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
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.
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
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The other is that of Tremellius and Iunius which is also the receiued interpretation I haue gotten a man from Iehouah by an Ellipsis of the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Gen. 14. 4. and Deut 34. 1. But neyther doe these places nor I thinke any other that you can bring warrant such an Ellipsis And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Verbe here vsed hath alwaies going with it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and no Ellipsis of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at any time As for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it selfe neuer signifieth from It is commonly the note of an Accusatiue case 〈◊〉 â—ny times of an Ablatiue and signifieth with Ioyned with a neuer â—ll it may stand for a Nominatiue as 1. Sam. 17. 34. 2. King 6. 5. So if it be ioyned with a Passiue as Lâ—uâ—t 13. 49 But none of these can agree here and in any other sense I doe not find that it is euer taken EVE conceiued and bare KAIN and said I possesse the man IEHOVAH that is GOD by opening my wombe and making mee the Mother of a goodly Childe hath put me in possession as if now I had and held him in mine armes of that blessed Seed which in the fulnesse of time he will send into the World who being the LORD from Heauen shall tread downe the head of the Serpent Prophetically spoken like to that of IACOB Gen. 48. 22 I giue thee one portion aboue thy Brethren which I tooke out of the hand of the Amorite with my Sword and with my Bow It was not taken till foure or fiue Generations after but by faith hee did apprehend it as certaine as if it were then wonne and tooke vpon him to dispose thereof as of his owne Wherefore Kain had that name not for his owne sake nor was hee the purchase or possession the woman fixed her eyes vpon Shee lifted them vp higher and by so sweet a Babe such as the World had neuer seene before shee held her faith confirmed in the expectation of the Messiah God and Man who many yeeres after was to come out of the loynes of one of Eues Daughters In effect shee calleth him The man IEHOVAH in the same sense that God the Father Zach. 13. 7. calleth him the man my fellow Here therefore is a cleere testimonie of the Deitie of Christ which I would not willingly lose the hold off being not onely so plaine and pregnant and such a noble euidence of Eues faith but withall an Antiquity of such price the first thing recorded after man was throwne out of Paradise Which addeth I know not how a great waight maiestie to this most sweet and gracious speech And that Christ is euery-where called Iehouah may appeare both by the Old Testament it selfe and especially if it be conferred with the New For proofe whereof I lay before this ground as most certayne and infallible that wheresoeuer the true God Iehouah is said to haue appeared in the likenesse of an Angell or man this was the person not of the Father nor of the Holy Spirit but of the Sonne who appeared to the Fathers as a man to note out the great Mystery of his Incarnation and is called an Angell not by nature but by office as in i Malach. 3. 1. MALACHY The Angell of the Couenant and him whom k Zachar. 3 2. Zachary calleth The Angell of IEHOVAH IVDE l Iude verse 9. cermeth Michael the Arch-angell which is Christ our Sauiour This foundation laide which cannot faile I come to those places where the Name of Iehouah is giuen to him And first to those where this Angell appeared as a man Gen. 18. Three men being indeed Angels appeared vnto Abraham of which three one was Iehouah for so the very beginning of the Chapter hath it Further IEHOVAH appeared vnto him in the plaine of Mamre for when he lift vp his eyes behold three men stood before him and afterwards m Gen. 18. ver 13 15 17 20. Iehouah one of them had communication with him and his wife Againe of these three men two n Gen. 19. 1. went towards Sodome who are called Angels But Iehouah still remayned with Abraham till hee had left communing with him The very o Gen. 19. 24. next Chapter it is said IEHOVAH powred downe vpon Sodome and Gomorrah fire and brimstone out of Heauen from IEHOVAH that is Christ from his Father Gen. 32. 24 When Iacob was left alone beyond the Riuer after he had sent away his Companie a man wrestled with him till the morning whom IACOB calleth The mighty God naming the place where this was done Peniel that is The place where hee saw the face of the mighty God whereby appeareth manifestly that it was Iehouah which in the Prophet p Hâ—sh 12. 5. Hâ—sea is yet more euident where Iehouah saith that at Bethel God found him that is met Iacob and appeared vnto him and there saith that IEHOVAH he spoke with vs. Ioshua 6. IOSHVA being at Ierico a man stood before him with a Sword drawne in his hand Ioshua demanding who hee was hee said Hee was the Prince of the Host of IEHOVAH whereupon Ioshua fell downe vpon his face and worshipped him Then hee bade Ioshua plucke off his shooes from his feet for the place where hee stood was holy And afterwards Iehouah said to IOSHVA Lo I giue Ierico into thy hands c. Here the Epithere Of the Prince of the Host of IEHOVAH the adiuncts of worship belonging to GOD onely which the Angels doe renounce and of plucking off the shoo because the place is holy a peculiar marke of the Maiesty of God and lastly the effects of giuing Ierico into his hands prooue this man to bee Iesus Christ the true Iehouah and God alone Hee q Iudges 6. 21. which appeared vnto Gedeon with a walking staffe in his hand and is called The Angell of IEHOVAH is also named Iehouah and confirmeth Gedeon that by the power which hee had giuen vnto him sending him and promising his presence with him he should saue Israel out of the hands of the Midianites whereby hee doth manifestly declare himselfe to be the Lord of glory The Angell r Iudges 13. 8 10 22 23. of God which appeared to Manoah and his Wife by them both expresly called a man when he had declared himselfe wonderfull by his miraculous ascending in the flame of the fire that was vpon the Altar MANOAH said vnto his Wife wee shall certainly dye for wee haue seene God But his Wife said vnto him If IEHOVAH had pleased to kill vs hee would not haue receiued at our hand a burnt Offering nor gift nor haue shewed vnto vs all these things c. Here Manoah calleth him God and his Wife Iehouah so that this also must needes be the eternall Sonne of God the Angell of the Couenant Genesis 31.
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
of the Apostles l Luke 17. 5. Lord increase our Faith Pardoneth and remitteth sinnes and that by his owne Authority He m Luk. 7. 48 49 said vnto her Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And they that sate downe with him began to say in themselues Who is this that doth also forgiue sinnes As n Luke 5. 21. elsewhere vpon the like occasion they said He did blaspheme grounding themselues vpon a certayne truth That none can forgiue sinnes but God onely He washeth and sanctifieth the Church as a glorious Spouse vnto himselfe which because it is the proper worke of God is therefore expresly o Rom. 1. 14. attributed to his Spirit or Diuine Power And by this Argument he confirmeth his God-head Ioh. 5. 21. As the Father rayseth the dead in sinne and quickeneth so also the Sonne quickeneth whom hee will This is he which is to iudge the World Iohn 5. 22. The Father iudgeth no man but hath committed all iudgement to the Sonne Hee rayseth vp by his mighty voyce the bodies of the dead Iohn 5. 22. p Iohn 5. 28. For the time shall come when all that are in the graues shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of man and shall come forth So in q Iohn 6. 34 40 another place And I will rayse him vp in the latter Day Rom. 1. 4. he is said to haue raysed vp himselfe And in IOHN r Iohn 10. 18. I haue power to lay downe my soule and to take it vp againe Yea he is called the Å¿ Iohn 11. 25. Resurrection to note that hee doth this of himselfe and by his owne authority who were hee not God could not rayse vp himselfe much lesse rayse vp and quicken others To conclude as a Crowne of all the rest this is he which t Iohn 1. 12. to as many as receiue him giueth this dignity to bee the Sonnes of God u Reuel 1. 6. hath made vs Kings and Priests to God his Father and giueth euerlasting life which x Rom. 6. 23. is the gift of God alone To y Reuel 3. 21. him that ouercommeth I will giue to sit with mee in my Throne So Iohn 10. 27 28. My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me and I giue euerlasting life vnto them Sixtly maruellous are those markes whereby as by certaine steps and footings we may trace out the Maiesticall glory of his God-head Iohn 1. 14. We beheld his glory as the glory of the onely Begotten comming from the Father PAVL also calleth him The Lord of glory 1. Cor. 2. 8. For had they knowne they would not haue crucified the Lord of glory By which very phrase if there were no more wee may easily discerne him to be selfe-same mighty God full of Maiesty and of Power whom z Psal 24 9 10 Dauid termeth the King of glory and forthwith addeth Who is the King of glory IEHOVAH of Hosts he is the King of glory In the Acts a Acts 7. 56. when hee shewed himselfe to STEPHEN the Heauens are said to haue beene opened as it were the Creature to giue place vnto the Creator He is the b Col. 1. 15. Image of the inuisible God The c Heb. 1. 3. engrauen forme of his Fathers Person and resplendence of his glory hath one d Reuel 22. 1. and the selfe-some Throne with his Father whereby equall Power and Dignity is meant In e Iohn 1. 18. IOHN He is said to be in the bosome of the Father Hither belongeth that Honourable Title which the Father giueth vnto Christ when hee calleth him f Zach. 13. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the man my fellow as it were another himselfe the representer of his Person as the Hebrew word doth signifie The Elect and holy Angels are called the Angels of God and neuer the Angels of any Creature as by way of noting out any authority ouer them But Christ is not onely the g Iude verse 9. Arch-angell chiefe h Dan. 10. 13. of the heauenly Princes and i Iâ—sh 8. 2. Prince of the Host of IEHOVAH but further they are said by name to be k Reuel 12. 7 8. Mat. 13. 4. his Angels and l Heb. 1. 6. willed to doe him homage Let all the Angels of God worship him In the Prophets you may euery where see how they minister to Christ are sent by him and runne at his Commandement Ezech. 10. 6. The man clothed in linnen with a Writers Inke-horne by his side which was Christ the Priest and Mediatour of his Church sealing them to eternall Life by the Bloud of the New Testament being commanded of his Father to fill his fists with coles of fire from betweene the Cherubins and to scatter it vpon the City Assoone as he came and stood by the wheeles one of the Cherubs an Angell tooke of the fire and put it into his fists prest and ready to serue him as he was to obey his Father In m Zach. 1 9 11 Zachary the Angell that spake to the Prophet being the same n Verse 9. Angell that stood betweene the two Myrrh-trees called also the man that stood betweene the Myrrh-trees that it might bee knowne to be meant of Christ taketh of the other Angels a reckoning and account of their doings The same Angell in the o Zach. 2. 3 4. next Chapter biddeth another Angell that came forth to meete him as it were to know his pleasure what he would command him to runne and informe the Prophet of those promises which there hee maketh to his Church So p Dan. 8. 16. Daniel hauing seene a great Vision which he vnderstood not heard the voyce of a man which was Christ calling and saying GABRIEL make this man vnderstand the Vision But in the times of the Gospell when the Propheticall Visions were more cleere then vnder shaddowes of the Law his also is more manifest For in the very beginning of the Booke of the q Reuel 1. 1. Reuelation the things which Christ receiued from his Father he is said to haue sent and shewed them by his Angel to his Seruant IOHN And in the r Reuel 2â— 16. coÌ„clusion of the Booke againe I IESVS haue sent my Angell to testifie these things vnto you The conference of which place with Å¿ Reuel 22. 6. that which went immediately before The Lord God of the holy Prophets hath sent his Angel to shew his Seruants the things which must come to passe shortly noteth him out plainly to bee that IEHOVAH The true God which spake by the holy Prophets Wee are t Mat 28. 19. Acts 2. 38. baptized into his Name A forme of speech signifying that we dedicate and consecrate our selues to him as to our GOD and Lord. Whereupon u 1. Cor. 1. 14. Paul worthily detesteth it to haue beene thought as if hee baptized any into his owne Name God x Mat. 4. 10. onely is to bee
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
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
worship him Phil. 2. 9. Therefore God did also exceedingly exalt him and gaue vnto him a name aboue all names that al the Name of IESVS euery knes should bow of things in Heauen and vpon the Earth and vnder the ground Thirdly Hence groweth a borrowed manner of speech which the Learned in other Professions call Synedoche Diuines for the most part The c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communication of properties whereby sometimes that is attributed to whole Christ which agreeth to him but in respect of one of his natures As when wee say d 1. Cor. 15. Christ suffered was crucified dead and buried wee meane it of his Man-hood onely not of the Godhead which could not suffer when he saith of himselfe e Iohn 8. 58. Before ABRAHAM was Iam this is to bee vnderstood of his God-head onely not of his Man-hood which came of the Seed of Abraham Sometimes it is spoken of some one nature which agreeth to his whole person as that of the Apostle There f 1. Tim. 2. 5. is one Mediator betweene God and men the Man CHRIST IESVS meaning he which is so God as hee is also Man Sometimes of one nature which fitteth not that but the other As when the Apostle saith g 1. Tim. 3. 16. God was taken vp in Glorie h 1. Cor. 2. 8. If they had knowne him they would not haue crucified the Lord of Glorie i Acts 20. 28. God hath purchased his Church by his bloud And when our Sauiour saith k Mar. 13. 23. The Son himselfe knoweth not of that Day of Iudgement who seeth not that it is spoken of Christ by the Name of God which belongeth but to his Man-hood Againe in saying l Iohn 3. 13. The Sonne of man which is in Heauen hee giueth to himselfe as Man that which appertayneth to the God-head But note this phrase of speech or communication of properties hath place in the Name of m The Learned say in concreto not in abstracto God and Man not of the God-head and Man-hood Therefore as it is most certaine against Nestorius deuiding the person that the Man Christ was God and therefore eternall not in his Man-hood but in his God-head that Christ God was also Man and therefore crucified taken vp into Heauen c. not in his God-head but in his Man-hood So it is most wicked and blasphemous to say that the Man-hood of Christ is his God-head vncreated omnipotent euery-where c. or that his God-head is his Man-hood subiect to suffer c. as Eutyches did confounding the natures Thus farre of the person of Christ who it was necessarie should indeed be man First That God might be pacified in that nature that had offended Secondly that hee might vndergoe the punishment due to sinne which the God-head free from all suffering could not And therefore also it was necessarie hee should haue a soule and not his God-head stand in stead of a soule for our soules must haue perished euerlastingly except his soule had suffered for them Thirdly That he might be a fit Intercessor for vs hauing tasted of our miseries All this the Apostle teacheth Heb. 2. from the tenth Verse to the end of the Chapter setting forth most notably the rich and plentifull comfort that we reape from hence by many goodly Arguments And Heb. 4. 15. hee saith Wee haue not an High Priest that cannot suffer together with vs in our infirmities but one that was tempted in all things like vnto vs. Againe it was necessarie he should be God First Because none but God could reueale vnto vs the will and pleasure of God For none hath ascended into Heauen but the Sonne of man that descended from Heauen and is in Heauen Iohn 3. 13. that is to say No man euer did nor by nature can attayne to the true knowledge of heauenly things but hee that is also God to wit the Sonne the eternall Wisdome of the Father as Iohn also saith No n Iohn 1. 18 man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten Sonne of God which is in the bosome of the Father that is of one nature and essence with him hee hath reuealed him Neither had hee beene able to sustayne the infinite wrath of God due to our sinnes much lesse to ouercome it if himselfe had beene but a finite nature Yea meete it was hee should be the Sonne of GOD for being so by nature hee is able to bestow this priuiledge on those that beleeue to bee the sonnes of GOD by adoption Iohn 1. 12. The Vnion of both natures into one person was also necessarie First That in him God and Man wee might see and behold the Father for seeing God in his owne essence and nature is inuisible and no conceit can possibly bee framed of him the Apostle sheweth that for the staying of our faith and that our minde and vnderstanding might haue somewhat to rest vpon we haue Christ o Col. 1. 15. the Image of the inuisible God the p Heb. 13. brightnesse or resplendence of his Glorie and the ingrauen forme of his Person whom whosoeuer seeth seeth the Father also as he himselfe speaketh Iohn 1. 2. For the Sonne being q 1. Tim. 3. 16. God himselfe the second Person in Trinitie manifested in the flesh is as a Glasse in whose substantiall and visible Glorie as hee was made Man the Father giueth vs to see and almost to grope and feele his owne infinite Maiestie and Loue that cannot be comprehended without whom if we looke vpon God wee see indeed some small sparkes of Glorie to terrifie and amaze vs but in Christ God and Man we behold the liuely and expresse face of God not any more as a fearefull and terrible Iudge to affright vs but as a most gracious and louing Father to comfort and refresh vs. Secondly That thereby the obedience of Christ performed in the Man-hood might be of infinite merit as being the obedience of God himselfe 2. Cor. 5. 12. Him that knew not sinne he made to be sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him After the person of Christ followeth his Office of Christ or Anoynted Mediation to set vs at one with God whereof the Apostle speaketh 1. Tim. 2. 5. There is one Mediator betweene God and men the Man Christ Iesus In this Office of Mediation three things may bee considered First The persons both of the Mediatour and of those for whom Mediation is made Secondly The point and propertie of the office of Mediation Thirdly The meanes to effect it The Mediator is Christ the Sonne of God whom his Father in his infinite Wisdome Goodnesse and Mercie prouiding a meanes when there was no other meanes left in Heauen or vpon the Earth to saue vs sent downe his owne Sonne in the likenesse of sinfull flesh to saue all Beleeuers whereupon it is not onely said that Christ died but that he was r Rom.
all goodnesse tomorrow may bee altered and so long as this life continueth so long there is a space left for Repentance many are called at the eleuenth houre at the winding and shutting vp of the day in the last act of their life And so was the m Luk. 23. 40. Thiefe vpon the Crosse And our n Math. 21. 31. Sauiour telleth vs that Publicans and Harlots vile and despised persons oftentimes enter into the Kingdome of Heauen before many that carrie a fairer shew Thou oughtest therefore vsing the meanes and setting still at the feete of Christ to esteeme God faithfull that when hee offereth thee grace he meaneth it for thy good and that howsoeuer now thou feele no working of it yet the moments of time are in his hands who calleth how and when he will and still to haue comfort and neuer to despayre Fiftly as Predestination is eyther to Life or Death and giuen vnto him so it is to those subordinate things whereby God hath purposed to bring his determinate Counsell to passe both in the Elect and Reprobate And those are To the Elect an appointment of Christ to be their Mediator and of them to be in Christ which in Gods good time commeth to be wrought by an effectuall calling through faith in him that beeing iustified and sanctified by his Spirit they may so in the end be glorified To the Reprobate hardnesse of heart not to beleeue the Gospell that so they might lye in their sinnes without repentance vntil the wrath of God come vpon them to the vttermost Touching the former the Apostle in one o Rom. 8. 29 30 sentence hath all the lincks of that golden Chaine for whom hee fore-knew and chose vnto life which is Election them also he predestinated to be conformed to the Image of his Son that he might be the first borne among many brethren Here is the first step as if the Apostle should say For them he purposed that his Sonne should die that Christ might be their Head and they through him the adopted sons of God and whom he predestinated thus to be his sonnes This is euerlasting life to know thee the true God and whore thou hast sent â—esâ—s Christ The perfect distribution of all Diuinity Math. 22. 38 39 40. He diuideth the tenne Commandements into the first and second Table and the whole Scripture then extant that is to say the old Testament into the Law and the Prophets 〈◊〉 6. 33. Seeke first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse where he seemeth to abbreuiate the Lords Prayer and that his Sonne should be theirs them he also called effectually to beleeue in him which is the second step and whom he called them he also iustified or made righteous through Christ from whence doth proceed as an effect from the cause Sanctification or holinesse of life the third and the fourth steps and whom hee iustified and made righteous in Christ them hee also glorified which is the end and last step of all Our p Iohn 6. 37. Sauiour as he is q Iohn 17. 3. wont in all his doctrines shortly reduceth them vnto two giuing vnto Christ and comming vnto him But to speake of all these things apart The first and the fundamentall ground of all vnto the Elect hidden in the secret counsell of God is Christ himselfe r 1. Pet. 1. 20. foreknowne or predestinated and Å¿ Reuel 13. 6. slaine for vs in his eternall purpose before the foundation of the World was layde and we in like sort elect t Eph. 1. 4. in him that is that being by faith vnited vnto Christ we might be saued by the merit of his death and suffrings And againe u Eph. 1. 5. predestinate to be the adopted Sonnes of God by Iesus Christ This is that our Sauiour saith Ioh. 17. 6. I haue manifested my Name to the men whom thou hast giuen me out of the World for that by giuing he doth not meane the manifestation of his Election by an effectual Calling through faith in Christ but the verie purpose of God to adopt vs in him appeareth Ioh. 6. 36. All that my Father giueth me shall come vnto me Where he doth manifestly distinguish betweene these two making Gods giuing vnto Christ the cause why in their time they come vnto him Christ therefore is Mediator nor any thing that God so respects in him is not the first cause of his Election but onely a subordinate meanes vnto it vnlesse which were absurd a man will say that the disease is not in nature to be thought of before the remedie nor the fall before the meanes of raising vp againe Our Sauiour Christ himselfe for this may be our warrant Iohn 17. 6. where hauing said I haue manifested thy name to the men whom thou hast giuen me out of the World that they should be adopted in and through me By and by he riseth vp a degree higher Thine they were in thine euerlasting purpose for causes onely knowne vnto thy selfe higher and aboue any consideration or respect of me written vnto life and then keeping the respect of order and not of time Thou gauest them vnto me The Apostle likewise to the x Ephes 1. 4 5. Ephesians shewing we are elect in Christ in the verie next words doth explaine it to bee meant of predestinating to adoption through Christ in himselfe that is onely for causes resting in God himselfe not in Christ as he is a Mediator This is it which as we haue heard the Apostle teacheth in the Epistle to the Romanes y Rom. 8. 29 30 Whom hee did foreknow or predestinate vnto life them hee did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Sonne What is that Verily the same albeit the Apostle specially apply it to afflictions which wee heard before of giuing vnto Christ and so the words following doe import That he might bee the first borne among many brethren through whom by faith which is the next degree and first manifestation of this counsell being incorporate into him and made one together with him wee obtayne Righteousnesse and Sanctification which are the immediate steps whereby we ascend to glorie Now that men are predestinate vnto both these it is verie plaine for so the Apostle telleth the z â— Thes 2. 13. Thessalonians that God had chosen them to Saluation through sanctification of the Spirit and the faith of Truth Of faith particularly our a Iohn 8. 47. Sauiour saith He that is of God heareth the Word of God you therefore doe not heare because you are not of God So it is in the Acts b Acts 13. 48. They beleeued as many as were ordayned vnto life And for this cause faith is said to be c Titus 1. 1. proper to Gods Elect. Concerning Sanctification of life and the fruits therof the place is very euident Ephes 2. 10. Wee are created in Christ to good workes which God hath before prepared that we
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
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
and of edification one towards another Destroy not for meates sake the worke of God All things indeed are cleane but it is ill for the man that eateth with offence It is good not to eate flesh nor to drinke wine nor to doe any thing whereby thy Brother stumbleth or is offended or made weake To set downe therefore the cautions that are to bee giuen heerein and how and in what cases wee are so to bridle our Christian libertie The first caution is that it bee in things which GOD hath once restrayned for no Law of God nor rule of Charitie bindeth to forbeare meates or drinkes or other things which neuer were vnlawfull by the Commandement of God but by the vaine superstition of men that being but to giue strength and countenance to the doctrine of Deuils with which name the Apostle brandeth them 1. Tim. 4. 1. Secondly It must bee but to beare with our weake Brethren and for awhile t Act. 15 28 29 till they may be better informed of the libertie they haue in Christ it must not bee to nourish or strengthen men in euill nor when it tendeth not to edification but destruction So did u Act. 16. 3. Paul circumcise Timothy not as the Sacrament that God had once ordayned but as a bare Ceremonie and thing indifferent which he had free power to vse for the edification of the Church till the abolishing of Ceremonies by the comming of Christ were better knowne But x Gal. 2. 4 5. Titus he would in no sort circumcise when he saw he could not doe it without betraying the Truth of the Gospell and giuing occasion to the aduersaries against him The second step of our Soueraigntie renewed is the and deliuerance from the bondage of Satan setting vs free from the bondage and slauerie of Satan vnder whom we were held before in thraldome in a continuall feare of death as the Apostle teacheth Heb. 2. 14. 15. that by death he might abolish him that hath the power of death that is to say the Deuil and might set free from his tyrannie and dominion as many as through feare of death were all their life long subiect vnto bondage This was the first promise made in Paradise y Gen. 3. 15. The seed of the woman Christ and in him and by his power all those that are his shall bruise the head of the Serpent The third last is a noble priuiledge and prerogatiue This also as a noble accesse added thereunto that the holy Angels themselues are made Ministers for our good to Gods children ouer aboue all that Adā had that the holy Angels themselues are made Ministers for our good whereof there bee many most glorious promises in the Word Psal 91. 11. Hee will giue his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes A fauour principally meant to Christ the Head of the Church and after him to all the faithfull Generally the Apostle to the z Heb. 1. 14. Hebrewes saith They are ministring Spirits sent forth for their sakes that are to inherit saluation And in the Psalme a Psal 34. 9. The Angell of IEHOVAH pitcheth his Tents round about those that feare him Hereupon our Sauiour calleth them our b Mat. 18. 10. See you despise not one of these little ones for I say vnto you that their Angels in Heauen doe alwayes behold the face of my Father c. Angels for first thorowout the course of our life they watch ouer vs to keepe vs in all our wayes that no euill should come vnto vs as it followeth in that c Psal 91. 12 13 Psalme and as wee are taught not onely by the Example of d Dan. 1. 3. Daniel for whose sake God sent his Angell to stop the mouth of the Lyons that they should not hurt him And of Shadrach e Dan. 3. 28. Meshach and Abednego deliuered by an Angell from the fury of the flame which the prophane King himselfe was driuen to acknowledge and of diuers others whose liues are registred in the Scriptures but beside by the manifold experience that euery one of vs hath in our selues in so many so wonderfull and so strange escapes whereof no reason can be assigned but the Angels watchfull attendance and garding of vs. Secondly In the houre of death they are about vs readie at the last gaspe to receiue our Soule and by their Ministerie to conuey it vp to Heauen for when Lazarus dyed f Luke 16. 22. He was carryed saith our Sauiour Christ of the Angels into ABRAHAMS bosome The right whereby wee haue this is because being seruants vnto Christ who is the Head consequently they are to serue the faithfull which are his members The excellencie of their seruice the Scripture commendeth vnto vs by diuers arguments First By their nature qualified and made fit for it in that they are Spirits Secondly By their rule and soueraigntie being themselues called Thrones Dominions Principalities Gouernments Chiefe Princes c. And what a thing is it then to haue so great Princes attending on vs Thirdly By their power able to throw downe whatsoeuer doth withstand them Whereof among many other we haue a famous Example of one Angell that in one night slue one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand of the Assyrians Campe 2. Kings 19. 25. Fourthly By their Glorie to terrifie and amaze our Aduersaries as we reade in MATTHEW The g Mat. 28. 3 4. Angell of the Lord came downe from Heauen whose countenance was like lightening and his garment white as snow for feare of him the Keepers were smitten and became as dead men Fiftly By their Wisdome and Knowledge Sixtly By the place where they dwell being in Heauen and therefore haue all aduantages to doe vs good Seuenthly By the multitude and number of holy Angels which maketh not a little for the strengthening of our Faith for euen among men A h Eccles 4. 12. threefold cord is not easily broken When i Gen. 32. 1 2. Iacob went on his way to returne into his Countrey as God had commanded him the Angels of God met him euen a whole Armie and troope of Angels in so much as hee called the name of the place Machanaima a payre of Armies his owne and the Angels Armie So in k Luke 2. 13. Luke it is said that there was with the Shepherds a multitude of an heauenly Armie In the l Psal 68. 17. Psalmes They are named many thousands of Angels And to the m Heb. 12. 22. Hebrewes Myriades that is ten thousands of Angels n Dan. 7. 10. DANIEL also reckoneth a thousand thousand standing before the Ancient of dayes By this Argument o 2. Kings 6. 15 16 17. Elisha the man of God incourageth his Seruant when seeing the Companies and troopes of men that compassed the Citie and Horses and Chariots hee cryed out Alas Master what shall wee doe To whom ELISHA said Feare not for there
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
by lying miracles deceiuing and deceiued make the bodie which seeke Christ vpon the Earth in their Sacrament of the Altar place Religion in an Eremiticall or Monkish life not holding Christ the Head nor Iustification by Faith alone in his bloud And therefore are not the Church of Christ but the Synagogue of Satan The second signe is that o Verse 29. The Heauen shall be darkned The Moone shall not giue her Light the Starres shall fall from Heauen and the powers of Heauen or powerfull and potent Heauens shall be shaken Such Metaphors as these the Scripture is wont to vse when it would expresse a notable change to fall out in the World the ruine and ouerthrow of some great State or Monarchie p Esay 13. 10. Esay in his thirteenth Chapter speaking of the destruction of Babel The Starres of the Heauen and their Planets shall not giue their light and the Moone shall not shine bright the Sunne shall bee darkned at his rising q Ioel 4. 7. IOEL prophecying of the seuere Iudgement against the enemies of Gods Church The Sunne and the Moone shall be blacke and the Stars shall take in their Light And r Ezech. 32. 7 8 Ezechiel to Pharaoh King of Egypt I will couer when I put thee out the Heauens and I will make their Stars blacke The Sunne I will couer in a Cloud and the Moone shall not make her Light shine All the Planets of light in the Heauen will I make blacke for thy sake And I will set darknesse in the Land So in the Å¿ Reuel 6. 12 13 14. Reuelation When hee opened the sixt Seale there was a great Earthquake and the Sunne became blacke as hayrie sackcloth and the Moone became as bloud and the Starres of Heauen fell to the ground and Heauen parted asunder as a Booke rolled together and euery Mountayne and Iland were remooued out of their places Which things point not to the end of the World seeing many things were to fellow vnder the seuenth Seale but are meant as it seemeth of that great ouerthrow which Constantine gaue to Dioclesian and other Tyrants of the Church turning the whole Empire of Rome vpside downe from Gentilisme to Christianitie This second signe therefore I iudge to bee the Turkes ouerthrow which shall fall out t Reuel 16. 19. 19. 20. 20. 10. as soone as the Church is deliuered from the Tyrannie of Antichrist that is as our Sauiour speaketh heere immediately after the affliction of those dayes The third Signe is the calling of the Iewes wherein foure things may be obserued First The time And then saith u Verse 30. he that is x Ezech. 38. 39. to the end of the Prophecy Reuel 20 7 8 9 10 11 c. immediately vpon the Ruine of the Turkish Empire for though some y Ezech. 37. Reuel â—6 12 13 14 15 16. beginnings are to bee made before an indeuour to and preparation to seeke Christ whereupon z Dan. 1. 12 â— shall insue the forest time of affliction to that people that euer was in the world yet their full and thorow Call beginneth not till the Turke be done away Secondly The glorie of their Church two wayes described one by calling it The Signe of the Sonne of man the other The Comming of the Sonne of man in the Clouds of the Heauen for so is the latter vsed Reue. 1. 7 And before in this Chapter Verse 27. and they both import the selfe same thing which Paul 2. Thess 28. calleth The brightnesse of his Comming to wit not a corporall but a spirituall Comming powerfully and royally in the great and glorious Conuersion of this Nation Thirdly The generalitie of their call that all the Tribes of Israel aswell as Iudah shall bee saued Which very word of Tribes if there were no more sheweth of what people it must be meant Fourthly Their true and vnfayned Repentance for the mourning heere spoken of is that bitter mourning for the sinne of all sinnes the sinne of refusing Christ whereof you reade Zacharie 12. 10 11 c. Reu. 1. 7. The fourth Signe is the generall publishing of the Gospell thorowout the World for this sending of his Angels with a Trumpet and great voyce and their gathering of the Elect out of the foure Windes from one end of the Heauen to another Verse 31. cannot bee that voyce of an Archangell and Trumpet of God which the Apostle speaketh of 1. Thes 4. 16. nor the gathering mentioned Mat. 25. 32. for it is expresly said here Verse 33 34. When you see all those things whereof this which we now speake of is one know hee is neere at the doores not yet come as he must be when the Archangels voice doth sound Verily I say vnto you The same a So is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken Luke 17. 34. age the Age wherein the last of these things shall bee fulfilled shall not passe away till all things be done Therefore it must needs bee taken of a glorious spreading of the Gospell among all Nations not spoken figuratiuely or by Hyperbole and excesse of speech as that other Verse 14. but in a true literall and proper sence And as the former was giuen to the Apostles for a Signe that should goe before the Iewes desolation and consequently before Antichrist should come who was not to appeare till some Ages after they were destroyed So this is to come after After his after the Turkes destruction after the Iewes repayre for b Reuel 21. 24. then shall the Nations bring their Honour and Glorie to the new holy Citie c Ezech. 47. Then shall waters flye out of the Temple into the East and to all the quarters round about by the sweetnesse whereof shall be ingendred a multitude of fish exceeding many Then d Dan. 7. 14. after the small horne taken away which is the Turke a Kingdome shall be giuen to him that was like the Sonne of man that all People Nations and Tongues shall serue him Then e Zach. 14. 19. shall IEHOVAH be King ouer all the Earth And in that Day there shall be one IEHOVAH and his name one Hauing done now with the Signes the last circumstance is the manner of his Comming which shall bee sudden manifest and notorious vnto all and full of State and Maiestie For the suddennesse of it it is compared to a f 1. Thess 2. 2. Reuel 16. 5. Thiefe in the night to g 1. Thess 5. 3. trauaile that commeth on a sudden to a woman with child and to a h Luke 21. 35. snare that catcheth men vnawares Whereupon it is also compared to the dayes of i Mat. 24. 37 38 39. Noe and of Lot for as men then were taken before they were aware so shall they bee in the Day of Iudgement which serueth to stirre vs vp to watchfulnesse as our Sauiour in k Luke 21. 35. Luke maketh that vse of it As a
and all thus rise againe is the common Certaine men vpon our Sauiour Christs Resurrection rose againe and are already with him in Heauen condition of all Mankind some few excepted and those of three sorts for First Some there were who being dead vpon our Sauiour Christs Resurrection rose againe and are alreadie with him in glorie Of whom you may reade Mat. 27. 52 53. that the graues did open themselues and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came out of the Graues after his Resurrection and went into the holy Citie and appeared vnto many Which word appearing sheweth that they did not rise to conuerse among men or to dye againe as Lazarus and some other did but in their owne persons to attend vpon him in his Ascension vnto Heauen and by their Resurrection to seale vp the truth of his and of ours in and through him that so not onely in Christ our Head but in our Brethren and fellow-members full assurance might bee made vnto vs of this sweete and comfortable Doctrine Secondly Other there were that neuer dyed but So are Enoch and Elias both aliue assumed thither onely changed their miserable condition into Glorie Immortalitie and so were taken vp aliue into Heauen And this was the peculiar priuiledge of Enoch and Elias One before the Law another vnder the Law both in most corrupt and depraued times wherein the sincere worship of God was no where to bee found the hope of eternall Life and of the Resurrection to come vtterly lost and gone God therefore to leaue a plentifull testimonie of a blessed Resurrection till the cleerer manifestation of it by the rising of his Sonne and both to giue testimonie of the Faith and Pietie of such men and to conuince the wicked World of Infidelitie suffered not those two to goe the way of all flesh but by a speciall fauour did assume them bodie and soule vnto himselfe thereby also to make them types and figures of the Resurrection of his Sonne by whose power they thus escaped death Of Enoch first it is recorded Gen. 5. 24. That he walking with God three thousand yeers in which time as u Iude ver 24. Iude the Apostle witnesseth hee diligently executed the part of a faithfull Teacher in Gods Church reproouing the corrupt World of sin denouncing Gods seuere Iudgements against them euen to the extreme curse of Anathema Maranatha in the end hee was no more seene for God tooke him that is as the x Heb. 11. 5. Apostle to the Hebrewes doth expound it did translate him that hee should not see death And of Elias the Storie is set forth at large in the first and second Booke of Kings How after long conflicts with Achab the King of Israel and Iesabel his wife and with foure hundred and fiftie prophets the priests of Baal at once being tossed as wee say from Post to Pillar and driuen to flye for his life hauing restored the true Worship of God and reedified his Altars that before were throwne downe destroyed being now as hee thought left alone and wearie of his life God in the end after his many labours y 2. Kings 2. 23 tooke him vp in a whirlewinde into Heauen Thereby conuincing the Idolatry of that Age. And when in the Towne of Bethel where the Calues were erected and Idolatrie and Superstition raged they made a Scoffe of this Ascension and taught their children so to doe saying to Elisha in scoffing sort Ascend Bald-pate ascend Bald-pate that is Goe vp to Heauen as Elias did as if they should haue said A proper and goodly ascension two Beares comming out of the Forrest tare in pieces two forty children of them And that this was alwayes the iudgement of the Church concerning Elias may appeare Luke 9. 8. where in the diuersitie of opinions held of our Sauiour Christ some said that IOHN was raysed from the dead some that ELIAS had appeared other that one of the old Prophets was risen againe To all the rest attributing Resurrection as of bodies dead onely to ELIAS Apparition in the truth of his humane nature as of one that neuer dyed Two things there bee that may seeme to crosse this Doctrine One that Christ is called The first fruites of them that sleepe 1. Cor. 15. 20. The other that in the eleuenth to the Heb. 11. 39. the Apostle speaking of the holy men of God before the Comming of Christ And of Enoch among the rest saith of them all that they receiued not the promises But hereunto it may bee answered that the promise which the Apostle meaneth is the manifestation of Christ in the flesh and the more plentifull measure of grace now then was before his Comming which pertayneth nothing to this question As for that 1. Cor. 15. Christ is called The first fruits of them that sleepe because by the power of his Resurrection all shall rise againe and his Resurrection sanctifieth ours as the first fruits did the whole crop not that he of necessitie must be the first that rose no more then hee was the first whose soule did enter Heauen though all both before and since haue entred by his power Although if you should so farre presse this Phrase Christ was indeed the first that rose seeing to speake properly Enoch and Elias neuer dyed and therefore neuer rose And howsoeuer it bee an extraordinarie Example in one or two speciall persons it serueth not to ouerthrow a generall truth But the first I take to be the Apostles meaning Yet haue not these two sorts their full glorie alreadie for howsoeuer their whole nature bee made perfect yet the fulnesse of their perfection is deferred till the latter Day as to the rest of Gods Elect Euen as wee see the whole spirituall nature of the Angels that fell is now fully accursed and yet reserued for a more full damnation The third sort are those men that the Comming of Those that are liuing at the latter Day shall suddenly be changed after the dead are once risen Christ doth finde aliue who shall not dye but shall suddenly bee changed as Enoch and Elias were and so bee taken vp to meete Christ after that the dead in him shall be first risen All of vs saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 15. 51 52. shall not sleepe but all of vs shall be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last Trumpet for the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall rise vp without corruption and we shall be changed And againe 1 Thess 4. 15 16 17. This say we to you in the Word of the Lord that we which liue and are remayning in the Comming of the Lord shall not preuent them which sleepe for the Lord himselfe shall come downe from Heauen and the dead in Christ shall arise first afterwards shall we which liue and remayne be caught vp also with them in the Clouds to meete the Lord in the Ayre By the Analogie
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