The knowledge then of God the Father sonne and holy Ghost is necessary to saluation the ignorance whereof is sufficient to depriue vnbeleeuers of eternall life So the Apostle saith that they which are without Christ and without God in this world are strangers from the promise and from the common-wealth of Israell Ephes. 2. 12. Such a one was Pharao who wickedly said I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Exod. 5. 2. Because he knew not God the Lord would not vouchsafe to know him but gaue him ouer to hardnes of heart and got vnto himself great glory in his destruction and confusion Thus our Sauiour also testifieth of the Samaritanes speaking to the woman of Samaria Iohn 4. 22. Ye worship that which ye know not we worship that which we know for saluation is of the Iewes Saluation then is not of them that ignorantly worship they know not what as the Athenians did who erected an altar to the vnknowne God and ignorantly worshipped they knew not whom Act. 17. 23. For like as the beasts that had no knowledge to go vnto Noahs Arke perished in the waters and as the Doue if she had not knowne the way of returne to the Arke when Noah stretched out his hand and tooke her in had likewise miscaried and as the oxe and asse not knowing their masters crib are like to want their food so all they which know not God their Creator are in the high way to destruction and are barred from life The reason hereof S. Paule sheweth Rom. 10. 13. Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued but how shall they cal vpon him on whom they haue not beleeued how shal they beleeue in him on whom they haue not heard They then that neither beleeue in God nor pray vnto him nor worship him because they know him not nor haue not heard of him cannot be saued Ignorance then and want of knowledge of God because it is the fountaine of vnbeleefe and prophanenesse doth iustly exclude from the kingdome of God First then if the knowledge of the blessed Trinitie be necessary vnto euerlasting life we see in what damnable state all heretickes do stand that beleeue not aright in the Trinitie whether they impugne any one of the three glorious persons as the Manichees the person of the father who was the author of the law which they refuse and reuile him that gaue it making him the author of euill The Arrians dishonor the Sonne affirming him to be vnequall to his Father The Macedonians blasphemed the holy Ghost denying him to be God or whether they are aduersaries to the whole Trinitie as the Sabellians which did hold but one person of the godhead as the Tritheits that do wickedly teach that there are three Gods as well as three persons Secondly all Atheists are here condemned that beleeue no God at all such as were Diagoras and one Theodorus among the heathen Likewise the Gentiles are reproued who worshipped those which were not Gods Gal. 4. 8. and brought in a multitude of gods for they did not acknowledge the onely very God both worshipping many gods and those also false gods Thirdly as heresie and prophanenesse condemneth so also ignorance for that whosoeuer knoweth not nor yet beleeueth aright in the Trinitie cannot be saued as our Sauiour Christ saith Iohn 3. 19. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loued darknesse rather then light Hearken then ye ignorant persons ye simple men and women though there were no other matter against you your owne ignorance darknesse is sufficient to condemne you say not mine innocencie shall saue me I do hurt to none I do no wrong I am harmelesse c. For the ignorant person cannot be innocent seeing by his ignorance and vnbeleefe he dishonoureth God it is in vaine to say I dishonour not man when thou dost dishonour God Ambrose saith well Innocentia scientia beatum faciunt Innocencie and knowledge make happie if either be wanting there is no true happines Wherefore let euery one labour for the knowledge of God parents instruct your children maisters your seruants husbands teach your wiues do not nourish your selues in ignorance and cast away your soules for want of knowledge And whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ It is not sufficient to saluation to acknowledge God the Creator yea to confesse one glorious God and three persons vnlesse also we beleeue in Iesus Christ God and man the Mediator betweene God and man and so beleeue in him that we liue by faith in him This our Sauior further testifieth he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie because he beleeueth not in the name of the onely begotten Sonne of God Ioh. 3. 18. And again ye beleeue in God beleeue also in me Ioh. 14 1. It is not then enough to beleeue in God the Almightie and omnipotent Creator vnlesse also we beleeue in Iesus Christ our mercifull Sauiour Saint Iohn accordingly saith Euery spirit that confesseth not Iesus Christ to be come in the flesh is not of God 1. Ioh. 3. 3. Peter is commended for this faith for confessing Christ the sonne of the liuing God Mat. 16. 16. And after Thomas had said to Christ Thou art my Lord and my God Iesus said to him Because thou hast seene thou beleeuest blessed are they that haue not seene and haue beleeued Ioh. 20. 28. 29. Yea this was the faith of Abraham Ioh. 8. 56. Abraham saith our Sauiour reioyced to see my day he saw it and was glad So like as when Moses was absent who was a mediator that went betweene God his people the whole host went astray and committed most grosse Idolatrie Exod â—2 so and much more are we like to perish if we haue not the presence of Christ our Mediator Moses also said vnto God when he told them that he wold not go with them because they were a stiffe-necked people but he would send onely an Angell before them Exod. 33. 2. 3. If thy presence go not with vs carie vs not hence vers 15. If then the presence of the Mediator was necessarie to conduct them vnto that terrestriall Canaan much more to the celestiall For in Christ onely is the Lord appeased toward vs Mat. 3. 17. This is my welbeloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased Without Christ theÌ„ there is no reconclliation no peace or attonement with God Like as princes offended must be dealt with by Mediators as the cities of Tyrus and Sidon desired peace of Herod by the mediation of Blastus his chamberlaine Act. 12. 20. so God being displeased with vs for our sinnes there is no accesse to be had into his presence without Christ the Mediator First then all heretikes are condemned that beleeue not aright in Iesus Christ either denying his natures blaspheming his person or derogating from his offices Of the first sort are the ArriaÌ„s Paulians that denie his Godhead
in the sweate of his browes â—or they shall then rest from all their labours Reuel 14. 13. There shall be no calamitie no oppression sorrow or griefe Isa 60. 18. Violence shall be no more heard in the land Reuel 21. 4. Neither sorrow neither crying neither paine shall be any more There shall be no mortalitie or mutabilitie death or sicknesse Reuel 21. 8. there shall be no more death Thus we reade of Lazarus that being in Abrahams bosome that is in the place of euerlasting rest refreshing whether his saith being the child of faithfull AbrahaÌ„ brought him Lazarus was there comforted from all the paines sorrowes which he before in his life endured Lake 16. 25. Againe Mat. 17. 2. we haue an excellent representation of the blessed estate of the Saints after this life there our Sauior was transfigured in the presence of his Apostles and his face did shine as the Sunne Moses also and Elias talked with him who were now deliuered from this vale of miserie and were entred into glorie for if Moses face did so shine when he was yet mortall that the Isaelites were not able to behold him 2. Cor. 3. 7. how much more glorious was he now This celestiall place is that mountaine of mirth and hill of incense spoken of in the Canticles 4. 5. and Mons aromatum the mountaine of spices Cantic 8. 14. This is indeed that land of Canaan that sloweth with milke and honie this is our fathers house where is bread inough where with the lost child now returned we shall haue the best robes giuen vs and rings put vpoÌ„ our singers Luke 15. 22. This is the hauen and rest where the soules of the righteous after the tempests and stormes of the sea of this world do happily arriue as it is said in the Psalme He bringeth them to the hauen where they would be Psal. 107. 30. The reasons why God prouideth for his eternall life out of the Scripture are these first from Gods iustice 2. Thess. 1. 6. it is a iust thing with God to recompence tribulation to those that trouble you and to you that are troubled rest Secondly from Gods honour Mat. 22. 32. he is not the God of the dead but of the liuing seeing then that God is God of the faithful departed they therefore are aliue vnto him for it were not for the liuing Gods honour to be the God of the dead Thirdly from the state and condition of the faithfull which were of all other most miserable if in this life onely we haue hope 1. Corint 15. 19. Fourthly from the priuiledge of our profession we are the holy temples of God which shall not be destroyed 1. Cor. 3. 17. Wherefore first we reproue the vaine opinioÌ„ of the heathen who were grossely deceiued concerning the state of the soule after this life The Epicures beleeued no immortalitie nor yet any being of the soule after death Of like opinioÌ„ were the Sadduces among the Iewes and the Atheists among vs. The Pithagoreans did thinke that the soules did passe out of one bodie into another yea into the bodies of bruite beastes such as they were like vnto in condition of life and manners The Platonists did hold the immortalitie of the soule but not of the bodie The Peripatetickes and Poets imagined the soules of good men to become starres None of them beleeued aright concerning the immortalitie both of soule and body and of eternall life with God This knowledge we haue from the scriptures and God reuealed these things to vs by his spirit 1. Corin. 2. 10. that both our bodies and soules shall be made inheritors of life through Christ as the Apostle sheweth We shall be eaught vp with him in the clouds to meete the Lord in the aire 1. Thess. 4. 17. Bâ—rnard doth very well describe the happy state both of our bodies and soules in the kingdome of God agreeable to this doctrin of Paul first for the soule he saith whereas there are three faculties thereof rationalis concupiscibilis irascibilis the reasonable part the election or will the affection Implebit Deus rationale nostrum luce sapientiae implebit concupiscibile nostrum fonte iustitiae implebit irascibile nostruÌ„ summa pace tranquillitate He will replenish our reason with the light of wisedome and knowledge our electiue facultie with iustice that it shall desire nothing but what is to be desired our wrathfull and boyling affection with peace and tranquilitie Concerning the bodie whereas it consisteth of foure elements Habebit terra nostra immortalitem Our earthly part shal haue immortality Habebit aqueum nostrum impassibilitatem Our watrie part shâ—l be without passion Habebit aereum leuitatem Our airie part shall haue agilitie or lightnesse Habebit igneum nostrum perfectam pulâ—hriâ—udinem Our fiery part shall haue most perfect beautie or glory Secondly the dulnesse of our affections is here to be quickned and our desire to be inflamed toward the attaining of this happie estate we should be still groueling vpon the earth but eleuate our hearts to heauen and to haue our conuersation in heauen from whence we looke for our Sauiour Phil. 3. 20. It is recorded by the heathen that one Cleombrotus reading Plato his booke of the immortality of the soule was so rauished with the desire thereof that presently â—e cast himselfe into the sea like master like scholer like teaching like following But it may be a shame to vs that hauing so pure doctrine reuealed concerning true eternitie which they but dreamed of are not touched with an earnest desire thereof as S. Paul was who desired to be dissolued to be with Christ Phil. 1. 23. Wherefore the assurance and hope of euerlasting life ought to be the chiefe scope of all our studies the drift of our desires the marke to aime at the race to run at the prise to striue for the hauen to saile vnto the pearle to be purchased the inheritance to be desired the country to be trauelled vnto this is that wherein we ought chiefly to reioyce that our names are written in heauen Luke 10. 20. thy riches honour strength beautie wisedome wife children ease prosperitie are not to be ioyed in in comparison of this blessed estate the which if we earnestly desire now we shall vndoubtedly possesse then through Iesus Christ to whom be praise for euer That they know thee to be the onely very God Our Sauiour saith not to know thee only to be very God for if the father only were God then the Sonne and the holy Ghost should be excluded but the Father is that onely God and so is the sonne and the holy Ghost they all three are but only one very God as where the Apostle calleth Iesus Christ the onely Lord Iude 4. neither the Father nor the holy Ghost are excluded for they are all the onely Lord though they be deuided in person yet the vnity and essence of the diuine nature and power is not deuided
the next place the necessitie of prayer is to be considered which our Sau◠our sheweth where hee saith Matth. 6. 33. Seeke first the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and all things else shall bee ministred vnto you our principall seeking whereof is 1. by prayer as Mat. 7. 7. Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and ye shal find seeking there is asking this is that vnum necessariū that one necessary thing which Christ commended in Mary Luke 10 42. for she was occupied in hearing Christ in attending vpon him for what in the world can bee more necessarie then to heare God speaking to vs in his word and to speake to him in prayer 2 Dauid held this exercise so necessarie that in the morning before all other things he preferred prayer Psal. 5. 3. in the morning I will direct mee vnto thee and I will wait hee preferred it before his sleepe Psalme 119. 148. Mine eies preuent the night watches Dauid holdeth prayer and praysing of God so necessary that he will not intermit it though it cost him his life Daniel 6. 10. 3 What is more necessarie for the day of battell then armour so is prayer a principall part of our spirituall armour as the Apostle saith Ephes. 6. 13. Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to resist in the euill day and hauing set foorth the diuers parcels of this armor he addeth this v. 18. and pray alwayes with all manner prayer and supplications what more requisite for the sicke man then medicine but the prayer of faithfull saue the sicke Iames 5. 15. prayer it is the hauen of the soule Psal. 116. 7. Returne vnto thy rest O my soule it is the food of the soule as Christ said to his disciples Iohn 4. 32. I haue meate to eate that ye know not of 4 The reason of this necessitie our Sauiour Christ sheweth Matth. 26. 41. Watch and pray that yee enter not into temptation because wee are continually assaulted and tempted of Sathan wee haue neede also continually to arme our selues with prayer an other reason Saint Paul giueth 1. Tim. 4. 5. all things are sanctified by the word of God and praier thy meate drink labour riches marriage are polluted vnholy defiled without prayer 5 Wherefore the negligence of this Age is to bee condemned that so seldome vse prayer either priuately or in their families together with their wiues children seruants when they sit downe at meate they giue no thankes being worse in this respect then the oxe and asse which know their masters cribbe Esay chap. 1. ve 3. When they goe to bed they do not commend themselues vnto God neither at their rising praise him for their rest but they rouze themselues as swine out of the strawe when they goe foorth to labour they call not vpon God for his blessing but as it is in the psalme the voyce of ioy and mirth is in the habitation of the righteous Psalme 118. It is knowne where faithfull men dwell by their praying and singing of Psalmes together they that do not so shew that their heart is empty of heauenly thoughts they make not their treasury in heauen seeing their heart is not there they which hope to go to heauen yet send their praiers as their agents and forerunners before them But as Bernard saith Oratio est hominis Deo adhaerentis affectio Prayer is the affection or desire of a man that cleaueth vnto God Hierome thus testifieeth of himselfe Post multas lacrymas caelo inhaerentes oculos mihi deus testis est interesse videbar agminibus angelorum after many teares fastening mine eies in heauen I seemed to be present among the companies of Angels The second Lecture THese things spake Iesus and lift vp his eies to heauē c. this gesture of lifting vp the eies in praier was often vsed by our Sauiour as Marke 7. 34. when hee healed the deafe man he looking vp to heauen sighed Iohn 11. 41. at the raising vp of Lazarus Iesus lift vp his eies and saide Father I thanke thee By this holy gesture of our Sauiour we are taught as to lift vp the eies of our bodie so to fasten the eies of our soule vpon God and to eleuate the meditations of our hearts that they wander not neither bee vainely occupied while we pray This is that which Saint Paul saith hee would haue men lift vp pure or holie hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 2. 8. that is being holily and purely affected to lift vp their handes as also their eies and Saint Iames requireth that the praier of a righteous man should bee feruent Iames 5 16. the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 effectuall that the feare thereof bee not abated or slaked with earthly and worldly thoughts Thus praied Dauid Psalme 121. I will lift vp my eies vnto the hilles from whence commeth my helpe and not his eies onelie were lift vp but his heart as hee saith Psalme 57. 7. My heart is fixed my heart is fixed I will sing and giue praise Thus praied Stephen when he looked stedfastly into heauen and saw Iesus standing at the right hand of God Acts 7. 56. Thus were Saint Peters affections rauished when in his praier hee fell into a traunce and saw that vision of the foure cornerd vessell c. Act. 10. 10. 3 For looke as the eyes of seruants looke to the hand of their masters so should our eyes wait vpon God Psalme 123. 2. as Peter biddeth the lame man looke vpon him Acts 3. 5. and he gaue heede vnto them trusting to receiue somthing of them verse 6. so we must looke and waite vpon GOD in our prayer from whom wee expect a blessing our eyes must be as Doues eyes Cantic 4. 1. that is not vnconstant wandering vnstedfast but simple sober chaste staid 4 For the Preacher saith Ecclesiast 9. 10. Whatsoeuer thou doest pro omni facultate fac Do it with all thy power therefore when we pray our eyes our hands our tongue our heart must all be occupied and attent vpon God and this it is to loue God with all our strength Luke 10. 27. when we pray vnto him and worship him with all our inward and outward powers 5 Wherfore they which pray with wandering eyes and wauering thoughts are not herein like vnto our Sauiour the wise man saith that the eyes of the foole are in the corners of the world Prou. 17. 24. but the eyes of the wise are in his head Eccles. 2. 14. that is fixed and setled to looke vp vnto God the wandring of the eyes shew an vnstedfast heart and running thoughts for death first entreth in by the windowes Ioel 9. 9. And the eyes which are as the windowes of the bodie do first minister occasion of euill But like as in other things the husband is a veile of the eyes to the wife as it was said to Sara Gen. 20. 16. that is
onely they which are giuen vnto Christ and elected of God haue part in the mediation and intercession of Christ. 1. So the Apostle saith He is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them Heb. 7. 25. He maketh intercession then onely for them that by him shall be saued 2. Thus our Sauiour prayed for Peter that his faith should not faile Luk. 22. 32. Thus he prayed for Lazarus Father I thanke thee that thou hast heard me Ioh. 11 41. Thus still he prayeth for his owne but for the reprobate world he no where prayeth 3. Like as Zacharie saw in that heauēly vision two Oliue trees dropping oyle through the pipes into the bowles of the golden candlesticke Zach. 4. 2. 3. so Christ this Oliue tree doth not conuey his graces vnto any by the vertue of his prayers which are as the pipes but to those that belong to the golden candlesticke of his Church And as the precious oyntment vpon Aarons head ranne downe vpon his beard and to the borders of his garments Psal. 133. 2. so Christ our head giueth influence of grace and spirit of life onely to his members 4. For seeing the prayers of Christ are alwaies effectuall and he is alwaies heard of his Father I know that thou hearest me alwaies Ioh. 11. 42. It followeth that the reprobate haue no part in Christs holy prayers because they receiue no benefite by them Christ also is the Sauiour of his bodie Ephes. 5. 23. he guideth it by his grace and preserueth it vnto saluation They then which are not of his bodie haue no interest in his death nor part in his prayers 5. First by this doctrine their errour is discouered which affirme that Christ died for all men as well for the reprobate as for the elect as well for Iudas as for Peter and Paule because Saint Iohn saith that Iesus Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world 1. Ioh. 2. 2. But seeing that our Sauiour vouchsafeth not to comprehend the world in his prayers much lesse doth he extend vnto them the fruite of his death he would not offer himselfe to death for those for whom he offereth not his prayers neither can they be admitted to his redemption that are excluded from his intercession And further wheras Christ is said to take away the sinnes of the world here the world onely that is the vniuersall companie of the elect which are taken from all degrees and callings in the world is to be vnderstood as where our sauiour saith Iohn 14. 31. That the world may know that I loue the father he meaneth the world of the faithfull for vnto the rest of the world Christ doth not shew himselfe Iohn 14. 22. So Ambrose well saith Est in electis praescitis specialis quadam vniuersitas vt de toto mundo totus mundus liberatus de omnibus hominibus omnes homines assumpti videantur there is in the elect and foreknown a speciall kind of vniuersalitie that the whole world out of the whole world and all men frō all men seeme to be taken vnto life Secondly it may be doubted whether herein we are bound to follow this forme and president of Christs praier to exclude some out of our prayers and not to remēber the wicked in our requests vnto God I answer that there is a speciall consideration to be had of this prayer which here our Sauiour maketh which in all respects cannot be folowed of vs nor made a patterne of our prayers for here our Sauiour prayeth as God and man hauing the perfect foresight knowledge of euery man and according to that knowledge he directeth his prayers In this his prayer as Ambrose saith Et aduocatus est iudex in altero pietatis officium in altero insigne potestatis He is both an aduocate and iudge in the one he sheweth his pietie in the other his power and maiestie That prayer rather of our Sauiour is set forth herein for our imitation which he made vpon the crosse for his enemies so we in charitie and pietie ought to pray for all seeing now that gift 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the discerning of spirits whereof the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 12. 10. is ceased by the which S. Peter could say to Simo Magas thy mony perish with thee And vnlesse we did see a man sinne a sinne vnto death that is to sinne against the holy Ghost for the which the Apostle would not haue vs to pray 1. Iohn 5. 16. which case is very rare and hard it is to say who is guiltie of that sinne otherwise then in these cases we in Christian charitie which thinketh not euill and hopeth the best of all may pray for the conuersion of all yet making a difference preferring alwayes the Church of Christ in our prayers Thirdly this doctrine giueth vnto worldly minded and carnall men a fearful caueat that they looke vnto themselues and in time turne vnto God for as yet while they are of the world that is profane persons irreligious without the feare of God they are out of Christs protection and barred from his prayers and depriued of the vertue and efficacie of his holy mediation To them therefore be that saying spoken in the Psalme Kisse the sonne lest he be angry and ye perish in the way Psal. 2. 12. Kisse the sonne and embrace him by faith which is the kisses of his mouth Cantic 1. 1. and so by Christs powerfull mediation and almightie protection we shall be preserued from perishng Verse 9. For they are thine and all mine are thine and thine are mine Hence we learne that they which are giuen to Christ belong vnto God his Father the whole blessed Trinity taketh charge of them and careth for them 1. So the Apostle saith Ye are Christs and Christ Gods 1. Cor. 3. 23. Al then that is Christs is also Gods and as Christ is the head of euery faithfull man so God is Christs head 1. Cor. 11. 2. 2. Thus our sauiour saith to his Apostles The Father himselfe loueth you because ye haue loued me and haue beleeued that I came out from God Iohn 16. 27. 3. Like as the father in the parable saith to his sonne Thou art euer with me and all that I haue is thine Luke 15. 31. So Christ being the heire of all whatsoeuer his father hath is his and whatsoeuer he hath is his fathers Like as Iacob saith concerning the two sonnes of Ioseph Ephraim Manasses They shall be mine as Reuben and Simeon are mine Genes 48. 5. and let my name be named vpon them v. 16. so all the children of Christ are his fathers 4. Our sauior sheweth the reason hereof that they may be one as we are one I in them and thou in me Iohn 17. 22. 23. Because Christ is equall to his Father and they are one God of one power eternitie wisedome
Ieremie Before I formed thee in the wombe I knew thee Ier. 1. 5. God had knowne approued and chosen the Prophet euen before he was borne 3. For like as Dauid was annointed and appointed to be King long before he entred to his kingdom and Moses was dessigned to be deliuerer of Israel forty yeares before he exercised his office so the elect of God were long ago ordained to saluation though the accomplishment thereof they must expect with patience 4. And this God did to the praise of the glorie of his name Ephes. 1. 6. 6. â—or herein appeared loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs â— Iohn 4. 10. This is Gods great goodnesse that hath prepared for vs an euerlasting kingdome before as yet we were 5. Seeing then that God in his gracious decree of electioÌ„ hath sorted out some to euerlasting saluation we must take heed of 2 gulfs that we fal not into them the one is of superstition not to thinke with the Papistes that it is presumption to be sure of that which God hath most surely and certainly decreed the other is of presumption that men without good ground be not too confident in their hope thinking to be saued whatsoeuer they do but that as the Apostle saith We worke out our saluation with feare and trembling and labour to adde dayly somewhat to our assurance that as saint Peter saith We giue diliâ—ence to make our calling and electioÌ„ sure and seale the same vnto our soules by the fruits thereof This assurance of saluation is neither impossible to be had as the Papist thinketh nor yet easie to be had as the carnal Protestant thinketh It may be had but with much study and faithfull endeuor and godly care by feare and trembling Happie are they which by Gods grace haue attained to this gift and heauenly worke as all wee which beleeue in Christ shall in good time before we go hence by Gods grace attaine vnto it then shall we with patience runne out our course and nothing can happen so grieuous which this happie assurance of heauen will not make easie vnto vs. That we may say with Prophet Dauid I had fainted if I had not beleeued to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing Psal. 27. 13. Ambrose saith well Manipulis beatae vitae si quid accidit aduersi tanquam sterilis auena alâ—sconditur c. By this bundle of our hope of eternal life if any thing fall out crossely it is hid as wild oates or weedes in an handful of corne that like as in a peece of good wheate a few weeds are not seene no more is aduersitie felt where heauen is hoped for The seuenteenth Lecture Verse 25. O righteous father the world also hath not knowne thee IN these verses following the meanes are expressed whereby we may attaine vnto euerlasting glory described in the former verse and they are two the knowledge of God vers 25. and the liuely sense and feeling of Gods loue verse 26. First in this verse our Sauior sheweth that the world is vtterly ignorant of God and void of true knowledge 1. As the Euangelist testifieth He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not Iohn 1. 10. So the Apostle rehearseth out of the Psalme There is none that vnderstandeth none that seeketh after God Rom 3. 11. 2. Such a worldly man was Pharao who prophanely said I know not the Lord neither wil I let Israel go Exod. 5. 2. Such an ignorant person and blasphemous wretch was the messenger of the King sent for Elisha Behold this euil saith he commeth of the Lord why should I waite on the Lord any longer 2. Kin. 6. 33. 3. Like as a foole or ideot knoweth not the way into the citie such fooles are all wordly men that know not the way which leadeth to the celestiall Ierusalem Eccles. 10. 15. who are herein worse then the oxe or asse which know their owner and their masters crib Isay 13. but these haue no knowledge of God who made them and dayly feedeth them 4. The cause of this ignorance of the world is the hardnes of their heart Eph. 4 18 because through their corrupt and froward affections they corrupt that light of nature which they haue Because when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankefull but became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish hart was full of darknesse Rom. 1. 21. 5. We see then what a dangerous thing it is not to haue the knowledge of God and to be ignorant of his wayes all such are as yet of the world and being of the world are vnder the regiment and kingdome of Satan vnder Christs protection they are not for he prayeth not for the world Iohn 17. 9. This should be a caueat to all those who some of contempt some of negligence care not for the knowledge of God or his word Ambrose well saith Leprae medicina verbuÌ„ est contemptus vtique verbi lepra mentis est The word is the medicine for the leprosie of the soule the contempt then of the word maketh the soule leprous Though a man had no other sins to condeÌ„ne him yet ignoraÌ„ce caÌ„not be alone but hath other sinnes following it it were a sufficient cause of condemnation that he regardeth not to know God as the Prophet saith My people go into captiuitie because they haue no knowledge Isay 5. 13. But I know him and these haue known that thou hast sent me We know God because Christ first knoweth and by him and from him his members also know so that Christ to his church is the fountaine and author of all spirituall knowledge 1. No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him Iohn 1. 18. 2. Nicodemus til he came to Christ was ignorant of the first principles of Christian religioÌ„ he knew not what it was to be born again Iohn 3. The holy Apostle could not find out true knowledge at the feete of Gamaliel nor in the sect of the Pharises he was taught the Gospell by no other meanes but by the reuelation of Iesus Christ Galat. 1. 12. neither had Zacheus euer be come the child of Abraham if he had not come downe from the figge tree and followed Christ Luke 19. 3. So that as the Israelites could neuer haue found out the way to the promised land through the vast and vnknowne wildernesse vnlesse Christ had gone before them in a cloudie piller by day and a fiery piller by night and like as Moses could neuer haue described the forme and fashion of the tabernacle if the Lord had not first shewed it him in the mount so as impossible it is without Christs direction in his word to find out the way to eternal life He is therefore that oliue tree that doth conuey into the candlesticke