--· ---- .. ·- ·--· ---- ~--· · -, ~ ,,rfs, 6 . 1 the I. Chap.oj the 1\evel. _::.~- ~ I --~ 1 1 1 1 o · c A I vs v. ill fJy, we arc Ii1rc God ioiiesVs, atlJh-;.th ' · Jouc , t at 1cc h:t~ 1. V.•amco aw':.ly our unncs I in his blood:f(>r tillS humilitic in our. foulcs by pardoned Ollr !inncs in C~rifi: v~hy tht'n ~oc l'Clfon ofour litmes, is rhc beginning ofal true we not OleW our lone ag:Jm to hun by hcanng ~ grace :1nd comfort. Now this workc ofChrilt and reading his_wotd,fct do.,.\•nc in this?~r any in ""afhing vs from our linncs, doth corhprcmher bookc of Scripture, and byyecldJn~pnhcnd a double benefic. fwerablc obedience thereto?Why rhen do w~ I Fidl, the rcmiflion of our Jinnes 1 whereby not offer vp our fdues foules_.:md bodies; to the guilt Jnd punilluncnt dt~c. m~hem is taken fcruc him, as the ApofUc rcqmres, _Rom. 11.11 away. Secondly, the morc1hcauon of finne; by way ofreconJpcnc.c for his .mc~t'ICS and louc / whereby the c~rrup'tion of f'inn~ ~s rcmoouc~ fhcd out vnro vs? Bu.t.abs, tl,u.t JS morr eomand abolif1 1 cd. And -..vc muH obkruc; that S. mon, which is.mofllhamcfull,. to turnc G~ods ~ fi 11 · h oracc into W<lntdnncs: for when men fay Gvd lolmpropounds this bene t get~ era y wtt o~t ~lou. cs thcm,and hath waf1ICd away their finnes limitation, ilying, which wtrji.'Cd vs from otlr Jiimn. that is, from all our tlnncs;to giucvs to yet rhey rtbcl againG him: when :lSthtfenvd vndcr1land,thac ifany bdeeuc truely ih Chnfi beNefitsarc here recorded to..be inducements ht: hath pardon ofa} his finncs Without any re- )3 of COntinualllouc, and obedience tO his holy flraim or limitation, either of number or ..,\·orci. qualiric,bcthcy ncucrfo many, or ncucr fo v. 6. dndmade_VJ kings grcar. ,f1 q J h. BJ his Mood. How can blood walh away fit.. andprie 1 .s tO 0 euen tJ j a;; thinclfcl nay, itrathcr defiles a man.AnfTh" ther' to htm bee 0" 10 .r 1 .., 4.~. 1 walhin!l fbnds not in thcfubllancc·of Chrifts ~tl " . a blood, but in the mcritthcrcof: forth>! fubI .Jomz'nz"o.; for euermore • _ Iffiance ofblood which was fhcd is loll, and we Ul ~~ , <!/l know not what is bccom ofir, whatfoeucr the [· men. ' ' Papifls fay:butrhc merit thcrofrcmain<th fhl. And Chri!h blood dcfcrucs to purge awoy finuc, I" ather then any other mans blood, as of Peter lohn,&c. bccaufc his blood was theMood of God( not ofthe Godhead) but of him who was both God and man. For the manhood of Chrill: vvas rccciucd into the vnion of the fc– cond perfon. And fo it may be called the /i/ood • AU.lo.:S. ofGod,asPaulfaich, aGtJdredeemedhU Ch~~rch b; hi, blood, rhat is Chri!\,God incarnate.And fo it bceing the blood of him, that is God, i~ more meritorious then the blood ofany crca... ture whatfocucr.Bcfides Chrifl was appointed by God to be a publicke pcrfon in the work of Rcdempti~n, and in his death and paffion hcc flood in th~ roomc ond liead of all his deCI,fo In thcfc words is fet downc rhethitd work, and benefit ofChrifl,bcflowod on hi• Church, and on cucry true mcmbC:r chcrof. For the bet– ter vndcrflanding whereof; we mufl confid')!' in thcnJ foure points: Firfl, the dignitic and C · cx<fellencie of all true members ofChrifl,:rhry arc Kingsand Pri1fs. Secondly, when they be made kings an&priefls in this life;notedby the phrafc of fpeach,harh made, Wherein hefpea– kcth ofthe church on earth, and vfeth a word that fignifieth the timcpafi.Thirdly, theman– ncr how they become Kings and Priells ;' th<'y are not fo borne, but Chrill bath made them fuch. Fomthlf,tO wlwm they be made fuch,ri Godmm the Father. 1 as when his, blood was fl1cd, their b!ood was lhcd, bccaufe it was lhcd for thcrn. But the blood of any othcrpriuate men cannot anfwcr for any bdldc themfelucs, becaufc it is fhcddc only for thnnfelucs.Thcn damnable is the do. tlrine ofthe Papills, who hold the blood of D Martyrcs, canmerit for others, bccing applied vnto them: for fccing they be but priuatc men, and fuffcrcd in their ownc perfons onely, they cannot profit any othcrthcrcby. By blood we nmfl vndcrfhnd the pallion of Chrill, a part forche whole, and withal! his fulfilling of the Law vpon the crolfe,for in his {ulfcring he fulfilled the law,& in fulfilling the lawhe fuffrcd. Th& two ciinot be fcurcd,fauc 01lely in thought. .And fo this \Vord containes the whole obtdicncc ofChrifl,whereby hce procured thercmifiion&mortification ofour !inncs.Hcre then we [c two notable benefits of Chrill vntohis Church;his loue,and the wafh– ing aw-ay offinncs : \\hieh S.lohn fcts downc to moouc the Churches with rcuerence -an d1- \ ;~g_cncc to rc:1d,& delight in this book. All of Forthe fir!t. The dignitie ofall true bc!cc– uers hath two heads;firfl, The; be l:Jngs,fecond~ ly,Pri,jfs. Thry arc called kings,not in regard of an earthly kingdom,for vfually the con~ition of moH bcleeucrs on earth is bafc a;td con– tcmtible:but in regard ofafpiritliall kh1ga; ,n, the kingdom< of hcaucn, whercto the Lord giues them right, title, and intcrdt, in, andby Iefus Chri!t.So our Saulour Chrifl fpcakcth to hisDifdples: a Fearenot !ttt!ejloc/:.!, it_is;our al.uk.u.)r. Farhrrs wifl to gi11c you the k.jngdome. And a– gaine,Beho/d Igiue vntoyouak,j~~fiome. Now the faithful! arc kings in thcfe rcfpeCis;lirfl,becaufc by Chri!t they be lords ar.d conquerers of all thcfe enemies, 1Gnnc, Satan, ,the world, dcarh,hell, and thelr owndlclh.Sccondly,bccaufe in,and by Chri(l,thcyarepanakers ofthe oloric ofChrills kingdome and faluation: For ~hey rccciuc of Chrifl grcace for grace, and fo anfwcrably glory for glory,and fdteitie for fclicitie. Thirdly,becaufc they be made lords of :;ll things in hcaucn and eanh (except good \' Angels, and the Church.) All thin,rzl are"jotir.r, X x 4 whether
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=