The Amendment of Life, Book 4 · Chapter 10
The tenth cauſe of amendment, drawen from the kingdome of heauen which is in vsus. Chap. 10.
HOw the kingdome of heauen which after the reſurrection we ſhall enioy, ought to induce vsus to amendment of life, wee hauehave already ſhewed: now, as ſecondly by the kingdome of heauen, is ſignified the eſtate whereinto the Children of God, euen in this life,Luke. 17.21. Rom. 14.17. are reeſtabliſhed through ſaith in Ieſus Chriſt: ſo let vsus beholde how mightily this kingdome which Ieſus Chriſt hath ſaid to be in our ſelues, ought to enflame our harts to amend. It conſiſteth, ſaith S. Paul, in righteouſnes, peace & ioy in the holy ghoſt: by righteouſnes, he vnderſtandeth that ſinguler benefite comprized in this, that Ieſus Chriſt hauing by his death ſatisfied Gods iuſtice for all our ſinnes, and ſo paid all our debtes, hath alſo giuen and imputed vntounto vsus his perfect obedience, to the end that by this his righteouſneſſe wee may be iuſtified in the iudgement of God. This benefite is the aſſured foundation of our ſaluation, and therfore both in greatnes & excellencye incōprehenſible: and indeed being by nature the children of wrath, pore ſinners, ſuch as hourely by our iniquities doe deſerue death and eternall damnation: what greater benefite can God beſtow vponupon vsus, then in his iudgement to be abſolued and ſo iuſtified, that wee may be the children of God, and inheritours of life euerlaſting. The remembrance therfore of ſuch a benefite, ought to induce vsus to amend our liues, and diligently to beware of offending God? and ſurelye if onelye one ſinne may make vsus in his iudgement guilty & worthy of damnation, can we be ſo vnthankeful to God, and ſuch enemies to our ſoules, as by pleaſing our fleſh and the worlde, to tread vnderunder foot ſuch a benefite, and ſo happy and bleſſed an eſtate? ſhall wee that can appeare before God iuſtified by the righteouſnes of Chriſt, to be abſolued in his iuſt iudgement, go & make our ſelues guilty and worthy of ſentence of eternall death, by offending of God? ſhall we, who by this righteouſneſſe are aduowed to be the children of God, be ſuch wretches, as by giuing ouer our ſelues to ſinne, make our ſelues the children of the deuill? when this righteouſneſſe hath freed vsus from the power of Sathan, ſhall wee by offending God, reduce our ſelues againe vnderunder his tirannie? when Chriſt by paying our debtes hath ſo purchaſed this righteouſneſſe for vsus, that the deuill can pretend nothing againſt vsus: ſhal we by our ſins binde our ſelues anew to eternall death?
2 Sith one onelyonly ſinne is a hand-writing giuen vntounto Satan, by vertue whereof hee maye detaine vsus in the priſon of hell, there to dwell for euer, vnleſſe we bee deliuered by the paiment of Ieſus Chriſt, in dying for vsus: is it not a monſtrous and horrible caſe that beeing brought foorth of hell, and by this righteouſneſſe lifted vp into heauen, we ſhould by our ſinnes ſo caſt our ſelues again into hell, that we ſhould abide ſwallowed vp therin: either that our ſinnes ſhould procure Ieſus Chriſt againe to diſcend into our hell to fetch vsus forth? By the ſhedding of Chriſts bloud, al the ſpots of our ſoules are waſhed away, whereby we may appeare cleane, holy, and righteous before God: and ſhall we returne to plunge our ſelues againe, in the curſed and damnable filthineſſe of our corruption and vice? I hauehave waſhed my feete, ſaith Chriſtes ſpouſe,Cant. 5.3. how ſhall I ſoyle them againe? We muſt either remaine filthy and infected in the ſight of God, or elſe wee muſt be waſhed againe in the bloud of Ieſu… Chriſt: doe wee not then make too good a penyworth, either of our ſoules, or of the ſhedding of Chriſtes bloud? let vsus therefore to this purpoſe thinke vponupon the earneſt exhortation of the Apoſtle, ſaying: He that deſpiſeth Moſes law, dieth without mercy vnderunder two or three witneſses: Heb. 10.28.Of how much ſorer puniſhment ſuppoſe ye he ſhalbe worthy, which treadeth vnderunder foote the ſonne of God, and counteth the bloud of the testament an vnholye thing wherewith he was ſanctifyed, and doth deſpite the ſpirit of grace? For we know him that hath ſaid: vengeance belongeth vntounto me, I will recompence: And againe, the Lord ſhall iudge his people.
3 The ſecond benefit of this kingdome, is peace, euen this peace with God and in our conſciences, wherof S. Paul ſpeaketh, ſaying: Being iuſtifyed by faith, we are at peace with God through Ieſus Chriſt. Rom. 5.1. In the fourth book cap. 5.As we hauehave at large before declared, let vsus heere remember: Firſt, what it coſt Ieſus Chriſt: it was requiſite that in his ſoule he ſhould feele the fearefull terrors of Gods wrath and indignation, when he bowed his face to the earth, that hee might lifte vp ours to God, that we might finde his ſo fauourably enclined toward vsus, when he through anguiſh and feare ſweat water and bloud, thereby to miniſter reſt and quietneſſe to our ſoules: to be ſhorte, when hee ſought againſt the powers of hell, to reconcile vsus to God: yet doth euen one ſinne diſturbe this peace, and kindleth Gods wrath and indignation againſt vsus: and wee muſt either abide plunged and ſwallowed vp in terrible anguiſhe and feare, or elſe we muſt bee freed therfro by the ſufferings of Ieſus Chriſt. If after a long & woful war, peace be once cōcluded, how feareful are men of breaking of it, leaſt they ſhould fall againe into like afflictions? And ſhal we be ſo vnthankfull to Ieſus Chriſt, and ſuch enemies to our owne good, that for a little fleſhly pleaſure, for obeying our couetous affections, our ambition, luſtes, and other corruptions, we ſhould offend God and break this bleſſed peace, kindling his terrible wrath againſt our ſoules, and ſo bringing them into cruell and perpetuall torments? truely we doe but too euidently declare that either we are one deſperate, or that wee make ſmall acccompt of thoſe terrible feares that Ieſus Chriſt indured for vsus, yet is there no ſuch tormentor as a conſcience burdened with ſinne.
4 The third fruit of this kingdome is the ioy, not the ioye of the worlde, and of the fleſh, accurſed in the ſight of God, but as Saint Paul addeth,Iohn. 16.21.24. Iohn 15.11. Mat. 24.51. Ioy of the holy ghoſt, which Ieſus Chriſt hath promiſed vsus, ſaying: your ioy ſhalbe full, and ſhall neuer be taken from you. Heere is a ſinguler benefite: for as the incomprehenſible torments of hel, are in the holy ſcriptures ſignified by the weeping and gnaſhing of teeth that ſhalbe among the reprobate: ſo is the felicitye of the elect ſignified by this ioy: as Ieſus Chriſt noteth, where he giueth vsus to vnderſtand, that in the day of iudgement God will ſay to all the faithfull,Mat. 25.21. Mat. 26.37.38 Heb. 5.7. Enter into your maiſters ioy. This ioy did Ieſus Chriſt purchaſe with many ſorrowes and teares, as the hiſtory of the Goſpell doth note that himſelfe ſaid: Now is my ſoule heauy euen to the death. And the ſame doth the Apoſtle writing to the Hebrewes affirm, ſaying: In the dayes of his fleſh he offred vp praiers & ſupplications with ſtrong crying, to him that was able to ſaue him frō death, & he was alſo heard in that which he feared. Were it not therefore meer madnes and folly to conuert this ſoueraigne felicitie of ioy, ſo dearely purchaſed for vsus by Chriſt, into damnable ſorowes and teares, yea euen into weeping and gnaſhing of teeth, by giuing our ſelues to ſinne, and ſo drawing vntounto vsus the effect of this common and true ſentence, For one pleaſure a thouſand ſorrowes.
5 It is a cōmon ſaying, that men ſhuld not open or read any letters that come when they are ready to ſit downe to meate, for feare of troubling the benefit of meat or drinke, by ſome bad newes therein peraduenture contained: how miſerable then are wee who euen already taſting this ioy of the kingdome of heauen, doe voluntarily diſturbe and conuert it into teares by offending God, for in truth we might finde matter enough of ſorrow, if wee could but apprehend what a woe it is to departe forth of the kingdome of God, to become bondmen to the diuell our capitall enemy: this woe being indeed the iuſt reward of ſinne. If at a marriage feaſt there ſhould chance ſome ſuch debate, that ſome one of the company ſhould perhaps hurt or kill the Bride, the wh…le feaſt and all the triumphes thereof would be daſhed and conuerted into weeping and mourning. And what doe we, when being in this in the kingdome of heauen, we commit any iniquity, but kill both ſoule and body euen with euerlaſting death: true it is, that hauing offended God, we do not ſo ſoon ſeele this ſorrow & trouble of minde, and this comme…h of our owne dulneſſe, not becauſe we deſerue it not, but becauſe God beareth with vsus: otherwiſe vndoubtedly the onelyonly feeling of one onelyonly ſinne, would drowne vsus in ſorrowe and feare of Gods wrath, let therefore the remembrance of this kingdome which conſiſteth in righteouſnes, peace, and ioy of the holye ghoſt, cauſe vsus to abhor all iniquity, to the end that amending our liues, we may retaine this bleſſed kingdome of heauen, and neuer change this righteoſnes into iniquity, this peace into war & trouble of conſcience, and this ioy into weeping & gnaſhing of teeth.
6 And that we may the more earneſtly be ſtirred vp hereunto, let vsus conſider the difference between the kingdom of heauen, & of ſatan: if the kingdom of heauē conſiſteth in righteouſnes, peace and ioy of the holy ghoſt, the kingdome of ſatan contrariwiſe muſt needs conſiſt in wickednes, trouble of conſcience, ſorrow and heauines: let vsus therfore imagine a man whoſe ſins being imputed to himſelf, he muſt appeare before God, clothed in wickednes & ſin, to receiue ſentence of eternall death, and in him let vsus cōſider the fear & terror ariſing of his apprehenſion & feeling of Gods wrath & diſpleaſure: let vsus marke his gnaſhing of his teeth, his howling & lamentations, yea euen himſelfe diſſolued into weeping & teares:Gen. 4.13. Mat. 25.5. Act. 1.28. Gen, 27.18. Heb. 12.16. Apoc. 6 16. Luke 13.30. Apoc. 9.6. Let vsus look vponupon Cain, exclaiming that his paine is greater thē he is able to beare: vponupon Iudas, who feeling his cōdemnation, for the auoiding of the apprehenſion of death, killed himſelfe: vponupon Eſau, hauing ſold his birthright for a meſſe of red pottage, wept becauſe he ſee no remedy for his mithap, vponupon thoſe who apprehēding the cōming of Chriſt to be their iudge, do cry to the rocks and mountains, ſaying: Fall vponupon vsus and hide vsus from the wrath of the lambe. In breefe vponupon al thoſe that ſeeking after death, death ſhall flye from them, to the end that dying they may liue, and liuing they may alwaies dye. On the other ſide, let vsus beholde a faithfull man, the childe of God, in his ſoule poſſeſſed of this kingdome of heauen, aſſured that the righteouſnes of Chriſt ſhalbe imputed vntounto him, wherby he ſhal vndoubtedly be iuſtified in the ſight of God, feeling peace and quietneſſe in conſcience, and repleniſhed with ſpirituall ioy: is there any man that is not vtterly deſperate or beſides himſelfe, that will not accompt ſuch a one to be bleſſed, and the other accurſed? let vsus therefore hauehave alwaies the ſtate of this kingdom of heauen in our view, that abhorring our vice and corruption, we may tremble at all motions to offend God, and ſo conſtantly reſiſting the world, the fleſh, and the deuil, wee may endeuour more and more to amend, that in our ſoules wee may retayne this bleſſed kingdome, which conſiſteth in righteouſnes, peace and ioy of the holy Ghoſt.