The amendment of life comprised in fower bookes: faithfully translated according to the French coppie. Written by Master Iohn Taffin, minister of the word of God at Amsterdam.

The tenth cause of amendment, drawen from the kingdome of heauen which is in vs. Chap. 10.

HOw the kingdome of heauen which after the resurrection we shall enioy, ought to induce vs to amendment of life, wee haue already shewed: now, as secondly by the kingdome of hea∣uen, is signified the estate whereinto the Children of God, euen in this life,* 1.1 are reestablished through saith in Iesus Christ: so let vs beholde how mightily this kingdome which Iesus Christ hath said to be in our selues, ought to enflame our harts to amend. It consi∣steth, saith S. Paul, in righteousnes, peace & ioy in the holy ghost: by righteousnes, he vnderstandeth that singuler benefite compri∣zed in this, that Iesus Christ hauing by his death satisfied Gods iustice for all our sinnes, and so paid all our debtes, hath also giuen and imputed vnto vs his perfect obedience, to the end that by this his righteousnesse wee may be iustified in the iudgement of God. This benefite is the assured foundation of our saluation, and ther∣fore both in greatnes & excellencye incōprehensible: and indeed being by nature the children of wrath, pore sinners, such as houre∣ly by our iniquities doe deserue death and eternall damnation: what greater benefite can God bestow vpon vs, then in his iudge∣ment to be absolued and so iustified, that wee may be the children of God, and inheritours of life euerlasting. The remembrance therfore of such a benefite, ought to induce vs to amend our liues, and diligently to beware of offending God? and surelye if onelye one sinne may make vs in his iudgement guilty & worthy of dam∣nation, can we be so vnthankeful to God, and such enemies to our soules, as by pleasing our flesh and the worlde, to tread vnder foot such a benefite, and so happy and blessed an estate? shall wee that can appeare before God iustified by the righteousnes of Christ, to be absolued in his iust iudgement, go & make our selues guilty and worthy of sentence of eternall death, by offending of God? shall we, who by this righteousnesse are aduowed to be the children of God, be such wretches, as by giuing ouer our selues to sinne, make our selues the children of the deuill? when this righteousnesse hath freed vs from the power of Sathan, shall wee by offending God, reduce our selues againe vnder his tirannie? when Christ by paying our debtes hath so purchased this righteousnesse for vs,

that the deuill can pretend nothing against vs: shal we by our sins binde our selues anew to eternall death?

2 Sith one onely sinne is a hand-writing giuen vnto Satan, by vertue whereof hee maye detaine vs in the prison of hell, there to dwell for euer, vnlesse we bee deliuered by the paiment of Iesus Christ, in dying for vs: is it not a monstrous and horrible case that beeing brought foorth of hell, and by this righteousnesse lifted vp into heauen, we should by our sinnes so cast our selues again in∣to hell, that we should abide swallowed vp therin: either that our sinnes should procure Iesus Christ againe to discend into our hell to fetch vs forth? By the shedding of Christs bloud, al the spots of our soules are washed away, whereby we may appeare cleane, ho∣ly, and righteous before God: and shall we returne to plunge our selues againe, in the cursed and damnable filthinesse of our cor∣ruption and vice? I haue washed my feete, saith Christes spouse,* 1.2 how shall I soyle them againe? We must either remaine filthy and infec∣ted in the sight of God, or else wee must be washed againe in the bloud of Iesu•• Christ: doe wee not then make too good a peny∣worth, either of our soules, or of the shedding of Christes bloud? let vs therefore to this purpose thinke vpon the earnest exhorta∣tion of the Apostle, saying: He that despiseth Moses law, dieth with∣out mercy vnder two or three witnesses:* 1.3 Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye he shalbe worthy, which treadeth vnder foote the sonne of God, and counteth the bloud of the testament an vnholye thing wherewith he was sanctifyed, and doth despite the spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said: vengeance belongeth vnto me, I will recompence: And againe, the Lord shall iudge his people.

3 The second benefit of this kingdome, is peace, euen this peace with God and in our consciences, wherof S. Paul speaketh, saying: Being iustifyed by faith, we are at peace with God through Iesus Christ.* 1.4 As we haue at large before declared, let vs heere remember: First, what it cost Iesus Christ: it was requisite that in his soule he should feele the fearefull terrors of Gods wrath and indignation, when he bowed his face to the earth, that hee might lifte vp ours to God, that we might finde his so fauourably enclined toward vs, when he through anguish and feare sweat water and bloud, thereby to minister rest and quietnesse to our soules: to be shorte, when hee sought against the powers of hell, to reconcile vs to God: yet doth euen one sinne disturbe this peace, and kindleth Gods wrath and indignation against vs: and wee must either abide plunged and swallowed vp in terrible anguishe and feare, or else we must bee

freed therfro by the sufferings of Iesus Christ. If after a long & wo∣ful war, peace be once cōcluded, how feareful are men of breaking of it, least they should fall againe into like afflictions? And shal we be so vnthankfull to Iesus Christ, and such enemies to our owne good, that for a little fleshly pleasure, for obeying our couetous af∣fections, our ambition, lustes, and other corruptions, we should of∣fend God and break this blessed peace, kindling his terrible wrath against our soules, and so bringing them into cruell and perpetuall torments? truely we doe but too euidently declare that either we are one desperate, or that wee make small acccompt of those terrible feares that Iesus Christ indured for vs, yet is there no such tormentor as a conscience burdened with sinne.

4 The third fruit of this kingdome is the ioy, not the ioye of the worlde, and of the flesh, accursed in the sight of God, but as Saint Paul addeth,* 1.5 Ioy of the holy ghost, which Iesus Christ hath promised vs, saying: your ioy shalbe full, and shall neuer be taken from you. Heere is a singuler benefite: for as the incomprehensible torments of hel, are in the holy scriptures signified by the weeping and gnashing of teeth that shalbe among the reprobate: so is the felicitye of the elect signified by this ioy: as Iesus Christ noteth, where he giueth vs to vnderstand, that in the day of iudgement God will say to all the faithfull,* 1.6 Enter into your maisters ioy. This ioy did Iesus Christ purchase with many sorrowes and teares, as the history of the Go∣spell doth note that himselfe said: Now is my soule heauy euen to the death. And the same doth the Apostle writing to the Hebrewes af∣firm, saying: In the dayes of his flesh he offred vp praiers & supplications with strong crying, to him that was able to saue him frō death, & he was also heard in that which he feared. Were it not therefore meer mad∣nes and folly to conuert this soueraigne felicitie of ioy, so dearely purchased for vs by Christ, into damnable sorowes and teares, yea euen into weeping and gnashing of teeth, by giuing our selues to sinne, and so drawing vnto vs the effect of this common and true sentence, For one pleasure a thousand sorrowes.

5 It is a cōmon saying, that men shuld not open or read any letters that come when they are ready to sit downe to meate, for feare of troubling the benefit of meat or drinke, by some bad newes there∣in peraduenture contained: how miserable then are wee who euen already tasting this ioy of the kingdome of heauen, doe vo∣luntarily disturbe and conuert it into teares by offending God, for in truth we might finde matter enough of sorrow, if wee could but apprehend what a woe it is to departe forth of the kingdome of

God, to become bondmen to the diuell our capitall enemy: this woe being indeed the iust reward of sinne. If at a marriage feast there should chance some such debate, that some one of the com∣pany should perhaps hurt or kill the Bride, the wh••le feast and all the triumphes thereof would be dashed and conuerted into wee∣ping and mourning. And what doe we, when being in this in the kingdome of heauen, we commit any iniquity, but kill both soule and body euen with euerlasting death: true it is, that hauing offen∣ded God, we do not so soon seele this sorrow & trouble of minde, and this comme••h of our owne dulnesse, not because we deserue it not, but because God beareth with vs: otherwise vndoubtedly the onely feeling of one onely sinne, would drowne vs in sorrowe and feare of Gods wrath, let therefore the remembrance of this king∣dome which consisteth in righteousnes, peace, and ioy of the holye ghost, cause vs to abhor all iniquity, to the end that amending our liues, we may retaine this blessed kingdome of heauen, and neuer change this righteosnes into iniquity, this peace into war & trou∣ble of conscience, and this ioy into weeping & gnashing of teeth.

6 And that we may the more earnestly be stirred vp hereunto, let vs consider the difference between the kingdom of heauen, & of satan: if the kingdom of heauē consisteth in righteousnes, peace and ioy of the holy ghost, the kingdome of satan contrariwise must needs consist in wickednes, trouble of conscience, sorrow and hea∣uines: let vs therfore imagine a man whose sins being imputed to himself, he must appeare before God, clothed in wickednes & sin, to receiue sentence of eternall death, and in him let vs cōsider the fear & terror arising of his apprehension & feeling of Gods wrath & displeasure: let vs marke his gnashing of his teeth, his howling & lamentations, yea euen himselfe dissolued into weeping & teares:* 1.7 Let vs look vpon Cain, exclaiming that his paine is greater thē he is able to beare: vpon Iudas, who feeling his cōdemnation, for the auoiding of the apprehension of death, killed himselfe: vpon Esau, hauing sold his birthright for a messe of red pottage, wept because he see no remedy for his mithap, vpon those who apprehēding the cōming of Christ to be their iudge, do cry to the rocks and moun∣tains, saying: Fall vpon vs and hide vs from the wrath of the lambe. In breefe vpon al those that seeking after death, death shall flye from them, to the end that dying they may liue, and liuing they may al∣waies dye. On the other side, let vs beholde a faithfull man, the childe of God, in his soule possessed of this kingdome of hea∣uen, assured that the righteousnes of Christ shalbe imputed vnto him, wherby he shal vndoubtedly be iustified in the sight of God,

feeling peace and quietnesse in conscience, and replenished with spirituall ioy: is there any man that is not vtterly desperate or be∣sides himselfe, that will not accompt such a one to be blessed, and the other accursed? let vs therefore haue alwaies the state of this kingdom of heauen in our view, that abhorring our vice and cor∣ruption, we may tremble at all motions to offend God, and so con∣stantly resisting the world, the flesh, and the deuil, wee may ende∣uour more and more to amend, that in our soules wee may retayne this blessed kingdome, which consisteth in righteousnes, peace and ioy of the holy Ghost.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Luke. 17.21. Rom. 14.17.
• * 1.2

  Cant. 5.3.
• * 1.3

  Heb. 10.28.
• * 1.4

  Rom. 5.1. In the fourth book cap. 5.
• * 1.5

  Iohn. 16.21.24. Iohn 15.11. Mat. 24.51.
• * 1.6

  Mat. 25.21. Mat. 26.37.38 Heb. 5.7.
• * 1.7

  Gen. 4.13. Mat. 25.5. Act. 1.28. Gen, 27.18. Heb. 12.16. Apoc. 6 16. Luke 13.30. Apoc. 9.6.