A commentarie vpon the most diuine Epistle of S. Paul to the Romanes Containing for matter, the degeneration of our nature by Adams Fall; and the restauration thereof, by the grace of Christ. Together with the perfection of faith, and the imbecillity of workes, in the cause of iustification of elect sinners before God. For forme and maner of handling, it hath the coherence and method, the summe and scope, the interpretations & doctrines the reasons and vses, of most texts. All which, are set downe very familiarly and compendiously, in forme of a dialogue, betweene Tlmotheus [sic] and Silas, by Thomas Wilson, one of the six preachers in the cathedrall church of Canterbury.

DIAL. III.

Verse 5. For if we be planted with him to the similitude of his death, so shall we bee to the similitude of his resurrection.

Tim.

VVHat is the drift of this Text?

Silas.

To make it manifest, that the power & grace of dying to sinne, and walking in a new life, is de∣riued and borrowed from Christ Iesus.

Tim.

How is this declared and made plaine?

Silas.

By a similitude or comparison of planting. For as it fareth with a grift translated from an old stocke in∣to a new; so is it with elect beleeuers. As the grift liueth, groweth, and fructifieth by the iuyce drawne from the new stocke into which it is planted: so the elect beeing taken out of the olde rotten stocke of Adam, and plan∣ted into that Noble stocke Christ Iesus, they participate of his heauenly Spirite, by whose vertue (applying the death and resurrection of Christ to them) they receyue power to die to sinne, and to liue to God.

Tim.

What is meant by the similitude of his death and re∣surrection?

Silas.

Thus much, that what was done in Christ by na∣ture, must be likewise done in vs by Analogie or propor∣tion, as thus: Christ dyed naturally, so wee must feele in our selues a dying of our sinnefull desires, as hee rose a∣gaine out of the graue, so we must rise out of sin to liue a godly life. And the power whereby wee can do this, is deriued from the death and resurrection of our Lord, as the grifte liueth by the life of the stocke, to which it is ioyned.

Tim.

What doth this similitude of planting teach vs?

Sil.

Sundry things: First, that naturally we are stran∣gers from Christ, beeing in the stocke of rotten Adam, whence we must be taken that we may be one with him. Secondly, that whiles we remain in Adam out of Christ, we can no more do any good, then a grift can bring forth fruite being alone, and seuered from the stocke. Third∣ly, to the end we may liue spiritually to God, wee must first be vnited to Christ, as the plant or grift is vnited to the Tree, into which it is planted. Fourthly, whatsoeuer power is in vs to do good, or to leaue sinne, it is al from Christ, not from our selues. As the graft set in a stock, ta∣keth now no life from it selfe, but from the stocke into which it is grafted. By this is quite ouerthrown the con∣currence of nature and grace.

Tim.

What are we to learne from hence, that the Resurre∣ction of Christ is heere annexed and ioyned vnto his death, and mentioned after it?

Sil.

These two things: First wee learne, that as Christ had no way opened vnto his resurrection but by death; so till we depart from sinne, we cannot be raised vp and renewed to a righteous life. Secondly, as Christes death and resurrection be ioyned together: so our death to sin is euer accompanied with a newe and vnblameable life, which can no more bee seuered from mortification, then the resurrection of Christ can be seuered from his death: and therfore our Apostle hath truly affirmed before, that such as bee dead to sin cannot liue in it, verse 2. for nowe they lead their liues according to God.

Tim.

I haue heard you speake of the likenesse between a grift and the elect, and what we are to learne by it, shew me nowe in this likenesse what dissimilitude and vnlikenesse there is?

Silas.

It is a sure truth, that no similitude doth holde in all things, it is sufficient to holde in that for which it is applied; as in this present similitude which is brought to shew, that as a slip passeth from one tree to another, and hath life from that stock into which it islast planted, so the elect passing from Adam to Christ, are partakers

of his spirit: but as in euery other similitude there is a dissimilitude, so in this likenes there is an vnlikenes, and it doth consist in two things: first, the slippe or grift is taken from a good tree and fastned to a wilde. Second∣ly, it retaineth still his olde nature though it be planted into a new stocke: now it is not so in this spirituall plan∣ting of men into Christ. For wee are plucked from an vnfruitfull tree and wild Oliue, euen from the corrupt nature of Adam, and are grafted into Christ as a most noble stocke, a tree of righteousnesse, whose very leaues are wholesome: also we put off our old nature which we had afore, and leaue the affections which spring of our birth-corruption, & are partakers of the spirit of Christ, whose nature and properties we put on. Rom. 12, 14.

Tim.

When may we be said to leaue off our olde nature and affections of sinne, and by what meanes are wee best furthered to it?

Silas.

When wee begin perfectly to know our selues, that whatsoeuer commeth of our nature & is in vs with∣out Christ, is naught and vicious, and are moued to bee displeased with it, and to abhorre it, with an earnest and constant endeuour to leaue and forsake whatsoeuer is from our corrupt nature: whereunto wee are much fur∣thered and holpen by the faithful and fruitefull medita∣tion of Christs painefull death; when wee doe consider the shame and bitternesse thereof, to bee occasioned by our owne sinnes, it will cause a mans heart to rise against them, as a mans heart ariseth against his enemy, prouo∣king vs speedily to shake and cast thē off, which cast our beloued and blessed Sauiour into such a bloudy agony, and hell of sorrowes: for who can beleeue that Christ was made a curse for his sinnes, and yet still liue in the loue and seruice of sinne?

Tim.

When may it be said of vs, that we haue put on the na∣ture and properties of Christ, into whom we are newly planted?

Silas.

When we doe feele wrought in vs by his spirit such feelings and affections as he had, putting on like

mercy, loue, faith, meekenesse, patience, long-suffering, ioy, goodnesse, temperance, and kindnesse, as the man Christ had; being meeke and lowly as he was, &c.