Christ Jesus Triumphant, To the reader
To the Christian Reader, comfort in Christ Jesu.
SUch is the force of flesh, Christiā Reader, especially whē the spirite doth make resistāce, that what wee would not, and should not, that Rom. 7.we doe. A suttle, and most wily Serpēt, who in securitie is well pleased to be secure: and to them that sleep is also fauorable too vnderlay a cushion.Luke. 11. But whē the stronger-man Jesus Christ cōmeth vpō them both, and with Gods finger awaketh the one, and dispossesseth the other, thē hee playeth the old Deuill, and windyng his tale plumpe rounde, with greater force doth hisse at, leape at, and bruse the stronger-mans Gene. 3.heele, because the stronger man brake his head.
And herein consider the wisedome of Gods spirite in these speaches of brusing the heele, and breaking the head, as therein liuely expressing the victory of Jesus Christ, Sathans ouerthrow, and the speciall comfort of a mournyng Conscience. For it was Sathans power (of God) too bruse Christ his heele, to beat, buffet, hisse at, spit at, scourge, and persecute him in the flesh: too shame him on the Crosse, to goare his side, too pearce his head, hart, and hands, too shead his bloud: yet the same Jesus Christ Triumphantly rose agayne with the same hys flesh, ascended with the same: and with the same doth there remayne at Gods right hand, Lord of Heauen, and Earth. In takyng of which brused heele, albeit hee sometymes fainted in the infirmitie of the flesh: & as it were calling his foote backe agayne at the first touch or steppe, because of the sharpe sting whiche he felt (for his own reuerēce cryed at the entraunce of his Passion, saying, Father if it be possible let this cuppeMath. 26. passe) yet he willingly, for our onelyonly cause, and benefite, continued too be brused on the heele: manfully spoyled Luke. 11.the enemy of his harnesse wherein hee Psal 91.trusted: troad vnderunder the red Dragon: and finally brake and crusht his head, that is, the rigor of the Law, the strength of Sinne, and the sting of Death.
In the same case, and cause of quarell, which he had with our Master he laboreth to master vsus, vsing his force in, and vponupon our flesh, geuing vsus often in conflict a foyle, or a fall: but it is the fall of the fleshe, not of the spirite: of the body, not of the soule: of Adam the old, and out ward mā, not of Christ the inward, and the new. For the same heele, or flesh brused by the fall, through the Lawe in it selfe (the corruption that yet remayneth euen in the elect)Rom. 7. rebelling agaynst the Law of our mynde, albeit it hold vsus Captiue, and make vsus as dead through trespasse (sor it standeth not with the riches of Gods mercy, and grace, neither with the kyndnesse whiche he shewed vntounto vsus in Christ Jesus, that wee should bee perfect in this fleshe) yet it hath no dominion, it quickeneth, and riseth agayne, and is Ephes 2.made too sit in heauenly places.
Where note (Christian Reader) that the Holy Ghost sayth, it is made to sit, it setteth not it selfe. How then? or of whom commeth the healing of this bruse? the recouery of this fall? the deliuery from this body of Death? and albeit our enemies make often, and strong inuasions, or incursions, yet whence is the finall victory? I thanke my God, (sayth S. Paul) through Jesus Christ Rom. 7.our Lord. First he thanketh: a note of grace, and free gift, not of desert, or duetie. For, who geueth an other thankes for that, which of necessitie, and desert is his owne. Secondly he geueth thankes to God, not to himselfe: and he thāketh not God, but in Christ Jesu our Lord. So that in our selues there is nothyng: in God the Father standeth the gift: but Jesus Christ is all in all. For God will not, neither can he be pleased, but onelyonly when Christ maketh intercession. Marke the course, and doctrine of the Scripture? It is God in deede, who hath raysed vsus vp together, and hath made vsus sit together in the heauenly places. But did he this for that wee pleased him? or for that some great Saint did make intreatie? no, he made vsus sit there (sayth the Text) in Jesus Christ: in no other. And why so in Jesus Christ? Forsooth, that he might shew in ages too come the Ephe. 2.exceedyng riches of his grace, through his kyndnesse toward vsus, in Christ Jesus. So that his kyndnesse, grace, riches, and whatsoeuer his blessings which we hauehave, or shall hauehave at his handes, it is onelyonly for his welbeloued Sonnes sake: who onelyonly made vsus who were farre of neare vntoo his Father, and reconciled vsus that were in hatred, and children of wrath by his Crosse, and precious bloud. Without hauyng him in thy mynde, or hart it is an horrible and fearefull thyng, but too thinke of God: A God of wrath and seuere iustice, but onelyonly in his Sonne Christ, in whom he is well pleased.
Pleased he is, we all cōfesse, and not only for original sinne alone (as some do affirme, thereby teachyng, that what sinne we cōmit after our baptisme we our selues, or the priest for vsus, hauyng his hyer, must redeeme, and not Christ) but also for all other Sinne in course of lyfe cō mitted. For, by grace are wee saued (sayth the text, not washed) and that through Fayth. Which Fayth commeth not by oftē workyng well (for thē we might well argue that wee are saued by woorkes, when wee are saued by Fayth whiche is the fruite of our workes) but it is the gift of God (sayth the Scripture in the same place) and not of our woorkes. And why? least any man shold boast of himselfe. For thy woorkes therefore, and for thy Fayth, thanke God, and thanke God through Jesus Christ. He onelyonly is that good, and pitifull Samaritane, who, when we hauehave taken the foyle, or the fall, being sore wounded in this conflict of the flesh, & Spirite, and so cast as forlorne too the hedge, doth wash, and heale our sores, and woundes with his most pure, & blessed oyle, his sweet hart bloud, paying the vttermost farthyng of our debt: too him be all honor, glory, and triūph for euer. Amen.
Of this I thought good too admonish thee, Christiā Reader, desirous with thee to reioyce at the wō derfull woorkes of mercy wrought by this our great Champion Jesus Christ whose victory is our victory: & though we sinne of infirmitie yet he is perfect. Read, and accept this comfortable Treatise which I hauehave translated: therein shalt thou finde faithfully set before thine eyes what Christ hath done for vsus in his Passion, and what he requireth of vsus againe for being made partakers of the fruites of his Passion. The same Lord Jesus Christ blesse thy body, and soule to lyfe euerlastyng. Amen. In whom I most hartely byd, and wishe thee too farewell.
Richard Daye.