the sun shine of Gods loue vpon him euen as a blind man may assuredly know that the Sunne doth not shine vpon him because he feeleth no warmth thereby in his body What we pray against 2. The deprecation is against all things that may shut vp Gods mercy and compassion towards vs make vs remaine still bound in our sinnes which are 1 Cor. 2.14 First Blindnesse of minde and ignorance of our inward estate which is through ignorance of the Law For this hindreth so much the pardon of sin as that it is a certaine signe of a naturall man still in his sins according to that saying The naturall man perceiueth not the things of God neither indeed can hee This blindnesse hindreth so much as being out of the way from comming to the wayes end for the way to forgiuenesse of sinnes is noted to bee perceiuing with the eye and vnderstanding with the heart in the charge giuen to Esay Make the heart of this people fat c. lest they see with their eyes Esay 6.10 and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts and conuert and he heale them Rom. 2.4 Secondly hardnesse of heart that cannot repent by acknowledging sinne sorrowing for sinne intreating grace and by resoluing against euery sinne for such hardened persons are so farre from mercy as that they heape vp wrath to themselues against the day of wrath 2. Kings 6. Thirdly despaire of Gods mercy and goodnesse which driueth from God to the Diuell our sinnes making vs without all hope as Cain who said My punishment is greater then I can beare Wee pray therefore that though with the one eye wee see our sinnes infinite and most heinous yet that with the other wee may see Gods mercy infinite farre aboue all our sinnes that howsoeuer wee are vrged by Satan wee may bee kept from despaire as Elishaes seruant hauing his eyes opened to see the fiery chariots and horses round about him and his maister when the bands of the Aramites drew neare against them Now to be kept from despaire it is necessary that we pray and striue to be kept Stepps vnto despaire First from notorious sinnes most chiefly as murder apostasie adultery and theft from such as from a steepe downe-hill Cains and Iudas fell head-long into the valley of desperation Secondly from wicked company which like a violent streame doth force men so as that they cannot withstand as Peter was carried farre thereby Ephes 6. Thirdly from the neglect of Gods worship whereby wee loose our spirituall armature and are laid naked to our potent foes Fourthly from the loue and immoderate affection to the things of this world which hauing the heart if they faile our heart faileth also and a wide gap is opened to despaire And if any of these haue been through which wee are falling to despaire wee pray that wee may yet bee supported by such helpes as are most effectuall they being euer neere vnto vs. Helpes against despaire Esay 1.18 These are first promises of mercy how heinous soeuer our sinnes haue been Though your sinnes were as crimson they shall bee made white as snow though they were red as scarlet they shall bee as wooll Secondly examples of mercy shewed to Murther to Adultery in Dauid to Apostacie in Peter to Idolatrie in Manasseh to Theft in the Thiefe vpon the Crosse to Blasphemy in Paul and much iniquity and impurity to Mary hauing many foule Diuels together in her Thirdly the indignity offered vnto God by despaire seeing wee refuse to trust him vpon his most faithfull word and the ineuitable destruction of our owne soules hereby vnto former most heinous sinnes this being added to make a man out of measure sinfull Wherefore we pray that in this case wee may keepe our eyes fastned vpon Gods promises reuolue in our minds and alwaies thinke vpon examples of mercy and consider that as long as we despaire not we are not shut out from mercy but hereby we are gone for euer and that worthily seeing we offer that vnto him which we will not vnto a man making faith vnto vs. Psal 50.11 Fourthly we pray against presumption which is the promising of happinesse to a mans self vpon false grounds either because God is infinitely mercifull and will not haue any to perish whom he hath made neither is so seuere as they preach of him Which is the presumption spoken of by the Psalmist These things thou diddest and whilest I held my peace thou thoughtest that I was like vnto thee or because his owne life is not so bad as that the Lord can therefore iustly condemne him to death but rather for his good deeds is bound to giue him eternall life Luke 18 11. as the Pharisie vaunteth himselfe saying O Lord I thanke thee that J am not as other men extortioners vniust adulterers or euen as this Publican I fast twice in the weeke c. or because the Lord hath promised Ezech. 18. that at what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottome of his heart he will put all his wickednesse out of his remembrance whereupon he doth willingly yet go on in sinne presuming that he will notwithstanding prouide well enough afterwards in his old age or extreame sicknesse for his soule by repenting him then of all For this is a most vaine hope life being most vncertaine mans power to turne to God being meere weaknesse and sin getting stronger hold vpon him the longer he liueth therein and making him more vnfit euery day to repent according to that saying Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit He that for repentance thinkes this day too soone Will much more thinke the same till life be done Wherefore wee pray heere that by none of these deceitfull baites wee may bee allured to liue in sinne that we may not presume vpon our owne righteousnesse but reiect it as a menstruous cloth nor make a God of all mercy to our selues when as hee is also most iust and seuere against sinners least with thousands we thus perish for euer when we little feare it Fifthly malice and thirsting after reuenge when iniurie hath been offered vnto vs. From this we desire to be preserued and that we may the rather we are to consider First how much the Lord hath forgiuen vs for Christ his sake Secondly that both the Lord Iesus and all holy men haue forgiuen and prayed for their enemies and the Diuell only is an implacable aduersary 1. Pet. 2 2. Thirdly that the way of grace is thus stopped vp against vs and consequently the way of glorie for vnlesse we be conuerted and become as little children wee cannot bee saued vnlesse as new borne babes laying aside maliciousnesse wee desire the sincere milke of the Word wee cannot grow in grace thereby 3. The thanksgiuing is for illumination to see our sinnes sanctification to turne from sinne iustification to deliuer vs by
the preiudice of our neighbours life thirdly all rayling and reuiling speeches fourthly all murdrous desires and affections of the heart as of anger malice hatred and enuie fiftly all crueltie towards the creature which sheweth a murdrous mind in vs. 328 Quest What are we heere commanded Answ Out of the loue which we beare to our neighbour as much as in vs lieth to preserue his life and health and specially the life of his soule by good counsell exhortation and admonitions 343 Quest Which is the seuenth Commandement Answ Thou shalt not commit adultery 347 Quest What is here forbidden Answ First all outward vncleane actions of adultery fornications c. Secondly all filthy and vncleane speeches singing of wanton loue-songs and reading of Books Ballads of this sort Thirdly all incontinent thoughts and lusts of the heart Fourthly whatsoeuer is vsually an occasion of vncleannesse as being present at filthy stage-playes putting on apparell of another sex mixt laciuious dauncing surfetting drunkennesse idlenesse c. 347 Quest What are we here commanded Answ To liue in temperance chastitie and sobernesse and so to keepe my body holy and pure as a temple of the holy Ghost 357 Quest Which is the eight Commaundement Answ Thou shalt not steale 361 Quest VVhat is here forbidden Answ All stealing which is first by violence or secret taking away that which is our neighbours Secondly by oppression and tyranny of the rich toward the poore Thirdly by deceit in buying and selling Fourthly by vsing any vnlawfull trade or way of gaine or gaming fortune-telling or selling drinke vnto drunkennesse Fiftly by prodigality for thus doe men rob their children and posteritie 361 Quest What more is heere forbidden Answ All couetousnes and vnmercifulnes the robbing of God in things dedicate tithes and offerings 370 Quest What are we here commanded Answ To do to all men as I would they should do vnto me and by diligent paines-taking to get mine owne liuing in that estate of life to which it shal please God to call me 379 Quest VVhich is the ninth Commandement Answ Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour 383 Quest What is here forbidden Answ All false witnes-bearing first by falsely accusing and witnessing against our neighbor before a Iudge Secondly by slandering and backbiting and by readinesse to hearken to such false reports Thirdly by flattering or soothing any for aduantage against the truth Fourthly by lying or telling an vntruth against our consciences 383 Quest What are we here commanded Answ As much as in vs lieth to preserue the good name of our neighbour and our owne good name stopping our eares against false reports and suppressing them alwaies whatsoeuer comes of it speaking the truth 393 Quest Which is the tenth Commandement Answ Thou shalt not couet thy neighbors house c. 396 Quest What is heere forbidden Answ All first motions of the mind vnto sinne though no consent be yeelded vnto them 396 Quest What are we commanded here Answ To keepe our very hearts and minds free from euill thoughts against any of the commandements of God 399 Quest Is any man able to keepe all these Commandements Answ No man vpon earth hath or euer can be able to keep them perfectly Adam only excepted in the state of innocencie and Christ who was both God and man 401 What is the breach of the law and the punishment of it Answ It is sinne which if it be but once committed only and that but in thought it makes a man subiect to Gods eternal curse which is euerlasting death in hell fire the torments whereof are vnspeakable without end or ease 404 Quest Is it not iniustice to appoint so great a punishment for euery sinne yea euen for the least Answ It is very iust and meet for the Lord to adiudge the least sinne to hell fire because his mark which is perfect holinesse set vpon man in his creation is hereby remooued and a marke with the Deuils brand is made vpon the soule of the sinner for which it is iust that the Deuil and not God should now haue such a soule 405 Quest If no man can perfectly keepe the Law wherefore serueth it Answ First to humble vs in regard of our miserable estate heereby discouered secondly to be a rule of good life vnto vs. 406 Quest How may we be saued from our sinnes Answ Onely by the bloud of Iesus Christ laid hold vpon by a true and liuely faith 407 Quest How is faith first begun and wrought in the heart Answ Ordinarily by the preaching of the Gospel the holy spirit inwardly opening the heart to beleeue those things that are outwardly preached to the eare 410 Quest How doth faith exercise it selfe and get more strength Answ By prayer the exercises of Gods holy word and by receiuing the Sacraments Concerning Prayer Quest What is Prayer Answ It is a lifting vp of the heart vnto God only in the name of Iesus Christ according to his will in full assurance to be heard and accepted at his gracious hands 412 Quest What need is there that the faithfull should pray seeing they are in Gods fauour hee knoweth their wants and hath pardoned all their sinnes Answ By how much the more we are in Gods fauour by so much the more needfull is it that wee should cheerefully pray both to pay the dutie that wee owe vnto God to obtaine the blessing promised and to renew our assurance of the pardon of sinne daily renewed through our great weaknesse 416 Quest What times are specially to be spent in Prayer Answ It is necessary that euery Christian make his prayers vnto God euery morning and euening sitting downe and rising vp from meale and at other times as the spirit mooueth or occasions and other necessities require to haue the heart lifted vp in prayer 418 Quest How and according to what Prayer ought we to pray Answ The patrerne and forme for our direction is the Lords Payer Our Father c. 422 Quest How many be the parts of this Prayer Answ The Preface Our Father The Petitions Hallowed be thy name and the conclusion For thine is the c. 429 Quest In the Preface why call you God Father Answ Because he is ready as a louing Father to heare me calling vpon his name whence I learne with boldnesse and confidence to come vnto him with prayer 429 Quest Why doe you say Our Father and not my Father Answ Because I ought to pray for all other the Children of God as well as for my selfe 432 Quest Why adde you in the Preface which art in heauen Answ Not for that I belieue God to be in heauen onely for he is euery where but because to bee in Heauen is an Argument of great glory whence I learne with reuerence to pray vnto him being my Father most glorious 434 Quest How many be the Petitions of this Prayer Answ Sixe whereof the three former concerne Gods glory the three latter concerne our selues 435
enquicken the body of the outward element and receiue these for our true fellow-members of Christ who haue beene made partakers of the same labor of regeneration Quest What did thy Godfathers and Godmothers then for thee Answ They did promise and vow three things in my name first that I should forsake the diuel and all his workes the pompes and vanities of this wicked world with all the sinfull lusts of the flesh Secondly that I should beleeue all the articles of the Christian Faith Thirdly that I should keepe Gods holy will and commandement and walke in the same all the dayes of my life Explan In this answere obserue foure points which are further to be opened First wherefore this promise is made of forsaking the diuell c. For the resolution of which Mans foure-fold estate 1 of Inocency Gen 1 27. Eccles 7.1 it is to be vnderstood that our naturall estate is carnall and sensuall yea a very subiection vnto Satan True it is that man by his first creation was holy and righteous witnesse the Spirit himselfe saying thus God made man in his owne Image in the Jmage of God created he him And God made man righteous and this estate of holinesse was accompanied with exquisite and almost Diuine knowledge for proofe wherof the creatures were brought vnto him to be named and as he named them so they were called now his names did so fit the creatures expressing partly their seuerall natures that if a most cunning Philosopher had studied all his life he could not haue done the like Besides this he being cast into a deepe sleepe when the woman was taken out of his side did rightly diuine how neere shee was vnto him saying This is flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone c. Againe Gen. 2.23 vnto his knowledge was added a sound estate of body from all diseases as death it selfe came in by sinne Rom 5.18 hee could labour without wearines for the sweat of the brow comes in after the transgressioÌ„ He could abstaine without preiudice to his health hee could haue multiplied yeares without gray haires for he was immortall All creatures did reuerence him the earth was all seruiceable vnto him without barrennesse bryars and thornes none of all the serpents and wilde beasts were noisome vnto him The woman was without sorrow in trauailing without paines in bringing vp her children without subiection to the man Both man woman were comely without blemish warme without cloathes naked without shame I dare not say that they should haue propagated without copulation with Gregory Nyss De Opisâ—â— lôis cap. 17. 2 Of corruption Rom. 3.23 Now man is fallen from this estate sinne proceeding from one Adam hath ouerspread all men All haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God There is in vs all so soone as we are a want of all grace and goodnes a pronenesse vnto euill and vntowardnes to doe that which is pleasing to the Lord as both St. Paul setteth forth in himselfe saying Rom. 7.15 Jam. 1.14 The things which I would I doe not which I hate that doe I. And St. Iames Let no man say that he is tempted of God Lust when it hath conceiued bringeth forth sinne c. And hence it commeth to passe that we are the diuels subiects For he that committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne Ioh. 8.34 Heb. 2.15 He is in bondage vnto the diuell all his life long The promise then which is made in our Baptisme is that wee shall come out of this estate of nature corrupt into the estate of grace which is when wee follow not the swinge of our owne dispositions neither suffer the God of this world to rule in vs but the law and word of God For heerein standeth mans restauration and bringing into a third estate which is the estate of grace 3. Of grace if the heart be purified by faith if hee faithfully beleeue all the Articles of the Christian faith and be sanctified to obedience of life if hee alwayes walke in the wayes of Gods commandements faith giuing him interest in this estate and obedience certifying that hee is truely interessed heerein according to that of the Apostle Shew me thy faith by thy workes Jam. 2.18 Eph. 2.2 Rom. 6. Ioh. 8.34 1 Joh. 3. Heb. 2 15. Luc. 1.7.4 Heb. 11.6 2. Cor. 8. And as our condition vnder sinne is most terrible so is this vnder grace most comfortable Then wee were dead in sinnes and trespasses now wee are dead vnto sinne and aliue vnto God in righteousnes then wee were seruants yea bondslaues now wee are set at liberty yea made sonnes of God then wee were euery day in feare now we serue the Lord all our life time without feare then our best workes did displease God now though wee faile in many things wee are accepted according to that we haue Eph. 2. and not according to that wee haue not then we were without God in the world to protect vs now wee are made neere Rom. 6.23 yea of the houshold of God to conclude wee were at the day of payment to receiue for our wages death now wee shall not tast of that death but haue the guift of our God which is eternall life And heere is the last end the fourth estate of man indued with grace which shall be without end 4. Of glory the first fruits of this are had heere halfe the haruest followes at euery mans particular death the soule being placed in Paradise and all is perfected at the day of Iudgement when both soule and body inioy the kingdome of God the Father Secondly we are further to consider whether we be able and haue of our selues power to forsake the diuell c. and if not whence wee are to seeke for this Eph. 2.2 Of free will The words indeed seeme to intimate such ability but they haue no such meaning for we are dead in sinnes and trespasses that is haue as little ability to doe any act of grace as a dead man hath to moue himselfe or to doe any thing that belongs vnto the liuing Wee are not sufficient of our selues to thinke a good thought as of our selues It is not in him that willeth 2. Cor 3.5 Rom. 9.16 or in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Where note that as nothing in the worke of our conuersion and turning from sinne is ascribed vnto vs so all is ascribed vnto God Wherefore Ieremie saith turne vs O Lord Lament 5.21 and so shall wee bee turned and the Apostle It is God that worketh both the will and the deed and it is rightly decreed in an ancient councell against the heresie of Pelagius Whosoeuer shall say Conc Milinit Can. 4. that by the grace of the Lord we are heerein holpen against sinne because that by this is opened vnto vs what wee ought to doe and what to shunne and that it doth not effect this
bountifull reward euen euerlasting life They of the Church of Rome are afraid that by teaching this all good workes would be neglected and therefore make men beleeue that they may perfectly keepe the Law yea and doe workes of supererrogation also more then the Law requireth at their hands but you may easily perceiue by that which hath beene said how little cause there is of any such feare The sonnes of Belial indeede men without all grace growe secure hereupon and endeauour to doe nothing themselues because Christ hath done all for them but they are fowly deceiued as they shall finde to their cost another day The Apostle saith not simply He hath fulfilled the Law for vs Rom. 8.4 but with this addition which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit that is for vs which would faine be righteous and keepe the Law our selues but through the weaknesse of the flesh are not able hee hath done nothing therefore for these secure persons 2. Duty To rely onely vpon Christ The second duty is to cast out the anchor of our hope of eternall life onely vpon the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus and not vpon any merits of our owne no not whereunto we are inabled by the merits of Christ Iesus For as hee saide vnto Paul My grace is sufficient for thee 2. Cor. 12. so may it be said of his merits and righteousnesse His righteousnesse is sufficient for vs. Either it alone must make vs righteous or not at all that must not doe somewhat and our owne righteousnes somewhat the Lord will admit no such partnership Rom. 11.6 But if it be of grace it is no more of workes saith hee else were grace no grace if of workes it is no more of grace else were worke no more worke Our good workes are ordained of God as a way to eternall life Ephes 2.10 verse 9. that we should walke in them they merit nothing lest any man should boast Let the Roman Catholiques therefore sit at anchor here if they will let them build their hope vpon this sandy foundation but let vs sticke fast and remaine vnmoueable vpon the rocke Christ Iesus let vs looke for the sweetning of all our imperfect good workes from the perfume of his righteousnesse that thus wee may be sure to be accepted before God his Father at the last day Quest 28. In which wordes is his exaltation set downe and how many be the degrees hereof Answ In these words The third day hee rose againe from the dead and ascended into Heauen he sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty and from thence he shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead And of this there be three degrees also Quest 29. Which is the first and in which words Answ First In that he arose againe from death to life and ascended vp into Heauen In these words The third day he arose againe from the dead and ascended vp into Heauen Two branches of the fift Article Explan As the Lord Iesus taking vpon him the worke of our redemption was greatly humbled as hath beene shewed so when this worke was finished he was againe highly exalted and looke by what steps of humiliation he descended by the like also he ascended till he came to the height of his glory beginning first to rise from the lowest in that out of the nethermost earth he goeth vp to the highest Heauens Of this Article there be two branches The third day hee arose againe from the dead is the first He ascended vp into Heauen is the second Concerning the first Being laid into the Sepulchre by Ioseph of Arimathea and a great stone rolled to the doore of the Sepulchre a watch also was set to keepe his body lest his Disciples stould come by night and steale it away and say He is risen againe being I say thus strongly guarded he is not hereby hindered but powerfully riseth and commeth forth of the Sepulchre the third day after his buriall which was the Lords day or first day of the weeke as he had foretold vnto his Disciples Proofe for the grounds of holy Scripture Math. 28. Mark 16. Ioh. 20. Luk. 24. from whence this is taken the history recorded by the foure Euangelists doth plainely declare thus much who doe all set forth his rising againe with the circumstances thereof Generally this time was the time of the Passeouer to shew that the true Paschall Lambe was now come into the world and the religious killing of all other lambs as meerely a figuratiue and shadowing ceremony should now cease the substance it selfe being now present Againe it was the first moneth about the middest of it which answereth to our March wherein in this Northern Hemisphere of the world the pleasant spring doth begin to shew that the earth did in her kind reioyce to receiue the Lord reuiued from the dead according to that of Melancthon Melancth Ecce renascentis testatur gratia mundi Omnia cum Domino dona red sse suo See how the worlds grace reuiu'd doth shew With the Lord of all all gifts return'd anew Gal 5 2. Thirdly it was early in the morning before the Sun to shew that a brighter Sun the Sun of righteousnesse was risen to the world Fourthly it was the first day of the weeke when he had lyen all the Iewes Sabboth in the graue to shewe that they are dead still vnto Christ that keepe their holy rests vpon that day as is spoken of circumcision If ye be circumcised Christ profiteth you nothing and to shew that a greater worke was now ended then the creator of the world viz. the redemption of the world and that as vnder the creation the Lords resting day from that great worke was the Sabboth of Gods people so vnder the redemption Christs resurrection day and of ending a greater worke became their Sabboth to endure to the worlds end Fiftly it was the third day after his death and buriall no sooner to shew that hee was truly dead without all deceit no later lest through his longer tarrying the faith of his Disciples should turne into despaire Now that he did rise againe indeed and that he was not taken away out of his sepulcher as the Iewes his enemies would make the world beleeue is diuersly testified and so fully as that it were shamefull impudency to deny it First he himselfe foretold thus much sometime darkely Ioh. 16.16 Yet a little while and ye shall not see me and a little while againe and yee shall see me Sometime plainely Math. 12.40 As Ionah was three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly so must the Sonne of man be in the heart of the earth Sometime againe more plainely Math. 17.12 23. The Son of man shall be deliuered into the hands of sinners and be crucified and slaine and rise againe the third day Secondly as he foretold so that it came to passe the Angels doe witnesse He is
risen he is not here Luk. 24.6 saide they vnto the women that came to imbalme him Remember how be spake vnto you when he was yet in Galilee Thirdly Ioh. 20.18 Mary Magdalen Who came and told the Disciples that she had seene the Lord and that he had spoken vnto her and other deuout women that followed him to the Crosse concerning whom Cleopas in his conference with the Lord saith Luk. 24.22.23 c. Certaine women made vâ— astonied saying that they had seene a vision of Angels which said that he was aliue Now by the way is to be noted that women first of all of mankind were vouchsafed this ioyful sight of Christ risen againe and chiefly she which had bin the fowlest sinner Mary Magdalen I meane not Mary the blessed Virgin to intimate vnto vs that our comfort in Christ his resurrection comes not to any in regard of their own worthines any way for then he would first haue called man to testifie the same who is the head 1. Cor. 11. the image and glory of God or if not man some excellent woman such as Mary the Virgin or Elizabeth or if not some so excellent one at the least not noted for some great fault But whereas hee doth cleane contrariwise hee shewes that as no vnworthinesse past can hinder vs of Gods grace in Christ so no worthinesse in vs being naturall can further the same Fourthly the very enemies of Christ the wicked souldiers that watched at his sepulcher they came into the City Math. 28.11.12 and shewed the High Priests how they were affrighted with the Angels and Christ his comming out of the sepulcher but they had large money giuen them to say that whilst they slept his Disciples came and stole him away Which their report did not disproue their first testimony because so manifest a lye For 1. it was contrary to their knowledge and notice giuen to the High Priests and againe the very words conuince them of lying insomuch as that they say Whilst we slept his Disciples stole him away for if they slept how durst they haue confessed it their charge of watching being so strict if it were true that they slept how could they say what was done in the time of their sleepe Fiftly we haue many witnesses at once of his Disciples Ioh. 20.25 hee appeared to ten of them being together in one roome and the doore shut to the very day of his resurrection who certified Thomas then absent hereof and because he was then incredulous eight dayes after verse 26.27 he shewed himselfe againe when Thomas was amongst them also who feeling and seeing the prints of his hands and feet and side made with the nayles and speare cryed out My Lord and my God Moreouer hee ouertooke two of his other Disciples the same day wherein he arose as they were trauelling to Emmaus and after much conference manifested himselfe vnto them who so desires to finde more witnesses may see the 21. of Iohn the first of the Acts and 1. Cor. 15.6 c. And the same was long before typically set foorth in Adam cast into a dead sleepe whilest the woman was taken out of his side and then wakening againe after which manner Christ sleeping by death had his side wounded whereout came water and bloud which giue the very being to his Spouse the Church and then after a while he reuiued againe Then was it set foorth in Isaac whom his Father Abraham receiued in a manner from the dead being bound and laid vpon the wood for a sacrifice Ionah was cast out of the Whales belly the third day when he had beene before in the bottome of the deepe And thus much for the testimonies and proofes of this clause For the duties arising from this Faith they are two First 1. Duty To liue as at peace with God Rom. 4. Chap. 5.1 Ephes 2 to liue as those that be at peace with God For as he dyed for our sinnes so hee rose againe for our Iustification and being iustified by faith we haue peace with God before wee were enemies and so much at varience as that we are said to haue beene without God in the world but now this difference is taken away and we are throughly reconciled Now that we may liue as such we must practice these foure things First contentation Rom. 5.2 and ioy in tribulation as is added in the same place not onely haue we peace with God but reioyce in tribulation the Prophet Esay saith that He gaue his cheeke to the nippers Esa 50.8 and his back to the pinchers for the Lord God saith he will helpe me and if the Lord will helpe vs what can hurt vs if he be on our side may we say with the Apostle Who can be against vs Secondly Rom. 8.33 because our felicity stands in the continuaÌ„ce of this peace we must by all meanes remoue whatsoeuer may breake it and because sinne seperates betwixt our God and vs Esa 59.1.2 wee must remoue this chiefely farre from vs. Thirdly because strangâ—nesse may easily breake off peace loue and familiarity encreaseth it and cuts off occasions if any arise we must haue our Ligier-Ambassadors as it were lying in the Court of Heauen for vs viz. our prayers by which we may obtaine the continuance of this and if any contrary occasion be offered cut it off Wherefore wee are often warned of this Pray continually and in all things giue thankes 1 Thes 5.17 and Christ by Parables shewes often Luc. 16.28 that we should pray importunatly and without wearinesse for euery day there cannot but bee occasions offered on our part of breaking this peace wee being so weake and subiect to fall therefore euery day must our prayers ascend to the heauens Fourthly because God hath his Ambassadors of Peace the Ministers of Gods Word amongst vs we must vse them reuerently and redily hearken to all good motions which they shall make vnto vs on Gods part lest the Lord seeing our base vsage of them and our regardlesnesse of such wholesome instructions as they offer vnto vs in his name grow angry and refuse to keepe any more peace with vs. We must therefore take into our mouthes Rom. 10.14 that of the Prophet How beautifull are the feet of those that bring glad tydings of peace and glad tidings of good things We must yeelde those that labour in the World double honour 1 Tim. 5.17 as the Apostle saith they are worthy 2. Duty To rise vp to newnesse of life Rom. 6.4 The second duty arising hence is to rise vp to a holy and new life from the death of sinne as Christ our Lord arose from death to life Like as Christ was raised vp from the dead to the glory of the Father so should we also walke in newnesse of life yea we must doe this if we would not haue the second death to rule ouer vs according to
to say that as the wife is one flesh with the husband so we are of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 4.30 Cap. 2.20 Rom. 11. and that the Saints are the building and Christ Iesus the chiefe corner stone and that as imps are ingrafted into an Oliue tree so are we into Christ with many like comparisons setting forth this vnion And that we might be able the better to apprehend it he tooke our nature to the God-head in his incarnation and propounds himselfe wholly to be taken into vs in his last Supper Secondly for our vnion with one another it is set forth by the members of a body by the parts of an house by the branches of a vine and by the spouse of an honest husband which is one only so are the Saints but one body one house one vine and one spouse though they be many parts and members Rom. 12. Eph 4. Ioh. 15. Wherefore it is said that in Christ Iesus there is neyther Jew nor Grecian neyther bond nor free neyther male nor female but all are one Gal. 3.28 Who so would see more for this let him reade ouer the twelfth Chapter to the Romans and the second to the Ephesians Thirdly for our vnion with the Saints in Heauen though they be remoued farre from vs into another world they still remaine our fellow seruants and our brethren as the Lord told them in the Reuelation Reuel 6.11 wherefore looke what fauour the Lord beareth towards them the same hee beareth towards vs for neither shall they without vs haue perfect glory Heb. 11. 1 Thes 4. neyther shall wee at the resurrection preuent them but as fellow members of the same body wee shall begin to raigne together with our head Christ Fourthly for those things which are more properly set forth by the word Communion viz. first our communion with Christ our head whereby his righteousnes becommeth ours and our sinnes his the Apostle saith that hee made him sinne which knew no sinne 2 Cor. 5. that we might bee made the righteousnesse of God through him and the Prophet Esay saith Esâ— 53.4 Vers 5. urely he hath borne our infirmities for hee was wounded for our transgressions and was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed And as in our sinnes so hee partaketh with vs in our miseries for that which is done to his faithfull seruants he taketh as done vnto himselfe whether it be matter of benefit or of affliction and neglect To such as haue not fed his members being hungry nor cloathed them being naked c. Math. 25. He will say I was an hungry and yee fed me not I was naked and yee cloathed meâ— not c. And on the contrary side to those that haue done contrariwise When his Disciples should come and preach vnto any City or house such as receiued them were iudged to receiue him they which persecuted them were iudged to persecute himselfe as may be seene in the example of Saul vnto whom posting from one place to another to drawe foorth the Saints to punishment it was saide from heauen Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Math. 10. Act. 9. Fiftly for the Communion betwixt the Saints themselues liuing in this world this is first in their hearts and affections in which they are knit one vnto another through loue thus the Disciples were saide after Christs ascension to haue beene together with one minde And we are all exhorted Eph. 4.3 Vers 4. To keepe the vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace forasmuch as there is but one body and one Spirit one Lord one Faith and one baptisme 1. Cor. 3. When the Corinthians were deuided in their mindes they were sharpely taken vp for carnall and not spirituall and Saint Iohn maketh it a note of men 1. Ioh. 3.14 Esa 11. translated from death to life if wee loue the brethren In the mountaine of the Lord they all dwell together saith the Prophet both the Lyon the Kid the Wolfe the Lambe the Leopard and the Asse viz. Through the vnity of their affections though they were as diuersly affected before as these creatures yet now they are all alike truly holy and heauenly minded meeke gentle temperate sober and addicted to euery good way and to euery good worke Rom 12 15. Secondly this communion is in the effects of their hearts thus vnited viz. first ioyes and sorrowes vertues and weakenesses mutually communicated amongst them vnto which the Apostle exhorteth saying Reioyce with them which reioyce and weepe with them which weepe and professeth it to haue beene in himselfe saying 2. Cor. 11.29 Who is weake and I am not weake who is offended and I burne not Secondly hearty prayers put vp to the Lord for one another with supplications and giuing of thankes This S. Paul desireth at the hand of the Ephesians both for himselfe and for all Saints And Eph. 6.18 Iam. 5.16 Pray one for another saith S. Iames for the prayer of the righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent This is so necessary as that to neglect it is a great sinne according to that of Samuel 1. Sam. 12.23 God forbid that I should sinne against the Lord and cease praying for you Thirdly exhortations to the mutuall excitation of Gods grace in one another for which the Hebrewes are effectually moued where it is said Let vs consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and good workes and againe Let vs exhort one another and that so much the more because yee see that the day draweth neere Heb. 10.24 Vers 35. Fourthly repairing and edifying one another for where mens affections are aright there such as are fallen through weakenesse Gal. 6.1 are restored by the spirit of meekenesse and this is the repairing of grace decayed such as stand are strengthned according to the saying of the Lord vnto Peter When thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethren and this is the edifying of men in grace when euery man according to his measure of knowledge in the mystery of the Gospel endeauoureth to breed knowledge in others as Paul dealt at Ephesus when he protested Acts 20.10 That he had kept backâ— nothing which was profitable for them but shewed and taught openly and throughout euery house Fifthly the communication of worldly goods The practice of the Primitiue Church was wonderfull for this the necessities of their fellow-seruants requiring it they sold their possessions and laid downe the price at the Apostles feete to be distributed as euery one had neede The Christians of Macedonia are commended for their liberality to the poore Saints of Ierusalem wherein they are said to haue beene willing beyond that they were able 2. Cor. 8. and the Corinthians are exhorted vnto the same that is in all likelihood they did euen diminish their owne estates and herewith make prouision for the poore in the famine
done euill to condemnation We ought then to be ashamed to be sensuall like the beast whose end is when he dyeth to be like the Epicure Sardanapalus whose Epigram was Ede bibe lude dormi post mortem nulla voluptas Eate drinke sleepe and play In death all pleasure flies away But we know that this is the voyce of the blacke children of the night that want the light of the vnderstanding of this thing or that will not vnderstand the same wee are all children of the light we all confesse the resurrection of the body why doe wee not then cease from the workes of darkenesse from surfetting and drunkennesse from chambering and wantonnesse and walke as in the light in sobriety temperance and chastity 1. Thess 5. 3. Duty To beare all diseases patiently The third duty is to beare all our bodily imperfections and sicknesses patiently because in the resurrection all shall be done away weakenes shall be strength deformity shall be beauty crookednesse shall be straightnesse naturall shall be spirituall It would not grieue a man to be in a litle paine for a moment so that he might be free from all paine for euer after to be sicke a day that he might liue the more healthfully all the yeere after yea men will in this case put themselues to paine and make themselues sicke by loathsome drugs of the Apothecary No more ought it to grieue vs that belieue the resurrection if wee suffer by sicknesse or weaknesse or any aberrations in our nature in this world which is but a short time seeing that euer hereafter we shal be freed from all these If we haue any friends or children that be thus let vs neither be ashamed of it nor trouble our selues hereat but let it rather trouble vs if they haue deformed soules miserable blind vgly through sin for these will remaine vpon them as blacke badges for euer disgracing them before God his holy Angels whatsoeuer their outward proportions be 4. Duty To serue God with all our members The fourth duty is not to account it sufficient to serue God with our hearts but with our tongues to speake of his praises with our hands to worke the thing that is good with our feete to runne to religious exercises with our mouthes to glorifie God in daily prayer with our eares to hearken to his holy Word with our bodies to practise sobriety with our eyes to be stayed from wanton lookes and to offer vp our whole selues as sacrifice vnto God to doe his will with all our might because that euen our bodies shall rise and be honoured and become spirituall Rom. 1â— 1 But how can we expect that it should be thus with vs in our bodies if our members be instruments of sinne How can he which by vncleannesse weakeneth his body and bringeth it into a filthy case at the stewes looke that it should be strengthened and healed at the resurrection He that drinketh out his eyes how can he expect to haue them made more cleare at that day Hee that breakes his bones by quarrelling and fighting how can he expect so much fauour as to haue them rightened againe Such whorish women as by painting their faces bring them to ill-fauourednesse how can they expect to haue faces as Angels at that day And so for all other iniuries offered to mens bodies by seruing sinne No King will pity his rebellious subiects so farre as to send Chyrurgians or Physicians to cure them if in their rebellion they haue beene wounded or gotten through distemper any dangerous sicknesse but will rather send out his Hangmen to doe execution vpon them no more will the King of Heauen heale the infirmities of such as by sinnes haue rebelled against him but will giue them ouer to his Executioners the Diuels to be further tormented Wherefore thinke it not enough to serue God in thy heart and in thy soule but offer vnto him thy body also that the estate of both may bee amended in the resurrection and so remaine for euer 5. Duty Not to be ouer sorry for our friends departed 2 Sam. 13. The fift duty is to mittigate our sorrow when by death wee are parted from our dearest friends because wee are not without hope with the Heathen of meeting againe at the resurrection They are not lost which dye but as Dauid said of his childe so is it true of all that dye in the Lord Hee shall not come to me but I shall goe to him Wee cannot but grieue I grant so many as bee indued with naturall affections at the departure of our friend but as Christ said vnto the women that followed him to the Crosse Weepe not for mee but for your selues and for your children so is it to bee applyed vnto vs when our friends go to their death weep not for them but weep for your selues who shall for the time of this fraile life want their sweet society counsel and company but we shall all meet againe Quest 50. What meane you by the life euerlasting Answ All that euer-induring happinesse and all those ioyes which the Lord imparteth to all his Elect in the world to come which are so great as that the eye hath not seene nor the eare heard neither can the heart of man conceiue throughly of them Expla This member of the last Article as it is placed last of all so is it the greatest comfort of all to all beleeuers Vnder these two words Life euerlasting is set downe a surpassing weight of glory which all the words deuised by the best wit and vttered by the most eloquent tongue of man cannot expresse It is not only life but ioy not only ioy but riches not only riches but glory and all these not in some measure but in excesse not mixed but absolute without griefe without want without dishonour not by intermissions and fits but continually not after some long time to end but euerlastingly Proofe Secondly for the grounds of these things 1. Euerlasting life taken at large is common to the Elect and to the Reprobate for euen these shall seeke for death and not finde it but to liue shall be a paine vnto them It shall not be so with the elect their life shall be full of ioy for at Gods right hand Psal 16. there be pleasures and fulnesse of ioy They breake out into singing for ioy according to that of the Prophet My seruants shall sing for ioy of heart They shall haue all things to make them ioyous the pleasantnes of their dwelling place Reuel 21. the pauements being of gold the walles of precious stones their amiable company none but holy Esa 11. cap 65. none that hurt or deuoure shall be in the holy mountaine of the Lord the presence of the King of heauen their Father who will himselfe Esa 65.24 with his glorious presence dwell with them giuing them euery thing euen before they shall aske the impassible constitution of
their bodies Reuel 7. not distempered through heat or cold hunger or thirst sickenesse or infirmities and lastly their continuall rest from all labour and paines and yet no darkenesse of the night for they shall keepe a Sabbath from weeke to weeke and from moneth to moneth Esa 66.23 and the Lord shall bee a perpetuall light vnto them 2. They shall haue added vnto their ioy Reu. 21.25 riches for be not there wonderfull riches thinke you where the very Pauements shall be of Gold chap. 2.26 c. where the riches of all the Gentiles shall be brought in to them 3. Vnto their riches shall be added glory therefore it is called a crowne of glory reigne ouer nations our bodies shall shine as the Sunne and be like the glorious body of Iesus Chirst Phil 3.21 4. Our happinesse shall exceede for all these euen as the glory of the Sunne exceedeth all the rest of the Starres and the glory of Kings all the rest of their subiects for this life shall bee vnto vs a Kingdome and hence it is that the Prophet saith The eye hath not seene nor the eare heard any other God that doth so to him that waiteth for him Esa 64.4 5. Our happinesse shall bee absolute vniforme and entire not mixed as all worldly happinesse is pleasure hauing irksomenesse abundance hauing wants glory and honour accompanied with shame and ignominy but in this life Reuel 7. Esa 65 19. All teares shall be wiped from our eyes wee shall sorrow nor grieue no more our delight shall euer bee fulnesse of ioy 6. These things shall not be by intermission and fits but continually yesterday and today the same as the damned in hell can haue no remission of their paines so shall the saued in heauen haue no diminution of their ioyes but as they that liue shall not sometime be dead and sometime liuing no more shall they that liue the euerlasting life bee sometime in pleasures and sometime without for their life is pleasure riches and glory Prou. 16.4 Lastly all this shall be for euer and euer for farre more thousands of yeares then the Sea hath drops of water the earth hath spires of grasse and all men haires vpon their heads and so beginning againe circularly without ende For heerein is God perfectly glorified and the wicked are fully iudged which is the last end of all Gods workes according to that Hee made all things for his glory and the wicked for the day of Iudgement For though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for euer doth some time set foorth no more but a certaine large time at the last to be ended as the time of the Mosaicall Law or the time of this worlds continuance for thus it is said of ceremonies yee shall obserue these things for euer and of the earth Eccl. 1.4 It standeth for euer yet when it is said that the life â—o come shall last for euer the meaning is as the Lord liueth for euer vnto whose dayes infinite millions of yeares can put none end for death is swallowed vp of life all cause of death is taken away and so neuer neuer can this life cease but still still remaineth simply without respect vnto any period of time The life euerlasting 1. Duty Carefully to fly such sins as are threatned with death 1 Cor. 5 9 10. For the duties of this faith The first is carefully to breake off all those sinnes the doers of which are expressly threatned that they shall neuer enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Such are named to be fornication adultery Idolatry buggery wantonnesse theeuing couetousnesse drunkennesse rayling extortion for such saith S. Paul shall not inherite the Kingdome of God Gal. 5.19.20 Vers 21. In another place he reckoneth vp the same sinnes againe and further addeth witchcraft hatred debate wrath seditions heresies enuy murther and gluttony of which saith hee I tell you before as I also told you before that they which doe such things shall not inherite the Kingdome of God Math. 25. Reuel 22.15 And our Sauiour Christ further numbreth vnmercifulnesse to the poore and the holy Ghost by Iohn the Diuine inchanters lyers and dogs meaning contemners and neglecters of holy things of whom he saith That they shall bee without the gate of the City 1 King 1. Wherefore let vs all with one accord bee at enmity with these vices and watch ouer our hearts and wayes that wee commit them not When Shimei was threatned by Salomon saying Whensoeuer thou shalt goe ouer the brooke Kedron thou shalt dye the death what else could hee expect though vnder so mercifull a Kings gouernment but death when he should transgresse as he found it to his cost so what other thing can wee expect if wee liue in any of these or other grieuous and heynous sinnes concerning which the Lord hath said if thou doe these thou shalt not enter into life but to bee shut out indeed at the latter day Ierusalem in which wee looke to liue is aboue our soules must flye vnto it to vse the words of the Prophet Esa as Doues vnto the windowes but sinne is an heauy clogge and presseth downe if we thinke to be rid of it at leysure when we list we are deceiued for it hangeth on fast Heb. 12.1 how then can we hope to get thither vnlesse wee doe lighten our selues hereof All our faith is vanity our profession is deceit and instead of this endlesse life our end will be miserable death 2. Duty To enter the way of life The second duty is to striue to enter and to walke on in the way that leadeth to euerlasting life and neuer to goe out of it to our dying day and this is the way of good works which God hath appointed that we should walke in them Eph. 2.10 Ioh. 5.29 They that haue done good shall enter into life they that haue done euill into condemnation Reuel 22.14 Blessed are they that doe his Commandements that their right may bee in the tree of life and that they may enter in by the gate of the City Though it be a straight and narrow way and there bee few that finde it most men goe the contrary way yet if thou wilt enter into life thou must keepe the commandements Math. 7.14 Wherefore goe not with the multitude which bee in the broad way but embrace the counsell of Christ Striue to enter in at the straight gate and that whilst thou hast time Will any man being in a strange Countrey returne to his home and yet not take the right way thither And will any man then being in the Countrey of this world come to his home in Heauen and not take the right way How is it then that wee hope to come to eternall life and yet refuse to take the way thither yea to hearken to the guides or to be led by them whom the Lord hath appointed to bee a
this faith what obedient and godly liuing is required to haue comfort in this faith how scandalous professors heereof shall bee barred out of eternall life euen as they that neuer knew how to rehearse this confession at all They also which imagine faith to be in their owne power and therefore neglect to pray for it when the Apostles themselues prayed Lord increase our Faith So many as be faithfull indeed let vs bee otherwise minded beleeuing all these things in heart without doubting studying aboue all things to bee more and more confirmed herein by godly liuing and euer heartily praying Lord giue faith where it is wanting and where it is increase our faith more and more And thus by the grace of God haue we finished our commentary vpon the first part of the Catechisme concerning the things to be beleeued and maintained to the death that we may come to life The end of the Creed Of the Commandements Quest THou saidst that thou wert bound to keepe the Commandements of Almighty God Which be they Answ God spake these words and saide I am the Lord thy God which haue brought thee out of the land of Aegypt out of the house of bondage Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image nor the likenesse of any thing that is in the heauen aboue or in the earth beneath or in the water vnder the earth Thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them for I the Lord thy God am a Iealous God and visit the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewe mercy vnto thousands of them that loue me and keepe my Commandements Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbath day Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all that thou hast to doe but the seuenth is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt doe no manner of worke thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy man-seruant nor thy maid-seruant thy cattle nor the stranger that is within thy gates For in six dayes the Lord made heauen and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seuenth day wherefore the Lord blessed the seuenth day and hallowed it Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee Thou shalt doe no murther Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not steale Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour Thou shalt not couet thy neighbors house thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife nor his seruant nor his maide nor his Oxe nor his Asse nor any thing that is his Quâ—st How many things doest thou learne out of these commandements Answ Two things My duty towards God and my duty towards my neighbour Explan Before that we come to shew in particular where these duties are set downe it will not bee amisse to speake some things in generall by way of preface or introduction to the commandements The time of the law giuing First of the time when these commandements were giuen and this was about two thousaods and fiue hundreth yeares after the Creation not that they were left all this time without a law for there was a law written in mens hearts by the pen of nature but to make that more plaine which by the corruption of nature was become very dimme and much defaced That there was a law euen before these commandements giuen the Apostle sheweth where hee saith that the Gentiles not hauing the law are a law vnto themselues which shew the effect of the law written in their hearts c. so that as long as men haue beene there hath also beene a law although not expressed in words yet written in the heart The knowledge of the law before it was written Wherefore if it be well obserued wee shall finde that euen before the giuing of the law all these precepts were knowne and acknowledged Gen 17.1 The first Commandement was knowne to Abraham when as almost in so many words the Lord said vnto him I am God al-sufficient stand before me and be vpright and there were no false Gods brought into the world before the floud Clemens Alexandrinus Clem. Alex. â—â— 1. Strom. a learned Father sheweth that Bacchus a great God amongst the heathen was made a God 604 years after Moses and so most of the Gods of the Grecians hee sheweth further how the chiefest God of all Iupiter was made by one Phydias and the chiefest Goddesse Iuno by Euclides Orat. Hortat ad Gent. and that Socrates Plato Xenophon Cleanthes Pythagoras the ancientest Philosophers and that Aratus Hesiod Eurypides and Orpheus the ancientest Poets acknowledged but one God Gen 35 2. The second commandement was knowne vnto Iaacob for he purged his house from Idols when he was to build an Altar in Bethel acknowledging heereby that this was a corruption that the true God would be offended at yea heathen men themselues did see by the light of nature that it was a grosse thing to represent God by an Image Euseb de praepar Euang. lib. 9. cap 3. Jbid. as Numa an Emperour sometime in Rome who forbad the vse of any Image because hee held it a wicked thing that things so incomparable excellent should be set forth by baser matters and Plato an excellent Philosopher did so agree with Moses heerein that hee was said of Numenius a Pythagorean to be none other but Moses speaking in the Atticke tongue Gen 21.23 The third Commandement touching the right vse of Gods name both Abraham seemeth to haue knowne well when he sware by the true God vnto Abimelech to confirme his league and Iacob when he sware vnto Laban Gen. 31.53 by the feare of his father Isaacke And the very heathen Ephesians who were led only by the light of nature shewed how odious a thing they held it that the name of their gods should bee blasphemed when suspecting such a matter in Paul Acts 19.34 and in his companions they grew to such an vproare and cryed out so long the greatnesse of their goddesse Diana Gen. 2.2.3 The fourth Commandement is recorded to haue beene giuen in Paradise for the seuenth day saith Moses GOD rested so hee blessed and sanctified it because that in it hee had rested from all his workes which hee had created and made Gen. 28.2 The fifth CoÌ„mandement Iacob shewed in his practise when he followed his parents direction in taking a wife heerein giuing an instance of his obedience vnto them and the children of Iaacob at his command going downe into Aegypt to buy food for him and being so carefull to giue him contentment in the returne of his son Beniamin and Ioseph nourishing him in Aegypt in his
1. By forsaking and with-drawing his grace without which as a lame man going with stiltes falleth if they be taken from him so euery man falleth and is vnable to stand in the day of temptation 2. By leauing a man to his owne lustes by which as by a violent streame running downe a steepe hill hee is carried quite away 3. By deliuering ouer to Satan for the punishment of former notorious sinnes who hardeneth more and more in all wickednes as he did Pharaoh and King Saul But deliuer vs that is withdraw not thy grace from vs for the time to come leaue vs not to our owne lusts neither deliuer vs ouer to satan to be hardened as thou mightest iustly doe for our sinnes but when satan and our owne lusts conspire our destruction stand by vs that our faith may not faile as Christ promised to his Disciples saying Satan hath desired to win now you but I haue prayed that your faith may not faile From euill euill is twofold of sinne and of punishment vsually called Malum culpa and malum poena From both these wee pray to bee deliuered 3. For the scope of the petition because it is negatiue it is first to bee considered in the deprecation which is 1. Against spirituall desertion or forsaking of Gods Spirit What we pray against which if it be gone all power to stand and all spirituall comfort is gone also It is in vs the new life and spirit of the soule Gods fire sent from heauen to heat vs with good affections to inlighten vs with true vnderstanding and to ouercome whatsoeuer corruptions it meeteth withal in vs according to which the Apostle warneth quench not the Spirit 1. Thes 5.19 Wofull is their estate that are thus forsaken as we pray therefore against it so let vs prouide by willing entertaining the motions of the Spirit and auoyding all vnkind vsage thereof that wee may neuer be forsaken or left without the sweet consort and company of it 2. We pray against solicitations to sin either by the deuill world or flesh that satan may be chained vp not let loose against vs that the flesh may bee nourished and not continue so rebellious in the euill motions thereof and that we may auoide the outward flattering obiects in the world and company of wicked men alluring vnto sinne Against which things seeing that we pray what mock gods are those that are careles of offering themselues into temptations and prouocations to sinne yea delight so to doe by frequenting wicked company and giuing aduantage to Satan whilst they please themselues in deceitefull obiects of sinne 3. Wee pray against sinne euen when we are most solicited and tempted vnto it because it cannot be but wee ust needes meet with temptations as long as we haue eyes and hearts and eares in this world Wee pray therefore that though we be tempted yet wee may not be ouercome and made slaues to sinne as they are which commit sinne according to the Apostle to the Romans Rom. 6.16 He that committeth a sinne is the seruant of sinne To be preserued from sinne vse these remedies with thy eies euer behold God present with thy eares euer heare that terrible voyce sounding Arise yee dead and come to iudgement with thy hands bee euer exercising that which is good in thy heart euer hide the Word of God and with thy feet stand in the courts of Gods house 4. Against grieuous afflictions long continuing to make vs despaire of Gods mercy or hearing our prayers for these are the most forcible temptations in the world and therefore need of strong faith is there still to trust in God and patiently to indure that they may be turned of temptations to sin into purgations of sin that grace may more abound through meanes of them And otherwise wee doe not pray against them least we should be found such as would follow Christ but whilst we resist the crosse rather goe from him then take vp the crosse and follow him as he hath commanded 5. We pray against sudden death which is a great euill and therfore threatned against wicked worldlings of whom Dauid saith Psalm 73.19 How suddenly are they perished destroyed and horribly consumed yet we do not simply pray against sudden death out of a carnal desire of licentiousnes but that we may haue space to set our house in order to testifie our faith to the comfort of the Church and to repent of our renued trespasses into which we daily fall though we striue against them The fiery Serpents in the wildernesse destroyed the Israelites suddenly and so did the Angell suddenly in one night destroy 185000. of the Assyrians and all this was done in anger for sinne likewise the men of Bethshemesh perished and Vzzah and the old World and Sodome al being smitten in great indignation On the contrary side it is a fauour vsually done to such as feare God to giue them time at their death as to Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses Aaron and to all whose deaths are described Which I speake not as censuring those that die suddenly but those that find fault with praying against this vncomfortable departure For whatsoeuer is ordinarily a signe of Gods anger and barreth his ordinary manifestation of his greatest loue in this life is to bee prayed against but such is sudden death ergo it is to be prayed against 6. Wee pray against obduration and hardning in sinne through a custome of sinning or through some notorious sins for which the Lord vsually giueth men ouer to sinne with a reprobate mind for a punishment as he did the Gentiles of whom the Apostle testifieth Rom. 1.24 Verse 26. Versse 28. He gaue them vp to their owne hearts lusts and againe God gaue them vp for this cause to vile affections and againe God deliuered them vp to a reprobate mind Wee pray therefore that of all punishments the Lord would not lay this vpon vs or turne vs into Satans hands so that hee should take vs and worke his cursed will in vs at his pleasure which is the very entrance of hell and most terrible to the soule inlightned as experience sheweth If any set light by such a punishment let him know that hee is blinded by the god of this world and led as the Aramites by Elisha into the midst of deuils in the bottomlesse pit 7. We pray against eternal death and damnation the greatest euill of all other in regard of which all torments here are but flea-bites and to be despised We desire therefore that whatsoeuer our deserts be by reason of sin yet that the Lord would not punish vs accordingly but lay all the burthen of these too intollerable vpon the shoulders of our blessed Sauiour who hath submitted himselfe vnto death and all possible humiliation of dolours and terrors by the apprehension euen of Gods heauy wrath and indignation for vs that wee might escape 2. The supplication is for such things as are best for vs
nature of man were abolished after the Vnion he was mis-termed a man or the Sonne of man and hee could not possibly haue beene subiect to sufferings And on the other side it is absurd to hold two persons in Christ for so hee must not bee one Mediatour and one Iesus but two the Idioms and properties of the diuine nature where falsely in the Scriptures ascribed to the humane and those of the humane to the diuine Ioh. 3.13 as in these sayings Who hath ascended vp into Heauen at any time but the Sonne of man which is in Heauen The Sonne of man was not then in Heauen but God vnto whom man being vnited might be said by the communicating of properties Heb. 6.6 to be in Heauen They crucifie againe to themselues the Son of God The Sonne of God cannot be crucified nor his blood shed it is a property of the man-hood and by reason of the Vnion ascribed vnto God To conclude this errour breakes the Vnion of two natures in Christ and makes his suffering without merit or efficacy Quest 15. What neede was there that the Sonne of GOD should thus abase himselfe to become man Answ Great need on our behalfe who could not be ransomed from our sinnes by Angels or earthly Treasures but onely by his precious bloud 1. Ioh. 1.7 Explan It is the bloud of Iesus Christ saith S. Iohn that clenseth from all sinne and Saint Peter excluding all other things of greatest worth sets downe this alone 1. Pet. 1..8 Yee were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold and siluer but with the precious bloud of Iesus Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled Q. 16. Doth sinne deserue so ill that wee could not by any other satisfactory meanes bee deliuered heerefrom but by the death of the Sonne of God Answ Yet it deserues the infinite curse of the Law that is all iudgement in this world and euerlasting damnation in the world to come Rom. 6. Deut 27. Explan The Sone of God did not needlesly submit himselfe to the curse of the Law for without this we had all perished The wages of sinne is death and the Lord pronounceth all them accursed which continue not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law to doe them Now God will bee iust of his word not one tittle shall fall to the ground And therefore that Law supposed to stand in force without remission there must bee reall and equiualent satisfaction made either by the person offending or by some other in his stead which supply and suretiship cannot bee conueniently performed otherwise then by the same nature which offended nor can temporary satisfaction bee sufficient for the acquitting of an eternall punishment vnlesse performed by a sacrifice of infinite worth and power Wherefore Christ being God must take the nature of man that hee might repaire and restore man Certainly no creature was able to performe this for creatures are finite and cannot beare an infinite burthen such as is the curse of God due vnto sinne it must then be the Prince of Heauen alone the Sonne of God who could not vndergoe this as meerely God for God cannot suffer nor atchieue this as meere man for man cannot conquer Therefore hee must needs become man remaining God and so he reconciled God and man Q. 17. If hee must needs bee made fit to beare the curse why did he not to this end take vnto him some other nature more excellent Answ Man hauing sinned it was most agreeable to the iustice of God to receiue the payment of the debt of sinne in the same nature which committed it Canes 2. Explan It is true the euill Angels also sinned but they are without redemption kept in chaines of darknesse as witnesseth S. Iude Of other creatures man onely needed a redeemer man onely hath sinned and man onely must by the iustice of God dye the death according to that The same day that thou shalt eate thereof thou shalt dye the death and for that thou hast done this cursed art thou viz thou O man therefore the suffering of any other nature could not bee so pertinent nor kindly satisfactory Obiect If Gods law and absolute iustice bee vrged this due satisfaction must bee made not onely in the nature offending but also by the person offending for the direct Law is Amima quae peccat morietur The soule it selfe which sinneth that must dye for its owne sinne Solut. I answer The Law of God and so his Iustice may bee said to stand two wayes in rigore and in vigore If wee consider it in the vtmost rigor and strictnesse of the letter surely it doth not admit of any pledge or surety but requireth that euery singular man offending must beare his owne personall burthen Can you say that the Kings Law is satisfied if a condemned Traytor being to bee executed shall hire his friend to vndergoe that lot for him like a Damon for a Pithias But if wee consider Gods Law as remaining in vigor and vncancelled in regard of a full weight of debt or penalty to bee payed without remission of any the least graine of it then is it capable of a surety or pledge As for example if a man owe mee a summe of money I am no lesse satisfied if another pay me it for him then if himselfe should bring it with his owne hands This is the admirable temper of Gods mercy in admitting a deputy or pledge in a capitall debt and of his iustice in receiuing the vtmost mites of the debt Thus that hee might spare vs hee spared not his onely Sonne O yee Angels admire and adore this wisedome Quest 18. How came it to bee thus with vs men were wee created sinners Answ No. God at the first made man righteous but by yeelding to the Deuils temptation hee made himselfe a sinner Explan This hath beene already further explained Qu. 3. Quest 19. Wherein did man yeeld to the temptation of the Diuell Answ In eating the forbidden fruit and not contenting himselfe with all other fruits of which the Lord had allowed him to eate Explan Reade of this in the third Chapter of Genesis and you shall see how craftily the Deuill comes to the woman vnder colour of wishing her well yea better then God himselfe whereupon shee yeelds to eate and offereth of the forbidden fruit to her husband who did also eate Now what this fruit was it is vncertaine and it is but lost labour to enquire after it Quest 20. Was God so angry that hee would curse man for eating an Apple or Figge or such like Answ That was not the cause of Gods anger but his vnthankfulnesse pride disobedience and crediting rather the Deuill then God Adams sinne in disobeying Gods commandement Explan In that one sinne of eating the fruit forbidden did concurre many sinnes all very great First disobedience when there was but one commandement and man so qualified as that he could easily haue kept the
long before both imediately after Adams sinning and punishment Gen. 3. The seede of the woman shall break the Serpents head and againe by the Euangelicall Prophet Esay Behold a Virgin shall conceiue and bring forth a Sonne Psal 7.14 And though the Scriptures doe not plainly teach thus much yet the Church of God doth constantly hold that Mary the mother of God was semper virgo alwayes a pure Virgin both because she neuer had childe after and Ioseph her husband was a man that feared God and therefore in all likelihood would not presume to knowe her whom the Lord had as it were appropriated vnto himselfe Now for so much as we read of his brethren Iudas Iames and Iohn it will not be amisse a litle to digresse to set downe the pedigree of Iesus Christ as it is registred by Epiphanius He had to his grand-mother one Annâ— Christ his brethren who had three husbands First â—oachim by whom she had Mary the mother of Christ who were both of the same tribe of Iudah according to Damâ—scene but according to Epiphanius she was of the tribe of Leuy then hee being dead shee was wife vnto Cleophas by whom shee had a second Mary who was afterwards wife to Alpheus and bare him Iames surnamed the sonne of Alpheus and Simon Cananeus and Iudas Thaddaeus Lastly shee was wife vnto Salome who begat of her another Mary which was wife to Zebedeus and bare vnto him Iames who was specially called the brother of the Lord because most like vnto him if it be true which is written vnder the name of Aegeâ—ppus that liued next to the Apostles times where it is also added that because hee was like vnto the Lord they sent Iudas before to shewe the one from the other she bare also Iohn the Euangelist So that all these were but his couzen germans and called his brethren onely according to the Hebrew phrase by which Abraham who was Lots Vncle Gen. 13.8 tells him We are brethren To returne againe vnto that from which we haue digressed this birth of the sonne of God is the chiefe and most stupifying wonder of the world The wonderful birth of Christ First in that a Virgin is a mother that she beares a Sonne who neuer knew man all the Historians in the world could neuer tell of the like all the Philosophers cannot finde out how this may be Another and farre more vnsearchable and venerable wonder is that the infinite God whom the Heauens cannot containe is borne of a woman the Creator of all becomes a creature hee that comprehends the world in his fist is comprehended in the steight compasse of a silly womans wombe hee that giues foode and raiment to all becomes naked and destitute of all things hee that is ruler of all is made obedient to poore man he that is eternall without beginning and end of his dayes is made mortall and subiect to the arrest of violent death nay of the most reproachfull and ignominious punishment And in this admirable birth of the Sonne of God of a woman there is a wonderfull correspondence to the fall which came by a woman Eue the first woman drew the curse vpon man Mary the best-beloued of women brought the saluation vnto man she gaue the fruit to man by which hee loseth Gods fauour becomes a sinner and subiect to death and damnation but this woman giues him fruit whereby he comes into Gods fauour is made righteous and inheritor of life and saluation And thus much for this that he was borne of the Virgin Mary Math. 1 21. He is Iesus viz. a Sauiour of his people for this name was Ioseph instructed in by the Angel before his birth saying Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sins and in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Heb. 7.25 He is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God through him and besides him there is none that can saue vs Act. 4.12 according to that There is no name giuen amongst men whereby we may be saued but the name Iesus and that of the Prophet Esa 43.11 I am the Lord and besides me there is no Sauiour And for the furâ—â—er proofe hereof see what hee hath done Was it necessaâ—â— that to ransome vs hee should empty the treasures of his riches and become euen poore and of no reputation Philip. 2.7 He did thus He made himselfe of no reputation Must hee endure the fiercenesse of Gods wrath against sinne his very curse due thereunto He did thus also Gal. 3.13 He hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law being made a curse for vs. Must hee performe absolute obedience to the law which we could not doe he did this also I came not therefore saith he to dissolue the law Mat. 5.19 but to fulfill it Lastly must he liue euer to prouide that what he hath done may be effectuall for our saluation Loe He still euer liues Rom. 8.34 and stands at the right hand of God making intercession for vs. So that he is truely another Iosua bringing vs out of the wildernesse of our miserable estate by sinne trampling our spirituall enemies vnder our feete and victoriously putting vs in possession of our heauenly Canaan Psal 2.2 He is also Christus Domini the Christ or annointed of the Lord for this name is commonly annexed vnto the other Christ Iesus In Hebrew he is called Messiah by a word of the same signification The Princes are assembled together against the Lord and against his Messiah or annointed and againe it is said of him God hath annointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes Psal 45.7 and more peculiarly of Christ saith Daniel Dan. 9.26 After threescore and two weekes shall Messiah be slaine though one of our owne men lately commenting vpon this hath fowlely defaced this most pregnant testimony interpreting this Messiah the Kings and gouernors of the Iewes And this name Messiah Christ or annointed was familiarly knowne vnto the Iewes before his comming witnesse that speech of the woman of Samaria who could say I know well that the Messias shall come who is Christ Ioh. 4 25. and he will teach vs all things Now he is Christ that is annointed vnto a threefold office First of a King that he might bee King of his Church ruling in it by his lawes and in the hearts of beleeuers by his Spirit and defending it against all enemies for this is he said partly to be after the order of Melchisedeck that is the king of righteousnesse and he is also called Melchi Salem Heb 7. that is King of peace according to the last title giuen him by the Prophet Prince of Peace Secondly Esa 9.6 he is annointed to the office of a Priest that he might sacrifice for the sinnes of his people euen one all-worthy sacrifice that is himselfe vpon the altar of the crosse as a large
of the Christians in Macedonia of which the Apostle witnesseth when the famine was at Ierusalem saying 2. Cor. 8.3 According to their power I beare them record yea beyond their ability that they were willing 3. Duty To be lifted vp in heart to heauen Col. 3. The third duty is in the remembrance of this admirable Vnion of God vnto man whereby man is beyond measure graced to put vpon vs high spirits both by hauing our hearts lifted vp to Heauen where our nature sits at the right hand of God and also by being vndaunted at the greatest dangers that may befall vs or at the greatest terrours that the Deuill can strike into vs Psal 23. wee must say with Dauid Though I walke in the vale and shadow of death yet will I feare none euill for the Lord is my Shepheard for the Lord wee may say is in vs and with Paul God is on our side who can bee against vs. Rom 8. Wee must stand fast in the euill day when wee are assaulted not with flesh and bloud but with spirituall powers Eph 6.12 For if our eye bee but opened to see who is with vs as Elisha prayed for his seruant Lord open his eyes wee shall assuredly bee without feare 2 Kâ—ng 6. more being with vs then against vs. If it were a duty flowing from faith to be high-spirited according to the world I know that many yea all would easily frame themselues vnto it for euery mans spirit is too high this way all meditate matters too high for them But this highnesse must be abated and brought low that roome may be made for that which ought to be Thou must not be altogether without an high minde for euery man is by all meanes to striue to exceed heerein onely be sure that it aspire to the highest thing of all which is Heauen 4. Duty To reuerence Christ our Lord. The fourth duty is to yeeld due reuerence to this Lord and gracious Iesus of ours for that wee are his hee hath bought vs Neither are wee vnder our enemies hands neither are our bodies our owne that I may speake with the Apostle wee are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies 1. Cor. 6.20 He may rightly challenge at our hands as the Father doth If I be a master where is my feare or my reuerence Now Mal. 1.3 Phil. 2.16 what this reuerence is is expressed to the Philippians God hath giuen him a name aboue all names that at the name of Iesus all knees might bow c. that is that all might outwardly reuerence the name Iesus be reuerently affected inwardly at the very sound thereof and submit themselues to obey his will at the very first comming of the same to their eares for that it is of him who is our Lord Iesus as may best bee vnderstood by comparing this place with that of the Prophet vnto which the Apostle alludeth Esa 45 23. I liue saith the Lord euery tongue shall sweare by me and euery knee shall bow vnto me For swearing by Gods name is vsually put for worshipping and seruing him Wee are therefore to serue the Lord Iesus and in all things so to behaue our selues in our soules and bodies as those that remember they haue such a Lord. Masters must entreat their seruants gently Ephes 6.9 for that they also haue a Lord and maister Iesus Christ vnto whom they must giue account all higher powers and great persons must so vse their authority ouer others Math. 24. as that they may not be found by this their great Lord Math. 25. smiting their fellowse at his comming all men of all sorts must take heed that they haue so vsed their talents as that they be not found to haue gained nothing at his comming If thou bee such an empty and barren Professor of Christs name and seruice though thou weare his badge though thou with thy mouth call him Lord yet hee will bee a terrible Lord to thee at his comming hee will cut thee off and giue thee thy portion with hypocrites hee will bid Take this bad seruant binde him hand and foot and cast him into vtter darknesse Quest 25. Which is the second degree and in which words Answ He suffered the death of the Crosse for my sins set forth in these words He suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried Gen. 49. Explan Hauing explained the first degree of the humiliation of the Son of God we come now to the second He suffered vnder Pontius Pilate That is a Heathen Iudge set ouer the Prouince of the Iewes by the Roman Emperour for hitherto they had Gouernours of their owne according to the Prophesie of old Father Iaâ—cob saying The scepter shall not depart from I dals nor a law giuer from betweene his feet vntill Sâ—â—loh comes Euseb Ioseph For Herod the sonne of Aâ—tipater was the first stranger that was Gouernour ouer them and the two and thirtieth yeare of his raigne was the sonne of God borne and in the two and fortieth of Augustus Caesar the Emperour Olympiad Luc. 3.1 194. And after this Herod was Pontius Pilate set ouer Iudea vnder the Empire of Tiberius Caesar Before these were men of the Hebrew Nation Rulers there viz. Aristobulus Hircanus and Antigonus thirty fine yeares and so ascending vpward to the times of Iudas Macchabeus c. Vnder the gouernment then of this Pontius Pilate Christ began to execute his office for which he was sent viz. To preach the Gospell both by himselfe and his Disciples and continuing thus to doe and to worke many miracles was spitefully entreated of the wicked Iewes for the space of three yeers and vpward then villanously betrayed by one of his Disciples apprehended abused crucified being full thirty three yeeres of age Hee was dead That is he was not onely fastened to the Crosse to the shedding of some of his blood where the nailes entred into his hands and feete but there gaue vp the Ghost was after pierced to the very heart with a speare so that water and blood came out and being found certainely dead he had not his legges broken as theirs were which had beene crucified with him And buried That is for the more certainty that his spirit was departed out of him he was taken downe from the Crosse and laid into the graue And this briefly shall suffice for the meaning Now followe the testimonies and grounds of holy Scripture out of which this is taken First 1. Proofe that he suffered vnder Pontius Pilate 2. That he was crucified and dead 3. That he was buried 4. That he did vndergoe all this for our sinnes For the first It would be ouer-tedious to rehearse all that the Lord suffered according as it is recorded at large by the Euangelists We may therefore referr all briefly to these two heads First to that he suffered before his manifesting himselfe to the world whilst he
not for me but weepe for your selues and for your children So are we to weepe for our selues the cause of this heauines being our naughtinesse Zach. 12.5 They shall see him whom they haue pierced saith the Prophet and shall weepe euery familie apart c. so there is no true Israelite so stoically void of all motion but hee will weepe to see how by his sinnes he hath stricken through as it were with sorrow his most louing friend master Ephe. 5. and maker If a man hath foolishly runne into any such vnlawfull actions as that he must needes die therefore or some speciall friend vnto whom his heart is most entirely knit he is more then flint-like hard if it pricks not his very soule and much more if a woman hath done thus and her best beloued husband must suffer But such is the Lord Iesus vnto vs and so ill deseruing are the actions which we haue and doe daily runne into either wee our selues must die therefore and still most hideously liue euer dying or our best friend in the world vnto whom wee are a spouse and he the husband must lay downe his life for vs yea he hath done it and we cannot but daily behold it in the Gospell O then let vs weepe with Rachel and not bee comforted let our hearts breake with sorrow for our so heynous iniquities and let it continually afflict vs inwardly as wee are continually subiect to sinning and the rather for that so doing we shall bee comforted according to that Blessed are those that mourne Math 5. 2. Cor. 7.10 for they shall be comforted and godly sorrow breedeth repentance vnto saluation neuer to be repented of 1. Duty Mortification of sinne Heb. 6.6 The second duty is the mortification of our fleshly members and sinfull concupiscences and that for three speciall causes First because that by liuing still in sinne we come to bee accessarie to this odious murdering and killing of the Lord of all for they that liue obstinately in sinne do crucify againe the Son of God and make a mocke of him so farre are they from beleeuing in him crucified Their daily practise is to draw Christ vnto the crosse to driue nailes into his hands and feete to scoffe at him and to runne him in with a speeare to the very heart howsoeuer in word they defie and spit at such practise Rom. 6.4 Secondly because all such as vnto whom Christs death is effectuall to doe away their sinnes are conformable vnto him in his death and buriall All that are baptised into Christ haue put on Christ and are by baptisme buried with him into his death c. If the head be dead and buried the members cannot be aliue still no more can any true member of Christ bee aliue vnto sinne such as is euery true beleeuer hee doth but prate then and not beleeue that Christ was crucified dead buried whosoeuer liueth still willingly in any sinne Thirdly because no man following the trade of sinne can be Christs disciple For such an one must deny himselfe that is to be as hee is naturally and according to the carriage of his owne disposition and so follow Christ Hee must forsake all and goe after him if occasion require father and mother brethren and sisters house and ground and life it selfe that is all profits all pleasures and whatsoeuer most precious things might be an hinderance vnto him As hee that would bee into any mans seruice entertained must vtterly forsake his old seruice vnto his maisters enemy otherwise hee cannot belong vnto him No more canst thou belong vnto Christ if thou be still exercised in the workes of sinne his vtter enemy Besides beleeuing the sufferings of Christ procures wonderfull loue of Christ and where this loue is there is a continuall endeauour in all things to please him If these things bee so if the Son of man should come now to iudgement should he finde faith vpon the earth I feare hee should finde but a very little and but in very few 3. Duty Patience in suffering The third duty is patience and ioy in suffering any thing for Christs sake and the Gospels as those which are glad of any occasion to shew their loue for so great loue of his And wee are chiefly to reioyce heerein for two causes First because that by suffering wee are made like vnto him according to this his speech Math. 15.25 whereby hee incourageth his disciples Jt is well for the Disciple if he be as his Maister and the seruant as his Lord and wee shall be rewarded like vnto him afterward for he saith Reioyce be glad for great is your reward in heauen v. 5.22 We are to be like minded vnto Vriah who being bidden when hee came weary from the warres to goe to his owne house to cheare vp himselfe and to delight in the company of his wife answered nay 2. Sam. 11. my Lord Ioab c. lyes in tents in the fields and shall I doe thus surely I will not and so was content with his perhaps hard lodging amongst the Kings seruants so doe all true Christians say what did my Lord Iesus suffer pouerty hunger thirst violence and wrong was hee harbourlesse abused and hanged on the Crosse and shall I neuer thinke my selfe well but when I am rich honoured and abounding with all good things of this life God forbid I will be glad rather if I bee counted worthy to suffer with him crosses persecutions troubles or death it selfe Secondly because that in suffering for his truth hee doeth grace vs for so much as hee takes vs for his Martyrs and witnesses as if the King should choose certaine men out of his dominions to be his Champions to maintaine his honour furnishing them in such sort as that they could not bee ouercome though they must striue and take great paines in playing their parts yet they would doe it cheerefully and ioy much herein for that they would take it as an honor done vnto them by the King more then vnto others for euen thus doeth the Lord Iesus honour those whom he cals forth to suffer for his truth they be his Champions chosen to maintaine his honour and he prouides assuredly so for them as that they shal ouercome according to that glorying of Paul Rom. 8.37 In all things we are more then conquerors through him that loued vs. And this was it that made the Apostles glad for being beaten They reioyced Act 5.41 that they were counted worthy to suffer any thing for his sake The fourth duty is to remaine vnterrified with the pangs 4. Duty and approaching of death vnto vs because our Lord Christ hath dyed and in dying hath ouercome death hee hath taken away the sting of death which before made it terrible for the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but for the one he hath satisfied by his death the strength of the other he
hath made to cease by the liberty which hee hath brought vs insomuch as we are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace So that now we may challenge this our greatest and most terrible enemy with the Apostle â— Cor. 15. Rom. 6. Death where is thy sting hell where is thy victory Death of it selfe indeede is most fearefull as being the wages of sinne and the passage to eternall pangs but Christ by dying hath altered the nature of death of a curse he hath made it a blessing of the passage to hell he hath made it the entry of heauen to all the faithfull Againe though our griefe in our sicknesses be great his pangs were greater Heb. 4.15 and so he hath had experience of our miseries and so cannot but haue compassion and prouide that we shall not be tempted aboue our power and in good time deliuer vs out of all our troubles Quest 26. Which is the third degree of his humiliation and in which words Answ Thirdly hee descended into Hell that I might he deliuered from Hell and euerlasting death to these words he descended into Hell Rus in Exposit Symbol Explan This clause was wont of olde to bee inserted into most of the confessions of faith as Rusâ—â— saith 〈◊〉 est quod in ecclesiae Romanae Symbâ—lo non habetur additum W. must know that it is not added in the Creed of the Church of Rome and neither saith hee is this speech had in the Churches of the Past yet the meaning hereof seeme to be the same with this He was buried It is not in the Creed councell of Nice nor in the Creed of Athanasius nor in the Sirmian nor in the Sardian nor in the first Toletan nor in the Ephesine nor in the first nor sixt Constantinopolitan nor in the Calcedon councels nor in many other ancient confessions and tractates written by the learned Fathers for the space of foure hundred yeeres and vpward See Pirk nemonstr problematis page 129. Notwithstanding it is now and may well bee an article of our faith or at the least this third degree of Christ his humiliation set downe vnder it About the meaning of these words great disputations are held and whole bookes written to leaue all which onely signifie briefely that these words are interpreted fiue manner of wayes Of Christs descent into hell diuers opinions Some holding them meerely literally He descended into hell that is went into the place of the damned or some lower places thereabout They which vnderstand it literally of the place of the damned say that he went thither to triumph ouer all the damned Ghosts and Diuels his enemies They which vnderstand it of some place thereabout say that hee went thither to free the Patriarks that were detained for their originall sinne in Limbo The grounds common to both are both that to the Ephesians Ephes 4 9. 1. Pet. 3.19 He descended into the lower parts of the earth and that of Peter By which Spirit he went and preached to the spirits that were in prison which were disobedient in the dayes of Noah that of the Psalmist Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not leaue my soule in Hell But the last sort that stand for Limbo haue some speciall allegations besides as that to the Hebrewes Heb. 9.8 The way into the holiest of all was not yet opened whilst the first Tabernacle was standing And againe speaking of the Patriarkes he saith All these dyed and receiued not the promises Heb. 11. Secondly others againe hold them literally but expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the graue saying that He died and was buried that is annoynted to the buriall and descended into the Sepulcher Thirdly others interpreting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the graue make the descent to be figuratiue thus he descended into Hell that is remained in the graue vnto the third day Fourthly some others interpret it as an Idiom or phrase peculiar to the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He descended into Hell that is was in the estate of the dead for thus the Greekes were wont to speake of a man departed whether good or bad Lastly some others hold it to bee meerely figuratiuely spoken He descended into Hell that is suffered the torments of Hell viz. the anger of God against the sinnes of all the elect powred forth vpon his soule driuing him into that bloody agony in the garden and making him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Now of all those that which stands for Limbo is to be exploded as by other sound positiue reasons drawne from Scriptures so in regard also of the impertinency of the places alleadged for in that to the Hebrewes The way into the holiest was not yet opened is meant nothing else but that which in more words is there expressed viz. heauen and happinesse the redemption of man as verse 12. was not obtained by the seruice done in this tabernacle and in the other these dying receiued not the promises is meant the incarnation of Iesus Christ so long before and so often promised but not sent in their times The second interpretation seemeth to mee too much strained and maketh this short Creed needlesly to labour with tautologie for what else can this import He was buried that is laid in the graue and descended into hell that is went downe into the graue as if it had beene said He was buried and was buried The third not much different from this and onely sheweth that this his buriall was not a meere transeunt act or passion but had a due continuation by his body so remaining in statis quo till his resurrection which me thinkes is sufficiently implyed in the specifying of his buriall and rising the third day importing that for that interim his body lay still in the Sepulchre The fourth interpretation hath farre more probability this Creed being composed by those who fitted it not onely to the Greeke stile in which language it was written but also to the Hebrew ordinary phrase which soundeth in this fashion speaking of a dead man namely that he is dead and gone downe into Sheol which whether you translate hell or the graue or some place of blisse it doth not heereby specifie any of these distinctly but onely pointeth at the state and condition of the dead in generall and considereth them by a confused motion as opposite to the state of the liuing heere vpon earth So that by this construction heere is to bee meant that our Sauiours not body onely but soule also did for this meane space vndergoe the common lot of separation the one from the other and so remained in the ordinary estate of others departed this life Howsoeuer it bee yeelded that this phrase may well beare this sense yet because both thus much is implied in the generall word of Christs being dead which must needs meane a true death putting him in the common condition of other deadmen and forasmuch as these words of
descent c. doe rather import somewhat added to his death and buriall the more currant exposition is to make it a seuerall and different Article or Parcell of our Sauiours performances and so wee will now consider in the remaining interpretations That branch of the first interpretation auouching that our Sauiour did sometime in triduo mortis really descend in soule into the place of the damned is most literall naturall and agreeable to the words no way lyable to tautologie nor repugnant to the analogie of Faith but consorting with the plaine termes of Scripture and testimony of ancient Fathers In this sense the Church of England in the first times of reformation Articâ— 37. seemeth to vnderstand and interpret this Article both by insisting vpon the direct words in the booke of Articles of Religion where the truth realty of Christs descent into hell is auouched in the same manner with the realty of his death c. as also by the explanation thereof in the larger Catechisme authorized by our Church called Nowels Catechisme The end of such descent might well bee to triumph ouer Satan in his owne dunghill and dungeon and withall there to vpbraid vnto the damned spirits of obstinate men what a gracious and glorious Sauiour they had neglected Though some be of another minde in this point yet I see no coactiue reasons out of Scripture or otherwise brought by them against this plaine literall construction And caeteris paribus why should not the authority of our Mothr the Church of EnglaÌ„d ouer sway For my part in my priuate opinion I haue much inclined to the fifth interpretation applying this descent into hell parabolically to the dismall apprehension of Gods wrath lying heauy vpon the soule of Christ and representing the paines of hell due to vs. The reasons that perswade that our Sauiour vnderwent such inward sufferings in his soule are First if hee had not suffered extreame torments in soule besides what he suffered by sympathy through bodily pangs hee must either haue been weake and ouer-yeelding or else haue dissembled being without sorrow Sixt. Sennensi Bibl. Patrum li. 6. Annot. 35. when hee expressed so great sorrow as one saith that Hillary sometimes held but afterwards recanted making a sound confession of his faith for if Christ did not truely suffer wee are not truely redeemed or else the Saints of God which are by infinite degrees more weake then Christ God and Man must bee acknowledged to haue had more courage and magnanimity when they haue been vnder extreame torments then he had For before his passion vpon the crosse he was very heauy much troubled Math. 26.38 verse 39.40 in so much as hee said My soule is very heauy euen vnto the death and prayed three times if it were possible that the cup might passe from him at what time also his passion was noted to be so great that he sweat with paine and his sweat was like drops of bloud Luc. 22.43.44 and an Angel appeared from heauen comforting him whereas weake men haue by Gods assistance ioyfully prepared themselues and haue beene ready to meet with the most extreame bodily torments Againe in the time of his passion what a wonderfull deale of feare was he surprized withall when hee cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Luk. 24.46 yea and he cryed againe the second time and gaue vp the ghost whereof mention is made also in the Epistle to the Hebrewes verse 50. In the dayes of his flesh hee did offer vp prayers and supplications with strong cryings and teares to him that was able to saue him from death Heb. 5.7 and was also heard in that which hee feared whereas weake men haue beene vnder cruell tormentors hands with vndaunted courage to the astonishment of the beholders Now there is no Christian but will acknowledge that Christ was ten thousand times more able to indure any tormeÌ„ts then any of the most coÌ„stant Martyrs that haue suffered for his name and if hee were without all comparison more able to beare whence could it happen that he was pressed with such sorrow heauinesse and feare but for that hee alone suffered more then all Martyrs if all their sufferings were put together euer since righteous Abel to this day And how could hee suffer more but in his Soule wherein hee felt the wrath of God which is vnsupportable to men and Angels Heereto is added this reason also Arg. 2. Christ did sustaine the person of the faithfull who without him were all subiect not onely to bodily sufferings and death but to the euerlasting death of the soule now the only way whereby God is pleased to deliuer vs heerefrom is by sending Christ to bee in our stead and more or lesse to suffer that which wee for sinne should haue suffered wherefore it â—s said Hee was made sinne for vs that knew no sinne 2. Cor. 5.21 that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God through him And Hee tooke flesh that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death Heb. 2.14 that is the Diuell Therefore Analogie inferreth that as the Lord Iesus suffered for vs in body so hee suffered in his soule also and thereby hath perfectly redeemed vs in both but how and by what particular passions hee suffered in soule is not reuealed and therefore by vs vnutterable Only wee must know that how great soeuer his passions were hee did in the end ouercome them all and by the way though hee feared sweat blood and cryed out through want of present sense and apprehension of the vnion with the diuine nature yet the diuinity was neuer separated from Christ Iesus but supported him and made him conquerour ouer all when hee seemed to be ouercome The Meditation also vpon these suffering of our Sauiour is very needfull profitable to vs. First the remembring Christs passion in his soule 1. Duty By the remembrance of Christs sufferings to feare to sinne is an antidote to preserue vs from sin For though thou be so stout-hearted as that no bodily punishments can scarre thee from following thy will and resolution in wickednesse yet doe but behold Christ in his spirituall conflict with Gods wrath due to sinne sorrowing sweating sweat of bloud comfortlesse and crying out vpon his Father without hope and it will make thee to tremble to thinke am I forward to commit that which doth thus anger the King of Heauen that hee would not shew any countenance nor fauour that hee would no whit spare nor regard his owne beloued Son standing in the roome of sinners though his grones and cryes went vp to Heauen O then if I doe thus if I rot in the dregges of my sinnes how shall I indure his anger how regardlesse will hee bee of mee when I shall in my need cry for mercy Surely I shall with Esau be sent away empty Heb. 12.16 though I seeke the blessing with
wanting if they bee workers of iniquity Math 7.22 they shall be bidden Depart yee workers of iniquity I knowe you not for this are the holy Apostles so diligent in stirring vp hereunto Phil. 2.14 15 Doe all things c. That yee may bee blamelesse 〈◊〉 pure and the Sonnes of God without rebuke Haue your câ—nuersation honest among the Gentiles that they which shall speake euâ—ll of you as of euill doers may by your good workes glorifie God 1. Pâ—â— 2.12 and it is the plaine sentence of the Scriptures Without holinesse no man shall see God Lastly that this holinesse is a constant hatred and striuing against sinne and an vnfained loue of vertue and endeauouring thereafter and not onely an outward obseruation of holy duties nor yet on the contrary side habituall righteousnesse sufficient to iustifie vs before God All this is also plainely taught especially by St. Paul in his owne example Rom. 7. hee professeth of himselfe that he loued the good and did striue after it and that he hated the euil and eschewed it in such words as if hee would describe a man panting in his strife with most deadly enemies and grieued that they should any whit ouermaster him and therefore plucking vp his greatest courage and vniting all his forces against them And the same affections against sinne he sheweth to haue beene in the Galatians where hee saith The flesh fighteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh Gal. 5.17 so that yee cannot doe those things that you would and exhorteth all men to the like saying Take vnto you the whole armour of God Eph. 6.13 that yee may be able to resist c. Esa 29.13 More particularly that the holinesse of the faithfull is not onely an outward obseruation of holy duties as some peruert it but this earnest hearty endeauour against sinne appeareth because that this affected singular outward holines as being a meere Image to deceiue the beholders is reiected and the endeauour of the heart only as the substance is accepted The Iewes of old had otherwise beene holy enough when they drew neâ—re vnto the Lord with their lâ—ppes their hearts being farre away and the Pharisees had beene the holiest of all for their fastings prayers and almes for their Sabbaths and Synagogues for their often washings Math. 6. Esa 1. and outward deuotion but they are condemned for most vaine their seruice is so distasted that they are bidden to bring no more oblations they are challenged for their incense new moones and solemne assemblies Math. 7. Câ—ap 6. For not the hearers of the word but the doers are blessed not the offerers vp of many prayers but the secretly deuouted are rewarded not the sacrificers but the mercifull doe the will of God the Father Againe that our holinesse is not righteousnesse sufficient to iustifie vs before God the Lord himselfe affirmeth when he saith If yee haue done all thaâ— yee can yee haue done but your duty 〈◊〉 are vnprofitable seruants and S. Paul hath spent many of his writings purposely here about viz. to shew that all such as seeke this way to be iustified shall surely misse of their marke let them colour it ouer how they will alleadging our vnion with Christ so as that our actions are meritorious and perfect through him I am sure that none of the Apostles doe giue any limit vnto this doctrine Paul notwithstanding his vnion acknowledgeth the imperfections of the flesh in him S. Rom. 7.18 1. Ioh. 1.8 Iames saith in many things we sinne all and S. Iohn If we say that we haue no siâ—nâ— we deceiue our selues and the truth is 〈◊〉 in vs. And if there be such a mixture of sinne with our holinesse how can any member of Christ trust at all to his owne righteousnesse Can he iustifie himselfe more then the very Apostles and the excellent Christians of their times nay let him take heede rather lest by so doing he be condemned seeing that 1. Cor. 11.31 if we iudge our selues we shall not be iudged and not if we iustifie our selues Eph. 2.20 Againe that the faithfull are euer growing in holines vntill that they come to be perfected in death and then shall be presented without spot or wrinkle Their growth is plainly taught in the Epistle to the Ephesians where speaking of Christ it is said In whom all the building being coupled together groweth to an holy Temple in the Lord that is as any building which becommeth sit for habitation groweth nearer perfection euery day till at the last it be fully finished so doth the Church of God Wherefore wee are often remembred hereof by Peter 2 Pet. 3.18 1. Pet. 2.2 who saith Growe in Grace and in the knowledge of Iesus Christ and where he exhorteth to desire the sincere milke of the Word that we may growe thereby Eph. 4.24 and by Paul saying Be renued in the spirit of your minde and put off the olde man and put on the new that is put him off more and become more holy and righteous Heb. 5. and againe where he reproueth the Hebrews for their weakenesse euen then when by reason of the time they might haue beene strong men in Christ to omit the Lords vpbraidings of his Disciples for that hauing beene with him long still they vnderstood not his parables they were yet weake in faith they had not yet growne in mortification of their fleshlinesse Gal. 5.17 Moreouer that perfection is not attained till death appeareth because whilst we liue we carry the flesh about with vs by reason of which we cannot doe those things we would we are but like a bad writer hauing his hand guided by a more skilfull master this scholler notwithstaÌ„ding is vnable to write a perfect faire hand by reasoÌ„ of his owne vntowardnes so the holiest of Gods children is short of perfection by reason of the fleshes weakenes though they be guided by Gods Spirit Phil. 3.9 And this they are not ashamed to confesse against themselues Both Paul I striue saith he after the marke not as though I had already attained it and Iames and Iohn as hath bin already shewed But in death all imperfections vanish away Eph. 5.27 then shall they be presented without spot or wrinkle for Christ therfore gaue himselfe for his Church that he might cleanse and Sanctifie it not hauing spot or wrinkle then the Bride is in her perfect beauty in a vesture of Gold of Ophir with needle-works all glorious she is then as a city Psal 4 5. the pauing of whose streetes is of Gold Reuel 21. the walls of pretious stones all things most bright and shining shee hath a siluer Pallace built vpon her if she be a wall if a doore Cantic 6 9. shee is enclosed with boards of Cedar if she be in any degree of true grace shee is perfected and made happy There is not need of an imaginary purgatory
pardon of our sinnes For the duties of this faith The first is to pray vnto God earnestly euery day aboue all things of this world for the pardon of our sinnes because this is so great and wonderfull a grace For if a man were greatly endebted and for his debts imprisoned or sold for a slaue euer so to continue in most hard bondage would hee desire either good cheare or apparell pleasures or fits of ease wealth or health in comparison of freedome from this miserable estate in like manner seeing wee bee so farre indebted by our sinnes and thus made miserable slaues of the diuell why doe wee craue so earnestly against worldly wants and for worldly good things and not rather against our sinnes and for this blessednes to be deliuered from them And the rather because if our sins be vnremitted we cannot looke to speed in any other desire for our sins do separate betwixt our God and vs. Esa 5â— 2. Ios 7. All the time that sinfull Achan was in the Israelites campe they could not preuaile against Ay 1 Sam. 28. when Saul had sinned he could get none answere at Gods Oracle either by vision by Vrim or by Prophets so whilst wee are in our sinnes we may aske indeed but wee shall not haue we may make many prayers but not be heard for the prayers of the wicked are abomination to the Lord. Wherefore let this bee the first and chiefe thing which wee pray for in all our supplications and as we will vse all humility and importunity to speed of some speciall benefit and renew our â—uite from day to day that wee may speed so let vs neuer giue ouer praying vnto the Lord for the pardon of our sinnes being a benefit of benefits and the most necessary thing for vs in the world 2 Duty To loue the Lord. The second duty is to loue the Lord and our Sauiour Iesus Christ with all our hearts and with all our might because God is the Author of this great grace Christ Iesus hath merited the same for vs. A miserable bankrupt owing a thousand pound if hee should haue all forgiuen him if some rich man would vndertake the payment of his debts for him and set him vp that he might liue a freeman againe and exercise his trade in as good manner as euer hee did before were a most ingratefull wretch if hee should not loue so great a benefactor and that vnfainedly all his life but much more vngratefull should wee shew our selues when as the Lord hath raised vs from our bankrupt estate being indebted not a thousand pounds but ten thousands of talents yea millions without count and made vs blessed and happy if we shal not loue his Maiesty without all dissimulation and therefore study to please him all our dayes With what thankfulnesse doth S. Paul exult for his deliuerance from sinne by Iesus Christ when being but euen now at the point of despaire he presently liftâ—th vp himselfe through faith of the pardon of his sinnes hauing cryed out miserable man â—hat I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death hee presently answereth himselfe Thankes bee vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 7 14.2â— How desirous is he by publishing Gods mercy to the world to expresse his wonderfull thankfulnesse for this wonderfull grace when so openly hee confesseth When I was a Persecutor and a blasphemer and an oppressor God had mercy on mee â— Tim 1. â—3 And thus greatly affected should we be not in word but in deed in that wee study to set forth his glory as hee did and in all things not to please men but God they which doe otherwise loue not the Lord whatsoeuer they say but as the Gentiles who by their sinnes dishonoured him are said to haue beene so are these haters of God and hated of him Rom. 1. 3 Duty To cease from sinne The third duty is to breake off all our sinnes by righteousnes and not continue any longer therein because wee haue beene already enough endangered through sinne nay if wee liue in sinne we are still in the same danger seeing the workers of iniquity are shut out of doores whatsoeuer they plead for themselues If a man through surfet hath fallen into any dangerous disease which had like to haue cost him his life but be againe recouered he will take heed of falling into the same againe and likewise if hee had fallen into a deepe pit or into any other great euill so should we being restored from the surfet of sinne being lifted vp from the dangerous pit of wickednesse hauing escaped through Gods great mercy the greatest euill that could haue befallen vs wee should I say bee at defiance with this euill and aboue all watches watch against sinne And the rather because wee doe otherwise still remaine indangered through this deadly surfet wee still lie and are like to lie without all helpe in this horrible pit till wee exchange for the pit of hell The Lord hath not so much as promised or spoken any syllable tending to a promise of forgiuing sinnes but to such as forsake their sinnes He is often in these and the like comfortable speeches Ezech. 18. When a wicked man shall turne from his wickednesse and doe that which is lawfull and right hee shall saue his soule aliue He â—hat confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall haue mercy c. Prou. 28.23 but where is it to be found that men liuing in their sinnes shall saue mercy that such as goe on in their wickednesse shall haue their soules aliue not any where in Gods booke but the cleane contrary that they shall die in their sinnes that they shall haue iudgement without mercy according to that Thou which after thy hardnesse of heart that cannot repent doest heape vp to thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2 4. so that it must needs then be the diuels booke whence men learne that they shall bee forgiuen although they goe on in adding sinne vnto sinne and so neglect all holy admonitions of breaking off their euill course of life Quest 46. What is meant by the resurrection of the body Answ That although the body after death lye rotting in the graue yet at the last day it shall be raised againe by Gods great power and being ioyned to the soule shall stand before Gods iudgement seat to giue accompt of all that it hath done whether good or euill and bee rewarded accordingly Explan This last article as it consisteth of two members the one the resurrection of the body the other the life euerlasting so haue I propounded to speake seuerally of them because they are both weighty points and deepe misteries Touching the resurrection of the body it is nothing else but that first I do acknowledge that our bodies are all fraile and weake and how many yeares soeuer they continue yet fall to the ground they shall at the last euen as they were taken
out of it Secondly that howsoeuer they fall or whensoeuer yet they shall be raised againe by a supernaturall power the soules being reunited vnto them and that not onely the bodies of the iust and righteous but of the vniust and wicked the bodyes of all both high and low rich and poore great and small Thirdly all this shall be at the last day together in a moment at the sound of a Trumpet and not some at one time some at another Fourthly being thus raised they must come to iudgement all the secretest things that euer they did being laid open and the hidden things of all hearts being manifested Proofe Now for the further manifestation and prouing of these things and first that our bodies shall fall as it is intimated in the word resurrection for that cannot rise againe which did not first fall so it is proued by the experience of all times and ages of the world for euen they of the first times whose bodies were most durable yet their end was they dyed when they had liued nigh a thousaÌ„d years these strong oaks though they stood neuer so long they fell at the last but long since the state of mens bodies grew more weake which made â—ob compare mans life vnto a shadow Iob. 1â— Esa 40. a Weauers shuttle and a floure and Dauid to a light that is soone put out and to a spans length and Esay to grasse which is greene in the morning but is cut down before night and withered And dayly examples confirme the same thing euery small matter ouerthrowing the strongest man and making him to fall to the earth from whence he was taken Secondly that our bodies hauing lien rotting in the graue shall bee raised againe by a supernaturall power which is more specially heere intended S. Paul proueth at large in the fifteenth chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinths making this the ouerthrow of all religion to deny the rising of the dead and our Sauiour Christ before him opposed himselfe earnestly against the Saduces which denyed the resurrection saying Math. 22.31 Verse 32. Haue you not read of the resurrection what is spoken vnto you of God saying J am the God of Abraham Isaacke and Jaacob now God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing and long before this Esay hath said The dead shall come forth with my body shall they rise and Daniel Dan. 12.2 Iob. 19.25 Many of them that sleepe in the dust shall awake and Iob I know that my redâ—emer liueth and I shall stand at the last vpon the earth and though after my skin the wormes shall consume my body yet I my selfe shall see him c. and thus it is plaine that the resurrection shall be though wee say nothing of Ezechiels dryed bones reuiuing nor of Adam whose sleepe was a type of death and his waking of the resurrection Reuel 10.12.13 Math. 25.32 Now that it shall bee generall of all without exception is shewed in the booke of the Reuelation where all both great and small are seene comming forth the earth giuing vp the dead in it and the sea yeelding vp the dead therein and Christ saith that at his comming all nations shall be gathered before him Wherefore that of Daniel speaking of many is to be vnderstood as though he had said that they being a great many an infinite multitude shall awake Lastly that all shall be raised by a supernaturall power and not by any thing in the course of nature is shewed where the Lord saith The dead shall heare his voyce and shall come forth it is then by the vertue of his call that men euery where shall rise againe 1 Cor. 15. Math. 24. The trumpet shall sound and the dead shall rise incorruptible saith the Apostle He shall send forth his Angels to gather them he saith in another place the meaning is the same that as God at the first by his word made all so he will at the last reuiue all and vse his Angels as Ministers to gather them together from all parts of the world Obiect 1 1. King 17. If this shall seeme strange because it hath beene a rare matter that any haue beene raised at all after death I answer is it true that many being truely dead haue beene raised againe as it cannot be denied for such was the womans son the Shunamites raised by Elisha the widowes sonne of Sarepta raised by Eluah Lazarus and two more raised by Christ Dorcas by Peter and Eutychus by Paul then me thinkes it should not be supposed impossible that there should be a generall resurrection of all For if in the winter time some plant or hearbe shall put out and grow greene it is an argument that others may doe so too if a man expert in any curious trades as the Goldsmith in trying gold and siluer from drosse the Glasse-man in making Glasses c. Shall doe but one or seldome acts of their trade is it not an argument that they can do many more when they shall thinke good In like manner some hauing beene already by the diuine power raised from the dead springing vp againe after death is it not an argument that this hauing beene done in the winter of this worlds standing all shall in like sort rise againe at the spring time of the resurrection The Lord hauing in some performed this hard worke that hee can doe the same in all it being as it were his profession and his skill sufficient for it Obiect 2 All shal be raised howsoeuer they haue perished If it shall further seeme yet an hard matter that all should be raised because some are drowned in the sea and eaten vp by fishes and these fishes being taken by men c. Now if it shall sound as a thing imposssible that euen men comming thus to their ends should be raised for where shall the parts of their bodies be found seeing the same becommeth the substance of diuers bodies I answere with God all things are possible and to vse the comparison of a learned Father When Doues flye diuersly abroad and are mixed with others yea infinite numbers together being farr from home yet they returne vnto their seuerall Doue-coats Greg Nyssen lib 1. de opificio hominis cap 26.27 so the soules of diuers men departing out of their bodies and remaining long from home yet they haue some naturall or rather supernaturall motion by which they are addicted to returne to their owne bodies vnto which they haue beene vsed Quicksiluer being powred forth amongst the dust is mixed with nothing else but though diuersly parted yet it remaineth in litle globules so that it is easie for a man to gather it together againe and then ioyneth in one as before and much more easie shall it be for the great God of heauen to gather in one the parts of the same bodies howsoeuer dispersed and powred as it were into the dust of the earth When seedes
direction vnto vs For neuer more guides in euery corner poynting and haling men as it were to the right way yet neuer were they so little regarded which bringeth our profession into a suspition amongst the enemies as teaching good workes to be needlesse vnto life but they shall answer for it who are an occasion of this blasphemy 3. Duty To remember euerlasting life in all troâ—bles The third duty is to vse the remembrance of eternall life as a salue against all sores as a cordiall to comfort our hearts against our greatest heauinesse Are we in misery in pouerty in pangs in disgrace in danger in the middest of continuall crosses What are all these to dismay vs the Lord hath prouided an excellent estate for vs euer enduring our suffering of these things is but momentany the Lord hath assured his seruants of Heauen and of Crownes of glory how can he then but giue vs deliuerance from these things supply our temporall wants in his good time Nay which is more the Lord hath sweetned the bitter pils of the troubles of this world by working through them the health of the soule by making them meanes of further assurance that wee are his children and that hee is our Father and by leading vs through them as through the right way vnto the euerlasting life 1. Cor. 11.28 Heb. 18. Iam. 1. If a begger might haue twenty pounds for trauelling in the wet and cold one night or for some few stripes to be giuen vnto him with a rod hee would not bee much grieued hereat no more would we at our crosses if wee had faith to be assured that instead of these wee shall haue an other day so great glory and the lesse would wee murmure at it because our stripes be vpon vs worthily as if a poore prisoner that had deserued death should bee set free and rewarded with a great summe of money for willingly submitting himselfe vnto some light chastisement Rom. 5.1 Let vs therefore not onely be content to beare our crosses but with the Apostle through faith reioyce in our tribulations and praise the Lord for them as Iob did saying Iob. 1. 4. Duty To pray for the â—astening of glory The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. The fourth duty is to pray that this time might bee hastened 4. Duty To pray for the hastening of glory wherein we shal enter into life and euen to reioyce when we see it approach to any of vs in particular because it will be so happy a change for vs of mortall for immortall of weakenesse for strength of dishonour for glory and as one dying said of tinne for siluer of copper for gold Wee must learne therefore to be like vnto the Brides which saith Come Reuel 22.17 Vers 20 2. Cor. 5.1 and vnto St. Iohn who when he had had some sight of these things said Euen so come Lord Iesus Wee sigh saith Paul desiring to be cloathed vpon that is to goe out of this clay house and to ascend to our house in heauen What faith haue they then that by the course of nature or by the danger of sicknes being brought almost home to this house desire to be farre away from it againe How vnseemely a speech is it in olde men to say I would I were young againe how lamentable a feare in sicke men to heare that they shall die let vs be more strengthened in these things that at our departing hence we may truly beleeue and haue euerlasting life Standing vp at the Creed There be two circumstances further vsed in the rehearsing of these Articles the first is the rising and standing vp which is a ceremony neither vaine nor superstitious as some suppose but they thinke amisse that more reuerence is hereby done to the Creed which is no Scripture then to the written word of God For first of all it is not vaine because it serueth to testifie our consent to the points rehearsed and is a silent confession of the same faith by all the Congregation as in the time of prayer all kneele by this gesture manifesting their consent with the Minister in this heauenly action In other duties done at Church in publique there is not the like reason of following the Minister in his gesture whether hee readeth expoundeth or preacheth because that in all these the Hearers are Patients and he onely an Agent Read more of this aboue at the end of the fift Question Whereto may also be added that this gesture of standing vpright is the most sutable and conuenient as being the posture of soldiers and champions ready to fight vnto the death for that faith which they then proclaime by recitall Amen Why added The second circumstance is the addition of this word Amen signifying verely or certainly or vndoubtedly It is added 1. To shew that we doe not in word only beleeue these things but from our very hearts 2. Not waueringly but certainly and without doubting 3. Not as though it were in our power as if we were secure for our firme and stedfast beleefe of these things but earnestly crauing this faith at the hands of God and thus it is as much as So be it The abuse of the Creede All which shewes the wonderfull abuse of this Creed first first amongst heretikes which say these words with their mouthes but the contrary in their hearts some denying beleefe in the Sonne of God for that they hold him to be meere man and God onely in name as Princes are called Gods vpon earth as the Arians Some in the Holy Ghost as the Macedonians for that they affirme him to be seruant and inferiour to the Father Sonne some deny beleefe in the holy Trinity for that they beleeue only in one God holding the distinction of persons a monstrous fiction of man as the Anttrinitaries And some againe denying Christs bodie 's reall being in heauen because they hold it to be present in euery Masse his Office of mediation sitting at the right hand of God because they appoint other Mediators to commend vs vnto God and the beleefe of the remission of sins with the life euerlasting because they teach doubting till the last gaspe The Creed abused by the Papists 1. Cor. 13.13 Secondly this Creed is further abused amongst the Papists because when they pretend to make a confession of their faith they doe onely confesse their hope which is a distinct thing from faith according to the Apostle There remaine these three things Faith Hope and Loue Now besides that they teach Faith to be a beleeuing in generall of all the Scriptures to be true they make it to be all one with hope through the mercy of God of being saued Thirdly it is further abused by all infidell-like Christians which say with their mouthes I beleeue in God c. But like Parrets not regarding what they say not considering the fearefull estate of such as want
old age c. The sixth command against murther was written in Cains conscience for that made him to cry out after the murther of his brother Abel Gen. 4 My sin is greater then J am able to beare and whosoeuer shall finde Caine shall kill him Vers 23.24 And Lamech from hence aggrauateth his owne case when he had slaine a man for that he had this law not onely written in his heart but a warning in his great Grand-father Cain And immediatly after the flood the Lord doth expresly set downe Gen. 9.6 Who so sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed for in the Image of God hath he made man Gen. 39.9 The seuenth command was to bee seene in Iosephs heart when being tempted by his mistresse to adultery he said Shal I doe this and sinne against God in the other sonnes of Iaacob also Gen. 34 when Dinah their sister had beene defiled by Shechem who doe therefore put him to death Gen 31.30 The eight Commandement Laban vrgeth vpon Iaacob saying Though thou wentest thy way because thou longedst to come to thy Fathers house yet why hast thou stolne away my Gods vnto which he answereth acknowledging this to be so great a fault as that he saith Gen. 44.5 With whomsoeuer they be found let him dye And this was held to be so haynous a sinne as that Iaacobs sons being charged by the steward with Iosephs siluer cup stealing yeelded themselues vpon the finding of it with any of them to become his bondmen Gen. 20.9 The ninth Commandement heathen Abimelech shewed to be written in his heart when hee complained of Abrahams false testimony concerning his wife of whom hee had said that she was his sister Gen. 26.9 telling him that he had done things which ought not to be done and Isaack is afterwards reproued by him also for the like faults Lastly for the tenth so many as did knowe God aright could not but acknowledge also that it was a sinne against his Maiesty to entertaine euill motions in the minde contrary to any of these Lawes because where these are there cannot be the vprightnesse commanded vnto Abraham God cannot bee honoured with the heart and thus much of the first thing The difference of the lawes of God Now we are to speake of the difference betwixt the Law of God containing these Commandements and other Lawes giuen also by the Lord for besides this Law which is called Morall there is another called Iudiciall and a third Ceremoniall The Morall is so called because it is a perpetuall rule of good maners without the obseruation of which the world cannot stand or if it should stand it would bee but as a confused Chaos and without forme of a world The Iudiciall is so called because as a statute-law it setteth down with what iudgements and censures men were to be censured that did offend in speciall cases The Ceremoniall is so called because it is altogether conuersant about rites and ceremonies shewing what ceremonies were to be vsed by the church of God and what not in his seruice Esa 1.12 1. Sam 15.22 Now the difference betwixt these standeth in many things First in that the morral Law was published and written by God himselfe so as that all the people did receiue it from his mouth but it was not so with the Iudiciall and Ceremoniall for the Lord instructed Moses onely herein and the people receiued them from him who wrote them downe for them 2. The Morrall Law was first giuen as most worthy the other two afterwards as not so much to be regarded in respect of it for when the Morall Law hath beene neglected and the other most diligently obserued the Lord hath beene as much moued as if no Law at all had beene regarded which may easily be gathered both from that of the Prophet Esay Bring no more oblations in vaine incense is an abomination vnto me c. And from that of Samuel to Saul Hath the Lord as great pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as when the voyce of the Lord is obeyed behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to harken then the fat of rams that is to obey the Morall Law farre exceedeth all ceremonies And Dauid hath the like saying in the Psalmes Doe I eate buls flesh or drinke the blood of goats Psal 50 offer vnto God praise and pay thy vowes vnto him c. And I will haue mercy saith Christ and not sacrifice with many more places to the same effect The same also appeareth from the practise of corrupt man which hath euer beene most diligently to obserue ceremonies but most negligently the precepts of the morall Law for our nature is set vpon contraries and therfore looke what we should most carefully obserue that we most neglect looke what should be cared for in the second place that wee looke vnto in the first Math 23. The Pharisies tithed mint and cummin in the payment of their tithes but let passe the weighty matters of the Law and thus was it the manner of the Iewes euer to doe Wherewith say they in Mcâ—a shall we come before the Lord Mich. 6.6.7 Shall I come before him with burnt offerings and calues of a yeere old will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rammes or ten thousand riuers of oyle And this is the manner of most men at this day they are most strict in outward obseruances but most remisse in the substance of godlinesse in the very act of hearing and prayer not regarding that innocency charity and righteousnesse which should accompany this outward deuotion 3. The ceremoniall Law hath beene oftentimes broken without sin but the morall Law neuer without some speciall countermand from God Gen. 22. Exod 12.36 as when Abraham was bidden to kill his sonne Isaack when the Israelites were bidden to rob the Egyptians yea euen in these very cases the learnedst of the Schoolemen do by sound distinction maintaine that the law it selfe was not broken no nor dispensed withall if we speake properly but onely the matter or obiect of the precept changed by God so the Israelits did not steale from or defraud the Egyptians but tooke their owne when God who hath an absolute power to dispose of all these had before by his command transferred the right and dominion of those rights from the possessors to the takers So likewise did Abraham in offering to kill his sonne vpon Gods command no more breake the Law then a Souldier that at the command of the Generall who hath power of life and death killeth his fellow Souldier As for that act of circumcision or sacrificing Math. 12.5 by which our Sauiour Christ saith that the Priests breake the Sabbath it is not so to be vnderstood as though the Law were broken being rightly vnderstood or as though the Lord went about to iustifie this that a man might without sinne breake this command but hee speaketh of
Law is also a Schoolemaster when we are come to Christ euer checking and correcting vs when wee walke not according to the straight rule thereof but the Gospel vpon our humiliation comforteth vs and assureth vs that al our aberrations and going astray are remitted so that there be an heart vnfainedly hating that euill which we doe Rom. 7. Now as there be differences betwixt the Law and the Gosspell so there be some things wherein they agree The agreement of the old Testament and the new Heb. â— 1 Mat 3. 1. In the author God not as the mad Manichees taught the bad God to be the author of the law and the good God the author of the Gospell for the same God which spake by his Son Iesus Christ in these last daies spake also at diuers times and in diuers maners in times past he that said from heauen this is my beloued Son heare ye him the same God spake all these words said from heauen I am thy Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage c. 2. They agree in the threatning of sin and vrging obedience vnto the Lord in all things but the Law vrgeth it for feare the Gospel for loue If ye loue me keepe my Commandements the Law as the meritorious cause of life the Gospell as most necessary signes of the life of faith and the way that God hath appointed vs to walke in vnto life the Law giueth no hope in the case of swaruing from the strict rule thereof the Gospell giueth hope to the penitent and where the like hope is giuen by the Prophets they doe rather play Euangelists then Preachers of the Law 3. They agree in this that howsoeuer the Gospell giueth hope to the penitent yet it denieth all hope to those that liue and die in transgression of the Law for against such most common are the threatnings contained in the Gospell They that doe such things Gal. 5.17 shall neuer inherit the Kingdome of Heauen 4. They agree in this that there is no contradiction betwixt them but as they come from one and the same spirit so there is a sweet harmony consent between theÌ„ the one only sheweth what God doth strictly require in his iustice the other how his iustice is satisfied and yet his mercy to sinfull man appeareth the one saith he that breaketh the Commandements shall die the other saith that because man through the weaknes of his nature could not but breake them one man that neuer brake any the least of them died in the stead of sinfull man and thus freed him that was the son of death from death and damnation 5. They agree in the Ministers of them both for they of the Law were to be without blemish their lipps were to preserue knowledge they were to liue of their seruice they were diuers sorts both Priests Leuits they were watchmen c. so ought the ministers of the Gospell they must be vnblameable apt to teach they that preach the Gospell are to liue of the Gospell 1. Tim 3. 1. Cor. 9.24 Ephes 4.12 2. Pet. 5.2 some are Doctours some Pastours c. they are Pastours watching and keeping their flockes as those that must giue accounts for them And thus much of the third generall The manner how this law was giuen Exod. 19.20 The next thing to be spoken of in generall is the manner how this Law was giuen and that is described in the nineteenth and twentieth of Exodus 1. First there was great preparation three dayes together the people were sanctified according to the manner of those times by washings and purifyings shewing both what need wee haue by prayer and reading of the holy Scriptures which may bring vs from worldly to heauenly meditations to prepare our selues euer before that we come to heare the Lord speaking vnto vs in the Ministery of his holy word and also how wee must euer be more and more doing away by the Spirit of Sanctification the blots and blemishes of our natures that we may be the fitter to come into the presence of the Holyest 2. Secondly a straight charge was giuen that neither man nor beast vnder paine of death should come neere the Mount whence the Law was to be deliuered but certaine marks were set beyond which none might dare to passe shewing as the Apostle hence noteth 2. Cor. 3.6.7 Heb. 12.19 how glorious was the Law now to bee deliuered and if such as passed the markes set them were without mercy to die the death that much more the transgressours of any of these precepts should die and find no mercy Heb. 12 2â— Thirdly the Lord descended with great terrour the Trumpet sounding the earth shaking and Lightnings flying abroad insomuch as that the people are noted to haue run away and Moses himselfe to haue said I tremble and quake shewing that the things here vttered were graue and waightie and to be receiued into the heart with a feare of offending against them and also that when the time shall bee of calling the offenders to account with what wonderfull terrour the Lord will then come against them 4. Almighty God himself spake al these words in the hearing of al the people but wheÌ„ they were too weak to beare his words and desired that the Lord would not speake any more for so they should die but promised obedience if Moses should speak two tables of stone were giuen vnto him written with Gods own finger that he might carry them to the people shewing hereby how stony-hard our hearts be and that Gods finger alone is able to imprint them there his speech from Heauen must worke in vs a reuerence of them otherwise we shal all be too negligent of his Lawes 5. When Moses had broken these Tables through zeale seeing how God was dishonoured in his absence by golden Calues which they had set vp and worshipped the Lord bad him hew two other Tables and therein he wrote all the words that were in the first shewing hereby that mans heart by Gods creation had all the lawes ready written in it as the Tables prepared by God himselfe had but the heart which he had gotten vnto himselfe by falling away from God is without any letter hereof in effect vntill that the Lord wrote them anew as it was with the Tables prepared by Moses 6. Lastly when Moses had been long with the Lord and came with these Lawes vnto the people his face shone so as they were not able to looke vpon him for which cause he vsed a vaile when hee came vnto them and put it off when hee returned vnto the Lord shewing hereby as S. Paul noteth 2. Cor 3.13 â—4 that the Iewes should not be able to see into the end of the Law Christ Iesus vntill the vale of blindnesse and hardnesse of heart were taken away by the Lord neither yet could any of the Gentiles without the same
him Math. 10.28 who is able to destroy both body and soule in hell 3. For trust and confidence 3. Duty To trust in God Psal 20 8. Psal 125. they which trust in other things either men or horses strength or wit shall bee confounded onely hee that putteth his trust in the Lord shall stand stedfastly he shall be as Mount Zion that can neuer be moued Wherefore all other trust is straightly forbidden and this alone euery where commanded as being a most mighty and strong arme and tower 4. For seeking to the Lord by prayer 4. Duty To seeke vnto him by Praier Psal 50 14. which is also an action of the heart the lifting vp of the soule we are hoth directed vnto him saying Call vpon me in the time of trouble and J will heare and deliuer you and vnto him onely where it is said Thou shalt worwip the Lord thy God Deut. 6.13 and him onely shalt thou serue And by the examples of holy men mentioned in the Scripture of which not one is to be found negligent in this duty not one that did the Lord this dishonour to make the lifting vp of his heart common to any other Saint or Angell And truely there is great reason that wee should thus set vp the Lord in our affections For who is to be found so worthy of loue as he Iam. 1.17 seeing that he is our maker and euery good gift and euery perfect guift commeth downe from him the Father of lights and if excesse of loue require the like in those who are thus affected then the very loue of God towards vs if there were none other motiue may constraine vs to this excesse of loue towards his Maiesty Rom. 5. Psal 10.3 For he loued vs yet being enemies he loueth vs with that loue with which Parents doe loue their deare children Esa yea with greater then tender-hearted mothers for though they should forget their children the fruit of their owne wombes yet God will not forget his people Who so mighty as the Lord God Esa 40. Againe who is so terrible as the Lord and so worthy to be stood in awe of Princes are but grasse-hoppers and all the world but as the drop of a bucket in comparison of him When he commeth downe the earth trembleth and quaketh the brightest body of the Heauens for feare couer themselues with blacknesse His voyce is thunder casting downe the strongest things and making the very Hindes to calue for feare Psal 29. his breath a smoke and consuming fire his chariot the strong tempestuous windes for he rideth vpon the wings of the winde his rod an iron Scepter beating in pieces whole Nations as a potters vessell his eyes as flames of fire casting forth lightnings his hands such as that hee can span the earth and hold all the waters of the Seas within his fist the Heauens are his Throne and the earth his foot-stoole his armies are Angels twenty thousand thousands let him but begin to speake Exod. 20. Exod. 33. and all men will run away let him but shew himselfe and no flesh can liue yea let but one of his Angels come and we shall tremblingly fall downe like dead men Who then is to be feared like vnto him with him wee may take courage and say Rom 8.33 who can be against vs but hauing him against vs it will no whit auaile though all the world be on our side None to bee trusted in but God Prou. 23.5 1. Tim. 6.17 Moreouer what is there to be trusted in besides the Lord not riches for they haue wings like an Eagle and will flye away great substance is the vncertainty of riches not friends amongst men for they ebbe and flow as we be in prosperity or aduersity their breath is but in their nostrils as a light they are soone put out nor amongst the Saints departed for they know not of vs and of our cases not cunning wit Esa 64.13 for Ahithophels wit is soone turned into foolishnes not our owne strength courage and preparation for an horse is but a vaine thing to saue a man our strength is but as grasse that is soone cut downe and withereth The Lord only then is a sure Towre of defence a Fortresse and strong Castle to such as flye vnto him Of this had Iehoshaphat experience when his enemies comming vpon him he said 2 Chron. 20. Wee know not what to doe but our eyes waite vpon thee O Lord and so he put them to flight without striking one stroke And the like experience had Ananias and his brethren who did rather then fall downe before Nebuchadnezzars golden Image offer themselues to the fiery fornace being seauen times hotter then at other times because they knew that God was able to deliuer them and so escaped vntouched of the fire What should I further speake of Iaacob Ioseph Daniel the Prophets and Apostles Was there euer any that trusted in the Lord in vaine No verily examine all histories and you shall finde none But contrariwise Martyrs reioycing against their exposing vnto wilde beasts vpon tormenting racks and in the middest of fiery flames and oftentimes saued out of strong Prisons and the very iawes of death innocent soules wonderfully iustified and their aduersaries shamed men distressed and almost famished miraculously prouided for and whole Nations vniustly attempted by the proud enemy with helpe from Heauen deliuered and their enemies confounded and all this when they haue put their trust in the Lord. Gen. 17.1 Lastly can it enter into any reasonable soule to think that he had need to pray to any other sauing to the Lord only seeing he alone can thus powerfully saue needeth no helper Indeed when we seeke succour from humane wit counsell strēgth friends or allies it is good to make our side as strong as we can by seeking vnto many but grosse impiety because wee should thus ioyne vnto him fellowes and partners and thurst subiects as it were into the chaire of their Prince when he alone requireth all our heart we should giue room to others a thousand times inferiour to him when he commandeth that we should serue him only worship him we should sacrilegiously communicate our seruice vnto creatures also Neither doth it helpe which is alledged that we do not ioyn the creature with the Creator but only vse him in his place being neare deare vnto the Lord that through his mediation we may the rather be accepted for God is not lyke earthly Princes vnto whom a poore subiect vsually cannot haue accesse without the help of some neere about him or if he be he is like vnto the best onely such as the Emperour Rodulph was anno 1273. who was wont to say to those about him Giue leaue I pray you and roome Cant. 13. to my subiects to come vnto me for I was not therefore made Emperour that I should be shut vp from men as it were
the heart the very Esse of prayer and a worship due onely to their Lord and ours what warrant I say of doing this vnto them seeing the King would thinke his subiects made his fellowes and greatly disdaine if in his presence we should first kneele and put vp our petitions vnto them and then vnto himselfe For the Papists doe much worse praying oftentimes to the Virgin Mary letting the Lord to stand by as it were a cipher Quest 57. Whence is the reason of this Commandement taken Answ Both from the equity of it because he is the Lord our God and none other and also from the benefits bestowed vpon vs in bringing vs out of the bondage and thraldome of the diuell Reason of this Commandement Explan The sinnes against this law being so great and the duties so necessary aboue al others great need there was that it should be fortified by strong reasons and therefore the Lord hath not omitted to vse these although out of his authority hee might haue commanded and with threatnings haue compelled vs vnto the obedience of his will Which teacheth vs first how vnexcusable men are liuing in sinne there being no meanes to draw them to a vertuous and holy course of life omitted for first it is reuealed what the Lord would haue vs to doe then haue wee his absolute command with which no man can dispence and lastly most forcible reasons to moue vs as wee are not brute beasts but reasonable soules Againe this same teacheth the seruants of God the ministers of his word not to handle it negligently but to study for the aptest and best reasons wherewith it may be more inforced and fastned vpon the hearers because God himselfe hath vouchsafed thus to doe and the other remisse handling of Gods word is as the laying of twiggs without bird-lime the casting of a net into the water without weights to presse it downe O let vs study then to deale most workman like as diuine artists neither playing with texts and multyplying tantologies to the wearying of the hearers for want of paines but let vs study with euident demonstrations and arguments of the Spirit to conuince mens consciences of sin that they may bee ashamed and cease here from and of the truth that they may come to be firmely grounded herein and followers of it Reas 1 Rom. 1.20 The reasons of this Commandement are two First from common equity I am the Lord thy God Euery one is easily yeelded vnto when he challengeth but his due but in requiring you to haue me for your God and none other I chalenge but my due for I am the Lord thy God that is I onely am such therefore yee may easily yeeld this vnto mee and yee shall deale most vniustly and contrary to all equity if yee yeeld not to haue none other Gods but me There is nothing here to be further proued but that the Israelites and all we haue daily experience of viz. that the Lord is God only they had experience of it when all the gods of the Heathen were not able to stand against him alone and the visible most goodly creatures of the heauens and earth do teach vs no lesse euerie day but that the infinite power and wisdome which made them all is the onely God of the whole world and this is Iehouah the Lord whose very name essence or being doth imply no lesse but that he alone hath being of himselfe and giueth being to all other things Reas 2 The second reason is taken from the benefits bestowed vpon his people Which haue brought thee out of the land of Egypt Heb. 2. out of the house of bondage Which Egypt was a type of Satans kingdome vnto whom we were all in bondage till the Lord by his Christ came and deliuered vs. Now it is an vnthankfull part as if the Lord should haue said not to make him thy Lord and Soueraigne only vnto whom alone thou art beholding for thy freedome who hath deliuered thee when as before thou wert a slaue and vnder hard bondage but if thou deny to make me thy Lord and God thou shalt shew thy selfe thus vnthankfull because that I alone haue deliuered thee when as before thou wert in slauery therefore thou shalt haue none other Gods but me Here all things are most plaine both to the Israelites and vnto vs they were in Egypt vnder Pharaoh and questionlesse they did there serue other Gods yet it profited not but still they were in sore bondage Exod. 3.4 toyling continually in making bricke for Pharaohs buildings they had taske-masters ouer them most rigorously exacting that they should doe their stintes and not sparing to beate them when they failed and which was most grieuous of all Col. 2.14 their male children were appointed vnto the slaughter so soone as they were borne which did strike them as much as continuall tormenting with swords in their sides But when through the greatnesse of their griefe the voyce of their crie came vp to heauen the Lord sent Moses and Aaron with signes and wonders to deliuer them and by his iudgements so subdued Pharaohs hard heart that he was glad to let them goe and when hee was againe hardened and followed with his forces to bring them backe the Lord diuided the red Sea and let them through but drowned their enemies in the bottome of the deepe Againe for vs of the Gentiles when wee were in bondage vnto Satan who did imploy vs in filthy workes which it is a shame to speake and had power ouer our selues and children so that we were all but dead men dead in sinnes and condemned to death euerlasting when we were I say in this fearefull estate the Lord sent his own Sonne in the flesh who in the crosse ouercame and triumphed ouer the diuell and made vs free yea sonnes and heires vnto God the Father of a kingdome in heauenly places If therefore thou doest either reuerence the commander the most high and mighty if equitie be of any force with thee to giue euery one his due and if thou abhorre the infamous note of ingratitude then tremble to shew any disloyalty any way to the Lord be ashamed to deny the best of all his due and study by all meanes to shew thy selfe thankefull for so great benefits Deny not him that gaue thee beeing with the Atheist neglect nor diuine knowledge with the ignorant bee not loosely minded towards Gods worship with the prophane rob not God of his honour with the Couetous Epicures Selfe-louers and Papists but giue vnto the Lord the loue of all thy heart feare him aboue all put thy whole trust in his holy name and make thy prayers vnto him onely Quest 58. In which words is the second Commandement and which is the reason Answ The second Commandement is Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image nor the likenesse of any thing that is in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath or in the water vnder
also doe the more priuate workes of our callings so that we obserue the times of publike meetings and giue no scandall to our brethren nor offence to our Gouernours Secondly in regard of more free recreations in which wee may now exercise our selues all waies excepting the times of publike prayer Thirdly in regard of speeches and thoughts out of the publike times we may in some conuenient sort and measure talke of our worldly affaires and deuise in our thoughts for the best for them If any doe otherwise esteeme ordinary holy daies appointed by men hee doth derogate from the dignity of the Lords day as they of the Church of Rome which make more account of some Saints dayes then of the Lords day it selfe and are more carefull then to exercise their deuotion and tyrannise in their strict censures more remisse and licentious vpon this most holy day Quest 81. What is the sinne by this commandement forbidden Answ All prophaning of the Sabbath day Which is first by doing workes that are not of present necessitie by iournying by idle resting or absenting our selues about worldly businesses from the publike duties of Gods seruice Secondly by forgetfulnesse of the Sabbath vpon the sixe dayes by which wee often bring vpon our selues a necessitie of prophaning the same Thirdly when being parents or gouernours we leaue our children pupills and seruants to their owne liberty vpon this day Labour on the Sabbath Explan The sinnes against this Commandement I referre to three heads the first whereof is a direct and the greatest prophaning of the Lords day 1. For labour vnlesse wee be necessarily called heereunto such as it is only then when it is a necessary worke of mercy as hath been already shewed it is the most direct breaking of the Sabbath and taketh away the very nature of it because the Sabbath is the rest And how great a sinne this is the Lord hath sundry waies made knowne vnto his people the Iewes Which motius though they bind not vs in the same rigor as the Iewes were of old yet they are a good inducement to vs to stirre vp our reuerence vnto Gods ordinance and our care to obserue the Christian Sabbath though not in any ceremonious degree of stricktnesse yet in conuenient decency and sequestration of our selues such as may stand with Christian liberty How close the Iewes well held by God to the precise obseruation appeareth Reas 1 1. By his seuere poenall lawes against all labour though neuer so honest Exod. 31.15 and lawfull in it selfe Whosoeuer doth any worke vpon the Sabbath shall die the death Reas 2 2. How much the Lord is displeased with working vpon this day is made knowne by his iudgements executed vpon some in their prophane working He that gathered stickes was stoned to death the Israelites were held captiue in Balon seuenty yeares for their working vpon the Sabbaths Numb 15.32 Ier. 25. that the land might enioy her Sabbaths and sundry examples tending to the same purpose haue been already brought amongst the arguments for our Sabbath which I spare to repeate referring the reader thither 3. How displeasing to the Lord it is to worke vpon this day appeareth by his prouidence for the rest heereof rather then any worke should be done euen about their daily food he sendeth the Israelites Manna enough for two dayes the day before the Sabbath Exod. 16. and whereas at other times the Manna would putrifie and be full of wormes if they kept any of it vntill the morrow after they had gathered it now they did keepe it sweet and good all the next day Reas 4 4. The working vpon the Sabbath hath been at all times condemned by all good men endued with Gods Spirit Moses is most earnest in many places against it Nehem. 13. Nehemiah threatned to punish the Merchants that came to Ierusalem to sell their wares vpon the Sabbath dayes and Esay Ieremy and the rest of the Prophets doe all of them put to their helping hands to roote out this sinne of working vpon the Sabbath day Wherefore if thou makest conscience of stealing because the Lord hath forbidden it make conscience also of doing the workes of thy calling vpon the Sabbath because God hath so strictly forbidden it so seuerely iudged it so carefully prouided against it and stirred vp so many holy men to beate downe this grosse abuse 2. For iournying I shall not need to adde any thing because it hath been specially intreated of already what iourney is allowed and what a breach of the Sabbath Only wee may take with vs this one memorandum that the Lord hath so precisely forbidden trauaile as that he hath charged Exod. 16.29 Tarrie euery man in his place and let no man goe out of his place vpon the seuenth day viz. about his worldly vnnecessary busines though it may seeme vnto thee to bee time gained so that thou shalt not bee hindred now from thy worke vpon the weeke day or though it may seeme otherwise to redound to thy benefit Let them consider this that forecast to make their iourneyes specially vpon the Lords day surely this wisdome commeth not from aboue but from the deuill whose thou art Iohn 8 44. whilest thou doest his will 3. For idle resting and sitting at home all day or most part of the day Idle resting when others assemble themselues to the worship of God or sleeping and lying longer in bed in the morning so that a man cannot prepare himselfe fitly and come in due time to the place of Gods publike worship this is also a most vnworthy vsage of a mans selfe vpon the Lords day He that doth thus like the vaine eccho resoundeth the last word of the Lords precept Thou shalt Sanctifie the Sabbath taking onely Sabbath an idle resting vnto himselfe and therefore as idle watchmen appointed ouer Gods people that see the enemy comming and danger at hand yet doe onely sit still and behold it but sound no trumpet to giue them warning shall be so farre from any reward of their office that the peoples bloud shall be required at their hands so these idle Sabbath-keepers shall be so farre from the blessing attending vpon such as sanctifie a Sabbath as that they shall bee called to account for this pretious time lost through their idlenesse and the vsurpation of that to their owne ease which they were bound to spend to Gods glory Let all therefore that would consecrate this day as glorious to the Lord flie this idlenesse and learne of Nehemiah to rise early in the morning at the least in their hearts to sanctifie the Lords day and duly repaire whilst God inableth to the place of publike meetings otherwise to keepe holy-day at home as his infirmities permit 4. For absence from the publike duties there bee many that content themselues to sit at home Absence from Church and reade some good prayers and other good bookes especially if the weather be but a little
Disobedience Touching the sins against this Commandement they are of two sorts as the duties were 1. Of Inferiours 2. Of Superiours The sinne of Inferiours is irreuerence that is to be without that awfull regard which ought to be towards Superiours and it may be referred to these heads 1. Disobedience and refusing to doe and to bee ruled thus stubborne and vnruly children and seruants sinne greatly and stubborne people that will not yeeld to follow the directions of Ministers they were by Gods censure all subiect to the same most fearefull punishment viz. to bee stoned to death For it was the plaine Law of God touching children See before in their duties to parents Deut. 21.18 And for people it was commanded Thou shalt doe according to all that they that is Deut 17.10.11 12. the Priests and Leuites teach thee According to the Law that they teach thee thou shalt not decline neither to the right hand nor to the left And that man that will doe presumptuosly not harkning to the Priest shall dye Thus people that obey not the wholsome lawes of the Magistrates sinne greatly and if any refuse to be ordered by them they resist the ordinance of God Rom 13.2 and are specially threatned that they shall receiue to themselues condemnation Quest Is it a sinne then in any thing to doe contrary to the Kings lawes for examples sake to eate flesh in Lent or vpon Fridayes Answ If the intent of this Law were that euery one should vse this abstinence without exception it were a sinne to disobey vnlesse necessity did compell but the chiefe politique intent being that Fisher-men might haue vtterance for their fish and so be encouraged for the good of the Common-wealth as the title of that Law sheweth and that young things might in Lent be preserued and not spent before they come to some age and greatnesse if this bee obserued and the Law be not purposely crossed I take it that it is no sinne of disobedience against the higher powers in regard of the ciuill and politicall prohibition and the like is to be thought of all other statute-lawes their intent and scope must be duly by all good subiects obserued Quest It is a sin for children to disobey their Parents by deuoting themselues in their youth to any religious course or order or without or contrary to their liking Numb 30.1 Math 15.4 Answ Yea doubtlesse for God hath taken order that such a vow as vnlawfull should be counted of no force It is therfore meerely pharisaicall in the Romanists that in this case allow nay commend disobedience of young and ignorant children in deuoting themselues to any Monasticall order though to the great offence of Parents 2. Fraudulent and deceitfull obedience Thus seruants sin when they obey and vse diligence in their masters sight Deceitfulnes but are slothfull and negligent behinde their backs they rob and steale from them taking meat drinke and wages to doe their worke with diligence but contrariwise neglect it and prefer their own ease they can haue but cold comfort when they looke to the great Lord of all Christ Iesus that seeth all their sloth and deceit 3. Deriding and scoffing at Superiours as Ham mocked at his father Noah for which he was accursed in himselfe Gen. 9. Deriding Superiours and posterity This is a common vice in wayward youth when they are taught any thing that is good or admonished of their vanity if not openly which they dare not yet in heart they mocke at the admonitions of Parents Masters and Ministers But see what a cutse of God is out against them Pro. 30.17 The eye that mocketh his father and despiseth the instruction of his mother let the Rauens of the valley picke it out and the young eagles eate it This irreuerent scoffing neuer escaped Gods punishing hand The children that mocked Elisha 2 King 2. calling him Bald-pate were suddenly torne in pieces by Beares to two forty of them The Ephraimites that mocked Iphtah and his Gileadites calling them runagates of Ephraim were slaine to two forty thousands Nahash with his Ammonites 1 Sam. 11. that mocked at the conditions of peace offered by tbe men of Iabesh Gilead saying that if they might put out euery mans right eye and bring that shame vpon Israel they should haue peace were all slaine scattered so as that not two of them were left together And what fearefull end the Iewes came to that mocked at Christ and the holy Apostles wee all know Feare therefore to scoffe at any good man but much more at such as thou oughtest to reuerence for his place and function Cursing Superioâ—rs Exod. 21.17 Exod. 22.28 4 Cursing and backbiting Superiours Hee that curseth Father or Mother shall die the Death And the Lord expressely commandeth Thou shalt not raile vpon the Iudge nor speake euill of the Ruler of the people Thus therefore children seruants people that let loose their tongues against their Gouernors to curse and raile vpon them take the right way to bring Gods curse vpon themselues Numb 23 Balaams case shall be easier at the last day then theirs for he durst not curse where God forbade him 5 Irreuerent gestures towards Superiours in any particular mentioned before in the duty Too much obedience to Superiours Now as this Law is broken by detracting and taking away from the reuerence of Superiours so their is a sinne in ouer reuerencing them 1 If obedience be absolute without respect to Gods will for there we must say with the Apostle Acts 4.19 Wee must rather obey God then men If Parents or Masters bid thee lye steale worke vpon the Sabbatth or the like for their gaine thou must in all modesty deny so to doe If Kings and Rulers command Idolatry Superstition or Heresie obey not lest escaping their hands thou fall into the hands of the Lord. Quest Whether is a Minister of Gods Word being forbidden to preach by the Magistrate to forbeare to execute this his office of Preaching seeing the Apostle did not though straightly charged Ministers suspended may not preach Answ The ordinary Ministers of these times are bound in this case to obey the Magistrate as touching the publike execucution of their office because that howsoeuer they haue an inward calling from God yet their outward to the publike place is from man or by man and may againe bee taken away by man but it was not so with the Apostles who as the other Ministers of those times were immedialy and extraordinarily set a worke by God onely The onely preaching that they may now in this case exercise is by way of conference and exhortation in priuate prouided alwayes that it be not contrary but as the Law doth allow otherwise the power is resisted Here we may see what the Anabaptists are that are enemies to authority viz. euen a sinagogue of fantastick braine-sick soules enemies to Gods ordinance and so are many other humorus
people of these times who though in word they acknowledge the higher powers yet in practise they doe not seeing all their opinions and practises in matter of religion are still to disgrace authoritie and gouernment hereby established both Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall I know that many of them are zealous persons but they are zealous as the Apostle saith to the Galathians amisse Oh that they would weigh that next vnto zeale towards God is zeale to Gods vicegerents and where they are ill spoken of and despised in the heart as it is where their wayes of gouernment are impugned there can hardly be right zeale towards God it being a marke of such as are ordained to damnation to despise gouernment Iude vers 8. and to speake euill of those that be in authority Acts 12. Secondly Superiours are ouer reuerenced by ascribing too much vnto them and extolling them too highly as the people are noted to haue done to Herod saying the voyce of God and not of man whereat the Lord was so displeased that hee strook him with an horrible death and as the Popes flatterers extoll him calling him alterum deum in terris another God vpon earth and Dominum Deum papam the Lord God the Pope with other the like blasphemous appellations 1. Cor. 11.1 Thirdly by making them absolute patterns to be followed in all things for it is no excuse for people liuing in sinne to say they follow their minister or for children to follow parents or subiects their Princes for examples of the greatest are no further to be followed but as they follow Christ as Paul speaketh of himselfe Follow mee as I follow Christ Iesus The blind guide and he that followeth him shall both fal into the ditch 4. By preposterous obseruance towards them in the Congregation which is when we rise vp to great persons being in the very act of Gods worship this is absurd as much as if wee should say by thy leaue Lord a little heere commeth a greater then thou for why else dost thou rise if he be greatest and most worthy whom thou dost now worship Wherefore looke not for nay suffer not this absurd honour to be done vnto you yee great persons parents and masters vnlesse ye would part stakes with God yea be better accounted of whilst men rise off their knees to God to bow vnto you 5. By our humble prostrating the body vnto them as vnto God Acts 10. Saint Peter forbad this vnto Coâ—nelius and the Angels raised vp Daniel and Saint John prohibiting this kind of reuerence to be done by one fellow-seruant to another This gesture where it proceedeth from religious humiliation and worship commeth very neare the brinkes of open Idolatrie and cannot but incurre that reprehension Take heed thou doest iâ— not But in ciuill worship performed to Kings I dare not condemne the lowest prostrations whereas I see in the Scripture that such gestures were vsually exhibited to the most pious Kings 2. Sam. 14.22 So Ioab to Dauid fell to the ground on his face and bowed himselfe Yet could I wish that Christian Princes in their piety and by their authoritie would enact a difference betweene the signes of reuerence yeeldable to the heauenly and the earthly Maiesty that there might bee some outward as well as inward adoring gesture appropriated to Gods worship vtterly vncommunicable to any mortall man though bearing the image of God and exercising a vice-gerency of his Soueraignty What is to be thought of childrens kneeling to their parents morning and euening to aske their blessing Answ Kneeling to aske blessing I take it that this custome is lawfull and grounded vpon this Commandement Honour thy father and mother that they may prolong thy daies that is by their blessing which in godly parents hath euer been accounted a sacred â—â—ing Therefore Isaac would giue his blessing to his sonne Esau before his death and Iacob to his children and the children of I seph which examples though they were extraordinary as farre as they were speciall prophesies yet they shew it to bee a very ancient and laudable custome and of excellent vse for children to aske and parents to giue their blessing vnto them because as their curse hath alwaies been ominous to wicked children and disobedient that is such as hath bin followed with Gods curse so their blessing hath been auspicious that is such as hath been followed with Gods blessing vpon good children and obedient And the like is to be thought of the blessing of spirituall parents that it hath vertue by Gods ordinance annexed vnto it and therefore is not to bee neglected but reuerently to be receiued before that wee depart the congregation For kneeling vnto parents and vnto Princes if it be but as vnto men it is as lawfull as any other low bowing vnto them for nothing can bee pressed against the one but it alike impugneth the other if it bee otherwise intended by way of religious adoration as some Heathen Emperours haue taken vpon them the honour of Gods it is Idolatrous The sinnes of Superiours And hitherto of the sinnes of inferiours Superiours sinne against this commandement by too much austerity and rigor or by too much remissenes Their sinne may be referred to these heads 1. Cruelty and threatning for this is most vniust and vnequall for the reuerence and seruice which seruants and children doe to their parents and masters wherefore it is forbidden Yee masters doe the same things to them Ephes 6.9 putting away threatning knowing that euen your master is in heauen and there is no respect of persons with him Thou doest rather represent the deuill who striketh feare into men and terror in thus doing then God whose Image thou shouldest beare 2. Denying them things conuenient meat drinke cloth resting time and recreation which may be sufficient Heere is Mammon serued indeed whilst to get wealth thou dealest so vnworthily with thy family euen wringing it out of their flesh and spirits which thou doest thus pinch and beate downe that they cannot be so seruiceable to Church or common-wealth They shall crie against thee to heauen and their crie shall bee heard if being weary of their liues through thy hard vsage they shall doe any mischiefe to themselues or others or runne head-long into any forlorne course through griefe and despaire thou art guiltie of their sinne because thou haste driuen them to it 3. Prodigally wasting all or most part of thy estate without any prouidence for posteritie or care to reward the extraordinary paines of thy houshold seruants 2. Tim. 5.8 If there bee any that prouideth not for his owne and namely for them of his houshold he denieth the faith and is worse then an infidell 4. Neglecting the good education of youth through the want of teaching or praying for them and inuring them to good duties and by leting passe grosse sinnes and disorder without due correction Heauy will their account be for this at
vnnaturall Sinne that can bee in the world and therfore because other meanes of punishment is taken away the law doth brand the dead carcasse with infamous buriall 2. It is also the most dangerous and vnrecouerable except the sinne against the holy Ghost for it seldome giueth any time of repentance and perhaps more seldome any probability Hee that dyeth thus dyeth alas in Satans worke and I feare me in Satans hands Yet I presume not to confine Gods extraordinary and boundles mercy that can reach it selfe forth inter â—ontem fontâ—m after voluntary headlong percipice I deny not this to be possible But O dreadfull tryall of this ballance which in probability weigheth down so heauy on the other side as to presse wretched man to hell it selfe Distressed Brother art thou tempted to this hellish and monstrous sinne Gather thy strength vnto thee say Auoid Satan if thou tell mee I shall notwithstanding bee saued commending my soule to God when I dye say thou art a lyar and the father of lyes for the truth saith â—f a righteous man turneth from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity in the sinne wherein he is found he shall surely dye If hee telleth thee that thou shalt thus end thy sorrowes say thou art heerin a lyar also Satan I shall passe thus rather from sorrow to greater sorrow from temporall woe to eternall to be gnawed vpon by the worme that neuer dyeth and to bee burned with the fire that neuer goeth out If it be said there are some that dye thus Obiect 2. Selfe-murther â—â— pâ—eseruâ— vertue inuiolate August de Ciuit Dâ—i to preserue vertue vnuiolate as Lucretia to preserue her chastity and certaine Matrons of Rome of whom S. Augustine writeth and some that they may be glorious Martyrs as the Donatists of old holding that if they could procure death to themselues they should immediately passe to glory in heauen Sol. They are all in the same dangerous and demnable plight notwithstanding without extraordinary and euen miracu-repentance they perish as guilty of their owne death Read S. Augustine in the same place excellently setting forth the vice of Lucretia which by the Heathen was commended for a vertue 2. Murthereing of other men 2. Vniust blood-shâ—d This is vniustly to shed the bloud of any man by any meanes whatsoeuer First I say it is an vniust shedding of bloud because there is a shedding of bloud that is no sin as of the bloud of creatures which are giuen vnto man for meat or which are any way noysome vnto him contrary to the Tacian heresie which denyed it to be lawfull to kill any thing Againe there is s shedding of the bloud of man which is no sinne viz. when it is done iustly by such persons as to whom it doth belong and this is by the Magistrate or at his appointment onely and that by iust proceedings for Hee â—eareâ—h not the sword in vaine Rom. 13.4 but is Gods Minister to take vengeance on those that doe euill And it is so necessary for them to put to death where there is iust and necessary cause as that if they spare Gods curse will follow for the Lord hath expressly taught Num. 35.33 that bloud defileth the land and the land cannot be clensed of the bloud that is shed therein but by the bloud of him that shed it And on the other side if they put to death vniustly through malice or for any priuate reuenge they are murtherers for so far forth only may they reuenge by death as they are Gods Ministers set a worke by him Ioh. 21.15 Whence we may see that heathen Kings persecuting the poor Christians to the death were murtherers and in like manner are such as be in authority in the Church of Rome that doe diuersly murther the poore people of God by burning by the sword and by cutting their throats in butcherly manner only for following a righter and more holy way then is allowed amongst them Peter of whose succession they brag so much durst not so to haue turned his maisters charge Feed my sheepe feed my lambs into killing them though they had run out of the fold He would not haue taken heart vpon so sleighty a ground Act. 10. vp Peter kill an eate as some doe to iustifie this killing of the poore sheepe of Christ nay to murther or expose to murther Gods Anointed Lastly there is another iust cause of shedding bloud viz. in lawfull and iust wars and in defence of a mans owne life for iust warres are called the Lords battels 2 Chron. 20.15 as Iehoshaphat encouraging his men saith The battle is not yours but Gods But some make doubt whether it be lawfull for Chrstians to wage warre Answ This is the fancy of the Anabaptists whose follies are easily refuted out of their own furies and ourages in Germany where they that impugned lawfull warre and Magistracy made vse in their rebellions of that which themselues disauowed namely the Sword And as for the vocation of a Souldier surely Iohn Baptist when the Soldiers came vnto him Luk. 3.14 demanding of him What shall we doe Did not answer them that they must of necessity cast off their Swords if they would be the seruants of God but rather aduised theÌ„ to remaine still the Military seruants of Caesar else what place can those precepts haue Do violence to no man neither accuse any falsly be content with your wages Another frenzy of the same sect denieth all vse of the sword at home in time of peace by way of ciuil iustice as if it were against Christian perfection put any man to death by the hand of publike authority though for neuer so grieuous a crime tending to the dissolution of humane society and defacing the Image of God Alas frantique soules that in hatred of Murther maintaine Murther Shall he that hath murthered one man be suffered by suruiuing to embrue his hands with the guiltlesse blood of more Our Sauiour himselfe whose nearest Disciples these saintly innocents would seeme to bee expressly pronounced this law of Iustice Math. 2â— 52 They that take the Sword shall perish by the Sword That is priuate auengers that wring the sword out of the Magistrates hand to vsurpe the vse of it for their own passions must expect to feele the edge of it and to be cut off by it This publique reuenge is so far from being a sinne that as euen now I shewed it is a necessary duty in him that beareth the Sword If this Sword had no edge or were not imployed vpon iust occasion verily it were borne in vaine Obâ—ect But the Apostle Paul say they speaketh of Heathen not Christian Magistrates I answer hee speaketh of Magistrates as Magistrates generally of all whether Heathen or Christian Is not a Christian King Gods ordinance Gods Minister Doe we not owe tribute and honour to Christian Kings as well as to heathen Surely much more Are there not that
killing of Christ Act. 8.1 though hee washed his hands and â—aul vnto the killing of Steuen 3. He that concealeth as is set downe in the case of a man found slaine whose murtherer is vnknowne the Elders of the City nearest shall purge themselues of the guilt of this bloud by washing their hands and saying Deut. 21.7 our hands haue not shed this bloud neither haue our eyes seene it so that if any had seene it and not reuealed the murther hee had made himselfe guilty of murther Now this murther is so odious before God as that hee which doth it must die without any fauour yea Exod. 21.14 if he flieth to the Sanctuary he shall be pulled away from thence for thou shalt take him from mine altar saith the Lord and put him to death Whence we may see how great the Popes presumption is in giuing pardon for grosse murders to such as flie to any popish sanctuary 1 Murther a most grieuous sinno But iustly hath the Lord appointed this seuere punishment first because murther is the destruction of a little world as man is rightly called wherein the wonderfull wisdome power and mercy of God doth as much appeare 2. Because it is the defacing of Gods image which is in euery man betwixt which and the clipping of the Kings coine hauing his image there is no comparison 3. Because it is an incroching vpon Gods office to whom alone it belongeth to cal men when it pleaseth him out of this world 4. Because it is the greatest breach of loue and peace and so the greatest sinne against man Iohn 8.44 Gen. 4. Whence it is that Christ entitleth the Deuill a murtherer as by his proper name and how secretly soeuer murther bee committed it is noted aboue all other to be a crying sinne Cains murther cried to Heauen against him The Egyptians murther made amongst the Iewes children cried against them The sin of the rich denying the hire of the poore cryed to Heaven and this is a kind of murther also Iames 5.4 in these places we reade of sinnes that are crying for vengeance to shew that murther of all sinnes is the most crying sinne so that the murther shall not rest but if man reuengeth not God will if man cannot know it God will make it knowne sometime making the dead body to bewray the murtherer somtime the birds and sometime the murtherers owne conscience And hitherto of the head sinne against this Law 2 Against quarrelling A second sinne here is the next degree vnto murther all iniury done vnto our neighbor tending to the preiudice of his life 1. By striking and fighting in priuate vniust quarrelling whereby it commeth to passe that an eye or tooth is lost the head the face or the arme is bruized or broken or some other part of the body hurt The Lord prouideth for the punishment hereof Eye for eye tooth for tooth Exod. 21.24 hand for hand and to pay the charges of the party stricken during the time of the healing 2. By grinding the faces of the poore in selling and letting without all conscience in diminishing their hire or in taking their meanes away from them this is also called oppression Esay 1.15 by which rich mens hands are filled with bloud and such an oppressing bloudy sin as that it shall escape no more then actuall murther when the poore cry out vnder this burthen Exod. 22.24 the Lord threatneth that his wrath shall be kindled and he will kill them that vse it 3. By vsing any outward meanes of impairing our neighbours life or health as if the Phisitian or Chirurgion shall deale falsely with his patient giuing him rather things against then for his health that he may be the longer vnder his hands or hauing no skil or but little shall pretend skill sufficient and so keepe him to the indangering of his health and life from such as bee more skilfull and likewise if the Apothecarie through a greedy desire of gaine or by neglect shall giue one thing for another vnwholsome improper ingredients in stead of the prescribed here is not only a wicked deceit but a degree of murder And as it is in regard of others so also is it in regard of a mans owne selfe if he shall by any meanes willingly impaire his owne health rather choosing to indanger his life in time of sicknes then that he will be at charge for the meanes of recouerie in the time of health rather staruing through idlenesse then working or on the contrary side following drunkennes surfeting and whoring to the breeding of noisome diseases in his body thus and whatsoeuer way else he taketh to the preiudice of his owne life besides his sinne against other Commandements he is guilty of selfe murther 3 Against railing speeches The third sinne is to raile and reuile in speeches although no stroke is giuen for this is also a degree of murther Christ himselfe being Iudge where speaking of murther hee saith Whosoeuer shall say vnto his brother Matth. 5.22 Racha shall be worthy to bee punished by a Counsell and whosoeuer shall say Thou foole shall be in danger of hell fire Prou. 12.18 For rayling and bitter words are like the pricking of swords and therefore are not only forbidden but all appearance hereof by crying out aloud Ephes 4.31 where the Apostle biddeth to put away anger euill speaking and crying And good reason that this should be forbidden here as a degree of murther seeing experience teacheth that of words blowes doe commonly arise 4 Against malice hatred and enuy The fourth sin is to haue murtherous affections of malice hatred and enuy against our brother or but the first degree hereof vnaduised anger for to preuent the height of these euill affections the Lord threatneth such as bee vnaduisedly angry as culpable of iudgement and Saint Iames saith Matth 5.22 Matth. 5.22 Iames 1.20 that the anger of man doth not worke the righteousnes of God This vnaduised anger is heate arising in vs vpon some priuate iniurie done vnto vs or to our friend pricking vs forward to reuenge and this may well be said not to worke the righteousnes of God because it setteth not a man the right way but contrary to that which the Lord hath appointed vs saying Rom. 12 19. Ephes 4.26 Vengeance is mine and I will repay it There is a kind of anger which is commanded Be angry but sinne not but this is not an humane but holy anger and hath these properties First Properties of holy anger 1. Against sin it is only against sinne and not against that which is a priuate displeasure done vnto vs. Such was the anger of Moses when as comming from the Lord with the tables of the law in his hands seeing the idolatry of the people he threw them downe not being able to hold when he saw God thus highly dishonoured 2. It is onely because God is offended
sinfull course of life which they might haue amended in them by teaching charging reprouing and requiring better things at their hands and leading them on by a good example For this as hath been shewed is their dutie as it is to furnish them with things necessary for the bodily life and therefore as in the denying of these they which are vnder their gouernment perishing their blood shall be laid to their charge so is it when they deny them meanes necessary for their soules and much more if they giue them the poyson of bad counsell or bad example this murthering of soules shal be charged vpon them 3 Neighbours And lastly euery neighbour that giueth his neighbour drinke to make him drunken that stirreth vp one against another to sighting and quarrelling and generally if hee enticeth to any sinne or doth countenance and fauour and defend it to the heartning of a man on therein euery of these waies he is the cause of the destruction of his neighbour and shall answer as a soule-murtherer For this is taxed in Gods word as an high offence Habbac 2.15 Woe be to him that giueth his neighbour drinke that is to make him drunken and it is set downe as an height of sinne Rom. 1.31 Which not onely doe such things but fauour such as doe them And good reason seeing euery man is bound to keepe his neighbour as much as in him lieth from sinne otherwise he is censured as hating his brother For Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart Leuit. 19.27 saith the Lord but rebuke him plainely â—nd not suffer him to sinne Oh then how shall hee answer it that prouoketh his brother to sinne without doubt hee shall be iudged as an hater yea a murtherer of his brother at the last day Quest 93. What is here commanded Answ Out of the loue that we beare to our neighbour as much as in vs lieth to preserue his life and health and specially the life of his soule by good counsell exhortations admonitions and the like Explan The duty here commanded ariseth from the consideration of the sinne forbidden for if it be forbidden to murther then it is commanded to saue life because he that saueth not life when it is in his power is guilty of murther Now as murther is either of a mans own self or of another man so the duty that we may be free from the guilt of any murther is to endeauour to saue both a mans owne life and the life of another man 1 To saue our owne life by flying in time of danger First then thou art here bound to preserue thine owne life by the vse of all lawfull meanes 1. In the time of danger flying from one place to another whether the danger bee by persecution as Dauid was indangered by Saul and therefore fled from him and as Athanasius an holy father of the Church hid himselfe a long time when he was sought for to the death by the Arians and as Eliah long before fled from Jezabel 1. King 19. or if the danger be by famine as Abraham Isaack Iacob Naomi and other holy persons haue commonly done or if there be danger by the plague the chiefe cure of which deuouring euill next to repentance is to change the aire and that speedily not in an opinion to be safe from Gods stroake but in obedience to his wil who would haue vs to preserue our liues by all lawfull meanes in the time of danger And a principall ground of all this is that commandement of our Sauiour Matth. 10.23 If they persecute you in one City flie into another and the speciall command vnto Eliiah in the time of famine 1. King 17. Gen 12. Gen. 20. and the Lords manifest approbation of Abrahams flying then comforting him and taking his part against Kings If it be demanded but may Ministers flie in the plague-time and leaue their people Answ That Ministers may flie in time of danger Without doubt they may if it bee Gods will to preserue themselues for the greater good of the Church whereas if they should harden themselues and stay amongst the infected there were apparant danger of being cut off and so to bee preuented of doing further good in the Church 2. By vsing lawful meane in times of sicknesse Esay 38.21 Secondly in the time of sicknes keeping thy selfe warme and taking such things as whereby thou mayest be freed from the matter of thy disease and by Gods blessing bee restored Thus Hezâ—chiah that was sick vnto the death is bidden to take a â—umpe of drie figs and lay it vpon the boile 3. To defend our selues with our best force Thirdly being set vpon by wicked men or by the enemy defending our selues with our best forces 4. By vsing lawfull recreation Fourthly by vsing lawfull recreation at lawfull times by some extraordinary motion of the body or otherwise chearing our minds and spirits with the vse of pleasant pastimes that are in themselues indifferent Such is shooting of which mâ—ntion is made in the holy Scriptures â— Sam. 1.18 He bad them teach the children of Israel to shoote as it is written in the booke of Jasher And Musicke Nehem. 7.67 Iudges 14 9. vnto which many were brought vp and propounding of riddles and the like But heere is no tolleration for gaming meerely for gaine which in stead of recreating distempereth the mind and body and is commonly accompanied with many foule sinnes To preserue another mans life 1. By almes-deeds Iob 3 9. For the life of another man This is preserued 1. By almes deeds where necessity doth require for thus Iob saith that hee had not seene any perish for want of cloathing c. and some there are in this danger continually vnlesse they be relieued and he that seeth it and hath wherewithall to helpe them but doth not if they perish is guilty of their death 2. To helpe in time of danger 1. King 18.13 2. By rescuing and helping a man in any danger as Obadiah hid the Prophets of the Lord in caues to saue them from Ahab and Iezabel in time of persecution 3 By patience and meâ—knes 3. By patience and meekenesse preuenting quarrels and bloudshed that doth otherwise often times follow The parts of this gentlenes and meekenes are 1. Soft answers when any meanes be vsed to prouoke vs Prou. 15.1 for a soft answer putteth away strife Dauids fury was calmed when Abigail came vnto him with gentle and pleasing words and without doubt seruants and children might escape many cruell blowes if they would frame their tongues to this soft answering 2. A stayed temper of affections whereby wee are not suddenly moued and for trifling matters neither doe wee keepe our anger as hath beene shewed already Be slow to anger and let not the sunne goe downe vpon thy wrath for thus is this dangerous sinne preuented which for want of this stayd temper many doe
any one of which sheweth this sinne to bee abominable to all Christians that are not of feared consciences and altogether without feeling of Gods grace towards them Gen. 38. And it is to be noted that whatsoeuer difference hath been put betwixt the punishment of this and adultery yet it appeareth euen before Moses his Law this sin was death for when Thamar Iudahs daughter in law had played the harlot Iudah hearing of it commanded that shee should bee brought forth and be burnt to death Gal. 5.19 And amongst the Turkes they are punished with eighty stripes and how slightly soeuer these sinnes of fornication and adultery bee passed ouer amongst men in these miserable times there is a greater punishment then a thousand bodily deaths expressly threatned heereagainst viz eternall death for he that doth these things saith S. Paul shall neuer enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Gen. 6. Secondly this ranketh them with men of the old world who are said to haue taken wiues of al that they liked that is by bruitish and inordinate comming together with them before they tooke them and with vncircumcised Shechem who first defloured Dinah and then would haue married her Gen. 34. but he smarted for it hee and all the men of the City being slaine therefore Thirdly this is a continuall heart-smart and griefe vnto them euen when they behold that which otherwise would be one of their greatest worldly comforts viz. their first-borne or any other in what number soeuer being the fruit of the body whom when they behold they hehold their sinne and if contrariwise it be a ioy as it is to many woe is vnto them the guilt of their sinne is yet vpon them Against Incest Or the Act of vncleannesse is committed with a neere kinswoman viz. the Aunt the Sister or the Wiues Sister c. and this is Incest Leu 20.10.11 whether it be in marriage or out of marriage and so heinous is this that death is appointed for a punishment heereof 1. Cor. 5.1 When Saint Paul heard that one among the Corinthians had taken his Fathers wife he detested it as abominable and so abominable as that the like was not heard of among the Gentles and ceaseth not till he had caused him to bee excommunicated and cast out of the Church of Gods people How is it a sinne of Incest in a man to marry his brothers wife whereas the Iewes were commanded to rayse vp seed to their childesse brethren how shall these two Lawes bee reconciled The law against Incest is generall binding all people of all countries Answ and perpetuall for euer the law of the brothers taking the brothers wife wanting issue was a speciall exception to this law peculiar to the Israelites and to last but for a time whilst there was a speciall reckoning made of the first borne and of his seed still continuing him as it were aliue thus typifying the first borne amongst many brethren who without hauing any seed further raised vp vnto him doth himselfe remaine aliue for euer Wherefore in no case may the like now be tollerated for it is a foule sinne Polygamy Or the act of vncleanesse is with a second wife in the time of the first for howsoeuer it may seem that there is no direct law against this and because the most holy Patriarchs had many wiues that it is no sinne to haue more wiues together yet now certainely it is no lesse sinne then Adultery in continuall practise to take a second wife Leâ—it 18.18 during the life of the first For first there is a direct Law against it made by God himselfe Thou shalt not take vnto a wife her sister during her life which may also be read one wife vnto another that is a second whilest the first is liuing Otherwise it might be lawfull the wife being dead to marry her sister which is against all equity of these lawes For whatsoeuer woman becommeth any way thy sister Leuit. 18.11.16 thou mayst not marry if she be but the daughter of thy fathers wife begotten by thy father or thy brothers wife and the reason is because she is thy sister onely such an one as is called sister but is not viz. the daughter of thy fathers wife begotten by another husband mayst thou marry But thy wiues sister is thy sister and therefore it is vnlawfull to marry her though thy wife be dead whence it followeth that this law must be vnderstood as being against Bygamie which is hauing two wiues together though they be not sisters but strangers one to the other 2. The first institution is against it God making but one man and one woman and why did he make but one saith Malachy because he sought a godly seed 3. There is no expresse and positiue tolleration throughout al the book of God for hauing more wiues together then one Malac. 2 15. but much to the contrary They twaine saith Christ shall be one flesh Matth. 19.5 1. Cor. 7.1 not three or more And To auoyd fornication saith Paul let euery man haue his owne wife and euery woman her owne husband not wiues or husbands And Lamech is branded to be the first that had two wiues Obiect It is not a toleration when Abraham doth hearken to Sarahs voyce willing him to goe in to his maid Hagar and when she being with child by him hath an Angell sent to comfort her in regard of that she went withall And when Nathan telleth Dauid that the Lord had giuen him Sauls wiues and concubines And when Iacob obtained so much fauour in the middest of his wiues and concubines Sol. It seemeth to haue been a secret and implicite toleration to them in particular and so for others of those times but what is that to vs vnder the new Testament The Lord who made the Law can dispense with his Law as it pleaseth him for ends best knowne to himselfe Though it were no sinne in Abraham taking Hagar vpon his wiues motion Socrat. lib. 4. cap. 26. yet it was a sin in the Emperour Talentinian to take Iustina vpon the commendations of his wife Seuera and to make a law to tolerate it in others Though it were no sin in Iacob to take foure wiues and concubines yet it was a sin in the Emperor Charles the Great Whence it appeareth how grosse the impudency of the Pope is who hath taken vpon him to dispense with these sins as with incest in Emanuel King of Portugall who married two sisters and Katherine Queene of England had two brethren and Ferdinand King of Naples married his aunt by the dispensation of Pope Alexander the sixth and Pope Martin the fifth gaue leaue for a man to marry with his owne sister The same may be said of fornication and whoredome the Popes of Rome do generally tolerate it taking tribute of the stewes Lastly there is an act of vncleannes committed without a companion namely by wilfull
as is shewed in the Iewes Ezech. 18.29 saying The way of the Lord is not equall but of their owne waies they thought most highly The weakenesse of the whole man is such as that he is not able to thinke a good thought 2. Cor. 3 5. and as a dead carcasse corrupteth of it selfe and stinketh more and more so a naturall man increaseth in corruption till that he becommeth most vile and runneth on to doe things euen against nature And lastly so apt is he to turne the best meanes into corruption as that Christ himself is made a stumbling blocke hee that was giuen to raise vs vp to heauen Sam. 1. is made an occasion of stumbling and falling the grace of God which appeareth for our saluation is turned into wantonnesse Man assisted by Gods grace and regenerate Thes 3. Man cannot perfectly keepe the law 1 Iohn 3 9. cannot perfectly fulfill the Law but faileth still in many things For though a man be now spirituall and guided by Gods Spirit not to sinne as men naturall according to Saint Iohn yet the flesh the old man corrupt nature is not altogether expelled but remaining for their humiliation and the exercise of grace in their spirituall combate hindreth them from doing perfectly the thing they would and swayeth them oftentimes to the thing they would not Euen as a very dull scholler being excellently taught and much laboured vpon by a most skilful Schoole-master yet through defects of his nature is imperfect in his learning and erreth in exercises of learning sometime in against Orthography sometime in false Latin and sometime in frigid inuention misplacing of words and vsing vnproper words vntill that in continuance of time he comming to perfect age all these faults come to be amended So the scholler taught by Gods Spirit shall at the last namely in patria come to perfection and be without all error and sinne but through the vntowardnesse of his nature cannot here in via doe any exercise but there be faults escaping him 1. Iohn 1.8 Iames 3.1 Rom. 7.21 Hence it is that Saint Iohn saith If we say that we haue no sin we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs and Saint James In many things we sinne all and Paul acknowledged it in himselfe When I would doe good euill is present with me So that both Pelagianisme is to be reiected that teacheth man to be able out of the strength of nature to keepe the Law and semipelagianisme that is Popery teaching that the regenerate are able perfectly to keepe it yea to doe more then it requireth which they call workes of supererrogation Can no man attaine to perfection of righteousnes according to the Law how then is it that some are said to be perfect according to that speech of the Apostle So many as are perfect let vs be thus minded Perfection is two waies to bee vnderstood either as it is opposed to imperfections and wants Perfection two fold and this is perfection of degrees whereby the law is kept without failing in any thing or as it is opposed to hypocrisie and this is perfection of parts whereby what is outwardly professed is inwardly imbraced so that as the outward part maketh a good shew the inward part is also right and sincere And thus Dauid Iosiah and others are said to be perfect and not otherwise and thus euery regenerate man can and doth in some measure approue himselfe for perfect though amidst great weakenesses Quest 107. What is the breach of the Law and the punishment hereof Answ It is firme which if it be but once committed onely and that but in thought it makes the person committing it subiect to Gods eternall curse which is euerlasting death in hell fire the torments whereof are vnspeakable without any end or ease 1. Iohn 3.4 Rom. 7. Explan Next vnto the consideration of mans weakenesse towards the Keeping of the Law commeth to bee considered the punishment due vnto him therefore And here first I say that the breach of the Law is sinne because sinne as Saint Iohn teacheth is a transgression of the Law and without the Law saith Saint Paul sinne is dead And this sinne though it be but one once only committed yea but in thought subiecteth the sinner to the eternall curse of God For that inbred corruption only euen before it breaketh into action maketh all men guilty of death according to that By the offence of one man Rom. 5.18 Iames 2.10 the faule came on all men to condemnation But much more if any man obserue the whole law and yet faile in one point he is guiltie of all as being actually a sinner also Now the punishment which is here said to bee death is otherwise called the curse Deut. 27.26 for cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of the Law to doe them It is called hell fire damnation the second death vtter darkenesse the worme that neuer dieth and fire that neuer goeth out the extremitie being such as that it causeth continuall weeping and gnashing of teeth for sorrow and no one drop of mercy is granted to ease any part of these torments and all this is not for some long time but thousand thousands of yeares and still as farre from end as at the first beginning Quest 108. Is it not iniustice to appoint so great a punishment for euery sinne yea euen for the least Answ It is very iust and right for the Lord to adiudge the very least sinne to hell fire because his marke which is perfect holines set vpon man in his creation is remoued and a marke with the deuils brand is made vpon the soule of the sinner for which it is iust that the deuill and not God should now haue such a soule Mark 7.23 Explan The Lord which is iust in all the waies and righteous in all his workes cannot bee vniust in punishing sinne Therefore this heauy censure against the least sinne cannot but bee most iust and that this may more plainely appeare wee are not to consider of sinne as of an offence meerely whereby a law is broken but as of a blemish whereby the soule is steined and so made vnfit to bee a citizen of heauen where only holines dwelleth and none vncleane thing may enter This blemish also is so great as that it is said to defile the whole man and that with such filthinesse as is most loathsome Now this being the case of any sinner is it not iust with God to condemne him to the place fit for him and much more because he preferreth by sinne Satans bage and cognisance before the Lords Sinne worthy of hell fire Againe euery sinne is an offence against an infinite maiesty euen the smallest as wel as the greatest for the same God which hath said Thou shalt not commit adultery hath said also Iames 2.11 thou shalt not kill He that hath said thou shalt not doe ill hath also said thou shalt
not thinke ill Now according to the greatnesse of the person offended the offence is to be estimated if it be against a temporall King it is a temporall death if against the eternall King it is eternall death in hell For it is not with God as with man whose lawes if they bee broken yet being of diuers sorts onely such as concerns the Kings person are reckoned to be against his Maiesty others against this or that subiect onely but the lawes of God doe all concerne his royall person and any breach is rebellion as Samuel called the sinne of Saul sparing the Amalekites 1. Sam. 15.23 Rebellions is as the sinne of witchcraft and therefore worthy of death and damnation Quest 109. If no man can perfectly keepe the Law wherefore then serueth it The vse of the Law Answ Of excellent vse notwithstanding is the law of God 1. To humble vs in regard of our miserable estate hereby discouered 2. To beare rule of good life vnto vs. 3. To bee a Schoole-master to bring vs to Christ Explan Seeing the end of the Law now is not the perfect obseruing of it in all things without any faile that the doer might so be counted worthy to liue which is impossible it is needefull to bee considered to what end it now serueth Rom. 7.9 And the first is to beate downe pride and to humble the most holy and best men liuing For I was once aliue saith the Apostle without the Law but when the Commandement came sinne reuiued and being more reformed by Gods grace seeing what by the Law he ought to doe and what through infirmitie hee did Verse 24. he crieth out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death And as the Apostle so euery man that hath his eyes open to see into the glasse of the Law and thereby his miserable estate seeth himselfe so wretched sinne being about him to defile him the threatnings of the law before him the flesh behind still putting him forward to sinne aboue him the Lord ready to take vengeance on him and vnder him hell fire the bottomlesse gulfe ready to swallow him vp with the mouth wide open as that hee cannot but ioyne in an holy despaire with the Apostle and condemne himselfe for a most vnworthy wretched sinner And being thus humbled shall he condemne the Law and cast off all care of obedience because it requireth so much more then hee can any way performe Nay hee will the more loue it and admire the perfection of it saying with the same holy Apostle The Law is holy Rom. 7.12.22 and the Commandement is iust and holy and good and I delight in the Law of God concerning the inner man Euen as a student in any Art to the perfection whereof hee cannot attaine such bee the mysteries thereof yet hee is the more rauisht with the loue of it and striueth hard after the perfect knowledge of it and neuer ceaseth He saith not with Esau what is this birth-right vnto mee because hee is tied to an hard taske hereby but with Saint Paul he presseth towards the marke walking that way of good workes which God hath appointed vsing for a rule this holy Law of God Rom. 8. And lastly finding that when he hath done whatsoeuer hee is able he is an vnprofitable seruant worthy of Gods eternall displeasure he is driuen to seeke both meanes of satisfaction for his delinquencies and failes and helpe to doe this hard task vnto which of himselfe he is so vnsufficient and this satisfaction and helpe is the Lord Iesus Christ alone For that which was impossible to the Law in as much as it was weake because of the flesh God sending his owne Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in vs. Gal. 3.24 And thus doe we see the third and last end of the Law viz. to bee a schoolemaster to bring vs vnto Christ and this schoolemaster is both the Ceremoniall law tutoring and teaching by rudiments and figures as little children those that were not come to full age vnder the Gospell and to vs more principally the Morall Law shewing the great neede which wee haue of a Sauiour and driuing vs vnto him as our onely refuge to be made righteous according to that The law was our Schoole-master to bring vs vnto Christ that we might bee made righteous by faith Quest 110 How may wee bee saued from our sinnes Answ Onely by the bloud of Iesus Christ laid hold vpon by a true and liuely faith 1. Iohn 1.7 Explan Being brought to despaire by the sight of our sinnes in the glasse of the Law and of the horrible punishments due therefore it is necessary that wee now looke for a remedy against so great danger as the cunning Chirurgion when he hath searched a festered soare to the bottom applieth himselfe to the Cure And our onely remedie is the bloud of Iesus Christ according to that comfortable speech The bloud of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth from all sinne If all Angels and men should haue done their vttermost to deliuer and saue one soule it were altogether vaine they being all finite the punishment by sinne deserued infinite and therfore such as could neuer bee satisfied for by creatures finite but in an infinite time It pleased the Lord for this cause to send his onely begotten Sonne into the world that whosoeuer belieueth in him should not perish Iohn 3 16. but haue life euerlasting And his bloud doth saue from all sinne 1. By expiation 2. By sanctification Expiation Expiation is the satisfying of Gods wrath due to sin by bearing the heauy burthen thereof and this did the Lord Iesus Phil. 2.8 when he abased himselfe and became obedient to the death euen to the death of the crosse when he redeemed vs from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 1. Iohn 3.16 being made a curse for vs for it is written Cursed is euery one that hangeth on the tree when in loue he laid downe his life for vs. And thus we are by his bloud saued from sin and damnation hereby deserued euen as a condemned person is saued by some other man dying in his stead If it be demanded whether Christ being the Son of God could not haue saued vs by some lesse suffering than death seeing whatsoeuer he endured was of infinite worth I answer that I take it not to be safe affirming or denying this for if we shal say that he could not we should limit his Almightie power if that he could we should call in question his diuine wisdome wherefore I say that he could not so abundantly haue manifested his loue towards vs any other way but by dying for vs and therefore let it suffice to know that hee haâ—h voluntarily and of his owne accord suffered death to deliuer vs from death and damnation
Sanctification Secondly sanctification is the vertuall diffusing of his bloud in our hearts and in euery corner thereof by the working of his holy Spirit to the cleansing of them from sinne so as that it hath no more dominion ouer vs Rom. 6.3.4 For all wee that are baptized into Christ are baptized into his death Wee are buried then with him by baptisme into his death that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so we also should walke in newnes of life Rom. 8. â— 2. Cor. 5.77 And such as are in Christ are described thus Which walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit Jf any bee in Christ hee is a new creature old things are passed away all things are become new It is a vaine thing therefore for any man to perswade himselfe of deliuerance from sinne and death by Christ his bloud vnlesse his conscience bee heereby purged from dead workes of sin in newnesse of life to serue God No price paid for the ransome of a flaue can set him at liberty if he stil beareth a slauish mind that he will serue his old master alwaies neither can any friend though he will die for him that deserueth death saue him if he will still desperately cast himselfe vpon mortall danger nor yet can any water of Iordan clense from the foule leprosie if the precepts of the Prophet bee not obeyed No more can that man be any better then a slaue of the Deuill though Christs precious bloud hath been paid for ransome if hee will still liue the seruant of sinne and of the Deuill neither can he be saued from death though our dearest friend Christ hath once died for man that stil by sinning runneth vpon the danger of death Nor lastly can any be cleansed from the leprosie of sin vnlesse his precepts bee obeyed who onely can and doth direct rightly to vse the streames of his bloud for this end and purpose Oh mad men then that hope for deliuerance from sin but haue sinne ruling and raigning in them How happeneth it that being so wise for things worldly and temporall yee haue no more vnderstanding for things spirituall and eternall How is it that yee looke for deliuerance from death by Christs bloud when no power of this death is seene to mortifie and kill sinne in you What word haue yee What promise of God to build this confidence vpon As verily as God is truth yee haue none at all from God Whence then is the ground of your hope What doe you build your comfort vpon vpon a shadow vpon nothing Bee ashamed in time of this your folly flatter not your selues in vaine yee sinners but lay hold vpon saluation whilest it is offered being sanctified and washed by vertue of Christ his bloud in your hearts so that all iniquity being expelled thence it may by power of the same bloud be expiated and neuer appeare to your condemnation at the day of account Now as Christ his bloud alone purgeth from sinne so it of 〈…〉 must be applied by the sinner vnto his own soule by the hand of faith All the water of all riuers will not make a man cleane vnlesse with hands he bee washed with the water no more will Christ his bloud make cleane the soule vnles with the hand of faith it be applied vnto it For this cause as the bloud of Christ is said to clense from all sinne so faith is said to purge the heart from sinne and to iustifie a sinner That precious bloud purgeth 1. Iohn 3.3 Rom. 3.28 and iustifieth as the cause materiall faith as the cause instrumentall Q. 111. How is faith first begun wrought in the hart Meanes of working Faith Answ Ordinarily by the preaching of the Gospell of Christ the holy spirit inwardly opening the heart to belieue those things that are outwardly preached to the eare Rom. 10.17 Explan Finding that Faith is the instrument of our iustification and saluation it is necessary to consider how or by what meanes this instrument is purchased that if it be wanting it may bee sought here if it bee already attained the meanes and giuer hereof may bee magnified and honoured The meanes therfore I say is the Gospell published and made knowne vnto vs which the spirit opening the heart it beleeueth For Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God and this word thus working faith is the Gospell the Law driueth to despaire the Gospell erecteth by hope the Law threatneth and filleth with feare the Gospell promiseth and filleth with comfort the Law sheweth our miserable estate and what need we haue of a Sauiour the Gospell sheweth a remedy against this misery and pointeth out vnto vs our Sauiour Then must be a kind of faith or assent to belieue the Law also but this is not the Faith by which wee are saued from the Law but when this is and the Gospell is preached euen as a man at deaths dore through extreame sicknesse at the newes of some soueraigne remedy lifteth vp himselfe taketh it and is recouered So the sinner euen dead by the Law at the newes brought in the Gospell of a remedy lifteth vp himselfe with hope and by faith taketh it and is recouered out of his danger And being so sicke of sinne and weake as that he cannot of himselfe doe it the holy spirit is ready holding vp the hand and opening the mouth of the soule to enable it to receiue this wholsom medicine as in the case of Lydia of whoÌ„ it is said that A certaine woman named Lydia Acts 16.14 a seller of purple of the City of the Tbyatirians which worshipped God heard whose hart the Lord opened that she atteÌ„ded to such things as Paul spake Qâ—â—st 112. How is faith encreased Ans Chiefly by prayer reading preaching and hearing of the word and receiuing the Sacraments for if these be well attended we will not be wanting in workes of mercy and righteousnesse Exercises of Faith Rom. 10.14 Explan Of Prayer the Apostle speaketh as of a chiefe fruit and exercise of Faith for How shall they call vpon him saith he in whom they haue not belieued So that if there be faith that setteth a worke presently to pray When the disciples belieued a chiefe care which they had was to be taught to pray wherfore they come to Christ saying Lord teach vs to pray as Iohn also taught his disciples And great reason is there Luke 11.1 that faithfull people should pray often prayer being a proper worke of faith euen as to speake is proper vnto man whence it is that the Kingly Prophet saith I belieued and therefore I spake or prayed as if he should say I had vtterance and therefore I vttered for what difference betwixt the tongue of man and beast but in the speech and what difference betwixt the beleeuer and the atheist if he prayeth not 1. Tim. 4.5 Againe as faith purgeth man so
to receiue them That Beggar is worthy to goe without his almes euen when dole is most bountifully dealt to all that will not offer him-selfe to aske it and put forth the hand to receiue it So grace and mercy being offered from aboue we are worthy to be sent away without it if wee will not put forth the hand daily by hearty prayer to receiue it Thirdly prayer is the applying and actuall putting on of Christ Iesus to couer euery part of our spirituall nakednesse to cure euery wound of our soule and to strengthen euery faculty of our minde Now by sinning wee are subiect daily to make our soules naked to Gods iudgements to wound and hurt our soules and to craze and infeeble our Spirits If we haue faith we haue cloathing medicines cordialls but without this exercise of faith by prayer we are without the vse benefit heereof Wherefore let Prayer be held as a most necessary exercise of the soule and the most excellent of all other whereby it conuerseth and hath familiarity with God as Moses had yea let me bee imprisoned with Peter in the Whales belly in the bottom of the sea with Ionah forsaken of all men with Paul or stoned to death with Steuen by prayer I obtaine the Lords presence and by him more ioy as some of the Martyrs haue found by experience then in the time of freedome from all sufferings insomuch that they haue beene grieued when they haue been taken from the racks and torments Quest 115. I perceiue by that which hath been said that it is necessary to pray as well in prosperity as in aduersity what times therefore are specially to be spent in prayer Answ It is necessary that euery Christian make his prayers solemnly vnto God euery morning and euening sitting down rising vp from euery meale and at all other times as the Spirit moueth or other occasions and necessities doe require to haue the heart lifted vp in prayer The times of Prayer Explan Seeing the necessity and excellency of prayer the times follow to bee considered of which are both generall and speciall Generally we are commanded to pray continually in all thâ—ngs to giue thankes that is by continuall lifting vp of the heart vnto God when we begin to awake to sleepe to read to labor when we walke abroad come into the house when we are in safety in danger by land by sea c. For that which some haue fondly taken vpon them to performe in grosse and outward manner sequestring themselues from all wordly imployment that they might spend their whole time in prayer tying themselues therefore to a great number of prayers or to the rehearsall of the same prayers many times ouer to make vp the number counted sometime by little stones more lately by beads this I say as it is actually and vocally vsed by Monkes and Heretiques commeth too neere the practice of ancient fond heretiques called Euchitae and robbeth a Christian of all opportunities of doing other profitable and necessary duties to and for our brethren yet is there another kinde of continuall prayer well becomming a Christian which is performed in a spirituall manner and is to be intermingled in all the morall and ciuill actions of our life without impeaching or interrupting them namely a perpetuall disposition to lift vp the heart vnto God and to bend and tend in all our actions to the glorifying of his name This by the due exercise of actuall prayers in their times becommeth habituall and extendeth it selfe to all times consecrating the whole course of our liues and endeauours vnto obedience and holinesse The speciall times of Prayer are both of publike and priuate prayers the one subordinate such as is to giue place vnto the other To come to publique prayers The times of publique prayers are the times in vse in the Church of God wherein we liue when it is requisite that we come duely and reuerently together euen as of old they came vp to the Temple at Ierusalem to worship from all partes For though now a dayes there bee no such place of speciall holinesse so that for hauing respect vnto the place we may haue the more hope of being heard in our prayers yet it auaileth much to frequent the assemblies of Gods people vnto prayer The prayers of many made together are like vnto many coales of fire together making the greater heat as saith S. Chrysostome When the Lord would set forth a most strong and powerfull prayer he ioyneth Noah Ezech. 14. Iob Daniel together in his name Wherefore I would to God that all would make more account of publique prayers to come betimes and duely vnto them Peter and Iohn went vp to the Temple to pray euen since the time that in all places God was to be prayed vnto and shall we prefer our prayers at home before prayers there Praying in company and alone The times of priuate prayers of euery person daily to bee made alone and if hee liueth in any society with others also For it is not sufficient that thou prayest alone and in secret if thou liuest in a family or society where more doe vsually come together to prayer neither is it sufficient that thou prayest daily in such company if praying in secret bee omitted Math. 6.6 It is to be feared that he which prayeth in company only makes no better prayers then the Pharisies and shall lose his reward seing that to such as pray in secret it is promised that the Father will reward them openly and on the other side if any man prayeth in secret and neglecteth the ioynt praying with others it is to bee feared that he is left without Gods presence to vaine speculations seeing that hee delighteth not to enioy his presence in the middest of two or three gathered together in his name Exod. 29.39 Wherefore it is necessary to pray daily in secret morning and euening and likewise with company if it may be according to the ancient rite of sacrificing a Lambe in the morning and a Lambe in the euening euery day continually For euery Christian family is a little Church as the Apostle intitleth some amongst the Christians to whom hee wrote not that it is any way fit now wee haue allowance for publique meetings to meet in priuate houses for all religious exercises for this is the way to faction and against the vnity of Gods Church but especially for the prayers daily vsed in euery such house making it a Church and Gods house according to that My house shall bee called the house of prayer and therefore the Prophet speaketh of this as a note distinguishing Christian and Heathen families when hee saith Ier. 10.25 Poure out thy wrath vpon the Heathen that know thee not and vpon the families that call not vpon thy name Let all Gouernours of families think vpon this to set vp prayers in their houses that they may bee Gods houses and not houses
any man shall thinke as some doe that this is presumption without set wordes to come to God in Prayer when as to a mortall Prince wee dare not hee is greatly deceiued and sheweth to haue little vnderstanding of the faithfull mans neerenesse vnto God and acquaintance with Gods holy Spirit For will such as wait about the Kings person euery day and talke continually with him study set wordes afore-hand what to speake they will indeed thinke of the matter concerning which they would speake but for wordes they would not especially if they had alwayes some eloquent person at their elbow ready to prompt them and to tell them what to say in like manner faithfull men doe continually attend vpon the Lord and talke with him by Prayer and the most eloquent Spirit of God is alwayes ready to prompt and helpe them wherefore so that the matter to be spoken of be thought vpon before it is no presumption to come without set wordes in such as by experience doe finde some sufficiency by Gods gracs to talke thus with their heauenly King and Father Quest What desirest thou of God in this prayer Answ I desire my Lord God our heauenly Father who is the giuer of all goodnes to send his grace to me and to all people that wee may worship him seeue him and obey him as we ought to doe And I pray vnto God that he will send vs all things that bee needfull both for soule and body and that he would bee mercifull vnto vs and forgiue vs our sinnes and that it will please him to saue and defend vs in all dangers ghostly and bodily and that he will keepe vs from all sinne and wickednesse from our ghostly enemy and from euerlasting death And this I trust he will do of his mercy and goodnesse through our Lord Iesus Christ and therefore I say Amen So be it Explan Heere in briefe are set downe the most needfull things contained in the Lordâ— Prayer with such plainnesse as that euen children may attaine some good vnderstanding of the prayer heereby which was the laudable intent of our Church in prouiding this wholsome milke for tender babes I shall not need therefore to adde any explanation of these words of our Catechisme being so plaine and euident of themselues other then by poynting at the parts of the Lords Prayer secretly diffused through this Answer The first parcell whereof compriseth both the meaning of the Preface that he vnto whom we pray calling him Father which art in heauen is the Lord God of heauen and earth our common Father by faith and heauenly most glorious and full of maiesty from whom euery good thing descendeth and the meaning of the first Petitions that by our worshipping him hee may be glorified and his name hallowed by our liuing as his loyall subiects and faithfully seruing him his kingdome may come and by our readines to obey him in euery thing his will may be done in earrh as it is in heauen and not onely by such aâ— readily obey but by all people his ouer ruling power compelling the disobedient and stubborne The words next following are the interpretation of the rest of the petitions that he would giue vs all things needfull both for soule and body which is to giue vs this day our dayly bread to forgiue vs our sinnes is the next petition to saue and defend vs from all dangers c. is not to lead vs into temptation but deliuer vs from euill from all sinne and wickednesse from our ghostly enemy and the end and reward of being led heereby euerlasting death The last clause And all this I trust he will doe c. serueth to explaine the conclusion for thine is the kingdome c. thou art a most gracious King full of mercy and goodnesse in Iesus Christ and this thy mercy and goodnesse shall thus bee more glorified wherefore I trust and assure my selfe that thou wilt doe these and in this confidence I say Amen Quest 117. How many bee the partes of this Prayer Answ Three the Preface Our Father which art in Heauen the Petitions Hallowed be thy name thy kingdome come c. And the conclusion For thine is the kingdome the power and the glory for euer and euer Amen Eccles 4.17 Exod. 3. Explan This Prayer being an absolute forme of direction for vs hath in it all things needfull both for beginning proceeding and concluding the petitions are not nakedly set down without a preface neither are they left without a conclusion hemming them in on both sides to shew both the necessity of preparation when we addresse our selues to prayer and of obseruation when wee haue prayed Preparation to prayer there must needs be otherwise we shall be ready to offer the sacrifice of fooles wee shall draw neere to the flaming bush with shooes on our feet and tread on holy ground with vncleane feet and compasse the Lords Altar with vnwashen hands Obseruation there must bee when wee haue prayed to giue God the glory of our petitions granted otherwise we shall deale deceitfully with God mocke him Gal. 6.7 which he wil not heare pretending his glory and kingdome but the sequell shewing when we rest at the blessings receiued that we intend our owne ease and pleasure Quest 118. In the Preface why doe you call God Father Answ Because he is ready as a louing Father to heare mee calling vpon his name whence J learne with boldnesse and confidence to come vnto him in my prayers Explan Hauing shewed the necessity of preparation vnto prayer in generall heere follow the parts of this preparation in particular And the first is to consider rightly vnto whom we pray and with what faith and affiance Hee vnto whom is called Father teaching vs both who can pray and what faith is required in praying First he only can pray aright and as a true Christian that can call God Father by adoption grace through Iesus Christ It is not sufficient that hee be thy Father by creation for so is he the father of the spirits now damned in hell but he must also be thy Father by regeneration through the preaching of his word casting thee into a new mold of righteousnes and holines according to his Image Rom. 8.25 wherein man was first made For wee haue receiued saith the Apostle not the spirit of bondage to feare againe but the Spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Verse 16. Abba Father And the same spir t beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God So that there must be a Spirit in him that will pray making him the childe of God by adoption 1 Ioh. 3.3 purging him to become holy as he is holy 1 Ioh. 3.9 Whence it followeth that a wicked man liuing in sinne cannot pray seeing he which is borne of God sinneth not who only is indued with the Spirit of Prayer All his praying therefore is a vaine beating of the ayre with a
godly by his mercie rewarded the rage of the enemies of good order being restrained and the peaceable and righteous being encouraged For according to al this Deut. 27. they were taught of old to pray when a curse being annexed to euery Commandement broken all the people were bidden to say Amen 2. For al good meanes and furtherances of his special kingdome which is his Church and such are godly and righteous Magistrates defending the faith diligent and zealous preachers publishing the faith of Christ Iesus for such we pray that many may be stirred vp and continued in all places For Preachers Matth. â— 38 we haue a speciall precept Pray the Lord of the haruest that he would send forth Labourers into his haruest and as wee are to pray for the encrease of their number so for their vtterance Ephes 6 19. and boldnesse in preaching the Gospell And for such as be in authoritie how we are to pray hath been shewed already they are nursing Fathers and Mothers of the Church Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers Esay 49 23. and Queenes shall be thy Nurses saith the Prophet Let thy Kingdome come therefore is Let godly Magistrates bee encreasen vnder whose gouernment thy Church and people may flourish and send many faithfull Preachers Deut. 33.8 as Moses said of Leui Let thy Thummim and thine Vrim be with thy holy ones Such integritie of life and light of doctrine that they may be as lights set vpon an hill giuing light to such as be in darkenesss of sin and ignorance 3. For the defence of these from all dangers whereby they may be interrupted in their proceedings that their liues may bee continued and their power encreased to the comfort of the faithfull Thus it hath bin the manner of good Subiects of old to pray for their good Gouernours Cushi comming to bring word vnto Dauid of Absaloms death prayeth saying The enemies of my Lord the King 2. Sam 12.32 and all that rise against thee to doe thee hurt be as that young man is And for Ministers Smite through the loynes of them that rise against him saith Moses of Leui and of them that hate him Deut. 33.11 that they rise not againe And Saint Paul speaking of the Ministers of the Gospell saith Pray for vs that the Word of God may haue free passage and be glorified and that we may be deliuered from vnreasonable 2. Thes 3.1.2 and euill men 4. That many may be daily conuerted by the Ministry of these faithfull seruants of the Lord and grace vertue and true religion confirmed encreased in them And first and chiefly that inferiour Gouernours which haue the priuate rule of others committed vnto them in the well ordering of their families and iurisdictions may helpe forward the worke of grace in their children and seruants Thus Saint Paul professeth often that hee prayed for such people as amongst whom the Word was preached and willeth all men to do the like when he bids Pray that the Gospell may haue a free passage 5. That the Kingdome of glory may bee hastened to the comfort of all the faithfull all the workes of the Deuill beeing then dissolued the flesh and old man being quite abolished and grace onely ruling and gouerning vs all or rather grace being perfected and swallowed vp in glory And this is the highest pitch of our desire here this being the height of Gods honour the most full establishment of his kingdome and the perfection of his will Wherefore the Spirit Reuel 22 17.20 and the Bride both say thus Come let thy Kingdome come and the inspired prophetical Diuine saith Euen so that is quickly Come Lord Iesus 2. The deprecation is against all impediments and lets of Gods Kingdome and these are either generall or speciall 2 The deprecation Generall hinderances of Gods Kingdome are either in the Magistracy or in the Ministry 1. In the Magistracy is an Anarchy when any Countrie is without a King and lawfull Gouernour by reason whereof euerie man doth what hee thinkes good as being vnder no Law of a Gouernour such as was the estate of the Israelites immediatelie before Samuels time as is twice noted In those dayes there was no King in Israel â—udg 18.1 19.1 And this wee are to pray against as the most wofull condition of anie people that may bee there beeing hereby such a gappe opened to all licentiousnesse and lewdnesse as that another Nero. or Vit llius may better bee indured then this being without a Gouernour At this time was that outrage done by Dan vnto Michah and Idolatrie so graffed amongst the Danites as that God seemeth for euer to haue blotted them out of his booke of life Reuel 7â— when thousands of all other Tribes being sealed Dan is passed ouer vnmentioned Iudges 19. And at this time was that villany done for which the Tribe of Beniamin was cut short almost brought to be no people And our fore-fathers in this I le haue felt the terrour and miserie of such times by the inuasion of the barbarous Picts to be greater then when they haue been ruled by Tyrants and Strangers If any therefore be vnwilling to liue vnder gouerment and long after the liberty of an Anarchy he doth most palpably pray against himselfe in this petition 2. Wee pray against Tyrannie that is an euill and wicked gouernment whereby the truth is discountenanced as in Ahab time who hated Michaiah or persecuted as when Iezabel was Queene or idolatrie or heresie is maintained and commanded as by Nebuchadnezzar or lastly whereby wickednesse is rewarded and fauoured as by some Heathen Emperours of the Romans Tiberius Caesar is said to haue rewarded Nouellus Tricongius with a Pro-Consulship for drinking three pottles of wine at one draught Against such Gouernours we pray Munst Cos pag. 720. that if God so please no place may be troubled with them if they be that their hearts may relent and be turned 3. We pray against euill lawes made against the proceedings of the Gospell and for the maintenance of men in sin such was the law made by the Pharisies against the followers of Christ Iohn 9.22 they ordained that if any followed him he should be cast out of the synagogue such was the Law of Darius that no man should pray vnto any other for thirty daies but vnto himselfe onely Dan. 6. Heâ—â— 3. against which Daniel prayeth and such was the decree of Ahashuerosh made for the destruction of all the Lords people in one day against which they all fasted and prayed We pray therefore here against such lawes of Infidell Kingdoms as forbid all comming of strangers in amongst them to preuent the rooting out of their idolatry as amongst the people of Châ—n against the bloudy Inquisition in Popish Countries tending to the preuention and rooting out of all reformation for euer and against any lawes of Turkes or Iewes hindring their conuersion that God would
to the poore would not let passe good admonitions but as feed their bodies so indeauour to season their soules with grace 3. The thanksgiuing 3. The thanksgiuing is for the Lords exercising his Kingdome in the right ordering of the world punishing the wicked rewarding the godly spreading the glorious beames of his word for bringing men heereby into the right way for inlarging his kingdome thus for worthy magistrates painfull and faithfull ministers religious neighbours for faith repentance hatred of all sinne and care to doe our duties wrought in vs. Thus the Saints in heauen doe sing continually to the praise of the Lord both for the destruction of the whore of Babilon Reuel 18. and for his kingdome in them And all this is in the second Petition properly comprehending the first Commandement Let thy kingdome come outwardly thy power and prouidence being exercised and inwardly grace being increased and glory hastened Let nothing hinder the comming of thy kingdome neither the deuill nor wicked men neither in the magistracy ministry nor people neither infidelity impenitency any reigning sin or negligence Thy kingdome is come we praise thee for it in our selues and others and all ouer the world Heere also implicitly wee acknowledge our opposite disposition to Gods kingdome and bewaile it Quest 105. In the third Petition what doe you desire Answ That I my selfe and all the people of God vpon earth may as readily obey Gods will as the Angels and Saints in heauen Explan First for the order of this Petition it followeth this Thy kingdome come to shew that where Gods kingdome is set vp his will is endeauoured after and preferred alwayes and not our owne will His will is accounted holy and his way equall our owne will and waies vnholy and vnequall There cannot be a good Tree but it will bring forth good fruite there cannot be faith but it will appeare by the workes neyther can there bee a good faithfull subiect of Gods kingdome but he will study in all things to doe his will Hee is therefore wrapped vp in infidelitie hardnesse of heart and in sinne that preferreth his owne will and goeth on in Rebellion against the Lord what Faith and hope soeuer hee pretendeth 2. The sense of the wordes GODS will is eyther secret or reuealed according to that of Moses The secret things of the Lord belong to the Lord but the reuealed to vs to our children The secret will of God is touching the number of those that shall be saued the day of iudgement the time of the Iewes conuersion the finall confusion of Antichrist and particular estates of other men the particular afflictions and crosses appointed for vs and the day of our death and such like In these things we pray that we may rest contented in the Lords good pleasure when by the euent it shall be made knowne what hard-ship soeuer he hath appointed to vs. The reuealed will of God is whatsoeuer is manifested in his word to be his will concerning both faith and practise we pray that it may be answerably done as it is required Thy will that is not my will thy will only not thine and mine also betwixt which two there is no proportion thy will both for matter and manner and thy will though contrary vnto and against my will In earth as it is in heauen that is say some of our bodies and members as of our soules and mindes of the worldly and such as be not yet called as of those that are called but this is forced without cause the words hauing a proper meaning with good sense In earth therefore is by vs that dwell in this world in the middest or many temptations and prouocations vnto sinne let thy will be done as by the inhabitants of heauen that are free from all temptations and discouragements 1. With such cheerfulnesse and readines as the Saints are set forth in heauen to be continually reioycing and singing and the Angels to haue wings through their readinesse flying as it were to do that which the Lord appointeth them 2. With so perfect an heart free from all hypocrisie louing the Lord with all our heart and out of this loue doing his will as Dauid and Iosiah are commended to haue done 3. In all things not in some onely which wee can most easily incline our hearts vnto or in most still cleauing to our owne most beloued wayes but in all things to the vtter denying of our selues as Zachary and Elizabeth are commended to haue done Luke 1. 4. Striuing after that perfection of obedience which the Angels and saints in heauen yeeld making it our marke that we continually ayme at and therefore not looking backe with Lots wife Phil 3. but pressing towards this with the holy Apostle Paul earnestly desiring to attaine vnto it 5. With all constancy and perseuerance neuer being weary of well doing or fainting vnder the burthen of crosses persecutions for they stand continually in the Lords presence ready to execute his commands and this was holy Iobs praise Though he kill me yet will I trust in him To deny our owne will Supplicat 1. 3. The scope of this Petition 1. in the supplication wee desire grace to deny our owne wills and wayes for vnlesse we be willing to deny that which is pleasing to our corrupt natures and desired by vs we doe in vaine desire that Gods will may be done by vs euen as he which is in some pleasing by-way that he will not forsake doth in vaine desire to goe the right way and as hee that hath a Table-booke wherein many old things haue beene written heeretofore which hee will not consent to haue blotted out doth in vaine desire to haue some other thing anew written there Wherfore Christ teacheth vs to deny our selues thet we may become his Disciples Ezech. 18 Eph. 4.23.24 Cast away all your transgressions saith the Prophet Whereby you haue transgressed and make you a new heart and Cast off the old man saith the Apostle which is corrupt and put on the new man Heere is no new heart or new man according to Gods will granted vnlesse first the old heart the old man be put away Our will is a blind guide leading vs into the danger of our enemies as Elishah led the Aramites Wee pray therefore Lord make vs to deny our owne crooked wills which vntill we doe we cannot doe thy most holy will 2. Wee pray for vnderstanding of the will of God for without this how should we doe it Giue mee vnderstanding Supplicat 2. Psal 119.34 Hos 4.6 Prou 1. saith Dauid and I will keepe thy saw Without knowledge my people perish saith the Lord Get knowledge and get vnderstanding saith Wisedome in the Prouerbs No seruant can doe the will of his maister vnlesse he knoweth it neither can he walke after the Spirit and doe the will of God that is not by the spirit instructed to know all things in Gods will
humiliation and repentance before God his wrath bee turned away So that man may for his part forgiue trespasses and yet they may be retained still before the Lord and on the contrarie side though man will not forgiue through the hardnesse of his heart the trespasse may be forgiuen before the Lord the trespasse being acknowledged and pardon craued or if there be ability satisfaction offered and the heart being turned thorow a purpose of not offending any more 3. For the scope of the Petition in the supplication What we pray for wee pray for the forgiuenes of our sinnes and whatsoeuer tendeth hereunto and to make vs iust and righteous in the presence of God Wherefore wee craue first the knowledge of our sinnes that we may vnderstand the infinite number of our offences and our wofull case in regard of them for without this knowledge the tongue may pray for the pardon of sinne but the heart cannot Hee that knoweth not himselfe to be sick cannot seeke for remedy to cure his sicknes neither can he seek to fortifie himselfe against the enemie that knoweth not the danger wherein hee standeth no more can a sinner seeke remedie against his sinnes if hee bee ignorant of them The Church of Laodicea is censured for saying that shee was rich and wanted nothing when as the holy Ghost testifieth saying Reuel 3.17 Thou knowest not that thou art poore wretched miserable blind and naked And many poore and miserable soules through ignorance not seeing this say forgiue vs our trespasses but cannot pray it because they know not that they haue any such need of forgiuenesse Prou. 28.13 Secondly wee craue grace to acknowledge our sinne For Hee that confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall haue mercy but hee that hideth them shall not prosper All men that know their sinnes doe not confesse them or if they doe they will not confesse and put away their beloued speciall sinne but rather seeke to iustifie themselues in them because all men are sinners and in many things we offend all But such craue not the pardon of their sinnes so as that they may bee in hope to speede the confession and putting away of all sinne onely haue a ground to build comfort vpon When there was sinne in the congregation of Israel specially noted Ioshua 7.10 but in one Achan Ioshua could not be heard without remouing it first much lesse can that man be heard to haue his sinnes forgiuen that loueth any one sinne though it be most secret and small and laboureth not to put it away from him Ought this confession to be before the Lord onely and not vnto men also In some case it ought to bee before men who are wise and holy viz. when our mind is inwardly troubled and wee cannot by our selues find any ease or comfort confessing them vnto the Lord Iames 5 16. In this sense Saint Iames willeth vs to acknowledge our faults one vnto another But to doe this vpon absolute necessity as if there were no saluation without it and to performe it not vpon particular grieuance of conscience but for formality at a certaine time in the yeare which the Papists call the time of Shrift and to confesse before the Priest al our particular sins with the circumstances is superstitious and auaileth not but to make way for more licentiousnesse as experience teacheth and to establish the Popes Hierarchy ouer the world and to the increase of his reuenues by buying pardons Thirdly we craue grace to be truly humbled for sinne that in the sense of Gods curse due for it Rom. 7.14 Matth 11.28 wee may crie out with the Apostle Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death Come vnto me saith the Lord all yee that are weary and loaden and I will refresh you If any man therefore commeth to aske forgiuenesse of his sinnes and is not humbled for them but is without a contrite spirit to offer in sacrifice vnto God he cannot pray to speed but is still in his sinnes Rom. 4.25 Fourthly we craue iustification through the death bloudshedding of Iesus Christ who was deliuered to death for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification that the Lord would not therfore require our sinnes at our hands either holding vs guiltie or punishing vs therefore in this world or in the world to come but that the sacrifice of Christ may be a perfect attonement for vs and his precious blood effectuall to clense vs from all sinne Now of this iustification there are two degrees the first whereby of sinners wee are made righteous in the very act of our conuersion the second whereby our daily infirmities and failes are done away and wee are still notwithstanding them reputed righteous The first we pray for and desire to be confirmed in it through Gods grace that our estate may be comfortable the second wee pray for as wee haue need to preserue our peace and comfort when wee view our estate before God Euen as a bankrupt debter finding great fauor with his creditors to forgiue his great debts and being ready still daily through his extreame want to run vpon the score againe is a daily sutor for mercy vnto them to continue this their fauour in forgiuing all Fifthly wee pray for loue and charity towards our neighbours through which wee may bee ready to forgiue them their trespasses against vs for our heart naturally is a corrupt fountaine and wee are implacable when wee are offended especially if it be spitefully done against vs or by an enemy Wherefore wee pray that when wrongs are done vnto vs we may consider how much and often wee haue offended the Lord to what griefe of his holy Spirit and with what hatefull hearts preferring Sathan and his seruice before the seruice of the heauenly Maiesty that as we would notwithstanding haue all this forgiuen vnto vs wee may frame our minds to forgiue the greatest offences against vs hee which hath done them acknowledging his fault Thus Christ being asked Should I forgiue my brother if he sinneth against me seauen times in a day Matth 18.21 answereth If he turneth againe and saith it repenteth me I say not vntill seuen times but vntill seuenty times seuen times And for this cause he bringeth his Parable of the Lord forgiuing ten thousand of talents to his seruant but finding him with rigour to exact the hundreth pence due vnto him from his fellow-seruant shewing hereby how vaine all our prayers are for the pardon of our sinnes against God if we refuse to forgiue the sinnes of our fellow-seruants against vs. Let no man therefore deceiue himself by keeping malice and seeking reuenge vpon men for wrong done vnto him but through loue let him forgiue all for if there be not this loue towards his brother there is no loue towards God and then it is sure that God beareth no loue towards him his loue of God being an inseperable reflexion of
of sinnes and eternall life is sealed vnto them as well as vnto their Parents euen as an Estate or Conueyance in law is made sure vnto a child together with the father by some ceremony vsed vnto it when it vnderstandeth not what is done Ezâ—k 18.18.10 Againe it is further added which they themselues when they come of age are bound to performe Because that howsoeuer in their infancy before they doe good or euill their parents estate is reckoned theirs as hath been said yet in their elder age they are taken as distinct persons subsisting by themselues and standing or falling to themselues if therefore in this due time they doe not actually beleeue and repent their Baptisme is made frustrate and vaine vnto them For then commeth the time of which the Prophet speaketh If a righteous man beget a sonne that is a thiefe or a shedder of blood c. he shall die the death Verse 20. The righteousnesse of the righteous shall bee vpon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall bee vpon himselfe Wherefore it standeth euery man in hand now to looke to himselfe seeing that how holy Parents so euer hee hath and how soeuer religious his beginning hath been yet if these things bee wanting hee is altogether in his sinnes and vncleane If hee dyeth before wee are to account him holy and vndoubtedly in Gods fauour To whom belongeth the office of Baptizing To the Ministers onely and to none other that is not ordained to that sacred office by the successours of the Apostles and is thereby himselfe made a successour of the Apostles and partaker in that generall Commission which shall neuer bee cancelled till the end of the world Goe and teach all Nations baptizing them c. Are Lay-men are women the teachers of Nations Wee read that our Sauiour himselfe baptized not but his Disciples did which is to bee taken exclusiuely that none baptized but they namely his Apostles and other of the seuenty Disciples who were called to the Ministeriall function If it bee said that priuate persons circumcised of old yea euen Zipporah a woman circumsised her sonne and the Master of euery family killed the Passeouer in his priuat house and distributed it vnto his family whence it may seeme to be lawfull euen for priuate persons now adayes to administer the Sacraments I answere that when Circumcision and the Passeouer were first ordained there were no Priests specially appoynted but the eldest man of euery family was a Priest vnto God and did both sacrifice and performe all other Priestly duties but after that the Tribe of Leui was taken these things were done by them and not by any of other Tribes Now vnder the Gospell Christ hath ordained some from the beginning to preach and administer the Sacraments and therefore it is a confusion and disorder for others to doe those Whence it appeareth that our Communion Booke doth very iudiciously explaine that in time of necessity or danger priuate Baptisme is to bee performed by a lawfull Minister least Midwiues or others should intrude into this function Quest Why was the Sacrament of the Lords Supper ordained Answ For a continuall remembrance of the sacrifice of the death of Christ and of the benefits which we receiue thereby Explan After Baptisme the Sacrament of Initiation followeth the Lords Supper the Sacrament of Consolidation for as the one bringeth the soule into the societie of the faithfull so doth the other feed it and comfort it with heauenly comforts Math. 26. Now considering that both the Sacraments are Seales it is worthily propounded for a question why this particular Sacrament of the Lords Supper was ordeined and it is answered for a continuall remembrance For this is intimated by the Lord to be the proper end of this Institution when he saith Doe this in remembrance of me 1. Cor. 11.26 For as often as yee eate this Bread and drinke this Cup saith the Apostle yee shew the Lords death till hee commeth And this remembrance is so effectuall as that before whomsoeuer it is made it is as if Christ were visibly crucified in their sight Gal. 3 1. for to this purpose saith Saint Paul to the Galathians to whom Christ Iesus was plainely described before your eyes and amongst you crucified In Baptisme there is also a remembrance of Christes death in that as the water floweth so did his blood in streames runne out but this is not the particular end of Baptisme to represent Christ crucified but as he is vertually in vs clensing our soules and making vs to dye and to be buried vnto sinne besides Baptisme doth not so fully set before our eyes Christs grieuous passions as doth the Lords Supper wherein are to be remembred all things about his sufferings The Bread and Wine are first prepared the one by threshing grinding and baking in the fiery ouen the other by cutting downe casting them into the Wine-presse and treading with the feet of men Againe when there is thus made a loafe of bread it is diuided and broken that it may become food and when wine is thus made it is powred out to be drunke and which is a principall Analogie the corne and grape out of which they are made are the meere fruits of Gods blessing and not of mans labour and lastly this threshing and grinding and treading of these creatures are by man for whose sustenance they serue and when they are made ready can affoord no comfort to such as haue them but by Gods effectuall blessing according to that Deut. 8.3 Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God So wee are to remember heere that Christ is the Sonne of Gods loue towards vs sent from Heauen according to Gods eternall purpose for our comfort and saluation not through any labour or seeking of ours 2. Cor. 3.5 seeing wee were all enemies euer since the trangression and dead in sinne so as that wee could not so much as thinke a good thought 2. Wee must remember that Christ was threshed with many strokes of affliction ground in the milne of sorrowes and baken in the hoat ouen of Gods wrath when through the feruency heereof his sweat ran downe from him like drops of blood Luke 22.44 that he was cut downe and trodden in the wine-presse of Gods wrath due to vs for sinne 3. That his bodie was broken and his blood shed out of his hands feet and sides that he might be vnto vs bread indeed and drinke indeed 4. That all these sufferings came vnto him from man for whose comfort hee was sent from heauen sinne being the cause and sharpening the Speare and Nayles against him and mens handes being instruments thus to torture and torment him Lastly wee must remember that as Gods mercy sent him so his blessing must cause that we may liue by him otherwise wee are still subiect to perish in our sinnes that we may alwayes lift vp our
hearts vnto him for this blessing It followeth whereof this remembrance is Of the sacrifice of the death of Christ. The old Sacraments and Sacrifices did prefigure this as the Lambe slaine euery morning and euery euening the red Cow the Scape-Goate the Paschall Lambe and all the bloud shed in Sacrificing which made that the bloud might not bee eaten because Christes bloud remaineth euer to speake better things in Gods eares then the bloud of Abel Heb. 13.8 Now as it was in those Sacraments prefigured so in this it is remembred as a thing past because that Christ Iesus yesterday and to day is the same also for euer And the death of Christ is truely a Sacrifice the Altar was the Crosse the Priest Christ himselfe the creature offered was his humane nature the blood shed his precious blood and the fat fuming vp the sweete perfume of his rich merits Of this much is spoken to the Hebrewes Heb. 7.27 Heb 9.12 He did once offer vp himselfe by his owne blood he entred once into the holy place obtained eternall redemption for vs. Moreouer such as the vse of sacrificing hath beene such is the vse of this sacrifice of Christs death The vse of sacrificing was fourefolde 1. To expiate and doe away sinne for if any man had sinned he was appointed to bring a sacrifice therefore 2. To sanctifie those that were outwardly defiled by any vncleannesse as when any had beene infected with the leprosie 3. When a man had touched a dead body they were likewise vsed to sanctifie assemblies and solemne meetings as when all Israell were met at the feast that Salomon made and when Iobs children met together to feast 1 Sam. 13.8 4. To prosper all weighty attempts that are vndertaken as when the battell was by Saul entred into against the Philistims he did sacrifice after that he had tarried seauen dayes for Samuel who intended to haue beene there to do sacrifice himselfe And of the same vse and effectuall to these vses is the sacrifice of Christs death 1 Ioh. 1.6 First to expiate sinne for It is the bloud of Iesus Christ that cleanseth from all sinne Eph. 2.13.11 Secondly To sanctifie such as before were vncleane for Yee that were farre off saith the Apostle are made neere by the bloud of Christ for hee is our peace who hath made of both one and hath broken downe the stop of partition wall that is whereas in times past some were vncleane as the Gentiles and seperated from Israell now they are sanctified and made all one people And the same is expressed by the sheete let downe from heauen before Peter wherein were creatures both cleane and vncleane but it was shewed that by Christ not onely meates but people of all sorts were then sanctified Thirdly all meetings and feastings are sanctified onely by him hee hauing borne the curse for vs and therefore when two or three are gathered together in his name God is in the midst of them as in an holy assembly Act 20.7 Fourthly by vertue of this sacrifice only can we looke to be prospered in our weighty attempts this being the standard that as Constantines crosse maketh all the enemies to yeeld before it and the viands and weapons Act. 2. wherewith the Disciples sought to be furnished in all their dangerous voyages and the precious cordiall that put spirit and magnanimity into the Church so as that it flourished in the midst of Persequutors and Tyrants Whence it appeareth to be a fiction and no truth that the Lord did allow the Israelites of old to sacrifice only that they might be kept from offering sacrifices to Diuels as the Heathen Againe how absurd it is to hold the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to be a Sacrifice propitiatory for the quicke and the dead seeing it is only a remembrance of a Sacrifice neyther is there any liuing creature slaine as must needes bee that there may be a Sacrifice and yet so impudent haue some beene as that they not only affirme it to be a Sacrifice but more auaileable than the very Sacrifice of Christ vpon the Crosse as the Queene Mother of Francis the second of France complained by Letters vnto the Pope that it was preached It will bee answered that this Fryar was too bold so to preach and that the Pope would not beare him out in it But surely no magnifyer of the Masse durst haue sung so high a note but in a Church where the true remembrance of Christs death is so obscured and falsifyed by the bastard Masse and peruerted from the true Sacramentall representation and inward application by Faith into a carnall and theatricall ostentation in crucifyxes and other pictures supersticiously adored Did our Sauiour trow we speake to the painters and engrauers when he said doe this in remembrance of me 1 Cor 11.28 Math. 12. It followeth in the answere And of the benefits that wee receiue thereby for as the danger is great to abuse this ordinance of the Lord or to contemne it the one eating and drinking his owne damnation the other prouoking the master of this feast to anger and reuenge so the benefit is great to vse it rightly whatsoeuer good is purchased vnto vs by the precious blood of Christ being remembred hereby to our vnspeakeable comfort to speake more largely of which benefits there will bee place afterwards Quest What is the outward signe or part of the Lords supper Answ Bread and wine which the Lord hath commanded to bee receiued Explan Hauing considered the end of the institution of the Lords supper the Author and instituter being supposed to bee known to all Christians viz. the Lord Iesus the same night that he was betrayed it followeth here of the outward and visible part of bread and wine In the handling of which diuers questions doe arise First Whether both these things are necessary to bee vsed in the administration of the Lords supper and to be administred to all receiuers Quest 2 These of necessity must be vsed wheresoeuer they may be had vnder paine of being accounted a derogater from the Lords ordination because hee that precisely commanded the vse of these The bread only hath been long vsed to the Laity in the Church of Rome vnder this pretence that it is Christs very body and so must needes haue blood in it for the auoiding of inconueniences if the cup should be vsed also seeing that some of Christs precious blood might bee thus spilt vpon the ground or hang vpon mens beards Wherefore this hath beene also established by the Councel of Trent and for some referred vnto the Pope who through much instance granted the vse of the cup also to them Oh sacriledge whereby both Christ is robbed of his authority and his ordinance debased Christ himselfe hauing commanded Eate Drinke ye all of this it must bee referred to the Pope and he must first allow or else it cannot be lawfull And why forsooth should
and from the doctrine of the Apostle The cup of Blessing which wee blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The bread which wee breake Iohn 6.47 is it not the Communion of the bodie of Christ But how is his body there to bee communicated Not by Transubstantiation as hath been already shewed nor by consubstantiation so as that his body is in vnder or about the bread as the Lutherans teach but onely in a spirituall Sacramentall manner faith making him present vnto the worthy receiuer euen as hereby we possesse euerlasting life according to that He that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life For as Faith is an eye vnto which things to come are present so it is an hand holding them a mouth feeding vpon them and a stomacke receiuing them and vniting them vnto the person that beleeueth If it be said then the Sacrament is vaine seeing by faith Christ may be receiued without it and he is not outwardly any whit the more present with his body I answere God forbid for it is Gods ordinance to helpe our faith an outward meanes to conuey vnto vs inward grace and sanctification his seale to confirme our faith in his gracious promises As when the King bestoweth any thing vpon a subiect he is assured hereof by his meere donation and giuing it vnto him but yet hee appoynteth vnto him to take the state thereof a meanes of writing and sealing to ratifie what hee hath graunted for more assurance which writings and seale though they containe not the estate about them or in them that is the house or ground in quantitie yet they conuey them vnto him so though the body of Christ bee in heauen and being giuen vnto vs by the Father is made ours through faith yet it hath pleased him for more assurance to appoynt the Sacrament hereby to conuey this rich possession vnto vs and to write and seale to our hearts that Christ is ours by his holy body sanctifying our bodies and soules and by his blood cleansing vs from all our sinnes though this body bee not in or about the bread really in the quantitie as it was heretofore vpon earth And of like nature were the ancient Sacraments appointed to the Fathers vnto which though Christ was not really and corporally annexed yet vnto the receiuers they were Christ through faith 1. Cor. 10.1 Iohn 1.29 for the Rocke was Christ Christ was the Lambe Quest 2 Be there not other wayes besides this of receiuing Christ Answ Yes the Scripture speaketh of two other wayes or meanes 1. Gal 3.27 He is receiued by Baptisme for Hee that is baptized into Christ hath put on Christ 2. Hee is receiued by the preaching of the Word whether by himselfe when he came amongst his owne Iohn 1.12 and to such as receiued him hee gaue power to be the sonnes of God Math. 10.40 or by his Disciples for Hee that receiueth you saith Christ receiueth mee that is the doctrine which hee and they taught being entertained into beleeuing hearts and their persons being welcome vnto them By the word hee is receiued as by the draught of a conueyance and Articles of agreement by the Sacraments as by seales put heereunto Baptisme being properly the seale of a new life which is the beginning of euerlasting life we being dead and buried vnto sinne the Lords Supper the seale of the comforts and strength that wee grow vnto in this life as by most wholesome meats and drinkes till that in the life to come we shall bee continually feasted with him hee being meat and drinke and cloathing and wealth and all in all vnto vs euermore Quest 3 Wherefore is the Communion of the Lords Supper receiued often and Baptisme but once seeing both are Gods Seales and assure our spirituall estate sufficiently by being once put to That the Lords Supper is often to bee receiued the Lord himselfe doth intimate vnto vs where hee biddeth So oft as yee drinke this cup doe it in remembrance of mee Whereupon the Apostle inferreth So oft as yee eate this bread and drinke this cup yee shew the Lords death till he come 1. Cor. 11.26 construing this precept to last till the comming of Christ to iudgement at the end of this world And the reason hereof is first because that howsoeuer our new life is begun at once as is represented in Baptisme yet it continueth from yeare to yeare and must haue often meanes to sustaine it and therefore though circumcision was but once the Passeouer was once euery yeare Secondly because that although we are in Baptisme regenerate and become new creatures yet the flesh still dwelling in vs rebelleth so as that we are subiect to sinne daily against which as the bloud of Christ is continually by faith to be applied to purge vs so the Sacrament whereby his death and bloudshed is represented is often to bee vsed for the more comfortable remembrance hereof euen as to shadow it out before it was the high Priest entred into the holy of holies with bloud once euery yeere Now precisely set downe how often the Lords Supper is to be receiued we cannot because it is left indefinite Acts 10 7. Acts 2.46 The practise of the Primitiue Church was euerie Lords day or first day of the weeke and at the first daily as their dangers were great by reason of the persecution euery day Wherfore in the Canons carrying the name of the Apostles it was commanded that all which came to heare the Word being Communicants should receiue the Communion Et siquis non communicat excommunicatur vt ecclesiae turbator Can. 10. ordinum violator If any man doth not communicate let him be excommunicated as a troubler of the Church and a breaker of order And hereunto do the ancient Fathers assent But this often receiuing was in regard of the times such as at the first institution the shepheard being smitten and the sheep scattered Since in the peace of the Church the Communion hath been three or foure times in the yeare and specially at Easter as succeeding the Passeouer If it be said once in the yeare is sufficient as the Passeouer was but once I answer the Passeouer required a long time euen seuen dayes for the celebration thereof and if it had been often Exod. 12.19 it would haue been too heauy a burthen vnto the people it is not so with the Lords Supper Againe this is the proper time of the right Passeouer the Lords supper in times past besides the Paschall Lambe and vnleauened bread once in the yeare there being many other remembrances of Christ in action viz. the many sacrifices now we haue onely the Lords Supper often to be vsed to the same purpose Quest What are the benefits whereof wee are partakers thereby Answ The strengthening and refreshing of our soules by the bodie and bloud of Christ as our bodies are by the bread and wine Mouns du Plessis
Explan Considering the solemne ordination of the Lords Supper in a time of so great need when the bridegroome was now to be taken away from the childreÌ„ of the mariage chamber and they should mourne it is worth the considering how great the benefit hereof is and hereof it will not be amisse a little to delay the Reader in shewing the extrauagancies of the Church of Rome in extolling the supposed sacrifice hereof If it be vsed that is if the masse be vsed vpon Saint Gregories dayes it delivereth soules out of Purgatory if vpon S. Rochellâ— day from the plague if vpon S. Antonies it saueth Cattell if vpon Sigismunâ—s it cureth the Ague if vpon S. Anthonies of Padua it restoreth things lost if vpon Saint Apollonius it cureth the tooth-ache if vpon S. Lucies day it cleareth the eyes if vpon the holy Spirits day it giueth a goodly husband or wife as a learned writer hath gathered together of late and set these their fooleries vpon the stage Another hath noted 1. that they teach it to be auaileable as for the liuing so for the dead 2. to be carried about the Church 3. to be carried about the streets 4. to be carried into the fields that the corne and grasse may grow 5. to be caried to the wars for the obtaining of victory 6. before the Pope when he goeth forth 7. at the comming of Kings into cities And which might more be added to houses on fire and to waters ouerflowing as Clement the fift cast it into the Riuer Tyber to asswage the swelling thereof Thus do these men as led with the spirit of lying triflingly deale with this blessed Sacrament and seeking too highly to extoll it make their vse of it vaine and ridiculous and when as euery good Christian should follow his master Christ they differ altogether from him He commanded Doe this in remembrance of me they in remembrance of the dead Christ tooke it and gaue thankes they breath vpon it Christ brake it they hang it vp in a pyxe Christ gaue it to his Disciples they most commonly eate vp all alone and so it is no communion properly so called of the faithfull together Christ took bread and gaue bread they take bread and giue flesh Christ gaue it to confirme faith they to redeeme departed soules Christ gaue it to bee eaten they to bee adored Christ spake plainely in a knowne tongue they in Latin which is not by the vulgar vnderstood Not to aske them therefore which is but lost labour what the benefit is wee say that it is the strengthening and refreshing of the soule More distinctly whatsoeuer benefit redoundeth to the corporall life from the Bread and Wine the like redoundeth here-from to the worthy receiuer by vertue of Christs body and bloud as before hath been particularly declared This made them in the Primitiue Church to seek so earnestly after it that though Christ in body was now absent from doing these good offices vnto them yet they might be supplied by this visible signe of his continuall presence to the worlds end Speciall benefits of the Communion Againe yet more distinctly wee haue hereby communion with Christ and through him with the Father wee becomming flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones as the bread and wine being eaten and incorporated into vs. 2. Strength of faith it being as it were an hand a mouth and stomack with these signes receiuing Christ as hath been said 3. All other graces and blessings which together are therby conueyed vnto vs this being the conduict through which we receiue Chrâ—st and all things also as he is heire of all 4. Communion with one another and with all the faithfull in all ages we becoÌ„ming by Christ one body though diuersly dispersed in the world as many cornes and grapes are brought together to make one loafe of bread and one cup of wine All which benefits are so great as that it should set a most sharpe edge vpon the desires of all men vnto this heauenly duty that euen for loue and earnest desire of these benefits we may gape after them as the thirsty ground for raine and neuer through neglect depriue our selues of such comforts when by Gods Minister they are offered Quâ—st What is required of them which come to the Lord Supper Answ To examine themselues whether they repent them truly of their former sinnes stedfastly purposing to lead a new life haue a liuely Faith in Gods mercy through Iesus Christ with a thankefull remembrance of his death and be in charity with all men Explan The benefit of this Sacrament being so great it is necessary to know how euery man may dispose himselfe hereunto that he may be made partaker of this benefit for this is certaine that all obtaine it not that eat this supper seeing there is an vnworthy as well as a worthy receiuing and the vnworthy eate and drinke their owne damnation For the worthy and right receiuing therfore a rule is here set downe of things to be done before and in the act of receiuing Before there must be an examination in the time of receiuing a remembrance or meditation to stirre vp thankfulnesse for Gods great mercy herein expressed The distinct consideration of which because it is so necessary I haue here subioyned in some distinct questions and answers Quest 134. What is required in those that come to the Lords Supper Answ To bee rightly disposed both before and at the receiuing hereof Quest 135. What ought a man to doe before his comming Answ To examine himselfe for his faith in Christ 1. C r 1â— â—8 Explan Let a man examine himselfe saith Saint Paul and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup for he that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation where you see that vnder paine of damnation a man must prepare himselfe to the Lords Table and that hee is an vnworthy receiuer that prepareth not by fore-examination Such was the man that came vnto the feast without a wedding garment of whom it is said Bind him hand and foote Matth. 22.12 and cast him into vtter darkenesse Such pulleth vpon himselfe 1. Cor. 11. as the Corinthians sundry plagues and sicknesse and vntimely death And verily though there were no such danger great reason there is that euery man comming to this Sacrament should prepare himselfe 1. Because euery man is most vnfit and vnworthy to come thus familiarly to communicate with the Lord of glorie as when rhe Lord was to descend to giue the Law they were vnfit without a three dayes preparation to heare him speaking vnto them Wee are herein to imitate the most curious women when they came to any honourable place or meeting they spend much time in decking themselues and putting on all their ornaments and behold themselues in the glasse very diligently that nothing may be amisse or vnseemely In like manner seeing wee are to come into the presence of the highest
we sacrifice the calues of lipps by humble and hearty thanksgiuing We cannot sufficiently prize nor worthily praise thy goodnesse being herein vnmeasurable that when wee are sinfull and rebellious against thee and prouoke thee night and day yet passing by all our sinnes as if thou sawest them not thou still wagest vs with new fauours and bindest vs with cords of loue when thou might straine vpon vs snares fire and brimstone storme and tempest the deserued portion of such wicked ones as we are O stirre vp our dull hearts by this vndeserued loue that we may inwardly relent for offending so good a God and bee more affected with hearty loue towards so louing a father and wee humbly intreate thee for thy Christs sake to pardon our former grosse ingratitude and all other our sinnes Wash vs O Lord with his bloud and wee shall bee cleane purge vs and wee shall bee whiter then Snow Remoue our sinnes from vs as farre as the East is from the West cast them behind thy backe into the bottome of the sea that they may neuer rise vp in iudgement against vs to shame vs here or to condemne vs hereafter Worke in vs true humiliation for all our sinnes let vs cast downe our selues vnder thy mighty hand that thou maist lift vs vp A contrite heart is a sacrifice vnto thee which thou wilt not despise giue vs this that wee may offer it vnto thee open our eyes to see the precious body of our deare Sauiour wounded and bleeding his heart heauy and sorrowing and his soule in bitter agony departing for our sinnes that wee may waile and weepe euery family apart seeing him whom wee haue pierced And let vs abhorre all sinne for the time to come as a new crucifying of the Lord of life yea our most priuat and deare sinnes that we haue loued as our liues Let not the deceitfulnesse of our hearts so farre misleade vs as that wee should willingly bee intangled with any one sinne seeing that he which keepeth the Law and yet is faulty in one point is guiltie of all And because we haue many enemies that labour to keepe vs the bondslaues of sinne put away security and carelesnesse from vs let vs alwayes watch and prepare to fight against them Arme vs with the whole armor of thy Spirit the shield of Faith the Brest-plate of Righteousnes the Girdle of Verity with thy Word the Sword of the Spirit that howsoeuer we be assaulted we may not be ouercome but resisting the Deuill put him to flight and obtaine the Crowne that eternall glory which is set before vs. Blesse and sanctifie vs this day that we may serue thee better then heretofore we haue done Inable vs to the works of our Callings both with bodily strength and inward grace and direct vs so as that we may vndertake nothing but in thy feare Let the cōtinuall remembrance of thy presence be as a bit and a bridle to curbe vs in from following our inordinate affections that we being in all things ordered by thee may enioy thy blessing to the prospering of our indeauours to the glory of thy name and to our perpetuall incouragement in this holy seruice of praising and praying vnto thee Let all our bodily labours be seasoned with spirituall meditations though our works be earthly let our hearts be heauenly set vpon things aboue where Christ Iesus sitteth at the right hand of God If through thy blessing riches increase let vs not set our hearts thereon if for our punishment they decrease let vs not be discouraged hereby The more we haue make vs the more thankfull and watchfull that we be not deceiued the lesse we haue make vs the poorer in spirit that we may inherite the kingdom of heauen Grant these things vnto vs O mercifull Father and vnto thy whole Church and to euery part and member therof as all our and their cases are particularly known vnto thy heauenly wisdome farre beyond that which we are able to describe and that for the alone merits and worthinesse of Iesus Christ our most blessed Mediatour and Aduocate in whose maine we further praise thee and pray as himselfe hath taught vs. Our Father which art c. A Prayer to bee vsed euery Euening in a priuate familie O Lord in whom wee liue mooue and haue our being wee desire to offer vp our euening sacrifice of praise vnto thee for this day But how should wee come vnto thee to bee heard and accepted being of vncircumcised lippes So great wee confesse are our sinnes and such is our vnworthinesse by reason of them as that if we should excuse our selues our consciences would accuse our owne hearts condemne vs. Our nature is vile and rebellious hindring vs from the good which we ought to do and inclining vs to the euill which we ought to leaue vndone Our vnderstandings are darkened our wils are crooked our thoughts vncleane and our affections peruerse louing darknesse more then the light because our deeds are euill In our whole man we haue serued sinne our eares and eyes haue been as windowes to let in sin our mouthes haue bin fountaines of the salt water of sin our hands haue been hookes to pull vnto vs sin our feet haue been as wheeles running down along in the wayes of sinne and our breasts haue been as chests fast locking vp sinne Neither haue we sought to be deliuered out of this bondage but daily haue we thrust our selues further into it for so much as we haue not shunned but rather sought occasions and prouocations vnto sinne And through a daily custom of sinning it is so come to passe as that we are insensible and without feeling of the heauy weight burthen of sinne it presseth not our hearts it doth not inwardly grieue vs we cannot sacrifice broken hearts and contrite spirits vnto thee therefore miserable creatures that we are who shall deliuer vs from the body of this death Wee haue none in heauen O Lord but thee neither haue wee any in earth but thee alone and thou art our Father from euerlasting Good Father do thou therefore deliuer vs through thy al-sufficient grace sanctifie vs and through thy infinite mercy in Iesus Christ saue vs from all our sinnes Turne vs vnto thee so shal we be turned turne the light of thy countenance towards vs so shall we be filled with ioy and gladnesse more then when corne and wine and oyle are increased Inlighten our vnderstandings to see more cleerly into thy will rectifie our wils that they may be in all things conformable to thy most holy will sanctifie our affections that wee may loue that which thou commandest hate that which thou forbiddest strengthen our memories that we may reteine all good things settle our iudgements that we may not be wauering but firme in the truth and dispose vs so altogether both in soule body as that in all our parts powers and faculties wee may serue thee in new obedience as those
that are borne anew of the holy Ghost Strengthen our weak faith that we may certainely beleeue thy gracious promises of life and saluation that being assured of these best things and that thou hast giuen thy deare Sonne Christ vnto vs we may trust in thee for all other things also Inflame vs with loue of thy Maiestie who hast done so great things for vs And because wee cannot better expresse our loue towards thee then by the loue of our neighbour who is after thy image worke in vs the loue of our neighbour yea euen of those that be our enemies and hate vs. Send downe from heauen the fire of zeale for thy glory into vs so that with all earnestnesse we may seeke to aduance it let vs not esteeme of our owne liues in regard of thy glory knowing that such as honour and glorifie thee thou wilt honour them Giue vs sinceritie that in all things we may stand before thee and be vpright Cast vs down with true humility that in Iesus Christ thou maist lift vs vp make vs poore in spirit that thou maist inrich vs with the heauenly inheritance Temper vs with patience in aduersity whatsoeuer thy holy hand shall at any time lay vpon vs. Teach vs to be meek and gentle according to the example of our Sauiour that we may find rest vnto our soules Make vs temperate sober in the vse of thy good creatures holy as thou art holy heauenly as our hope is in heauen innocent and harmelesse in the midst of this crooked generation and fruitfull in all good works to the glory of thy Name Expell and driue out of vs whatsoeuer is an enemy to thy sauing graces blindnesse and ignorance infidelity and hardnesse of heart hatred and enuy coole and luke-warme affections hypocrisie and dissimulation pride and ambition impatience and discontent harshnes and intemperance prophanenesse and worldlinesse deceit and oppression with all other cursed fruits of the wicked flesh which hinder vs that we cannot do those things which we would and as a violent streame carry vs captiue to the Law of sinne Vnto this we are altogether vnable of our selues we know not what to doe but our eyes are towards thee Let the eyes of thy compassion be therefore opened vnto vs behold our weaknesse and put to thy helping hand to support vs draw vs and so shall we come vnto thee Sanctifie all meanes for our helpe furtherance thy Word Sacraments Prayer Meditations Conference and the like especially let thy loue renewed vpon vs this day stirre vs vp to such an answerable measure of true thankfulnesse as that hereby we may be whetted and haue such a new edge set vpon our desires as that we may goe through all hinderances and with all readinesse performe our dutie vnto thee And forasmuch as the night now approcheth wherein we are to enter into our beds as into our graues and there is no power in vs to rise any more or to saue vs from death and destruction O blessed God be thou our protector and Sauiour Bestow such a competent measure of refreshing by quiet sleepe vpon vs and so safegard and defend vs as that being preserued safe by thy prouidence and comforted by thy blessing wee may rise to morrow more able and willing to serue thee in our vocations And these graces we craue as for our selues so for thy whole Church and for euery part and member thereof especially for these Churches vnder the gouernment of our Kings Maiestie for his royall person and for all estates and degrees vnder him Lord look not vpon the crying sinnes of these miserable times bring vs speedily home vnto thee by true repentance and amendment of life and for thine owne glories sake still let the true religion flourish amongst vs confound all plots and deuices to the contrary Be pitifull to all our afflicted brethren be mercifull to all our kindred and more speciall acquaintance knitting vs all together by the firmest band of the Christian faith til being thus coupled together we grow vp to a perfect temple in the Lord and that onely for the merits of Iesus thy dearely beloued Sonne and our infinitely louing Sauiour and Redeemer Amen A Prayer for the Sabbath before publike meeting O Eternall God who hast commanded a double Sacrifice to bee offered euerie morning and euening vpon the Sabbath day we thy vnworthy seruants here humbled in thy presence in obedience to thy commandement according to our boundē duty desire to offer this double Sacrifice of praier in thy house the house of Prayer And we account it no small part of our happines that we may thus freely thus often come into thy holy presence for in thy presence is fulnes of ioy and pleasures for euermore Blessed be thy name O Lord that wee are yet continued in the Land of the Liuing and that with our life wee haue spirituall light without which our life were more terrible then death and that when we haue abused and walked vnworthy of the light louing darkenesse and liuing therein this glorious light is stil continued to enlighten our darkenesse and to guide our feete in the way of peace Good Lord sanctifie vs and dispose vs now aright seeing by thy prouidence we are this day to assemble and meet together in thy house that the beames of this light may shine amongst vs. Forgiue vs all our sinnes purge and wash vs with the blood of Iesus Christ that euen as the Israelites being washed and sanctified saw thy glorie vpon the mount so we may be fit to come into the same presence of glory Dispell in vs the thicke clouds of natural dulnesse that ouer-spread the eye of our mind so that the light though most cleare cannot breake forth vnto vs remoue that hardnesse of heart which maketh vs insensible and without feeling either of thy most grieuous threatnings or of thy gracious promises suppresse in vs all inordinate affections of anger malice hatred and enuy emptie vs of pride worldlinesse vanity and prophanenesse that as new borne babes we may desire the sincere milke of thy word to grow thereby Put into vs due consideration that we may take heed to our feete when we enter into thy house and not offer the Sacrifice of fooles Thus dispose vs O Lord to thy publike seruice and because a little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe thy Sabbaths are defiled by vanity and worldly imployment euen when wee are gone from thy house mercifull Father restraine vs here-from helpe vs to consecrate this day as glorious vnto thee and to be sober in eating and drinking holy in conference and talking heauenly in meditation seeking in all things the best edification of our selues and others Open our hands to the necessities of our poore brethren and our hearts to haue compassion vpon such as suffer and be in misery That in all we may be to the praise of thy name keeping a most holy rest and in thy good time come to rest with