A Childs Patrimony, Part 2 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Baptiſme; the outward; the inward; the ſecret and myſterious working thereof.
BAptiſme, wherein ſacramently is aforeign pretium Redemptionis foreign Lavacrum.bloud to juſtifie, and water to ſanctifie; even all Chriſt in that ſigne of water, to quicken, to renew, to ſanctifie. He bids us in this Sacrament, waſh, and be clean, as in the other, eat and live. There we put off the old man with his luſts, and we put on the new man with his righteouſneſſe; here we are made one with Chriſt, as a branch with the vine, as a member with the body; we are Chriſts, and Chriſt is ours; we are as truly united unto Him, as is my hand to my arme, my arme to my ſhoulder, both to my head: as truly, I ſay, but more ſtrongly and firmly (for theſe may be parted) though my outward ſenſe gives me not a feeling of it: but ſuch a neere union there is, and it is ſealed unto us in Baptiſme: I meane not that (as was ſaid of circumciſion) outward in the fleſh, made with the Hand, ſprinkling the face, which doth but tye us to the body in an outward profeſſion, as a graft to the ſtocke, from whence it hath neither life, nor nouriſhment; it doth not put us into Chriſt, nor will it in the day of viſitation, and ſeparation, difference us from the Heathen bJer. 7. 19., but expoſeth us rather to more wrath. And this outward Baptiſme, which, without an inward work, cleanſeth not, is as much as the Baptiſt, that is deputed by the Church, can adminiſter. Iohn, who was the greateſt, that was born of women cMatth. 11. 11., could reach his hand no further then to the outward water, and dipping therewith. It is the Baptiſme made by fire and the holy Ghoſt, which reacheth to the heart, which cleanſeth and purgeth indeed. He or ſhe who have received this waſhing, who are purged from their old ſinnes, may glory in their fountain, opened for ſinne and for uncleanneſſe dZech. 31. 1., and in their priviledges, worthy to be gloried in, as we read a great Emperour did, more then in his Imperiall Crown eAuſt. de Civit. Dei. l. 5. c. 26.; for what greater glory is there, then to be of the off-ſpring of God, to receive the adoption of ſonnes, and daughters; and to have that worthy name to be called upon us; and ſuch honour have all thy Saints.
And now we are come to a great ſecret. The way how the Lord works, and upon whom He works, is more ſecret, then is the winde, which bloweth where it liſteth, &c. and as indiſcernable to ſenſe, as is the knitting of the bones in the wombe, and covering of them with fleſh. What we cannot conceive, pray that we may admore; what we cannot underſtand, pray we, that we may experimentally finde and feel, that, though we cannot comprehend, we may be comprehended.
The Lord knoweth who are his, and it is a great ſecret, yet His ſecret is with them that fear Him; I mean (not alwaies, and with all that fear Him) they know that they are His, though yet all know it not, nor ſome at all times; and this they know as not by extraordinarie revelation, ſo, nor by prying into his ſecret Decree, how there He hath diſpoſed of them. This will, as by fixing our weake eye upon a ſtrong object, blinde us with light. It is a ventrous, and a bold coming unto God, and moſt dangerous alſo, for if we climbe up unto His Decree, we ſhall fall into the gulfe of deſpair, becauſe we come unto Him without a Mediatour fHic ſine m d…ctore …es agitur, & diſputatur de Dei ben…p…icito ac voluntale, in quam ſeſe Chriſtus reſert. Luther Pſal. 22. In doubts of Predeſtination, begin from the wounds of Chriſt; p. 337.. that is, from the ſenſe of Gods love in Chriſt, we ſhould riſe to the grace of election in Him, before the world was. It was Luthers counſell, and he found it of force againſt the deviſes of Satan gDe praedeſtinatione di…putaturus incipe à Chriſti vuln…ribus & ſtatim Diabolus cum ſuis tentationibus recedet. Mel. Ad. in Staupicii vita. p. 20..
The way to melt our hearts into a kinde repentance for ſinne, is to begin from the love of righteouſneſſe, and of God, all figured out in Baptiſme, as well as in the Supper. And this alſo was Staupitius counſell to Luther, whereby he made the practiſe of repentance ever ſweet to him, whereas before nothing in all the Scripture ſeemed ſo bitter hVera est ea poenitentia quae ab amore juſtitiae & Dei incipit, dixit Staupitius, Quae vox ita aliè in animo Luth…i inſedit ut nihil dulcitos facrit deinceps ei poenitentia, cum a…tea eidem in totâ Scripturâ, nihil eſſet amarius. Mel. Ad. ibid. vita Staup..
But now ſuppoſe our caſe to be this, and it is moſt likely to be ſo; that we finde no work of the Spirit upon us, no change wrought by His renewing grace; we are, as we were, not cleanſed from our old ſinnes: we have paſſed over this Iordan, we have gone into this water, and we are come out as unclean as before, our hearts are not ſprinkled. We ſee a price paid for us, and no leſſe then the price of the blood of God, yet we have not conſecrated our ſelves to Him, who hath ſo dearly bought us, yet we have not accepted Him for our Lord (though we are His purchaſe iRom. 14. 9., and for this end He died and roſe again) but other Lords rule over us: And though we be called by His name, yet we walk in our own wayes, ſerving divers luſts, as if we were our own, and not peculiarly His, who bought us with a price. If, I ſay, this be our caſe, then Luthers counſell is obſerveable, which is this, To enter into our cloſet, there to ſpread our ſelves before the Lord, in humble confeſſions, as followeth.
kOportet nos eſſe tales, (ſcilicet verè poenitentes) & non poſſumus eſſe tales. Quid hic faciemus? Oportet ut cognito te tali non neges te talem, ſed in angulum vadas, & juxta conſilium Chriſti, in abſcondito ores patrem tuum in coelis, dicens ſine fictione: ecce optime Deus, poe …itendum mihi praecipis, ſed talis ſum ego miſer, quod ſentio me nolle neque poſſe; quare … …is proſtratus pedibus, &c. Concione de poenitentiâ. An. 1518.Lord, thou haſt ſet a fountain open, but to us it is ſealed; Thou haſt bid us waſh and be cleane; we cannot, we are no more able to waſh our ſelves, then we can take out the ſeeming ſpots in the Moon. Thou haſt ſaid, When will it be? &c. we ſay, it will never be, no, not when the Rocks flie in pieces, and the earth ſhall be no more; but then it ſhall be, when thou, giving that thou commandeſt, art pleaſed to make us, as thou wilt the heavens and the earth, all new. Thou haſt commanded us to come unto Chriſt, that we might live; we cannot come, no more then Lazarus could, by his own power, caſt off his grave-clothes, and turn up the mould from over his head, and ſtand up from the dead. We are bound up in unbelief, as within gates of braſſe, and barres of iron.
Thou haſt ſaid, Turn ye every one from his evill way; we ſay, we cannot turn rLay down thy heart under the Word, yeeld it to the Spirit, who is, as it were, the Artificer, & can frame it to a veſſell of honour. Mr. Reynolds on Pſal. 110. pa. 42., no more then we can turn that glorious creature, which, like a Gyant, runnes his courſe; ſo gyantlike we are, and ſo furiouſly marehing on in our own wayes of ſinne and death. This is but part of our confeſſion.
2. We muſt acknowledge alſo, that righteous is the Lord in commanding what is impoſſible for man to do: Becauſe the Lord did not make things ſo at firſt; He gave us a great ſtock to deale and trade with, but like unfaithfull ſtewards, we have waſted the ſame, and ſo have diſinabled our ſelves. Our inability was not primitive and created, but conſequent, and contracted; our ſtrength was not taken from us, but thrown from us. This is the principall point of confeſſion; our inabilitie comes out of our own will ſRead and obſerve with all diligence Mr. Dearings words on the third Chapter to the Hebrews, ve. 8. Lect. 15. Sentio me nolle neque poſſe: I finde that I neither will, nor can, before. D'S. S. p. 215. foreign, &c. To be feveriſh is not voluntary, but my intemperance, which cauſeth a fever, is voluntary, and for that I am deſervedly blamed & pained. No man chuſeth evill as evill. Tranſl. out of Clem. Alex. Stro. l. 1. p. 228. foreign. Sin is my voluntary act. Loco la…d. l. 2. p. 294. Ceſſet voluntas propria & non erit infanus.originally, we will not be cleanſed; as Th… *Joh. 20. 25.ſo ſay we, in effect, not, we cannot, but we will not, we … deny the Lord, that bought us: we will not come unto … that we may live; ſo ſtiffe are our necks, and ſo hard our hearts, that we will not turn: for though out of the very principles of Nature, we cannot but deſire happineſſe, and abhorre miſerie, yet ſuch a deordination, and diſorder lieth upon our Nature, that we are in love with eternall miſerie, in the cauſes, and abhorre happineſſe in the wayes that lead unto it, our will is the next immediate cauſe of ſinne; it puts it ſelf voluntarily into the fetters thereof; Neceſſity is no plea, when the will is the immediate cauſe of any action.
Mens hearts tell them they might rule their deſires if they would; For tell a man of any diſh, which he liketh, that there is poyſon in it, and he will not meddle with it; So tell him that death is in that ſinne, which he is about to commit, and he will abſtain, if he beleeve it to be ſo; if he beleeve it not, it is his voluntary unbelief and Atheiſme. If there were no will, there would be no hell, as one ſaith. And this is the confeſſion which goes to the core of ſinne; and it muſt not be in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth, for it is the truth. And if we can thus ſpread our ſelves before the Lord, if we can willingly and uprightly tRead our ſecond Reinolds on Rom. 7. p. 262.own damnation, as our proper inheritance (to that the heart muſt be brought, and it is the Lord that meekneth it ſo farre) if we can willingly reſigne our ſelves (for nothing is left to man but duty, and reſignation of himſelf) it is not uOportet pium animum velle neſcire Dei ſecre tum ſuperſe, &c. Impoſſible eſt cum periro, qui Deo gloriam tribuit, & eum juſtificat in omni opere & voluntate ſuâ. Lut. Pſalm. 22. Chriſtus faciet poenitentes quos jubet poenitere; ſupplebit de ſuo, quod d…eſt de noſtro. Lut. de Poenitent. 1. Pet. 1 8.poſſible then that we ſhould periſh. He will make ſupply of His ſtrength, what is wanting in ours; He will give, what he commands; He will give clean waters; He wil create peace; He wil ſtrengthen our hand to lay hold on rich, and precious promiſes. And then we cannot poſſibly be barren or unfruitfull in the knowledge of the Lord Ieſus Chriſt; we cannot but gird up the loins of our minde, giving all diligence (x1. Pet. 1. 13. foreign, &c. Snew me a man, that ever learnt an ordinary Trade, or lived upon it, with ordinary diligence: point me to a man, that was bad, yet laboured to be good; or, who was good, yet took no pains to be better. Chryſoſt. in 1. Ep. Ad Tim. cap. 1. Hom. 1. About ordinary things, very eaſie matters (foreign) we take extraordinarie paines: but great and extraordinary things we think we may attain ſleeping. Chryſoſt. 4. Tom. de Vita Monaſt. cap. 7. ordinarie diligence will not get ordinary preferment, much leſſe will it a Crown.) The Scripture ſaith, Giving all diligence, waiting the ſealing and teſtimony of the Spirit, and walking in all the wayes of righteouſneſſe, whereto the Apoſtle preſſeth at the end of everie Epiſtle: for whom the Lord juſtifieth, He ſanctifieth; and if we finde no fruits yFor the certaintie of faith, ſearch your hearts; if you have it, praiſe the Lord. But if you feele not this faith, then know that Predeſtination is too high a matter for you to be diſputers of, untill you have been better ſchollers in the School-houſe of Repentance and Juſtification. I wade in Predeſtination, in ſuch ſort as God hath opened it. Though in God it be firſt, yet to us it is laſt opened. De electione judicandum eſt à poſteriere, &c. Mr. Bradford to ſome friends, who were too ſcrupulous in point of Election, aſcending up to Heaven to know, when as they ſhould have deſcended into themſelves. Mr. Fox, p. 1505. and p. 1506.thereof, we have cauſe to ſuſpect that the Stock is dead; if no glimpſe from that ſhining light of our ſanctification, ſo as men may ſee our good works (which juſtifie before men) then we do ill to boaſt of a burning light, which is our juſtification, and more hid within. Nor is it a point *Non est bonae ſolidae que fidei ſi… omnia ad voluntat m Deirefer…e, & ita adulari, ad unumquemque dicendo, Nihil fieri ſine voluntate ejus, ut non intell gamus aliquid eſſe in nobis ipſis.of ſound faith, to put the weight of our ſalvation upon what ſhall be, ſhall be, nothing can be done, without Gods will. That's true, but this is Gods will too a1. Theſ. 4. 3., even our ſanctification, and this belongs to us, even ſubordinately, to ſerve Gods providence, with our own circumſpect fore-ſight, care and labour, knowing, that His providence doth not alwayes work by miracle. I do not blame them, nay I commend them, who ſay ſtill, If God will, and referre all thither; but I blame them much, who ſay, If God will, He will perſwade me, He will convert me, in the meane time they do juſt nothing. A faire ſpeech this, to ſay, If God will; but a foule practiſe, in the meane time to do our own will: we muſt labour, we muſt endeavour our utmoſt, then ſay we, If the Lord will; if ſo we do not, Gods will will be done upon us, we ſhall never do His will. To this purpoſe Chryſoſt. very excellently in his firſt Tom. thirteenth Sermon towards the end. And ſo much touching the inward Baptiſme made by fire and the Holy Ghoſt: The ſecret working of it in our hearts, and what way we are to take, in caſe we feele not that inward power. Now I come to that in Baptiſme which ſpeaks to our Eye and Eare.
We had our Sureties in Baptiſme, who ſtood and promiſed in our ſteeds; which ſolemne cuſtome, and the fitneſſe of it, I leave to the diſciſſion of the Church, whereunto we may ſee reaſon to yeeld zMr. Hooker Eccleſ. Pol. l. 5. Sect. 64 p 336.; leaving that, theſe two things are clearly figured out unto us in Baptiſme, a death unto ſinne, a life unto righteouſneſſe; and both theſe, in the death and reſurrection a Rom. 6. 2, 3.of Chriſt, which are the two moulds wherein we are to be caſt, that we may come forth like Him: and there is a virtue, and power from both, to caſt us in and mould us thereto; for, if in the dayes of His fleſh, there went virtue out from even the edge of His garment to do great Cures; then, much more, from His owne ſelf, and from theſe moſt principall and powerfull actions, of His own ſelf, (His death and reſurrection) there iſſueth a Divine power from His death, a power, working on the old-man (or fleſh) to mortifie it; from His reſurrection, a power, working on the new-man (the ſpirit) to quicken it; a power able to roll back any ſtone of an evill cuſtome, lie it never ſo heavy on us; a power able to drie up an iſſue, though it have runne upon us twelve yeers long, theſe are Bp. Andr. words not one grain too light. We ſee in that Element the price paid for us, and the eq…ity hereof, that we ſhould glorifie Him, whoſe purchaſe we are. How ſhould we live in ſinne, that lay ſo heavie upon the ſoul of Chriſt, and could not be purged, but by the bloud of God?
And how ſhould we not be wholly conſecrated to that Lord, who ſo dearly bought us, in whoſe Name, we were all baptized (and that is to conſecrate our ſelves up, as not our own but anothers) and whoſe Name is called upon us. It is bR…atus impii eſt pium nomen Salv. 4. de Gber. p. 145. See li. 3. p. 95. The Church is a choice people picked out and paled up from thoſe, whom the Apoſtle placeth, w…thout▪ but there is yet a more choice and peculiar people, as Clemens a callet… them, after whom we muſt walke more peculiarly, which we cannot do but by offering violence b to our ſ…lves, that we may walk worthy of His calling. a foreign. S…r. l…b. 6 p. 485. b foreign. p. 500a worthy and honourable Name indeed, and it muſt be honourably anſwered. It was a ſad, and wiſe reproofe, which the Father gives to one, who walked not decently nor in order: Why doeſt thou defile that good and honourable name of Chriſtianiſme cforeign.?
But I muſt not inſiſt upon this, though nothing (except Him, who leads into all truth) can be more flexanimous, more perſwading then is this worthy Name, which is call'd upon us; we who carry Gods Name, how exactly ſhould we carry our ſelves! what manner of perſons ought ſuch to be! choice perſons, for we have a choice Name. There is not a more naturall requeſt, then, what we would be, ſuch to be; what we would be in Name, ſuch in deed, that is, that having obtained ſo excellent a Name, we would be even what our Name importeth, even ſuch, That the Name of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt may be glorified in us, and we in Him, 2. Theſ. 1. 1…. This is our engagement, and by the ſolemneſt vow, that ever was taken. And therefore it is called, The anſwer of a good Conſcience towards God; for then we entred into covenant, as God with us, of grace and ſalvation, ſo we with Him, of faith and repentance, as He to be our God all-ſufficient, ſo we to walke before Him and be perfect.
We have by Chriſt, a right to, an intereſt in a much better covenant; and now we muſt looke to ours; we cannot thinke that God is bound, and we looſe. Religion is nothing elſe, according to the denotation and meaning of the word, but a gathering-up, and binding of us faſt to God. If we look that God ſhould ſtand faſt to us, we muſt cleave to Him; If we breake our bands, and caſt away our cords, we muſt look to be broken. There was never any covenant more ſolemnly made and ratified then this in Baptiſme, nor in breaking whereof there is more danger: And yet an oath deſpiſed, and a covenant broken with man, hath been ſeverely puniſhed, as we reade Ez…k. 17. 15, 16. And as the whole Chriſtian world feeleth at this day, for it ſmarteth yet, for that breach of league long ſince made with the Turke; whereby they both loſt the day, and their honour; in both an irrecoverable loſſe. And can we think to proſper or eſcape, that do ſuch things? or ſhall we breake the covenant of our God, and be deliver'd? keep we covenant here, through Chriſt we can, and if we do it in ſinceritie, that mantle will cover many defects. And we are the more likely to do it, the more we ſee how falſe our hearts are; how ready to breake all bands, and to caſt away all cords; for this our impotencie truely apprehended, will make us feare alwayes, and cleave the faſter to Him, in whom our ſtrength is, keeping our ſelves (as the Apoſtle counſelleth) in the eJude 20.love of God; building up our ſelves in our moſt holy faith, praying in the Holy-Ghoſt. Such a prayer will (as the Horſleech ſucks out corrupt fPr…ces p…r…inaciſſima curarum hirudo. M l. vit. L…th. p. 139. &c.bloud, it is Luthers compariſon) conſume our cares, our feares, our ſorrows, o…r ſins. This by the way. My chiefe ſcope is here, to put to our conſideration; what a ſtraight and binding cord Religion is; and better we cannot ſee it, then in Baptiſme, wherein we are wholly conſecrated gforeign. Clem. Alex. Pro…rept. pag. 30.to the Lord, that bought us.
1. There we profeſſe our ſelves made the members of Chriſt. How can the thoughts thereof, but ſtirre us up, to give our members weapons of righteouſneſſe unto holineſſe? ſhall we take the member of Chriſt, and give it to our luſt? There is great weight in thoſe words.
And if members of Chriſt, then members one of another hEph. 4. 25.; And then we ſuffer as members, when we ſuffer not in our own bodies; we ſuffer in compaſſion, as others in their paſſions, ſuch a ſympathy and fellow-feeling there is; In Saint Pauls iHeb. 10▪ 13. Heb. 13 3. Lege Chryſoſt. in 1 Cor. c 8. …. in ep Ad C…loſ cap. 4. Hom. 12. remember my bonds, Verſe 18. Perniciociſſim… lab…ntur quòd fratrum inſ…mitatem nullius pe…ſi habent. Ca…. I…ſt. lib 3. c. 1…. ſect. 10.conſtruction it is ever thus; If this brothers back be pinched, it is my back, I am pinched too; If his eye be offended, it is as the apple in mine, I am offended too; If his heart is ſadded, it is my heart, I am ſadded too: ye are members one of another, and then ye are pitifull and mercifull. As we have received, ſo we muſt return, according to our meaſure, mercy for mercy; bleſſing for bleſſing; nay, bleſſing for curſing, knowing that we are thereunto called, that we ſhould inherit a b…ſſing k1 Pet. 3. 9..
I know, ſaid Luther lIgn…r…nt…am meam facilè feret, & ignoſcet mihi Eccleſia D…i, Regina illa miſericordiae & cujus viſcera ſunt merae remiſſiones peccatorum. Luth. Praefatio in poſtillas. foreign. Chryſ… Act. Ap…ſt ca. 21. Hom. 44. …., my ignorance the Church will beare with, and my faults ſhe will pardon, being the Queen of mercy, and nothing …lſe but bowels and forgiveneſſe of ſins; ſo like the Body is unto her Head; for ſhe hath the Spirit of Chriſt. And ſo we know the true diſtinguiſhing property of the true Church. In this are the children of God known, They love the Brotherhood; They ſhew bowels of mercy towards all.
2. In Baptiſme we are made the ſonnes and daughters of God, and inheritors of the Kingdome of Heaven; Behold, ſaith the Apoſtle, what manner of love m1 Joh. 3. 1.here is? our thoughts are too ſhort. We are now the ſonnes of God, and it doth not appeare what we ſhall be, but when He ſhall appeare, we ſhall be like Him: our thoughts cannot reach to this brightneſſe; our eyes are dazled with the very conceit of this glory; ſo, exceeding it is: But this is clearly evident, He that hath this high prerogative, here to be called the ſonne of God▪ that hath this hope to be changed hereafter, as from glory to glory, and to inherit a Kingdome, which ſhall never have end (the glory whereof, as much exceeds the glory of all other kingdomes, as doth the light of the Sunne, exceed the light of the ſmalleſt ruſh-candle) He, I ſay, that hath this hope, purgeth himſelfe, even as He is pure nVerſe 3.. He cannot think of ſuch a Kingdome, but he muſt have ſtrong motions thither ward, and after holineſſe, for nothing uncleane can enter there: Hopes on high, will▪ raiſe the thoughts on high.
3. We ſolemnly promiſed in Baptiſme, and received that Sacrament as our preſſe-money, binding us to performe, even preſently to begin, ſo ſoone as we could diſcerne of good and evill, to ſerve the Lord in all well-pleaſing, who choſe us to be ſouldiers, againſt His and our enemies, the Divell, and our Luſts, which all fight againſt our ſoules; And through faith in His name, that great engine, which ſpoyleth principalities, and powers, we ſhould do valiantly, as good ſouldiers of Ieſus Chriſt o2 Tim. 2. 3..
But here we take a ſcale of our miſery, and looke how low we are falne, and what darkneſſe lyeth over our hearts, when the moſt of us take part even with the adverſary, that hateth us, delighting in nothing more, then in the ſhame and paine of the creature. We feare him not (he that feares, he feares to ſinne) who made no ſcruple to tempt our Saviour Chriſt, whom himſelfe called the Sonne of God; And cannot be terrified (though he be in chains, therefore reſtrained; elſe hee would deale with the world as with Iobs houſe, and with us and ours as with Iobs goods, children, and body) from doing ill, and all that is contrary to God, and Goodneſſe, no not by the fearfull word of the Almighty: How great then is our folly and madneſſe, who hold communion and faire quarter with ſuch an enemy, who delights in proud wrath! yet ſuch is our darkeneſſe, ſo we do. It is a paradoxe indeed, clean croſſing conceit and reaſon; That we ſhould feare a Beare and pforeign, &c. Clem. Alex. Ad Gentes. 21.a Lion, yet not feare the Divell (for then we ſhould feare to ſinne;) qHiſt of the world. firſt B. c. 11. ſect. 8 …That we ſhould be better and unplacable enemies to our enemies, and yet hold a league with Satan, yea and account him a familiar (ſo ſome do) who yet is the grand enemy of mankinde. rIbid. ſect. 6.And now what ſhall we ſay to thoſe unworthy wretches, who are in a league with this unclean ſpirit, and do thinke they can impale him in a circle (a circle which cannot keep out a mouſe) & ſo inſconce themſelves againſt this great monſter; and think they can terrifie him alſo; whereas in very truth, the obedience which the Divell ſeemes to uſe, is but thereby to poſſeſſe himſelf of the bodies, and ſoules of them, who hold ſuch familiaritie with him: ſuch it is, and ſo willing a ſubjection and vaſſallage it is, as if the Lord of the creatures counted it his glory to be in ſlavery and bondage to proud wrath ſProv. 21. 24..
I cannot but remember here, how ſadly and feelingly Saint Baſil tTom. 2. p. 418. Regulae fuſius diſput. …nter. 2. foreign.complains at this point. Thus he ſpeaks. Horrour and amazement takes hold of me, when I conſider, how good a Lord and Maſter we have, how great and magnificent a benefactour, yet, notwithſtanding, how little He is feared, how poorely ſerved, how unwillingly, if at all, obeyed: On the contrary, how cruell and devouring an adverſary the Prince of darkneſſe is, yet how much feared, how cheerefully ſerved, how willingly oobeyed. We are broken away from our juſt and righteous Maſter, who created, who redeemed us, and have ſold our ſelves to a proud Lord, whoſe luſts we do, though he doth all againſt us to the extent of his chaine, all the hurt he can, all our dayes, by all means. And (which aggravates our defection and baſe ſervitude) for what a poore reward have we done this? For a poore bait of profit, or pleaſure, which is taken with delight, but preſently will be gravell in the teeth, rottenneſſe in the bowels, bitterneſſe in the latter end; For ſo poore a thing, ſuch a ſcrap as this, we are revolted and gone. And this is the great condemnation, yea more; It will be the great reproach, ſcorne and taunt, which in that great day, the Divell will caſt evenforeign. upon Chriſt Himſelfe, and upon man, thus beguiled and revolted; for this will be the ſcorne and taunt;
Here is the man created in Thy Image, bought with Thy bloud, fed by Thee, preſerved by Thee all His dayes; This reaſonable man, have I (Thine, and his profeſſed enemy) gained from Thee, & not with ſtrong wreſtlings neither, but as eaſily, as one can win a childe with an apple. I offered him ſome profit (a poore and ſhrunken commodity) he eagerly ran after it: I preſented him pleaſure (but masked and under a vaile) he embraced it; he greedily ſwallowed that bait (and Hell with it, ſinne is but Hell diſguiſed, as pleaſure is but paine unmasked) and ſo was content to be my ſlave for ever; my ſlave, who never wrought him any good, or willed him any, but all the ill and hurt I could: For the love of ſuch a Maſter, was this man content to have his eare boared, that he might not depart from me for ever.
Thus Saint Baſil complained, and this he adds more, which is more then all the reſt; That the conſideration of this reproach and taunt, which the Divell will caſt upon Chriſt and the man of His right hand, was more aſtoniſhing to him then thoughts of Hell it ſelfe: For the thoughtsforeign. what a good Lord we neglected, and how cruell a Lord we ſerved, and what wages we had for our worke, will be more tormenting to the damned in hell, then will be the paines therein. But to return, and to ſay as they doe, who have better learned Chriſt;
We muſt know 1. That Satan is a devouring enemy, ſtill watching our deſtruction. 2; As his name is, ſuch is he, he will accuſe us for thoſe very ſins, he now tempteth us unto, and will …pbraid them to us, unto the confuſion of our faces. 3; That we have no means to avoid his baits, but by flying from them; nor have we any other means to impale, and inſconce our ſelves againſt this Monſter, but in the Name of the Sonne of God, the onelyonly Name that terrifies him indeed, being call'd upon and beleeved on in Truth; And then by flying from and avoiding his baits thoſe great Enchanters, whereby he bewitcheth us, beguiles and overcomes ſo many.
And here it is not impertinent, to remember an uſefull anſwer to a grave and weightie queſtion propoſed to an honeſt and learned vIſid. Peluſ. lib. 2. ep. 164.friend by way of wonder. The queſtion is this; How it comes to paſſe, That the divell, now wounded in his head, and ſpoyled by our great Captain and Prince of Salvation, ſhould yet prevaile ſo mightily in the world, and carry ſo many captive as he doth, and this daily, which is not uſuall with a ſpoyled enemy to do? This is the queſtion, and the wonder; His good friend anſwers; And do you wonder at this, ſaith he, Truly, I wonder not at all; for what wonder is it, that an ever diligent and watchfull enemy, who neglects no time nor occaſion, ſhould ſpoile a negligent people, ſecure in their victory, and now (as ſouldiers drunke with prosperity,) ſnorting in their tents? What wonder, to ſ…e ſouldiers, who can endure no x2 Tim. 2. 3, 4.hardneſſe, who will intangle themſelves with affairs of this life, who will ſleepe in their trenches, though the enemy be at their backs, who neglect all neceſſary ſuccours, what wonder, I ſay, to ſee ſuch fall even before a wounded enemy? The Lion is ſtrong, the Serpent ſubtill, and yet, if the Lion be a ſleep, and the ſerpent chil'd with cold, they may be overcome as eaſily, as the weakeſt and ſimpleſt creatures. It is an eaſier matter to encounter with twentie ſhips lying in harbour, whoſe Mariners are a ſleepe in their Cabbins, or drinking in Taverns, then with five prepared for the fight; This was the obſervation of a great Commander yHiſt. of the World, book 3. chap 11. ſect. 9. p. 117., and of great uſe here; and no wonder in all this. Nay, rather this were to be wondred at, and it were ſtrange indeed; if we, doing none of thoſe things, which becommeth ſouldiers and conquerours (they ſtand upon their guard, and keepe watch ſtill, knowing that a wounded enemy biteth deadly, and rageth furiouſly) ſhould be able to maintaine, and make uſe of our victory againſt a mightie and now raging enemy, who moveth every ſtone, and imployeth all his Methods or Stratagems againſt us, This were ſtrange indeed; Thus the Author anſwereth the queſtion, and takes of the wonder. Now heare his counſell: If you demand then, what is to be done by us in this caſe, I make further anſwer. Becauſe our adverſary, though he is falne, and broke, yet boaſteth great things, and is bold in his confidence, and takes all his advantage from our neglects and careleſneſſe aNostris peccatis Barba…i fort…s ſunt: Noſtris vitiis ſuperamur, Hier lib 2 ep. ….; We muſt keepe our watch bforeign, &c., we muſt labour, we muſt endure hardneſſe, we muſt implore Gods help; we muſt do whatſoever is to be done, we muſt flye from the divell, and unto that Name, that ſtrong-hold, whereto the righteous flye and they are ſafe. If thus we do not, we betray our ſuccours, and the victory, our Lord hath purchaſed; we forfeit our own peace, and our ſoules into the enemies hands: And then we have nothing, whereof to complain of the enemies ſtrength, but much whereof to accuſe our own extreame folly, and ſupine negligence. This is his counſell, and becauſe it is very good, we will heare the like from a latter divine, a very devout Spaniard cAv…la's Spirit. epiſt. pag. 30.. Be not negligent and ſecure, having ſo watchfull and diligent an adverſary; for if thou be, thou art inſtantly undone: If they who watch beſt, have enough to do to d…fend themſelves, what do you think will become of wretchleſſe perſons, but that they ſhould be entirely overcome?
We muſt then keep our watch, and keep about us our armour, and keep cloſe to our ſtrong-hold, we muſt give all diligence to avoyd thoſe great enchanters, whereby our enemy bewitcheth us, and overcometh ſo many. Theſe enchanters are, 1. The glory, pompe or luſts of the world, from without: 2. The luſts of our own fleſh, from within. The one, as he once ſhewed in the twinckling of an Eye, ſo it paſſeth away in the like moment of time. It is fitly called a fancy, and as fitly tranſlated pompe dActs 25. 23. foreign.; for as a thought or fancy, this pompe paſſeth away, and by us, even like caſtles and ſteeples on a pageant, and ſo it is gone; but the glory of the next life is the pleaſures at His right hand for evermore.
2. The luſts of the fleſh are the great tempters. All the hurt Satan and the world do us, is by correſpondence with our ſelves. All things are ſo farre under us as we are aboveTe vince & tibi mundus victus eſt. our ſelves. Satan for the moſt part boweth us to what the weakneſſe of our nature doth encline; he ſails ever with the winde, he fitteth ſuch temptations as are moſt agreeable to our humours and deſ…res. Our nature helps to act Satans part, he doth bu… ſet the bias ſtronger. Nature hath a ſupply of wickedneſſe (as a Serpent of poyſon) from it ſelf, thence a ſpring to feed it.
Great cauſe, we ſhould fear alwayes, for alwayes we meet with ſnares, and alwayes ready to be caught with them, and the devill watcheth the occaſion. And great cauſeSemper imminet occaſioni. we ſhould winde up our hearts to God, that we may be wiſe in His wiſedome, ſtrong in His ſtrength.
Laſtly, in the day we were baptized, we avouched eDeut. 26. 17, 19., the Lord to be our God, to walk in His wayes; and to keep His Commandments; And the Lord hath avouched us that day to be his peculiar people.
The Lord Chriſt hath obeyed and ſuffered to make our bonds of obedience the ſtronger, not to abate us an ace of duty: He hath vindicated His Law, from the vain gloſſes of the Phariſ…es, from that, which was ſaid of old; whence we have learnt, That His Law puls out the verie core fSee Hiſt. of the world. lib. 2. chap. 4. ſect. 7. p. 232. & ſect. 11. p. 237.of ſinne; and that, whereas mans Law doth but binde the hand and the tongue, Gods Law binds the heart, and orders the ſecret motions of the ſame. The Philoſophers gAnguſta eſt juſlitia ad legem juſtum eſſe. See Iſid. Pel…ſ. lib. 2. …p. 138. Love conſtraines more under the Goſpel, then feare reſtrained under the Law. Ibid,could ſay, It is but a narrow and ſcanty juſtice, which extendeth no further, then mans Law. Few offenders there are which come within the Magiſtrates circuit, and they that come, are not all taken; ſome, and they not a few, break out of▪ the cob-webbe by force and ſome by favour. But the Law of God is perfect and exceeding broad, it reacheth to all perſons, and to the words and actions, and thoughts too of all the ſonnes of Adam: not a ſyllable can paſſe, not a thought ſtray, not a deſire ſwerve from the right way, but it falleth within danger, and is lyable to the penalties. Thence it is, that the greateſt and hardeſt work of a Chriſtian is leaſt in ſight, which is the well-ordering of his heart. And a good Chriſtian begins his Repentance, where his ſinne begins, in his thoughts, which are the next iſſue of his heart. God counts it an honour, when we regard His All-ſeeing eye ſo much, as that we will not take liberty to our ſelves in that, which is offenſive to Him, no not in our hearts, wherein no creature can hinder us.
It is an argument that we feare as we ought before the God of Heaven, when we forbear the doing of that, which, if we ſhould do, it were not poſſible that man ſhould underſtand or condemne it; as hLev. 19. 14.is the curſing of the deafe, which the Deafe man heares not; and the putting a ſtumbling block before the blinde; which the blinde perceiveth not. But the Lord heares, and He ſees, for He made the Eare and the Eye; and Him ſhalt thou feare, for His eyes behold, His eye-lids try the children of men iPſal. 11. 4.. And this is the Law, which ſtands charged upon us, and through Him, by whom we can do all things, we can keep the fame Law, with our whole heart, in an acceptable manner, checking the firſt motions of ſin; diſcerning not beams onelyonly, but moats alſo; light and flying imaginations, and abaſing our ſelves for them, and by degrees caſting them out, as hot water the ſcum, and as the ſtomack doth that which is noyſome. And becauſe they preſſe upon the true Chriſtian, as Flies in Summer, incumbring alwayes, over▪ powring him ſometimes; therefore is he moved to renew his intereſt daily in the perfect righteouſneſſe of His Saviour.
The deceitfulneſſe of his heart ſtill inciting and drawing back from God, and His perfect Law; and his readineſſe to break covenant, makes him the more watchfull over his heart, and carefull to binde himſelf daily as with new cords; To kJude 2 ….build himſelf up in his moſt holy faith, to pray in the holy Ghoſt, and to keep himſelf in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt unto eternall life: for it is a ſtanding Rule, That Gods commands are not the meaſure of our power, but the Rule of our duty, the ſumme of our debt, the matter of our prayers, the ſcope of our ſtrife lMouſine, Se… Hiſt. of World. B. 2. Ca. 4. Sect. 13. p. 240..
But we muſt ever note this, which is, that there is in the heart of every true Chriſtian a diſpoſition anſwering every Iota and tittle of Gods mSalv. d… Eccleſ Cathol. ….Law, They have the ſame Spirit in their hearts, which is in the Law: ſo ſoone as that Spirit made a change in them, they could not but then exceedingly love the Law; and where love nChryſ. in Rom. cap 4 … Si amor eſt, vincit omnia, &c. Chryſoſt. de paſt. bono. Se…m. 40. Haec omnia dura videbuntur …i qui non ama… Chriſtum. Amemus Chriſtum & facile videbitur omne difficile; Brevia putabimus univerſa quae long a ſunt. N…ſi vim fec…ris, coe…orum regna non capies. Hier▪ Ad Euſtochium Ep. 17. l. 2. p. 207. Prima regula in cultu Dei ut ipſum diligamus, non poteſt Deus verè d…ligi, quin ſequatur hunc aff…ctum membra omnia & omnes partes, &c. Cal▪ in Dan. c 9. v. 4. foreign, Chryſ. in c. 29. Gen. Hom. 55.is (that great Commander) there is diligence, and activeneſſe in all the wayes of obedience▪ joy alſo and peace in obeying. For in caſe they are oppoſed and perſecuted for their love and ready obedience, they have gentleneſſe, goodneſſe, faith, meekneſſe, all armour of proofe, whereby they are made reſolute and patient to beare, according to their wiſe choice, affliction, rather thenJob 36. 21. iniquity. For this we muſt adde to the reſt and note it, God communicates His common gifts diverſly and ſcatteringly; this man hath the gift of tongues, that man a gift of prophecie; one man hath this, another that: he that is loweſt cannot ſay, but the Lord hath diſpenfed unto him ſome grace, and he that is higheſt cannot ſay he hath all. But now for theſe graces, which make a man well pleaſing to God, (they are all freely beſtowed) theſe, as one ſaid, love neighbour-hood,M. G. are in a continuall conjunction. They are freely beſtowed, and altogether, as it were in one lumpe, not ſcatteringly, as the Sporaaes (Iſlands in the Sea ſcattered here and there, here a little eye of Land, and there all Sea again)Sponſa Chriſti …ca est Teſtamenti, &c. H…er. ep. 17. li. 2. p. 205. this man hath not faith, and that man hope; one hath not love, and another patience: But he that hath one, he hath all; and he that hath not all, hath none. Theſe graces put or ſpring forth together, though all may not have equall growth, nor ſhew themſelves alike operative. It is certain, he that hath a grounded hope, hath a lively …aith, an unfained love, he hath patience, meekneſſe, gentleneſſe; or if any of theſe be miſſing, there is weeping and mourning, and hanging down the head, for the lack of this grace, as there was, when there was a Tribe lacking in Iſrael oJudg. 21. 3.. There is no chaſme or gaping in the life of a true Chriſtian. It cannot be that he ſhould be one while like firme land, which cannot be moved, and then again, as weake as water; or like the raging Sea, which fometh out mire and dirt; it cannot be that he ſhould one while glory in the Name of Chriſt, and another while, defile, pollute and diſhonour that worthy Name by which he is called. Theſe gifts of the Spirit, though many, yet are called in the ſingular number a Fruit, becauſe they have but one root, and do put forth like grapes in cluſters, and come or draw together like the rings in a Chaine. It is a report concerning our Spice, that all proceedsforeign. Galat. 5. 22. from one Tree; one kinde is the root, another the bark, a third is the fruit incloſed within a fourth: ſo they ſay, but ſo it is not, it is fabulous, yet the morall is good; all the fruits of righteouſneſſe, in what kinde ſoever, are from one root of righteouſneſſe, and though divers in kinde, yet ſo one as but one fruit, as was ſaid. This may kindle our deſire to be rooted in Chriſt, then we cannot be barren or unfruitfull.
And this may teach thee, childe, how ſtrait a Band Religion is, and the ſolemneſſe of that covenant we entred into by Baptiſme: How compleat a true Chriſtian is, and how fully armed and furniſhed every way anſwering that worthie Name which is called upon him.
If we looke a few leaves backe, we may gather up the ſumme of all under theſe three heads.
1. The greatneſſe of our miſerie by ſinne, which we have followed to its ſtrong hold, or firſt originall.
2. The abundant grace of God, through His Sonne Ieſus Chriſt, ſtopping that bloudy Iſſue, and pardoning iniquitie, tranſgreſſion, and ſinne.
3. The Band of our Duty; all figur'd out in Baptiſme: So farre we are gone.