Answere Adam had yet no sinne and therefore the Lord would laie no paine or griefe vpon him For that is indeed a part of the stipend and wages of sinne ExplicatioÌ„ proofe It is true For not only death is the wages of sinne specially eternall death which is as the last pa Rom â— 23 but also all whatsoeuer is a forerunner and causer of the nâ—turall death And therfore this is reckoned to the man a part of that curse which he brought into the world by his sinne that hee should eate his bread in the sweate of his face and to the woman that shee should trauell and bring forth children in sorrow and paine You answered a while since that God in making man created the bodie first without all life or sense and after that inspired a liuing soule into it but that as touching all other liuing creatures hee made them liuing from the first instant of their creation Can you yeeld any reason why the Lord should do thus Question There is no doubt but God would hereby declare Answere that the nature of the soules of mankinde are greatly differing from the nature of their bodies yea and also euen from the natur in â—ife of all other earthly creatures Question How is that Answere The soule of mankinde is a spirituall and immortall substance not hauing the originall from the earth as the bodie had but more immediatly from the author of life euen from the Lord God himselfe whose glorious Image it beareth This is very euident from the Text it selfe and it agreeth as well to woman aâ— to man for the one as well as the other is said to be created in the Imâ—ge of God And herein especially consisteth the excellency of this speciall worke of Gods creation according to that which was said in the Answere and for the same cause to be a thing worthie of our speciall obseruation LEt vs therefore in the third place consider as diligently as we can concerning this pâ—â—â— Question What was thiâ— Image or likenes of God in the which man and woman were created Wâ—◠〈◊〉 respect of their outward comelines or bodily shape Answere Nothing lesse for as we haue alreadie learned God is an infinite and incomprehensible Spirit and hath no bodily shape at all Question Wherein doth it câ—nsist then Answere It standeth in the spirituall nature and immortalitie of the soule in the soundnes of the wisedome and vnderstanding of the minde in the pâ—â—â—â—e of the will and affection of the heart and in true righte u nes and holines of life conformable to the minde and will and after the example of God himselfe in the imitation of his diuine vertues Yea it standeth in that honourable estate wherein God created and set the whole humane nature euen so farre aboue all other earthly creatures that they are but a little inferiour to the holy Angels Explication and proofe Reade for the proofe of this Psal 8.5 Hebr. â— 9 And Ephes 4.24 And Colloss 3.10 For God renueth vs being corrupted to that integritie wherein hee had at the first created vs. Wherefore concerning the Image of God which man beareth let it be obserued that a God is a Spirit so is the soule though finite As God is immortall so is the soule but not as hauing the fountaine of life in it selfe as God hath The soule is wise c. but not infinite in wisedome c. a God is This l kenes therfore though it be a true likenes to God in many things as touching the nature or kinde of them yet it admitteth an infinite dissimilitude in the degree and measure of all things And touching tâ—â— soule let it be further noted that it is of so excellent a creation that it â—â—bsisâ—ing in it selfe by the gift of God so giueth life mouing anâ— sense to the bodie that though the bodie die yet cannot the soule die but in it selfe howsoeuer by the naturall death seperated from the bodie yet â—â—â—th vnderstandeth and reteineth affection either of ioy and desire in the godlâ— or of griefe and feare in the wicked though wi hout the bodie euen vntill the revniting of soule and bodie againe thenceforth so to continue for euer and euer although we cannot now conceiue the manner how So wonderfull is the creation of God in this his creature Now verily touching this first creation of mankinde if God had made vs onely a little superiour in dignitie to the other creatures of the earth wee cou d not but haue acknowledged it for a great mercie but in that hee hath made vs by creation onely a little inferiour to the heauenly Angels the bountie of his goodnes is euen herein infinitely aboue all that we can conceiue Here therefore without any further discourse we may see according to the third thing worthie to be obserued in the creation of mankind that God did aduance them to a verie high and excellent estate of honour and dignitie And it is particularly euident in this that the Lord placed them in the most fruitfull and pleasant place of the whole earth as it were in a most fine and delicate Orchyard and Garden and gaue them also therewithall the soueraigntie ouer all the foules of the heauen ouer the fishes of the Sea and ouer the beasts of the Earth as we reade how God from the beginning both purposed and also performed to authorise them therevnto not onely in the Text of the 1. chap of Genesis alreadie rehearsed but also in the 2. cha verse 8. c. A portion of the which authoritie hee hath continued to mankinde for Christes sake euen after the fall and reuiued it againe after Noahs flood as we reade Gen 8.20 c. and chap 9.1.2 c. And as we haue experience euen to this day Yet note that all that is said of the excellencie of mans creation is to be referred onely to the glorifying of God and in no wise to puffe vp man in any proud conceit of himselfe For alas he did through his pride loose all his dignitie by and by To conclude this third obseruation concerning the excellent estate dignitie wherevnto God aduanced mankinde Question Why did he at the first create only one man out of the earth and one woman out of his side Answere He did it to the end he might institute and giue a liuely example of that matrimoniall estate whereby onely the Lord required a holy propagation of mankinde in a more honourable manner then any other creatures are multiplied and increased So indeed it is declared to â—roâ— bene the minde of God by the Prophet Malachie chap 2.15 and by our Sauiour Christ Matth 19.4.5.6 NOw let vs come to the fourth obseruation touching the creation of the first man and woman in that they were created the last of the creatures of God Question What may be the reason of that Answere Heerein God doth really vtter and declare his most bountifull fauour and good will toward mankinde in that
of other such like wormes Concerning the least and vilest and euen the most hurtfull among them as they be nowe it is specially to be obserued that they were all good by creation according to that honourable testimonie which the Lorde our God giueth of them Neuertheles such things as come of putrefaction as maggates c. though they be the creatures of God yet they come into the worlde through sinne as punishments thereof and are not of naturall and kindely creation They are created for punishment as a fruite of mans sinne and corruption and not for comfort or reliefe as any fruite of Gods mercie as all things were before the fall The third sorte of liuing creatures such as liue vpon the earth and are the last sorte of the first parte of the creation of the sixte daye they were those that are called the beasts of the earth according to their kindes Whereby is meant all kinde of Beasts which are more wilde and sauadge then the other be Such as are Lions Beares Wolues c the rauenous hurtfulnes wherof specially against mankinde whom God made their ruler it came in with mans own sin against God wherby he hath bene most hurtfull to himselfe as wee shall haue further occasion to obserue afterward For by creation they were all good and easilie subiect to the gouernment of man according to the appointment of God himselfe as it followeth concerning the second parte of the creation of this sixte dayes worke the Historicall reporte wherof wee are now to consider of Question WHich are the wordes of the Prophet Moses wherein hee reporteth the same They are these which followe as they are written in the first Chapter of Genesis Answere from the 26. verse to the end of the Chapter 26 Furthermore saith Moses God said Let vs make man in our image according to our likenes and let them rule ouer the fishe of the Sea and ouer the foule of the heauen and ouer the beasts and ouer all the earth and ouer euery creeping thing that creepeth vpon the earth 27 Thus God created the man in his image euen in the image of God created hee him male and female created hee them 28 Moreouer God blessed them and God said to them Bring forth fruite and multiplie fill the earth and subdue it and rule ouer the fish of the Sea and ouer the sowle of the heauen and ouer euery beast that mooueth vpon the earth 29 God saide also beholde I haue giuen vnto you euerie hearbe bearing seede which is vppon all the earth and euery tree wherein there is the fruite of a tree bearing seede they shall be to you for foode 3â— Likewise to euery beast of the earth and to euery fowle of the heauen and to euerie thing that mooueth vppon the earth in the which is a liuing soule I haue giuen euery greene hearb for foode and it was so 31 Then God loâ—ked vppon euerie thing that hee had made and loe all was very good And the euening and the morning were the sixte daye In this latter parte of this last dayes worke of the creation there are sundrie things worthie our speciall obseruation as was somewhat at large declared in the opening of it The same things are nowe to be called againe to our remembrance Question Which are they Answere First the holie Prophet sheweth the manner of the Lordes proceeding to this last parte of his worke in the creation of mankinde to be much differing from the course which hee tooke in the creating of all other his workes before Secondly he describeth the excellencie of the worke it selfe Thirdlie the excellent estate and dignitie wherevnto the Lord aduanced the same his excellent worke Fourthlie the reason is as it were insinuated why the Lord made mankinde after that hee had made all the rest of his creatures Finallie wee haue a generall commendation of all the workes of Gods creation not onely from Moses but euen from the most holie Testimonie also and diuine approbation of Almighty God himselfe These are things worthie our speciall obseruation indeede according as they are contained in our Texte Let vs therefore as briefely as wee can renewe the consideration of them againe Question ANd first concerning the first point What was the differing manner of Gods proceeding to the creation of mankinde otherwise then hee created the rest Answere God doth not heerein forthwith saye Let the earth bring forth mankinde as hee had said before Lâ—ther be a light and so forth in the rest but hee doth as it were take aduise and counsell with himselfe before the action saying Let vs make Man And so forth as â—t followeth in our Texte Question Seeing God is but one onely God why doth hee speake thus Let vs make Man Answere GOD beeing one onely in Nature is neuertheles three distinct Persons the FATHER the SONNE and the HOLY GHOST as was seene at large before who consent all in one in the workes of creation and in all things else as wee haue likewise seene rehearsed Question But why should God who knoweth all his workes and his whole counsell and purpose most perfectlie from all eternitie seeme to enter into any consultation at all about any of his workes Answere The wordes of consultation are figuratiuely applyed to God in waye of a similitude or comparison onely taken from the vse of men who when they goe about anie speciall worke doe first of all enter into earnest deliberation about the same Explication and proofe It is true and wee haue the like kinde of consultation though to a contrarie purpâ—se of a great confusion and destruction As Genes chapt 11.6.7 Beholde saith the Lord the people is one c. Come let vs goe downe and ther confound their language c. And chap 18.20 21. I will goe downe and see whether they haue done altogether according to that crie which is come vnto me and if not that I may knowe c. By thiâ— kinde of speeche therefore the Lord doth most plainely and familiarly giue to vnderstand as was obserued in the second place that he would haue the making of mankinde to be accounted a speciall worke of his creation Question BVt why should this bee so accounted insomuch as Man was made of the earth as well as other earthlie creatures were It is so much the rather to be accounted an excellent worke of God because he made man so excellent a creature of so base and vile a matter Here therefore for the clearing of this point Let vs more particularly call to minde after what sort God created mankind How doth the Prophet Moses report that vnto vs Question Answere God made the bodie of man of the dust of the earth moulding it as it were moyst loame or claie into that outward forme and shape which wee all beare God turning or as we may say transubstantiating it into flesh blood and bone Wherevpon the first man from the Hebrew word Adamah which signifieth a red kinde of
earth is called Adam And after the bodie was thus framed and made God breathed into it the breath of life and so made man of senslesse and dead flesh a liuing and reasonable soule Hee made woman of the ribbe of man and endued her also with a like liuing and reasonable soule like vnto him yea as it were another as neere as might be the verie same a helper euery way most meet and commodious for him Whom Adam called first Isha of the Hebrew word Isâ— which signifieth man like as we in our language by a likenes of sound may seeme to call her woman as it were of man or with man because shee was taken out of man and is one man with him And afterward Adam called her Heuah comforting himselfe in hope that notwithstanding his great and grieuous sinne God would of his free grace and mercie let her liue to be a mother of the liuing answerable to the meaning of the same Hebrew word Explication and proofe So indeed Moses reporteth the true Historie of the creation of man Gen chapter 2. verse 7. And of woman in the same chapter verses 18 21 22 23. where hee setteth downe how the Lord tooke a ribâ—â— from Adam of the which hee made woman namely after that hee had caâ—sed an heauy sleepe to fall vpon him and likewise after that he had closed vp the flesh in stead of the bone which GOD tooke from him Adam therefore acknowledgeth her to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh and therevpon as was answered giueth her the first name Isha of Ish as we say woman of man because as was said euen now shee was taken out of man And for the second name reade Chapter 3.20 And thus as the Apostle Paul saith from the faithfull testimonie of Moses Adam was first formed and then Eue. 1. Tim 2.13 Either part of which worke of God must needs be wonderfull to all but prophane Infidels As first to see a lumpe of earth chaunged from the naturall substance to be flesh yea and blood and bone framed together by ioynts knit by sinewes ouerspread with vaines and stringes as with net-worke to carry the vitall blood to euery part of the bodie to feele such a fire kindled in the stomacke the liuer and lightes and kidneies to haue their seuerall offices assigned them the heart to be made the seate of life and affection the braine of vnderstanding and memorie the eye to haue such an excellent facultie to see the eare to heare c. Who of any capacitie and of the least good disposition can consider these things but hee must needs wonder at them as being more then a world of the wisedome and power and goodnes of the Lorde in the making of this his little admirable world from a rude peece of earth and afterward to doe as much againe with a little bone This verily doth infinitely surpasse all mans power and skill Our neglect of glorifying God for this his wonderfull wisedome goodnes in our exquisite creation is the iust cause why God sendeth so great distemper so manifold diseases and disquietments in soule and bodie in eyes eares hands feete heart and all as he doth oftentimes Yea it is the cause of the decay of all at the last touching this life Eccles ch 12.1.2.3 c. Question But why did the Lord proceed in this order to make man first and afterwards to make the woman That he might thereby shewe it to be his pleasure Answere that man should haue authoritie abouâ— the woman and yet so as euery mans wife should be as a companion and not as a seruant or drudge to her husband So indeed it is euident in that place of Tim Reade also to this purpose that which the same Apostle writeth Eâ—â—licatioÌ„ and proofe 1. Cor 11.7.8.9 where the authoritie of man ouer the woman is notably qualified in the 11. 12. verses of the same chapter Reade also chap 14.34.35 And here we come now to a fewe such other points belonging to this historie of the creation of mankinde hoping that we shall not herein be curious or ouer inquisitiue seeing that the knowledge thereof serueth greatly to the glorifying of God in this behalfe I do therefore aske further Question Why did God make the bodie of man of so base a matter as is the dust of the earth Answere Hereby God would teach both the first man and woman and vs and all their posteritie to humble our selues vnder the mightie and glorious hand of our Creator Explication and proofe This is euident from that which followeth by and by after the fall For the Lord looking herevnto telleth Adam that he was dust and that hee should return to dust againe Gen 3.19 Read also Ps 9â— 3 Isai 45.9 Ier. 18.6 For vnto this ground of our creation out of the earth hath the Lord a respect in the similitude of the Potter in those places Many say that the Peacock garnished with goodly feathers and therewith aduancing himselfe yet so soone as he looketh vpon his black feete letteth downe all his brauerie againe Howsouer it is with the Peacocke it ought certainly to humble man euen in his greatest excellencie when hee duly considereth that his originall is from the earth and that now by reason of his sinne he must to the earth againe And in this respect the excellent vertue or humilitie seemeth from the latin word humâ—â— which signâ—â— the grounde or earth to haue borrowed the name whereby it is named among vs. Question But that we may proceed Why was the woman made of the ribbe of man Answere To the end that both they and we and all their posteritie knowing our selues to be in a most neere coniunction of one and the same nature might from time to time liue together in a most sweete and amiable fellowship and societie euery one with his companion and neighbour ExplicatioÌ„ proofe This is that which the Apostle Paul doth plainly teach vs Act chap 17. 26. 27. And further also that which hee maketh a ground of the generall dutie of all mankind euen truly to acknowledge and worship the Lord our God together according as he hath made vs of one blood c. But specially this consideration bindeth man and wife to a singular kinde of amitie and friendship betweene themselues aboue any other according to that we read Ephe â— 22.23.24 25. c. Also according as Moses writeth that God built woman out of man taking the ribbe of man as being a most fit râ—fter to build withall and so made them both one house and a perfect building as it were Question B t was it not painful to Adam to haue his râ—bbe taken from him Answere No for as was said before God caused a verie heauie sleepe to fall vpon him while he tooke it out of him So indeed Moses certifieth vs in the 21. verse of the 2. chap of Genesis But why was this Question
grieuous sufferings which went before and partly also to that last degree of his humiliation which followed after in that he lay in his graue as it were vnder the captiuity and dominion of death vntill his resurrection as was said before For we are not precisely to binde our selues to these words as if because they are set down in this summe of our beliefe therefore we must beleeue them as being of them selues the canonicall text or ground of our faith But wee haue free liberty granted nay rather wee stand bound to take counsell from the holy Scriptures and to beleeue them onely in such sense as they doe apply these words to our Sauiour Christ without any regard of the priuate interpretation of any which hath not certaine ground from the same Question But are there any such interpretations of these words giuen forth by any which cannot be warranted from the holy Scriptures Answere I haue heard it so affirmed for our admonition sondry times that wee might be stirred vp thereby to seeke to ground our selues in the right vnderstanding of them so as no erroneous or groundlesse interpretation might cause vs to decline from the truth therof Explication and proofe There is doubtlesse iust cause why you should be thus taught and admonished For sondry expositors haue their sondry expositions of these words He descended into hell which cannot be concluded from the word of God The which though they are in this respect all of like nature yet they are not to be accounted in like degree of error Question Which may these sondry and groundlesse expositions be Answer They are of three sorts First of those that haue taught the meaning of them to be this that the soule of our Sauiour Christ descended to hell the place appointed of God for the euerlasting torment of the wicked to manifest his diuine power to preach and declare the victorie of his crosse or rather as some think both to begin his victory and triumph and also vtterâ—y to subdue the power of the diuell and hell it selfe there Secondly of those that haue expounded the meaning of them to be this that the soule of Christ went downe to Limbus Patrum as it were to a region within the earth next aboue hell to fetch out the soules of them that were there till his comming and to carrie them with him into heauen after his resurrection Yea some haue taught from these words that the soule of our Sauiour Christ descended to hell to suffer the torments thereof for the redemption of our soules that they might neuer come there Thirdly the Marcionites and other heretikes called Liberatores affirmed that Christ by his Descension deliuered the soules of the reprobate out of hell All which opinions specially the two latter sorts if there be any other like to these they are carefully to be auoided of vs as hauing either no warrant in the word or else are plainly contrary to it Explication and proofe They are so indeede insomuch as a little leauen as wee are admonished sowereth the whole lumpe For to begin with the last of the second sort how can this agree with the words of our Sauiour on the Crosse who most solemnly affirmed that all his sufferings foretold by the Prophets were finished and perfited euen vnto the point of death which he also immediatly performed to the sealing vp of all the rest At which very instant also he did most faithfully commend his spirit into the hands that is into the gratious custody and preseruation of God his Father Who therefore shall dare presume to disable that which our Sauiour hath valued at a full and sufficient valure Seeing all was fulfilled vpon the crosse which God foretold by his holy Prophets who may be of sufficient credit to warrant vs any reuelation to the contrarie to be giuen vnto him And if there be reason that the soule of our Sauiour should descend to Hell to suffer torments in stead of our soules there why should not his body descend likewise to suffer for our bodies that they might neuer come thether Thus that exposition which would lay the most heauie burthen vpon our Sauiour Christ may from these and such like absurdities which followe vpon it be discerned to be the lightest in it selfe and to recoile most dangerously against those that haue so vnreasonably ouercharged it The other exposition of this second sort containeth likewise a meere fiction as may euidently bee perceiued because they can no where shewe vs any ground for such a place as they describe and altogether without booke determine vnto vs. But much rather because that which they say is contrarie to the holy Scriptures which determine another place for the soules of the faithfull which haue died in the LORD euen before the appearance of our LORD IESVS CHRIST For so doth our SAVIOVR himselfe giue plainely to vnderstand in that he placeth the soule of Lazarus in the bosome of Abraham which was in such a place as the LORD vsed the ministerie of the holy Angels to carrie it vnto The which also is expressely saide to be so situated that there is a great gulfe betwixt the one place and the other Luke 16 26. And as the Preacher saith Eccles chap. 12 7. Though the body which is dust returne to the earth as it was yet the spirit returneth to God that gaue it No doubt it doth not returne downeward but vpward I speake now of the soules of the righteous who as they liued so dye the seruants of God Yea like enough also the other may returne euen vpward to God if for no other cause yet to receiue their sentence and so to be cast downe from the glorious presence of God As for that which we read Heb 9.8 The way into the hoâ—iest of all was not yet opened while as yet the first Tabernacle was standing it can by no meanes be haled to determine any such Limbus or region and place within the earth either nearer or further off from Hell which the superficiall and darke braine of man hath fancied from the same The last opinion of deliuering the soules of the reprobate out of Hell it is most hereticall and direâ—tly contarie to the eternall iustice and truth of GOD concerning that eternall punishment which hee hath threatened and decreed against them And touching the former sort of expositions they are partly against the expresse doctrine of the Apostle Coloss 2 14 15. Where he teacheth that our Sauiour Christ by his sufferings and humiliation vpon the crosse did so sufficiently subdue yea and triumph openly ouer the Diuel yea as wee may say ouer all the Diuells of Hell that he needed not goe downe into any hidden and darke places of the earth to doe it And they are also against those famous testimonies and declarations which shewe that the victorie was then atchieued as appeareâ—h by the earthquake at the death of our Sauiour and by the rending of the vaile of the
and remained in the graue as one truly descended downe among the dead yea that he being verily in the state and condition of the dead saue onely that his flesh saw no corruption the soule being neuerthelesse perfitly seperated and remooued from the body as farre as heauen is distant from the earth neither yet perfitly glorified but onely resting in the paradise of God among the soules of the faithfull already departed this life and abiding in like estate and condition with them all the time that his body lay dead in the graue the wordes of this Article I say doe teach me to beleeue that the third day after his sufferings hee did quicken and raise vp the same his body that was dead and buried from the former condition of the dead and from the power and dominion of the graue his soule returning againe to his body thenceforth neuer to die or to be sundred any more but to liue for euer in perfect happinesse and fulnesse of glorie with his diuine nature as the Articles following will further declare They doe teach vs indeed thus much For seeing the humane nature of our Sauiour Christ Explication being free from sinne in it selfe and hauing on our parts made a full satisfaction to God for our sinnes and moreouer insomuch as the same humane nature was vnited to the diuine nature in one Person it was vnpossible that death should preuaile against him And therefore at the time appointed that is on the third day after he was crucified dead buried he brake the bonds of death hath openly declared that he hath made a full conquest both of sin death and of him that had the power of death that is the diuell But insomuch as this your answer is somewhat long The meaning of the Article and consisteth of many parts it shall be good for vs in regard of the weightinesse of the matter accordingly to consider of the seuerall proofes thereof First therefore as touching this that our Sauiour Christ did by his owne diuine power together with the Father raise vp his bodie from the dead wee haue the testimony of our Sauiour himselfe who said before his death that he would doe so Iohn 10.17 18. Therefore saith he doth my Father loue me because I lay downe my life that I might take it againe this commandement haue I receiued of my Father And 1 Pet. 3 1â— Christ was put to death concerning the flesh but he was quickened by the spirit that is to say by his diuine power And further coÌ„cerning the ioynt working of the Father thus we reade Act. 2.24 God saith the Apostle Peter hath raised vp Iesus and loosened the sorrowes of death because it was vnpossible that he should be holden of it And verse 32. This Iesus hath God raised vp whereof we all are witnesses And againe more fully chap. 3. verses 13 14 1â— The God of Abraham Isaak and Inakob the God of our Fathers hath glorified his Sonne Iesus c. and hath raised vp the Lord of life from the dead whereof wee are witnesses And verse â—6 First vnto you hath God raised vp his Sonne Iesus And chap. 4. verse 10. Be it knowne to yee all c that God hath raised againe Iesus Christ from the dead Likewise chap. 5. verse 30. The God of our Fathers hath raised vp Iesus whom yee slew and hanged on a tree Him hath God listed vp by his right hand to be a Prince and a Sauiour c And wee are witnesses of these things which we say yea and the holy Ghost whom God hath giuen to those that obey him And chap. 10. verse 40. Him God raised vp the third day and caused that be was shewed openly And chap 13 in the Sermon that Paul preached at Antioch of Pisidia from the 30. verse c. And Heb. chap. 13. verse 20. God is called the God of peace who brought againe from the dead the Lord Iesus the great Sheepeheard of the sheepe Thus Therefore wee see it plentifully confirmed that the bodie of our Sauiour Christ which was crucisied dead buried and which lay in the graue to the third day is one free among the dead as the Psalmist speaketh Psal 8.5 was raised vp againe by his owne diuine power together with the Father And that this was done the body neuerthelesse remaining free from corruption it is expresly testified by the Apostles Peter and the rest Act. 2.27.31 and chapter 13. verses 36 37. according to the prophesie of Dauid in the 16. Psalme Moreouer that his soule which before hee had alreadie commended into the hands of his Father with the which also the soule of the repenting thiefe was the same day in Paradise as we haue seene Luke 23.45 46. that I say this his soule returned againe it is necessary that according to the truth we doe beleeue it to be so because otherwise insomuch as the soule of man is the chiefe part of man Christ risen could not be the same whole and true Christ who was crucified dead and buried before Neither shall it be amisle for vs in this behalfe to conceiue that the ministerie of the holy Angells who descended from heauen to beare witnesse of the resurrection of our Sauiour was employed to the bringing of the soule to the bodie according as the Angeâ—ls are saide to haue carried the soule of Lazarus from the bodie of Lazarus into the bosome of Abraham But howsoeuer the conueiance of the soule of our Sauiour was from heauen to the bodie this wee may bee sure of that it was by the diuine hand and power of God reunited to the bodie from the which it had beene separated by so farre a distance before That the same his soule was not yet fully glorified though for the time of his seperation from the bodie it rested in the Paradise of God with the soules of the righteous departed this life it is very euident because the full glorification of the whole humane nature depended vpon the ascension of our Sauiour to the right hand of the diuine Maiesty of God The Promise as we may perceiue Iohn 7.39 and chap. 17.5 and 20.17 And that there is no death or seperation for euer now after the reuniting of the soule to the body the Apostle Paul doth plainely testifie Act. 13.34 in that he saith Explication proofe God raised vp Iesus from the dead no more to returne to the graue To the which very purpose also he alledgeth the testimony of the Prophet Isaias chap. 55.3 I will giue ye the holy things of Dauid which are faithfull For the Apostle giueth vs to vnderstand as the truth is that if our Sauiour should not liue for euer hee could not performe the mercies promised to the Church of God in him and by him alone for euer Likewise Rom 6.9.10 If saith the same Apostle Saint Paul we be dead with Christ we beleeue that we shalt liue also with him Knowing that Christ being raised
the Lord and that he had spoken these things vnto her Thus I say not onely is this article recorded vnto vs as it was fulfilled in due time but also as it was long before fore-tolde by the Prophets and more neerely vpon the performance thereof by our Sauiour himselfe The which as the effect it selfe declared were not coniecturall and gessing prognostications but most certaine and diuine predictions reuealed by God himselfe the onely gouernour and disposer of euery thing in the proper time and season thereof as we haue heard before But leauing the prophesies and comming to the historicall report of the performance thereof as the holy Euangelists Marke and Luke euen now alledged doe report the same Question In what order may we profitably consider of it Answer In the historicall report of this article the holy Euangelists doe lay it forth in this order First they note the time of the ascension of our Sauiour Secondly the place from whence he ascended Thirdly the manner how Fourthly the effects which it wrought in the hearts of his disciples Fiftly the testimonie of two Angels concerning the ascension with their holy instruction and admonition to the Disciples continuing in the earnest beholding of the same These indeede are the points recorded in this part of the holy storie and they may well be considered of in this order wherein you haue rehearsed them First therefore concerning the time of the ascension of our Sauiour Quest When was that Ans It was at the ende of fourtie dayes after hee rose againe from the dead Explicatiō proofe It is true So doth the Euangelist Luke affirme and testifie in the first chap Acts verse 3. In the which space of time also as hee there sheweth our Sauiour spake to his Apostles of those things which appertaine to the kingdome of God And this containeth matter of singular comfort vnto vs in that our Sauiour would not leaue his Disciples at vncertaine but gaue them commandements what they should doe after his departure And againe considering the faithfulnes of the Apostles in obeying our Sauiour Christ in all things wee may well assure our selues that whatsoeuer they haue taught and preached in the Church of God was by the appointment of our Sauiour as well in the change of the Sabbath from the seuenth day the day after the finishing of all Gods workes of creation to the first day of the weeke the day of the Lords resurrection a most memorable declaration that hee is the redeemer of the world in whom alone consisteth the restoring of the desolations of his people as was touched before as also in all the duties of Gods worshippe to bee practised on that day Preaching prayer Baptizing supper of the Lord offices and gouernment of the Church and whatsoeuer else beside Thus much doth the consideration of the time serue to informe vs of Neither is the proportion of the time to bee neglected in that as hee was fourtie dayes in the wildernesse for the confirmation of his calling at the enterance of his Ministerie so after the finishing of all thinges it pleased him to remaine on the earth fourtie dayes to make knowne and confirme that all things were indeede finished by him whatsoeuer was indeede to bee done before his ascension into heauen The day of the ascension of our SAVIOVR was that which wee vsually call holy Thursday But let vs come to the place whence our SAVIOVR Ascended Question Answer Explicatiō Which was that It was from the Mount of Oliues neare to Bethania This also is euident by the testimonie of the Euangelist Luke chap 24. 50.51 and Acts 1.12 Question What vse may wee make from the consideration of the place Answer Insomuch as the place which was before in one part of it a place of his lowest humiliation and descension was afterward made in the same or in some other part of it a place of his triumphant ascension wee may well comfort our selues that though we must passe through many afflictions yet no place of affliction nor any measure of affliction shall hinder vs from entering into the kingdome of heauen Explicatiō This was obserued before by reason that the place of the last appearance of our Sauiour to his Apostles was the place of this his Ascension But it is not amisse that you haue here called it to minde againe And indeede whence is it that God doth vsually take his children from the earth vp into heauen but their soules first out of their sicke bodies or out of their vncomfortable prisons or from the places of their execution for his holy truth and Gospells sake And afterward their bodies out of the dust where they haue beene rotted before But of this place of our Sauiours ascension we may see more in that which is saide before concerning the place of his last appearance here on earth after his resurrection Leauing the place thereof let vs come to the manner of his ascension Ques How was that Ans After that our Sauiour had blessed his Apostles hee withdrewe himselfe from them Explication So indeed are these wordes of the Euangelist Luke chap 24. verse 51. to be vnderstood in that he saith of our Sauiour that he departed from them dieste ap auton disiunctus est ab eis that is he was disioyned or seperated some distance from them Question Why was that Answer To the end the Disciples whom our Sauiour minded to make witnesses of his ascension might the better discerne his taking vp from them into heauen Explicatiō This is manifest in it selfe For if hee had beene taken vp from them on a sodaine while he had beene in the middest of them they could not for feare and through other infirmities so sensibly haue discerned the same nor haue giuen so perfect a testimonie of it And therefore it is declared in the holy storie that first our Sauiour was remoued some small distance from them and then that he was carried vpward from them into heauen as it followeth in the forenamed 51. verse Question But how was he taken vp Answer A clowde tooke him vp out of the Disciples sight while they beheld him on the earth and looked vp stedfastly toward heauen so long as they might discerne him ascending Explication It is the report of the Euangelist Acts 1. verse 9.10 as was rehearsed before And this motion of the cloud comming downe perpendicularly as one may say and ascending vp directly againe contrary to the naturall course which is circular it sheweth the miraculous and diuine hand of God herein like as did the strange motion of the starre at the birth of our Sauiour it going as it were in a direct line and not compasse wise from the East to the citie of Ierusalem and then from thence to Bethlehem where he was borne Question But why would not our Sauiour ascend without the ministery of the clowd but would haue it as a waggon of estate or chariot of triumph
to carrie him vp Answer Though our Sauiour could by his diuine power haue caused his body to haue ascended without any meanes For he being in stead of a ladder to the Angels of heauen to ascend and descend he could haue beene a ladder to himselfe Gen. 28.12.13 Iohn 1.51 Yet it seemeth that for the declaration of the truth of his humane nature still so to remaine in heauen after his ascension and for euer as he was at his resurrection here vpon the earth he would haue it lifted vp and carried vp by a clowde Explication So it seemeth indeede For notwithstanding the body of our Sauiour being glorified and freed from all naturall grossenes was more apt to moue with greater agilitie and quicknes by many degrees then before yet wee may not thinke that it had lost all waightines of substance and therefore had yet naturally neede of some helpe to lift it vp like as it is said of our bodies that though at the resurrection they shall be glorified bodies yet they shall stand in need of the clowdes of God to carrie them into heauen 1. Thes 4.17 And euen for this cause also would our Sauiour in the translating of his body from earth to heauen giue vs a president how our bodies shall be conucied thether at the end of the world Thus then we see good reason why our Sauiour would haue his body taken vp carried into heauen by a clowd Neither is it to be neglected which learned interpreters obserue that the Lord by putting a clowd betwixt our Sauiour and them would teach them sobrietie least they should seeke to know more of the secrets of God then were meet but should content themselues and rest satisfied with those things which he thought good to reueale vnto them Like as the Lord at the giuing of the lawe did as it seemeth to the same end appeare in a darke clowde Exod 19.9 And afterward in the Tabernacle chap 46.34 c. Num 9.15 and chap 16.42 and likewise in the Temple 1. King 8.10.11.12 Reade also Psalm 18.9.10.11 and Hab The meaning of the Article 3 verse 4. Hereunto tend the speech of the two men that stoode in white apparell Act. 1.10.11 that is to say the two Angels such as the Euangelist Iohn saith to be Angels in white garments chap 20 12. whom Marke and Luke doe neuerthelesse call by the names of men clothed in white shining vestures Marke 16 5. and Luke 24.4 For these Angels of whom we speake in this our text of the Acts call the Disciples from looking any longer vp to heauen after that our Sauiour was receiued out of their sight and informeth them of his second comming to iudgement and that he should remaine in the heauens vntill that time retaining still the same nature of man wherewith hee visibly ascended vp from them And thus the Angells besides the Apostles who were eye-witnesses doe testifie vnto vs this article of the ascension of our Sauiour into heauen yea the Angels doe further testifie of his cont nuance there in the same nature as was said euen now vntill his comming againe A point right worthy and comfortable to be noâ—ed of vs. And further touching the speech of the Angels in that they speaking to the Apostles doe call them men of Galile they doe it not in any way of reproofe but that by hearing their countrie mentioned by such as were strangers and vnknowne of them they might bee so much the rather stirred vp to attend their speech Nleither are we so to vnderstand these Angells as though they did simply reproue the Disciples for looking vp to heauen but euen as our Sauiour in former times shewing his Disciples the glory of his miracles did therewithall make mention of his death and speaking of his death did vpon that occasion likewise often foretell them of his resurrection and being risen againe interrupteth Mary Magdalen and telleth her of his ascension and by her his Disciples so here the holy Angells call their mindes from that which was of little vse further then they had alreadie seene to that which was now more necessarily to bee knowne and thought vpon of them to the ende they might prepare themselues and teach others also so to doe that they might be found such as they ought to be in all faithfulnesse of good seruice at his glorious appearance according to that of the Apostle Paul 2. Cor 5.10 11. we must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ c. knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men c. Thus much therefore concerning the manner of the ascension of our Sauiour and of the faithfull witnesses of it yea euen of the whole historie and ground of it ANd now in the next place wee are according to our course to consider of the meaning of the wordes of the Article Question What is that How doe they teach you to beleeue Answer This Article teacheth mee stedfastly to beleeue that albeit our Lord Iesus Christ in respect of his diuine nature was all wayes both in heauen and earth filling all places at once with his diuine presence so that to speake properly and without figuratiue speech hee cannot bee saide his Godhead simply considered in it selfe to haue at any time either ascended or descended yet that in his humane nature both body and soule being here vpon the earth and not in heauen yea that euen with the same body which was conceiued by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgine Marie was crucified dead and buried and the third day rose againe from the dead hee did at the ende of fourtie dayes after his resurrection ascend vp from the earth heere belowe into the highest heauens there to remaine till the ende of the world and is not now neither will be till that time bodily present any other where ExplicatioÌ„ All is very true that you say For first that the God-head to speake properly and without trope or figure of speech cannot bee saide to ascend or descend it is euident insomuch as it is not possibly subiect to change of place but it is present euery where filling at once all places Ier chap 23. verse 23 2â— And Psal 139 7 8 9 10 11 12. So that where God is said to descend or ascend and to goe from one place to another as Gen 11.5 7 and chap 18.21 Exod 3 2 c. 8. and cha 19 18. Psal 89. Habak chap 3 verse 3 c. this is to be vnderstood of some speciall declaration of his diuine and glorious presence by the ministerie of his holy Angels with some strange adioynts and effects of the same his presence And this may ioyntly or distinctly be ascribed to all three persons of the Deitie as Mat chap. 3 16. Iohn 14 23 26 cha 15 26 and 16 7 8 Acts 2.1 2 3 4. And yet more specially concerning the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ in the person of a mediatour both God
is his soule into the hands of the Lord Iesus who no doubt receiued it Acts 7.59 According to that Reuel 6.9 10 11. where the soules of the Martyrs are said to lie vnder the altar to wit as being vnder the blessed safe protectiō of our Sauiour for whose sake vpō whō after a sort they offered sacrificed thēselues vnto God like as Paul vseth that maner of speech cōcerning himself Phil. 2.17 Neither was this the knowledge faith perswasion of the faithful at the cōming of our Sauiour since that time onely by the light of his doctrine promise and practise but it hath beene likewise the knowledge and beliefe of the Church of God in all former times euen frō the beginning For so taught king Salomon Eccl. 12.7 The body returneth to the earth euen dust as it was but the Spirit returneth to God that gaue it And Dauid before him being of this beliefe commended his soule into the hands of God Into thy hand saith he to God I cōmend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth Ps 31.5 Where note we wel that the blessed immortality of the soule is a fruit of our redemption Yea Moses of more ancient time before him Abraham the rest of the Patriarks also before Abraham they all liued died in this beliefe Heb. ch 11.13 14 15 16. And ch 12.23 it is writtē of the souls of all the righteous departed this life euen frō the beginning of the world that they are in a perfit estate of happines in heauen so farre forth as they may be perfit till the resurrection of the body Hereof hath the Lord giuen a liuely testimonie from heauen in that he tooke Elias vp from the earth preuenting thereby his naturall death as men ordinarily die 2. King 2.11 And before him Henoch also who was more neare the first ages of the world Gen. chap. 5.24 And as we reade Heb. 11. 5. By faith was Henoch taken away that he should not see death c. This did God of speciall grace and fauour and for a reward to Henoch because he walked with God and had a care in all things to please him This reward out of all question was the blessed immortality of his soule in heauen if not of the glorious change of his body also And the immortality of the soule of Moses Elias is plainly testified by their appearance at the transfiguration of our Sauiour Christ Matth. 17.3 Thus the beliefe of this Article hath beene knowne and embraced euen from the beginning of the world to this day Yea so famous hath it beene from the beginning that the very heathen haue retained a certaine smacke of this doctrine as it is euident in the writings of their Philosophers from time to time euen from among the Egyptians and Caldeans to the Grecians and Latinists both Oratours and Poets As noble Mornaeus sheweth at large in his 15. chapter of Truenesse of religion though these Philosophers had this doctrine rather by rote as it were as wee say of children then by any religious assurance among them for want of the liuely testimonie and warrant of Gods holy word which either they had not or did not duly regard But let vs returne to the Apostles words And in the second place diligently obserue we that he opposeth the estate of the life to come whether before the resurrection or after to the estate of this present life so long as our our soules abide here in the body This he calleth the earthly house of this tabernacle that is a flitting and transitorie estate according to that 1. Pet. 1.17 and 2. Epist 1.13 14. Iob ch 4.19 and Isai 38.12 The other he calleth first a building of God secondly a house not made with hands thirdly eternall in the heauens fourthly such a building as is from heauen all which cannot altogether agree to the body alone Thirdly this building doth the Apostle with the rest as hee testifieth of them desire to be clothed with immediately after that they leaue this earthly tabernacle because otherwise as hee saith they should be found naked vntill the resurrection of the body Fourthly the Apostle sheweth that the faithfull are not wearie of this life because of the present afflictions and troubles thereof through impatience but because they know that this life ended it is the good pleasure of God that they shall be no longer strangers from him but come presently home vnto him into a blessed estate waiting therein for the adoption euen the redemption of their body till afterward Rom. 8.23 This therefore is the cause why they doe long till they may inioy it when once the time appointed of God shall come In soule first the power of sinne being extinguished and afterward in soule and body together freed from all mortality and corruption for euer and euer Herevpon it is that the Apostle reasoning from the causes of that longing and sure confidence that the faithfull haue hee saith first that God hath created or fitted them to this immortality in his owne purpose and counsell euen from the wombe and secondly that he hath in due time giuen them the assurance of it by the earnest of his holy Spirit Thus much therefore for the ground and warrant of the blessed immortality of the soules of the faithfull euen for all whosoeuer doe truly beleeue in our Sauiour Christ For all and euery one haue their part in all the benefits purchased by him as wee may remember from the doctrine of the communion of Saints Question NOw what is the meaning of this Article of the blessed immortality of the soule Ans The meaning of it is first That the soule is created of God The meaning of it such a spirituall substance distinct from the body of euery man and so liuing in it selfe 〈◊〉 causing life to the body that though the body die yet it remaineth still in the owne life and by the ordinance of God is not subiect to death nor possible for euer to be extinguished or to cease to hold that proper existence or Beeing which God hath giuen vnto it Secondly the meaning of this Article is that so soone as the naturall life which the soule ministreth to the body is ended God receiueth the soule of euery true beleeuer into his heauenly kingdome Where he maketh their estate vnspeakeably more blessed then before in that he giueth vnto them a most sweet comfortable fruit of all that christian knowledge faith sanctification of euery grace which they had obtained here in this life and that euen in all meete and full perfection so to continue for euer and euer with the thousand thousands of the holy Angells and Saints of God The meaning of this Article may well bee comprehended in these two branches Explicatiō proofe But yet so as the first branch of your answer may well be extended as well to the soules of the wicked and infidells as to
doubt the danger is very great For the soules of all such as doe not beleeue this blessed immortality or die in carelesse neglect of the meanes whereby they should attaine vnto it they shall certainely be condemned to extreme and immortall or endlesse miserie euen from the very instant departure of their soule from the body Explicatiō proofe It is very true as the parable of the voluptuous rich man of whom we reade in the holy Gospel plainely sheweth Luke 16. His soule as our Sauiour giueth there to vnderstand for forthwith in Hell torments And so remained in the same most wofull torments neither could thenceforth by any intreatie obtaine any release or ease And Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape saith the holy Apostle if we neglect so great saluation as is offered vs in the Gospel All such as harden their hearts in vnbeliefe are condemned alreadie Iohn 3.16 and therefore no doubt they shall not stay without all punishment till the day of the last iudgement but shall presently after this life indure some part of it Let vs therefore I beseech yee take heede that we be not carried away after the example of the secure multitude neither yet with any other sorts of the wicked and vngodly lest we fall with them into this great and fearefull damnation To the which end and purpose it is necessarie that we doe arme our selues against those hereticall or atheisticall and godlesse opinions which bee contrarie to this Article As well theirs who doe simply denie the immortalitie of the soule as the opinion of them that doe suspend as we may say the immortalitie of it till the time htat the bodies shall be raised againe and so thus farre ioyne with the rest that it is after a sort mortall and without all vnderstanding or affection for all that while They that doe simply denie the soules immortalitie are not onely the Sadduces mentioned in the holy Scriptures Acts 23.8 who were heretikes sprong vp among true worshippers of God and Christians but also the Epicures who were as it were heretikes dissenting from the sounder sort of the Philosophers among the heathen and all Atheists and godlesse persons who are iustly odious to all other sorts of people in the world So that it may seeme exceeding strange vnto vs if any impietie might be strange in the chaire of Rome that Pope Paulus the third should at his death make such a confession of his faith or rather of his infidelitie and atheisme as this that now he should shortly make triall whether the soules of men are immortall or no and likewise of two other things to wit whether there be a God or any Hell of the which as he confessed he had beene in doubt all the daies of his life before Such as deferre the immortality of the soule till the resurrection of the body are some among those that are called Anabaptists whose heresie is called Psychopanychie because they hold that the soule sleepeth that is hath no perceiuance of ioy c no more then the body hath after it is dead till it be raised vp againe And thus all of them seeme erroneously to consent in this that the soule of man is nothing else but a certaine vital power or faculty consisting in a perfit temperature of the body and therfore hath as they imagine no liuely Beeing longer then life abideth in the body But this consent of theirs is no better then a most wicked and vnfaithfull conspiracie against the truth of God as it is most euidently to be proued against them both from the originall of the soule together with the manner of the creation of it differing as farre from the originall and creation of the body as heauen is differing from the earth as hath been decared before in the doctrine of the Creation and also from that which is said of the soule that it beareth the image of God yea euen from the continuall testimonie of the holy Scriptures which speake of the soule as of a distinct existence or Beeing beside the body according as it is written that it commeth from God as from the Father of Spirits and returneth to him againe as to the Iudge of all mens soules and Spirits According also as it is said that the soule or Spirit being in man is knowne of none but of it selfe beside of God who is the searcher of the heart as we read 1. Cor. 2.10.11 So that to all who will vnderstand it is most plaine that the soule of man is not a bare faculty or power of life and motion arising from the body but euen that which doth as we may say essentially quicken sustaine and gouerne the body and all the members thereof so long as it abideth in it and that the seperation of it from the body is onely the death of the body and not of it selfe as hath beene alreadie declared in the interpretation and vse of the doctrine concerning the same Wherefore whatsoeuer either reasons from nature or testimonies from holy Scriptures any of the aboue named heretikes or heretical disputers do pretend to serue to the maintenance of their wicked hereticall and godlesse fancies they are nothing but so many sophistications against all soundnes of reason and so many ignorant and false allegations against the manifest truth of the holy Scriptures The refutation whereof being long Vrsinus in his Cōmentaries of Catechisme And in his Treatises of Diuinitie In the Article of the Creation And Mornaeus in the 1◠and 15. chapters of his booke of truenes of Religion and not so necessarie though profitable no doubt to the right vnderstanding of many places of holy Scriptures abused to that purpose I had rather it should be reade in the writings of those that haue learnedly discouered the vanity of them or to doe it at some other time then at this present to stand vpon them Onely this I will now add in a word that vpon the things already set down it is sufficiently cleared that though the wicked may easily cast away and damne their owne soules by following false principles and by transgressing of the holy rules of life and of that obedience which God hath set yet they can by no meanes extinguish them or destroy their Beeing But they must of necessitie come before God to receiue their iudgement and for euer and euer to endure their most wofull torment Wherevpon also it is in like manner verie plaine that all such are most lamentably deluded by the Diuell whosoeuer doe thinke to relieue themselues against any present troubles and distresses by murthering of themselues as many doe insomuch as they doe thereby hasten the increase of their owne most dreadfull misery Thus much as it were by the way concerning this first benefit which all true beleeuers enioy by the death of our Sauiour Christ so soone as this naturall and fraile life of ours is ended euen the blessed estate of the soule in heauen so soone as it leaueth this
and the resurrection from the dead neither marrie wiues neither are married For they can die no more for as much as they are equall to the Angels isangeloi that is in like estate and condition touching immortality with freedome from need of all earthly food or clothing c. which now they cannot want Neuerthelesse they shall be of another kinde of nature or substance chiefely in respect of their bodies then the Angels are And then also it followeth in the same sentence of our Sauiour that they are the Sonnes of God since they are the children of the resurrection Nowe because this distinction of the body into a naturall and a spirituall body might seeme strange therefore doth the Apostle in this latter part of this 44. verse affirme it of his Apostolicall authoritie and credit that there is a naturall body and that there is also a spirituall body And not onely so but hee also confirmeth the first member of the distinction by the authoritie of the holy Scripture saying thus As it is also written to wit Gen. chap. 2. verse 7. The first man Adam was made a liuing soule And then he doth againe of his owne Apostolicall authoritie as a faithfull interpreter of the will of God supply the other member of it saying further that the last Adam that is to say our Sauiour Christ was made a quickening Spirit That is such a one as was not onely indued with a reasonable soule like vnto vs but also hâ—d in our nature which he tooke vnto him the Spirit of God mighty to raise vp and quicken our bodies after death as well as he did his owne and as well as in the meane season he is mighty and effectuall by the same his Spirit to regenerate sanctifie and seale vs vp both bodies and soules to the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen Whereof also he hath alreadie taken possession on our behalfe in his body now made perfitly spirituall to the end that we with our bodies when once they shall be made spirituall like to his might likewise be made partakers of it with him And yet with this caution as the Apostle further addeth that according as in the order of creation the naturall was before the spirituall so must wee be content to remaine in this world naturall and onely in some part or measure spirituall vntill the resurrection when and not till then wee shall be wholly spirituall in such sense as hath alreadie beene interpreted And for the further clearing of this point the Apostle proceedeth in making a more full comparison or rather opposition betwixt Adam and our Sauiour Christ as the words of the text will plainely declare Qu. What is that which he writeth concerning this matter An. In the latter part of the 44. verse before mentioned and so forth to to the 50. verse thus the holy Apostle writeth 44 There is saith he a naturall body and there is a spirituall body 45 As it is also written The first man Adam was made a liuing soule and the last Adam was made a quickening spirit 46 Howbeit that was not first made which is spirituall but that which is naturall and afterward that which is spirituall 47 The first man is of the earth earthly the second man is the Lord from heauen 48 As is the earthly such are they that be earthly and as is the heauenly such also shall the heauenly be 49 And as we haue borne the image of the earthly so shall we beare the image of the heauenly ExplicatioÌ„ Herein is plainely contained the full ground and explication of that distinction which the Apostle made of the bodie into naturall and spirituall We are here also to obserue that like as albeit our Sauiour is called spiritual because of the aboundance of the spirit which was in him in most singular maner measure he is not for all that denied to be natural that is to haue a naturall soule as other men haue So in that it is said hee is the Lord from heauen to wit in regard of his eternal Godhead it is in no wise the meaning of the Apostle to denie his true assuming of the humane nature here on earth from the substance of the Virgin Marie And let it likewise be obserued in the same holy Apostles oppositiue comparison betwixt our Lord Iesus Christ and Adam that as the image of the earthly noteth the very like nature of our body with the body of Adam here on earth so the image of the heauenly noteth the very like estate of that body which our Sauiour now enioyeth being in heauen Now in the verse next following that is in the 50 for the conclusion of this point he sheweth the reason why he is so large in making plaine the distinction of the body naturall and spirituall namely for that it is a certaine truth that our bodies in this corrupt and fraile estate wherein they be now cannot inherit the kingdome of God The words of the holy Apostle are these This say I brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdome of God neither shall corruption that is our bodies as they are now corruptible inherit incorruption That is they cannot inherit that place which God hath prepared onely for such as shall be freed from all corruption and frailtie as well of body as of soule And thus hath Saint Paul cleared the second question touching the manner of the resurrection of the body to the establishing of the faith of the Corinthians and of all other Christians against all contradictions to the same NOw yet furthermore to the end there might be no occasion of any further doubt about this so necessary an Article he entreth vpon the third question which hee saw would be demanded That is what should become of the bodies of all those Christians which should bee â—ound liuing at the last day when as all dead bodies shall be raised vp out of their graues Question What I pray you are the Apostles words wherein he laieth open and determineth this question Answer 51 Behold saith he I shew yee a secret thing We shall not all sleepe but we shall all be changed 53 In a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet for the trumpet shall blow and the dead shall bee raised vp incorruptible and wee shall bee changed 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortality Expli In these verses 51 52 53. the holy Apostle doth as we see stirre vs vp to the diligent consideration of that which he writeth He telleth vs that he reporteth a great secret Now secrets as we know in other matters are diligently harkened vnto Much more ought wee to harken to those diuine secrets which God by his holy seruants the Prophets and Apostles doe make knowne vnto vs. But what is this secret We shall not all sleepe saith this our Apostle that is we shall not all die and rest in the graue after the
God effectually moue vs to repentance As the Apostle reasoneth against one sinne so will we reason against all other Shall I take the members of Christ that is those members which are in profession honourably ingrafted into him to the honour of his name and make them the vile and base members of an harlot to his dishonour God forbid Fourthly from the consideration of the fewnes of those that shall bee saued for want of repentance our Sauiour Christ sheweth vs that wee ought to take an earnest occasion from thence to striue to enter in at the straight gate Luke 13 23 24. And that there is no saluation without repentance it is euident from the beginning of the same chap. And 1. Sam. 12 25. If yee doe wickedly ye shall perish both ye and your king Reade also Luk. 3.8.9 and chap. 13 6 7. and Reuel 2.21 22 23 ch 3.15 16. Likewise the examples of Gods iudgements vpon others ought to admonish vs to repent 1. Cor. 10. verse 11. Read also Ier. 3 8 and Dan. 5 20 21.22 23 24 c. Euery mans owne punishments ought much rather to haue the same effect in himselfe Iob 33 29 3â— The want of making this vse of Gods corrections is reproued Isay 9 13. The people turneth not vnto him that smiteth them neither doe they seeke the Lord of Hosts And Amos ch 4 6 c. 11. Finally this ought to be the vse of those afflictions which God laieth vpon his best seruants For thus we ought to reason as the holy Scriptures teach vs. If the righteous be scarcely saued where shal the sinner and vngodly appeare And if such and such things be done to a greene tree what shall be done to that which is dry Fâ—ftly that hope of forgiuenes is a comfortable incouragement to repentance it may be considered from that we read Hosh 6 1.2 3 yea such an incouragement to repentance it is that as one saith truly without hope of forgiuenes none can kindly repent Nemo recte egerit poenitentiam nisi qui sperauerit indulgentiam The Angels reioyce when a sinner repenteth Yea God himselfe is after a sort reioiced with it Luk. 15. Sixtly that the treasuring vp of the word of God in our hearts is a principall furtherance of repentance it is proued by that we read Ps 17 4. Concerning the workes of men by the words of thy lippes I kept mee from the pathes of the cruell man And Ps 19.11 By thy commandements thy seruant is made circumspect And Ps 119.11 I haue hid thy promise in my heart that I might not sin against thee And ver 9. By thy coÌ„mandements thou hast made me wiser then mine enemies for they are euer with me c. Read also Pro. 2 1â— 11 c. Finally for the benefit of the societie of the godly to the nourishing and bettering of repeÌ„tance read Ps 141 â— Heb. 3 13 ch 1â— 24 25. Read also Ps 133. No doubt the goodnes coÌ„moditie of the coÌ„munioÌ„ of Saints coÌ„sisteth in this as in a speciall part of it that we are thereby incouraged confirmed in a godly course of life Holy instructions admonitions and exhortations are as the dewes of heauen which make the barreÌ„ earth of our soules fruitful c. Hetherto of repentance what it is and which are the helpes or hinderances of it Question Now when are we thus to repent Answere We must begin presently euen while it is called to day as the holy Ghost speaketh and thence forth we must labour to increase so long as we liue So indeed we read Psal 95 7.8 To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts c. And Heb. 3.7.8 13. Question Why must we thus speedily repent Answere Sundry of the former reasons mouing to repentance are likewise of speciall weight to moue vs to speedie repentance Explicatio and proofe It is true For seeing our life is short and vncertaine it is necessary that wee should not neglect the present opportunitie lest that should come vpon vs which is written Ps 73 19 O how sodenly are they destroied perished horribly consumed As a dreame when on awaketh Answerable to the example of the sodaine destruction of the Sodomites c. Seeing also the increase of sinne especially if it bee ioined with contempt of the Gospell which most graciously calleth vs to repentance it increaseth wrath we haue cause to feare yea rather wee may be sure that if we obstinatly refuse to repent it shall be easier for Tyrus Sydon and for Sodom Gomorrha then for vs at the day of iudgemeÌ„t Mat. 11 20 21 22.23 24. Moreouer seeing continuance in sinne confirmeth sinne and maketh it more difficult hard for vs to repent afterward as wee haue learned from the Prophet Ieremiah there is great cause that we should speedily breake off the euil custome of sinning that it get no prescription of time against vs. These reasons haue beene already mentioned Question But shew some other if ye can What reasons else can ye alledge to this purpose Answere By how much repentance is longer delaied specially as was said if it be with contempt against the often admonitions of the holy word and Gospell of God the truth of it will be so much the more hardly discerned euen in the conscience of him that at the last it may be doth truly repent It vsually falleth out so indeed and therefore are such more deepely plunged in sorrowe c. It may seeme that late repentance is rather an extorted then a free and kindly repentance It may seeme that sinne hath forsaken such rather then that they haue forsaken sinne c. Question What other reasons can you shew why we should speedily repent Answere Because God vouchsafeth vs his holy Sacrament of Baptisme the heauenly seale of his couenant of our adoption to be his childreÌ„ euen froÌ„ our infancie yea because he hath loued vs in his beloued son our Lord Iesus Christ before we were conceiued and borne Explication and proofe This verily if it be duly pondred is a reason of speciall waight and importance to bind vs both to most speedy repentance and also to most constant and dutifull obedience euen from the first time wherein we may haue the least inckling and vnderstanding that may be concerning the exceeding great grace and coÌ„stancy of Gods purpose in this his couenant sealed to vs as it were from â—eâ—â—en by Baptisme to the very end of our liues and for euer and euer Mat. 〈…〉 Luk. 20.4 5 6. For shall the Lord accept of vs miserable sinners vasâ—â— of Satan and children of wrath by nature and shall we refuse him the God of mercy the onely fountaine of spirituall freedome and of euerlasting life and salâ—ation God forbid Let vs therefore hearken to the holy exhortation of the mâ—st â—ise Preacher that wee remember our Creator in the daies of our youth c. Ye seeing our Sauiour Christ forbiddeth those that
through the sanctification of the holy Ghost to take and adopt vs for his children that wee may after a sort sensibly feele and handle the vndoubted certaintie of one couenant made by them all Wherefore like as it is written of circumcision that it was vnto the beleeuing Iewes a seale of that righteousnes which they had by faith Rom. 4.11 so may wee assuredly say of our Christian baptisme the which is vnto vs the same which that was to them that it is a most gratious and authenticall seale of our iustification through faith by the consent of the whole Trinitie Yea so assured a coÌ„firmatioÌ„ hereof is baptisme that the Apostle Peter doubteth not to affirme that we are alreadie saued thereby And so we are indeed as touching the blessed entrance into the state of grace and saluation I speake of all such as doe by the grace of God truly beleeue and trust in that grace which by the will of God himselfe is signified and sealed thereby yea and we may also and ought of dutie by the vertue of the promise of God to be as verily perswaded of our full and perfect saluation in due season yet to come as it we â—aâ— presently the full fruition of it 1. Pet. 3.21 Read also Iohn cha 14. verses 1â— 16 c. This promise therefore must needes be exceedingly comfortable according as the benefit is most singular and great The which comfort of the promise is the next point of our inquirie according to our order propounded SHew therefore in the next place some proofe of holy Scripture for that comfort which we may iustly take in the most blessed testimonie and consent which the holy Trinitie giueth concerning the promise of our redemption iustification and saluation Question What proofe can you alledge for the warrant heereof Answere In the 5. Chapter of the first Epistle of Iohn verses 9.10.11 the holy Apostle setteth out the greatnes of this comfort by a familiar comparison If saith hâ— we receiue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater for this is the witnesse of God which he testified of his Sonne He that beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe hee that beleeueth not God hath made him a lyar because hee beleeued not the record which GOD hath witnessed of his Sonne And this is the record that God hath giuen vnto vs eternall life and this life is in his Sonne Explication and proofe Heere is in deede a very plaine and familiar demonstration of it For seeing among men the confirmation of euerie matter is established by the testimonâ—e of two or three witnesses Deut. 19.15 Math. 18.16 2. Cor. 13.1 infinitely much more ought the three-fold diuine witnesse of the most holie Trinitie from heauen preuaile with vs to the establishing and confirming of our faith in the most certaine truth of the promise of God And the rather also are wee to comfort our hearts in this assurance The CoÌ„forts benefites because the Lord our God euery way tendering our weakenesse hath added to this threefolde witnesse in heauen a like three-fold witnesse on earth For so saith the same Apostle Iohn in the 8. verse of the same fift Chapter There are three also which beare record in earth the Spirit and the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one And I beseech you let vs marke this comfortable addition diligently For as was obserued before if wee should onely looke to this mysterie of the Trinitie as it is hidden in it selfe and as it were in the most secret closet of the highest heauen it would rather astonish and confound vs then comfort and cheare vp our hearts at the least we should find it so high that wee could not bee able to reach vnto the comfort of it It is Gods exceeding mercie therefore that he hath vouched safe to descend as it were downe to the earth to succour and helpe our weakenesse and to this ende not onely to giue vs the witnesse of his holy spirit inwardly in our soules but also to let vs after a sort to see with our eyes and to feele as it were with our handes life and saluation brought to light for vs insomuch as the blood of our SAVIOVR CHRIST yea euen that water and blood which issued out of his most holy side they doe cleanse vs from all our sinnes and set vs in the high fauour of our most good and gracious God Thus then wee looking to the testimonie of the Father manifested by the Sonne appearing in our nature and immediately sealed vp in our hearts by the holy Ghost who is euen therefore called the Comforter great and singular well may the comfort of our faith bee in the holy Trinitie Yea iustly may it bee esteemed the very treasurie of our comfort According as when the Apostle Paul would wishe and pray the greatest comfort yea euen all the true and best and most compleat comfort that might bee to the Church of GOD in the Citie of Corinth hee concludeth his holy Epistle which hee wrote vnto them with this most sweete farewell The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all Amen To which purpose also call to minde that which is written Iohn Chap. 17.3 and Rom. 5.1.2.3.4.5 and Ephes 2 18. And in the beginning of the first Epistle of the Apostle Peter his entrance is likewise most comfortable from this doctrine of the Trinitie in respect of the consent both of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost in the election redemption iustification and sanctification of his people Question NOw the comfort being thus exceeding great to euery true beleeuer it followeth that the obedience of faith ought of singular dutie to be likewise exceeding great I aske therefore in the fourth place of our inquirie concerning this article what is the dutie belonging to the most sweete and full comfort of faith in the most holy Trinitie Answere The dutie hereof is generally all dutie and the same also to be performed in the most dutifull chearefull earnest and constant manner that may bee euen the same which our Christian and holy Baptisme into the name of the most holy Trinitie doth require That it to say that by the grace of our God we doe as becommeth the obedient children of God our heauenly father most carefully indeuour to shewe forth the fruites of the spirit in the obedience of the Gospell of our Sauiour Christ the Sonne of God and that in all things wee worship the vnitie of the Godhead in the Trinitie of the Persons and the Trinitie in vnitie as the Churches of God haue of ancient time right Christianty professed and so doe also euen at this day ExplicatioÌ„ proofe It is very true that you haue answered For Baptisme being the seale of GODS couenant to vs as circumcision was to the Iewes Genesis 17. it doth likewise answerably require of vs that wee
God ought to be of good courage for the truth and to vse all holy boldnes in doing of their duties Yea euen women though naturally most subiect to feare and discouragements they ought to bee of a good and chearefull heart in all well doing not beeing afraide of any terrour no not from their most churlish husbands c. 1. Pet. 3.6 Read also verses 13.14.15.16 c. See the practise of this Psalme 42.5 c. 9. Why art thou cast downe my soule c. I will say vnto God who is my rocke c. And Psalme 43.1.2 c. Iudge me O God c. For thou art the God of my strength c. And Psalm 46.7.11 The Lord of Hostes is with vs c. The contrarie faint-heartednes is reprooued Ierem. 9.9 Yea and grieuously threatened both there and also Reuelation chapter 21.8 The fearefull and vnbeleeuing c. shall haue their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death And that the due consideration of the almightie power of GOD is an argument of great strength to incourage to all good dutie wee may profitably see it by some instances namely 2 Corinthians 9.7.1 Where the Apostle vseth it for a speciall reason to perswade the Corinthians to the exercise of liberalitie The Danger of not beleeuing For God saith hee is able to make all graces to abound towards you that yee alwaies hauing all sufficiencie in all things maye abounde in euerie good worke And by the same reason a Prophet sent of God to King Amaziah perswaded and preuailed with the King to lessen his Armie and to loose a great summe of money which hee had allreadie defrayed about the leuying of it God hath power saith the holie Prophet to helpe and to cast downe And againe The Lorde is able to giue thee more then this 2. Chron 25.7.8 c. The same reason is of like strength to incourage the faithfull to euery other good dutie if it be duely pondered and weighed Finallie that it is our duetie in all things to humble our selues vnder the mightie hand of God Read 1. Pet 5. verse 6. Humble your selues vnder the mightie hand of God saith the Apostle that hee may exalt you in due time For as it is in the verse before that and likewise as wee read Iames chap 4. verse 6. God resisteth the prowde and giueth grace to the humble Thus much for the dueties Question NOwe last of all what is the danger of not beleeuing in the Almightie power of God our heauenlie Father and of not trembling at his iudgements nor submitting of our selues vnder his mightie hand Answere Without Faith in the Almightie power of God wee cannot possiblie truely beleeue any of those workes of God to haue beene wrought by him or which are hereafter to bee wrought by him to the working whereof an Almightie power both was and is allwaies necessarie Neither can wee possiblie be established with sound and stayed comforte in our owne hearts but contrariwise wee shal be ouerwhelmed and confounded with euery vaine feare Yea so as the shaking of a leafe or any like sodaine though a small noise shall terrifie and dismay vs specialâ—ie in a time or place of any great danger and in the darke or deade of the night Explication proofe So indeed we read Leuit 26.16.17 The Lord threatneth vnfaithfull and disobedient persons that he will appoint ouer them fearfulnes to wit as a Tyrant to vexe them c. And that they shall flee when none pursueth them And againe verse 36. that he will send euen a faintnes into their heartes in the lande of their enemies and that the sound of a leafe shaken shall chase them and that they shall flee as fleeing from a sworde and that they shall fall no man pursuing them c. Likewise Deuteroâ—omy 28.65 The Lorde saith Moses shall geue thee a trembling heart Read also agreable to this Psalm 14.5 They shal be taken with feare And Psalm 53. â— There they were afraide for feare where no feare was Yea not onely the wicked but sometimes the children of God themselues for want of fâ—ith or â—t the least through the weakenes of their faith are thus terrified with small and sodaine causes of feare as Peterat the speach of a maide c. The ground or cause of this fearfulnes no doubt is the want or weakenes of faith in the Fatherlie and powerfull goodnes of God And therefore it is that the Prophet Isaiah doth so peremptorilie tell Ahaz and the people of Iudah whose hearts were mooued for feare of the Aramites as the trees of the forest are mooued with the winde that Surelie if they beleeued not they should not bee established Isai chap 7.1.2 c. 9. For want of this Faith wee reâ—de a fearefull example of Gods iudgement vppon a noble man in Israell 2. Kings chapt 7.1.2 Reade also verses 19.20 And I beseeche you howe should wee beleeue firmely and without wauering that the whole worlde was at the beginning created by God the Father of nothing if we doe not beleeue in him as in the Almightie Likewise also how shall wee possiblie beleeue the Resurrection of our owne bodies and of the bodies of the thousand thousands of those that haue died Beliefe in God the Father maker of heauen earth and shall dye and rot away or otherwise be consumed The grouÌ„d and meaning and brought euen almost to nothing vnlesse we beleeue in the almightie power of our God And how shall wee vndoubtedly looke for a new heauen and a newe earth after the resurrection and that the power of the Diuell shall bee vtterly and for euer ouerthrowne if we doe not beleeue in the almightie power of God Yea in the almightie power of God our heauenly Father The Sadduces not considering nor beleeuing this almightie power of God could not beleeue the resurrection of the dead Yee erre saith our Sauiour Christ not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Finally to the establishing of the hearts of the children of God these two the power of God and the mercy of God must goe linked together and accordingly bee apprehended and beleeued of the faithfull euen as to the terrour of all infidelles and vngodly ones the fearefull iustice of God shall be armed with his infinit power and so shal for euer confound them all To God therefore almightie and euerlasting yea euen to GOD our most gracious and mercifull Father bee all praise and honour and glory Amen Amen Beliefe in God the Father maker of heauen and earth LEt vs now come to the doctrine of creation the which is of all other the first and the same also a most notable manifestation of the almightie power of God And first what ground of holy Scripture haue you that this worke of Gods Creation being most outward and sensible should neuerthelesse be a matter of faith For faith is described to be of things that
of Iob. The Psalmist doth also excellently celebrate the praises of the Lord for the same his notable workes Psal 104. And thus we may see the workes of Gods mightie creation euery where testified in the holy Scriptures Neuerthelesse insomuch as it was further truly answered the holy historie of them is first of all most fully and plainely and as we may say originally described in the 2. first chapters of Genesis wee will in this our exercise of gathering the doctrine of the principles of religion fundameÌ„tally inquire of theÌ„ according to the ground direction of those chapters Now therefore that we may proceede in as plaine and familiar a course as we can Let vs make our entrance from the consideration of the meaning of this word to Create Question What haue you learned to be the meaning of it Answere This word to Create signifieth most properly to make a substance or beeing of a thing where there was nothing at all before ExplicatioÌ„ proofe It is very true And thus did the Lord at the beginning create the substance and beeing both of the heauens and also of the earth that is he caused them to be when they were nothing at all before For this is the most proper and originall signification of the word Bara Question But doth the signification of it extend no further then thus Answere Yes and therefore I said as I haue beene further taught that it signifieth not onely to make a substance but also to giue a beeing which is more generall and noteth the qualitie and whole estate and condition of the thing as well as the substance it selfe this being the creation of God as wel as the other ExplicatioÌ„ and proofe You haue learned to answere as the truth it selfe teacheth And therefore doe the best learned vpon diligent obseruation affirme that the word Bara doth not onely signifie producere a non esse ad esse that is to bring forth the beeing of a thing from no being but also that God hath herein wrought as excellently for the manifestation of his diuine wisedome and gracious goodnes as of his almightie power And therefore well saith Iunius a learned Interpreter of Gods word Gen. 1.1 Annot post God created that is Fecit ex nihilo he made of nothing Et quidem potentissimè ac magnificentissimè no lesse stately or gorgeously theÌ„ mightily NaÌ„ haec propria est Hebraei verbi significatio For this saith he is the proper signification of the Hebrew verbe And besides it is easie to obserue that the same verbe is vsed to note wisedome in discerning of a thing vppon mature deliberation or in making of a special choise as 1 Sam 17 8. Choose you a man for you c. And Ezek chap 21 19. Choose thou a place and choose it in the corner of the way of the Citie In the Hebrew distinction of this chapter it is the 24. verse Furthermore as touching the qualitie and excellent estate and condition of a thing whereto the word of Creation extendeth it selfe it is euident in that it is expresly said that the Lord created all things very good And Psal 51.10 King Dauid repenting him of his owne corruption whereby hee had peruerted his owne soule praieth God to create in him a cleane heart Read also Isay 54.16 behold I haue created the smith c. and I haue created the destroyer to destroy And chap. 57.19 I create the fruite of the lippes to be peace c. And 65.17.18 Newe heauens and a new earth and ioy to Gods people And besides all this the word of creation doth not onely signifie the making of the first matter and ground of all thinges called the heauen and the earth but also the first producing and making of all Creatures in their kindes from them or like to them as the Sunne and the Moone and the Starres like to the matter of the heauens in proportion as Adam and other earthly creatures were created from the earth and out of the water Gen. 1 20.21 and ch 3.19 And Eue of the ribbe of Adam For God created them male and female Gen. 1.27 and ch 7.1.2 yea the propagation of all creatures in their kinds it is called a new creation Gen. 6.7 Psals 102.18 and 104.30 and Ezek 28.13 15. Iob 31.15 He that hath mad me in the wombe hath he not made him Hath not he alone facioned vs in the wombe And Ier 1.5 To this purpose it is that to the clearing of the full signification of this word of Creation diuers wordes are somtimes put together And namely these two Iatsar and Gnasa are ioined with Bara the one signifying to doe a thing in a more generall signification the other to make one thing of another giuing it a newe forme and beautie c as the potter doth his pot out of the clay From the which similitude the Lord expresseth the creation of the body of Adam out of the dust of the earth as it were mixed with water and so moulded vp to a lumpe and fashioned to his excellent forme and shape and to that excellent estate and condition wherein God did set it As * The Lord God made maÌ„ of the dâ—st of the ground breathed in his face breath of life and man was a liuing soule The Greeke words answering to these as the learned ob erue are Kâ—â—â—s for creat ng of nothing Poâ—â—sis for making into sâ—me outward â—orme Pâ—â—sis for a through working anâ—â—aâ—â—oâ—ing both within and withâ—ut Iunâ—â—s Annot post Gen 2. verse 7. So that although the soule is signified to be by creation most properly taken yet it is more immediately from God Concerning the similitude of the Potter reade Isaiah chapter 45.9 Woe vnto him that striueth with his Maker the pot shard with the potshardes of the earth that is as well one as other all being fraile and earthly c. In the which Chapter also are the former three wordes noting this more full signification of creation ioined together as we may read them verse 7. I forme the light and create darknes I make peace and create euill I the Lord doe all these things And in the same chap verse 18. Thus saith the Lord that created heauen God himselfe that framed the earth and made it he hath prepared it he created it not in vaine he formed it to be inhabited c. And before this ch 43.7 Euery one saith the Lord shall be called by my name For I created him for my glory formed him and made him Moreouer Gâ—n â— 22 there is yet another word vsed to expresse the manner of the creation of Eue. For the Lord taking a ribbe as it were a rafter or sparre out of the side of Adam is said to haue builte Eue that is to say to haue framed and fashioned her as an excellent building yea with a body of more large capacitie and with move roomes and inclosures as one well saith for the more coÌ„modious
and Iob 5.23 So then this is to be held alwaies for a firme principle God made man righteous but they haue sought to themselues many inuentions Eccles chap 7.31 All euill is come vpon man from man himselfe Let no man therefore be so wickedly bould as to frame any the least cauill against any of the workes of Gods creation Nay on the contrarie let vs for a most iust and well beseeming conclusion take the whole blame of all euill to our selues and groane vnder the burthen of our sinnes as the true and proper cause thereof according to the last branch of the answere And thus through the goodnes of God wee haue renewed the remembrance of the holy doctrine concerning the workes of Gods most wise mightie and gracious creation The excellent perfection whereof God hath most solemnly confirmed by his sanctifying of the seuenth day wherein he ceased from any further worke of creation to the end that mankinde might worship God their Creator in the celebration of the same his diuine wisedome power and goodnes which are most perfectly manifested thereby The which holy doctrine according to the most faithfull and true historie thereof euery Christian must beleeue or else hee cannot rightly beleeue in God the Father almightie maker of heauen and earth as the Articles of our beliefe teach vs to doe And now touching the manifestation of the wisedome and power and goodnes of God in them it is euident to the faith of euery true beleeuer while according to the instruction of the holy Scriptures he pondreth in his minde both the manner and also the order which God tooke in performing the workes of his Creation And first concerning the manner if wee consider how the Lord beginning in darkenes deformitie and confusion as touching the great world and in basenes and deadnes when he created man the little world doth neuertheles perfectly and at an instant cause light to shine out of darkenes and in a short space of time turneth deformitie to beautie vacancie and voidenes to all sufficient furniture and plentie deadnes to life discomfort to comfort and basenes to glorie to that according to this beginning of the works of God the coÌ„mon prouerbe might well take beginning in that wee commonly say A hardor vncomfortable beginning maketh a good ending thus I say the manner of the creation manifesteth the wisedome power and goodnes of God The like will be euident if we shall well obserue the order which God taketh in the disposing of his workes For he createth his spirituall and inuisible creatures in heauen before the visible and bodily vpon the earth the simple elements before compounded bodies the fierie region before the aierie he cleareth the lower region of the aier before hee emptieth and cleareth the earth from the waters thereof he maketh grasse for cattel before he maketh cattell themselues the foules of the aier and fishes of the Sea before the beasts of the earth finally all other creatures before he made mankind insomuch as it pleased God to make all things for the comfort of man that so by him they might be to the glorie of his owne most holy name And yet againe he doth so breake that which we would thinke should haue beene the best order that he doth in most excellent wisedome take all glorie from the creatures themselues and maketh it so much the more cleare and plaine as it is meete that all the praise both of wisedome and power and goodnes doth belong onely to him For therefore it is that God made light before he made the Sunne Caused trees to bring forth ripe fruite before any shower or dewe had fallen vpon the earth And also made all earthly creatures and gouerned them in perfect order before he appointed man to be the ruler and orderer of them Who therefore among all men yea how could all mankinde though they were as dutifully affected to God as might be how I say could they for al that sufficiently praise his most glorious name for his so great wise mightie gracious and glorious workes Yea if it were but for our owne creation alone for our outward senses and the excellent gift of speech c. and for our inward vnderstanding and memorie c. Let euery one of vs therefore conclude with the holy Prophet Thou ô Lord possessest my reines that is I am by good right altogether and entirely thine thou diddest couer mee in my mothers wombe I will praise thee for I am drawne into admiration by considering thy reuerend workes yea I will praise thy wonderfull workes as much as my soule can attaine vnto My bones or strength it is not hidden from thee from the time that I was made in a secret place and skilfully fashioned as in the lower parts of the earth Thine eyes did see me when I was without forme for in thy booke were all things written euen from the time that they were first fashioned yea while as yet there was none of them at all O how deare therefore or precious are thy thoughts to mee ô mightie God! ô how great are the Summes of them I would count them but they are more then the sand I will awake that is I will stand diligently vpon my watch that I may still abide with thee Psal 139.13.14.15.16.17.18 Trem Iunio Interp. But of the duties whereby we stand bound vnto God for his mercie toward vs in our creation more afterward HEtherto our purpose hath beene to gather together and interprete the holy doctrine of Creation according to the historical narration and report of it from the holy Scriptures of God the onely faithfull and incorrupt witnesses thereof The which also as you know hath beene set down to your hand in a fewe verses to the ende it might happily bee thereby made so much the more familiar and if it might be also the more easie to be remembred of you It shall not be amisse therefore as I thinke here to make rehearsall of them Question Which are those verses Answere They are these which followe Gen. ch 1. The world sixe daies in making was As Moses truly saith God would not onely shewe his power Verses But likewise helpe our faith 1. In first of sixe both heauen and earth A Substance they receiu'de 2. Though formeles and vnfurnished Th' earth with waters couer'd And darknes was vpon the deepe As high as heauen did reach The holy Ghost these depths vphold 3. The Father by his speech Not sound of voice but mightie power With wisedome euen his Sonne Commanded light so light brake forth And whole * Either because the world began at the equinâ—ctiall or to speake according to the vse of the Iewes who alwaies accounted twelue howers for the day according to that of our Sauiour Christ Iohn ch 11.9 Are there not twelue howers in the day twelue howers shone 4. Yet darknes was not quite cut off But sundred from the light It tooke his turne the light gaue place
thanksgiuing which he had before acquainted them withall Luke 24.30.35 Moreouer that we are to blesse God in the beholding of the Sunne c the 8. Psalme may teach all that account themselues schollers in the Schoole-house of the holie Ghost And for the renewing of the creatures when we behold them what our duetie is wee may learne from the ordinance of God in the children of Israell their offering of the first fruites to God Read Deut 26.1.2 c. And by the practise of the Church in the song of thankesgiuing for the renewing of the pastures and of the sheepe and of corne by the seasonable showers of heauen while yet they grewe in the fieldes Psalm 65.9 c. And by the example of Hezekiah and his Princes who blessed God for the heapes which they sawe chambred for the maintenance of Gods worship and for the ministers therof 2. Chron 31.8 Finallie that we may ende with the proofe of the beginning of the answer Read Rom chapt 15. verses 12.13.14 and 1. Corin 6.12.13 and chap 7.29.30.31 and Ephes 5.17 c. Be yee not vnwise but vnderstand what the will of the Lord is And be not drunken with wine wherin is excesse but be fulfilled with the Spirit speaking to your selues in Psalmes and hymnes c. Thus then all the creatures and ordinances of God mariage and whatsoeuer doth most affect the senses and the naturall man they must all and euerie of them be so vsed and in the vse so moderated that wee take heede that by the vse of them wee be furthered and not hindered in the holie worship and seruice of God our heauenly Father For otherwise as we haue learned before out of the 1. Epist chap 2. of the Apostle Iohn the loue of the Father cannot remaine with vs. Let this suffice for the duties of faith concerning the comfort of other the visible creatures of God Question LEt vs come to ourselues and see what our Duties are in respect of our owne creation And in the first place what Duties are belonging to the comfort of this that God hath created our bodies to be the Temples of the holie Ghost here in this life and to be partakers of the resurrection of the iust at the last day to euerlasting happines and glorie Answere Insomuch as our bodies beeing in themselues no better then dust from the dust of the earth are neuertheles by the Fatherlie goodnes of God thus highly aduanced it is our most bounden dutie so much the rather to yeelde them whollie and euerie member therof to the seruice of his heauenlie Maiestie And to this end to pray earnestly to God for holie wisedome and vnderstanding according to that wee read Psalme 119. verse 73. Thine hands haue made me and facioned mee giue me vnderstanding therfore that I may learne thy commandements In this respect also are wee verie liuely and sensiblie admonished to consider and acknowledge our owne humane frailtie and for euer to humble our selues vnder the mightie hand of God by whose power alone we line mooue and haue our beeing as the Apostle Paul teacheth vs. Acts 17.28 Explication and proofe It is very true poore soules that wee are the pot-sheard with the pot-sheardes of the earth saith the Prophet Isai ch 45.9 That is one in this respect is no better then another the King is euen as the poore man the strong as the weak c according to that Psal 62.9 The children of men are vanitie yea euen in their best estate Plalm 39.5 And againe Isai chap 40.6 All fleshe is grasse For so great is our humane frailtie euen in our best and most healthfull estate that euerie sixt hower wee are faine to seeke reliefe from other the pore and fraile creatures of God euen such as the earth from whence wee our selues are taken sendeth forth and cherisheth to wit corne fleshe fruites of the trees butter from the kine c. Wee cannot one hower forbeare apparell in the colder season of the yeare And this wee borow from the fleece of the sillie sheep or from the poore sillie worme c. How little a distemper will put vs into a fitte of an ague howe little a thing will offend our queisie stomack who can make his owne heart so much as to pant in his bodie or his pulse to beate in the wrest of his arme Halfe our life time wee passe away in sleeping And if wee want but a little of our ordinarie sleepe our senses are greatly dulled Wee are euer and anone out of tune in one part or other Wee are like the instrument of Musicke which though it be exquisitelie and finelie made yet it must be often newe set c. And within a short time all will be out of frame and hasten to an vtter dissolution till the time of restoring do come according to that excellent description of our bodilie and earthlie frailtie Eccles chapt 12.1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8 c. ch 3.20 and Iob 34.15 Ps 146.3.4 Fraile creatures are wee therefore as was said and so let vs acknowledge our selues and humble our selues vnto the Lord by whose power wee liue c. Hereof we haue Abraham for a notable example Gen 18.27 Read also Iob. 4 19. and 10.9 Psal 103.14 and 2. Corin 5.1 Hence cometh this phrase God raiseth out of the dust 1. Sam 2.8 1. King 16.2 Psalm 113.7 Hence also was the ancient ceremonie of sprinkling dust vpon the head Iob. chapt 2.12 Lament ch 2. verse 10. ch 3.29 The afflicted putteth his mouth in the dust if there may be hope Read also Ezek. 27.30 And Micah 1.10 Roule thy selfe in the dust Now therfore to the end we may finde fauour with God and be supported by his good hand for that short time which wee haue here to liue Let vs vse our members as weapons and seruants to righteousnes according to the excellent instruction of the Apostle Paul Rom 6 13. c. Read also Psalm 24.8.9.10 Singular preparation is to be made to giue intertainment to the Maiestie of so glorious a King And Luk chapter 3 4 5 6. But who is hee that hath not great cause to lament the abuse of his body and of the members thereof so that hee may iustly say I haue looked vppon that with mine eyes which I ought not to haue seene I haue hearkened with mine eares to heare that which I should not haue heard I haue spoken with my mouth such words as I should not haue spoken I haue put forth mine hands to that which I should not haue medled with c. Verilie the more wee boast our selues of the creatures as of apparell c. the more doe wee abase our selues and our owne bodies The more we seeke to delight our selues with delicate fare the more costly medecines and preseruatiues wee vse c by so much the more wee preach our owne frailtie But with no good vse or profit till wee learne thereby to humble our selues and our bodies to the good pleasure and
will of our Lord God c. But from the bodie let vs come to the soule Question What Duties doe belong to the comforte of this that God hath created our soules immortall and in his owne image and likenes from the beginning of the creation Answere This doth teach vs that wee owe to be more carefull for the euerlasting welfare of our soules then for our outward and bodilie estate here in this worlde for a short and vncertaine time And seeing wee haue lost the beautie dignitie of that holie image of God wherein at the first mankinde was created it may iustlie teach vs also to be singularlie carefull diligent in vsing all meanes for the recouering of it againe Explicatiō proofe This is the true beautie and dignitie indeed which wee ought most carefully to labour after It is more then to seeke after rhe lost groat It is the seeking after a Iewell of the highest price yea after the ground and title of a mans whole state For as our Sauiour Christ telleth vs What should it profit a a man to winne the whole worlde and to loose his owne soule The Duties belonging to the comfort of our whole person and estate wherein it pleased God at the beginning to set and place vs to wit aboue all other of his visible Creatures they are yet behinde For albeeit our first parentes Adam and Eue lost this dignitie yet the gifte of God to them must not be vnthankfully neglected of vs. And the rather because it is the good pleasure of God to restore vs yea to establish vs more firmely in a more excellent estate through our Lord Iesus Christ Question Which therefore are the Duties wherevnto this comfort of Faith ought to prompt and prouoke vs Answere Wee are taught hereby that it is our most bounden Dutie to glorifie God for this his most bounteous goodnes toward vs and to take the whole blame of our miserie altogether vppon our selues Wee are hereby admonished also most carefullie to auoid all those wayes and meanes whereby our good and happie estate was at the first lost To the which ende and purpose wee are furthermore to beleeue the worde of God to be most certaine and true both in euery promise and also in euery threatning therof and that without all wauering and doubting And moreouer wee are to beware of all pride and ambition and on the contrarie to be alwaies well content with that estate which our heauenly Father seeth to be best for vs and therein continually to acknowledge his gratious dealing with vs. Finallie wee are to the same ende and purpose to resist the Diuel in all his wicked tentations with an irreconcileable and inuincible resistance Explicatiō and proofe It is verie true The wofull example of our first parentes may be our full instruction in all these points For in so much as they failed in these duties as it is plaine in the text Gen 3.1 c. therefore were they vanquished by the Diuels wicked and subtile tentation as may appeare by the particulars following Touching the first Eue her selfe can not but acknowledge the bountifull goodnes of God toward them verse 2. of that 3. chapter But shee doth neither holde her heart firme in faith to beleeue and feare the threatning of God which the Diuel in her hearing depraued and eluded verses 3.4.5 Neither was shee content with her present estate nor constant in resisting the Diuel as it foloweth verse 6. And as touching Adam hee was altogether negligent in examining and auoiding the euill nay rather he willinglie suffered himselfe to be mislled by the suggestion of his wife whom hee should haue reprooued or warned hereof they fell both of them most pitifullie and lost their naturall and as wee may say natiue dignitie not onely from themselues but also from all their succeeding posteritie Iustlie therefore are wee from the example of their fall to admonish our selues lest after our restitution through the Fatherlie grace and mercie of our gratious good God we should at any time fall away by the like negligence and vnfaithfulnesse of our owne partes and by the like malitious and craftie practise of that olde Serpent the Diuel against vs. Nay rather according to the first point of the answere and according to the ende of our excellent creation and of God his placing of vs in so excellent an estate it is our bounden dutie to be in speciall manner most earnestlie and constantlie zealous of Gods glorie as God himselfe hath giuen plainlie to vnderstand in that he sanctified his Sabbath immediatelie after he had created and made mankinde Reade also Isai 43.7 I created him for my glorie saith the Lorde God formed and made him And worthilie also is the exhortation made vnto vs Psalme 95. verse 6. Let vs worship and fall downe before the Lorde our Maker c. And Psalme 100. verse 1. c. For hee hath made vs and not wee our selues c. Likewise Psalme 149.1.2 And Psal 139 14. c. I will praise thee for I am fearefullie and wonderouslie made c. This our speciall care of gorifying Almightie God our heauenly Father it is due vnto him euen from our first yeares as wee are admonished and exhorted Ecclesiast chapt 12.1 euen to the last of our daies Psalm 146.2 The Danger of not beleeuing The want of which chiefe and principall care is iustly reprooued Iob 35.10.11 None saith where is God that made mee who giueth songes in the night who teacheth vs more then the beastes of the earth and giueth vs more wisedome then the soules of heauen But much more is condemned all vndutifull cauilling against Almightie God according to that Isai 45.9 Woe to him that striueth with his Maker c. Furthermore wee ought to be so farre off from cloking of any sinne by the abuse of this that God hath created vs all as the wicked Iewes went about from hence to countenance their vnlawfull mariages Malac chapt 2.10 as Trem and Iun doe well interpret that place that it should on the contrarie be alwaies a strong reason to mooue vs to all good dutie as some other haue in another godly sense vnderstoode the same wordes of the Prophet According also to that of the Apostle Paul Acts 17. verses 24.25.26.27 GOD that made the worlde c. hath made of one blood all mankinde to dwell on all the face of the earth and hath assigned the times which were ordained before and the boundes of their habitation That they should seeke the Lord if so bee they might haue grope◠after him and found him though doubtlesse hee is not farre from euery one of vs. For in him wee liue and mooue and haue our beeing c. Finallie seeing God hath created vs in his owne image who shall dare attempt to deface this image of God yea who shall dare to offer any violence to the outward hurting or dismembring of any part of this his creature either eye hand
for one man according to that which we read Mal 2.15 When he could haue made many weomen for one man but also hee made the woman cut of man the like wereof he did not in the making and producing of any other creature But I desire that you should expresse and declare by your answere the speciall prouidence of God touching that speciall manner of the propagation of mankind which he himselfe hath appointed Question How haue you learned to answere to this point Answere God gaue plainely to vnderstand that he would not hold it lawfull that man and woman should come together wanderingly to satisfie their naturall lust after the manner of the bruit and vnreasonable creatures And therefore it pleased God euen from the beginning to ordaine and sanctifie the holy estate of mariage to the ende hee might haue a blessed and holy posteritie propagated and borne of them ExplicatioÌ„ and proofe This is that which our most blessed Sauiour hath respect vnto Mat chap Mal. 2.14.15 19.4 yea which he doth verbatim euen word for word repeate and openeth the holy will and pleasure of God to haue beene alwaies constant therein as it followeth in the same 19. chap verses 5. and 6. Haue yee not read saith our Sauiour that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female And said For this cause shall a man leaue Father and Mother and cleane vnto his wife and they twaine shall be one flesh Wherefore they are no more twaine but one flesh Let not man therefore put a sunder that which God hath coupled together Thus then we haue sufficient ground for the holy prouidence of God both in the vpholding and for the continuing as also for the ordering and gouerning of his creatures as well more generally as also more particularly NOw last of all what ground haue you for the proofe of those ends which God in his diuine prouidence hath likewise propounded to himselfe in the same workes of his creation both generally toward aâ—l visible and earthly creatures and more particularly toward mankind For as touching the Angels we haue already considered so much as we haue any ground for before What ground Question I say therefore haue you for those endes which God hath propounded to himselfe euen from the beginning of the creation yea rather before the world was euen from all eternitie Answere The ground of the endes of Gods diuine prouidence in all the visible workes of his Creation it is comprehended in that most memorable narration which is set downe Gen ch 2. from the 8. verse to the 18. as hath beene once mentioned not long before I remember it well Neuerthelesse to the ende that we resuming the worke in the due place thereof may carie all so much the more commodiously before vs let vs repeate the same here againe so farre as may serue to our present purpose and namely concerning the speciall prouidence of God toward mankinde Question What was that Answere God created all things for his owne glorie and mankind especially aboue al earthly creatures for the declaration of the most bountifull riches of his goodnes and mercy vpon them to their euerlasting happines and glory vpon condition they would continue constant in their holy faith and obedience vnto him Question Be it so But what if as it fell out indeede and that not long after mankinde should fall away from their good and gracious God their Creator and maker He further purposed vpon that occasion to magnifie the seueritie of his most holy and high iustice euen to the euerlasting condemnation and torment of all such as should continue without repentance in their rebellion against his most souereigne and diuine Maiestie and refuse to seeke their deliuerance by that meanes onely which he minded to tender and offer vnto them Question How may it appeare from the text which you alledged that the purpose of Gods diuine prouidence toward mankinde was from the beginning such as you haue in your answere affirmed Answere By that tree of life which God had planted in the middest of the garden or orchyard of Heden a most pleasant plot of ground for the exceeding fruitfulnes and delicacie of it according to the signification of the name of the countrie Heden where it was situated the Lord of his most gracious goodnes gaue Adam and Eue assurance both for themselues and their posterity of euerlasting happines and glorie if they would faithfully and constantly serue and obey him But on the contrarie if they should disloially breake the commandement of their souereigne namely by eating of the fruite of that tree of the knowledge of good and euill which was likewise planted in the middest of the same garden and was the onely tree which was forbidden vnto them God did as certainely threaten the euerlasting curse both of bâ—die and soule against them and all their posteritie and that also without any hope of recouerie for euer for any thing that he did for the present let them vnderstand or haue any the least inckling to the contrarie Explication and proofe All that you haue answered is very true as the text doth plainely giue euerie attentiue reader to vnderstand And it is further confirmed most euidently by the effect it selfe which followed according to that which the Prophet Moses hath recorded Gen 3. the two last verses of the chapter For so soone as Adam and Eue had eaten of the same forbidden fruite they were for euer cast out of the garden of Heden and might not be suffered thenceforth once to eate of the tree of life And thus bereauing themselues of all former solace and comâ—ort they did also make themselues through their owne sinne altogether naked destitute and forlorne In the which estate also should they haue continued for euer yea increased more and more according to the further increase of their sinne had not God of his infinite mercy giuen them the promise of such a remedie and reliefe as they themselues could neuer haue thought vpon And thus haue we also together with the conclusion of that which we haue to obserue concerning the prouidence of God bâ—fore the fall of mankind we haue I say herewithall made an entrance vpon the other part or proceeding of Gods holy prouidencâ— which we are now in the next place to consider of touching the fall of mankind Question LEt vs therefore proceed vnto it And herein first what are we to vnderstand by the fall of mankinde Answere We are to vnderstand by this word fall First their vnfaithfulnes and disloialtie to God in breaking his most holy and gracious commâ—ndement Secondâ—y the losse of that good and blessed estate wherein they were by the goodnes of God created and set Thirdâ—y all the miserie and confusion both of soule and body which they pulled vpon themselues and their posteritie Yea all that they pulled downe vppon the very earth the which God did iustly accurse for their sake ExplicatioÌ„
not seldome giue vnto the wicked whose portion is in this life onelie more speedie and also longer continued outward prosperitie then hee doth to his owne children as in this point euen Caine and his posteritie may from the beginning be examples or instances in that they flourished and ruffled in the worlde while Adam and Eue were without posteritie from any other childe and no doubt grieued to behold the wickednes of Caine vnto the hundred and thirtith yeere of their age before God gaue them Sheth to succeede in stead of godly Abell And the same is euident from the examples of Ishmael and Esau who had eyther of them a long starte before Iaakob as touching the wealth and glorie of this present euill world Gen chapt 36.31 And herewithall also for expeditions sake let vs take the same for examples how God giueth this outward prosperitie and aduancement not onely to particular persones in their priuate estate but also to whole publike states and kingdomes though they be wicked and vngodly as it is further euident by the rising of all the chiefest Monarchies of the worlde among the Assyrians Babilonians Medes and Persians and among the Romans Yet so as their falling and dissolution is likewise determined and ordered by the Sacred prouidence of God as well as their rising according as the holy Prophesies giuen forth therof by holie inspiration from God doe plainly euict Of the which read a speciall instance Dan chap 5.25 God hath numbred thy kingdome and hath finished it saith the Prophet to king Belshazzar And generally it is most certainly determined by the Lord that not onely particular persons but also that whole Families States and Kingdoms that will not serue the Lord shall perish at the last through the iust displeasure and iudgement of God when once their day is come and the measure of their sinne is at the full As Prou 2.22 And 3.33 and 14.11 Isai 54.15 c. Ier 25.15 Zech 14.17 c. Psalme 75.4.5.6 c. God manifesteth his prouidence by his iudgements vpon the wicked from day to day in all places as we might see if we would diligently mark them He bringeth secrete sinnes many times to light verie strangelie euen before men and how much more then may wee iustlie perswade our selues that all things are naked and manifest before himselfe Thus the prouidence of God ruleth all the wicked of the earth as touching their persons and outward estate both particularlie and generallie and also priuatelie and publikelie Question But may the same also be truely affirmed concerning their soules wherein is seated the fountaine of their wickednes that they are likewise gouerned by the holie prouidence of the Lord Yea there is no doubt but it may be truly affirmed and accordingly The grouÌ„d and meaning of it it ought to be so acknowledged and beleeued of euery true beleeuer Question In what sense may it be truly affirmed and ought also to be beleeued that it is so Answere Whereas the wicked through selfe-loue and pride in themselues and of wilfull malice and despite against others they following therein the suggestion of the diuell doe endeuour by all meanes to abuse that wit and strength which they haue naturally howsoeuer God doth not vsually take away from them their wit and strength neither doth bereaue them of all meanes in such sort that they cannot neither deuise nor practise great and mischieuous enterprises yet by his ouer-reaching wisedome together with his most holie and euer-ruling power he turneth their deepest deuises and mightiest designements whatsoeuer to serue his owne most soueraigne counsell and purpose to the glorie of his owne name and the finall benefit and comfort of his Church and people ExplicatioÌ„ proofe This is notably to be seene in the violent practise of the Sabeans and Caldeans against Iob if wee compare the first and the last chapters of that booke together Likewise in the subtile practise of the wicked Iewes against our Sauiour Christ according to that Act 2.23 And in the practise of the brethren of Ioseph against him Gene. 37.27 c. For as Ioseph saith vpon comfortable experience chap 45.5 God sent me before ye for your preseruation And chapter 50.21 When yee thought euill against me God disposed it to good c. Reade also Isai chap 10 5 6 7 c. O Ashur the rod of my wrath c. But hee thinketh not so neither doth his heart esteeme it so but he imagineth to destroy and cut off not a few nations c. But when the Lord hath accomplished all his worke vppon Mount Sion and Ierusalem I will visite the fruit of the prowd heart of the King of Ashur and his glorious and prowd lookes And chap. 37. â—8 29. Because thou ragest against me saith the Lord and thy tumult is come vp into mine eares therefore will I put my hooke into thy nostrills and my bridle in thy lippes c. And verses 36 37 38. The Angell of the Lord went out and smote in the Campe of Ashur an hundred fourescore and fiue thousand c. Yea so doth the Lord ouer-rule the counsells purposes and enterprises of the wicked that whereas they in their wilfulnesse say in themselues and of themselues that they will doe this or that euill and mischiefe God also saith in his iustice euen so often as he seeth it meete to permit and leaue them to their owne will that they shall doe it Yea God himselfe doth it by them we meane the action or thing that is done as it is a iust punishment any way eyther vpon themselues or vpon any other by them but not in respect of the euill quality nor according to the euill ends which the wicked propound to themselues in their vngodly enterprises And thus God aboue that which the wicked intend seruing his one holy counsell by them he doth neuerthelesse by that light of nature which is in them and by the rebukes of his owne spirit in such sort conuince their consciences of their wickednesse euen before they doe commit it that they stand iustly condemned in themselues for euery wicked thing which at any time they eyther minde or doe This is manifest by the examples before alledged as also by that which the Lord saith concerning the hardening of Pharaohs heart Ex. 7.3 and ch 9.12 16. and ch 10.1 20. and ch 14.4 And likewise concerning the open defiling of King Dauids wiues 2. Sa. 12.10 11 12. And according to that which the same King saith of railing Shimei that the Lord had bidden him curse Dauid ch 16.10 According also as the Lord is said to put a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs false Prophets to the end he might by their euill counsell bring euill vpon the wicked King as the Prophet Michaiah told him as we reade 1. King 22.23 Neuerthelesse GOD doth many times as pleaseth him take the wise and snarle them so in their owne crafts that he doth not onely ouerthrow their
called to minde and diligently perused againe Reade also as belonging to the Lordes couenant concerning the wilde beasts on our behalfe vpon condition that wee would faithfully beleeue and obey him Psalm 91.13 alledged not long before And Isai chap. 11.6 7 8 9. though from hence a further blessing is signified by that allusion The wolfe also shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shal lie with the kid and the calfe and the lion and the fat beast together and a little childe shall leade them And the kow and the beare shall feede their young ones shall lie together and the lion shall eate straw like the bullocke And the sucking childe shall play vpon the hole of the aspe and the weaned childe shall put his hand vpon the cockatrice hole Then shall none hurt nor destroy in the Mountaine of my holinesse for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters that couer the Sea Reade also Marke cha 16.18 the like promise of our Sauiour Christ and the same confirmed in part by an example of Gods gratious prouidence Act. 28.3 4 5 6. The Viper was restrained from stingng of Paules hand Surely it is our owne wickednesse and not want of vigilancie or mercie in the Lord which doth as it were arme and inrage the wilde beasts against vs. For otherwise by the vertue grace of this promise of God they should be at peace yea willingly subiect vnto vs. But in so much as we rebell against God and breake our couenant with him it is iust with God that they should rebell against vs and breake that couenant which hee vpon condition of our obedience to God had by the Law of his creation made with them for vs. And so God himselfe hath threatened Leuit 26.21.22 and Deut 28. verse 26. An example whereof also wee haue seene before concerning those 42. children which two beares did teare in peeces because they mocked the Prophet Elisha Yea this iudgement doth not onely fall vpon those that are very wicked but sometime also euen vpon those that haue some desire to serue the Lord in the times of some common calamitie according to that we read Psal 79.2 The dead bodies of thy seruants haue they giuen to be meate vnto the soules of the heauen and the flesh of thy Saints to the beasts of the earth Neuertheles in such cases the Lord knoweth how eternally to saue his owne when he reiecteth the vngodly for euer And for the full clearing of the Lords gracious promise this way if wee would and could faithfully keepe couenant with him we may plentifully informe our mindes from that which he hath by his holy Prophet Moses recorded at large as well Deut chap 28. from the beginning of the chapter to the end of the 14. verse as Leuit chap 26. from the 3. verse to the 14. of the same Let vs therefore for our instruction in this point read these notable texts of holy Scripture and consider diligently of them And first of that in Leuit Question How reade you there Answere In the 26. chap of Leuiticus thus we read If yee waâ—ke in my ordinances and keepe my commandements and â—â—e them saith the Lord I will then send you raine in due season and the land shall yeeld her increase and the trees of the field shall giue their fruite c. ExplicatioÌ„ proofe This is a notable place containing as wee see in the through reading of it in our Bibles promises of all sorts spirituall and temporall for soule and body publike priuate c. And like to this is that other of Deuteronomie Let it not seeme vnnecessarie or a lost labour for vs to rehearse consider of that excellent Scripture likewise For it shall be to our further benefit as wee may well trust through the goodnes of our God I pray you therfore let vs read this also yea and if it may be commit it so to memorie that we doe neuer forget it Question How therefore doe you read Answere It is thus written Deut ch 28. from the beginning of the chapter If thou wilt obey diligently the voice of the Lord thy God and obserue and doe all his commandements which I command thee this day then the Lord thy God will set thee on high aboue all the nations of the earth And all these blessings shall come on thee and ouertake thee if thou wilt obey the voice of the Lord thy God Blessed shall thou be in the citie and blessed also in the field Blessed shall be the fruite of thy body c. ExplicatioÌ„ and proofe This place is as a second notable witnes of Gods gracious promise and of his very true purpose to exercise a most fatherly and fauourable prouidence toward all his faithfull seruants and children touching all kinde of prosperitie and blessing while they walke faithfully and dutifully before him And although peraduenture some will obiect and say that these promises are legall promises and so not of faith or belonging to the faith of the Gospell and we also doe grant it to be so according to the first vse of the Lawe which is to discouer sinne and to conuict those of extreame vanitie whosoeuer seeke to be iustified in the sight of God by the workes of the Law Neuertheles this we adde therewithall and constantly affirme that to such as haue learned to humble themselues before God in the sight of their sins and haue receiued the gift of faith to relye vpon the fatherly prouidence of God through our Lord Ie Christ they are according to an other vse of the Law of God which is to guide and incourage all true beleeuers in the right way of obedience to God our heauenly Father they are I say the same with the promises of the Gospell And accordingly they are iustly to be apprehended beleeued by faith as no vaine incouragements to godlines of life like as the Apostle Paul affirmeth 1. Tim 4.8 Godlines hath the promise of the life present and of that which is to come And according to that 2. Cor 1.20 Al the promises of God are in Christ yea and Amen Likewise according to that Psal 34.9.10 Feare the Lord yee his Saints The Comfortes for nothing wanteth to them that feare him The Lions lacke and suffer hunger but they who seeke the Lord shall want nothing that is good Read also Psal 91.14.15.16 Because he hath loued me therefore will I deliuer him I will exalt him because hee hath knowne my name c. And Psalm 121.1 2 3 4. and so forth as was alledged before It cannot be denied indeede but insomuch as the best of all faile in obedience to God according to that of the Apostle Iames In many things we sinne all and they that are strongest in faith haue their weakenes so as they haue neede to pray Lord increase our faith and further also insomuch as it is the pleasure of God vpon holy and iust
duties of faith in the comfort of this that the Sonne of God our Lord and Sauiour is the Christ or anointed of God Question And first concerning his anointing to be a Prophet vnto vs. What may these duties be Answere The comfort of faith herein requireth this dutie first and principally that we doe most reuerendly obey him in his word and Gospell and ministerie thereof with care of continuall profiting in knowledge and faith and in euery other grace Secondly that we doe labour according to the encrease of our owne knowledge and the comfort of our faith c. euery one to further and profite those that belong vnto vs. Thirdly it is our dutie to beleeue as vndoubtedly those things which our Sauiour hath prophecied and fore-told that they shall hereafter come to passe as those things which hee hath taught set downe for the perpetuall instruction of his Church It is verie meet and necessarie that it should be so For to what other ends should we thinke that God hath anointed him to be a Prophet vnto vs but that wee should receiue all such instruction from him as hee was to giue and hath giuen vs to make vs wise yea more and more wise vnto saluation The children of the former Prophets Explicatiō and proofe stood bound to profit by those that were sent vnto them Act. 3.25 much more then wee that are the children of this most high Prophet the Prince of all the rest Heb 2.13 But let vs more distinctlie consider the particulars of the answer And first that we must in respect of this Prophesie of our Sauiour heare obey his doctrine wee haue the commandement of God as we may remember Matth 17.5 And 2. Pet 1.17 Hee receiued of God the Father honour and glorie saith the Apostle when this voice came to him from the excellent glorie c. Here also call to minde againe Matth 23.8.10 It may iustlie be accounted a most absurd thing for anie to professe themselues Christians and to haue bene schollers of Christ and yet to be ignorant of the knowledge of Christ and of that mysterie of redemption and saluation which hee hath both taught plainely and wrought effectuallie for all that doe truelie beleeue in him Verilie none of that sorte euer entred the right way into the profession of Christianitie Doubtles they came not in by the dore for then they should haue bene let in by the keye of knowledge The which seeing they want it is apparant that they rather crept in at the windowe like theeues and church-robbers then otherwise And therefore they haue neede to looke better to themselues For if they haue no knowledge it is certaine that they haue no faith and so consequentlie that they cannot be saued Wee thinke it a iust cause of reproofe to yong children and a discredit to their Schoolemaisters if they do not in some good proportion profit in learning according to the time of their going to schoole And Cicero a heathen wise man reasoneth with his sonne that hee ought to haue made no small profiting vnder a choice teacher and in so learned an vniuersitie as hee had sent him vnto though hee had as yet bene there but one whole yeere What then shall wee say of our selues if after many yeares teaching vnder the ministerie of the Gospell wee be found olde truantes and non proficientes in the schoole of Christ the chiefe Teacher whose doctrine is the most excellent doctrine and his teaching the most powerfull teaching that can be The reproofe of the Apostle is iust against all such Hebr 5.12 in that wheras they ought to haue so farre profited that they might haue ben teachers of others they are yet ignorant of the first principles of the word The punishment also belonging vnto this sinne is verie fearefull as wee shall haue occasion to obserue further anone Thus then according to the first branch of the answere we may easilie see that it is a dutie where-vnto we are streightlie bound to heare and obey the most holie prophesie and doctrine of our Sauiour Christ and that vnder the great perill of our soules to the contrarie Nowe secondlie that it is furthermore in the same respect the dutie of euerie Christian to further another according to his owne profitting in his seuerall place and calling the Minister of the worde his people parentes and Maisters of families their children and seruantes and euerie one his companion friend and neighbour Wee may plainely perceiue by the parable of the Talents Matth 25. verses 14.15 c. 30. Read also 2. Corinth 3.1 And Hebr. 6.1 Moreouer read Ephes 6.4 And in the fourth commandement of the morall lawe of God And yet further read Isai ch 2. verses 2.3 againe Micah 4.1 Mal 3.16 By these testimonies the second branch may be plentifullie confirmed The third dutie is likewise euident by those manifold testimonies which are euery where giuen concerning the most perfect truth and faithfulnes of our Sauiour Christ in euery point of his doctrine as hath beene declared at large before And seeing euery prediction of his seruants the Prophets haue beene fulfilled in their times and seasons alwaies hetherto how may we doubt of the fulfilling of any the predictions of our Sauiour himselfe And the rather also because some of them are fulfilled since he fore-told them as namely his owne sufferings and the destruction of Ierusalem These are the duties of faith in due regard of the propheticall office of our Sauiour The duties belonging to the comfort of his most royall and holy Priesthoode remaine yet to be considered of vs. Which therefore are the duties of faith Question in respect of this combined comfort of his Kingdome and Priesthood Answere In so much as faith assureth vs to our comfort that by our Sauiour Christ and through that redemption which he hath wrought for vs we are aduanced in a spirituall manner answerable to the nature of his Kingdome to be here on the earth Kings and Priest vnto God it doth from the same comfort teach vs that it is our dutie to offer vp our selues our soules and our bodies a liuely sacrifice holie and acceptable to God in the crucifying of our wicked flesh with the lusts thereof and in rising vp to care and conscience of yeelding vnto him the holy fruites of a new life Secondly as a further fruit of the comfort hereof and of the same our care it is our dutie to offer vp euery spirituall sacrifice of true christian obedience and namely contrition of heart praier praise and almes-giuing Thirdly it is our dutie from the vertue of the princely power of our Lord Iesus Christ deriued vnto vs continually to subdue keepe vnder not only sin and the lusts thereof but also the suggestions of the diuel this world that they neuer reigne or rule ouer vs. Finally it is our dutie in the same respect if neede so require that we doe offer vp our liues themselues as
the glorious presence of the most high god And therefore also on the other side no true christian ought to be discouraged although they be poorely borne nor any christian woman though shee be poorely brought in bed as if her childe were of lesse account before God because of that For doe we not see that Marie was so yea like enough more poorely then the poorer sort of women are wont to be and with lesse comfortable helpers and in a lesse commodious and seemely place for such a busines as the poorest chamber in a base cottage But what should we speake of Marie thus poorely brought in bed in comparison of the childe it selfe that was borne of her For the matter is infinitely more admirable in respect of him the naturall Sonne of God then of her by nature the daughter of Eue yea it is not much admirable in respect of her saue onely in regard of him Fourthly who shall not be ashamed to murmure at his wants or on the other side to be prowd when hee is in wealthie and honourable estate in the world if he doe with a right and well aduised eye looke vpon the birth of the Son of God without whom it had bin vnpossible but we must haue bin both borne in most extreame dishonour also haue continued in misery for euer Finally how should wee be iustly offended at any outward basenes of the Church or any true members thereof if we do aduisedly looke to the outward basenes of the most glorious head Prince and gouernour of them Is it not meet that the Church here vpon earth which are as the members of the body should be sutable to the head such as it was while it remained here on the earth It may suffice vs that we know it is glorious with in though it be outwardly somewhath browne or blacke Psal 45.13 Cant. 1.4.5 Thus then we see that many outward duties from a great inward dutifulnes of heart doe belong to the comfort of faith concerning the birth of our Sauiour Christ duly weighed considered both more generally also more specially as hath already bin laid forth in diuers particulars in such sort as that which hath beene hetherto obserued might seeme to suffice Neuertheles for the further clearing of so worthy a point it shall not be superfluous for vs as I suppose to endeuour to gather a further direction herein from the examples and practise of those to whom the birth of our Sauiour was first manifested and whom we know to haue beene guided by the holy Ghost therein as hath beene obserued at large in the sermons made vpon those parts of our text Of these duties I desire that you doe as briefely as may be make some rehearsall againe according to those examples which God hath set before vs to the same end Question Which may they be Answere From the example of the holy Angels we may iustly learne that in so much as they to whom the incarnation birth of our Sauiour Christ did not so properly belong did neuertheles to the glorifying of God on our behalfe most earnest blesse and praise the Lord much rather ought we our selues to doe so seeing for our sakes it was that the Son of God thus humbled and abased himselfe From the example of the Sheepheards we are taught that it is our dutie to vse all diligence both in seeking after the knowledge of our Sauiour Christ borne into the world and of the right ends and vses of his comming and abiding in it and also in mutuall exherting incouraging one another therevnto We may likewise learne from thē that according as we our selues haue learned found out Christ Iesus in his word by the instructiōs therof so it is our dutie as much as lieth in vs to make him known to al other And further both from the example of the Sheepheards and also of those which heard the things which they reported vnto them concerning the birth of our Sauiour we may well learne that it is our dutie to esteeme reuerently of the same things and of all other of like holy record and to praise and glorifie God therein What the dutie is which the exāple of the vir Marie teacheth vs it hath bin answered before Frō the exāple of the wisemen who came out of the East a long iourny to worship our Sa Christ we may profitablie learn diuers notable lessons of good christiā dutie First that we ought to esteeme most highly and honourablie of our blessed Sauiour Secondly that we ought to refuse no labour or cost in our seeking to know him Thirdly that no feare of danger with-hold vs from diligent inquiring after him Fourthly that we be in no wise offended at the basenes of his comming into the world but on the contrarie that wee doe reioyce in our Sauiour so much the more as in him that therby giueth vs so much the more assurance that we shal be aduanced through his abasing of himselfe so lowe for vs. Fiftly that we vse all good circumspection that we giue no furtherance or aduantage to the wicked against our Sauiour or his Church and Gospel Finallie that wee doe most willinglie yeelde our selues and all that wee haue to his most honourable seruice From the example of Simeon wee learne likewise that it is our dutie to preferre the true knowledge of our Sauiour Christ made man and sent into the world before all things in the whole world yea before our owne life and beeing in it His doctrine also teacheth vs that not all in the world but they onely that doe truelie beleeue in him and dutifullie obey him shal be partakers of his appearing Last of all from the example of Anna we are taught in like manner that it is the dutie of one as well as of another of women as well as of men with all readines to acknowledge and confesse that our Sauiour Christ is verily in truth come in the flesh Explicatiō proofe These things which are lightsome in themselues haue bene more fully laide forth for a helpe to our weakenes by the interpretation and opening of the text in the Sermons made vpon the same First concerning the holie Angels Luke 2.13.14 from these words And strait way ther was with the Angela multitude of heauenly souldiers that is of other Angels as it appeareth verse 15. praising God saying Glorie be to God c. And touching our owne dutie Read Isai chapter 12. Secondly concerning the Shepheards as it foloweth in the same ch vers 13.16.17.18.20 And it came to passe when the Angels that is the multitude of heauenlie souldiers before mentioned were gone away from them into heauen that the Shepheards said one to another Let vs go then into Bethlehem c. Thirdlie concerning those that heard the Shepheardes make report of the birth of our Sauiour Christ we read likewise in the same chap verse 18. Of whom this is testified that they did all wonder
that which we read Iohn ch 12.1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8 The which treason of Iudas vpon that most vnworthy occasion so intended plotted our Sauiour Christ speaketh of againe foure daies after Mat 26. verses 1.2 where also the Euangelist Matthew doth in the verses following record the same wicked occasion that Iudas tooke and testifieth further and that from that time he sought opportunitie to betray our Sauiour he euen therin as the Diuel would haue it fitting the malicious desire of the chiefe Priests the Scribes and Elders of the people who consulted before how they might take him by subtiltie and kill him so as they might best auoid the vproare and tumult of the people verses 3.4.5 c. 14 1â—.16 and Luke ch 22.1.2.3.4.5.6 Thus I say the thought of the indignitie of the most wicked intent and diuellish practise of one of his owne Disciples with whom he had alwaies dealt louingly and kindly c. was some cause of this trouble to the spirit of our Sauiour Christ But this was little in comparison of the chiefe cause which was that most heauie trouble which he did see by this occasion and with the occasion to hast on a pace to the most deepe piercing and wounding of his soule as we shall see further according as the time of the practising or executing of the treason intended and plotted already approched more neare and grew as it were to the maturitie and ripenes of it Question What ground or testimonie haue you for the declaration of this Answere In the 26. chapter of Matthewe thus we reade from the beginning of the 36. verse 36. Then went Iesus with them into a place which is called Gethsemane and saide to his Disciples sit ye here while I goe and pray yonder 37. And he tooke Peter and the two Sonnes of Zebedeus and began to wax sorowfull and grieuously troubled 38. Then said Iesus vnto them My soule is very heauie euen unto the death tarrie ye here and watch with me 39. So he went a little further and fell on his face and praied saying O my Father if it be possible let this cuppe passe from me neuertheles not as I will but as thou wilt And ve se 42. 42. He praied the second time saying O my Father if this cuppe cannot passe away from me but that I must drinke it thy will be done 44. And yet againe we read verse 44. He praied the third time saying the same wordes Explication This third spirituall trouble and agonie fell vpon our Sauiour Christ in Gethsemane as the Euangelist Matthew testifieth the which place as appeareth before in the 30. verse of the same chapter and Luke ch 22.39 was a part of ground of or belonging to the mount of Oliues the which also was on the other side of the brooke Cedron distant from Ierusalem some good space a mile or two And it was also a garden or Ortchard either of Oliue trees or some vineyard as the Euangelist Iohn doth more particularly record and describe the place Iohn chap 18.1 where also it is very likely there were some dwelling housen as euery where there is on euery side of great cities at the least for the dressing and looking to the Gardens there about as may appeare by that which the Euangelist Marke writeth ch 14.51.52 The vnspeakable greatnes of the trouble and agonie of our Sauiour Christ in this place at this time and that for a long time as may be gathered the greatnes of the sorrowe and anguish considered it may be in some good measure conceiued of vs if we will only consider that which the Euangelist saith guided by the holy Ghost that our Sauiour Christ began in this place euen while he was with his Disciples to waxe sorrowful and grieuously troubled The Euangelist vsing such wordes as note an astonishing and amazing or confound ng sorrow and distresse or a perplexitie of mind such as no humane succour or solace can mitigate or asswage But it may be more liuely discerned from our Sauiour himselfe partly by his behauiour and partly by his speech By his behauiour first in that albeit hee tooke three of his Disciples with him to wit Peter and Iames and Iohn as Marke more expresly nameth them euen such as hauing seene his glorie before at his transfiguration might haue beene most fit to be eye witnesses of his humiliation and abasing yet his sorrowes increasinge exceedingly much more then the sorrowes of the woman going to her trauell and seeing them vnfit to be very neare beholders or hearers of them he giueth them their charge that they pray to God for grace that they should not be led into temptation and sodainly breaketh from them as one violently pulled away the space of a stones cast as the Euangelist Luke describeth it chap 22.40.41 that so he might without their vtter discomfiture the more freely humble himselfe and most lamentably bemone his distressed estate before his heauenly Father the bitter cup of whose wrath bent against that sinne of ours which our Sauiour Christ had vndertaken to beare the punishment of and to satisfie for was euen now put neare as it were to his mouth to the end he should drinke it vp for vs. Herevpon therefore he falleth down vpon his face groueling to the earth not satisfying himselfe to kneele vpon his knees Marke 14.35 And afterwards through the vehemencie of the agonie and conflict of his soule his sweat was like drops of blood trickling downe to the ground Luke 22.44 A most strange sweate both for the matter vnheard of before in any neuer so grieuously tortured and also for the quantitie it being so aboundant and that from so thinne and spare a body as wee may conceiue the body of our Sauiour to be which no doubt was not grosse and corpulent as the bodies of many full fed and pampered are Thus by the behauiour of our Sauiour Christ in this time of his trouble and dolour we may perceiue that it was exceeding vehement and bitter and the rather if we doe consider the most perfect patience and magnanimitie of our Sauiour Christ whereby he was able as afterward he did to passe through all the externall vexations that man could possibly prouoke him with The same extremitie of the most grieuous sorrowe of our Sauiour Christ may be yet further discerned from his owne speech partly by those wordes which he spake to his three choise Disciples while yet he was with them My soule is heauie euen vnto death The which no doubt if it had beene vpon any of vs sinfull wretches it would not onely haue taken away all naturall life out of our bodies but haue pressed our soules downe for euer vnto the bottome of Hell But yet more fully may it bee discerned by the wordes of his most lamentable prayer O my Father if it bee possible let this cuppe passe from mee Yea in that he insisteth so vpon the almightie power of God ioined with his infinite mercy as it
Christ himselfe suffereth and feareth that which is naturall vnto it but by the word which is ioyned with it it is setled in that strong resolution which beseemeth him that is God And at the length saith Caluin he concludeth thus Thou seest euidently that death was not according to the will of Christ in respect of the flesh And yet againe that it was according to his will insomuch as for the sake of it agreeable to the will of the Father saluation and life is giuen to men Hetherto Cyril To which end and purpose Caluin addeth further that the infiâ—mity of the flesh which Christ tooke is to be accounted as it is indeede greatly differing from that which is in vs. For in vs not one of our affections is free from sinne insomuch as all of them doe exceed measure and be not rightly qualified but Christ was so troubled with heauines and feare that yet he did not lift himselfe vp against God but kept himselfe in good temper and within the compasse of true moderation Neither is it strange that pure and cleare affections should flow from him seeing he was entire and free from all spot of sinne howsoeuer they were such as did declare that there was humane weaknes in him and on the contrary that from the nature of man corrupted nothing should come but that which is as it were rored and sauouring of the dregges Wherefore let this difference be obserued that Christ though hee felt weakenes in his feare and heauines yet was free from all sinne but that our affections are sinfull because they breake forth into excesse Now the manner of the affections wherewith Christ was tempted is to be noted of vs. Matthew saith he was stricken with heauines and sorrow or distressednes Luke that he was held with anguish Marke addeth that he feared greatly But whence was that his sorrow and distresse and feare but that he apprehended in his minde some more heauie and horrible thing in death then is the seperation of the soule the body And certainely he died not onely that he might goe from earth to heauen but â—ather that hee taking vpon him that curse wherevnto we were subiect might set vs free from the same So then death was not simply as it is a departure out of the world a horrible thing vnto him but because the terrible iudgement seate of God was before his eyes and the iudge himselfe armed with reuenge aboue that we can conceiue and because our sinnes the burthen whereof was laid vpon him did as a huge weight lye sore vpon him And therefore no maruell though the bottomlesse gulfe of horrible destruction did grieuously torment him with feare and great distresse Likewise vpon the next verse Here againe saith Caluine the cause of so great sorrow ought to be remembred of vs. For death it selfe could not in such wise haue tormented the minde of the Sonne of GOD vnlesse it had beene well knowne to him that hee had to deale with the iudgement of God And vpon the next verse concerning the prayer of our Sauiour Christ and the gesture which he vsed in prayer being in the gaâ—den Although saith Caluin the bowing of the knee is commonly wont to be vsed in prayer for a signe of honour and reuerence yet Christ lying downe vpon the ground to make his supplication disposed of himselfe after a very pittifull manner answerable to the greatnes of his dolour O my Father saith hee if it be possible c. Here some doe put themselues to busines in vaine to shew that here is no prayer described but onely a complaint But as touching my selfe albeit I confesse that it was a desire vpon a sodaine yet I am out of doubt that Christ conceiued a prayer Neither is it against this that he desireth such a thing to be granted him as was vnpossible for the prayers of the faithfull doe not alwaies hold on in one continued course to the end they doe not alwaies keepe one euen measure they are not at all times framed in an exact order nay rather they being er while intricate and perplexed they either seeme not well to agree one petition with another or else they are broken off in the mid way like as a Shippe tossed by tempests howsoeuer it is bound toward the hauen yet it cannot hold on in so strait and euen a course as if the Seas were calme It is true as I said before that wee must hold that the affections of Christ were not disordered so that as it falleth out often with vs they should driue away that due moderation which ought to haue beene in his minde but so farre onely as might stand with the soundnes and integritie of the humane natuâ—e he was greatly stricken with feare and held so perplexed that he could not but stagger beeing as it were in the middest of a violent flood of tentations when hee made one request after another And this is the reason why hee hauing prayed against death doeth by and by restraine himselfe and submitting himselfe to the gouernement of his Father correcteth and calleth backe that desire which had vpon the sodaine fallen from him But it is demanded how he might desire that the eternall decree of the Father should be cancelled seeing hee was not ignorant of it For albeit he interposeth a condition If it be possible yet this seemeth vnreasonable that hee should speake as if the decree of God might be altered For this wee ought to set downe without all question that it is vnpossible that God should call backe that which hee hath decreed And yet as it is in Marke Christ seemeth to oppose the power of God to his decree saying All things are possible vnto thee Neuertheles it is a mis-alledging of the power of God if any would hereby make it vncertaine and changeable to the weakening of his truth I answer that it is no absurditie at all though Christ after the vsuall manner of the godlie doe lay downe his desire wherwith he was vehemently affected into the bosome of his Father not looking to his diuine counsell For so it is that the faithfull being guided by the wisedome and direction of the Spirit of God do not alwaies when they poure forth their prayers lift vp their mindes so high as to prie into the secrets of God neither do they as it were at their leisure throughly consider what is possible to be done but er while they are carried more speedily through feruencie of their requests So Exodus chapter 32. verse 32. Moses requesteth to be blotted out of the booke of life the wordes are these Therefore now if thou pardon their sinne thy mercie shall appeare but if thou wilt not I pray thee rase me out of thy booke which thou hast written So Paul in his Epistle to the Romans chapter 9. verse 3. wished to bee made anathema the wordes of the text are these For I would wish my selfe to be seperate from Christ for my brethren
vnto him in regard of his abiding three dayes and three nights in the belly of the Whale-fish Matthew 12.39.40 But it may be obiected that the body of our Sauiour Christ did not continue full three daies and three nights in the heart of the earth but onely one full day which was the second and but a little portion of the first day wherein he was buried euen neare vpon the euening and onely the night of the third day Question What is to be said to this Answer We doe not read that our Sauiour said that he would continue three daies full and compleate neither did hee euer purpose to doe so but rather to preuent the time for the more euident demonstration of his diuine power in rising from the dead as hee had done before in the laying downe of his life among the dead sooner then it was thought that by the course of nature he could ExplicatioÌ„ proofe So indeede doe the effects themselues in either respect really actually and sensibly declare And that it was not the meaning of our Sauiour to determine the time of continuance in the graue to be three whole daies it is euident from his owne words Matthew chap. 17.23 and chap. 20.19 The third day shall the Sonne of man rise againe to wit the third day after the crucifying or aâ—ter the beginning of his sufferings beginning at his appreâ—ension in the gaâ—den For that was the beginning of the sufferings of the first day by the spitefull dealing of the Iewes and so we may well reckon according to that of Cleopas Luke 24.21 And as touching all these things to day saith hee is the third day that they were done Neither doth our Sauiour Christ say three daies after I am crucified I will rise againe as the text it selfe is plaine And so againe Marke 9.31 and Luke 9.22 And Iohn 2.19 In three dayes I will raise it vp againe that is within the space of three dayes And so are wee to vnderstand Marke chapter 8.31 though in another phrase of speach meta treis emeras as Beza in his large Annotations doth diligently dispute and cleare it from the vse of the same preposition meta in the Greeke language Yea hee cleareth it from the speach of the aduersaries of our Sauiour Christ Mâ—tthew 27.63.64 Where the Euangelâ—st reporteth their sute to Pilate which was that the Sepulcher might be mâ—de sure till the thiâ—d day because they remembred that he said while he was yet aliue Within three daies I will rise This their reason Saint Matthew expresseth in this phrase of speach meta treis emeras the which if wee should not vnderstand as it hath beene interpreted it were a reason reasonlesse For if the wordes should signifie I will rise after three daies they should rather haue desired that the watch should be set at the end of the third day Thus then we see how long our Sauiour being buried continued in the graue in the state of the dead touching his body and euen as it were among the dead vnto whom hee in his buriall descended according to the vsuall phrase of the holy language as we read Gen. 37.35 and chapter 42.38 and 1. Kings 2.6.9 and Numbers 16.33 where it noteth a corporall descending into the earth though not by buriall But of this more afterward As for the comforts and duties of faith in this respect they shall God willing be set downe in their seuerall places as wee come vnto them And therefore I pray the Reader to turne thether vnto them It remaineth onely touching this part of the holy Storie that wee doe briefely consider of that malicious practise of the Rulers of the Iewes while our Sauiour continued in the graue in seeking if possibly they could to haue hindered his resurrection Question How is this their most wicked and malitious practise reported vnto vs Answer The Euangelist Matthew Chap. 27. from the 62. ver to the end of the Chapter reporteth the whole matter in these words 62 Now saith hee the next day that followed the preparation of the Sabbath the high Priests and Pharisies assembled to Pilate 63. And said Sir we remember that the deceiuer said while he was yet aliue within three dayes I will rise 64 Command therefore that the Sepulcher be made sure vntill the third day lest his disciples come by night and steale him away and say vnto the people He is risen from the dead so shall the last errour be worse then the first 65 Then Pilate saide vnto them ye haue a watch goe and make it sure as ye know 66 And they went and made the Sepulcher sure with the watch and sealed the stone Explication Heere is a wicked conclusion fitly agreeing to the whole pursute of their malice going before Wherein we are to consider First the suâ—e which the rulers of the Iewes with a readie consent in their wickednes made vnto Pilate Secondly the grant which Pilate yeelded vnto them And thirdly their execution of the same In the sute of the Rulers of the Iewes to wit of the high Priests and Pharisies we are to marke First what it was Secondly the reasons which moued them to make it Thirdly their earnestnes or rather eagernes in going about it Touching the first of these points Their sute was that sure prouision might be made and due order taken by Pilate who had authoritie to command and giue order in such manner of watching and warding as they required that the graue whrein the body of our Sauiour was laid might be made sure and watched vntill the third day This was their sute Now let vs heare their reasons First that they might by this meanes proue our Sauiour Christ now a liar in certaine words which they called to minde he had spoken while he liued to wit that hee would rise againe within three daies after his death For thâ—t this was their intent it is euident by their blasphemie in terming our blessed Sauiour euen the truth it selfe a deceiuer Secondly that they might preuent the frâ—ud of the Disciples of our Sauiour whom most vniustly they suspected to haue in purpose to steale his body out of the graue and so to make other beleeue that he should be risen from the dead So say they the last error should be worse then the first O extreame malice To what outrage and blasphemie will it not driue them that once yeeld themselues ouer vnto it in resisting of the holy truth of God These wretched men resisted our Sauiour while he was aliue they cannot now dâ—sist though he be dead no though according to the prouerbiall saying Lâ—uor cessare solet in mortuos fewe enuie or spite the dead And thus they add sinne to sinne against God and heape vp wrath vpon wrath as it were with â—ull measure pressed downe and running ouer against themselues which doubtlesse long since hauing come to the full measure hath swept them away like a floud from the face of the earâ—h and reserueth
And when I say that wee must haue ground and warrant from the holy Scriptures it is to be vnderstood that in this Question we must haue a speciall respect not onely to the best translations but also euen to the originall text of the Hebrew in the old Testament and of the Greeke in the New For by them of necessitie specially by the Hebrew which the Greek followeth must both the Latine and English and all other Tongues yea the hearts also of all Christians of euery Nation and language be ouer-ruled Let vs therefore examine this point ANd first touching the word to Descend Which are the diuers significations thereof Question Answer First and most properly it signifieth to remoue the body or to come downe bodily from the higher place to the lower But in a borrowed vse of speech when it is referred to man it signifieth an alteration or change of a mans former more comfortable and prosperous estate or condition to a contrarie or very differing estate either of soule or body or any other way without any bodily mouing at all And sometime againe when it is in a borrowed signification referred to God it noteth the manifestation of his diuine presence without any either alteration of estate or motion of bodie from place to place Explication It is true So we reade 2. King 1.4 where according to the first signification Elijah willeth the Messengers of Ahaziah King of Israel to tell the King that he should not come downe frō the bed on the which he was gone vp but should die the death And in the same cha verse 8. the messengers of the King say to Elijah sitting on the top of a mountaine O man of God the King hath commanded that thou come downe And againe verse 11. In the which chapter also fier is said to come downe from heauen at the prayer of Elijah And in many other places the raine is said to descend or come downe from heauen And on the earth the running of it from the higher ground to the lower is called from the same word a descending The like is the vse of the Greeke word caterchomai and also of catabaino either of them signifying to descend or come down as we may see Matt. 17 9. As they came downe from the mountaine catabainonton compared with Luke chap. 9.37 And as they came downe from the mountaine catelthonton So Iames chap. 9.17 Euery good gift commeth downe from the Father of lights catabainon And chap. 3.15 This wisedome that is bitter enuying c. descendeth not from aboue Ouc estin anothen caterchomene And Matt. 7.25.27 catebe e broche The raine fell or descended c. Secondly in a borrowed vse the same words being referred to man signifie the extreame alteration and change of a mans estate from that which was prosperous and comfortable as was said to that which is aduerse and greeuous As Deut. chap. 20. verse 20. Thou shalt make forts against the Citie that maketh warre with thee vntill thou subdue it Word for word vntill it descend that is vntill it be ruinated and so caused to humble it selfe and to stoupe downe vnto thee as some not vnaptly doe expound it And thus it is said of the wicked Iewes themselues Their glory shall descend And man shall be brought downe but the Lord of Hostes shall be exalted Isai 5.14 15 16. And concerning the King of Babell Thy pompe is brought downe the word is caused or made to Descend Isai 14.11 And verse 15. Thou shalt be brought downe or made to descend to the graue to the sides of the pit And chap. 63.6 The Lord speaking of his enemies saith I will treade downe the people in my wrath and make them drunken in mine indignation and I will bring downe their strength or cause it to Descend to the earth And Ezek. 30.6 The pride of the power of Aegypt shall descend or come downe Likewise Zech. 10.11 The pride of Ashur shall be cast downe or caused to descend and the scepter of Aegypt shall depart away And for affliction of soule noted by this word reade 1. Sam. 2.6 The Lord killeth and maketh aliue bringeth downe or causeth to Descend to the graue and raiseth vp c. Likewise when Dauid praiseth God for that he had brought his soule out of the graue and reuiued him from them that goe downe or Descend into the pit he acknowledgeth that his soule was before as it were Descended into the pit that is exceedingly troubled and distressed And so againe Ps 71.20.21 and Ps 86.13 But of this more afterward Wee also in our owne language vse to say of one that is fallen from prosperity to aduersity from a rich or honourable estate to a base and poore degree that such a one is greatly come downe We vse the word also of Descending in a contrary sense to note the noble parentage or stocke of the which one is descended or come But of this enough Let vs now proceed from mans descending to the descending of God This as was said doth onely note the speciall representation of his diuine presence without any moouing of himselfe from one place to another For seeing the godhead filleth all places yea comprehendeth all places but is comprehended of none it must needes be so vnderstood As namely where it is said that he descended vpon Mount Sinay Exod. 19.18.20 And Psal 18.9 Isa 46.1 2 3 4. Hab. 3.3 through the whole praier of the holy Prophet cōteined in that chapter Like vnto this was the descending of our Sauiour before he tooke our nature Gen. 18.20.21 And the descending of the holy Ghost at the baptisme of our Sauiour Christ For the Deitie it selfe to speake properly of the person of the Son or of the person of the holy Ghost did not descend but onely manifested their speciall presence in that manner and by those bodies which they did for the time assume and take But as touching the Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ there is yet a more speciall reason of his appearance in our humane nature by his incarnation insomuch as therein he vnited the same our humane nature to his diuine nature in a personall vnion to continue firme and indissoluble for euer in which respect he saith most particularly most properly of himselfe Iohn 3.13 No man ascendeth vp to heauen but he that hath descended from heauen the Sonne of man which is in heauen Neuerthelesse our Sauiour Christ euen in these words also must needes be vnderstood to speake figuratiuely and in respect of the great mystery concerning the vnion of two natures in one person attributing that to both which is onely proper to one For the Deitie of the Sonne of God did no more descend by locall mouing from one place to another then the humanity was then in heauen when he spake these words to Nicodemus or could afterward ascend vp to heauen but by bodily motion Onely the descension of the Deitie must be vnderstoode of
So Psalm 130. verse 1. Out of the deepe places haue I called vpon thee O Lord. The same sense though in other words And as the Prophet prayeth in the deepe distresse of his soule so after that he is most gratiously heard of God hee doth accordingly giue most heartie thanks as Psal 30.3 O Lord saith Dauid thou hast brought vp my soule out of Sheol thou hast reuiued me from them that goe downe into the pit And Psalm 71.26 though in another phrase of speech O God thou hast shewed me great troubles and aduersities but thou wilt returne and reuiue mee yea thou wilt returne and cause me to ascend vp from the depth of the earth mittomoth aharets ex abyssit terrae And yet more fully Psal 86.13 Great is thy mercy toward me and thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest graue Misheol tachtijah Some translate it by an increase of the Hyperbole from the nethermost Hell But most fully of all doeth the Prophet Heman describe this kinde of the extreame trouble and aduersity and distresse of the children of God here sometime in this life both from the word Sheol and also from others of like signification and nature Psal 88.1 c. O Lord God of my saluation I cry day and night before thee Let my prayer enter into thy presence Incline thine eare vnto my cry For my soule is filled with euills and my life draweth neare to Sheol I am counted among them that goe downe to the pit the word is Bhor and I am as a man without strength Free among the dead like the slaine lying in the graue Keber whom thou remembrest no more they are cut off froÌ„ thy hand Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit Bebhor tachtijoth in darknes and in the deepe Thus by Sheol and many other borrowed speeches of like nature as was said this Prophet expresseth the extremity of the sorrowes and afflâ—ctions of the children of God which sometâ—mes fall vpon them either for their triall or for their correction from the fatherly displeasure of God according as it followeth in the same Psalme Thine indignation lieth vpon me and thou hast vexed me withall thy waues And thus according to this last signification of Sheol which noteth such aduersitie and sorrow as bringeth downe euen to the very brinke of death so that they may be said after a sort to haue beene brought downe to the graue yea euen to Hell though they neuer came neither by the grace of God shall euercome into the place of the damned Neither is it vnwonted with our selues in our owne English speech to vse the word Hell in this signification as when we say of this oâ— that man he hath a hell in his conscience Infernus animae reâ— coÌ„scientia A guilty coÌ„science is the Hell of the soule euen heere in this world though God of his infinite mercie doth not seldome deliuer such from the place and damnation of Hell In which respect the Prophet Ionah a figure of our Sauiour Christ saith that he called vpon God as it were out of the belly or womb of Hell for so is Sheol not vnfitly translated when he was in the belly of the Whale chap. 2.2 the which hee calleth in the same verse the place of distresse I cried in my affliction or distresse saith the Prophet vnto the Lord and he heard me The like is to be considered concerning Haides comparing Act. 2. ver â—4 with ver 27.31 so it be discreetly done that is if we consider the loosening of the sorrowes of death in Haides not to be any sorrowes which our Sauiour indured being in Haides but those which hee felt before and at his death the which death being in it selfe a dolefull thing and Haides the graue a place and state in it selfe likewise of discomfort by reason of the separation of the life and soule from the body might well hetherto and thus farre forth retaine continue to vs so much the more full and through a memoriall theâ—eof and the rather also expresse that singular ioy which is to be taken of vs in the resurrection of our Sauiour the which perfectly remoueth all remainder of sorrow whatsoeuer might seeme to be continued and abetted by death or any other aduersary that we or our Sauiour had NOw therefore that as a fruite of this our inquirie hetherto wee haue found out the diuerse significations of this word to Descend and also of these other words Sheol and Haides whereon the sense of this article of our Sauiours descension dependeth it shall be the more easie for vs to vnderstand the true meaning of them Question May we not thinke so Or is there any thing else furthermore to be considered to the attaining therevnto Answer I haue heard you say that to the right vnderstanding of these words spoken of our Sauiour He descended into hell it is necessarie that we consider the time when he descended whether before in the garden when he did sweat blood and on the Crosse when he made his complaint as one forsaken and left for a season or after his death and taking downe from the Crosse It is indeed to speciall purpose For this difference of time doth necessarily inferre Explication and proofe a diuerse distinct sense and meaning of these words For if we vnderstand them to haue beene principally accomplished in the garden and vpon the Crosse then must the meaning be that our Sauiour Christ did for our sinnes suffer most grieuous paines and therewithaâ—l also most deepe reproach and ignominie to satisfie the iustice of God and to appease his wrath euen such paines and such reproach as may iustly be compared to the paines and ignominie of hell And this no doubt our Sauiour did for the time sustaine as hath beene already declared Bu if we vnderstand the descension to follow after his death then can nothing in any true sense soundnes of faith be affirmed saue onely that he being laid downe into the graue continued so as a man truly descended to the dead and abiding in their state and condition as touching the true nature of death the soule seperated from the body vntill by his diuine power hee rose vp againe as truly fâ—om the state and condition of the dead as by his buriall he had descended into it and for a certaine time abode in the same according to those speeches of descending to the graue and according to that signification of Sheol and Haides which hath beene alledged before as tending to this â—nd And according to the speeâ—h of the Angell Luke 4.5 who interpreteth the abiding of our Sauiour in the graue to be his abidâ—ng among the dead and his resurrection to be his remouing from the dead Math. 2â— 7 Luke in the Gospel 24 4â— Read also Act. 3.15 and ch 1â— 30.31 and chap. 26.23 and 1. Cor. 1â— 12 and verse 20. and Iohn 21.14 But that we may grow at the laâ—t to t e full point and issue
Temple and by the opening of the graues c. Furthermore this sort of expositions doth vnaptly and vnskilfully confound the exaltation of our Sauiour Christ with his humiliation For although it is truly affirmed that our Sauiour Christ did obtaine his victorious triumph vpon the crosse yet this was not wonne otherwise then by humiliation before God whereby he satisfied his iustice and that in such sort that the enemies of our Sa Ch pursuing him to the death were therin the instruments of their own ouerthrow to our saluation which could not otherwise be effected but by the death of Christ Yea and no doubt notwithstanding this conquest was made on the crosse yet the humiliation of our Sauiour whereby he made it continued still euen till he was buried and laide downe among the dead yea so long also as hee continued in the graue euen to the time of his rysing againe though indeede it was in another manner that is to say the feeling of the paines and sorrowes of his humiliation ceasing but the reproch and ignominie of his sufferings continuing still Yea so continuing that albeit it was the last part of his humiliation and the least in sense either of inward dolour or of outward trouble and affliction yet among his most malitious aduersaries it was the greatest for reproch insomuch as they had preuailed against him so farre that they brought his body downe to the earth which was the lowest that men coâ—ld bring him to And that his going downe to the graue and his abode there till his resurrection was a part of the humiliation of our Sauiour it may plainly be discerned by that prophesie of Dauid Psal 16 10. and Act. 2.27.31 Therefore did my heart reioyce c. Because thou wilt not â—eaue my soule in graue that is that part of my humanitie which was subiect to buriall neither wilt suffer thine holy one to see corruption This spake the Prophet Dauid concerning the ioy of our Sauiour Christ in regard of his resurrection and for that he knewe hee should lye but a while in the graue and shuld not be corrupted there as the Apostle Peter interpreteth that prophesie of Dauid And therfore out of question it was a part of the humiliation of our Sauiour Or else he would not haue so earnestly reioyced that he should tarrie so short a time in the graue Neither would he haue said Thou wilt not leaue my soule But I my selfe will speedâ—ly come out of it They are wordes therefore of his humiliation yet continuing and not of his triumph in Hell as may be obserued furâ—her from these words of the same 2. chap. of the Acts verse 24. Whom God hath raised vp and loosened the sorrowes of death because it was vnpossible that he should be holden of it So that vntill the resurrection we see that death continued a certaine time grappling vpon our Sauiour but when he arose it was forced to let goe all his hold and thenceforth death had no more any kind of dominion ouer him as we read Rom 6.9 10. If we be dead with Christ we beleeue that we shall liue also with him Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion ouer him For in that he dâ—ed he died once to sinne that is to take away sinne not onely by the merit of his sacrifice before God but also by the sanctification of his spirit to the mortifying of sin and to the quickening of vs to holinesse of life but in that he liueth hee liueth to God That is to his eternall glorie neuer to die any more The which glorie of God is the chiefe and finall end both of the death and of the resurrection of our Sauiour Christ and also of all the blessed fruites and effects thereof Behold saith our Sauiour himselfe I am aliue for euermore Amen Ruel 1 18. Now therefore that wee may conclude this point of our inquirie touching these words of our Creed He descended into hel we may perceiue by that which hath beene alledged first what ground they haue in the holy Scriptures which must be in all points the onely ground and warrant of our faith secondly how we are to vnderstand them thirdly that it is not meete that they should be rased out of the Creed or at the libertie of euery Christian at his owne liking either to professe and expresse or to omit and suppresse them And therfore also that we are not to be so scrupulous in inquiring how and when they came first into the Creed as seeing they are and haue of long time beene generally receiued how they are to be vnderstood according to the holy Scriptures and answerably how to be beleeued of vs. THus then hauing gone through the ground and historie of all the holy sufferings of our Lord Iesus Christ yea of his whole humiliation vnto the very point and time of his resurrection which was the beginning of his glorious exaltation Let vs now gather together briefly the summe of all that we are to beleeue concerning the sufferings of our Sauiour Christ The grouÌ„d and meaning of all his sufferings and whole humâ—liation Quest What is the summe of it Ans The articles of our beliefe concerning the sufferings of our Sauiour Christ teach me and euery faithfull Christian that we ought steadfastly to beleeue that they are most perfectly worthy and fully sufficient to worke forth our redemption and reconciliation with God for euer according to the most holy counsell and decree of God himselfe and that euen of his most free mercie and grace So indeed we reade expresly Act. 2 23. He was deliuered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God And Rom 3 verse 24 25 26. Question Which are the wordes of the Apostle Rehearse them Answere Wee are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnes by the forgiuenes of the sinnes that are passed through the patience of God To shewe at this time his righteousnes that he might be iust and a iustifier of him that is of the faith of Iesus ExplicatioÌ„ It cannot indeede be otherwise insomuch as he who suffered yea suffered euen the most grieuous sufferings and humbled himselfe to the lowest degree of humiliation that might be as it were to the very bottomlesse pit of hell was the most high and excellent person that possibly might haue suffered for vs and therefore is nowe also on our behalfe made higher then the heauens as we shall see more fully hereafter And in the meane season the excellencie of the obedience of our Sauiour Christ in that he was obedient to the death to satisfie the iustice of God and to purchase an euerlasting redemption for vs it may notably appeare by that comparison which the Apostle Paul maketh betwixt our Sauiour Christ and Adam in the 5. ch to the
and man when he is some time in the holy Scriptures said to haue descended from heauen before as well as to be now ascended vp into heauen Iohn 3 13 Eph. 4 9.10 For this is spoken by that trope or figure of speech which Diuines call the Communion of Proprieties that is when by reason of the two natures vnited in one person that is communicated to one nature which is proper to the other or that to both which is properly agreeing onely to one of them Thus therefore to speake properly the God-head either in the holy Trinitie or in the person of our Sauiour Christ the mediatour can neither ascend nor descend But the humanitie of our Sauiour Christ and namely his body which is most properly and sensibly apt to change the place did according to the most proprietie of speech that may be ascend vp from the earth into heauen Yea so that as when it was here belowon the earth it was not in heaueÌ„ nor in anymore places but one on the earth at one the same time according to the speech of the Angel Luke 23.26 He is not here but is risen so now being in heauen it is not one the earth according as our Sauiour himselfe had told his Disciples before Mat 26 11. yee haue the poore alwaies with yee but me yee shall not haue alwaies And according to the saying of the Angels in the first of the Acts. And of the Apostle Peter cha 3 21. whom the heauens must containe vntill the time that all things be restored c. The heauen which our Sauiour is ascended into is not the aierie region which is sometime called by the name of heauen namely when the Scriptures speake of the fowles of heauen or of the cloudes of heauen neither is it any vpper region or that which is vsually called the firmament euen to the highest that we see in which respect the starres are called the starres of heauen but it is that which is aboue all that spreading which wee see euen that which the Apostle Paul calleth the third heauen 2. Cor 12.2 That is to say It is neither the neither part of the aier nor any vpper part of that which wee see but it is a third aboue them inuisible vnto vs and as he saith Eph 4 10. farre aboue all these visible heauens The which also are called oftentime in the olde Testament The heauens of heauens Deut 10.14 1. King 8.27 Psal 148.4 that is the most high heauens Psal 68 33. The which heauens are called also the holy pallace of the Lord where his throne is and his sanctuarie c. Psal 14.4 and Micah 1 2. his holy Temple Read also Psal 113.4 The Lord is high aboue all nations and his glory aboue the heauens To this place of glory is our Lord Iesus Christ ascended euen to the right hand of the throne of God Heb 12.2 insomuch as such an high Priest it became vs to haue as should be made higher then the heauens as wee read in the same Epistle chap 7 26 Read also chap 4 14 chap 6 19 20 And thus we may perceiue the true meaning of this Article and what proofs we haue to warrant and confirme the same vnto vs. It is the more diligently to be marked of vs because by the right vnderstanding and beliefe of it wee shall by the grace of God be easily freed from very grosse errours and heresies contrary to the true Christian faith wherewith the world hath beene misled in the Antichristian Church of Rome by the space of some three or foure hundreth yeares in the opinion of transubstantiation in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper The Comforts and otherwise in the report of some bodily appearance of our Sauiour vpon earth since his ascension yea and by some other not able all at once to cast away that â—euen of transubstantiation out of their hearts haue of latter yeares fancied a consubstantiation in the same Sacrament But all in vaine as this Article rightly vnderstood and beleeued as was faide will easily shew For so much as this is most certaine that our Sauiour Christ did ascend vp into heauen really substantiaâ—ly visibly locally bodily and in his humane nature totally and that with a determinate minde and purpose there to continue till the ende of the world for it is affirmed expressely that hee went away hence Iohn 14 2. that hee left this world chap 16 28. that hee was carried vpward into heauen Luke 24.51 And that the heauens must containe him Acts 3. it is of as great certaintie that since the time of his ascension he neither hath bin is or will be bodily present with his Church in or out of the Sacrament but onely by his diuine spirit though in more gracious and speciall manner both by his word and by his Sacrament then euer he was in former times or by any other meanes besides before this his ascension vp into heauen not by descending bodily downe to the faithfull but by sending his holy spirit into them and by causing their hearts by faith to ascend more liuely and spiritually vp vnto him And as for this Popish transubstantiation and the other like errour of consubstantiation so neare of kinde vnto it as the Church hath well wanted that absurd conclusion by the space of more then twelue hundreth of yeares after the ascension of our Sauiour vntill the Laterance councill held vnder Pope Innocentius the third anno Domini 121 5 and this other till three or fourescore yeares since so may we iustly cast them away at this day and looke vp to our Sauiour Christ and apprehend him and long after him onely spiritually and by faith vnto the time of his promised comming againe at the ende of the world as all true beleeuers not misled in this point haue alwaies done Hetherto of the meaning of this Article THe promise is next to be inquired into Question Haue we any promise that our Sauiour Christ is ascended vp into heauen for our benefit Answer The generally promise that God hath made to giue our Sauiour to the benefite and saluation of his Church may well be an assured confirmation vnto vs that as hee was conceiued borne dyed and rose againe for vs so that hee hath on our behalfe and for our further benefite ascended vp into heauen But beside the generall promise of God wee haue the particular promise and warrant of our Sauiour himselfe We haue so indeede as will be manifest by the opening of the benefites and comforts thereof which come now in the next place to be considered of vs. LEt vs therefore forth with come vnto them Question Which may they be Answer First and formost it is a benefit of singular comfort that our Sauiour Christ immediately before his ascension so soone as he had made his will fully knowen to his Apostles touching the matters and ordinances of his kingdome to the behoofe of his whole Church he did to the
communion of Saints heere much more there If wee acquaint our selues with rude behauiour how should we be fit to stand before Princes much lesse before the God of heauen if we giue our selues ouer to sinne and wickednes All contrarie neglects or practises are vtterly vnbeseeming all true faithfull and beleeuing Christians and doe hinder from ascending into the Kingdome of heauen Read Psal 15. and Psal 24. Much might be said as you see But thus much for the present shall suffice touching the duties Question ANd now to conclude this article what is the danger of not beleeuing and of not walking in the duties pertayning to the faith of it Answer Such as will not lift vp their soules to beleeue in our Lord Iesus Christ and accordingly to obey him in that he is ascended vp into heauen shall finde no benefit of his sauing health heere vpon earth or immediatly after death when their soules shall be seperated from their body much lesse shal both their bodies and soules be taken vp into heauen there to liue and raigne eternally with him at the time of the resurrection of the dead It is very true Our mindes must be lifted vp first The danger of not beleeuing this article or else our bodies shall not be lifted vp afterward like as we saw before that wee must be partakers of the first resurrection before we can haue any part in the second For proofe whereof read Iohn 8.21 where our Sauiour telleth the vnbeleeuing Iewes of his going away that is of his leauing the earth and ascending vp into heauen that if they would not beleeue in him as one specially sent of God and returning to him againe they should die in their sinnes and they should haue no eternall abiding in the house of God that is in heauen as true beleeuers shall haue verses 35.36 Read also chap. 16.9 where he saith that the holy Ghost shall conuince the world of sinne euen from this that men beleeue not in our Sauiour seeing he is gone to his Father to wit into heauen Thus then we see that the danger is very great in not beleeuing this article And that we may prouoke our selues to be carefull to labour to be found in the faith hereof it shall be good for vs to consider of the fearefull examples of those which both heretofore as also to this day haue grosly erred from it O◠olde time the heretikes called Apellites said that the ascension of Christ into heauen was but the dissoluing of his body into the foure elements The Manichaei Seleuciani and Hermenians not going so farre as to say that it is dissolued yet they are said to haue affirmed thus much that the body of our Sauiour is fixed about the starres and chiefly about the globe of the sunne and is ascended no higher And in deede if it should not be gone into the inuisible heauens where might it be more likely to abide then in the Region of those excellent creatures and neere about the sunne Thus leauing the truth they would seeme to be as wise in errour and as soberly minded in their madd conceites as any colour or pretext might cause them to seeme to be The Carpocratians they would not denie the ascension of our Sauiour into heauen but they held that the ascension was of the soule onely and not of the body But the Christolites they restraine the ascension to the Deitie saying that it onely ascended and not the humane nature at all Thus haue many erred in former times And in our owne daies the Papists who though they graunt an ascension of the whole humane nature yet they beleeue not soundlie that the same is contained in heauen vntill the end of the world as the scriptures doe plainely teach vs. For if they did then would they not tell vs of anie bodily appearances of his heere vpon earth either to Peter going out of Rome to shunne martyrdome as we haue the tale deliuered vnder the name of Linus the next Bishop of Rome after Peter as they say Neither would they so many hundred yeeres after our Sauiours ascension haue brought the transubstantiated presence of his body into their Masse so often and in so many places so euer as they haue minde to make it as they hold and teach that they doe They also that doe contend for an vbiquitarie or euery where presence of the body of our Sauiour would neuer be so earnest that way nor to say that the ascension of our Sauiour was nothing else but a disparition or vanishing out of sight and no remouing out of one place into another neither would they striue for a bodily presence really in or with the bread of the Sacrament c. if they did truly beleeue this article These dangers therefore are carefully to be auoyded of vs. And to the end our soules may be preserued from them it is necessarie that wee doe rightly vnderstand and firmely hold the truth of this article not according to any fancie of man but according to the true interpretation of the holy Scriptures alone Beliefe in God the Son who sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almightie Beliefe in God the Sonne who sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almightie The groūd of the article HEtherto of the second degree of our Sauiour Christ his exaltation The next and highest degree is to be inquired of Question Which is that Answer He sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almightie So in deed it followeth in the articles of our beliefe But what ground of holy Scripture haue you for it In the 19 verse of the 16. chap. of the Euangelist Marke immediatly after the former article of the ascension this of our Sauiours sitting at the right hand of God followeth in the very next words Question Rehearse the words of the Euangelist Which are they Answer So saith S. Marke after the Lord had spoken to them he was receiued into heauen and sate at the right hand of God Explication This is a plaine ground and testimonie of it in deed And it is no other thing but the accomplishment and fulfilling of that which was long before prophesied on and foretold in the 110. Psalm like as we haue seene before how in the booke of the Psal both the sufferings and also the death and resurrection and ascension of our Sauiour haue beene foretold vnto vs like also as our Sauiour himselfe while he was yet liuing on earth spake of his betraying of all his sufferings euen vnto the death and of his resurrection frō the dead and of his ascension vp into heauen before any of these things came to passe to the end his disciples might the rather be moued to beleeue when they should see them according to his word to take their effect So did he euen to the same end and purpose foretell this his sitting at the right hand of God the Father before it was fulfilled 〈◊〉 we read
follow vpon it then that we doe cheere vp and comfort our hearts therewithall after the example of the Apostle Paul Rom. 8.34 c. as we haue seene before Verâ—ly if we doe not make this the ground and perfection of our ioy that our Sauiour is in heauen at the right hand of God all our reioycing shall be in vaine whether it be in wit or learning or in strength or beauty or in riches or reuenewes or honour or in any thing else whatsoeuer it may be But for our more plentifull instruction from so speciall a ground and from so worthie and excellent an occasion let vs I pray you consider more particularly of our duties belonging hereunto in respect of either branch of the aduancement of our Sauiour seuerally and apart Question And first what more speciall and proper duties doe we owe in regard of his aduancement in his princely prophesie Answer We doe stand bound to esteeme the doctrine which he taught first himselfe and which since his a cension to the right hand God his holy Apostles haue both preached by the Spirit and also left recorded in writing to be a most perfect doctrine And likewise that the miracles which he wrought first himselfe while he was vpon the earth and then also by the same his Apostles in his name and by his power from the right hand of God to be perfectly sufficient for the confirmation of the same his doctrine touching the kingdome of God Secondly wee are to haue like reuerend estimation of the sincere and faithfull preaching of the same doctrine the doctrine of his blessed Gospel and heauenly kingdome Thirdly we are to reiect all strange doctrine and to withdraw our selues from euery false Prophet and Antichrist which preacheth the same ExplicatioÌ„ proofe That we are thus to esteeme First of the doctrine of our Sauiour Christ and of his miracles and secondly of the sincere preaching of the same his holy doctrine by his faithfull Ministers as a duty belonging to this aduancement of our Sauiour at the right hand of God we haue one notable testimonie and proofe Heb. 2.1 c. Where after the declaration of the most high excellencie of our Sauiour euen from hence that hee alone is found worthy so sit at the right hand of God he inferreth this most graue conclusion following Wherefore saith he â—e nought diligently to giue heed to the things which we haue heard lest at any time we should let them slip For if the word spoken by Angels that is to say the in of all saw of God was stedfast and euery transgression and disobedience receiued a iust recempence of reward How shall we escape if we neglect so great saluation which at the first began to be preached by the Lord and afterward was confirmed to vs by them that heard him God bearing witnesse thereto both with signes and wonders and with diuers miracles and gifts of the holy Ghost according to his owne will For hee hath not put the world to come whereof we speake to the subiection of the Angels Likewise chap 3.1 c. Therefore holy brethren partners of the heauenly vocation consider the Apostle and high Priest of our profession Christ Iesus Who was faithfull to him that hath appointed him euen as Moses was in all his house For this man is counted worthie of more glorie then Moses c. And verse 5 c. Now Moses verily as the Apostle addeth further was faithfull in all his house that is in the house of God as a seruant for a witnes of the things which should be spoken after But Christ is as the Sonne ouer his owne house whose house we are if wee hold fast the confidence and the reioycing of the hope vnto the end Wherefore as the holy Ghost saith To day if ye will hears his voice harden not your hearts as in the prouocation c. And againe chap. 12.24.25 Ye are come to Iesus the Mediator of the new Testament and to the bloud of sprinkling which speaketh better things then that of Abell See that ye despise not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake one earth to wit in the name of the Lord Chrematizenta that is Moses much more shall we not escape if we turne away from him who speaketh from heauen that is if we turne away from our Sauiour Chr st And yet further that wee are from this consideration to reuerence the ministerie of the word to reioyce in the promises pub ished thereby to feare the menaces and threats thereof to admit the reproofe contained therein c. it may be plaine from the words which our Sauiour himselfe spake while he was vpon the earth in that he said that he would ratifie in heauen that which his faithfull Ministers should in their holy ministerie and seruice speake in his num here on earth Math. 16.19 Here therefore it is also euident that on the contrarie all such as shall got about to publish any other doctrine then that which our Sauiour hath deliuered to his Church are together with their doctrine to be reiected of all such as doe only beleeue in our Sauiour Christ sitting at the right hand of Gâ—d the F ther according to the admonition of our Sauiour himselfe Math. 7.15 c. and cha 24. verses 23.24.25 and according to the admonition of the Apostle Paul Gas 1 8 â— c. Thus much â—riefly concerning the duties nore properly belonging to the aduancement of our Sauiour in that he is a princely Prophet Question Now which are the duties in regard of his most high aduancement in his royall Priesthood Answer It is our duty in the comfort of it that like as we haue learned before to rest wholly vpon that his sacrifice which he hath offered vp for our sinnes while he was heere vpon the earth for the euery merit of our redemption and saluation so in this respect to rest altogether vpon his intercession now continually in heauen for the effectuall application of the same his merit to the performance accomplishment of the same our saluation It is also our duty both in our praiers and also in our thankesgiuing and in euery other duty which we performe vnto God and likewise in our dedicating and â—ffering vp of our owne leaues both soules and bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable to God that we doe all in the name of our Sauiour not onely looking backe to his mediation perfi ly performed hereâ—â— earth but also looking forward euen vp into heauen by the eye of our faith to his continuall intercession for vs at the right hand of God to the continuall applying of the fruite and merit of his death as was said ExplicatioÌ„ It is true For although we must begin to looke back to the humiliation of our Sauiour and from thence learne vnfainedly to humble cast downe our selues yet we must not stay till with reuerence and for the further perfiting
of the peace of our conscience we doe comfortably looke vp vnto him and behold him aduanced to the right hand of God on our behalfe For so the holy Apostle teacheth vs. Heb. 4.14.15.16 in these words Seeing then saith he that we haue a great high Priest which is entred into heauen euen Iesus the Sonne of God let vs hold fast our profession For we haue not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sinne Let vs therefore goe boldly vnto the throne of grace that we may receiue mercy and finde grace to helpeth time of need And cha 10. verse 10. c. Seeing therefore brethren saith he that by the bloud of Iesus we may be bold to enter into the holy place By the new and liuing way which he hath prepared for vs through the vaile that is his flesh And seeing we haue an high Priest which is ouer the house of God Let vs draw neere with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience and wished in our bodies with pure water Let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wauering for he is faithfull that hath promised c. Thus from the humiliation of our Sauiour and from that experience which he had of our infirmities while he was vpon the earth we are with reuerence to approach neere vnto him by faith euen to the heauenly throne of Gods grace If we should rush immediatly to the right hand of God without faith in the merit of his death without humiliation in casting downe of our selues wee might iustly looke for the repulse yea for a mighty fall as a iust punishment of such our inordinate presumption and pride The onely lawfull and allowed mediator for vs vnto God is our Sauiour Christ And if we would needs haue a Mediator for vs vnto our Sauiour himselfe being now in heauen what other can we haue or any way looke for then the death of our Sauiour in that he hath thereby alreadie made request for vs vnto God in the daies of his humiliation here vpon earth and namely in the time of his most bitter sufferings vpon the Crosse That is to say we neither can haue neither may we looke for any other Mediator to Christ then Christ humbled to Christ exalted If we will with the Papists looke after any other Mediators or any other mediation to God for vs we shall with them vainely and foolishly deceiue our owne selues And heerein I beseech ye let euery one of vs labour so strengthen our faith because doubtlesse the want of faith in this point hath brought most grosse idolatry into the Church of God For who hauing learned to behold our Sauiour an euerlasting and perpetuall mediator for him at the right hand of God by the eyes of his faith would be so base minded as to set vp a dead and dumbe Idoll or once vouchsafe to cast an eye toward it being set vp and fastened to the wall before him by any other Moreouer as touching our owne praieâ—s or any other dutie and seruice that we can any way performe wee must take religious heede that wee doe not trust to any godlines or deuotion that wee imagine and perswade our selues to be therein but rather euermore to humble our selues in the sight of the imperfections thereof And looke what grace and godlines there is in anie and namely the grace of prayer it is our dutie to acknowledge that it is not of our selues but of the holy Ghost Neither are wee to thinke that anie prayers which we make are heard nor any other dutie accepted for any worthinesse of vs but because the holy Ghost raiseth vp sighes and groanes in vs and maketh request for vs vnto God together with our Sauiour Christ Rom. 8.26.27 And Reuel 8.3.4 And euen this that wee haue the grace to offer vp our prayers vnto God it is a fruite of our Sauiours heauenly intercession for vs. And the same grace also of our care to make our prayers to God in the name of our Sauiour heere from earth it may be a good proofe vnto vs that our Sauiour is an intercessour in heauen for vs. But our manifold failings both in prayer and in all other duties ought iustly to cause vs vnfainedly to acknowledge our selues euen when wee are at the best to be but vnprofitable seruants Luk. 17. verse 10. Thus hauing seene the duties belonging to the aduancement of our Sauiour in his roiall Priesthood let vs come to his aduancement in his roiall kingdome Question Which are the duties of faith belonging therevnto Answer First inward reuerence of soule and spirit in the most dutifull acknowledgement of his most roiall soueraigntie ouer his whole Church and euery member thereof Secondly all religious worship and seruice both inward and outward according to his word and commandement Thirdly obedience and submission to those that rule ouer the rest in his name both ciuill Magistrates and Church gouernours Yea all christian obedience to his lawes and commandements in the common actions and conuersation of our whole liues Finally all diuine honour praise and glorie for the whole worke of our redemption and saluation That we doe stand bound in respect of the royall or princely aduancement and soueraigne Lordship of our Sauiour at the right hand of God to yeelde him all reuerence in the acknowledgement of the same his high soueraigntie we haue a sufficient warrant from that great and solemne proclamation made from the God of heauen by the Apostle Peter in that first publike Sermon of his which hee made Acts 2. by the which three thousand soules were conuerted and brought to the faith and obedience of this great and glorious Lord our Sauiour Dauid saith the Apostle verses 34 35 36 c. is not ascended into heauen but he saith The Lord saide to my Lord sit at my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy foote-stoole Therefore let all the house of Israel know for a suretie that God hath made him both Lord and Christ this Iesus I say whom ye haue crucified Now when they heard it they were pricked in their hearts c. And againe chap. 5. verse 31. God hath lifted vp Iesus with his right hand to bee a Prince and a Sauiour to giue repentance to Israel and forgiuenesse of sinnes According also to that propheticall instruction by a sweete allegorica l description of the spirituall marriage of our Sauiour with his Church Harken O daughter saith the Psalmist and consider and incline thine eare forget also thine owne people and thy fathers house so shall the King haue pleasure in thy beautie for hee is thy Lord and reuerence thou him The word which the Prophet vseth noteth such a reuerence as is declared by outward bowing or falling down before him vehashtahaeui-lo Hence therefore wee haue a fit occasion giuen vs to proceede from the inward reuerence to
whose iudgement giuen as well of one as of the other shall be their acquiting and iustifying for euer and euer But as touching the wicked which haue and shall die in their sinne and vnbeliefe before that day though they shal rise againe with their bodies and the rest which shall be liuing shall appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ yet shall their bodies abide stil in their naturall dishonour and finfull corruption onely fitted to indure that iudgement which shall be awarded against them euen their condemnation to perpetuall most extreame torment and miserie Explicatiō proofe This difference of the resurrection is made manifest in many places of the holy Scriptures As Dan. 12.2 3. Many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth saith the holy Prophet shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt And they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the starres for euer and euer And Iohn 5.29 After that our Sauiour Christ hath affirmed that the houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce as was before alledged he addeth these words And they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation We reade also concerning the state and condition of the faithfull apart by themselues 1. Cor. 15.51 and 1. Thes 4 14. and Luke 13.29 And concerning the condition of the wicked apart Matth 24.30 as wee saw before And Reuel 1.7 And chap. 6.15 16 17. But let vs stay principally vpon this our present Text wherein the difference is most liuely expressed and that also diuers and sundry waies First in the seperation of the sheepe from the goates that is to say of the faithfull and godly from the wicked and the same also with a most charie and sheepheard like care answerable to the prophesie of Ezek. chap. 34. And Ier. chap. 31.10 Secondly the difference is expressed in the setting of the faithfull and godly on the right hand for honours sake and the wicked on the left hand to their perpetuall reproach But most of all the difference is manfest by the contrarie iudgement which our Sauiour hath already determined and foretolde that hee will giue vpon them THis sentence or iudgement of our Sauiour let vs nowe in the fift place come to consider Question And first What is that part of the sentence which our Sauiour will giue for the finall acquiting iustifying and sauing of the faithfull euen of all such as shall be set on his right hand Answer The King saith our Sauiour shall say to them Come yee blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the worlde Explicatiō There being two diuerse yea contrary parts of the iudgement of our Sauiour according to the contrary estate and condition of the persons to be iudgeed we haue three things to be obserued in either part First the sentence it selfe Secondly the reason of the sentence or rather the law whereby our Sauiour will giue his sentence Thirdly an explication of that doubt which ariseth from the reason or rule of the sentence to the iustifying thereof both to the eternall consolation of the godlie and also to the eternall conuiction of the wicked The first part of the sentence we haue alreadie before vs. It is a most gratious sentence of the most soueraigne and supreame King and Iudge concerning those that doe belong vnto him let vs accordingly with all holy reuerence consider of it For whereas the words of Kings and Princes here vpon earth are not to be neglected speciallie when they sit in place of iudgement hauing God before their eyes much more is this sentence of the King of heauen himselfe euen the King of all Kings to be regarded of vs. And the rather because it conteineth such a sentence as no King but hee may presume to giue No earthly King or Monarch hath euer had or shall euer haue so large an authoritie this ouer all the world is much lesse ouer all the generations of the earth and that from the beginning to the end of the world None euer had or shall euer haue so great and high authoritie as to giue iudgement vpon bodie and soule and that for euer and euer but onely our Lord Iesus Christ the sole Monarch of the whole world In this sentence our Sauiour being thus the soueraigne Lord and King of all hee doth first most notably open and reueale to his Church before hand for the common instruction of all the faithfull what is the onely supreame and chiefe efficient cause of their perfect saluation and glory which hee will at that day bestow vpon them This cause of their saluation and glory is not their owne worthinesse either for excellence of their nature or for merit of their workes but it is as our Sauiour giueth plainely to vnderstand the onely free grace and fauour of God In regard whereof and of the fruits and effects of it he calleth them first the blessed of his Father Secondly he putteth them in possession of the kingdome of God not by purchase but in way of inheritance and the same also not by naturall descent but by adoption onely And thirdly our Sauiour telleth vs that this inheritance whereof hee giueth the faithfull the possession is such an inheritance as God had prepared for them before they were and therefore could in no wise be merited and deserued by them All which considerations are so many notable reason as well against the prowd opinion of mans merit as for the magnifying of the most free and deserued mercy of God saue onely as our Sauiour hath deserued mercie for vs at his hands And it is well for vs that our saluation is not fitted answerable to our merit though it were so that wee could deserue any thing to be paide as a wages or due debt vnto vs. For euen as the gifts of earthly Princes of great estate which proceed from them of meere fauour and bountie are greater then those which they giue in a proportion of this or that seruice done vnto them Of the which we may take the great King Ahashuerosh for an example Est chap. 6. verse 6. What shall be done saith Ahashuerosh to the man whom the King will honour Haman forthwith conceiuing in his minde that this should be a speciall honour seeing the King minded to declare his royall magnificence and gratuitie therein he therefore describeth such an exceeding honour as hee himselfe aspired after though he had no desert whereby he might presume that it should be due vnto him And chap. 7.2 of his princely bountie he sheweth himselfe ready to grant Ester her request to the halfe of his kingdome Where as if she should haue stoode vpon her worthinesse hee would not haue yeelded her so much as
one of his hundreth and seuen and twenty Prouinces So no doubt the reward and aduancement which proceedeth of the most free and infinite bountie of the Lord our God to the setting forth of the most perfit glorie of his grace it is infinitely aboue that which any man though he had a meritorious facultie and power were able to deserue at his hands We are the rather thus to admonish and ground our selues from the present wordes of our Sauiour to the end we may the better vnderstand that which followeth in the reason or rule of this part of the iudgement and that we may not be misled by the false interpretation of any that contend for iustification by the merit of works Neuerthelesse before we goe from these words Come ye blessed of my Father we are to stay a while longer to obserue other most sweete and comfortable instructions from the same And first in that our Sauiour sheweth that hee will most louingly call and incourage those that be of his sheepfold to come vnto him and to take possession of the kingdome prepared for them he sheweth that he will be then of the same gratious minde which he was of while he was vpon the earth in that he incouraged all humbled and distressed soules to come vnto him as wee reade Matth. 11.28 Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and laden and I will ease you For as he promiseth so will hee then performe to call all such to the eternall possessiō of that rest which he promised to beginne in thē here And it is to singular purpose that our Sauiour certifieth vs that he will in this gratious manner inuite and incourage all true beleeuers to the possession of this glorious kingdome because he knoweth that they will retaine this constant iudgement of themselues that they are vtterly vnworthy of if saue onely from the free grace and mercie of God through the alone worthinesse of their Sauiour This therefore shall be the accomplishment of that incouragement which he gaue to his Disciples before as we read Luke 12 32. Feare not little flocke for it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you the kingdome Yea euen that kingdome which is onely in truth in full perfection worthie the name of a kingdome because all other kingdomes here in this world though they be rich and haue many pleasures yet they are full of manifold griefes and vexations euen to the Kings themselues they are also subiect to impouerishment to all calamitie and desolation Onely this kingdome of our Sauiour shall be replenished with true durable and perfect riches and glorie for euermore And further more that this most glorious and incomparable kingdome of God shall be giuen to all true beleeuers of the free gift of God in way of inheritance through adoption not of purchase or by any desert it is euery where confirmed in the holy Scriptures according to this testimonie and canonicall direction of our Sauiour And namely Acts 26.18 That they may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes saith our Sauiour to Paul and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in me From the which ground and warrant saith the same Apostle Paul Rom. 8.15 16 17. Ye haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abba Father The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God If we be children we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that wee may also be glorified with him For I account that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glorie which shall be shewed vnto vs. Now if the sufferings of martyrdome for the testifying of the truth be not worthy what obedience of any other worke may be accounted worthy It is therefore by inheritance and that by adoption as the Apostle teacheth For the holy spirit of God is the proper assurance of it vnto vs and not any worthinesse of our selues or our workes Ephes 1.13.14 and chap. 4.30 and 2. Cor. 1.22 Reade also Gal. 3.18 This inheritance is not of the law but by promise And Colos 3.24 it is the reward of inheritance by the gift of Christ and not the reward of a hired seruice And 1. Pet. 3.9 The children of God are called to be heires of blessing Likewise Heb. 1.14 And chapter 9.15 Through the death of Christ they are called to receiue the promise of the eternall inheritance This inheritance to the liuely hope whereof weare of the aboundant mercie of God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ begotten by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead it is an inheritance immortall and vndefiled which fadeth not away but is reserued in heauen for vs. 1. Pet. 1.3 4. The riches of this inheritance is glorious aboue that we can fully conceiue Ephes chapter 1. verses 18 19. From hence therefore wee may conceiue in what sense our Sauiour calleth the children of God the blessed of his Father not in respect of the outward blessings of this life either riches or honour c but in regard of the inward graces of the holy spirit bestowed vpon them and because or this heauenly inheritance which is prepared for them according to that in the same chapter of the Ephesians verses 3 4. Blessed be God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things in Christ As he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world that wee should be holy c. as it followeth most notably in that chapter And whereas it was of the great mercy of God that it pleased him to create all outward blessings for mankinde at the beginning before hee created them O how much more infinite was his mercie that he knowing that man would soone forfet all his present blessings prepared for him for many thousands of his lost posteritie a heauenly kingdome replenished with all spirituall happinesse and blessing laid vp in store for them Verily wee cannot worthily blesse God neither shall all mankinde be euer able to yeeld him condigne and proportionable praise no not in all eternitie for this his blessing which is not onely to be infinite in continuance but also vnmeasurable in the greatnes and excellency of it Hetherto of the first part of the sentence or iudgement of our Sauiour for the acquiting and clearing of all true beleeuers against all both accusations of their owne consciences whereby they cannot but iudge themselues to be in themselues vtterly vnworthy of the glorious kingdome of God and to be but vnprofitable seruants c as also against the malitious accusations of the diuell our most malignant aduersarie not without cause called the accuser of the brethren and finally against the accusations of the children of this world who when they can conuict them of no grieuous iniquity whereof they haue not truly repented them yet doe vsually condemne
of our Lord Iesus Christ being the first in iudgement for their clearing shal thenceforth sit as it were vpon thrones with our Sauiour Christ to iudge the wicked According to that which we reade first concerning the twelue Apostles Matth. 19.28 29. And then more generally concerning other Christians 1. Cor. 6.2 3. and Reuel 2.26 27. and chap. 3 21. Thus then euen the very expectation of the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ to iudgement may iustly be very comfortable according as the Apostle Paul calleth the hope of this time a blessed hope Tit. 2.13 And whenas euen the first comming of our Sauiour into this world in his taking of our nature was comfortable in the hope of these blessings though the hope was more remote as we may say then much more comfortable may they be now in that the hope is more neare as wee may well vnderstand from that saying of the Apostle Heb. 9.28 Christ being once offered to take away the sinnes of many shall appeare the second time to them that looke for him without sinne vnto saluation Now therefore seeing the expectation of the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ to iudgement is thus comfortable in that he that shall be our Iudge will be our Sauiour and so much the rather by how much the day draweth more and more nearer it must needes follow that the comming it selfe shall be most comfortable of all to so many as shall at that day be found faithfull Question But in what respects shall it be so Answer This is euident from the due consideration of the ends of the comming the which haue beene alreadie for the most part mentioned to shew the comfort of the expectation of him in respect of the same his comming Explication They haue been so indeede For whereas the accomplishment of the iudgement which shall be consisteth partly in the remouing of all anoiances and hinderances of the happinesse of the elect children of God for euer and partly in the conferring of all good things in full perfection both for measure and also for the perpetuitie of them These good things haue beene more fully rehearsed and the euill things haue beene somewhat touched But it shall not be amisse for you to make a briefe rehearsall of either sort that vpon a new occasion wee may make some further supply of that which is yet wanting Question Which therefore are those ends for the which our Sauiour will come to execute his last iudgement Answer The good things which he will then conferre and bestow vpon his Church in full perfection for euer shall be these First the eternall redemption and saluation both of the bodies and also of the soules of all the elect of God Secondly the renewing both of the heauens and of all the earth according to the promise of our Sauiour wherein shall dwell righteousnesse for euer Explication proofe These indeed are the good things in their seuerall kindes which shall at that day be conferred bestowed vpon all the whole Church of God as we may call to minde from the 8. chapter of the Epistle to the Romans alledged before and Reuel 21.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. And then further 9 10 c. According also to that which we reade Acts 3.19 20. And 2. Pet. 3.12 13. Question Now which are the euill things or anoyances of the Church of God which our Sauiour will at his second comming vtterly suppresse and abolish so as they shall not anoy his Church and people any more Answer At that day our Sauiour will vtterly subdue and suppresse euery cruell Antichrist and Tyrant from off the earth yea and all the Diuells with Sinne Death and Hell that they shall thenceforth neuer haue any more to doe with any of the faithfull whom he will perfectly redeeme and saue out of all their hands Explication proofe That our Sauiour will then vtterly thus suppresse these aduersaries to the welfare and saluation of the Church it is plentifully testified 2. Thes 2.8 The Lord will consume the man of sinne with the Spirit of his mouth and abolish him with the brightnesse of his comming Yea so as it followeth in the same place that no power or craft of the diuell shall be able any longer to vphold him And this being spoken of the chiefe Antichrist much rather shall euery other be cast downe Reade also Reuel 18.1 3 c. And chapter 19. verses 20 21. And chap. 20.10 The Diuell that deceiued them was cast into a lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false Prophet shall be tormented euen day and night for euermore And chap. 21.4 But as touching the godly God will wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying The Duties neither shall there be any more paine for the first things are passed But as it followeth verse 8. the fearefull and vnbeleeuing the abominable and murtherers c. shall haue their part in the take which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death So then as the holy Apostle St. Paul writeth 1. Cor. 15. at that time shall be brought to passe the saying that is written Death is swallowed vp into victorie O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie The sting of doath is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law But thanks be to God who hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ And well also may it be said then according to that Isai 25. verses 1 4 8 9. O Lord thou art my God I will exalt thee c. Thou shalt destroy death for euer c. Lo this is our God we haue waited for him and he hath saued vs c. For this day shall to the godly infinitely exceed all the ioy of the deliuerāce of the people of Israel out of Egypt or of their return out of their captiuitie in Babylon c. Such therefore and so great euen aboue all estimate is the vse of this Article for the comfort of faith NOw let vs examine likewise of how great vse it is to make that most mightie challenge of speciall fruits of obedience which if doth as it were with the exceeding lowd and shrill blast of a trumpet call and cry out for at our hands to the end we might be sound meet partakers of so inestimable comfort for the present and both of comfort and aduancement at the last day euen for euer and euer For herein the holy Scriptures are very frequent and often and therewithall exceeding earnest as the diligent Reader cannot but he must easily perceiue and as we by the grace of God will henceforth indeuour in a good part to make it euident that it is so by calling to minde those things which we haue obserued in this behalfe Which therefore as wel as you may remember are the duties which haue beene shewed out of the holy Scriptures Question to belong
ought to be the estate and condition of euery true Church of Christ throughout the whole world This Church of God therefore generally considered is but one as the Apostle sheweth by the similitude of the naturall bodie the which though it haue many members is yet but one bodie Song of Songs ch 6. v. 8. And Ioh. 10.16 Now whereas there are diuers kindes of bodies First naturall such as euery man carrieth about him now Secondly spirituall such as the faithfull shall haue indued with far more excellent gifts at the resurrection from the dead 1. Cor. 15.44 Thirdly politike bodies such as are ciuill corporations whereof the King of the Nation is the head in a borrowed sense or metaphorically 1. Sam. chap. 15.17 Fourthly Mysticall bodies as for example the Churches of God spiritually vnited to our Sauiour Christ the onely immediate head and vitall quickener and gouernour thereof Hence it is the more manifest what manner of body the Church is by how much the similitude wherevnto it is compared is more distinctly expressed So then the Church of God to speake generally as we began to say is but one mysticall and spirituall bodie how many members soeuer it haue being considered either in particular Churches whether nationall as wee vse to speake or in cities or in country townes and villages or whether it be considered in regard of singular persons and therefore is called Catholike or Vniuersall Furthermore it is so called not onely to note thereby the calling of the Gentiles to the fellowship of the faith and couenant of Gods grace with the beleeuing Iewes who from the time of Moses were the onely peculiar people of God aboue all other of the Nations Ephes 2.16 and 3.6 but also to the end that vnder this name of catholike or vniuersall might be comprehended the whole number of the elect whomsoeuer God hath ordeined to saluation from the beginning of the world to the end of the same as well such as be called alreadie as such as are to be called in euery age of the world and the same also out of euery nation farre and neare and out of euery estate and condition of people noble or vnnoble rich or poore learned or vnlearned young or olde man or woman and all according to the free grace of God without respect of person Yea the Church hath this generall name giuen vnto it that it might not onely comprehend that part of the Church which is called the militant part here on earth but also that part which is alreadie partly and in some measure triumphant in heauen According to that which we reade Ephes 3.15 God is the Father of the whole familie in heauen and in earth Reade also chap. 1. verses 9 10 11. And Colos 1.19 20 21 22. Heb. 12.22 c. And Gal. 4.26 This then is that which the holy Apostle saith in our text that in the one only body of the Church of God here on earth both Iew Gentile bond free c are conteined as the seuerall members thereof The which as was said we may proportionably extend to the whole Church most generally taken that all is but one c. Reade also Acts 2. verse 39. The promise is made to you and to your children and to all that are a farre off euen as many as the Lord our God shall call Likewise Ephes 2.13 c. And Gal. 3. at the end of the chapter And Colos 3.11 Neither Grecian nor Iew circumcision nor vncircumcision neither Barbarian nor Scythian neither bond nor free none of them are excepted from hauing their part in Christ either because they are of this or that nation of this or that condition and calling c. Reade also Acts 10.34 35. Of a truth saith the Apostle Peter I perceiue that God is no accepter of persons But in euery nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him And Reuel 5.9 Thou hast redeemed vs to God by thy blood out of euery kindred and tongue and people and nation c. And chap. 7.9 I beheld saith Saint Iohn and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the lambe clothed with long white robes and palmes in their hands c. And verse 14 c. These were they which came out of great tribulation c. This vniuersality of the Catholike Church is according to the ancient promise of God made to Abraham that in his seede all the nations of the world should be blessed It is also according to that more ancient and propheticall prayer of Noah Gen. 9.27 God perswade Iapheth that he may dwell in the tents of Shem. And yet before that according to that most ancient promise of God euen from the beginning of the world Gen. 3.15 The seede of the woman shall breake the Serpents head Yea God as a most prouident Father knowing that fraileman would fall into sinne and so be the iust cause of his owne miserie and ruine it pleased him of his infinite goodnesse and mercie in the secret of his owne counsel and purpose to ordaine him a remedie euen before the foundations of the world were laid 1. Pet. 1.20 Herein therefore God hath dealt with mankinde after the manner of wise and louing Parents who knowing that their young children are subiect to burning or skalding c will alwaies haue some thing prepared afore hand which may be ready with them to helpe at any time of neede Yet that which man doth vpon an vncertaine feare God did of certaine knowledge without any doubt what would ensue By reason that the Church is thus Catholike and vniuersall in the generall acception of it therfore is it made a matter of faith not that we should beleeue in the Church but because it is to be beleeued of vs according to the holy Scriptures that God hath such a Church as may iustly be so termed And because also it is so firmely founded established in our Sauiour Christ according to the most sure stable counsel of God that nothing no not the gates of Hell shal euer be able to preuaile against it Mat. 16.18 Read also Ps 125. and Ier. 33.17 18 c. to the end of the chapter Moreouer 2. Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his c. And that this vniuersall Church consisting both of Iew Gentile is founded vpon our Sauiour Christ it is euident Ephes 2.18 For as the holy Apostle saith there wee both that is both Iew and Gentile haue through him an entrance vnto the Father by one Spirit And verse 22. In whom we are also built together to be the habitation of God by the Spirit By the Spirit saith the Apostle and that also through faith to remoue all conceit of any bodily commixtion or confusion of the Church or members thereof with Christ bodily and likewise to
the continuall and as we may say essentiall exercises of a true and liuely faith And all that you haue answered standeth with uery good reason to the ende we may alwaies keepe our soules in true humilitie vnder the holy hand of God and in greater watchfulnes against sinne and in greater thankfulnes to God in the continuall remembrance of his most gratious mercy toward vs herein And let vs marke this specially well that we doe not say that wee must continually pray for forgiuenes of sins past as well as of sinnes present as though we were to be in continuall doubt of the forgiuenes of them but to this ende that by the renuing of our praiers we may grow more and more assured that they are forgiuen Like as wee doe pray continually that the kingdome of God may come that is that it may more and more come though we know that God doth alreadie in some measure rule and raigne in vs by his word and holy Spirit and so in the first and third Petitions of the Lords Praier But that we may make all things as cleare as wee can touching this point yet one thing more and that is this Insomuch as God of his most aboundant grace forgiueth the sinnes of his children most freely perfitly for his Sonne our Lord Iesus Christes sake and so are we vndoubtedly to beleeue how coÌ„meth it then to passe that the faithfull doe suffer afflictions all their life long and that they die at the last Question as well as other men Can it be thought therefore that God doth perfitly forgiue sinne for our Sauiours sake seeing it seemeth that he retaineth the punishment still Answer God neither sendeth death nor any affliction at all vpon his children as punishments for any satisfaction touching the guiltines of sinne for the which our Sauiour Christ hath by his sufferings and death perfitly satisfied the iustice and wrath of God but onely of his fatherly goodnes he chastiseth them to very gratious ends and namely to send them to Christ and to further them in the way of their saluation So it is in deed 1. Booke page 234. c. to page 248. â— 2. Booke pâ—ges 295. 2â—â— And page 304. as it hath beene more fully laid open in the doctrine of Gods Fatherly Prouidence ExplicatioÌ„ proofe For all the afflictions or punishments for sinne call them what ye will which God laieth vpon his children to whom he forgiueth sinnes they are appointed and sanctified of God to further their repentance to exercise their faith and patience to nourish the reuerend feare of God in their hearts to make them more watchfull against sinne to bring them out of loue with this sinfull world to stirre them vp to a greater longing after the kingdome of heauen and to other such like gratious ends and purposes all which cannot proceede from any other cause then from the fatherly loue of God toward them And therefore they must needes be of another nature then those plagues and punishments are which God casteth vpon the wicked Yea the very nature of death is changed to the godly in that it onely setteth the soule free from a sinfull and corruptible body that it may mount vp to the kingdome of heauen and there be perfited among the soules of the faithfull departed before And touching their bodies also though they descend to the earth yet their very putrifying is but a preparation and as one would say a sowing of them against the day of the glorious resurrection which shall be as the day of a most ioyfull haruest to all the faithfull children of God These thinges thus inserted by the way let vs nowe returne to the second branch of the duties touching thankfulnes due to God for this so inestimable a benefit of the forgiuenes of sinnes For the proofe whereof see the example and practise of Dauid Psal 103.1.2.3 c. See also the example practise of Paul 1. Tim. 1.12.13 And Rom. 7.24.25 who in either place giueth great glory praise to God in this behalfe And that also by good reason For seeing it belongeth to God onely to forgiue sinnes therefore also doth the glory of forgiuenes belong to his diuine Maiestie For the third branch read Psal 116.1 c. I loue the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my praiers c. And Luk 7.47 c. She loued much saith our Sauiour concerning the sinfull woman there mentioned because many sinnes are forgiuen her For the fourth branch read Psal 13â— 4 Mercy is with the Lord that hee may be feared And Iohn 5.14 Behold thou art made whole saith our Sauiour to the sick man whom he had healed sinne no more lest a worse thing come vnto thee Read also 1. Cor. 6.15 And Iohn 1. Ep. ch 2.1 My babes these things I write vnto you that ye sinne not c. What things Euen this that the blood of Christ cleanseth vs from sinne c. as wee read in the former chapter And Ezek. 16.63 the vse of Gods mercy to Israel is noted to be this that the people might remember their sinnes and be ashamed c. The contrary neglect of Gods mercy is vehemently reproued Ier. 2.19.20 in these words The danger of not beleeuing this article Thine owne wickednes saith the Lord by his holy Prophet shall correct thee c. For of olde time I haue broken thy yoake and burst thy bonds and thou saiedst I will no more transgresse but like an harlot thou runnest about vpoÌ„ all high hilles vnder all greene trees c. Read also Ezek. ch 33.13 It is a most vnworthy absurd thing that any should so abuse the mercy of God in forgiuing them many great sinnes that they should thereby be the more licentious and bold to coÌ„mit sinne This doubtlesse is such a wickednes as God cannot but seuerely punish as the Apostle Iude doth vehemently denounce against such as turne the grace of our God into wantonnes For the fift branch read Luk. 6.36 Be ye mercifull saith our Sauiour as your Father is mercifull Ephes 4.32 Be ye curteous one to another saith the Apostle of our Sauiour and tender hearted forgiuing one the other euen as God for Christes sake forgaue you And Colos 3.13 Forbearing one another and forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrel to another euen as Christ forgaue you euen so doe yee To speak generally Repentance is vsually in the holy Scripture ioined with Faith when forgiuenes of sinnes is promised or offered to poore sinners Neither doth our Sauiour Christ giue the one without the other Whereof also our Baptisme is iointly a signe and seale Act. 2.38 and cha 3.19 and cha 5.31 And Rom. 6.1 c. God forbid saith S. Paul that we should sinne that grace may abound Nay rather by how much God is more loth to punish vs yea rather more ready to forgiue vs as hee is by so much doe wee stand the more straitly bound
earthly corruptible and sinfull body Beliefe that to euery true member of the Church of God The grouÌ„d of the article belongeth the glorious resurrection of the body NOw let vs returne to the Article of the resurrection of the body it selfe at the last day the which we may wel reckon for a second benefit after this life Question What ground of holy Scripture haue you for it Answer It is laid downe vnto vs at large in the whole 15. chap. of the first Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians Explication and proofe It is so in deed And we will at this time answerable to our large handling of the former Articles of our beliefe take this most large warrant and confirmation of it And the rather also because it is so set downe and discussed by the holy Apostle that together with the certaine proofe of it to the reproofe of some among the Corinthians who began to call it into question he doth likewise shew the Meaning Promise vse of the Article both for Comfort and also for Dutie together with the Danger of not beleeuing it as we shall by the grace of God perceiue by our examining of the Apostles most excellent discourse But though the chapter be long yet will we by the same grace of God vse such breuitie as it shall not seeme tedious to any Christian heart that reioyceth in the truth of God The Apostle in this chapter disputeth and determineth three very weightie questions to the end hee might for euer put them out of all doubt in the Churches of God First that there is a resurrection of the body Secondly what manner of bodies the bodies of the faithfull shall be when they rise againe whosoeuer shall be found dead from the beginning of the world to the end thereof Thirdly how God will deale with the bodies of the faithfull whosoeuer of them shall be found liuing vpon the face of the earth at the last day when our Sauiour shall come to iudge the world The first of these questions is disputed and concluded from the beginning of the chapter to the 35. verse The second from the 35. verse to the 51. The third in the 51.52 and 53. verses From the which so large a discourse of the holy Apostle wee may fully and plainely vnderstand the meaning of this Article Moreouer the Comfort of this Article of our faith is set downe verses 54.55.56.57 Wherein also is contained the Promise from the propheticall testimonie of Hosea The Duties belonging to the Comfort of this Article are to be seene verse 58. And finally the Danger of not beleeuing this Article is euident euen from the second verse of this chapter And againe verses 13.14 c. to the 20. And yet againe verses 29. and 32. Let vs therefore consider of these excellent points treading as it were in the foote-steppes of the holy Apostle onely reseruing the Danger of not beleeuing to the last place according to our vsuall course And first of all that singular wisedome is to be obserued which the Apostle vseth in his entrance to treat of these things For where as he knew wel that the Diuell would subtilly take all the aduantages that hee could against the truth that it might be forsaken of the Corinthians hee doth for the same cause lay hold of all the aduantages which God had giuen him for the confirming and setling of it Belief that to euerie true member of the Church of God belogeth the glorious resurrection of the body in their hearts To this purpose he doth most prudently insinuate foure speciall thinges which might iustly be of good weight to stay the hearts of the Corinthians in the assured beliefe of the whole doctrine of the Gospel generally First because he being as they themselues were perswaded a faithfull Apostle of Iesus Christ had preached this truth vnto them according to the commandement of Christ was now in like faithfulnes with all good assurance readie constantly to confirme it in all points vnto them Secondly because they for their parts had by the grace of God receiued and embraced the same doctrine of the Gospell in all points for the truth of God as it is indeede Thirdly because they had for a good season retained it faithfully without doubting of the truth of it in any fundamentall point especially and therefore could not now without so much the greater note of lightnes and inconstancie call any such point into question Fourthly because in the entier beliefe of the Gospell without exception against any one foundamentall Article therof standeth the saluation of all Christians Question But in what words of the Apostles text are these generall insinuations contained Answer They are contained in the first two verses of the chapter in these words 1. Moreouer brethren saith the Apostle I declare vnto you the Gospel which I preached vnto you which ye also haue receiued and wherein ye continue 2. And whereby ye are saued â—f ye keepe in memorie after what manner I preached it vnto you except ye haue beleeued in vaine ExplicatioÌ„ These words as we may easily see doe containe those most wise insinuations of the Apostle expressed before Wherevnto also he annexeth these words of generall caueat Except ye haue beleeued in vaine Not that he would call into question the truth and constancie of their faith but doth admonish them to take heed lest by any meanes they should fall away from any Article of it and so hazard their saluation Now in the next place that is to say from the beginning of the third verse and so forth vnto the 12 the holy Apostle intending to dispute more particularly with all holy force of Apostolical argumentation against such as called the Article of the resurrection of the body into question he doth first of all most skilfully lay downe and confirme the bodily resurrection of our Sauiour Christ which is as it were the ground and foundation of the resurrection of ours And he doth it in this order First and formost from the Apostolical authoritie of his former preaching touching this point Secondly from the authority of the former or more ancient Scriptures of the old Testament Thirdly by an argument of paritie or equall comparison in that the resurrection of our Sauiour is as certainely confirmed both by propheticall and also historicall testimonie as is his death and buriall or any thing else that is written of him and therfore ought to be as firmely beleeued as any other Article besides euen as they would looke to be saued For as it is saide concerning the law that insomuch as one Lawe-giuer gaue all the commandements of the morall Lawe none can so soone tread vnder foote and despise one but hee breaketh and violateth all as wee reade Iames 2.10 so in the doctrine of the Gospell in so much as all the Articles therof are giuen by our one only Sauiour and do concerne one the same entiere saluation none can denie
corne doth vsually die that is to say rotteth in the ground before it taketh roote that then it may spring out of the earth according to the rule of Philosophie that the corruption of one thing must make way to the bringing forth of another and seeing also that we finde yeere after yeere that God giueth the corne that was sowen a seuerall body according to his kinde yea many graines as it were so many seuerall bodies for one yea and beside the multiplied graines of the corne it selfe the stalke also and the eare why then should it seeme vnpossible to any that God should from the same resolued substance raise vp one and the same body againe Thus much therefore more briefly for answer to the first question thus waiwardly repeated by the aduersaries againe The more large answer of the Apostle to the second question which is of the manner of the resurrection followeth in the verses before mentioned 39. c. 51. The summe whereof is this that our bodies shall be in a farre differing manner at the resurrection and for euer after to that which they are nowe And the possibilitie of this also the blessed Apostle Paul sheweth from the vsuall course of Gods dealing in that he magnifieth his diuine wisedome and power in the varietie of all his workes and in the seuerall kindes thereof And first in his earthly creatures which haue life compared among themselues And then also in his heauenly creatures compared both with earthly and also one of them with another Let vs heare the Apostles words Question Which are they Answer They are these as we read them verses 39.40.41 39. All flesh is not the same flesh saith the Apostle but there is one flesh of men and another flesh of beasts and another of birdes 40. There are also heauenly bodies and earthly bodies but the glory of the heauenly is one and the glory of the earthly is another 41. There is another glory of the Sunne and another glory of the Moone and another glory of the starres for one starre differeth from another starre in glory Explicatiō Here as we may see the varietie of Gods most excellent wisedome and the infinitenes of his almighty power do shine forth very clearly both in the earthly and also in the heauenly creatures the which he hath created made at the first and the which also he hitherto preserueth maintaineth still in their seuerall kindes The earthly as we see in the 39. verse and both the earthly and heauenly in an vnequall condition and degree verses 40.41 Now after the possibility of the resurrection of the body and that also in a manner very farre differing from their present estate declared by the differing instances of the former similitudes or examples the Apostle doth henceforth applie the same instances or examples to expresse the matter in hand and saith Euen so is the resurrection that is to say greatly differing from that estate wherein the bodies were before they fell downe to the graue And hee proceedeth to shew further wherein that difference consisteth First in three particular properties and then more generally in their estate more entirely and totally considered But let vs heare the Apostle himselfe speake And first concerning the three differing or rather contrary properties or qualities in the differing estate of the body Question What is that which he saith to this purpose Answer He maketh the application of the former instances or similitudes and examples of the other creatures in these words verses 42.43 42. So also saith the Apostle is the resurrection of the dead The body is sowen in corruption and is raised in incorruption 43. It is sowen in dishonour and is raised in glory it is sowen in weakenes and is raised in power Explicatiō These contrary qualities of one and the same body doe expresse the difference to be as great as possibly may be in the one estate from the other though the substance of the body is to be one and the same in either state and condition How our bodies are for their present estate corrupt vile and fraile we haue euery one of vs sensible experience but what the incorruption glory and firme and able constitution of them shall be free from all diseases c at the resurrection and thenceforth for euer wee shall not throughly discerne till God vouchsafe to make vs partakers of them Neuerthelesse this we know and it may well satisfie vs that our bodies shall in some measure be made like to the glorious body of our Sauiour Christ as we read Philip. 3.21 And whereas the Apostle expresseth the death of our corruptible ignominious and fraile bodies vnder the metaphore or borrowed speech of sowing he doth it to note that our bodies shall not be vtterly extinguished by death like as our Sauiour speaketh of his death vnder the similitude of the wheat corne falling into the earth dying and so bringing forth much fruit as we read Ioh. 12.24 Like as also to the same end death it selfe which falleth vpō the bodies of the faithfull is compared to a sleepe as it followeth in our text afterward Such therefore is the differing estate which shall be of the body at the resurrection from that which it is now expressed by three particular qualities in each estate the one of the which estates is in respect of the same qualities cleane contrarie to the other The entier and totall difference in each estate is further expressed by one more generall contrarietie as was said Question Which is that difference Answer It is contained in the former part of the 44. verse in these words of the Apostle 44. It is sowen a naturall body and it is raised a spirituall body Explication By the naturall body the Apostle vnderstandeth the estate and condition of our bodies such as it is by the common course of nature mortall and subiect to death as wee sawe euen now insomuch as the soule which ministreth life vnto it Soma psychicon doth in death leaue it Wherevpon the Apostle calleth it animale of anima the soule wherewith the body is animated as one may say so long as the body liueth Soma pneumaticon By the spirituall body he doth not meane a body without a bodily or naturall substance and beeing but a bodily substance indued with such excellent qualities as were likewise mentioned before Not so much proceeding from the soule it selfe to the body when it shall be revnited vnto it as from the holy Spirit of God the onely immediate fountaine of this spirituall estate of the body which he speaketh of So that by the Apostles description the faithfull shall at the resurrection of their bodies be in comparison rather like Angels at that time then such men as they were before that is very corrupt and vile weake and fraile c. According to that saying of our Sauiour Christ Luke 20.35.36 They that shall be counted worthie to enioy that world
in that he saith that This mortall must put on immortalitie for he earnestly affirmeth though most faithlesly and heretically that Paul doth not speake these wordes of the earthly creature but of the liuing word c. These are the words of H. N. Verily saith he the mortall whereof Paul witnesseth is not any creature of the earthly flesh and blood but it is the liuing word and Beeing of GOD which in the beginning was immortall in the manhoode and is for our sinnes cause become mortall A most ignorant and hereticall blasphemie and a most manifest falsifying of the meaning of the holy Apostle Hitherto of the ground and warrant of this Article concerning the resurrection of the body from this one most notable and plentifull testimonie and confirmation of the Apostle Paul thus farre forth in this 15. chapter of his ◠Epistle to the Corinthians THere are store of other testimonies in the holy Scriptures to confirme the same vnto vs as an Article of faith vsually receiued euen from more ancient times and that no doubt according to the beliefe of the faithfull in the true Church of God frō the beginning of the world For like as for the confirmation of this Article to the christian Church our Sauiour Christ being vpon earth raised diuers out of their graues as we haue seene heretofore among the miraculous works which he wrought And after that againe the Apostles by his power did the like as Peter raised Dorcas from death to life c. So from the beginning God wrought some like miraculous works for the confirmation of the faith of his people therein in all ages that went before For as wee reade in the holy Story 2. Kings 13.21 A dead man touching the bones of Elisha reuiued and stoode vpon his feete Yea as God tooke away Elijah so long before that hee tooke Henoch away bodily into heauen for any thing we know to the contrary Abraham also considered that God was able to raise vp Isaak euen from the dead from whence also as saith the Apostle hee receiued him after a sort Heb. 11.19 And in the same chapter verse 35. The women receiued their dead raised to life as for example the widow of Sarepta her sonne at the prayer of Eliah and the Shunamite her sonne at the prayer of Elisha Other also as the Apostle saith further were racked and would not be deliuered that they might receiue a better resurrection The which may be exemplified from the answer of the mother of her seuen children martyred vnder Antiochus in the 7. chap. of the 2. Booke of Maccabees What the beliefe of Iob was we saw but a while since We may reade other testimonies Isai 26.14 and Ezek. chap. 37. the whole chapter In the which places the holy Prophets strengthened the faith of the people of God touching their returne out of captiuity by an allusion or argument taken from the resurrection of the dead as though they should haue said ye beleeue that which is a greater matter as a receiued Article of your faith and therefore let not your hearts doubt of this And more directly to this purpose the Angel of God testifieth to the Prophet Daniel the certainty of the resurrection of all flesh that is of the godly to euerlasting life but of the wicked to shame and perpetuall contempt Dan. chap. 12.2 And verse 13. he telleth Daniel himselfe that he for his part should stand vp in his lot at the end of his daies Thus wee may perceiue that the resurrection of the body hath beene receiued as an Article of faith not onely in the christian Church since the comming of our Sauiour in the flesh but also in the true Church euen from the beginning and in all ages among all true beleeuers vnto the time of the same his comming according to that which we reade Iohn 11.24 where Martha answering our Sauiour according to the common faith saith to our Sauiour concerning her brother Lazarus I know that he shall rise againe in the resurrection at the last day And Acts. 24.15 the Apostle Paul testifieth of the Iewes that they looked for the resurrection of the dead The meaning of the Article NOw after this large discourse touching the ground and warrant of this Article it followeth in the next place that you are to shew what the meaning of it is Question What therefore is the meaning of these wordes I beleeue the resurrection of the bodie Answer They teach me and euery true Christian to beleeue that according to the holy decree of God and for a publike declaration of his diuine iustice and hatred against sinne in the fight of all the worlde death is appointed to all so that euen the most godly by reason of that sinne which is yet in part abiding in them The meaning of the Article must die the naturall death which is a seperation of the soule from the body for a time wherevpon it followeth that the body returneth to the earth from whence it was taken those onely excepted who shall be found liuing vpon the face of the earth at the comming of our Sauiour Christ to iudgement yet for the worthinesse of the death and satisfaction which the same our Sauiour hath made to God for vs and by the effectuall working of his diuine power I doe beleeue that both I my selfe and also that all which haue died alreadie or shall hereafter die in the Lord shall at the last day be bodily raised vp to a most blessed and glorious estate our soules being vnited vnto them againe and thence forth so to remaine for euer and euer Ex. The proofe of all this we haue seene before Onely let vs briefly call to mind that which we read Heb. 9.27 28. As it is appointed to men that they shal once die and after that commeth the iudgement So Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many and vnto them that looke for him shall he appeare the second time without sinne vnto saluation Reade also Eccles 12.7 and 1. Thes 4.15 16 17. NOw let vs goe forward Question What promise of God haue you in the holy Scriptures The Promise that our bodies shall rise againe Answer We haue the promise of God prophetically set downe by the Prophet Hosea chap. 13. verse 14. alledged by the Apostle Saint Paul 1. Cor. 15.54 as it followeth thus in that chapter 54 So when this corruptible hath put on incorruption and this mortall hath put on immortalitie then shall be brought to passe the saying that is written Death is swallowed vp into victorie Explicatiō proofe The holy Apostle doth fitly alledge the testimonie of the Prophet to this purpose And wee may likewise alledge all the prophecies of the olde Testament touching the resurrection of the body for the confirmation of the same promise of God in this behalfe But the fundamentall ground of this promise is that most gratious couenant which God hath made with Abraham Isaak
that most speciall manner of the manifestation thereof in the personall assuming and vniting the humane nature to the diuine The which also because it is most neare and firme in one indiuiduum that we may vse the Logitians terme therefore it is said that the Word that is the Sonne of God being very true God was made flesh Iohn 1.14 And 1. Tim. 3.16 God is manifested in the flesh And therefore also is our Sauiour very God and very man called by the name of Immanuell God with vs. Matth. 1.23 euen by the appointment of God himselfe Thus much shall suffice for the diuers acceptious of the fiâ—st word to Descend Whence vpon due consideration wee may easily see first that the descension attributed in one tenure and course to our Sauiour Christ crucified dead and buried doeth not belong to his Deitie which cannot be said properly to descend but to his humanitie wherevnto all that is beleeued concerning conception birth life death resurrection ascension sitting at the right hand of God and comming to iudgement as well as his descension doth properly apperteine But how this descension doth properly belong to the humanitie of our Sauiour Christ whether to the soule or to the bodie alone or ioyntly to both we shall better conceiue after that we haue considered the diuers significations and vses of the latter wore Hell as we haue of this former word to Descend SHew you therefore in like manner the diuers significations of the word Hell accorâ—ing to the Hebrew word Sheol and the Greeke word Haides englished Hell in this Article of out faith Which are these diuers significations Question First and most properly as I haue beene taught they signifie the graue Answer Secondly they are by a trope as the learned speake or figuratiuely applied to signifie manie other things Explication The truth herein hath beene taught and deliuered vnto you For first that they signifie the graue and that also in the most proper signification the words themselues may giue to vnderstand First the Hebrew word Sheol which hath his name of the verbe Shahal to aske yea to aske as a greedie coâ—morant thaâ— can neuer be satisfied according to that in the booke of the holy Prou. chap. 30.15.16 There be three things which will not be satisfied yea some which say not It is enough And of these Sheol the graue is reckoned for the fiâ—st Likewise Hab. 2.5 The prowd man hath inlarged his desiâ—e as the graue and is as death which cannot be satisfied And Isa 5.14 And then the Greeke word haides which commeth of eido to see and the priuatiue letter a according to the Greeke deriuation and signifieth a place of darknes which hideth the buried within the earth from the sight of the liuing which walke vpon it Iob. 10.21 22. and chap. 17.13 But let vs see some testimonies of holy Scripture for this signification And first that Sheol signifieth the graue in the olde testament we reade Gen. 37.35 Surely saith Iaacob I will goe downe or descend into the graue vnto my Sonne mourning And chap. 42.38 My Sonne to wit Beniamin shall not goe downe with you for his brother is dead and he left alone to wit of those children which he had by Rachell if death come to hâ—m by the way that yee goe then ye shall bring or cause my gray head with sorrow to descend into the graue Likewise by the same word the graue is noted 1. King 2. verse 6. King Dauid speaking to his sonne Salomon of Ioab who murthered Abner and Amasa very wickedly doe therefore according to thy wisedome saith hee and let not his hoare head goe downe or descend to the graue in peace And of Shimei who cursed him being his soueraigne Prince with a horrible curse he saith in like manner Therfore thou shalt cause his hoare head to descend downe to the graue with blood And in this sense the opening of the earth is called the graue of Corah Dathan and Abiram and of their rebellious company but yet with a speciall declaration of the wrath of God against them by such an vnwonted strange and fearefull kinde of buriall as we reade Num. 16.29 33. They descended or went downe quicke into the pit or graue Sheol But in the Psalmes the graue ordinarily vsed to buriall is oftâ—ntimes signified by the same word Sheol as Psal 6.6 In the graue who shall praise thee And Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not saith Dauid prophesying of the resurrection of our Sauiour Christ leaue my soule that is that part of my humane person which is subiect to buriall in the graue Sheol Neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one that is the body of me whom thou hast gratiously receiued to thy fauour to see that is to haue experience of corruption shacath that is Shacath peraitio foueâ— to lie so long in the graue that it should rot and turne to dust as the bodies of all vse to doe Psal 40.9 Man can by no meanes redeeme his brother c. That he may liue still for euer and not see the graue the word is shacath corruption as before But sheol againe verse 14.15 of the same Psalme Like sheepe they lie in the graue to wit like the rotten carkases of sheepe cast out into ditches For the Prophet speaketh of the wicked that die in their wickednes and in a hautie conceit of themselues To the which purpose he saith further Death deuoureth them vntill the righteous shall haue dominion ouer them in the morning that is at the day of the resurrection and vntill that the graue â—hat is Hell as we are afterward in the next signification fuâ—ther to obserue do consume their beauty that is the beauty of the wicked or their forme and substance which they shall at the last day receiue againe to their further condemnation both in soule and bodie together euen from the house that is the graue which belongeth vnto it to wit as a prison house for the wicked vntill that day of their great Gaile deliuery But God saith the Prophet speâ—king in the person of all true beleeuers will deliuer my soule from the hand that is from the power of the graue to wit so farre forth that it shall not preuaile finally against me for he will receiue me Selah A matter worthy to be obserued as an effect of the diuine and almighty power of God as by the word Selah the Psalmist giueth to vnderstand Moreouer Psal 31.17 Sheol is vsed for the graue Let the wicked saith Dauid be put to confusion and silence in the graue And Psal 55.15 Let death seaze vpon them let them goe downe quicke into the graue the Prophet as it is likely alluding to that iudgement of God vpon rebellious Korah and his company Num. 16. as was alledged before And againe in the same sense though in other words They that seeke my soule to destroy it shall goe into the lowest parts of the earth Yea generally Psal 8â— 48 What
man â—iueâ—h saith the Prophet Ethan speaking as well of the godly as of the wicked and shall not see death shall he deliuer his soule from the hand that is from the power of the graue that is so deliuer him that he shall not returne againe to dust from whence he was taken Selah In the like manner doe the other Prophets vse the word Sheol as Isai chap. 28.18 where the holy Prophet speaking of the wicked saith That the couenant which they seeme to themselues to haue made with death and their agreement which they fancie to be betwixt them and the graue it shall be disanulled and not stand Isai chap. 28.15.18 Reade also Ezekiel chap. 31. verse 15 16 17. and chap. 32.27 In which chapters these speeches are vsed in the same sense to goe downe to the pit and to descend or goe downe to the neather parts of the earth wherewith the Lord threatneth the wicked in his wrath as with a iudgement that should ouerthrow them for euer Neuerthelesse touching the godly God himselfe saith and will verilie performe in and by our Sauiour Christ that which he hath spoken by his Prophet Hosea chap. 13. verse 14 saying I will redeeme them from the hand that is as before from the power of the graue I will deliuer them from death O death I will be thy death O graue I will be thy destruction repentance is hidden from mine eyes And the same againe in the new Testament vnder the Greeke word Haides 1. Cor. 15.54.55 And that this Greeke word is vsed for the graue reade Acts 2.27 And so wee may vnderstand it also Reuel 1.18 where our Sauiour Christ saith I haue the keyes of the graue and of death And againe chap. 6.8 Death and the graue following after it And chap. 20.13 Death and the graue gaue vp the dead that were in them and they were iudged euery man according to their workes And in the next verse Death and the graue were cast into the lake of fire where the Apostle sheweth what shall be done at the last day Neuerthelesse we will not exclude euery other signification of the word Haides from some of those places as shal be further obserued afterward To conclude this point therefore we may easily perceiue that as it is said of Sheol the graue Iob 30.23 so we may say of Haidâ—s that according to this first signification it is the house appointed for all the liuing And Isai 26.19 The dead are described to be such as dwell in the dust LEt vs now come to the second branch of your answer wherein you affirme that the same words Sheol and Haides are by a trope or figuratiuely applied to signifie sundry other things Question Which are those things Answer More generally they are vsed either to signifie the state of dead men after this life both of good and bad as they be remoued out of this visible world without any further distinction of either of them from other whether in respect of soule or bodie Onely they signifie that they are gone hence and be no more in the land of the liuing but remaine in the world of the dead if we may so speake Or else they are vsed to signifie the destruction and remouing of other things from the vse of men which remaine still in the present world More particularly they are vsed First to signifie the power of death in holding all those vnder it whom it hath seazed vpon euen so long as God permitteth it to preuaile against them Secondly to signifie Hâ—â—l the peace appointed of God for the endlesse easelesse and remeadilesse torment of all that die in their sinnes Thirdly they are vsed to signifie the spirituall dolours and griefes of the soules euen of the children of God here in this life neare vnto death yea in their owne iudgement and sense for the time of the tentation neare vnto the paines and torment of hell it selfe ExplicatioÌ„ proofe Thus you haue beene taught indeede Let vs now call briefly to minde some proofes of these things And first concerning the former branch of the more generall vse let vs consider first of all the wordes of the wise and beleeuing Patriarke Iaacob Gen. 37. in the end of the chapter mentioned before in that he saith he would goe downe into Sheol the graue vnto his sonne mourning Wherein it is euident that insomuch as hee thought his sonne was deuoured of some beast as his sonnes though lyingly tolde him and therefore to bee without buriall in anie graue beside the bowells of the beast it is euident I say that he vndeâ—stoode more by Sheol then the graue and comprehended the whole estate and condition of his dead sonne within the compasse of it he hoping that he was aliue with God who is the God not of the dead but of the liuing as our Sauiour Christ hath taught though for any thing he knew he was dead and out of the state of the liuing here in this world And thus farre also doeth the word Sheol extend it selfe in the places before alledged Ps 16.10 More particularly concerning our Sauiour Christ whose whole humane person was in Sheol that is in the state of the faithfull departed this life to wit his body in the graue and his soule in the state of other mens soules vntill he role againe from the dead Act. 13.30 And Psal 89.48 More generally insomuch as Sheol taketh hold of all though all that die and descend to the state of the dead be not buried and laid downe in the graue neither are they all in one estate and condition of soule like as the Latine words defuncti and inferi comprehend all of all sorts of the dead Reade also for Sheol referred to the soule as well as to the body Psal 49.14.15 And Isai 38.10.11 the godly King Hezekiah recording his mourning for feare of an vntimely death opposeth Sheol to the land of the liuing and inhabitants of this world he beleeuing no doubt that the dead are not vtterly extinct when they die though their bodies goe to the graue and consume away And though their soules also by death are so seperated from their bodies that we cannot easily conceiue how they should finde themselues in a kindely state of perfection without them neither indeede are they fully perfect nor shall be after they are once seperated vntill they be reunited againe yet the soules of all that die in the faith are no doubt in a more blessed comfortable and ioyous estate then while they liued here And therefore also it is that though the seruants of God euen in death do ascribe a certaine death to the soule that is a naturall sense or consideration of the maiming or renting of the creature by the seperation of it from the own naturall body As in some of the places before alledged And Iob 33.28 God will deliuer his soule from the pit And Psal 116.8 Thou hast deliuered my soule from death And as our Sauiour Christ