Twenty-Six Sermons, Sermon 20
TWO SERMONS, to the Prince and Princeſs Palatine, the Lady Elizabeth at Heydelberg, when I was commanded by the King to wait upon my L. of Doncaſter in his Embaſſage to Germany. Firſt Sermon as we went out, June 16. 1619. SERMON XX.
Rom. 13.11.
For now is our Salvation nearer then when we believed,
THere is not a more comprehenſive, a more embracing word in all Religion, then the firſt word of this Text, Now; for the word before that, For, is but a word of connexion, and rather appertains to that which was ſaid before the Text, then to the Text it ſelf: The Text begins with that important and conſiderable particle, Now, Now is ſalvation nearer, &c. This preſent word, Now, denotes an Advent, a new coming, or a new operation, otherwiſe then it was before: And therefore doth the Church appropriate this Scripture to the celebration of the Advent, before the Feaſt of the Birth of our Saviour. It is an extenſive word, Now; for though we diſpute whether this Now, that is, whether an inſtant be any part of time or no, yet in truth it is all time; for whatſoever is paſt, was, and whatſoever is future, ſhall be an inſtant; and did and ſhall fall within this Now. We conſider in the Church four Advents or Comings of Chriſt, of every one of which we may ſay Now, now it is otherwiſe then before: For firſt there is verbum in carne, the word came in the fleſh, in the Incarnation; and then there is caro in verbo, he that is made fleſh comes in the word, that is, Chriſt comes in the preaching thereof; and he comes again in carne ſaluta, when at our diſſolution and tranſmigration; at our death he comes by his ſpirit, and teſtifies to our ſpirit that we die the Children of God: And laſtly he comes in carne reddita, when he ſhall come at the Reſurrection, to redeliver our bodies to our ſouls, and to deliver everlaſting glory to both. The Ancients for the moſt part underſtand the word of our Text, of Chriſts firſt coming in the fleſh to us in this world; the latter Expoſition underſtand them rather of his coming in glory: But the Apoſtle could not properly uſe this preſent word Now, with relation to that which is not now, that is, to future glory, otherwiſe then as that future glory hath a preparation and an inchoation in preſent grace; for ſo even the future glory of heaven hath a Now, now the elect Children of God have by his powerfull grace a preſent poſſeſſion of glory. So then it will not be impertinent to ſuffer this flowing and extenſive word Now to ſpread it ſelf into all three: for the whole duty of Chriſtianity conſiſts in theſe three things; firſt in pietate erga Deum, in religion towards God; in which the Apoſtle had enlarged himſelf from the beginning to the twelfth chapter of his Epiſtle: And ſecondly, in charitate erga proximum, in our mutual duties of ſociety towards our Equals and Inferiors, and of Subjection towards our Superiours, in which that twelfth chapter, and this to the eitghth verſe is eſpecially converſant: And then thirdly, in ſanctimonia propria, in the works of ſanctification and holineſs in our ſelves: And this Text the Apoſtle preſents as a forcible reaſon to induce us to that, to thoſe works of ſanctification, becauſe Now our ſalvation is nearer us then when we believed. Take then this now, the firſt way of the coming Chriſt in perſon, in the fleſh into this world; and then the Apoſtle of directs himſelf principally to the Jews converted to the faith of Chriſt, and he tels them, That their ſalvation is nearer them now, now they had ſeen him come, then when they did only believe that he would come: Take the words the ſecond way, of his coming in grace into our hearts; and ſo the Apoſtle directs himſelf to all Chriſtians; now, now that you have bin bred in the Chriſtian Church, now that you are grown from Grace to grace, from faith to faith, now that God by his ſpirit ſtrengthens and confirms you; now is your ſalvation nearer then when ye believed, that is, when you began to believe, either by the faith of your Parents, or the faith of the Church, or the faith of your Sureties at your Baptiſm; or when you began to have ſome notions, and impreſſions, and apprehenſions of faith in your ſelf, when you came to ſome degrees of underſtanding and diſcretion: Take the word of Chriſts coming to us at the hour of death, or of his coming to us at the day of Judgment (for thoſe two are all one to our preſent purpoſe, becauſe God never reverſes any particular judgement given at a mans death at the day of the general Judgment:) take the word ſo, & this is the Apoſtles argument, you have believed, and you have lived accordingly, and that faith, and that good life hath brought ſalvation nearer you, that is, given you a fair and modeſt infallibility of ſalvation, in the nature of reverſion; but now, now that you are come to the approches of death, which ſhall make your reverſion a poſſeſsion; Now is ſalvation nearer you then when you believed. Summarily, the Text is a reaſon why we ought to proceed in good and holy wayes; and it works in all the three acceptations of the word; for whether ſalvation be ſaid to be near us, becauſe we are Chriſtians, and ſo have advantage of the Jews, or near us, becauſe we have made ſome proficiency in holineſs & ſanctimony; or near us, becauſe we are near our end, and thereby near a poſſeſſion of our endleſs joy and glory: Still from all theſe acceptations of the word ariſe religious provocations to perſeverance in holineſs of life; and therefore we ſhall purſue the words in all three acceptations.
In all three acceptations we muſt conſider three termes in the Text; Firſt, Quid ſalus, what this Salvation is that is intended here;Part. 1. and then, Quid prope, what this Diſtance, this nearneſs is; and laſtly, Quid credere, what Belief this is. So then, taking the words firſt the firſt way, as ſpoken by the Apoſtles, to the Jews newly converted to the Chriſtian Faith, ſalvation is the outward means of ſalvation, which are more and more manifeſt to the Chriſtians, then they were to the Jews. And then the ſecond Term, Nearneſs (ſalvation is nearer) is in this, That ſalvation to the Chriſtian is in things preſent or paſt, in things already done, and of which we are experimentally ſure; but to the Jews it was of future things, of which, howſoever they might aſſure themſelves that they would be, yet they had no aſſurance when: And therefore (in the third place) their Believing was but a confident expectation, and faithfull aſſenting to their Prophets; quando credidiſtis, when you believed, that is, when you did only believe, and ſaw nothing.
Firſt then, the firſt Terme in the firſt acceptation, Salvation,Salus. is the outward means of ſalvation. Outward and viſible means of knowing, God God hath given to all Nations in the book of Creatures, from the firſt leaf of that book, the firmament above, to the laſt leaf, the Mines under our feet; there is enough of that. There they have a book which they read; and they have a ſentence of condemnation if they doe not,Rom. 2.1. porro inexcuſabilis, Therefore art thou inexcuſable O man. The viſible God was preſented in viſible things, and thou mightſt, and wouldſt not ſee him: but this is only ſuch a knowledge of God as Philoſophers, moral and natural men may have, and yet be very farre from making this knowledge any means of ſalvation. A man that hath often travelled by that way where there ſtands a fair houſe will ſay, and ſay truly, that he knows that houſe; but yet he knows not the wayes that lead neareſt and faireſt to it, nor he knows not the lodgings and conveniencies of that houſe as he doth that hath been an often and welcome gueſt to it, or a continuall dweller in it. Natural men by paſſing often through the contemplation of nature have ſuch a knowledge of God; but the knowledge which is to ſalvation, is by being in Gods houſe, in the Houſhold of the Faithfull, in the Communion of Saints, and by having ſuch a converſation in heaven in this life. That which our Saviour Chriſt ſayes, In domo Patris, In my Fathers houſe there are many Manſions, as it is intended principally of our ſtate of glory, and diverſity of degrees of that in heaven; ſo is it true alſo of Gods houſe at large, Multae manſiones. In Gods houſe, which is All (all this world, and the next too, is Gods houſe) there are out-houſes, rooms without the houſe; ſo conſidered in this world on the Gentils, and the Heathen, which are without the Church, and yet amongſt them God hath ſome Servants: ſo in his houſe there are women below ſtairs, that is, in his viſible Church here upon Earth; and women above ſtairs, that is, degrees of Glory in the triumphant Church. To them that are lodged in thoſe out-houſes, out of the Covenant out of the Church, ſalvation comes ſometimes, God doth ſave ſome of them: but yet is not near them, that is, they have no ordinary nor eſtabliſhed way of attaining to it, becauſe Chriſt is not manifeſted to them in an ordinary preaching of the Word, and an ordinary adminiſtration of the Sacraments. And then to them who are above ſtairs, that is in poſſeſſion of ſalvation in heaven, we cannot ſay ſalvation is nearer and nearer to them, becauſe they are already in an actuall poſſeſſion thereof. But to them who are in Gods Houſe, and yet below ſtairs; to them who have ſalvation preſented unto them by ſenſible and viſible means; to them their ſalvation is properly ſaid io be near. And ſuch a people God had from the beginning, and ſhall have to the end; and that people the Jewes were; and therefore their glory was juſt and true glory,Deut. 41.7. when they glorified themſelves in that, What Nation is ſo great? wherein conſiſted their greatneſs? that followes; Unto whom is the Lord ſo nigh as he is to us? and in what conſiſted this nearneſs? in this; What Nation hath ordinances and lawes ſo righteous as we have? Here then was their ſalvation; firſt God withdrew them from the nations; he naturaliz'd them, he denizend them into his own kingdom, ſub ſigillo circumciſionis, in the ſeal of their blood in circumciſion, he gave them an intereſt in his blood to be ſhed in his paſſion: and then, this was their farther ſalvation, that when he had thus taken them into his ſervice, & put them into his livery, a livery of his own color, of blood in their circumciſion, then he gave them a particular law for all their actions, how they ſhould live in his favour; and he gave them a particular form of outward religious worſhip, which ſhould be acceptable to him; the law, which was a ſenſible rule of their life, and their ſacrifices, which were the ſenſible rule of their religion, was ſalvation: non taliter, ſaies David, Pſa. 147.9.God hath not dealt ſo with other nations; for though God from other nations do here and there pick out a ſervant, yet he hath not given other nations ſalvation, that is, ſetled an ordinary means of ſalvation amongſt them. That was true of the Jews, and will alwaies be true of the whole Church of God, which Calvin ſaies, quia nec oculis perſpicitur, nec manibus palpatur ſpiritualis gratia, becauſe the grace of God it ſelf cannot be diſcerned by the eye, nor diſtinguiſhed by the touch, non poſſumus niſi externis ſignis adjuti, ſtatuere Deum nobis eſſe propitium, we could not aſſure our ſelves of the mercies of God, if we had not outward and ſenſible ſigns and ſeals of thoſe mercies; and therefore God never left his Church without ſuch external and viſible means and ſeals of grace. And though all thoſe means were not properly ſeals, (for that is proper to ſacraments, as a ſacrament is ſtrictly taken to be a ſeal of grace) yet the Fathers did often call many of theſe things by that name ſacraments, becauſe they had ſo much of the nature of a true ſacrament, as that they advanc'd and furthered the working of grace. How a viſible ſign, water, or wine, (even in a true and proper ſacrament) ſhould confer grace,Edwin. h. 5. fateor me non poſſe capere, ſaies a learned Biſhop in the Roman Church; as eaſie a matter as they make it, he profeſſes that he cannot underſtand it: he argues it ſubtilly, but he concludes it modeſtly; omnio brevi ſententia dicenda ſunt, conſiſtere in pactis; this muſt ſaies he be the end of all, that theſe things are not to be conſidered in the reaſon of man, but in the Covenant of God: God hath covenanted with his people, to be preſent with them in certain places, in the Church at certain times, when they make their congregation, in certain actions, when they meet to pray; and though he be not bound in the nature of the action, yet he is bound in his covenant to exhibit grace, and to ſtrengthen grace, in certain ſacrifices, and certain ſacraments; and ſo other ſacramental, and ritual and ceremonial things ordained by God in the voice of his Church, becauſe they further ſalvation, are called ſalvation in this ſenſe, and acceptation of the word, the firſt way.
This was the firſt branch, in the firſt ſenſe of theſe words;Prope. ſalus adminicula ſalutis, ſalvation is means of ſalvation; and the next is the propè, wherein theſe means and helps were nearer to the Jews, after they were converted to the Chriſtian religion, then before: and we conſider them juſtly, to have been nearer, that is, more diſcernabl; firſt, quia plura, becauſe the helps of the Chriſtians are more; and then, quia potiora, becauſe in their nature they are better; and laſtly, quia manifeſtiora, becauſe they have a better evidence towards us; for ſo as the more bodies are together, the greater the object is, and ſo made the more viſible; ſo they are nearer, quia plura, becauſe they are more; and ſo, as the more beautiful, and better proportioned a body is, the more it draws the eye to look upon it; ſo they are nearer, quia potiora, becauſe they are better; and ſo as the more evidence, and light and luſtre they have in themſelves, the eaſier things are diſcerned, ſo they are nearer,Plura. quia manifeſtiora, becauſe they are more viſible. Firſt, how there ſhould be more helps in the Chriſtian religion, then in the Jewiſh, is not ſo evident at firſt: for firſt, if we conſider the law to be ſalvation, they had a vaſt multiplicity of laws, ſcarſe leſs then 600 ſeveral laws; whereas the honor of the Chriſtian religion is, that it is verbum abbreviatum, an abridgment of all into ten words, as Moſes cals the Commandements; and then a re-abridgment of that abridgment into two, love God, and love thy Neighbour, that is, faith and works. If we conſider their laws to be their ſalvation, they had more; and if we conſider their ſacrifices to be their ſalvation, they had more too; for their Rabbins obſerve at leaſt 50 ſeveral kinds of contracting uncleaneſs, to which there were appropriated ſeveral expiations and ſacrifices; whereas we have only the ſacrifices of prayer, and of praiſe, and of Chriſt in the ſacrament; for ſo it is, the ordinary phraſe & manner of ſpeech in the Fathers to call that a ſacrifice; not only as it is a commemorative ſacrifice, (for that is amongſt our ſelves, and ſo every perſon in the congregation may ſacrifice, that is, do that in remembrance of Chriſt,) but as it is a real ſacrifice, in which the Prieſt doth that, which none but he does; that is, really to offer up Chriſt Jeſus crucified to Almighty God for the ſins of the people, ſo, as that that very body of Chriſt, which offered himſelf for a propitiatory ſacrifice upon the croſs, once for all, that body, and all that that body ſuffered, is offered again, and preſented to the Father, & the Father is intreated, that for the merits of that perſon, ſo preſented and offered unto him; and in contemplation thereof, he will be merciful to that congregation, and applie thoſe merits of his, to their particular ſouls. Theſe are our ſacrifices, prayer and praiſe, and Chriſt thus offered; and how are theſe more then the Jews had? they had more laws, and more ſacrifices, and as many ſacraments as we; and if nearneſs of ſalvation conſiſt in the plurality of theſe, how is ſalvation nearer to us then to them, quatenus plura, in that firſt reſpects as the means are more, as it is truly and properly ſaid, that there are more ingredients, more ſimples, more means of reſtoring in our dram of triacle or mithridate, then in an ounce of any particular ſyrup, in which there may be 3 or 4 in the other, perchance ſo many hundred; ſo in that receit of our Saviour Chriſt, quicquid ligaveris; in the abſolution, of the Miniſter, that whatſoever he ſhall bind or looſe upon earth, ſhall be bound or looſe in heaven; there is more phyſick, then in all the expiations and ſacrifices of the old law. There an expiation would ſerve to day, which would not ſerve to morrow; if it were omitted till the ſun were ſet upon it, it required a more ſevere expiation: and ſo alſo an expiation would ſerve for one tranſgreſſion, which would not ſerve for another; but here, in the abſoſolution of the Miniſter, there is a concurrence, a confluence of medecines of all qualities; purgative in confeſſion, and reſtorative in abſolution; coraſive in the preaching of Judgments, and cordial in the balm of the ſacrament: here is no limitation of time, at what time ſoever a ſinner repenteth, nor limitation of ſins, whatſoever is forgiven in earth is forgiven in heaven: ſalvation is nearer us in this reſpect, that we have plura adminicula, more outward and viſible means then the Jews had, becauſe we may receive more in one action, then they could in all theirs.
It is ſo alſo, not only quia plura, becauſe we have more means,Potiora. but quia potiora, becauſe thoſe means which we have are in their nature better, more attractive, and more winning. The means, (as we have ſaid before) were their laws, and their ſacrifices, and their ſacraments, and for their law, it was lex interficiens, non perficiens; it was a law,Auguſt. that puniſhed unrighteouſneſs, but it did not confer righteouſneſs: and their ſacrifices, being in blood, (if we remove from them their typical ſignification, and what they prefigured, which was the ſhedding of the blood of the lamb which takes away the ſins of the world) muſt neceſſarily create and excite a natural horror in man, and an averſneſs from them. Take their ſacraments into compariſon, and then one of their ſacraments, Circumciſion, was limited to one ſex, it reached not to women; and their other ſacrament, the paſſover, was in the primary ſignification and inſtitution thereof, only a gratulatory commemoration of a temporal benefit of their deliverance from Egypt. And therefore to conſtitute a judgment proportionably by the effects, we ſee the law, and the ſacrifice, and the ſacraments of thy Jews, did not much work upon foraign Nations; it was ſalvation, but ſalvation ſhut up amongſt themſelves; whereas we ſee that the law of the Chrſtians, which is, to conforme our ſelves to our great example and pattern, Chriſt Jeſus, who, (if we would conſider him meerly as man) was the moſt exemplar man, for all Theological vertues, & moral too, that ever any hiſtory preſented; & the ſacrifices of Chriſtians, which are all ſpiritual, & therein more proportional to God who is all ſpirit; and the ſacraments of Chriſtians, in which, though not ex opere operator, not becauſe that action is performed, not becauſe that ſacrament is adminiſtred, yet ex pacto, and quando opus operamur: by Gods covenant, when ſoever that action is performed, whenſoever that ſacrament is adminiſtred, the grace of God is exhibited and offered; nec fallaciter, as Calvin ſaies well, it is offered with a purpoſe on Gods part, that that grace ſhould be accepted, we ſee, I ſay that theſe laws, and theſe ſacrifices, and theſe ſacraments have gain'd upon the whole world; for in their nature, and in their attractiveneſs, and in their applyableneſs, and ſo in their effect, they are potiora, better, and in that reſpect, ſalvation is nearer us then it was to the Jews.
Manifeſtiora.And ſo it is, laſtly, quia manifeſtiora, becauſe they have an evidence and manifeſtation of themſelves, in themſelves. Now, this is eſpecially true in the ſacraments, becauſe the ſacraments exhibit and convey grace; and grace is ſuch a light, ſuch a torch, ſuch a beacon, as where it is, it is eaſily ſeen. As there is a luſtre in a precious ſtone, which no mans eye or finger can limit to a certain place or point in that ſtone, ſo though we do not aſſign in the ſacrament, where, that is, in what circumſtance or part of that holy action grace is; or when, or how it enters, (for though the word of conſecration alter the bread, not to another thing, but to another uſe; and though they leave it bread, yet they make it other bread, yet the enunciation of thoſe words doth not infuſe nor imprint this grace, which we ſpeak of, into that bread) yet whoſoever receives this ſacrament worthily, ſees evidently an entrance, and a growth of grace in himſelf. But this evidence which we ſpeaks of this manifeſtation, is not only, (though eſpecially) in the ſacraments, but in other ſacramental and ceremonial things, which God (as he ſpeaks by his Church) hath ordained, as the croſs in baptiſm, and adoration at the ſacrament (I do not ſay, I am far from ſaying, adoration of the ſacrament; there is a fair diſtance and a ſpacious latitude between thoſe two, an adoring of God in a devout humiliation of the body in that holy action, and an adoring the bread, out of a falſe imagination that that bread is God: A rectified man may be very humble and devout in that action, and yet a great way on this ſide the ſuperſtition and Idolatry in the practiſe of the Roman Church) in theſe ſacramental and ritual, and ceremonial things, which are the bellows of devotion, and the ſubſidies of religion, and which were alwaies in all Churches, there is a more evident manifeſtation and clearneſs in theſe things in the Chriſtian Church, then was amongſt the Jews in the ceremonial parts of their religion, becauſe almoſt all ours have reference to that which is already done and accompliſhed, and not to things of a future expectation, as thoſe of the Jews were: So you know the paſſover of the Jews, had a relation to their comming out of Egypt; that was paſt, & thereby obvious to every mans apprehenſion; every man that eat the paſover; remembered their deliverance out of Egypt; but then the paſſover had alſo relation to that lamb which was to redeem that world; & this was a future thing; and this certainly very few amongſt them underſtood, or conſidered upon that occaſion, that as thy lamb is killed here, ſo there ſhall be a lamb killed for all the world hereafter. Now, our actions in the Church, do moſt reſpect things formerly done, and ſo they awaken, and work upon our memory, which is an eaſier faculty to work upon, then the underſtanding or the will. Salvation is nearer us, in theſe outward helps, becauſe their ſignification is clearer to us, and more apprehenſible by us, being of things paſt,Credidistis. and accompliſhed already. So then the Apoſtle might well ſay that ſalvation, that is, outward means of ſalvation, was nearer, that is, more in number, better in uſe, clearer in evidence then it was before; quando crediderunt, when they believed, which is the third and laſt term, in this firſt acceptation of the word. Salvation was brought into the world, in the firſt promiſe of a Meſſias in the ſemen contract, That the ſeed of the woman ſhall bruiſe the ſerpents head; and it was brought nearer, when this Miſſias was fixed in Abrahams race, in ſemine tuo In thy ſeed ſhall all nations be bleſſed; it was brought nearer then that, when it was brought from Abrahams race to Davids family, in ſolio tuo, The ſcepter ſhall not depart from thee, till he come; and ſtill nearer, in Eſaias virgo concipiet when ſo particular mark was ſet upon the Meſſias as that he ſhould be the ſon of a virgin; and yet nearer in Micheas, & tu Bethlem, that Bethlem was deſign'd for the place of his birth; and nearer in Daniels 70 weeks, when the time was manifeſted. And though it were nearer then all this, when John Baptiſt came to ſay Repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand, Mat. 3.2.yet it was truly very near, neareſt of all, when Chriſt came to ſay,Luc. 17.21. Behold the Kingdom of God is amongſt you; for all the reſt were in the crediderunt, he was nearer them becauſe they believed he would come; but then it was brought to the viderunt, they ſaw he was come.Joh. 20.29. Beati ſaies Chriſt: Bleſſed are they that have believed, and have not ſeen: they had ſalvation brought nearer unto them by their believing; but yet Chriſt ſpeaks of another manner of bleſſedneſs conferred upon his Diſciples, Bleſſed are your eyes for they ſee, and your ears for they hear; Mat. 13.16.for, verily I ſay unto you, that many Prophets & Righteous men, have deſired to ſee the things which ye ſee, and have not ſeen them. To end this, the belief of the Patriarks was bleſſedneſs;Joh. 8.56. and it was a kind of ſeeing too; for ſo Chriſt ſaies your Father Abraham rejoyced to ſee my day, and he ſaw it; but this was a ſeeing with the eye of faith which diſcovers future things; but Chriſt prefers the bleſſedneſs of the Diſciples, becauſe they ſaw things preſent and already done. All our life is a paſſing bell, but then was Simeon content his bell ſhould ring out, when his eyes had ſeen his ſalvtion. In that eſpecially doth St. John exalt the force of his argument; quae vidimus: 1 Joh. 1.1.That which we have ſeen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life, that declare we unto you. Here is then the ineſtimable prerogative of the Chriſtian religion, it is grounded ſo far upon things which were ſeen to be done; it is brought ſo far from matter of faith, to matter of fact; from prophecy to hiſtory; from what the Meſſias ſhould do, to what he hath done; and that was their caſe to whom this Apoſtle ſpake theſe wodrs, as we take them in the firſt acceptation; ſalvation, that is, outward means of ſalvation in the Church is nearer, that is, more and better and clearer to you now, that is, when you have ſeen Chriſtin the fleſh, then when you prefigured him in your law, or ſacrifices, or ſacraments, or believed him in your Prophets.
Second part.In a ſecond ſence we took theſe words, of Chriſts ſecond Advent, or comming, his comming to our heart, in the working of his grace; And ſo the Apoſtles words are directed to all Chriſtians, and not only to the new convertits of that nation; and ſo theſe three terms, ſalvation, nearneſs, and believing, (which we propoſed to be conſidered in all the three acceptations of the words) will have this ſignification. Salvation is the inward means of ſalvation, the working of the ſpirit, that ſets a ſeal to the eternal means: the prope, the nearneſs lies in this, that this grace which is this ſalvation in this ſenſe, grows out of that which is in you already; not out of any thing which is in you naturally, but Gods firſt graces that are in you, grows into more and more grace. Grace does not grow out of nature; for nature in the higheſt exaltation and rectifying thereof cannot produce grace. Corn does not grow out of the earth, it muſt be ſowd; but corn grows only in the earth; nature, and naturall reaſon do not produce grace, but yet grace can take root in no other thing but in the nature and reaſon of man; whether we conſider Gods ſubſequent graces, which grow out of his firſt grace, formerly given to us, and well employed by us, or his firſt grace, which works upon our natural faculties, and grows there; ſtill this ſalvation, that is, this grace is near us, for it is within us; & then the third term believing, is either, quando credidiſtis primum, when you began to believe, either in an imputative belief of others in your baptiſm, or a faint belief, upon your firſt Catechiſings and Inſtruſtions; or quando credidiſtis tantum, when you only profeſſed a belief, or faith, and did nothing in declaration of that faith, to the edification of others.
Salus.Firſt then ſalvation in this ſecond ſenſe, is the internal operation of the holy Ghoſt, in infuſing grace: for therefore doth St. Baſil call the holy Ghoſt verbum Dei, the word of God, (which is the name properly peculiar to the Son) quia interpres filii, ſicut filius patris; that as the Father had revealed his will in the Prophets, and then the Son comes and interprets all that actually; this prophecy is meant of my coming, this of my dying, and ſo makes a real comment, and an actual interpretation of all the prophecies; for he does come, and he does die accordingly; ſo the holy Ghoſt comes, and comments upon this comment, interprets this interpretation, and tels thy ſoul that all this that the Father had promiſed, and the Son had performed, was intended by them, and by the working of their ſpirit, is now appropriated to thy particular ſoul. In the conſtitution and making of a natural man, the body is not the man, nor the ſoul is not the man, but the union of theſe two makes up the man; the ſpirits in a man which are the thin and active part of the blood, and ſo are of a kind of middle nature, between ſoul and body, thoſe ſpirits are able to doe, and they doe the office, to unite and apply the faculties of the ſoul to the organs of the body, and ſo there is a man: ſo in a regenerate man, a Chriſtian man, his being born of Chriſtian Parents, that gives him a body, that makes him of the body of the Covenant, it gives him a title, an intereſt in the Covenant, which is jus ad rem; thereby he may make his claim to the ſeal of the Covenant, to baptiſm, and it cannot be denied him: and then in his baptiſm, that Sacrament gives him a ſoul, a ſpiritual ſeal, jus in re, an actual poſſeſſion of Grace; but yet, as there are ſpirits in us, which unite body and ſoul, ſo there muſt be ſubſequent acts, and works of the bleſſed ſpirit, that muſt unite and confirm all, and make up this ſpiritual man in the wayes of ſanctification; for without that his body, that is, his being born within the Covenant, and his ſoul, that is, his having received Grace in baptiſm, do not make him up. This Grace is this Salvation; and when this Grace works powerfully in thee, in the wayes of ſanctification, then is this Salvation neer thee; which is our ſecond term in this ſecond acceptation, propè, neer.
This neerneſs, which is the effectuall working of Grace,Prope. Heb. 4.12. the Apoſtle expreſſes fully, That it pierceth to the dividing aſunder of ſoul and ſpirit; for, though properly the ſoul and ſpirit of a man be all one, yet divers faculties and operations give them ſomtimes divers names in the Scriptures; Anima quia animat, ſayes St. Ambroſe, and ſpiritus quia ſpirat: The quickning of the body, is the ſoul; but the quickning of the ſoul, is the ſpirit. If this Salvation be brought to this neerneſs, that is, this grace to this powerfulneſs, thou ſhalt find it in anima, in thy ſoul; in thoſe organs wherein thy ſoul uſes thy body, in thy ſenſes, and in the ſenſible things ordain'd by God in his Church, Sacraments and Ceremonies; and thou ſhalt find it neerer, in ſpiritu, as the ſpirit of God hath ſeal'd it to thy ſpirit inviſibly, inexpreſſibly: It ſhall be neer to thee, ſo as that thy reaſon ſhall apprehend it; and neerer then that, thy faith ſhall eſtabliſh it; and neerer then all this, it ſhall create in thee a modeſt and ſober, but yet an infallible aſſurance, that thy ſalvation ſhall never depart from thee: Magnificabit anima tua Dominum, as the B. Virgin ſpeaks, Thy ſoul ſhall magnifie the Lord; all thy natural faculties ſhall be employed upon an aſſent to the Goſpel, thou ſhalt be able to prove it to thy ſelf, and to prove it to others, to be the Goſpel of Salvation: And then Exultabit ſpiritus, Thy ſpirit ſhall rejoyce in God thy Saviour, becauſe by the farther ſeal of ſanctification, thy ſpirit ſhall receive teſtimony from the ſpirit; that as Chriſt is Idem homo cum te, the ſame man that thou art, ſo thou art Idem ſpiritus cum Domino, the ſame ſpirit that he is; ſo far, as that as a ſpirit cannot be ſeparated in it ſelf, ſo neither canſt thou be ſeparated from God in Chriſt; And this, this exaltation of Grace, when it thus growes up to this height of ſanctification, is that neerneſs, which brings Salvation farther than our believing does? and that's the laſt term in this part; Believing.
Credidiſtis.Now, neerer then Believing, neerer than Faith, a man might well think nothing can bring Salvation; for Faith is the hand that reaches it, and takes hold of it. But yet, as though our bodily hand reach to our temporal food, yet the mouth and the ſtomach muſt do their office too; and ſo that meat muſt be diſtributed into all parts of the body, and aſſimilated to them; ſo though our faith draw this ſalvation neer us, yet when our mouth is imployed, that we have a delight to glorifie God in our diſcourſes, and to declare his wonderfull works to the ſons of men, in our thankfulneſs: And when this faith of ours is diſtributed over all the body, that the body of Chriſts Church is edified, and alienated by our good life and ſanctification, then is this Salvation neerer us, that is, ſafelier ſeal'd to us, then when we believed only.
Either then, this quando credidiſtis, when you believed, may be refer'd to Infants, or to the firſt faith, and the firſt degrees thereof in men. In Infants, when that ſeminall faith, or potentiall faith, which is by ſome conceived to be in the Infants of Chriſtian parents at their baptiſm; or that actuall faith, which from their parents, or from the Church, is thought to be applyed to them, accepted in their behalf, in that Sacrament, when this faith growes up after, by this new comming of Chriſt in the power of his Grace and his Spirit, to be a lively faith, expreſſed in charity; then Salus proprior, then is Salvation neerer than when they believed; whether this belief were their own, or their parents, or the Churches, we have no ground to deny, that Salvation is neer, and preſent to all children rightly baptized; but, for thoſe who have made ſure their Salvation by a good uſe of Gods graces after, we have another fair peece of evidence, that Salvation is neerer them. It is ſo to, if this believing be refer'd to our firſt elements and beginnings of faith: A man believes the hiſtory of Chriſt, becauſe it is matter of fact, and a ſtory probable, and well teſtified: A man may believe the Chriſtian Religion, or the Reformed Religion for his eaſe, either becauſe he cannot or will not debate controverſies, and reconcile differences, or becauſe he ſees it beſt for order and quiet, and civll ends, which he hath in that ſtate where he lives. Theſe be kinds of faith and morall aſſents: and ſomtimes when a man is come thus far, to a hiſtorical and a moral faith, God ſuper-infuſes true faith; for howſoever he wrought by reaſon, and natural faculties, and moral, and civil wayes, yet it was God that wrought from the beginning, and produced this faith, though but hiſtorical or moral. And then, if God do exalt this moral or hiſtorical faith farther then ſo, to believe not only the Hiſtory, but the Goſpel; not only that ſuch a Chriſt lived, and did thoſe miracles, and dyed, but that he was the Son of God, and dyed for the redemption of the world; this brings Salvation neerer him, than when he believed; but then, when this grace comes to appropriate Chriſt to him, and more than that, to annunciate Chriſt by him, when it makes him (as John Baptiſt was) a burning and a ſhining lamp; That Chriſt is ſhewed to him, and by him to others in a holy life, Then is Salvation neerer him than when he believed, either as it is credidit primum, when he began to believe, but had ſome ſcruples, or credidit tantum, that he laid all upon faith, but had no care of works. To end this, this neerneſs of Salvation, is that union with God, which may be had in this life: It is the peace of conſcience, the undoubting truſt and aſſurance of Salvation. This aſſurance (ſo far as they will confeſs it may be had) the Roman Church places in faith, and ſo far, well, but then, In fide formata; and ſo far well enough too; In thoſe works which declare and teſtifie that faith; for, though this good work do nothing toward my Salvation, it does much towards this neerneſs, that is, towards my aſſurance of this Salvation; but herein they lead us out of the way, that they call theſe works the ſoul, the form of faith: for, though a good tree cannot be without good fruits, yet it were a ſtrange manner of ſpeech to call that good fruit, the life or the ſoul, or the form of that tree; ſo is it, to call works which are the fruits of faith, the life or ſoul, or form of faith; for that is proper to grace only which infuſes faith. They would acknowledge this neerneſs of ſalvation, this aſſurance in good works; but ſay they, man cannot be ſure, that their works is good, and therefore they can have no ſuch aſſurance. They who undertook the reformation of Religion in our Fathers dayes, obſerving that there was no peace without this aſſurance, expreſſed this aſſurance thus, That when a man is ſure that he believes aright, that he hath no ſcruples of God, no diffidence in God, and uſes all endeavors to continue it, and to expreſs it in his life, as long as he continues ſo, he is ſure of Salvation; and farther they went not: And then there aroſe men, which would reform the Reformers, and refine Salvation and bring it into a leſſe room; They would take away the condition, if you hold faſt, if you expreſs it; and ſo came up roundly and preſently to that; If ever you did believe, if ever you had faith, you are ſafe for ever, and upon that aſſurance you may reſt. Now I make no doubt, but that both theſe ſought the truth, that truth which concerns us, peace and aſſurance; and I diſpute not their reſolutions now; only I ſay, for theſe words which we have in hand now there is a conditional aſſurance implyed in them; for when it is ſaid now, now that you are in this ſtate, Salvation is neer you: thus much is pugnantly intimated, that if you were not in this ſtate, Salvation were farther removed from you howſoever you pretend to believe.
Now this hath brought us to our third and laſt ſenſe and acceptation of theſe words, as they are ſpoken of Chriſts laſt comming,3 Part. his comming in glory; which is to us at our deaths, and that judgment which we receive then. And in this acceptation of the word, theſe three terms, Salvation, Neerneſs and Believing, are thus to be underſtood: Salvation is Salvation perfected, conſummated; Salvation which was brought neer baptiſm, & neerer in outward holyneſs, muſt be brought neerer than that: And this prope, this neerneſs is, that now being neer death, you are neer the laſt ſeal of your perſeverance; and ſo the credidiſtis, the believing amounts to this: though you have believed and liv'd accordingly, believed with the belief of a Jew, believed all the Prophets, and with the beliefe of a Chriſtian, believed all the Goſpel, believed with a ſeminal belief of your own, or an actuall belief of others at your baptiſm, with a hiſtorical belief, and with an Evangelical belief too, with a belief in your root, in the heart, and a belief in the fruits, expreſſed in a good life too, yet there is a continuance and a perſeverance that muſt crown all this; and becauſe that cannot be diſcern'd till thine end, then only is it ſafely pronounced, Now is Salvation neerer you than when you believed.
Salus.Here then Salvation is eternall Salvation; not the outward ſeals of the Church upon the perſon, not viſible Sacraments, nor the outward ſeal of the perſon, to the Church, viſible works, nor the inward ſeal of the Spirit, aſſurance here, but fruition, poſſeſſion of glory, in the Kingdome of Heaven; where we ſhall be infinitely rich, and that without labor in getting, or care in keeping, or fear in looſing; and fully wiſe, and that without ignorance of neceſſary, or ſtudy of unneceſſary knowledge, where we ſhal not meaſure our portion by acres, for all heaven ſhall be all ours; nor our term by yeers, for it is life and everlaſting life; nor our aſſurance by precedent, for we ſhal be ſafer then the Angels themſelves were in the creation; where our exaltation ſhal be to have a crown of righteouſneſs, and our poſſeſſion of that crown ſhal be, even the throwing it down at the feet of the Lamb; where we ſhal leav off all thoſe petitions of Adveniat regnum, thy Kingdom come for it ſhal be come in abundant power; and the da nobis hodiè, give us this day our dayly bread, for we ſhal have all that which we can deſire now, and ſhall have a power to deſire more, & then have that deſire ſo enlarged, ſatisfied; And the Libera nos, we ſhall not pray to be delivered from evil, for no evil, culpae or poenae, either of ſin to deſerve puniſhment, or of puniſhment for our former ſins ſhal offer at us; where we ſhall ſee God face to face, for we ſhall have ſuch notions and apprehenſions, as ſhall enable us to ſee him, and he ſhall afford ſuch an imparting, ſuch a manifeſtation of himſelf, as he ſhall be ſeen by us; and where we ſhall be as inſeparably united to our Saviour, as his humanity and divinity are united together: This unſpeakable, this unimaginable happineſs is this Salvation, and therefore let us be glad when this is brought neer us.
Prope.And this is brought neerer & neerer unto us, as we come neerer & neerer to our end. As he that travails weary, and late towards a great City, is glad when he comes to a place of execution, becauſ he knows be that is neer the town; ſo when thou comeſt to the gate of death, glad of that, for it is but one ſtep from that to thy Jeruſalem. Chriſt hath brought us in ſome neerneſs to Salvation, as he is vere Salvator mundi, in that we know, that this is indeed the Chriſt, Jo. 4.42.the Saviour of the world: and he hath brought it neerer than that,Eph. 5.23. as he is Salvator corporis ſui, in that we know, That Chriſt is the head of the Church, and the Saviour of that body: And neerer than that,Eſay. 43.3. as he is Salvator tuus ſanctus, In that we know, He is the Lord our God, the holy One of Iſrael, our Saviour: But neereſt of all, in the Ecce Salvator tuus venit, Eſa. 62.11.Behold thy Salvation commeth. It is not only promiſed in the Prophets, nor only writ in the Goſpel, nor only ſeal'd in the Sacraments, nor only prepared in the viſitations of the holy Ghoſt, but Ecce, behold it, now, when thou canſt behold nothing elſe: The ſun is ſetting to thee, and that for ever; thy houſes and furnitures, thy gardens and orchards, thy titles and offices, thy wife and children are departing from thee, and that for ever; a cloud of faintneſſe is come over thine eyes, and a cloud of ſorrow over all theirs; when his hand that loves thee beſt hangs tremblingly over thee to cloſe thine eyes, Ecce Salvator tuus venit, behold then a new light, thy Saviours hand ſhall open thine eyes, and in his light thou ſhalt ſee light; and thus ſhalt ſee, that though in the eyes of men thou lye upon that bed, as a Statue on a Tomb, yet in the eyes of God, thou ſtandeſt as a Coloſſus, one foot in one, another in another land; one foot in the grave, but the other in heaven; one hand in the womb of the earth, and the other in Abrahams boſome: And then vere prope, Salvation is truly neer thee, and neerer than when thou believedſt, which is our laſt word.
Take this Belief in the largeſt extent;Credidiſtis. a patient aſſent to all foretold of Chriſt and of Salvation by the Prophets; a hiſtorical aſſent to all that is written of Chriſt in the Goſpel; an humble and ſupple, and applyable aſſent to the Ordinances of the Church; a faithful application of all this to thine own ſoul, a fruitful declaration of all that to the whole world in thy life, yet all this (though this be ineſtimable riches) is but the earneſt of the holy Ghoſt; it is not the full payment, it is but the firſt fruits; it is not the harveſt, it is but a truce; it is not an inviolable peace; There remaineth a reſt to the people of God, Heb. 4.9.ſayes the Apoſtle; they were the people of God before, and yet there remained a reſt, which they had not yet; not that there is not a bleſſed degree of reſt, in the Credidi, a happy aſſurance in the ſtrength of faith here, but yet there remaineth a reſt better than that; And therefore ſayes that Apoſtle there, Let us labor to enter into that reſt; as though we have reſt in our conſciences all the ſix dayes of the week, if we do the works of our callings ſincerely, yet all that while we labor; and there remains a Sabbath, which we have not all the week; ſo though we have peace and reſt in the teſtimony of our faith and obedience in this life, yet there remains a reſt, a Sabbath, for which we muſt labor; for the Apoſtle in that place adds the danger; Labor to enter into that reſt, ſayes he, leſt any man fall after the ſame example of unbelief: v. 11.He ſpeaks of the people of God, and yet they might fall; He ſpeaks of ſuch as bad believed, and yet they might fall, after the example of unbelief, as far as they that never believed, if they labored not to the laſt and ſet the ſeal of final perſeverance to their former faith. To conclude all with the force of the Apoſtles argument, in urging the words of this text, ſince God hath brought ſalvation nearer to you, then to them that believed; nearer to you in the Goſpel, when you have ſeen Chriſt come there to the Jews in the Prophets, where they only read that he ſhould come, and nearer to you, then where you believed, either ſeminally & potentially, and imputatively at our baptiſm, or actually, and declaratorily in ſome parts of your life, by having perſiſted therein thus far; and ſince he is now bringing it nearer to you, then when you believed at beſt, becauſe your end grows nearer,Eccleſ. 12. now, whilſt the evill daies come not, nor the year approach, wherein thou ſhalt ſay, I have no pleaſure in them; before the grinders ceaſe, becauſe they are few, and they wax dark, that look out at the windows, before thou go to the houſe of thine age, and the mourners go about in the ſtreets, prepare thy ſelf by caſting off thy ſins, and all that is gotten by thy ſins: for, as the plague is got as ſoon in linings, as in the outſide of a garment, ſalvation is loſt, as far, by retaining ill gotten goods, as by ill getting, forget not thy paſt ſins ſo far, as not to repent them; but remember not thy repented ſins ſo far, as to delight in remembring them, or to doubt that God hath not fully forgiven them; and whether God have brought this ſalvation near thee, by ſickneſs, or by age, or by general dangers, put off the conſideration of the incomodies of that age, or that ſickneſs, and that danger, and fill thy ſelf with the conſideration of the nearneſs of thy ſalvation, which that age, and ſickneſs, and danger, miniſter to thee: that ſo, when the beſt Inſtrument, and the beſt ſong ſhall meet together, thy bell ſhall towl, and thy ſoul ſhall hear that voice, Ecce ſalvator, behold thy Saviour cometh, thou maiſt bear a part, and chearfully make up that muſick, with a veni Domine Jeſu, Come Lord Jeſu, come quickly, come now.