the first grace of God which they call Free-will and that God may be prouoked by our merites to giue vs the second Grace and to make Man a worker together with God in that great worke of our new Birth which the Scripture in expresse termes appropriateth vnto God calling it his owne Workmanship and a Creation Eph. 2. 10. to exclude man and whatsoeuer is of and in man that the whole Doctrine of Diuinitie doth directly ayme and shoot at and whereunto the parts are all to be referred as to their last and furthest end for albeit the seuerall Doctrines haue their seuerall and proper vses the Law to humble vs the Gospell to giue vs comfort in the Sauing Health that through Faith is reached forth vnto vs Preaching to beget Faith the Sacraments to strengthen it Discipline to retaine in the obedience thereof and so in the rest yee the last and vttermost the most shining and glorious end whereunto not one but 〈…〉 y part and not the parts onely but the whole body and frame of all tendeth is this of glorifying God Which will appeare most plainely if wee examine all this Doctrine point by point and goe it throughout in order as it lyeth As 1. The whole Treatise of the Godhead both of his Nature and Persons wherein hee shineth so glorious that the glorie of GOD is often vsed in the Scriptures for his Person and Presence So b Exod. 33. 18. Moses beseecheth him to cause his glorie to passe before him And in c Ezech. 2. 22. Ezechiel the blessed glorie of IEHOVA is said in stead of his glorious and blessed presence 2. His Eternall Councels whether of sauing those he chuseth or destroying those whom he reiecteth whereof the Wise man d Pro. 16. 4. teacheth that he made all for himselfe that is to the prayse of his glorie As the Apostle handling the same Argument doth expound it Eph. 1. 6. 3. The Creation which if Men were as dumbe as Stones would of it selfe sufficiently proclayme the glorie of the Creator And yet he that will see it so set forth as men may learne to admire it let him read the 19. Psalme The Heauens declare the glorie of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy-worke 4. His Workes whereof the e Psal 113. 4 6 7. Prophet cryeth out that he is exalted aboue the Earth yea aboue the Heauens themselues in the glorie of the same Dwelling most high but yet looking most low both in Heauen and in Earth raysing the poore out of the dust the needie out of the dunghill c. as followeth in that Psalme 5. The honor due vnto him from all his reasonable Creatures in Heauen vpon the Earth whose f Matth. 6. 10. part it is to do his will and to performe whatsoeuer he commandeth 6. The Couenant of Works whereby in his Iustice he rewardeth the thorough perfect obedience of Christ his Sonne and of the holy Angels and punisheth all transgression and disobedience as in the Angels that fell and in reprobate and wicked men 7. The Couenant of Grace which the g Ps 19. 8 9 11. Prophet calleth The Restorer of the Soule the Gladder of the Heart the Enlightner of the Eyes more to be desired then Gold yea then much fine Gold sweeter then the Honey and the Honey-Combe God hauing h Rom. 11. 32. shut all that is to say all Men and whatsoeuer is of Man vnder sinne that he might haue mercy vpon all whom hee meaneth for to saue This is it which teacheth i 1. Cor. 1. 31. Christ to be made vnto vs wisdome from God and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption that as it is written He that glorieth let him glorie in the Lord Because in him as the same Apostle sheweth k 2. Cor. 1. 20. All the promises of God are yea and Amen vnto Gods glorie Whereupon Iohn l Reuel 14. 6. in the Reuelation teacheth That this is the true voice of the euerlasting Gospell Feare God and giue glorie vnto him 8. The collection and gathering of his Church wherein as m Psal 29. 9. Dauid saith he vttereth all his glory Some footsteps whereof were to be seene in the peculiar choice First of a Family in Abraham Isack Iacob and the twelue Patriarkes then of a whole Nation of the Iewes from the rest of the people of the World Therefore doth the Psalmist say n Psal 76. 2. In Iewry is God famous and his Name is great in Israel But the full accomplishment of this his glory whereof the other was but a light precursion is vpon the breaking downe of the partition wall betweene the Iewes and Gentiles and reconciling them in one body vnto himselfe In which sence the Apostle o Ephes 3. 10. affirmeth that euen to the Angels themselues to principalities and powers is made knowne through the Church the diuers and manifold wisdome of God And the p Psal 102. 16. Psalmist long before had prophesied that when Iehoua did build vp Sion by the comming of his Sonne the calling of the Gentiles and the full repayring of his Church vniuersall then should he be seene in his glory 9. Sanctification of life and the obedience of his Saints wherein q 1. Cor. 10. 31. Whatsoeuer wee doe wee doe all to the glory of God 10. The saluation it selfe of Gods Elect standing in the participation of his glory As the r Rom. 3. 23. 13. Apostle noteth when he saith All haue sinned and come short of the glory of God that is of eternall life which we are to seeke and labour for not so much for our owne good and happinesse as for his glory from all which we gather a rule to examine and iudge of all Doctrines That those are euer soundest which giue to God the greatest glory and contrariwise whatsoeuer sootheth vp the proud spirit of man or darkneth the glory of the liuing God that if there were no more is cause enough to make vs to reiect it This our Sauiour teacheth Ioh. 7. 18. He that seeketh the glory of him that sent him he is true and there is no vnrighteousnesse in him making it the certaine badge of all true and heauenly Doctrine if it tend to glorifie God As by the same argument Paul auoucheth his Doctrine to bee such that an Angell from Heauen preaching otherwise were to be held accursed for doe I now saith hee perswade men or God tendeth my ſ Gal. 1. 8 9 10. preaching to set vp man or to pull downe the pride of all flesh that God alone may be exalted Two parts we make of all this holy Doctrine one properly Whereof there be two parts One that concerneth God the other concerning Imanuel God with vs. concerning God the Creatour the other concerning Christ the Redeemer the true Emanuel God with vs. For so our Sauiour in that which wee call the Lords Prayer doth deuide it speaking in the three former Petitions
haue set an euerlasting people that the signes and things to come might bee vttered vnto them Haue not I from that time vttered it vnto thee and declared it and you are my Witnesses Is there any God but mee 2. Strength Strength Comelinesse and beautie Graciousnes or an amiable and louely nature A complete furniture of riches honor and of all kind of pleasures delights 3. Comelinesse and beautie 4. Graciousnesse or an amiable and louely nature 5. A complete furniture of Riches and of all kinde of pleasures and delights God thus garnished and beset with whatsoeuer perfections the heart of man can thinke yea infinitely aboue that that men or Angels are able to conceiue is alone happy and blessed as the a 1. Tim. 6. 15. Apostle calleth him That blessed and onely Potentate Foolish men place happinesse in the good things as they terme them of body mind and fortune In all these how doth the Lord excell but after his owne that is a heauenly and vnspeakable sort A Body is commended by these two qualities if it bee strong and faire b Psal 93. 1. Iehouah saith the Psalmist is clothed with glory he hath girt himselfe with strength Againe c Psal 96. 6. Glory and comelinesse is before him strength and ornament in his Sanctuary In another d Psal 104. 1. place he cryeth out O IEHOVAH thou art exceeding great thou hast clothed thy selfe with comelinesse and beautie couering thy selfe with light as with a garment If any thing in the World be glorious and beautifull the Sunne the Moone the Starres and heauenly Planets are so without comparison But Looke vp saith e Iob 25. 5. Bildad in the Booke of IOB euen vnto the Moone and it doth not shine yea the Planets are not pure in his eyes that is are exceeding darke if they bee compared with him Notable is that of ELIHV f Iob 37. 20 21. Men cannot abide to looke vpon the Sunne when the golden light commeth from the North but in God there is a more reuerend kind of glory To conclude he is g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strong God who h 1. Tim. 6. 16. alone hath immortality and onely is i Rom. 1. 23. 1. Tim. 1. 17. incorruptible or not subiect to decay A thing that falleth not into any Body or nature besides by it selfe and of it selfe What of the goods of Fortune fondly so called where Honour and Riches haue the preeminence k Phil. 2. 6. He is rich l Gen. 17. 1. all-sufficient the possessor m Gen. 14. 22. of Heauen and Earth needing nothing but hauing all things ministring abundantly vnto those that need n Psal 24. 1. The Earth is the Lords and all that doth replenish it Mine saith o Hag. 2. â— he is Gold and Siluer is mine p Ps 50. 10 11. Mine is euery beast of the Forrest and the Cattell vpon a thousand Hils I know all the Birds of the Mountaines and the wilde Beasts of the field are mine This is hee whom men and Angels honour worship adore yea the Deuils themselues with trembling are forced against their wils to magnifie and the proud q Psal 66. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enemie counterfeits a subiection Therefore also his Name is great and he is famous throughout the World And if pleasures come into this account the r Psal â—8 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 triumphall Chariot whereon hee rideth is sweetnesse and delight it selfe comelinesse Å¿ Psal 96. 9. carryeth the Mace before him and t Psal 16. 11. at his right hand are pleasures for euermore Yea what u Psal 17. 5. is our blessednesse else but to see him face to face And when as ioy x Esay 35. 10. and gladnesse mirth and singing are the portion of his Children What shall wee thinke his fulnesse to bee But in the vertues of the minde how hee glittereth and shineth Theoricke practike Morall Intellectuall of the vnderstanding and of the will No ignorance can mis-lead him no affection can disquiet him no passion can lay hold vpon him with y Prou. 8. 14. Iob. 12. 13. him is counsell and wisedome his is knowledge and vnderstanding hee is wise in aduising iust in decreeing mighty in the executing of his counsels As for Holinesse Mercy Truth Kindnesse they take vp their dwelling in him yea his very nature is nothing else but the perfection of them all But doth this blessednesse of God rest onely in himselfe and reacheth it no farther Yes verily hee is not onely in himselfe and of himselfe and by nature blessed but he is the Fountaine of blessednesse to other Hee z Psal 32. 1 2. maketh blessed by giuing righteousnesse forgiuing sinnes through his Sonne purging the conscience sanctifying the heart vnto obedience Finally by making men and Angels partakers of his most gracious and blessed presence in Heauen To him bee honour and prayse for euer Wee haue hitherto spoken of the good and perfect These are the perfect things themselues His perfect incommunicable manner of hauing of them is Infinitenesse and Eternitie Infinitenesse whereby he is without circumscription things that are in God His perfect and incommunicable manner of hauing of them standeth in infinitenesse and eternitie Both of them such as no man nor Angell is capable of nor can be communicated to any creature By infinitenesse I meane an vnmeasureable Power Wisedome and Glory Goodnesse Greatnesse filling Heauen and Earth and being euery-where present within and without the World whereof there bee many euident testimonies in the Scripture Ieremy 23. 25. Doe not I fill Heauen and Earth saith IEHOVAH Psal 139. 7. Whither should I go from thy Spirit or whither should I flye from thy presence If I should climbe the Heauens thou art there or lay my bed in the Graue behold thou art present If I should take the wings of the Morning and dwell in the vttermost part of the Earth euen thither should thy hand lead me and thy right hand lay hold vpon mee Esay 66. 1. Heauen is my Throne and the Earth is my Footstoole As for those places of Scripture where God is said to remooue from one place vnto another as Genes 11. 5. IEHOVAH went downe to see the Citie and the Towre which the sonnes of men had built and Genes 18. 21. IEHOVAH said vnto ABRAHAM Because the cry of Sodome and Gomorrah is very much and because their sinne is very great I will go downe to see whether according to the cry that is come vp vnto mee they haue done things worthy of destruction if not that I may know This and whatsoeuer like is spoken after the manner of men to discend to our capacitie not that truely and properly there is any change of place in God GOD therefore is is all places at once not onely by his vertue and power but in his whole infinite essence yet wee must not imagine
grosely of him to thinke that eyther he is mixed with the Creatures for that is contrary to his most perfect single nature or that by the filth and contagion of the creature himselfe can be polluted for that is contrary to his most perfect holy nature but in such a sort hee is present as is heauenly and spirituall and incomprehensible And albeit by nature we seeke God in the Heauens and our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs to say Our Father which art in Heauen that is not in respect of his essence and as I may say of his very presence that hee is rather in Heauen then in Earth or dwelleth rather in his Church then in prophane Synagogues in the hearts of his Saints then in the wicked but in respect of his working and more speciall grace or of the cleerer manifestation of his glory as he saith a Esay 66. 1. In Heauen is my Throne And the Prophet b Psal 29. 9. DAVID In his Temple hee vttereth all his glorie And that this euery-where-presence doth onely belong to God appeareth in that by this note hee differenceth himselfe from all other Creatures For when hee saith c Ier. 23. 23. Doe not I fill Heauen and Earth he meaneth that none other doth so It is to bee obserued that hee saith there Am I a God neere at hand saith IEHOVAH and am I not a God farre off Doe I not fill Heauen and Earth As if hee had said that which none but God can challenge God therefore is onely Infinite Hee onely is that Circle whose Center is euery where and Circumference no where who alone d Esay 40. 12. measureth the Waters in his fist and counteth the Heauens with a spanne As the Prophet would haue vs to vnderstand when he setteth the same as a spell to any whatsoeuer that foolish men shall dare to make like vnto him From this infinitenesse of God three The Anthropomorphites because the scripture speaketh of the eies of God his hands feet other parts likewise of his Loue Anger Hatred such like imagined God to haue truly and properly Limbes and parts of a Body and the passions affections of a man whereas these things are spoken out to our capacitie who cannot conceiue how the actions which God is said to doe can be performed without such helpes not that truely and properly there are any members or passions in God And therefore of a most single nature that whatsoeuer is in God is God himselfe things may bee learned First The singlenesse of his nature admitting no quality or other accident for in that which is infinite how can there any thing haue place that is not of the essence GOD therefore hath neither composition nor diuision parts or members passions or affections or other accidents but whatsoeuer is in God is God himselfe which is the meaning of our Sauiour Christ when he calleth e Iohn 4. 24. him a Spirit not as if he were a Spirit of like nature as the Angels are or the soules of men for that were most erroneous and blasphemous for to thinke but because Spirits haue a most single and vnmixed nature vnder the same word hee representeth vnto vs that most single and spirituall essence of GOD which of all things in the World the Spirits come neerest to Now that both this holinesse and all other the good things whereof wee haue heard are of the very nature of God the Scripture giueth vs to vnderstand when it calleth him Light Charity Eternity c. and when he himselfe speaking of his very nature and essence saith to MOSES f Exod. 33. 19. I will make all my goodnesse to passe before thy face for this cause it is that in that most glorious description of himselfe Exodus 33. before hee come to the particular vertues of Power Goodnesse Iustice hee setteth in the fore-front this name Iehouah saying IEHOVAH IEHOVAH the mighty God mercifull c. And why doth he so Both to stirre vp Moses vnto due reuerence and humiliation before the presence of his Maiestie and withall to shew that as hee is Iehouah that is of himselfe and in his most single essence he is Omnipotent Mercifull Iust c. yea that his very nature is nothing else but Power Mercy Iustice c. Notable is that place of the Prophet ESAY g Esay 43. 25. I euen I am he that blotteth out thy rebellioâ—s for my else He saith not For my Mercy but For my selfe to teach vs that his Mercy and his Goodnesse is himselfe and consequently all essentiall in him and nothing accidentall Therefore he can neyther be tempted of euill nor be the author of it So saith h Iames 1. 13. IAMES Let no man when he is tempted say I am tempted of God for God cannot bee tempted of euill neither tempteth he any man And PAVL i 2. Tim. 2. 3. Though we beleeue not yet he remayneth faithfull hee cannot deny himselfe And to TITVS k Titus 1. 2. God that cannot lye Againe it followeth from hence that his will is the rule of all goodnesse a thing being therefore good and holy because he willeth it not willed of him because it is good and holy The Apostle teacheth vs that Lesson Rom. 9. 22. What if God willing to shew forth his wrath and to make knowne his power hath suffered c. As if he should say What hast thou ô man to say against it if it be his will and pleasure This also doth our Sauiour shaddow in the Parable Matth. 20. 15. Is it not lawfull for me to doe what I will with mine owne The other two things to bee inferred from the infinitenesse of God are First That he is inuisible by the eyes eyther of the Body And therefore also inuisible or the minde as the m 1. Tim. 1. 17. To the King euerlasting immortall inuisible Col. 1. 15. who is the image of the inuisible God Heb. 11. 1â— for he continued constant seeing as it were him that is inuisible And incomprehensible Scripture in many places termeth him whereupon it is said n 1. Tim. 6. 16. That hee dwelleth in light which none can haue accesse vnto Secondly that he is altogether incomprehensible of his creatures So true it is which o Iob 26. 14. Eternity whereby he is without beginning or ending And therefore of himselfe and vnchangeable Iob once spake How small a little piece doe we heare of him Wee come to the Eternitie of God whereby hee is without beginning and ending and therefore of himselfe and vnchangeable for eternall wee call that that hath neyther beginning of dayes nor end of life but remayneth for euer one and the same not subiect to any change As Melchisedek and his Priest-hood are typically set forth Heb. 7. 3. Such a one in truth doth the Scripture declare God to bee That hee is without beginning appeareth Psal 93. 2. Thy Throne is established
Fourthly Hee sendeth forth the Holy Ghost out of his owne substance and therefore is indeede and truth God if as shall bee prooued anon the Holy Ghost himselfe be God Fiftly The workes which only belong to God Christ doth the same and that in the same manner as hee saith in o John 5. 19. IOHH Whatsoeuer the Father doth the same the Sonne doth likewise And p Iohn 5. 18. againe My Father worketh hitherto and I worke Whereupon truely and rightly the Iewes concluded that hee made himselfe equall with God It were long to goe thorow all but to select the chiefe and principall among all the workes of God none is more neere and inward to the Sacred Maiesty then the Eternall Election which is within himselfe and knowne onely to himselfe and whereof he alone doth keepe the Booke This is attributed vnto Christ Iohn 15. You haue not chosen mee but I haue chosen you that you might bring forth fruit and that your fruit may remaine which properly ment of the dignity and office of Apostle-ship whereunto Christ had chosen them giueth them withall this comfort that as they had this honour to be the Arch-Masons and Master-Builders of the Church which is the House of the liuing God so themselues were liuely stones of that spirituall Building and to haue part in the fruite which by their Ministery they should reach forth for the euerlasting good of many in q 2. Tim. 4. 6. sauing of themselues as well as others without which their ioy had not beene full And aptly doth this follow as the Root and Fountaine of that most Honourable Title to bee his friends which hee had vouchsafed to giue vnto them immediately before But more manifest is that Iohn 13. 18. I speake not of you all I know whom I haue chosen But it behooueth that the Scripture should bee fulfilled He that eateth bread with mee hath lift vp his heele against mee The circumstance of exempting one of the Apostles out of the number of the blessed making his Election the cause of this their difference referring the same to his owne secret knowledge and finally opposing to the Chosen him that should betray him the r Iohn 17. 12. sonne of destruction as afterwards he calleth him who yet in familiaritie of conuersation was a choice and speciall friend eating bread continually at his Table shew plainly that hee speaketh of Election vnto life As other Å¿ Mat. 24. 31. where hee doth when speaking of his second Comming vnto Iudgement hee saith The Sonne of man shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet Who shall gather together his Elect from the foure winds c. And no maruell though hee call them his Elect for since hee hath power and authority to t Reuel 3. 5. blot mens names out of the Booke of Life it cannot bee chosen but hee must haue interest to write them in for of contraries there is one and the same respect in nature Therefore to shut vp this point and to leaue it without question the Booke of Life in the u Reuel 13. 8. Reuelation is expresly called The Lambes Booke of Life Come to that which is more glorious in the World And first vnto the Creation the proper marke of the true God As the x Psal 124. 8. Psalmist teacheth Our helpe is in the Name of IEHOVAH that hath made both Heauen and Earth And y Ier. 10. 11. IEREMY The gods that made not Heauen and Earth let them perish from the Earth and from vnder the Heauen He it is that wrought with the Father in the creating of all things Iohn 1. 13. All things were made by him and without him was nothing that was made not a iot of any thing So saith Paul to the z Col. 1. 16. Colossians By him were created all things both in Heauen and vpon the Earth things visible and inuisible whether Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him Therefore he is called The a Reuel 3. 14. beginning of the Creation of God or the first and prime cause from whence the Creatures take their beginning being all made and formed by him And notable is that of the 102. Psalme which the Apostle to the Hebrewes b Heb. 1. 10. applyeth vnto Christ Thou Lord in the beginning laydst the foundation of the Earth and the Heauens are the worke of thy hands And By him saith the same c Heb. 1. 2. Apostle God made the Ages that is Time and the course and succession of all things with this glory of Creation is coupled another not inferior of the cherishing and preseruing of the things created So Prou. 8. 30. he saith that he is with God his Father nourishing and gladding them continually Hither belong those Diuine Workes and Miracles manifestly pointing out his God-head He rebuked the Winds and they obeyed him raysed vp the dead opened the eyes of them that were blind cast out Deuils had power to send them into Hell to their fearefull place of torment for d Luke 8. 31. they besought him not to doe it And all this he did not as the Prophets and Apostles but by his owne Soueraigne Power As the Euangelist e Luke 5. 36. noteth that hereupon feare came on all the people maruelling what this might be For euen say they with Authority and Power he commandeth the vncleane spirits and they come out And how must not this Power needes be his owne when hee taketh vpon him to giue it to others The f Matth. 10. 8. Euangelist recording that hee gaue power vnto the twelue Apostles to clense Lepers to rayse the dead to cast out Deuils c. which authority they like faithfull Seruants did so pursue as it might easily appeare they deriued their whole vertue from him alone Hence is that of g Acts 3. 6. PETER In the Name of Christ arise and walke and h Acts 9. 34. AENEAS Iesus Christ doth heale thee I stand not heere to presse those glorious workes whereby his God-head shineth most cleerely in the Church in subduing the proud enemies thereof and generally all the Reprobates hardening their hearts and deliuering them vp vnto their owne damnation For so the i Iohn 12. 39 40. 41. Euangelist when hee had shewed that the Iewes could not beleeue because ESAY had said He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts lest they should see with their eyes and vnderstand with their heart and I should heale them immediately addeth These things said ISAIAH when hee saw his glory and spake of him Contrariwise he bestoweth vpon his Children all good graces Therefore the Apostle continually prayeth for Grace and Peace from him He sendeth the Holy Spirit vnto them The k Iohn 15. 16. Comforter whom I will send And Iohn 20. 22. He breathed vpon them and said Receiue the Holy Ghost He giueth Faith as appeareth by that Prayer
his Throne and Kingdome in the dispensation of his great and glorious purposes established before any time In which regard the Psalmist g Psal 78. 69. saith of the Land of Canaan That he founded it for his people the Iewes from euerlasting meaning in his eternall counsell and h Esay 45. 7. ESAY Since I disposed an euerlasting people the Church in the purpose and appointment of God eternally elected And when the Psalmist i Psal 103. 17. cryeth out The kindnesses of IEHOVAH are from euerlasting to euerlasting doth he not euidently point hereat But more cleerely to this purpose serueth that of Paul k Ephes 3. 11 commending the excellency of the Doctrine of the Gospell in the gathering together of the Churches of the Gentiles aswell as Iewes in that it was according to his euerlasting purpose As also l 1. Cor. 2. 7. in another place hee saith of the Wisedome of God lying hid in the Mystery of the Gospell that God had fore-ordayned it before the World And of Christ Peter m 1. Pet. 1. 20. saith that he was fore-appointed before the foundation of the World was layd The truth hereof not onely shineth forth in these and other great and high points of our Faith and namely of Election and Reprobation which come hereafter to be considered but reacheth farther and hath a place in all So n Psal 193. 15. 16. Dauid speaketh of his conception an ordinary course of nature When I was secretly framed and as it were curiously wrought and wouen together thine eyes did see my very lumpe what time they were fashioned yea euen then when none of them was extant that is from euerlasting And the saying of Iames o Acts 15. 18. hath no exception All the workes of God are knowne to him from Eternitie In this Argument I finde that the Prophet Esay from whom the Apostles p 2. Pet. 2. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peter and Iude seeme q Iude verse 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to haue taken it delighteth himselfe much to set out the Eternitie of Gods Decrees by the Phrase of Long r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agoe In the two and twentieth Å¿ Esay 22. 5 8 11. Chapter Thou diddest looke in that day when the enemie did besiege you to the Armour of the Forrest House c. But ye looke â—â—ot to the Authour of it nor had respect to him that framed it long agoe Chap. 25. The t Esay 25. 1. counsels long agoe eternally decreed and in their time prophesied and made knowne to the Church are Faith and Truth And so himselfe doth in another u Esay 37. 26. place expound it to import as much as from all Eternitie Secondly The cause why all things are so decreed is not the knowledge or fore-knowledge of God but his absolute will and pleasure for causes resting onely in himselfe although vnknowne to vs yet most iust and holy Ephes 1. 11. Hee worketh all things after the counsell of his will Thirdly The generalitie in that hee hath decreed all things and all the meanes and circumstances of euery thing Acts 15. 18. All the workes of God are knowne to him that is purposed and decreed of him from Eternitie So that whatsoeuer experience sheweth or the Word of God confirmeth to come to passe in Heauen or in Earth or in the lowest Hell both the confounding of the wicked the Saluation of the Elect and the things that pertayne to the businesse and affaires of this life the same are all eternally decreed of God and that for his owne good pleasure onely the x Ephes 11. 1. Apostle bearing witnesse That hee worketh all things after the counsell of his will CHAP. III. Of Creation IN the Creation which is the second thing The workes of God are the execution of his purpose And are Creation and Prouidence Creation is his making all things wherein his Kingdome standeth I obserue fiue things which the Story of the Creation penned by Moses in the first and second Chapters of Genesis doth offer vnto vs. First The things which God made All things without exception and in saying all things it is manifest that we leaue nothing vncreated excepting onely him that did create them no not the Angels themselues the most glorious and super-excellent Creatures of God of whoÌ„ albeit Moses maketh no mention in expresse termes no more then of their fall specifying onely the visible workes of God in respect of the people to whom he wrote yet the Holy Ghost else-where concealeth not their Creation for when the Psalmist had exhorted the Angels and Host of Heauen the Sunne the Moone the Starres the Heauen of Heauens to prayse the Lord hee addeth a reason common to them all Let a Psal 148. 2 3 4 5. them prayse the Name of IEHOVAH for he commanded and they were created But most manifest is that of PAVL Col. 1. 16. By him were all things created which are in Heauen and vpon the Earth things visible and inuisible whether Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers By which words it is most certaine he vnderstands the Angels This all things you may not vnfitly deuide into b 1. Cor. 4. 9. reasonable Creatures Angels and Men and the World of them both whereto aptly serueth the place of the Colossians before and Moses in the very first words of his Story hath so deuided it In c Gen. 1. 12. the beginning God made Heauen and Earth that is both the vtmost compasse of this vniuersal World together with the Spirits and Angels that inhabit it and that Chaos or first lumpe and matter whereout the Earth and Heauen as we call Heauen and all heauenly and earthly bodies were made Moses therefore as Paul in that place maketh a most perfect diuision of all the whole frame of Gods Creation sundring it into two Heauen and Earth The Ayre it selfe the Sunne the Moone the Planets and whatsoeuer in that whole Chapter is spoken of seemeth to be comprehended vnder the name of Earth For so hee doth proceed resuming the latter member And touching the Earth it was vnshapen c. By Heauen is meant the place of blessed Spirits and the Angels inhabiters and dwellers in it All which appeareth further in the next Chapter Thus d Gen. 2. 1. were the Heauen and the Earth perfited and all the Host of them that is whatsoeuer is within the compasse of the highest Heauens vnto the very bottome and Center of the lowest Earth things visible and inuisible Angels or whatsoeuer else wherewith the Heauen and Earth are beautifully adorned The World of these two Creatures is either the vnseene World Heauen and Hell or the World visible and subiect to our eyes which Moses in one word termeth Earth But a better and more apt diuision to this purpose may bee made to say it is eyther the naturall place and World for these two Creatures Heauen for the one
Earth for the other or Hell accidently for eyther Heauen we call the highest World made for the Angels to inhabit As our f Mar. 12. 25. Sauiour Those that phantastically teach that Heauen is euery-where teacheth They are as the Angels in Heauen In Heauen g Mat. 18. 10. their Angels alwayes behold the face of my Father which is in Heauen This is it which the Scripture calleth h 1. King 8. 27. The Heauen of Heauens for the excellencie The i 2. Cor. 12. 2. third Heauen for the situation aboue the Ayre and the Skie both which haue the name of Heauen and k 2. Cor. 12. 4. Paradise for the pleasure being the place of the residence of Gods glory Earth is the middle World made for man Psal 115. 16 The Heauens are IEHOVAHS and the Earth which hee hath giuen vnto the sonnes of men Two things in it come to be considered the parts and the ornaments The parts I call the foure Elements l For the Philosophers agree that nothing giueth light but that which hath some fire in it wherefore from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Light the Chaldees were wont to call Fire Oru◠whom they worshipped for their god Fire the vppermost Globe wherein was Light an adiunct and qualitie of the Fire Ayre or as Moses calleth it an m Following the Greekes who name it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extent we improperly the Firmament comprehending all that voyd place betweene the Cloudes and the Earth which giueth breath of life to all things that breathe Water with all the Chanels thereof the Seas the Floudes the Lakes the Springs And Earth or the dry ground the Bottome and Center of the World for man to inhabit Ornaments are the things wherewith these Elements are garnished and set forth being all things necessary both for the vse and command of man For his vse were made the n Gen. 1. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. insensible things Grasse and Trees continually fructifying in the Earth the Sunne the Moone the Starres placed aboue the Cloudes in the highest Globe in or aboue the vppermost part of that extent which Moses calleth the o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extent of Heauen that is to say that part of the extent which is neerest to the Heauens and furthest from the Earth where the Element of Fire is and these being the vessels that now receiue and send forth the Light which it seemeth most probable the Fire is it before for the Scripture speaketh of Light before the Sunne haue in that place of Moses a three-fold vse assigned to them First To distinguish Light from Darknesse that is to say the naturall Day from the Night Secondly To bee signes for the noting out of times and seasons A thing common to them all as appeareth Iob 9. 9. Where ARCTVRVS ORION PLEIADES and the Planets of the hidden South are vsed to note out the parts of the Yeere Autumne Winter the Spring and Summer But this neuerthelesse is proper to the Sunne and Moone that by the running of their compasse they after a speciall sort rule and gouerne the Sunne the Day and the Moone the Night and make the difference of ciuill Dayes Moneths and Yeeres Thirdly They serue not onely to enlighten the Earth but by their influence to refresh and giue growth to all earthly bodies For the command of men were made the dumbe and vnreasonable Creatures which yet haue a sensitiue life and feeling As in the Water Fishes in the Ayre Birds in the Earth Beasts both going and creeping all of them Male and Female for the propagation of their kind Hell is the lowest World a soule Those that teach also that Hell is no certayne nor locall place and fearefull place of punishment made for Angels and men that should transgresse Peter p 2. Pet. 2. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giueth it a name which signifieth asmuch as a place of terrible confused darkenesse whereof that which q Iob 10. 22. Iob speaketh touching the graue is much more to bee verified that there bee no orders there no alterations of times and seasons sometimes darke sometimes light but whatsoeuer shineth most is as the shaddow of death continuall night and a whole day as a man may say of darknesse for out of the Kingdome of Heauen there is no light at all Therefore are the heires of that Kingdome termed The r Luke 8. 31. sonnes of Light And contrariwise this place the ſ Mat. 8. 12. outer darknesse Luke t Luke 8. 31. calleth it The deepe or bottomlesse Gulfe placed beneath as a most deepe and darke Dungeon a foule and hideous Prison as Peter u 1. Pet. 3. 19. nameth it when hee saith that Christ by the power of his God-head in the Ministery of NOAH preached to the spirits now in Prison And againe x 2. Pet. 2. 4. that the Angels which sinned are kept there in chaines of darkenesse or as y Iude verse 6. IVDE hath it with euerlasting bonds vnder darkenes as in a Gaole vnto the Iudgement of the great Day Wee haue done with the World made for these reasonable Creatures Come wee now to the reasonable Creatures themselues and first of the parts of reason come to them both vnderstanding and will The vnderstanding part in men for distinction sake and our better conceiuing of it we commonly terme the minde the will in them is properly called the soule although the reasonable soule comprehending both bee but one In the vnderstanding part two faculties are comprehended First Knowledge that teacheth what we ought to doe and is the Fountaine and beginning not onely of the other faculties but of all the Actions and Motions of our life Vnder this two other faculties are comprehended Iudgement or Wisdome which is the top and perfection of knowledge for discerning of things that differ and conscience which is a part of our vnderstanding determining of our particular actions eyther with them or against them called therefore Conscience as if you would say A knowing with or before God vpon a right examination of our wayes in his sight Secondly Memory to lay vp in our mindes the things which wee know and vnderstand The will is a facultie freely choosing whatsoeuer it selfe pleaseth and mouing vs to doe it and this hath the soueraigne command in euery one for therefore we doe a thing not because wee thinke it ought to bee done but because wee will doe it vnder the name of will I comprehend in this place aswell the desire onely which is before and without consent as that which most properly in common speech is onely termed the will when a settled and full consent is come And here affections are the same that conscience is in the mind Not seuerall or distinct faculties but parts or motions of the wil diuersly inclining it to this or that appearing good according to the diuersity of obiects that are offered
flesh he was iustified in the Spirit And g Acts 2. 22. PETER calleth him a man approued of God by the excellent Deedes and miracles and signes which God had done by him Which as h Iohn 2. 11. Iohn noteth were to manifest his glorie In regard whereof he saith i Iohn 1. 14 Wee saw his glorie as the glorie of the onely begotten Sonne of God But yet sometimes more gloriously then at other he was pleased in an extraordinary manner to reueale it as in his Transfiguring vpon the Mount when k Matth. 17. 2. his face shined as the Sunne and his garments were made white as the light In his l Iohn 2. 15. whipping of the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple In his m Iohn 18. 6. causing of them that came to apprehend him onely by the power of his Word to fall vnto the ground c. yea in the very midst of all his sufferings and euen vpon the Crosse it selfe how did his glorie shine taking vpon him to n Luk. 23. 42 43. dispose of Paradise the kingdome of heauen at his pleasure and making heauen and earth the liuing and the dead to worke together for the celebrating of his greatnesse When the Sunne ashamed of their doings o Matth. 27. 45 pulled in his beames and refused to giue them Light when at p Matth. 27. 50 51 52. his voice and the noyse of his roring the Earth trembled and shooke the Vale of the Temple rent a sunder from the top vnto the bottome Rockes flew in pieces the Graues were opened and the Bodies of many dead Saints did arise when hee wrung out of the q Matth 27. 54 Centurions mouth a confession of his person and made the r Iohn 19. 19 20 21 22. hands of Pilate imbrued with his bloud to be the instruments of the publishing of his Office and to lift vp the Standard of his prayse to all people Latines Greekes and Hebrewes that not without iust cause doth the Å¿ Coloss 2. 15. Apostle say that He spoyled Principalities and Powers and led them in open shew triumphing vpon the Crosse So as the shamefull and ignominious Crosse was contrary to its nature so altered and changed by Christs Diuine Power that it serued now for a Trophee and Monument of his Victorie being as a Chariot wherein he rode more glorious then any Emperour or Potentate of the World in the middest of his greatest Triumph and had all the enemies of our Saluation Satan Sinne Hell and Condemnation led after him chayned and fast bound with all their weapons pulled from them as men taken captiues But this Glorie of his afterwards shined foorth most were in soule or bodie apart or ioyntly in them both In soule he went to Heauen presently after death cleerely in foure steps or degrees In the first place may bee reckoned though it were not conspicuous to the World that he went in soule vnto Heauen after death So hee t Luke 23. 43. saith to the Thiefe This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise And after being readie to giue vp the ghost u Verse 46. Father into thy hands I commit my Spirit Which to bee meant of his present going to God his Father is manifest by other places where the like phrase is vsed as Acts 7. 59. in the Prayer of STEPHEN Lord receiue my spirit The second step is his Resurrection when in the His bodie hee raysed from the dead Chambers of death he conquered death it selfe and being a Morsell that the graue was not able for to swallow arose from the dead and made thereby a perfect conquest of all his foes and full demonstration of his Glorie as the Apostle saith x Rom. 1. 4. He was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God as touching the spirit of Sanctification by rising from the dead In his Resurrection I note these sixe things First The cause of his Resurrection which was by his owne Diuine Power Secondly The manner of his rising mightily and powerfully not bound hand and foote as Lazarus came forth but like Samson hee y Acts 2. 24. brake the bands of death and of the graue in sunder Thirdly What bodie hee rose withall a Bodie freed glorious from all infirmitie hunger thirst wearinesse c. and indued with immortalitie strength nimblenesse agilitie Behold my hands and my feet It is euen â— touch me and see mee A Spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see mee to haue Acts 2. 32. Acts 3. 13 15. able to mooue vpwards aswell as to goe downewards glorious and shining and therefore called z Phil. 3. 21. A bodie glorious Howsoeuer it Vbiquists that teach Christs body since his Resurrection to bee Omnipotent euerywhere remayne a a Luke 24 39. bodie still to bee handled touched felt hauing length breadth c. with all other essentiall properties belonging to a Bodie and locally comprehended in one certaine place Fourthly The time when hee rose which was the the third day at the dawning of the day b Mat. 16. 21. Luke 24. 7. 11. Acts 10 40. 1. Cor. 15. 4. third Day early in the morning Fiftly The fruit and benefit in all those good and excellent things which are to bee remembred when wee speake of the Kingdome of Heauen The third step is his most blessed and glorious Ascension whereby in stead of the lower part of the In his whole person soule and bodie he ascends into Heauen Earth whither for his great loue vnto vs he did willingly come downe God hath taken him vp and set him aboue the highest Heauens as the Apostle noteth Ephes 4. 10 11. Now this that he ascended what is it but that hee first descended into the lower parts of the Earth He that descended is the selfe-same that ascended farre aboue all the Heauens c. Of this is the Storie recorded Marke 16. 19. Luke 24. 51. and more fully Acts 1. 29. that whilest they looked he was lifted vp or as the Angell calleth it Acts 1. 11. taken vp from them into Heauen that is his humane nature by the power and vertue of his God-head was truly and locally translated from the Earth into the highest Heauens of the Blessed where it is to remayne in all glorie and excellencie till the latter Day as the Angell telleth his Apostles Acts 1. 11. This Iesus that is taken vp from you into Heauen shall so come as you haue seene him going into Heauen And Peter more plainly Acts 3. 21. Whom Heauen must contayne till the times of the restoring of all things For where our Sauiour saith Mat. 28. 20. I am with you alwayes to the end of the World and a c Mat. 26. 11. little before had said Me you shall not haue alwayes among you it appeareth that the manner of his presence is to bee distinguished for hee is present indeed alwayes with his Church but by the
telleth vs that Hee which vpon Adams fall began his Mediation had a Being long before and together with his Father and Holy Spirit weilded a greater Scepter being the Lord and Creatour of Adams selfe and of the whole World besides and the great King out of whose Throne proceed those euerlasting counsels that rule and moderate whatsoeuer is or shall be Thy Throne is established before any time thou art from euerlasting The other degree is in the tayming and bringing downe of the proud enemies of his Kingdome whose rage and furie hee compareth with the loud noyse of mightie waters when the Waues and Surges of the Sea arise Christs Dominion that sitteth aloft as Lord Paramount with the stilling and ouer-ruling of them Then followeth the second mayne Arme and Branch of his Kingdome in the Scepter of his Word Thy testimonies are exceeding true And lastly the euerlasting Righteousnesse which by the Spirit of Sanctification hee bestoweth vpon his Church In thy House is comely holinesse O IEHOVAH for euermore The first of these is properly called his Iudicature or Office of a Iudge the second is his Propheticall Office the third is wont by excellencie to be called The Kingdome All most glorious and noble effects of his Ascension into Heauen and sitting at the right hand of God as the Apostle telleth vs Ephes 4. 8. Ascending on high he led captiuitie captiue whereby he meaneth the absolute power giuen vnto him for the gouernment of the World seene specially in the subduing of the proud enemies of the Church And gaue gifts vnto men which g Verse 10. by and by hee interpreteth to bee as much as to fill all things that is the whole bodie of his Church and all the parts of it with the varietie of his Graces Not that Christ had not this excellencie or did not raigne at all before his Ascension into Heauen for h Iohn 1. 49. Nathaniel telleth him Thou art the King of Israel And i Iohn 18. 37. hee himselfe when Pilate asked Art thou a King answereth Thou sayest true for I am a King But the full and reall manifestation of this Kingdome in his flesh or humane nature did then first beginne To prosecute now these parts in such order as wee One whereby he gouerneth all the World according to their owne nature since the fall did propound them The first is that which extendeth generally to all the World and to the whole gouernment and administration of it which hee himselfe is wont to call his Iudgeship or Office of iudging Iohn 5. 27. He hath giuen vnto him dignitie to execute iudgement as he is the Sonne of man And Iohn 5. 22. The Father iudgeth no man but hath giuen all iudgement to the Sonne where that it may appeare how large his Power in this behalfe extendeth hee calleth it all iudgement Agreeable whereunto is that of the Apostle Heb. 1. 3. where hee is said to sustayne all things by the power of his Word Therefore Iohn 5. 17. he makes this generall proclamation My Father worketh hitherto and I worke without restraint of time or place or of the subiect or persons towards whom it is wrought God therefore who before gouerned immediately and by himselfe hath euer since the fall of Adam appointed Christ his Vicegerent and Lieutenant generall in whose person he would afterwards rule the World Not that himself sitteth idle in heauen as Iosephs Master did when he had committed vnto Ioseph the Administration of his house but being in him and with him and working all things by and through Christ who againe vseth to that end beside his Spirit and the power of his Word the seruice also the ministery of his holy Angels all which is figured by many excellent and goodly Similitudes in the Vision of k Ezech. 1. Ezechiel where the foure liuing Creatures representing the innumerable company of Angels whose Ministerie extendeth vnto all the foure parts of the Earth haue vnder their feet foure wheeles noting the whole vncertaine course of this changeable and vnconstant world which moue when they moue and rest when they stand still And when the liuing creatures lift vp themselues from earth into heauen to receiue from God new Commandements the wheeles also as it were doe follow them and cease from wheeling to wait their direction Aboue which Angels is a Curtaine or Extent betweene God and them all of Christal cleare and transparent thorow the which as he beholdeth these inferior creatures so they both Angels and men according to their mediocritie are able to see him and the brightnesse of his glorie Ouer that Extent higher than the highest heauens is a most glorious Throne erect whereupon doth sit the likenesse of the Sonne of man Christ the blessed Lord of glorie God and man whom all obey and stoope at his command All this for the good of his Church and people for whose sake it was necessarie he should be armed with so great a Command and Power In this part of his Kingdome I note First The largenesse thereof in that it reacheth euery where and no place exempted from it I will giue the Nations l Ps 2. 8. for thine inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession m Zach. 9. 10. His dominion shall be from Sea to Sea and from the Riuer vnto the ends of the earth n Dan. 7. 14. And to him was giuen Dominion and a Glorie and a Kingdome that all people nations and tongues should serue him o Ps 72. 8. 11. He shal beare rule from one Sea vnto another and from the floud as farre as the ends of the earth All Kings shall bow downe vnto him and all Nations shall serue him p Math. 28. 18 All power is giuen me in heauen and vpon the earth Secondly In this Kingdome Christ alone perfecteth all things not like to other Kings and Potentates who rule by deputies but here hee himselfe doth all for though there he vsed instruments yet all commeth from his strength and vertue and hee himselfe is euery-where present by his Spirit Whereupon his Kingdome is called q Esay 9. 6. Wonderfull because the effects and working of Gods Spirit are strange and marueilous Thirdly the vertues and properties of this our King arming and inabling him for the effecting of those great things are two Counsell to aduise of things wisely and Strength to put them in execution beeing both the stayes and props of a Kingdome as it were the two pillers Iacin and Bohas whereupon r 1. King 7. 21. Salomons Porch was built Therefore Rabshake to discourage Hezekias vanteth of these two as of the things whereon the hope if battaile standeth as if Hezekias were not in them to be compared to the King his Master Å¿ Esay 6. 5. Say yet they are but lip words that thou haue counsell and strength for the warre yet in whom doest thou trust And Salomon though hee preferre the one maketh
bee moe with vs then are with them Then praying to Iehouah the Seruants eyes were opened and he saw the Mountaynes were full with Horses and Chariots of fire round about ELISHA And our Sauiour Christ by the same argument sheweth how able he had beene to free himselfe from the hands of his enemies p Mat. 26. 53. Could not I pray vnto my Father and he would giue mee more then twelue Legions of Angels Eighthly and lastly by their willingnesse vnto this Seruice declared for the most part by three circumstances First They stand continually in Gods presence wayting as it were for a Commission from him to doe vs good Mat. 18. 10. Their Angels see alwayes the face of my Father which is in Heauen Secondly They are glad and reioyce at the good of his Saints So Luke 2. 13 14. they declare themselues not a little affected with the ioy of the glad tydings which they brought vnto the Shepheards They praysed God and said Glorie vnto God on high in Earth peace and good will towards men And our Sauiour telleth vs There q Luk. 15. 7 10 is ioy in Heauen with the Angels of God for sinners that repent Thirdly They are prest and readie at Gods Commandement with all speed to put the same in practice This the r Psal 103. 20. Psalmist commendeth in them Blesse IEHOVAH ye his Angels which doe his Word which harken to his voice Our Sauiour likewise teacheth vs to pray Thy will bee done in Earth as it in Heauen The speed and cheerfulnesse they vse in executing Gods Commissions was figured vnder the Law by the Cherubins in the Tabernacle painted with wings wherefore Psalme 18. 10. God is said to come riding vpon them as vpon Chariots and flying as it were with wings In the Vision of Å¿ Esay 6. 2. Esaia they haue each of them six wings whereof with two they flye yea so swiftly and so earnestly doe they flye that as it were they wearie themselues with flying as of the Angell t Dan. 9. 21. Gabriel it is expressely spoken These qualities before named are all of them figured in the Vision of u Ezech. 1. 10. 10. 14. Ezechiel where the foure liuing creatures which are the holy Angels are said to haue each of them foure faces the face of a man the face of a Lyon the face of an Oxe and the face of an Eagle By the Similitude of a man their wisedome and vnderstanding is incled which among all earthly Creatures is onely to be found in man in a Lyon their strength and power their labour and industrie in an Oxe or Heifar without whom the Crib is emptie but much increase commeth by his trauell saith the Wiseman in his Prouerbs And lastly their swiftnesse in an Eagle which the better to recommend in that Fowle x Reuel 4. 7. Iohn giueth him the Epithete of a flying Eagle The glorie of these Angels hee describeth saying that y Ezech. 1. 4. out of the middest of that fire the visible signe of Gods presence sparkled as it were a most liuely hiew which he explayneth z Verse 13. afterwards to be like vnto coles of fire burning as Lampes not onely themselues set on fire but affecting all the creatures with the glittering of their glorie as the Lampes disperse their flame The last of those generall heads wherein we place our Fourthly in a spirituall glory and wisdome and other graces happinesse in this life is a spirituall glorie and wisdome and other graces whereof the Preacher a Eccles 8. 1. speaketh The wisdome of a man maketh his face to shine And Paul b 2. Cor. 3. 18. We all with open face beholding as in a Glasse the glorie of the Lord are transformed into the same Image from glorie to glorie that is by the participation of his glorie our selues become glorious as it were by the reflexion of his beames Our perfect Blessednesse or Redemption which commeth After this life commeth the fulnesse of Blessednesse in the last place to bee handled wee consider in foure steps or degrees of glorie which all the members of Christ shall bee made partakers of answerable to their Head To them all two things pertayne in common the more or lesse according to the diuers measure of our Faith here To the soule in Heauen presently after death till the latter Day place where wee shall enioy it Heauen and the differing measure of glorie But these two will come in better when the rest are once handled Wherefore the first degree is that which is to the soule onely and that presently after death till the latter Day our bodies resting in the graue vnto the time of the restoring of all things as the bodies of the wicked also doe betweene whom and vs there is in this respect no difference But for our soules assoone as the period Popish Purgatorie and Limbus Patrum of this life is runne out they are forthwith carryed into Heauen by the Ministerie of the holy Angels So the Preacher saith c Eccles 12. 9. Dust that is the bodie of man returneth to the Earth as it was before and the Spirit returneth vnto God that gaue it And the Apostle PAVL Wee d 2. Cor. 5. 1. know when this our earthly Tabernacle is dissolued we haue a building from God not made with hands euerlasting in Heauen And the same dwelling in the Heauens hee e Verse 6 7 8. by and by interpreteth to bee as much as to goe and dwell with the Lord We know that while wee dwell in the bodie wee are absent from the Lord for we walke by Faith not by sight Therefore we desire rather to remooue out of the bodie and to dwell with the Lord. So to the f Phil. 1. 23. Philippians I do desire to loose from hence that is to haue my soule depart from my bodie A Metaphor taken from Ships that loose or set from the shore to be with Christ And this to be his meaning the next words make it very plaine but to continue in the flesh is more necessarie for you This is it which our Sauiour g Luke 23. 43. Christ saith to the Thiefe This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise In the h Reuel 6. 10. Reuelation the soules of the Martyrs are said to be at rest vnder the Altar And the Apostle to the i Heb. 12. 23. Hebrewes reckoneth the Spirit of the righteous that are perfiâ—ed For this cause our Sauiour k Luke 23. 46. Christ vpon the Crosse commendeth his Spirit into the hands of his Father that it might be an assurance vnto vs that our spirits also shall goe to him when they depart out of this bodie And this estate both of the Elect and Reprobate our Sauiour Christ expresly sheweth in the Parable of the Rich man The very scope whereof driueth vnto this that although the wicked in this life for the
of which places wee are to gather that to the Reprobate also which are then liuing there shall bee a miserable and wretched change of their bodies which shall be in stead of death This is further to be added touching the Resurrection The creatures also for our sake shall then be renewed into a glorious estate not subiect to corruprion of the Righteous that not onely they shall so rise to glorie but for their sakes the very Creatures themselues and the whole frame of Gods Creation shall be renewed into a glorious estate not subiect to corruption the power of Christs Resurrection renewing all the World for as the Creature had a part in the Curse of man as before we shewed so the Scripture teacheth that they shall haue their part in his Renouation And when wee their Masters shall be promoted they that serue vs shall put on new Liueries Paul both generally applyeth it to the z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whole Creation that is to all the things created exempting nothing Heauen Earth Beasts Plants Metals and whatsoeuer else and defineth the time when this shall be for a Rom. 8. 19 20 21 22. the creature wayting as it were with the head stretched out expecteth the Reuelation of the sonnes of God that is till the glorie appointed for Gods Children be made manifest for the creature is made subiect to vanitie not of it owne accord but for him that hath subiected it thereunto vnder hope that euen the creature shall bee freed from the bondage of corruption into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God for wee know that the whole Creation groneth and trauelleth together vnto this present time By trauell noting not onely their present labour and paine but the happie issue that shall follow as deliuerance to one with childe which the Apostle b 2. Pet. 3. 13. Peter vttereth more plainly when he saith We looke for new Heauens and a new Earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth Righteousnesse And no maruell though hee saith there According to his promise for the Prophets herein are not silent first Esay expresly saith of them c Esay 65. 17. Behold I will create new Heauens and a new Earth and these former shall bee no more remembred nor come to minde And in d Esay 66. 22. the next Chapter to shew this promise not to be in vaine he confirmeth by the remembrance thereof his promises to the Church For as those new Heauens and that new Earth which I shall make shall stand before mee saith IEHOVAH So shall your seed and your name stand The Prophet Dauid in his sweete and heauenly melodie triumphantly describeth it e Psal 96. 10 11 12. The Heauens shall reioyce and the Earth shall bee glad the Sea shall make a noyse and whatsoeuer filleth it the field shall triumph and whatsoeuer is therein then shall all the Trees of the Forrest sing before IEHOVAH when hee commeth for he commeth to iudge the Earth c. wherein not onely the first comming of Christ into the World but this time withall is respected yea and this especially in asmuch as the full accomplishment of that his Kingdome in men themselues how much more in these doth not yet appeare but is deferred till the latter Day for which cause the same is called as by a proper name f Acts 3. 21. The time of the restoring of all things The qualitie of this estate whereunto the whole Creation shall be renewed is three manner of wayes set forth vnto vs first in calling them g 2. Pet. 3. 13. Esay 65. 17. 66. 22. Reuel 21. 1. new Heauens and a new Earth in qualitie not in substance the exceeding glorie and excellencie which shall bee ingrauen in them being a new Creation yea better and a purer then the first for that which is said in h 2. Pet. 3. 13. PETER The Heauens shall passe away with a noyse the Element also with burning shall be dissâ—lued and the Earth and workes therein shall bee burnt vp And that of the i Rom. 8. 21. Psalme They the Earth which thou hast founded and the worke of thine hands the Heauens shall perish and all of them as a garment shall waxe â—lde as a vesture thou shalt change them and they shall be changed These I say and whatsoeuer else of like kinde are to bee referred not vnto their nature and substance which shall remayne but to their deformitie which is to be done away Secondly It is described in saying that Righteousnes dwelleth in them and lastly that they shall be freed into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God Whereby is noâ— meant that they shall be receiued into the fellowship of that glorie that abideth for Gods Children but it onely signifieth the integritie and perfection of estate whatsoeuer the same be whereunto they shall be renewed With this little in so generall termes deliuered wee are to rest content and not to feed our selues with vaine and curious speculations which neither it is profitable to know nor lawfull to enquire Rather let vs looke to the excellent vse which the Apostle gathereth of this Doctrine that seeing all these things are to be renewed and fined what puritie and cleannesse how k 2. Pet. 8. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great a measure of Godlinesse should there shine in those for whose cause they shall bee changed They the pure and excellent creatures of God are to passe the fire that they may bee purged What then must become of vs that are full of so great vncleannesse And withall let vs not forget if the l Rom. 8. 33. dumbe and sencelesse creatures ioyfully vndergoe the miserable condition whereunto sinne hath throwne them for the assured hope they haue of a happy deliuerance into a better estate if hereby the whole frame of this World and euery part thereof taketh comfort cheerefully to runne their course and without all wearisomnesse to doe the office which the Creatours pleasure enioyneth them vnto How much more ought we to doe the like that haue receiued alreadie the first fruites of the Spirit FINIS Certain faults which because they would most trouble the Reader I desire him to amend with his Pen before he read Most of theÌ„ grew not so much from the Printer as by the fault of the Copie mistakings of the Hebrew or Greeke Letters and of the quotations in the margent which may easily be discerned as also of Secretarie in stead of Romane or contrariwise and literall faults I leaue to the Iudicious Reader P standeth for page l. for the line r. for reade p. 7. l. 34. r. would euen l. 35 put out men p. 12. l. vlt. r. or vnworth p. 19. l. 30. put out p. 20. l. 16. r. is any l. 17. r. in all p. 23. l. 27. r. inhabited world p. 24. l. 3. 4. put out the first and the last and in stead thereof say the beginning and the ending
to shew from point to point what this Being or Perfection doth include In a word it sheweth that he hath all good and perfect things in a most perfect and incommunicable manner The good and perfect things I meane are of two sorts first those without which the creature cannot bee perfect Of which kind are these three 1. A being which God is f Reuel 1. 4. said to haue that he may be Signifieth a nature knowne to bee a thing truely and indeed subsisting and in that respect is opposed aswell to the imaginary course of nature which some prophane men haue made a god as to the Idols of the Gentiles which the Scripture calleth g Amos 2. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lyes h Ier. 10. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 14. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vanities and i 1. Cor. 8. 4. things of nothing But principally hee is said to Be because hee both hath his being of himselfe and giueth being to all other things and namely to his Word aswell of promise as of threatning of iudgement as of mercy which hee effecteth and causeth to come to passe This is it he meaneth Exod. 6. 3. I appeared indeed to ABRAHAM ISACK and IACOB in the name of the mighty One all sufficient but by my Name IEHOVAH was I not knowne of them That is I did not make my promises indeed exist vnto them for otherwise both they knew the Name Iehouah k Gen. 15. 8. called vpon it and l Gen. 13. 18 26. 25. built Altars to Iehouah and hee himselfe m Gen. 15. 7. 28. 13. by that Name sealed vp the faith and certaintie of his promises For this cause it is that in n Ezech. 5. 17. Ezechiel threatning the famine the beasts and other plagues hee giueth credit to it by that Name I IEHOVAH haue spoken it and in the seuenth o Ezech. 7. 27. Chapter shutteth That hath all good and perfect things in a most perfect and incommunicable manner The perfect things in God Beside life vp all his threatnings with this That they may finde by experience that I am IEHOVAH But most notable is that of the thirtieth of Ieremy where in one Chapter the Lord three and twenty times repeateth this Name of purpose to assure the peoples hearts of those comfortable and golden promises that he maketh vnto them in that place 2. Life p Eccl 9. 4. for better is a liuing Dogge then a dead Lyon But when wee speake of the life of God wee meane not onely that hee doth truely and properly by himselfe and of his owne nature liue and therefore is called the q Psal 83. 2. in many other places liuing God and that forme of swearing so often vsed as IEHOVAH r Ier. 5. 2. and elsewhere liueth which in Å¿ Deut. 32. 40. Deuteronomie he himselfe taketh vp For I lift my hands to Heauen and say that I liue for euer And in another t Ier. 12. 16. place maketh it the proper note of his people to sweare by his Name IEHOVAH liueth but that from him proceedeth life vnto all his creatures As it is said u Act. 17. 28. In him we liue and mooue and againe x Act. 17. 25. He giueth to all life and breath through all things that is to all his creatures And in both these respects it is that hee is said to haue life in himselfe Iohn the y Ioh. 5. 26. fifth As the Father liueth by himselfe yea to z Ioh 5. â—0 bee life it selfe and Deut. 30. 20. Hee is thy life and the length of thy dayes Againe in the a Psal 30. 10. Psalmes With thee is the fountaine of life whereby it appeareth that this is proper vnto God 3. Vnderstanding and will for as the b Psal 94. 9. 10 Psalmist maketh VnderstaÌ„ding his dispute The Planter of the eare should not he heare or the framer of the eye should not he behold hee that teacheth knowledge should not he vnderstand and of his will we read c Dan. 4. 25. All And wil without which no perfection can bee the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing but he doth according to his will in the Host of Heauen c. among the dwellers of the earth neyther is there any that can restraine his hand or say to him What doest thou As if he should say They haue no will at all to speake of in respect of his And d Iam. 4. 13. Iames worthily reprehendeth those that say To day and tomorrow we will goe c. whereas they should say If the Lord will Shewing that vpon his will dependeth the will of all his creatures As the Apostle saith In him e Act. 17. 18. wee liue and mooue So that he only is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely hath a most absolute freedome of will moouing the will of all his creatures and his owne moued of none whose will no power nor force can hinder for who saith the Apostle f Rom. 9. 19. hath resisted his will But contrariwise he himselfe doth hinder the wil of euery creature as hee doth of the Angels and Deuils being otherwayes mighty creatures whereof more shall be spoken when we come vnto his prouidence Of the second sort are those two things wherein wee are Holinesse and Blessednesse place the goodnesse and perfection of the most excellent creatures Holinesse and Blessednesse Holinesse comprehendeth both the purity of his whole Holines is the purity of his nature nature and the righteousnesse of all his wayes g Habac. 1. 13. Thou art pure of eyes saith the Prophet so as thou canst not behold iniquity And in h Esay 6. 3. Esay the glorious Soraphins cry Holy holy holy IEHOVAH of Hostes Of the righteousnesse of his wayes louing Holinesse from whence commeth a righteousnesse in al his waies and righteousnesse and whatsoeuer good is and contrariwise hating sinne and vnrighteousnesse and whatsoeuer naught is the Psalmist i Psal 45. 7 8. speaketh coupling them together Thou louest righteousnesse and hatest iniquity of each part he saith k Psal 11. 1â— The righteous God loueth righteousnesse and againe l Psal 5. 5 6. Thou art not a God that taketh pleasure in wickednesse with thee no euill shall dwell Thou hatest all the workers of Iniquity Both these parts our Sauiour seemeth to note in God when in one m Ioh. 17. 11. 25 Prayer he calleth him first Holy Father and then Righteous Father And as God is most absolutely good so this goodnesse in all the parts of it is proper vnto him in that hee hath it of himselfe and is the Fountaine from whence it floweth into other Mat. 19. 17. None is good but God onely Therefore in the Law was written vpon the High Priests Bonnet n Exod. 39. 30. Holinesse is IEHOVAHS and it is the voyce o Reuel 15. 4.
before any time Thou art from euerlasting Heb. 1. 2. The Apostle saith he made all Ages and the times and courses of all things Now hee that is the Maker and Beginner of Time must needs himselfe be before all Time for which cause hee is called p 1. Tim. 1. 17. The King of all Ages and courses of Time That he hath no end Moses q Exod. 15. 18. declareth in that Song IEHOVAH shall reigne for euer and euer Therefore he is called r 1. Tim 1. 17. the immortall GOD who neuer perisheth or commeth to any end and is said Å¿ 1. Tim 6. 16. alone to haue immortalitie of them both Dauid t Psal 90. 2. saith Before the Hiâ—â—s were framed or thou haddest fashioned the earth and inhabited the World to conclude from euerlasting to euerlasting thou art the mighty God The vnchangeablenesse of his nature remayning alwayes one and the same without alteration is set forth Iames 1. 17. when hee saith that with him is neyther change nor shaddow of turning and Malach. 3. 6. I am IEHOVAH and doe not change All this the word Ehieh doth include being as much to say as I am or I will bee When therefore the Lord saith that hee is or will bee hee meaneth that hee is without change and so will continue euer for I am or I will be sheweth that hee is the cause of his owne being and therefore without beginning To which word Iohn u Reuel 1. 8. in the Reuelation alluding calleth him Alpha and Omega that is the first and the last hee that is and that was and that is to come and Esay 44. 6. Thus saith IEHOVAH I am the first and I am the last Yea 1. Sam. 15. 29. he is called Eternity it selfe for he that is the Eternity of Israel will not lye c. In the 102. Psalme all three are ioyned together first propounded in generall Verse 25. Thy yeeres are from generation to generation then distinguished by his parts The being before all time Verse 26. Thou wast before thou diddest found the Earth and the worke of thy hands the Heauens The continuing for euer Verse 27. and the latter end of the 28. They shall perish but thou remaynest they all waxe olde as a garment but thy yeeres shall not faile Last of all his immutable nature in the rest of the 27. and 28. Verses As a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed but thou art or continuest still the same Neyther doth it hinder that which we haue said of the vnchangeable nature of God that hee is said in many places to repent him as Gen. 6. 6. It repented God that he had made man And Ionas 3. 3. hee is said to be such a one that repenteth him of euill for speaking properly that is true which Samuel x 1. Sam. 15. 29. saith The eternity of Israel is not as man that he should repent him And y Rom. 11. 29. PAVL The graces of God are without repentance Repentance therefore is for our vnderstanding improperly attributed vnto GOD in this sence that when GOD destroyeth that which before hee made as in that place of Genesis and 1. Sam. 15. 11. and 16. 1. or bringeth not that iudgement or punishment which he threatneth as in that of Ionas and Exod. 33. 14. and infinite other places he is then termed to repent because men which change their counsell or repent them of that which before they haue done vse the like The same is to bee said of all the passions or affections attributed to God Last of all the Eternitie of God prooueth that hee is of and from himselfe the cause of his owne being and consequently of all good and perfect things that bee To which purpose that of IAMES z Iam. 1. 17. is a most worthy saying Euery good and perfect gift coÌ„meth from aboue from the Father of Lights Two things he teacheth vs in than speech one that in GOD is all perfection therefore hee calleth him the Father of Light which is as much or more then if hee said Light it selfe As where Christ is called a Esay 9. 6. the Father of Eternity it is most Emphaticall to signifie that hee is Eternity it selfe and the author of it Secondly hee teacheth that this perfection of the God-head is the cause of euery perfect thing in vs. To conclude the saying of Iames is in effect no more but that which the Prophet Dauid b Psal 36. 10. had long before conceiued Because with thee is the fountaine of life in thy Light doe we or let vs see light and that from the wel-spring of Gods infinite perfection doe flow the streames of whatsoeuer perfectnesse is in vs. We need not goe farre to prooue sith c Acts 17. 28. in him we liue and mooue and haue our being From the Infinitenesse and Eternity of God both these two things doe follow First That to speake truely and properly God onely hath whatsoeuer things are good and perfect for he onely hath them from himselfe all other haue from him he onely essentially and of his meere nature in other they be but qualities ouer and besides their nature hee onely infinitely all other but in measure he onely vnchangeably all other haue them subiect vnto change In regard whereof the Scripture saith that all d Dan. 4. 25. the Inhabitants of the Earth are accounted as nothing e Esay 40. 17. before him are nothing yea lesse then nothing that f Acts 17. 18. in him we liue and mooue and haue our being and that g Deut. 30. 10. he is our life as if wee in comparison had no life motion nor being at all Further that hee findeth h Iob 4. 18. no stedfastnesse in his Seruants nor putteth light in his Angels That i Iob. 15. 15. he findeth no stedfastnesse in his Saints and that the Heauens themselues that is to say those heauenly Spirits are not cleane in his eyes meaning if they bee compared with him To conclude that there is none good but God he onely holy onely blessed onely mighty onely wise onely hath immortality As of all these particulars somewhat we heard before Secondly That there is nor can bee but This is it wee meane by Iehonah who vpon all that hath beene said is nor can be but one Pagans heathens men that bring in a multitude of gods and so vpon the matter make no God at all one God for there can bee but one onely thing infinite one onely to exist of and by it selfe and to giue existence vnto all other things Mans nature because it is imperfect doth therefore admit composition and because it is finite may in part communicate it selfe Whence it commeth that Iohn and Peter and euery singular man differ one from another in their essence and nature because the whole humane nature is not nor cannot bee in each of them but is part in one
Å¿ Gen. 31. 11 13 The Angell of God which appeared to Iacob in a Dreame and bade him to returne into the Countrey of his Natiuitie telleth him I am the mightie God of Bethel where thou anoyntedst a Pillar and there thou vowedst a vow vnto me But Vowes are onely to bee made to Iehouah And Moses in that Story had so called him t Gen. 28. 13. before yea Iacob in the Vow it selfe had said that u Gen. 28. 20 21. IEHOVAH should bee his GOD and in his * Gen. 32. 8. Prayer when he was afraid of his Brother ESAV O God of my Father ABRAHAM and God of my Father ISACK O IEHOVAH which saidst vnto me Returne * Gen. 38. 1. vnto thy Country c. And to him he is afterwards commanded to build an Altar This Angell therefore was Christ the true Iehouah Exodus 3. There appeared vnto Moses in the Mount of God an Angell of IEHOVAH in a fiery flame out of the midst of a Bush and when Moses turned aside to see that great Vision Iehouah seeing him cryed vnto him out of the midst of the Bush and said I am God of thy Father The God of ABRAHAM the God of ISACK and the God of IACOB Anon hee calleth himselfe by the name of Ehieh or I am and IEHOVAH So that Christ is that true Ehieh and IEHOVAH the God of ABRAHAM ISACK and IACOB the proper name of the euer-liuing God as appeareth by many places in the New Testament The comparing of the Olde Testament with the New will make this a great deale playner He that led the people to and fro in the Wildernesse was Christ For so the Prophet y Esay 63. 9. saith The Angell of his face saued them and setting them vpon himselfe carryed them continually And z 1. Cor. 10. 4. PAVL that Christ the spirituall Rocke of his Church figured by the Cloud by Manna and the Rocke that flowed out water to the People went together with them conducting and leading them the way But Moses expresly calleth him IEHOVAH a Exod. 13. 21. IEHOVAH went before them by day in a Piller of Cloud and by night in a Piller of fire And this is that which the Lord himselfe telleth them Exodus 23. 20 21. Behold I send mine Angell before thee to keepe thee in thy way and to lead thee into the place which I haue prepared Take heed to thy selfe of his presence and harken to his voyce Prouoke him not for he will not beare your rebellion for my name is in the middest of him As if hee had said he is Iehouah and not a created Spirit Likewise hee whom they tempted in the Wildernesse was God and Iehouah for so Numb 21. 5. 7. it is recorded That the people speake against God and against MOSES and afterwards pressed with the hand of GODS heauy Iudgement that he sent vpon them by flying Serpents they came to Moses and said We haue sinned in that we haue spoken against IEHOVAH and thee To which Story Paul b 2. Cor. 20. 9. alluding saith Let vs not tempt Christ as some of them tempted him and were destroyed of Serpents In Zachary c Zach. 3. 2. as in Genesis before there is a plaine difference made of two whereof each is IEHOVAH IEHOVAH said IEHOVAH rebuke thee Satan And this Iude d Iude verse 9. expresly noteth to be the voyce of Michael the great Arch-angell which is Christ our Lord the Angell of the Couenant and the Mediatour and Intercessor of his Church So that which Esay e Esay 6. 1. saith I saw IEHOVAH setting vpon a Throne c. IOHN f Iohn 12. 41. referreth vnto Christ These things said ESAY when he saw his glory and spake of him That in the 102. g Psal 102. 26. Psalme Thou JEHOVAH in the beginning madest the Heauens c. the Apostle h Heb. 1. â—0 to the Hebrewes applyeth vnto Christ as pregnant testimony to prooue the excellency of his Person aboue all Creatures yea aboue the Angels themselues Finally the Apostle i Rom. 14. 10. 11 Paul cleereth this Doctrine when to prooue that all of vs shall be presented before the Tribunall Seat of Christ he doubteth not to alleage the place of the Prophet k Esay 45. 23. ESAY As I liue saith the Lord to me shall euery knee bow which are the words of the great Iehouah euen there where he doth protest there is no other God but he Whereby it is most manifest that Christ is Iehouah the true and onely God Secondly The properties incommunicable to any Creature Singlenesse Infinitenesse Eternity are to be found in him wee haue shewed before that to bee called Life Light c. is proper vnto God for that it signifieth as much as to be perfectly so and the cause of it to all other Now these Epithites are giuen vnto Christ As in l Iohn 14. 6. IOHN I am the way the truth in which one his absolute and perfect goodnesse euery way is vnderstood and the life I am m Iohn 11. 25. the resurrection and life Againe this n 1. Iohn 5. 20. Iesus Christ is the true God and life eternall Why life Because he hath it of himselfe and giueth it to others And thereof it is that o Acts 3. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peter calleth him the Prince of life Hence it is that the Euangelist Iohn p Iohn 1. 9. calling him the true Light addeth the reason by and by which lighteneth euery man that commeth â—nto the World Hence also it is that in the Prophet Esay he is termed q Esay 9. 6. the Father of Eternity And in the r Pro. 1. 20. Prouerbs not onely Wisdome but Wisedomes in the plurall Wâ—sâ— armes saith Salomon that is the Wisedome of all Wisedome Wisedome it selfe and the Author of it Iesus Christ the very Wisedome of the most wise God cryeth abroad c. And that this is to be vnderstood not of a flitting and vanishing speech but of Christ the eternall Wisedome of his Father the whole course of the eighth Chapter sheweth so manifestly that it were in vaine to stand vpon it Moreouer he is Infinite and in many places at once Å¿ Ephes 3. 17. Hee dwelleth in the hearts of all the faithfull Being vpon Earth he was in Heauen as he saith t Iohn 3. 13. The Sonne of man which is in Heauen contrariwise continuing now in Heauen yet he is vpon the Earth Matth. 28. 20. I am with you to the end of the World And as hee is without circumscription of place so also hee is Omnipotent in Power Infinite in Knowledge and Goodnesse it selfe for his Power hee is expresly called u Reuel 1. 8. the Almighty one and of the Infinitenesse of his Knowledge what more honourable testimony can we haue then that of x John 21. 17. PETER Lord thou knowest all things yea things future and to
come aswell as others which hee declareth afore hand vnto his Church As the same y 1. Pet. 1. 16. Apostle saith The fore-witnessing Spirit of Christ declared the things that were to befall vnto him and the glory that was to follow And by this Argument is his God-head manifestly prooued z Esay 42. 22 23 26. Esay 41. where God prouoking all false gods and their worshippers to bring their proofes and to vse their strongest arguments hee saith Let them vtter and declare vnto vs the things that shall fall out The former things what they were declare that we may set our minde vnto them and know the end of them or the things to come declare vnto vs nay saith hee declare but the signes of the things hereafter that wee may know you to be gods At the length hee concludeth There is none that can declare there is none that can fore-tell there is none that can heare your wordes A chiefe man in Sion in whom behold behold these things and to Ierusalem a Publisher of glad tydings I will giue The summe is none can declare things immediately nor at the length to come to passe nor giue any incling or signification of future things but all this glory God taketh to himselfe in Christ yea so infinite is this his Knowledge that euen the secrets of all hearts which God onely discerneth are knowne vnto him for that is it which the Euangestlist Iohn a Iob. 2. 24 25. expresly noteth Hee committed not himselfe into the hands of the Iewes which after a sort beleeued in him because hee knew all men and had no need that any should testifie of man for himselfe knew what was in man In another b Matth. 9. 4. place hee is said to haue seene their thoughts and Reuel 2. 14 to search the hearts and the reines Neyther doth this knowledge rest here but it soundeth the bottomlesse counsels of God his Father vnsearchable of all his Creatures Reuelation 5. The Booke with seuen Seales in the right hand of him that sate vpon the Throne which none in Heauen nor vpon the Earth nor vnder the Earth was able to open nor so much as to looke vpon it this Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah the root of Dauid by his owne Power preuayled to open Hereof it is that in the Prophet c Dan. 8. 13. Daniel wee find him set forth by the name of PALMONI Then I heard saith he a certaine Saint speaking for the Saint said vnto PALMONI the speaker that is to Christ the Interpreter of his Fathers will How long shall this Vision be PALMONI is a compound word and signifieth as much as to haue all hidden and secret things ready told and as wee vse to speake at ones fingers ends most absolutely and perfectly knowne which is the proper Epithete of our Sauiour Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of Wisedome and Vnderstanding and who is said to bee in the Bosome of the Father yea who is the very Wisdome of God as manifestly appeareth by conference of the two Euangelists Matthew and Luke for that which Christ saith in MATTHEW d Matth. 23. 24 Behold I send among you Prophets and Wise-men and Scribes c. LVKE c Luke 21. 49. hath it Therefore also the Wisedome of God saith I will send among you Prophets and Apostles c. Last of all hee is called Eternall Psalm 93. 2. Thy Throne is established from before then meaning any time whereof a man may say then thou art from euerlasting And that this Psalme is spoken of Christ appeareth in the very first beginning Iehouah raigueth Salomon in his Prouerbs f Prou. 8. 22. doth notably inforce the same IEHOVAH possessed mee in the beginning of his way before his workes before then Before the World was I anoynted before the beginning before the first things of the Earth when yet there were no deepes was I brought forth when there were no Fountaines heauy with water when yet Mountaines were not fastened before the Hils was I brought forth yet he had not made the Earth nor streets no not the beginning nor dusts of the inhabited World When hee fitted the Heauens there was I when he appointed the circuit vpon the face of the Deepe when he fortified the Cloudes aboue when he strengthned the Fountaines of the Deepe when he laid his Decree vpon the Sea that the waters should not passe the commandement of his mouth when hee appointed the foundations of the Earth And hereunto serueth that to the Colâ—ssiâ—â—s g Col. 1. 15. Begotten before all Creation or before any thing was â—reated and therefore from euerlasting Agreeable whereunto is that whereby he calleth himselfe in the h Reuel 18. Reuelation Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end which was and which is and which is to come And in IOHN i Iohn 8. 5 8. before ABRAHAM was made I am Againe k Iohn 17. 15. Glorifie mee O Father with the glory which I had before the World was with thee That also to the l Heb. 9. 14. Heb. 1. 2. Hebrewes where hee is said to haue offered vp himselfe by his euerlasting Spirit is verie pregnant to prooue his Eternall Deitie And when by him God made all Ages the times and courses of all things must not he the Maker and Beginner of Time be himselfe before all Time But that of all other is most emphaticall where he is called m Esay 9. 5. The Father of Eternity not onely eternall but Eternity it selfe and the Author of it Thirdly being the Sonne and begotten as before appeared hee must needes bee vnderstood to bee of his Fathers Essence For he that begetteth and they that are begotten are all of one nature especially he that hath not the like but the same very Essence and whole God-head in him As he is therefore Consubstantiall so is he coequall with his Father A sonne is inferiour to his father because his father is more excellent then hee in priority of Time in priority of Dignity For his Wisedome and other parts which the sonne by instruction receiueth from him Againe because hee bestoweth freely this benefit vpon his sonne to beget him for fleshly Parents in gender voluntary of their free will and election not by nature These things set aside a sonne who hath not the same but the like nature with his father were equall with him How much more therefore is this true in the Sonne of God who is not of the like but of the selfe-same nature and Essence with his Father and in whom none of the things before alleaged can take place Priority of Times there is none for all are Coeternall nothing vnperfect for what is the God-head but perfection it selfe Neyther doth the heauenly Father like vnto fleshly Parents beget his Sonne voluntarily so as he might haue begotten him or left him vnbegotten or may beget moe but hee begetteth him by nature and therefore him alone
worshipped But this honour Christ also hath For both Stephen giueth it vnto him when he saith Lord y Acts 7. 59. Iesus receiue my spirit And it is the Epithete of all the Church that they z Acts 9. 14. 1. Cor. 1 2. call vpon the Name of Christ IOHN likewise in the a Reuel 21. 22. Reuelation maketh the Lord God Almighty and the Lambe alike the Temple of that holy City the heauenly Ierusalem meaning that hee is equally to bee worshipped and with the same honour Faith doth onely rest vpon God but wee are commanded to beleeue in Christ Yea b Iohn 16. 1. beleeue in God beleeue also in me Further it is the pleasure c Ier. 9. 24. of GOD that whosoeuer glorieth should glory onely in this That he knoweth him to be IEHOVAH But Paul doubteth not to professe that he d Gal. 6. 14. gloried onely in the Crosse of Christ and neyther preached nor chose to know any other thing saue e 1. Cor. â—2 onely him alone Christ f Iohn 17. 3. also himselfe coupleth these two together This is euerlasting life to know thee the onely true God and him whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ But what stay I hereupon when testimonies are so cleere vpon the marke and notes when the things themselues are so euident and expresse his God-head being euerywhere to bee found in most plaine and manifest termes Which that it may the better appeare I will sort all the testimonies of this kind into three Orders or Rankes The first is of such as attribute the spirit vnto him Not as the spirit or soule of a man but so as it appeareth plainly by the Epithetes adioyned to be the Diuine Spirit or GOD himselfe 1. Cor. 15. 45. The first man ADAM was made a liuing Soule the latter ADAM a quickering Spirit As bee noteth out in Adam the whole man by the more excellent part the Soule so doth he in Christ the whole Person by that most excellent Nature of the God head bodily dwelling in him calling him another Adam for that as Adam imparted fleshly life vnto all that come from him so doth Christ the Spirituall Life to all that are his And that this may bee the better conceiued to be meant of his Eternall Deity in the seuen and fortieth Verse hee doth more cleerely frame the comparison The first man out of the earth earthly the second man the Lord himselfe from Heauen Therefore is his Spirit or Diuine nature sometime called The g Heb. 9. 14. euerlasting Spirit a thing proper to the God-head sometime The h Rom. 1. 4. Spirit of Sanctification whereby hee sanctifieth all Gods Elect and sanctified his humane Nature otherwise infirme and weake and not able to rayse vp it selfe As in i Iohn 6. 63. Iohn he saith It is the Spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing And k 1. Pet. 3. 18. Peter that he was put to death as touching the flesh but quickened as touching the Spirit Finally the Apostle l 2. Cor. 13. 4. Paul expounding as it were this place For though saith he he were crucified of infirmity yet he liueth by the power of God In the name of infirmity or weaknesse manifestly alluding to the Hebrew Enâ—ch which signifieth a fraile or weake and mortall man and in the name Power vnto El the mighty God of the second sort are those where he is said to haue the m Col 29. For in him dwelleth all the fulnes of the God-head bodily that is personally and substantially fulnesse of the God-head in him to bee n Phil. 2. 6 7. Who being in the forme of God emptied himself taking the forme of a Seruant becomming in the likenesse of men and in habit found a very man Where the forme of a Seruant noting a verie seruant and abiect person indeed sheweth that to bee in the forme of God signifieth as much as to be really and essentially God himselfe in the forme of God to be o Iohn 8. 15. For this cause the Iewes sought to kill him because hee called God his owne Father making himselfe equall with God Phil. 2. 6. He thought it no robbery to be equall with God equall with God And to conclude to bee p Dan. 10. 13 21. Michael of equall Power with the Almighty God And this to be an honour belonging vnto Christ alone and not to any created Angell the Apostle Iude q Iude verse 9. teacheth expresly when he so termeth Iehouah himselfe that in Zachary stroue with Satan about the Body of Moses or the truth and perfection of the Law of Moses namely the whole Doctrine of the Gospell Remission of sinnes Imputation of Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption as in that Chapter the Angell reasoneth of them all But most manifestly this appeareth Reuelat. 12. 7. where MICHAEL and his Angels fought with the Dragon and his angels Against the Dragon that is the Deuill head of the malignant Church opposing Michael that is Christ Head of Saints and Angels and therefore calling them his Angels which agreeth to God alone Finally the holy Ghost so expoundeth it Verse 10. Now is the Saluation and Might and Kingdome of our God and the Power of his Christ In the third and last ranke come those that call him expresly r Iohn 1. 1. The Word was God 2. Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the World Luke 1. 16. 17. Many shall he that is Iohn Baptist turne vnto the Lord their God and himselfe shall goe before him in the spirit and power of Elias Where before him being referred to Christ as it must sheweth him to bee the true and vndoubted Lord God And hither tendeth the confession of Thomas sirnamed Didymus my Lord my God Iohn 20. 28. Of this sort also is that 2. Peter 1. 1. Through the righteousnesse of our God and Sauiour Iesus Christ The coupling and context of the sentence without any Article before Sauiour which otherwise by the vse of that tongue ought to haue beene shewing plainly that the word God can haue no reference but to Christ our Sauiour M 〈…〉 plaine is that Coâ— â— 2 Vnto the knowledge of God both the Father and Christ Where God as a common antecedent is attributed to them both God The Å¿ 1. Iohn 5. 20. We are 〈…〉 true one in his Sonne Iesus Christ Thâ—â— is that true God and life euerlasting true God The t Titus â— 13. Wayting for the blessed hope and glorious bright appearance of the great God and Sauiour of vs Iesus Christ Where not onely the knitting of the sentence as in the place of Peter before but the phrase of bright appearance neuer spoken but of the Sonne enforceth that whole sentence to be meant of him great God The mighty u Esay 9. 6. To vs a Child is borne whâ—le name is called Wonderfull The mightâ— God Most strong c. God The onely x Iude
Apostle bearing witnesse that by faith onely wee vnderstand it for howsoeuer many of the Heathen who knew not God especially the wiser sort haue in a kinde acknowledged a Creation Neyther in truth can any bee so blockish as not to see it if he looke but vp to Heauen and the frame of this World which haue the name of their Workeman and Creatour written in their fore-head yet neuer was there any not so much as the wisest of them that could attaine to this How the World should bee made of nothing Heere therefore all reason of man must stoope and bee content to learne of him in whose Schoole it is better to bee Schollers then Teachers and Professors any where besides who not onely maketh men wiser then the beasts of the field as it is in the p Iob 35. 11. Booke of Iob but teacheth his wisedome aboue the wisedome of the wise and guideth them by pathes that no foote of vaine Philosophie is able for to walke Thirdly I note the order and manner how all this was effected First The Angels and their World the highest Heauens were without more adoe immediately made of nothing But for men and the World which here we see it was somewhat in another sort For touching the World it selfe First God minding to erect such a large and goodly Theater wherein hee would make full demonstration of his incomparable both Power Wisedome and Goodnesse q Gen. 1. 1 2. framed first an empty an vnshapen lumpe without fashion without forme called Waters for the vast hugenesse of it Darknesse for the confusion and lacke of forme and the Deepe for the emptinesse without bottome to rest vpon which lest it should vanish and come to nothing hauing no steaddinesse to vphold it the Spirit of God lay vpon it and ouer-spred it to keepe it from decay Secondly Out of this lumpe and vnformed confusion did God afterwards distinctly forme this World and all the parts of it First those foure Elements called the simple bodies by fetching one contrary out of another as Light out of Darknesse the Firmament out of emptinesse dry Earth out of Waters then the compound bodies out of the same Elements and for the most part of all foure vnequally mingled together euery one principally out of the same Element which they garnish or inhabit As Grasse and Trees out of the Earth The Sunne the Moone the Stars wholly or specially out of the r For it is plaine by Moses that the Heauens theÌ„selues and those celestiall bodies were made not of any fift essence as Aristotle and some other dreame but of elementary matter namely of the fire Whereupon the very substance and the whole frame and compasse of them all which wee call the Skye is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aether from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to burne for that al things there are fiery as Anaâ—agâ—r an old Philosopher did well deriue it Albeit Aristotle in his first Booke de Câ—lo reiect this Etymologie and preferres another rather from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is in perpetuall motion But that seemeth neither so naturall for the Word nor so apt for the matter fire as may not vnprobably be gathered Fishes out of the Waters Birds out of the Ayre Beasts out of the Earth But men and women as a piece of singular worke hee framed in a more artificiall sort The body of man by Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 2. 7. whereunto Paul alludeth 1. Tim. 2 1◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forming and figuring it as a Potter doth his Vessels out of the Clay of the Earth And therefore heauy and lumpish dead of it selfe and without any sence or feeling Whereinto he breathed a soule not as a part of the Diuine Nature or of Gods owne essence which to thinke were impious and absurd but because it was made neyther of the Ayre nor of any other elementary matter but onely by his Word and the power of his Spirit and this hee knit vnto one person with the body to quicken and giue life vnto it and to make it a perfect man The woman hee framed and formed out of the Rib of man And all this Moses plainly expresseth Gen. 2. 4 5 6 7 * Finished in six dayes The fourth thing I obserue in the Creation is the time which it pleased GOD to take for the finishing of this worke in that he created not all at once and in a moment as he could haue done but tooke the space of sixe t Gen. 1. 31. 2. 1. 2. 3. dayes for it within which compasse Heauen the place of the blessed Angels together with the Angels themselues were made as Moses plainly teacheth Gen. 2. 1 2. Therefore the first day God made First Heauen and Hell For Hell it is probable to bee supposed hee did then make when Heauen the other part of the vnseene World was made And that Heauen was the first worke of all is easie to be gathered by the very order wich Moses u Gen. 1. 1. 2. 1. vseth Secondly The Angels those Creatures of x 2. Cor. 11. 4. Light the Tenants and Inhabitants of the highest Heauens who in Iob y Job 38. 7. are said to shoute and sing forth the prayses of God when those heauenly Bodies the Sunne the Moone the Starres were made as astonished at the excellency of their beautie And therefore themselues were before that time created Thirdly That vnfashioned lumpe Fourthly Fire The second Day he made the Ayre The third Day First Water Secondly Earth Thirdly Grasse and Trees The fourth Day the Sunne the Moone the Starres The fifth First Fishes Secondly Birds The last Day hee made First Beasts Secondly Man and Woman A fift and last thing to be obserued in the Creation is And was of euery Creature in excellency of perfection that all the Creatures were made exceeding good whether you consider them singly and apart or all of them together As from God that is goodnesse it selfe nothing can come but absolutely good For the further sealing vp of which Doctrine wee haue the testimony of God himselfe both in euery speciall God z Gen. 1. 4. saw the Light that it was good and so in the rest and in the generall conclusion of all God a Gen. 1. 31. looked vpon all that hee had made and behold it was exceeding good This goodnesse in the Creatures generally is the excellencie of perfection according to that their nature is capable of for goodnesse in that place is not to bee taken as opposite vnto vice and to that foule deformitie which is a breach of the righteous Law of God but it noteth that perfection and excellency of estate that euery Creature was framed in according as his nature was fit and able to receiue No weaknesse or infirmitie was then any where to be seene No corruption or decay nothing out of frame or ioynt so as now wee see the whole
World to bee Man trauelled without wearinesse the Beasts laboured without irkesomenesse the Earth brought forth of her selfe Herbes and Plants the Trees Fruites and Blossomes in abundance euery thing ranne his course and did his worke with cheerefulnesse and labour to them was not laborious In the principall Creatures Angels and Men that Of the reasonable Creatures Angels and men it was after his owne Image or likenesse in holinesse and happinesse goodnesse is not onely the perfection of those faculties vnderstanding and will and of all their powers but especially perfect holinesse and happinesse The Image and similitude of Gods holy and blessed nature b Gen. 1. 26 27 Ephes 4. 24. Coloss 3. 10. 2 Cor. 3. 18. after which man is said to bee created But all this as I said before is to be vnderstood according to that their nature is capable of for First The Angels are capable of a farre more excellent perfection then mans nature can attayne Secōdly Not onely euery nature is not capable of euery grace but there is no Creature that can be eyther perfectly single infinite or vnchangeable which are the proper Prayse of GOD for euen those heauenly Spirits haue some things mixed and compounded in them and being of finite nature are not capable of infinite Power Wisedome Holinesse or other graces nor any way can come neere the excellencie of the Creator Beside both Men and Angels were framed of a mutable and changeable disposition the more to set out that constant and immutable nature which is in God and therefore also of a nature both subiect to temptation such as eyther their owne thoughts or outward obiects may offer to them and of a will though free able to choose good and to leaue euill yet inclinable aswell to euill as to good though in their estate of holinesse most vnto good Iob 15. 15. Behold he putteth no stedfastnesse in his Saints And Iob 4. 8. Behold hee putteth no stedfastnesse in his Seruants The Angels Holinesse I call the integritie of their nature being first enlightened with the perfect knowledge Holinesse in a mind enlightened with the knowledge of the whole will of God all the strength of nature conformed thereunto of the will of God and of his most holy Law written and engrauen in their minde by nature Next in a conformitie of the whole strength of Nature Vnderstanding Will Desire Affections and whatsoeuer else vnto God or a power and abilitie in the reasonable Creature to performe the whole will of God Happinesse is all that good that can possibly fall vpon the Creature Happinesse in the fruition of Gods loue and from thence comming a coniunction and communion with him Coniunction is an enioying of his personall presence Communion is a participation in some sort of his Blessednesse both Kingdome Power and Glory It standeth in three things First The loue of God vpon vs who is good it selfe and the chiefe and onely good from whence commeth all the good of Men and Angels Secondly The enioying of his gracious presence being alwayes with him and seeing him face to face Thirdly A communion and participation in some sort so farre as our nature can receiue of all those excellencies that are in him communicable to his Creatures Our Sauiour as we heard before reckoneth them all Matth. 6. in the conclusion of the Lords Prayer Kingdome Power Glory Of his Kingdome wee participate by the dominion and soueraigntie which hee giueth vs ouer the other Creatures Of his Power by hauing strength of nature and abilitie to exercise this soueraigntie and to put it in execution Of his Glory in being full of excellencie within and without Without comely and beautifull within glittering and shining in Vertue Wisedome and all other Graces of the minde A part also of this Glory are Riches Honour Pleasures and such like These things are now seuerally to bee applyed to both these Creatures beginning with the Angels whom the Scripture is wont to call c 2. Cor. 11 14. Angels of Light and d Luke 9. 2◠holy Angels to note the puritie wherein they were created Our Sauiour e Mat. 22. 30. also teacheth that the perfection of men after the Resurrection standeth in this that they shall be as the Angels of God in Heauen Their very fall implyeth as much for in that they stood not in the Truth as our Sauiour speaketh Iohn 8. 44. and as Iude hath it Verse 6. of his Epistle left their first estate it followeth that in the beginning they were created perfect In this respect they are called the sonnes of GOD Iob 1. 6. When the sonnes of God came to present themselues before IEHOVA Satan also came in the middest of them What an excellent measure they had of all kinde of Grace Wisedome and heauenly Knowledge the speech of Christ doth shew celebrating their Diuine Knowledge of the Mysteries of GOD. Marke 13. 32. Touching that Day none knoweth no not the Angels of God in Heauen And the Apostle Gal. 1. 8. If wee or an Angell from Heauen preach vnto you any other Gospell then we haue preached vnto you let him be accursed Therefore also they performe all offices of Pietie and the seruice of GOD more cheerefully readily and gloriously then any man did or could doe and are called * Esay 6. 2. Seraphins as if you would say burning with zeale and the loue of God or shining in all puritie and holinesse And as the measure of their Wisedome and Holinesse did excell so did the measure of their happinesse in like sort whereunto the place where they were set to inhabit did much auayle they being celestiall Spirits and hauing their abode in Heauen we terrestriall dwelling vpon the Earth and in Houses of Clay The like though not in the like proportion there was betweene the Angels themselues some being more glorious then the rest It seemeth no common dignity which is giuen f Luke 1. 19. to one of them to bee GABRIEL that is the mighty Power of God to stand before Gods presence And PAVL Coloss 1. 16. reckoneth vp Thrones Dominions Principalities and Powers as degrees of that their glory which the disiunctiue particles whether and or it may well be thought doe import and hither may bee drawne that of Paul to the g 1. Thess 4. 1◠Thessalonians that the Lord himselfe shall come downe from Heauen with the voyce of an Arch-angell that is of a chiefe and principall Angell So was it also betweene Eu◠and Adam 1. Tim. 2. 12 13. To come therefore to the things wherein the happines of the Angels stood First That they had the loue of GOD there is no doubt being his sonnes and the prime of his Creation Secondly In locall coniunction they were most neere vnto him beholding alwayes his face in Heauen Matthew 18. 10. Thirdly For their Soueraigntie and Dominion they are called h Rom. 8. 38. Thrones i Ephes 6. 12. Principalities Dominions
vpon him the sinnes of all the Elect to satisfie for them by his sufferings Whereof so holy and good it was as comming from God both in respect of the causes ends matter and manner of doing yet iustly doth the Holy p Acts 2. 23. Ghost call them wicked hands by whom hee was nayled to the Crosse And worthily did Iudas receiue strangling q Acts 1. 16. 17. and the sheading forth of his bowels as the reward of his iniquitie for being guide to those that apprehended Iesus They doing it to a wicked end after a sinfull manner not as an act of Iustice but of Treason and Rebellion against God out of the maliciousnes of their corrupt natures And that which is said of this may by the iudicious Reader be easily fitted and applyed to the Examples following So it was a singular worke of mercie to send Ioseph into the Land of Egypt to bee a Father to his Fathers house at that time the onely visible Church of God to prouide r Gen. 45. 5. ◠things for their sustenance to keepe them aliue by a mightie deliuerance So did ſ Gen. 50. 20. God thinke it for good to preserue aliue a number of People yet this is no excuse to the Brethren of Ioseph who t Gen. 50. 20. thought it for ill against him moued thereto through extreme u Gen. 37. 4 5. hatred and x Gen 37. 11. Acts 7. 9. enuie The Lord in so many crosses and afflictions as he layeth vpon his Church hath a gracious end y Esay 27. 10. moderately to correct them and in measure not for their hurt but z Deut. 8. 16. that he may doe good vnto them in the end But a Zach. 1. 15. with an exceeding wrath saith he am I wroth against those Nations who when I am angrie but a little helpe forwards vnto euill that is aggrauate the affliction of his people with all their might and maine doing it with a reuenging minde b Ezech. 25. 12. 15. 25. 3. vaunting of the desolation of Gods People and onely setting before their eyes ruine and destruction As notably is set forth in that proud King of Assyria Esay 10. 5. 6 7. We to Ashur the rod of my wrath although my Staffe of indignation be in their hand and sending him against an hypocrite Nation I giue him commandement against the people with whom I am wroth that he might take the prey and spoile the spoile and make him to bee trodden downe as the clay of the streets But he doth not so imagine neither doth his heart think so but to destroy after his owne minde c. to cut off not a few Na 〈…〉 And the like doth the same c Esay 47. 6 7. Prophet in the person of God vpbrayde vnto the Babylonians I was wroth with my People I prophaned mine Inheritance and gaue it into thine hand thou shewedst no mercie vnto them against the old thou madest thy yoke exceeding heauie c. saidst For euer I shall bee a Ladie thou didst neuer minde these things thou remembredst not the end of it Secondly these euill actions as in regard of the worke of God are holy and righteous for that which is a point of Iustice and morall good he thereby punisheth former sinnes and one wickednesse with another deliuering them vp like a righteous Iudge to the lust and corruptions of their owne heart and to Satans power as to the Seriants and Executioners of his wrath that so they should be tempted and led into new sinnes for the punishment of their old and by both may aggrauate their condemnation This is it which he himselfe saith Psal 81. 13. Because my People harkened not to my voyce nor Israel would none of mee therefore dismissed I them to the fancie of their owne heart to walke after their owne counsell And the Apostle to the d Rom. 1. 24 25 26 27 28 29. Romanes Therefore God deliuered them vp vnto the lusts of their hearts vnto vncleannesse to defile their bodies among themselues as those which changed the Truth of God into a lye and worshipped and serued the Creature neglecting the Creator For this cause God deliuered them vnto vncleane affections for their women changed the naturall vse into that which is contrary to Nature Likewise also the male leauing the naturall vse of the woman burned in their lust one towards another Males with Males committing filthinesse and receiuing in themselues the recompence which was meete for their errour And as they regarded not to acknowledge God so God deliuered them vp vnto a minde voide of all iudgement to doe the things that were not seemely filled with all Vnrighteousnesse Malice Whoredome c. Againe 2. Thess 2. 11 12. For this cause because they imbraced not the loue of the Truth God will send vnto them effectuall errours that they should beleeue lyes that all might be condemned which beleeue not the Truth but take pleasure in vnrighteousnesse So doth the Lord our God in his most iust and prouident dispensation e Ezech. 3. 21. set a stumbling blocke before them for their ruine turning their iniquitie vpon themselues and f Psal 94. 23. cutting them off through their owne wickednesse These things confidered it will appeare that howsoeuer wee say with the Scriptures that God powerfully worketh in a sinfull action in such sence as before was shewed yet that nothing impeacheth the puritie and vncorruption of his most holy Nature neither doth the least staine or specke of vncleannesse cleaue vnto him nay his wonderfull Goodnesse and Wisdome come herein to bee admired who both worketh good things by euill instruments and maketh sinne it selfe to serue vnto his glorie So that albeit sinne bee euill of it selfe yet that there should bee sinne it becommeth exceeding good Not that we reiect the terme of suffering or permission which it pleaseth the Holy Ghost himselfe to vse as Rom. 9. 22 23. For what if God willing to declare his wrath and to make his Power knowne hath suffered with much long suffering the vessels of wrath and also to make knowne the riches of his glorie vpon the vessels of mercies And in the g Acts 14. 16. Acts In former Ages God suffered all Nations to walke in their owne wayes But so hee is also said to permit that which is good And this will we doe if God permit saith the Apostle to the Hebrewes Chap. 6. 3. The next thing to be considered Stoicks which imagine an absolute necessitie of things in Nature and tye God to the second causes in this Doctrine of Prouidence is the free dispensation of Almightie God who dealeth herein as a soueraigne Monarch by his owne absolute will and pleasure without any the least compulsion or necessitie h Psal 135. 6. Whatsoeuer pleaseth IEHOVAH he doth in Heauen and in the Earth in the Sea and in all Deepes Our i Psal 115. 3. God is in Heauen
the heate consumed the bodies of those that came to throw them in Of this sort are all his wonderfull Miracles and miraculous deliuerances of his Church and Children for whose sake hee parted h Exod. 14. 21. Psal 136. 13. the Sea into heapes that his people went ouer as vpon drie ground brought waters i Exod. 17. 6. out of the Rocke rained k Exod. 16. 36. Psal 78. 24 25. meate from Heauen to feed them in the Wildernesse by the space of fortie yeeres together c. With this absolute free-will and pleasure of GOD is coupled which is the third Doctrine of the Prouidence the ineuitable necessitie of the execution of his counsels as also the Prophet ioyneth them together Psal 115. 3. Whatsoeuer pleaseth IEHOVAH he doth And l Ephas 1. 11. PAVL He worketh all things after the counsell of his will Enquire saith ESAY m Esay 34. 16. in the Booke of IEHOVAH and reade one of these things shall not faile they shall not misse one another and in n Ezech. 36. 3 6 EZECHIEL I IEHOVAH speake and doe it Againe o Ezech. 12. 25 I will speake whatsoeuer word I meane to speake and it shall be done When I worke as it is in the Prophet p Esay 43. 13. ESAY who shall turne it away Whereunto serueth that memorable sentence wherewith the same Prophet shutteth vp his burden against the Babylonians to procure credit to all that hee had spoken q Esay 14. 27. For IEHOVAH of Hoasts determining who can make it of none effect and his hand stretched out who can turne away Many and excellent are the speeches to this purpose thorowout the holy Scriptures especially in Iob and in the Psalmes Feare r Psal 33. 8. before him for hee saith and it is hee commandeth and it stands IEHOVAH maketh voide the counsels of the Nations he breaketh the thoughts of the People but the counsell of IEHOVAH standeth for euer the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation when ſ Iob 34. 29. he quieteth who shall trouble when he hideth his face who shall looke vpon him that is resisteth him Loe saith Iob in t Iob 12. 14. another place he doth so throw downe that it is built no more hee so shutteth vp about a man that it is not opened Yea Balam himselfe was forced to vtter as much Numb 23. 19. Hath hee said and shall he not doe it Therefore u Luke 1. 37. the Angell saith With God nothing is impossible And x Rom. 9. 19. the Apostle cryeth out Who hath resisted his will This is the reason why the Decrees of God are compared to y Zach. 6. 1. Mountaynes of brasse for the firme vnresistable effects they bring with them For this cause he is furnished with all meanes and power to effect his counsels he is called The Lord of Hoasts and hath all the Hoast of Heauen and Earth at his command I saw saith MICA z 1. King 22. 19 IEHOVAH sitting vpon his Throne and all the Hoast of Heauen standing before him at his right hand and at his left First are the holy Angels Colonels and principal Commanders in this Armie whom hee imployeth and sendeth forth as a Master doth his seruants to goe vpon his errand and to performe all that hee inioyneth them Daniel 10. 11 12. The Angell telleth the Prophet that hee was sent vnto him because his words were heard before God And in Luke a Luke 1. 19. that he was sent vnto Zacharie to vtter vnto him the glad tydings of his Sonne So it is anon b Luke 1. 26. added In the sixt Moneth was the Angell GABRIEL sent of God to a Citie of Galile named Nazaret to the blessed Virgin there Therefore they are called Angels that is to say Messengers and are said to c Dan. 7. 10. minister vnto him This dispensation of God by the hand of his holy Angels serueth aswel for the executiō of his Iustice as for the declaration of his Mercies These he sendeth forth to bring his plagues and punishments both vpon whole Countries Cities and vpon particular persons So 1. Chron. 25. 15. God sent an Angell to Ierusalem to destroy it Gen. 19. 13. Two Angels were sent to destroy Sodome and Gomorah 2. Sam. 24 16 17. An Angell smote the people of Israel with a plague whereof died threescore and ten thousand men And the Prophet prayeth in the d Psal 35. 5 6. Psalme Let them bee as the chaffe before the winde and the Angell of IEHOVAH pursue them These he sendeth forth to be Ministers of his loue and fauour in the comforts of this life both to the good and bad as it is recorded in the Gospell e Iohn 5. 4. that an Angell of the Lord came downe at a set time and stirred in the water and whosoeuer first went in after the stirring of the water was made whole what disease soeuer held him Secondly Not onely hee beareth vp his Mace in Heauen but hee carrieth it also in Hell for euen the Deuils themselues struggle they neuer so much are forced to be subiect to him and to runne at his commandement When the sonnes of God the elect Angels came to present themselues before IEHOVAH Satan also came amongst them as it is in the Booke of f Iob 1. 6. 2. 1 Iob. And g 1. Kings 22. 18 19 20. in another place when he came to set vpon his Throne the vncleane spirits will they nill they made vp a part of the Hoast of Heauen and were faine to offer their seruice to him Thirdly he hath the hearts of all men in his hands sitting at the sterne and turning them hither and thither whither-soeuer he will as the Water-man doth his Wherrie As in the person of the King himselfe whose affections of all other are most wauering and vncertaine like vnto the Riuers of waters when they are tossed with contrarie windes as h Prou. 21. 1. Salomon giueth vs to vnderstand And in another i Prou. 29. 26. place Many seeke the face of the Ruler but the iudgement of euery one commeth from IEHOVAH bowing and bending the Rulers heart which way it pleaseth him He giueth fauour in the eyes of men as he did to k Exod. 3. 21. 22 the Israelites in the sight of the Egyptians And l Prou. 16. 7. when IEHOVAH delighteth in the wayes of a man hee maketh saith SALOMON his verie enemies to be at peace with him Againe at his pleasure hee taketh fauour away maketh Rents and Breaches Discords and Diuisions as he did betweene m Iudg ◠2 3. Abimelech and the men of Shechem He n Esay 20. 14. ◠Cor. 1. 19. destroyeth the wisdome of the wise and the vnderstanding of the prudent that their counsell is not able to doe any thing Therefore DAVID o 2. Sam. 15. 31 prayed O IEHOVAH turne the counsell of ACHITOPHEL into folly And
out IEHOVAH he is the true God The liuing God The eternall King which made the Earth by his Power established the inhabited World by his Wisedome and by his Prudence stretcheth out the Heauens who vttering his voice the waters make a noyse in the Heauens he bringeth forth vapours from the vtmost part of the Earth maketh Lightning together with the raine and bringeth the winde out of his treasures To conclude saith he Thus shall yee say to the Idolatrous Gentiles The Gods that made not Heauen and Earth shall perish from the Earth and from vnder the Heauen And y Psal 115. 15. Dauid setteth it as the proper mark of the only God Blessed be ye of IEHOVAH who hath made the heauen earth So Esay 44. 19. He taketh to himself alone both the creation and administration of all things I IEHOVAH stretch out the Heauens alone I stretch out the Earth by my selfe And of them both the z Esay 40. 12. Prophet saith Who hath measured the waters in his fift and couered the Heauens with a spanne or in a measure comprehended the Dust of the Earth and weighed the Mountaines with a Waight and the Hils in a Ballance Who then is like vnto our God or what or who is he that may be compared with him Whose a Psal 36. 7. kindnesse is vp vnto Heauen his truth vnto the Clouds his righteousnesse as the mighty Mountaine his iudgements as the great Deepe who by his Prouidence preserueth both man and beast Thine saith the b Psal 89 10 11 12 13 14 16 Psalmist are the Heauens yea thine is the Earth the inhabited World and the things that fill it thou hast founded Then followes an enlargement by the parts North and South thou hast created Tabor Westward and Hermon towards the East which sing of thy Name The Gouernment he partly touched before and afterwards more fully Thou rulest ouer the pride of the Sea when the waues thereof rage thou doest represse them Vpon all which he concludeth O blessed is the People that are acquainted with the shoute walking in the light of thy countenance O IEHOVAH that is who acknowledge thee their Soueraigne Lord and Captaine suffering themselues to bee led and guided by the shoute or noyse of thy voice in thy most glorious Word and workes as by the Trumpet or Allarum of their Generall Now to make it euident how the Glorie of God shineth and sheweth out in all which hath beene said of the exercise of his Kingdome Generally it may be seene First That hee is perfection it selfe in giuing all perfect things to other Secondly his owne Infinitenesse in that their best and put them altogether is but c Esay 40. 15 17 a drop of that which is feafull in him Thirdly his Eternitie in being before all things were More particularly he manifesteth his Power Wisedome Goodnesse both in the making and gouerning the World In the making hee manifesteth his Power in creating things of nothing onely by his command in fetching one contrarie out of another as Light out of Darknesse c. and bringing forth whatsoeuer he would euen at the first without naturall causes giuing light vnto the World before there was a Sunne making d Gen. 2. 5 6. Plants and Herbs to grow and all things to bee greene and flourishing in the Fields when there was no man to till the ground nor any mist or raine to water it His Wisdome in the artificiall distinction of things His Goodnesse in garnishing and replenishing the Earth with all good things fit for the vse of man and that before their Creation that so hee might bring them into the World not as to an emptie and barraine habitation but stored first with whatsoeuer was requisite both for the necessitie and pleasure of their life In the gouerning hee manifesteth his Power doing things not onely by meanes but without meanes aboue meanes and contrarie to all meanes and course of nature His Wisdome in doing all things according to the counsell of his will in measure and weight most wisely yea like a most cunning Workeman procuring good things by euill instruments and making sinne it selfe to serue vnto his glorie His Goodnesse in being liberall and bountifll to all as the Psalmist e Psal 145. 9. saith IEHOVAH is good to all and his Kindnesse is ouer all his Workes CHAP. V. Of the Morall Law the first Table and the first Commandement ALBEIT the Glorie of GOD shine most So much of the Kingdome of God The honor due vnto him is that the reasonable Creatures Angels men doe his Will cleerly in all his Workes yet is this honour which in the second place wee giue him very needfull for it was not enough for the illustration of his glorie either to make the World or by his Prouidence thus royally to gouerne it vnlesse there were some that might both see behold admire and confesse the excellencie thereof aswell in themselues as others without which all the other Creatures and Actions of God how infinite matter soeuer they containe of Gods Glory could no whit increase his prayse which was the end of his gouerning and making of them no more then all the skill and excellencie of the most perfect workman can purchase credit or commendation of his worke if none but himselfe obserue it Therefore in his wisdome he saw it needfull to create Men and Angels indued with knowledge iudgement a reasonable soule and will and other excellent parts to be the Trumpetters of his Glorie But notwithstanding that in these God could glorifie himselfe though men and Angels would stop their mouthes and conspire to roote it out hee being able either to destroy the Creatures he had made and so to glorifie his Power and Iustice in their deserued ruine or against their will to wring from them a confession of his Prayse yet as earthly Princes not onely desire Soueraigntie and command which the Rebels themselues are not able to withdraw but loue especially that their people should obey carrie Subiectly mindes vnto them So it pleased God to adde this one vnto the rest for the full making vp and perfecting of his glorie This honour we define by the doing of his will which is the proper office of Angels and Men and not of any other Creature yet it is true the rest of the Creatures doe the will of God also yea the wicked aswell as the good but not in the same manner The wicked doe it because they shall doe it will they nill they Gods Children because they haue a will and desire to doe it Generally all doe his will and pleasure that is f Psal 115. 3. 135. 6. whatsoeuer hee in his euerlasting counsell hath purposed to be done But that is the secret and hidden will of God which the wicked may doe and perish not his knowne and reuealed will whereof wee heere speake which cannot bee done but in obedience of reasonable Creatures to the
doing whereof a promise is belonging This distinction of a secret and a reuealed will of God Moses teacheth Deut. 29. 30. The hidden things belong to IEHOVAH our God but the reuealed things to vs and our children to doe all the words of the Law Howbeit for all that they are not two wils but one will as God himselfe is one The doctrine which thus reuealeth and setteth forth his will is called the Law of God commanding vs in all things to serue and please him The contrary whereof is sinne being a breach of the Law as the Apostle doth define it 1. Iohn 3. 4. And this law I say is giuen to the reasonable Creature not onely men but Angels also respect being had vnto their nature which neither admitteth actions that are to be done by the instrument of the bodie nor is tyed to the things that belong to the necessities of this life But that the Angels are bound to the obseruation of the Law our Sauiour would haue vs learne when he willeth vs to pray Thy will be done as in Heauen so vpon the Earth But to leaue the Angels doing the will of God gloriously in Heauen we will for more cleere euidence apply the things that follow as they are fitting to our selues First it must be of all duties without failing in any one doing all good and abstayning from all euill Therefore perfection which is a thorough doing of all without falling of any whit is the general vertue of the whole Law of God Contrariwise the failing in any one iot either of the matter or the manner is a breach of all g Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is euerie one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Law to doe them h Iam. 2. 10. Whosoeuer keepeth the whole Law and yet faileth in any one point he is guiltie of all Againe all these things not onely in the Seruice of God but in the duties wee owe to men wee must doe as vnto God because it is his good will and pleasure seruing him aswell in the workes of Righteousnesse as of Holinesse as the good Father Zacharie speaketh Luke 1. 75. And heereof it is that the Apostle commending to vs many excellent points of brotherly loue and duties of the second Table willeth vs in them all to serue the Lord Rom. 12. 11. So making a difference betweene Christian duties and Philosophicall vertues As on the other side all sinnes euen of the second Table what iniurie soeuer they offer vnto men yet are indeed bent in such a sort against the diuine Maiestie that the i Psal 51. 6. Prophet Dauid feareth not to say of those two foule sinnes of his speaking as in comparison Against thee against thee onely not against Vriah or his Wife haue I sinned This therefore is a vertue belonging to the whole Law to doe whatsoeuer we doe in obedience vnto God As the k Col. 3. 23. Apostle saith Euery thing whatsoeuer ye doe worke it from the heart as to the Lord and not to man submit l 1. Pâ—t 2. 13. your selues to all manner of ordinance of man for the Lords sake m Ephes 5. 22. Wiues submit your selues vnto your Husbands as vnto the Lord. n Ephes 6. 5 6. Seruants obey your Masters according to the flesh c. as to Christ not with eye-seruice as men pleasers but as the seruants of Christ doing the wil of God from your hearts with a good will seruing the Lord and not men So that the contrarie to this obedience is eye-seruice when we do good things as vnto men and not of conscience to God For the manner of the doing first it bindeth the whole With that whole strength of their naturall integritie Creature the whole strength of the Creature and in euery thing requireth so much the greater strength as the dutie doth more excel These three must concurre for the making of perfect righteousnesse Vnder the terme of Creature I comprehend all ones naturall powers that is to say in Angels their whole spirituall nature in vs the whole man and whatsoeuer is of and in man which standing of two parts the soule and the body in the soule as wee vse by a generall name to call it the Scripture is wont to note when it speaketh more distinctly two faculties or powers the minde or the spirit that is to say the vnderstanding part of man comprehending Knowledge Iudgement Conscience Remembrance and the Soule properly so called the seat of our Desire Will Affections To all which the Law of God extends as may appeare by that the Apostle writeth o 1. Thess 5. 23. 1. Thess 5. That your spirit soule and bodie may bee kept vnblameable for the Lawes of God are not like the Lawes of mortall men which looke but to the outward act and are not able to reach the thoughts and intentions of the heart but God being a p Iohn 4. 24. Spirit his Lawes are also q Rom. 7. 24. spirituall and binde the whole Creature within and without from one end vnto another euen the least and smallest motion so as there must be both an Integritie of Nature and a Righteousnesse of Action Integritie of Nature or in a right frame and disposition of all those parts and powers our mindes to be of aptnesse and abilitie to know discerne make conscience of and retayne the whole will of God our soules prone and inclining onely vnto good in our desires will and affections the will being able of it selfe and his owne inward free voluntary and naturall motion to choose that which is good and to reiect that which is euill and this wee call Free-will Lastly our bodies to bee apt instruments of offering good things to the soule and of executing and performing of them which Integritie of Nature when all our parts and powers are conformable hereunto the Apostle r Rom. 8. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. maketh a part of the Righteousnesse of the Law or one thing among the rest of that which the Law requireth The contrarie whereof is that originall sinne or naturall corruption whereof we shall haue cause to speake hereafter Likewise all our actions inward and outward proceeding from those powers must be holy and pure the contrary whereof is actuall sinne Our minde therefore ought actually and indeed to know discerne make conscience of and remember the things that are good our soule both to desire to will and to effect them our Bodie and all the Members thereof to practize and put them in execution All which for the excellencie of the Doctrine and because here especially the Scripture presseth mans obedience it is necessary to goe thorow in order as they were propounded Knowledge is the first both in nature and worthinesse as that wherein wee must resemble the Diuine Essence Genesis 3. Yee shall be as Gods knowing good and euill It standeth chiefly in the knowledge of God himselfe then of those duties
excellent meanes to auoyde stealth Let x Ephes 4. 28. him that stole steale no more but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing that is good So 2. Thess 3. 11 12. hee saith Wee heare that there are some which walke among you inordinately that worke not at all but are busie-bodies Therefore them that are such we warne and exhort you by our Lord Iesus Christ that they worke with quietnesse and eat their owne bread And 1. Tim. 5. 13. he blameth the Widdowes for being idle and going vp and downe houses Thirdly Honest recreation a thing that fitteth vs for the seruice of God and of euery good dutie as Shooting Musike putting forth of Riddles and the like for these the Word of God doth by name speake of So Dauid 2. Sam. 1. 18. to teach the children of Iudah to handle the Bow vttered that Lamentation which is there extant of Saul and Ionathan And himselfe by the sweetnesse of his Musike refreshed the troubled heart of Saul 1. Sam. 16. 24. Of the other wee haue an Example in the Riddle put forth by SAMSON Iudges 14. 14. Out of the eater came meate and out of the strong came sweetnesse The contrarie whereof is first the dulling of our selues by a continuall wearying of the minde and bodie without intermission Secondly An excessiue vse of lawfull pleasures and delights without referring them to the right end The y Esay 5. 12. Harpe and Violl Timbrell and Pipe and Wine are in their Feasts but they regard not the worke of IEHOVAH neither consider the worke of his hands who z Amos 6. 5 6. play vpon the Violl as DAVID they inuent Instruments of Musike and drinke in Basons of Wine and anoynt themselues with the chiefe of Oyntments but are not grieued for the affliction of IOSEPH I a Eccles 2. 2. said of Laughter Thou art mad and of ioy What is that thou doest Woe b Luke 6. 25. be to you that now laugh for ye shall waile and weepe Fourthly Imitation of good Examples first and principally of God himselfe Be c Ephes 5. 1. yee followers of God as beloued children And to the beholding of this Example of God our Sauiour doth lift vs vp when he saith Ye d Mat. 5. 48. shall therefore be perfect as your Father which is in Heauen is perfect Be e Luke 6. 63. ye mercifull euen as your Father is mercifull The Lord also himselfe taketh vs forth that Lesson saying Be f Leu. 11. 44. ye holy for I am holy And g 1. Ioh. 33. Iohn maketh it that perpetuall strife and indeuour of GODS Children Whosoeuer hath this hope in him purifieth himselfe as he is also pure And againe h 1. Ioh. 4. 17. As he is such also are we in this World for therefore saith the i Heb. 12. 10. Apostle God chastiseth vs for our profit that we might partake his holinesse Next is the example of Christ our Sauiour God manifested in the flesh For k 1. Pet. 2. 21. Christ also suffered for vs leauing vnto vs a prescript that yee might walke in his steps Then of the holy Angels as our Sauiour teacheth vs to pray Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heauen Likewise of Adam in his innocencie vnto whose Image the Apostle l Colos 3. 10. Ephes 4. 24. euery where willeth vs to bee renewed Lastly of good and holy men that beholding the issue of their conuersation we may follow their faith as the Apostle exhorteth Heb. 13. 7. And againe Heb. 6. 12. That ye be not Bastards but followers of them that through faith and long sufferance inherit the promises 1. Cor. 4. 16. hee saith I beseech you be followers of me Wherein notwithstanding wee must take heed because in the best men much corruption is to bee found that wee follow them no m 1. Cor. 11 1. further then they follow Christ The contrarie whereof is the following of euill and wicked examples n Iob 31. 33. If I haue hid my sin as ADAM or after the manner of men especially of the Deuill the father of Lyes for which our Sauiour taketh vp the Iewes Iohn 8. 44. Fiftly Societie and companie with the good for such as ones companie is such lightly is ones selfe I o Psal 119. 63. am companion to all them that feare thee and keepe thy Commandements The contrarie whereof is First Leauing and lothing the companie of the good forsake p Heb. 10. 25. not your assembling together c. Secondly Societie with the wicked for which the good King Iehosaphat is reprooued by the Prophet What q 2. Chro. 19. 2. thou to helpe the wicked one and to loue the haters of IEHOVAH But for these thngs is hot displeasure towards thee from IEHOVAH Ill r 1. Cor. 15. 33. companie corrupts good manners To this purpose Salomon in his Prouerbs hath many excellent sayings Make no Å¿ Pro. 22. 24 25. friendship with an angrie man nor companie with a furious man lest thou learne his wayes and get a snare for thy selfe Hee t Pro. 28. 7. that keepeth the Law is an vnderstanding childe but hee that associateth himselfe to Gluttons shameth his father Where opposing companie-keeping with Gluttons to the keeping of the Law hee sheweth how forcible a meanes ill example is to leade vs into sinne Of this kind especially is the contracting of our selues in marriage with the vngodly for which the same Kings sonne Iehoram is taxed He u 2. Kings 1. 18 walked in the wayes of the Kings of Israel as the house of AHAB did for AHABS Daughter was his Wife and he did euill in the eyes of IEHOVAH yea this is noted as the prime sinne that corrupted the olde World and brought the floud vpon them for that the x Gen. 6. 1 2. sonnes of God the professors of Pietie and true Religion of the Posteritie of Sheth and ENOSH seeing the Daughters of men who made no conscience of seruing God to bee beautifull tooke them from any indifferently without respect of what Religion they were of wiues such as they chose Therefore were the Children of Israel precisely forbidden y Deut. 7. 3. to ioyne affinitie with those Nations of the Land of Canaan to giue their daughters to any of their sonnes or to take any of their daughters for their sonnes for saith the Lord They will certainly draw your sonnes away from following me to serue other gods The second part of watchfulnesse is that which vseth all diligence in that which is good Continue z Rom. 12. 12. Coloss 4. 2. in Prayer or lye at it continually a Ephes 6. 18. Watch thereunto with all assiduitie The contrary whereof is negligence and slacknesse In b Rom. 12. 11. doing seruice be not slacke Hitherto of watchfulnesse whereunto we are to couple in the fourth and last place continuance and perseuerance in wel-doing the crowne and
first and the second Table as they were at the first deliuered of God to Moses The summe of the first Table is Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart or minde and with all thy soule and with all thy might And to this Table the foure first Commandements doe belong The summe of the second is Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe And to this Table the sixe last Commandements doe belong for all which our Sauiour Christ himselfe is our warrant who calleth these two The n Math. 22. 37. first and second Commandements The summe of the first Commandement is That wee Pietie is of the immediate duties to God whereof this is the whole that we haue God to be our God haue God to be our God So it is expressed in the Commandement it selfe Thou shalt haue no other gods before my face The first affirmatiue whereof is Thou shalt haue me to be thy God The contrary of this hauing of God to be our God is first that which the Psalmist o Psal 10 4. noteth The wicked are so proud they seeke not after God Against which p 2. Chro. 15. 13. Asa made a Law that if any would not seeke after God he should die Secondly Atheisme in denying God or his properties as Prouidence Wisedome Presence c. The foole q Psal 14. 1. hath said in his heart There is no God Yee haue said r Malach. 3. 14. It is in vaine to serue God c. Wee haue God to bee our God by cleauing to The parts are two one to cleaue vnto him him and worshipping him This Distribution Moses giueth Deut. 10. 20. Thou shalt feare IEHOVAH thy God and serue him Thou shalt cleaue vnto him and sweare by his Name Cleauing I call that straight and holy bond whereby we are tyed and glued as it were to God as the Apostle speaketh Å¿ 1. Cor. 6. 17. He that is glued to the Lord is one spirit Of this it is said t Iosh 23. 8. Stick fast vnto IEHOVAH your God as you haue done vnto this day He exhorted u Acts 11. 23. all that with purpose of heart they would cleaue to the Lord. The contrary wherof is that which the Prophet speaketh of x Ierom. 17. 5. Cursed is the man whose heart departeth from IEHOVAH Their y Esay 26. 13. heart is farre from mee If any man z Hebr. 10. 38. with-draw himselfe my soule shall haue no pleasure in him This cleauing to God groweth from a respect of that absolutenesse of all good things that are in him and hath these parts First to loue him for his goodnes desiring nothing Louing more then to be ioyned vnto him delighting to thinke and speake of him and to doe the things that are pleasing in his sight By which notes and marks it is easie for vs to examin our loue vnto him a Deut. 6. 5. Thou shalt loue IEHOVAH thy God with all thy heart c. The contrary whereof is that hatred of God whereof we spake before Secondly to reuerence him for his Holinesse and the Reuerencing Maiesty of his presence before whome no vnseemely thing may come b Eccles 5. 1. God is in Heauen and thou art vpon the earth therefore let thy words be few And this as a bridle reyneth and keepeth vs backe from committing either open wickednesse or secret sinnes Who would not be ashamed to spue in the face of his Prince How much more should we blush to powre foorth our wickednes in the sight or presence of this King of Kings infinitely more glorious then all the Princes of the world Therefore doth the Holy Ghost aggrauate the sinne of the old world c Gen. 6. 11. That the earth was corrupted before God and of the Sodomites that d Gen. 13. 13. they were exceeding sinners before IEHOVAH that is without all reuerence daring in his presence and as it were hee looking on to commit all kind of filthinesse And the Wiseman e Prou. 5. 21. vseth this as a most effectuall Argument to draw men from the enticements of sin vnder that one of the strange woman comprehending all the rest For that the wayes of euery one are before the eyes of IEHOVAH For the other common are the exhortations in the Scripture f Gen. 17. 1. Walke before me and be vpright And g Exod. 20. 3. thou shalt haue none other gods before my face ENOCH h Gen. 5. 14. is also commended that he walked with God And the Prophet Ieremy i Ierem. 13. 23. notably inforceth this reason Can any man lye hid in darkenes and I not see him saith IEHOVAH Doe not I fill Heauen and earth The contrary wherof is prophanenes of heart k Hebr. 12. 16. Let there be no prophane person as ESAV c. Thirdly to feare him for his Power and Iustice not Fearing with a seruile feare which hath paine and torture in it and setteth the conscience as it were vpon a l Iohn 4. 18. Rack but with a filiall and childlike feare that is to say not so much for feare of punishment as for feare of offending so good and so gracious a Father Thou m Leuit. 19. 14 shalt not curse the Deafe neither put a stumbling blocke before the blinde but shalt feare thy God I am IEHOVAH Who n Ier. 10. 7. would not feare thee c. seeing Power resteth in thee Let o Heb. 12. 28. vs labour to please God with reuerence and feare for euen our God is a consuming fire If p 1. Pet. 1. 17. you call him Father which without respect of persons iudgeth euery one according to his worke passe your time of dwelling heere in feare If q Mal. 1. 6. I be a Father where is my feare Feare r Esay 8. 13. 14. not the feare of this people nor terrifie your selues IEHOVAH of Hoasts him sanctifie let him bee your feare and let him bee your terrour Where these two kindes of feare are plainly distinguished The contrarie whereof is contempt of God like to Pharaoh Who is Å¿ Exod. 5. 2. IEHOVAH c. To beleeue him for his Truth and Faithfulnesse to Beleeuing performe whatsoeuer hee speaketh as hee saith in the Psalmes t Ps 89. 34 35 I will not alter that which is proceeded out of my mouth nor falsifie my faith The lacke of this Grace bereaued those two worthy Saints of God Moses and Aaron of that great blessing which they so much desired to conduct Gods people into the Land of Promise Because n Numb 20. 12 yee beleeued mee not to sanctifie mee in the presence of the Children of Israel therefore yee shall not bring this Congregation into the Land which I haue giuen them The contrarie of it is doubtfulnesse concerning the Truth of Gods promises or iudgements whether present or to come I x Psal 116. 11. said
Secondly When wee vow things too base to offer vnto God as if a Rich man to obtayne some great mercie at Gods hands would vow to giue somewhat not worth the speaking of vnto the poore This Salomon wisheth vs to take heed of when in the matter of Vowes hee maketh the feare and reuerence of God in not doing any thing vnworthy of his Maiestie one great and speciall point Eccles 5. 6 3. Thirdly when we vow such things as are not indifferēt to do or to leaue vndone for as to bring the hire of a Whore or the price of a Dogge into the House of God for a Vow were to prophane his Seruice Deut. 23. 18. So to vow that in token of a rare and extraordinarie zeale which without vow wee are bound to doe is rather to dally with God then to offer any speciall seruice to him This is plainly taught Deut. 23. 24. when it is said If thou vow not at all it shall not be sinne vnto thee but the sinne is in not performing our Vow when wee haue vowed it And if wee take a view of all the Vowes of Gods Children wee shall find them all for the most part according vnto this rule of things which otherwise without offence they might haue left vndone Such was that of d Ps 132. 3 4 5 DAVID I will not goe vnto the Tent of mine House nor climbe vp my Bed-stead nor suffer sleepe in mine eyes nor slumber in my eye-lids till I find out a place for IEHOVAH c. an habitation for the mightie God of IACOB And that of ANNA e 1. Sam. 1. 11. If indeed looking to the affliction of thine Hand-mayde thou wilt remember mee and not forget thine Hand-mayde but giue vnto thine Hand-mayde a man-childe then will I giue him to IEHOVAH all the dayes of his life and no Razor shall come vpon his head Such also was f Gen. 28. 20 21 22. Iacobs Vow If IEHOVAH God will be with me and keepe mee in this iourney which I goe and will giue mee bread to eate and clothes to put on so that I come againe to my fathers house in safetie and finally if IEHOVAH will be my God Then there beginneth the Vow shall this Stone which I haue set vp as a Piller be the House of God Fourthly When we are slacke to performe them When g Deut. 23. 21. thou vowest a Vow to IEHOVAH thy God thou shalt not delay to performe it for IEHOVAH thy God will certainly require it of thee and it shall be sinne vnto thee When h Ecclesi 5. 3. as thou vowest a Vow to God delay not to performe it for God hath no pleasure in Fooles Yet for the performance of some greater dutie our Vow may bee put off for a time as the example of the Rechabites i Ier. 35. 7. 14. doth confirme of whom the Lord himselfe beareth witnesse that they obserued the vow of IONADAB their father charging them not to dwell in houses but in Tents continually though for safetie of their liues they came to dwell in Ierusalem For the performance of the duties of this Commandement Whereunto are requisite Preparation are required in all but especially in the publike seruice of God First Preparation of our selues before wee come by considering both the cause that should mooue vs to it and how to performe it with greatest dutie and respect as the Preacher doth exhort vs Take k Eccles 47. 5. 1. heed vnto thy feet when thou goest into the House of God and bee neerer to hearken then to giue the gift of Fooles and sacrifice for they know not that they doe ill Doe not confusedly speake with thy mouth nor let thy heart make haste to vtter a word before God for God is in Heauen thou art vpon the Earth Therefore let thy words be few To which purpose it is necessary that we vse priuate Prayer before-hand and take speciall view and examination of our sinnes that hinder our approch to God Secondly Diligent attention Being come and trembling and Humiliation at the presence of God before whom wee stand like vnto that good woman l Acts 16. 14. LYDIA whose heart God opened that shee attended to the things spoken by PAVL And as Cornelius did Acts 10. 33. Now therefore all wee are heere present before God to heare all things that are inioyned vnto thee of God Whereupon euerie where in the Scripture it is made a proper marke of Gods Children to tremble at his Word To m Esay 66. 2. this man doe I looke to him that is humble and of a broken spirit and which trembleth at my words Thirdly Meditation and chewing as it were the cud when we are departed as the men of n Acts 17. 11. Berhea did who after they had heard PAVL searched the Scriptures whether those things were so For the fitting of vs to some more speciall parts of his And when need is both fasting to quicken vs to petition in the acknowledgement of our vnworthinesse and wants and feasting to expresse our thankfulnesse for his benefits worship are required both Fasting and a holy Feast Fasting to quicken vs to petition in the acknowledgement of our wants holy Feasting to expresse our thankfulnesse for his benefits This vse of Fasting the King of Nineueh was not ignorant of when hee gaue o Ionah 3. 9 10 commandement by the Decree of the King and his Nobles saying Let neither Men nor Beasts nor Heards nor Flockes taste any thing nor feede nor drinke water but let Men and Beasts couer themselues with Sack-cloth and cry vnto God strongly c. Esay toucheth the same in the 58. p Esay 58. 4. Chapter of his Prophecy Yee fast not as these times are to make your voyce to be heard on high But of Fasting what it is and of the true nature and properties thereof we shall haue further cause to speake in the Doctrine of Repentance The contrary hereof is that which the same Prophet reprehendeth in the people q Esay 22. 12. In that day the Lord IEHOVAH of Hoasts called to weeping and to mourning to baldnesse and to girting with sackcloth and behold gladnesse and ioy killing of Oxen and slaying of Sheepe eating flesh and drinking Wine Let vs eate and drinke for tomorrow we shall die that is to say in stead of humiliation they gaue themselues to all kind of iollitie and bathing of themselues in pleasures The exercise of Feasting was taken vp amongst Gods people when they had receiued some singular benefit or deliuerance from some notable euill which by Fasting and Prayer they had begged at his hands In which Feasts a more liberall vse of the creature is permitted both for plenty and variety and all kind of honest iollity and pleasure Goe your wayes it is said Nehem. 8. 11 13. eat fat things and drinke sweet things and send portions to him for whome nothing is prouided for this
the things vpon the Earth And Colos 2. 10. It pleased God to reconcile through him all things vnto himselfe both the things vpon Earth and the things in Heauen 〈◊〉 not to bee vnderstood of the Angels but of the Saâ—â—â—â— and blessed Spirits now deceased Mediation as the Apostle doth define it Gal. 3. 20. is to set at one parties that are at variance Wherefore the very point and propertie of Christs Office of Mediator or that wherein it standeth and whereunto all the parts doe tend is the reconciling of the World to bring them againe into fauour with God his Father and to the recouerie of his former loue as it is said 2. Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the World vnto himselfe And Rom. 5. 10. When we were enemies wee were reconciled vnto God by the death of his Sonne This was the foote of the Angels Song Glorie to God in the highest Heauens on Earth Peace Good will towards men Luke 2. 14. It was the t Acts 10. 36. summe of our Sauiour Christs Embassage Comming he preached Peace vnto vs Ephes 2. 17. And thereupon the Gospell is called u 2. Cor. 15. 18 19. The Word or Ministerie of reconciliation x Ephes 6. 15. The Gospell of Peace c. The meanes whereby hee worketh our Peace is by of a couenant making of a Couenant betweene God and vs wherevpon he is called The Mediator of the New Testament Hebrewes 12. 24. and The Angell of the Couenant Malachie 3. 1. In this Couenant I obserue the end and fruit the substance or foundation the meanes or the condition and the extent of the Couenant The end or fruit is the sauing of our soules So the to saue Apostle doth expresse it Heb. 9. 5. Therefore is Christ the Mediator of a new Couenant that through death comming betweene for the redemption of the transgressions that were in the former Couenant they that are called may receiue the promise of an euerlasting Inheritance Christ himselfe is the foundation and ground-worke through faith in him of this Couenant Esay 49. 8. and the substance of all the Gospell as the Apostle defineth Rom. 1. 1 2 3 4. and in 〈…〉 other places The meanes to make the Couenant effectuall vnto vs that is by apprehending of the Couenant is Faith the condition of the Couenant Beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt bee saued Acts 16. 31. Touching the extent of the Couenant all Mankinde certaine few men whom God his Father hath chosen are not partakers of this benefit but some certaine men onely which certaine men though wee cannot certainly define the number are but a handfull in respect of the great multitude of those that perish being elect before the World was and giuen vnto Christ that in time through faith incorporated into him and becomming one with him they might as members make that Bodie whereof hee is the Head and so bee quickened by his Spirit vnto euerlasting life And this election of some necessarily implyeth the reiecting of other some Wherefore here the whole doctrine of Gods holy Predestination is summarily comprehended A matter aboue all other most religiously and soberly to be dealt in not so much for any hardnesse that is in it which if wee keepe within the bounds and limits of the Word is easie enough to bee conceiued as in regard partly of the curiousnesse of men prying without all reuerence into the secret Counsels of God and climbing vp by other steps then himselfe hath hallowed and partly of their owne corrupt affections who either swelling with Pride or cast downe with feare can hardly keepe along the coast of this Doctrine without wrecking themselues either at the Rockes of Presumption or the Flats of desperation Wherefore to auoyd both these extremes wee are to hold such a middle course as may not be after the randome of our owne wit but at the direction of God in the wisedome of his Word for as for them that thinke this Doctrine is not at all to bee taught vnto the people it is manifest that they erre very grossely this being as the rest one part of the reueiled will of GOD whereof y Deut. 30. 29. Moses speaketh to the people T 〈…〉 things belong to IEHOVAH our God but the reueiled things to vs and our children for euer And as the z Rom. 15. 4. Apostle saith Whatsoeuer things are written are written for our profit that by patience and comfort of the Scriptures which cannot be without knowing of them we might haue hope This being written by the singer of GOD in the Table of his Word must needs haue a place in that number amongst the rest And the speech a Iohn 5. 30. of our Sauiour Christ is generall willing vs to search the Scriptures for whatsoeuer things they beare record of What That the Apostle Paul writing to the b Chap. 9. 10 11 Romanes doubteth not to debate this Argument at large discoursing of all the secrets and mysteries thereof the causes effects c. And in the Epistle to the c Ephes 5. Ephesians he layeth it as the foundation and ground-worke whereupon to build the Doctrine of Faith and Holinesse of life Nay Moses himselfe who for the grosse conceit and rudenesse of the Iewes kept backe the creation of the Angels and their fall and many other Mysteries yet how d Deut. 4. 37. 7 8 9 10. 14. 73. 5. oft doth hee deale with this The Disciples of Christ were not c Iohn 16. 12. able to beare many things which hee was to vtter vnto them yet hee passeth not by this Doctrine when f Luke 10. 20. hee biddeth them to reioyce that their names were written in Heauen yea and both the points of Election and Reprobation hee plainly setteth forth Mat. 25. 34. and 41. This will bee yet more euident if we call to minde the manifold vse of this Doctrine being the Roote of all Pietie and the Base of all our comfort then the which none more highly exalteth the glorie of God in his Mercie and Iustice nor throweth downe the pride of man more lowe as in the processe Christ assisting more fully shall appeare Wherein for a better light of that which followeth it is necessarie I should first define Predestination Predestination is one principall branch of Gods purpose or eternall Decree concerning the finall estate of the most excellent creatures Angels and men The parts whereof are Election and Reprobation Election which is of some certaine ones vnto Saluation of men but few in respect of those that are to perish Reprobation which is of some certaine ones vnto damnation The waight and degree of both aswell of glorie as of shame to some in a lesse to some in a greater measure To explaine this a little better God who onely is eternall the Father Sonne and holy Spirit purposing before all times the glorifying of himselfe as is most meet
power and comfort of his Spirit whereby he doth communicate himselfe and all he hath vnto vs not in any corporall or bodily presence The time that hee thus ascended both in Soule and the fortieth day after his Resurrection Bodie was fortie d Acts 1. 3. dayes after his Resurrection during all which time hee was conuersant with his Disciples teaching and instructing them aswell in all points of Christian doctrine as in those that belong to the Policie and Gouernment of his Church whereupon the e Heb. 3. 2 3 4 5 6. Apostle saith He was faithfull in all the House of God after a more excellent sort then Moses was The fruit of Christs Ascension into Heauen is our comming thither as shall appeare more at large hereafter And this entrie into Heauen to purchase full Redemption for vs belonged to his Priestly Function wherof the High Priests entring into the Holy of holies once a yeere was a type or figure Heb. 8. 7 12. The fourth and last step is his f Iohn 7. 39. Acts 3. 13. Glorification or the and there sitteth at the right hand of God that is to say enioyeth all Soueraigntie Power and Glorie inriching of him after hee was ascended with an vnspeakeable and incomprehensible though not an infinite measure of all Happinesse Ioy Wisdome Knowledge Excellencie more then all men and Angels haue whereof the g Psal 45. 8. Heb. 1. 9. Psalmist speaketh God euen thy God hath anoynted thee with the Oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes Therefore this is called also his h Acts 2. 33. Exaltation or i Phil. 2. 9. Superexaltation hauing in stead of shame and contempt which for our sakes hee did willingly vndergoe becomming subiect vnto death the most ignominious death of the Crosse all and all manner of excellencie both Kingdome Power and Glorie bestowed vpon him and this is that which figuratiuely is meant by his sitting or standing at the right hand of God his Father Heb. 1. 3. Hauing by himselfe purged our sinnes hee sitteth at the right hand of Maiestie in the highest places Marke 16. 19. The Lord after he had spoken these things was taken vp into Heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God Acts 7. 55. He being full of the Holy Ghost looked stedfastly vp to Heauen and saw the Glorie of God and Iesus standing at the right hand of God A phrase or forme of speech taken from earthly Princes who are said to set them at their right hand whom they are pleased to k Mat. 20. aduance into the principall place of Honour and Administration of their Kingdome First touching his Gouernment and Dominion both the Apostles so expound this Phrase when that which l Psal 110. 1. Dauid saith IEHOVAH said vnto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstoole The one m 1. Cor. 15. 25 rendreth thus He shall raigne till he haue put all his enemies vnder his feet The n Acts 2. 36. other inferreth vpon it Let all the house of Israel therefore know for a certaine that Him God hath made both Lord and Christ For power and dominion both that serueth Ephes 1. 10 20 21. According to his mightie power which hee wrought in Christ when he raysed him from the dead and set him at his right hand in the heauenly Places far aboue all Principalitie and Power and Might and Dominion and euery name that is named not in this World onely but also in that that is to come and hath made all things subiect vnder his feet Of his Glorie the same is manifest in that this verie setting at the right hand of God is o Acts 3. 13. called his Glorification and the p Acts 7. 55. Storie of Stephen coupleth them together He saw the Glory of God and Iesus standing at the right hand of God The fruit of his setting at the right hand of God is very great and in a manner all in all both for his Intercession and Kingdome as we shall haue occasion to note hereafter All that hitherto hath beene said concerneth our Sauiours Hitherto of Oblation Intercession is offering of himselfe we come now to the other part of his Priesthood standing in his Intercession A thing most necessarie to be added to the rest for in vaine were all his Offerings and Oblation if by his Prayers and Supplications to his Father and the continuall presenting of his Merits hee did not purchase Grace that the same should bee made effectuall for vs. Wherefore this as one step higher is added to the former Rom. 8. 34 Who shall condemne It is Christ that dyed nay rather which is risen who also is at the right hand of God who also maketh Intercession for vs. In his Intercession I obserue First that it is the proper Office and Honor of Christ by whom onely we come vnto God Heb. 7. 25. Secondly That it is the requesting and intreatie of the continuall presenting of his Merits to God his Father the continuall presenting of himselfe and the Merits of his Death and Passion whereupon hee is called our q 1. Iohn 2. 1. Aduocate or Spokesman and is said to r Heb. 9. 24. appeare on our behalfe before the face of God and to make If any man sin we haue an Aduocate with the Father euen Iesus Christ that righteous one Å¿ Rom. 8. 34. Heb. 7. 25. his Father Intercession for vs. The word appearing being a word taken from the Courts and Seats of Iustice as we vse to say when the Plaintife or Defendant is called Who is heere to appeare for him Christ therefore is as it were our Attournie to appeare for vs before his Father I make mention of the Father onely because the Father is the first of the three Persons in order who being appeased the Sonne and Holy Ghost are also pleased they all being one as in essence and nature so in will and agreement Thirdly When and how he performed this Intercession namely whilest hee was vpon Earth in so many so sweet so heauenly and so feruent Prayers as he powred forth from time to time for the Saluation of his Elect especially that most solemne and sacred one aboue the rest Iohn 17. wherein being anon to be offered hee did consecrate both himselfe the onely and eternall Sacrifice and vs in and through him vnto his Father by the power and force of which his Prayer the Church of God hath euer stood and shall stand vnto the end And what he did then vpon the Earth the same he doth though not in the same manner now in Heauen not with knees bowed and hands stretched out but yet in such sort as is fit for him to giue and fit for his Father to receiue Fourthly That hee maketh Intercession for all the Elect on the behalfe of those Elect. and for them alone not for the Reprobate and Worldlings Iohn 17. 9. I pray not
for the World but for those whom thou hast giuen me Fiftly For what things this Intercession is made Not for some one or few benefits but that we may be partakers of all the good things that he hath wrought Faith or Vocation Vnion with himselfe that is to say Regeration Righteousnesse and Sanctification through him Constancie and Perseuerance in the estate of Grace and finally Eternall Happinesse for all these parts are particularly set downe Iohn 17. as namely Verse 20. 21. I pray for all that are to beleeue in me by their Ministerie that all may be one as thâ—â— Father in me and Iâ—n thee So that they also may be one with vs that the World may beleeue that thou hast sent mee Verse 17. Sanctifie them by thy Truth Verse 11 Holy 〈…〉 er keepe them in thy Name Verse 15. I pray not that thou 〈…〉 them out of the World but that thou keepe them from th 〈…〉 one Verse 13. That they may haue my ioy fulfilled to them Verse 24. Righteous Father whom thou hast giuen vnto me I desire that where I am there they also may be that they may behold my Glorie which thou hast giuen me And Verse 26. That the loue wherewith thou hast loued me may be vpon them So hee doth expresse the Intercession hee made for Peter to bee That his faith should not faile Luke 22. 32. Intercession therefore of our Sauiour Christ is as it were a continuall plaister for the curing of the manifold slips frailties and sins whereunto the faithfull through infirmitie doe continually fall that so by a speciall and continuall application of his Merit our persons may remayne iust and our workes acceptable to God 1. Iohn 2. 1. If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate c. Sixtly That as in his humanitie hee desireth all these things for our Saluation and the applying of his Merits and death vnto vs so by the power of his Deâ—â—e he doth indeed apply them whereunto his being in t Heb. â— â—4 Heauen and in the sight of God his u Rom. â— 34. sitting at the right hand of his Father and his x Heb. 7. 25. euerliuing doe much 〈…〉 le making that Intercession of his as in it selfe more glorious so for vs more gracious and acceptable and able perfectly to saue them that come to God by him Seuenthly That y Rom. 8. 26. making Intercession for vs hee teacheth vs also by his Spirit to make Intercession to God with Prayers sighes and grones that cannot bee expressed CHAP. III. Of Christs Gouernment of the World in generall AFter the Priesthood of Christ next followeth Such is the Priest-hood of Christ his Kingdome followeth his Kingdome which is euerywhere spoken of in the Scriptures and most honourable and glorious promises made vnto it Esay 9. 7. A Child shall bee borne vnto vs and a Sonne giuen to vs vpon whose shoulder the Dominion shall lye Esay 32. 1. Behold a King shall raigne in Righteousnesse And Ierem. 23. 5. A King shall raigne and prosper Generally in his Kingdome I obserue three things Kingdome First A calling of Christ by God his Father to it for as hee intruded not himselfe into the Office of a Priest but expected the calling of his Father so he tooke not vpon him to raigne before hee had a Kingdome giuen him Therefore Psalme 2. 6. God is brought in saying I haue appointed my King ouer Sion my holy Hill And Dan. 2. 44. it is said In those dayes shall the God of Heauen rayse vp a Kingdome So Luke 1. 32. the Angell telleth MARIE The Lord shall giue vnto him the Throne of his Father DAVID And PETER z Acts 2. 36. Him hath God made both Lord and Christ Secondly The inuesting of him into the Princely Honour and Administration of his Kingdome whereof he had full seizin and was put into the actuall and reall possession of it when he ascended into Heauen which a man may call his going vp vnto his Coronation Daniel a Dan. 7. 13 14 in his seuenth Chapter hath a notable description of it seeing in a Vision Christ God and Man comming out of Heauen into the lower parts of the Earth to worke the mysterie of our Redemption and that done ascending into Heauen to the Ancient of dayes God his Father to present himselfe before him And to him saith hee was giuen Dominion Glorie and a Kingdome Thirdly The fruit and end of all this the same wherevnto is in the things which he doth from God for those Elect the whole worke of his Mediation tendeth which is our b Ephes â— 16. Peace and Reconciliation with God in and through him Therefore hee is called The c Esay 9. 6. Prince of Peace d Heb. 7. 2. The King of Righteousnesse and The King of Peace figured by MELCHISEDECH King of Shalem And heereupon the e Rom. 14. 17. Apostle saith that the Kingdome of God is Righteousnesse Peace and loy in the Holy Ghost More specially to treat of this his Kingdome It parteth The kingdome of Christ hath two parts it selfe into three mayne Armes or Branches rising by so many steps or stayres one is his Gouernment of the World in generall taking things in such sort as the Fall did leaue them without vouchsafing any further fauour And this may bee called the footstoole of his Kingdome Another standeth in the bestowing of his Word and the fruits thereof matters of speciall grace though such as fall vpon the Reprobate and this may be called the Scepter of his Kingdome The third Is the giuing of his Spirit whereby of carnall he maketh vs spirituall and heauenly Creatures and this may be called the Seate and Throne or rather the Life and Power of his Kingdome as these three parts are so distinguished and in the same order Psal 93. The first words of which Psalme in a holy triumph and reioycing-wise expresse the generall argument that Iehouah which is Christ our Lord raigneth and not raigneth onely but hath his Raigne accompanied with two Noble Adiuncts Glorie and Power Then hee commeth to distinguish the parts First his Gouernment of the World considered in two degrees One the stay and sustentation of all things the same which the f Heb. 1. 3 Apostle so highly magnifieth to the Hebrewes for whereas Adams sinne had turned vpside downe the whole frame of Nature and according to the curse What day thou eatest of the forbidden fruit thou shalt certainly dye had brought man and all the Creatures for mans sake to vtter ruine and desolation Christ the Mediator steppeth forth and there beginneth his Kingdome in holding vp the World which otherwise had instantly come to nothing This you haue in the latter end of the first Verse The inhabited World is settled it shall not be remoued And that so wonderfull a thing as this a worke of such admiration might haue a reason sutable to make it not seeme strange the Prophet
for they dranke of the Spirituall Rocke following them and the Rocke was Christ The difference onely is First In the outward Signes Secondly In that the Sacraments of the Old Testament were signes of c Heb. 10. 1. future good things which Christ should performe ours are signes and remembrances of good things alreadie done and performed by him The Ministers of the New Testament were first Apostles The Ministers of the New Testament were Apostles inspired by whose Ministery were written the Bookes of the New Testament Prophets Euangelists Pastors Teachers c. inspired of Christ as is afore-said by whose Ministerie were written the Bookes of the New Testament then Prophets Euangelists Pastors Teachers c. These fiue you haue so reckoned vp Ephes 4. CHAP. VII Of that which the Scripture by excellencie termeth The Kingdome and of the Church of Gods Elect. OF the three great Armes or Branches of Hitherto of Christs Propheticall Office That which the Scripture by excellencie termeth The Kingdome is to the Church of Beleeuers It standeth in an effectuall Calling and the ruit that commeth from it An effectuall Calling whereby hee draweth as many as are elect to beleeue in him Christs Kingdome two haue beene alreadie opened His generall Gouernment of the World whereby hee swayeth all things and the fauours which in the Largesse and Royaltie of his Propheticall Office he bestoweth vpon the Church in generall the bad among them aswell as the good all sworne vnto him and called by his name and all for the Elects sake being so many steps and stayres to leade those whom God hath chosen to farre more eminent and surpassing Graces now to bee spoken of in this third part which the Scripture is wont to call by way of excellencie d Mat. 13. 38. Luke 4. 43. Acts 20. 25. The Kingdome e Rom. 14. 17. The Kingdome of God or f Col. 1. 13. The Kingdome of his Sonne and g Mat. 13. 44 45. The Kingdome of Heauen For though the same as wee haue shewed bee specially spoken of the Raigne of the Messiah when hee came into the World yet for the truth and substance it holdeth in all times from the beginning that being Citizens of that Kingdome we haue as it were a Heauen here on Earth and Heauen indeed hereafter for in it are all the glorious things which God communicateth with his people Wee beginne with that excellent and precious gift of Faith the sauing Knowledge of GODS Elect Which standeth in the imbracing and laying hold on Christ the highest step of Grace that in this life is possible to bee attayned whither the Reprobate neuer can ascend Also it is the life soule of the true Church on Earth as Profession is outward for the proofe whereof I refer you further to that which is spoken there wherefore the number or h Ephes 3. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Family as Paul speaketh of Gods Elect effectually called to the knowledge and participation of Christ makes the whole companie of those that belong vnto him and are indeed and truly his which therefore by excellencie is wont to be called i Ephes 1. 22. 5. 23 32. Col. 1. 18 34. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 16. 18. The Church or as we vse to speake and as the Symbole of the Apostles hath it The holy Catholike Church wherein these qualities come to be obserued First The Church is but one whether they bee on Earth drawne by the Word of Christ and the Grace of his holy Spirit to beleeue in him or in Heauen there enioying his blessed presence so the Apostle doth k Col. 1. 20. Ephes 3. 15. many times deuide it they make all but l Ephes 1. 10 23 Col. 1. 18. one bodie whereof Christ is the Head Secondly Catholike or Vniuersall The Papists ridiculous to call the Romane Church which if it were admitted a true Church is but a particular Church by the name of the Catholke Church it may be called hauing regard both to persons places and times Persons as comprehending all GODS Elect who in their time are all gathered into the bosome of this Church Wherefore Gal. 4. 26. the Catholike Church Ierusalem which is aboue is said to be the mother of all In regard of place because it is not tyed to any Region or Countrey in particular but scattered throughout the World For the times In all Ages of the World God hath euer some that are his indeed members of the true Church through faith in him Thirdly The true Church is called holy because they are indeed and truly the sanctified members of Christ regenerate and borne againe in whom he dwelleth and raigneth by his Spirit being washed iustified sanctified through him and hereafter for euer glorified So as out of this Church there is no Saluation for there is no Faith no Christ but there and hereof the m 1. Pet. 3. 20 21. Arke was a Figure wherein all that were not perished Fourthly The true Church whilest it remayneth here on Earth is inuisible because their Faith which onely maketh them members of the Church cannot be known or seene of any but of those that do receiue it And if the true Catholike Church might bee seene then were it no Article of our Faith to beleeue it Howbeit at the last Day they shall be all seene To speake of Faith which maketh men members of the true Church Properly it is a vertue and holy qualitie of the Minde and Will powred into vs by the Holy Ghost for the knowing and apprehending of Christ But as the Scriptures take it and Diuines commonly define it by the worke of Faith it is a knowledge and apprehension of Christ now absent with all his benefits offered in the Word to bee ones owne Howbeit in so great a matter to vse somwhat a more large description and in one view to lay forth whatsoeuer is necessarie to bee knowne of Faith Faith proper to Gods Elect for I meddle not here with Historicall Faith which n 1. Iames 2. 19 Iames calleth the faith of Deuils nor with o Mat. 13. 21. temporarie Faith or the Faith of p 1. Cor. 13. 2. working Miracles these are but in name onely and abuse of speech or if properly Faith yet not sauing Faith but true and sauing Faith is a speciall gift and grace of God wrought in our hearts by the Holy Ghost and that ordinarily by the preaching of the Gospell nourished by the Word and Sacraments Ioyned it is with Knowledge not a generall or confused knowledge but the sauing knowledge of Gods Children that apprendeth Christ and applyeth him to euery true Beleeuer But apprehending Christ absent in his Word it is mixed with much weaknesse and vnbeliefe yet still holdeth fast and letteth not goe the hold but continually groweth till wee come to see Christ in his Glorie and therefore is perpetually waited vpon by Hope the sure Anchor of our soules Now
as some n Luke 18. 30. Marke 10. 30. other where the Scripture taketh it the life that shall bee hereafter but the world here restored in and through Christ euen from the first promise made in Paradise and fully to be perfected when God shall bee all in all for the world corrupted by the sin of ADAM that whereof all men naturally are members goeth vnder the name of the old world o 2. Pet. 3. 15. this wherein righteousnesse dwelleth of the new To note more expresly the quality of this new world a heauenly World I call it heauenly as the Scripture doth in diuers places opposing it to that which is terrene and earthly This is not saith p Iam. 3. 15. IAMES the wisdome that commeth from aboue but earthly naturall deuilish And the Apostle to the Colossians q Coloss 3. 1 2 5. Seeke the things which are aboue where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God minde the things which are aboue not which are vpon the earth Mortifie therefore your members which are on the earth Fornication Vncleannesse c So to the Philip. r Phil. 3. 19 20. Whose end is destruction which mind earthly things But our conuersation or if you will Free-burgesship is in Heauen Wherefore the Citie whereof we are thus Free Burgesses is called Å¿ Reu. 3. 12. The Citie of God t Reu. 21. â— 22. 19. The holy Citie u Reu. 3. 12. 21. 2. New Ierusalem which commeth downe from God out of Heauen x Gal. 4. 26. Ierusalem aboue which as it is there said is the mother of vs all The World therefore thus formed and fashioned anew by the power of Christs Spirit is An euerlasting World the Citizens and Free Burgesses y Esay 44. 7. An euerlasting people Christ the Prince z Esay 9. 6. Father of eternitie and the Kingdome it selfe an euerlasting Kingdome that shall not haue any end So saith DANIEL a Dan. 2. 44. It shall destroy and consume all other Kingdomes but it selfe shall stand for euer b Dan. 7. 14. His dominion is a perpetuall Dominion that cannot passe and his Kingdome a Kingdome that cannot bee destroyed And the Prophet MICA c Micab 4. 7. to the same purpose IEHOVAH shall raigne ouer them in Mount Sion from this time forth for euermore This is it which the d Luke 1. 33. Angel telleth MARIE Hee shall raigne ouer the house of IACOB for euer and of his Kingdome there shall bee no end For where it e 1. Cor. 15. 24. is said that this Kingdome must haue an end and that he shall deliuer it vp to God his Father Wee must vnderstand that the Kingdome of Christ is two wayes to be considered one as he ruleth and raigneth in the hearts of the faithfull and is the head of his Church which cannot haue any end for he must continue the Head of his Church for euer Wherefore the word which is commonly translated End may perhaps in that place rather signifie Perfection this Kingdome of his being so farre from hauing an end with the end and dissolution of the world that contrariwise it shineth and sheweth it selfe most when all his enemies shall be subdued vnder his feet that he may raigne glorious in his Saints who being then wholly led and gouerned by his Spirit shall not so much bee subiect to him as knit and vnited with him But the Kingdome of Christ is also taken for that gouernement which for the Churches sake and to bring men to faith and obedience of the Truth hee hath ouer all the world beside brideling and subduing Satan Sinne and all the enemies of our saluation which then shall cease when hauing finished the whole worke of our full and perfect Redemption he shall crowne with immortalitie those that are his Our Sauiour Christ comparing the Kingdome of weakely here by Faith and therefore by meanes of the Word ordinarily which is called the Kingdome of Grace Heauen to f Math. 13. 31. a graine of Mustard-seed which beeing at the first the least of all seedes becommeth verie great and to g Math. 11. 33. Leauen which at the first is in some part of the dough but in time spreadeth it selfe ouer the whole lumpe teacheth vs the order and manner of Gods proceedings in the things that haue beene handled The beginnings weake and tender all perfection reserued till wee come to heauen Whereupon this part of Christs Kingdome is distinguished into the Kingdome of Grace h Esay 59. 21. and the Kingdome of Glorie The Kingdome of Grace which is and standeth by faith and therefore by the Word the subiect of faith ordinarily that in the Church of beleeuers the Word and the Spirit doe alwaies goe together the Church neuer destitute of the Spirit the Spirit neuer separated from the Word As the Prophet ioyneth them by an euerlasting Couenant Esay 59. i Esay 59 21. This is my Couenant with them saith IEHOVAH My Spirit which is in thee and my Word which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seedes seed from this time forth for euermore So vaine a thing it is whilst we liue Anabaptists and such like fanaticall spirits in this World to dreame of a Spirit without the Word The Spirit of Christ therefore working by Faith the worke it selfe must needs bee of the nature of Faith weake and imperfect as that is But in the Kingdome of Glorie comming to see perfectly hereafter by Sight and therfore immediately by Christs Spirit that is called the Kingdome of Glorie Christ all things shall bee wrought by the present beholding of him the vision of his face and the immediate working of his Spirit There shall then be i Reu. 21. 22 23. no Temple but the Lord God Almightie and the Lambe are the Temple for when the Faith whereby now we walke must cease then the preaching of the Word and the administring of the Sacraments shall also cease The k 1. Cor. 13. 9 10 Apostle telling vs that whether prophecying and interpretation of the Scriptures or speaking of strange Tongues which God in those beginnings of the Gospell graced his Church withall for the winning of men to the obedience of the Faith or knowledge and instruction of other being the ordinarie way whereby we attayne here to knowledge they shall cease and be abolished for when in God himselfe we shall behold all things then to no purpose shall these helpes serue which now we vse either to teach or to be taught Wherefore here is all and all manner of perfection l 1. Iohn 3. 2. When he shall be manifested saith IOHN wee shall bee like him for we shall see him as he is This so great a worke to make the World anew the by the power of his Resurrection Scripture commonly
iustifying but because our Iustification begunne in his death was perfectly made an end of when he rose from the dead From Iustification two things doe follow Sanctification from whence commeth Sanctification and Redemption and Redemption or Holinesse and Blessednesse Holinesse as the fruit Blessednesse the reward Rom. 6. 22. Being freed from sinne and made seruants vnto God which hee said before Verse 18. to bee seruants vnto Righteousnesse You haue your fruit vnto Sanctification and the end euerlasting life And as death before comprehended our sinfull and cursed estate whereunto these are contrarie so the Scripture is wont to note them both in one word of Life euerlasting begunne on Earth and perfected in Heauen for that the Righteousnesse of Christ made ours by Faith is effectuall in vs vnto eternall Life by the Spirit of CHRIST who sanctifieth and quickeneth vs. By Sanctification I meane the renewing of vs to Sanctification whereby Holinesse and Righteousnesse by his Spirit dwelling in vs when e Rom. 6. 18. being freed from sinne we are made seruants vnto Righteousnesse and not onely f Esay 1. 17 18. Cease to doe euill but Learne to doe good nor be onely g Râ—â— 6. 11. Dead vnto sinne but liuing vnto God through Iesus Christ which the Apostle Peter calleth To h 1. â—et 2. 24. foregoe sinne that we may liue vnto Righteousnesse and againe to be i 1. Peâ— 4 6. condemned as touching men in the flesh and to liue as touching God in the Spirit The former of these two is commonly called Mortification slaying sinne or the slaying and beating downe of the lusts of sinne when through the power of the Spirit of Christ they are not repressed onely and kept from breaking out but subdued and conquered within vs as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 6. 6 7 12 13 14. Therefore it is called A crucifying of the flesh A doing away of the bodie of sinne And to the end wee may know it must bee thorowly done the Scripture not onely speaketh of our dying vnto sinne but that the old man must bee buried also Rom. 6. 4. This abolishing of our sinfulnesse or mortification of sinne within vs doth Paul ascribe to the power of the death of Christ when hee saith that k Rom. 6. 3 4 5 6 7. we are baptized into the death of Christ buried together with him and engraffed into the likenesse of his death that our old man might be crucified together with him and the bodie of sinne done away that we might no more serue sinne for he that is dead is free from sinne And to the Hebrewes l Heb. 9 14. that it is the bloud of Christ shed and and powred forth for vs which purgeth our conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God To the m Gal. 6. 14. Galatians hee saith that by the Crosse of Christ the World is crucified vnto them and hee vnto the World And Colos 3. 3 5. Because wee are dead with Christ hee gathereth that wee are to mortifie our members that are vpon the Earth The latter is called Viuification or Quickening And here are two most precious linkes of the Golden Chaine of our Saluation the imputed Righteousnesse we haue in Christ and as in some sort it may be called n 1. Iohn 3. 7 renewed Righteousnesse in our selues But these two are distinguished the o 1. Cor 6. 1 1. Cor. 1. 30. one is wont to bee called Righteousnesse or in respect of the worke of Christs Spirit Iustification the other Holinesse or Sanctification which noble complement holds vp the whole frame of Christian building and are as it were the two posts of the house that Samson shooke whereupon all the building stood And as the Elme and Vine flourish and fall together so fareth it with these twaine that where the one is the other must needs be for this is one part of the Couenant which God hath made with vs not only to be our God but that wee should bee his people and not alone to be mercifull to our sinnes and to remember our iniquities no more but withall to write his Lawes in our hearts to doe them whereupon it is that the Apostle saith Follow p Heb. 12. 14. after Holinesse or Sanctification without which no man shall see God In the Doctrine of Sanctification these things I consider First We haue hereby he putteth a new life of Holinesse into vs. Pelagians that make grace naturall Semipelagians that make the first grace to concurre with nature and onely to be a helpe to weake and infirme nature The Papists in like sort call this worke of the Holy Ghost not the Creation of any new Creature which was not before but the stirring vp of some Goodnesse and Sanctitie lost in nature as they dreame after the Fall which they call also Freewill and say it was not lost in the Fall but weakened And therefore define Sanctification to bee Gods preuenting grace quickening the Freewill or an externall motion standing as it were without and beating at the doore of the heart a new life of Holinesse put into vs. A totall change from that which is naturall to that which is not onely supernaturall but euen opposite contrarie to our corrupt nature q Rom. 12. 2. Ephes 4. 23. Titus 3. 5. renewing vs vnto the state of our first Creation or vnto that former integritie which wee lost in Adam Whereupon wee are said to be r Ephes 4. 24. Created againe according to God vnto true Iustice and Holinesse and to be Å¿ Col. 3. 10. renewed vnto knowledge according to the Image of him that created vs. Hence it is that the worke of Sanctification is termed A t Psal 55. 20. change An after-mind or a change of the minde and that to the best which wee commonly translate Repentance A u Ier. 4. 1. and in diuers other places turning c. And in this respect also considering the qualities whereunto we are renewed as the worke it selfe of our renewing wee are said to bee new creatures 2. Cor. 5. 17. and Gal. 6. 15. Secondly From hence proceed the fruites of Righteousnesse to bring forth fruites of Righteousnes that very Righteousnesse prescribed in the Law Therefore x Ier. 31. 33. Ieremie calleth it The putting of his Law in the middest of vs. And Paul exhorting hereunto layeth downe both the parts of this Righteousnesse Holinesse and true Iustice Ephes 4. 24. so that whatsoeuer was said before of Righteousnesse in generall and all the notes and qualities thereof are to be referred hither being all of them such as ought to be in euery man that is sanctified Thirdly This Righteousnesse is inherent and in our selues wrought within vs by the Spirit of Christ for this y Ier. 31. 33. Ieremie reciteth to bee one part of Gods Couenant with his people I will put my Law in the middest of them and in their heart will
of Gods goodnesse in the things they pray for Thirteenth Gods Children are constant in their prayers and continue in them Giue vs this day c. euery day renewing their supplications The wicked faint and quickly giue ouer or pray but by starts These circumstances to be obserued out of the manner of the Lords Prayer lead mee by the hand to some consideration of the matter it selfe and parts of that Prayer wherein also vnlesse I deceiue may selfe we shall nothing digresse from our purpose There be two parts of that as of all other Prayers for it standeth partly in petition partly in thankes-giuing The Petitions are sixe in number all in that course and order as the Doctrine before was handled whereof the first three compreheÌ„ded in the first part of Diuinity are of those things that belong vnto Gods glory without any respect of our owne good as the particle Thy in euery one doth shew And this one thing whâ—eein the soundest Diuines agree being well obserued bringeth a great light for the distinguishing of all the sixe Petitions according to their proper bounds and limits in such sort as hereafter followeth The first Peticion Hallowed bee thy name O thou the blessed and great IEHOVAH Father Sonne and holy Spirit three persons and one onely true and euer-liuing God whose i Esay 9. 3. name is wonderfull and who alone art glorious and excellent thy Mercie great vnto the Heauens thy Truth vnto the Cloudes thy Righteousnesse as the mightie Hills thy Iudgements like the bottomlesse Deepe exalt thy selfe O God aboue the heauens thy Glorie ouer all the earth And make it knowne vnto thy creatures that thou the Creator blessed for euer Amen art a Nature Spirituall and Diuine of thy selfe and in thy selfe and by thy selfe subsisting Eternall Immeasurable Incomprehensible Infinite in Power Wisdome Holinesse Truth Mercie Iustice and whatsoeuer good is yea Goodnesse and Perfection it selfe So that both whatsoeuer thou doest is absolutely good and holy and all good and perfect gifts are thine there being no iot of good in any creature but that onely which they haue from thee who art the Father of Lights And this respecteth the first branch of that part of Diuinitie concerning the Nature Persons and Properties of the Godhead The second Petition Thy Kingdome come Aduance the Throne and Scepter of thy Kingdome in the Gouernment of the World according to all thy counsels and purposes decreed from Eternitie Whether of sauing the Elect or destroying of the Reprobate or of the businesses and affaires pertayning to this life and the generall Prouidence ouer all things that thy hands haue fashioned and made together with the meanes which thou hast sanctified thereunto thy Gospell with the Ministerie and preaching thereof the Sacraments Censures and Discipline of the Church and all other good things thou hast ordayned may prooue to thy Children a sauour of life vnto life and to none of them a sauour of death vnto death And that thou wouldest so dispose of things by thy hidden and secret prouidence that all persons and creatures although they many of them sinfully and wretchedly mooued with other causes and ends then in obedience vnto thee yet in regard of thy worke most holily and iustly may concurre to doe whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsell hath fore-determined to be done Neither let any power or policie of Satan or man or any other creature hinder the execution of thy most glorious and magnificent most wise and iust Decrees But let them all bee as the Mountaines of Brasse that cannot be remooued but stand fast for euer And this respecteth the second branch touching the Kingdome of God and the dispensation of his Counsels The third Petition Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heauen Haue thou alwayes in the World euen here among men as thou hast among thy holy Angels and Spirits of the Righteous that are deceased a Church and chosen Companie which may k Zach. 8. 8. refresh and delight thy Spirit by yeelding with free and readie hearts all cheerfull obedience to thy knowne and reuealed will whilest they bee seene to preferre the loue they beare to thee before the loue of themselues their owne pleasure profit or liues or whatsoeuer else that is most deare vnto them And this which is the third branch the honour due to God riseth by a necessarie consequence from the former two for he that is in himselfe and in his workes so glorious is worthie and alone worthy to be honoured and serued of vs. The three latter Petitions comprehended in the second part of Diuinitie are of those things that concerne our owne and our Neighbours good whereof the first being the fourth Petition in number is for the Fountaine of all good that excellent l Iohn 4. 4. gift of Christ himselfe and all the meanes and Graces Faith especially whereby he may be ours and we come to be his The fift and sixt are for the streames of Righteousnesse that flow from it and spring vnto euerlasting life So that in these last Petitions the whole substance of the Gospell is contayned for touching the other Righteousnesse which is our owne or by the Law the same being impossible through our owne corruption to be had our Sauiour teacheth vs not to pray for it But contrariwise in teaching Regeneration and Righteousnesse through him he doth vtterly exclude all Righteousnesse from our selues or by our owne Creation And in willing vs to pray to bee deliuered from euill he sheweth the right vse of the Law whereby euill is discouered to be the rule of our obedience The fourth Petition Giue vs this Day that Bread of ours that bread aboue substance or better then all wealth and riches which consume and perish whereas this indureth to euerlasting Life being the Bread of God that commeth downe from Heauen and giueth life vnto the World euen Christ himselfe the spirituall Manna promised in Paradise figured in the Wildernesse forespoken by the Prophets shaddowed in the Law manifested in the Gospell thy onely Sonne of thine owne eternall nature and Essence conceiued and borne of the Virgin by the wonderfull worke of thy holy Spirit sanctified from the Wombe to bee the mightie and powerfull Instrument in and by whose flesh or humane nature vnited to the God-head personally hee quickeneth all those that by Fâ—ith are ingraffed in him replenished with all Righteousnesse and fulnesse of the Spirit aboue measure And therefore in himselfe most blessed and happie but for vs and for our sakes accursed in that he bare the whole wrath due to our sinnes and became subiect to death the most ignominious death of the Crosse it selfe vnder which notwithstanding he did not lye for that it was impossible he should bee holden of it but loosing the pangs and sorrowes of death hee arose againe and ascended into Heauen where he sitteth at the right hand of thy most excellent Maiestie to make continuall Intercession for those that are his
to doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth mee Thirteenth Wee haue innumerable Angels that attend to helpe vs Psal 34. 7 8. The Angell of IEHOVAH pitcheth his Tents round about them that feare him 2. Kings 6. 16 17. Feare not there be more with vs then that are with them Then praying to IEHOVAH hee opened the eyes of his seruant who looking saw that behold the Mountaine was full of Horses and Chariots of fire that is of holy Angels round about ELISHA Fourteenth There is no cause why wee should â—aint vnder this burden seeing Prayer ministreth abundant comfort to vs which comming from Gods Spirit with so much the greater vehemencie sighes and grones as the troubles that lye vpon vs are more pressing and weightie must needes bee effectuall for the working of some good blessing To which purpose the Apostle inforceth this Argument Rom. 8. 26 27. Fifteenth Howsoeuer it bee no affliction can debase vs or make vs poore for hauing Christ who is t Heb. 1. 2. Heire of all things and Lord of Heauen and Earth wee cannot but bee rich in him By this Argument the Apostle u Rom. 8. 31. there mollifieth the bitternesse of afflictions He that hath not spared his owne Sonne but for vs all hath giuen him vp to death how shall he not together with him giue vs all good things I haue beene too long in these The rest of the markes that follow to shut them vp shortly are First Humilitie Micah 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth IEHOVAH require of thee but to doe right and to loue kindnesse and to walke humbly with thy God Secondly Loue of the Brethren because they are Brethren and Children of the same Father 1. Iohn 3. 14. We know we are passed from death to life because we loue the Brethren The practice of this one dutie to the members of Christ for Christs sake casteth such a shining Light in the eyes of God and Man that our Sauiour Mat. 25. 35 36. by it our Faith and consequently the righteous iudgement of God in the sauing of our Soules shall be made manifest to all the World in the latter Day Thirdly To loue our Enemies and to forgiue them their offences Mat. 5. 44 45. Loue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them that molest you and persecute you that you may bee the children of your Father which is in Heauen c. Ephes 4. 32. Forgiue one another as God in Christ hath forgiuen you Fourthly Open profession of Christ and of the Gospell Rom. 10. 10. With the heart men beleeue vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made vnto saluatition Fiftly Humble confession of our sinnes Prouerbs 25. 13. Hee that confesseth his sinne and forsaketh it shall obtayne Mercie Sixtly The vsing of good meanes to clense vs from them Psal 19. 1â— His ignorance who vnderstandeth O clâ—nse me from my secret sinnes Seuenthly Holily religiously to sanctifie the Sabbath Day for this binding vs to the good abearing from following our owne pleasures and profits and the things that are so sweete vnto the flesh cannot rightly bee performed but of those that indeed make a conscience of their wayes wherefore the x Esay 58. 13 14 Prophet setteth it as a speciall marke vpon the Childe of God If thou wilt keepe backe thy foot on the Sabbath from doing thine owne pleasure in my holy Day and shalt call the Sabbath delight holy to IEHOVAH glorious and shalt honour it not to doe thine owne wayes nor to find out thy pleasure nor to speake a word then shalt thou delight thy selfe in IEHOVAH and I will make thee to ride vpon the high places of the Land and make thee to eate the Inheritance of thy Father IACOB So y Ier. 17. 14 c Ieremie 17. many sweet and gracious promises are made to those that keepe the Sabbath and sharpe and to the end of the Chapter seuere Iudgements threatened to the contrarie And seeing it pleaseth God to set such a speciall Memento vpon this Commandement aboue the rest Remember thou keepe holy the Sabbath Day it should teach vs what a deepe Roote the same ought to haue in our heart and how it should affect vs. Of this that our Sanctification is here imperfect two things doe follow a Christian Warfare and Repentance Christian Warfare is a Warre proclaymed of GOD himselfe for men to try all their strength and valour in when hee saith I z Gen. 3. 15. will set enmity betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and betweene her seed Meant principally of Christ the Seed of the Virgin but withall comprehending all his members Therefore heere is a Flag of defiance set vp and a perpetuall and endlesse Warre denounced wherein we may take no truce nor euer be weary of it Of this it is written in the a Reuel 12. 7. Reuelation that a great signe was seene in Heauen MICHAEL and his Angels meaning specially the Saints vpon Earth fighting with the Deuill and his angels And to this spirituall Combate the Scripture euery-where doth incite vs b 1. Tim. 1. 18. Fight that good fight Let c Heb. 12. 1. vs runne with patience the strife that is set before vs and such like Whereupon the Church of God in this life is called The militant Church and all Christians d 2. Tim. 2. 3. Souldiers though principally the same be giuen to the Ministers whose part it is to goe before the people in this spirituall Conflict So PAVL Phil. 2. 25. maketh mention of EPAPHRODITVS his fellow-Souldier And so doth hee and Timothy call Archippus in the e Verse 2. Epistle to Philemon being a Phrase of speech borrowed from the Law where the Ministery of the Priests and Leuites is called a Souldiership or f Num. 4. 3. 8. 24 25. Warfare In this spirituall Battaile I consider fiue things First The Enemies we are to fight with Satan and all his brood the name of Satan comprehending all impure spirits of whom he is the Head being not onely our g Mat. 13. 39. enemy that hateth vs and h 1. Pet. 5. 8. goeth about as a roring Lyon seeking whom hee may deuoure but withall our i Reuel 12. 10. accuser that accuseth vs before our God day and night and the k 1. Pet. 5. 8. pleader against vs. This the Apostle notably describeth Ephes 6. Put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the assaults of the Deuill for we wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against Principalities against Powers and against the worldly Gouernors the Princes of the darknesse of this World against most wicked spirits which are in the high places Satans brood I call the World and the Flesh By World meaning First The malignant Church the companie of the wicked and vngodly The sonnes of that
Touchstone of his Tryall And therefore this kinde of satisfaction is blaâ—phemous and derogatorie from the death of Christ who is our onely Sat 〈…〉 ction Ransome and Redemption therefore or practice of Repentance I call A continuall sorrow for our sinnes and a purpose to resist against them for sorrow a griefe for sinne committed is one speciall part of Repentance whereof the whole many times doth take the name 1. Cor. 10. 7. The sorrow which is according vnto God worketh a change of mind vnto saluation neuer to bee repented of where both these parts as you see are comprehended Six things are to be noted in true Repentance First The notes or signes of Repentance the Apostle 2. Cor. 7. 11. reckoneth these seuen First Studie or diligence to rouze our selues out of sleepe and securitie of sinne Secondly A defence excuse or cleering of our selues not by standing in it as if we had done well or making lesse of it then the qualitie of the offence deserueth but asking pardon for our fault in that we did it not wilfully and with malice but of frailty and infirmity and that so as none more then we are offended therewithall A notable example whereof wee haue in that Confession of the Church Cant. 5. 1. I slept but my heart waked Thirdly Indignation or an holy anger against our selues for it Fourthly A feare lest wee should fall againe into the like Fiftly A longing to bee deliuered from the bodie of sinne and to be made perfect Sixtly Zeale to God and to all goodnesse Seuenthly Reuenge by taming and chastizing the flesh and taking as it were our penniworths of it that we runne not into the like hereafter And therefore both forbearing lawfull things that wee may the better abstayne from vnlawfull and flying lesser sinnes lest wee fall into greater and all those things that haue beene the meanes to lead vs vnto sinne before The second is the fruit of this Repentance A restoring of vs vnto the former good estate from the which through frailtie wee are falne So saith ELIHV Iob 33. 25 26. His flesh is softened more then in his childhood he returneth to the dayes of his youth when hee doth humbly pray to God he doth accept him so as hee beholdeth his face with reioycing and he restroreth a man to his Righteousnesse And Dauid after his great fall prayeth t Psal 51. 14. Restore vnto mee the ioy of thy Saluation Thirdly What sinnes true Repentance doth free vs from All without exception how great soeuer and how many soeuer the same bee secret knowne wilfull or whatsoeuer else except that one sinne against the Holy Ghost which none of the faithfull can fall into nor can be repented of for the multitude of our sinnes is not to be compared with the Infinitenesse of GODS Merits but is infinitely surpassed and ouercome of it Esay 1. 18. If your sinne were as Scarlet double dyed they shall be as white as Snow if they were as red as Purple they shall be made like vnto the Wooll for my thoughts saith the Lord Esay 55. 8 9. are not as your thoughts nor my wayes as your wayes my thoughts and wayes of mercie and forgiuenesse as your thoughts and wayes of wickednesse they are too base and shallow to bee compared to them but as the Heauens are higher then the Earth so and infinitely more are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts aboue your thoughts DAVID Psal 103. 10 11 hath the like comparison Hee dealeth not with vs according to our sinnes nor requiteth vs according to our iniquities but as high as the Heauens are aboue the Earth doth his kindnesse preuaile towards them that feare him Fourthly That Repentance is not in our owne power when wee are once renewed but it is the speciall worke and Grace of God to touch our hearts being falne as it was at the first to quicken our soules Therefore it is the Prayer of Ephraim that is of the Church of GOD u Ier. 31. 18. Conuert thou me that I may be conuerted And in the x Lam 5. 21. Lamentations Turne thou vs vnto thee O IEHOVAH and we shall be turned So Cant. 5. 1. it was the voyce of Christ that awakened and raysed vp the Church when she slept in her sinnes Fiftly That God in his time will rayse vp all that are his how long soeuer they sleepe in sinne as hee promiseth in y Hoshea 2. 14 Hoshea and as wee see in Dauid who lay in his sinne without Repentance some whole yeere as it is very like and that seemeth to bee the force of the Argument which the Church vseth Ierem. 31. 18. Conuert thou me that I may be conuerted for thou art IEHOVAH my God As if she should say For thou onely art able to doe it and wilt doe it for thy Couenant sake Howbeit this must not make vs the lesse to feare sin because the Children of God at one time or other repent them of it No not onely the vgly face of sinne contrarie to the Image of God who is Holinesse it selfe and the authour Satan from whom it commeth but the fruits and lamentable effects thereof shew how much it is to be detested First Wee offend God and make sad his holy Spirit Esay 63. 10. But they rebelled and grieued his holy Spirit Ephes 4. 30. Grieue not the holy Spirit of God by the which you are sealed vnto the day of Redemption Secondly We grieue and offend his Children So the Apostle z 2. Cor. 2. 5. to the Corinths declareth himselfe and all the Church to haue beene grieued with that fact of the incestuous person If any man haue grieued he hath not grieued me but in part that I doe not ouer-charge him you all Thirdly We cause his Gospell to be blasphemed and euill spoken of Rom. 2. 24. The Name of GOD for your sakes is blasphemed amongst the Nations Hereby is Dauids sinne made the fouler and more hatefull 2. Sam. 12. 14. Because in so doing thou hast caused the enemies of IEHOVAH to prouoke and contemne him Fourthly We make other to stumble and fall whereof we know what our Sauiour saith Mat. 18. 6. Whosoeuer offendeth one of these little ones that beleeue in me it were better for him that a Milstone were hanged about his necke and he drowned in the bottome of the Sea Fiftly Wee wound our owne soules with the conscience of our sinnes and the terror of Gods Iudgements As Dauid confesseth of himselfe a Psal 51. 10. Make mee to heare ioy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce Sixtly We bereaue our selues of the sweet comforts we haue felt and that are to be had in him as it followeth in that Psalme b Psal 51. 14. Restore vnto me the ioy of thy saluation and with thy free Spirit vphold me Seuenthly Wee bring manifold troubles and afflictions vpon our persons vpon our Wiues Children Families and those that belong
most part enioy pleasure and the Saints of God are pinched with penury yet that after death there abides a large recompence for the godly when to the wicked shall be anguish and sorrow Therefore he saith l Luk. 16. 22 23 That LAZARVS when he dyed was carryed of Angels into ABRAHAMS bosome and the Rich man buried and cast into Hell For being in Hell saith our Sauiour Christ in torment he saw ABRAHAM afarre off and LAZARVS in his bosome The second degree is a better and more excellent At what time condition after that both to soule and bodie for the full effecting whereof there bee two most glorious and renowned workes the wonders of the World which Christ our Lord and King shall by the power and force of his Kingdome and by vertue of that Office giuen vnto him of his Father performe in the latter Day to the euerlasting ioy and comfort of his Children In respect whereof that Day is called The Day of the Lord. And those are a generall Resurrection and the last Iudgement By the generall Resurrection I meane that there shall our bodies being raysed vp be a raysing vp of all the dead bodies which haue slept or shall sleepe in the Dust of the Earth that so being knit againe into one person with their soules both bodies and soules may receiue according to the things they haue done in this World whether they be good or euill So saith the Prophet m Dan. 12. 2. DANIEL At the length many of them that slept in the dustie earth shall awake these to euerlasting life and those to shame and reproch euerlasting And our Sauiour Christ Iohn 5. 28 29. The houre commeth wherein all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce and shall come forth they which haue done good things vnto the Resurrection of life and they which haue done euill things vnto the Resurrection of condemnation In this Doctrine of the Resurrection I note First Who shall arise All the dead without exception both iust and vniust as it is said Acts 24. 15. Secondly By what power they shall arise by the power and voyce of Christ vsing the Ministerie of an Archangell or a Chiefe and a Principall Angell Iohn 5. 28. The houre commeth when all that are in the graue shall heare his voyce and shall come forth c. 1. Thes 4. 16. The Lord himselfe with a showting with the voyce of an Archangell and with the Trumpet of God shall come downe from Heauen and the dead in Christ shal arise 1. Cor. 15. 52 The Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raysed vp Thirdly In what sort we shall arise In the selfe-same bodies that we now carrie about vs as n Iob 19. 25 26 27. Iob saith I know that my Redeemer liueth and that the latter man shall rise vp vpon the dust Therefore after I shall awake and the Wormes haue digged thorow this yet in my flesh shall I see God euen I the selfe-same that I am and not a stranger shall see for my selfe and mine own eyes shal behold after that my reines with my bosome shall be consumed Else it could be no Resurrectiō vnlesse the very same bodies did arise Fourthly Two things are to bee considered proper to the Elect for First They shall rise glorious like to the glorified bodie glorious of our Sauiour Christ In which respect it is said They shall o Mat. 13. 43. shine as the Sunne And the Apostle saith * 1. Co. 15. 42 43 It is sowne a bodie subiect to corruption it is raysed incorrupt it sowne dishonorable it is raysed glorious it is sowne weake it is raysed powerful And afterwards p Verse 47 c The first man from the Earth the second Man the Lord from Heauen such as the earthy one was such also are the earthly men and such as the heauenly one is such also shal the heauenly ones be And as we haue carryed the image of the earthy one so also shall we carrie the Image of the heauenly One. Coloss 3. 4. When Christ shal be manifested which is our life then shal ye also be manifested with him glorious Phil. 3. 21. Who wil transforme this our base bodie that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body wherby he is able to subiect all things vnto himselfe So as they shal not any more be quickned by meat or drink or the vse of outward things but by the onely participation of the Power of Christs Spirit whereupon they are called q 1. Cor. 15. 44. Spirituall bodies liuing onely by the Power of Christs Spirit immediately quickening them for euer as those we carrie now about vs are called naturall bodies because they liue by naturall meanes and the power of the foule that quickeneth them which is another thing wherein our state is bettered in Christ aboue that it was in Adam whose bodie though it were comely and beautifull yet was not glorious as ours shall bee being glorified through Christ Secondly This is done by the speciall Power and Vertue of his Resurrection whose members they are and in r Ephes 2. 6. whome and together with whome when hee arose from the dead all the Church did rise Wherefore the ſ 1. Thes 4. 14. Apostle saith If we beleeue that Iesus is dead and risen againe so also will God bring together with him those that slept through Iesus And hereupon 1. Cor. 15. 20 21 22. hee calleth him The first fruits of the dead who in and by his rising againe hath sanctified the Resurrection of all his For as by man came death so also by Man commeth the Resurrection from the dead for as in ADAM al dyed so also in Christ shall all be quickened that is all the faithfull of whom he there speaketh for the Reprobate he doth not rayse vp as hee doth the Elect whose Head he is by vertue of his owne Resurrection but onely the force of that curse t Gen. 2. 17 What Day thou eatest of the forbidden fruit thou shalt certainly dye shall restore to them their bodies wherein to suffer euerlasting torments Whence it is that this Comming of theirs out of the Graue being onely vnto death is scarce vouchsafed in the Scripture the name of a Resurrection whereas to GODS Children being one principall part of their redeeming and freeing into euerlasting Glorie it hath the name of Regeneration giuen to it Mat. 19. 28. for this cause it is also called u Luke 14. 14. The Resurrection of the Righteous and they named Children of the x Luke 20. 36. Resurrection for that the fruit and comfort of the Resurrection doth properly and onely appertayne to them In the last Iudgement I note First Who shall bee iudged All both Deuils and the whole man shall meete men as it is said y Rom. 14. 10. 1. Cor. 5. 10. All of vs must be presented before the Iudgement Seat of Christ And of
the Angels that fell the Apostle saith z 1. Cor. 5. 1. Know ye not that wee shall iudge the Angelâ— a Iude verse 6. The angels that kept not their first estate hee hath kept in euerlasting chaines vnder darknesse vnto the Iudgement of the great Day Secondly Who shal be the Iudge Euen Christ who Christ b Acts 10. 42. is appointed of God the Iudge of the liuing dead Christ Iesus I say God and Man appearing in his Man-hood visible to be seene in the flesh c Acts 17. 31. For hee hath set a Day saith PAVL wherein hee will iudge the World in Righteousnesse by the Man whom hee hath appointed The Father nor Holy Ghost shall not appeare Thirdly The comming of this Iudge Wherein I obserue comming to Iudgement foure circumstances First The place from whence hee shall come as wee reade This d Acts 1. 11. IESVS who is taken vp from you into Heauen shall so come from Heauen as yee haue beheld him going into Heauen e 2. Thess 1. 7. When the Lord IESVS CHRIST shall be reuealed from Heauen with his mightie Angels f 1. Thess 4. 5. The Lord himselfe with a showting shall come downe from Heauen Secondly The time of his comming the Day and houre whereof is vncertaine g Mat. 24. 36. Of that Day or houre saith hee knoweth no man no not the Angels of Heauen but my Father onely and as another h Marke 13. 32 Euangelist hath it nor the Sonne himselfe meaning as hee is the Mediatour of his Church and not as hee is God equall with his Father Thirdly As earthly Princes haue sundry States to goe before them in great brauerie and ostentation to giue warning of their comming and at length followeth the Prince with all his Nobles So this King of Kings sendeth before him certayne glorious signes and foretokens of his Comming before hee himselfe doe come These Signes you shall finde all recorded Mat. 24. of which Chapter so much thereof as appertayneth to this purpose it shall not bee amisse before wee goe further to make some short Analysis or resolution both for the excellencie of the matter and to cleere some difficulties in the passage for I know it is commonly taken that some of those tokens are immediately vpon his Comming and as it were at his setting forth whereas the truth is the very neerest of them is at the least some Age of yeeres before as appeareth Verse 33 34. To come therefore to the foure and twentieth of Matthew our Sauiour hauing finished the Signes of Ierusalems ouerthrow in the first 22. Verses of the Chapter beginneth in the 23. Verse to enter vpon those that were to fore-runne his Comming vnto Iudgement whereof hee mentioneth foure of all other the greatest and most memorable The first is the Kingdome of Poperie where see how hee painteth out the Romish Synagogue euen in her colours First It is a Church in shew and semblance else false christs and false prophets could not be spoken of but yet in truth it is no Church at all For if any man saith he shall say vnto you Lo heere is Christ or there beleeue it not Secondly They shall say Here is Christ and there is Christ. Notably verified in the Popish Masse which to make it appeare to all the World that they are of the number of these false prophets proclaymeth Christ to be really in the Sacraments Thirdly It is a persecuting Church So he saith Verse 29. Immediately after the affliction of those dayes Therein comprehending the whole Antichristian Tyrannie Fourthly Of this Church Antichrist is the head whose whole succession he termeth False christs and false prophets Not such false christs as hee speaketh of with another manner of style Verse 5. which should say I am Christ falsly belying his very Person but that great seducer and false prophet who vnder the Name of Christs Vicar and Peters Successour should iustle Christ out of his Chaire Fiftly The Armes Legges and Shoulders of it or the Tayle rather for the Sting and Poyson of these Scorpions is in their Tayle are a Rabble of false teachers False prophets as he termeth them Sixtly By these false teachers are wrought a multitude of false and fayned miracles Seuenthly The bodie is their Romish catholike apostaticall Church seduced by such false teachers and by those lying signes and miracles How maruellously doe these things iumpe with that which we finde recorded in the Epistle to the Thessalonians and by Iohn in the Reuelation They shall saith Christ heere worke great Signes and Wonders insomuch as they should deceiue if it were possible the very Elect. So saith i 2. Thess 2. 9 10 11. PAVL Whose comming shall be by the effectuall working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceitfulnesse of iniquitie in them that perish c. Therefore God shall send them effectuall errours to beleeue lyes And in the k Reuel 13. 12 13 14. Reuelation he maketh the Earth and the Inhabitants thereof to worship the first Beast and worketh great signes insomuch as he maketh fire come downe from Heauen vnto the Earth before men and deceiueth the Inhabitants of the Earth by the signes which were giuen to him to doe These are the signes and wonders which the Papists so bragge of and make one speciall marke of their Church as Vniuersalitie that is their vniuersall Apostasie here also mentioned is another These seuen are in the 23. and 24. Verses Eighthly The errour and superstition of the times placing all Religion and Christianitie in the Wildernes among the Eremites or in their Monkish Cels and Cloysters Against which hee armeth vs with a double argument first l Verse 27. The Light saith he of the Gospell that he meaneth by the Comming of the Sonne of Man as it is taken much in the same sence 2. Thes 2. 8. is as the Lightening which flasheth from the East to the West and lighteneth all the World So doth the Gospell not the Desarts and Cloysters onely but in euery place He that feareth God and worketh Righteousnesse is accepted of him Againe as the m Verse 28. Eagles or with vs Crowes and Rauens flock vnto a Carcase wheresoeuer it may be found So doe the faithfull to Christ wheresoeuer hee n Gal. 2. 2. by the preaching of the Gospel is crucified before their eies And so ninthly and lastly deliuering a most certayne and infallible note of the true Church hee giueth a Bill of Diuorce to the Romish Synagogue that holdeth not Christ the Head nor Iustification by Faith alone in his bloud Thus haue wee in the whole a liuely description of the Romish Catholike Church which for the ROMANISTS better helpe may out of this place bee defined thus The Romish Catholike Church is a cruell persecuting Church whereof Christs Vicar falsly so named is the head multitude of false teachers and a whole World of mis-beleeuers
ioy of the Elect may bee the fuller when in the view and eye-sight of their miserie themselues together with Christ their Head shall triumphantly ascend to Heauen And this to be no vain nor idle fantasie but a doctrine of great fruit and worthy to be stood vpon the very order of Christs owne words enforceth so marshalling the Execution The thing it selfe that the whole man soule and bodie we shall enioy taken vp into Heauen by the vertue of his Ascension after this Sentence is taken vp into Heauen by the vertue of him that hath entred Heauen for vs and shall there enioy the highest top and fulnesse of all perfection for euermore Wherefore here many things may be obserued common for the most part to both degrees of glorie but which I said for greater comfort should specially bee reserued hither I will reduce them all to foure heads The place where wee shall enioy it the glorie we shall enioy the measure of the glorie and the eternitie of it This happinesse is to be had in Heauen which addeth no small increase to the fulnesse of ioy which the Elect are then to haue both in regard of the excellencie of the Place whereof wee haue spoken before being that Blessed and Glorious Seate on high the Palace of the great King of b John 14. 2. large receit and goodly dwelling Roomes and also by reason of those great and glorious things that are no where to be had but there to wit the presence of Christ the companie and fellowship of the c Mat. 8. 11. Saints and holy d Heb. 12. 22. Angels and of those great Assemblies whereof the Apostle speaketh Heb. 12. 23. The right wee haue of comming to this Place is by the vertue of Christs Ascension as hee saith e Iohn 14. 23. Iohn 16. 17. I goe to prepare a place for you So Luke 23. 43. hee maketh the vertue and power of his being in Paradise to bee the cause of the Theeues comming thither To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise for this ascending of CHRISTS though it were in the end of the World was of power sufficient to open Heauen to all Beleeuers from the beginning and vpon his ascending all the f Ephes 2. â— Church in him as in their Head ascended with him Therefore it is that vpon his Inauguration to his Office the Heauens opened which before were shut against the sonnes of men This was figured in the Types of the Law by the g Heb. 9. 24. Priests entring into the most Holy Place to shew that Christ should goe into Heauen it selfe to appeare there in the flesh that we might come thither after him Whereof I gather a fourth prerogatiue which wee haue through the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse aboue that that was in Adam or that our owne Righteousnesse in the greatest perfection of it could possibly bring vs to of earthly Creatures and dwellers in Houses of Clay to make vs heauenly Creatures and Citizens of the new Ierusalem which is aboue To declare this somewhat more largely It is the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse by which alone wee may lay clayme to the Kingdome of Heauen for man was created an earthly Creature and though he had all the Righteousnesse that his nature might reach vnto yet he could neuer challenge Heauen by it but his Happines was to be all vpon Earth which was his proper Element wherein God had set him and Adams Paradise was a terrestriall dwelling where he inioyed as much Happinesse as he might expect or looke for neither was hee to passe the bounds that GOD had set in coueâ—ing after the Kingdome of Heauen and to bee an Associate among the Blessed Angels but to content him with his portion here below being the fulnesse of all ioy that his nature could receiue So that if our Sauiour Christ had onely dyed for the Remission of sinnes though he had thereby made vs as righteous in our selues as euer Adam was yet could wee not thereby clayme to haue any part in Heauen But our Sauiour bestowing withall a Righteousnesse vpon vs farre aboue the Righteousnesse of Angels being the Righteousnesse of his owne person who was both God and Man as he himselfe merited Heauen and the fulnesse of all Glorie there so by that meanes our right also commeth of being where our Head is The like is to bee said of our bodies glorified in a farre other sort then euer Adam was and of many parts of Happinesse more which in their place shall come more properly to be spoken of The Blessednesse it selfe is to be considered both in the Roote and in the Branches of it The Root and Wel-Spring of all our Happinesse is this that in as much as we shall be ioyned in Spirituall Marriage vnto Christ we shal in his humane nature be espoused and made one person with God and thereby more neerly ioyned vnto him then either Adam was in his Innocency or the Angels are in Heauen Euen as the wife is more neerly ioyned to the Husband then is Father or Mother or other friend all whom hee must forsake to cleane vnto his Wife Wherupon the Apostle calleth this A great Mysterie Ephes 5. 3 2. The branches or sweete streames of Blessednesse that flow from hence all easie to be gathered by that that went before are these foure First The perfect fruition of Gods Loue. Secondly The inioying of his gracious presence to be euer with him and to behold him face to face Christ visibly with the eyes of the bodie the Father and the Holy Ghost with the eyes of the Soule So it is said Reuel 22. 4. that in the new Ierusalem they shall behold his face Psal 17. 15. I in Righteousnesse shall see thy face h 1. Iohn 3. 12. IOHN also saith Wee shall see him as hee is And i 1. Thess 4. 17. Paul to the Thessalonians We shall be euer with the Lord. Now forasmuch k Psal 16. 11. as at his right hand bee pleasures for euermore therefore all l Esay 35. 10. ioy and gladnesse lay hold vpon them eternally all sorrow and griefe flye from them for euer All these together with the comfortable fruits that come of them Iohn doth notably describe I IOHN R 〈…〉 â— 4. saw the Holy Citie new IerusaleÌ„ come downe from God out of heauen prepared as a Bride trimmed for her husband And I heard a great voice out of heauen saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwel with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall bee their GOD with them And God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there bee any more paine for the first things are passed Thirdly Dominion and a Kingdome Mat. 25. 34. Come yee blessed and inherit the Kingdome prepared for you And Reuel 2. 26 27 28. Hee that ouercommeth
and keepeth my workes vnto the end I will giue vnto him power ouer the Nations and he shall feed them with a rod of Iron as Potters Vessels they shall bee broken as I also haue receiued of my Father And I will giue vnto you the Morning Starre So it is said Reuel 5. 10. Thou hast made vs vnto our God Kings and Priests and we shall raigne vpon the Earth From this Power and Rule two things proceed First That together with Christ our Head wee shall iudge the World aswell the Angels that fell as reprobate and wicked men 1. Cor. 6. 2. Know yee not that the Saints shall iudge the World And againe Verse 3. Know yee not that wee shall iudge the Angels That also which m Mat. 19. 28. Christ saith to the Apostles When the Sonne of Man shall sit vpon his glorious Throne then shall you also sit vpon twelue Thrones iudging the twelue Tribes of Israel is in some measure common to all the Elect as appeareth Reuel 20. 4. Secondly That wee shall be made the heires of Heauen and Earth in and through him Who as the n Heb. 1. 2. Apostle saith is made heire of all things 1. Pet. 1. 4. Who hath begotten vs anew vnto an Heritance incorruptible and vndefiled which cannot fade away reserued in Heauen for vs. Reuel at 21. 7. Hee that ouercommeth shall inherit these things Fourthly The glorie and excellencie that then shal be in our Knowledge Memorie and all other parts and faculties as you haue it set forth 1. Cor. 13 11 12. Insomuch as there is no doubt wee shall know one another for hereby our Sauiour setteth forth the state of the Blessed Mat. 17. 3 4. Wee come now to the measure or quantitie of these good things albeit not infinite yet wonderfull such as no man knoweth but God and hee o Esay 64. 4. that doth enioy them which is the third benefit that we haue by Christ aboue that which was in Adam who lacking that sweet coniunction which wee haue with Christ from whom as from our Head his owne very Blessednesse is deriued downe vnto vs could not haue the good things that were in him to be so great and excellent In the measure of our happinesse two things are to be obserued The one proper to this estate that the fulnesse of it after the last Iudgement exceedeth that which our soules separated from our bodies had before for when the Soules of the Martyrs slaine for the Word of God and the testimonie of Iesus if at the least you vnderstand that place of the soules deceased cry How long O Lord holy and true Wilt not thou iudge and auenge our bloud of the Inhabitants of the Earth And it was answered them that they must rest a while till the number of their fellow seruants and brethren bee filled vp which should be killed aswell as they it sheweth that their full rest is not yet accomplished To this purpose it serueth that the generall Iudgement of all the dead is termed A time of giuing a reward to Gods seruants the Prophets and to the Saints and to all that feare his Name As not hauing yet the full reward that is promised in that Day whereunto Gods Children lift vp their head as to the top and perfection of all their comfort Hereafter saith PAVL is layd vp for mee a Crowne of Glorie which God the righteous Iudge will render in that Day And the Prophet DAVID I when I awake that is rise from the dead in the Resurrection of the righteous shall bee satisfied with thy likenesse IOHN also referreth our full perfection vnto that time When hee that is Christ shall bee manifested we shall bee like vnto him And hither tendeth the speech of the Apostle That his Spirit may bee saued in the Day of the LORD IESVS CHRIST The second is that beside the Happinesse common to them all there are some which shall haue ioy aboue their fellowes Not that this argueth any want in those that haue lesse for though all receiue not alike measure yet all shall bee full As a Vessell contayning a Gallon is as full for the bignesse as that which contayneth ten And this difference groweth from the diuers measure of Faith which God in this life doth indue vs with for Faith as wee heard before is that which ioyneth vs to Christ And as our Faith groweth so are wee more deeply and firmely rooted and built in him The greater therefore that our Faith is the neerer and the straighter is our coniunction with Christ and the neerer wee are knit to him the greater our glorie and excellencie must bee And because our Faith is discerned by the fruits great faith many fruits small faith few fruits thereof it is that for the most part wee see the measure of Happinesse ascribed to the multitude and qualitie of the fruits 1. Corinth 3. 8. Euery one shall receiue his owne proper reward according to his owne proper labour Philip 4. 17. I desire a fruit that may abound in your account To giue a taste of some that are noted in the Scripture thus to excell though it hold not in euery particular person yet generally these sorts and estates are obserued First Those that instruct others shall shine as the brightnesse of the Firmament and those that iustifie many that is are the good Instruments of God to bring men to Christ shall be as the starres Dan. 12. 3. Secondly The Master-builder that planteth and layeth the foundation shall haue greater glorie then he that watereth and buildeth thereupon 1. Cor. 3. 8 10. Thirdly The Martyr shall bee made a p Reuel 3. 12. Piller in the Temple of God and preferred before other The last thing is the Chiliastes which place happines after the Resurrection in the pleasures of the bodie and vpon the Earth and that to indure but for a thousand yeeres abusing the place Reuel 20. 4. They raigned with Christ a thousand yeeres which is not to bee vnderstood of the condition of the Elect after this life but in this present World during all that time that Satan by the Ministerie of the Gospell should be bound that he might not deceiue the Nations which was very neere a thousand yeeres after Christ all which time some truth remayned in the Churches as concerning the maine points of Christian Doctrine eternitie and continuance of our Happines As it is said q 1. Thes 4. 17. So shall wee bee alwayes with the Lord. r Reuel 22. 5. They shall raigne for euer and euer And Å¿ 1. Pet. 1. 4. Peter calleth it an inheritance incorruptible vndefiled and which withereth not wherein also it is much more excellent then that we lost in Adam which was mutable and subiect vnto change whereas this by the speciall grace and goodnesse of God continually supporting vs is immutable and the same for euer t 2. Cor. 5. 4. immortalitie being sallowed vp of life That all must dye