to defend them against the piercing of others obloquie and against the pinching of their own industry against outward shame against inward pain For seeing their calling and employment is so high and excellent so great and honourable as not onely themselves to be but also to make others Kings and in this sort to depose the spiritual kingdom of darknes and to set up the kingdom of grace what cloud of shame what storm of pain can be sufficient to dazle the light or to abate the heat of this sun-shining honour or with what difficulty objected or conceited may we be dismayed seeing God hath so honoured us as not only to be his workmen but co-workers with him 2 Cor. 6.1 Yea to stand in his stead and to act his part We are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you through us we pray you in Christs stead that ye be reconciled unto God Yea and hath so far imparted himself unto us as to affirm He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Luk. 10.16 This therefore may well be our sufficit our sufficient satisfaction against all discomforts and discouragements and make us say The lot is fallen to me in a fair ground yea I have a goodly heritage Ps 16.6 Secondly it is touch of proof to the people to tell what metall they are whether currant or counterfeit For if they be as they should be and receive this work of ours effectually then they are informed in knowledge reformed in wickednesse conformed in holinesse they are strengthned to strive with nature and elevated to the strain of grace They are no more slaves to lust and pleasure but even in all tribulation more then conquerors Rom. 8.37 they beat downe their body and bring it into subjection 1 Cor. 9.27 They crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 they are born of God and doe overcome the world 1 Joh. 5.4 they are made Kings Yea not onely they shall finde this alteration and exaltation in themselves but we shall also find a change of their affection and disposition toward us for it is unpossible that this great work should be wrought in them but they must acknowledge the instruments and workers their contempt will be turned to reverence their neglect to respect their spight to love their grudging and murmuring into freewill offering liberall contributing Esteeming us as the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the secrets of God 1 Co. 1.4.1 Even so far forth as not onely inwardly to conceive but even outwardly to expresse that acclamation How beautifull are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Rom. 10.15 And so ye see the honour of this work in respect of what it is A Kingdom Secondly the same also appeareth in regard of its quality considering of what kind it is an heavenly kingdom It is said to be of heaven for its Kings sake and for its kinds sake For its Kings sake who only is Christ the Son of God the heavenly King This kingdome hath no King but that Caesar who onely is semper Augustus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords And for its kind sake also being no naturall rule or temporall regiment but supernaturall and divine This therefore must needs be great addition to that former point of honour It is a kingdom to make men Kings It is an heavenly kingdom to make them good Kings which of all works is the best and greatest Man is called a little world yet the rule of himself is greater then of the great world for he that ruleth his own mind is better then he that winneth a City Prov. 16.23 Alezander having subdued the great world or at least a great part of the world where was his honour when he failed in that little rule of himself Surely he then being in honour had no understanding but might be compared to the beasts that perish It is therefore more honour to have our hearts thus crowned spiritually then to have our heads invested with a temporall crown even as much as it is more to bee a good man then a great man or as the soul is more worth then the body or the body and soul more worth then the world or heaven more worth then the earth And such is the nature of this kingdom so doth it inthrone and crown us spiritually not temporally heavenly not earthly My kingdom is not of this world saith our Saviour Joh. 18.36 And here both sellers and buyers both Ministers and receivers both Priests and people may see what kind of commodity they have in hand and learn how to deal therein It is a heavenly traffique they may not be earthly or carnally minded in it The Minister he may not make merchandise of the Word of God or at least no other then free merchandise as the Prophet Isaiah doth Is 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and ye that have no money come buy and eat He may not begin it with what shall I give for it as if the gift of God might be obtained with money for that was Simons sin who thereby shewed himself to be in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquttie Act. 8.18 Nor yet with what shall I have with it as if Christ were to be sold at a price for that was Judas his sin who therefore hanged himself and burst asunder in the midst Act. 1.18 Not but that he may rejoyce in his labour and take his portion Eccl. 2.24 5.17 For that in all degrees is the gift of God And in this particular the labourer is worthy of his hire Luk. 10.7 And thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corn 1 Cor. 9.9 but it must be done willingly and of a ready mind not for filthy lucre sake 1 Pet. 5.2 His work is heavenly his aim and end likewise must be heavenly and holy and voyd of earthly respect The people also must take it as it is a spiritual not a carnal commodity and therefore be contented to be discontented and pleased to be displeased and think it their honour to be dishonoured as concerning the flesh and the outward man accounting the faithfull wounds of a lover better then the pleasant kisses of an enemy Prov. 27.6 And Gods precious balms though they break the head Ps 114.5 yet because they heal as soon as break more acceptable more comfortable more estimable then the old serpents apples offered from the forbidden tree because though they delight the eye and please the tast yet in delighting and pleasing at once they also kill and destroy And so much of the first part of the description of the Ministry of the Word namely by its dignity and honour the Kingdom of Heaven The second part or point is its property practise or effect It is a draw-net cast into the sea which gathered of every kind The summe of all
here for good men but there they shall be taken from good men For God will lighten things hid in darknesse and make the counsels of the heart manifest 1 Cor. 4.5 Christ discovered one traytor in this world by giving him a sop but God usually covereth rather then discovereth hypocrites by giving them sops of spiritual as well as of temporal blessings but though he feed them with the childrens bread for a while yet he cuts them off at the last and gives them their portion with hypocrites yea the devil who helps to hide them here will do his best to open them there for though he be the father of falshood yet he differs from false men in this they keep light and counterfeit peeces to shuffle them in in great payments But he though he falsifie Gods coyn here in the particulars as much as may be yet in that great and general Audit hee will not have one counterfeit go undiscovered And if he would he could not for all the covering wherewith he clotheth them will not hide them For many saith Christ will say to me in that day Lord Lord have not we by thy name prophecied and by thy name cast out devils and by thy name done many great works And then will I professe to them saying I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Mat. 7.22 Therefore whiles we have time let us do good Let us be good for as that time finds us so it will take us If it finde us not good it will not make us good Now is the time of growing to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts then will be the time of gathering And gathered the good into vessels c. 2. The second thing observed in this separation was By whom it is That is expressed in the exposition of this Parable namely that it is the Angels ver 49. The Angels shall go forth and sever the bad from among the just So afore ver 39. in the Parable of the tares the Reapers be the Angels The son of man shall send forth his Angels c. And so Mat. 24.31 Hee shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the four winds and from the one end of heaven to the other And no marvail that they have the gathering of us at the last who have the guarding of us at the first For that charge no doubt concerns not only Christ but all that are in Christ He shall give his Angels charge over thee Ps 91.11 And that not only in our life but in our death In our life for the Angel of the Lord tarrieth round about them that fear him and delivereth them Psal 34.7 whereof we have many examples in the Scriptures In our death for Lazarus his lot I doubt not shall be the lot of all the faithful his soul was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosom Luk. 16.22 Which excellency of power and exactness of knowledge in their so generall guarding here and gathering there the elect of God though it doth not expresse any such infinitenesse in the Angels as to make us worship them for I doubt not this so absolute knowledge is not theirs properly and alwaies by creation but received for the present by special illumination For I read The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 but I read not that any Angel knoweth who are his Yet the consideration of this their general Ministry yeeldeth us a great deal of fear and a great deal of comfort A great deal of fear in our conversation considering their watchfulness over us and their frequent presence for what fear and shame what reverence and holyness what purity and cleanness may be sufficient for us in the presence of such holy blessed and glorious creatures For if St. Paul propose a rule of modesty to women because of the Angels 1 Cor. 11.10 why should not the same rule hold to all upon the same reason even because of the Angels It may be they come to guard and defend us as they did unto Elisha 2 King 6.16 It may be to converse with us as unto Abraham Gen. 18.2 It may be to pluck us out of some ill company as unto Lot Gen. 19.15 It may be to rid ue of some captivity as to the Apostles Act. 5.19 It may be to try or to exercise our strength as to Jacob Gen. 22. It may be to bring us some good news as to Zacharias to the Virgin Mary to the Shepheards Howsoever seeing they are ministring spirits and have frequent commerce with us let us fear alwaies to commit uncleanness that may annoy them and seeing God thus giveth us heaven upon earth in regard of the Angels ministring let us so pass the time of our dwelling here in fear that we may also on our parts make heaven upon earth by our holy conversing Again without fear here is also a great deal of comfort offered us in that the Angels are our continuall guardians for though the great dragon the old serpent the devil be come down upon the earth and hath great wrath Rev. 12. and walketh about as a roaring lyon seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.8 And hath many Angels of his own kind and instruments of our kind to annoy and vex us yet what of that This is Gods host saith Jacob when he saw the good Angels Gen. 32.2 And if Gods host and strength be with us no strength shall be able to hurt us Therefore let nothing in all our life terrifie us no nor yet in our death For Gods Angels are ready not only to conveigh our souls to heaven but even to conduct our bodies to the earth as appears in that Moses body was defended and protected against the devil by the striving of Michael the Archangel Jude 9. Yea as they guard us to our lying down in the grave so will they gather us at our rising up from thence and therefore against the fear of death and the grave and the corruption thereof we may say with comfort I will lay me down in peace and take my rest for it is thou Lord only that makest me dwel in safety Ps 4.8 3. The third and last thing observed in this separation is to what end it is And gathered the good into vessels but cast the bad away Here is a plain difference and dissimilitude as in most Allegories commonly there is for the casting away of the refuse fish into the sea again is their desired life and safety and the gathering of the good fish into vessels is their death and destruction Yet contrariwise the bad fish cast away doe here signifie the reprobate condemned and the good fish gathered do signifie the elect saved And gathered the good into vessels that is to good use and purpose to be reserved and saved as afore in the Parable of the Tares Gather my wheat into my barn but cast the bad away that is to
giveth her no other Mat. 1.18 Luk. 1.27 12. Q. Doe we then owe her no more honour then so A. Yes we are bound to honour her in praising God for her in reverent estimation and memory of her and imitation of her Virtues and Graces but without any trusting in her or worshipping of her 13. Q. VVhat learn you for practise out of this aforesaid of the third article A. That seeing God hath so honoured my nature as to unite it himself I must take heed of dishonouring it in my self or in others Secondly that I must doe good for evill because to redeem man that would be God God became Man Sect. 13. Of the fourth Article 1. Q. WHat is the fourth Article A. Suffered under Ponce Pilate was crucified dead and buried And some doe adde to this as part of Christs Humiliation He descended into Hell Others do refer it as part of his Exaltation to the fifth Article 2. Q. How could Christ suffer being God A. He was also man and suffered in his humane nature and so are those places to be understood Act. 20.28 Act. 3.15 1 Cor. 2.8 3. Q. VVho was Pontius Pilate A. The Roman Emperours Deputy Governour Luk. 3.1 4. Q. VVhat doe you gather from that A. That the Scepter being then departed from Judah Christ was the promised Messiah Gen. 49.10 5. Q. VVhat manner of suffering was Christs A. Besides many other he was Crucified 6. Q. VVhat was that A. He was nayled in his hands and feet to a wooden Crosse 7. Q. VVhy did he die this kind of death A. Partly to fulfill the foregone Signs and Figures of him viz. the Heave-offering Exod. 29.28 and the Brasen serpent Joh. 3.14 and partly to undergoe the curse of the Law for us Gal. 3 13. 8. Q. VVas Christs buriall part of his suffering A. Not properly but being part of his Humiliation it is an appurtenance of his suffering 9. Q. VVhat needed his buriall seeing death could not hold him long A. Besides the charitable respect both of dead and living alwaies had of all in use of burying it helped to prove and confirm the truth both of his death and resurrection 10. Q. VVhat is Christs death and buriall to us seeing we dye nevertheless A. It hath taken away the proper nature of death that is cursednesse Hos 13.14 2 Tim. 1.10 and hath turned it into a blessing and the grave into a bed oâ— rest Rev. 14.13 11. How is this interpreted He descended into hell A. Some take it for the locall descension of Christ soul and some for the hellish paines he suffered in thâ— Garden and upon the Crosse 12. Q. VVhat is out of question and of all sides confessed in and concerning this A. That Christ did suffer nothing after his death for at his death he said It is finished Joh. 19.30 and he fulfilled whatsoever was necessary to redeem us 1 Joh. 2.2 Heb. 1.3 11. Q. What doe you gather for practise out of all aforesaid of the fourth Article A. 1. That I must be ready to suffer for Christ whatsoever extremity and under whatsoever authority seeing he so suffered for us Rom. 8.17 Secondly that I must not fear death nor the grave seeing Christ hath taken away the curse and shame thereof Ps 4.8 Thirdly that I must imitate Christs death spiritually Rom. 6.4 1 Cor. 15.31 Sect. 14. Of the fifth Article or next following 1. Q. WHat is the fifth Article or the next following A. The third day he rose again from the dead 2. Q. How could Christ properly be said to rise being dead A. Because it was by his own power being God as well as man 3. Q. What proof is there of his bodies rising A. Besides his many appearances the Jews did prove it by their own lye Mat 28.13 4. Q. What especiall proofs did he himself shew A. His palpablenesse his wounds and his eating Luk. 24.39 c. 5. Q. Was his body then still a natural body A. Yes in respect of substance though spiritual in â—espect of accidents and qualities 1 Cor. 15.44 6. Q. And were his wounds still to be reserved A. Some think so that they shall be for convictioâ— of the wicked at the last day Rev. 1.7 Others think they were but for present purpose to confirm the Disciples as no doubt his eating only was 7. Q. Why did not Christ rise till the third day A. To confirm the truth of his death Mat. 18.16 and to fulfill the Figure foreshewed in Jonah Mat. 12.40 8. Q. What use is now made of Christs rising day A. It is ordained to be our Sabbath as appears both by the use of it Act. 20.7 1 Cor. 16.1 2. and by the name of it Rev. 1.10 For it is plain that Christ rose the first day of the Jews week Mat. 28.1 2. 9. Q. What benefit have we by Christs Resurrection A. We have the first Resurrection taught us and the second warranted us 10. Q. What mean you by the first Resurrection A. The rising of the soul from sin Rev. 20.6 Col. 3.1 11. Q. How is this taught us A. We are baptised into Christ therefore into the similitude of his death and resurrection Rom. 6.3 4. 12. Q. What mean you by the second Resurrection A. The rising again of our bodies from the Grave 13. Q. How is this warranted to us A. Because Christ being our Head and we his Members we are sure to partake of all his benefits and therefore to follow him in the resurrection 1 Cor. 15.12 14. Q. What learn you for practise out of this aforesaid of the fift article A. To feed spiritually and not carnally in the Sacrament because Christs body being still substantial cannot be in many places at once therefore not really in the Sacrament Secondly to use the Sabbath to the honour of the Son of righteousness Mal. 4.2 Thirdly to dye unto sin that I may rise unto righteousnesse Sect. 15. Of the sixth Article or next following 1. Q. WHat is the sixth article or the next following A. He ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty 2. Q. What mean you by this He ascended into Heaven A. That in his humane nature soul and body he left the earth and went up into that third heaven or Paradise 2 Cor. 12.2 3. Q. How then is that fulfilled Lo I am with you alway unto the end of the world Mat. 28.20 A. He is alwaies present to his by his power providence protection and continuall work of his Spirit 4. Q. When did Christ ascend A. Forty dayes after his resurrection Act. 1.3 5. Q. Why no sooner A. Partly for more proof of his resurrection partly to provide for the setling of his Church in things pertaining to the order and government thereof Act. 1.3 6. Q. How did he ascend A. No doubt in glory and triumph 7. Q. How may that appear A. Partly as it is probable in the attendance of the raised bodies Mat. 27.52 but especially