Six Evangelical Histories of Water Turned into Wine, Chapter 3 · Account 1 (2 of 2)

Six Evangelical Histories of Water Turned into Wine · Chapter 3 · Account 1 (2 of 2)

p. 148Doct. 2 See the successe that often the most powerfull preaching hath,The successe that often the best preaching hath. Yee receiue not our witnesse: Lord, who will beleeue our report? Is. 53.1. O fooles and slow to beleeue, &c. Luke 24.25. We are slow-faiths to beleeue the Gospell, but quicke-faiths to beleeue lyes and vanities: How easily doe wee beleeue superstitious fooleries, void of all sense, as that if an Hare crosse our way wee shall hauehave ill lucke, and a thousand such like? But in our dangers, to beleeue that God will be with vsus, and relieue vsus, if wee flye to him, this will hardly sincke into our hearts.

Vse. Be not offended at the paucity of beleeuers, or if vaine and foolish Preachers hauehave more p. 149credit with people then the sound: So had the Pharisees more credit then Christ.

Marke how Christ speakes to Nicodemus in the Doct. 3 plurall number, Yee receiue not; Ministers are oftentimes guilty of peoples sinnes.blaming him that was a teacher for the infidelitie of the people: So, Reuel. 2. and 3. all the blame of the Churches is laid vponupon the Angels of the seuerall Churches. Diogenes seeing a Scholler behaue himselfe vnhappily, strucke his Master. It is Aaron that hath made the people naked: and from the Prophets of Ierusalem is wickednesse gone forth into the whole land, Ier. 23.15. Let all Ministers, Magistrates, and Superiours, that stand charged with others, thinke of the weightinesse of their charge, and strictnesse of their account, and tremble.

VERSE 12 If when I speake earthly things yee beleeue not, how shall yee beleeue if I shall tell you of heauenly things?

The Sense. Earthly things.] Partly in regard of the matter, yet not simply, but comparatiuely in regard of other points: partly in regard of the manner of speaking, because of his similitudes from naturall Generation, Vers. 3. from Water, Vers. 5. from the Winde, Vers. 8. And so wee may perceiue what is meant by heauenly things.

The words containe a second amplification of his infidelitie, from the facilitie of the doctrine deliuered, both in regard of matter and manner. It is brought in by way of Anticipation.

Obiect. Though thou thy selfe art certaine of these things, yet thou doest vtter them in such an p. 150homely fashion, vsing such countrey similitudes, as are nothing fitting for the Atticke eares of Pharisees: Another stile would sooner perswade.

Ans. Nay, if my plaine earthly stile, creeping on the ground, will doe no good, much lesse would a darker and a loftier: If yee will not beleeue that which is familiar and easie to your vnderstandings, what hope of your beliefe in doctrines and stiles aboue your capacities?

Doct. 1 The great choise and varietie of doctrines in the word of God:The variety of doctrines in Gods vvord. There are heauenly things, and there are earthly: milke for children, and meate for strong men: deepe waters for the Elephant to swimme in, and shallow foards for the Lambe to wade thorow: There are high mountaines and low valleyes. So sweetly hath God mixed hard and easie together, that hee might prouide both against the loathsomnesse of some, that would hauehave beene cloyed, if all had beene easie; and against the weakenesse of others, that would hauehave beene discouraged, if all had beene hard. Doest thou scorne earthly things? here are heauenly things for thee, if thou hauehave Eagles wings and eyes. Art thou afraid of heauenly things? here are earthly things wherein thou maist safely conuerse. Why should the Papists driue away any from the Scriptures? HaueHave they earthly vnderstandings? here are earthly things fit for them. Many places are there in Scripture that are more obuious to the vnderstanding of the plaine Husbandman then of the Scholler, and where the Husbandman must be the Schollers Commentary, as in comparisons p. 151drawne from the Plough, the Flayle, the Fan, &c. wherein many Schollers are ignorant. If the learned man impropriate to himselfe the Scripture, yet the earthly Husbandman will lay claime to these earthly things, as his more proper portion.

Ministers should vse a plaine and familiar stile, Doct. 2 attempered to the vnderstanding of the simple:Ministers must descend to peoples capacities. As nurses vse to stammer and lispe with their children; See Is. 28.10.11. What an absurdity to hauehave a golden key which will not open the doore, and to refuse an Iron one that will? The end of all speech is to conueigh our sense to the vnderstanding of those to whom wee speake. As ridiculous to preach to simple people in a darke dialect, as to tell a tale in French to a man that vnderstands onelyonly English. As here direction is giuen to Ministers for the character of speech in generall, so in particular for similitudes, that they should not be darker then the thing it selfe is which they should illustrate, as when drawne from Poeticall Fables, from diuers things in Philosophy, vnlesse they be made easie to the peoples vnderstanding. Similitudes for them must be from common things wherein they are beaten, according to Christs example. If Ministers speake plainely, then doe they also free themselues, and may iustly charge the people not beleeuing; as here Christ does: Otherwise the fault is as much, if not more, in their tongues, then in the peoples eares.

VERSE 13. No man hath ascended into heauen, p. 152but hee that descended from heauen, the sonne of man which is in heauen.

Hitherto the interrupted discourse of Christ: Here beginnes the continued, whereto he seemes to make way Vers. 12. for there hee seemes to diuide his whole speach into earthly things, whereof hee hath dealt before in his former interrupted discourse, and into heauenly things, whereof he deales in the continued discourse ensuing; for hauing said, If I should speake heauenly things, Nicodemus might be ready to thinke, what can you speake heauenly things? Are you so furnished with heauenly Mysteries? I pray let vsus heare some of them. Christ therefore in this Verse both proues that hee is able, and onelyonly able to deliuer heauenly things, and beginnes to set downe those heauenly things: to wit, The doctine

1. Of his two Natures, and their personall vnion, Vers. 13.

2. Of his Offices,

Propheticall, V. 13.

Priestly, V. 14.17.

Kingly, Ver. 18.

These are heauenly things indeede, in comparison whereof that of Regeneration might be called but earthly. And besides the similitude here vsed, Verse 14. is not earthly, as Verse 8. from a naturall thing, but heauenly from the brasen Serpent, a diuine institution vnderunder the Law.

The Sense. No man hath ascended into heauen.] That is, vnderstood heauenly Mysteries, as Prou. 30.4. where ascending into heauen, is made all one with knowing of holy things, in the third Verse.

p. 153The Reasons of the sense of this Phrase.

First, because the plot of the Gospell was first drawne in heauen, and lay there hid in Gods brest, Ephes. 3.9. from all eternitie: secondly, because the knowledge thereof brings to heauen: thirdly, because in the learning of it wee must abstract our mindes from all earthly matters, and put on an heauenly disposition of minde, Psal. 119.19.

The first heauenly Mysterie is concerning the Propheticall office of Christ, that hee onelyonly, and none else, is able of himselfe, to vnderstand the Mysteries of Gods kingdome, and so to reueale them to his Church, whereby hee makes good his speech in the former Verse.

Heauen, that is, the doctrine of saluation,Doct. The doctrine of saluation beyond the reach of nature. is impenetrable to the wit of man, out of Christ: Wee are all blinde men, groping in the darke, that not onelyonly not finde that they seeke, but fall into some pit, or rush against some post: Oh how vnsearchable are his iudgements, and his wayes past finding out! Rom. 11.33. Who is his counsellour? None but his Sonne in his bosome. Man can pierce the earth, and the seas, and ascend into the ayrie and starry heauen; but there is hee at the highest: the third heauen, Paradise, hee cannot get into, and enter into Gods Cabbinet, hee wants a key to open it, Iohn 1.18. No man hath seene God at any time, the onelyonly begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father, he hath declared him.

Vse 1. Humiliation euen to those of greatest parts: Though their wit can reach all other things, yet here it is too short. Therefore wee must deny p. 154our selues, and become fooles that wee may be wise, glorying onelyonly in Ithiel and Vcal, and confessing our bruitishnesse with him, Prou. 30.1.2.3.4. Surely I hauehave not the vnderstanding of Adam in me, neyther hauehave I learned the knowledge of holy things: who hath ascended into heauen? or who hath descended to impart the secrets there learned? who but Ithiel and Vcal, that is, Christ. Wee may quickly, with Dauid, see the end of all worldly perfection, but Gods Commandements are exceeding large, Psal. 119.96. Therefo…e trust not thine owne wit in spirituall matters, out hang on the mouth of Christ.

Vse 2. Yet here is comfort, that Christ hath ascended into heauen, and entred into Gods owne bosome, for this hee hath done for all our benefits. And that which Maximilian dying added to this place, vnderstanding it of Christs bodily ascention, No man hath ascended but the sonne of man, and said hee, all that beleeue in him, the same is true also vnderstanding it of diuine Mysteries. And in this sense may wee say, as well as Bernard in the other; Etsi solus, at profecto totus intrabit, nec os comminuetur ex eo: Although hee shall enter in alone, yet shall hee enter in whole, neyther shall a bone of him be broken. Now the faithfull are as it were the bones and flesh of Christ. As they then by plowing with Sampsons heifer, found out his Riddle, so shall we Gods, by consulting with Christ: The more interest thou hast in Christ, the more shall bee thy sauing knowledge: The secret of the Lord is with them that feare him, Psal. 25.14. Shall I hide from Abraham, &c. Gen. 18. If thou be Christs, hee will p. 155acquaint thee with all necessary truth at least, Iohn 15.15. But what hope can any impenitent sinner hauehave of any sound knowledge?

The second heauenly Mysterie is concerning the two natures, and their vnion in Christ.

1. His diuine nature in these words; He that descended from heauen: His man-hood was framed in the Virgins wombe; therefore that descended not from heauen.

Obiect. The diuine nature, filling all places, cannot be said to descend locally.

Ans. True, but because in assuming the humane nature here on earth, there seemed some abasement, and as it were a leauing of heauenly glory, therefore in regard of the assumption of our flesh, he is said to descend from heauen.

2. His humane nature, in the words, Sonne of man: which shewes that hee was not immediately and miraculously framed by the power of God, as Adam, who though hee were man, yet not the sonne of man, but was conceiued of the seede of the Virgin, and so was not onelyonly man, but the sonne of man.

3. The vnion of these two natures is implyed, when hee sayes, The Sonne of man, which is in heauen. The humanity of Christ was now on earth, how then can hee say, The sonne of man is in heauen, but in regard of the vnion, whereby it comes to passe? that that which is proper to one nature, is giuen to Christ, denominated from the other: So, Act. 20. God purchased his Church with his bloud, and yet onelyonly the humanitie was passible. The Lutherans p. 156therefore can no more by this place proue, that Christs humanitie was in heauen now when hee spake to Nicodemus on earth, than by that other place any may proue that the God-head suffered.

VERSE 14 And as Moses lift vp the Serpent in the wildernesse, so must the Sonne of man be lift vp.

VERSE 15 That whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish, but hauehave eternall life.

The third heauenly Mysterie followeth, concerning the Priestly office of Christ, in offering vp himselfe on the Crosse, and the benefit thereof to vsus, by comparison to the brasen Serpent. It stands thus: As the brasen Serpent was by Gods appointment, lifted vp on a Pole in the wildernesse, that the Israelites, stung with fiery Serpents, might by looking on it be healed; so must Iesus Christ be lifted vp on the Crosse, that the sinner stung with sinne, by beleeuing on him crucified, might liue eternally.

In this Comparison are matched,

11. The stung Israelite and the guilty sinner.The stung Israelite and the guilty sinner matched in two things.

1. As the Israelite stung, had death in his bosome, and lookt for nothing else: so in the same fearefull estate is the guilty sinner, stung with sinne. Hee is the sonne of death, and abides in fearefull expectation of it, Heb. 2.14. yet here is some difference, that this sting is not alwayes felt of the sinner, as was that other of the Israelite.

2. The Israelite in the desert wanted all meanes of cure, and had not God appointed that Serpent, they had perished: As shiftlesse and helplesse is the p. 157poore sinner, as wee see in Adam, Gen. 3. till God shew vsus his Christ.

2. Brasen Serpent and Christ: For,

1. The Serpent was accursed of God; so Christ 2Gal. 3.13. was made a curse for vsus.

2. No likelihood that a brasen Serpent should heale the stinging of a liuing fiery Serpent; nay,Christ and the brasen Serpent matched in 7. things. some write, that it is deadly for those stung with a Serpent to looke vponupon brasse: So it may seeme against reason, that life should come to vsus by anothers death, health by anothers sicknesse.

3. The Brasen Serpent had the likenesse of a Serpent, but not the poyson: So Christ came in the similitude of sinfull flesh, void yet of all sinne.

4. The Brasen Serpent was lifted vp on a Pole: So Christ was likewise lifted vp, first, on the Crosse, in the publique view of all the people: secondly, hee and his Crosse, were, and still are, lifted vp in the publique Ministry, Gal. 3.1. This also Christ seemes to imply here; As Moses the Legall Minister lift vp the brasen Serpent, so must the Ministers of the Gospell lift vp Christ, as it were on high, to be seene of all men: But alas, many lift vp themselues, not Christ.

5. As the poyson of a Serpent was healed by a Serpent; so the sinne of man by man, Rom. 5. 1 Cor. 15.21. yet here is difference, that Christ had power in himselfe to heale vsus, which the brasen Serpent had not.

6. The Brasen Serpent was not the deuice of any Israelite, but of God himselfe: So is the death of Christ the ordinance of God; no man could p. 158euer hauehave found out such a meanes of saluation.

33. The Israelites looking on the Serpent, and the sinners beleeuing in Christ.The Israelites looking, and the sinners beleeuing compared in 7. things.

1. The Israelite was healed onelyonly by looking; so the sinner is iustified onelyonly by beleeuing.

2. As looking, as well as the rest of the senses, is a passion, rather then an action; so in Iustification thou art a patient, rather then an agent: thou holdest thy beggars hand to receiue, that is all.

3. The Israelites before they looked vp to the brasen Serpent for helpe, first, felt themselues stung, and secondly, beleeued that God would heale them by that Serpent: So the sinner must first feele himselfe a sinner, be burdened and heauy laden, Mat. 11.28. before hee will or can come to Christ: A man that feeles not himselfe sicke, seekes not to the Physitian. Secondly, hee must beleeue that in Christ there is all sufficient helpe.

4. The stung Israelite looked on the Serpent with a pittifull, humble, crauing, wishly eye, weeping also for the very paine of the sting: with such an eye doth the beleeuing sinner looke on Christ crucified, Zech. 12.10. They shall looke on him whom they hauehave pierced, and shall lament, as one mourneth for his first borne. Faith is not a fond fantasticall imagination that Christ dyed for thee, but it is an earnest, affectionate, and intentiue fastning of thy minde on Christ, euen as the stung Israelite fastned his eye on the brasen Serpent, or as the sicke man lookes on his Physitian when he desires ease. This Metaphor excellently expresses the nature of Faith; for in the eye is not only contemplation, p. 159but affection, louelove, sorrow, desire, expectation. Such a Faith then, as is onelyonly a conceit of the braine is vaine and idle.

5. The Israelite by looking on the brasen Serpent, receiued ease presently, and was rid of the poyson of the liuing Serpent, and so therein was made, like the brasen Serpent, void of all poyson: So the beleeuer, by looking on Christ, is eased of his guilty accusing conscience, Rom. 5.1. and is transformed into the Image of Christ, 2 Cor. 3.18.

6. Euen the squint-ey'd or pur-blinde Israelite was healed; so the weake beleeuer, being a true beleeuer, is healed by Christ.

7. Though the Israelite were stung neuer so often, yet if hee looked vp to the Serpent, hee was healed: As wee are daily stung by sinne, so wee must daily looke vp to Christ crucified: EueryEvery new sinne must hauehave a fresh act of Faith and Repentance.

Yet there are two differences betwixt their looking on the Serpent,Yet sin two things they differ. and our looking by Faith on Christ.

1. By looking they liued, but yet so that after they dyed; but here by beleeuing in Christ, wee gaine an eternall life.

2. They looked on the Serpent, but the Serpent could not looke on them; but here, as thou lookest on Christ, so hee on thee, as once on Peter, and on Mary and Iohn from the Crosse, and thy comfort must rather be in Christs looking on thee, then in thy looking on him

Vse 1. For instruction what to doe when stung p. 160in conscience, and when Death it selfe comes to sting thee, and is in stinging thee: thou must then lift vp the eye of Faith vntounto Christ, and hee will cast downe the eye of grace on thee, and driue away all the poyson from thee: thou must then say as Iehoshaphat, I know not what to doe, but mine eyes are lifted vp to thee lifted vp on the Crosse, and there triumphing ouer this Sathan, and ouer this Death. Many when they are stung by the old Serpent, goe to looke on this idle sight, and that vaine Booke: But this is to put more Serpents into their bosomes to sting them worse. The onelyonly way is to looke on Christ crucified.

Vse 2. It is comfort to those that doe beleeue: No poyson can hurt them, Marke 16.18. They may walke on the Basiliske, Psal. 91. As the Israelites might insult ouer the Serpents, when once they had the brasen Serpent; so now may the true beleeuer triumph in Christ, and may say with Simeon, Lord, now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace, for mine eyes hauehave seene that sauing thing of thine: and with Paul, O Death, where is thy sting? Be thy sinnes neuer so great, looke on Christ, and thou shalt hauehave helpe, as they that were stung most dangerously were healed by looking on the brasen Serpent.

Vse 3. Tryall whether wee beleeue in Christ or no, then shall wee finde ease, peace, and comfort of Conscience, and the blessed beginnings of eternall life in vsus. As long as the poyson of the old Serpent remaines in men, let them talke of their Faith in Christ as long as they will. If the sting p. 161of the Serpent stickes in thy flesh, thine eye stickes not in Christ crucified.

VERSE 16 For God so loued the world, that hee gaue his onelyonly begotten Sonne, that whosoeuer beleeueth in him, should not perish, but hauehave euerlasting life.

In the 14. Verse hee had said, that Christ must be lift vp, that is, dye on the Crosse: It might be asked, why must hee? what is the reason of the necessitie? Christ here answeres, the louelove of God to the world.

The Sense. God,] that is, the Father, as the word is taken when opposed to the Sonne.

Loued the world.] By the world I vnderstand mankinde, fallen in Adam, as Tit. 3.4.5. it is called foreign, not that eueryevery particular man was thus loued; for onelyonly the Elect hauehave Christ giuen to, and for them: But in giuing Christ for them onelyonly, hee shewed his louelove to the whole kinde, which otherwise had perished, and now does not, because some are saued. [So loued.] By louelove vnderstand onelyonly pitty and compassion to poore man in his misery. This affectionate compassion is set forth; First, by comparison of the parties louing and loued: God, most high and holy, loued the base and wicked world. Secondly, by the measure of it: Hee so loued, that is, so infinitely, so transcendently, so incomprehensibly. So Heb. 12.3. Looke on him that suffered such contradiction; as if he should hauehave said, such as cannot be sufficiently expressed or conceiued: And 1 Iohn 3.1. Behold p. 162what louelove the Father hath shewed vntounto vsus. In such like speeches there is a speciall Emphasis. Thirdly, by the fruit of his louelove, it was no lip louelove, but a giuing louelove, That hee gaue. Yea, but some things are not worth the giuing. Fourthly, therefore by the worthinesse of the gift, that hee gaue his Sonne, yea, and his onelyonly begotten Sonne: And that to stand in our stead, and to dye on the Crosse for vsus, as appeares by the 14. Verse. Yea, but though neuer so excellent a gift be giuen, yet if it be not of vse, and profit, to whom it is giuen, it doth not so testifie louelove; Therefore, Fiftly, it is set forth by the benefit that comes to vsus by it: first, not perishing: secondly, hauing eternall life. But perhaps though this gift brings so great profit, yet they to whom it is giuen, must take some great and extraordinary paines to get it, and then Gods louelove is not so great. Therefore, Sixtly, it is set forth by the easinesse of the meanes whereby wee are possessed of the profit of this gift, That whosoeuer beleeueth. Yet if this so worthy a gift, of such inualuable worth to the enioyer, had beene restrained to some few sorts of men, the matter had not beene so much; Therefore, Seauenthly, it is set forth by the vniuersality, that whosoeuer; be he what hee will, so he will but reach forth his hand to take this gift, he shall hauehave it, and all the comfort of it.

Doct. 1 The ground of our saluation is onelyonly Gods mercy and compassion towards vsus in our misery:OnelyOnly Gods mercy the ground of our saluation. This was that which made him send Christ himselfe, the authour and finisher of our saluation. When man fell, Iustice pleaded for his p. 163ouerthrow, but then Mercy pleaded as hard on the other side, and caused God to be affected, not much vnlike to the Israelites, in the case of Beniamin, like vtterly to be desolated; How is this come to passe, said they, that this day one Tribe in Israel should want? Iudg. 21.3. and how shall wee doe for them? So God seeing the ruines of mankinde, in the fall of one man, seduced by the craft of Sathan, with the colourable shewes of good, his bowels earned within him; and, What, said hee, shall one whole kinde of my creatures, and that the most excellent, be thus ruinated? Made I so glorious a creature for no other end, but to be a prey to that hellish Leuiathan? Shall the Diuell thus wrecke his malice vponupon me, and rob mee of my chiefest treasure? Shall such a fearefull breach among the tribes of my creatures remaine vnhealed, that the head tribe of all should vtterly perish? Thus Gods tender pitty working in him, set his wisedome on worke, to deuise an happy meanes, so to reconcile Mercy and Iustice in himselfe, that vnhappy man, at variance now with him, might be reconciled, and brought againe into fauour. This is that which is meant, Tit. 3.4. When the louelove of God to mankinde appeared. And it is excellently set forth, Ezek. 16.6.7.

Vse 1. This must humble vsus: There is nothing in vsus to moue God to mercy but our misery. Away with the pride of the Papist, that talkes of foreseene merits. No, God so loued the world.

Vse 2. It is for comfort, and that three-folde: First, that our saluation is certaine, because it is p. 164founded vponupon an vnchangeable ground, The louelove of God: for alas, how mutable are wee? Therefore the Papists grounding saluation vponupon our selues and our-owne workes, doe withall teach vncertaintie of saluation. Well might I doubt, sayes Bradford, of my saluation, feeling the weaknesse of my faith, louelove, hope, &c. if these were the causes of my saluation. Secondly, that if God had pitty towards thee when out of his Christ, and his enemy, what then, now being in Christ, and his son? Rom. 5. Thirdly, when thou feelest thy great vnworthinesse, and beginnest to despayre, remember the gracious disposition of God to mercy: when nothing else moued him to pitty man fallen, his owne affection moued him, Isa. 57.18. I hauehave seene his wayes, to wit, how bad they are, yet will I heale him.

Doct. 2 Gods louelove is infinite,Gods louelove is infinite. boundlesse, bottomlesse, passing all knowledge, Ephes. 3.19. God so loued, that is, so immeasurably, so incomparably, that wee can hauehave no similitude to expresse it by: Therefore Paul prayes, Ephes. 3.18. that they may be able to comprehend the bredth, length, and depth of this endlesse Mercy. Wee may quickly wade too farre in other of Gods attributes, as in his Wisedome, to know why hee did this or that, but in his Mercy neuer can wee wade farre enough. This serues for comfort, when Sathan amplifies thy sinnes, and sayes, thou hast so hainously sinned; vntounto that so oppose this so of Christ, God so loued. Gods mercy is farre more infinite then mans sin, Isa. 55.8.9. My thoughts [of mercy] are not as your p. 165thoughts [in sinning], my wayes [in mercy] are not as your wayes [in offending], but as high aboue them as the heauens aboue the earth.

Gods louelove shewes it selfe in nothing so much, as Doct. 3 in giuing vsus Christ to dye for our sins,Gods greatest louelove is in giuing Christ. Rom. 5.7.8. 1 Iohn 3.16. and 4.10. In this appeares the tender bowels of mercy, Luke 1.78. In Christs pierced side on the Crosse thou maist see these bowels naked, as in an Anatomie. God shewed his louelove in the Creation, when hee gaue all the creatures to man, but here in our Redemption he shewes vsus greater louelove, in that hee giues vsus his owne Sonne, our Creator.

Vse 1. Against fond Worldlings, perswading themselues of the louelove of God, because of outward belly-blessings: If they felt the waight of sinne, they would know Gods louelove could not appeare to them but in Christ, easing them of that burden.

Vse 2. It is comfort to the redeemed of Christ, notwithstanding all their afflictions: They hauehave yet Christ the maine gift. Dauid, a king, yet Ps. 103. especially magnifies Gods mercy in the remission of sinne. Rom 8.32. Who spared not his owne Sonne, but gaue him for vsus to death, how shall he not with him giuegive vsus all things also?

Christ is giuen of his Father vntounto death for vsus:Christ gaue himselfe to death for vsus: Doct. 4 And because what the Father does, the same also doth the Sonne, therefore Christ giues himselfe also, Gal. 1.4. Which gaue himselfe for our sinnes, &c.

Vse 1.And the Vse of it. Labour wee to be affected with this so endlesse louelove both of the Father and the Sonne: Truely God doth exalt his louelove aboue the louelove of p. 166naturall Parents, Psal. 103.13. Isa. 49.15. What father would part wholy with his sonne, to giuegive him as a possession to his friend? But to giuegive his onelyonly Sonne to his enemie, yea, to giuegive him to death for his enemy, this is a louelove beyond all loues, astonishing the very Angels; and this is that which makes Christ set a so vponupon this louelove, God so loued the world. God infinitely loues his Sonne aboue that wee can louelove ours, and yet for our sakes hee puts his deare and onelyonly Sonne to suffer that, the thousandth part whereof wee could not endure should be laid vponupon the worst and most vngracious of our Children. See how deare thy soule was to God, when hee thought not his owne, and onelyonly Sonnes bloud too deare a price for its redemption. Was God so affected with Abrahams louelove, in offering Isaac, onelyonly in the purpose, and preparation of his heart; and shall not wee be affected with this louelove of God, in giuing actually his Sonne to the death for vsus, base and forlorne wretches? What benefit would the bloud of Isaac doe God? But the bloud of Christ is of infinite benefit to vsus. How much more cause then hauehave wee to say of God, as God sayes of Abraham, Gen. 22. Now I know the Lord loueth me, hauing giuen his owne Sonne; yea, and by oath to binde our selues to reflection of like louelove in some measure? But what vrge I Gods example? If we hauehave yet but so much good nature as the cruell cut-throate Publicanes, Mat. 5.46.47. wee cannot but requite louelove with louelove. But oh the bruitish and barbarous vnthankfulnesse of the world! If a man hauing vndertaken p. 167the burden of some capitall crime for his friend, and therefore also taken his friends name, and apparell, and so should be content to suffer death for him; what a monster would wee count that man, for whom all this is done, if hee should come forth, and be one of the forwardest to despight this his friend, to scorne him, reuile him, to spit at him, yea, and to be his hangman? And this is that wee doe to Iesus Christ crucified for our sins, whilest still wee continue in our sinnes. What a shame is this, that God should part with his Son, and his Sonne with his heart-bloud for thee, and thou wilt not part with thy sinfull delights for him? That thou shouldest louelove thy sinne better then God did the life of his Sonne? If this louelove of Christ constraine vsus not, nothing will. Canst thou doe lesse then giuegive thy selfe to Christ, when Christ hath giuen himselfe to thee?

Vse 2. Here is thy comfort, when thy sinnes presse and pinch thee: Christ hath dyed for thee, yea, hee was giuen to the death for thee by God the Father. What then, though he will not accept of thine owne first begotten, Mic. 6. yet he cannot but accept of his owne onelyonly begotten, and which himselfe hath giuen to thee? As Pilate presented Christ whipped, to the Iewes, with his Behold the man, to moue compassion: so must wee present Christ crucified to the Lord, to moue his compassion to vsus; Behold what thine owne hand hath done to thine owne Sonne, and say, It is enough.

The fruit of Gods giuing Christ vntounto vsus, is not Doct. 5 perishing in the destruction of hell, and then the p. 168hauing of eternall life: These are made two distinct benefits. It doth not follow, that if wee be freed from hell, wee are therefore presently possessed of heauen. When thou alledgest for thy selfe against hell claiming thee for her owne, Christ hath suffered for mee these paines: yea, but saith Satan, for all this thou must not looke for heauen: for thou canst not keepe perfectly the whole Law. Then the answere must be: As Christ hath suffered that which the Law threatned, so hath he fulfilled that which the Law commanded; and as by the former he keepes me from perishing, so by the latter hee entitles mee to heauen. By this wee see that without Christ, in our selues, wee are but lost creatures, and that there is no way but perishing for all them that are out of him, as Iewes, Turkes, absolute Papists, and the heathen Philosophers.

The meanes whereby wee receiue this benefit from Christ is Faith; That whosoeuer beleeueth. They are not therefore common to all, but onelyonly to the beleeuer: and Faith is not in all men. By Faith a man is vnited to Christ: Looke then in what estate Christ is, in the same must the beleeuer be, and thence it is, that the beleeuer cannot perish, but must hauehave life eternall.

Now in as much as FaithOf Faith. is here made the meanes of this benefit, it will not be amisse a little to consider the nature of that grace.

In the opening whereof briefly consider two things.

1. The Act.

2. The Obiect of Faith.

p. 1691. The Act of Faith is foure-fold.Foure Acts of Faith.

1. Knowledge and Vnderstanding.

2. Iudgement.

3. Adiudication.

4. Apprehension or Application.

1. Knowledge 1. Knowledge.and Vnderstanding of the Gospell, and the heads thereof; as of Christ, his Natures, his Offices, his benefits. Wee are called Isa. 55.1. to come and buy without money, freely, which is done by the grace of Faith. Now no man will buy hee knowes not what; but we vse to see, and thorowly to looke on things we buy: So here, Knowledge is the beginning of Faith, so that without it a man cannot desire to beleeue, Iohn 4.10. If thou knewest the gift of God, &c. thou wouldest hauehave asked of him. Therefore as Peter ioynes Knowledge and Faith together, Iohn 6.69. Wee know and beleeue that thou art the Christ: So, Paul couples Ignorance and Vnbeliefe together, I did it ignorantly, through vnbeliefe, 1 Tim. 1.13. The Popish implicite faith therefore is no better then an vnbeleeuing faith.

Obiect. Heb. 11.1. Faith is the euidence of things not seene.

Ans. Not seene with the eyes of Reason. Matters of Faith are not discerned by Reason, nor seen with those eyes, yet Faith hath eyes to see them, and therefore is called the euidence of them, or conuincing demonstration, as the word is, and therefore, 2 Cor. 4.18. wee are said to looke on the things which are not seene.

Obiect. Knowledge is a reward following of Faith, Psal. 119.66. And this is the difference p. 170betweene Faith and Knowledge, that Knowledge is ground…d on some reason, Faith vponupon the bare authority of another.

Ans Ephes. 3.19. Paul prayes that they might know the louelove of Christ, which passeth all knowledge. If it passe all knowledge, how then is it to bee knowne? Wee must then distinguish of Knowledge: First, there is a weaker Knowledge, whereby wee vnderstand that there are such things reuealed vntounto vsus in the word: Secondly, a clearer Knowledge, whereby wee apprehend the things themselues, and how they are. The former must needes goe before Faith, the second followes it in the life to come. Before wee can beleeue the doctrine of the Trinitie, the hypostaticall vnion, &c. we must know that such things are reuealed in the word, though the things themselues surpasse our vnderstandings.

2. Act of Faith is Iudgement, 2. Iudgement.both of the truth, and of the goodnesse of the Gospell: for as Paul speakes of the Law, Rom. 7. I consent to the Law, that it is good, so doth Faith much more to the Gospell.

3. Act of Faith is Adiudication, 3. Adiudication.whereby our vnderstandings adiudge the promises in speciall to our selues.

4. Act is of the Will, which is Apprehension 4. Apprehension and Application.of, and Adhasion to the promises. When the vnderstanding hath iudged aright of the promises, and adiudged them to our selues, that they belong to vsus, then the Will welcomes them, claspes about them, hugges them, and as it is Heb. 11.13. kisses, p. 171and embraces them: this action of the Will, meanes the Apostle in that place. When thine heart shall kindely entertaine the promises, and cling about them, then with old Simeon, doest thou hold Christ in thine armes. These two last Acts are the very pith of Faith, that which is called Application, and Iohn 1.12. Receiuing of Christ. When Thomas said, My Lord, my God, Christ answered, that hee beleeued, Iohn 20. So Paul applyes the generall promise, 1 Tim. 1.15. Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners, whereof I am the chiefe. So, Gal. 2.20. I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God, who hath loued mee, and hath giuen himselfe for mee, where he speakes in the person of all beleeuers.

Concerning this Application consider,In which fiue things.

1. The Ground.

2. The Meanes.

3. The Order of Gods working it.

4. The Manner.

5. The Degrees of it.

1. For the Ground. 1 The Ground.It is the generall or indefinite promise, made vponupon the condition of Faith, concurring with Gods Commandement, bidding mee to apply, 1 Iohn 3.23. This is then his commandement, that wee beleeue in the Name of his Sonne Iesus Christ: and the conscience and priuitie of hauing this condition of the promise, to wit, the grace of Faith. For as vponupon this ground, I account the generall curse of the Law my speciall curse, because I finde my selfe breaker of the Law, and that it is the condition of the curse: So likewise I account the generall blessing of the Gospell, my p. 172speciall blessing, because I finde Faith in my selfe, the condition of the blessing.

Obiect. It is not so easie to know wee beleeue, as that wee breake the Law.

Ans. True: yet it may be knowne; or else why should our Sauiour aske some whether they did beleeue or no? or why doth the Apostle bid vsus proue and examine our selues whether the Faith be in vsus or no? 1 Cor. 13. And here because of the difficultie of this Knowledge, God himselfe applieth the promises outwardly in the Word and Sacraments, and inwardly by the testimony of his Spirit.

2. For the Meanes 2. The Means.of it. It is the hearing of the Word, Rom. 10.17. Faith commeth by hearing. Luke 24.45. Then hee opened their vnderstanding, namely, in hearing him open the Scriptures. This discouers the common faith to be a false faith, because conceiued without the word: It is a bastard Faith, it is not lawfully begotten. Let them neuer professe faith that eyther neglect hearing, or heare irreuerently. True Faith is the daughter of the Ministry, and therefore cannot but reuerence her parent.

3. For the Order 3. The Order.of Gods working it. It is thus to be considered: First, the Law presents thee with the sight of thy sinnes and misery: Secondly, it workes in thee compunction and terrour, the spirit of bondage, Rom. 8.15. so that thou cryest out, What shall I doe, Act. 2.37. Then thirdly, the Law is made thy Schoole-master to Christ, and thou beginnest to consider seriously of the Gospell, and p. 173the promises thereof. Fourthly, vponupon this serious consideration, beleeuing that thy sinnes are pardonable, thou conceiuest an hearty hungring after mercy, and afterward Faith to apprehend mercy. Fiftly, this thy longing causes thee with a broken and a bleeding heart, purposing no longer to sin, to cry for mercy, and to hold out in crying, with strong sighes and sobs. Sixtly, vponupon this followes some quieting of the heart, in some assurance of pardon, and being thus bred, it is confirmed by the frequent vse of the Word, Sacraments, Prayer, and exercises of Repentance, and daily experience of Gods goodnesse. This serues.

1. To stop the mouthes of the Papists, slandering vsus that wee teach that a man is presently to conceiue a perswasion that his sinnes are forgiuen, and so he… hath forgiuenesse. No, wee teach that a man is to be hammered and humbled by the Law, that hee is to be pinched with feeling his want of Christ, to be exercised with longing desires, and to exercise himselfe in long and many prayers, before hee can hauehave the least assurance.

2. To discouer the false faith of many that neuer were thus handled.

Obiect. But I doe not remember the time, that euer I was thus handled successiuely, hauehave I not therefore Faith?

Ans. If at the present thou feelest these things, or the chiefest of them, it is well: for our Faith is in working eueryevery day, and oftentimes the first beginnings are not so easily discerned: as we discerne p. 174not the sprouting of the Plant when it first buddeth, Marke 4.26. Iohn 3.8.

Quest. But is there not Faith till there be some assurance felt quieting the minde?

Ans. Yes, when thy soule is like the thirsty ground in desiring the bloud of Christ, then is Faith begunne, then is Christ receiued, though thou feele it not. Mat. 5. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst. To eate the flesh and drinke the bloud of Christ, is to beleeue; but whosoeuer hungers after his flesh, hath already eaten, who so thirsteth after Christs bloud, hath already drunken. Desire of Faith is an argument of LoueLove, LoueLove of Knowledge, Knowledge of Experience; for Faith is knowne chiefly experimentally: Therefore Psal. 34.7. Come therefore, taste and see how gracious the Lord is. First, we taste before we see, feele in our own experience, before wee know Gods sweetnesse. And vnlesse a man by his owne taste, hath felt the sweetnesse of Christ, hee cannot desire him. Pregnant is to this purpose that place, 1 Pet. 2.2.3. As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word: but hee addes, If so be yee hauehave tasted how good the Lord is. So that there must first be a tasting of Gods goodnesse, before there can be a desiring: where also note that desiring is a property of a new borne babe.

4. For the Manner 4 The Manner.how the hand of Faith is to apprehend, and the eye is to see Christ. A point worthy our consideration, that thereby wee may yet better discerne true faith from fained. This right manner of apprehension is in sixe points.

p. 1751.In sixe things. 1. As God offers and giues. Faiths receiuing hand presupposes Gods offering and giuing hand: So that true Faith receiues Christ as a gift out of his Fathers hand. And therefore looke where God hath an hand to giuegive, there, and there onelyonly hath Faith an hand to receiue. Now Gods hand opens it selfe to giuegive Christ and his Spirit to vsus in the holy exercises of hearing the Word, receiuing the Sacraments, and hearty Prayer: And therefore Faith comes and layes hold on, and receiues Christ in the vse of these. In hearing the Word, and receiuing the Supper, to meditate vponupon the promise of mercy, and in meditating to apply: this is the manner of true Faiths applying. Therefore that Faith which apprehends Christ otherwise, in the neglect and contempt of the meanes, is meere presumption, and an idle fancy of a wandring braine. A true beleeuer may apprehend Christ when hee is out of these exercises, yet this apprehension is the fruit of his former vse of these exercises, and it is nothing so sweet as in the vse of these exercises. When wee are in prayer then the Lord sends downe his Spirit, applying the promises, and making vsus to cry Abbi my Father. When wee are in hearing and receiuing, then the same Spirit seizeth on vsus, as on Lydia and Cornelius. Thou that braggest of thy full perswasion, try it by this: Doest thou feele that it being but faint and feeble at other times, yet in the Word, Sacraments, and Prayer to receiue notable encrease of strength: Alas, nothing lesse, but rather it is weakned, because the Word it is an enemy to presumption, and therefore shakes it, p. 176but a friend to true Faith, and therefore it feedes and fosters it: So that here is a liuely difference betweene Faith and Presumption.Differences between Faith & Presumption. First, Faith receiues Christ, Presumption snatches at him: Faith receiues him at Gods hand reaching him forth in the meanes, Presumption sawcily and impudently offers to snatch him, not seeing Gods hand open it selfe. Then secondly, presumptuous apprehension is apprehended, arrested, arraigned, as a malefactor, by the ministry of the word, and the winde thereof blowes it downe, as a Spiders web, in which regard the presumptuous beleeuer hates the Ministry; but the true apprehension is cherished, confirmed, and encouraged in the Word.

2. Apprehension of Faith is with feeling of sweetnesse2. With sense of sweetnesse. in Christ and in the promises, and therefore called the eating and drinking of his flesh, Ioh. 6. and Faith is the Palate of our soules mouth, and therefore in this exquisite daintie it must needes finde a speciall sweetnesse, Psal. 63.3. Thy louing kindnesse [apprehended by Faith] is better then life. So, 1 Pet. 2.3. If so be yee hauehave tasted how good the Lord is. Psal. 34.8. Taste yee and see how gracious the Lord is, that is, beleeue in him; as appeares by the reason added, Blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Hence arises the louelove and ioy in Christ, as immediate fruits of Faith, Iohn 8.56. 1 Pet. 1.9. Rom. 15.13. For as with naturall food is ioyned naturall gladnesse, in regard of the contentment it ministers to the hungry stomacke, Acts 14. Filling their hearts with food and gladnesse: so also with spirituall food is ioyned spirituall ioy. And as in p. 177eating these earthly meates, whilest in eating wee finde pleasure in them, our affections are stirred vp towards them; so also towards Christ, feeding on him by Faith, so that wee cannot but cry out, oh the sweetnesse of this flesh! and euen desire others to eate of it, as Paul did Agrippa, and Dauid inuiting others, Psal. 34.8. For Faith apprehends the promises, not onelyonly as true, and so assents; but as good and sweet, and so adheres and cleaues vntounto them. And as in couenants betweene men, assent is shewed by wishing, Gen. 30.34. so doth Faith in the couenant of grace: And therefore Heb. 11. the Patriarches are said to salute the promises. Salutation is with embracing and shewing of affection.

Here is another difference betweene Faith and Presumption: for presumption feeles no more relish in Christs bloud then in a chip, but true Faith doth, because it felt first the sowrenesse of sinne. It was scorched with the sense of Gods anger, whence comes thirsting after his bloud, which is as comfortable as cleare water in drought. Looke with what comfort the condemned malefactor at the gallowes, receiues his pardon, with the same doth the beleeuer receiue Christ.

3.3. With Contrition. This apprehension of Christ must be with an humbled and contrite heart for sinne: Come vntounto mee, that is, Iohn 5.35. Beleeue in mee, all yee that are weary and heauy laden, Mat. 11. And Zach. 12.10. They shall looke vponupon mee, whom they hauehave pierced, and they shall lament for him. The eye of Faith is a lamenting eye, a sorrowfull eye: for it p. 178beholds Christ pierced with the beleeuers owne sinnes. The Passeouer was to be eaten with sowre hearbs, and Christ the true Passeouer with griefe of heart for our sinnes.

4. The apprehension of true Faith is with a strife4. With Strife, and against our owne infidelitie, and Sathans temptations to doubting, and in the end with victory ouer them. Here then are two things: first, Strife: secondly, Victory. First, there must be Strife, because Sathan is an enemie to true Faith, and will oppose it, and God being a friend to it, will by this meanes hauehave it tryed and confirmed. Here is a difference betweene Presumption and Faith: the presumptuous man brags of his Faith, that it is so strong, that hee nothing doubts of his saluation: the true beleeuer, wearyed with continuall doubtings, cryes out, Lord I beleeue, helpe my vnbeliefe. And hence to the presumptuous nothing more easie then Faith; to the true beleeuer that feeles this conflict betweene Faith and Doubtings, nothing more difficult. Hence Faith is called the Faith of Gods power, Col. 2.12. and wee are said to beleeue by Gods mighty power, Eph. 1.19. whereas there needes no such power to beget a presuming imaginary perswasion. Such ill weedes grow ouer-fast of themselues, and there needes that power rather to destroy it then to build it. Further, Faith is Gods owne worke, and hee loues to hauehave his workes and graces tryed; and therefore purposely lets Sathan loose vponupon vsus, to bait vsus, and sometimes fights himselfe with vsus, as with Iob and Iaakob. But Presumption being the Diuels worke, p. 179hee loues not to try it, lest hee should marre all, and so cause men to seeke for a better grounded perswasion. Then secondly, Faith in this strife gets the Victory Victory.ouer all impediments, whereas in the euill day Presumption receiues the foyle, and giues the presumer the slip in his greatest neede; and therefore Iob 8. compared to the Spiders house: But true Faith neuer letting goe her gripe, with Iaakob Gen. 32. wrestles with the wrestlings of God, and gets the vpper-hand, as Rahel speakes of her selfe in another case, Gen. 30.8. and so trusts in God though he kill her.

5. Faith apprehends Christ with the apprehension of inferiour and dependant promises:5. With apprehension of inferiour promises. for looke as God makes his promises, so Faith receiues them; but God in making his promises, knits and tyes the inferiour promises of the things of this life, to the maine promises concerning Christ and saluation, 2 Cor. 1.20. Mat. 6.33. Rom 8 32. therefore true Faith so receiues them. Here Presumption is againe conuinced: hee that crakes so much of his strong Faith, and assurance of the remission of his sinnes, how shakes hee in time of danger, when outward meanes of preseruation fayle? whereas if wee did relye on God for our soules, much more would we for our bodies, if for our eternall, much more for our temporall sa uation: for by the same Faith that wee liue our spirituall, wee must also liue our temporall life. Abraham by the same iustifying Faith whereby hee beleeued Christs birth, beleeued Isaacks also, Gen. 15. And it cannot be, but if wee beleeue that God p. 180hath giuen vsus the greater blessings, wee should thinke hee should deny vsus the lesser. How doth he trust God for a Kingdome, that will not trust him for a crust of bread?

6. This Apprehension must be with transformation6. With Transformation. of vsus into the image of Christ, 2 Cor. 3.18. Wee all behold the glory of the Lord, namely, by faith, and are changed into the same Image. Faith being as powerfull in this spirituall conception to worke in vsus the image of the obiect seene, as phantasie is often in the naturall conception. Meates eaten are turned into the nature of the eaters, here contrarily eaters turned into the nature of meates eaten; beleeuers are fashioned according to the Image of Christ: for Faith receiues not a dead Christ, but Christ with his Spirit, a working, a stirring Spirit. The good ground receiues the seede of the Word, there is Faith, but marke the manner of receiuing, with a good and an honest heart, Luke 8.15. This discouers the vanitie of the common faith, so much bragged of, for the power of godlinesse is denyed. The right manner of applying Christ is in applying him to our selues, to apply our selues, with all our desires and endeuours to him and his commandements, otherwise we misapply. Away then with that fond, and foppish, phantasticall, idle, doting faith; and here is also the difference betwixt temporary and sauing Faith: Temporary Faith is begotten, not as presumption by fancy, but by the seede sowne, that is, the word, and it brings forth, by vertue of this seed some fruit, but yet the heart is rotten and vnsound, as Iudas still p. 181retained his darling of couetousnesse, in the greatest heate of his profession, and therefore there was no thorow application of Christ, onelyonly some slight taste, Heb. 6. not a thorow eating or digestion, a superficiary floating in the top of the riuer of Christs bloud, no diuing to the bottome that they may be douzed thorowly, not feet only, but hands and head, and all.

5. For the Degrees 5 The Degrees, which are two.of Application and Apprehension, they are two:

Weake.

Strong.

1. Weake 1. Weake.apprehension, when a man desires and striues to apprehend and apply the promises, but to his owne thinking cannot: This small faith is called weaknesse of faith, by our Sauiour. And it consists in two things.

1. Want of feeling, 1. For want of sense.by reason of that little life and spirits that are in it, being but as smoaking flaxe: for the truth is, that Faith when it is weakest apprehends Christ, but it feeles not her owne apprehension: As the Infant hath sense, life, and reason, but discernes not these things in it selfe.

2. Want of certainty, 2. For want of certaintie.by reason it is ouerwhelmed with so many doubtings, so that the youngling in Christ, and the weake beleeuer cannot say boldly, Christ is mine, and yet neyther dares hee say, Christ is not mine. As he cannot boldly challenge Christs righteousnesse, so neyther can hee wholly deny it to himselfe: for there is a two-fold certainty: first, of Euidence: secondly, of Adherence. The weake beleeuer, though he want the certaintie of Euidence, p. 182that though the truth of this proposition, My sinnes are pardoned, be not euident to his vnderstanding, yet he wants not the certainty of adherence, whereby in his will hee stickes and cleaues to the promises, saying still, It is good for mee to cleaue to the Lord: but the certaintie of euidence is so weake and so ouer-mastered by infidelitie, that in this regard this Faith is called vnbeliefe; Lord, I beleeue, helpe mine vnbeliefe, that is, my weake and wauering Faith, so full of doubting, that it deserues rather to be called vnbeliefe then Faith: for vnbeliefe should be wholly taken away, not holpen.

The Reasons of this weaknesse are two.

1. Want of experience, and therefore it is specially at our first conuersion, when as yet nouices, and are not thorowly acquainted with Gods manner of dealing with his.

2. Violence of Temptation, specially if it preuaile, and cause vsus to fall into some more grieuous sin: then the Faith before strong becomes weake, as in Dauids adultry, and Peters deniall.

2. Strong 2. Strong.Apprehension when a man hath a sure and a firme gripe of Christ, not onelyonly betwixt his finger and thumbe, as it were, but hath clasped him with both his hands, yea, both his armes, so that hee can say with Iaakob, I will not let thee goe, Gen. 32.26. And with Paul, Nothing shall separate, Rom. 8. This is called a plerophory, or a full perswasion, as was in Abraham, Rom. 4.21. Being fully assured. And it is gotten, when after long practise, and paynes taken in a godly life, and after many obseruations of Gods kindnesse, wee are become p. 183experienced and exercised Christians. See Psal. 23. throughout. Now this promise here is made to the first, as well as to the second degree: for weake Faith is true Faith, as well as strong. When a man striues to apprehend, and stretches out his withered hand, desiring hee could apprehend, bewailing the inabilitie of it to apprehend, crying earnestly for mercy, that because hee cannot apprehend Christ, Christ would apprehend him, that because hee cannot apply Christ, Christ would apply himselfe to his conscience; when a man I say, doth but thus much, hee beleeues, and whosoeuer beleeues, shall not perish, but hauehave eternall life.

Thus much of the Act of Faith.

2. The Obiect followes. The Obiect of Faith,2. The Obiect of Faith. it is Christ; whosoeuer should beleeue in Him: or the Gospell and the Promises thereof, as Rom. 10. It is called the word of Faith. Yet first the Promise, and then Christ who is promised as a gift: So in a word, Christ reuealed in the promises of the Gospell, is the Obiect of Faith. Wherein is the difference betwixt Faith and the knowledge of Christ in the life to come, which considereth him in himselfe, but Faith beholds him in the glasse of the Gospell, 2 Cor. 3.18.

Obiect. Other things are the Obiect of Faith besides this, euen the whole truth of the Bible, as the Creation of the world, Heb. 11.

Ans. Faith beleeues the Creation, and all other holy truths, euen iustifying Faith: (for of that Faith it seemes the Apostle speakes, Heb. 11. both by the end of the former Chapter, and the third verse p. 184of the 11. by it our elders obtained a good report) but not as imploying her selfe about them as her speciall obiect, but presupposing them as necessary antecedents. The reasonable soule in a man doth the same things which the sensitiue in beasts, yet not as her proper and peculiar acts.

Obiect. 2. Iustifying Faith beleeues other promises besides that of Christ, and saluation by him, as concerning strength in tentations, moderation of afflictions, comforts of this life.

Ans. True, but as appendants and appurtenances to the maine and principall promise: for in Christ, that is, that fundamentall promise concerning Christ, all, that is, the other depending, promises are Yea and Amen, 2 Cor. 1.20. The proper and peculiar obiect then of iustifying Faith is the Euangelicall promise: other things are beleeued, some as necessary antecedents, some as necessary consequents of this. But Faith findes life and saluation, neyther in the histories of the Creation, &c. nor in the Legal commandements, threatnings, promises, but onelyonly in the Couenant of Grace.

This doctrine of the right Obiect of Faith, is to be marked against the Papists cunning, in words saying as much as wee, but in truth denying it. Faith, saith the Councell of Trent, beleeues all things contained in the word, specially that the wicked is iustified by Grace. But by Grace they vnderstand the habit of Charitie: and this is that, they say, Faith must hold, That when wee hauehave this grace of Charity, then for it wee are iustified. p. 185And so they make Faiths obiect not Christ, nor his righteousnesse without vsus, but the dignitie of our owne inherent righteousnesse within vsus, contrary to the whole current of Scripture, calling it the Faith of Christ, Rom. 3.22.26. Gal. 2.20. Phil. 3.9.

The persons to whom the benefits of Christs Doct. 7 mediatorship belong: To all beleeuers, without any exception of any estate or condition; That whosoeuer beleeueth. None is excluded, but such as exclude themselues. This is singular comfort in temptation: No matter for thy sinnes, whosoeuer beleeues in Christ shall be saued. If thou hauehave beene neuer so great a sinner, yet thou art not excluded, if thou wilt embrace Iesus Christ by a true Faith. This must comfort thee also in thy meane estate in the world, for yet thou art not excluded out of Christ, if thou beleeue in him, be thou what thou wilt. Whosoeuer beleeues, the hainous sinner as well as the lesser; the poore begger, as well as the mightiest Monarch, shall not perish, but hauehave life eternall.

VERSE 17 For God sent not his Sonne into the world, to iudge the world, but that the world through him should be saued.

This is a further illustration of that said before, that God gaue his Sonne that we might be saued. The reason is from the contraries: eyther he was sent to iudge, or to saue; not to iudge or condemne, for there was no need of that, wee were already all in that estate of condemnation: therefore hee was sent to saue. And withall here is a preuention of an Obiection, that might be made vponupon p. 186that in the former Verse, God so loued the world, that hee gaue his Sonne, &c.

Obiect. But yet many in the world are damned, and that the more grieuously, because of Christs comming.

Ans. Though Christ be a stumbling blocke to many, and augment their condemnation, yet God sent him chiefly and principally for another end, namely, to saue. That many are not onelyonly not saued, but more fearefully damned by meanes of Christ, it is not from the maine and direct end, God propounded in sending him, but it is accidentally by reason of their owne wilfulnesse in refusing Christ.

The words containe

1. Gods act, The sending of his Sonne into the world.

2. The end,

1. Negatiuely, Not to iudge.

2. Affirmatiuely To saue.

1. Gods act. God, that is, the Father, sent his Son into the world. By World, vnderstand the habitable world, wherein men dwell. And the sending of the Sonne into the world, is to be vnderstood in regard of his Incarnation, and the birth of his humanitie, as Iohn 18.37. For this cause was I borne, and for this cause came I into the world: So Rom. 8.3. God sent his Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh And Gal. 4.4. God sent his sonne made of a woman. In this phrase of sending is implyed the ground of Christs calling to the office of the Mediatorship. Hee was sent and authorised by his Father: A thing that p. 187all of vsus must looke to in our callings, especially Ministers.

2. The End. Not to condemne or iudge, that is, strictly according to the rigour of the Law; but to saue, to qualifie the Lawes rigour with the Gospels moderation.

Obiect. Luke 2.34. This Childe is set for the fall, and rising againe of many in Israel.

Ans. For the fall onelyonly occasionally and accidentally.

Wee see here the difference betweene the Law Doct. 1 and the Gospell:A difference betweene the Law and the Gospell. The Law iudges and deales strictly, but Christ in the Gospell, is not come to iudge, but Grace and Truth is come by Christ in the Gospell, Iohn 1.17. Hence the Law is called the ministry of death, 2 Cor. 3.

Obiect. So is the Gospell to many the sauour of death.

Ans. Yet the Gospell hath Grace, and the Spirit accompanying it, and so the disobedience against the Gospell, is not onelyonly against the commandement, but against the Grace and Spirit of God, Acts 7.51. Yee hauehave alwayes resisted the holy Ghost.

See the difference betweene the first and second Doct. 2 comming of Christ. In the second hee comes to iudge: in the first not to iudge, but to saue. While the day of grace lasteth, take we the opportunitie: The day, yea, the houre before the day of Iudgement, there is Mercy, but after the sound of the Trumpe, the date of mercy is out.

Wheresoeuer Christ is preached in the Gospell, Doct. 3 there are some to be saued: for the maine end why p. 188hee was sent, is to saue: The preaching of the Gospell presupposes some elect.

Doct. 4 Learne a notable defence against Sathan: When thy sinnes lye heauy on thee, oppose thou this buckler, Christ is come, not to iudge, but to saue, by translating my cause out of the Legall Court of Iustice, into his owne Euangelicall Court of Mercy. Therefore what dost thou O Sathan, dragging me into the Court of the Law? Christ hath remoued my cause thence.

Doct. 5 This being the maine end why Christ was sent, that wee might be saued, let vsus take heede wee frustrate not this end, by refusing Gods grace, or turning it into wantonnesse, taking occasion vponupon Christs comming, to sinne the more freely, and so to make our Sauiour, our accuser and condemner.

VERSE 18 Hee that beleeueth in him shall not be condemned, but hee that beleeueth not is condemned already, because he beleeueth not in the Name of the onelyonly begotten Sonne of God.

Here followeth the fourth heauenly Mystery, concerning the Kingly office of Christ, in iustifying his people that depend on him by Faith, and in condemning the vnbeleeuers. It hangeth fitly vponupon the former Verse, eyther as a proofe, thus: If Christ came to condemne the world, then either the beleeuers or the vnbeleeuers. Not the beleeuers, for hee that beleeueth shall not be condemned: Not the vnbeleeuers, for hee that beleeueth not is already condemned; and therefore the vnbeleeuers p. 189needed not that any should come to condemne them, and therefore Christ came not to condemne the world. Or else thus, which I take to be the sounder, as a preuenting of an Obiection, which might be made against that, that Christ was sent to saue the world.

Obiect. What then, shall all the world be saued, and none damned?

Ans. Hee that beleeueth is not, that is, cannot be condemned; but as for others, no such matter: Or thus rather, if Christ be sent to saue, how is it, that all are not saued, but many damned? Ans. Because onelyonly hee that beleeues in Christ shall be saued, and hee that doth not beleeue is necessarily condemned.

Here are two heads of doctrine.

1. How the saluation brought by Christ, is gotten of vsus.

2. How it is lost.

The first in the former words; Hee that beleeueth in him is not condemned, that is, by a Meicosis, is absolued, iustified, as in the third Commandement, not holding guiltlesse is holding guilty.

The sinner comes to be interested in Christs obedience, and so discharged of his sinnes,Doct. Faith iustifies and discharges the sinner. and iustified, onelyonly by beleeuing in Christ. After his cause is remoued into the Euangelicall Court, the tryall is by Faith; Hee that beleeueth is not condemned. Therefore, Phil. 3.9. Pauls labour was, that hee might be found (namely, when the search and triall of his cause should be before Gods tribunall) hauing the righteousnesse of Christ by Faith. And, p. 1902 Thess. 1.10. The Lord is maruellous in glorifying the elect at the last day, because the Gospell was beleeued by them. That at the last day, Mat. 25. workes are brought in, it is onelyonly to giuegive witnesse of the truth of our plea of Faith. The sinner pleads Faith, Workes are heard as witnesses, giuing euidence that this plea is true.

Vse 1. Here is rich comfort to eueryevery beleeuer: This is his happy priuiledge, that hee is not liable to damnation, that hee is iustified in Gods Court from his sinnes: for by Faith he is made one with Christ, and Rom. 8.1. No condemnation to those that are in Christ. Christ is iustified, 1 Tim. 3 16. that is, discharged of thy sinnes: Thou canst be no more called to a reckoning for them then Christ can, if by Faith thou hauehave apprehended Christs satisfaction. The beleeuer may bold…y now answere the Law, I hauehave satisfied thee to the full, and paid thee eueryevery farthing; because Christs satisfaction is his. And there is no iustice in it, that one debt should be twice paid, one sinne twice punished. EueryEvery beleeuer by Faith is marryed vntounto Christ as vntounto an husband: and as in the Law, vxori lis non intenditur, no man layes his action against the wife, but the husband is answerable for the wife; so is Christ answerable for vsus. And to him we put ouer the Law. If a beleeuer might be condemned, then eyther in the Legall Court, or in the Euangelicall: In the Legall hee cannot, because hee appeales from the sentence thereof to the Euangelicall: In the Euangelicall he cannot, because there onelyonly enquiry is made whether the appealer doe p. 191beleeue, which once appearing, hee is acquitted and dismissed. As wee see in the poore Publicanes example: being dragged forth into the Court of Iustice, and there cast, yet that sentence tooke no hold of him, because of his appeale to the Throne of Grace, where by Faith pleading nothing but Gods mercy, and his owne misery, Lord be mercifull to mee a poore sinner, hee went away iustified, Luke 18.14. Oh singular comfort! A beleeuer may be, and is often accused by Sathan, by his owne Conscience, by the wicked World; for what innocency can stop clamorous mouthes? It is not said, Hee that beleeueth is not accused, but he is not condemned, though accused. And therefore hee may triumph with Paul, Rom. 8.33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen? It is God that iustifies. Or as Augustine reades it interrogatiuely, Shall God that iustifies, or is in iustifying of vsus? As if hee should say, if any might, it is God: But hee iustifies vsus, and as long as hee iudicially acquits vsus, what matter is it what Sathan, or any other say? If the Iudge acquit the prisoner, what matter what the rest of his fellow-prisoners say? This sentence is that which will be a well-spring of comfort in the houre of death, when Sathan will be most fierce and fiery in pleading against vsus, He that beleeueth in Christ is not, nor cannot be condemned, because hauing satisfied Gods Iustice in Christ, he is already acquitted.

Vse 2. Let eueryevery one looke to it, that hee doe indeede beleeue; else will it be worse with him in the Court of Mercy, then euer it would hauehave been p. 192in the Court of Iustice: for now hee shall hauehave double damnation; first, that pronounced in the Law shall be ratified; and secondly, more shall be added, for abusing the Court of Mercy by a wrong appeale, and for laying claime to that sweet mercy which hee hath contemned. When men heare this doctrine, that the beleeuer is iustified, they vse to blesse themselues, and thinke they shall doe well, because they make no doubt but they beleeue: But if a prisoner knew that the Law would condemne him, and that there is no way to saue him but his booke, hee would be sure that hee could reade, and would trye how hee could reade, and hee would eueryevery day be taking paines to reade, and not, as the world doth in the matter of Faith, content himselfe with an idle imagination that he can reade: And yet sometimes another mans reading saues the prisoner, but here the sinner must be saued onelyonly by his owne Faith. Surely, Christ now the third time, in this short speech, vrging Faith, shewes that it is a farre other kinde of thing, then to imagine, and without ground to thinke that Christ dyed for vsus. Therefore Faith being that whereby wee must be tryed in the case of the life and death of our soules eternally, it stands vsus in hand to examine our selues of, and to inure and exercise our selues daily, in the serious practise of true Faith. What it is to beleeue is partly drawne from Courts of Iudgement:What it is to beleeue, & the practise of true Faith in beleeuing. A beleeuer is compared to a man that hath a criminall capitall cause to be tryed in the Court of Iustice, where hee is sure to be cast, vnlesse hee can get some speciall p. 193Aduocate to pleade his cause, or get it remoued into some other more mercifull Court.

1. A man would neuer goe to an Aduocate, nor labour the remouall of his cause, vnlesse hee saw his life otherwise gone: So hee that beleeues in Christ, must first see himselfe no better then a condemned man by the Law, and must be affected with the sense of this condemnation; that so hee may see in what neede hee stands of Christ to be his Aduocate. How doth the world then beleeue in Christ, who neuer apprehended seriously the condemning sentence of the Law, which should vrge them to Christ?

2. A man in this case, condemned by the rigour of the Law to dye, would not thinke of vsing an Aduocate, or seeke to appeale to another Court, vnlesse hee saw some hope at least, of helpe that wayes. So here, hee that beleeues in Christ, must assure himselfe of the all-sufficiencie that is in him to saue him, as being the onelyonly Sonne of God.

3. As a man assured of the sufficiencie and fauour of his Aduocate, and of the mercy of the Court whereto hee appeales, goes in humble wise lamenting his state vntounto them, as hee stands condemned in the other Court: So, hee that beleeues in Christ, hauing taken notice of Gods mercy in Christ, and in the Euangelicall Court, hee comes with a bleeding heart, and makes his moane, and raps and knockes, and cryes for reliefe, as the condemned prisoner howles to the Iudge for mercy, and hee wholly casts himselfe vponupon his Aduocate Christ, despayring in himselfe, and in all other p. 194things besides. As the poore Publican, hauing heard the condemnation of the Law, was so astonyed with it, that he smote on the brest, and with a deiected countenance, presents himselfe prostrate before the Throne of Grace, and sayes, Lord, I hauehave nothing to trust to, but thy mercy; I am worthily condemned by the Law for my sinnes, but I appeale to thy mercy in the Gospell, Lord be mercifull to mee a sinner, conuicted and condemned. This is the practise of true Faith: from which how farre are our vaine boasters? For it is no easie matter, when a man sees God as an angry Iudge condemning him, then to apprehend his mercy for forgiuenesse.

The second head of Doctrine, How this saluation is lost, and damnation incurred, is in the other clause; Hee that beleeueth not is already condemned.

And hee is already condemned:

The vnbeleeuer already condemned in fiue respects.1. In the Court of Iustice, in the sentence of the Law; Cursed is eueryevery one that abideth not in all things, &c. Gal. 3.10.

2. In the Court of Mercy, in the sentence of the Gospell; Marke 16.16. Whosoeuer beleeueth not shall be damned.

3. In the Court of his owne Conscience, as Paul sayes of Heretiques, that they are selfe-condemned.

4. In regard of their desert and iustice of God. As wee say of a guilty traytor, hee is but a dead man; for hee is dead to the Law: And so a man deadly sicke, is dead to the Physitian, that sees hee hath death in his bosome. So Gen. 2. The day wherein p. 195thou eatest, thou shalt dye; that is, hauehave the matter of death in thee.

5. In the beginning of the execution of the sentence, in blindnesse of minde, hardnesse of heart, accusations of conscience, &c.

The Vse. 1. Terrour to the vnbeleeuing impenitent sinner. A Traytor condemned, though hee hauehave the liberty of the Tower, and may follow his sports there, yet alas what ioy can hee hauehave, when in the middest of his sports, the King may call him out to the blocke? So God giues the wicked these outward comforts, yet they are but condemned men, and euen in the middest of your iollity, euen this night, O yee fooles, shall your soules be taken away, Luke 2. what a desperate madnesse is it then when men going to the gallowes, will quaffe and swagger? Such as are more reasonable, if a man should bid them be merry, and take their sports: They would answere, Alas, how can wee, wee are condemned, and are shortly to dye? How then canst thou thus braue it, when thou art already condemned, and hast one foot in hell? Thou wilt say, Oh the day of Iudgement is not neare as yet; yea, but the sentence then to be ratified, is already pronounced, and that which then is fully to be executed, is already in part begunne. The officers of damnation hauehave seized on thee, hauehave bound thee with their cords, and are dragging thee to the gallowes, hauehave set thee on the ladder, put the rope on thy necke, and nothing is now wanting, but thy turning off the ladder.

2. Enuy not then the wicked their outward p. 196felicities, for in the middest of them they are cursed, condemned creatures: It is no matter though they blesse themselues, and though the world magnifie them, God hath already condemned them. Therefore such vile persons are alwayes despised in the eyes of the godly, Psal. 15.

Christ giues in the next words a two-folde reason of this last proposition, He that beleeueth not, &c. 1. Reason is in the end of this 18. Verse. Because he beleeues not in the Name of the onelyonly begotten Sonne of God. The reason is drawne from the worthinesse of the person: Hee is the onelyonly begotten Sonne of God. If some Saint or Angell had beene propounded vntounto vsus for a Sauiour, to trust in, wee might hauehave denyed Faith iustly: But now Gods owne naturall Sonne, God of God, is propounded, it cannot be but an horrible sinne not to beleeue in such a person, so sufficient, and so mighty to saue: for not to beleeue in him, is to disable him, and in effect to say hee is not able to saue vsus, there is no such merit in his death, no such vertue in his obedience, and so indeede to deny his God-head.

Doct.It is then Christs God-head which giues that infinite vertue to the obedience of the man-hood of Christ, that it should be auaileable for the iustification of all the elect: for this is the ground of faith in Christ, that hee is the onelyonly begotten Son of God.

VERSE 19 And this is that condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loued darknesse rather then light, because their deedes were euill.

p. 197VERSE 20 For eueryevery man that euill doth, hateth the light, neyther commeth to light, lest his deeds should be reproued.

VERSE 21 But hee that doth truth, commeth to the light, that his deedes might be made manifest, that they are wrought according to God.

Here followes the second reason, why the vnbeleeuer is condemned, because hee hates Christ and his Gospell, when offered to him, and preferres his miserable estate of ignorance and blindnesse, before the knowledge of him. This reason is amplified by the weight of it, compared with the former; But this is that condemnation: as if hee had said, Hee deserues condemnation in the other regard, but here is that which further encreases his damnation.

Now here Christ preuents a double Obiection.

1. Obiection. Many neuer heard of the Name of Christ; Are they lyable to condemnation for not beleeuing in him?

Ans. Hee that beleeueth not is condemned, for not beleeuing in so sufficient a Name as of the onelyonly begotten Sonne of God, but yet so that this Name be named vntounto them, that the light shine vntounto him: This is that condemnation, that light is come into the world, that is, that Christ and his Gospell are reuealed clearely, as the light.

Negatiue infidelitie is no sinne.Doct. 1. Negatiue Infidelitie is no sin. They that neuer heard of Christ shall be condemned for their sinnes against the Law, but not for their vnbeliefe; because the light neuer came vntounto them. Christ here expounding the doctrine of the former Verse, p. 198that the vnbeleeuer is condemned, restraines it to positiue infidelitie of those to whom the light doth shine. It would be iniustice in God to exact more of his creature then hee gaue: Now he neuer gaue any meanes of the knowledge of Christ, to such as neuer heard the sound of the Gospell. A Husbandman might as well expect and exact a crop of Wheat of his ground, hauing sowne no seed in it. It is replyed, that it is their owne fault, that God giues them not the meanes of knowledge. I answer, this proues it to be a punishment of sinne, as are all the miseries of this life, but yet no sinne: Paul is plaine, Rom. 2.12. The Gentiles sinning without the Law written, shall be iudged without that Law, euen by the Law of Nature, and not by the Gospell.

Doct. 2. The hainousnesse of positiue Infidelitie.The hainousnesse of positiue infidelitie, when men hauehave meanes to beleeue in Christ, and yet neglect and refuse him: This is the condemning sinne: This is that condemnation, it brings condemnation with a witnesse, with a vengeance, sore and heauy condemnation. We hauehave examples, in the old World, reiecting Noah; the Preacher of righteousnesse Euangelicall; in the Iewes before Christs comming, mocking the Prophets, till there was no remedy, 2 Chron. 36.16. but specially in the fearfull desolation of the whole Nation of the Iewes since Christ, continuing, together with their vnbeliefe, to this day, Rom 11. They were cut off through their vnbeliefe. Incest is an odious sinne; but yet Herods contempt of the Gospell, in Iohns imprisonment, was aboue his Incest, Luke 3.20. Hee added this p. 199aboue all, euen aboue his Incest. Sodomie a prodigious abhomination, not to be named, but yet it shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrha at the day of Iudgement, then for Capernaum and Bethsaida, and such Cities as hauehave reiected Gods grace in the Gospell, Mat. 11. The Reasons of it are: First, all other sinnes hauehave this remedy prouided for them, The bloud of Christ, but no remedy for this; for this sinne is the refusing of the remedy. As long as a sicke man refuses Physicke, and will not endure the sight of the Physitian, what hope can there be of his life? His disease kils him not, but his obstinate refusall of Physicke. Secondly, this sinne giues God the lye, a thing intollerable amongst men, and that in the weightiest matter that can be, solemnely confirmed with oath and Couenant. To giuegive a Prince the lye, though but in a trifle, a haynous thing, what then to giuegive it God swearing in the matter of our eternall saluation.

Vse 1. Comfort to the repenting beleeuer, distressed for his sinnes against the Law: Faith in Christ takes away all our sinnes. Nothing condemnes vnderunder the Gospell, but the contempt of the Gospell, and the refusall of Gods mercy in Christ. No sinne here but infidelitie, as no righteousnesse but Faith: Therefore, Isa. 1. The Princes of Sodome are called to the bath of Christs bloud.

Vse 2. Terrour to the reiecters of the Gospell, though liuing ciuilly, and not grosly breaking the Law: The world will thinke well of them, and they of themselues, they are no drunkards, swearers, murtherers, theeues, Sodomites: No, they are p. 200worse,No damnation like that of Infidelitie. they despise the Gospell, and therefore shall hauehave farre heauier condemnation: farre better for them neuer to hauehave heard of Christ. There is no fall into hell like that, which is taken by a stumble at Christ. Oh fearefull must that condemnation be which is pronounced in the Court of Mercy! Wicked must hee be whom Mercy it selfe condemnes. When Mercy condemnes, what would Iustice doe? Now eueryevery vnbeleeuing impenitent wretch is condemned in the Court of Mercy and of the Gospell. Let not loose lewd people flatter themselues because of the Gospell. This is the matter of their so heauy condemnation.

The Gospell is here compared to light; That light is come into the world.

In darknesse two things.

Errour.

Terrour.

Wee both mistake in the darke, as a friend for a foe, a bush for a beast, and vponupon this mistaking we are terrified. Thus was it in the darknesse of superstition and ignorance: Antichrist then not being discerned, was taken for a great God, and how was he feared? but now we see him to be a base worme, how do we scorne him and his bruta fulmina, which were more feared then the greatest Ordinance? EueryEvery noyse troubles vsus in the night, so eueryevery wicked man, who is in the darke, is troubled with the shaking of a leafe, and flyes when none pursues, Prou. 28.1. and so Psal. 91. wee reade of the terrours of the night. Thus before a mans enlightening, how are death, pouerty, afflictions, through p. 201our mistaking in the darke, feared; but by this light wee see death to be but a sleepe, and all afflictions to be without sting, and so feare them no longer. The light discouers the errour, and frees vsus from the terrour. But of this Metaphor more in the 20. Verse.

2. Obiection, which is preuented, is this: Why should Infidelitie be so sharply punished?

Ans. First, by shewing what the vnbeleeuers doe: Secondly, why they doe it.

1. What they doe. They louelove darknesse, (both Pharisaicall of errour, and Epicureall of sinne) rather then the light, that is, Christ and his Gospell: As the Iewes preferred Barabbas before Christ, so they their miserable state of sinne and ignorance, before the state of grace in Christ.

By this see what the beleeuer does,How true faith is practised. and how true Faith is practised: Faith comes vntounto Christ, as vntounto her Sauiour, by comming to him, first, as vntounto a light discouering our blindnesse and misery. So that the beleeuer must, first, see his darknesse; secondly, hate it; thirdly, see helpe for it in Christ, as in a light; and fourthly, be in louelove with this light, preferring it before all things in the world besides. In a word, the beleeuer apprehends Christ with an earnest louelove of that sweetnesse that is in him, and with a perfect hatred of that miserable estate wherein he was being out of Christ: So Paul, Phil. 3. accounts his aduantages in Pharisaisme, as losse, as dirt and dung, in regard of Christ.

Vse 1. It serues for the discouery of false faith: For, first, thou wilt not come to Christ as vntounto a p. 202light, to see thy misery; thou wilt not see how blinde thou art, Reuel. 3. thou loathest not thine estate, nay, thou louest it, and when the Gospell comes to shew thee thy misery, with the remedy, thy bloud is vp: thou saist it is better to be as thou art and hast beene. Contentation in a mans naturall, bruitish, and sottish ignorance is an euident signe of no faith, 2 Thess. 2.12. not beleeuing the truth, and taking pleasure in vnrighteousnesse, are ioyned together. So likewise when a man professeth the truth, and yet heartily loueth some sinne, and that more then Christ; as Iudas loued his couetousnesse, and his thirty pieces of siluer better then Christ; Herod loued Herodias and his Incest better then Iohns Gospell; and so Demas the world; the Gadarens their hogges: for true Faith workes by LoueLove, Gal. 5. yea, it apprehends Christ with a wonderfull extacie of affection.

Vse 2. Labour wee therefore to receiue the truth with louelove, imprinting the very image of it in our hearts, to feede on Christ with delight, feeling a relish in him, 2 Thess. 2.10. that which is there called louing the truth, is afterwards Vers. 12. called beleeuing the truth.

2. Why they doe not louelove the light, but preferre darknesse; Because their deedes are euill, that is, their whole course and trade of life is set vponupon euill, they are workers of iniquitie.

Doctr. A corrupt life breedes a corrupt iudgement.The louelove of darknesse, and reiecting of the light, is caused from the louelove of the workes of darknesse. A wicked heart set vponupon sinne corrupts the head, and makes a man resist the truth. p. 203A corrupt life breedes a corrupt iudgement.

Vse 1. Not to maruell when we see euen great Clerkes, as at this day in the Church of Rome, to maintaine senslesse dotages, and to kick against the Gospel, and men otherwise wise among our selues, to delight to nuzzle themselues in their ignorance, and not to endure the powerfull ministry of the Gospell. It is no newes for a corrupt life and iudgement to goe together: The former must be maintained by the latter. This makes men of corrupt liues striue to blinde themselues, and to put out the very light of Nature, that they might sinne with greater liberty.

Vse 2. All men of an euill life are here conuinced of Infidelitie: Such will brag of Faith, and of comming to Christ, but hee that doth euill hates the light, and come not to it: Such men outwardly professe the Gospell, but without all louelove of it in hart; nay, they hate it, and louelove vanities and errours. Oh how many hollow friends hath the Gospell! In preparation of heart they are Papists, Atheists, any thing rather then true Gospellers.

Vse 3. Take we heede of giuing ouer our selues to worke iniquitie, if wee would continue in the truth: If thou shipwracke Conscience, Faith must needes be gone, 1 Tim. 1.19. Many lewd loose liuers will brag they will neuer forsake the Gospell; yes in heart they hauehave denyed it already, for their workes are euill, and the Gospell fauours them not. Louing therefore their sinne, they cannot but hate the Gospell that crosses and discountenances their sinnes: They are therefore a fit prey for Heresie. p. 204At this day what are they that reuolt to Popery, but the very out-casts and off-scourings of our Church, who first turned whoremongers and whores, and then Papists? They doe but now denie with their mouthes, what they alwayes denyed and detested in heart.

Vse 4. See how little heede is to be giuen to the iudgement of corrupt & loose men in the matters of Religion, specially in such points as touch their liberty in sinne. Their affection to sinne darkens their vnderstanding: how should they see the light, when they hate it, and shut their eyes against it?

Vse 5. Many by this are conuinced to be of euill consciences and wicked men, howeuer their liues be not touched with scandall, as many a Papist and ciuill man. Why so? Because they hate the light, they louelove darknesse and blindnesse better then the Gospell: And howsoeuer they pretend many causes why they cannot brooke the truth, as because of the nouelty, and that it is an enemy to policie, &c. yet here is the true cause, Because their workes are euill. Ephes. 4.18. Paul shewes that the ignorance and errours of the Gentiles were from the hardnesse of their hearts. Their hearts were hardened by sinne, by long practising of it, and that was the cause they would not admit of the light offered.

That this is the reason why wicked men louelove not the Gospell, because their workes are naught, hee proueth, Vers. 20. and 21.

1. By the authoritie of a receiued sentence; EueryEvery one that doth euill hates the light, and commeth p. 205not to the light. Some would vnderstand this of the naturall light; and no doubt but Christ might allude this way, but yet the direct meaning seemes to be of the spirituall light: For neyther is the light of the Sunne able to discouer and detect all euill workes, neyther yet is it able to shew that any worke is wrought according to God; Both which are here said of this light.

Hateth.] Before it was said, loued darknesse rather then light, now more plainely, that they hate the light: To shew, that when men outwardly professe the truth, and yet set their affections on things contrary to the Gospell, as their sinnes, they indeed hate it.

Commeth not.] Many wicked men come to the Church, and heare the Word, but not in Faith, not in LoueLove, not with a desire to see their corruptions discouered, and therefore in comming they come not.

2. By the effect of the Gospell, which is to discouer, conuince, and reproue their sinnes: Now wicked men cannot endure that, and therefore not the Gospell that does this. Hee comes not to the light, lest his euill deedes should be conuinced, namely, to be euill, by that light.

Here are two things.

1. What the Gospell does, detect and manifest sinne.

2. The successe of that it doth, hereby it procures the hatred of euill men.

For the first. It may be asked: How doth the Gospell discouer sinne?

p. 206How the Gospell dis…ouers sinne.Ans. 1. In shewing the remedy against sinne, by consequent it must needes shew vsus our sinnes also. By vrging Christ vponupon vsus, it shewes that wee are all lost in our selues, and are not able to stand in iudgement before the Lord. Thu… the Gospell layes vsus flat on our faces.

2. In the infinitenesse of Christs sufferings is discouered the hainousnesse of our sinnes: For when in the Gospell wee see Gods owne Sonne so fearefully handled for our sinnes, (the most dreadfull spectacle of Gods anger against sinne that euer was) wee must needes therein, as in a glasse, see the vglinesse of our sinnes, that brought such torments vponupon so sacred a person as Iesus Christ was.

3. The Gospell sets forth not onelyonly the merit of Christs death for pardon, but also the efficacie of it for the mortification of sinne. And not onelyonly the benefits of his life and death, but also the example, for our imitation. An example farre surpassing the Law, which requires onelyonly the louing of our neighbour as our selues, whereas Christ loued vsus aboue himselfe. How can blacke be better discouered then when laid to white? how can our sinfull liues be better manifested, then when compared with the most holy life of Iesus Christ?

Vse 1. Ministers must learne how to preach the Gospell, euen so that sinne may be reproued, and the bowels thereof laid naked, as in an Anatomie, Heb. 4.13. 1 Cor. 14.24.25. And thus should men desire to heare. Men are deceiued, when they thinke the Gospell should preach nothing but pleasing things vntounto them: The Gospell p. 207is a light, discouering the wickednesse of thine heart.

Vse 2. Wee that liue vnderunder the Gospell, must liue soberly, else the light thereof will shame vsus, Rom. 13.11.12.13.

Vse 3. Here is a note to iudge of the true Gospell of Christ: It fauours no sinne, no it conuinces sinne, and detects it, 1 Tim. 1.10. Popery therefore that fauours grosse sinnes, as Aequiuocation, murthering of Princes, &c. cannot be Christs Gospell.

2. Point. The successe of this discouery. The hatred of the world.

The lot of the Gospell is to be hatedHatred the lot of the Gospell. of the world, because it disquiets and diseases them in their sinnes. A man desirous to sleepe will hauehave the curtaines drawne, the light shut out, and no noyse made: So men sleeping in sinne, would not hauehave the light or noyse of the Gosp…ll come to them to waken them; and if it doe they are as tetchy and froward, as men heauy asleepe are, when against their wils they are iogged. The Prouerbe here is true, Truth breedes hatred, flattery friendship. False religions flatter men in their sinnes, and therefore they are entertained: true Religion and the Gospell detects their sinnes, and therefore cannot be endured.

Vse 1. Be not moued at the worlds hatred of the Gospell: Nay, hereby rather be assured, that the Gospel is Gods truth, which would cry downe mens sinnes, as preaching would hauehave done Demetrius his trade; and therefore no maru…ll if the p. 208tradesmen of iniquitie are vp in armes against the Gospell, as Demetrius was against Paul.

Vse 2. Ministers that are faithfull must looke for much hatred, because they preach the Gospell, which discouers mens wickednesse: Thus Ahab hated Michaiah. The Kings Chappell could not comport with Amos. It may be doubted Ministers open not the word aright when wicked men kicke not against them.

Vse 3. Yea, let eueryevery Christian looke for hatred, for his conuersation is a light to manifest and make odious the wickednesse of the world, Eph. 5.11.13. Phil. 2.15. The Gospell is held forth not onelyonly in Ministers mouthes, but in all godly Christians liues.

3. It is proued, Vers. 21. by the contrary; Hee that doth truth commeth to the light, &c. and therefore such as louelove not the light, must be such as are not doers of the truth, but workers of iniquitie.

Here two things.

1. Who comes to the light.

2. And, why.

1. Who comes. Hee that doth truth.

A notable description of a true Christian; Hee doth truth: not onelyonly things in themselues good, but with a good and a true hart. Hypocrites doing good things with rotten harts, doe lyes, Hos. 11.12. Ephraim compasses mee with a lye. If odious to tell a lye, then what to doe a lye? The reall lye is worse then the verball.

2. Why, or to what end he comes. That his works p. 209might be manifested that they are wrought according to God, that is, his will and word.

As the Sword of the Magistrate, Rom 13. is comfortable Doct. 1 to the good man, so also of Gods Word: for it will manifest his good workes, and so giuegive him peace of Conscience. That which scares the wicked from, drawes the godly vntounto the Word. The Owle flyes from the morning light, which other birds welcome.

OnelyOnly the light of the Word manifests good Doct. 2 workes, and nothing else. Therefore contemne we the peruerse iudgement of the world.

The propertie of a sincere man, not to feare the Doct. 3 tryall of the light, as Dauid, Psal. 139. Try mee O God: As the Disciples, Master, Is it I? Rahel durst not endure Labans search. The deformed Elephant troubles the waters: the bankrupt will not cast vp his accounts. Try thy selfe by this, as the Eagle the bastard Eagles, by holding them to the Sunne.

Thus much of Nicodemus comming to Christ, the first part of this Chapter. The second followes, Iohns last Testimony of Christ, from the 22. Verse to the end.