted trad Dr. Cur. Ser. pag. 41. f. But yee will say meane while we are made a by-word to the wicked as the Prophet saith Hee that refraineth himselfe from euill maketh himselfe a prey Like enough saith the Apostle they carrie themselues like strangers because ye runne not with them into the same excesse and they speake euill of you but yet know that they shall giue an account to him that is readie to iudge quicke and dead As if he should say Looke as it is with a Bat or Flinder-mouse it is in kinde like a bird and it flieth like a bird but it doth not bring forth young like a bird nor feed them like a bird nor feed it selfe like a bird So yee that are the children of God though in respect of kinde yee be men though in ciuill and
soules let vs watch and these things shall not moue vs. For first we depend not vpon any priuate man or spirit for that doctrine which we allow but vpon the publike Spirit of Iesus Christ speaking in the Scriptures We embrace not the Scriptures for mans sake as the Papists doe so farre as the Pope approueth but man and his opinions for the Scriptures sake and so farre as we finde them agreeable to them so farre we consent vnto them Secondly we may not thinke it strange that Luther and other gracious reformers should be railed at by his and their enemies who felt his priuie and powerfull blowes to the shaking of the Popish Monarchie It is ordinarie to faithfull Teachers to be subiect to the disgracings of their aduersaries both in respect of their persons and doctrines Tertullus said of Paul Acts 24.5 Ierem. 18.18 Seâ— for thiâ— also these places Iohn 8 48. Iohn 10.20 Acts. 6.11 Act 10.20 21. Certainly we haue found this man a pestilent fellow a moouer of sedition Ieremiahs enemies say of him Come and let vs imagine some mischiefe against him come and let vs smite him with the tongue Why vpon what ground will they deale thus with Ieremie Surely they doe not say because the Pope for whom we work cannot erre and the Church whereof wee are members cannot want the spirit to guide it yet they speake something like it when they say For the Law shal not perish from the Priest nor Counsell from the wise nor the Word from the Prophet So that we may not thinke it a new thing that learned and resolute Luther should when he is with God be thus trampled vpon by men Thirdly it is very likely yea in its kinde certaine that a As certaine as those things whiâ—h come vnto vs by humane relation Luther was a reuerend and holy man For though his professed enemies such as Coclaeus Parsons and the rest of the Iesuites are doe declaime against him yet in his daies he had the testimonie both of God and man Of God in that miraculous successe which he had in his preaching for the spreading of the truth against the power and policy of the Emperour and Pope and what euer other enemies he had which were neither few nor of small place and respect in the world Dr. White his Way Caâ—sa Regia Couent Liâ—hf Episc cap. 3. sect 16. pag. 119. Of man in the testimonie of Erasmus which is often laid on the trencher of our aduersaries and cannot be wiped off Notwithstanding which testimonie we doe freely acknowledge both that his many oppositions and multiplicitie of troubles made him more pettish and rash in words than hee should haue beene as also that hee had two other faults as Erasmus is said wittily to passe his iudgement concerning him to the Duke of Saxonie to wit That he medled with the Popes Crowne and with the Monkes bellies Fourthly put case that Luther and the rest of those godly Reformers were wicked shall we not haue the same libertie which the Church of Rome hath When we obiect the horrible and outragious wickednesses of many Popes who were for the time Heads of their Church vnder Christ to conuey spirituall life into the whole bodie they doe answer in effect that we need not take so much paines as to cast it in their teeth for they doe of their owne accords acknowledge it and are not ashamed to make the most brutish and cursed villanies of the Popes Bellarm. in his Preface to his Bookes De Pontif a proofe of the excellencie of that Chaire and of the prouidence of God ouer it If then they proue the holinesse of their Religion from the vnholinesse of their Popes why should they proue the impietie of our Religion from the impietie of Luther if it were true Fiftly as for Luthers learning from the Deuill I answer two things distinctly First put case that Luther had said that the Deuill did preach vnto him the true doctrine of the Sacrament Is it any newes that the Deuill should preach the truth to disgrace it Doth nor Iesus Christ for this cause hinder the Deuil from saying that he knew him Marke 1.34 because he needed not his testimonie though he was readie enough to giue it which could doe him no good And did not the woman who had the diuining Deuill say of Paul and Silas Acts 16.17 That they were the seruants of the most high God shewing the way of saluation In which the truth was spoke and yet saith the Text it grieued Paul because by this meanes it might seeme that the Deuill and the Spirit of God taught one doctrine So that we may conclude that the Deuill will preach the truth for his owne aduantage But secondly the truth is that this is but the slander of an enemie For all of vs that haue beene vrged with it as we cannot thinke Luther such a foole as to bewray his owne secrets and openly to professe that the Deuill was his master to the so great disaduantage of his cause So vpon diligent search we can finde but this to be the vpshot of what he saith in this kinde namely that he hauing learned the true doctrine of the Sacrament in the Schoole of Christ the Deuill vrged it strongly against his former practise of Massing to draw him to despaire because he had so often dishonoured God Lastly concerning our refusall as they please to tearme it of disputation with them First we see their pride in boasting of their learning among their blinded disciples as if it were so great that our side were afraid to looke â—hâ—m in the faces Secondly we cannot thinke ouâ— cause to be â—he worse because we do not dispute with them for the garland Who knoweth not that a quicke wit a nimble tongue a confident spirit and a bold face will goe beyond a good cause at such a time Doe we not see that a wrangler will haue the last word what euer his cause be and I am sure it had beene better with Eue if she had neuer disputed the case with the deuill and it would bee better with all of vs if in arguments against the truth wee could attaine to Pauls Logicke Rom. 3.4 5 6. to hold the conclusion whatsoeuer the premises are Thirdly the world hath beene well acquainted with Popish disputations and vpon what aduantages they haue beene vndertaken Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage and Luther can witnesse against whom there was more power than arguments and wee cannot forget how holy Bradford coâ—plained that they would dispute with him Fox his Maâ—tyrol Abstâ— by Mâ—sâ—â— to wit that hee should dispute against the things which they had alreadie determined whereby it appeared that they sought not the truth but his destruction and their owne glory yea and wee see still that where the Popish power reacheth whatsoeuer be the propositions the conclusion is the Inquisition and the mercy of those holy Fathers by fire
all of these nor any one or more of them preuaile with vs to admit of that doctrine which wee haue not receiued in our Church but watch we against all false doctrine whatsoeuer what pretence soeuer the Teachers may make shew of They that serue not the Lord Iesus but their owne bellies Rom. 16.18 may with faire speech and flattering deceiue the hearts of the simple like the Popish shauelings by Benedictions Absolutions Sacrifices and the like By how much more carefull therefore they are to plead against vs and for themselues and to liquor their speeches with sweet though deadly words by so much more diligent let vs be to watch ouer doctrine But we must not leaue here for as our watchfulnesse doth referre it selfe to faith so likewise to loue and that it may be in this place more principally Hearken therefore to this second branch of watchfulnesse that we must watch in respect of manners For the pressing whereof I shall not vary from my couâ—se in the former first to shew you what it is and secondly how wee may be stirred vp to practise it I conceiue watchfulnesse to be a dutie which lookes to a double obiect namely to sinne and to grace What watchfulnesse in manners is Watchfulnesse about sinne is a holy care either to preuent or to crush it be it neuer so small Euen as if the plague were about vs carnall wisdome it selfe would make vs to looke to our feet and to beware that wee come not neare those dwellings Ephes 5.15 Hebr. 12.13 So doth watchfulnesse make vs walke cicumspectly and make straight steps to preuent the plague of sinne Or as if a Wolfe were about our houses euen naturall wisdome would make vs carefull to kill him so will spirituall watchfulnesse make vs watchfull to crush sinne yea euen as if wee should see a Boy creepe in at our windowes we would watch him as narrowly as if he were a man because though he could not doe vs much hurt himselfe yet he could let in men which might depriue vs of our goods and liues so if we apprehend the least sin gaining vpon vs we must be as diligent in watching against it as if it were of a greater size because it doth open the soule and prepare it for the greatest sinnes that are Secondly watchfulnesse about grace is a holy care to nourish the spirit and to take all good occasions to bring forth and practise grace and godlinesse As a man that doth desire and will to be rich doth cherish in himselfe all endeuours to that end and wait all occasions to be fingring the pence So watchfulnesse doth worke in a man an attendance vpon all holy meanes to increase grace with the increasings of God Where we must watch If now you shall aske me where this watch must be set Let me tell you that your listening to this will make you the better to conceiue and see what it is It must be kept in all the parts powers and faculties of soule and bodie First we must watch in our hearts Prou. 4.23 as Salomon saith Keepe thine heart with all diligence A negligent watch is for the most part set in this place because wee walke not as in Gods sight and presence but when wee doe consider that the heart is the principall commander in this little world and that according to the charge of the heart the tongue speaks Luke 8.45 Matt. 15.18 19. the hand workes and the eye sees by how much more authoritie the heart hath in vs by so much more carefull we must be to watch ouer the faithfulnesse of it Secondly we must watch in our minds that they do not roaue about vnprofitable and vnnecessarie things Though we labour to know other things which are of vse in this world yet we must watch that this be our chiefe care to know Iesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 3.2 Si Christum benè scis satis est si caetera nescis si Christum nescis nihil est si caetera discis Malum seminatum Malum innatum Iob 31.1 For as ignorance in other things can doe vs little hurt if wee doe soundly know Christ so knowledge of others can doe vs little good if wee are ignorant of Christ Thirdly we must watch in our senses for they are the cinqueports of the soule both to let in that euill which the Deuill doth sowe in the creatures and to let out that inward corruption in our hearts to strengthen our outward enemies Hence is it that as Iob made a couenant with his eyes Psal 119.37 so Dauid prayed that God would turne away his eyes from beholding vanitie Fourthly we must watch in our tongues in which point Dauid hath giuen vs a good president when he said I will take heed to my waies Psal 39.1 that I sin not with my tongue If he was so watchfull ouer his tongue Psal 57.8 which notwithstanding he calleth his glory much more must wee seeing wee may well call ours our shame Remember therefore what Dauid saith in another place Psal 34.13 Keepe thy tongue from euill and thy lips that they doe speake no guile especially considering what Iames saith If any man amongst you seemeth religious and refraineth not his tongue but deceiueth his heart this mans religion is vaine Lastly Iam. 1.26 2 Tim. 4.5 wee must watch in all things whether for our soules or bodies whether in our spiritual or corporal imployments In our commerce and trading with men in our talking walking buying selling we must be carefull that no iniustice vncharitablenesse or deceit doe creepe in and then we watch in bodily things In our reading praying conference hearing and receiuing the Sacrament Luke 8.18 wee must take heed how wee heare how we pray how we receiue and the like that no wandering thoughts either wicked or good besides the purpose that no hypocrisie dulnesse or securitie doe hinder our comfort in these things and then we watch in spirituall things Now at the length yee may fully conceiue what it is to watch It is to haue through Gods working a holy care and diligence in all the parts powers and actions of our soules and bodies against all sinne and for the doing of all good as in Gods sight and presence If now yee will aske me how we may be stirred vnto practise it Motiues to watchfulnesse I answer by a through considering of these foure points That when the end of all things commeth the righteous shall scarcely be saued In which respect mens hearts shall faile them for feare and for looking after those things which shall come on the world Luk. 21.26 for the heauen shall be shaken 1 Pet. 4.18 Oh where then shall the vngodly and sinner appeare We are too easily lulled asleepe with the facilitie of our attaining to heauenly happinesse And hence it comes to passe that sometimes we dreame not of entring into the way of heauen
risen with Christ Col. 3.1 Eph. 2.6 and wee sit with him in heauenly places His debased estate also is ours as his birth suffering vnder Pontius Pilate his crucifying his death his descension into hell For hence is it that we are said to be buried with Christ Rom. 6.4 5 6. and to be grafted with him into the similitude of his death yea and to haue the old man crucified with him as in this Text. If now you will inquire Why wee are said to haue fellowship in his death I answer For three causes especially First Because of that sacramentall vnion which wee haâ—e with Christ Rom. 6. Wee are baptized into the death of Christ We are buried with Christ in Baptisme Baptisme doth seale vnto vs and giue vs interest in that communion which we haue in his death For as the dipping in the primitiue Church so the sprinkling of the water now doth signifie and seale our death and buriall with Christ Secondly Because what Christ did as Mediator of the Church hee did it not as a priuate person but as the head of the Church and in the roome and stead of all his elect Hence is it that hee is called our sponsor or suretie Heb. 7.22 For as the debt which a suretie payeth hee payeth not onely for himselfe because hee hath willingly made himselfe a debtor but for the partie also for whom hee is bound so Christ payeth for vs. Thirdly Because when wee truly turne from all sinne vnto God as we do with all our hearts make a deed of gift to conueigh our selues vnto God that so in all distresse we may plead as Dauid Psal 119. I am thine saue mee for I doe put my trust in thee Esa 9.6 so God doth make a deed of gift of whole Christ to conueigh him vnto vs. As therefore we account to haue right to that which is giuen vs as freely and as fully as if wee had purchased it or had it by inheritance euen so wee ascertaine and assure our selues of Christ crucified with all his benefits Vse 1 This therefore being a truth that we haue fellowship in the sufferings of Iesus Christ is of excellent vse both to procure the hatred and the mortification of sinne For the first we should grow in eternall enmitie with it when we doe but thinke that the Lord of life was crucified for it but if we set our selues in Christs roome and feelingly apprehend his paine as ours when hee conflicting with his Fathers wrath cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee When his soule was heauie vnto death and he being rosted with the fire of Gods wrath did in a cold season sweat drops of blood if wee shall account his invâ—terable losse to be ours to wit that our sinnes made God to withdraw his louing countenance from vs good men to flie from vs our friends to deny vs our enemies to insult ouer vs the earth to quake the sunne to hide her light and the rockes to rent in sunder who will not now gnash his teeth at sinne and cry ouer it with a holy indignation as the Edomites ouer Ierusalem Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground Vse 2 As to the second to account our selues as crucified with Christ 1 Pet. 4.1 is an excellent meanes of mortification For he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sinne and if wee are dead to sinne Rom. 6.2 how shall wee yet liue therein Wee know that when a felon is executed hee is not onely freed from the imputation of sinne because he hath satisfied the law but from the practise of sinne also The same minde must be in vs that wee may mortifie the deeds of the flesh by such spirituall reasons as these are What am I not crucified am I not dead doe I yet worke the workes of darknesse as if I liued in sinne what is it that should make me rake together the dead bones of sinne to put new life into them I know that it is death to heare of such a dying Ah it is too true that wee loue our sinnes too well to let them be crucified with Christ But shall I tell you what we may doe to helpe all I remember that it was a law in Israel Dâ—ut 21.11 12. that if a beautifull woman should be taken captiue in warre and any man should desire her as his wife hee must shaue her head pare her nailes put off the garment wherein hee loued her that is take away all her ornaments and if hee then liked her let him take her into his house Oh that we could be wise to deale thus with sinne It hath many ornaments sutable to our corrupt natures which doe beguile the seduced and deceiued eyes of our soules Some sinnes are clad with profit some with pleasure some with honour and other some with fauour but shaue off this alluring haire fling away these tempting garments and then yee shall see that it defaceth Gods image dishonoureth God grieueth and quencheth the spirit woundeth the conscience and presseth to hell Now tell me whether ye like sinne yea or no Oh that this might be a forcible inducement vnto vs to let our crucifying with Christ haue its diuine force It may be you will inquire for some plaine direction for the crucifying of sinne If you doe I shall soone say by Gods blessiâ—g much in a little See these things more largely in my Sermon on 2 Cor. 5.17 Marke the degrees of Christs crucifying for vs and wee must imitate it in our crucifying of sinne for Christ Christ was apprehended put in hold indited condemned and executed so must we deale with sinne Wee must apprehend it by a through examination put it in hold by godly sorrow indite it by a heartie confession condemne it by a seuere iudging of our selues and execute it by faith and a good conscience The longer we delay the stronger sinne is and the harder to kill Heare therefore that your soules may liue Let not the deuill seduce you with vaine hopes of long life or time enough to repent in Fishes will not be caught with a bloudy net why will yee Remember when one commended the Popes Legate at the Councell of Basil Tamen Romanus est Sigismond the Emperour answered Yet hee is a Romane So let the flesh commend Satan in all his sugred allurements neuer so much yet let the spirit answer Yet hee is a deuill Let vs neuer forget and God giue vs vnderstanding in all things that he is the roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure Hauing thus led you through the fellowship of Christ in his death wee are come to that pipe which by the force of this our communion doth conueigh life through this death and that is Faith Touching which wee arâ— to obserue from hence That by vertue of this our communion with Christ wee liue by Faith It is not our faith absolutely considered that is our
life but as it doth vnite and knit vs vnto Iesus Christ Notwithstanding because without faith we cannot be knit vnto him who is our life therefore wee are said to liue by faith Which to conceiue you must know that there is a threefold life of man First that which doth consist of being life motion and sense and thus wee are said to liue a sensitiue life Secondly that which doth consist of being life motion sense and reason and thus wee liue a reasonable life Thirdly that which doth consist of being life motion sense reason and religion and so faith giueth vs our gracious liuelihood For therefore is the Church called The land of the liuing because it is the company of beleeuers Psal 142.5 and that word which is called the word of faith is therefore called the word of life Hence also Christ saith Iohn 6.47 that he that beleeueth hath life and Peter calleth Christians 1 Pet. 2.5 Liuing stones because by faith they grow vp into a holy building yea and they are said to be begotten to a liuing hope 1 Pet. 1.3 or a liuely hope that is a hope proceeding from faith our life and receiuing liuelihood from thence to issue out into the acts of life Neither need it seeme strange vnto vs that faith in Christ should be our life if we doe consider these three grounds First That by faith alone wee haue interest in our Sauiour Christ who is the onely way truth and life Iohn 14.6 For God hath set him forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud Rom. 3.25 and wee are righteous before God by the faith of Iesus Christ If therefore we call that our liuing which is the instrumentall cause of our naturall liuing good much more faith which is the instrument of our spirituall good Secondly By faith alone we haue right to those meanes of saluation wherein we haue communion and fellowship with Christ in this world As first for the Word it will not profit if it be not mixed with faith in them that heare it Hebr. 4.2 that so they may take it home and apply it as a good plaister to their infected soules As to the Sacraments they doe not seale a blanke Rom. 4.11 but are signes and seales of the righteousnesse of faith and when we come vnto them wee draw neere vnto God which must be done with a true heart in assurance of faith Hebr. 10.22 yea we must be at peace with God for God doth not vse to bestow such sauoury blessings vpon his enemies but no peace without iustification by faith Rom. 5.5 As to prayer Iam. 1.6 we must aske in faith nothing wauering We therefore hauing right vnto these things only by faith it is not vnworthily said to be our life Thirdly faith giueth vnto vs a right title yea a coÌ„fortable vse of all the things of this life In faith that is hauing my person in Christ and my warrant allowance from God in his word I eat my meat put on my clothes till my ground take profit of my cattle whatsoeuer is not of faith is sin that is whatsoeuer is done with a trembling Rom. 14.23 wandring gaine-saying conscience Dubitante Errante Repugnante consâ—ientâ—a when we haue not both warrant in our hearts that our persons are reconciled vnto God in Iesus Christ that our actioÌ„ is agreeable or not repugnant vnto Gods wil is sinful Seeing therfore that our faith only giueth vs a comfortable right both to the principall and instrumentall causes of our spirituall naturall liuing good we may rightly conclude that the iust man doth liue by his faith Hab. FroÌ„ which doctrine we may learne two profitable lessons Vse 1 first concerning our selues and secondly concerning others Concerning our selues we learne that as the life of a man doth take possession of the whole man and quicken all the parts of him and by degrees driueth out all the death which there it findeth so faith possesseth quickneth driueth out death from the whole soule As when water is set ouer the fire that heat which doth come vnto it doth by degrees possesse warme driue out the cold of it or as when the sap doth in the spring arise out of the root of the tree into the bodie and branches it doth take away all the vnfruitfulnes of it by degrees doth make it bring forth bud leafe and fruit so faith dealeth with our soules For as the life of man is a power diffused through the whole man so faith being the life of the soule is a power diffused thorow the whole soule So that faith must be both in the minde and in the heart It must shew it selfe in the minde in three things First in the knowledge for there is something euen in the very inlightning of the vnderstanding which is of the nature of faith Therefore the Prophet saith Es 53.11 that the knowledge of thy righteous seruant that is CHRIST shall iustifie many which yet cannot be wrought without faith Secondly in the iudgement when we being inwardly conuinced doe clearely resolue that Christ is the way to bee happy and therefore the onely good tidings which our hearts can rest vpon This made the Apostle say Phil. 3.8 9. Doubtlesse I thinke that is this is my resolute iudgement that all things are losse and dung in respect of Christ Thirdly in our memories when the greatest care in vs is among other things to lay vp the words of our blessed Sauiour Luk. Psal 119. and to hide his promises in our hearts Againe faith must shew it selfe in the heart when the heart beleeueth Rom. 10.9 Act. 8.39 yea when wee beleeue with all our hearts and this it doth in three things also First in the appetite and desires when a man is so farre exercised in the spirituall seeking of Christ that he desires rather to part with all the world if he had it than not to haue some comfortable assurance of Gods loue in Iesus Christ And whosoeuer shall thus sell all to buy the pearle hath true faith for God heareth the desires of the poore Psal 10.17 yet he heareth not to our comfort our prayers except they be faithfull Matth. 5.6 And they are blessed that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse yet none are blessed with Abraham but they who are of the faith of Abraham Secondly in the affections when the soule is confident and resteth vpon the promises of God in Christ as the onely ground of happinesse For when there are no arguments drawne from a mans sense and feeling which may perswade him of Gods loue in Christ yet he doth confidently relie vpon it then is he said to liue by faith not by sight as Ioh who professed that though God killed him yet would he trust in him Iob. Thus also doth faith quicken other affections as ioy feare loue and the like directing
them to their right obiects and bringing them by degrees to this measure that they are spent vpon Christ without measure Thirdly our faith doth shew it selfe in our wils when the soule hauing many times a blessed experience of Gods loue is perswaded of it Thus Pauls faith shewed it selfe when he said I am perswaded that neither life nor death and so forth shall seperate vs that is Rom. 8.38 39. me and other Christians from Gods loue which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Which perswasion as I take it doth more naturally belong vnto the will it being more proper to the vnderstanding to be conuicted and to the will to be perswaded So that though the soule be many times tossed with temptations feares and terrours yet more or lesse it is much refreshed with this perswasion Thus we see how faith quickneth the whole soule of the godly man In which respect if wee be quickned from the death of our vnderstandings and not of our desires if we perceiue the inliuing of our desires and not of our wils and affections we haue iust cause to suspect that we haue no faith For faith is in no part of the soule in any measure where it is not in all parts of the soule in some measure For in this doth the life of the soule differ from the life of the bodie that the life of the bodie doth begin in the heart it being that which first liues and doth end there it being that which last dieth but the life of the soule which can neuer perish though it may seeme not to worke for some time like a member deaded with a blow as it is in our first regeneration like light in the aire shed abroad thorow the whole soule so it is alwaies to be found in all the powers of the soule though in some man it be more predominant in the vnderstanding in some in the desires and in some others in the will and affections Now therefore let vs from hence-forth enter into our owne soules to trie whether we haue faith yea or no. If we haue it is our life and if it be our life it quickneth both our vnderstandings to know Christ our iudgements to approue him as our only Sauiour and Redeemer our memories to treasure vp the promises our desires to haue an vnquenchable thirst after him our affections to be spent vpon him our wils in some measure to be perswaded of his loue to vs and our whole soules to droope and mourne in our Christian ioy because we cannot receiue him more fully in the whole to our endlesse comfort Vse 2 Secondly concerning others we learne from this life of faith who are the men that onely may be said to liue to wit the godly man because he only hath faith The great man liueth gallantly the voluptuous man liueth merrily the rich man wealthily the politicke man warily only the faithfull man liueth indeed because he liueth graciously This is true life and all other liues are deaths to this The wealthie mans life is full of care feare griefe but Faith triumpheth That neither life nor death principalitie nor power things present nor things to come shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God in Christ Iesus The poore mans life is full of discontent and penury but Faith can want and abound and in stead of other dainties doth euery day feed vpon Christ The Infants life is full of mourning and crying but Faith glads the heart in the midst of heauinesse and makes it many times reioyce with ioy vnspeakable and glorious The young mans life is full of passion wauering and fickle inconstancie but Faith doth so ballace our soules that we runne a setled course and sweare to keepe Gods righteous iudgements The old mans life is full of deafenesse dulnesse decayednesse but Faith seeth thorow the clouds life in death glory in shame yea it heareth the voice of God in euery sentence and though the outward man perish yet in the inner and hid man of the heart Faith reneweth vs daily Although therefore we must liue other liues both naturall and ciuill yet let vs make more account of this That Christ liueth in vs by faith than of all other liues whatsoeuer Thus haue I brought you along vnto the last thing which I shall obserue from hence that is the exercise and expressement of that power which Faith giueth vs by our communion with Christ in a vertuous and holy life For as hee hath said that wee haue fellowship in his death for our mortification that we are quickned by faith in him for our viuification so that we through that quickning power which wee doe receiue from Christ by faith are made liuely vnto all holy obedience Therefore is it that the Apostle saith It is not I but Christ that quickneth mee concerning the life that we now liue to liue graciously Whence we must marke That it is from the vertue and power of Christ that wee are quickned to all holy obedience Though we haue faith yet we must not pride our selues in it for it is not faith in it selfe that quickneth vs but as it is a diuine power whereby we doe receiue that life which is in Christ Iohn 5.21 Therefore is it said That the Sonne quickneth whom he will Yea and hence is it that the Scripture is so exact in setting downe our weaknesse For whereas there are seuen degrees to be considered for the effecting of a good thing the Scriptures shew that man is weake in all of them Psal Can man thinke good No The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men that they are but vaine and wee are not sufficient of our selues to thinke a good thought 2 Cor. 2.14 Can we vnderstand good 1 Cor. 2.14 Rom. 8.7 No The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the Spirit of God Yea the wisdome of flesh is enmitie against God Can we will and desire good No It is God that worketh in vs both the will and the deed Phil. 2.13 Can we speake good No Prov. 16.1 The wife man may purpose a thing in his heart but the answer of the tongue is of the Lord therefore Dauid prayeth to God that he would open his lips that his mouth might set forth his praise Psal 51.15 If he could not tune his tongue much lesse could he turne his heart Can wee begin to doe good No as Esay saith The children are come to the birth and there is no strength to bring forth so may we say of our inward good for it is God that beginneth this good worke in vs. Philip. 1.6 Can wee doe or worke any good No I know that the way of man is not in himselfe Ier. 10.23 for without Christ we can doe nothing Ioh. 15.5 Can we perfect any thing that good is No To will is present with vs as with Paul when we are sanctified but we haue no power to performe If God should bring
Diana for Ephesus So Rome hath Saint Iames for Spaine Saint Dennis for France Saint Peter and Paul for Rome Saint Ambrose for Millane Saint Marke for Venice the three Kings for Collen Saint Lewis for Pannonia and Saint Mary for Heluetia And as the Heathens had guardians for the Elements as Iupiter for the Heauen and Fire Iuno for the Aire Neptune for the Sea and Pluto for the Earth So Rome hath Saint Agatha for the Fire Saint Nicholas for the Sea and Saint Theodulus for Tempests And as the Heathens had guardians for the Fruits of the earth as Bacchus for Wine and Ceres for Fruit So Rome hath Saint Iodocus for Fruits and Saint Vrbanus for Wine And as the Heathens had guardians for their Cattell as Apollo and Pan So Rome hath Saint Wendaline for Sheepe Saint Eulogius for Horse Saint Pelagius for Oxen and Saint Anthony for Swine And as the Heathens had their protectors for Trades Arts and Sciences as Minerua for Learning Vulcan for Smiths Aesculapius for Physitians Mars for Warriours Diana for Hunters Castor and Pollux for Sea-faring-men and Flora Venus and Lupa for Harlots So Rome hath Saint Catherine and Gregorie for Schollars Saint Luke for Painters Saint Cosmas for Physitians Saint Maurice for Souldiers Saint Eulogius for Carpenters Saint Crispine for Shoo-makers Saint Gutmane for Taylors Saint Magdalen and Afra for Harlots And lastly as the Heathens had their guardians against Diseases as Apollo against the Plague Lucina against the paines of Womens trauailes and Hercules against the Falling-sicknesse So Rome hath Saint Sebastian against the Plague Saint Petronel against an Ague Saint Marke against sudden Death Saint Margaret against the paines of Womens labours S. Otilia against the diseases of the Eyes S. Apollonia against the Tooth-ache and the like The consideration of all these and many other obiects of Idolatrie none of which were of Gods making hath made me many times to search into the cause of Religion and to striue both with my selfe and others that all insinuating Idolatrie being laid aside and abhorred the truth may take place both in our heads and hearts I know that deepe decisions of controuersies are not so easily apprehended in our ordinary assemblies I haue sought therefore to bring the truth vnto the easiest triall in remouing such ordinary exceptions as it is subiect vnto by the wise men of the world Whatsoeuer it be I doe offer it vnto both your hands desiring God that it may confirme you in the truth of our true Religion It shall be my reioycing to see you and yours alwaies walking in the truth and so humbly resigning your selues to the diuine wisdome of Gods word both for the direction of your soules and bodies that God may neuer haue iust cause to giue you ouer to Schisme Heresie Vanitie or any other wickednesse whatsoeuer Euen so humbly prayeth he who hath some few yeeres had experience of your great loue and who desireth to continue Your faithfull Shepherd ROBERT ABBOT THE TRIAL OF True Religion IAMES 1.27 Pure Religion and vndefiled before God euen the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in their aduersitie and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world IT is well obserued by Diuines that the Apostles in planting and watering the Churches of Christ laboured two things especially First the plaine and powerfull deliuerie of the mysteries of Faith both by word and writing thaâ— so both Iewes and Gentiles might be brought to embrace them Secondly the plaine and powerfull expressing and pressing of the obedience of Faith and such a life as becommeth the Gospell of Christ Iesus In both these kindes Paul was excellent but in the latter he was more briefe thorow all his Epistles The other Apostles were more briefe in the doctrine of Faith and in the duties of Christian profession more large and plentiful Saint Peter principally laboureth for pietie patience and constancie against false apostles Saint Iohn for the loue of God and of the Saints Saint Iude against false teachers and hypocrites And this our Apostle Iames laboureth for patience vnder the Crosse and a Christian life In the performance whereof as Dâ—uines doe well agree wee meet with something which doth not occurre in the writings of the other Apostles None doth so clearely deliuer the cause of sinne the necessary issue of workes from iustifying faith the concatenation and vnion of the whole Law the imperfection of humane righteousnesse from the miscariage of the tongue our dependance vpon the prouidence of God euen in ciuill things and the carriage of sicke persons in those miraculous times In these points I say this Apostle carrieth away the bell from the rest The principall point in this Epistle doth seeme to be this That with the faith of Christ Christian workes are to be ioyned Wherein we must walke to the end of our Faith which is the saluation of our soules The principall reason whereby he vrgeth it is this because the faith of Christ which in securitanes is falsely so called without Christian life is but a dead carkasse or vaine shadow of faith and not a liuing faith or that Spirit of Faith which the Apostle speaketh of Hence therefore doth he take occasion to vrge to diuers parts of Christian life and good conuersation In this Chapter he treateth of three points First of the temptations of Christians both outward by afflictions and inward by lusts Secondly of the hearing and doing of the Word of God and thirdly in the two last verses of true and false religion In the first of which hee shewes what religion is in vaine in the second of which he shewes what religion will beare the touch and triall Wee haue to doe with the second at this time wherein religion is described First by the affections properties or adiuncts of it when it is said to be pure and vndefiled before God And secondly by the fruits and effects of it and those both towards others while it workes vs to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in aduersitie as also in our selues who haue it while it workes vs to keepe our selues vnspotted of the world To conceiue aright of these things for our further vse and benefit I must open vnto you First the thing spoken of and secondly that which is spoken of it The thing spoken of is Religion and is so called either from our reading againe the defaced or new written law in our hearts Relegendo of which writing Ieremy speaketh saying Ier. 31.33 I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts or from our knitting to God againe from whom wee had made a cursed defection Religando because in our regeneration wee are by faith vnited vnto him againe in Christ Iesus or else from our choosing of God againe to bee our God and master Reeligendo when we doe renounce the world the flesh and the deuill This religion signifieth here that worship and seruice which is