A View of Mans Estate, Tract 1 · Chapter 13
The thirtenth Chapter.
¶That true faith requireth an earnest conſideration of mans estate, and the louelove of God towardes him, appearing in the death of Chriſt.
THus hauehave we waded in the bottomeleſſe ſea of Gods louelove & infinite mercy, wherewith he loueth and embraceth the worlde, not minding to finde any ende, or to ſearch the grounde thereof (for we confeſſe with the Prophete.) Thy mercy O Lord reacheth vntounto the heauens,Pſal. 36. and thy faythfulneſſe vntounto the cloudes, thy righteouſneſſe is like the mightie mountaines, and thy iudgementes are like a greate deepe: but by this which is ſayde we hauehave aſſaid ſomewhat to taſt of the goodneſſe of God, following herein the prouocation of the Prophete, whiche calleth men to the conſideration of Gods mercy by this call: O taſt and ſée (ſaith he) how gracious the Lorde is: Bleſſed is the man that putteth his truſt in his mercy. And thus far hauehave we taſted the louelove of God, as we might, onelyonly picking out the ſwéete marrowe of that bone which S. Iohn hath caſt vsus, for the comfort of our ſoules to feede on: God ſo loued the world, &c. In the which ſhorte and ſwéete ſentence duely conſidered and weighed as it is worthy, what find we but ſaluation ſhewing it ſelfe vntounto vsus in a bright glaſſe, and that (as is aforeſayde) it is a knot knitting vp the whole myſterie of our redemption, wherefore in the handling thereof we hauehave paſſed to this point, duplicate page duplicate page as that we hauehave loſed and vndone the ſame, and as grace was giuen, hauehave layde out the partes thereof to the viewe of the Reader.
Now that we may gather vp thoſe pieces and cloſe the knot againe, let vsus ſtand a while and ſée what rockes we hauehave paſſed, let vsus looke backe and view the wonderfull worke of God, declaring his louelove to our ſaluatiō: we know therfore what a loſſe we had in Adam being depriued vtterly of the fauor of God, for ſo God loued the world, in the firſt foundation that we ſtoode in the ſtate of innocencie, comparable with the glorious Angels of heauen: we were faſhioned of earthe, but not endangered to turne againe into earth: we were made men, but like vntounto God: ours matter and ſubſtance was earthly, but our forme and faſhion was heauenly: the patterne whereafter God made vsus was his own image, being in ſubiection to god our creator, but reigning as ſouereignes ouer all Gods creatures, bleſſed in oure ſelues in our ſéede walking on a bleſſed earth, enioying at will the fruits & flours of pleaſant paradiſe, that image of heauē: all our ſenſes they were ſette vponupon pleaſure wythout any lothſomeneſſe: what ſounded in the eare, but the ſwéete and cō fortable voyce of Gods bleſſing? Gods bleſſing was alway in our eies, yea what was in oure mouth but Gods bleſſing? Our labor was reſt, our reſte was continuall, our paines was pleaſure, and oure pleaſure was eternall: we ſweated not, for we had no neede to trauell: we were ignorant of euill, taſting of no corruptiō, free from infirmities, ſtanding in the preſence of God without feare, beholding his glorious countenance without ſhame, hauing health without danger of ſickeneſſe, enioying life without feare of death: the fleſhe and the ſpirite neuer ſtriued, the body obeyed the ſoule, and the ſoule ſaued the body, they were knit togyther with a faſt bynding bande, ſo that they might not departe the one from the other: yea then was the body in better caſe than is nowe the ſoule ſeparate from Chryſte, the ſoule was not ſubiecte to death, nor the body in caſe to be corrupted of the duſte: neyther hell nor the graue, nor duſt nor death, no not the feare of them mought touch or trouble vsus, ſo ſtanding as God hadde appointed. And ſuch was the louelove of God, that he gaue all thoſe heauenly commodities as a ſtate of inheritance to our firſte father, to him and his heires for euer: O goodly gift of God, wherein the date is euer and a day, and nothing betwixt heauē and earth excepted, but only that the fruit of one tree might not be taſted: But O fraile fleſh, O lykeriſhe lippes of earthly Adam, that knewe not himſelfe, and conſidered not how mercyful and louing a God he had of his creator, it did not content him to be a mā, but he would be a God a Gods name, he did not content him to rule and reigne ouer the inſenſible and vnreaſonable, but he woulde ſet his foote as farre forwarde as his Creator, in whoſe handes he was as the brittle claye in the potters fingers. Therefore when that man had ſo giuen ouer the ſeruice of God as raſhly to break his holy commaundement, and to deuour the forbidden fruite: what then myghte the righteous Lorde doe of his iuſtice but plucke downe that preſumptuous ſtomacke? but ſet his face with furie againſt rebellious man? but hate him, but curſe him, and cleane caſte him off, as one that deſpiſed his goodneſſe, vnworthy of his fauour, and vtterly to be reiected as the ſeruant of the Serpent, the ſlaue of ſinne, and a méete helhounde for the Deuill? Verily ſo are we without Chryſte curſed creatures, children of diſobedience, childrē of perdition, euer rebelling againſte the ryghteous God, ſeruing the fleſhe with his appetites, gyuen ouer to concupiſcence, the loſt ſonnes of the loſt father, nothing heauenly, but altogyther earthly, vſing the worlde and the preſent life, as a ſhadowe whoſe ende is eternall darkeneſſe, and as a courſe to runne headlong to Hell, being nothing but naked ſoules, aſhamed to ſtande in the ſight of God, no not the beſt of all, were we as holy as holy Dauid, but muſt be faine to ſaye after hym, I hauehave ſinned, as whoſe righteouſneſſe are but rotten ragges all to beſpotted with the foule blurre of ſinne, whoſe hope is deſperation, whoſe life is without lyght, and whoſe deſert is death. So are we falne, and our féete ſerueth vsus not to get vp againe, we are taken pryſoners in captiuitie with the Deuill, and we are not ſo ryche as to redéeme our ſelues: for our deſertes are but ſuch, that when we hauehave reckened all that we can doe, yet are we but vnprofitable ſeruants: but who is he that commeth ſo neere perfection, as to performe that duetie, to ſet his brother equall in louelove wyth himſelfe, and to ſette God before himſelfe, and that in al times, all places, and al reſpectes? and who then is he that dare aduenture the tryall hereof, and to ſtande to the extremitie of the lawe? S. Paule hath tryed that way, and gyueth vsus a faire warning, as that, the lawe ſtoppeth eueryevery mouth, no fleſh ſhall be founde righteous by that rule. Let vsus then caſt aſide thoſe figge leaues, whyche can not hide our nakedneſſe, that is the deſerts of the fleſhe, the deedes of the law, for this waye we maye be ſure to méete with that curſe: Curſed is he that abydeth not in all that is written in the lawe: Let vsus not make ſo litle of the louelove of Chriſt, and ſo much euacuate his croſſe, as to iuſtifie our ſelues by any lawe: for if righteouſneſſe be by the law,Galath. 2. then Chriſt died with out a cauſe. Neyther will excuſes ſerue to ſaluation, for then ſhoulde the Serpent hauehave bene curſed alone, as vponupon whome all the blame was layde: but if the Serpent ſeduce and be followed, if the Deuill tempt and be not withſtoode, both Adam & Eue, man and woman, they muſt néeds drinke of the cup of Gods curſe. This for the knowledge of oure ſelues, what the world is which God ſo loueth, and ſo ſetting before vsus our reward by iuſtice, the terrible torments & intollerable flames of hel fire, with the bitter byting worm that neuer dyeth, whiche Satan threatneth, leading vsus forward faſt fettered with the chaine of ſinne, what might we do but lye ſweating in the myſerable & pitiful pangs of deſperation? what comfort might we finde one in another, but teares and torments, ſorowes & ſighes, crying and howling, wéeping and wayling, groning and gnaſhing of téeth? But the merciful God, the louing Lorde, when we ſtoode at this point in manner at defiance with God, although he ſawe that al fleſh had corrupted his way, although he knew the imaginations of mans heart to be euil euen from his youth, and ſaw that we alwayes bare a ſtyffe ſtomacke agaynſt him, and his holy will, yet hath he not vtterly caſt vsus of, but bleſſed be his name for euer, he hath ſhewed vsus a glad and chearefull countenance, hée taketh pitie vponupon vsus, it grieueth him we ſhould deſerue his wrath, but it woulde more grieue him that we ſhould die the deſerued death. Wherefore he hath ſhewed vsus marueylous kindeneſſe, and more merciemercy than when we ſtoode firſt in his fauour, yea more merciemercy, I will not ſay than man might deſerue, but more than we coulde deuyſe to aſke. For beholde, he hath opened vntounto vsus all his treaſure and endleſſe riches of his infinite merciemercy, chooſing out as it were the beſt iewell of all hys ſtore and ſtocke, euen that precious pearle, his owne glorie, in whome is all his delight, his onelyonly begotten, hys beſt beloued ſonne,Collo. 2. in whome dwelleth all the fulneſſe of the Godheade bodily, in whome are hid all the treaſures of wiſedome and knowledge, who is the verie expreſſe Image of the inuiſible God, him he hath not ſpared to make our Meſſias, and to ſende vsus a ſauiour, to rayſe vsus from that foule fall of our firſt father, to regenerate and make vsus a new, to conquer the world, to ſlay the ſéede of the ſerpent, and ſée that we ſhoulde not periſh, but liue and reigne with him in his kingdome euerlaſtingly: and how Chriſt hath approued himſelfe a ſauioure, and how he perſited that knotty worke of our redemption, and made all ſure that it might not periſh, what he ſuffered before he ſaid, (it is finiſhed) we hauehave ſéene ſome ſhewe thereof: but O that we could conſider it worthily, and weigh it in a iuſt ballance: then ſhould our harts vndoubtedly waxe hote with the feruent louelove of God, ſo maruellouſly declared in hys ſonne our ſauioure, bearing this in mind alwayes, that whatſoeuer he ſuffered, he ſuffered for vsus: hauing ſtill that voice of our Sauiour ringing in our eares, and freſh in our harts: the zeale of thy houſe hath conſumed me: Chriſte was ſicke of that conſumption, euen of zeale, to make vsus an holy houſe to his father: and what ſoeuer was done by Chriſte on the earth, let vsus recken altogyther vppon the ende whereof he himſelfe proteſteth,Math. 18. the ſonne of man came to ſaue that whyche was loſt, and whatſoeuer was layde vppon him, let vsus recken that ours by ryghte, and that we deſerued a thouſande folde more than ſo:Eſay. 52. for we alas like giddy ſhéepe hauehave gone aſtray, we hauehave turned eueryevery one of vsus his owne way, we were oppreſſed with burthen of ſinne, but by him we are eaſed and refreſhed, for he hathe layde vponupon him the iniquitie of vsus all, that are come vntounto him with our heauy lode: ſurely he hath borne our infirmities and caried our ſorrowes, he was wounded for our tranſgreſſions, he was broken for our iniquities, the chaſtizement of our peace was vponupon him, and with hys ſtripes we are healed: he came downe from the high heauens to raiſe vsus that were faſt ſlipping to the déepe darke hell: he refuſed not to take vponupon him the burthen of our fleſh, that we might by him be quickened in the ſpirit: he liued amongſt vsus men, that we by him might liue with God: he ſuffered ſuche euill entreatie at that Foxe Herods handes, leaſt we might be a portion for Foxes, and a pray for woolues: he followed that thankleſſe office of preaching, that we myghte not periſh but liue by hys worde: for though the deuill ſay nay, yet Chriſt ſayth truely, that man liueth by eueryevery worde procéeding out of the mouth of God, and therefore rather than hée woulde leaue vsus vnprouided of that neceſſary foode whiche he brought from heauen, he tooke well a woorth the miſreports of the wicked blaſphemers: That we might call on him as a Sauioure, he ſuffered himſelfe to be called a Samaritane, a ſinner, a ſurfetter: and for our ſouls h…alt… it was, that he wrought ſo many a miracle by the meanes of one body cured viſibly, ſauing a thouſand ſoules by inuiſible operation of faith: ſo Chriſt himſelfe ſaith: vnleſſe you ſée ſignes and wonders, you will not beléeue: therefore to lay that ſalue to our ſore alſo, he profeſſeth himſelfe a Phiſition and a Surgion, nothing diſdaining the company of ſuch as were in miſerie, and deſpiſed of men: he ſhut not his eyes to the blinde: he came to the lame that coulde not come to him, he looked on the Lepres, he viſited the ſicke, he wepte with the ſorrowfull, he lamented wyth Lazarus, fewer times bidden to feaſtes, than he was founde at burialls. But this is to be accounted the leaſt part of al the paines & ſorowes of our ſauiour. The cup, the curſed cup of his croſſe, what hart is ſo harde that may conſider that without great admiration of Gods mercy? with howe bitter temptations did he take the taſt therof before his hour came? with what heauineſſe of hart did he vtter his complainte vntounto his diſciples? and againe to his father when he ſweated that bloudy water? let vsus heare then our Sauioure himſelfe vttering his complaints, by the mouth of the Prophets? Thus ſaith one:Eſay. 53. he is deſpiſed and reiected of men, he is a man full of ſorrowes, and hath experience of infirmities, we hidde our faces from him, we eſtéemed him not: thys we knowe howe it was accompliſhed, in that the hanghtie high Prieſtes and proude Phariſies, regarded not, but vtterly dyſdayned our Sauiour: by another Prophet he ſaith: he that eateth bread with me, lifteth vp his héele againſt me: This we ſaw performed by ſaucy Iudas, who when he had dipped with our Sauiour in his diſh, ſtreight after gote him out and made vp his bloudy bargaine, and as Chriſt forewarned his diſciples, deliuered the ſonne of man into the handes of ſinners: another Scripture is:Eſay. 53. he is broughte as a ſhéepe before hys ſhéerer, that openeth not his mouth: ſo was he brought before Annas, Cayphas, Herode and Pylate, of whome he heard euill wordes ynough to moue his pacience, but it was vnmoueable, therefore he gaue them the hearing, and anſwered their quarrelling queſtions with humble ſilence: for pacience and ſilence they were two of the ſharpeſt weapons he mainteyneth his kingdome withall. Another ſaying of our Sauioure is this: I gaue my backe vntounto the ſmyters and my chéekes vntounto the nippers,Eſay. 50. I hid not my face from ſhame and ſpitting: how that was tried true we know, when our Sauiour was ſo roughly handled of Souldiers vnderunder Pilate, now layd on with fiſtes, now ſmitten with rods: and how ſhamefully he was beſpetted,Mar. 14. the Euangeliſt dothe moſt faithfully report: and howe he helde hys backe to the tormenters, what backbyting he had as well by euill entreatie, as miſreportes, thereof Pylats bitter ſcurge may be for witneſſe ſufficiente:Eſay. 53. another Scripture ſaythe: he is broughte as a ſhéepe to the ſlaughter: in ſuche manner did our Sauiour goe out of Ieruſalem to the place of hys execution called Caluaria, where hee was offered vp an innocent lambe, and ſlayne as a ſacrifice with bloude for our offences: And ſo dothe the Prophete crie in the perſon of Chriſte, pouring out hys complaintes, and declaring the terrible pangs that he had on hys Croſſe: I am (ſaythe he) become a worme and not a man,Pſal. 22. a ſhame of men, and the contempt of the people, all they that ſée me, hauehave me in deriſion, they make a mow at me, and nod the head, ſaying, he truſted in the Lorde, let hym deliuer hym, let hym ſaue hym ſéeing hée loueth hym: agayne hée ſaythe: I am lyke water poured out, and all my bones are out of ioynt, mine hart is lyke waxe, it is moulten in the midſt of my bowells, my ſtrength is dried vp lyke a potſherde, my tongue cleaueth to my iawes, and thou haſt brought me into the duſt of deathe, for doggs hauehave compaſſed me, and the aſſembly of the wicked hathe encloſed me, they pierced my handes and my féete, they gaue me gall in my meate, and in my thirſt they gaue me vineger to drinke: they parted my garmentes amongſt them,Pſal. 69. Pſal. 22. Pſal. 69. and caſt lottes vponupon my veſture: rebuke hathe broken my hart, and I am full of heauineſſe, and I looked for ſome to hauehave pitie on me, but there was none, and for comfort, but I founde none: Theſe were the ſighes and ſobbes vttered of the Prophet to be verified of our Sauioure, whiles he was in that terrible horror and dreadfull anguiſh of ſoule, as he lay like a lambe broken to the croſſe, and moſt bitterly bléeding to deathe: for ſo farre dyd he ſubmit himſelfe in the cauſe of our redemption, that he is made the moſt perfect patterne of all pacience: ſo did the louelove of God work in him, that he was conſumed euen of very zeale to hys houſe: ſo was he turmoyled and tormented, bruſed and broken, racked and rent into péeces for euill deſeruing ſeruauntes, for our diſobedience hée performed the vttermoſt poynt of obedience, as Sainte Paule ſaythe, he was obedient to the death, the deathe of the croſſe.