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. XVI.

Verse 17. If we be children, we are also heyres, euen the heyres of God, and heyres annexed with Christ.

Tim.

WHat is the drift and scope of this text?

Silas.

To conclude the maine argu∣ment and reason, by which the Apostle before did exhort the Romanes, by the spirit to mortifie the deeds of the flesh. This argument was taken from the e∣uent which shall follow them, which liue after the spirite and not after the flesh, namely eternall life giuing to wit, that such shall liue for euer, because they are the sonnes of God: from hence the Apostle now concludeth, that if such as walke after the Spirit bee sonnes, then they must inherit euerlasting life in heauen: for all Gods children be heires, and haue right to the heritage of heauen. This conclu∣sion doth very liuely set forth the manifold and great dig∣nity of true beleeuers, the more to stirre them vp cheere∣fully to follow the gouernment of Gods Spirit.

Tim.

What be the degrees of the dignity of the faithfull?

Silas.

They bee these foure; first, that they bee not ser∣uants but children. Secondly, that all of them bee heyres. Thirdly, that they bee heires of God, not of any mortall king; but of that king which is immortall, namely GOD. Lastly, that they bee coheires, or heyres annexed with Christ.

Tim.

Tell vs now what is meant by children?

Silas.

Euen all the sonnes and daughters of God, who∣soeuer they be which haue the spirit of adoption, and be∣leeue in Christ.

Tim.

But Christ is the onely begotten child of God, how then can the faithfull be children?

Silas.

True indeede, Christ is the onely begotten childe of God according to nature; being begotten of his Fathers substance from euerlasting: but beleeuers bee children by grace of adoption, being by nature the children of wrath: Christ is a child of the substance of God his Father, where∣as the beleeuers are children by fauour.

Tim.

Is this so great a dignity to bee the childe of God by grace?

Silas.

It is so; for first, such as haue Christ to bee their

brother, Mat. 12. 50. Heb. 2. 12. Secondly, the Angels are their seruants. Psal. 34. 7. Heb. 1. 14. Thirdly, them∣selues are Priestes, Prophets, and Kings. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Reue. 1. 6. Fourthly, the whole worlde, yea euen heauen is their right and possession. 1 Cor. 3. 22. 23. If it bee counted so great a dignity to be the childe of an earthly King, what a worthy thing must it then be, to be the childe of the King of Heauen. For to be the childe of God is no empty ti∣tle, because by it we obtaine this dignity to bee heires. The lawe of nature doth yeelde this vnto children, that they shall enioy the inheritance which is left vnto them by their deceased Parents: and the Lawe of grace doth* 1.1 promise the heauenly inheritance to all which bee chil∣dren of God by faith in Christ.

Tim.

Howbeit among the Children of Abraham, Isaac onely had the inheritance, the rest had gifts and were sent away, Gen. 25, 5, 6.

Silas.

It is true, because God so commanded, and the promises were made to Isaac, but the case fals out other∣wise betweene the children of God and of men: for a∣mongst men in sundry countries, all Childeren bee not heires, but sonnes onely, and in some places not all sons but the eldest sonne alone; but Gods children bee they sonnes or bee they daughters, they bee all heires, euery one without exception. There is neither Male nor Fe∣male with God.

Tim.

But whose heires are they, and what is their inheri∣tance?

Sil.

They are heires of God, and God himselfe is their* 1.2 inheritance, one and the selfe-same person, is both father and inheritance in this case: for to enioy God fully and perfectly in his Sonne Christ, this is the inheritance of the Saints, whoe in God doe enioy all other things. Gods children therefore they are great heires, and they haue a goodly heritage, Psal. 16, 4, 5. 1. Cor, 3, 21.

Tim.

What is the fourth part of the dignity of the faithfull?

Sil.

That they are heires annexed with Christ, or ioynt

heires with Christ.

Tim.

The inheritance of Christ, how manifold is it?

Silas.

Two-fold: It is the inheritance eyther of glory, or of dominion and power. The inheritance of glory is this, that after his death he being risen and ascended into Heauen, he liueth there most blessedly and gloriously, his body and soule being wholy freed from all infirmities and temptations, and filled with all ioy and glorious brightnes, euen like the Sunne in the Firmament: also his inheritance of dominion and power consists in this, that in his humane nature he is exalted and listed vp aboue all principalities and powers, and euery name that is named in earth, hauing all creatures and the Church it selfe subiect to him, as vnto their head, Ephe. 2, 21, 22. Phil. 2, 9. Notwithstanding al∣though that the elect be partakers of this double inheri∣tance of Christ, yet they are not partakers in equall de∣gree: For Christ raigneth in Heauen as Gods onely and first begotten, but the faithfull are but adopted children, Phil. 3, 21. Reuel. 3, 21. Reuel. 2, 26. Rom. 8, 29. By al this then appeareth, that the children of God are very ho∣nourable personnages, because their dignity is not car∣nall* 1.3 and earthly, such as may wither and perish, but spi∣rituall and heauenly, such as endureth for euer.

Tim.

What vse and profit may be made of this?

Silas.

First, it should admonish the faithful not to be∣haue themselues basely, by making themselues seruants to their filthy lusts: but endeauouring to follow the di∣rection of the Spirite in all things. 1. Iohn, 3, 2. 2. Pet. 3, 11. Secondly, not to take any leaue vnto our selues to thinke of, or deale basely with such excellent personna∣ges as Gods children be.

Tim.

But tell me I pray you, doe these honourable and wor∣thy personnages giue any Scutchion or Coate-Armour?

Silas.

That they doe, the feild and ground whereof is Azure and Gules, for they are celestiall creatures, borne from aboue, Iohn, 1, 13. And they are a people purcha∣sed by the bloud of Christ, Acts. 20, 28. The partes of

this armour be many and seuerall: First, in their Armour they giue the Eagle, in respect of their aspyring aloft; as it is written, Where the carkasse is, there will the Eagle re∣sort, Luke 17, 37.

Secondly, they giue an Helmet or Anchor, to wit, their Hope, which stayes their soules against all the Waues of temptation, Heb. 6, 19. Thirdly, they giue a Lyon, be∣cause of their Christian fortitude, despising all threat∣nings and dangers, Prou. 28, 1. The Righteous are bolde as a Lyon.

The fourth is the band of Charity, which knits toge∣ther the faithfull, as many stickes tied fast togither with one band, Col. 3, 14. Fiftly, they giue a Sheepe, to wit∣nesse their meekenesse and obedience, Iohn 10, 27. My Sheepe heare my voice & follow me. Sixtly they giue a Doue to witnesse and represent their simplicity and innocen∣cy, Math. 10, 16. Be innocent as Doues. And lastly, they giue the Serpent, to signifie their godly prouidence and wise∣dome to forecast and preuent dangers. Math. 10, 16. Bee wise as Serpents. Vnto all which may be added the girdle of verity, the sword of the Spirit, and the breast-plate of righteousnesse, Ephe. 6, 14, 17.

Tim.

What is the morall or meaning of this their Coate∣Armour?

Sil.

It serueth to put all Gods children in minde, that if they will walke worthy of that their honourable and worthy calling, they must expresse and shew forth a true faith, a firme hope, vnfained loue, Christian courage, meeke obedience, innocent simplicity, Serpentine wise∣dome, and generally an heauenly purity in all partes of their conuersation, as they may honour the house and stocke to which they belong and of which they come.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2. Heires.
• * 1.2

  3. Heires of God,
• * 1.3

  1 Pet. 1, 4.