The godly mans iourney to heauen containing ten seuerall treatises. Viz. 1. An heauenly chariot the first part. 2. An heauenly chariot the second part. 3. The blessed chariots man. 4. The lanthorne for the chariot. 5. The skilfull chariot driuer. 6. The gard of the chariot. 7. The sixe robbers of the chariot. 8. The three rocks layd in the way. 9. The only inne Gods babes aime at. 10. The guests of the inne. By maister David Lindsey Minister of Gods word at Leith.

THE FIFTH ROBBER is the Popish Seminarie, subtily stea∣ling from the babes of God that roy∣all, and sweet smelling garment of Christ his righteousnesse put on by faith; and obtruding to them that rotten ragge of iustification by their owne workes.

EVerie proud man is odious before God, ô my soule, but specially the proud hypocrite, who looking vnto man, his brother, is not ashamed to crie out: Stand apart,* 1.1 come not neere me, for I am holi∣er then thou: O God, I thanke thee that I am not as other men,* 1.2 extortioners, vniust, adul∣terers, or euen as this Publican; I fast twice in

the weeke, I will giue the tyth of all that euer I possesse. For is not this testimonie giuen to the one?* 1.3 These are as smokes in my wrath, and a fire that burneth all day; and this to the other by our God who knoweth all Iustifiers of themselues, and abhorres them:* 1.4 but this man went home vniustified. Could these blinding Robbers, and proud Pharisees the Papists of this our age see this, ô my soule, would they not begin to curse the first inuenters, and venters of that hellish doctrine of Iustification by workes and aduancing of mans merits?* 1.5 To my iudgment, there is not a Papist liuing this day, yea, that there was neuer a Pa∣pist, who liued before these our dayes, who is or was sanctified in a higher mea∣sure, or made instruments of such good workes, as Moses that faithfull seruant of God was, louing his God with a zelous loue, louing Gods people with a laborious loue; yea, what Papist could euer haue alledged, or can this day alledge, that he was or is more crucified to the world; or had, or hath the world more crucified to him, then Moses had it? for cannot Moses (through the grace of God) renounce all the honours, riches, and

pleasures of the land of Egypt, and con∣tent (esteeming the rebuke of Christ, his onely riches, honour, and pleasure) to affliction••, yea most sharpe long affliction, with, and for Gods people. And yet when this great God drawes neare this same Moses, Moses must be content to heare this said to him:* 1.6 Come not hither, put thy shoes off thy feete, for the place where thou standest is holy ground. What Papist can with a conscience, or countenance ad∣uance himselfe aboue Ioshua, that faithfull seruant of God? and yet when that migh∣tie holy God draweth neare to him, Ioshua must heare that said to him which was said to Moses before him:* 1.7 Lose thy shoes off thy feete, for the place where thou standest is holy. What if the Papist could compare that which he may reade by Moses in the 34. of Exodus, and by Paul in the 4. of the Romanes, with that (a alas) he hath brought to his eares by the smooth flattering tongues of his lying Seminaries and to his eyes by the poysoning volums of his deceiuing teachers? would he not be ashamed before God to alledge anie Iustification by workes, or to obtrude vn∣to his Maiesties owne merites? When I

reade the 34. of Exodus, I first see Moses comming downe from the mount Sinai where he had stayed 40. dayes talking with his God: Secondly, I see the skum of Moses face shining so brightly after that God had talked with him, that not the children of Israel only, but Aaron also is affrayed to come neare him; whereup∣on Moses was compelled to couer his face with a vaile when he spake to them, al∣beit when Moses came before the Lord to speake to his Maiestie,* 1.8 he tooke off the couering from his face. When I reade the 4. to the Romanes, I heare Paul confes∣sing that Abraham looking vnto man might haue maintained Iustification by workes, but that he looking vnto God, behoued to renounce all such Iustifica∣tion, fleeing by faith to the free mercie of God onely, remitting him all his sinnes to his euerlasting blessednesse in his blessed Sonne: one man compared with another man, and comparing before him, may appeare to shine gloriously; but if a man could bring himselfe before his God, all his shining glorie should proue obscure vanitie, yea blacke like the tent of Kedar. What wonder that the

Papist hath not learned this, for will he search Scripture? dare he attempt to search Scripture, albeit that Scripture be that onely true looking-glasse in the which he may see his God, he may see himselfe? And which is to be lamented, ô my soule, can he ceasse to lend his eare, yea wholely to sell himselfe ouer to lying mans vaine traditions, which makes white appeare to be blacke, and blacke appeare to be white; which makes good appeare to be euill, and euill appeare to be good.* 1.9 Shall Paul say I know nothing by my selfe,* 1.10 Yet I am not thereby iustified? yea, shall Iob who could talke freely and largely before his friends, lay his hand vpon his mouth, repent in dust and ashes when he is drawne before his God? And dare the Papist comming before God boast himselfe, or dreame that he shineth in Gods eyes to the Iustification of him∣selfe? Bernard reprouing the dead blind∣nesse of his time could say: Nec talia sunt hominum merita, vt propter ea vita aeterna debeatur ex iure, vt Deus aliquam iniuriam faceret nisi eam donaret. Nam vt taceā quod merita omnia dona Dei sunt, & it a homo propter ipsa Deo debitor est, magis quā Deus

homini. Quid sunt merita omnia ad tantam gloriam? denique quis melior est Propheta, cui Dominus ipse tam insigne testimoniū perhibet dicens, virum inueni secundum cor meum? Veruntamen ipse Propheta necesse habuit di∣cere ne intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo Do∣mine. The merites of men be not such that by anie law euerlasting life can be due vnto them or as if God should do any wrong vnlesse he re∣compensed them with eternall life: for besides this which I will passe with silence, that all merites of man are the gifts of God, so that a man for them is rather a debtor to God, then God a debtor to him; what proportion possibly can there be betwixt mans merits and that great weight of glorie which is layed vp in heauen? And to conclude, what is man better then that Prophet, to whō God gaue so notable a testimonie saying: I haue found a man accor∣ding to my owne heart,* 1.11 & yet this same Pro∣phet behoued to say: O Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant, for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified.* 1.12 Must thou not know, ô my soule, y^• all workes which be done by man here, be either euill workes repugnant to Gods Law, and for∣bidden of God; or good workes agreea∣ble to his Law and commandement, yea,

commanded by him. Euery man of him∣selfe can easily do euill workes, which be condemned and forbidden of God: (for Man drinketh iniquitie like water;* 1.13 yea euen the iust man falleth seuen times a day) and do grosly infect and defile man.* 1.14 Good works againe commanded and commended by God can no man of himselfe possibly do; for hearest thou not, ô my soule, the Spi∣rit speaking thus to thee: We are dead in sinnes and trespasses:* 1.15 Of our selues we are not sufficient to thinke any thing as of our selues,* 1.16 but our sufficiencie is of God. Hearest thou not thy Sauiour (who can deceiue none) saying to thee:* 1.17 Without me ye can do no∣thing. Yea speakes not Paul thus: We are Gods workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes,* 1.18 which God hath ordained that we should walke in them. And will he not resolue the Philippians thus? It is God which worketh in you both the will and the deed of his good pleasure.* 1.19 Now I must tell thee, ô my soule, that all men, euen the dearest Saints and seruants of God, are so defiled with sinne, that whensoeuer our God by his Spirit worketh any good worke in them, and by them, they cannot but (by that sea of filth which alwayes re∣maines

in them) defile that good worke of God, and make it abhominable in his eyes, if in iustice he would looke vpon it. And therfore euen the Saints and seruants of God knowing this, when they are made instruments of good workes, can crie out:* 1.20 Who can bring a cleane thing out of vncleannesse? there is not one. Yea trea∣ding the pathes of that Euangelicall roy∣all Prophet Isaiah, they will not be asha∣med thus to blesse themselues, to the end they may honour their God:* 1.21 We haue all bene as an vncleane thing, and all our righte∣ousnesse as filthie clouts. This moued Au∣gustine to say:* 1.22 Opera ex gratia, non ex operi∣bus gratia; quoniam fides quae per dilectionem operatur, nihil operatur, nisi ipsa dilectio Dei diffundatur in cordibus nostris per spiritum sanctum, qui datus est nobis; nec ipsa fides esset in nobis, nisi Deus vnicuique partiretur men∣suram fidei. Good workes are of grace, and not grace of good workes; because faith which worketh by charitie, could worke nothing vn∣lesse the loue of God were shed abroad in our hearts, by the holy Ghost which is giuen to vs; yea faith could not be wrought in vs, vnlesse our God imparted to euery one of vs a mea∣sure of faith. Yea, this moued him to say:

Cum malus sum, nihil aliud est confiteri tibi quam displiceri mihi; cum vero pius, nihil aliud est confiteritibi quam hoc non tribuere mihi quoniam tu Domine benedicis iustum, sed prius cum iustificas impium. When I am wicked, offending thee, I cannot otherwayes confesse my selfe to thee, but being displeased with my selfe for grieuing of thee: when I am vpright, doing good, I cannot better confesse my selfe to thee, then by not challenging the doing of that good to my selfe, because thou, O Lord, doest blesse the iust man, and yet before that, thou iustifiest him being vniust and with∣out God. This moued him also to hold this for a firme ground: Cum Deus remunerat opera nostra, coronat in nobis dona sua. While our God rewards our workes, he crownes in vs his owne gifts. For as Bernard, who liued in a corrupt time long after Augustine, saith, Gratia non solum peccata lauat, sed etiam merita donat. The grace of God not onely washeth vs from sinne, but gifteth vs also with merit.* 1.23 Alwayes here led by Scrip∣ture I must say more to thee, ô my soule, whosoeuer dare attempt to thinke or al∣ledge, that he should onely refraine his hands from euill, walking before God and among men holily, to the end that

thereby he may merit eternall life at the hands of God, cannot possibly carrie the honest heart of a louing sonne, nor the cleane hand of an vpright seruant, but doth prooue himselfe to be a very merce∣narie slaue worthie to be put out of Gods doores; for as God loued vs freely, so he will be freely loued of vs. This moued our wisest Maister, whose words neuer sauo∣red Popish doctrine, thus to direct his dis∣ciples:* 1.24 When ye haue done all these things which are commanded you, say we are vnpro∣fitable seruants, we haue done that which was our dutie to do. The sense hereof moued Augustine sweetly to say: Hoc affectu & de∣siderio colendus est Deus, vt sui cultus ipse sit merces.* 1.25 Nam qui Deum ideo colit, vt aliud magis quam ipsum promereatur, non Deum colit, sed illud quod assequi concupscit. Our God is with this affection and earnest desire of heart to be worshipped by vs, that he himselfe may be the reward of that worship wherewith we worship him: For whosoeuer worships God, to the effect that thereby he may merit to himselfe some other thing beside God, worships not God, but that other thing which he desires to obtaine at his hands. The sense whereof moued him, toning his sweete song with

a loud voice, to crie out: Tunc enim recte, tunc iuste, tunc pie fit; cum opus bonum in eius laudem fit, cuius gratia donatur vt fiat. Then a good worke is done rightly, iustly, and holily; when it is done for the glorie and praise of his name, whose fauour and grace made the doer of it able to do it.* 1.26 And againe. Si gratiam ideo Deus tibi dedit quia gratis dedit, gratis ama; noli ad praemium diligere Deum, ipse sit praemium tibi. If God hath giuen grace to thee because he hath giuen it freely, see that thou loue thy God freely, loue not thy God for any reward, let God himselfe be thy reward to thee. It was holily and couragiously said by the three children vnto Nebuchadnez∣zar, ô my soule, We are not carefull to an∣swer thee in this matter;* 1.27 behold our God whom we serue is able to deliuer vs from the hote fierie fornace, and he will deliuer vs out of thy hands ô King. But if not (marke this my soule, I pray thee) be it knowne to thee, ô King, that we will not serue thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set vp. Resoluing hereby Nebuchadnezzar, al∣beit they should be left by their blessed onely true God to be deuoured by the burning flames of his fornace, yet they would not ceasse to worship God, or ap∣peare

to regard his idoll. O when shall the selfe iustifying Papist begin to take some paines to know God, and his owne heart? for could he know these two, he would seeke for some secret place with Peter, there to weepe bitterly that euer he inuented or vented, or professed and maintained, that damnable poysoning leauen of iustification by workes, conside∣ring that great and onely true teacher of our soules hath said:* 1.28 Ye are they which iu∣stifie your selues before men, but God knoweth your hearts, for that which is highly esteemed among men is an abhomination in the sight of God.* 1.29 Ignorance then, ô my soule, yea, most grosse ignorance (as thou mayest see) hath rikled vp that sandie bray of the Romane synagogue, now running spee∣dily by its owne force to a decay; and fearefull vncouth ignorance hath made the blind Papist to inuent, and vent that mischieuous doctrine of mans merits.* 1.30 For must not euen the simplest man confesse, that whosoeuer would merit any thing by his working at the hands of God must do three things: for first, that which he [ I] doeth, he must do it of himselfe, and by himselfe; for if he do it by the grace and

strength of another, that other merits and not he.* 1.31 Now if Christ be true, no man can do any thing which is good but him. And if Paul be not deceiued, no man doing any thing by the grace of God can but with shame boast himselfe of y^• which h•• doeth.* 1.32 Secondly, that which the meriting [ 2] man doth, must be done of meere good will, and not of dutie; for if it be done by the force of any obligation binding him thereunto, the doer cannot possibly merit any thing by the doing of it: and yet I hope the Papist (if he haue not both cau∣terised his conscience, and seared his face with a brasen countenance) will blush to alledge that he is not bound to do all, and more then possibly he can do, and when he hath done it, that he cannot merit thereby, if he could heare the voice of God and beleeue it, as the voice of him who would be his Father and shepheard: Ishow mercie vnto thousands of them that loue me,* 1.33 and keepe my Commandements. [ 3] Thirdly, that worke which is done by a man to the end that he may merit by it, must be proportionable, and answerable to that reward a man expects for the do∣ing of it. Now what man liuing here can

possibly do or suffer that which can be an∣swerable to the worth and excellent va∣lew of that eternall life layed vp in hea∣uen? Paul saw that it was a greater gift to suffer for Christ, then to beleeue in Christ: and therefore could speake touching the Philippians thus:* 1.34 Vnto you it is giuen for Christ, that not onely ye should beleeue in him, but also suffer for his sake. And yet that same Paul writing to the Romanes can say:* 1.35 I account that the afflictions of this pre∣sent time are not worthie of the glorie that shall be shewed vnto vs. And so from my heart I pray God make the hautie Papist at length subscribe from his heart and with his hand vnto that heauenly poesie:

Datua, sed quae non debes, proportio constet, Haud aliter meritum dixeris esse tuum.

Giue those things which be thine owne, but which thou art no wayes bound to giue; let there be a proportion betwixt the gift and the reward, otherwise alledge not that thou hast any merit. Conclude then, ô my soule, if thou wouldst appeare iust before that onely iust Iudge, as I saiah concludeth: We haue all bene as an vncleane thing,* 1.36 and all our righteousnesse as filthie clouts; as Paul concludeth: I know nothing

by my selfe,* 1.37 yet I am not thereby iustified. As Bernard concludeth, taught by the Spirit, and led by the Scripture long ago. Sufficit mihi ad omnem iustitiam,* 1.38 solum habere pro∣pitium eum, cui soli peccaus; non peccare Dei iustitia est, hominis iustitia Dei indulgentia. It suffices me for my whole and perfect righte∣ousnesse, to haue him mercifull vnto me, a∣gainst whom I haue sinned. Gods righteous∣nesse is not to sinne, mans righteousnesse is Gods indulgence and free pardon. And therefore ô how neatly, how truly, how pretily was it said: Dare non dignis res mage digna Deo est. It is a thing most worthie of our God, who is goodnesse, mercie, liberalitie it selfe, to giue euer grace and glorie vnto those who being vnworthy of themselues merit confusion and eternall death.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Esay 66. 5.
• * 1.2

  Luke 11. 12.
• * 1.3

  Esay. 65. 5.
• * 1.4

  Luk. 18. 14.
• * 1.5

  The inuē∣ters of Iu∣stification by workes are to be cursed.
• * 1.6

  Exod. 3. 5.
• * 1.7

  Iosua 5. 15.
• * 1.8

  Exod. 34. 29. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.
• * 1.9

  1. Cor. 4. 4.
• * 1.10

  Iob 39. 37. 38. & 42. 5. 6.
• * 1.11

  Psal 143. 12
• * 1.12

  No works can iustifie.
• * 1.13

  Iob 15. 16.
• * 1.14

  Pro. 64. 12.
• * 1.15

  Ephes. 2. 1.
• * 1.16

  2. Cor. 3. 5.
• * 1.17

  Ioh. 15. 5.
• * 1.18

  Ephes. 2. 10
• * 1.19

  Phil. 2. 13.
• * 1.20

  Iob 14. 4.
• * 1.21

  Isa 64. 6.
• * 1.22

  Aug. ep. 106
• * 1.23

  Iustifiers of themselues are no sons to God but mercenary slaues.
• * 1.24

  Luk. 17. 10.
• * 1.25

  August. ep. 120.
• * 1.26

  In Ioan. tract. 3.
• * 1.27

  Dan. 3. 16. 17. 18.
• * 1.28

  Luk. 16. 15.
• * 1.29

  Ignorance the mother of the vile doctrine of humane merit.
• * 1.30

  He who would me∣rit must do 3. things.
• * 1.31

  Ioh. 15.
• * 1.32

  1. Cor. 4.
• * 1.33

  Ezod. 26.
• * 1.34

  Phil. 1. 29.
• * 1.35

  Rom. 8. 18.
• * 1.36

  Isa. 64. 6.
• * 1.37

  1. Cor. 4. 1.
• * 1.38

  Ber. serm. Cant. 23.