Conclusions of Peace, Part 9
How these words, My sonne, do serue for instruction.
LAst of all, for our instruction the Lord saith, My son, to teach vsus that if we doe willingly heare him when he teacheth vsus, if we diligently obay him when he commaundeth vsus, and if we patiently suffer him, when he correcteth vsus, he will (no doubt) hauehave a fatherly care ouer vsus, he will accept of our sacrifices, and heare our praiers, he will also be mercifull to our sinnes, and forgiue vsus our offences, he will deliuer vsus from hell, and bring vsus into heauen. But all this is neither for our hearing, nor for our obaying, nor for our suffering, nor for our praying, nor for our working, but because we are first his adopted children in Iesus christ. It is not for any worthinesse that is in vsus, but for the worthinesse of the Lord Iesus, by whose meanes we are become his sonnes & his daughters, we are not therfore made the sons of God, because we heare his word, because we obay his commaundements, because we beare the crosse, or for any other thing that we hauehave done, or possibly can doe, (as Papists hold) but therfore we heare him, and therfore we obay him, and therefore we suffer him, and therefore we louelove him, because we are first made his children in the Lord Iesus.
Our good workes are not the cause of our election, but Gods election is the cause of our good works, for he hath chosen vsus, (saith the Apostle) in him that is in Christ, before the foundation of the world, that wee Ephe. 1. 4.should be holy and blameles before him in louelove, Therefore we hold againe, that all our poore endeuours are accepted of God, and rewarded with heauen, not because we hauehave wrought them, our selues, (as the Tit. 3. 7.aduersaries of the grace of God doe teach) but because they are sanctified in the couenaunt of Gods grace, and washed in the bloud of the vnspotted Lamb Iesus Christ, therfore we hold, and hold truely, that all those spots and blots, which remain in our imperfect obedience, must be couered with the vnspotted holinesse, and perfect obedience of Iesus Christ, as with a garment, that Psal. 32. 1.no part of our filthy nakednes may appeare in the pure presence of him, whose eyes can abide no vncleannesse, Apo. 3. 18.or els we can neuer be saued. Therefore we hold againe, and that according to truth, that all our righteousnesse, is vncleane and polluted, Esa. 64. 6.in the puddle of Originall corruption, in the loines of the first Adam, but it is clensed in the pure fountaine of Iesus christ his obedience, Rom. 5. 19.the second Adam. It is onelyonly begunne here, and in part perfourmed, but it shal be finished, and made perfect in the life to come, and that in Christ Iesus, in whom all our poore endeuours and small beginnings shalbe accepted, that little good which is in vsus, is matched with much euill, yea eueryevery good Iam. 1. 17.motion when it commeth from the father of lightes, is of a brighte and liuely colour, but so soone as they come into our vessels, they chaunge their colour and looke of another hue. There is neuer a praier that we make, but hath his wants of feeling, or want of humbling, or faith, or reuerence, or something is wanting, and it is stained with the contrarie. There is neuer a sermon that we make, or heare, but hath some stain, and pollution in vsus, There is neuer a grace that we say, but is likewise blemished for want of some grace, our whole seruice is idle and vnprofitable, for when did we talke, without vanitie? when do we giuegive, without some sauour or other of Hipocrisie? when do we heare, without wearines? or when do we pray without tediousnesse? and when we doe pray for pardon, what toies and fancies do stain our prayers? that when we hauehave praied, we had need to pray againe, that God would forgiue our prayers, for do we not thinke least of God, when we pray vntounto him, and doth not our deuotion commonly end with our prayers? If we suffer any thing, is it without some impatience and distrust? will not a little murmuring and grudging against God, hauehave a hand in the matter? will we not appoint our heauenly father, either where to strike, or when, or with what, or how long, or how much, or how litle, or one thing or other: as though he knew not what to doe without vsus? And when (I pray you) doe we rest hartely well contented with his good pleasure and will? If we obtaine any thing which we desired, doe we not still desire more like Achab? If 1. Kin. 21, 2.we doe any euill, alas: how cherefully, how speedely, and how easily doe we commit it, but if we doe any good, (wo be vntounto vsus) how faintly, how rudely, and how slackly do we goe about it? in our owne causes how hoate are we, in Gods causes how cold are we? in excercises of prophanenesse how bold? but in the excercises of holinesse, how bashfull is the best of vsus? and (that which God doth most abhorre) do we not waxe proud of those good things which God doth worke in vsus, and by vsus, as children are proud of their new clothes, which their parents do put vpō them? or of saying a grace, which with much ado) their parents hauehave taught them? In one word, that litle good that is in vsus, is it not matched (as I said) and manie times ouermatched with muche euill? And that litle that is in vsus, or done by vsus, it is of the Lord also that worketh both the will and the deed. And whē he doth reward that, what Philip. 2. 13.doth he, but crowne his owne gifts in vsus? and that according to that promise, and couenant, which hee sware to our forefather Abraham, and his seede for euer. So that wee may now safely conclude as (Paule doth) It is neither in him that willeth, Rom. 9. 16.nor in him that runneth, but in God that sheweth merciemercy. All this, and much more being considered, how should we doe if wee were not first the sonnes of God in Christ our Lord? would our workes abide the triall of Gods iustice? Alas poore wretches that we are, the least staine of thought (though it were neuer cōsented vntounto) would send vsus packing to hell for euer. But now, being first the sons of God by Iesus Christ, being assured of Gods louelove in christ, and pleading nothing but his mercy onelyonly, in the merites of Christ, wee may be bold to go vntounto our heauēly father: for if any man sin, wee hauehave an aduocate with the father, Iesus 1. Ioh. 2. 1.Christ the righteous, whose righteousnesse pleadeth for our vnrighteousnesse: through whose stripes we are healed, & through whose bloud Esa. 53. 5.wee may be bold to enter into the holy place: with him the Lord is Heb. 10. 19.well pleased, in him the Sonnes of GOD are well accepted; and without him, wee are wholly reiected.
Therefore saith Saint Iohn, Blessed Rom. 14. 13.are the dead which die in the Lord: that is, in the faith of the Lord Iesus: for they shall rest from their labours, and their workes shall followe them: that is, God accepteth of them, and their workes which are in the Lord, but none els. By this place our Papistes woulde prooue that our workes doe merite heauen. But from hence wee may gather more truely, that none hauehave a right faith in Christ, but those which hauehave good workes to accompanie them, when they dye in the Lord. But to gather heereupon, that they merite, wee cannot: for then they shoulde goe before our being in the Lord, and be a cause thereof: but nowe we see, that they followe our being in the Lord. Againe, the workes doe not beautifie the man in the Lord, but the man in the Lorde doth beautifie the workes, as the Temple sanctified Mat. 23. 17. 19.the golde that was vponupon it, but was not sanctified by the golde: and as the Altar sanctified the offering that was vponupon it, but was not sanctified by the offering. And this is not because hee hath done them, but because Rom. 14. 23.they are done in the Lord by faith, (without which whatsoeuer is done, is sinne) and the Lord in him by his spirit, doth sanctifie them vntounto himselfe.
Last of all, the Argument doth not hold, our workes are rewarded; therfore they merite: for then none should be rewarded, but he that did merite first: then the seruant should be before the heire, because hee taketh more paines than the other doth, and yet the heire hath the land, because he was the sonne before. So, we are first borne the sons of God by faith in Christ, and so we are made fellow heires with him of Ioh. 1. 12.Heauen: and then followe good Rom. 8. 17.works; not as a cause why we should hauehave th'inheritance, but as fruits following from a thankefull minde. But they of the popish Church being no children, and doing nothing but of seruile feare, can doe nothing that is good: for first, they faile in the matter of their good workes, putting in practise the traditions of men in stead of Gods Mat. 15. 9.preceptes. Secondly, they faile in the maner of doing: for that which they doe, is done to a wrong end, and with a wrong affection: for it is too iustifie themselues thereby before Luke 18. 11.God, as the Pharisie did: and therefore this white flagge of truce, My sonne, is not put out to them, because they hauehave broken the conditions of peace.
Our Popish merit-mongers are like the elders of the Iewes, which went to Christ in the behalfe of the Centurion, for his sicke seruaunt. They besought him instantly (as though they might not be denied) Luk. 7. 4. 5.and they tell him forsooth, that the Centurion is worthie of so much fauour, as that the Lord Iesus should come to him, and heale his seruant: for proofe whereof, they alleage two strong reasons, (like our Papistes) One is, He loueth our nation, Another is, He hath built vsus a synagogue: so plead our Papistes; we are worthy (O Lord) of thy fauour, we hauehave deserued so much at thy handes: or such a one that is nowe gone hath deserued so much, as that thou shouldest receiue his soule: for he loued vsus well while he liued, hee was an honest man, hee made vsus good cheere, hee kept a good house, hee filled our bellies, and our purses too. Besides that, he hath built vsus a stately synagogue, goodly Churches, and Chappels of ease, he mended our hie-waies, he erected such a Colledge, such a friery, and such a Nunrie. Againe, such a K. Iohn. Prince of Orange. K. of Franceman is a good Catholique, Lord: for he helped the Priest to say Masse, he gaue his consent to the poisoning of such a king, and the murthering of such another, hee did what hee could to dispatch all christian Princes, because they are not of the Popes Religion, so zealous a catholique was he: But Lord he made a conscience of eueryevery thing, he would not eate a bit of flesh, nor so much as an egge in Lent, or vponupon a friday, he woulde neuer go out, before hee had crossed himselfe before and behind: his house was neuer without a Crucifix, nor his windowes without a picture of the Trinitie: a number of good workes more hee did, which the tally will not holde, and those are for his honest neighbors, which will giuegive any thing for them. Therefore Lord thou must of necessitie receiue his soule when hee is dead, or els thou doest him great wrong. And thus wee heare howe Papistes plead, like the elders of the Iews, for the Centurion and his seruantes.
But what saide the Centurion himselfe? O Lord (saith he) trouble not thou thy selfe, for I am not worthy, that thou shouldest enter vnderunder my roofe: neyther did I thinke my selfe worthie to come vntounto thee: but onelyonly speake the worde, and my seruaunt shall bee Luke 7. 6.whole. And this message (saith the Euangelist) hee sent to Christ by his friendes, as if they which pleaded his worthinesse and workes were his ennemies, and not hys friendes. But howe did the Lord Iesus like of this message? Surely, he maruelled at such humilitie, & commended the faith of the Centurion, euen by the name of greatfaith, to shew that merit-mongers hauehave no faith at all, except the Deuils faith.
Now to end this pointe. If any man be the child of God in Christ, let him also become a new creature, and liue as becommeth the sonnes of God, let no man say, If I bee the child of God, I need not care what to doe, or (as the manner of many is) GOD is mercifull, and Christ died for our sinnes, what need we feare? for as there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ, so they which are in Christ liue, not after the flesh, but after the Rom. 8. 1.spirite. On the other side, If thou feele thy self a new creatur in Christ, and transfourmed into the likenesse of the sonnes of God, then faint not vnderunder the crosse, for thy heauenly father will beare thee vp in his arms, plead not for thy selfe, by any thing that is in thy selfe, but appeale to the mercy of thy heauenly father, and say, Lord he whom thou louest is in want, as the sisters of Lazarus Ioh. 11. 3.said to christ for their brother, Lord he whom thou louest is sicke. And claime the promise of God thy heauenly father in his sonne Christ, and then feare not thy sinnes My sonne, saith God, for I euen I, will do them Esa. 48. 11.all away, euen for my names sake, and for my sonnes sake, in whom thou art my sonne, and in whom I am well pleased. And thus we see al our feare turned into ioy, because we are made the sonnes of God in Christ.
When a lion roared vponupon Sampson, the spirite of strength came vponupon Sampson, and he rent him in pieces. Iudg. 14. 6. 8. 9.Not long after in the same Lion he found a swarme of Bees with their stings, but therewithall he found a Hony-combe to feede vponupon. So our sinnes and the Deuill roared vponupon vsus, and thought to hauehave deuoured vsus. but our true Sampson Iesus Christ, hath torne him in pieces, which went about like a roaring Lion, seeking to deuoure vsus. Now if we looke into our owne heartes, (which are as a Lions den) we shall find (after this victory) not a swarme of Bees, (as Sampson did in the Bellie of the Lion) but a swarme of corruptions and sinnes with their stings, like prickes in our flesh to humble vsus, but there withall 2. Cor. 12. 7.we shall find Honny to comfort vsus, euen a rich Hony-combe of Gods mercies to feede vponupon, if the spirite of faith and courage be in vsus, as the spirite of strength and boldnesse was in Sampson, and then we may say plainly, as Sampson said in a riddle, Out of the eater came meate, and out of the strong came sweetnesse▪ for what is stronger than a Lion, and what is sweeter than Hony. But we may say, What is stronger than sinne, and what is sweeter than mercy? What sight more terrible than the blacke flagge of defiance, with My Rebell, (the colours of vengeance vponupon it?) What more comfortable than to see that pulled in, and the white flagge of truce put forth, with My sonne, the words of mercy and peace vponupon it? My Rebell is gone, My sonne is come in the steede. The Lord take away the Rebellions of our heartes, and graunt vsus so to keepe his conditions of peace, that we may be his sonnes indeed, and find peace to our consciences for euermore. Thus we see, that as the Lord did once bring light out of darkenesse, so our heauenly father hath wrought comfort out of sinne to all his children in Christ Iesus, blessed Gen. 1. 4.be his name for euer. And thus much for these wordes My sonne, as proceeding from God to man.