Meditations, Meditation 27 – Meditation 29
27
The Church truely and rightly calleth God her saluation. By God is not one person only meant, but the whole three persons. For God the Father, through his Son, by the holy Ghost, saueth vsus. God the Father, principally out of a fundamentall louelove elected vsus, appointed & gaue the means, by which this election might produce saluation. God the Sonne principally did put himselfe into the very work of our saluation, and became the maine matter, meanes and treasurie thereof. God the holy Ghost principally distributeth and imparteth by particular gift and application, the saluation, which was fore-ordained by the Father, and is treasured vp in the Sonne. So the whole Trinitie ioyneth together in this our happinesse, it being absolutely necessarie toward our saluation, that there should be an election and appointment of the meanes, an actuall exhibition of the meanes appointed, and an actuall application of the meanes exhibited. Therefore when wee say, we are saued by Christ, we meane not, that wee are saued by the second person onelyonly, and the humane nature vnited to him: but with Saint Paul we meane, that whole God was in Christ, and reconciled the world to himselfe. Accordingly in our due thanksgiuings, whē we praise God for his gifts toward the new life, we ascribe glory to him for our Election, for our Iustification, for our Regeneration, which are the maine works of our saluation, and are the ioynt-workes of the vndiuided Trinitie. But yet we can follow this truth no farder, then it goes before vsus. Therfore when we come to regeneration, there must we stop and looke no further for saluation, for therein is our saluation accomplished, and all the parts thereof perfected. If after we will goe on to workes as to further causes of our saluation, we goe beyond the truth, being past the God-head, and come vntounto man. For though it may be said, that God worketh these workes in man, yet man ioyneth therein with God. Now the saluation of man is deriued into man from God alone, and is then absolute and full in parts, whē Election, Iustification, and Regeneration, the absolute and only workes of the Trinity, hauehave wrought vponupon him. For regeneration hauing put into man, the seede of God which is the seede of life; Man is then translated from death to life; and hauing begotten him the Sonne of God, hee is then the heire of promised glory and eternitie. Indeed works comming after the state and right of life and glorie, their goodnesse, as it comes from God, so it shall be rewarded by God, increasing the degrees of that glory, wherein before we had an vndeniable property, and title. Therefore works adde not a new part of saluation but only increase the issues, and fruit of a part formerly possessed. Accordingly doth the Diuine song of that rauished soule, orderly declare Gods sauing of vsus from our enemies to goe before our seruing of God, in holinesse all the daies of our life: So workes themselues are placed, as fruits of our saluation, and therefore the glory giuen to workes, is but as the fruite of the fruite of saluation. But why then shall it be said; Come yee blessed, for ye fed mee; and blessed are they that keepe the commandements, that their right may bee in the tree of Life; So that good works seeme to iustifie and saue in the day of iudgement. Herein comparisons may inlighten, though not prooue. If a man hauehave a wife of a suspected life, whose many children when the dying husband calleth before him, hee saith to those that liuely represent him; Come to mee the true sonnes of Mee your Father, you truely resemble mee, therefore to you shall bee giuen the inheritance of your Father. Here for their countenance and proportion is the inheritance adiudged to them, yet is it not for that indeed giuen them, but because thereby they are iudged to be sonnes, for which Son-ship, the inheritance is verily giuen them. So doth God in his great iudgement, he will iudge men to bee his sonnes by their good workes, it being impossible that good works can come from any cause but Regeneration, and for the regenerate sonnes, was the kingdome of glorie long agone prepared euen by that election which was before the world. So the word, For, doth not still imply the cause it selfe, but sometimes an inseparable signe annexed to the cause, as if it should be said: My sonnes are heires of my kingdome, & those which are my sonnes, and they only bring forth the works of louelove; these workes hauehave I seene in you, therefore do I acknowledge you to bee my sonnes, enter into your Fathers ioy.
28
There are two things without in the word, which witnesse it to bee excellent aboue nature; A supernaturall truth, and a supernaturall holinesse; There are also two supernaturall things within a Christian, which ioyne their inward witnessing to the outward; A supernaturall inlightning, to acknowledge, and beleeue this truth; and a supernaturall vertue changing the will into a conformity with this holinesse. So in the mouth of many witnesses standeth firme the truth of diuine truth.
29
Man and the earth are growne wilde by the fall of Adam, both bring foorth weedes of their owne nature. But as the earth is cured by husbandrie & good seed, so by the regeneration of Christ the chiefe husbandman, and the seede of the word, man is brought into a fruitfull nature, and hath a remedy for the first Adam by the last. Blessed be the word which is God, and reuerenced and desired be the word of that Word which is of God, for of them is our life and health.