Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	believe_v	faith_n	righteousness_n	7,110	5	7.7520	4	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09411	An exposition of the Symbole or Creed of the Apostles according to the tenour of the Scriptures, and the consent of orthodoxe Fathers of the Church. By William Perkins.	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.	1595 (1595)	STC 19703; ESTC S120654	454,343	561

the same spirit opens the eye to vnderstand and consider seriously of righteousnes life eternal promised in Christ. This done then comes the second worke of the holy Ghost which is the inflaming of the will that a man hauing considered his fearefull estate by reason of sinne and the benefits of Christes death might hunger after Christ and haue a desire not so much to haue the punishmeÌ„ts of sinne taken away as Gods displeasure also might enioy the benefits of Christ. And wheÌ„ he hath stirred vp a man to desire reconciliation with God in Christ then withall he giues him grace to pray not onely for life eternall but especially for the free remission and pardon of all his sinnes and then the Lordes promise is Knocke and it shall be opened seeke and ye shall finde After which he further sends his spirit into the same heart that desireth reconciliation with God and remission of sinnes in Christ and doth seale vp in his heart the liuely and plentifull assurance thereof The differences and degrees of faith are two I. a weake faith II. a strong faith Concerning the first this weake faith shewes it selfe by this grace of God namely an vnfained desire not onely of saluation for that the wicked and gracelesse man may haue but of reconciliation with God in Christ. This is a sure signe of faith in euery touched and humbled heart and it is peculiar to the elect and they which haue this haue in them also the substance of true sauing faith which afterwards will grow vp to a strong faith Reasons I. Promise of life euerlasting is made to the desire of reconciliation Psal. 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore Psal. 143.6 My soule desireth after thee as the thirstie land Psal. 145.19 He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnes for they shalbe satisfied Revel 22.6 J will giue vnto him which is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely II. The hungring desire after grace is a sanctified affection vvhere one affection is sanctified all are sanctified where all are sanctified the whole man is sanctified and he that is sanctified is iustified and beleeues III. God accepts the will and desire to repent and beleeue for repenting and beleeuing indeede wherefore this desire of reconciliation if it be soundly wrought in the heart is accepted euen as faith before God But carnall men will say If faith yea true faith shew it selfe by a desire of reconciliation with God in Christ for all our sinnes then we are well ynough though we liue in our sinnes for we haue very good desires J answer That there be in many men sundrie fleeting motions and desires to do good things which grow to no issue or head but in time vanish as they come Now such passions haue no soundnes in them must be distinguished from the desire of reconciliatioÌ„ with God which comes from a bruised heart which brings alwaies with it reformation of life therefore such as liue after the couse of this world and thinke notwithstanding that they haue desires that are good deceiue themselues Nowe faith is saide to be weake when a man either failes in the knowledge of the Gospell or else hauing knowledge is weake in grace to applie vnto himselfe the sweete promises thereof As for example we know that the Apostles had all true sauing faith except Iudas and when our Sauiour Christ asked them whome they thought that he was Peter in the person of the rest answered for them all and said Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God for which our Sauiour commended him and in him them all saying Thou art Peter vpon this rocke that is vpon Christ which Peter did professe in the name of them all will I builde my Church And yet after we shall finde in the Gospell that they are called men of litle faith Now they failed in knowledge of the death of Christ and of his passion and resurrection and were caried away with a vaine hope of an earthly kingdome And therefore when our Sauiour shewed them of his going downe to Ierusalem and of his sufferings there Peter a little after his notable confession began to rebuke Christ said Master haue pitie on thy selfe this shall not be vnto thee And vntil he had appeared to them after his death they did not beleeue his resurrection Again weake faith though it be ioyned with knowledge yet it may faile in the applying or in the apprehension and appropriating of Christs benefits to a mans owne selfe This is to be seene in ordinary experience For many a man there is of humble and contrite heart that serueth God in spirite and truth yet is not able to say without great doubtings and wauerings I know and am fully assured that my sinnes are pardoned Now shall we say that all such are without faith God forbid Nay we may resolue our selues that the true child of God may haue a hungring desire in his heart after reconciliation with God in Christ for all his sinnes with care to keepe a good conscience and yet be weake some time in the apprehension of Gods mercie and the assurance of the remission of his owne sinnes But if faith faile either in the true knowledge or in the apprehension of Gods mercies how can a man be saued by it Answ. We must knowe that this weake faith will as truly apprehend Gods mercifull promises for the pardon of sinne as strong faith though not so soundly Euen as a man with a palsie hand can stretch it out as well to receiue a gift at the hand of a king as he that is more sound though it be not so firmely and steadfastly The Church of Rome beares men in hand that they are good Catholicks if they beleeue as the Church beleeues though in the meane season they can not tell what the Church beleeues And some Papists commend this faith by the example of an old devout father who beeing tempted of the deuill was asked how he beleeued he answered that he beleeued as the Church beleeued beeing againe asked how the Church beleeued he answered as I beleeue whereupon the deuill as they say was faint to depart VVell this fond and ridiculous kind of faith we renounce as being a means to nozle men in blindnes superstition perpetuall ignorance yet withall we doe not denie but that there is an implicite or foulded faith which is when a man as yet hauing but some little portion of knowledge in the doctrine of the Gospell doth truely performe obedience according to the measure thereof and withall hath care to get more knowledge and shewes good affection to all good meanes whereby it may be increased In this respect a certain ruler who by a miracle wrought vpon his childe was mooued to acknowledge Christ for the Messias and further to submit him selfe to his doctrine is

commended for a beleeuer and in the like case the Samaritanes And thus much of weake faith which must be vnderstood to be in a man not all the daies of his life but while he is a yong babe in Christ. For as it is in the state of the body first we are babes grow to greater strength as we growe in yeres so it is with a Christian man First he is a babe in Christ hauing weake faith but after growes from grace to grace till he come to haue a strong faith example whereof we haue in Abraham who was strong and perfect both in knowledge and apprehension This strong faith is when a man is endued with the knowledge of the Gospel grace to apprehend and applie the righteousnes of Christ vnto himselfe for the remission of his own sinnes so as he can say distinctly of himselfe and truly that he is fully resolued in his own conscience that he is recoÌ„ciled vnto God in Christ for all his sinnes accepted in him to life euerlasting This degree of faith is proper to him that begins to be a tall man and of ripe yeares in Christ. And it commeth not at the first calling of a man vnto grace And if any shall thinke that he can haue it at the first he deceiueth him selfe For as it is no nature first wee are babes and then as we encrease in yeares so wee growe in strength so it is in the life of a Christian first ordinarily hee hath a weake faith and after growes from grace to grace till he come to stronger faith and at the last he be able to say he is fully assured in his heart conscience of the pardon of his sinnes of reconciliation to God in Christ. And this assurance ariseth from many experiences of Gods fauour and loue in his life and preseruation which brings a man to this that he is fully perswaded that God is his God and God the father his father and Iesus Christ his redeemer and the holy Ghost his sanctifier Now howsoeuer this faith be strong yet is it alwaies imperfect as also our knowledge is and shall so long as we liue in this world be mingled with contrarie vnbeliefe and sundrie doubtings more or lesse A great part of men amoÌ„gst vs blinded with grosse ignorance say they haue faith yet indeed haue not For aske them what faith they haue they will answer they beleeue that God is their father the Son their redeemer c. aske them how long they haue had this faith they will answer euer since they could remember aske them whether they euer doubt of Gods fauour they will say they would not once doubt for all the worlde But the case of these men is to be pitied for howsoeuer they may perswade themselues yet true it is that they haue no sound faith at all for euen strong faith is assaulted with temptations and doubtings and God will not haue men perfect in this life that they may alwaies goe out of themselues and depend wholly on the merit of Christ. And thus much of these two degrees of faith Nowe in whom so euer it is whether it be a weake faith or a stroÌ„g it bringeth forth some fruit as a tree doth in the time of sommer And a speciall fruit of faith is this confession of faith I beleeue in God c. so Paul saith With the heart a man may beleeue vnto righteousnes and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation Confession of faith is when a man in speach and outwarde profession doth make manifest his faith for these two causes I. That with his mouth outwardly he may glorifie God both in bodie and soule II. That by the confession of his faith he may seuer himselfe from all false Christians from Atheists hypocrites and all false seducers whatsoeuer And as this is the dutie of a Christian man to make profession of his faith so here in this Creede of the Apostles we haue the right order and forme of making it set downe as we shal see in haÌ„dling the parts therof The Creede therefore sets downe two things concerning faith namely the action of faith and his obiect which also are the parts of the Creede The action in these words I beleeue the obiect in all the words following in God the Father almightie maker c. And first let vs begin with the action I beleeue in God We are taught to say I beleeue not we beleeue for two causes First because as we touched before in the Primitiue Church this Creede was made to be an answer made vnto a question which was demanded of euery particular man that was baptized for they asked him thus What dost thou beleeue then he answered I beleeue in God the Father c. and thus did euery one of yeares make profession of his faith and it is likely that Peter alluded hereunto saying the stipulation or answer of a good conscience maketh request to God The secoÌ„d cause is howsoeuer we are to pray one for another by saying O our father c. yet when wee come to yeres we must haue a particular faith of our own no maÌ„ can be saued by anothers mans faith but by his own so it is said The iust shall liue by his faith But some will say this is not true For children must be saued by their parents faith the answer is this the faith of the parents doth bring the child to haue a title or interest to the couenant of grace and to all the benefits of Christ but yet it doth not applie the benefits of Christs death his obedience his merits and righteousnes vnto the infant for this the beleeuer doth only vnto himselfe to no other Againe some may say if they doe not apprehend Christs benefits by their parents faith how then is Christs righteousnes made theirs Answ. By the inward working of the holy Ghost who is the principall applier of all graces whereas faith is but the instrumeÌ„t And this is true men of yeares are iustified by their own faith the infaÌ„t by some other special working of Gods holy spirit Furthermore to beleeue signifieth two things to conceiue or vnderstand any thing and withall to giue assent vnto it to be true and therefore in this place to beleeue signifieth to know and acknowledge that all the points of religion which followe are the truth of God Here therefore we must remember that this clause I beleeue placed in the beginning of the Creede must be particularly applied to euery article following For so the case stands that if faith faile in one maine point it faileth a man in all and therefore faith is said to be wholly copulatiue It is not sufficient to hold one article but he that will hold any of them for his good must hold them all and he which holdes them all in shewe of words if he ouerturne but one of them in deede he ouerturnes them all Againe to beleeue

had they then any neede of faith in the same God as he is Messias but this faith is a new grace of God added to regeneration after the fal first required in the couenant of grace And by this faith differeth from the rest of the gifts of God as the feare of God the loue of God the loue of our brethren c. for these were in mans nature before the fall and after it they are but renewed but iustifying faith admits no renewing For the first in grafting of it into the heart is in the conuersion of a sinner after his fall The place and seat of faith as I thinke is the minde of man not the will for it stands in a kinde of particular knowledge or perswasion and there is no perswasion but in the minde Paul saith indeede that we beleeue with the heart Rom. 10. but by the heart he vnderstands the whole soule without any limitation Some doe place faith partly in the minde and partly in the will because it hath two parts knowledge and affiance but it doth not stand greatly with reason that one particular and single grace should be seated into diuerse parts of the soule The forme of faith is to apprehend the promises Gal. 3.14 that we might receiue the promise of the spirite through faith and Iohn 1.12 to receiue Christ and to beleeue are put one for another and to beleeue is to eate and drinke the bodie and bloud of Christ. To apprehend properly is an action of the hand which laies hold of a thing and puls it to it and by resemblance it agrees to faith which is the hand of the soule receiuing and applying the sauing promise This apprehension of faith is not performed by any affection of the will but by a sound and particular perswasion whereby a man is resolued that the promise of saluation belongs vnto him Which perswasion is wrought in the mind by the holy Ghost 1. Corint 2.12 And by this the promise which is generall is applied particularly to one subiect By this sauing faith differeth from all other kinds of faith From historicall for it wanteth all apprehension standeth onely in a generall assent From temporarie faith which though it make a man to professe the Gospel and to reioyce in it yet doth it not throughly applie Christ with his benefits For it neuer brings with it any thorough touch of conscience or liuely sense of Gods grace in the heart And the same may be said of the rest The principal and maine obiect of this faith is the sauing promise God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeues in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life But some will say Christ is commonly said to be the obiect of faith Answ. In effect it is all one to say the sauing promise and Christ promised who is the substance of the couenant Christ then as he is set forth vnto vs in the word and sacraments is the obiect of faith And here certaine questions offer themselues to be skanned The first What is that particular thing which faith apprehendeth Answ. Faith apprehendeth whole Christ God and man For his Godhead without his manhoode and his manhood without his Godhead doth not reconcile vs to God Yet this which I say must be conceiued with some distinction according to the difference of his two natures His Godhead is apprehended not in respect of his essence or nature but in respect of his efficacie manifested in the maÌ„hoode his manhood both in respect of the substance it selfe and also in respect of the efficacie and benefits thereof The second In what order faith appreheÌ„ds Christ Ans. First of all it apprehends the very body blood of Christ secondly the vertue benefits of his bodie and blood as a man that would feele in his bodie the vertue of meate and drinke must first of all receiue the substance thereof To go forward Besides the mayn promise which coÌ„cernes righteousnes life in Christ there be other particular promises touching streÌ„gth in temptatioÌ„s coÌ„fort in afflictioÌ„s such like which depeÌ„d on the former they also are the obiect of iustifying faith with the very same faith we beleue theÌ„ wherwith we beleeue our saluatioÌ„ Thus AbrahaÌ„ by the same faith wherwith he was iustified beleued that he shold haue a son in his old age RoÌ„ 4.19.22 And Noe by that faith wherby he was made heire of righteousnes beleeued that he his family should be preserued in the flood And hereupoÌ„ it comes to passe that in our praiers besides the desire of things promised we must bring faith whereby we must be perswaded that God will graunt vs such things as he hath promised and this faith is not a new kinde or distinct faith from iustifying faith Thus we see what sauing faith is Whereas some are of opinioÌ„ that faith is an affiaÌ„ce or coÌ„fidence that seems to be otherwise for it is a fruit of faith indeede no man can put any confidence in God till he be first of all perswaded of Gods mercy in Christ towards him Some again are of mind that loue is the very nature and forme of faith but it is otherwise For as coÌ„fidence in God so also loue is an effect which proceeds froÌ„ faith 1. Tim. 1.5 The end of the law is loue froÌ„ a pure heart and good conscience faith vnfained And in nature they differ greatly Christ is the fountain of the waters of life Faith in the heart is as the pipes ledds that receiue in hold the water loue in some part is as the cocke of the coÌ„duit that lets out the water to euery coÌ„mer The property of the haÌ„d is to hold of it self it caÌ„not cut yet by a knife or other instrumeÌ„t put into the haÌ„d it cuts the haÌ„d of the soule is faith his property is to apprehend Christ with al his benefits by it self it caÌ„ do nothing els yet ioyn loue to it by loue it wilbe effectual in al good duties Now to proceed further first we are to coÌ„sider how faith is wrought 2. what be the differeÌ„ces of it For the first faith is wrought in by the outward ministery of the gospel accoÌ„panied by the inward operatioÌ„ of the spirit that not suddeÌ„ly but by certeÌ„ steps degrees as nature frameth the body of the infant in the mothers wombe 1. by making the brain and heart 2. by making veines sinewes arteries bones 3. by adding flesh to them al. And the whole operation of the spirit stands in two principall actions First the enlightening of the minde the second the moouing of the will For the first the holy Ghost enlightens mens mindes with a further knowledge of the lawe then nature can afoard and thereby makes them to see the sinnes of their hearts and liues with the ouglines thereof and withall to tremble at the curse of the lawe Afterward

heauenly places farre aboue all principalities and powers c. euen by the power of his father well as this power was made manifest in the head so must it be in the members thereof Euery child of God shall hereafter see and feele in himselfe the same power to translate him from this vale of miserie in this life to the kingdome of heauen Wherefore to conclude we haue great cause to be thankefull and to praise God for this priuiledge that he sheweth his power in his children in regenerating them in making them die vnto sinne and to stand against the gates of hell to suffer afflictions patiently as also that he translates theÌ„ from death to life And euery one should shew his thankfulnes in labouring to haue experience of this power in himselfe as Paul exhorteth vs in his epistles to the Colossians Ephesians yea read all his epistles we shal finde he mentioneth no point so often as this namely the mightie power of God manifested first in Christ secondly in his meÌ„bers and he accounteth all things losse that he might know Christ the vertue of his resurrection This point is the rather to be marked because his power in the matter of grace is not to be seene with eye fewe there be in respect that haue felt the vertue thereof in themselues for the deuill doth mightitily shew his coÌ„trary power in the greatest part of the world in carrying them to sinne and wickednes Secondly hence we learne that which Paul teacheth namely to know that all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God God is almightie therfore able to do whatsoeuer he wil he is also a father therfore is willing to doe that which is for our good But some will say we are subiect to many crosses yea to sinne what can our sinnes turne to our good Ans. If God almightie be thy father he wil turne thine afflictions yea thy sinnes which by nature are euill beyond all exspectation vnto thy saluation And this God will doe to all such as be obedient vnto him yet no man must hereupon presume to sinne Thirdly whereas we beleeue that God is a mightie father it serues to confirme Gods children in the promises of mercie reuealed in his word The chiefest whereof is that if men will turne from their sinnes and beleeue in Christ they shall not perish but haue life euerlasting I know some men wil make it an easie thing to beleeue especially those which neuer knewe what faith meant But such persons neede no meanes of confirmation of faith therfore let all those which haue tasted of the hardnes of attaining vnto it learne how to stablish their wauering hearts in the promises of God by the consideration of these two points God is a father and therefore he is willing he is also almightie and therefore he is able to performe his promises He that will be truly resolued of Gods promises must haue both these setled in his heart and build on them as on two foundations It followeth Creatour of heauen and earth We haue spoken of the title of the first person of his attributs now we come to speake of his effect namely the creation but before we come to it we are to answer a certaine obiection which may be made At the first it may seeme straÌ„ge to some that the worke of creation is ascribed to the first person in Trinitie the father whereas in the Scripture it is common to them all three equally And first that the father is Creatour it was neuer doubted as for the second person the Sonne that he is Creatour it is euident all things are made by it that is by the Sonne who is the substantiall word of the father without it was made nothing that was made And againe it is said that God by his Sonne made the worlde As for the holy Ghost the worke of creation is also ascribed vnto him and therefore Moses saith the spirit mooued vpon the waters and Iob saith his spirit hath garnished the heauens How theÌ„ is this peculiar to the father being coÌ„mon to al the three persons in trinitie I answer the actions of God are two-fold either inward or outward The inward actions are those which one person doth exercise towards another as the father doth beget the sonne this is an inward action peculiar to the father for all inward actions are proper to the persons from whome they are So the Sonne doth receiue the godhead froÌ„ the father the holy Ghost froÌ„ theÌ„ both these are inward actions peculiar to these persons So likewise for the father to send his sonne it is an inward action proper to the father cannot be coÌ„municated to the holy Ghost the sonne to be sent by the father onely is a thing proper to the sonne not coÌ„mon to the father or to the holy Ghost Now outward actions are the actions of the persons in the Trinitie to the creatures as the worke of creation the work of preseruatioÌ„ of redemption These all such actions are coÌ„mon to all the three persons the father createth the sonne createth the H. Ghost createth so we may say of the works of gouernment of redemption of all outward actions of the persons to the creatures But some again may say how then can the work of creation being an outward action of God to the creature be peculiar to the first person the father I answer the work of creation is not so proper to the first person the father as that it cannot also be common to the rest for al the three persons ioyntly created all things of nothing onely they are distinguished in the manner of creating For the father is the cause that beginneth the worke the sonne puts it in execution the holy Ghost is the finisher of it And againe the father createth by the sonne by the H. Ghost the sonne createth by the holy Ghost froÌ„ the father the H. Ghost createth not by the father nor by the sonne but froÌ„ the father the sonne And this is the reason why the work of creation is ascribed here vnto the father because he alone createth after a peculiar manner namely by the sonne and by the holy Ghost but the sonne and the holy Ghost create not by the father but from him Thus hauing answered the obiection we come to speake of the creation it selfe In handling whereof we must withal treat of the Counsell of God as being the cause thereof of the Gouernment of the creatures as beeing a worke of God whereby he continues the creation And the order which I wil obserue is first to speake of the Counsell of God and secondly of the exequution of his Counsell which hath two speciall branches the first the creation the second the preseruation or gouernment of things created The Counsell of God is his eternal vnchangeable decree

answeare is that although it be so yet the worke of sanctification agrees to the holy Ghost in speciall maner The father sanctifieth by the SoÌ„ne and by the holy Ghost the Sonne sanctifieth from the father and by the holy Ghost the holy Ghost sanctifieth froÌ„ the father and from the sonne by himselfe immediatly and in this respect is the third person tearmed holy Againe the third person is tearmed a Spirit not only because his nature is spirituall for in that respect the father is a spirite and the sonne is a spirit but because he is spired or breathed froÌ„ the father and from the sonne in that he proceeds from theÌ„ both Thus we see there is speciall cause why the third person is called the holy Ghost Now the action of faith which concernes the third person is to beleeue in him Which is I. to acknowledge the H. Ghost as he hath reuealed himselfe in the word II. In speciall to beleeue that he is my sanctifier and comforter III. To put all the confidence of my heart in him for that cause In these words are comprised foure points of doctrine which are to be beleeued concerning the H. Ghost The first that he is very God For we are not to put our affiance or confidence in any but in God alone And no doubt the pennars of the Creed in that they prefixed these words I beleeue in before the article of the third person meant thereby to signifie that he is true God equall with the father and the sonne according to the tenour of the Scriptures themselues Peter saith to Ananias Why hath satan filled thine heart that thou shouldest lie vnto the holy Ghost and continuing the same speach he chaungeth the tearme onely and saith Thou hast not lied vnto men but vnto God Whereby he insinuateth that the holy Ghost is very God In the vision of the Prophet Isai the wordes by him set down are thus I heard the voice of Iehoua saying whome shall I send c. and he said go and say to this people Ye shall heare in deede but ye shall not vnderstand But Paul quoting the same place spake on this maner Well spake the H. Ghost by Esay the Prophet saying goe vnto this people and say vnto them Now these places being compared together make it plaine that the title of Iehovah agreeth to the holy Ghost But yet the enemies of this truth which thinke that the holy Ghost is nothing else but the action or operation of God obiect out of the Scriptures to the contrarie I. God knoweth the Sonne the holy Ghost knoweth not the Sonne for none knoweth the sonne but the father ergo the holy Ghost is not God Answer That place excludeth no person in Trinitie but onely creatures and false gods and the meaning is this None that is no creature or idole god knoweth the sonne of God but the father And the opposition is made to exclude creatures not to exclude the holy Ghost Againe they obiect that the holy Ghost maketh request for vs with groanes and sighes that cannot be vttered ergo the holy Ghost is not God but rather a gift of God For he that is true God can not pray groane or sigh Answer Pauls meaning is thereby to signifie that the holy Ghost causeth vs to make requests and stirreth vp our heartes to groane and sigh to God for he said before we haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father Yet further they obiect the wordes of the angel Gabriel to the virgin Marie saying The vertue of the most high hath ouershadowed thee and hence they gather that if the holy Ghost be the vertue of God then he is not God indeede Answ. As Christ is called the word of God not a word made of letters or syllables but a substantiall word that is beeing for euer of the same substance with the father so in this place the holy Ghost is called the vertue of the most highest not because he is a created qualitie but because he is the substantiall vertue of the Father the sonne therfore God equal with them both Furthermore they alledge that neither the Scriptures nor the practise of the Primitiue Church doth warrant vs to pray to the holy Ghost Ans. It is not true For whensoeuer we direct our praier to any one of the three persons in him we pray to them all Besides we haue example of praier made to the holy Ghost in the word of God For Paul saith to the Corinthians The grace of our Lord Iesus the loue of God the father and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with you all And the words are as if Paul had said thus O father let thy loue O sonne let thy grace O holy Ghost let thy fellowship be with them all And therefore this first doctrine is true and as wel to be beleeued as any other that the holy Ghost is God The second point is that the holy Ghost is a distinct person from the father and the sonne Hereupon the articles touching the three persoÌ„s are thus distinguished I beleue in the father I beleeue in the sonne I beleeue in the H. Ghost This point also is consonant to the Scriptures which make the same distinctioÌ„ In the baptisme of Christ the father vttereth a voice from heauen saying This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased not the Sonne or the holy Ghost Secondly the Sonne stoode in the water and was baptised by Iohn and not the Father or the holy Ghost Thirdly the holy Ghost descended from heauen vpon Christ in the forme of a doue and not the father or the sonne but the holy Ghost alone Christ in his commission vnto his disciples saith Goe teach all nations baptizing them into the name of the father the sonne and the holy Ghost Now if the holy Ghost had beene the same person either with the father or with the sonne then it had beene sufficient to haue named the father and the sonne onely And the distinction of the third person from the rest may be conceiued by this that the holy Ghost is the holy Ghost and not the father or the sonne The third point to be beleeued is that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the father and the sonne For a further proofe hereof consider these places Paul saith Ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit for the spirit of God dwelleth in you But if any maÌ„ haue not the spirit of Christ he is not his againe Because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of the sonne into your hearts where we may obserue that the holy Ghost is the spirit both of the father and of the sonne Now the holy Ghost is called the spirit of the father not onely because he is sent of him but because hee proceedeth from the father as Christ saith to his disciples When the comforter will come whome I

Creede is concerning God and the church For in these two points consisteth the whole summe therof Lastly I say that it is gathered forth of the scripture to make a difference betweene it other writings and to shew the authoritie of it There be two kind of writings in which the doctrine of the church is handled they are either divine or Ecclesiasticall Diuine are the bookes of the old new Testament penned either by Prophets or Apostles And these are not only the pure word of God but also the scripture of god because not only the matter of them but the whole disposition thereof with the stile the phrase was set down by the immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost And the authoritie of these bookes is diuine that is absolute and soveraigne they are of sufficieÌ„t credit in and by theÌ„selves needing not the â—estimony of any creature not subiect to the ceÌ„sure either of meÌ„ or angels binding the coÌ„scieÌ„ces of all meÌ„ at all times being the only fouÌ„datioÌ„ of faith the rule canoÌ„ of all truth Ecclesiasticall writings are all other ordinary writings of the church consenting with scriptures These may be called the word or truth of God so far forth as their matter or substance is consenting with the written worde of God but they cannot be called the scripture of God because the stile and phrase of them was set downe according to the pleasure of man And therfore they are in such sort the word of god as that also they are the word of men And their authoritie in defining of trueth falshood in matters of religion is not soveraigne but subordinate to the former and it doth not stand in the authority pleasures of men councels but in the consent which they haue with the scriptures Ecclesiasticall writings are either generall particular or proper Generall are the Creedes and confessions of the Church dispersed over the whole world and among the rest the Creed of the Apostles made either by the Apostles themselues or by their hearers disciples apostolical men delivered to the Church conveyed from hand to hand to our times Particular writings are the confessions of particular Churches Proper writings are the books confessions of private men Now betweene these we must make difference For the Generall Creede of the Apostles other universall Creeds in this case not excepted though it be of lesse authoritie then Scripture yet hath it more authoritie then the particular and priuate writings of Churches and men For it hath bene received and approved by universall consent of the Catholike Church in all ages and so were neuer these in it the meaning and doctrine can not be changed by the authoritie of the whole Catholicke Church and if either the order of the doctrine or the wordes whereby it is expressed should upon some occasion be changed a particular Church of any cuntry can not doe it without Catholike consent of the whole Church yet particular writings coÌ„fessions made by some speciall Churches may be altered in the words in the points of doctrine by the same Churches without offence to the Catholicke Church Lastly it is receiued as a rule of faith amoÌ„g all churches to try doctrines interpretations of scriptures by not because it is a rule of it selfe for that the scripture is alone but because it boroweth his authority from scripture with which it agreeth And this honour no other writings of men can haue Here some may demaund the number of Creeds Answ. I say but one Creede as there is but one faith and if it be alledged that we have many Creedes as besides this of the Apostles the Nicene Creede and Athanasius Creede c. I answer the severall Creedes and confessions of Churches containe not seuerall faithes and religions but one and the same and this called the Apostles Creed is most ancient principall all the rest are not new Creedes in substance but in some points penned more largely for the exposition of it that men might better avoid the heresies of their times Futther it may be demaunded in what forme this Creed was penned Answ. In the forme of an answer to a question The reason is this In the Primitiue Church when any man was turned from Gentilisme to the faith of Christ and was to be baptised this question was asked him What beleeuest thou then he answered according to the forme of the Creede I beleeve in God c. And this manner of questioning was used euen from the time of the Apostles When the Eunuch was converted by Philip he said What doth let me to be baptised Philip said If thou doest beleeve with all thine heart thou maiest Then he answered I beleeve that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God By this it appeares that although all men for the most part amongst vs can say this Creede yet not one of a thousand can tell the ancient and first use of it for commonly at this day of the simpler sort it is said for a prayer being indeede no prayer and when it is used so men make it no better then a charme Before vve come to handle the particular pointes of the Creed it is very requisite that we should make an entrance thereto by describing the nature properties and kindes of faith the confession and ground whereof is set foorth in the Creede Faith therefore is a gift of God whereby we giue assent or credence to Gods word For there is a necessarie relatioÌ„ between faith gods word The coÌ„mon property of faith is noted by the authour of the Hebrews when he saith Faith is the ground of things hoped for and the demonstration of things that are not seene For all this may be understoode not onely of iustifying faith but also of temporarie faith and the faith of miracles Where faith is said to be a ground the meaning is that though there are many things promised by God which men do not presently enioy but only hope for because as yet they are not yet faith doeth after a sort giue subsisting or being vnto them Secondly it is an euidence or demonstration c. that is by beleeuing a maÌ„ doth make a thing as it were visible being otherwise invisible abseÌ„t Faith is of two sorts either common faith or the faith of the elect as Paul saith he is an Apostle according to the faith of Gods elect which also is called faith without hypocrisie The common faith is that which both elect and reprobate haue and it is threefold I. is historicall faith which is when a man doth beleeve the outward letter and historie of the word It hath two partes knowledge of Gods worde and an assent to the same knowledge it is to be found in the deuill and his angels So S. Iames saith the devils beleeve and tremble Some will say what a faith haue they Answ. Such as thereby they understand both the Law and

the Gospell besides they giue an assent to it to be true and they do more yet in that they tremble and feare And many a man hath not so much For amongst vs there is many a one which hath no knowledge of God at all more then he hath learned by the common talke of the world as namely that there is a God and that he is mercifull c. and yet this man will say that he beleeueth with all his heart but without knowledge it can not be that any should truly beleeue therfore he deceiveth himselfe Quest. But whence haue the devils historicall faith were they illuminated by the light of the spirit Answ. No but when the Gospell was preached they did acknowledge it and beleeued it to be true that by vertue of the reliques of Gods image which remained in them since their fall And therefore this their faith doeth not arise from any speciall illumination by his spirit but they attaine to it by the light of nature which was left in them from the beginning The second kind of faith is Temporary faith so called because it lasteth but for a time and season and commonly not to the end of a mans life This kind of faith is noted unto us in the parable of the seede that fell in the stony ground And there be two differences or kinds of this faith The first kinde of temporary faith hath in it three degrees The first is to know the word of God and particularly the Gospell The second to giue an assent unto it The third to professe it but to goe no further and all this may be done without any loue to the word This faith hath one degree more then historicall faith Examples of it we haue in Simon Magus Acts. 8.13 who is said to beleeue because he held the doctrine of the Apostle to be true and withall he professed it and in the devils also who in some sort professed that Christ was the sonne of the most highest yet looked for no saluation by him Mark 5.7 Act. 19.14 And this is the common faith that abounds in this land Men say they beleeue as the prince beleeueth and if religion chaÌ„ge they will change For by reason of the authoritie of princes lawes they are made to learne some litle knowledge of the word they beleeue it to be good they professe it thus for the space of thirtie or fourtie yeres they will heare the word preached and receiue the sacraments and yet be as void of grace as euer they were at the first day the reason is because men doe barely professe it without either liking or loue of the same The second kinde of temporarie faith hath in it fiue degrees For by it first a man knows the word Secondly he assenteth unto it III. he professeth it IIII. he reioyceth inwardly in it V. he bringeth forth some kind of fruit and yet for all this hath no more in him but a faith that will faile in the end because he wanteth the effectuall applicatioÌ„ of the promise of the gospel is without all maner of sound conversioÌ„ This faith is like corne in the house top which groweth for a while but when heate of sommer coÌ„meth it withereth And this is also set forth vnto vs in the parable of the seede which fell in a stony ground which is hastie in springing up but because of the stones which will not suffer it to take deepe roote it withereth And this is a very common faith in the Church of God by which many reioyce in the preaching of the worde and for a time bring forth some fruits accordingly with shewe of great forwardnesse yet afterward shake of religion and all But some will say howe can this be a temporary faith seeing it hath such fruits Answ. Such a kind of faith is temporary because it is grounded on temporarie causes vvhich are three I. A desire to get knovvledge of some straunge pointes of religion For many a man doth labour for the fiue former degrees of temporarie faith onely because he desires to get more knovvledge in scripture then other men haue The second cause is a desire of praise among men which is of that force that it will make a man put on a shevve of all the graces vvhich God bestoweth on all his children though otherwise he want them and to go very farre in religion vvhich appeareth thus Some can very bitterly weepe for the sinnes of other men and yet haue neither sorrowe nor griefe for their owne and the cause hereof is nothing else but pride For he that sheddes teares for another mans sinnes should much more vveepe for his owne if he had grace Yet thus are many men disposed euen of pride and nothing else Againe a man for his owne sinnes vvill pray very slackly and dully when he prayeth priuately and yet when he is in the company of others will pray very fervently and earnestly From vvhence is this difference surely often it springeth from the pride of heart and from a desire of praise among men The third cause of temporarie faith is profit commodity the getting of wealth and riches These make man to receive religion and if other religion come they vvill receiue it asvvell as this But such studies not the gospell because it is the gospell but because it brings wealth peace and riches with it And these are the three causes of temporarie faith The third kind of faith is the faith of Miracles vvhen a man grounding himselfe on some speciall promise or revelation from God doeth beleeve that some straunge extraordinarie thing vvhich he hath desired or foretold shall come to passe by the vvork of God This must be distinguished from historicall temporarie faith For Simon Magus had both these kindes of faith but yet wanted this faith of miracles therfore would haue bought the same of the Apostles for mony Yet this faith of miracles may be in hypocrites as it vvas in Iudas at the last iudgement it shall be found to haue bin in the wicked reprobate which shal say to Christ Lorde in thy name we haue prophesied and cast out deuils and done many great miracles And thus much for the three sorts of common faith Now we must come to the true faith which is the faith of the elect It is thus defined Faith is a supernaturall gift of God in the mind apprehending the sauing promise with al the promises that depend on it First I say it is a gift of God Phil. 1.29 to confute the blind opinioÌ„ of our people that think that the faith wherby they are to be saued is bred borne with theÌ„ I adde that it is a gift supernaturall not onely because it is aboue that corrupt nature in which we are borne but also because it is aboue that pure nature in which our first parents were created For in the state of innocencie they wanted this faith neither

is one thing to beleeue in this or that is another thing and it conteineth in it 3. points or actions of a beleeuer 1. to know a thing 2. to acknowledge the same 3. to put trust and confidence in it And in this order must these three actions of faith be applied to euery article following which concerneth God And herein is contained a speciall matter For alwaies by adding them to the words following we doe applie the article vnto our selues in a very comfortable manner As I beleeue in the father and doe beleeue that he is my father and therefore I put my whole trust in him and so of the rest Now we come to the obiect of generall faith which is either God or the Church in handling of both which I wil obserue this order I. I will speake of the meaning of euery article II. Of the duties which we ought to learn thereby III. And lastly of the consolations which may be gathered thence Concerning God three things are to be considered And first by reason of manifold doubtings that rise in our minds it may be demanded whether there be a God many reasons might be vsed to resolue those that haue scruple of conscience otherwaies we are bound to beleeue that there is a God without al doubting As for those Atheists which confidently auouch there is no God by Gods lawe they ought to die the death nay the earth is too good for such to dwell on Malefactours as theeues and rebells for their offences haue their rewarde of death but the offence of those which denie that there is a God is greater and therefore deserues the most cruell death The second point followeth namely what God is Answer Moses desiring to see Gods face was not permitted but to see his hinder parts and therefore no man can be able to describe God by his nature but by his effects properties on this or such like maner God is an essence spirituall simple infinite most holy I say first of all that God is an essence to shew that he is a thing absolutely subsisting in himselfe by himselfe not receiuing his being from any other And herein he differeth froÌ„ all creatures whatsoeuer which haue subsisting beeing from him alone Againe I say that he is an essence spirituall because hee is not a kinde of body neither hath he the parts of the bodies of meÌ„ or other creatures but is in nature a spirit inuisible not subiect to any of mans senses I adde also that he is a simple essence because his nature admits no maner of composition of matter or forme or parts The creatures are compounded of diuers parts of varietie of nature but there is no such thing in God for whatsoeuer thing he is he is the same by one the same singular and indiuisible essence Furthermore he is infinite and that diuers waies infinite in time without any beginning and without end infinite in place because he is euery where and excluded no where within all places and foorth of all places Lastly he is most holy that is of infinite wisdome mercie loue grace goodnes c. and he alone is rightly tearmed most holy because holinesse is of the very nature of God himselfe wheras among the most excellent creatures it is otherwise As for example a man is one thing and the holines of man is another Thus we see what God is and to this effect god describes himself to be Iehova Elohim Paul describes him to be a King euerlasting immorall inuisible onely wise to whom is due all honour glorie for euer The thirde point is touching the number of Gods namely whether there be more Gods then one or no. Ans. There is not neither can there be any more Gods then one VVhich point the Creede auoucheth in saying I beleeue in God not gods and yet more plainly the Nicene Creede and the Creede of Athanasius both of them explaning the words of the Apostles Creede on this maner I beleeue in one God Howsoeuer some in former times haue erroneously held that two Gods were the begining of all things one of good things the other of euill things others that there was one God in the old testament an other in the new others againe namely the Valintinians that there were 30. couple of gods and the heathen people as Augustine recordeth worshipped 30. thousand gods yet we that are members of Gods Church must hold and beleeue one God alone no more Deut. 4.39 Vnderstand this day and consider in thine heart that Iehovah he is God in heauen aboue and vpon the earth beneath there is none other Eph. 4.8 One God one faith one baptisme If it be alleadged that the Scripture mentioneth many gods because Magistrates are called gods Moses is called Aarons god the deuill and all idols are called gods The answer is this They are not properly or by nature gods for in that respect there is onely one God but they are so tearmed in other respects Magistrates are gods because they be Vicegerents placed in the roome of the true God to gouerne their subiects Moses is Aarons god because he was in the roome of god to reueale his will to Aaron the deuill is a god because the hearts of the wicked would giue the honour vnto him which is peculiar to the euerliuing God idols are called gods because they are such in mens conceits and opinions who esteeme of them as of gods Therefore Paul faith an idole is nothing in the worlde that is nothing in nature subsisting or nothing in respect of the diuinitie ascribed vnto it To proceede forwarde to beleeue in this one God is in effect thus much 1. to knowe and acknowledge him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his worde 2. to beleeue him to be my God 3. from mine heart to put all mine affiance in him To this purpose Christ saith This is eternall life to knowe thee the onely God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Nowe the knowledge here meant is not a bare or generall knowledge for that the deuills haue but a more speciall knowledge whereby I know God not onely to be God but also to be my God and thereupon doe put my confidence in him And thus much of the meaning of the first wordes I beleeue in God c. Nowe followe the duties which may be gathered hence First of all if wee are bound to beleeue in God then wee are also bound to take notice of our naturall vnbeliefe to checke our selues for it and to striue against it Thus dealt the father of the childe that had a dumme spirite Lord saith he J beleeue Lorde helpe myne vnbeleefe And David Why art thou cast dovvne my soule and why art thou so disquieted in me wayt on God And that which our Sauiour Christ said once to Peter should a man say euery day to himselfe O thou of little faith why hast thou doubted But

some may say wherein standes our vnbeleefe Answer It standes in two thinges I. In distrusting the goodnesse of God that is in giuing to little or no affiance to him or in putting affiance in the creature For the first fewe men will abide to be told of there distrust in God but in deede it is a common and rife corruption and though they soothe themselues neuer so yet their vsuall dealings proclaime their vnbeleefe Goe thorough all places it shall be founde that scarce one of a thousand in his dealings makes conscience of a lie a great part of men gets their wealth by fraud and oppression and all kinde of vniust and vnmercifull dealing VVhat is the cause that they can doe so Alas alas if there be any faith it is pinned vp in some by-corner of the heart and vnbeleefe beares sway as the lorde of the house Againe if a man had as much wealth as the world comes to he could finde in his heart to wish for an other and if he had two worldes he would be casting for the thirde if it might be compassed the cause hereof is men haue not learned to make God their portion and to stay their affections on him which if they could doe a meane portion in temporall blessings would be enough Such men will not yeilde that they doe indeede distrust the Lord vnlesse at some time they be touched in conscience vvith a sense of their sinnes and be thoroughly humbled for the same but indeede distrust of Gods goodnesse is a generall and a mother sinne the ground of all other sinnes and the very first and principall sinne in Adams fall And for the second part of vnbeleefe which is an affiance in the creature reade the whole booke of God and we shall finde it a common sinne in all sorts of men some putting their trust in riches some in strength some in pleasures some placing their felicitie in one sinne some in an other VVhen King Asa was sicke he put his trust in the Phisitians and not in the Lorde And in our daies the common practise is when crosses and calamities fall then there is trotting out to that wise man to this cunning woman to this sorcerer to that wisard that is from God to the deuill and their counsell is receiued and practised without any bones making And this shewes the bitter roote of vnbeleefe and confidence in vaine creatures let men smoothe it ouer with goodly tearmes as long as they will In a worde there is no man in the worlde be hee called or not called if he looke narrowly vnto himselfe hee shall finde his heart almost filled with manifolde doubtings and distrustings whereby hee shall feele him selfe euen carried away from beleeuing in God Therefore the duetie of euery man is that vvill truely say that hee beleeues in God to labour to see his owne vnbeleefe and the fruits thereof in his life As for such as say they haue no vnbeleefe nor feele none more pitifull is their case For so much the greater is their vnbeleefe Secondly considering that wee professe our selues to beleeue in God wee must euery one of vs learne to knowe God As Paul saith Hovv can they beleeue in him of vvhome they have not heard and hovve can they heare vvithout a preacher therefore none can beleeue in God but hee must first of all heare and be taught by the ministerie of the word to know God aright Let this be remembred of young and olde It is not the pattering ouer of the beleefe for a prayer that will make a man a good beleeuer but God must be knowne of vs and acknowledged as hee hath reuealed him selfe partly in his worde and partly in his creatures Blinde ignorance and the right vse of the Apostles Creede will neuer stande together Therefore it stands men in hande to labour and takes paines to get knowledge in religion that knowing God aright they may come steadfastly to beleeue in him Thirdly because wee beleeue in God therefore another duetie is to denie our selues vtterly and to become nothing in our selues Our Sauiour Christ requires of vs to become as little children if wee would beleeue The begger dependes not on the releefe of others till he finde nothing at home and till our hearts be purged of selfe-loue and pride wee can not depende on the fauour and goodnes of God Therefore he that would trust in God must first of all be abased and confounded in him selfe and in regard of him selfe be out of all hope of attaining to the least sparke of the grace of God Fourthly in that we beleeue in God and therefore put our whole trust and assurance in him wee are taught that euery man must commit his bodie his soule goods life yea all that hee hath into the handes of God and to his custodie So Paul saith I am not ashamed of my sufferings for I knowe whome I haue beleeued and am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day A worthie saying for what is the thing which Paul committed vnto the Lorde surely his owne soule and the eternall saluation thereof But what mooues him to trust God surely his perswasion whereby hee knowes that God will keepe it And Peter saith Let them that suffer according to the vvill of God commit their soules to him in well doing as vnto a faithfull creatour Looke as one friende layeth dovvne a thing to be kept of another so must a man giue all that hee hath to the custodie of God Fevve or none can practise this and therefore vvhen any euill befalls them eyther in bodie or in goods or any other vvay then they shewe them selues rather beastes then men in impatience For in prosperitie they vvoulde not trust in God and therefore in aduersitie vvhen crosses come they are voyde of comfort But when a man hath grace to beleeue and trust in God then hee commits all into Gods handes and though all the worlde should perish yet hee would not be dismaide And vndoubtedly if a man will be thankefull for the preseruation of his goods or of his life hee must shewe the same by committing all he hath into Gods handes and suffer him selfe to be ruled by him Nowe followes the consolations and comforts which Gods Church and children reape hereby First he that beleeues in God and takes God for his God may assure him selfe of saluation and of a happie deliuerance in all daungers and necessities When God threatned a plague vpon Israel for their idolatrie good king Iosiah humbled him selfe before the Lorde and he was safe all his daies And so King Hezekiah when Senacherib the king of Ashur offered to inuade Iudah he trusted in the Lorde and praied vnto him and was deliuered VVhereby we see if a man trust in God he shall haue securitie and quietnesse as Iehosaphat saide to the men of Iudah And our Sauiour Christ when he was

Lorde is eternall and this thirde heauen hath alwaies beene the place of the Lords abode and therefore it is also eternall Ansvver True it is that God doeth shewe his glorie and maiestie in the thirde heauen but yet that cannot obtaine his godhead as Salomon saith Beholde the heavens and the heavens of heavens are not able to containe thee Wherefore though God doeth manifest his eternall glorie in this thirde heauen yet it doeth not follow that therefore it shoulde be eternall for he needes no place to dvvell in for hee is every where filling all things with his presence excluded from no place The seconde question where this thirde heauen is Ansvvere There are some protestants say it is euery where and they hold this opinion to maintaine the reall presence of the Lordes body in or about the Sacrament But if it vvere euery where then hell shoulde be in heauen which no man will say but heauen indeed is aboue these visible heauens which we see with our eyes so the Apostle saith Christ ascended on high farre above all heauens c. And againe it is saide of Steven that beeing full of the holy ghost He looked up steadfastly into the heauens and sawe them open and the sonne of man standing at the right hand of God Thirdly it may be demanded why God created this thirde heauen Ansvver God made it for this cause that there might be a certaine place wherein he might make manifest his glorie and maiestie to his elect angels and men for the which cause it was created a thousand folde more glorious then the two former heavens are in which respect it is called Paradise by reason of the ioy and pleasure arising from Gods glorious presence And our Sauiour Christ calleth it the house of God his father because into it must be gathered all Gods children It is called the kingdome of heaven because God is the King thereof and ruleth there in perfect glorie True it is God hath his kingdome here on earth but he ruleth not so fully and gloriously here as hee shall in heauen for this is the kingdome of grace but that is the kingdome of his glorie where he so reigneth that he will be all in all first in Christ and then in the elect both Angels and men Now followes the duties wherunto we are moved principally in consideration of the making of the third heauen First if God created it especially for the manifestation of his glorie unto men that at the ende of this world by the fruition of Gods most glorious presence there they might haue perfect ioye and felicitie wee haue occasion here to consider the wonderfull madnesse of the vvorlde that reigneth euery where among men which onely haue regarde to the state of this life and cast all their care on this world and neuer so much as dreame of the ioyfull and blessed estate which is prepared for Gods children in the highest heauen If a man hauing two houses one but a homely cottage and the other a princely pallace should leaue the better and take all the care and paines for the dressing up of the first would not euerie man say he were a mad man yes undoubtedly And yet this is the spirituall madnesse that reigneth euery where among men for God hath prepared for us two houses one is this our bodie which we beare about us which is an house of clay as Iob saith VVee dvvell in houses of clay whose foundation is dust which shall be destroyed before the moth and as Peter saith a Tabernacle or tent which wee must shortly take downe and wherein we abide but as pilgrimes and strangers Againe the same God of his wonderfull goodnesse hath provided for us a second house in the third heauen wherein we must not abide for a time and so depart but for euermore enioy the blessed felicitie of his glorious presence For all this marke a spirituall phrensie possessing the mindes of men for they imploy all their care and industrie for the maintaining of this house of claye whose foundation is but dust but for the blessed estate of the second house which is prepared for them in the kingdome of heauen they haue no regarde or care They vvill both runne and ride from place to place day and night both by Sea and lande but for vvhat Is it for the preparing of a mansion place in the heauenly Ierusalem Nothing lesse for they will scarse goe forth of the doore to use any meanes whereby they may come unto it but all their studie is to patch vp the ruines and breaches of their earthly cabbine Now let all men iudge in their owne consciences whether as I haue saide this be not more then senselesse madnesse Againe the body is but a tabernacle wherein we must rest as it were for a night as a stranger doeth in an Inne and so away but the second house is eternall in the heavens an everlasting seate of all felicitie And therefore our dutie is aboue all things to seeke the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnesse thereof as Christ himselfe biddeth us And if the Lorde haue there prepared such a place for vs then wee must in this worlde use all good meanes whereby we may be made worthy the fruition of it also fitte and ready at the day of death to enter into it which at the day of iudgement we shall fully possesse both in soule and body and there reigne eternally in all happinesse with God Almightie our creatour the father the sonne and the holy ghost But some may say how shall a man so prepare himselfe that he may be fitte for that place Ansvver This the holy ghost teacheth us for speaking of this heauenly Ierusalem hee saith There shall enter into it none uncleane thing neither whatsoever vvorketh abomination or lyes The meanes then to make our selues fitte is to seeke to be reconciled to God in Christ for our sinnes past and withall to indeauour to haue an assurance of the free remission and pardon of them all in the blood of Christ. And as touching that part of life which is to come wee must remember what S. Iohn saith Euery one that hath this hope purifieth himselfe meaning that he which hath hope to reigne with Christ in heauen vseth the meanes whereby he may purifie and keepe himselfe from sinne as also he saith after that he which is borne of God keepeth himselfe and the wicked one toucheth him not Signifying that all such persons as are truly iustified and sanctified carrie such a narrowe and straite watch ouer the whole course of their liues and conuersations that the deuill can neuer giue them deadlie wounds and wholly ouercome them Now the man that is resolued in his conscience of the pardon of his sinne for the time past and hath a steadfast purpose in his heart to keepe himselfe upright and continually to walke in righteousnesse and true holinesse all the daies

when thou art converted confirme thy brethren and be readie at all times to render an account of our faith and religion euen before our enemies vvhen wee are iustly called so to doe Secondly because we are set apart in Christ to become spirituall priests vnto God we must therefore offer spirituall sacrifices acceptable unto him and they be in number seven The first is an affiance whereby we rest upon God as Dauid saith Offer the sacrifice of righteousnesse and trust in the Lord. The second is wholly to subiect our selues to the ministerie of the gospell that wee may be changed and converted by it as Paul saith That hee ministred the Gospell to the Gentiles that the offering vp of them might be acceptable beeing sanctified by the holy Ghost The thirde is all manner of prayers and supplications made unto God Let my prayer saieth David be directed in thy sight as incense and the lifting vp of mine handes as an evening sacrifice The fourth is praising and thankesgiving unto God Let vs by him offer the sacrifice of praise alvvaies to God that is the fruite of the lippes vvhich confesse his name And in the Revelation the golden vials full of odors are the praiers of the saints The fift is the reliefe of our poore breethren according to our ability as Paul saieth I vvas even filled after that I had receiued of Epaphroditus that vvhich came from you an odour that smelleth sweete a sacrifice pleâ—sant and acceptable to God The sixt is the deniall of our selues with a contrite and broken heart The seuenth is to resigne our selues bodies and soules wholly to the seruice of God Set your selues saith Paul to God as they that are aliue from the dead and your members as weapons of righteousnesse unto God In which wordes he alludes to the manner of the old Testament when a man offered any sacrifice for himselfe hee brought the beast into the temple or tabernacle and set it before the altar in token that hee did resigne it vnto God and so wee for our partes must not giue our bodies and soules to become the instruments of sinne satan but we must haue them alwaies in readinesse freely presenting them vnto him that he may haue the whole disposition of them according to his good pleasure to the honour and glorie of his name Againe in the whole burnt offering all was consumed and turned to smoke no man hauing benefite of it to signifie that we must give our selues not in part but wholly to the service of God euen to death if need be If this be so miserable is the practise of such that giue up their bodies and soules to liue in licentious wantonnesse in the pleasures of their beastly sinnes in idlenesse For they offer themselues a sacrifice not to God but to the devill Thirdly considering wee are annointed to be spirituall kinges euen in this life wee must walke worthie so great a calling That this may be so first of all such as are governours set ouer others must rule not according to their willes and pleasures but in the Lorde withall doeing homage to their heade and king Christ Iesus him-selfe Secondly vvee must euerie one of vs rule and beare sway euen as kings ouer our owne thoughtes willes affections over-mastering them as much as wee can by Gods worde and spirite withall maintaining and proclaiming continuall warre against our corrupt natures the deuill and the worlde And truely hee which can beare rule ouer his owne heart is a right king indeede and hauing receiued some measure of grace to raigne ouer himselfe in this life he shall raigne for ever with Christ in the life to come As for such as are carried away with the svvinge of their corruptions hauing blindnesse and ignorance to raigne in their mindes rebellion in their willes and affections loosenesse in their whole liues they may carrie the forme of Christians as long as they will but indeede they are no spirituall kings but bondemen the strong man satan keepes as yet the hold of their hearts as Lord and king holds up his scepter there Lastly seeing Christ is annointed with the most pretious baulme that ever was and that for our sakes he must be sweete and savourie unto us and all other things must be as vnsavorie drosse and dung in regarde of him VVee must in this case indeauour to say as the spouse of Christ doth Because of the savour of the good oyntments thy name is an ointment powred out therefore the virgins love thee O that we could savour in the feare of God that wee might perceive how all his garments smell of myrrhe aloes and cassia comming forth of his ivory pallaces vnto vs. And because the holy ointment of Christ is powred forth upon all his members to make them favourie and sweete in the presence of God let us make conscience of all maner of sinne lest by the poison and stincke thereof wee infect not onely our selues but all the creatures of God which wee vse yea heaven and earth itselfe It standes not with equitie that after we haue beene embaulmed and sweetned by the pretious merites of Christ that we should make our selues as two footed swine to returne to the mire of our old sinnes The coupling and combining of these two former titles togither containes the principali question of the whole bible which is whether Iesus the sonne of Mary be Christ or no as S. Iohn saith These things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and that in beleeving yee might have life everlasting This conclusion was denied by the Iewes but avouched and confirmed both by Christ and by his Apostles and their principall argument was framed thus He which hath the true notes of Christ is the Messias or Christ indeed but Iesus the Sonne of Mary hath the true notes of Christ therfore Iesus is Christ. The proposition is opened at large in the prophesies of the old testament the assumption is confirmed in the writings of the new testament the principall reasons of the confirmation are couched in the articles which coÌ„cern the second person The conclusion followes is set down as I haue said in the knitting togither of the titles Iesus and Christ. Thus much of the second title now followeth the third his only Sonne that is the only sonne of the first person the father In this title we must consider 2. things the first that he is the sonne of God the second that he is the only Sonne of God Touching the first Christ is called the SoÌ„ne of God because he was begotteÌ„ of the father Now for the opening of this eternall generation we must consider three pointes the thing begotten the maner of begetting the time For the thing it selfe it is Christ who must be coÌ„sidered 2. waies as he is a sonne as he is God As he is a sonne he is

vnderstood with two caveats The first is that infirmities be either certaine vnblameable passions or else such defects as are sinnes in themselues nowe Christ takes the first onely and not the second Secondly infirmities be either generall or personall generall which appertaine to the whole nature of man and are to be found in euery man that comes of Adam as to be borne vnlearned and subiect to naturall affections as sorrowe anger c. Personall are such as appertaine to some particular men and not to all and arise of some priuate causes and particular iudgements of God as to be borne a foole to be sicke of an ague consumption dropsie pleuresie and such like diseases Now the first sort be in Christ and not the second for as he tooke not the person of any man but onely mans nature so was it sufficient for him to take vnto him the infirmities of mans nature though hee tooke not the priuate infirmities of any mans person And the reason why Christ would put on not onely the substance and faculties of a true man but also his infirmities was that hee might shewe him selfe to be very man indeed also that he might suffer for vs both in bodie and soule and that he might giue vs an example of patience in bearing all manner of euill for Gods glorie and the good of our neighbour Now the things which may be alleadged to the contrarie for the infringing of the truth of Christs manhood are of no moment As first because Christ appeared in the forme of a man in the old testament beeing no man therefore he did so at his comming in the newe testament but the reason is not like For Christ in the old testament as the angell of his father in some speciall affaires tooke vnto him the bodie of a man for some space of time but he did not receiue it into the vnitie of his person but laid it downe when the busines which he enterprised with men was ended Now in the fulnes of time he came from heauen as the angell of the covenant and for that cause he was to vnite into his owne person the nature of man And when as Paul saith that Christ came in the similitude of sinnefull flesh his meaning is not to signifie that he was a man onely in resemblance and shewe but to testifie that beeing a true man indeede void of sinne was content to abase himselfe to that condition in which he became like to a miserable sinner in bearing the punishment for our sinne For Paul doth not say that he tooke vpon him the similitude of flesh simply as it is flesh but of the flesh of sinne or sinnefull flesh The third question is why the sonne of God must become man Answer There be sundrie reasons of this point and the most principall are these First of all it is a thing that greatly standes with the iustice of God that in that nature in which God was offended in the same should be a made satisfaction to God for sinne nowe sinne was committed in mans nature Adam sinned first and in him all his posteritie therefore it is very necessarie that in mans nature there should be a satisfaction made to Gods iustice and therefore the sonne of God must needes abase himselfe and become man for our sakes Secondly by the right of creation euery man is bounde in conscience to fulfull euen the very rigour and extremitie of the morall lawe But considering man is nowe fallen from his first estate and condition therefore it was requisite that the sonne of God should become man that in mans nature hee might fulfill all righteousnes which the law doth exact at our handes Thirdly hee that is our redeemer must die for our sinnes for their is no remission of sinnes without shedding of bloode but Christ as he is God can not die For no passion can befall the Godhead Therefore it was needefull that hee should become man that in mans nature hee might die and fully satisfie Gods iustice for mans offence Lastly hee that must make reconciliation betweene God and man must be such an one as may make request or speake both to God and man For a Mediatour is as it were a middle person making intercession betweene two other persons the one offended the other offending Therefore it is necessarie that Christ should not onely be God to speake vnto the father for vs and to present our praiers vnto him but also man that God might speake to vs and we to God by Christ. For howsoeuer before the fal man could speake to God euen face to face yet since the fall such feare possesseth mans corrupt nature that he cannot abide the presence of God but flieth from it Nowe whereas I say that it was necessarie that the sonne of God for the causes before alleadged must become man the necessitie must be vnderstood in respect of Gods will and not in respect of his power For if it had so pleased God hee was able to haue laide downe an other kinde of way of mans redemption then by the incarnation of the sonne of God and he appointed no other way because he would not Thus much of the Incarnation in generall Now followe the duties vvhich arise of it And first vvee are taught hereby to come to Christ by faith and vvith all our heartes to cleaue unto him Great is the deadnesse and sluggishnesse of mans nature for scarse one of a thousande cares for him or seekes unto him for righteousnesse and life euerlasting But wee shoulde excite our selues euerie vvay to dravve neare to him as much as possibly vvee may for when hee was incarnate hee came neare unto us by taking our nature upon him that wee againe whatsoeuer wee are might come neare unto him by taking unto us his divine nature Againe when Christ was incarnate he was made bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh therfore proportionally we must labour to become bone of his bone flesh of his flesh which we shall be when we are mistically united unto him by faith born anew by his spirit Moreouer Christ by his incarnation came down froÌ„ heauen to vs that we being partakers of his grace might ascend vp to heauen by him And thus we see how the meditation of Christs incarnation should be a spurre to pricke vs forwarde still more and more to come to Christ. Secondly Christs incarnation must be a patterne vnto vs of a most wonderfull and straunge humilitie For as Paul saith Beeing in the forme of God and thinking it no robberie to be equall with God made himselfe of no reputation and tooke on him the forme of a seruant and humbled himselfe and became obedient to death euen to the death of the crosse Yea so farrefoorth abased hee himselfe that as David saith he was a worme and no man And this teacheth vs to lay aside all selfe-loue and pride of heart and to practise the dueties of

humilitie as the Apostle exhorts the Philippians in the same place and that shall wee doe when we beginne to cast off that high opinion which euery man by nature conceiueth of himselfe become vile base in our own eyes Secure and drowsie protestants thinke themselues blessed and say in their hearts as the Angell of the Church of Laodicea said I am rich and increased with golde and haue neede of nothing whereas indeede they are most miserable and wretched and poore and naked and blinde And the same fond opinion possesseth the mindes of our ignorant people who chaunt it in the very same tune saying that God loues them and that they loue God with all their hearts and their neighbours as them selues that they haue perfect faith in Christ and euer had not once so much as doubting of their saluation that all is well with them and that they are past all daunger whatsoeuer in the matter of their saluation and therefore neede not take so much care for it Thus ye may see how men are commonly carried away with vain and fond conceits of their own excellencie And truely so long as this ouerweening of our owne righteousnes raignes in our hearts let Preachers speake and say what they will wee will neuer become followers of Christ in the practise of humilitie Some will say peradventure that they neuer had any such opinion of their owne righteousnesse but I answeare againe that there was never yet any man descending of Adam saue Christ but hee had this proude phantasie ruling and raigning in him till such time as God giue grace to chaunge and altar his heart and this inwarde pride the lesse wee discerne it the more it is and the more we discerne it the lesse it is Therefore though as yet thou see it not in thy selfe yet labour both to see it and to feele it and to striue against it casting downe thy selfe for thine owne miserie after Christes owne example who beeing God abased him selfe to the condition of a miserable man For thou shalt neuer be filled with the good things of God till thou be emptied of selfe-loue and selfe-liking For this cause let us purge and emptie our selues of all conceit of our owne righteousnesse that God may fill our heartes with his grace Furthermore the Incarnation of Christ is the ground and foundation of all our comforte as the names of Christ seruing to expresse the same doe testifie Iaakob in his last testament saieth that the scepter shall not depart from Iudah till Shilo that is the Messias come Now the name Shilo signifieth the tunicle or skinne that lappeth the infante in the mothers wombe called by the Phisitians the Secundine and by a kinde of figure it is put for the Sonne of God in the wombe of the virgine made man And Iob to comforte him-selfe in his affliction saieth I knovve that my redeemer liveth Now the worde which he useth to signifie his redeemer by is verie emphaticall for it signifieth a kinsman neere allyed vnto him of his owne flesh that will restore him to life And the Lorde by the prophet Esai calleth Christ Immanuel that is God with vs which name importeth verie much namely that whereas by nature we haue lost our fellowshippe with God because our sinnes are a wall of partition severing vs from him yet neverthelesse the same is restored to all that beleeue by the Mediatour Christ Iesus because his divine nature is coupled to mans nature and so the word is made flesh And this strait coniunction of two natures into one person ioynes God to men and men to God yea by Christ wee are brought to God and haue free accesse unto him and againe in him wee apprehend God and are made one with him And further whereas Christ beside our nature tooke our infirmities also it is a wonderfull comforte unto Gods Church for it shewes that hee is not onely a Sauiour but also a verie compassionate and pitifull Sauiour As the holy ghost saith In all things it became Christ to be like vnto his breethren that hee might be mercifull and a faithfull high priest in things concerning God Let a man be sicke of a grievous disease and if a friend come that hath hene troubled with the same disease hee will shewe more compassion then twentie others and so Christ hauing felt in his owne soule and bodie the anguish and the manifolde perplexities that wee feele in our temptations and afflictions hath his bowels as it were earning towards vs euermore being prest and readie to relieve vs in all our miseries In the daies of his flesh he wept ouer Ierusalem when he saw it a farre off because she continued in her old sins did not know the time of her visitation and no doubt though now hee be exalted in glorie in heauen yet his compassion to his poore members upon earth is no whit diminished Nowe wee come to speake of the incarnation more particularly and the Creede yet further expresseth it by two partes the first is the conception of Christ in these wordes Conceived by the holy Ghost the second is his birth in the words following Borne of the virgine Mary The conception of Christ is set downe with his efficient cause the holy ghost as the Angell saide to Ioseph Feare not to take Marie for thy wife for that vvhich is conceived in her is of the holy ghost Here it may be demanded why the conception of Christ shoulde be ascribed to the holy ghost alone which is common to all the persons in Trinitie as all other such actions are Ansvvere It is not done to exclude the Father or the Sonne himselfe from this worke but to signifie that it comes of the free gifte and grace of God which commonly is tearmed by the name of the Holy Ghost that the manhoode of Christ being but a creature shoulde be advaunced to this dignitie that it shoulde become a parte of the sonne of God And againe the Holy Ghost is the authour of this conception in a speciall manner for the father and the sonne did cause it by the holy Ghost but the holy ghost did cause it from them both immediatly In the conception of Christ wee must obserue and consider three things The framing of the manhoode the sanctifying of it and the personall union of the manhoode with the godheade And howsoeuer I distinguish these three for orders sake yet must wee knowe and remember that they are all wrought at one and the same instant of time For when the Holy Ghost frames and sanctifies the manhood in the wombe of the virgine at the verie same moment it is receiued into the unitie of the second person In the forming of Christes manhoode two things must be considered the matter and the maner the matter of his body was the very flesh and bloud of the virgine Marie otherwise he could not haue beene the sonne of David of Abraham and Adam according

creation first received Gods image and after lost the same for himselfe his posteritie Now Christ to remooue the sinne of man is made the secoÌ„d Adam the roote and very head of all the elect His manhoode was filled with holinesse aboue measure that from thence as from a storehouse it might be deriued to all his members And therefore by his most holy conception our sinnefull birth and conception is sanctified and his holinesse serves as a cover to hide our manifold corruptions froÌ„ the eyes of God Yea it serues as a buckler to awarde the temptations of the deuill for when he shal say to our hearts on this maner no uncleane thing can enter into the kingdome of heauen but thou by reason of the remnants of originall sinne art uncleane therfore thou canst not enter into the kingdome of heauen we returne our answere saying that Christs righteousnesse is our righteousnesse seruing to make us stand without blame or spot before God And as Iacob put on Esaus garments that he might get his fathers blessingâ— so if by faith we doe put on the white garment of righteousnes of our elder brother Christ Iesus present our selues in it unto our heauenly father we shall obtaine his blessing which is eternall happinesse Now remaines the third and last part of the conception which is the unioÌ„ of the godhead the manhood concerning which many pointes are particularly to be handled The first is what kind of union this is Ans. In the Trinitie there be two sortes of unions vnion in nature and vnion in person Vnion in nature is when two or moe things are ioyned and united into one nature as the Father the Sonne the holy ghost being and remaining three distinct persons are one and the same in nature or godhead Vnion in person is when 2. things are in that maner vnited that they make but one person or subsistance As a body created by God a reasonable soule ioyned both togither make one particular man as Peter Paul Iohn c. And this second is the union whereof we intreat in this place by which the second person in Trinitie the sonne of God did vnite unto himselfe the humane nature that is the body and soule of man so as the godhead of the sonne and the manhoode concurring togither make but one person The second point is in what thing this union doth consist Ans. It consists in this that the second person the sonne of God doeth assume unto it a manhod in such order that it being void of all personall being in it selfe doth wholly and onely subsist in the same person As the plante called Miâ—tell having no roote of his owne both growes liues in the stock or body of the Oke or some other tree so the humane nature hauing no proper subsistance is as it were ingrafted into the person of the sonne and is wholly supported sustained by it so as it should not be at all if it were not sustained in that manner And for the better understanding of this point we must consider that there be foure degrees of the presence of God in his creatures The first is his generall presence and it may be called the presence of his providence whereby he preserueth the substances of all creatures and giueth unto them to liue moove and haue beeing and this extendeth it selfe to all creatures good and bad The second degree is the presence of grace whereby he doeth not onely preserue the substance of his creature but also giueth grace unto it and this agreeth to the Church and people of God upon earth The third degree is the presence of glorie peculiar to the saints and Angels in heauen and this standes in three things for God not onely preserues their substances and giues them plenty of his grace but also admittes them into his glorious presence so as they may behold his maiestie face to face The fourth and last is that whereby the godhead of the sonne is present and dwelles with in the manhood giuing unto it his owne subsistance Wherby it comes to passe that this manhood assumed is proper to the sonne and cannot be the manhoode of the father or of the Holy Ghost or of any creature whatsoeuer And this is a thing so admirable and so unspeakeable that among all the workes of God there can not be found another example hereof in all the world Hence it followeth necessarily that the manhoode of Christ consisting of bodie and reasonable soule is a nature onely and not a person because it doth not subsist alone as other men Peter Paul Iohn doe but wholly dependes on the person of the worde into the unitie whereof it is receiued The third point is in what order the divine and humane nature of Christ are vnited togither Answere The common consent of divines is that albeit all the partes of the manhoode and the godhead of Christ be united at one instant yet in respect of order hee unites unto himselfe first and immediatly the soule and by the soule the body For it seemes not to be meete that God being a most simple essence should immediatly be ioyned to a compound bodie and therefore he is united unto it by the more simple parte of man which is the soule Againe the manhood of Christ is first and immediatly ioyned to the person of the sonne himselfe and by the person to the godhead of the sonne The fourth point is whether there remaine any difference or diuersitie of the two natures after that the union is made Answer The two natures concurring make not the person of the sonne to be compounded properly but onely by analogie for as bodie and soule make one man so god and man make one Christ neither are they turned one into another the godhead into the manhood or the manhoode into the godhead as water was turned into wine at Cana in Galile nether are they confused and mingled togither as meates in the stomacke but they are and so remaine without composition conversion or confusion really distinct and that in three respectes First in regard of essence For the godhead of Christ is the godhead and can not be the manhood and againe the manhood of Christ is the manhood and not the godhead Secondly they are distinguished in proprieties the godhead is most wise iust mercifull omnipotent yea wisdome iustice mercie and power it selfe and so is not the manhood neither can it be Againe Christ as hee is God hath his will eternall and uncreated which is all one with the will of the father and the holy ghost And as hee is man he hath another will created in time and placed in his reasonable soule and this Christ signifieth when he saith Not my will but thy will be done Thirdly they are distinct in their actions or operations which though they go together inseparably in the worke of redemption yet they must in no wise be confounded but distinguished as the

imputation and application was made his Furthermore Christ was crucified not after the maner of the Iewes who used to hang malefactors upon a tree binding them thereto with cords that wheÌ„ they were dead but after the usuall maner of the Romans his bodie being partly nailed to the crosse partly in the nailing extremely racked otherwise I see not but that a man might remaine many daies togither alive upoÌ„ the crosse And here we haue occasion to remeÌ„ber that the Papists who are so deuout zelous towards crucifixes are far deceived in the making of theÌ„ For first of all the crosse was made of 3. pieces of wood one fastned upright in the ground to which the bodie and back leaned the second fastened towardes the toppe of the first overthwart to which the hands were nailed the thirde fastned towards the bottome of the first on which the feete vvere set and nailed vvhereas contrarivvise popish caruers painters fasten both the feet of Christ to the first secoÌ„dly the feete of Christ vvere nailed asunder vvith tvvo distinct nailes not nailed one upon another with one naile alone as Papists imagine and that to the verie body of the crosse for then the soldiers could not haue broken both the leggs of the thieves but only the outmost Let vs now come to the vse which may be made of the crucifying of Christ. First of all here we learne with bitternes to bewaile our sinnes for Christ was thus cruelly nayled on the crosse and there suffered the whole wrath of God not for any offence that euer he committed but beeing our pledge and suretie vnto God he suffered all for vs and therefore iust cause haue we to mourne for all our offences which brought our Sauiour Christ to this low estate If a man should be so farre in debt that he could not be freed vnlesse the suretie should be cast into prison for his sake nay which is more be cruelly put to death for his debt it would make him at his wits ende and his very heart to bleede And so is the case with vs by reason of our sins we are Gods debters ye bankrupts before him yet haue we gotten a good suretie euen the sonne of God himselfe who to recouer vs to our former libertie was crucifyed for the discharge of our debt And therefore good cause haue we to bewaile our estate euery day as by the Prophet it is said They shall looke on him whome they haue pierced they shall lament for him as one mourneth for his owne sonne they shall be sorrie for him as one is sorrie for his first borne Looke as the blood followed the nailes that were striken through the blessed hands and feete of Christ so should the meditation of the crosse and passion of our Redeemer be as it were nayles and speares to pierce vs that our hearts might bleed for our sinnes and we are not to thinke more hardly of the Iewes for crucifying him then of our selues because our sinnes they also crucifyed him These are the very nayles which pierce his hands and feete and these are the speares which pierce through his side For the losse of a litle worldly pelfe oh how are we grieued but seeing our transgressions are the weapons whereby the sonne of God was crucifyed let vs I say it againe and againe learne to be grieued for them aboue al things with bleeding and melting hearts bowe and buckle vnder them as vnder the crosse Secondly Christ saith of himselfe as Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernes so must the sonne of man be lifted vp the comparison is excellent and worthie the marking In the wildernes of Arabia the people of Israel rebelled against God and thereupon he sent fierie serpents among them which stong many of them to death now when they repented Moses was commanded to make a brasen serpent and to set it vpon a pole that as many as were stong might looke vnto it and recouer and if they could but cast a glaunce of the eye on the brasen serpent when they were stong eueÌ„ to death they were restored to health life Now euery man that liueth is in the same case with the Israelits Satan hath stong vs at the heart giuen vs many a deadly wound if we could feele it and Christ who was figured by the brasen serpent was likewise exalted on the crosse to coÌ„ferre righteousnes life eternal to euery one of vs therfore if we will escape eternal death we must renouÌ„ce our selues lift vp the eyes of our faith to Christ crucified pray for the pardon of our sinnes then shall our hearts consciences be healed of the wounds gripes of the deuil vntill such time as we haue grace to do this we shall neuer be cured but stil lie wounded with the stings of satan bleeding to death euen at the very heart although we feele no paine or griefe at all But some may aske how any man can see him crucifyed now after his death Answer Wheresoeuer the word of God is preached there Christ is crucifyed as Paul saith Oh foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth to whome before Iesus Christ was described in your sight and among you crucifyed meaning that he was liuely preached among them We neede not to goe to wooden crosses or to golden crucifixes to seek for him but where the Gospell is preached thither must wee go there lift vp our eyes of faith to Christ as he is reuealed vnto vs in the word resting on him and his merits with all our hearts and with a godly sorow confesse and bewaile our sinnes crauing at his hands mercie and pardon for the same For till such time as we doe this we are grieuously stong by Satan and are euery moment euen at deaths dore And if we can thus behold Christ by faith the benefites which comes hereby shall be great for as Paul saith the old man that is the corruption of our nature and the bodie of sinne that raigneth in vs shall be crucified with him for when Christ was nayled on the crosse all our sinnes were laide vpon him therefore if thou doest vnfainedly beleeue all thy sinnes are crucified with him and the corruption of thy nature languisheth and dieth as he languished and died vpon the crosse Thirdly we must learne to imitate Christ as he suffered himselfe to be nailed to the crosse for our sinnes so answearably must euery one of vs learne to crucifie our flesh and the corruption of our nature and the wickednesse of our owne heart as Paul saith They that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the lusts and affections thereof And this we shall doe if for our sinnes past we doe waile and mourne with bitternes and preuent the sinnes to come into whiâ—h we may fall by reason of the corruption of our natures by vsing all good meanes as

inabling them to doe so The like is to be seene in all ages since the passion of Christ in the Church of God in which men zealous for the gospell in peace haue beene timerous in persecution whereas weake ones haue stood out against their enimies euen unto death it self The reason is because God will huÌ„ble those his seruants which are often times indued with great measure of graces coÌ„trariwise exalt strengtheÌ„ the weake feeble the same no doubt will be found true among us if it should please god to send any new triall into the Church of EnglaÌ„d This serues to teach us to think charitably of those which are as yet but weake amoÌ„g us with all in our profession to cary a low saile to think basely of our selues and in the whole course of our liues creep alow by the ground running on in feare treÌ„bling because the Lord ofteÌ„times humbles those that be strong giue courage strength to weake ones boldly to confesse his name Secondly vvhereas these tvvo disciples haue such care of the buriall of Christ we learne that it is our dutie to be carefull also for the honest solemne buriall of our brethren The Lorde him selfe hath coÌ„manded it Thou art dust to dust thou shalt returne Also the bodies of men are the good creatures of God yea the bodies of Gods children are the temples of the Holy ghost and therefore there is good cause why they should be honestly laide in the earth And it vvas a curse and iudgement of God upon Iehoiakim that he must not be buried but like a dead asse be dravvn cast out of the gates of Ierusalem And so the Lorde threatens a curse upon the Moabites because they did not burie the king of Edom but burnt his bones into lime And therefore it is a necessarie dutie one neighbour and friend to looke to the honest buriall of another Hence it followes that the practise of Spaine and Italy and all popish countries which is to keepe the parts of mens bodies such like relikes of saints unburied that they may be seene of meÌ„ worshipped hath no warrant dust they are and to dust they ought to be returned Furthermore the properties and vertues of both these men are seuerally to be considered And first to beginne with Ioseph hee was a senatour a man of great account authoritie and reputation among the Iewes It may seeme a strange thing that a man of such account would abase him selfe so much as to take downe the body of Christ from the crosse It might haue bene an hinderance to him and a disgrace to his estate and calling as we see in these daies it would be thought a base thing for a knight to come to the place of execution and take dovvne a thiefe from the hand of the hangman to burie him but this noble Senatour Ioseph for the loue he bare to Christ made no account of his state and calling neither did hee scorne to take upon him so base an office considering it was for the honor of Christ where we learne that if vve truly loue Christ and our hearts be set to beleeue in him we will neuer refuse to perform the basest seruice that may be for his honour nothing shall hinder vs. It is further saide that he was a good man and a iust and also a rich man And the first appeareth in this that hee would neither consent to the counsell nor fact of the Iewes in crucifying Christ. It is rare to finde the like man in these dayes From his example vve learne these lessons I. that a rich man remaining a rich man may be a seruant of God and also be saued for riches are the good blessings of God and in them selues doe no vvhit hinder a man in comming to Christ. But some will say Christ himselfe saith It is easier for a cable to go through the eye of a needle as a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen Ans. It is to be understood of a rich man so long as he swelleth vvith a confidence in his vvealth but we know that if a cable be untwisted and drawen into small threeds it may be drawen through the eye of a needle so he that is rich let him denie himselfe abase himselfe and lay aside all confidence in himselfe in his riches and honour and be as it were made small as a tvvine threede and vvith this good Senatour Ioseph become the disciple of Christ hee may enter into the kingdom of heaueÌ„ But Christ saith in the parable that riches are thorns which choke the grace of God Ansvver It is true they are thornes in that subiect or in that man that putteth his trust in them not in their owne nature but by reason of the corruption of mans heart who maketh of them his God S. Iohn saith further that Ioseph was a disciple of Christ but yet a close disciple for feare of the Ievves And this sheweth that Christ is most readie to receiue them that come unto him though they come laden with manifold wants I say not this that any hereby should take boldnes to liue in their sinnes but my meaning is that though men be weake in the faith yet are they not to be dismayed but to come to Christ who refuseth none that come to him Draw nere to God saith S. Iames and hee will draw nere to you Christ doeth not forsake any till they forsake him first Lastly the H. ghost saith of him that hee waited for the kingdome of God that is hee did beleeue in the Messias to come therfore did waite daily till the time was come when the Messias by his death passion should abolish the kingdome of sinne satan establish his own kingdom throughout the whole world The same is said of Simeon that he was a good man feared God waited for the consolation of Israell This was the most principall vertue of all that Ioseph had and the very roote of all his goodnes righteousnes that he waited for the kingdome of God For it is the propertie of faith whereby wee haue confidence in the Messias to change our nature to purifie the heart to make it bring forth works of righteousnesse There be many among us that can talke of Christes kingdome of redemption by him yet make no coÌ„science of sinne haue litle care to liue according to the gospell which they professe and all is because they doe not soundly beleeue in the Messias and they waite not for the kingdome of heauen therefore there is no chaunge in them but we must labour to haue this affiance in the Messias with Ioseph and to wait for his second appearance that thereby wee may be made new creatures hauing the kingdome of Sathan battered and beaten downe in us and the kingdome of God erected in our heartes Touching Nichodemus S. Iohn saith that

he came to Iesus by night Many men build upon this example that it is lawfull to be present at the Masse so be it in the mean seasoÌ„ we keepe our heartes to God and indeede such men are like Nichodemus in that they labour to burie Christ as much as they caÌ„ though now after his resurrectioÌ„ he should not be buried againe But though Nichodemus durst not openly at the first professe the name of Christ yet after his death vvhen there is most daunger hee doeth and by this meanes reformeth his former doing Thus much of the persons that buried Christ The third thing to be obserued is the maner of Christs buriall which standeth in these 4. points First they take downe his body from the crosse secondly they winde it thirdly they lay it in a tombe fourthly the tombe is made sure Of these in order First Ioseph taketh downe the body of Christ from the crosse whereon hee was executed but marke in what maner he doth it not on his owne head without leaue but he goeth to Pilate and beggeth the body of Christ asketh leaue to take it downe because the disposing of dead bodies was in Pilates hand hee being deputie at that time wherby we learn that in all our dealings actioÌ„s though they haue neuer so good an ende our dutie is to proceede as peaceably with all men as may be as S. Iames saith The wisdom that is from aboue is first pure then peaceable geÌ„tle c. Againe this â—eacheth us that in all things which concerne the authoritie of the Magistrate and belong unto him by the rule of Gods worde wee must attempt or doe whatsoeuer we doe by leaue And here we may see of what courses they take that beeing priuate men in this our Church will notwithstanding take upon them to plante Churches without the leaue of the Magistrate being a christian prince Hauing thus taken the body of Christ downe they go on to wind it And Ioseph for his part brought linnen clothes and Nichodemus a mixture of myrâ—he aloes to the quantitie of an hundred poundes for the honourable buriall of Christ. His winding was on this manner they wrapped his bodie hastily in linnen clothes sweete odours put thereto Besides all this in the Iewes burials there was embalming washing of the body but Christs body was not embalmed or washed because they had no time to do it for the preparatioÌ„ to the passeouer drew nere And wheras these 2. meÌ„ burie Christ at their own cost charges we are taught to be like affected to the liuing meÌ„bers of Christ when they want we must relieue comfort them liberally and freely It may here be demanded whether men may not be at cost in making funerals considering euen Christ himselfe is with much cost buried Ans. The bodies of all deade men are to be buried in seemely honest maner if they be honorable they may be buried honorably yet now ther is no cause why mens bodies should be washed annointed embalmed as the vse was amoÌ„g the Iewes for they used embalming as a pledge signe of the resurrectioÌ„ but now since Christs comming we haue a more certen pledge therof euen the resurrection of Christ himself therfore there is no cause why we should use embaulming and washing as the Iewes did And the clause which is specified in Saint Matthew is not to be omitted that Ioseph wrapped Christs body in a cleane linnen cloth whereby we learne that howsoeuer the strange fashions fetched from Spaine and Italy are moÌ„strous to be abhoâ—red yet seing the body of a maÌ„ is the creature of God therefore it must be arayed in cleanly maner in holy comelines Paul requires that the minister of the Gospell in all things be seemely or comely herein he ought to be a patterne of sobriety unto all men Thirdly after they haue wouÌ„d the body of Christ they lay it in a toÌ„b lastly they make it sure closing it up with a stone rolled ouer the mouth of it Also the Iewes request Pilat to seale it that none might presume to open it besides they set a band of soldiers to watch the tomb to keepe it that his bodie be not stolleÌ„ away Many reasons might be alledged of this their dealing but principally it came to passe by the providence of God that hereby he might confirme the resurrection of Christ. For whereas the Iewes would neither be mooued by his doctrine nor by his workes miracles to beleeue he causeth this to be done that by the certenty of his resurrection hee might conuince them of hardnesse of heart and prooue that he was the sonne of God Thus much of the maner of his buriall Now followes the place where Christ was buried In the place we are to mark 3. things I. that Christ was laid in Iosephs tomb wherby we may gather the greatnes of Christs pouertie in that he had not so much grouÌ„d as to make himself a graue in this must be a comfort to the members of Christ that are in pouertie And it teacheth them if they haue no more but foode and raiment to be there with content knowing that Christ their head and king hath coÌ„secrated this very estate unto them Secondly the tombe wherein Christ was laide was a newe tomb wherein neuer any man lay before And it was the speciall appointment of Gods prouidence that it should be so because if any man had bene buried there aforetime the malitious Iewes would haue pleaded that it was not Christ that rose againe but some other Thirdly we must obserue that this tombe was in a garden as the fall of man was in a garden as the apprehension of Christ in a gardeÌ„ beyond the brooke Cedron And here we must note the practise of a good man This garden vvas the place of Iosephs delight holy recreation wherin he used to solace himselfe in beholding the good creatures of God yet in the same place doth he make his owne graue long before he dyed whereby it appeares that his recreation was ioyned with a meditatioÌ„ of his end and his example must be followed of us True it is God hath giuen us his creatures not only for necessity but also for our lawfull delight but yet our duty is to mingle therewith serious meditation and consideration of our last end It is a brutish part to vse the blessings and creatures of God and not at all to be bettered in regard of our last end by a further vse thereof The time when Christ was buried vvas the euening wherein the Sabbath vvas to begin according to the maner of the Iewes which beganne their daies at sunne-setting from euening to euening according to that in Genesis the evening and the morning was the first day Now Ioseph commeth a litle before euening beggeth the body of Christ and burieth it where note that howsoeuer vve are not bound

to doe all the Prophet had said Wash and be cleane Now after that the women are come to the disciples and make relation of Christes resurrection the text saieth Their words seemed as fained things unto them neither beleeved they them Hence wee learne two things the first that men of themselues can not beleeue the doctrine of ChristiaÌ„ religion it is a harde matter for a man to beleeue sundrie things in the worke of creation The temporall deliuerance of the children of Israell seemed to them as a dreame and the resurrection of Christ euen to Christes owne disciples seemed a fained thing The second that it is an hard thing truly and vnfainedly to beleeue the points of religion disciples brought up in the schoole of Christ and often catechised in this very point of Christs resurrection yet dull are they to beleeue it This confuâ—eth and condemneth our carnall gospellers that make it the lightest and easiest thing that can be to beleeue in Christ and therefore they say their faith is so strong that they would not for all the world doubt of Gods mercy whereas indeede they are deceiued and haue no faith at all but blind presumption The thirde appearance was on this manner As two of Christes disciples were going from Ierusalem to Emmaus about threescore furlongs and talked togither of all the things that were done Iesus drewe nere and talked with them but their eyes were holden that they could not know him and as they went he communed with them prooued out of the scripture his resurrection expounding unto them all things that were written of him then they made him stay with them and their eyes were opened they knew him by breaking of bread but he was taken out of their sight In this notable appearance wee may obserue these foure points The first that Christ held their eyes that they could not know him they saw a man indeed but who he was they could not tell By this it is more then manifest that the use of our outwarde senses as seeing feeling smelling c. is supplied vnto us continually by the power of Christ and therefore euen in these things we must acknowledge the continuall goodnes of God Now if one man can not so much as discerne another but by the blessing of Christ then shall we neuer be able to discerne the way of life from the way of death without him therfore we must pray unto God that he would giue us his holy spirite to enlighten the eyes of our understanding wherby we may be able to see and know the way that leadeth unto life and also to walke in the same The second that as Christ vvas in expounding the scriptures vnto them their heartes burned within them By this we learne that howsoeuer the ministers of God publish the gospell to the outward eares of men yet is it the proper worke of Christ alone to touch inflame the heart by the fire of his holy spirit to quickeÌ„ raise men up to the life of righteousnes true holines it is he only that baptiseth with the holy ghost with fire it further admonisheth us that we should heare the worde preached froÌ„ the mouth of Gods ministers with burning melting hearts but alas the ordinary practise is flat coÌ„trarie mens eies are drowsie heauie their hearts dead frozen within them that is the cause why after much teaching there followes but litle profit The thirde thing is that Christ did eate with the tvvo disciples and was knowen of them in breaking of breade It is verie like that our Sauiour Christ did in some speciall maner blesse the bread which he brake wherby his disciples discerned him from others And in like maner we must by blessing our meates and drinkes distinguish our selues though not from such as are the seruants of God yet from all ungodly carelesse men Many being silent themselues do make their children to giue thankes and to blesse their meates And indeede it is a coÌ„mendable thing if it be done sometimes to nourture the childe but for men to disburden themselues wholly of this duty is a fault And it is a shame that that mouth which openeth it selfe to receiue the good creatures of God should neuer opeÌ„ it selfe to blesse praise God for the same Therfore in this actioÌ„ of eating and drinâ—king let us shewe our selues followers of Christ that as by blessing the same he was known from all other so we may also hereby distinguish our selues from the profane and wicked of this world Otherwise what difference shal there be betwene us the very hog that eats mast on the grouÌ„d but neuer lookes up to the tree from whence it falles And as Christ reuealed himselfe unto his disciples at that time wheÌ„ they caused him to eate meat with theÌ„ so let us suffer Christ to be our guest and let us entertaine him in his meÌ„bers no doubt he wil blesse us withal reueal himself unto us The fourth thing is that hauing eaten hee is taken out of their sight And this came to passe not because the bodie of Christ became spirituall but because either he helde their eyes as before or he departed with celeritie and speede according to the propertie of a bodie glorified The fourth appearance of Christ was to Peter alone mentioned onely by S. Paul He was seene of â—ephas The fifth appearance was to all the disciples togither saue Thomas In it we must consider three things which are all effectuall arguments to prooue Christes resurrection The first that hee came and stoode in the middest among them the dores being shut Now it may be demanded how this could be Ans. The Papists say his body was glorified and so passed through the dore but as I haue said it is against the nature of a bodie that one should passe through another as heate doeth through a peece of iron both bodies remaining entire and sound therefore we may rather thinke that whereas Christ came in when the dores were shut it was either because by his mightie power hee caused the dores to giue place the disciples not knowing how or else because he altered the verie substance of the dores that his body might passe through as hee thickened the waters to carrie his bodie when he walked upon the sea Now if this be true as very like it is that these dumbe creatures gaue place to Christ and became pliable unto his commandement then much more ought we to carry hearts coÌ„formable and pliant to the will of our Lord Iesus in all his commaundements The second point is that when as the disciples thought Christ to haue bene a spirit he to prooue the truth of his manhood sheweth unto them his handes and his feete and the wound in his side and calles for meat and eates it among them But it may be asked how this could be coÌ„sidering that a glorified body hath

sins the vvorld crucifies Christ againe For look as Pilates souldiours with the wicked Iewes tooke Christ and stripped him of his garments buffetted him and slue him so doe vngodly men by their wicked behauiour strip him of all honour and slay him againe If an infidell should come among vs and yeelde himselfe to be of our religion after hee had seene the behauiour of men hee would peraduenture leaue all religioÌ„ for he might say surely it seemes this god whome these men worship is not the true God but a god of licentious libertie and that which is moâ—e whereas at all times we ought to shew our selues new creatures and to walke worthie of our Sauiour and redeemer and therefore also ought to rise out of our sinnes and to liue in righteousnes and true holines yet we for the most part goe on still forward in sinne and euery day goe deeper then other to hel-ward This hath beene heretofore the coÌ„mon practise but let vs now learne after the example of Christ being quickned and reuiued by his grace to endeauor our selues especially to come out of the graue of sinne and learne to make conscience of euery badde action True it is a Christian man may vse the creatures of God for his delight in a moderate and godly manner but Christ neuer gaue libertie to any to liue licentiously for he that is free is yet seruant vnto Christ as Paul saith and therefore we must doe nothing but thâ—t which may be a worke of some good dutie vnto God to which ende the Apostle saith Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the deade and Christ shall giue thee life If this will not mooue vs yet let the iudgements of God draw vs hereunto Blessed is he saith the holy Ghost that hath part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power where mention is made of a double death the first is the separation of soule bodie the second is the eternall condemnation of soule and bodie in hell fire Would we now escape the second death after this life we must then labour in this life to be partakers of the first resurrection that on this manner Looke what sinnes we haue liued in hertofore we must endeauour to come out of them all and leade a better life according to all the commandements of God but if ye will haue no care of your owne soules goe on hardly and so ye shall be sure to enter into the second death which is eternal damnation Secondly we are taught by the example of Saint Paul to labour aboue all things to know Christ and the vertue of his resurrection And this we shall doe when we can say by experience that our hearts are not content with a formall and drowsie profession of religion but that wee feele the same power of Christ whereby he raised vp himselfe from death to life to be effectuall and powerfull in vs to worke in our hearts a conversion from all our sinnes wherein we haue lien deade to newnes of life with care to liue godly in Christ Iesus And that we may further attaine to all this we must come to heare the word of God preached and taught with feare and trembling hauing heard the word we must meditate therein and pray vnto God not onely publikely but priuately also intreating him that he would reach forth his hand and pull vs out of the graue of sinne wherein we haue lien dead so long And in so doing the Lord of his mercie according as he hath promised will send his spirit of grace into our hearts to worke in vs an inward sense and feeling of the vertue of Christs resurrection So dealt he with the two disciples that were going to Emmaus they were occupied in the meditation of Christ his death and passion and whiles they were in hearing of Christ who conferred with them he gaue them such a measure of his spirite as made their hearts to burne within them And Paul praieth for the Ephesians that God would inlighten their eyes that they might see and feele in themselues the exceeding greatnes of the power of God which he wrought in Christ Iesus when he raised him from the dead Thirdly as Saint Paul saith If we be risen with Christ then we must seeke the things that are aboue But how and by what meanes can we rise with Christ seeing we did not die with him Ans. We rise with Christ thus The burgesse of a town in the parliament house beareth the person of the whole towne whatsoeuer he saith that the whole town saith whatsoeuer is done to him is also done to all the towne so Christ vpon the crosse stood in our place bare our person what he suffred we suffred when he died all the faithfull died in him and so likewise as he is risen againe so are all the faithfull risen in him The consideration whereof doth teach vs that we must not haue our hearts wedded to this world VVe may vse the things of this life but yet so as though we vsed them not For all our loue and care must be for things aboue and specially we must seeke the kingdom of God his righteousnes peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost VVe must therefore sue for the pardon of sinne for reconciliation to God in Christ for sanctification These are the pretious pearles which we must seeke and when we haue found them we must sell all that we haue to buie them hauing bought them we must lay them vp in the secret corners of our hearts valuing and esteeming of them as better then all things in the world beside Thus much of Christs resurrection containing the first degree of Christs exaltation Now followeth the second in these words He ascended into heauen in the handling wherof we are to consider these speciall points I. the time of his ascention II. the place III. the manner IV. the witnesses V. the vses thereof For the first the time of Christs ascension was fourtie daies after his resurrection when he had taught his disciples the things which appertain to the kingdome of God And this shews that he is a most faithfull carefull king ouer his Church procuring the good thereof And therfore Esay saith The gouernment is on his shoulder the Apostle saith he was more faithfull in all the house of God then Moses was Hence we gather that whereas the Apostles changed the sabbath from the seuenth day to the eight it was no doubt by the counsell direction of Chist before his ascension likewise in that they planted Churches and appointed teachers and meete ouerseers for the guiding and instruction hereof we may resolue our selues that Christ prescribed the same vnto them before his asceÌ„sion for these such like causes did he ascend no sooner Now look what care Christ at his ascensioÌ„ had ouer his church the same must al

those which are repentant sinners shall stand and appeare righteous before God for euer at what time soeuer Christ being now in heauen and there presenting himselfe and his merits before his father shewes himselfe desirous and willing that they whosoeuer they are beeing sinners should be accepted of God for the same euen then immediatly at that very instant this his will is done and they are accepted as righteous before God indeed When a man lookes vpon things directly through the aire they appeare in their proper formes and colours as they are but if they be looked upon through a greene glasse they all appeare greene so likewise if God behold us as wee are in our selues we appeare as vile and damnable sinners but if hee looke upon us as we are presented before his throne in heauen in the person of our mediatour Christ Iesus willing that wee should be approoued for his merits then we appeare without all spot wrinkle before him And this is the use Paul makes hereof It is god saith he that iustifieth the reason is rendred For it is Christ that is deade yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and makes request for vs. Secondly Christes intercession serues to preserue all repentant sinners in the estate of grace that beeing once iustified and sanctified they may so continue to the ende For when any seruant of God is ouertaken by the corruption of his owne nature and falls into any particular sinne then Christs intercession is made as a blessed hande to apply the salue of his death to that particular sore For he continually appeares before God and shewes himselfe to bee willing that God the father should accept his one only sacrifice for the daily and particular sinnes of this or that particular man and this is done that a man being iustified before God may not fall away quite from grace but for euery particular sinne may bee humbled and receiue pardon If this were not so our estate should be most miserable considering that for euery sin committed by us after our repentance we deserue to be cast out of the fauour of God Thirdly Christes intercession serueth to make our good workes acceptable to God For euen in the best works that a man can doe there are two wants First they are good onely in part secondly they are mingled with sinne For as a man is partly grace and partly flesh so are his vvorkes partly gratious and partly fleshly And because grace is only begun in this life therefore all the workes of grace in this life are sinnefull and imperfit Now by Christes intercession his satisfaction is applied to our persons by consequent the defect of our works is couered and remooued they are approoued of God the father In a vision S. Iohn saw an angell standing before the altar with a golden censure full of sweete odours to offer up with the praiers of the saintes upon the same And this signifies that Christ presentes our workes before the throne of God and by his intercession sanctifies them that they may be acceptable to God And therefore we must remember that when we doe any thing that is accepted of God it is not for our sakes but by reason of the value and vigour of Christ his merit Fourthly the intercession of Christ made in heauen breedeth and causeth in the heartes of men upon earth that beleeue another intercession of the spirit as Paul saith He giveth vs his spirit which helpeth our infirmities maketh request for us with sighes which can not be expressed but he which searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit for he maketh request for the saints according to the will of god Now the spirit is said to make request in that it stirres and mooues euery contrite heart to pray with sighes and grones unspeakable to God for things needfull this grace is a fruite deriued from the intercession of Christ in heaven by the operation of the spirit For as the Sunne though the bodie of it abide in the heauens yet the beames of it descende to us that are on earth So the intercession of Christ made in heauen is tyed as it were to his person alone yet the grones desires of the touched heart as the beames thereof are here on earth among the faithfull And therfore if we desire to know whether Christ make intercession for us or no we need not to ascend up into the heauens to learne the truth but we must descend into our owne hearts looke whether Christ haue giuen vs his spirite which makes us crie unto God make request to him with grones and sighes that can not be expressed and if we find this in our hearts it is an euident and infallible signe that Christ continually makes intercession for us in heauen He that would know whether the Sunne shine in the firmament must not clime up into the cloudes to looke but search for the beames thereof upon the earth which when he sees he may conclude that the Sunne shines in the firmament and if wee would know whether Christ in heauen makes intercession for us let us ransack our owne consciences and there make search whether we feele the spirit of Christ crying in us Abba Father As for those that neuer feele this worke of Gods spirit in them their case is miserable whatsoeuer they be For Christ as yet makes no intercession for them considering these two alwaies go togither his intercession in heauen the worke of his spirit in the hearts of men moouing them to bewaile their owne sinnes with sighes and grones that can not be expressed and to cry and pray unto God for grace therfore all such whether they be yong or old that neuer could pray but muÌ„ble up a few words for fashion sake can not assure themselues to haue any parte in Christs intercessioÌ„ in heaueÌ„ The duties to be learned hence are these First whereas Christ maketh intercession for us it teacheth all men to be most carefull to loue and like this blessed mediatour and to be ready willing to become his seruants disciples that not for forme fashion sake only but in all trueth and sincerity of heart For he is asceÌ„ded to heauen there sits at the right hand of his father to make request for us that we might be deliuered froÌ„ hell come to eternall life Wicked Haman procured letters froÌ„ the king Ahashuerosh for the destructioÌ„ of all the Iewes men women childreÌ„ in his dominions this done Hester the Queene makes request to the king that her people might be saued and the letters of Haman reuoked shee obtaines her request freedom was giuen contrary letters of ioyfull deliuerance were sent in post hast to al provinces where the Iewes were WhereupoÌ„ arose a wonderfull ioy gladnes among the Iewes it is said that therupon many of the

so deepely eaten into any mettall as sinne into the nature of man and therefore the holy Ghost is as fire to purge and eate out the hidden corruptions of sinne out of the rebellious heart of man Againe the holy Ghost is compared to cleare water for two causes I. man by nature is as drie wood without sappe and the propertie of the holy Ghost is as water to supple and to put sappe of grace into the dead and rotten heart of man II. the propertie of water is to clense and purifie the filth of the bodie euen so the holy Ghost doth spiritually wash away our sinnes which are the filth of our nature and this is the second benefite of the H. Ghost By this we are taught that he which would enter into the kingdoÌ„ of God haue the H. Ghost to dwell in him must labour to feele the worke of regeneration by the same holy spirit and if a man would know whether he haue this worke wrought in him or no let him marke what S. Paul saith They that are of the spirit sauour the things that are of the spirit but they that liue after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh If therefore a man haue his heart continually affected with that which is truly good either more or lesse it is a certen token that his wicked nature is changed and he regenerate but contrariwise if his heart be alwaies set on the pleasures of sinne and the things of this world he may iustly suspect himselfe that he is not regenerated As for example if a man haue all his minde set vpon drinking gulling in of wine and strong drink hauing litle delight nor pleasure in any thing els it argues a carnal mind and vngerenerate because it affects the things of the flesh so of the rest And on the coÌ„trary he that hath his minde affected with a desire to do the wil of God in practising the works of charitie religion he I say hath a spirituall and a renewed heart and is regenerate by the holy Ghost The third worke of the holy Ghost is to gouerne the hearts of the elect this may be called spirituall regiment A man that dwelleth in a house of his owne orders gouerns it according to his owne will euen so the holy Ghost gouerns all theÌ„ in whoÌ„ he dwelleth as Paul saith they that are the sonnes of God are ledde by his spirit a most notable benefit for looke where the holy Ghost dwelleth there he wil be Lord gouerning both heart minde will and affections and that two waies I. by repressing all badde motions vnto sinne arising either from the corruption of mans nature from the world or from the deuill II. by stirring vp good affections and motions vpon euery occasion so it is saide The flesh that is the corruption of mans nature lusteth against the spirit and the spirit that is grace in the heart lusteth against the flesh and that after a double sort first by labouring to ouermaster and keepe downe the motions thereof secondly by stirring vp good motions and inclinations to pietie and religion In Esay the holy Ghost hath most excellent titles The spirit of the Lord the spirit of wisdome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell and of strength the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord. Now he is so called because he stirreth vp good motions in the godly of wisedome of knowledge of strength of vnderstanding of counsell and of the feare of the Lord. And Saint Paul saith that the fruits of the spirit are ioy peace loue long suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenes temperance c. all which are so tearmed because where the H. Ghost ruleth there he ingendreth these good gifts and motions of grace but among all the inward motions of the spirit the most principall are these I. an vtter disliking of sinne because it is sinne And that is when a man hath an eye not so much to another mans sinnes as to his owne and seeing them is truly sorowfull for them and disliketh them and himselfe for them not so much because there is a place of torment or a day of iudgement to come wherin he must answer to God for them all but as if there were no hell or iudgement because God is displeased by them who hath beene vnto him a most louing and merciful father in redeeming him by Christ. The second is an hungring desire aboue all things in this world to be at vnitie with God in Christ for the same sinnes This is a motion of the H. Ghost which no man can haue but he in whom the H. Ghost doth dwell The third the gift of heartie praier For this cause the H. Ghost is called the spirit of supplications because it stirreth vp the heart makes it fit to pray therefore Paul saith that the spirit of God helpeth our infirmities for we knowe not what to pray as we ought but the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed This is an ordinarie worke of the holy Ghost in all that beleeue and he that would know whether he haue the spirit dwelling truly in his heart shall know it by this A mother carrieth hir child in hir armes if it crie for the dugge and suckes the same it is aliue being obserued many daies together if it neither crie nor stirre it is dead In like manner it is an vnfallible note of a true child of God to cry to his father in heauen by praier but he that neuer crieth nor feeleth himselfe stirred vp to make his mone to God is in a miserable case and he may well be thought to be but a dead childe and therefore let vs learne in praier vnfainedly to powre out our soules before God considering it is a speciall gift of the holy Ghost bestowed on the children of God The fourth worke of the holy Ghost in the heart of the elect is comfort in distresse and therefore our Sauiour Christ calleth him the comforter whome he wâ—ll sende and in the Psalme he is called the oyle of gladnes because he maketh glad the heart of man in trouble and distresse There be two things that fill the heart full of endlesse griefe I. outward calamities as when a man is in any daunger of death when he looseth his goods his good name his friends and such like The second thing is a troubled conscience whereof Salomon saith A troubled spirit who can beare it and of all other it is the most heauie and grieuous crosse that can be When as the hand of God was heauie vpon Iob this was the soarest of all his affliction and therefore he crieth out that the arrowes of the almightie did sticke in his soule Now what is the comfort in this case Answer In the middest of all our distresses the holy Ghost is present with vs to make vs reioyce and to fill vs with comforts that no tongue can

sure to haue his house in a readinesse all matters in order against his comming so as euery thing might be pleasing unto so worthy a guest well now behold wee put our confidence and affiance in the holy ghost and doe beleeue that he will come unto us and sanctifie us and lodge in our hearts He is higher then all states in the world whatsoeuer and therefore we must looke that our bodies and soules be kept in an honourable and holy manner so as they may be fitte temples for him to dwell in S. Paul biddeth us not to grieve the holy spirite where the holy ghost is compared to a guest our bodies and soules unto Innes and as men use their guestes friendly and courteously shewing unto them all seruice and dutie so must wee doe to gods spirite which is come to dwell and abide in us doing nothing in any case which may disquiet or molest him Now there is nothing so grieuous unto him as our sinnes and therefore we must make conscience of all manner of sinne least by abusing of our selues we do cause the holy ghost as it were with griefe to depart froÌ„ us When the arke of the couenant which was a signe of the presence of God was in the house of Obed Edom the text saieth that the Lord blessed him and all his house but whâ—n the holy ghost dwelles in a mans heart there is more then the arke of the Lorde present euen God him selfe and therefore may we looke for a greater blessing Now then shall we grieue the holy goost by sinning seeing we reape such benefite by his abode It is saide that our Sauiour Christ was angrie when hee came into the temple at Ierusalem and saw the abuses therein Now shall hee be angrie for the abuses that are done in a temple of stone and seeing the temples of our bodies which are not made of stone but are spirituall figured by that earthly temple seeing them I say abused by sinne will he not be much more angry Yea we may assure our selues he can not abide that And therefore if wee beleeue in the holy ghost wee must hereupon be mooued to keepe our bodies and soules pure cleane And further to perswade us hereunto we must remember this that when we pollute our soules and bodies with any manner of sinne wee make them euen stables and styes for our wretched enemie the deuill to harbour in For when Sathan is once cast out if afterward wee fall againe to our olde sinnes and loosenesse of life and so defile our bodies they are then most cleane and neate for him to dwell in whereupon he wil come and bring seuen other deuils worse then himselfe and so a mans last ende shall be worse then his beginning Now what a fearefull thing is this that the body which should be a temple for the holy ghost by our sinnes should be made a stable for the devill Further S. Paul biddeth us not to quench the spirit The graces of the holy spirite in this life are like sparks of fire which may soone be quenched with a little water Now so oft as we sinne we cast water upon the grace of God and as much as wee can put out the same therefore it standes us in hand to make conscience of euery thing wherein wee may offende and displease God And wee may assure our selues that so long as wee liue and lie in our corruptions and sinnes the Holy Ghost will neuer come and dwell with us Hee is a pure spirite and therefore must haue an undefiled temple to dwell in Thus we haue heard what is to be beleeued concerning the father sonne holy ghost now looke as we beleeue in God distinguished into â— persons so we must remember that when wee perfourme diuine worshippe to him we may distinguish the persons but wee are not to seuer them when wee pray to the father wee must not omit the sonne or the Holy Ghost but make our praiers to them all for as in nature they are one and in person not deuided but distinguished so in all worshippe wee must neuer confounde or seuer the persons but distinguish them and worship the trinitie in unitie and untie in trinitie one God in three persons and three persons in one God Hitherto we haue intreated of the first part of the Creed concerning God now followeth the second part thereof concerning the Church and it was added to the former upon speciall consideration For the right order of a confession did require that after the Trinitie the Church should be mentioned as the house after the owner the temple after God and the citie after the builder Againe the Creed is concluded with pointes of doctrine concerning the Church because whosoeuer is out of it is also forth of the number of Gods children and he cannot haue God for his father which hath not the Church for his mother Question is made what the wordes are which are to be supplied in this article the holy Catholike Church whether I beleeve or I beleeve in and ancient expositours haue sufficiently determined the matter One saieth In these vvordes in which is set forth our faith of the godhead it is said In God the father in the sonne and in the holy ghost but in the rest where the speech is not of the godhead but of creatures and mysteries the preposition In is not added that it should be in the holy Church but that we should beleeve there is an an holy Church not as God but as a companie gathered to God And men should beleeve that there is remission of sinnes not in the remission of sinnes and they shoulde beleeve the resurrection of the body not in the resurrection of the body therefore by this preposition the Creatour is distinguished from the creatures and thinges pertaining to God from things pertaining to men Another upon these wordes This is the worke of God that yee beleeue in him saith If yee beleeve in him ye beleeve him not if yee beleeve him yee beleeve in him for the devils beleeved God but did not beleeue in him Againe of the Apostles we may say we beleeve Paul but vvee doe not beleeve in Paul wee beleeve Peter but wee beleeve not in Peter For his faith that beleeveth in him which iustifieth the ungodly is imputed to him for righteousnesse What is it therefore to beleeve in him by beleeving to love and like and as it vvere to passe into him and to be incorporated into his members Novv the reasons which some Papistes bring to the contrarie to prooue that wee may beleeue in the creatures and in the Church are of no moment First they alledge the phrase of scripture Exod 14.31 They beleeved in God and in Moses 1. Sam. 27.12 And Achis beleeved in David 2. Chron. 20.20 Beleeve in the Prophets and prosper Answer The Hebrewe phrase in which the servile letter Beth is used must not be translated

which can appertaine to none but to the elect Ioh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke hee that beleeveth in me as saieth the scripture out of his bellie shall flow rivers of water of life Rev. 21.6 I will give unto him which is a thirst of the vvell of the water of life freely Now if hee that thirsteth drinke of these waters marke what followeth Ioh. 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never be more a thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life The second is a straunge affection wrought in the heart by the spirit of God whereby a man doth so esteeme value and as it were set so high a price on Christ his righteousnesse that hee accounts euen the most pretious things that are to be but as dung in regard thereof This affection was in Paul and it is expressed in the parable in which after a man hath found a treasure he first hides it and the selles all hee hath and makes a purchase of the fielde where it is Now euery man will say of himselfe that he is thus affected to Christ and that hee more highly esteemes the least drop of his blood then all things in the world beside wheras indeed most men are of Esaus minde rather desiring the red broth then Isaaks blessing and of the same affection with the Israelites which liked better the onyons and flesh pots of Egypt then the blessings of God in the land of promise Therefore that no man may deceiue him selfe this affection may bee discerned by two signes The first is to loue and like a christian man because hee is a Christian. For hee that doth aright esteeme of Christ doth in like manner esteeme of the members of Christ. And of this very thing our Sauiour Christ saith He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophets revvarde and he that receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive the revvarde of a righteous man And Saint Iohn saieth Hereby vvee knovve that vvee are translated from death to life because vvee love the breethren that is such as are members because they are so The second signe of this affection is a loue and desire to the comming of Christ whether it be by death unto any man particularly or by the last iudgement universally and that for this ende that there may be a full participation of fellowship with Christ. And that this verie loue is a note of adoption it appeares by that which S. Paul saieth that the crowne of righteousnes is laid vp for all them that love the appearing of Christ. The outwarde token of adoption is New-obedience whereby a man endeauours to obey Gods coÌ„mandements in his life and conuersation as S. Iohn saith Hereby wee are sure that we know him if wee keepe his commandements Now this obedience must not be iudged by the rigour of the morall lavv for then it should be no token of grace but rather a meanes of damnation but it must be esteemed and considered as it is in the acceptation of God who spares them that feare him as a father spares an obedient sonne esteeming things done not by the effect and absolute doing of them but by the affection of the doer And yet least any man should heare be deceiued wee must knowe that the obedience which is an infallible marke of the child of god must be thus qualified First of all it must not be done unto some fewe of Gods commaundements but unto them all without exception Herod heard Iohn Baptist willingly did many things and Iudas had excellent things in him as appeares by this that he was content to leaue all and to followe Christ and hee preached the Gospell of the kingdome in Iurie as well as the rest yet alas all this was nothing for the one could not abide to become obedient to the 7. commandement in leauing his brother Philips wife and the other would not leaue his couetousnes to die for it Vpright sincere obedience doth inlarge it selfe to all the commandements as Dauid saith I shall not be confounded when I haue respect to all thy commandements And S. Iames saith hee which faileth in one law is guiltie of all that is the obedience to many commandements is indeed before god no obedience but a flat sinne if a man wittingly and willingly faile in any one thing He that repents of one sinne truly doth repent of all he that liues but in one known sinne without repentaÌ„ce though he pretend neuer so much reformation of life indeed repents of no sinne SecoÌ„dly this obedience must extend it selfe to the whole course of a mans life after his conversion and repentance We must not iudge of a man by an action or two but by the tenour of his life Such as the course of a mans life is such is the man though he through the corruption of his nature faile in this or that particular action yet doth it not preiudice his estate before God so be it he renew his repentance for his seuerall slippes and falles not lying in any sinne and withall from yere to yere walke unblameable before God men S. Paul saith The foundation of God remaineth sure the Lorde knowes who are his Now some might hereupon say it is true indeed god knowes who are his but how may I be assured in my selfe that I am his to this demaund as I take it Paul answers in the next words Let euery one that calleth on the name of the Lord depart from iniquity that is let men invocate the name of God praying seriously for things whereof they stand in need withall giuing thanks departing froÌ„ all their former sinnes and this shall be unto them an infallible token that they are in the election of God Thirdly in outward obedience it is required that it proceede from the whole man as regeneration which is the cause of it is thorough the whole man in bodie soule and spirit Againe obedience is the fruite of loue and loue is from the pure heart the good conscience and faith unfained Thus we haue heard the testimonies and tokens wherby a man may be certified in his conscience that be was chosen to saluation before all worldes If any desire further resolution in this point let them meditate upon the 15. Psal. and the first Epistle of Saint Iohn being parcels of scripture penned by the holy ghost for this ende Here some will demaund how a man may be assured of his adoption if he want the testimony of the spirit to certifie him thereof Ansvvere Fire is knowen to be no painted but a true fire by two notes by heate and by the flame now if the case fall out that the fire want a flame it is still knowen to be fire by the heate In

for the most part one like another and brought up alike euen so it is in Gods familie which is his Church the members thereof are all alike in heart and affection and the reason is because they haue one spirite to guide them all and therefore S. Peter saieth The multitude of them that beleeved were of one heart and of one soule neither any of them said that any thing of that which he possessed was his owne but they had all things common And the Prophet Esai foretelling the unitie which should be in the kingdome of Christ saieth The wolfe shall dwell vvith the lambe and the leopard shall lye with the kidde and the calfe and the lyon and the fatte beast togither and a litle childe shall leade them The covve and the beare shall feede and their yong ones shall lye togither and the lyon shall eate strawe like the bullocke The sucking child shall play vpon the hole of the aspe and the wayned child shall put his hand into the cockatrice hole By these beastes are signified men that be of a wicked brutish nature which when they shall be brought into the kingdome of Christ shall lay aside the same become louing gentle curteous all of one minde And S. Peter requires of the Church the practise of brotherly loue and that is to carrie a tender affection to men not because they are of the same flesh but because they are ioyned in the bond of one spirit with us Furthermore by reason of this that all the children of God are of one heart there followes another duty of this communion whereby they beare one the burdens of another when one meÌ„ber of the Church is grieued all are grieued when one reioyceth all reioyce as in the body when one member suffereth all suffer The second braunch of their communion is in the giftes of Gods spirite as loue hope feare c. And this is shewed when one man doth employ the graces of God bestowed on him for the good and saluation of another As a candle spendeth it selfe to giue light to others so must Gods people spend those gifts which God hath giuen them for the benefite of their brethren A christian man howsoeuer hee be the freest man upon earth yet is he seruant to all men especially to the Church of God to doe seruice unto the members of it by loue for the good of all And this good is procured when vvee convey the graces of God bestowed on us to our breethren and that is done fiue waies I. by example II. by admonition III. by exhortation IIII. by consolation V. by prayer The first which is good example wee are inioyned by Christ saying Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good vvorkes and glorifie your Father vvhich is in heauen And that our hartes might be touched with speciall care of this dutie the Lord settes before us his owne blessed example saying Be yee holy as I am holy and Learne of me that I am meeke and lowly And Paul saith Be ye follovvers of me as I follovv Christ and the higher men are exalted the more carefull ought they to be in giuing good example For let a man of note or estimation doe euill and hee shall presently haue many followers Euill example runnes from one to another like a leprosie or infection and this Christ signified when hee said that the figge-tree planted in the vineyarde If it beare no fruite makes all the ground barren The second meanes of communication of the giftes of God vnto others is admonition which is an ordinance of God whereby Christian men are to recouer their breethren from their sinnes A man by occasion fallen into the water is in danger of his life and the reaching of the hande by another is the meanes to saue him Now euerie man when hee sinneth doeth as much as in him lieth cast his soule into the very pit of hell and wholesome admonitions are as the reaching out of the hande to recover him againe But it will peraduenture be saide how must wee proceede in admonishing of others Answer We are to obserue three things The first is to search whether we that are to reprooue be faultie our selues in the same thing or no first we must take ouâ— the beame that is in our owne eye and so we shall see clearely to put out the mote in our brothers eye II. before wee reprooue wee must be sure that the fault is committed we must not go upon heare-say or likelihoods and therefore the Holy ghost saith Let us consider or observe one another to provoke vnto love or good workes III. before we reproove wee must in Christian wisdome make choice of time and place for all times and places serue not to this purpose And therefore Salomon saith It is the glory of a man to passe by an offence Furthermore in the act of admonishing two things are to be obserued I. a man must deliuer the words of his admonition so farre foorth as hee can out of the word of God so as the partie which is admonished may in the person of man see God himselfe to reprooue him II. his reproofe must be made with as much compassion and fellow-feeling of other mens wants as may be As Paul saieth If any man be fallen by occasion into any fault ye which are spirituall restore such an one with the spirit of meekenes The third way of communicating good things to others is exhortation and it is a meanes to excite and stirre them on forwarde which doe alreadie walke in the way of godlinesse Therefore the Holy Ghost saith Exhort one another daily least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne But alas the practise of this dutie as also of the former is hard to be found among men for it is usuall in families that masters and fathers in stead of admonishing their servants and children teach them the practise of sinne in swearing blaspheming slaundering c. and as for exhortation it is not used Let a man that hath the feare of God offend neuer so little in stead of brotherly exhortation hee shall heare his profession cast in his teeth and his hearing of Sermons this practise is so generall that many beginning newly to tread in the steppes of godlinesse are hereby daunted and quite driuen backe The fourth way is consolation which is a meanes appointed by God wherby one man shoulde vvith vvords of heavenly comforte refresh the soules of others afflicted with sicknesse or any other way feeling the hand of God either in body or in mind And this dutie is as little regarded as any of the former In time of mens sicknesse neighbours come in but what say they I am sorie to see you in this case I hope to see you well againe I would be sory else c. Not one of an hundred can speake a worde of comfort to the

thy transgressions like a cloud and thy sinnes as a myst Now wee know that cloudes and mystes which appeare for a time are afterwarde by the sunne utterly dispersed And king Hezekias when he would shewe that the Lord had forgiuen him his sinnes saith God hath cast them behind his backe alluding to the maner of men who when they will not remember or regard a thing doe turne their backes upon it And Micheas saieth that God doth cast all the sinnes of his people into the bottome of the sea alluding to Pharao whom the Lord drowned in the bottome of the redde sea And Christ hath taught us to pray thus Forgive vs our debtes as wee forgive our debters in which wordes is an allusion to creditours who then forgiue debts when they account that which is debt as no debt and crosse the booke Hence it appeares that damnable vile is the opinioÌ„ of the Church of Rome which holdeth that there is a remission of the fault without a remission of the punishment withall the doctrines of humane satisfactions indulgencies and purgatorie praier for the dead built upon this foundatioÌ„ are of the same kind Moreouer wee must remember to adde too this clause I beleeve and then the meaning is this I do not only beleeue that god doth giue pardon of sinne to his church people for that the verie deuils beleeue but withall I beleeue the forgiuenes of mine owne particular sins Hence it appeares that it was the iudgement of the Primitiue Church that men should beleeue the forgiuenesse of their owne sinnes By this prerogative we reape endlesse comfort for the pardon of sinne is a most wonderfull blessing and without it euery man is more miserable and wretched then the most vile creature that euer was We loathe the serpent or the toade but if a man haue not the pardon of his sinnes procured by the death and passion of Christ hee is a thousand folde worse then they For when they die there is the end of their woe and miserie but when man dieth without this benefite there is the beginning of his For first in soule till the day of iudgement and then both in body and soule for euermore he shall enter into the endlesse paines and tormentes of hell in which if one shoulde continue so many thousand yeres as there are drops in the Ocean sea and then be deliuered it were some â—ase but hauing continued so long which is an unspeakeable length of time he must remaine there as long againe and after that for euer and euer without release and therefore among all the benefits that euer were or can be thought of this is the greatest most pretious Among all the burdens that can befall a man what is the greatest Some wil say sickenesse some ignominie some pouertie some contempt but indeed among all the heauiest and the greatest is the burden of a mans owne sinnes lying upon the conscience and pressing it downe without any assurance of pardon Dauid being a King had no doubt all that heart could wish and yet hee laying aside all the roialties and pleasures of his kingdome saith this one thing aboue all that he is a blessed maÌ„ that is eased of the burdeÌ„ of his sinnes A lazar man full of sores is vgly to the sight and we can not abide to looke upon him but no lazar is so lothsome to us as all sinners are in the sight of God therfore Dauid counted him blessed whose sinnes were câ—vered It may be some will say there is no cause why a man should thus magnifie the pardon of sinne considering it is but a common benefite Thus indeede men may imagine which neuer knewe vvhat sinne meant but let a man onely as it vvere but vvith the tippe of his finger haue a little feeling of the smarte of his sinnes hee shall finde his estate so fearefull that if the vvhole vvorlde were set before him on the one side and the pardon of sins on the other hee would choose the pardon of his sinne before ten thousand worldes Though many drowsie protestants esteeme nothing of it yet to the touched conscience it is a treasure which when a man findes he hides it and goes home and selles all that hee hath and buyes it Therefore this benefit is most excellent and for it the members of Gods Church haue great cause to giue God thankes without ceasing The duties to be learned hence are these And first of all here comes a common fault of men to be rebuked Every one will say that he beleeueth the remission of sins yet no man almost laboureth for a true certen persvvasion hereof in his owne conscience for proofe hereof propound this question to the common Christian Doest thou persvvade thy selfe that God giues remission of sinnes unto his Church The answer will be I know and beleeue it But aske him further Doest thou beleeue the pardon of thine owne sinnes and then comes in a blinde answer I haue a good hope to God ward but I can not tell I thinke no man can say so much for God saieth to no man thy sinnes are pardoned But this is to speake flat contraries to say they beleeue and they can not tell and it bewraies exceeding negligence in matters of saluation But let them that feare God or loue their owne soules health giue all diligence to make sure the remission of their owne sinnes withall avoiding hardnesse of heart and drowsinesse of spirit the most fearefull iudgements of God which euery where take place The foolish virgines went forth to meete the bridegroome with lampes in their handes as well as the wise but they neuer so much as dreamed of the horne of oile till the comming of the bridegrome So many men live in the Church of God as members thereof holding up the lampe of glorious profession but in the meane season they seeke onely for the thinges of this life neuer casting how they may assure them selues in conscience touching their reconciliation with God till the day of death come Secondly if we be here bound to beleeue the pardon of all our sinnes then wee must euerie day humble our selues before God and seeke pardon for our daily offences for he giues grace to the humble or contrite he fâ—â—les the hungrie with good things when the rich are sent empty away When Benhadad the king of Syria was discomfited and ouercome by the king of Israel by the counsell of his seruants who tolde him that the kings of Israel were mercifull men hee sent them cloathed in sackcloath with ropes about their neckes to intreate for peace and fauour Now when the king saw their submission he made couenant of peace with him We by our sinnes must iustly deserue hell death and condemnation euerie day and therefore it standeth us in hand to come into the presence of God and to humble our selues before him in sackcloath and ashes craving and intreating for

childe layeth wormewoode or some other bitter thing vpon her brest to make the childe loathe the milke so likewise God makes vs often feele the miseries and crosses of this life that our loue and liking might be turned from this worlde and fixed in heauen As raw flesh is loathsome to the stomacke so is euerie sinner and unmortified man loathsome unto God till the Lorde by afflictions mortifie in him the corruptions of his nature and specially the loue of this worlde But when a man is afflicted how shall hee be able to endure the crosse Surely by resoluing himselfe that the Lorde hath prepared life euerlasting for him Thus wee reade that Moses by faith when he was come to age refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs ' daughter and choosed rather to suffer adversitie vvith the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt But I pray you what mooued Moses to be of this minde The reason is added Because he had respect to the recompence of reward that is he had alwaies a speciall regard to life euerlasting that was it that made him content and willing to suffer affliction with Gods people in the land of Goshen Here then behold a notable president for us to follow In which wee are taught that the best way to indure afflictions with patience is to haue an eye to the recompence of reward this is it that makes the yoke of Christ easie and lightsome When it shall please God to bring unto us a cup of affliction and bid us drinke a draught thereof to the verie bottom the meditation of life eternall must be as sugar in our pockets to sweeten the cup withall Lastly if this be true that God of his goodnesse endlesse mercie towardes mankind hath prepared life euerlasting yet not for all men but for the elect whose names are written in the booke of life we must aboue all thinges in this world seeke to be partakers of the same Let us receiue this as from the Lorde and lay it to our hearts whatsoeuer we doe euening or morning day or night whether we be young or old rich or poore first we must seeke for the kingdome of heauen and his righteousnesse If this benefit were common to all and not proper to the Church lesse care might be had but seeing it is proper to some alone for this verie cause let all our studies be to obtaine the beginnings of life euerlasting euen in this life For if we haue it not whosoeuer wee be it had bene better for us that we had neuer bene borne or that we had bene borne dogges and toades then men for when they die there is an end of their miserie but man if hee loose everlasting happinesse hath ten thousand millions of yeeres to liue in miserie and in the torments of hell and when that time is ended hee is as farre from the ende of his miserie as hee was at the beginning Wherefore I pray you let not the deuill steale this meditation out of your hearts but be carefull to repent of all your sinnes and to beleeue in Christ for the pardon of them all that by this meanes yee may come to haue the pawne and earnest of the spirite concerning life euerlasting euen in this world What a miserable thing is it that men should liue long in this world and not so much as dreame of another life till the last gaspe But we must not suffer satan thus to abuse and bewitch vs for if we haue not eternall life in this world we shall neuer haue it Hitherto by Gods goodnesse I haue shewed the meaning of the Creede now to drawe to a conclusion the generall vses which are to be made of it follow And first of all we learne by it that the Church of Rome hath no cause to condemne us for heretikes for we doe truly hold and beleeue the whole Apostolicall Symbole or Creed which is an epitome of the scriptures and the verie keie of faith It will be said that we denie the Popes supremacie iustification by workes purgatorie the sacrifice of the Masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead the invocation and intercession of saintes c. which are the greatest pointes of religion It is true indeed we denie and renounce them as doctrines of deuils perswading our selues that if they indeed had beene Apostolicall and the verie grounds and pillars of religion as they are now auouched to be they should in no wise haue bin left forth of the Creed For it is an ouersight in making a confession of faith to omit the principall points and rules of faith It will be further saide that in the Creed we beleeue the Church so consequeÌ„tly are to beleeue all these former points which are taught and avouched by the Church but this defence is foolish For it takes this for graunted that the Church of Rome is the Church here ment which we denie unlesse they can proue a particular Church to be vniversall or Catholicke Nay I adde further that the principall grounds of popish faith for which they contend with us as for life and death are not mentioned in any other Creedes which were made by the Churches councels for many hundred yeres after Christ. Secondly the Creed serues as a storehouse of remedies against all troubles temptations whatsoeuer I. If a man be grieued for the losse of earthly riches let him consider that he beleeues God to be his Creatour who will therfore guide and preserue his owne workemanship by his prouideÌ„ce minister all things needfull unto it And that he hath not lost the principall blessing of all in that he hath God to be his father Christ to be his redeemer the H. ghost to be his comforter and that considering he lookes for life eternall he is not to be ouermuch carefull for this life that Christ being our Lord will not forsake us being the seruaÌ„ts in his own house but will prouide things needfull for us II. If any man be grieued in respect of outward disgrace and contempt let him remember that he beleeues in Christ crucified and that therefore hee is to reioyce in contempt for righteousnesse sake III. They which are troubled for the decease of friends are to comfort themselues in the coÌ„munion of saints and that they haue God the father Christ and the holy ghost for their friends IIII. Against bodily captivitie let men consider that they beleeue in Christ their Lord whose seruice is perfect libertie V. Against the feare of bodily diseases we must remember the resurrection of the bodie in which all diseases and infirmities shalbe abolished VI. If a man feare the death of the body let him consider that hee beleeues in Christ which died vpon the crosse who by death hath vanquished death VII The feare of persecution is restrained if we call to remembrance

Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Text snippets containing the quad