by which he onely permitteth one and the same worke to be done of others as it is euill but as it is good he effectually worketh the same Gen. 50.20 You indeede had purposed euill against me but God decreed that for good that he might as he hath done this day preserue his people aliue And Gen. 45.7 God hath sent me before you to preserue your posteritie in this land Esai 10. 5 6 7. Woe vnto Asshur the rod of my wrath and the staffe in their hands is mine indignation I will send him to a dissembling nation and I will giue him a charge against the people of my wrath to take the spoile to take the praie and to tread them vnder feete like the myre in the streete But he thinketh not so neither doth his heart esteeme it so but he imagineth to destroy and to cut off not a few nations God permitteth euill by a certaine volunâ—arie permission in that he forsaketh the second cause in working euill And he forâ—aketh his creature either by detracting the grace it had or not bestowing that which it wanteth Rom. 1.26 For this cause God gaue them vp vnto vile affections 2. Tim. 2.25 26. Instructing them with meekenes that are contrarie minded proouing if God at any time will giue them repentance that they may know the trueth and that they may come to amendment out of the snare of the diuell which are taken of him at his will Neither must we thinke God vniust who is indebted to none Rom. 9.15 I will haue mercy on him to whome I will shew mercie Yea it is in Gods pleasure to bestowe how much grace and vpon whome he will Matth. 20.15 Is it not lawfull for me to doe as I will with mine owne That which is euill hath some respect of goodnes with God first in that it is the punishment of sinne and punishment is accounted a morall good in that it is the part of a iust Iudge to punish sinne Secondly as it is a meere action or act Thirdly as it iâ— a chastisement a triall of ones faith martyrdome propitiation for sinne as the death and passion of Christ. Act. 2.23 and 4.24 And if we obserue these caueats God is not onely a bare permissiue agent in an euill worke but a powerfull effectour of the same yet so as he neither instilleth an aberration into the action nor yet supporteth or inteÌ„deth thesame but that he most freely suffereth euill and best disposeth of it to his own glorie The like we may see in this similitude Let a man spurre forward a lame horse in that he mooueth forward the rider is the cause but that he halteth he himselfe is the canse And againe wee see the sunne beames gathering themselues into a sunne glasse they burne such things as they light vpon now that they burne the cause is not in the sunne but in the glasse The like may bee said of Gods action in an euill subiect CHAP. 7. Of Predestination and Creation GOds decree in as much as it concerneth man is called Predestination which is the decree of God by the which he hath ordained all men to a certaine and euerlasting estate that is either to saluation or condemnation for his owne glorie 1. Thes. 5.9 For God hath not appointed vs vnto wrath but to obtaine saluation by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ. Rom. 9.13 As it is written I haue loved Iacob and hated Esau. and vers 22. What and if God would to â—hewe his wrath and to make his power knowne suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction and that he might declare the riches of his glorie vpon the vessells of mercie which he hath prepared vnto glorie The meanes of accomplishing Gods Predestination are two fold The creation and the fall The creation is that by which God made all things very good of nothing that is of no matter which was before the creation Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the heauen c. to the end of the chapter Gods manner of creating as also of gouerning is such as that by his word alone he without any instruments meanes assistance or motion produced al sorts of things For to will any thing with God is both to be ableâ— and to performe it Heb. 11.3 By faith we vnderstand that the world was ordained by the word of God so that the things which wee see are not made of things which did appeare Psal. 148.5 Let them praise the name of the Lord for he commanded and they were created The goodnes of the creature is a kind of excellencie by which it was void of all sinne that is free from punishment and transgression The creation is of the world or inhabitants in the world The world is a most beutifull palace framed out of a deformed substance and fit to be inhabited The parts of the world are the heauens and earth The heauens are threefold the first is the aire the second the skie the third an inuisible and incorporall essence created to bee the seate of all the blessed both men and Angels This third heauen is called Paradise 2. Cor. 13.4 The inhabitours of the world are reasonable creatures made according to Gods owne image they are either Angels or men Gen. 1. 26. Furthermore God said Let vs make man in our owne image according to our likenes Iob. 1.6 When the children of God came and stood before the Lord Satan came also among them The image of God is the integritie of the reasonable creature resembling God in holines Eph. 4. 24. And put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse CHAP. 8. Of Angels THe Angels each of them beeing created in the beginning were setled in an vpright estate In whome these things are to be noted First their nature Angels are spirituall and incorporall essences Heb. 2. 16. For he in no sort tooke the Angels but he tooke the seede of Abraham Heb. 1.7 And of the Angels he saith he maketh the spirits his messengers and his ministers a flame of fire Secondly their qualities First they are wise 2 Sam. 14.18 My lord the king is euen as an Angel of God in hearing good and badde 2. They are of great might 2. Thes. 1.7 When the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mighty Angels 2. Sam. 24. Dauid sawe the Angel that smote the people 2. King 19.35 The same night the Angel of the Lord went out and smote in the campe of Ashur an hundreth fourescore and fiue thousand 3. They are swift and of great agilitie Esay 6,6 Then flewâ— one of the Seraphims vnto me with an hotte cole in his hand Dan. 9 21â— The man Gabriel whome I had seene before in a vision came flying and touched me This is the reason why the Cherubins in the Tabernacle were painted with winges Thirdly they are innumerable Gen. 3.2 Now Iacob weÌ„t forth on his iourney and the angel of God met him
Christ and we are stewards of them a while for the good of others The more the Lord giueth to a man the more he requireth at his hands and as for such as hauing good gifts abuse the same their sinne is the more grieuous and their daunger the greater Men of great gifts vnlesse they vse them aright with humbled hearts shall want Gods blessing vpon them For he giueth grace to the humble The high hills after much tillage are often barren whereas the low vallies by the streames of waters passing through them are very fruitfull and the gifts of God ioyned with a swelling heart are fruitlesse but ioyned with loue and the grace of humilitie they edifie Secondly if Christ ascend vp to heauen to giue gifts vnto men here we may see how many a man and woman in these our daies are ouerseene in that they plead ignorance and say that they hope God will haue them excused for it seeing they are not learned they haue dull wittes and it is not possible to teach them now they are past learning and hereupon they presume they may liue in grosse ignorance as blinde almost in religion as when they were first borne But marke I pray you who it is that is ascended vp to heauen namely Christ Iesus our Lord who made thee of nothing Now was he able to giue thee a beeing when thou was not and is he not likewise able to put knowledge into thy soule if so be thou wilt vse the meanes which he hath appointed and the rather seeing he is ascended for that end but if thou wilt not vse the meanes to come to knowledge thy case is desperate and thou art the cause of thine owne condemnation and thou bringest confusion vpon thine owne head Therfore let ignorant men labour for knowledge of Gods word Ignorance shall excuse none it will not stand for paiment at the day of iudgement Christ is ascended to this ende to teach the ignorant to giue knowledge and wisdome vnto the simple to giue gifts of prophecie vnto his ministers that they may teach his people Therefore I say againe let such as be ignorant vse the meanes diligently and God will giue the blessing Thirdly whereas it is thought to be a thing not possible to furnish a whole Church with preaching ministers it seemes to be otherwise For wherefore did Christ ascend to heauen was it not to giue gifts vnto his Church what is Christs hand now shortned vndoubtedly we may resolue our selues that Christ bestowed gifts sufficient vpon men in the Church but it is for our sinnes that they are not imploied The fountaines of learning the Vniuersities though they are not dammed vp yet they streame not abroad as they might Many there be in them indued with worthie gifts for the building of the Church but the couetousnes of men hindereth the comfortable entrance which otherwise might be Lastly seeing Christ ascended to giue gifts needefull for his Church as the gift of teaching the gift of prophecie the gift of tongues of wisdome and knowledge the dutie of euery man is especially of those which liue in the schooles of learning to labour by all meanes to increase cherish and preserue their gifts and as Paul exhorteth Timothie to stirre vp the gift of God that is as men preserue the fire by blowing it so by our diligence we must kindle and reuiue the gifts and graces of God bestowed on vs. Christ hath done his part and there is nothing required but our paines and fidelitie The third benefit that comes by Christs ascension is that he ascended to prepare a place for all that should beleeue in him In my fathers house saith Christ are many dwelling places if it were not so I would haue told you I goe to prepare a place for you For by the sinne of Adam our entrance into heauen was taken away If Adam by his fall did exclude himselfe from the earthly paradise then how much more did he exclude himselfe from heauen And theâ—efore all mankind sinning in him was likewise depriued of heauen The people of Israel beeing in woe and miserie cried out that they had sinned and therefore the Lord had couered himselfe with a cloud that their praiers could not passe through And Esai saith that our sinnes are a wall betwixt God and vs. And S. Iohn that no vncleane thing must enter into the heauenly Ierusalem Now seeing we haue shut our selues out of heauen by our sinnes it was requiâ—ite that Christ Iesus our Sauiour should goe before vs to prepare a place and to make readie a way for vs. For he is king ouer all he hath the keies of heauen he openeth and no man shutteth therfore it is in his power to lâ—t vs in though we haue shut our selues out But some may say if this be the ende of his ascension to prepare a place in heauen then belike such as died before the comming of Christ were not in heauen Ans. As there are two degrees of glorie one incomplete and the other complete or perfect for the faithfull departed are in glorie but in part and there remaineth fulnesse of glory for them at the day of iudgement when soule and bodie shall be both glorified together so answerably there are two degrees of preparation of places in heauen The places of glorie were in part prepared for the faithfull from the beginning of the world but the full preparation is made by Christs ascension And of this last preparation is the place of Iohn to be vnderstood The vse of this doctrine is very profitable First it ouerthroweth the fond doctrine of the church of Rome which teacheth that Christ by his death did merit our iustification and that we beeing once iustified doe further merit saluation and purchase for our selues a place in heauen But this is as it were to make a partition betweene Christ and vs in the worke of our redemption whereas in truth not onely the beginning and continuance of our saluation but also the accomplishment thereof in our vocation iustification sanctification glorification is wholly and onely to be ascribed to the meere merit of Christ and therefore hauing redeemed vs on earth he also ascends to prepare a place in heauen for vs. Secondly this serueth to condemne the fearefull lamentable and desperate securitie of these our daies Great is the loue of Christ in that he was content to suffer the pangs of hell to bring vs out of hell and withall to goe to heauen to prepare a place for vs there and yet who is it that careth for this place or maketh any account therof who forsaketh this world seekes vnto Christ for it And further least any maÌ„ should say alas I know not the way therfore Christ before he ascended made a new liuing way with his own blood as the Apostle speaketh And to take away all excuses froÌ„ men he hath set markes and bounds in this way and hath placed guides in it
as it were swallowed vp with a sea of his loue and wholly rauished therewith for which cause as farre as creatures can they shall loue him againe Againe the loue of a thing is according to the knowledge thereof but in this life God is knowne of man onely in part and therefore is loued onely but in part but after this life when the Elect shall knowe God fully they shall loue him without measure in this respect loue hath a prerogatiue aboue faith or hope howesoeuer in some respects againe they goe beyond loue The fourth prerogatiue is that the Saints of God keepe a perpetuall Sabbath in heauen In this life it is kept but euery seuenth daie and when it is best of all sanctified it is done but in part but in heauen euery day is a Sabbath as the Lord saith by the Prophet Esay From moneth to moneth and from Sabbath to Sabbath all flesh shall come and worship before me therefore the life to come shall be spent in the perpetuall seruice of God Fifthly the bodies of the elect after this life in the kingdome of heauen shal be like the glorious bodie of Christ so Paul saith Christ Iesus our Lord shall chaÌ„ge our vile bodies that they may be like his glorious bodie Now the resemblaÌ„ce betweene Christs bodie and ours standeth in these things as Christs bodie is incorruptible so shall our bodies be void of all corruption as Christs bodie is immortal so ours in the kingdom of heauen shal neuer die as Christs bodie is spirituall so shall ours be made spirituall as the Apostle saith It is sowen a naturall bodie it is raised a spirituall bodie not because the bodie shall be changed into a spirit for it shall remaine the same in substance and that for euer but because it shall be preserued by a spirituall and diuine manner For in this life it is preserued by meate drinke cloathing sleepe physicke rest and diet but afterwarde without all these meanes the life of the bodie shall be continued and bodie and soule keepe togither by the immediate power of Gods spirit for euer and euer Thus the bodie of Christ is nowe preserued in heauen and so shall the bodies of all the elect be after the day of iudgement Furthermore as Christs bodie is nowe a shining bodie as doth appeare by his transfiguration in the mount so in all likelihood after the resurrection the bodies of the elect shall be shining and bright alwaies remaining the same for substance Lastly as Christs bodie after it rose againe from the graue had this propertie of agilitie beside swiftnes to passe from the earth to the third heauen beeing in distance many thousand miles froÌ„ vs and that without violence so shall the bodies of the Saints For beeing glorified they shall be able as well to ascend vpwarde as to goe downewarde and to mooue without violence and that very swiftly The sixth and last prerogatiue is an vnspeakable and eternall ioy â—â— Dauid saith In thy presence is fulnesse of ioy at thy right hand there are pâ—â—â—ares for euermore It is said that when Salomon was crowned king the people reioiced exceedingly If there were such great ioy at his coronation whiâ—h was but an earthly prince what ioy then shall there be when the Elect shall see the true Salomon crowned with glorie in the kingdome of heauen It is said that the wise men which came from the East to worship Christ when they sawe the starre standing ouer the place where the babe was were exceedingly glad howe much more shall the elect reioice when they shall see Christ not lying in a manger but crowned with immortall glorie in the kingdome of heauen Wherefore this ioy of the elect after this life is most wonderfull and cannot be vttered The propertie of life eternall is to be an inheritance which God bestoweth on them which are made his sonnes in Christ who is the only begotten sonne of the father Hence it followes necessarily that in the Scriptures it is called a reward not because it is deserued by our workes as the Church of Rome erroniously teacheth but for two other causes First because life eternall is due to all that beleeue by vertue of Christs merit For his righteousnesse is made ours by imputation so conâ—equently the merit thereof is also ours and by it all personall merits in our selues vtterly excluded we deserue or merit eternall happines as a reward which neuerthelesse in respect of our selues is the free and meere gift of God The second is because there is a resemblance betweene eternall life and a reward For as a reward is giuen to a workeman after his worke is done so euerlasting life is giuen vnto men after the trauailes and miseries of this life are ended The degrees of life are three The first is in this life when men beeing iustified and sanctified haue peace with God Many imagine that there is no eternall life till after death but they are deceiued for it beginnes in this world as our Sauiour Christ testifieth saying Verily verily I say vnto you he that heareth my wordes and beleeueth him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life This being so we are hence to learne a good lesson Considering we looke for life euerlasting after this life we must not deceiue our selues lingring and deferring the time till the last gaspe but we must lay the foundation of life eternall in our selues in this world and haue the earnest thereof laide vp in our hearts against the day of death But how is that done we must repent vs heartily of all our sinnes and seeke to be assured in conscience that God the father of Christ is our father God the sonne our redeemer and God the holy Ghost our comforter For as Christ saith this is life eternall to know thee the onely God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. And we must goe further yet endeauouring to say with Paul that we liue not but that Christ liueth in vs which when we can say we haue in vs the very seede of eternall life The second degree is in the ende of this life when the bodie freed from all diseases paines and miseries is laid to rest in the earth and the soule is receiued into heauen The third is after the day of iudgement when bodie and soule reunited shall both be aduanced to eternall glorie Againe in this third degree of life there be in all likelihood sundrie degrees of glory Daniel speaking of the estate of the elect after this life saith They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnes shall shine as the starres for euermore Now we know there is difference betweene the brightnesse of the firmament and the brightnesse of the starres Againe there be degrees of torments in hell as appeares by the saying
all things were cheape 20 That drinking and bezeling in the alehouse or tauerne is good felowship and shewes a good kind nature and maintaines neighbourhoode 21 That a man may sweare by the Masse because it is nothing now and by r Ladie because shee is gone out of the countrie 22 That euery man must be for himselfe and God for vs all 23 That a man may make of his owne whatsoeuer he can 24 That if a man remember to say his praiers in the morning though hâ— neuer vnderstand them he hath blessed himselfe for all the day following 25 That a man praieth when he saith the ten Commandâ—ments 26 That a man eates his maker in the Sacrament 27 That if a man be no adulterer no thiefe nor murderer and doe no man harme he is a right honest man 28 That a man neede not haue any knowledge of Religion because he is not booke-learned 29 That one may haue a good meaning when he saith and doth that which is euill 30 That a man may goe to wizards called wisemen for counsell because God hath prouided a salue for euery sore 31 That ye are to be excused in all your doings because the best men are sinners 32 That ye haue so strong a faith in Christ that no euill companie can hurt you These and such like sayings what argue they but your grosse ignorance Now where ignorance raigneth there raignes sinne and where sinne raignes there the deuill rules and where he rules man are in a damnable case Ye will replie vnto me thus that ye are not so bad I would make you if neede be you can say the Creede the Lords prayer and the ten Commandements and therefore ye will be of Gods beleefe say all men what they will and you defie the deuill from yours hearts I answer againe that it is not sufficient to say all these without booke vnlesse ye can vnderstand the meaning of the words and be able to make a right vse of the Commandements of the Creede of the Lords prayer by applying them inwardly to your hearts and consciences and outwardly to your liues and conuersations This is the very point in which ye faile And for an helpe in this your ignorance to bring you to true knowledge vnfained faith and sound repentance here I haue set downe the principall point of Christian religion in sixe plaine and easie rules euen such as the simplest may easily learne and hereunto is adioyned an exposition of them word by word If ye doe want other good direction then vse this my labour for your instruction In reading of it first learne the sixe principles and when ye haue them without the booke and the meaning of them withall then learne the exposition also which beeing well conceiued and in some measure felt in the heart ye shall be able to profit by Sermons whereas now ye cannot and the ordinarie parts of the Catechisme namely the ten Commaundements the Creede the Lords prayer and the institution of the two Sacraments shall more easily be vnderstood Thine in Christ Iesus William Perkins The foundation of Christian religion gathered into sixe Principles The first Principle Question VVHat doest thou beleeue concerning God A. There is one God creator and gouernour of all things distinguished into the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Prooues out of the word of God 1. There is a God For the invisible things of him that is his eternall power and Godhead are seene by the creation of the world beeing considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse Neuerthelesse he left not himselfe without witnesse in that he did good and gaue vs raine from heauen and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnes 2. This God one Concerning therefore meat sacrificed to idols we knowe that an idol is nothing in the worlde and that there is none other God but one 3. He is creatour of all things In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth Through faith wee vnderstand that the world was ordained by the word of God so that the things which we see are not made of things which did appeare 4. He is gouernour of all things The eies of the Lord in euery place behold the euill and the good Yea and all the haires of your head are numbred 5. Distinguished into the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost And Iesus when he was baptized came straight out of the water and loe the heauens were opened vnto him and Iohn sawe the spirit of God descending like a Doue and lighting vpon him And loe a voice came from heauen saying This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased For there are three which beare record in heauen the Father the word and the holy Ghost and these three are one The second Principle Q. What dost thou beleeue coÌ„cerning man coÌ„cerning thine own selfe A. All men are wholly corrupted with sinne through Adams fall and so are become slaues of Sathan and guiltie of eternall damnation 1. All men are corrupted with sinne As it is written there is none righteous no not one 2. They are wholly corrupted Nowe the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirit and soule and bodie may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. This I say therefore and testifie in the Lord that ye henceforth walke not as other Gentiles walke in vanitie of their minde Hauing their cogitation darkened and beeing strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their heart When the Lord sawe that the wickednesse of man was great in the earth and all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were onely euill continually 3. Through Adams fall Wherefore as by one man sinne entred into the worlde and death by sinne and so death went went ouer all men for so much as all men haue sinned 4. And so are become slaues of Sathan Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of the worlde and after the prince that ruleth in the aire euen the spirit that nowe worketh in the children of disobedience For as much then as the children were partakers of flesh and blood he also himselfe likewise tooke part with them that hee might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the deuill In whome the God of this world hath blinded the mindes that is of Infidels that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the image of God should not shine vnto them 5. And guiltie of eternall damnation For as many as are of the workes of the Lawe are vnder the curse for it is written Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Lawe to doe them Likewise then as by the offence of
Act. 1. 13. a Ezech 16.6 When I passed by thee I saw thee polluted in thine owne blood and I said vnto thee when thou wast in thy blood thou shalt liue Esai 55.1 Hâ— euery one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and ye that haue no siluer come buie and eate comeâ— I say and buie wine and milke without siluer and without money Ioh. 1.12 As many as receiued him to them he gaue this priuiledge that they should become the sonnes of God namely to them which beleeued in his name b Rom. 7.7 I knew not sinne but by the Law for I had not knowne lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not lust c 1. Ioh. 2.27 But the annointing which ye receiued of him dwelleth in you and ye neede not that any man teach you but as the same annointing teacheth you of all things and is true and is not lying and as it is taught you ye shall abide in him d Act. 16.14 A certaine woman named Lydia a seller of purple of the citie of the Tâ—yatirians a worshipper of God heard vs whose heart God opened that shee attended to the things that Paul spake Psalâ— 40. v. 6. Thou art not delighted with sacrifice and burnt offerings but mine eares hast thou opened Ioh. 6.44 No man can come vnto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him vp at the last day Esai 54.6 The Lord hath called thee beeing as a woman forsaken and as a young wife when thou wast refused saith the Lord. a 1. Cor. 15.18 If Christ be not raised they which are asleepe in Christ are perished Act. 7.60 When he had thus spoken he slept b 1. Cor. 15 3â— O foole that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die c Reu. 21.27 There shal enter into it none vnclean thing neither whatsoeuer worketh abomination or lies but they which are written in the Lambs book of life Rom. 7.25 I my selfe in my mind serue the law of God but in my flesh the law of sinne d Luk. 23.42 He saide to Iesus Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome 43. Then Iesus said to him This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Reu. 14.13 Then I heard a voice from heauen saying vnto me Write Blessed are the dead which hereafter die in the Lord. Euen so saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them a Matth. 24. 29. Immediately after the tribulation of those daies shall the Sunne be darkened and the Moone shall not giue her light the starres shall fall from heauen and the powers of heauen shall be shaken 30. And then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man in heauen and then shall all the kinreds of the earth mourne and they shal see the Son of man come in the cloudes of heauen with power and great glorie b Luk. 21. 26. Mens hearts shall faile them for feare and for looking after those things which shall come on the world 28. And when these things beginne to come to passe then looke vp and lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neare 2. Tim. 4.8 Henceforth is laide vp for me the crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous iudge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but vnto them also that loue his appearing a Matth. chap. 24. vers 31. And he shall sende his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet 1. Thess. chap. 4. vers 16. The Lord himselfe shall descend from heauen with a shout euen with the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first b Matth. 24. 30. 1. Thess. 4. 17. Then shall we vvhich liue and remaine be caught vp vvith them also in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the ayre and so shall we euer be with the Lord. a 1. Cor. 15. 52. We shall not all sleepe but we shall be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet 43. b It is sowne in dishonour it is raised in honour it is sowne in weakenes it is raised in power 44. It is sowne a naturall bodie it is raised â— spirituall bodie c. a Ioh. 14. 23. If any man loue me he will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and we will come vnto him and dwell with him 1. Ioh. 4. 15. Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God God dwelleth in him and he in God Reuel 21.3 And I heard a voyce saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be their God with them 23. And that citie hath no neede of sunne or moone to shine in it for the glorie of God did light it and the Lambe is the light of it Reuel 22.2 In the middes of the streete of it and of either side of the riuer was the tree of life which bare twelue manner of fruits and gaue fruit euery moneth and the leaues of the tree serued to heale the nations with 5. And there shall be no night there and they neede no candle nor light of the sunne for the Lord giueth them light and they shall reigne for euermore 1. Cor. 15.45 Rom. 8.11 If the spirit of him that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies because that his spirit dwelleth in you Tit. 1.15 Act. 15.10 2. Tim. 4.3 1. Sam. â— 22.26 Psal. 2.12 Prov. 3.9,10 Luk. 2.25 a Socrat. hist. eccl l. 5. c. 10. b August de Temp. ser. 119. d Ambr. ser. 38. Heb. 6. â— 2â—â—â— a â—uâ—fâ—n in expos Symb â—â—erony ad â—am a Paciâ—nâ—s epiâ—t 1. ad Symâ—ro â— Tim. 1.13 Hab. 1â—1 â— Tim. 1.13 b Aug. seâ—m 119. de temp Caâ—sian li. 6. de incâ—râ—t domini a Cyril Catec 1. Mystag Tertull. de resurrect Origen hom 5. in Num. Act. 8.38 Hâ—b â—◠◠〈◊〉 â—1 〈…〉 Luk. 8.23 Act. 8.19 Math. 7.22 2. Cor. 13. â— 1 pâ—â— 3.12 Gal. 5.6 Math. 7.7 Math. 16 16â— Math. 8.10 and 16. â— Ioh. 4.33 â— 2 Rom. 10.10 â— Pet. 3.21 Heb. â— 4 â—ides estâ—oâ—a copulatiua Exod. 3â— Exo. 3.6.14 1. Tim. 1.17 a Psal. 82.6 b Exod. 4.16 c â— Cor. 4.4 â— Cor. 8.4 â—oâ— 17.3 Mark 9.24 â—sal 42.12 2. Chr. 16.12 Rom. 10. â—â— â— Tim. 1.12 â— Pet. 4.19 â— Chr. 34.27 â— Chr. 3â— â— Chr. 20.20 Hebr. 5.7 Psal. â—â— Dan. 6 2â— Psal. 78 21,2â— a Hebr. 1.3 Gal. 4.8 b Specie c Numero Math. 3. 16,17 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The meaning Math. 23.9 a Heb. 12.9 b Luk. 3.38 c Esa. 9.6 d Esa. 53.10 e Esa. 8.18 Ier. 3.4,19 Matth. 6.4 Iob 17.14 Ioh. 8.44 Prov. 10.1 Math. 12.50 Mal. 1.6 Math. 5.45 Psal. 68.5 Iob 29 1â— â—6 Math. 6.26 Heb. 12â—â— 2.
you God is able of these stones to raise vp children to Abraham Philip. 3. 21. According to the working whereby he is able to subdue euen all things vnto himselfe Gods actuall power is that by which he causeth all things to be which he freely will Psal. 135. 6. All things which God will those he doth in heauen and in earth and in all depths CHAP. 5. Of Gods glorie and blessednesse OVt of the former attributes by which the true Iehouah is distinguished from a fained god and from idols arise the glorie of God and his blessednesse Gods glorie or maiestie is the infinite excellencie of his most simple and most holy diuine Nature Hebr. 1.3 Who beeing the brightnesse of his glorie and the ingraued forme of his person c. Dan. 3. Thou art onely God and glorious vpon the earth By this we see that God onely can know himselfe perfectly Ioh. 6.46 Not that any maÌ„ hath seene the Father saue he which is of God he hath seen the Father 1. Tim. 6. 16. Who onely hath immortalitie and dwelleth in the light that none can attaine vnto whom neuer man saw neither can see Exod. 33.18 Thou canst not see my face Notwithstanding there is a certaine manifestation of gods glorie partly more obscure partly more apparant The more obscure manifestation is the vision of Gods maiestie in this life by the eies of the mind through the help of things perceiued by the outward senses Esa. 6.1 I saw the Lord sitting vppon an high throne and lifted vp and the lower parts thereof filled the temple Exod. â—3 22 And while my glorie passeth by I will put thee in a cleft of the rocke and will couer thee with my hand whiles I passe by after I will take away mine hand and thou shalt see my backe parts but my face shall not be seene 1. Cor. 13. 12. Nowe we se as through a glasse darkely The more apparant manifestation of God is the contemplation of him in heauen face to face 1. Corinth 13. 12. But then shall we see face to face Dan. 7. 9 10. I beheld till the thrones were set vp and the ancient of daies did fit whose garment was white as snow c. Matth. 19.16 Gods blessednes is that by which God is in himselfe and of himselfe all sufficient Gen. 17.1 I am God all sufficient walke before me and be thou vpright Col. 2.2.9 For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the godhead bodily 1. Tim. 6.5 Which in due time he shall shew that is blessed and Prince onely c. CHAP. 5. Concerning the persons of the Godhead THe persons are they which subsisting in one Godhead are distinguished by incommunicable properties 1. Ioh. 5.7 There are three that beare record in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one Gen. 19.24 Then Iehouah raigned vpon Sodom and vpon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Iehouah in heauen Ioh. 1.1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and that Word was God They therefore are coequall and are distinguished not by degree but by order The Constitution of a person is when as a personall proprietie or the proper manner of subsisting is adioyned to the Dietie or one diuine nature Distinction of persons is that which albeit euery person is one and the same perfect God yet the Father is not the Sonne or the holy Ghost but the Father alone and the holy Ghost is not the Father or the Sonne but the holy Ghost alone neither can they be deuided by reason of the infinitnesse of their most simple essence which is all one in number and the same in the Father the same in the Sonne and the same in the holy Ghost so that in these there is diuersitie of persons but vnitie in essence The communion of the persons or rather vnion is that by which each one is in the rest and with the rest by reason of the vnitie of the Godhead therfore euerie each one doth possesse loue and glorifie another and worke the same thing Ioh. 4.10 Beleeuest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father is in me the wordes that I spake vnto you I speake not of my selfe but the father that dwelleth in me he doth the workes Prov. 8.22 The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his way I was before the works of old And vers 20. Them was I with him as a nourisher and I was daily his delight reioicing alwaie before him Ioh. 1. 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and that Word was God and chap. 5.19 The Sonne can doe nothing of himselfe saue that he seeth the Father do for whatsoeuer things he doth the same doth the Sonne also There be three persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Matth. 3.16.17 And Iesus when hee was baptized came straight out of the water and lo the heauens were opened vnto him and Iohn saw the Spirit of God descending like a doue and lighting vpon him and loe a voyce came from heauen saying This is my belooued sonne in whome I am well pleased The father is a person without beginning who from all eternitie begate the Sonne Heb. 1.3 Who being the brightnes of the glorie and the ingraued forme of his person Psal. 2.7 Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee In the generation of the Sonne these properties must be noted I. Hee that begetteth and he that is begotten are togither and not one before another in time II. He that begetteth doth communicate with him that is begotten not some one part but his whole essence III. The Father begot the Sonne not out of himselfe but within in himselfe The incommunicable propertie of the Father is to be vnbegotten to be a Father and to beget He is the beginning of actions because he beginneth euery action of himselfe effecting it by the Sonne and the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 8.6 Yet vnto vs there is but one God which is the Father of whome are all things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whome are all things and wee by him Rom. 11. â—6 For of him and through him and for him are all things The other two persons haue the Godhead or the whole diuine essence of the Father by communication namely the Sonne and the holy Ghost The Sonne is the second person begotten of the Father from all eternitie Heb. 1.5 For vnto which of the Angels said be at any time Thou art my Sonne this day begat I thee Col. 1.15 Who is the image of the inuisible God the first borne of euery creaturâ— Ioh. 1.14 And we saw the glory thereof as the glory of the only begotten sonne of the father Rom. 8.32 He who spared not his owne sonne For this cause he is said to be sent from the father Ioh. 8.42 I proceeded forth and came from God neither came I of my selfe but he sent me This sending taketh not
Sonne of God By this we may see that Christ is one onely Sonne of God not two yet in two respects is he one As he is the eternall Word hee is by nature the Son of the Father As he is man the same Sonne also yet not by nature or by adoption but only by personal vnion Luk. 1.35 Matth. 3.17 This is my beloued Son c. The phrase in Scripture agreeing to this Vnion is the communion of properties concerning which obserue two rules I. Of those things which are spoken or attributed to Christ some are only vnderstood of his diuine nature As that Ioh. 8.58 Before Abraham was I am And that Coloss. 1.15 Who is the image of the inuisible God the first borne of euery creature Some againe agree only to his humanitie as borne suffered dead buried c. Luk. 2.52 And Iesus increased in wisdome and stature and in fauour with God and man Lastly other things are vnderstood only of both natures vnited togither As Matth. 17.5 This is my beloued Son in whome onely I am well pleased heare him Eph. 1.22 He hath made subiect all things vnder his feete and hath appointed him ouer all things to be the head to the Church II. Some things are spoken of Christ as he is God which must be interpreted according to his humane nature Act. 20.28 To feed the Church of God that is Christ which he according to his manhood hath purchased with his own blood 1. Cor. 2.8 If they had knowne this they would neuer haue crucified the Lord of glory Contrarily some things are mentioned of Christ as he is man which onely are vnderstood of his diuine nature Ioh. 3.13 No man ascended vp to heauen but he that hath descended from heauen the sonne of man which is in heauen This is spoken of his manhood whereas we must vnderstand that onely his Deitie came downe from heauen Ioh. 6.62 What if ye should see the sonne of man vz. Christs humane nature ascend vp where hee vz. his Deitie was before Lastlie by reason of this Vnion Christ as he is man is exalted aboue euery name yea he is adored and hath such a great though not infinite measure of gifts as farre surpasse the gifts of all Saints and Angels Eph. 1.21 And set him at his right hand in heauenly places â—â—â—re aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and euery name that is named not in this world onely but in that also that is to come Heb. 1.6 When he bringeth his first begotten Sonne into the world he saith And let all the Angels of God worship him Col. 2.3 In whome all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge are hidden Phil. 2.9 10. Therefore god exalted him on hie gaue him a name aboue all names that at the name of Iesus euery knee should bow namely worship and be subiect to him both of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth CHAP. 17. Of the distinction of both Natures THe distinction of both Natures is that whereby they with their properties and effects remaine without composition mingling or conuersion distinct Ioh. 10.17,18 Therefore doth my Father loue me because I lay downe my life that I may take it againe No man taketh it from me but I lay it downe of my selfe I haue power to lay it downe and haue power to take it againe Ioh. 13.31 32. Now is the Son of man glorified God is glorified in him If God be glorified in him God shall also glorifie him in himselfe Here we may obserue that there is one will in Christ as God another as man Matth. 26.39 Not as I will but as thou wilt This also approoueth that sentence of the Chalcedon Creede Wee confesse that one and the same Christ Iesus both Sonne Lord only begotteÌ„ is known and preached to be in two natures without confusion mutation distinction or separation Lastly hereby it is manifest that Christ when he became that which he was not namely man continued still that which he was very God CHAP. 18. Of Christs Natiuitie and Office THus much concerning Christs incarnation the cleere declaration thereof was by his natiuitie The natiuity of Christ is that wherby Mary a Virgin did after the course of nature and the custome of women bring forth Christ that Word of the father and the Son of Dauid so that those are much deceiued which are of opinion that Christ after a miraculous maner came into the world the wombe of the Virgin beeing shut Luk. 2.23 Euery man child which first openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord. The which place of scripture is applyed to Mary our Sauiour Christ. Hence is it that the Virgin Marie is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring forth god albeit she is not any way mother of the Godhead For Christ as hee is God is without mother and as man without Father It is conuenient to be thought that Mary continued a Virgin vntill her dying day albeit we make not this opinion any article of our beleefe I. Christ beeing now to depart the world committed his mother to the tuition and custodie of his disciple Iohn which it is like he would not haue done if shee had had any children by whom as custome was shee might haue beene prouided for Ioh. 19. 26. II. It is likely that shee who was with childe by the holy Ghost would not after know any man III. It is agreed of by the Church in all ages Christ beeing now borne was circumcised the eight day that he might fulfill all the righteousnes of the law and bâ—â—â—g thirtie yeares of age he was baptized that he beeing publiquely and solemnly inuested into the office of his Mediatorship might take vpon him the guilt of our sinnes He was both circumcised and baptized that we might learne I. That the whole efficacie of the Sacraments depend alone and wholly vpon him II. That he was Mediatour of mankind both before and after the Law as also vnder grace III. That he is the knot and bond of both couenants His Office followeth to the perfect accomplishing whereof he was annointed of his Father that is he was sufficiently furnished both with gifts and authoritie Hebr. 1.9 Therefore God euen thy God annointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes Esa. 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord was vpon me therfore be annointed me Ioh. 3.34 God giueth him not the Spirit by measure If any man inforce this as a reason that Christ could not performe the Office of a Mediatour beeing not the meane or middle betwixt God and man but the partie offended so one of the extreames we must know that Christ is two waies said to be the middle or meane I. Betwixt God and all men for being both God and man he doth participate with both extreames II. Betwixt God and the faithfull onely first according to his humanitie whereby he receiued the Spirit without measure Secondly according to his diuine
He is able perfectly to saue them that come to God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them Secondly according to his Deitie partly by applying the merit of his death partly by making request by his holy Spirit in the hearts of the Elect with sighes vnspeakable 1. Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of the Father to the sanctification of the Spirit Rom. 8. â—6 The Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed We are not therefore to imagine or surmise that Christ prostrateth himselfe vpon his knees before his Fathers throne for vs neither is it necessarie seeing his very presence before his father hath in it the force of an humble petition The end of Christs intercession is that such as are iustified by his merits should by this meanes continue in the state of grace Now Christs intercession preserueth the elect in couering their continuall slipps infirmities and imperfect actions by an especiall and continuall application of his merits That by this meanes mans person may remaine iust and mans works acceptable to God 1. Ioh. 2.2 Hee is a reconciliation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but for the sinnes of the whole world 1. Pet. 2.5 Yee as liuely stones be made a spirituall house and holy Priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. Reuel 8.3,4 And another Angell came and stood before the altar hauing a golden censer and much odours was giuen vnto him that he should offer with the prayers of all Saints vpon the golden altar which is before the throne and tâ—â— smoke of the odors with the prayers of the Saints went vp before God out of the Angels hand Thus farre concerning Christs priesthood nowe follow his Propheticall and Regall offices His Propheticall office is that whereby he immediately from his Father renealeth his word and all the meanes of saluation comprised in the same Ioh. 1.18 The Son which is in the bosome of his father he hath declared vnto you Ioh. 8.26 Those things which I heare of my father I speake to the world Deut. 18.18 I will raise them vp a Prophet c. The word was first reuealed partly by visions by dreames by speech partly by the instinct and motion of the holy ghost Heb. 1.1 At sundry times in diuers manners God spake in old time to our Fathers the Prophets in these last daies he hath spoken to vs by his sonne 2. Pet. 1.21 Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the holy ghost The like is done ordinarily onely by the preaching of the word where the holy ghost doth inwardly illuminate the vnderstanding Luk. 24.45 Then opened he their vnderstanding that they might vnderstand the Scriptures v. 21.15 I I will giue you a month and wisdome where against all your aduersaries shall not bee able to speake nor resist Act. 16.14 Whose heart the Lord opened that shee attended on the things that Paul spake For this cause Christ is called the Doctor Lawegiuer and Counsellour of his Church Matth. 23.10 Be ye not called Dâ—ctors for one is your Doctor Iesus Christ. Iam. 4.12 There is one Lawgiuer which is able to saue and to destroy Esa. 9.6 He shall call his name Counsellour c. Yea he is the Apostle of our profession Heb. 3.1 The Angell of the couenant Malac. 3.1 And the Mediatour of the new couenant Heb. 9.15 Therefore the soueraigne authoritie of expouÌ„ding the Scripture only belongs to Christ and the Church hath onely the ministerie of iudgement and interpretation committed vnto her Christs Regall office is that whereby he distributeth his gifts and disposeth all things for the benefit of the elect Psal. 2. and 110.31.2 The Lord said vnto my Lord sit tâ—ou on my right hand till I make thine enimies thy footestoole The execution of Christs Regall office comprehendeth his exaltation Christs exaltation is that by which he after his humiliation was by little and little exalted to glorie and that in sundrie respects according to both his natures The exaltation of his diuine nature is an apparant declaration of his diuine properties in his humane nature without the least alteration thereof Rom. 1. 4. Declared mightily to be the sonne of God touching the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead Act. 2.36 God hath made him both lord Christ whome ye haue crucified The exaltation of his humanitie is the putting off from him his seruile coÌ„dition and all infirmities and the putting on of such habituall gifts which albeit they are created and finite yet they haue so great and so marueilous perfection as possibly can be ascribed to any creature The gifts of his minde are wisdome knowledge ioy and other vnspeakeable vertues of his bodie immortalitie strength agilitie brightnesse Philip. 3.21 Who shall change our vile bodies that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body Math. 17.2 He was traÌ„sfigured before them his face did shine as the sunne and his cloathes were as white as the light Heb. 1.9 God euen thy God hath annointed the with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy fellows Eph. 1.20.22 Christs bodie although it be thus glorified yet is it still of a solide substaÌ„ce compassed about visible palpable and shall perpetually remaine in some certaine place Luk. 24.39 Behold my hands and my feete it is euen I touch me and see a spirit hath no flesh and bones as ye se me haue There be three degrees of Christs exaltation I. His resurrection wherein by his diuine power he subdued death and raised vp himselfe to eternall life 2. Cor. 13.4 Though he was crucified concerning his infirmitie yet liueth he through the power of God Matth. 28.6 Hee is not here for he is risen as he said Come see the place where the Lord was laid The ende of Christs resurrection was to shewe that his satisfaction by his passion and death was fully absolute For one onely sinne would haue detaiâ—ed the Mediatour vnder the dominion of death though he had fully satisfied for all the rest 1. Cor. 15.17 If Christ be not raised your faith is in vaine yee are yet in your sinnes Rom. 4.25 Who was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification II. His ascension into heauen which is a true locall and visible translation of Christs humane nature from earth into the highest heauen of the blessed by the vertue power of his Deitie Act. 1.9 When he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken vp for a cloud tooke him vp out of their sight and while they looked stedfastly towards heauen as he went beholde two men stood by theÌ„ in white apparell which also said Ye men of Galile why stand ye gazing into heauen this Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen
shall come as ye haue seene him goe into heauen Eph. 4.10 He ascended farre aboue all the heauens The end of Christs ascensâ—on was that he might prepare a place for the faithfull giue them the holy ghost and their eternall glorie Ioh. 14.2 In my fathers house are many mansions if it were not so I would haue told you I goe to prepare a place for you c. 16.7 If I goe not away the Comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you III. His sitting at the right hand of God the father which metaphorically signifieth that Christ hath in the highest heauens actually all glorie power dominion Heb. 1.3 By himselfe he hath purged our sinnes and sitteth at the right hand of the maiestie in the highest places Psal. 110.1 The Lord said to my Lord sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enimies thy footstoole 1. Cor. 15.25 Hee must raigne till he hath put all his enemies vnder his feete Act. 7.55 He being full of the holy Ghost looked stedfastly into heauen and sawe the glory of God and Iesus standing at the right hand of God Mark 20.22 His regall office hath two parts The first is his regiment of the kingdome of heauen part whereof is in heauen part vpon the earth namely the congregation of the faithfull In the gouernment of his Church hee exerciseth two prerogatiues royall The first is to make lawes Iames 4.12 There is one Lawgiuer which is able to saue and to destroy The second is to ordaine his ministers Eph. 4.11 He gaue some to be Apostles others Prophets others Evangelists some Pastours and teachers c. 1. Cor. 12.28 God hath ordained some in the Church as first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly teachers then them that doe miracles after that the gifts of healing helpers gouernours diuersitie of tongues Christs gouernment of the Church is either his collection of it out of the world or conseruation being collected Eph. 4.12 Psal. 10. The second part of his Regall office is the destruction of the kingdome of darknes Col. 1.13 Who hath deliuered vs from the kingdome of darknes Psal. 2.9 Thou shalt crusâ— them with a scepter of yron and breake them in pieces like a potters vessell Luk. 19.27 Those mine enimies that would not that I should raigne ouer them bring hither and slay them before me The kingdome of darkenesse is the whole company of Christs enemies The prince of this kingdome and of all the members thereof is the diuell Eph. 2.2 Ye walked once according to the counsell of the world and after the prince that ruleth in the aire enen the prince that nowe worketh in the children of disobedience 2. Cor. 4.4 The God of this world hath blinded the eies of the infidels 2. Cor. 6.15 What concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath the beleeuer with the infidel The members of this kingdome and subiects to Satan are his angels and vnbeleeuers among whome the principall members are Atheistes who say in their heart there is no God Psal. 14.1 And Magitians who bargaine with the diuell to accomplish their desires 1. Sam. 28.7 Psal. 58.5 Idolatours who either adorâ— false Gods or the true God in an idol 1. Cor. 10.7.20 Turkes and Iewes are of this bunch so are Heretiks who are such as erre with pertinacie in the foundation of religion 2. Tim. 2. 18. Apostates or reuolters from faith in Christ Iesus Heb. 6.6 False Christs who bâ—are men in hand they are true Christs Matth. 24.26 There were many such about the time of our Sauiour Christ his first comming as Iosephus witnesseth book 20. of Iewish antiquities the 11,12 14. chapters Lastly that Antichtist who as it is now apparant can be none other but the Pope of Rome 2. Thess. 2.3 Let no man deceiue you by any meanes for that day shall not come except there come a departing first and that that man of sinne bee disclosed euen the sonne of perdition which is an aduersarie and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he doth sit as God in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God Reuel 13.11 And I beheld another beast comming out of the earth which had two hornes like the Lambe but he spake like the dragon And he did all that the first beast could doe before him and he caused the earth and them that dwell threin to worship the beast whose deadly wound was healed There were then first Antichristes at Rome when the Bishops thereof would be entitled Vniuersall or supreame gouernours of the whole world but then were they complete when they togither with Ecclesiasticall censure vsurped ciuill authoritie After that Christ hath subdued all his enemies these two things shall ensue I. The surrendering ouer of his kingdome to God the Father as concerning the regiment for at that time shal cease both that ciuil regiment and spirituall policie consisting in word and spirit together II. The subiection of Christ onely in regard of his humanity the which then is when the Sonne of God shall most fully manifest his maiestie which before was obscured by the flesh as a vaile so that the same flesh remaining both glorious vnited to the Sonne of God may by infinite degrees appeare inferiour We may not therefore imagine that the subiection of Christ consisteth in diminishing the glorie of the humanitie but in manifesting most fully the maiestie of the Word CHAP. 19. CONCERNING THE OVTWARD MEANES of executing the decree of election and of the Decalogue AFter the foundation of Election which hath hitherto beene deliuered it followeth that we should intreat of the outward meanes of the same The meanes are Gods Couenant and the seale therof Gods couenant is his contract with man concerning life eternall vpon certaine conditions This couenant consisteth of two parts Gods promise to man Mans promise to God Gods promise to man is that whereby he bindeth himselfe to man to bee his God if he breake not the condition Mans promise to God is that whereby he voweth his allegiance vnto his Loâ—d and to performe the condition betweene them Againe there are two kindes of this couenant The couenant of workes the couenant of grace Ierm 31 3â—.42.43 Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will make a now couâ—nant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah not aâ—cording to the couenant I made with their fathers when I tocke them â—y the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt the which my couenant they brake alâ—hough I was an husband to them saith the Lord. But this shall be the couenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people The couenant of works is Gods couenant made with condition of perfect obedience and
common talke as when we say Good God! good Lord O Iesus or Iesus God! c. Phil. 2.10 At the name of Iesus shall euery knee bow of things in heauen things in earth things vnder the earth Esayâ— 45.23 Euery knee shall bow vnto me and euery tongue shall sweare by me VIII Abusing Gods creatures as when we either deride the workmaÌ„ship of God or the manner of working againe when we debase the excellencie of the worke obscure Gods gifts in our brother or discoÌ„mend such meats as God hath sent vs to eate finally when as wee in the contemplation of any of Gods creatures giue not him the due praise and glorie 1. Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe els see that ye doe all to the glory of God Psal. 19.1 The heauens declare the glorie of God and the firmament sheweth his handie worke IX Lots as when we search what must be as they say our fortune by dice bones books or such like For we are not to vse lots but with great reuerence in that the disposition of them immediately commeth from the Lord their proper vse is to decide great controuersies Prou. 16.33 The Lot is cast into the lappe but the whole disposition thereof is in the Lord. Prou. 18.18 The lot causeth contentions to cease and maketh a partition among the mightie For this cause the land of Canaan was diuided by lots Iosh. 14. and 15. chap. By which also both the high priests and the kings were elected as Saul 1. Sam. 10. And Matthias into the place of Iudas Iscariot Act. 1.23 X. Superstition which is an opinion conceiued of the works of Gods prouidence the reason whereof can neither be drawne out of the worde of God nor the whole course of nature As for example that it is vnluckie for one in the morning to put on his shoe awry or to put the left shoe on the right foot to sneeze in drawing on his shoes to haue salt fal toward him to haue an hare croâ—se him to bleed some fewe drops of blood to burne on the right eare Againe that it is contrarily good lucke to finde old yron to haue drinke spilled on him for the left eare to burne to pare our nailes on some one day of the weeke to dreame of some certaine things The like superstition is to surmise that beasts may be tamed by verses prayers or the like that the repetition of the creede or the Lords praier can infuse into hearbs a facultie of healing diseases Deut. 18.11 Here also is Palmestrie condemned when by the inspection of the hand our fortune is foretold These and such like albeit they haue true euents yet are we not to giue credence vnto them for God permitteth them to haue such successe that they which see and heare such thingsâ— may be tried and it may appeare what confidence they haue in God Deut. â—3 XI Astrologie whether it bee in casting of natiuities or making of Prognostications This counterfeit art is nothing els but a meere abuse of the heauens and of the starres 1. The twelue houses which are the ground of all figures are made of the fained signes of a supposed Zodiacke in the highest spheare commonly called the first Mooueable and therefore to these houses a man cannot truely ascribe any influence or vertue 2. This arte ariseth not from experience because it neuer happeneth that the same position of all starres is twise togither obserued and if it were yet could there not certaine ground arise from thence in that the efficacie influence of the stars is confusedly mixed both in the aire and in the earth as if all hearbs were mingled togither in one vessell 3. This art withdraweth mens mindes from the contemplation of Gods prouidence when as they heare that all things fall out by the motion and disposition of the starres 4. Starres were not ordained to â—oretell things to come but to distinguish daies months and yeares Gen. 1. 14. Let there be lights in the firmament of the heauen to separate the day from the night and let them be for signes and for seasons and for daies and for yeres Esay 47.13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsells let nowe the Astrologers the starre gazers and Prognosticators stand vp and saue thee from these things that shall come vpon thee vers 14. Behold they shall be as stubble the fire shall burne them c. Dan. 2.2 The king commanded to call the Inchanters Astrologers Sorrers and Chaldeans to shewe the king his dreames Act. 19.19 Many of theÌ„ which vsed curious artes brought their bookes and burned them before all men 5. Astrological predictions are conuersant about such things which either simply depend on the meere will and disposition of God and not on the starres or els such as depending vpon mans free-will are altogether contingent and therefore can neither be forseene not foretold 6. It is impossible by the bare knowledge of such a cause as is both common to many and farre distant from such things as it worketh in precisely to set downe particular effects but the starrs are such causes as are both common to many and farre distant from all things done vpon earth and therefore a man can no more surely foretell what shall ensue by the contemplation of the starres then he which seeth an henne sitting can tell what kinde of chickens shall be in euery egge Question Haue then the starres no force in inferiour things Answer Yes vndoubtedly the starres haue a very great force yet such as manifesteth it selfe onely in that operation which it hath in the foure principall qualities of naturall things namely in heate cold moysture and drinesse and therefore in altering the state and disposition of the ayre and in diuersly affecting compound bodies the starres haue no small effect But they are so farre from enforcing the will to doe any thing that they cannot so much as giue vnto it the least inclination Nowe to define howe great force the starres haue it is beyond any mans reach For albeit the effects of the Sunne in the constitution of the foure parts of the yeare are apparant to all and the operation of the Moone not very obscure yet the force and nature both of planets and fixed starres which are to vs innumerable are not so manifest Therefore seeing man knoweth onely some starres and their onely operation and not all with their forces it cannot be that he should certainly foretel future things although they did depend on the starres For what if the position of such and such certaine starres doe demonstrate such an effect to ensue may not the aspects of such as thou yet knowest not hinder that and produce the contrarie Question Is then the vse of Astrologie vtterly impious Answer That part of Astrologie which concerneth the alteration of the ayre is almost all both false and friuolous and therefore in a manner all predictions grounded vpon that doctrine are meere toyes
noise like to that of charriot wheeles suddenly passe away and the elements with the earth and all therein shall be dissolued with fire 2. Pet. 3. 12. Lâ—â—king for and hâ—â—sting vnto the comming of the day of God by which the heauens beeing 〈◊〉 shall be dissolued and the elements shall melt with heate 13. 〈…〉 new heauens and a new earth according to his promise wherein d 〈…〉 ousness At the same time when as all these things shall come to passe 〈◊〉 sound of the last trumpet shall be heard sounded by the Archangâ—â—â— And Christ shall come suddenly in the cloudes with power and glorie and a great traine of Angels III. Now at the sound of the trumpet the Elect which were dead shal arise with their bodies and those very bodies which were turned to dust and one part rent from another shall by the omnipotent power of God be restored and the soules of them shall descend from heauen and be brought againe into those bodies As for them which then shall be aliue they shall be changed in the twinckling of an eye and this mutation shall be in stead of death And at that time the bodies shall receiue their full redemption and all the bodies of the Elect shall be made like the glorious bodie of Christ Iesus and therefore shall be spirituall immortall glorious and free from all infirmitie IV. Last of all when they are all conuented before the tribunall seate of Christ he will forthwith place the Elect seuered from the reprobate and taken vp into the aire at his right hand and to them being written in the booke of life will he pronounce this sentence Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world Matth. 25.33 He shall set the sheepe on his right hand and the goates on the left 1. Thess. 4. 17. Reu. 20. 12. whosoeuer was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire CHAP. 50. Of the estate of the Elect after iudgement THe last iudgement beeing once finished the Elect shall enioy immediatly blessednes in the kingdome of heauen Blessednes is that whereby God himselfe is all in all his Elect. 1. Cor. 15. 28. When all things shall be subdued to him then shall the Sonne also himselfe be subiect vnto him that did subdue all things vnder him that God may be all in all And it is the reward of good workes not because workes can merit but by reason of Gods fauour who thus accepteth workes and that in respect of the merit of Christs righteousnes imputed to the Elect. Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is death but eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. 2. Tim. 4. 8. Reu. 22. 12. Behold I come shortly and my reward is with me to giue euery man according as his worke shall be Blessednesse hath two parts Eternall life and perfect glorie Eternall life is that fellowship with God whereby God himselfe is thorough the Lambe Christ life vnto the Elect. For in the kingdome of heauen the Elect shall not neede meat drinke sleepe aire heat cold phisicke apparell or the light of the Sunne and moone b but in place of all these shall they haue in them Gods spirit by which immediatly they shall be quickned for euer Perfect glorie is that wonderfull excellencie of the Elect wherby they shal be in a farre better estate then any heart can wish This glorie consisteth in three points I. In that they shall still behold the face of God which is his glory and maiestie Reuel 22.4 And they shall see his face and his name shall be in their forheads Psal. 17.15 I will behold thy face in righteousnes and when I awake I shall be satisfied with thine anger II. In that they shall be most like to Christ namely iust holy incorruptible glorious honorable excellent beautifull strong mightie and nimble 1. Ioh. 3.2 Dearely beloued now are we the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what we shall be and we knowe that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie according to the working whereby he is able euen to subdue all things to himselfe III. They shall inherit the kingdome of heauen yea the newe heauens and newe earth shal be their inheritance 1. Pet. 1.4 God hath begotten you to an inheritance immortall vndefiled and that fadeth not away reserued in heauen for you Mat. 25.34 Then shall the king say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father possesse a kingdome prepared for you before the foundations of the world were laid Reu. 5.10 Thou hast made vs vnto our God kings and priests and we shall raigne on the earth Reuel 21.7 Hee that ouercommeth shall inherite all things and I will be his God he shall be my sonne The fruit that commeth from both these parts of blessednes is of two sorts Eternall ioy and the perfect seruice of God Psal. 16.11 Thou wilt shewe me the path of life in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Psal. 36.8 They shall be satisfied with the fatnes of thine house and thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuer of thy pleasures 9. For with thee is the well of life and in thy light shall we see light The parts of Gods seruice are Praise and Thanksgiuing Reuel 21.3 And I heard a great voice out of heauen saying behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be their God with them Chap. 5.12 Saying with a loud voice Worthy is the Lambe that was killed to receiue power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and praise c. 13. Chap. 11.17 The foure and twentie Elders which sate before God on their seates fell vpon their faces and worshipped God saying Wee giue thee thanks Lord God Almightie which art and Which wa st and Which art to come for thou hast receiued thy great might and hast obtained thy kingdome The manner of performing this seruice is to worship God by God himselfe immediately In heauen there shall neither be temple ceremonie nor Sacrament but all these wants shal God himselfe supply togither with the LaÌ„be that is Christ. Reuel 21.22 I sawe no temple therein for the Lord God Almightie and the Lambe are the Temple of it This seruice shall be daily and without intermission Reuel 7.15 They are in the presence of the throne of God and serue him day and night in his temple A Corollarie or the last conclusion THus God in sauing the Elect doeth clearely set forth his iustice and mercy His iustice in that he punished the sinnes of the elect in his Sonnes owne person His
all men can not be charged with vnbeleefe and contempt in respect of the Euangelicall couenant but onely such persons as haue knowne it or at the least heard of it And therefore sundrie heads of the nations may be charged with vnbeleefe as Cain Cham Iaphet Ammon Moab Ismael Esau Madian for they beeing neere to the fathers heard the promises concerning Christ offered sacrifices and obserued externall rites of the Church but afterward fell away from the sincere worship of the true God to idolatrie and all manner of wickednesse and became enemies of God and his people But we plainely denie that there was or could be the like vnbeleefe and contempt of Gods grace in their posteritie which for the most part neuer so much as heard of any couenant their ancetours indeauouring alwaies to burie and extinguish the memorie of that which they hated It is obiected againe that the couenant was made with Abraham and with all mankind after him Because saith the Lord thou hast obeyed my voice in thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed Ans. Paul giues a double answer first that the place must be vnderstood of many nations secondly that it must bee vnderstood not of all nations in all ages but of all nations of the last age of the world For saith he the scripture foreseeing that God would iustifie the Gentiles through faith preached before the gospell vnto Abraham saying in the shall all thee nations be blessed Well to conclude this point in the making of the couenant there must be a mutual consent of the parties on both sides and beside the promise on Gods part there mâ—st be also a restipulation on mans part otherwise the couenant is not made Noâ—e then it must needes followe that all vnbeleeuers contemning grace offered in Christ are out of the couenaÌ„t as also such as neuer heard of it for where there is no knowledge there is no consent and before the comming of Câ—â—istâ— the greatest part of the world neuer knewe the Messias nor heard of the couenant as Paul saith to the learned Athenians the time of this ignorance God regarded not but nowe he admonisheth all men euery where to repent The foundation and ground worke of the couenant is Christ Iesus the Mediatour in whome all the promises of God are yea and amen and therefore he is called the angel of the conenant and the couenant of the people to bee made with all nations in the last age Now then that we may proceede at large to open the substance of the couenaÌ„t we are in the next place to come to that part of the creede which concernes the second person in Trinitie set downe in these wordes And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne c. from which wordes to the very ende of the Creede such points onely are laid downe as doe notably vnfolde the benefits and the matter of the couenant Nowe the second person is described to vs by three things first his titles secondly his incarnation thirdly his twofold estate His titles are in number foure I. Iesus II. Christ. III. his onely sonne IIII. our Lord. His incarnation and his twofolde estate are set downe afterward To come to his titles the first is Iesus to which if we adde the clause I beleeue on this manner I beleeue in Iesus c. the article which wee nowe haue in hand will appeare to be most excellent because it hath most notable promises annexed to it When Peter confessed Christ to be the sonne of the liuing God he answered vpon this rocke will I build my church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it And againe He that confesseth that Christ is the sonne of God God dwelleth in him and he in God And againe To him giue all the prophets witnesse that through his name all that beleeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes Paul saith Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and all thy houshold Thus then the confession in which we acknowledge that we beleeue in Iesus Christ hath a promise of fellowship with God and of life euerlasting But it may be obiected that euery spirit as S. Iohn saith which confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God Nowe the deuil and all his angels and vnbeleeuers doe thus much therefore why may not they also haue the benefit of this confession Ans. By spirit in that place is neither meant angels nor meÌ„ nor any creature but the doctrine which teacheth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh it is of God because it is holy and diuine and hath God to be the author of it As for the deuill and his angels they can indeede confesse that Christ the sonne of God was made man and a wicked man may teach the same but vnto the confession whereunto is annexed a promise of eternall life is required true faith whereby wee doe not onely knowe and acknowledge this or that to be true in Christ but also rest vpon him which neither Satan nor wicked men can doe And therefore by this confession the Church of God is distinguished from all other companies of men in the worlde which beleeueth not as Panyms hereticks Atheists turks Iewes al other infidels This name Iesus was giuen to the sonne of God by the father and brought from heauen by an angel vnto Ioseph and Marie and on the day when hee was to be circumcised as the manner was this name was giuen vnto him by his parentâ—â— as they were commanded from the Lord by the Angel Gabriel And therefore the name was not giuen by chance or by the alone will of the parents but by the most wise appointment of God himselfe The name in Hebrew is Iehosoua and it is changed by the Grecians into Iesus which signifieth a Sauiour And it may be called the proper name of Christ signifying his office and both his natures because he is both a perfect and absolute Sauiour as also the alone Sauiour of man because the worke of saluation is wholly and onely wrought by him and no part thereof is reserued to any creature in heauen or in earth As Peter saith For among men there is no other name giuen vnder heauen whereby we may be saued but by the name of Iesus And the author to the Hebrues saith That he is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them If any shall obiect that the promises of saluation are made to them which keepe the commandements the answer is that the lawe of God doth exact most absolute and perfect obedience which can be found in no man but in Christ who neuer sinned and therefore it is not giuen vnto vs nowe that we might by our selues fulfil it and worke out our owne saluation but that beeing condemned by it wee might wholly depende on Christ for eternall life
the Iewes and all nations vnder his dominions to signifie that Christ was borne at the very time foretold by Iaacob when the crowne and scepter was taken from Iuda and withall to shew that his kingdome was not of this world And it was the good pleasure of God that Christ should not be borne either later or sooner but so many ages from the beginning of the world And this consideration of the very time it selfe serues greatly for the confirmation of our faith For thus may we reason with our selues If God who in the beginning made a promise to our first parents concerning the seede of the woman deferred it almost 4000 yeares and yet at length accomplished the same to the very full then no doubt God hauing promised the resurrection of the dead and life euerlasting will in his good time bring them to passe though as yet we see them not And thus by the accomplishment of all things past should we confirme our hope concerning things to come The place was not at Ierusalem nor Nazareth nor any other citie but onely a village of Iuda called Bethleem that the prophesie of Micheas might be fulfilled Thou Bethleem Ephrata art little to be among the thousands of Iuda yet out of thee shall he come forth vnto me that shal be the ruler in Israel And here we may obserue a memorable example of Gods prouidence which ouerruleth the proceedings of cruell tyrants to the accomplishing of his owne will they themselues for their parts intending nothing lesse Augustus not so much as dreaming of the birth of the Messias gaue commandement that euery man should goe to his owne citie to be taxed and hereupon Ioseph and Marie take their iourney from Nazareth to Bethleem which iourney God himselfe appointed and disposed to this ende that the Messias might be borne in the place which he preordained and foretold by his Prophet The manner of Christs birth was very base and poore for the place where he was borne was a stable and the cradle where he lay was a cratch And he willingly tooke vpon him this pouertie for sundrie causes I. That the Scripture might be fulfilled which saith that he should be the shame and contempt of the people and that he shall grow vp as a roote out of a drie ground and haue neither forme nor beautie II. That he might afterward from this base condition be exalted euen in his manhoode to that rich and glorious estate in which he should manifest himselfe to be Lord of heauen and earth III. He was borne in exceeding pouertie that he might shame the wise men of this world who exceedingly esteeme of their riches power and glorie perswading themselues that without such meanes no good thing can be done And yet for all this they can not so much as reconcile one man to God by all their might wealth wheras Christ himselfe hath done the same both in pouertie and weaknesse and can enlarge and preserue his kingdome without earthly helps When he hung vpon the crosse the souldiers stript him of his garments and beeing naked he brought that to passe which all the Monarchs of the earth in all their royalties could neuer haue performed And whether Christ lie in the manger betweene the Oxe and the Asse or in the pallace of the King it matters not in regard of our saluation IV. He came in this maner that there might be a difference betweene his first comming in the flesh and his last oomming to iudgement In the first he came onely for this ende not to make any outward alterations in the world but to chaunge the conscience and to put in execution the worke of our spirituall redemption and therefore he hath reserued the ouerturning of all earthly estates with the manifestation of his owne glorie to the latter V. Lastly he was borne in a poore estate that he might procure true riches for vs in heauen and withall sanctifie vnto vs our pouertie vpon earth As Paul saith Ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that he beeing rich for your sakes became poore that ye thorough his pouertie might be made rich He was content to lie in the manger that we might rest in heauen This serues to teach vs to be content to beare any meane condition that the Lord shall send vpon vs for this is the very estate of the sonne of God himselfe And if for our cause he did not refuse the basest condition that euer was why should we murmure at the same for what is the best of vs but miserable sinners and therfore vtterly vnworthie either to go or lie vpon the bare earth and though we fare and lie better then our Lord himselfe yet such is our daintinesse we are not pleased therewith whereas he for his part disdained not the manger of the Oxe And if the Lord of heauen and earth comming into the world finde so little entertainment or fauour we for our parts beeing his members should willingly prepare our selues to take as hard measure at the hands of men The last point is the manifestation of Christs birth that it might be known to the world Where consider two circumstances the first to whome namely to poore shepheards tending their flockes by night and not to great or mightie men louers of this world nor to the priests at Ierusalem contemners of Gods grace and that for two causes one because the shepheards were the fittest persons to publish the same at Bethlehem the other it was Gods pleasure to manifest that in the birth of Christ which Paul saith Not many wise men after the flesh not many mightie not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise The second is by whome by the angels of the Lord appearing in great glorie vnto the shepheards For the priests of Ierusalem and the rulers of the Synagogues to whome this oâ—fice did belong held their peace beeing blinded in their manifold errours wicked waies The duties to be learned of the birth of Christ are these First we are admonished hereby to magnifie and praise the name of God saying with Mary My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour And with Zacharie Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people And with the Angels of heauen Glorie to God in the highest heauens For in this birth is made manifest the wisdome the truth the iustice and mercy and goodnesse of God towards vs more then euer it was before yea as Christ God and man is more excellent then the first Adam created according to Gods owne image and as the spirituall life is better then the naturall life and as the eternall and most holy marriage of Christ the husband and his spouse the Church arising as it were out of the bloode that trickled out of his side is more wonderfull then the creation of Eve of the rib of
a candlesticke Nowe howe much more carefull ought we to be to entertaine God himselfe who is content to come and dwell with vs and therefore we must adorne our bodies and soules with grace that he may lodge and suppe and dine with vs as hee hath promised but on the contrarie if wee defile our bodies with sinne wee banish the Holy Ghost out of our hearts and inuite the deuill to come and dwell with vs. For the more a man defileth his bodie the fitter and cleaner it is for him And to coÌ„clude this point let vs remeÌ„ber that saying which is vsed of some that Christ when he went hence gaue vs his pawne namely his spirit to assure vs that he would come to vs againe and also hee tooke with him our pawne namely his flesh to assure vs further that we should ascend vp to him Thus much for the benefits of Christs ascension Nowe followe the duties whereunto we are mooued and they are two First we must be here admonished to renounce the vbiquitie and the errour of the reall and essentiall presence of the bodie of Christ in the Sacrament of the Lords supper as flatly oppugning this article of Christs ascensioÌ„ into heauen For it is flat against the nature of a true bodie to subsist in many places at once Secondly as the Apostles then did when they sawe Christ ascending vp into heauen so must wee doe also while hee was present with them they gaue him honour but when they saw him ascending they adored him with farre greater reuerence and so must we now for the same cause bowe the knees of our hearts vnto him Thus much of the second degree of the exaltation of Christ. Now followes the third in these words And sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie In the handling whereof we are first to shewe the meaning of the wordes secondly the comforts and benefits that redound to Gods Church thirdly the duties that we are mooued vnto For the meaning of the words if we speak properly God hath neither right hand nor left neither can he be said to sit or stand for God is not a bodie but a spirit the words therefore containe a borrowed speech from earthly kings and potentates whose manner and custome hath beene to place such persons at their right handes whome they purposed to aduance to any speciall office or dignitie So King Salomon when his mother came to speake with him rose vp from his throne and met het caused a seate to be set at his owne right hand and set her vpon it in token no doubt of honour which he gaue vnto her To the same purpose Dauid saith Vpon thy right hand did stand the Queene in a vesture of gold And the sonnes of Zebedeus made suit to Christ that one of them might sit at his right hand and the other at his left in his kingdome Now their request was to haue the two speciall and principall dignities of his kingdome Thus we see it is manifest that the sitting at the right hand of an earthly prince signifieth aduancement into authoritie and honour and therfore the same phrase of speech applied to Christ signifieth two things First his full and manifest exaltation in dignitie honour and glorie and in this sense it is saide that to him is giuen a name that is aboue all names that at the name of Iesus euery knee shall bowe Secondly it signifieth his full and manifest exaltation into the authoritie and gouernment of his kingdome which spreadeth it selfe ouer heauen and earth So Dauid saith The Lord said vnto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy footstoole Which place beeing alleadged by S. Paul repeating the words but changing the phrase is thus set downe He shall raigne till he haue put all his enemies vnder his feete And to speake in briefe the scope of the wordes is to shewe that Christ God and man after his ascension is aduanced to such an estate in which he hath fulnesse of glorie power maiestie and authoritie in the presence of his father and all the Saints and holy angels Furthermore in the words three circumstances must be obserued The first is the place where Christ is thus aduanced noted in the former article he ascended into heauen and sits namely in heauen at the right hand of God The place then where Christ Iesus in both his natures as he is God and also man doth rule in full glorie power and maiestie is heauen it selfe To which effect Paul saith God raised Christ from the dead and put him at his right hand in the heauenly places And in the Epistle to the Hebrewes it is saide He sitteth at the right hand of the maiestie in highest places This â—oint well considered serues to discouer the ouersight of sundrie Diuines which hold and teach that to sit at the right hand of God is to be euery where in all places and not in heauen onely that they might hereby lay a foundation for the vbiquitie of Christs manhood which neuerthelesse the heauens must containe till the time that all things be restored The second circumstance is the time when Christ began to sit at the right hand of God the father which is to be gathered by the order of the articles For first Christ died and was buried then he rose againe and ascended into heauen and after his ascension he is said to sit at the right hand of his father This order is also noted vnto vs by S. Paul Who shall condemne saith he it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God And S. Marke saith when Christ was risen againe he appeared to his disciples and after he had spoken vnto them he was receiued into heauen and sate at the right hand of God But it may be demanded how this can stand with truth that Christ should not begin to sit at the right hand of his father before the ascension considering he is one God with the father and therfore an absolute and soueraigne King from all eternitie Answ. As Christ is God or the Word of the father he is coequall and coeternall with him in the regiment of his kingdome and hath neither beginning middle or ending thereof yet as Christ is God incarnate and in one person God-man or Man-god he began after his ascention and not before to sit at the right hand of his father as S. Peter saith was made Lord partly because as he was God he did then manifest himselfe to be that which indeede he was before namely God and Lord of heauen and earth and partly because as he was man he receiued dominion or Lordship from the father which he had not before thereby was euen in his manhood exalted to be king of heauen and earth and in this sense Christ saith of himselfe All power
intercession his satisfaction is applied to our persons and by consequent the defect of our workes is couered and remooued and they are approued of God the father In a vision Saint Iohn saw an angel standing before the altar with a golden censer full of sweete odours to offer vp with the praiers of the Saints vpon the same And this signifies that Christ presents our workes before the throne of God and by his intercession sanctifies them that they may be acceptable to God And therefore we must remember that when we doe any thing that is accepted of God it is not for our sakes but by reason of the value and vigour of Christ his merit Fourthly the intercession of Christ made in heauen breedeth and causeth in the hearts of men vpon earth that beleeue another intercession of the spirit as Paul saith He giueth vs his spirit which helpeth our infirmities and maketh request for vs with sighes which can not be expressed but he which searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit for he maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God Now the spirit is said to make request in that it stirres and mooues euery contrite heart to pray with sighes and grones vnspeakable to God for things needfull and this grace is a fruit deriued from the intercession of Christ in heauen by the operation of the spirit For as the Sunne though the bodie of it abide in the heauens yet the beames of it descend to vs that are on earth So the intercession of Christ made in heauen is tied as it were to his person alone yet the grones and desires of the touched heart as the beames thereof are here on earth among the faithfull And therefore if we desire to know whether Christ make intercession for vs or no we neede not to ascend vp into the heauens to learne the truth but we must descend into our owne hearts and looke whether Christ haue giuen vs his spirit which makes vs crie vnto God make request to him with grones sighes that can not be expressed and if we finde this in our hearts it is an euident and infallible signe that Christ continually makes intercession for vs in heauen He that would know whether the Sunne shine in the firmament must not clime vp into the cloudes to looke but search for the beames thereof vpon the earth which when he sees he may conclude that the sunne shines in the firmament And if we would know whether Christ in heauen makes intercession for vs let vs ransacke our owne consciences and there make search whether we feele the spirit of Christ crying in vs Abba Father As for those that neuer feele this worke of Gods spirit in them their case is miserable whatsoeuer they be For Christ as yet makes no intercession for them considering these two alwaies go togither his intercession in heauen and the worke of his spirit in the hearts of men moouing them to bewaile their owne sinnes with sighes and grones that cannot be expressed and to crie and to pray vnto God for grace and therfore all such whether they be yong or old that neuer could pray but mumble vp a few words for fashions sake can not assure themselues to haue any part in Christs intercession in heauen The duties to be learned hence are these First whereas Christ makes intercession for vs it teacheth all men to be most carefull to loue and like this blessed Mediatour and to be readie and willing to become his seruants and disciples and that not for forme and fashion sake onely but in all truth and sinceritie of heart For he ascended to heauen and there sits at the right hand of his father to make request for vs that we might be deliuered from hell and come to eternall life Wicked Haman procured letters from king Ahashuerosh for the destruction of all the Iewes men women and children in his dominions this done Hester the Queene makes request to the king that her people might be saued and the letters of Haman reuoked shee obtaines her request and freedome was giuen and contrarie letters of ioyfull deliuerance were sent in post hast to all prouinces where the Iewes were Whereupon arose a wonderfull ioy and gladnes among the Iewes and it is saide that thereupon many of the people of the land became Iewes Well now behold a greater matter among vs then this for there is the hand-writing of condemnation the law and therein the sentence of a double death of bodie and soule and Satan as wicked Haman accuseth vs and seekes by all meanes our condemnation but yet behold not any earthly Hester but Christ Iesus the sonne of God is come downe from heauen and hath taken away this hand-writing of condemnation and cancelled it vpon the crosse and is now ascended into heauen and there sits at the right hand of his father and makes request for vs and in him his father is well pleased and yeeldeth to his request in our behalfe Now then what must we doe in this case Surely looke as the Persians became Iewes when they heard of their safetie so we in life and conuersation must become Christians turne to Christ imbrace his doctrine and practise the same vnfainedly And we must not content our selues with a formall profession of religion but search our owne hearts and flie vnto Christ for the pardon of our sinnes and that earnestly as for life and death as the thiefe doth at the barre when the iudge is giuing sentence against him When we shall thus humble our selues then Christ Iesus that sit at the right hand of God will plead our cause and be our atturney vnto his father and his father againe will accept of his request in our behalfe Then shall we of Persians become Iewes and of the children of this world become the sonnes of God Secondly when we pray to God we must not doe as the blinde man doth as it were rush vpon God in praying to him without consideration had to the Mediatonr between vs and him but we alwaies must direct our prayers to God in the name of Christ for he is aduanced to power and glorie in heauen that he might be a fit patrone for vs who might preferre and present our praiers to God the father that thereby they might be accepted and we might obtaine our request So likewise we must giue thanks to God in the name of Christ for in him and for his sake God doth bestow on vs his blessings Thus much of Christs intercession the other benefit which concernes Christ kingly office is that he sits at the right hand of his father for the administration of that speciall kingdome which is committed to him I say speciall because he is our king not onely by the right creation gouerning all things created togither with the father and the holy Ghost but also more specially by the right of redemption in respect of another kingdome not
it be with the aduenture of our liues When Dauid desired to drinke of the water of the well of Bâ—thlem three of his mightie men went and brake into the hoast of the Philistâ—ms and brought him water Thus they ventured their liues for Dauids sake and shall not we much more willingly venture our liues to doe Christ seruice in token of thankefulnesse for his continuall preseruing of vs Thus much of the highest degree of Christs exaltation in his kingeome nowe followeth the last point to be beleeued concerning Christ in these wordes From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade And they containe a proofe or a particular declaration of the former article For as on earth those that are set at the right hand of kings doe execute iustice in courts or assises â—or the maintenance of the state peace of the kingdome so Christ Iesus sitting at the right hand of his father that is being made soueraigne Lord of all things both in heauen and earth is to hold a court or assise in which hee shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead Nowe in handling the last iudgement we are to consider these points I. whether there shall be a iudgement or not II. the time of it III. the signes thereof IV. the manner of it V. the vse which is to be made thereof Of these in order For the first point whether there shall be a iudgement or not the question is needefull for as Saint Peter saith There shall come in the last daies mockers which shall walke after their lusts and say Where is the promise of his comming which daies are nowe The answer to this question is set downe in this article in which we professe that the comming of Christ to the last iudgement is a point of religion specially to be helde and auouched The reasons to prooue it are principally two first the testimonie of God himselfe in the bookes of the olde and newe testament which affoard vnto vs plentifull proofes touching the last iudgement so as he which will but lightly read the same shall not neede to doubt thereof The second reason is taken froÌ„ the iustice and goodnes of God the propertie wherof is to punish wicked and vngodly men and to honour and reward the godly but in this world the godly man is most of all in miserie for iudgement beginneth at Gods house and the vngodly haue their hearts ease Wâ—cked Diues hath the world at will but poore Lazarus is hunger bitten full of sores and miserable euery way This beeing so it remaineth that after this life therâ— must needes be a iudgement and a second comming of Christ when the godly must receiue fulnesse of ioy and glorie and the vngodly fulnesse of woe miserie This second reason may stoppe the mouthes of all gainesayers in the world whatsoeuer But it may be obiected that the whole world stands either of beleeuers or vnbeleeuers and that there is no last iudgement for either of these for the beleeuer as Christ saith hath euerlasting life and shall not come into iudgement and the vnbeleeuer is condemned alreadie and therefore needeth no further iudgement Ans. Where it is said he that beleeueth shall not come into iudgement it must bee vnderstood of the iudgement of condemnation and not the iudgement of absolution and he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie in effect and substance three waies I. in the counsell of God who did foresee and appoint his condemnation as it is a punishment of sinne and an execution of his iustice II. in the word of God where he hath his condemnation set downe III. he is condemned in his own conscience for euery vngodly mans conscience is a iudge vnto himselfe which doth euery houre condemne him and it is a forerunner of the last iudgement And notwithstanding all this there may remaine a second iudgement which is a manifestation and finishing of that which was begunne in this worlde and therefore the meaning of that place is this hee that beleeueth not is alreadie iudged in part but so as the full manifestation thereof shall be at the second comming of Christ. The second circumstance is the time of his iudgement in handling whereof first let vs see what is the iudgement of men secondly what is the trueth For the first two opinions touching this time take place The first is that the second comming of Christ shall be about sixe thousand yeares from the beginning of the worlde and that for the Elects sake some of these daies must be shortned and nowe since the beginning of the worlde are passed fiue thousand almost sixe hundred yeares so as there remaines but foure hundred The groundes of this opinion are these First the testimonie of Elias two thousand yeares before the lawe two thousand yeares vnder the lawe and two thousand yeares vnder Christ. And for the elects sake some of these yeares shall be shortened Answer This was not the sentence of Elias the Thisbite but of another Elias which was a Iewe no prophet And wheras he saith two thousand yeres before the lawe and two thousand yeares vnder the lawe he faileth From the giuing of the law to the comming of Christ was about one thousand and fiue hundred yearesâ— and from the lawe to the creation aboue two thousand Now if Elias cannot set downe a iust number for the time past which a meane man many do what shal we think that he can do for the time to come And if he deceiue vs in that which is more easie to find how shal we trust him in things that be harder The secoÌ„d reason is this How long god was in creating the world so long he shall be in gouerning the same but he was sixe daies in creating the worlde and in the seuenth he rested and so proportionally hee shall bee sixe thousand yeares in gouerning the world euery daie answering to a thousand yeares as Peter saith A thousand yeares are but as one day with God and then shall the end bee Ans. This reason likewise hath no ground in Gods word as for that place of Peter the meaning is that innumerable yeares are but as a short time with God and we may as well say two thousand or tenne thousand yeares are but as one daie with God For Peter meant not to speake any thing distinctly of a thousand yeares but of a long time Thirdly it is alleadged that within sixe thousand yeares from the creation of the world shall appeare in the heauens straunge coniunctions and positions of the starres which signifie nothing els but the subuersion of the state of the world nay some haue noted that the ende thereof should haue beene in the yeare of our Lord a thousand fiue hundred eightie eight their writings are manifest but we finde by experience that this opinion is false and friuolous and their groundes be as friuolous For no man can gather by the ordinarie course of the
the faithfull haue their whole estate before God reuealed vnto them according to the word the thing it selfe being otherwise secret and hidden 1. Cor. 2,9,10,12 Further the work of this spirit in the godly is twofold the one concernes God himselfe the other the things of God The worke of the spirit of reuelation which respects God himselfe is an acknowledgement of the Father or of Christ. Now to acknowledge God the Father is not onely to know and confesse that he is a father of the faithfull but also to be resolued in conscience that he is a father to me in particular Secondly that Christ is not onely in generall a Sauiour of the elect but that he is in speciall my Sauiour and redeemer The second worke of this spirit is an illumination of the eyes of the minde to see and know the things of God which he hath prepared for them that doe beleeue and they are two The first is life eternall which is described by fiue arguments 1. It is the Ephesian hope that is the thing hoped for in this life 2. It is the hope of the calling of God because in preaching of the Gospell it is offered and men are called to waite for the same 3. An inheritance properly to Christ because he is the naturall sonne of God and by him to all that shall beleeue 4. The excellencie because it is a rich and glorious inheritance 5. Lastly it is made proper to the Saints The second thing is the greatnes of the power of God whereby sinne is mortified the corrupt nature renued and mightily strengthened in temptations This power is set forth by two arguments The first is the subiect or persons in whome this power is made manifest In them that beleeue Because none can feele this but they which apprehend Christ by faith The second is the manner of manifesting this power in them which is according to the working of his mightie power which he shewed in Christ. And that was in three things First in putting all his enemies vnder his feete v. 2. Secondly in raising him from death Thirdly in placing him at his right hand Now therefore Paul praies that this wonderfull power of God which did shew forth it selfe in the head Christ might likewise shew it selfe in the members of Christ. First in treading Satan and sinne vnder their feete Rom. 16.10 Secondly in raising them from sinne as out of a graue to holines of life Thirdly in aduancing them in the time appointed to the kingdome of glorie in heauen Ephes. 3. 14. FOr this cause I bowe my knees vnto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. 15. Of whome is named the whole familie in heauen and earth 16. That he would grant you according to the riches of his glorie that yeâ— may be strengthened by his spirit in the inner man 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith 18. That ye being rooted and grounded in loue may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height 19. And know the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye may be filled with all fulnesse of God 20. Vnto him therefore that is able to doâ— exceeding abundantly aboue all that we aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in vs 21. Be praise in the Church by Christ Iesus throughout all generations for euer Amen The Exposition THese wordes containe two parts a prayer and a thankesgiuing In the prayer these points are to be marked First the gesture I bow my knees wherby Paul signifies his humble submission to God in prayer Secondly to whome he praies To the Father who is described by two titles the first the father of our Lord Iesus Christ and that by nature as he is God and as he is man by personall vnion The other title Of whome the whole familie which is in heauen and earth is named In which words is set downe a description of the Church first it is a Familie because it is the companie of Gods elect children vnder the gouernment of one father 1. Tim. 3.15 It is called the house of God Eph. 2.19 They that beleeue are saide to be of the houshold of God secondly the parts of the Catholike Church are noted namely the Saints in heauen departed and Saints liuing on earth thirdly it is said to be named of the father of Christ because as the father of Christ is the father of this familie so also this familie is called by him Gen. 6.2 Dan. 9.80 Thirdly the matter of the prayer stands of foure most worthie points The first is strength to beare the crosse and to resist spirituall temptations v. 16. where the strength is set out by diuers arguments First that it is the meere gift of God that he would graunt you Secondly the cause of strength by his Spirit Thirdly the subiect or place where this strength must be in the inner man that is in the whole man so farre forth as he is renued by grace Eph. 6.14 The second is the dwelling of Christ in their hearts by faith Faith is when a man beeing seriously humbled for his sinnes is further in conscience perswaded and resolued of the pardon of them and of reconciliation to God Now where this perswasion is in deed there followes necessarily Christs dwelling in the heart which stands in two things the first is the ruling and ordering of the thoughts affections and desires of the heart according to his will as a master rules in his house the second is the continuance of his rule For he cannot be said to dwell in a place who rules in it but for a day The third is the knowledge and the acknowledgement of the infinit greatnes of Gods loue in Christ an effect of the former v. 18 19. the words are thus explaned Rooted and grounded Here the loue of God wherewith he loues the elect is as a roote and foundation of all Gods benefits election vocation iustification and glorification Men are rooted and grounded in loue when Gods spirit assures their hearts of Gods loue and doth giue them some inward sense and feeling of it For then they are as it were sensibly put into the roote and laid on the foundation With all Saints Paul desires this benefit not onely to the Ephesians but also to all the faithfull with them What is the length the bredth Here is a speech borrowed from the Geometricians and it signifies the absolute greatnes or infinitnes of Gods loue and that it is like a world which for length breadth height and depth is endlesse Here note the order or receiuing grace First Christ dwells in the heart by faith Secondly then comes a sense and feeling of Gods loue as it were by certaine drops thereof Thirdly after this ariseth a plentifull knowledge and apprehension of Gods loue and as it were the powring out of a sea into a mans heart that for greatnes hath neither bottome nor banke And know the loue of
he is neuer saued according to that of Saint Iames sinne beeing perfited bringeth forth death The fift reason Eternall life is a thing desired of all men yet none shall be made partakers of it but the true christian and the glorious estate of this life would mooue any man to be a christian First of all they which haue eternall life are freed from all paines sicknesses infirmities hunger thirst cold wearines from all sinne as anger forgetfulnes ignorance from hell death damnation Sathan and from euery thing that causeth miserie according to that of Saint Iohn And God wil wipe away al teares from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall there be any more paine for the first things are passed Secondly the faithfull shall be in the presence of Gods maiesâ—ie in heauen there to behold his face that is his glorie as our Sauiour Christ saith Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am that they may behold my glorie which thou hast giuen me And Dauid saith In thy presence is fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Thirdly they shall haue such an excellent communion with God that he shall be vnto them all in all For in the ende of the world when the whole number of the elect is accomplished Christ shall present them to his father and as he is Mediatour he shall cease to be a King a Priest a Prophet for though the efficacie of his offices be euerlasting yet the execution of them shall cease as Paul saith Then shall be the ende when he hath deliuered vp the kingdome to God euen the father when he hath put downe all rule all authoritie and power Againe among the elect there shall not be king subiect father mother child master seruaÌ„t noble ignoble rich poore liuing dead Some will say what then shall be I answer one glorious and euerlasting God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost shall be in all the elect all that heart can wish and desire Men shall not be in darknes neither shall they need the light of the Sunne Moone or Starres God himselfe immediatly shall be their light as Iohn saith And the citie hath no neede of the Sunne neither of the Moone to shine in it for the glorie of God doth light it and the Lambe is the light of it Men shall not then neede meate drinke cloathing sleepe recreation fire shade respiration or any other such like but God himselfe immediately shall be their life and all things concerning life by Christ. Which Iohn signifieth when he saith that he saw a pure riuer of water of life cleere as chrystall proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lambe there beeing by either side of it the tree of life which bare two manner of fruits and gaue fruit euery moneth And whereas God is continually to be worshipped in heauen they neede no other tabernacle or temple thereunto but God himselfe shall be their temple as Iohn saith I sawe no temple therein for the Lord God almightie and the Lambe are the temple of it Fourthly from this glorious communion which is between God and Christ as he is man and all the Saints which are his members there ariseth an vnspeakable ioy and gladnes wherewith they are filled Dauid saith that Gods children shall be satisfied with the fatnes of his house and that he shal giue them drinke out of the riuers of his pleasures This ioy vndoubtedly is infinite and the saints are not onely replenished with it but they are also swallowed vp of it as with an huge and infinite sea of waters as may appeare in Peter who at the transfiguration of Christ was so rauished out of measure with ioy at the sight of it that he quite forgot himselfe saying to Christ Master it is good beeing here let vs make three Tabernacles one for thee one for Moses and another for Elias Lastly out of this communion ariseth a perfect loue of God whereby the Saints loue God with all their hearts with all their soules and strength and this loue sheweth it selfe in that they are eternally occupied in worshipping God by singing of songs of praise thanksgiuing vnto him Now then seeing the kingdome of heauen is so glorious and none can haue it but the true Christian let all men account the best things in this world as drosse and dung so that they may obtaine Christ and his righteousnes The last reason is the endlesse loue of Iesus Christ shewed in his death and passion Thou art by nature the childe of wrath and vengeance Sathan hath wounded thee with many a deadly wound of sinne thou liest bleeding at the heart and art like to die eternally Thou beeing in this estate there is no man on earth no Saint in heauen no Angel no creature at all is able to helpe thee Christ onely was able he therefore came downe from heauen and became man for this cause to work thy deliuerance Furthermore in the curing of the wound of sinne no hearb no water no plaister no physicke can doe thee any good onely the bodie and blood of Christ is soueraigne for this matter being stieped in the wrath of God He therefore subiected himselfe to the death euen the death of the crosse vpon which he suffered the wrath of God due to the sin of manâ—ind of his owne heart blood he tempered for them a soueraigne medicine to heale all thy woundes and sores Nowe therefore despise not this mercie seeke vnto Christ lay open all thy sores pray him that hee would vouchsafe thee if it be but one drop of his blood theÌ„ he wil come vnto thee by his holy spirit he will wash and supple thy woundes in his blood and bind them vp He is the tree of life the leaues whereof heale the nations If thou get but one leafe of him thou art well it will heale thee and restore thy dead soule that thou maist liue eternally in the kingdome of heauen If this reason will not mooue thee to be a Christian thy case is desperate It is the best reason that Peter could vse to this purpose As obedient children saith hee fashion not your selues vnto the former lusts of your ignorance but as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all maner of conuersation His reason followeth Knowing that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from your vaine conuersation receiued by the tradition of the Fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as a Lambe vndefiled and without spot Thus much haue I spoken to the worldling who in his heart makes no more account of Christ then of his old shooes and who had rather bee without Christ then be without his pigges with the Gaderens Nowe for the true Christians I haue
a gap to all licentiousnes therefore they agree to mans corrupt nature for who almost will not sinne when he may get a pardon for his sinnes for a little peece of money as twentie shillings or foure nobles And what is it but cosonage to sell pardons which shall be in force many yeares after the ende of the world as the Pope doth It is naturall to a man to serue God in certaine ceremonies without the power of godlines and this seruice is prescribed by the religion of the Church of Rome which standeth only in outward and corporall ceremonies as the outward succession of Bishops garments vestures gestures coloures choice of meat difference of daies times and places hearing seeing saying touching tasting numbring of beads gilding and worshipping of images building Monasteries rising at midnight silence in cloysters abstaining from flesh and white meat Fasting in Lent keeping Imber daies hearing Masse and diuine seruice seeing and adoring the bodie in forme of bread receiuing holy water and holy bread creeping to the crosse carrying Palmes taking ashes bearing Candles Pilgrimages going censing kneeling knocking altars superaltars candlestickes pardons In orders crossing annointing shauing forswearing marriage In baptisme salting crossing spatling exorcising washing of hands At Easter confession penance dirge satisfaction and in receiuing with beards new shauen to imagine a bodie where they see none and though he were there present to be seene yet the outward seeing and touching of him of it selfe without faith conduceth no more then it did the Iewes At Rogation daies to carrie banners to followe the Crosse to walke about the fieldes After Pentecost to goe about with Corpus Christi plaie At Hollowmasse to watch in the Church to say Dirge or commendation and to ring for all soules to pay tithes truly to giue to the hie Altar And if a man will be a priest to say Masse and Mattens to serue the Saint of that daie and to lift well ouer the head In sickenes to be anneled to take his rites after his death to haue funerall and Obites said for him and to be rung for at his Funerall moneths minde and yeare minde This is the summe of the catholike religion standing in bodily actions not in any motions or worke of the holy Ghost working in the heart The morall law containing perfect righteousnes is flat opposite to manâ— corrupt nature therfore whatsoeuer Religion shall repeale and make of none effect the commandements of the morall lawe that same religion must needs ioyne hands with the corruption of nature and stand for the maintenance of it This doth the religion of the Church of Rome it may be it doth not plainly repeale them yet in effect it doth if it shall frustrate but any one point of any one commandement yea the whole lawe thereby is made in vaine 1. The first commandement requireth that we haue the true Iehoua for our only God Church of Rome maketh other gods beside this true God it maketh the body of Christ to be god because they hold it may bee in many places in heauen in earth at the same time which thing is only proper to God It maketh euery Saint departed to bee God because it holdeth that Saints doe heare vs now being vpon the earth that they know our thoughts when we pray to them which none but the true God can doe It maketh the Pope to be God and that in plaine words Pope Nicholas saith Constat summum Pontificem à pio principe Constantino Deum appellari It is well known that the Pope of the godly prince Constantine was called God Againe in the extraâ—agants of the same Cannon law it is written Dominus Deus noster Papa Our Lord God the Pope And againe Christopher Marcellus said to the Pope Tu es alter Deus in terris Thou art another God vpon earth and the Pope tooke it to himselfe As the Pope in plaine wordes is made God so the power giuen to him declareth the same He can make holy that which is vnholy and iustifie the wicked and pardon sinnes hee may dispense contrarie to the saying of â—n Apostle he can change the nature of things and of nothing make somewhat What is all this but to place the Pope in Gods roome and to robbe the Lord of his Maiestie Againe the Church of Rome maketh Marie the mother of Iesus to bee as God In the Breuiary reformed and published at the commandement of Pius the V. shee is called a Goddesse in expresse words and she is further tearmed the Queene of heauen the Queene of the world the gate of heauen the mother of grace and mercy Yea shee is farre exalted aboue Christ and he in regard of her is made but a poore vnderling in heauen for papists in their seruice vnto her pray on this manner saying Shew thy selfe to be a mother and cause thy sonne to receiue our praiers set free the captiues and giue light to the blind Lastly the very crosse is made as a God For they salute it by the name of their only hope and pray it to increase iustice to the godly and to giue sinners pardon Wherfore the Church of Rome beside the one true God distinguished into three persons the father the sonne and the holy ghost maketh also many other and so in trueth hath repealed his first commandement And they haue very plainely repealed the second commandement in that they teach it lawfull to make images of the true God and to worship him in them For the flat contrarie is the very scope of this commandement namely that no image must be made of the true Iehoua nor any worship be performed vnto him in an image which appeareth thus In Deutronomie Moses maketh a large Commentarie of this commandement and this very point he sets down expressely saying take heed to your selues for ye sawe no image in the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middest of the fire that ye corrupt not your selues and make you a grauen image or representation of any figure c. His argument I set downe thus As God appeared in mount Horeb so he is to be conceiued and represented but hee appeared in no image in mount Horeb only his voice was heard therefore he is not to be conceiued or represented in any image but men are to be content if they may heare his voice Againe that sin to which the people of Israel were specially giuen euen that doth the Lord specially forbid but to this were the people of Israel specially giuen not so much to make images of false gods as to make images of the true God and to worship him in them which I prooue thus In the booke of Iudges it is said that the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim Now these Baalims what are they Surely Idols resembling the true God as the Prophet Hosea declareth
disarme him make him altogither vnable to preuaile against vs. Now to finde out this matter we neede not to vse the counsell of any Delilah for wee haue the worde of God which teacheth vs plainly where the strength of death consists namely in our sinnes as Paul saith The sting of death is sinne Well then we knowing certainly that the power and force of euery mans particular death lies in his owne sinnes must spend our time and studie in vsing good meanes that our sinnes may be remooued and pardoned And therefore wee must daily inure our selues in the practise of two duties One is to humble our selues for all our sins past partly confessing them against our selues partly in prayer crying to heauen for the pardon of them The other is for time to come to turne vnto god and to carrie a purpose resolution and indeauour in al things to reforme both heart and life according to Gods worde These are the verie principall and proper duties whereby the strength of death is much rebated and he is made of a mightie and bloodie enemie so farre forth friendly and tractable that we may with comfort incounter with him and preuaile too Therefore I commend these duties to your Christian considerations and carefull practise desiring that ye would spend your daies euer hereafter in doing of them If a maÌ„ were to deale with a mightie dragon or serpent hand to hand in such wise as he must either kill or bee killed the best thing were to bereaue him of his sting or of that part of his bodie where his poyson lies nowe death it selfe is a serpent dragon or scorpion and sinne is the sting or poison whereby hee woundes and kills vs. Wherefore without any more delay see that yee pull out his sting the practise of the foresaid duties is as it were a fitte and worthie instrument to doe the deede Hast thou beene a person ignorant of Gods wil a contemner of his word and worship a blasphemer of his name a breaker of his sabbaths disobedient to parents and magistrates a murderer a fornicator a railer a slanderer a couetous person c. reforme these thy sinnes and all other like vnto them pull them out by the rootes from thy heart and cast them off So many sinnes as bee in thee so many stings of death bee also in thee to wound thy soule to eternall death Therefore let no one sinne remaine for which thou hast not humbled thy selfe and repented seriously When death hurts any man it takes the weapons whereby he is hurt from his owne hand It cannot doe vs the least hurt but by the force of our owne sinnes Wherefore I say again againe lay this point to your hearts spend our strength life and health that ye may before ye die abolish the strength of death A man may put a serpent in his bosome when the sting is out and wee may let death creepe into our bosoms and gripe vs with his legs and stab vs at the heart so long as he brings not his venime and poison with him And because the former duties are so necessarie as none can be more I wil vse some reasons yet further to enforce them Whatsoeuer a man would doe when he is dying the â—ame he ought to doe euerie daie while he is liuing now the most notorious and wicked person that euer was when hee is dying will praie and desire others to praie for him and promise amendement of life protesting that if he might liue he would becom a practitioner in al the good duties of faith repentance and reformation of life Oh therefore bee carefull to doe this euerie daie Againe the saying is true hee that would liue when hee is dead must die while he is aliue namely to his sinnes Wouldest thou then liue eternally sue to heauen for thy pardon and see that now in thy life time thou die to thine owne sinnes Lastly wicked Balaam would faine die the death of the righteous but alas it was to smal purpose for he would by no meanes liue the life of the righteous For his continuall purpose and meaning was to followe his old waies in sorceries and couetousnesse Nowe the life of a righteous man standes in the humbling of himselfe for his sinnes past and in a careful reformation of life to come Wouldest thou then die the death of the righteous then look vnto it that thy life be the life of the righteous if ye will needs liue the life of the vnrighteous yee must looke to die the death of the vnrighteous Remember this and content not your selues to heare the word but bee doers of it for ye learne no more indeede what measure of knowledge soeuer ye haue then ye practise The third dutie in our generall preparation is in this life to enter into the first degree of life eternall For as I haue said there bee three degrees of life euerlasting and the first of them is in this present life For he that would liue in eternall happinesse for euer must begin in this world to rise out of the graue of his owne sinnes in which by nature hee lies buried and liue in newnesse of life as it is said in the Reuelation Hee that will escape the second death must bee made partaker of the first resurrectioÌ„ And Paul saith to the Colossians that they were in this life deliuered from the power of darkenesse and translated into the kingdome of Christ. And Christ saith to the Church of the Iewes the kingdome of heauen is amongst you Nowe this first degree of life is when a man can say with Paul I liue not but Christ liues in me that is I finde partly by the testimonie of my sanctified conscience and partly by experience that Christ my redeemer by his spirit guideth and gouerneth my thoughts will affectionsâ— all the powers of body and soule according to the blessed direction of his holy will Now that we might be able to say this we must haue three gifts graces of God wherein especially this first degree of life consists The first is sauing knowledge wherebâ— we doe truely resolue our selues that God the father of Christ is our fatherâ— Christ his sonne our redeemer and the holy ghost our comforter That this knowledge is one part of life eternall it appeares by the saying of Christ in Iohn This is life eternall that is the beginning and entrance into life eternall to know thee the onely God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. The second grace is peace of conscience which passeth al vnderstanding and therefore Paul saith that the kingdome of heauen is righteousnes peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost The horror of a guiltie conscience is the beginning of death destruction therefore peace of conscience deriued from the death of Christ is life and happinesse The third is the regiment of the spirit whereby the heart and life of man is ordered according to the
is euident 1. by the course of nature 2. by the nature of the soule of man 3. by the distinction of things honest and dishonest 4. by the terrour of conscience 5. by the regiment of ciuill societies 6. the order of all causes hauing euer recourse to some former beginning 7. the determination of all things to their seuerall ends 8. the consent of all men well in their wits God is Iehouah Elohim Exod. 6.2 And Elohim spake vnto Moses and said vnto him I am Iehouah and I appeared vnto Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob by the name of God almightie but by my name Iehouah was I not knowne vnto them Exod 3.13 If they say vnto me What is his name What shall I say vnto them And God answered Moses I am that I am Also he said thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel I am hath sent me vnto you And God spake further to Moses Thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel Iehouah Elohim c. hath sent me vnto you In these wordes the first title of God declareth his Nature the second his Persons The Nature of God is his most liuely and most perfect essence The perfection of the nature of God is his absolute constitution by the which he is wholly complete within himselfe Exod. 3. 13. I am that I am Act. 17.24 God that made the world and all things that are therein seeing that he is the Lord of heauen and earth dwelleth not in temples made with hands neither is worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giueth to all life and breath and all things The perfection of his Nature is either Simplenes or the Infinitenes therof The Simplenesse of his nature is that by which he is void of all Logical relation He hath not in him subiect or adiunct Ioh. 5.26 As the Father hath life in himselfe so hath he giuen to the Sonne to haue life in himselfe conferred with Ioh. 14.6 I am the way the truth and the life 1. Ioh. 1.7 But if we walke in light as he is in light conferred with v. 5. God is light and in him is no darkenesse Hence it is manifest that to haue Life and to be Life to be in Light and to be Light in God are all one Neither is God subiect to generalitie or specialtie whole or parts matter or that which is made of matter for so there should be in God diuers things and one more perfect then another Therefore whatsoeuer is in God is his essence and all that he is he is by essence The saying of Augustine in his 6. booke and 4. chap. of the Trinitie is fit to prooue this In God saith he to be and to be iust or mightie are all one but in the minde of man it is not all one to be and to be mightie or iust for the minde may be destitute of these vertues and yet a minde Hence it is manifest that the Nature of God is immutable and Spirituall Gods immutabilitie of nature is that by which he is void of all composition diuision and change Iam. 1. 17. With God there is no variablenesse nor shadowe of changing Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord and am not changed Where it is saide that God repenteth c. Gen. 6.6 the meaning is that God changeth the action as men doe that repent therefore repentance it signifieth not any mutation in God but in his actions and such things as are made and chaunged by him Gods Nature is spirituall in that it is incorporall and therefore inuisible Ioh. 4.24 God is a spirit 2. Cor. 3. 17. The Lord is the spirit 1. Tim. 1.17 To the King eternall immortall inuisible onely wise God be glorie and honour for euer and euer Col. 1.15 Who is the image of the inuisible God The infinitenesse of GOD is twofolde his Eternitie and Exceeding greatnesse Gods eternitie is that by which he is without beginning and ending Psal. 90. 2. Before the mountaines were made and before thou hadst formed the earth and the round world euen from euerlasting to euerlasting thou art our God Revel â— 8. I am Alpha and Omega that is the beginning and ending saith the Lord Which is Which was and Which is to come Gods exceeding greatnes is that by which his incomprehensible nature is euery where present both within and without the world Psal. 145.3 Great is the Lord and worthie to be praised and his greatnes is incomprehensible 1. King 8.27 Is it true indeede that God will dwell on the earth behold the heauens and the heauens of heauens are not able to containe thee how much lesse is this house that I haue built Ier. 23. 24. Doe not I fill the heauen and earth saith the Lord Hence it is plaine First that he is onely one and that indiuisible not many Eph. 4.5 One Lord one faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all Deut. 4. 35. Vnto thee it was shewed that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God and that there is none but he alone 1. Cor. 8.4 We know that an idoll is nothing in the world and that there is none other God but one And there can be but one thing infinite in nature Secondly that God is the knower of the heart For nothing is hidden from that nature which is within all things and without all things which is included in nothing nor excluded from any thing Because 1. King 8. 39. the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth euery worke of the minde Psal. 139.1,2 Thou knowest my sitting downe and my rising vp thou vnderstandest my cogitation a farre off CHAP. 3. Of the life of God HItherto we haue spoken of the perfection of Gods nature Now followeth the life of God by which the Diuine Nature is in perpetuall action liuing and moouing in it selfe Psal. 42. 2. My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God Hebr. 3. 12. See that there be not at any time in any of you an euill heart to depart from the liuing God The diuine Nature is especially in perpetual operation by three attributes the which doe manifest the operation of God towards his creatures These are his Wisdome Will and Omnipotencie The wisdome or knowledge of God is that by the which God doth not by certaine notions abstracted from the things themselues but by his owne essence nor successiuely and by discourse of reason but by one eternall and immutable act of vnderstanding distinctly and perfectly know himselfe and all other things though infinite whether they haue beene or not Matth. 11.27 No man knoweth the Sonne but the Father nor the Father but the Sonne and he to whome the Sonne will reueale him Hebr. 4. 13. There is nothing created which is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open to his eyes with whome we haue to doe Psal. 147.5 His wisdome is infinite Gods wisdome hath these
parts his foreknowledge and his counsell The foreknowledge of God is that by which he most assuredly foreseeth all things that are to come Act. 2.23 Him haue ye taken by the hands of the wicked beeing deliuered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God and haue crucified and slaine Rom. 8. Those things which he knew before he also predestinated to be made like to the image of his sonne This is not properly spoken of God but by reason of men to whome things are past or to come The counsell of God is that by the which he doth most straightly perceiue the best reason of all things that are Prov. 8. 14. I haue counsell and wisdome I am vnderstanding and I haue strength The will of God is that by the which he both most freely and iustly with one act willeth all things Rom. 9. 18. He hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will hardeneth Eph. 1.5 Who hath predestinate vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will Iam. 4. 15. For that which you should say if the Lord will and we liue we will doe this or that God willeth that which is good by approouing it that which is euill in as much as it is euill by disallowing and forsaking it And yet he voluntarily doth permit euill because it is good that there should be euill Act. 14.16 Who in time past suffered all the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies Psal. 81.12 So I gaue them vp to the hardnes of their heart and they haue walked in their owne counsels The will of God by reason of diuers obiects hath diuers Names and is either called Loue and Hatred or Grace and Iustice. The Loue of God is that by the which God approoueth first himselfe and then all his creatures without their desert and theÌ„ doth take delight 1 Ioh. 4. 16. God is loue and who so remaineth in loue remaineth in God and God in him Ioh. 3.16 So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne c. Rom. 5.8 God setteth out his loue towards vs seeing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. The Hatred of God is that by the which he disliketh and detesteth his creature offending for his fault 1. Cor. 10.5 But many of them the Lord misliked for they perished in the wildernes Psal. 5. 5. Thou hatest all the workers of iniquitie Psal. 44.8 Thou hast loued iustice and hated iniquitie The Grace of God is that by which he freely declareth his fauour to his creatures Rom 11.6 If it be of grace it is no more of workes otherwise grace is not grace but if it be of workes it is no more grace Tit. 2. 11. The sauing grace of God shined to all men teaching vs to denie impietie c. The Grace of God is either his Goodnes or his Mercie The Goodnes of God is that by which he beeing in himselfe absolutely good doth freely exercise his liberalitie vpon his creatures Matth. 19.17 Why callest thou me good there is none good but one euen God Math. 5. 45. He maketh his sunne to shine vpon the good and bad and he raineth vpon the iust and vniust Gods mercie is that by which he freely assisteth all his creatures in their miseries Esai 30. 18. Yet will the Lord waite that he may haue mercie vpon you Lament 3.22 It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not Exod. 39.19 I take pitie on whome I take pitie and am mercifull on whome I am mercifull Gods Iustice is that by which he in all things willeth that which is iust Psal. 10. The iust Lord loueth iustice Psalm 5.4 For thou art not a God that loueth wickednesse Gods iustice is in word or deede Iustice in word is that truth by which he constantly and indeede willeth that which he hath â—aid Rom. 3.4 Let God be true and euery man a lyar Matth. 24.25 Heauen and earth shall passe away but my word shall not passe away Hence it is that God is iust in keeping his promise 1. Ioh. 1.9 If we confesse our sinnes God is faithfull and iust to forgiue our sinnes 2. Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day Iustice indeede is that by which he either disposeth or rewardeth Gods disposing iustice is that by which he as a most free Lord ordereth rightly all things in his actions Psal. 45.17 The Lord is righteous in al his waies Gods rewarding iustice is that by which he rendreth to his creature according to his worke 2. Thess. 1.6 It is iustice with God to render affliction to such â—â— afflict you but to you which are afflicted releasing with vs. 1. Pet. 1.17 Therefore if you call him Father which without respect of person iudgeth according to euery worke passe the time of your dwelling here in feare Ierem. 51. 56. The Lord that recompenseth shall surely recompence The Iustice of God is either his Gentlenes or Anger Gods Gentlenes is that by which he freely bestoweth vpon his creature a reward 2. Thess. 1. 5. Which is a token of the righteous iudgement of God that ye may be counted worthie the kingdome of God for the which yee also suffer Matth. 10. 41 42. He that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall haue a Prophets reward and he that receiueth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receiue the reward of a righteous man And whosoeuer shall giue vnto one of these little ones to drinke a cup of cold water onely in the name of a Disciple verely I say vnto you he shall not loose his reward Gods Anger is that by which he punisheth the transgression of his creature Rom. 1.18 For the wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlines and vnrighteousnes of men which withhold the truth in vnrighteousnes Ioh. 3.36 He that obeyeth not the Sonne shal not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Thus much concerning the will of GOD. Now followeth his omnipotencie Gods omnipotencie is that by which he is most able to performe euery worke Math. 19.29 With men this is impossible with God all things are possible Some things notwithstanding are here to be excepted First those things whose action argueth an impotencie as to lie to denie his word Titus 1. 2. which God that cannot lie hath promised 2. Tim. 2. 13. He cannot denie himselfe Secondly such things as are contrarie to the Nature of God as to destroy himselfe and not to beget his Sonne from eternitie Thirdly such things as imploy contradiction For God cannot make a trueth false or that which is when it is not to be Gods power may be distinguished into an absolute and actuall power Gods absolute power is that by which he can doe more then he either doth or will doe Matth. 3.9 I say vnto
Dan. â—0 7 Thousand thousands ministred vnto him and ten thousand thousands stood before him Matth. 26.25 Thinkest thou I cannot praie to my father and he will giue me moe then twelue legions of Angels Heb. 12. 22. To the company of innumerable angels Fourthly they are in the highest heauen where they euer atteÌ„d vpon God and haue societie with him Mark 18.10 In heauen their Angels alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in heauen Psal. 68.17 The chariots of God are twentie thousand thousand Angels and the Lord is among them Mark 12.25 But are as Angels in heauen Fiftly their degree That there are degrees of Angels it is most plaine Colos 1.16 By him were all things created which are in heauen and in earth things visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers Rom. 8.38 Neither Angels nor principalities nor powers c. 1. Thes. 4.16 The Lord shall descend with the voice of the Aarchangel and with the trumpet of God But it is not for vs to search who or how many bee of each order neither ought we curiously to enquire howe they are distinguished whether in essence or qualities Coloss. 2. 18. Let no man at his pleasure beare rule ouer you by humblenes of minde and worshipping of Angels advancing himselfe in those things which he neuer saw Sixtly their office Their office is partly to magnify God partly to performe his commandements Psalme 103. vers 20. 21. Praise the Lord ye his Angels that excell in strength that doe his commandement in obeying the voice of his vvorde Praise the Lord all ye his hostes ye his seruants that doe his pleasure Seuenthly The establishing of some Angels in that integritie in which they were created CHAP. 7. Of man and the estate of innocencie MAn after he was created of God was established in an excellent estate of innocencie In this estate seuen things are chiefly to be regarded I. The place The garden of Heden that most pleasant garden Gen. 2. 15. Then the Lord tooke the man and put him into the garden of Heden II. The integritie of mans nature Which was Ephâ— 4.24 Created in righteousnes and true holines This integritie hath two parts The first is wisdome which is true and perfect knoweledge of God and of his will in as much as it is to be performed of man yea and of the counsell of God in all his creatures Coloss. 3. 10. And haue put on the newe man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him Gen. chap. 2.19 When the Lord God had formed on the earth euery beast of the field and euery foule of the heauen he brought them vnto the man to see howe he would call them for howesoeuer the man called the liuing creature so was the name thereof The second is Iustice which is a conformitie of the will affections and powers of the body to the will of God III. Mans dignitie consisting of foure parts First his communion with God by which as God reioiced in his own image so likewise man was incensed to loue God this is apparent by Gods familiar conference with Adam Gen. 1.29 And God said Behold I haue giuen vnto you euery hearb bearing seede c. that shall be to you for meate Secondly his dominion ouer all the creatures of the earth Gen. 2. 19. Psal. 8.6 Thou hast made him Lord ouer the workes of thine hands hast set all things vnder his feet c. Thirdly the decencie dignitie of the bodie in which though naked as nothing was vnseemely so was there in it imprinted a princely maiestie Psal. 8. Thou hast made him little lower then then God and crowned him with glorie and worship Gen. 2.25 They were both naked and neither ashamed 1. Cor. 12.22 Vpon those members of the bodie which we thinke most vnhonest put we more honestie on and our vncomely parts haue more comelines on Fourthly labour of the bodie without paine or griefe Gen. 3. 17,19 Because thou hast obeyed the voice of thy wife c. cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the daies of thy life c. IV. Subiection to God whereby man was bound to performe obedience to the commandements of God which were two The one was concerning the two trees the other the obseruation of the Sabboth Gods commandement concerning the trees was ordained to make examination and triall of mans obedience It consisteth of two parts the first is the giuing of the tree of life that as a signe it might confirme to man his perpetuall abode in the garden of Heden if stil he persisted in his obedience Râ—uel 2. 7. To him that ouercoÌ„meth will I giue to eate of the tree of life which is in the midst of Paradise of God Prov. 3.18 Shee is a tree of life to them which lay hold on her and blessed is he that retaineth her The second is the prohibition to eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and euil togither with a commination of temporall and eternall death after the transgression of this commandement Gen. 2.17 Of the tree of the knowledge of good and euill thou shalt not eate of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death This was a signe of death and had his name of the euent because the obseruation thereof would haue brought perpetuall happines as the violation gaue experience of euill that is of all miserie namely of punishment and of guiltinesse of sinne Gods commandement concerning the obseruation of the Sabboth is that by which God ordained the sanctification of the Sabboth Gen. 2.3 God blessed the seauenth day and sanctified it V. His calling which is his seruice of God in the obseruation of his commandements the dressing of the garden of Heden Prov. 16.4 God made all things for himselfe Gen. 2.15 He placed him in the garden of Heden to dresse and keepe it VI. His diet was the hearbs of the earth and fruit of euery tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and euill Gen. 1.29 And God said Behold I haue giuen vnto you euery hearb bearing seede which is vpon all the earth and euery tree wherein is the fruit of a tree bearing seede that shall be to you for meate and chap. 3.17 But of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt not eate VII His free choice both to will and performe the commandement concerning the two trees and also to neglect and violate the same Whereby we see that our first parents were indeede created perfect but mutable for so it pleased God to prepare a way to the execution of his decree CHAP. 10. Of sinne and the fall of Angels THe fall is a reuolting of the reasonable creature from obedience to sinne Sinne is the corruption or rather depriuation of the first integritie More plainely it is a falling or turning from God binding the offendour by
to Christ is in bearing afflictions Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the vertue of his resurrection and the fellowship of his afflictions to be made conformable to his death V. To doe good workes Eph. 2. 10. Wee are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus to doe good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them Thus much concerning Theologie AN EXCELLENT TREATISE of comforting such as are troubled about their Predestination Taken out of the second answer of M. Beza to D. Andreas in the act of their Colloquie at Mompelgart c. VNlesse saith D. Andreas regeneratioÌ„ be alwaies vnited to baptisme and remaineth in such as are baptized howe should the troubled consciences of those be eased and coÌ„forted who because they feele not in themselues any good motions of gods holy spirit finde none other refuge but the Word and Sacraments especially the Sacrament of Baptisme Now this remedie would be of small force except it be opposed against those imaginations which the diuell casteth into a troubled heart yea except it taught such that God is greater then our heart who in Baptisme hath not onely offered vs the adoption of sonnes but hath indeede bestowed the same vpon vs as it is said by Christ Hee that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued And by Paul Ye which are baptized haue put on Christ. Dauid beeing armed with the like comfort from his circumcision feared not to ioyne battell with that great giant Goliah and if this were not so it must needs followe that Baptisme were nothing els but an idle ceremonie and also the persons of the Trinitie would be thought lyars Wherefore those afflicted men when Satan assaulteth them must resist him with these wordes Depart from me Satan thou hast neither part nor portion in the inheritance of my soule because I am baptized in the Name of the holy Trinitie and so am truely made the sonne of God by adoption And are these the strong weapons which so many times and in so many wordes haue beene obiected against me by D. Andreas and whereby he hath gotten the victorie But because this his reason is somewhat intricate I will explaine it after this sort First for the place of Scripture which he alleadgeth namely that God is greater then our hearts It is so farre from comforting an afflicted conscience that it will rather driue him to deâ—paire Neither doth Iohn 1. epist. 3.20 make mention of it to ease such as are in despaire shewing vnto them by that sentence the greatnes of Gods mercies but rather that he might therby euen bruise in peeces the hearts of proude persons when they consider the greatnesse of Gods maiestie And for the other place when as a man doubteth of his saluation and feeleth no testimonies of faith in himselfe for such an one wee here speake of what comfort thinke you can hee haue in these wordes Hee that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued For hee would rather reason contrarily thus I indeede am baptized yet for al that I beleeue not and therefore my Baptisme is not auaileable I must needes be condemned For the saying of August in his treatise vpon Ioh. 6. is verie true who speaking of Simon Magus saith What good did it to him to be baptized bragge not therefore saith he that thou art baptized as though that were sufficient for thee to inherit the kingdome of heauen As for the place of Paul Gal. 3. I shewed plainely before how D. Andreas did violently wrest it to his purpose Neither are his reasons taken from the absurditie that would follow of more force then the former albeit he maketh them especiall pillars to vnderproppe the truth of his cause For I pray you is God of lesse truth because his truth is neglected and derided of them that contemne it Is the ceremonie of Baptisme therefore in vaine because some refuse the grace offered in Baptisme others if we may beleeue D. Andreas reiect that grace when they haue receiued it What Is not the Gospel therfore the power of God to saluation because it is to such as beleeue not the sauour of death to eternall death May not the Supper of the Lord be a pledge of Gods couenant because so may abuse these holy signes or as D. Andreas is of opinion the very bodie and blood of our Sauiour Christ And that I may reason from that which is true in the experience of euery childe can the Sunne be saide to be without light because they which are blinde and asleepe haue no benefit by the light thereof neither such as shut their eyes so close that they will not enioy the comfort of the light But amongst all this one is most childish that Dâ— Andreas will make this his principall argument namely that in vaine did men thus tempted flie at all vnto Baptisme vnlesse we conclude with him that all such as are baptized are in Baptisme adopted the sonnes of God For first if this were a good consequent from baptisme it were in vaine for such an afflicted conscience to gather vnto himselfe a testimonie from the word of God and the other Sacrament of the Lords Supper vnlesse we make all those to be in like sort regenerate and adopted vnto whome the word of God is preached and the Lords supper administred either of which for D. Andreas to affirme is a bold vntruth But to omit this what if we graunt this which D. Andreas requireth concerning Baptisme may not for all that any that is so tempted by Satans pollicie refell this great comforter by his owne argument after this sort I will grant D. Andreas your question suppose I haue beene baptized and adopted the sonne of God yet seeing you teach that the grace of God is not so sure but that I may fal froÌ„ the same as indeed I feele that I haue grieuously fallen what doe you now els but lift me vp with one hand to heauen and with the other cast me downe into hell What meane you therefore to teach me those things which are so farre from easing me as that contrarily they doe more and more lay out vnto me mine abominable and vngratefull heart See now what sure consolation consciences grieuously afflicted may reape by this doctrine of their comforter D. Andreas Now if any be desirous to know what spirituall comfort is most meete to be ministred vnto consciences so troubled I will shew them that which is grounded vpon a sure foundation and which I my selfe haue often found to be true in mine owne experience the which also I purpose to handle more largely for the benefit of the Christian reader First therefore we teach contrarily to that which D. Andreas doth most falsly obiect against vs that the eternall decree or as Paul speaketh the purpose of God must not be sought in the bottomlesse counsel of God but rather in the manifestation of it namely in his vocation by the Word and Sacraments This I speake of such as are
three They are all coequal and coeternall all most wise iust mercifull omnipotent by one and the same wisdome iustice mercie power And because they haue all one godhead therefore they are not onely one with another but also ech in other the Father in the Sonne and the Sonne in the Father and the holy Ghost in them both And we must not imagine that these three are one God as though the Father had one part of the Godhead the Sonne another part and the holy Ghost a third For that is most false because the infinite and the most simple godhead is not subiect to composition or diuision but euery person is whole god subsisting not in a part but in the whole godhead and the whole entire godhead is communicateâ— from the father to the sonneâ— from both father and sonne to the holy Ghost But some may yet say that this doctrine seemes to bee impossible because three creatures as for example Peter Paul Timothy beeing three persons and so remaining cannot haue one and the same nature that is the same body the same soule Answ. Three or moe men may haue the same nature in kind but the truth is they cannot possibly haue a nature which shal be one and the same in number in them all three For a man is a substance created and finite and the bodies of men are quantities and therefore diuisible and separable one from another Hereupon it comes that the persons of men are not only distinguished by proprieties but also diuided and sundered one from another And though Peter Paul Timothy haue all one common and vniuersall forme yet they three are not one man but three men Nowe it is otherwise with the diuine nature or godhead which is vncreated and infinite and therefore admits neither composition nor diuision but a distinction without any seperatioÌ„ so as the three persons subsisting in it shal not be three gods but one and the same God Yet further some wil obiect that it is truely said of the father that he is god but the same godhead is not in the sonne nor in the holy ghost for the sonne and the holy ghost haue their beginning from the father Ans. The sonne and the holy ghost haue not a beginning of their nature or of their godhead from the Father but of their person onely the person of the Sonne is from the Father and the person of the holy ghost is both from the father and from the Sonne but the godhead of all three persons is vncreate and vnbegotten and proceeding from none Yet some may say both the sonne and the holy ghost haue receiued from the Father al their attributes as wisdome knowledge power c. Nowe he that receiueth any thing from another is in that respect inferiour to him that giueth it and therefore the Sonne and the holy Ghost are not God as he is Ans. We must knowe that which the Sonne receiueth of the Father he receiueth it by nature and not by grace and he receiueth not a part but all that the father hath sauing the persoâ—all proprietie And the holy ghost receiueth from the Father and the Sonne by nature and not by grace and therefore though both the sonne and the holy Ghost receiue from the Father yet they are not inferiour to him but equall with him And thus much is both necessary and profitable to be learned of the vnion betweene the three persons in Trinitie whereby they beeing three haue all one and the same godhead The second point to be considered is that that though these three haue but one godhead and all make but one God yet they are distinguished one from another for the father is the father and not the sonne or the holy Ghost the sonne is the sonne and not the father nor the holy Ghost and the holy ghost is the holy ghost not the father nor the sonne This distinction of the persons is notably set forth vnto vs in the baptisme of our Sauiour Christ where it is said that vvhen Iesus was baptized he came out of the water there is the second person and the holy Ghost descended vpon him in the forme of a doue there is the third person and the father the first person pronounced from heauen that he was his onely beloued sonne in whome he was well pleased And wee must conceiue this distinction in such manner as though these three Father Sonne and holy Ghost were three names of one God For the three persons doe not in name or word but really in trueth distinctly subsist in the same diuine nature Neither must we imagine that the three persons are three formes or differences of one God as some hereticks haue dreamed who taught that the father alone is God and that he is called a father in one respect the sonne in another and the holy Ghost in a third For this were nothing els but to make the personall proprieties to be nothing but imaginarie accidents which indeede or at the least in mans conceit might come and goe and be either in the persons or forth of them For the personall râ—lations though in minde they may be distinguished from the diuine essence yet indeede they are one with it But some will say if they make this distinction there is rather a quaternitie then a trinitie for the godhead is one the father an other the sonne a third and the holy Ghost a fourth Thus some heretikes haue obiected against the distinction of the trinitie but it is vntrue which they say For the godhead must not be seuered from the Father nor from the Sonne nor from the holy Ghost for the father is God or the whole godhead so also is the sonne and the holy Ghost and the godhead likewise is in euery one of these three persons and euery one of them subsisting in the godhead and the godhead must be conceiued to be in them all and not as a fourth thing out of them And therefore we must still mâ—intaine that these three persons are distinguished and not deuided as three men are deuided in beeing and substance for this diuision can not be in them because all three haue one drâ—ine nature and one godhead This is the mysterie of all mysteries to be receiued of vs all namely the trinitie of the persons in the vnitie of the godhead This forme of doctrine must be retained and holden for these causes I. because by it we are able to distinguish this true God from all false gods and idols II. because among all other points of religion this is one of the chiefest beeing the very foundation thereof For it is not sufficient for vs to know God as we can conceiue of him in our owne imagination but we must know him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his word And it is not sufficient to saluation to beleeue in God confusedly but we must beleeue in one God distinct into three persons the Father the Sonne the holy
man doth by nature so long doth he shewe himselfe to be the liuely childe of the deuill And thus Christ reasoneth against the Scribes and Pharises Ye are of your father the deuill and the lusts of your father ye will doe And true it is that no child is so like his father that begat him as euery man by nature is like the deuill and the whole tenour and course of his naturall life without grace is a liuely resemblance of the disposition of Satan Secondly euery one that beleeues God to be a Father and in Christ his father must as a good child be obedient to his fathers will So Salomon saith A wise sonne maketh a glad father How by doing his will and therefore when one told our Sauiour Christ that his mother and brethren stoode without desiring to speake with him he said Whosoeuer shall doe my fathers will which is in heauen the same is my father my sister and mother where we may note that he that will haue God the father to be his father and Christ Iesus his brother must doe the wil of God the father And hence God saith If I be a master where is my feare if I be a father where is my honour Where is plainely taught this second dutie that if God be our father then as good children we must shew obedience vnto him but if we disobey him then we must know that that former saying of Christ will be verefied vpon vs that because men doe the lusts of the deuill therefore they are the children of the deuill But least this fearefull sentence be verefied of vs it is the dutie of euery man that maketh this confession that he beleeues God to be his father first to labour to know Gods will and secondly to performe continuall obedience vnto the same like vnto a good child that would fain please his father and therefore is alwaies readie to doe the best he can And without doubt that man which vnfainedly takes God for his father is then most grieued when as by any sinne he displeaseth him and no other crosse or calamitie is so grieuous vnto him The greatest griefe that the prodigall sonne vpon his repentance had was that he had offended his father by sinning against heauen and against him the same also must be our griefe and all our care must be set on this to consider how we may be obedient children to this our louing father Thirdly that man that beleeues God to be his father must imitate and follow him for it is the will of God that his children should be like vnto himselfe Now we follow God especially in two things I. In doing good to them that persecute vs so saith our Sauiour Christ Pray for them that hurt you that you may be the children of you father which is in heauen for he maketh the sunne to rise on the euill and on the good and sendeth raine on the iust and vniust II. Our heauenly father is mercifull for he is a father of the fatherlesse and therefore he that will be a sonne of this father must be mercifull to his poore brethren as Iob saith of himselfe I was the eyes to the blinde and I was the feete vnto the lame I was a father vnto the poore Fourthly seeing we beleeue god to be our father we are hereby taught to vse moderate care for the things of this life for if a man know himselfe to be the childe of God then he also knowes that God will prouide for him as we know in a familie the father prouideth for all Now God is a father and his Church is his familie therefore if thou wilt be a member of Gods Church and a child of God thou must cast thy care on God and follow the counsell of Christ. Be not too carefull for your life what ye shall eate or what ye shall drinke And marke his reason drawne from the point which we haue in hand The fowles of the heauen saith he they neither sow nor reape nor carrie into barnes and yet your heauenly father feedeth them are ye not much better then they But alas the practise of the world is contrarie for men haue no care for the knowledge of Gods word nor the means of their saluation all their mindes are set on the things of this life when as Christ saith First seeke the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnes thereof and all these things shall be ministred vnto you If you should see a yong man prouide for himselfe and no man else for him we would presently say surely his father is dead euen so when a mans care is set wholly both day and night for the things of this life it argues that God hath either cast him off or else that he takes him for no father of his Fifthly if God be our father then we must learne to beare any crosse patiently that he shall lay vpon vs either in bodie or in minde and alwaies looke for deliuerance from him for whome the Lord loueth them he chastiseth and if ye endure chastising saith the Apostle God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto children which may appeare more plainly by this comparison If two children should fight and a man comming by should part them and after beate the one and let the other goe free euery man that seeth this will say that that child which he beates is his owne sonne Euen so when God chastiseth vs he sheweth himselfe vnto vs as a father if we submit our selues Now if our earthly fathers corrected vs and we gaue them reuerence taking it patiently should we not much rather be in subiection to the father of spirits that we may liue Therefore the conclusion is this if we displease God be ye sure he will correct vs and when his hand is vpon vs we must not murmure against him but beare it with a milde spirit and furthermore when we are vnder the crosse we must alwaies looke for deliuerance from this our father onely If a sonne when he is beaten should flee to his fathers enemies for helpe and counsell it would argue that he were but a gracelesse childe Sundrie and diuers calamities and crosses befall men in this life which they can not brooke and therefore it is a common practise of many among vs in thâ—se daies when Gods hand is vpon them to goe for helpe to the deuill they seeke for counsell at witches and wise men as I haue said but let them looke vnto it for that is the right way to double their miserie and to shew themselues lewde children Lastly if we confesse and beleeue God to be the father of Christ and in him our father also then in regard of our conuersation we must not frame our selues like vnto the worlde but the course of our liues must be in righteousnesse and true holinesse Paul exhorteth the Corinthians to separate themselues from Idolaters alledging the place out of the old
and made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in the crosse he ouercame the deuill and all his angels by the power of his almightie father and by his owne power as he is God And euen so must Christian men labour to finde the same power in themselues of this almightie father by which Christ did triumph ouer Satan that by it they may tread him vnder their feete which men can neuer doe by any power in themselues Againe Christ praieth that that cup might passe from him and yet hee saith Not my will but thy will be fulfilled For it was necessary that Christ should suffer And this request was heard not because he was freed from death but because God his father Almightie gaue him power and strength in his manhood to beare the brunt of his indignation Nowe looke as this power was effectuall in Christ Iesus the head to make him able and sufficient to beare the pangs of hell so the same power of God is in some measure effectuall in al the members of Christ to make them both patient of sufficient strength to beare any affliction as Saint Paul saith beeing strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioifulnesse And this is a notable point which euery one ought to learne that whereas they confesse God to be their Almightie father they should herewithall labour to feele and haue experience in themselues that hee is almightie in the beginning and continuing of grace vnto them and in giuing them power and patience to suffer afflictions Further Christ Iesus when the worke of our redemption was accomplished was lifted vp into heauen and set at the right hand of God in heauenly places farre aboue all principalities and powers c. euen by the power of his father well as this power was made manifest in the head so must it bee in the members thereof Euery childe of God shall hereafter see and feele in himselfe the same power to translate him from this vale of misery in this life to the kingdome of heauen Wherefore to conclude we haue great cause to bee thankefull and to praise God for this priuiledge that hee sheweth his power in his childrē in regenerating thē in making them die vnto sin and to stand against the gates of hel and to suffer afflictions patiently as also that he translates them from death to life And euery one should shew his thankefulnesse in labouring to haue experience of this power in himselfe as Paul exhorteth vs in his Epistles to the Colossians and Ephesians yea read all his epistles and we shal find he mentioneth no point so often as this namely the mighty power of God manifested first in Christ and secondly in his members and he accounteth all things losse that he might knowe Christ and the vertue of his resurrection This point is the rather to be marked because his power in the matter of grace is not to be seene with eye and fewe there be in respect that haue felt the vertue thereof in themselues for the diuell doth mightily shewe his contrary power in the greatest part of the world in carrying them to sinne and wickednesse Secondly hence we learne that which Paul teacheth namely to knowe that all thinges worke togither for the best vnto them that loue God God is almightie and therefore able to doe whatsoeuer he will he is also a father and therefore is willing to doe that which is for our good But some will say we are subiect to many crosses yea to sinne what can our sinnes turne to our good Ans. If God almightie be thy father he will turne thine afflictions yea thy sinnes which by nature are euil beyond all expectation vnto thy saluation And thus much God will doe to all such as be obedient vnto him yet no man must hereupon presume to sinne Thirdly whereas we beleeue that God is a mightie father it serues to confirme gods children in the promises of mercy reuealed in his word The chiefest whereof is that if men will turne from their sinnes and beleeue in Christ they shall not perish but haue life euerlasting I knowe some men will make it an easie thing to beleeue especially those which neuer knewe what faith meant But such persons neede no meanes of confirmation of faith therefore let all those which haue tasted of the hardnes of attaining vnto it learne howe to establish their wauering hearts in the promises of God by the consideration of these two points God is a father and therefore he is willing he is also almightie and therefore he is able to performe his promises He that will bee truely resolued of Gods promises must haue both these setled in his heart and build on them as on two foundations It followeth Creatour of heauen earth We haue spoken of the title of the first person and of his attributes nowe we come to speake of his effect namely the creation but before we come to it we are to answer a certaine obiection which may be made At the first it may seeme strange to some that the worke of creation is ascribed to the first person in Trinitie the father whereas in the Scripture it is common to them all three equally And first that the father is Creatour it was neuer doubted as for the second person the Sonne that hee is Creatour it is euident All things are made by it that is by the Sonne who is the substantiall worde of the father and without it was made nothing that was made And againe it is saide that God by his sonne made the worlde As for the holy Ghost the worke of creation is also ascribed vnto him and therefore Moses saith The spirit mooued vpon the waters and Iob saieth His spirit hath garnished the heauens Howe then is this peculiar to the father beeing common to all the three persons in trinitie I answer The actions of God are twofold either inward or outward The inwarde actions are those which one person doth exercise towards another as the father doth beget the sonne and this is an inward action peculiar to the father and all inward actions are proper to the persons from whome they are So the Sonne doth receiue the Godhead by communication from the Father and the holy Ghost from them both and these are inward actions peculiar to these persons So likewise for the father to send his sonne it is an inward action proper to the father and cannot be communicated to the holy ghost and the sonne to bee sent by the father onely is a thing proper to the Sonne and not common to the father or to the holy Ghost Now outward actions are the actions of the persons in the Trinitie to the creatures as the worke of creation the worke of preseruation and of redemption These and all such actions are common to al the three persons the father createth the sonne createth and the holy
is a creatour of heauen and earth of both which wee will speake in order and first of the creation of heauen Heauen in Gods worde signifieth all that is aboue the earth for the ayre wherein we breath is called heauen And according to this acceptation of the word there are three heauens as Paul saith He was taken vp into the third heauen The first of these heauens is that space which is from the earth vpwarde vnto the firmament where the starrs are Thus the birds which flie in the aire betweene the earth and the starres are called the foules of the heauen and when God sent the flood to drowne the olde world Moses saith the windows of heauen were opened meaning that God powred downe raine from the cloudes aboundantly for the making of a flood to drowne the world The second heauen is that which containeth the Sunne the Moone and the starres so Moses saith that God in the beginning created the Sunne the Moone and the starrs and placed them in the firmament of heauen Besides these two heauens there is a third which is inuisible and yet it is the worke of Gods handes and it is that glorious place where Christ euen in his manhoode sitteth at the right hand of the father and whither the soules of the faithfull departed are carried and placed and in which at the ende of the world shall all the elect both in body and soule haue perfect ioy and blisse in the glorious sight and presence of God for euer But for the better conceiuing the trueth wee are to skanne and consider diligently three questions First whether this third heauen be a creature for many haue thought it was neuer created but was eternall with God himselfe but it is a grosse errour contrarie to Gods word For the Scripture saith Abraham looked for a cittie meaning the heauenly Ierusalem this third heauen hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God Further if it be eternall it must either be Creator or a creature but it is no creator for then it should be God and therefore it must needs be a creature But some will say the Lord is eternall and this third heauen hath alwaies beene the place of the Lordes aboade and therefore it is also eternall Answer True it is indeede that God doth shewe his glorie and maiestie in the third heauen but yet that cannot possibly containe his Godhead as Salomon saith Beholde the heauens and the heauens of heauens are not able to containe thee Wherefore though God doth manifest his eternall glorie in this third heauen yet doth it not followe that therefore this place should bee eternall for hee needes no habitation to dwell in hee is euery where filling all things with his presence excluded from no place The second question is where this third heauen is Aâ—â—were There are some protestants say it is euery where and they holde this opinion to maintaine the reall presence of the Lordes bodie in or about the Sacrament But if it were euery where then hell should be in heauen which no man will say but heauen indeede is aboue these visible heauens which wee see with our eies so the Apostle saith Christ ascended on high farre aboue all heauens c. And againe it is said of Steuen that beeing full of the holy Ghost Hee looked vp steadfastly into the heauens and sawe them open and the sonne of man standing at the right hand of God Thirdly it may bee demaunded why God created this third heauen Answer God made it for this cause that there might bee a certaine place wherein he might make manifest his glorie and maiestie to his elect angels and men for the which cause it was created a thousand fold more glorious then the two former heauens are and in this respect it is called Paradise by reason of the ioy and pleasure arising from Gods glorious presence And our Sauiour Christ calleth it the house of God his father because into it must be gathered all gods children It is called the kingdome of heauen because God is the king thereof and ruleth there in perfect glorie True it is God hath his kingdome here on earth but he ruleth not so fully and gloriouslie here as he â—hall in heauen for this is the kingdome of grace but that is the kingdome of his glorie where he so raigneth that he will be all in all first in Christ then in the elect both angels and men Nowe followe the duties whereunto we are mooued principally in consideration of the making of the third heauen First if God created it especially for the manifestion of his glory vnto men that at the ende of this worlde by the fruition of Gods most glorious presence there they might haue perfect ioy and felicitie we haue occasion here to consider the wonderfull madnesse and forgetfulnesse that raigneth euery where among men which onely haue regard to the estate of this life and cast all their care on this worlde and neuer so much as once dreame of the ioyfull and blessed estate which is prepared for Gods children in the highest heauen If a man hauing two housesâ— one but a homely cottage and the other a princely pallace should leaue the better and take all the care and paines for the dressing vp of the first would not euery man say he were a madde man yes vndoubtedly And yet this is the spirituall madnesse that takes place euery where among men for God hath prepared for vs two houses one is this our bodie which we beare about vs which is an house of clay as Iob saith We dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is dust which shal be destroyed before the moth as Peter saith a tabernacle or tent which we must shortly take downe and wherein we abide but as pilgrimes and straungers Againe the same God of his wonderfull goodnesse hath prouided for vs a second house in the third heauen wherein wee must not abide for a time and so depart but for euermore enioy the blessed felicitie of his glorious presence For all this marke a spirituall phrensie possessing the mindes of men for they imploy all their care and industrie for the maintaining of this house of clay whose foundation is but dust but for the blessed estate of the second house which is prepared for them in the kingdom of heauen they haue little regard or care They will both runne and ride from place to place day and night both by sea and land but for what Is it for the preparing of a mansion place in the heauenly Ierusalem Nothing lesse for they will scarse goe forth of the doore to vse any meanes whereby they may come vnto it but all their studie is to patch vp the ruines and breaches of their earthly cabbine Now let all men iudge in their owne consciences whether as I haue said this be not more then senselesse madnesse Againe the bodie is but a tabernacle
and businesses among men to which they were by God appointed And the bodies of men which they assumed were no parts of their natures vnited to them as our bodies are to vs but rather they were as garments are to vs which they might put off and on at their pleasure If any shall aske whence they had these bodies the answer is that either they were created of nothing by the power of God or framed of some other matter subsisting before If againe it be asked what became of these bodies when they laid them downe because they vsed them but for a time the answer may be that if they were made of nothing they were againe resolued into nothing if made of other creatures that then they were resolued into the same bodies of which they were first made though indeede we can define nothing certenly in this point III. Angels are reasonable creatures of excellent knowledge and vnderstanding farre surpassing all men saue Christ. Their knowledge is threefold naturall reuealed experimentall Naturall which they receiued from God in the creation Reuealed which God makes manifest to them in processe of time whereas before they knew it not Thus God reuealed to Gabriel the mysterie of the 70. weekes Dan. 8 and 9. And in the Apocalyps many things are reuealed to the Angels that they might reueale theÌ„ to vs. Experimentall knowledge is that which they get by obseruing the dealings of God in the whole world but specially in the Church And thus Paul saith that to principalities and powers in heauenly places is knowne the manifolde wisedome of God by the Church IV. And as the knowledge so also the power of the good Angels is exceeding great They are able to doe more then all men can Therefore Paul calls them mightie Angels 2. Thess. 1.7 Yea their power is farre superiour to the power of the wicked angels who since the fall are vnder them and can not preuaile against them V. The place of the aboad of Angels is the highest heauen vnlesse they be sent thence by the Lord to doe some thing appointed by him This our Saâ—iour Christ teacheth when he saith that the angels of litle ones doe alreadie behold the face of their father in heauen And the wicked angels before their fall were placed in heauen because they were cast thence VI. That there be certaine distinctions and diuersities of angels it is very likely because they are called thrones and principalities and powers Châ—rubim and Seraphim But what be the distinct degrees and orders of Angels and whether they are to be distinguished by their natures gifts or offices no man by scripture can determine VII The ministerie of angels to which the Lord hath set them apart is threefold and it respecteth either God himselfe or his church or his enemies The ministerie which they performe to God it first of al to adore praise and glorifie him continually Thus the Cherubims in Esaies vision crie one to another Holy holy holy is the Lord God of hosts the world is full of his glory And when they were to publish the birth of the Messias they begin on this maner Glory to God in the highest heauens peace on earth And Iohn in his vision heard the angels about the throne crying with a loud voice Worthy is the Lambe c. to receiue power riches and strength wisdome and honour and glory and praise And indeede the highest ende of the ministerie of Angels is the manifestatioÌ„ of the glory of God The second is to stand in Gods presence euermore readie to doe his commandements as Dauid saith Praise the Lord yee his Angels that excell in strength that doe his commandements in obeying the voice of his word And here is a good lesson for vs. Wee pray daily that we may doe the will of God as the Angels in heauen doe it let vs therefore be followers of the holy Angels in praising God and in doing his commandements as they doe The ministerie of Angels concerning the Church standes in this that they are ministering sprits for the good of them which shall be heires of saluation The good is threefold in this life in the ende of this life and in the last iudgemeÌ„t again the good which they procure to the people of god in this life is either in respect of body or soule In respect of the body in that they doe most carefully performe al maner of duties which do necessarily tend to preserue the temporall life of Gods children euen from the beginning of their daies to the ende Dauid saith that they pitch their tents about them that feare the Lord. When Agar was cast forth of Abrahams family and wandered in the wildernesse an angell comes vnto her and giues her counsell to returne to her mistresse and humble her selfe When Elias fled from Iesabel he was both comforted directed and fed by an angel And an angel bidds the same Eliaâ— be of good courage and without feare to goe to King Achazias reproouâ— him Angels bring Lot and his family out of Sodom and Gomorrha before they burne the citties with fire and brimstone When Iacob feared his brother Esau hee sawe angels comming vnto him and he plainely acknowledgeth that they were sent to be his protectours his guides in his iourney Abraham beeing perswaded of the assistance of Gods angels in al his waies said to his seruant The Lord God of heauen who tooke me from my fathers house c. will send his angels before thee The wise men that came to see Christ are admonished by angels to returne another way and Ioseph by the directioÌ„ of an angel fled into Egypt that he might preserue Christ from the hands of the cruel tyrant The tents of the Israelites was garded by angels The three children are deliuered from the fierie furnace and Daniel out of the Lyons denne by angels When Christ was in heauinesse they ministred vnto him and comforted him and they brought Peter out of prison and set him at libertie Againe the angels procure good vnto the soules of the godly in that they are maintainers and furtherers of the true worshippe of God and of all good meanes whereby we attaine to saluation The lawe was deliuered in Mount Sina by angels and a great part of the Reuelation of Iohn They expound to Daniel the seuenty weekes They instruct the Apostles touching the returne of Christ to the last iudgement An angel forbids Iohn to worship him but to worship God the creatour of heauen and earth They fetch the Apostles out of prison and bidde them teach in the temple An angel bringes Philip to the Eunuch that he may expound the Scriptures to him Lastly they reueale the misteries and the will of God as to Abraham that he should not kill his sonne Isaac to Mary and Elizabeth the natiuity of Iohn Baptist of Christ our Sauiour and all this they
practise the corruption of their owne hearts Thus much of the parts of Gods prouidence now follow the kinds thereof Gods prouidence is either generall or speciall Generall is that which extends it selfe to the whole world and all things indifferently euen to the deuills themselues By this prouidence God continues and maintaines the order which he set in nature in the creation and he preserues the life substance and the beeing of all and euery creature in his kinde The eâ—peciall prouidence is that which God sheweth exerciseth towards his Church and â—hosen people in gathering and guiding them and in preseruing them by his mightie power against the gates of hell And therfore Gods Church here vpon earth is called the kingdome of grace in which he shewes not onely a generall power ouer his creatures but withall the speciall operation of his spirit in bowing and bending the hearts of men to his will Thus much concerning the doctrine of Gods prouidence Now followes the duties First seeing there is a prouidence of God ouer euery thing that is we are hereby taught to take good heede of the transgression of the least of Gods commandements If men were perswaded that the Prince had an eye euery where doubtlesse many subiects in England would walke more obediently to the lawes of the land then they doe and durst in no wise worke such villanies as are daily practised Well howsoeuer it is with earthly princes yet this all-seeing-presence is least wanting in God he hath an eye euery where wheresoeuer thou art there God beholdeth thee as Dauid saith God looked downe from heauen vpon the children of men to see if there were any that would vnderstand and seeke God Therefore except thou be brutish and past shame take heede of sinne If men had but a sparke of grace the consideration of this would make them loath the practise of any euill worke Eliah saith to Ahab As the Lord God of Israel liueth before whome I stand there shall be neither dewe nor raine these three yeares Where the Prophet confirmeth his speach with an oath saying As the Lord of hosts liueth it shal be so And least Ahab should think he made no conscience what he said he addeth this clause that he stood in the presence of God As if he should say howsoeuer thou thinkest of me yet as it stands me in hand so doe I make conscience of my word for I stand in the presence of God and therefore know it as the Lord liueth there shall be no raine now dew these three yeares So Cornelius hauing an eye to Gods prouidence doth mooue himselfe and all his houshold to a solemne hearing of the word of God deliuered by the mouth of Peter saying that they were all present before God to heare all things commanded of him As these men had regard to Gods prouidence so we likewise must behaue our selues reuerently making conscience of our behauiour both in words and works because wheresoeuer we be we are in the presence of God Secondly if there be a prouidence of God ouer euery thing then we must learne contentation of mind in euery estate yea in aduersitie vnder the crosse when all goes against vs we must be content because Gods prouidence hath so appointed So Dauid in the greatest of his griefes was dumbe and spake nothing his reason was because thou Lord didst it And when Shemei cursed Dauid Abisha would haue had the king to haue giuen him leaue to haue slaine him but Dauid would not suffer it but said He curseth euen because the Lord hath bidden him curse Dauid who dare then say wherefore hast thou done so In whose example we may see a patterne of quietnesse of minde When a crosse commeth it is a hard thing to bee patient but we must drawe our selues thereunto by consideration of Gods especial prouidence Thirdly when outward meanes of preseruation in this life doe abound as health wealth honour riches peace and pleasure then we must remember to be thankefull because these things alwaies come by the prouidence of God Thus Iob was thankfull both in prosperitie and aduersitie The Lord saith he gaue and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. Indeede to bee patient in euery estate and thankefull to God is a very harde matter yet will it be more easie if we learne in all thinges that befall vs in this life neuer to seuer the consideration of the things that come to passe from Gods prouidence For as the bodie and the soule of man though we see only the bodie are alwaies togither as long as a man liueth so is Gods prouidence ioyned with the thing done wherefore as we looke on the thing done so we must also in it labour to see and acknowledge the good pleasure appointment of God As for example a mans house is set on fire and all his goods consumed this very sight would make him at his wits end but now as he beholds this euent with one eie so with the other eie he must at that very instant looke vpon Gods blessed prouidence When a man beholds and feels the losse of his friendes he cannot but greiue thereat vnlesse he be more senselesse then stocke or stone yet that he may not be ouerwhelmed with griefe he must euer with one eie looke at the pleasure of God herein This practise wil be an especiall meanes to stay the rage of any headstrong affection â—r all our afflictions In the world the maner of men is if healthâ— wealth and ease abound to thinke all is well but if crosâ—es come as losse of friendes losse of goods then men crie out as beeing straught of their wittes the reason is because they looke onely at the outward meanes and tie Gods prouidence to them not beeing able to see any goodnesse or prouidence of God out of ordinarie meanes Againe when a man is stored with riches honour wealth and prosperitie he must not barely looke on them but behold withal Gods goodnes and blessing in them for if that be wanting all the riches in the world are nothing Likewise in receiuing thy meate and drinke thou must looke further into the blessing of God vpon it which if it be away thy meate and thy drink can no more nourish thee then the stone in the wall And the same must wee do in euery busiâ—es of our callings which if men could learne to practise they would not so much trust to the meanes as honour wealth fauour c. but rather to God himselfe The Lord by the prophet Habaccuc reprooueth the Chaldeans for offering sacrifiâ—es vnto their nets which sinne they committed because they looked onely vpon outward things and like blind moles had no power to see further into them and to behold the worke of God in all their proceedings And this is the very cause why we are vnthankefull for Gods benefits for though we beholde the bare creatures yet are
nothing regarded A blinde man neuer seeing the sunne is not brought to wonder at it and earthly minded men neither seeing nor feeling what an excellent thing it is to bee the childe of God cannot bee brought to seeke after it But let all such as feare God enter into a serious consideration of the vnspeakeable goodnesse of God comforting themselues in this that God the father hath vouchsafed by his owne sonne to make them of the vassals of satan to be his owne deere children Nowe followe the duties which are two First we beleeue that Iesus Christ who was to be the Sauiour of mankinde must needs be God what is the reason hereof surely because no creature no not all the creatures in heauen and earth were able to saue one man so vile wretched and miserable is our estate by Adams fall And therefore the sonne of God himselfe pitied our estate and beeing king of heauen and earth was faine to come from heauen and lay downe his crowne and become a seruant and taking vpon him our nature was also faine to take vpon him our case and condition and suffer death for our sinnes which otherwise euery one of vs should haue suffered both in bodie and soule world without ende To make this more plaine let vs suppose that some one hath committed an offence against a prince and the trespasse to be so grieuous that no man can appease the kings wrath saue only the kings onely sonne and which is more the kings sonne himselfe cannot release him vnlesse hee suffer the punishment for him in his owne person which is due vnto the malefactour Nowe what is to be thought of this mans estate surely all men will say that he is in a most miserable taking and that his trespasse is notorious and so it is with euery one of vs by nature whatsoeuer we are No man could saue our soules no not all the angels in heauen vnlesse the king of heauen and earth the onely sonne of God had come down from heauen and suffered for vs bearing our punishment Nowe the consideration of this must humble vs and make vs to cast downe our selues vnder the hand of God for our sinnes and pray continually that the Lord would send some Moses or other which might smite the rockes of our hearts that some teares of sorrowe and repentance might gush out for this our wofull miserie Secondly whereas God the Father of Christ gaue his onley sonne to be our Sauiour as we must be thankefull to God for all things so especially for this great and vnspeakable benefit Common blessings of God as meat drinke health wealth and libertie must at all times mooue vs to be thankeful but this that Christ Iesus the onely sonne of God redeemed vs beeing vtterly lost this I say must be the maine point of all our thankfulnes but alas mens hearts are so frozen in the dreggs of their sinnes that this dutie comes little in practise nowe adaies When our Sauiour Christ clensed ten lepers there was but one of them that returned to giue him thankes and this is as true in the leprosie of the soule for though saluation by Christ be offered vnto vs daily by Gods ministers yet not one of tenne nay scarse one of a thousand giues praise and thankes to God for it because men take no delight in things which concerne the kingdome of heauen they thinke not that they haue neede of saluation neither do they feele any want of a Sauiour But we for our parts must learne to say with Dauid What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits yea we are to practise that which Salomon saith My sonne giue me thy heart for we should giue vnto God both bodie and soule in token of our thankefulnesse for this wonderful blessing that he hath giuen his onely sonne to bee our Sauiour and we are to hold this for trueth that they which are not thankfull for it let them say what they will they haue no soundnes of grace or power of religion at the heart And thus much of the third title The fourth and last title is in these wordes our Lord. Christ Iesus the onely sonne of God is our Lord three waies first by creation in that he made vs of nothing when we were not secondly he is our Lord in the right of redemption In former times the custome hath bin when one is taken prisoner in the field he that paies his raunsome shall becom alwaies after his Lord so Christ when we were bondslaues vnder hell death and condemnation paide the ransome of our redemption and freed vs from the bondage of sinne and satan and therfore in that respect he is our Lord. Thirdly he is the head of the Church as the husband is the wiues head to rule and gouerne the same by his word and spirit And therefore in that respect also Christ is our Lord. And thus much for the meaning Nowe followe the duties And first of al if Christ be our Soueraigne Lord we must performe absolute obedience vnto him that is whatsoeuer he commandes vs that must we doe And I say absolute obedience because Magistrates Masters Rulers and fathers may command and must bee obeyed yet not simply but so farre foorth as that which they command doth agree with the word and commandement of God but Christs will and word is righteousnesse it selfe and therfore it is a rule and direction of all our actions whatsoeuer and for this cause he must be absolutely obeyed Thus he requires the obedience of the morall lawe but why because he is the Lord our god And in Malachie he saith If I be your Lord where is my feare And againe we must resigne both bodie and soule heart mind wil affections and the course of our whole liues to be ruled by the will of Christ. He is Lord not onely of the bodie but of the spirit and soule of man he must therefore haue homage of both As wee adore him by the knee of the bodie so must the thoughts and the affections of our hearts haue their knees also to worship him and to shewe their subiection to his commandements As for such as doe hold him for their Lord in word but in the meane season will not indeauour to shewe their loyaltie in all manner of obedience they are indeede no better then starke rebels Secondly when by the hande of Christ straunge iudgements shall come to passe as it is vsuall in all places continually we must stay ourselues without murmuring or finding fault because he is an absolute Lorde ouer all his creatures all things are in his handes and hee may doe with his owne whatsoeuer he will and therefore wee must rather feare and tremble whensoeuer we see or heare of them so Dauid saith I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou didst it And againe My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy iudgements Thirdly before wee vse
of blood but Christ as he is God cannot die For no passion can befall the Godhead Therefore it was needefull that he should become man that in mans nature he might die and fully satisfie Gods iustice for mans offence Lastly he that must make reconciliation betweene God and man must be such an one as may make request or speake both to God and man For a Mediatour is as it were a middle person making intercession betweene two other persons the one offended the other offending Therefore it is necessarie that Christ should not onely be God to speake vnto the father for vs and to present our prayers vnto him but also man that God might speake to vs and we to God by Christ. For howsoeuer before the fall man could speak to God euen face to face yet since the fall such feare possesseth mans corrupt nature that he cannot abide the presence of God but flyeth from it Nowe whereas I say that it was necessarie that the sonne of God for the causes before alleadged must become man the necessitie must be vnderstood in respect of Gods will and not in respect of his absolute power For if it had so pleased God he was able to haue laid downe an other kind of way of mans redemption then by the incarnation of the sonne of God and he appointed no other way because he would not Thus much of the Incarnation in generall Nowe followe the duties which arise of it And first we are taught hereby to come to Christ by faith and with all our hearts to cleaue vnto him Great is the deadnesse and sluggishnesse of mans nature for skarse one of a thousand care for him or seeke vnto him for righteousnesse and life euerlasting But wee shoulde excite our selues euery way to drawe neare to him as much as possibly we may for when he was incarnate he came neere vnto vs by taking our nature vpon him that wee againe whatsoeuer we are might come neere vnto him by taking vnto vs his diuine nature Againe when Christ was incarnate he was made bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh and therefore proportionally wee must labour to become bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh which we shall bee when we are mystically vnited vnto him by faith and borne anewe by his spirit Moreouer Christ by his incarnation came downe from heauen to vs that we being partakers of his grace might ascend vp to heauen by him And thus we see how the meditation of Christs incarnation should be a spurre to prick vs forward still more and more to come to Christ. Secondly Christs incarnation must be a patterne vnto vs of a most wonderfull and straunge humilitie For as Paul saith Being in the forme of God and thinking it no robberie to bee equall with God made himselfe of no reputation and tooke on him forme of a seruant and humbled himselfe and became obedient to death euen to the death of the crosse Yea so farre forth he abased himselfe that as Dauid saith he was a worme and no man And this teacheth vs to lay aside al selfe-loue and pride of heart and to practise the duties of humility as the Apostle exhorts the Philippians in the same place and that shall we doe when we beginne to cast off that high opinion which euery man by nature conceiueth of himselfe and become vile and base in our owne eies Secure drowsie protestants thinke themselues blessed and say in their hearts as the Angel of the Church of Laodicea said I am rich increased with goods and haue need of nothing whereas indeed they are most miserable and wretched and poore and naked and blind And the same fond opinion possesseth the mindes of our ignorant people who chant it in the very same tune saying that God loues them and that they loue God with al their hearts and their neighbours as themselues that they haue perfect faith in Christ and euer had not once so much as doubting of their saluation that all is well with them and that they are past all danger whatsoeuer in the matter of their saluation and therefore neede not take so much care for it Thus yee may see howe men are commonly carried away with vaine and fond conceits of their owne excellencie And truely so long as this ouerweening of our owne righteousnesse raignes in our hearts let preachers speake and say what they will we can neuer become followers of Christ in the practise of humilitie Some will say peraduenture that they neuer had any such opinion of their owne righteousnes but I answere againe that there was neuer yet any man descending of Adam saue Christ but he had this proud phantasie ruling and raigning in him till such time as God gaue grace to chaÌ„ge alter his heart this inward pride the lesse we discern it the more it is and the more we discerne it the lesse it is Therefore though as yet thou see it not in thy selfe yet labour both to see it to feele it to striue against it casting down thy selfe for thy own miserie after Christs own example who being God abased himselfe to the condition of a miserable man For thou shalt neuer be filled with the good things of god till thou be emptied of selfe-loue and selfe-liking For this cause let vs purge and emptie our selues of all conceit of our own righteousnes that god may fil our hearts with his grace Furthermore the incarnation of Christ is the ground and foundation of all our comfort as the names of Christ seruing to expresse the same doe testifie Iâ—akob in his last Testament saith that the scepter shall not depart from Iudah in Shilo that is the Messias come Nowe the name Shilo signifieth the tunicle or skinne that lappeth the infant in the mothers wombe called by the Phisitians the secundine and by a kind of figure it is put for the Sonne of God in the wombe of the virgine made man And Iob to comfort himselfe in his affliction saith I knowe that my redeemer liueth Nowe the word which he vseth to signifie his redeemer by is verie emphaticall for it signifieth a kinsman neere allied vnto him of his owne flesh that will restore him to life And the Lord by the prophet Esay calleth Christ Immanuel that is God with vs which name importeth very much namely that whereas by nature we haue lost our fellowshippe with God because our sinnes are a wall of partition seuering vs from him yet neuerthelesse the fame is restored to all that beleeue by the Mediatour Christ Iesus because his diuine nature is coupled to mans nature and so the word is made flesh And this strait coniunction of two natures into one person ioynes God to men and men to God yea by Christ we are brought to God and haue free accesse vnto him and againe in him we apprehend God and are made one with him And further whereas Christ beside
which is done by giuing all the members of our bodies to be instruments of the seruice of God in righteosnesse and holinesse Secondly we must indeauour to keepe in the corruption of nature as it were choking and smothering it in the heart that by it neither the world nor the deuill preuaile against vs. And this must be done by hauing a narrowe regard vnto all the powers and faculties of bodie and soule setting a watch before our eies eares lippes and all other parts of the bodie that are in any action the instrumentes of the soule and aboue all as Salomon saith by countergarding the heart with all diligence By the outward senses of the bodie as through open windowes the deuill creeps into the heart and therefore our dutie is to stoppe all such waies of entrance Thirdly when original corruption begins to rebel either in the minde will or any of the affections then must we drawe out the sword of the spirit which is the word of God and incounter with that hydeous gyant laying loade vpon him by the iudgements and threatnings of the lawe and as it were beating him downe with clubbes as Paul speaketh And if it fall out that concupiscence begin to conceiue and bring forth any sinne we must cruise it in the head and dash it against the ground as a bird in the shell least it grow vp to our vtter confusion These are the duties which wee should learne by the passion of Christ. But lamentable are our daies in which all for the most part goes contrarie for commonly men are so farre from killing and subduing the rebellion of the naturall concupiscence that all their studie and care is howe they may feede and cherish it and make it stronger then the mightie Goliah But let vs for our parts be conformable to Christ in his passion suffering in our flesh as he suffered in bodie and soule for And let vs daily more and more by the hand of faith apprehend and apply to our hearts and consciences the passion of Christ that it may as a fretting corasiue eate out the poison of our sinfull natures and consume it Nowe followeth the second point concerning the passion of Christ which is vnder whome he suffered namely vnder Pontius Pilate And Christ may be saide to suffer vnder him in two respects First because he was then the president of Iurie For a little before the birth of Christ the kingdome of the Iewes was taken away by the Romane Emperour and reduced into a Prouince and Pontius Pilate was placed ouer the Iewes not as king but as the Romane Emperours deputie And this circumstance is noted in the history of the Gospell and here specified in the Creed to shewe that the Messias was exhibited in the time foretold by the Prophets Iacob foretold that Shilo must be borne after the scepter is remooued from Iudah Isaiah saith that the family of Ishai shall be worne as it were to the roote before Christ as a braunch shall spring out of it Againe Christ suffered vnder Pontius Pilate as he was a iudge whereby we are giuen to vnderstand of a wonder namely that Christ the sonne of God King of heauen and earth was arraigned at the barre of an earthly iudge and there condemned For thus much the words in meaning import that Pontius Pilate sate as iudge vpon Christ to examine him to arraigne him and giue sentence against him Wherefore before wee come to speake of the degrees of the passion of Christ we must needs intreat of his arraignment vpon earth In handling whereof we must generally consider these points First that when he was arraigned before Pilate he was not as a priuate man but as a pledge and surety that stood in the place and stead of vs miserable sinners as the Prophet Isaiah saith He bare our infirmities and carried our sorrowes and withall in him was mankind arraigned before God Secondly this arraignment was made not priuately in a corner but openly in the publike court and that in a great feast of the Iewes as it were in the hearing of the whole world Thirdly though Pilate in citing examining and condemning Christ intended not to worke any part of mans redemption yet was this wholly set downe in the counsell and good pleasure of God in whose roome Pilate sate and whose iudgement he exercised The generall vse of Christs arraignment is two-fold First it is a terrour to all impenitent sinners for there is no freedome or protection from the iudgement of God but by the arraignment of Christ and therefore such as in this life receiue him not by faith must at the ende of this world be brought out to the most terrible barre of the last iudgement there to be arraigned before the King of heauen and earth And marke the equitie hereof Christ himselfe could not haue beene our Sauiour and redeemer vnlesse he had bin brought out to the barre of an earthly iudge and arraigned as a guilty malefactour and therefore there is no man vpon earth that liues and dies out of Christ but he must whether he will or no hold vp his hand at the barre of the great iudge of all mankind where he shall see hell vnderneath him burning redde hotte and opening it selfe wide to swallow him vp and on the right hand of God standing all the Prophets Apostles and Saints of God giuing iudgement against him on the left hand the deuill and all his angels accusing him and within him a guilty conscience condemning him And thus one day shal the arraignment of those persons be that with full purpose of heart cleaue not to Christ and yet alas huge and infinite is the number of those which make more account of transitorie and earthly matters euen of their pigges with the Gaderens then of him and his benefits and such persons should rather be pitied then despised of vs all considering their estate is such that euery day they are going as traytours pinnioned to their owne iudgement that they may goe thence to eternall execution Secondly Christs arraignment is a comfort to the godly For he was arraigned before Pilate that all such as truly beleeue in him might not be arraigned before God at the day of the last iudgement he was accused before an earthly iudge that they might be cleared and excused before the heauenly iudge lastly he was here condemned on earth that we might receiue the sentence of absolution and be eternally saued in heauen The arraignment of Christ hath three parts his apprehension his accusation his condemnation In the apprehension we must consider two things the dealing of Christ and the dealing of Iudas and the Iewes The dealing and proceeding of Christ was this when he saw that the time of his apprehension and death was neere he solemnly prepared himselfe thereto And his example must teach euery one of vs who know not the shortnesse of our daies euery houre to prepare our selues against the day
bosome and became man and liued here many yeares in miserie and contempt and when no hearbe nor plaister could cure this our deadly wound or desperat sicknesse he was content to make a plaister with his owne blood the paine he tooke in making it caused him to sweate water and blood nay the making of it for vs cost him his life in that he was content by his owne death to free vs from death which if it be true as it is most true then wofull wretched is our case if we will still liue in sinne and will not vse meanes to lay this plaister vnto our hearts And after the plaister is applyed to the soule wee should do as a man that hath bin grieuously sick who when he is on the mending hand gets strength by little and little And so should we become newe creatures going on from grace to grace and shew the same by liuing godlily righteously and soberly that the worlde may see that we are cured of our spirituall disease O happie yea thrice happie are they that haue grace from god to doe this The second dutie concernes them which are repentant sinners Hath Christ giuen himselfe for thee and is thy conscience setled in this then thou must answerably beare this mind and if thy life would serue for the glory of God and the good of his Church thou wouldst then giue it most willingly if thou be called thereto Secondly if Christ for thy good hath giuen his life then thou must in like maner be content to die for thy brethren in Christ if neede be Heâ— saith Saint Iohn laid downe his life for vs therefore weâ— ought to lay downe our liues for our brethren Thirdly if Christ was content to shedde his owne heart blood not for himselfe but for the sinnes of euerie one of vs then we must be thus affected that rather then by sinning wee would willingly offend God we should be content to haue our own blood shed yea if these two things were put to our choise either to doe that which might displease God or els to suffer deathâ— wee must rather die then doe the same Of this minde haue beene all the Martyrs of God who rather then they would yeeld to Idolatrie were content to suffer most bitter torments and cruell death Yea euery good Christian is so affected that he had rather choose to die then to liue not mooued by impatience in respect of the misâ—ries of this life but because hee would cease to offend so louing a father To sinne is meate and drinke to the worlde but to a touched and repentant heart there is no torment so grieuouâ— as this is to sinne against God if once he bee perswaded that Christ died for him Thus much for Christs death nowe followe those things which befell Christ when he was newely dead and they are two especially The first that his legges were not broken as the legges of the two theeues were Of the first S. Iohn râ—ndreth a reason namely that the Scripture might be fulfilled which saith not a bone of him shal be broken which wordes were spoken by Moses of the paschall lambe and are here applied to Christ as beeing typically figured thereby And hence we obserue these two things First that Christ crucified is the true paschall lambe as S. Paul saith Christ our passeouer is sacrificed and S. Iohn saith Behold the lambe of God distinguishing him thereby from the typicall lambe In this that Christ crucified is the true paschall lambe the childe of God hath wonderfull matter of comfort The Israelites did eate the passeouer in Egypt sprinkled the blood of the lambe on the posts of their dores that when the angel of God came to destroy the first borne both of man and beast and saw the blood vpon their houses might passe ouer them that the plague should not be vpon them to destruction So likewise if thou dost feed on the lambe of God and by a liuely faith sprinkle the dore of thine heart with his bloode the iudgements of God in this life and the terrible curse of death with the fearefull sentence of condemnation at the day of iudgement and all punishments due vnto thy sinnes shall passe ouer thee and not so much as touch thee And whereas the legges of our Sauiour Christ were not broken by the souldiours who sought by all meanes possible to worke against him all the mischiefe they could we may note that the enemies of Christ and his Church let them intend to shew neuer so much malice against him they can not goe beyond that libertie which God giueth them they can doe no more for their liues then that which God willeth The Medes and Persians are called the Lords sanctified ones Cyrus is called the man of Gods counsell because whatsoeuer they intended against the people of God yet in all their proceedings they did nothing but that which God had determined before to be done And when Senacherib came against the Iewes as a wilde beast out of his denne the Lord telleth Hezekiah concerning Ashur that he will put his hooke in his nostrills and his bridle in his lippes and bring him backe againe the same way he came that is he will so rule him that he shall not doe the least hurt vnto the Iewes more then God will This is a matter of great comfort to Gods church oppressed with manifold enemies Papists Iewes Turks and all infidels malitiously bent against it for Christs sake For though they intend and practise mischiefe yet more then Gods will and counsell is they can not doe because he hath his ring in their nostrils and his bridle in their lippes to rule them as he listeth The second thing which fell out immediately vpon the death of Christ is that the souldiours pearced his side with a speare and thence issued water and blood The vse which ariseth of this point is two-fold first it serues to prooue that Christ died truly and not in shew or a fained death for there is about the heart a filme or skinne like vnto a purse wherein is contained cleare water to coole the heat of the heart and therefore when water and bloode issued out after piercing of the side it is very likely that that very skinne was pierced for els in reason we can not coniecture whence this water should come Saint Iohn an eye-witnes of this thing beeing about to prooue that Iesus the sonne of Marie was the true Messias bringeth in sixe witnesses three in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Ghost three in earth the Water the Spirit and the blood where no doubt he alludeth to the water and blood that issued out of the side of Christ by spirit we may vnderstand the efficacie and operation of Gods spirit making men to bring forth the fruits of the same as loue peace ioy c. And the second witnes namely water hath relation to the water that
Answ. The reason may be this it was his good pleasure that the points of faith and religion wherof this article is one should rather be learned by hearing then by seeing Indeede Christs owne disciples were taught the same by sight that they might the better teach others which should not see wheras now the ordinarie meanes to come by faith is hearing The vses to be made of Christs ascension are of two sorts some are comforts to Gods Church and people and some are duties The comforts are especially foure The first is this Christ Iesus did ascend vp into heauen to lead captiuitie captiue a most worthie benefit By captiuitie is meant first sinne and Satan which did and doe lead men captiue into perdition secondly death and the graue which held him captiue and in bondage for the space of three daies And he leads them all captiue two waies first in himselfe in that he beganne his triumph vpon the crosse as I haue shewed and continued the same till his very ascension secondly in all his members because by his mightie power being now ascended he doth subdue and weaken the power of sinne and Satan which he manifesteth euery day by killing the corruption of their natures and the rebellion of their flesh But it may be demaunded how Christ doth lead his enemies captiue considering the deuill raignes euery where and the world and death and hell Answ. Christs victorie ouer his and our enemies hath fiue degrees First it is ordained by God secondly it is foretold thirdly it is wrought fourthly it is applied lastly it is accomplished The ordaining of it was before all worlds the foretelling of it was in all the ages of the olde testament the working of it was vpon the crosse and afterward the applying hath beene since the beginning of the world more or lesse and it is onely in part in this life that while Christ is in bruising of the head of Satan he againe may bruise his heele the accomplishment shall not be before the last iudgement From this great benefit bestowed on Gods Church there are many duties to be learned First here is an instruction for all ignorant persons and impenitent sinners which abound among vs in euery place Whosoeuer they be that liue in the blindnesse of their mindes and hardnes of their hearts they must know this that they are captiues and bondslaues of sinne and Satan of hell death and condemnation and let no man flatter himselfe of what state or degree soeuer he be for it is Gods truth if he haue not repented of all his sinnes he as yet is no better then a seruant or vassall yea a very drudge of the deuill Now then what wilt thou doe in this case The best thing is to lay to thy heart this benefit of Christ. He is ascended vp to heauen to lead captiue and to vanquish the deuil and all his angels vnder whome thou liest bound and that not onely in himselfe but in his members Now then if thou wilt become a true member of Christ he will free thee from this bondage Therefore take heede how thou continuest longer in thy old sinnes and in thy grosse ignorance seeing Christ hath made a way to libertie let vs seeke to come out of this spirituall bondage he is ascended for this end and purpose to free vs frō it therfore if we refuse this benefit our state will be the more damnable A man lies bound hand and foote in a darke dungeon and the keeper comes and sets open the prison dore and takes off his bolts and bids him come out if he refuse and say that he is well may it not be thought that he is a madde man and will any be sorie for his case No surely Well this is the state of all impenitent sinners They lie fast fettered and bound vnder the power of sinne and Satan and Christ it is who is ascended into heauen to vnloose them of this bondage he hath set open the prison dore and hath vnlocked our fetters if we refuse to come out and lie still in our sinnes there remaineth nothing for vs but euerlasting thraldome Let vs therefore in the feare of God if we haue a care of our owne soules receiue and imbrace this benefit which redoundes vnto vs by Christs ascension Secondly in that Christ is ascended to heauen to lead captiue sinne and Satan here is a good consolation for all those that are afflicted in conscience for their sinnes There is no man in this case but he hath great cause to feare yet must he not be discouraged For Christ by his ascension like a noble captaine hath taken sinne and Satan prisoners and hath pinnioned them fast so as all the power they haue is in Christs hand and therefore for this cause although they are suffered to exercise and afflict vs yet by his grace they shall neuer be able to preuaile against vs. Therefore we may safely cast our care vpon God and not feare ouermuch Hence also we may learne a third dutie There is no man that knoweth what sinne meaneth and what the bloode of Christ meaneth but in regard of the corruption of his owne nature he will say with Paul that he is sold vnder sinne and in regard thereof will crie out with him also O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death yea it will make his heart to bleede within him Nowe what shall he doe in this case surely let him remember the ende of Christs ascension which is to vanquish and subdue the rebellion of his nature and labour to feele the benefit thereof and then he shall no doubt finde that Christ will dissolue in him the works of the deuill and tread Satan vnder his feete And thus also those that feele in themselues the law of their members rebelling against the law of their minde must come to Christ and he will helpe and sree them The second benefit of Christs ascension is that he ascended vp to heauen to bestow gifts vpon his Church as it is saide in the place before mentioned He ascended vp an high c. he gaue gifts vnto men that is the gift of the knowledge of Gods word the gift of preaching and prophecie and all other gifts needefull for the good of his Church The consideration of this that Christ who is the fountaine of grace and in whome are hidde all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge should be mindfull of vs and vouchsafe such speciall fauour to his Church must cause euery one of vs who haue receiued any gift of God as there is no man but he hath receiued his portion to be humbled in his owne eyes for the same There is no cause why we should be proud of our gifts seeing we haue nothing but that which we haue receiued For to this ende Christ ascended to giue gifts vnto men and therefore our gifts whatsoeuer they be are not our owne but we had them from
namely his ministers to shew all the passengers a straight and readie course into the kingdome of heauen And though Christ haue done all this for vs yet the blindnes and securitie of men is such that none almost walketh in this way nor careth to come into this mansion place but in stead of this they walke in by waies according to the lusts of their owne flesh When they are commanded to goe eastward to Ierusalem they turne westward an other way when they are commanded to goe on forward to heauen they turne againe backeward and goe straight to hell Men runne on all the daies of their liues in the broad way that leadeth to destruction and neuer so much as once make inquirie for a resting place in heauen but when the houre of death commeth then they call for the guide whereas all their liues before they haue runne out of the way many thousand miles but then alas it is too late vnlesse it be the vnspeakable mercie of God For they haue wandered so farre astray that in so short a space they cannot be able to come into the right way againe Yet generally this is the state of most among vs whose securitie is so much the more grieuous and fearefull because Christ hath done all that heart can wish There is nothing else required but onely that by his grace we should walke in the way There was neuer any that knew the state of the people in these daies but he will graunt that this is most true which I say Besides as by this we are brought to a sight of the desperate securitie of this age so we may further learne our owne duties Is Christ gone to heauen before hand to prepare a place for thee then practise that which Paul teacheth Haue thy conuersation in heauen The words which he vseth are verie significant and the meaning of them is Ye are free-denizens of the citie of God and therefore as freemen in Gods house let all your cares and studies all your affaires and doings bee in heauen In the world if a man make purchase of an house his heart is alwaies there there he pulls down and builds againe there he makes him orchards gardens there he meanes to liue and die Christ Iesus hath bought the kingdome of heauen for vs the most blessed purchasse that euer was and hath paid the dearest price for it that euer was paide euen his own pretious blood and in this citie he hath prepared for vs a dwelling place and made vs free-denizens of it therefore all our ioy and all our affaires ought to be there It will be said howe shall a man vpon earth haue his conuersation in heauen Ans. We must conuerse in heauen not in bodie but in heart and therfore though our bodies be on earth yet our hearts ioy and comfort and all our meditation must be in heauen Thus must wee behaue our selues like good freemen in Gods house It must be far from vs to haue our ioy and our hearts set on the things of this world Thirdly the consideration of this that Christ Iesus hath prepared a place for vs in heauen also hath trained the way with his owne blood must make euerie one of vs to striue to enter in at the straight gate as our Sauiour Christ counselleth vs and that as wrastlers doe which striue for life and death Within this gate is a dwelling place of happines readie for vs. If a man were assured that there were made for him a great purchasse in Spaine or Turkie so as if he would but come thither hee might inioy it would he not aduenture the daungers of the sea and of his enemies also if neede were that he might come to his owne Wel behold Christ Iesus hath made a purchase for vs in heauen there is nothing required of vs but that we wil come enioy it Why then should men refuse any paines or feare in the way nay we must striue to get in It may be we shall be pinched in the entrance for the gate is both strait and lowe and we must be faine to leaue our wealth behind vs and the pleasures of this life enter we must though we should be constrained to leaue our flesh behinde vs. For the purchase that is made is worth tenne thousand worldes And besides if we loose it by fainting in the way our purchase shall be the blacknesse of darkenes for euer with the deuill and all his angels who therefore would not striue though he lost his life in the gate The vrging of this point is needefull in these daies There is striuing enough for worldly preferment but a man almost may go alone in the straight way that leadeth to heauen he shall haue none to beare him company And where are they that striue to enter in where is the violence offered to the kingdome of heauen where bee the violent which should take it to themselues as in the daies of Iohn Baptist. Fourthly if Christ haue prepared a place for vs in heauen then we are in this world as pilgrimes and straungers and therefore must learne the counsell of Saint Peter As straungers and pilstrimes abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule He that doth esteeme himselfe as pilgrime is not to intangle himselfe with the affaires of this worlde nor put in practise the behauiour thereof but to behaue himselfe as a freeman of heauen as straungers vse to liue in forraine countries according to the fashion of their owne And therefore in thought word and deede in life and conuersation hee must so carrie himselfe as thereby he may appeare to al the world of what countrie he is An ancient diuine speaking of such as had curled and embrodered haire biddeth them consider whether they must goe to heauen with such haire or no and wheras they adorned themselues with winckles made of other womens haire he askes them whether it may not be the haire of a damned person or no. If it may be he further demandeth howe it may beseeme them to weare it which professe themselues to be the sonnes and daughters of God The like may be said of all other sinnes they that be of Gods house must behaue themselues as freemen there And when God hath made vs free it doth not beseeme vs to make our selues bondmen of sinne and Satan and of this world Fifthly seeing Christ went to heauen to prepare a place for all that beleeue in him here is a good dutie for parents Many of them are very carefull to preferre their children to great places and noble mens houses and they are not to be blamed therefore but if they would indeede be good parents to their children they should first endeauour themselues to get roomes for them in heauen they that doe this are good parents indeede Some will say howe shall we get this preferment for them Ans. God hath two houses his Church and the kingdome of heauen The church
is his house of grace heauen is his house of glorie Nowe if thou wouldst bring thy child to a place in the house of glorie then thou art first of all to get him a place in the house of grace bringing him vp so in the feare of God that both in life and conuersation he may shew himselfe to be a member of the Church and then assure thy selfe that after this life he shall be remooued to the second house of God which is the house of glorie and there be freeman for euer in the kingdome of heauen And if thou shalt thus prouide for thy childe thou shalt not leaue him as an orphan when thou diest but he shall haue God for his father and Christ for his brother and the holy Ghost his comforter And therefore first of all and aboue all remember to make thy child a member of Gods Church Let the example of Dauid excite all parents hereunto I had rather saith he be a dore keeper in the houâ—e of God then to dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse For a day in thy courts is better then a thousand â—lse where Lastly hence we may finde remedâ—e against the tediousnes of sicknes and feare of death Thou which fearest death remember that Christ is gone to heuen to prepare a place for thy bodie where it must be glorified and liue for euer with the blessed Trinitie and all the Saints and angels though for a while it lie dead and rot in the graue Remember this also thou which continuest in any lingring sicknesse Christ Iesus hath prepared a place for thee wherein thou shalt rest in ioy and blisse without all paine or faintnes The fourth benefit is that Christ ascended vp to heauen to send the comforter vnto his Church This was a speciall ende of his ascension as appeares by Christs owne wordes It is saith he expedient that I goe away for if I goe not the Comforter will not come but if I depart I will sende him vnto you And againe I will pray vnto the Father and he shall giue you another comforter which shall abide with you for euer euen the spirit of trueth But some wil say howe can Christ send his spirit vnto his Church for the person sending and the person sent are vnequall whereas all three persons in trinitie are equall none greater or lesser then another none inferiour or superiour to other Ans. It is true indeede but we must knowe that the action of sending in the Trinitie makes not the persons vnequall but onely shewes a distinction and order among equalls The father sends the sonne the father and the sonne both send the Holy Ghost yet the father is not aboue the sonne neither the father or the sonne aboue the holy Ghost but all are equall in degree though in regarde of order one is before another and it standeth with reason For two men that are equall in degree may vpon mutuall consent one send another But it may be further demanded howe the holy Ghost can be sent which is euery where Ans. The Holy Ghost indeed is euery where therefore he is sent not so much in regard of the presence of his essence or substance as of his operation whereby he renueth guideth the members of Christ. Nowe then this beeing so here first we haue occasion to consider the miserie of the world When a man is troubled in his minde as no vngodly man but sometime he feeleth the terrour of conscience for his sinnes then hee labours to remooue it by merie company and pleasant bookes whereas Christ at his ascension sent his holy spirit to bee the comforter of his Church and therefore when wee are troubled in conscience for our sinnes we should not seeke ease by such slender meanes but rather seeke for the helpe and comfort of the holy ghost and labour to haue our sinnes washed away and our hearts purified and clensed by the bloode of Christ. As for wine and mirth and such like meanes of comfort neither at the day of death nor at the day of iudgement shall they stand vs in stead or bee able to comfort vs. Againe when crosses and calamities fall the counsell of the minister is not sought for but the helpe of such as are called cunning men and cunning women is that is of charmers inchanters and figure-casters a badde practise Christ at his ascension sent his holy spirit vnto his Church and people to be their guide and comforter in their calamities and miseries and therfore when any man is in distresse he should haue recourse to the right meanes of comfort namly the word and Sacraments and there he should find the assistance of the holy Ghost Thus the prophet Isai informeth the Iewes when they shall say vnto you inquire at them which haue a spirit of diuination and at the southsayers which whisper and murmure Should not a people inquire at their God from the liuing to the dead to the lawe and to the testimonie Rebecca when the two twinnes stroue in her wombe what did shee the text saith shee sent to aske the Lord. Yet commonly the men of these daies leaue God seeke to the instruments of the deuill To goe yet further god vseth for sundrie causes most of all to afflict his dearest children Iudgement saith Peter beginnes at Gods house S. Luke saith that a certaine woman was bound of Satan eighteene yeeres but what was shee a daughter of Abraham that is a child of God When the like condition shall befall any of vs let vs remember the ende why Christ ascended vp to heauen and pray vnto God that he will giue vs his spirit that thereby we may be eased and deliuered or else inabled to perseuere continue in patience and this is the true way and meanes to lighten ease the burden of all afflictions And for this cause Paul praieth that the Colossians might be strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse For to whomesoeuer God giueth grace to beleeue to them also he giues power to suffer affliction by the inward worke of his spirit Secondly if Christ haue sent vnto his church the holy spirit to be our comforter our dutie is to prepare our bodies and soules to bee fitte temples and houses for so worthie a guest If a man were certified that a prince would come to his house he would dresse it vp and haue all things in as good order as might bee and shall not wee much more endeauour to purifie and clense our soules and bodies from all sinne that they may be fitte temples for the entertainment of the Holy Ghost whome Christ Iesus hath sent to be our comforter The Shunamite was carefull to entertaine the man of God Elisha for shee said to her husband Let vs make him a little chamber I pray thee with walls and let vs set him there a bed and a stoole a table and
is giuen to me in heauen and earth The third circumstance is concerning the person at whose right hand Christ sits noted in the words of the article of God the father Almightie whereby is signified that he receiues all the honour power glorie of his kingdome from his father as he that is set at the right hand of a prince receiues the honour authoritie which he hath from the prince Nowe if it be alleadged that by this meanes Christ shall be inferiour to his father because he which receiueth honour of another is inferiour to him of whome he receiueth it the answer is that in Christ we must consider his person and his office in respect of his person as he is the eternall sonne of God he is equall to the father and is not here said to sit at his right hand yet in respect of the oâ—fice which he beares namely as he is mediatour and as he is man he is inferiour to the father and receiues his kingdome from him As he is God he is our king and head and hath no head more then the father as he is mediatour he is also our head yet so as hee is vnder the father as beeing his head And we must not thinke it strange that one and the same thing should bee both equall and inferiour to another diuers respects considered Nowe in that Christs placing at the right hand of his father argues inferioritie betweene the father him hence we learne that they are deceiued which from this article gather that in the glorification of Christ there is a transfusion of the proprieties of the godhead as omnipotencie omniscience omnipresence c. into his manhood For this is to abolish all inferioritie and to make an equalitie betweene the creature and the creatour And whereas againe the word Almightie is repeated it is done vpon special reason because Christs sitting at the right hand of God doth presuppose omnipotencie For in vaine were all power in heauen and earth giuen to him vnlesse he were omnipotent as the father to execute the same And therefore the song of the Elders was on this manner Worthie is the Lamb that was killed to receiue power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and praise The benefits which redound vnto vs by Christs sitting at the right hand of God are two one concernes his priesthood the other his kingly office The benefit rising from his priesthood is his Intercession for vs for this is one of the endes why Christ is now exalted in glorie and sits at the right hand of his father namely to make request in the behalfe of all that come vnto him as Paul saith Christ is risen againe and sitteth at the right hand of God and maketh request for vs. Nowe that we may rightly vnderstand what his intercession is wee are to consider these points First to whome it is made secondly in what manner thirdly whether it be made by Christ alone or no fourthly what be the fruits and benefits thereof fiftly the duties whereunto wee are mooued thereby For the first Intercession is to make suite request or intreaty in some ones behalfe to another and this is done by Christ for vs vnto God as Paul saith there is one God and one mediatour betweene God and man which is the man Christ Iesus Here at the verie first ariseth a difficultie for in euery intercession there be three parties the person offended the person offending the intercessour distinct from them both Now if Christ the sonne of God make intercession to God for man then hee maketh intercession to himselfe because he is true God which cannot be howe then shall Christ be mediatour Ans. This point hath so troubled the Church of Rome that for the resoluing of it they haue deuised an errour auouching that Christ is mediatour onely as he is man not as he is God which is vntrue For as both natures doe concurre in the worke of satisfaction so likewise they doe both concurre in the worke of intercession and therefore a more meete and conuenient answere is this Christ Iesus God-man in both natures is directly our mediatour to the first person the father as S. Iohn saith If any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust And thus we haue three persons in the worke of intercession really distinguished The partie offended is God the Father the partie offending is man thirdly the intercessour distinct froÌ„ them both is Christ the secoÌ„d person in Trinitie For howsoeuer in Godhead he the Father be one yet in person they are really distinguished and hee is as it were in the middle betweene the father and vs for the father is God and not man wee that beleeue in Christ are men not God Christ himselfe both man and God It may be further replyed that this answere will not stand because not onely the father is offended but also the sonne and the holy Ghost and therefore there must be a mediatour to them also Answer The intercession of Christ is directed to the father the first person immediately nowe the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost haue all one indiuisible essence and by consequent one and the same will whereupon the father beeing appeased by Christs intercession the Sonne and the Holy Ghost are also appeased with him and in him Thus then intercession is made to the whole trinitie but yet immediately and directly to the first person and in him to the rest The second point to be considered is the maner of his intercession vnto his father We must not imagine that Christ nowe in heauen kneeles downe on his knees and vtters wordes and puts vp a supplication for all the faithfull to God the father for that is not beseeming the maiestie of him that sits at the right hand of God But the manner of his intercession is thus to be conceiued When one is to speake to an earthly prince in the behalfe of another first of al he must come into the presence of the king and secondly make his request and both these Christ performeth for vs vnto God For the first after his ascension he entred into heauen where he did present vnto his father first of all his owne person in two natures and secondly the inualuable merits of his death and passion in which he was well pleased And we must further vnderstand that as on the crosse he stood in our roome so in heaueÌ„ he now appears as a publike person in our stead representing all the elect that shal beleeue in him as the holy Ghost saith Christ Iesus ascended vp into heauen to appeare in the sight of God for vs. And for the second Christ makes request for vs in that he willeth according to both his natures and desireth as he is man that the father would accept his satisfaction in the behalfe of al that are giuen vnto him And that he makes request on
is manifest in Pharao for though God sent most grieuous plagues both vpon him and all the land of Egypt yet would he not submit himselfe saue onely for a fit while the hand of God was vpon him for after he returned to the former obstinacie in which he continued till he was drowned in the sea And this iudgement of God is the more fearefull because when a man is in the midst of all his miserie he feeles no miserie And as in some kinde of sicknes a man may die languishing so where hardnes of heart raignes wholly finally a man may descend to the pit of hell triumphing reâ—oycing And to come neere to our selues it is to be feared least this iudgement of all iudgements be among vs in these our daies For where is any â—uâ—ning to God by repentance Still men goe forward in sinne without remorse We haue had the word preached among vs a long time but it taketh no place in mens hearts They are not softned with the hammer of Gods word nay they are like the smiths stithy or anuil which the more it is beat with the haÌ„nmar the harder it is But in the feare of God let vs seeke to be changed and take heede the deceitfulnes of sinne is wonderfull Let vs not be caried away with an ouerweening of our selues a man may haue good gifts of God as the gift of knowledge the gift of prophecie the gift of conceiuing a prayer I say not of praying truly and hereupon thinke himselfe in good case and yet for all this haue nothing but an impenitent and flintie heart For this cause it standeth euery man vpon to looke vnto it least this iudgement of God take hold on him And that we may auoid the same we must labour for two things I. to feele the heauy burden of our sinnes and be touched in conscience for them euen as we are troubled in our bodies with the aches and paines thereof this is a token of grace II. We must labour to feele in our owne soules the want of Christ we say indeede that we feele it but it is a very great matter to haue an heart that doth open it selfe and as it were gape after Christ as the drie and thirstie land where no water is Though we haue knowledge and learning neuer so much and many other gifts of God yet if we haue not broken hearts that feele the burden of our sinnes and the want of Christ and that we stand in neede of euery droppe of his bloode for the washing away of all these our sinnes our case is miserable And the rather we must preuent this hardnesse of heart because Christ Iesus in heauen sits at the right hand of his father in full power and authoritie to kill and confound all those that be his enemies and will not submit themselues to beare his yoke The second way is by finall desperation I say finall because all kind of desperation is not euill For when a man despaireth of himselfe and of his owne power in the matter of his saluation it tends to his eternall comfort But finall desperation is when a man vtterly despaires of the pardon of his owne sinnes and of life euerlasting Examples hereof we haue in Saul that slue himselfe and in Achitophel and Iudas that hanged themselues This sinne is caused thus So many sinnes as a man committeth without repentance so many most bloodie wounds he giueth vnto his owne soule and either in death or life God makes him feele the smart and the huge waight of them all whereby the soule sinkes downe into the gulfe of despaire without recouerie God said to Cain If thou doe amisse sinne lyeth at â—hy doore Where he vseth a borrowed speech from wild beasts who so long as they are sleeping stirre not but beeing awaked they flie in a mans face and rend out his throat In like maner the sinnes which thou committest lie at the doore of thine heart though thou feele them not and if thou doe not preuent the danger by speedy repentance God will make thee to feele them once before thou die and raise vp such terrours in thy conscience that thou shalt thinke thy selfe to be in hell before thou art in hell and therefore it is good for euery man to take heede how he continues an enemie to Christ. The best course is to turne betime from our â—innes and become the friends of Christ that so we may escape these fearefull iudgements And whereas Christ in this manner gouernes all things in heauen earth we are bound to performe vnto him three duties reuerence obedience thankfulnes For the first Paul saith God hath exalted him and giuen him a name aboue all names that at the name of Iesus which name is his exaltation in heauen in full power and glorie should euery knee bowe We dare not so much as speake of an earthly king vnreuerently what reuerence then do we owe vnto Christ the king of heauen and earth Dauids heart was touched in that he had cut off but the lap of Sauls garment when he might haue slaine him because he was the Lords annointed On then howe much more ought our hearts to be touched if we shall in the least measure dishonour Christ Iesus our Lord and king SecoÌ„dly we are here taught to performe obedience to him to do him all the homage we can The master of the family in all his lawefull commandements must be obeyed nowe the Church of Christ is a family and we are members thereof therefore we must yeeld obedience to him in all things for all his commandements are iust When Saul was chosen king ouer Israel certaine men which feared God whose hearts God had touched followed him to Gibea and brought him presents but the wicked despised him the same is much more to be verified in vs toward Christ our Lord. Wee must haue our hearts touched with desire to performe obedience vnto him if not we are men of Belial that despise him If this obedience were put in practise the Gospel would haue better successe in the hearts of the people and the Lords sabbath would be better kept and men would beare greater loue both to God and to their neighbours then nowe they doe The third dutie which we owe vnto him is thankfulnesse for the endlesse care which he sheweth in the gouerning and preseruing of vs. When Dauid waxed olde and had made Salomon his sonne king in his stead al the people shouted and cried God saue king Salomon God saue king Salomon so as the earth rang againe Shall the people of Israel thus reioice at the crowning of Salomon and shall not we much more reioice when as Christ Iesus is placed in heauen at the right hand of his father and hath the euerlasting scepter of his kingdome put into his hand And we are to shewe this thankfulnesse vnto him by doing any thing in this world that may tend to his honour and glorie though
fruit that the word of God bringeth forth in the liues of men shewes this to be most true The seauenth and last signe set downe by the Apostle Paul is that there shall be a calling of the Iewes before the Lord come to iudgement but of the time when this calling shall be of the manner how or the number of them that shall be called there is no mention made of in the word of God Now it is likely that this signe is yet to come These are the signes that goe before the comming of Christ all which are almost past and therefore the end can not be farre off Now follows the signe that is ioyned with the comming of Christ called the signe of the sonne of man What this signe is we finde not in the Scriptures Some thinke it to be the signe of the crosse but that is friuolous some the glorie and maiestie of Christ which shall be made manifest in his appearance which seemes to be otherwise by the very words of Christ. Then saith he shall appeare the signe of the sonne of man c. and then they shall see him come in the clouds of heauen with power and great glorie where he distinguisheth the one from the other But I rather coniecture it to be the burning of heauen and earth with fire at the very instant of Christs comming mentioned by Peter We must not here dispute whence this fire shall come or how it shall be kindled for that the word of God hath concealed and where God hath not a mouth to speake there we must not haue an eare to heare The vses to be made hereof are these When S. Peter had set downe the change that shall be at the comming of Christ and that heauen and earth must be purged with fire he makes this vse thereof Seeing all things must be dissolued what manner of men ought we to be in holy conuersation and godlines and the reason is good For if heauen and earth must be changed and purged at Christs comming then much more ought we to be chaunged and to put off the old man of sinne and to become newe creatures created after the image of God in righteousnesse and true holinesse If the bruit creatures must be renued by fire then much more are wee to labour that the heat of Gods spirit may burne vp sinne corruption in vs so change vs that we may be ready for him against his comming els heauen and earth it selfe shall stand in iudgement against vs to our condemnation Secondly the consideration of this that the world shall be consumed with fire teacheth vs moderation and sobrietie in the vse of Gods creatures as in costly buildings gorgeous attire and such like What madnes is this to bestow all that we haue on such things as at the day of iudgement shal be consumed with fire For looke whatsoeuer abuse shall come to Gods creatures by our follie the same shall then be abolished Thirdly we must consider that the cause why heauen and earth must be consumed with fire is mans sin by means wherof they are made subiect to vanity corruption Here then we haue iust occasion to acknowledge the greatnes wretchednes of our sinnes If any of vs had but seene the Iewes leprosie it would haue made vs to wonder for the contagion thereof did infect not onely the whole man but his garments also that were about him and sometime the walls of his house but howesoeuer wee cannot see that leprosie among vs yet we may see a worse For the leprosie of our sinnes doth not onely infect our garments and the things about vs with our bodies but euen the high heauens and the earth are stained with the contagion thereof and are made subiect to vanitie and corruption yea by sinne in vs the most glorious creatures in them as the Sunne Moone and starres are become subiect to vanitie Oh then howe wretched is the heart of man that makes no bones of sinne which is the most noisome thing in all the world the stinke whereof hath infected both heauen and earth If we could consider this wee would not be so slacke in humbling our selues for the same as we are We can not abide to looke on a poore lazar full of blanes and sores but if wee could see our sinns in their right colours they would make vs seeme vnto our selues tenne thousand times more ougly then any lazar man can be the contagion thereof is so great and noisome that the very heauens which are many thousand miles distant from vs are infected therewith Yet here we are to knowe that this fire shall not consume the substance of heauen and earth but onely change the qualitie abolish the corruption which our sinnes haue brought vpon them The fourth point to be considered is the manner of the last iudgement in which we may obeserue two things I. who shall be iudge II. the proceeding of this iudge The first is expressed in this article From thence he shall come to iudge He that is Christ Iesus the second person in Trinitie For the father hath committed all iudgement vnto him It is indeede an action common to all the three persons in trinitie but yet the execution thereof appertaines vnto the sonne The father indeed doth iudge the world but yet by the sonne But some may obiect that the Apostles shall sit on twelue thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel And S. Paul saith The Saints shall iudge the world Howe then is this true that â—hrist is the onely iudge of the worlde Ans. The authoritie of iudgement and giuing sentence at the last day is proper to Christ alone and doth not belong either to the Apostles or to the Saints and they shall iudge at the last day onely as witnesses and approouers of Christs iudgement At the great day of assise beside the iudge the iustices on the bench are also in a manner iudges not that they giue sentence but because by their presence they approoue and witnesse the equitie of the sentence of the iudge so the definitiue sentence doth belong to Christ and the Apostles and Saints doe nothing but approoueâ— and beeing present giue assent to his righteous sentence The whole proceeding of the last iudgement may bee reduced to seuen points or heads The first is the comming of the iudge in the cloudes Here at the first may be demanded why Christ holdes the last iudgement rather on earth then in heauen Ans. He doth it for two causes One the creature to bee iudged hath sinned here vpon earth and hee proceedes after the manner of earthly iudges who holde their sessions and assises there where trespasses are commonly committed The second because the deuill his angels are to be iudged it is a part of their punishment to be cast out of heauen For no vnclean thing may come into this heaueÌ„ly IerusaleÌ„ therfore they now remain in the lower parts of the world
righteous from the wicked and the elect from the reprobate He which knoweth the hearts of all men knoweth also howe to doe this and he will doe it This full and finall separation is reserued to Christ and shall not be accomplished till the last day For so it is in the parable that the tares must grow with the wheate til haruest and the reapers must separate them and gather the wheate into the barne but the tares must be burned with vnquenchable fire By the consideration of this one point we learne diuers things I. that in the Church of God in this world good and badde are mingled togither elect and reprobate and wee are not to imagine any perfection of the church of God vpon earth as many haue dreamed which when they could not finde they haue therefore forsaken al assemblies I confesse indeede that the preaching of the word is the Lords fanne whereby he clenseth his Church in part but yet the finishing of this worke shall not be before the last iudgement For when the ministers of God haue done all that they can yet shall the wicked be mingled with the godly Therefore the Church is compared to a barne flore where is both wheate chaffe and a corne fielde where is both tares and good corne and a draw net wherin is both good fish and badde Secondly whereas this separation must not be before the ende of the world hence wee learne the state of Gods Church in this life It is like a flocke of sheepe mingled with goates and therefore the condition of Gods people in this world is to bee troubled many waies by those with whome they liue For goates vse to strike the sheepe to annoy their pasture and to make their water muddie that they can not drinke of it and therefore we must prepare our selues to beare all annoyances crosses and calamities that shall befall vs in this world by the wicked ones among whome we liue Thirdly we are taught that howesoeuer the goates and the sheepe be very like and feede in one pasture and lie in one folde all their life time yet Christ can and will seuer them asunder at the last day Therefore considering as wee are borne of Adam wee haue the nature of the goate yea of the wilde beast and not of the sheepe it standes vs in hand to lay aside our goatish conditions and to take vnto vs the properties of the sheepe of Christ which hee expresseth in these words My sheepe saith he heare my voice I know them and they follow me And the properties are three to know him to be knowne of him and to follow him namely in obedience and he that findes them all in himselfe weareth the brand and marke of the true sheepe of Christ but contrariwise they that make profession of Christ and yet therewithall ioyne not obedience howsoeuer the world may account of them they are but goates and no sheepe Let vs therefore with the knowledge of Christ ioyne obedience to his word that when the day shall come that the goates must be separated from the sheepe we may be found to be in the number of the true sheep of Christ. We may deceiue men both in life and death and beare them in hand that we are sheepe but when the iudgement shall come we cannot deceiue Christ he it is that formed vs he knowes our hearts and therefore can easily discerne what we are The fifth thing is the triall of euery mans particular cause a point especially to be considered For as at the barre of an earthly iudge the malefactour is brought out of prison and set before the iudge and there examined euen so in that great day shall euery man without exception be brought before the Lord to be tried But how shall this triall be made Ans. By workes as the Apostle saith We must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill And the reason is because works are the outward signes of inward grace and godlinesse And though we be iustified by faith alone without workes yet may we be iudged both by faith and workes For the last iudgement doth not serue to make men iust that are vniust but only to manifest them to be iust indeed which were iust before in this life truly iustified The consideration of this very point should mooue vs al to repent vs of our sinnes past and to reforme our selues throughout and to be plentifull in all good works And vndoubtedly if we seriously thinke vpon it it will hold vs more straightly to all good duties then if with the Papists we held iustification by workes Furthermore in this triall two things must be skanned I. how all mens workes shall be made manifest II. by what meanes they shall be examined Of the manifestation of euery mans worke S. Iohn speaketh And I saw saith he the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of life and the dead were iudged of these things which were written in the bookes according to their workes God is said to haue bookes not properly but because all things are as certen and manifest to him as if he had his Registers in heauen to keepe rolles and records of thē His bookes are three the booke of Prouidence the booke of Iudgement the booke of Life The booke of his prouidence is the knowledge of all particular things past present to come Of this the Psalmist speaketh Thine eyes did see me when I was without forme for in thy booke were all things written which in continuance were fashioned when there was none of them before The booke of iudgement is that whereby he giues iudgement and it is twofold The first is Gods knowledge or prescience in which all the affaires of mē their thoughts words and deedes are as certenly knowne and set downe as if they were put in bookes of record We may forget our sinnes but God keepes them in a register he knowes them euery one The second booke is euery mans particular conscience which also brings to remembrance and testifies what men haue done and what they haue not done The booke of life is nothing else but the decree of Gods election in which God hath set downe who be ordained to life eternall Now the opening of these bookes is a thing wherein the endles power of God shall most notably shew it self For when we shall stand before the iudgement seat of Christ he then knowing all things in his eternall counsell shall reueale vnto euery man his owne particular sinnes whether they were in thought word or deede and then also by his mightie power he shall so touch mens consciences that they shall afresh remember what they haue done Now indeede the wicked mans conscience is shut vp
of Christ in feeding clothing lodging and visiting of them For we must thinke that many of those against whome this reason shall be brought did know religion and professe the same yea they prophesied in the name of Christ and called on him saying Lord Lord and yet the sentence of condemnation goeth against them because they shew no compassion toward the members of Christ and therefore it is a principal vertue and a speciall note of a Christian to shew the bowels of compassion towards his needie brethren Here againe we note that it is not sufficient for vs to abstaine from euill but we must also doe good For it is not saide I was an hungred and ye tooke from me but When I was hungrie ye gaue me no mâ—ate They are not charged with doing euill but for not doing good S. Iohn saith The axe is laid to the roote of the tree and the reason followes not because the tree bare euill fruit but because it bare not good fruite therefore it must be cast into the fire This condemnes a bad opinion of all worldly men who thinke that all is well and that God will be mercifull vnto them because they doe no man harme Thus we see how the deuill blinds the eyes of men for it will not stand for paiment at the day of iudgement to say I haue hurt no man vnlesse we further doe all the good we can The third point is the defence which impenitent sinners make for themselues in these words Lord when saw we thee an hungred or thirstie or naked or in prison or sicke and did not minister vnto thee Thus in their owne defence that which Christ saith they gainsay iustifie themselues Here marke the nature of all impenitent sinners which is to sooth and flatter themselues in sinne and to maintaine their owne righteousnes like to the proud Pharisie in his prayer who bragged of his goodnes and said Lord I thanke thee that I am not as other men are extortioners c. and in the very same manner ignorant persons of all sorts among vs iustifie themselues in their strong faith and bragge of their zeale of Gods glorie and of their loue to their brethren and yet indeede shew no signes thereof And truly we are not to maruell when we see such persons to iustifie themselues before men whereas they shall not be ashamed to doe it at the day of iudgement before the Lord Iesus himselfe The last point is Christs answer to them againe in these words Verily I say vnto you in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me This sentence being repeated againe doth teach vs the lesson which we learned before that when we are to shew compassion to any man especially if he be a meÌ„ber of Gods Church we must not consider his outward estate or his basenes in that he waÌ„ts food or raiment but behold Christ in him not respecting him as a man but as a member of Christ. This it is that must mooue vs to coÌ„passion and cause vs to make a supplie of his wants more then any respect in the world beside And surely when Christ in his members comes to our dores and complaines that he is hungrie and sicke and naked if our bowels yearne not towards him there is not so much as a sparke of the loue of God in vs. The seuenth point in the proceeding of the last iudgement is the retribution or reward in these words and they shall go into euerlasting paine and the righteous into life eternall How doe the wicked enter into hell and the godly into heauen Answ. By the powerfull and commaunding voice of Christ which is of that force that neither the greatest rebell that euer was among men nor all the deuills in hell shall be able to withstand it And seeing that after the day of iudgement we must remaine for euer either in heauen or in hell we are to looke about vs and to take heed vnto our hearts Indeede if the time were but a thousand or two thousand yeares then with more reason men might take libertie to themselues but seeing it is without ende we must be most carefull through the whole course of our liues so to liue and behaue our selues that when the day of iudgement shall come we may auoid that fearefull sentence of euerlasting woe and condemnation which shall be pronounced against the wicked And whereas all wicked men shall goe to hell at Christs commaundement it teacheth vs willingly to obey the voice of Christ in the ministerie of the word For if we rebell against his voice in this world when in the day of iudgement sentence shall be pronounced against vs we shall heare an other voice at the giuing whereof we must obey whether we will or no and thereupon goe to euerlasting paine whither we would not Let vs therfore in time denie our selues for our sinnes past and onely relie vpon Christ Iesus for the free remission of them all and for the time to come lead a new reformed life Thus much of the order of Christ his proceeding at the day of iudgement Now follow the vses thereof which are either comforts to Gods Church or duties for all men The first comfort or benefit is this that the same person which died for vs vpon the crosse to worke our redemption must also be our iudge And hence we reape two speciall comforts I. The people of God shall hereby inioy ful redemption from all miseries and calamities which they had in this life So Christ himselfe speaking of the signes of the ende of the world saith to his disciples When you see these things lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere Then he shal wipe all teares from their eyes Secondly we shall hereby haue a finall deliuerance from all sinne Now what a ioyful thing it is to be freed from sinne may plainly appeare by the crie of S. Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death And certen it is that he which knowes what sinne is seriously repents him of the same would wish with all his heart to be out of this world that he might leaue off to sinne and thereby cease to displease God The second comfort is this the godly in this world haue many enemies they are reuiled slandered and oftentimes put to death well Christ Iesus at the day of iudgement will take euery mans case into his owne hand he will then heare the complaint of the godly howsoeuer in this world they found no remedie and then he will reuenge their blood that is shed vpon the earth according to their prayer This comfort is to be coÌ„sidered especially of all those that are any way persecuted or molested by the wicked of this world Now follow the duties to be learned of euery one of vs and they are diuers First the consideration of the last iudgement serueth
slaine a thousand men at one and the same time nowe if we consider the time of their births it may be they were borne at a thousand sundrie times and therefore vnder so many diuers positions of the heauens and so by the iudgement of all Astrologers should haue all diuers and sundrie liues and endes but we see according to the determination of the counsell of God they haue all one and the same end and therefore this must admonish all those that are brought vp in schooles of learning to haue care to spend thâ—â—r times in better studies and it teacheth those that are fallen into any manneâ— of distresse not to haue recourse vnto these fonde figure-casters For their astrologicall iudgements are false and foolish as wee may see by the two former examples Thirdly the knowledge of God is one of the most speciall points in Christian religion therefore the Lord saith Let him that reioice reioice in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me For I am the Lord which shewe mercy and iudgement in the earth And our Sauiour Christ saith This is life eternall to knowe thee the onely very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Now Gods predestination is a glasse wherein we may behold his maiestie For first by it we see the wonderfull wisdome of God who in his eternall counsell did foresee and most wisely sette down the state of euery man secoÌ„dly his omnipotencie in that he hath power to saue and power to refuse whome he will thirdly his iustice and mercy both ioyned togither in the exequution of election his mercy in that he saueth those that were vtterly lost his iustice in that he ordained Christ to bee a mediatour to suffer the curse of the lawe and to satisfie his iustice for the elect fourthly his iustice in the exequution of the decree of Reprobation for though hee decreed to holde backe his mercie from some men because it so pleased him yet he condemneth no man but for his sinnes Now the consideration of these and the light points bring vs to the knowledge of the true God The vses which concerne our affections are these First the doctrine of predestination ministers to all the people of God matter of endlesse consolation For considering Gods election is vnchangeable therefore they which are predestinate to saluation can not perish though the gates of hell preuaile against them so as they be hardly saued yet shall they certenly be saued therefore our Sauiour Christ saith that in the latter daies shall arise false Christs and false prophets which shal shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceiue the verie elect In which wordes he takes it for granted that the elect of God can neuer finally fall away And hereupon he saith to his disciples when they reioyced that the deuils were subiect to them rather râ—ioice that your names are written in heauen And S. Paul speaking of Hymeneus and Alexander which had fallen away from the faith least the church would be discouraged by their fall because they were thought to be worthy men and pillars of the Church he doth comfort them from the very gounde of electâ—on saying The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Loâ—d kâ—â—â—eth who are his Where Gods election is compared to the foundation of an house the building whereof may be shaken but the groundworke standeâ—h fast and therefore Paul saith further Who shall lay any thing to the chaâ—ge of Gods elect Nowe then that wee may haue comfort in distresse and some thing to stay vpon in all our troubles we in this world are as straungers in a farre countrie our passage homeward is ouer the sea of this worlde the shippe wherein we saile is the Church and Satan stirres vp many blasts of troubles and temptationsâ— and his purpose is to sinke the shippe or to driue it on the rocke but we must take the anchor of hope and fasâ—en it in heauen vpon the foundation of Gods election which beeing done wee shall passe in sâ—fetie and reioice in the midst of all stormes and tempests Secondly wheras God refuseth some men and leaues them to themselues it serues to strike a feare into euery one of vs whatsoeuer we lie as S. Paul saith in the like caâ—e the Iewes beeing the naturall branches are broken off through vnbeleefe and thou standest by faith be not high mâ—nded but feare This indeede was spoken to the Romanes but we must also lay it vnto our hearts For what is the best of vs but a lumpe of clay and howsoeuer in Gods counsell we are chosen to saluation yet in our selues we are all shut vp vnder vnbeleefe and are fit to make vessels of wrath Our Sauiour Christ calleth Iudas a deuill and we know his leud life and fearefull end now what are we better then Iudas by nature If we had bin in his stead without the speciall blesâ—ing of God we should haue done as he did he betraied Christ but if God leaue vs to our selues we shal not onely betray him but by our sinnes euen crucifie him a thousand waies Furthermore let vs bethinke our selues of this whether there be not already condemned in hell who in their liues were not more grieuous ofâ—endours then we Esai calleth the people of his time a people of Sodom Gomorrha giuing the Iewes then liuing to vnderstand that they were as bad as the Sodomites as the people of Gomorrha on whome the Lord had shewed his iudgements long before If this be true then let vs with feare and trembling be thankfull to his maiestie that he hath preserued vs hitherto from deserued damnation The vses which respects our liues and conuersations are manifold First seeing God hath elected some to saluation hath also laid downe the meanes in his holy word wherby we may come to the knowledge of our particular election we must therfore as Saint Peter counselleth vs giue all diligence to make our election sure In the world men are carefull and painefull ynough to make assurance of landes and goods to themselues and to their posteritie what a shame is it then for vs that we should be slacke in making sure to our selues the election of God which is more worth then all the world beside and if we shall continue to be slacke herein the leases of our lands and houses and all other temporall assurances shall be bills of accusation against vs at the day of iudgement to condemne vs. Secondly by this doctrine we are taught to liue godly and righteously in this present world because all those whome God hath chosen to saluation he hath also appointed to liue in newnesse of life as Saint Paul saith God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him And againe We are created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that
die that originall corruption may be vtterly abolished for no man liuing on earth is perfectly sanctified and originall sinne is remaining for speciall causes to the last moment of this life and then it is abolished and not before II. The godly die that by death as by a straight gate they may passe from this vale of miserie to eternall life And thus Christ by his death makes death to be no death and turnes a curse into a blessing And to proceede It is not here said the resurrection of the soule but of the bodie onely what then will some say becommeth of the soule Diuers haue thought that the soules then though they doe not die yet are still kept within the bodie beeing as it were asleepe till the last day But Gods word saith to the contrarie For the soules of the godly lie vnder the altar and crie How long Lord Iesus Diues in soule did suffer the woe and torments of hell and Lazarus had ioy in Abrahams bosome Again some others thinke that mens soules after this life doe passe from one mans bodie to an other and Herod may seeme to haue beene of this opinion for when newes was brought him of Christ he saide that Iohn Baptist beeing beheaded was risen againe thinking that the soule of Iohn Baptist was put into the bodie of some other man And for proofe hereof some alledge the example of Nebuchadnezzar who forsaking the societie of men liued as beasts and did eate grasse like a beast they imagine that his owne soule went out of him and that the soule of a beast entred in the roome thereof But this indeede is a fond conceit for euen then he had the soule of a man when he liued as a beast beeing onely stricken by the hand of God with an exceeding madnesse whereby he was bereft of common reason as doth appeare by that clause in the text where it is said that his vnderstanding or knowledge returned to him againe Again some other thinke that the soule neither dieth nor sleepeth nor passeth out of one bodie into an other but wandereth here on earth among men and oftentimes appeareth to this or that man and this is the opinion of some hereticks and of the common people which think that dead men walke for proofe hereof some alleadge the practise of the witch of Endor who is said to make Samuel to appeare before Saul but the truth is it was not Samuel in deed but onely a counterfait of him For not all the witches in the world nor all the deuils in hell are able to disquiet the soules of the faithfull departed which are in the keeping of the Lord without wandring from place to place For when men die in the faith their soules are immediatly translated into heauen and there abide till the last iudgement and contrariwise if men die in their sinnes their soules go straight to the place of eternall condemnation and there abide as in a prison as Peter saith In a word when the breath goeth out of the bodie the soule of euery man goeth straight either to heauen or hell and there is no third place of aboad mentioned in Scripture To conclude the resurrection of the bodie is expressely mentioned in the Creede to shew that there is no resurrection of the soule which neither dieth nor sleepeth but is a spirituall and inuisible substance liuing and abiding for euer as well forth of the bodie as in the same Thus much of the third prerogatiue or benefit now followeth the fourth and last in these words And life euerlasting To handle this point to the full aâ—d to open the nature of it as it deserueth is not in the power of man For both the prophet Esai and Saint Paul say that the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither came it into mans heart to thinke of those things which God hath prepared for those that loue him Againe Paul when hee was rapt into the third heauen saith that he sawe things not to be vttered Neuertheles we may in some part describe the same so farre forth as God in this case hath reuealed his will vnto vs. Wherefore in this last prerogatiue I consider two things the first is Life it selfe the second is the Continuance of life noted in the worde euerlasting Life it selfe is that whereby any thing acteth liueth and mooueth it selfe and it is twofolde vncreated or created Vncreated life is the very godhead it selfe whereby God liueth absolutely in himselfe from himselfe and by himselfe giuing life and beeing to all things that liue and haue beeing and this life is not meant here because it is not communicable to any creature Created life is a qualitie in the creature and it s againe two-fold naturall spirituall Naturall life is that whereby men in this world liue by meate and drinke and all such meanes as are ministred by Gods prouidence Spirituall life is that most blessed and happie estate in which all the Elect shall raigne with Christ their head in the heauens after this life and after the day of iudgement for euer and euer And this alone is the life which in the Creede we confesse and beleeue and it consisteth in an immediate coniunction and communion or fellowship with God himselfe as Christ in his solemne praier to his father a litle before his death signifieth I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue in me through thy word that they all may be one as thou O father art in me and I in thee eueÌ„ that they may be one also in vs. And wheÌ„ S. Iohn in the RevelatioÌ„ saith Beholde the tabernacle of God is with men he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be their God with them he sheweth that the very foundation of that happines which god hath prepared for his seruants stands in a societie betweene God and them whereby God shall dwell with them in heauen and they againe shall there enioy his glorious presence Touching this Communion three points must be considered The first is in what order men shall haue fellowship with God Ans. This communion shall be first of all with Christ as he is man and by reason that the manhoode of Christ is personally vnited to the godhead of the sonne it shall also be with Christ as he is God and consequently with the father and the holy Ghost The reason of this order is because Christ though he be the author and the fountaine of eternall life as he is God yet he conueies the same vnto vs onely in and by his flesh or manhood Yet must we not here thinke that life proceedeth froÌ„ the maÌ„hood it selfe as from a cause efficient for the flesh quickeneth not by any vertue froÌ„ it selfe but by the Word to which it is personally vnited it beeing as it were a pipe eternally to conuey life from the godhead vnto vs. The
second point is in what thing this communion consisteth Ans. Saint Paul openeth this point to the very full when hee saith that after Christ hath subdued all things vnto him then God shall be all in all that is God himselfe immediatly shall bee all good things that heart can wish to all the elect But some men may say What is not God all in all vnto vs euen in this life for whatsouer good things wee haue they are all from him Ans. It is true indeed God is all in all euen in this life but howe not immediatly but by outwardâ— meanes and that also in small measure For he conueies his goodnes and mercie vnto vs so long as we liue on earth partely by his creatures and partly by his word and Sacraments but after this life is ended all helpes and outwarde meanes shall cease Christ shall giue vp his kingdome and as he is Mediatour shall cease to put in execution the office of a priest a prophet or a king all authoritie and power shall be abolished and therefore all callings in the three maine estates of the Church the Common-wealth the familie shall haue an ende there shall be no more magistrate and subiect Pastor and people master and seruant father and sonne husband and wife there shall be no more vse of meate drinke cloathing respiration physicke sleepe and yet for all this the condition of men shall bee many thousand folde more blessed then euer it was For the Godhead in the Trinitie immediately without all meanes shall be all things to all the chosen people of God in the kingdome of heauen worlde without ende This may seeme strange to mans reason but it is the very â—lat trueth of the word of God S. Iohn in the description of the heauenly Ierusalem saith that there shall be no temple in it Why how then shall God bee worshipped marke what followeth the Lord God almightie and the Lambe are the temple of it Whereby is signified that although now we vse the preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments as meanes of our fellowship with God yet when this life is ended they must all cease God and Christ beeing in stead of al these meanes vnto vs. And he addes further The citie hath no neede of the sunne neither of the moone to shine in it What then will some say must there be nothing but darkenes Not so For the glory of God doth lighten it and the Lambe is the light of it Againe he saith that in the Paradise of God there is the riuer of water of life and the tree of life bearing fruit euery moneth and that is Christ. And therefore we shall haue no neede of meate drinke apparell sleepe c. but Christ himselfe our head and redeemer shall be in stead of them all vnto vs on whome all the elect shall feede and by whome both in bodie and soule they shall be preserued euermore If a man would haue glorie the father sonne and holy ghost shall be his glorie if a maÌ„ desire wealth and pleasure God himselfe shall be wealth and pleasure vnto him and whatsoeuer else the heart of man can wish Hence it appeares that this communion is most admirable and that no tongue can tel nor heart conceiue the least part of it The third point is touching the benefits or prerogatiues that proceede of this communion and they are in number sixe The first is an absolute freedome from all wants In the minde there shall be no ignorance no vnbeleefe no distrust in God no ambition no enuie anger nor carnall lust nor terrour in conscience or corrupt affection In the bodie there shall be no soare no sicknes nor paine for God shal wipe away al teares from their eies nay theÌ„ all defects or wants in bodie or soule or in both shall be supplied and the whole man made perfect euery way The second is perfect knowledge of God In this life the Church and all the seruants of god know him but in part Moses would haue seene gods face but he was permitted to see onely his hinder parts and as Paul saith now wee know in part and darkely as through a glasse In this life we can no otherwise discerne but as an old maÌ„ through spectacles the creatures but specially the word of God and the Sacraments are the spectacles of our minde wherein we behold his iustice mercie loue c. and without them we can discerne little or nothing yet after this life when that which is perfect is come and that which is imperfect is abolished we shall see God as he is to be seene not as through a glasse but face to face and we shall knowe him as we are knowne of his maiestie so farre forth as possibly a creature may God indeede is infinite and therefore the full knowledge of his maiestie can no more bee comprehended by the vnderstanding of a creature which is finite then the sea by a spoone yet neuerthelesse God shall be knowne euery way of man so farre forth as a creature may know the Creator Now vpon this that the elect haue such fulnesse of knowledge it may be demaunded whether men shall knowe one another after this life or no. Ans. This question is oftener mooued by such as are ignorant then by them that haue knowledge and oftentimes it is tossed in the mouthes of them that haue little religion in their hearts and therefore I answer first men should rather haue care to seeke howe they may come to heauen then to dispute what they shal do when they are there the common prouerb is true it is not good counting of chickins before they bee hatched Secondly I say that men in heauen shall knowe each other yea they shall knowe them which were neuer knowne or seene of them before in this life which may be gathered by proportion out of Gods word Adam in his innocencie knewe Eve whome he had neuer seene before gaue her a fit name so soone as shee was created And when our Sauiour Christ was transfigured in the mount Peter knewe Moses and Elias whome before he had neuer seene and therefore it is like that the elect shall knowe each other in heauen where their knowledge and their whole estate shall bee fully perfited But whether they shall knowe one another after an earthly manner as to say this man was my fatherâ— this was mine vncle this my teacher c. the word of god saith nothing and therefore I will be silent and we must be content a while to bee ignorant in this point The third prerogatiue of euerlasting blessednes is that the Elect shall loue God with as perfect loue as a creature possibly can The manner of louing God is to loue him for himselfe and the measure is to loue him without measure and both shall be found in heauen For the Saints of God shall haue an actuall fruition of God himselfe and bee
of Christ It shall be easier for Tyrus and Sydon in that day then for this generation and therefore there be proportionall degrees of glorie And Paul saith There is one glorie of the sunne an other glorie of the moone an other glorie of the starres for one starre differeth from another in glorie so is the resurrection of the dead In which words he applies the differences of excellencie that be in the creatures to set forth the differences of glorie that shall be in mens bodies after the resurrection Furthermore if we may coniecture it may be the degrees of glorie shall be answerable to the diuerse measures of gifts and graces bestowed on men in this life and according to the imployance of them to the glorie of God and edification of the Church And therefore the twelue Apostles who were exceedingly enriched with the gifts of the spirit and were master-builders of the Church of the new Testament shall sit on 12. thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel But it may be obiected that if there be degrees of glorie in heauen some shall want glorie Ans. Not so though some haue more and some lesse yet all shall haue sufficient Take sundrie vessells whereof some are bigger and some lesse and cast them all into the sea some will receiue more water and some lesse and yet all shall be full and no want in any and so likewise among the Saints of God in heauen some shall haue more glorie some lesse and yet all without exception full of glorie And wheras it is alleadged that all the labourers in the vineyard receiue each of them a pennie equally for their hire the answer is that our Sauiour Christ in that parable intends not to set forth the equalitie of celestiall glorie and what shall be the state of the godly after this life but the very drift of the parable is to shew that they which are called first haue no cause to bragge or insult ouer others which as yet are vncalled considering they may be made equall or be preferred before them Thus much of life it selfe now followes the continuance thereof which the Scriptures haue noted in calling it eternall or euerlasting And to this end Paul saith that Christ hath abolished death and brought not onely life but also immortalitie to light by the Gospell And this very circumstance serues greatly to commend the happines of the godly in that after they haue made an entrance into it they shall neuer see tearme of time or end Suppose the whole world were a sea and that euery thousand yeares expired a bird must carrie away or drinke vp one onely droppe of it in processe of time it will come to passe that this sea though very huge shall be dried vp but yet many thousand millions of yeares must be passed before this can be done Now if a man should enioy happinesse in heauen onely for the space of time in which the sea is in drying vp he would thinke his case most happie and blessed but behold the Elect shall enioy the kingdome of heauen not onely for that time but when it is ended they shall enioy it as long againe and when all is done they shall be as farre from the ending of this their ioy as they were at the beginning Hauing thus seene what life euerlasting is let vs now come to the vse of the article And first of all if we beleeue that there is an eternall happines and that the same belongs vnto vs then we must vse this present world all the things therein as though we vsed them not and whatsoeuer we doe in this world yet the eyes of our minds must be alwaies cast toward the blessed estate prepared for vs in heauen As a pilgrime in a strange land hath alwaies his eyes toward his iournies end and is then grieued when by any meanes he is out of the way so must we alwaies haue our mindes and hearts set on euerlasting life and be grieued when we are by any way hindered in the straight way that leadeth thereunto we haue a notable patterne of this dutie set out vnto vs in the Patriarke Abraham who beeing called of God obeyed to goe out into a place which he should afterward receiue for inheritance and he went out not knowing whither he went and by faith aboad in the land of Canaan as in a strange countrey and as one that dwelt in tents Now the cause that mooued him was life euerlasting for the text saith He looked for a citie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God And we ought euery one of vs for our parts to be little affected to the things of this life neuer setting our hearts vpon them but vsing them as a pilgrime doth vse his staffe in the way so long as it is an helpe and stay for him in his iourney he is content to carrie it in his hand but so soone as â—t beginneth to trouble him he casteth it away Secondly all that â—rofesse the Gospel of Christ may hence learne to beare the crosses and afflicâ—ions which God shall lay on them in this world It is Gods vsuall manneâ— to begin corrections in his owne familie vpon his owne children and as Pâ—ter saith Iudgement beginneth at Gods house Looke at a mother that weanes her child laieth wormewood or some other bitter thing vpon her breast to make the child loath the milke so likewise God makes vs often feele the misâ—ries and crosses of this life that our loue and liking might be turned from this world and fixed in heauen As rawe flesh is loathsome to the stomacke so is euery sinner and vnmortified man loathsome vnto God till the Lord by afflictions mortifie in him the corruptions of his nature and specially the loue of this world But when a man is afflicted how shall he be able to endure the crosse Surely by resoluing himselfe that the Lord hath prepared life euerlasting for him Thus we read that Moses by faith when he was come to age refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter and choosed rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt But I pray you what mooued Moses to be of this minde The reason is added Because he had respect to the recompence of reward that is he had alwaies a speciall regard to life euerlasting and that was it that made him content and willing to suffer affliction with the people of god Here then behold a notable president for vs to follow In which we are taught that the best way to endure afflictions with patience is to haue an eye to the recompence of reward this is it that makes the yoke of Christ easie and lightsome When it shall please God to bring vnto vs a cup of afflictions and bid vs drinke a draught thereof to the very bottome the
meditation of life eternall must be as sugar in our pockets to sweeten the cup withall Lastly if this be true that God of his goodnesse and endles mercy towards mankind hath prepared life euerlasting yet not for all men but for the elect whose names are written in the booke of life we must aboue all things in this world seeke to be partakers of the same Let vs receiue this as from the Lord and lay it to our hearts whatsoeuer we doe euening or morning day or night whether we be young or old rich or poore first we must seeke for the kingdome of heauen and his righteousnes If this benefit were common to all and not proper to the Church lesse care might be had but seeing it is proper to some alone for this very cause let all our studies be to obtaine the beginnings of liâ—e euerlasting giuen in this life For if we haue it not whosoeuer we be it had beene better for vs that we had neuer beene borne or that we had beene borne dogges and toades then men for when they die there is an ende of their miserie but man if he loose euerlasting happinesse hath ten thousand millions of yeares to liue in miserie and in the torments of hell and when that time is ended he is as farre from the end of his miserie as he was at the beginning Wherefore I pray you let not the deuill steale this meditation out of your hearts but be carefull to repent of all your sinnes and to beleeue in Christ for the pardon of them all that by this meanes yee may come to haue the pawne and earnest of the spirit concerning life euerlasting euen in this world What a miserable thing is it that men should liue long in this world and not so much as dreame of another till the last gaspe Let vs not suffer Satan thus to abuse and bewitch vs for if we haue not eternall life in this world we shall neuer haue it Hitherto by Gods goodnes I haue shewed the meaning of the Creede now to draw to a conclusion the generall vses which are to be made of it follow And first of all we learne by it that the Church of Rome hath no cause to condemne vs for heretickes for we doe truly hold and beleeue the whole Apostolicall Symbole or Creede which is an epitome of the Scriptures and the very key of faith It will be said that we denie the Popes supremacie iustification by workes purgatorie the sacrifice of the Masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead the inuocation and intercession of Saints c. which arâ— the greatest points of religion It is true indeede we denie and renounce them as doctrines of deuills perswading our selues that if they indeede had beene Apostolicall and the very grounds and pillars of religion as they are now auouched to be they should in no wise haue beene left forth of the Creede For it is an ouersight in making a confession of faith to omit the principall points and rules of faith It will be further saide that in the Creede we beleeue the Church and so consequently are to beleeue all these former points which are taught and auouched by the Church but this defence is foolish For it takes this for graunted that the Church of Rome is the Church here meant which we denie vnlesse they can prooue a particular Church to be vniuersal or Catholike Nay I adde further that the principall grounds of popish faith for which they contend with vs as for life and death are not mentioned in any other Creedes which were made by the Churches and Councells for many hundred yeares after Christ. Secondly the Creede serues as a storehouse of remedies against all troubles and temptations whatsoeuer I. If a man be grieued for the losse of earthly riches let him consider that he beleeues God to be his Creatour who will therefore guide and preserue his owne workmanship and by his prouidence minister all things needefull vnto it And that he hath not lost the principall blessing of all in that he hath God to be his father Christ to be his redeemer and the holy Ghost to be his comforter and that considering he lookes for life eternall he is not to be ouer much carefull for this life and that Christ being our Lord will not forsake vs beeing the seruants in his owne house but will prouide things needefull for vs. II. If any man be grieued in respect of outward disgrace and contempt let him remember that he beleeues in Christ crucified and that therefore he is to reioyce in contempt for righteousnes sake III. They which are troubled for the decease of friendsâ— are to comfort theÌ„selues in the communion of Saints and that they haue God the Father and Christ and the holy Ghost for their friends IV. Against bodily captiuitie let men consider that they beleeue in Christ their Lord whose seruice is perfect libertie V. Against the feare of bodily diseasesâ— we must remember the resurrection of the bodie in which all diseases and infirmities shall be abolished VI. If a man feare death of the bodie let him consider that he beleeues in Christ which died vpon the crosse who by death hath vanquished death VII The feare of persecution is restrained if we call to remembrance that God is a Father Almightie not onely able but also willing to represse the power of the aduersarie so farre forth as shall be for the good of his children VIII Terrours arising of the consideration of the last iudgement are delaied by remembrance of this that Christ shall be our iudge who is our redeemer IX Feare of damnation is remedied by consideration that Christ died to make satisfaction for vs and now sitts at the right hand of his father to make intercession for vs and by the resurrection of the bodie to life euerlasting X. Terrours of conscience for sinne are repressed if we consider that God is a Father and therefore much in sparing and that it is a prerogatiue of the Church to haue remission of sinnes Trin-vni Deo gloria AN EXPOSITION OF THE LORDS PRAYER In the way of Catechising seruing for ignorant people Corrected and amended Hereunto are adioyned the prayers of Paul taken out of his Epistles By W. Perkins Printed for Iohn Porter and Ralph Iackson 1600. To the right Honourable Edward Lord Russell Earle of Bedford Grace and peace be multiplied RIght Honourable if you consider what is one of the chiefest ornaments of this Noble state vnto which God hath aduanced you it wil appeare that there is none more excellent then the spirit of grace and prayer For what doth your heart affect would you speake the languages Behold by prayer you may speak the most heauenly tongue that euer was euen the language of Canaan Would you haue the valor of knighthood By prayer you may stand in place where Gods hande hath made a breach and doe as much as all the chariots and
to passe Ans. As God determines what things shall come to passe so hee doeth with all determine the meanes whereby the same things are effected Before all worlds God decreed that men should liue vpon earth and he decreed likewise that meate drinke and cloathing should be vsed that life might be preserued Now prayer is one of the most excellent meanes whereby sundry things are brought to passe therefore Gods eternall counsell touching things to come doth not exclude praier and like meanes but rather include and implie the same The second question is what kind of actioÌ„ praier is Ans. It is no lip-labour it is the putting vp of a suite vnto God and this action is peculiar to the very heart of a man Rom. 8.26 The spirit makes request for vs. But how with grones in the heart Exod. â—4 15 The Lord saith to Moses Why criest thou yet there is no mention made that Moses spake any word at all the Lord no doubt accepted the inward mourning and desire of his heart for a crie Psal. 38.10 and 11.4 The third question is what is the forme or rule according to which wee are to pray Ans. It is the reuealed will and word of God A man in humbling his soule before God is not to pray as his affections carrie him and for what he list but all is to be done according to the expresse word So as those things which God hath commanded vs to aske we are to aske those things which he hath not commanded vs to aske we are in no wise to pray for 1. Iohn 5.14 This is the assurance which we haue of him that if wee aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. This then is a speciall clause to be marked that men must pray in knowledge not in ignorance Here weigh the case of poore ignorant people they talke much of praying for themselues and others they imagine that they pray very deuoutly to God but alas they doe nothing lesse because they know not what to aske according to gods will They therfore must learn Gods word and pray according to the same els it will prooue in the end that all their praying was nothing but as mocking and flat dishonouring of God The fourth question is with what affection a man must praie Ans. Praier must proceede from a broken and contrite heart This is the sacrifice which God accepteth Psal. 51. 17. When Ahab abased himselfe though hee did â—â— in hypocrisie yet God had some respect vnto it 1. King 21.29 saith the Lord to Eliah seest thou how Ahab is huÌ„bled before me This contrition of heart stands in two things The first of them is a liuely feeling of our owne sinne miserie and wretched estate how that we are compassed about with innumerable enemies euen with the deuill and his angels and within abound euen with huge seas of wants and rebellious corruptions whereby we most grieuously displease God and are vile in our owne eyes Beeing therefore thus beset on euery side we are to be touched with the sense of this our great miserie And he that will pray aright must put on the person and the very affection of a poore wretched begger and certenly not beeing grieued with the rufull condition in which we are in our selues it is not possible for vs to pray effectually Psal. 130.1 Out of the deepest called vpon thee O Lord that is when I was in my greatest miserie and as it were not farre from the gulfes of hell then I cried to God Esay 26.16 Lord in trouble haue they visited thee they powred out a prayer when thy chastening was vpon them 1. Sam. 1.15 I am a woman saith Anna of an hard spirit that is a trouble soule and haue powred my soule before the Lord. Hence it appeareth that the ordinarie praiers of most men grieuously displease God seeing they are made for fashion onely without any sense and feeling of their miseries commonly men come with the Pharise in ostentation of their integritie and they take great paines with their lippes but their hearts wander from the Lord. The second thing required in a contrite heart is a longing desire and hungring after Gods graces and benefits whereof we stand in neede It is not sufficient for a man to buckle as it were and to goe crooked vnder his sinnes and miseries but also he must haue a desire to be eased of them and to be enriched with graces needfull Thus Hezekias the King and the Prophet Isaiah the sonne of Amos prayed against Senacharib and cried vnto heauen 2. Chr. 32.10 Where we may see what a marueilous desire they had to obtaine their request So also Rom. 8.16 The spirit maketh request with grones so great that they can not be vttered as they are felt Dauid Psal. â—43 6 saith that he desireth after the Lord as the thirstie land Now we know that the ground parched with heate opens it selfe in riâ—ts and cranies and gapes towards heauen as though it would deuoure the clouds for want of moysture and thus must the heart be disposed to Gods grace till it obtaine it The people of Israel beeing in grieuous aâ—fliction how doe they pray They powre out their soules like water before the face of the Lord. Lament 2. 1â— The fift question is in whose name prayer must be made Ans. It must not be made in the name of any creature but onely in the name and mediation of Christ. Ioh. 14.14 If yee aske any thing in my name I will doe it A man is not to present his prayers to God in any worthines of his owne merits For what is he to make the best of himselfe what can he make of himselfe by nature he is no better then the very firebrand of hell and of all Gods creatures on earth the most outragious rebell to God and therefore can not be heard for his owne sake As for Saints they can be no mediatours seeing euen they themselues in heauen are accepted of God not for themselues but onely for the blessed merits of Christ. If any man sinne saith Saint Iohn 1. epist. chap. 2.1 we hâ—â—e an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ. But howe prooues he this It followes then And he is the reconciliation for our sinnes His reason stands thus hee which must be an advocate must first of al be a reconciliation for vs no saints can be a reconciliation for vs therefore no Saints can be aduocates Therefore in this place is manifest an other fault of ignorant people They crie often Lord helpe me Lord haue mercie vpon me But in whose name pray they poore soules like blind bayards they rush vpon the Lord they knowe no mediatour in whose name they should present their praiers to him Litle do they consider with themselues that God is as well a most terrible Iudge as a mercifull father The sixt question is Whether faith be requisite to praier or not Ans. Prayer is to be made with faith whereby a man must
enemies the flesh the deuill and his angels and the world 2. Furthermore whereas we are taught to say Our father this serues to put vs in minde that in praying to God we must bring loue to men with vs. We must all be the children of one father louingly disposed one to another For how should he call God his father who will not take the child of God for his brother Math. 5 2â— When thou art to offer thy gift vnto God if thou haue ought against thy brother first be reconciled and then come and offer thy gift So also Esa. â— 15 the Lord saith that when they pray vnto him he will not heare Why because their hanâ—s are full of bloode In these times many men can be content formâ—lly to pray but yet they will not leaue bâ—ibing oppression deceit vsurie c. The common song of the world is Euery man for himselfe and God for vs all this is the common loue and care that men haue each to other The praiers of such are abominable euen as the sacrifice of a dogge as Esay saith For how can they call God their father that haue no loue to their brethren 3. Thirdly hence we may learne that God is no accepter of persons For this prayer is giuen to all men of what state or degree soeuer All then as well poore as rich vnlearned as learned subiects as rulers may say Our father It is not with the Lord as it is with the world but all are his children that doe beleeue The poore man hath as good interest in Gods kingdome and may call God father as well as the king Therfore the weaker sort are to comfort themselues hereby knowing that God is a father to them as well as to Abraham Dauid Peter And such as are indued with more grace must not therefore swell in pride because they haue not God to be their father more then their inferiours haue Which art in heauen 1. The meaning Quest. HOw may God be said to be in heauen seeing hee is infinite and therefore must needes be euery where 1. King 8.27 The heauens of heauens are not able to containe him Ans. God is said to be in heauen first because his maiestie that is his power wisdome iustice mercie is made manifest from thence vnto vs. Psal. 115.3 Our God is in heauen and doth whatsoeuer he will Psal. 2.4 He that dwelleth in heauen shall laugh them to scorne and the Lord shall haue theÌ„ in derision Esai saith 66.2 Thus saith the Lord Heauen is my throne and the earth is my footstoole Secondly after this life he will manifest and exhibite the fulnes of his glorie to his Angels and Saints in the highest heauens and that immediately and visibly 2. The vse 1. HEreby first we learne that Romish pilgrimages whereby men went from place to place to worship God are vaine and foolish The God to whome we must pray is in heauen Now let men trauell to what placeâ— or countrey they will they shall not come the nearer to heauen or nearer to God by trauelling seeing the earth is in euery part alike distant from heauen 2. Secondly this ouerthrowes popish idolatrie as worshipping of crosses cruciâ—ixes roodes c. vsed to put men in minde of God and Christ. We are taught to lift vp our eyes to heauen seeing God is there and how can we doe this as long as our minds and eyes are poaring vpon an image made by mans arte 3. Again we are here admonished to vse the action of prayer with as great reuerence as possible may be and not to think of God in any earthly manner Well reasons Salomon Eccles. 5.1 Be not rash with thy mouth to speake a word before God Why He is in heauen thou art in earth therefore let thy words be few This reuerence must appeare in holinesse of all our thoughts and affections and in all comelines of gesture And for this cause all wandring by-thoughts all vaine babbling is to be auoided but how goes the case with vs that on the times appointed come to the assemblies to pray Many by reason of their blindnes pray without vnderstanding Many when they are present at praier yet haue their hearts occupied about other matters about their goods and worldly busines such men haue no ioy or gladnes in praying it is a burthen to them Many come to the assembly for custome onely or for feare of punishment if they might be left free they could find in their hearts not to pray at all But let all such men know that this maner of praying is a very grieuous sinne nay greater then mocking of father or mother killing or stealing for it is directly against God the other against men This sinne because it is against the first table and therefore more hard to be discerned it is lightly esteemed and it lesse troubles the consciences of ignorant men yea as it is in deede so it is to be esteemed as a disgrace and plaine mockerie of Gods maiestie Wherefore seeing God is in heauen away with all drowsie and dead praying let vs come with reuerence in our hearts before the Lord. 4. Againe we are here to consider that our hearts in praier must mount vp into heauen and there be present with the Lord. Psal. 25.1 â— Vnto thee O Lord lift I vp my soule The little childe is neuer well but when it is in the fathers lap or vnder the mothers wing and the children of God are neuer in better case then when in affection and spirit they can come into the presence of their heauenly Father and by praier as it were to creepe into his bosome 5. And here we must further learne specially to seeke for heauenly things and to aske earthly things so farre forth as they serue to bring vs to an euerlasting and immortall inheritance in heauen to which we are called 1. Pet. 1.3 6. Lastly whereas our father is in heauen we are to learne that our life on earth is but a pilgrimage that our desire must be to attaine to a better countrey namely heauen it selfe and that we must vse all meanes continually to come vnto it In a word to make an end of the preface in it is contained a double stay or prop of all our prayers The one is to beleeue that God can graunt our requests because he is almightie thus much is signified when he is said to be in heauen The second is to beleeue that God is ready and willing to grant the same and this we are tâ—ught in the title Father which serues to put vs in â—ind that God accepts our prayers Ioh. 16.32 and hath a care of vs in all our miseries and necessities Matth. 6.32 and pitieth vs as much as any earthly father can pitie his child Psal. 103.13 Yet must we not imagin that God will indeed giue vnto vs whatsoeuer we doe vpon our owne heads fancie and desire but we must in our praiers haue recourse to the promise
in the Pharisie whose thoughts were these when he praied thus within himselfe O God I thanke thee that I am not as other men extortioners vniust adulterers or euen as this Publican c. And as this was in him so it is in vs till God giue grace for so that men may haue praise glory in the world they care not for Gods glory though it be defaced We must therefore learne to discerne this hidden corruption and to mourne for it for it doth poison and hinder al good desires of glorifying god so long as it doth or shall preuaile in the heart 2. Secondly wee are taught here to bewaile the hardnesse of our hearts whereby we are hindred from knowing God aright and from discerning the glory and maiestie of God in his creatures Mark 6.52 The disciples through the hardnes of their hearts could not see Gods power in the miracle of feeding many thousands with a few loaues though themselues were instruments of it and the foode did increase in their hands Our redemption what a wonderful worke is it but how few consider of it or regard it If we see a man haue more wit wealth or honour then we haue wee straight wonder at him but beholding Gods creatures we see nothing in them because we doe not goe higher to acknowledge the loue power wisdome and iustice of the Creator And this is the cause why Gods name is so slenderly honoured among men 3. The third corruption is our great ingratitude for the Lord hath made heauen and earth and all other creatures to serue man yet he is the most vnthankfull of all creatures Bestow many iewels or a kings raunsome on a dead man he wil neuer returne any kindnes so men being dead in sinne deale with God Commonly men are like the swine that run with their groines and eate vp the mast but neuer looke vp to the tree from whence it falleth But the godly are with Dauid to feele this want in themselues and to beseech God to open and as it were to vnlocke their lips that they may indeauour to be thanfull to God Psal. 51.15 4. The fourth is the vngodlines the innumerable wāts that be in our liues and the sinnes committed in the world Psal. 119.136 Mine eies saith Dauid gush out with riuers of water because men keepe not thy lawes The reason is because he which liues in sinne reproches Gods name euen as an euill childe dishonours his father Now some will say that this cannot be because our sinnes cānot hurt God True indeed yet are they a cause of slādering Gods name among men for as we honour him by our good workes so we dishonour him by our offences Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen 4. Graces to be desired 1. THe graces to be desired and to bee praied for at Gods hand are three The first is the knowledge of God that is that we might knowe him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his word works and creatures For how shall any glorifie God before he know him Our knowledge in this life is imperfect Exod. 23. Moses may not see Gods face but his hinder parts 1. Corin. 13.12 We may see God as men doe through spectacles in his word sacraments and creatures And therefore as Paul praied for the Colossians Col. 1.10 That they might increase in the knowledge of God so are wee taught to pray for our selues in this petition 2. We desire that a zeale of Gods glorie may be kindled in our hearts and that we may be kept from prophaning and abusing of his name Psal. 69.9 The zeale of thine house hath eaten me vp Psal. 45.1 My heart shall vtter or cast vp a good matter I will speake in my workes of the king Here the spirit of God borrowes a comparison from men thus As hee which hath somewhat lying heauie in his stomacke is neuer quiet till he haue cast it vp euen so the care desire to glorifie Gods name must lie vpon a mans heart as an heauie burden and he is not to be at ease and quiet with himselfe till he bee disburdened in sounding forth Gods praise Luther saith well that this is Sancta crapula that is an holy surfet and it is no hurt continually to haue our hearts ouercharged thus 3. A desire to lead a godly and vpright life before God and men We see men that in some great calling vnder honourable personages will so order behaue themselues as they may please and honour their masters euen so must our liues be well ordered and we are to labour to walke worthie of the Lord as Paul speaketh that we may honour our heauenly father Thy kingdome come 1. The Coherence THis petition dependes on the former most excellently For in it is laide downe the meanes to procure the first Gods name must bee hallowed among men but howe is it done by the erecting of Gods kingdome in the hearts of men We cannot glorifie God vntil he rule in our hearts by his word and spirit 2. The meaning Thy This word doth put vs in minde that there is two kingdomes one Gods and that is the kingdome of heauen the other the deuils called the kingdome of darknesse Coloss. 1.13 For when all had sinned in Adam God laide this punishment on all that seeing they could not be content to obey their Creator they should be in bondage vnder satan so that by nature we are all the children of wrath and the deuill holds vp the scepter of his kingdome in the hearts of men This kingdome is spirituall and the pillars of it are ignorance errour impietie and all disobedience to God in which the deuill wholly delights which also are as it were the lawes of his kingdome Blind ignorant people can not abide this doctrine that the deuill should rule in their hearts they spit at the naming of him and say that they defie him with all their hearts but whereas they liue in sinne and practise it as occasion is offered though they cannot discerne of themselues yet they make plaine proofe that they liue in the kingdome of sinne and darknesse and are flatte vassels of Satan and shall so continue till Christ the strong man come and binde him and cast him out And this is the estate of all the children of Adam in themselues Wherefore our Sauiour in this petition teacheth vs to consider our naturall estate and to pray that he would giue vs his spirit to set vs at libertie in the kingdome of his owne sonne Kingdome Gods kingdome in Scripture is taken two waies First generally and so it signifieth that administration by which the Lord gouerneth all things yea euen the deuils themselues Of which kingdome mention is made in the ende of this prayer And in the Psalme 97. vers 1. The Lord raigneth let the earth reioyce Againe it is taken more specially and then it signifieth
on their children it is vaine and friuolous For it is Gods will that we should not cast the care of heauenly things onely but all our care vpon him 1. Pet. 5. 7. And he hath elswhere commaunded that earthly things should be asked at his hand 1. King 8.35 and the same hath beene asked in praier of Iacob Gen. 28.10 and Salomon Prouâ— 20.7 And wheras the Lords praier is a perfect platforme of praier temporall blessing must haue some place there vnlesse we will ascribe the hauing and inioying of them to our owne industrie as though they were no gifts of God which to thinke were great impietie By bread then we must vnderstand properly a kind of foode made of the floure of graine that is baked and eaten and thus it must be taken in those places of scripture where bread is opposed to water or wine by a figure more generally it signifies all things whereby temporal life is preserued in this sense goates milke is called bread Prou. 27.27 and the fruit of trees Ier. 11.19 and all things that passe to and fro in trafficke Prou. 31. 14. And so likewise in this place by this one meanes of sustaining our bodies and temporall liues all other meanes whatsoeuer must be vnderstood as meate drinke clothing health libertie peace c. And whereas our Sauiour Christ vnder the name of bread and not vnder the name of any other plentifull or daintie food teacheth vs to aske temporall blessings he doth it for two causes The first is that we might hereby learne frugalitie and moderation in our â—â—et apparell houses and be content if we haue no more but bread that is things necessarie to preserue life which Paul comprehends vnder food and clothing For we are taught in this petition to aske no more We must not with the Iâ—raelites murmure because they had nothing but Manna Question Must we then vse Gods creatures onely for necessitie Ans. We may vse them not onely for necessitie but also for honest delight and pleasure Psal. 104. 15. God giues wine to make glad the heart of man and oyle to make his face shine And Iohn 12.3 our Sauiour Christ allowed of the fact of Marie which tooke a pound of oyntment of Spikenard very costly and annointed his very feete so that all the house was filled with the smell though Iudas did esteeme it wast Yet if it so fall out that the Lord doe graunt vs but bread that is so much as shall holde bodie and soule together we must thankfully content our selues therewith 1. Tim. 6. 8. Therefore when we haue foode and rayment let vs be therewith content This contentation was practised of Iacobs Gen. 28.20 A second cause is to teach vs that there is a particular prouidence All men willingly confesse the generall prouidence of GOD ouer all things but beside that we must acknowledge another more speciall prouidence euen in the least things that be because euery morsell of bread which we eate would no more nourish vs then a peece of earth or a stone vnlesse God giue his blessing vnto it Daily The word in the originall is thus much in effect Bread vnto our essence or substances then the meaning is giue vs such bread from day to day as may nourish our substances Thus praieth Agur Prou. 30. 8. Feede me with foode conuenient for me Some there are which put an Angelical perfection in fasting but we are taught in Scriptures that as aboue all things we are to seeke for life eternall so we must in this life haue care to sustaine and maintaine our naturall life that we may haue conuenient space and time to repent and prepare our selues to the kingdome of heauen Fasting in it selfe as it is an abstinence from meate is no part of Gods worship but in it owne nature a thing indifferent and therefore it is to be vsed so farre forth as it shall further vs in Gods seruice and no further And seeing we are taught to pray for such foode as shall preserue nature and maintaine the vitall blood we ought not to vse fasting to the hindrance or destruction of nature Our bread 1. Quest. How is bread ours Ans. Paul shewes how 1. Corinth â— 22 Ye are Christs and all things are yours So then by meanes of Christ bread is called our For GOD hauing giuen Christ to vs doth in him and by him giue all things else to vs. 2. Quest. How may I know that the things I enioy are mine by Christ and that I doe not vsurpe them Ans. 1. Tim. 4. 4. Paul saith that the creatures of God are good and that the vse of them is sanctified to vs by the word and prayer Then if we haue the word of God to tell vs that wee may enioy and vse them and also if wee pray to God for the right and pure vse of them we are no vsurpers but indeede right owners of them not onely before men but also before God 3. Question If the creatures must be made ours by Christ how comes it to passe that the vngodly haue such abundance of them Ans. We lost the title and interest of the creatures in Adam yet God of his mercie bestowes temporarie blessings vpon the vniust as well as vpon the iust but for all that vnlesse they be in Christ and hold the title of them by him they shall in the ende turne to their greater condemnation And whereas we call it our bread we learne that euery man must liue of his owne calling and his owne goods Here also is condemned all oppression stealing lying cogging and other such deceitfull meanes which men vse to get wealth and goods Many thinke it no sinne to prouide for their families in such order but in saying this petition they pray against themselues 2. Thess. 3. 10. He which laboureth not let him not eate Eph. 4.28 He which stole let him stealeâ— no more but rather labour with his hands the thing that good is This day We say not here this weeke this moneth this age but this day what meanes this may we not prouide for the time to come Ans. It is lawful yea a man is bound in good manner to prouide for time to come Act. 11.28 The Apostles prouided for the Church in Iudea against the time of dearth foretold by Agabus And Ioseph in Egypt in the yeares of plentie stored vp against the yeares of famine Wherefore in these words our Sauiour his meaning is onely to condemne all distrustful care that distracts the minds of men and to teach vs to rest on his fatherly goodnes from day to day in euery season this is noted vnto vs Numb 11. where the Israelites were commanded to gather no more Manna then would serue for one day and if they did it putrified Whereby God taught them to rest on his prouidence euery particular day and not on the meanes Giue vâ— Not me This serues to teach vs that a man must not onely regard himselfe but also be
saluation but with feare and trembling Phil. 2.12 8 He burneth with zeale of the spirit c. And so the rest of the affections are exercised about the promises of God in Christ and by this meanes is the deepe rooting of the word in the heart Thus it commeth to passe that the Reprobate falleth away from faith in the day of triall and temptation but the Elect cannot be changed XXXIIII Thus it appeareth how farre a reprobate may proceed in religion the consideration of this point I direct vnto two sorts of men Carnall gospellers and Papists Carnall gospellers are such among vs as know the word but obey it not or such as bearing a profession neither know it nor obey it And the best of these come short of reprobates in two points 1. In faith they come short of the deuill most of them The deuill beleeueth and trembleth but they contrariwise liuing in their sinnes beleeue and hope How comes this to passe The deuill knoweth the Gospel and the points of it and withall he beleeueth the terrible threatnings of the law and therefore trembleth Drowsie Protestants beleeue the Gospel as the deuill doth though he conceiues the points of it better then they doe as for the law and the threatnings thereof they doe not beleeue them and that makes them euen when they liue in their sinnes to hope and presume of mercie Therefore the deuill beleeues more of Gods word then they doe Secondly they come short of wicked men in outward obedience The young man not yet conuerted to Christ when he was bidden to keepe the commaundements of the second Table answered that he had kept them from his youth and therefore our Sauiour Christ looked vpon him and loued him although this externall obedience was not sufficient for Christ telleth him that one thing is wanting vnto him And in another place he saith except your righteousnes exceede the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisies you cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Now the carelesse Gospeller is farre from performing this in so much that commonly he makes an open practise of sinne one way or other The causes of their carelesnes are first a perswasion that a man may repent when he will because the Scripture saith At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottome of his heart God will put all their wickednesse out of his remembrance But indeed late repentance is seldome true repentance and it may be iustly feared least that repentance which men when they are dying frame to themselues die also with them Secondly they flatter themselues imagining that the best man that is hath seuen falles euery day into grosse sinnes whereas the place which they abuse out of the Prouerbs The righteous man falleth seuen times in a day and riseth againe it is rather to be vnderstood of falls into affliction then falls into actuall sinnes Thirdly they deceiue themselues most falsly thinking small sinnes or hidden sinnes to be no sinnes and grossest sinnes in which they liue and lie most dangerously to be but sinnes of infirmitie XXXV By this which hath bin said the professours of Christian religion are admonished of two things First that they vse most painfull diligence in working their saluation in attaining to faith in dying to sinne in liuing to newnesse of life and that their hearts be neuer at rest till such time as they goe beyond all reprobates in the profession of Christ Iesus Seest thou how farre a reprobate may goe presse on to the straight gate with maine and might with all violence lay hold on the kingdome of heauen Slial Herod feare and reuerence Iohn Baptist and heare him gladly and wilt thou neglect the Ministers and the preaching of the word shall Pharao confesse his sinne nay shall Satan beleeue and tremble And wilt not thou bewaile and lament thy sinnes and thy wicked conuersation It behooueth thee to feare and take heed least wicked men and the deuill himselfe rise in iudgement and condemne thee For if thou shalt come short of the duties of a reprobate and doe not goe beyond him in the profession of the Gospel sure it is thou must looke for the reward of a reprobate The second thing is that the professour of the Gospell diligently trie and examine himselfe whether he is in the state of damnation or in the state of grace whether he yet beare the yoke of Satan or is the adopted child of God Thou wilt say this need not thou professest the Gospell and art taken for a Christian yet marke and consider that this often befalleth reprobates to be esteemed Christians and they are often so like them that none but Christ can discerne the sheepe from the goates true Christians from apparant Christians Wherefore it behooueth all men that shew themselues to be Christians to lay aside all pride and all selfeloue and with singlenes of heart to put themselues into the ballance of Gods word and to make iust triall whether in thē repentance faith mortification sanctification c. giue waight answerable to their outward profession which if they doe let them praise God if not let them with all speede vse the meanes that they may be borne anew to the lord and may be inwardly guided by his holy spirit to giue obedience to his will least in the day of Gods trial they start aside from him like a broken bow and fall againe to their first vncleannesse XXXVI To come to the second sort of men and to conclude let the most zealous Papist that is trie himselfe and his whole estate with a single heart as in the presence of Gods maiestie and he shall finde that by his whole religion and profession he doth come short of a reprobate or at the least not goe beyond him in these points before named The Lord open their eyes that they may see it Amen THE ESTATE OF A CHRISTIAN MAN IN this life which also sheweth how farre the Elect may goe beyond the Reprobate in Christianitie and that by many degrees I THe Elect are they whome God of the good pleasure of his will hath decreed in himselfe to choose to eternall life for the praise of the glorie of his grace For this cause the Elect onely are saide to haue their names written in the booke of life II Whome God electeth them he calleth in the time appointed for the same purpose This calling of the Elect is nothing els but a singling and a seuering of them out of this vile world and the customes thereof to be citizens of the kingdome of glorie after this life And the time of their calling is tearmed in Scriptures the day of visitation the day of saluation the time of grace III. This seuering and choosing of the elect out of the worlde is then performed when God by his holy spirit indueth them with true sauing faith a wonderfull gift peculiar to the
And this sanctification is throughout the whole man in the spirite soule and minde 1. Thess. 5.23 And here the spirit signifieth the minde and memorie the soule the will and affections XXXIIII The sanctification of the mind is the enlightning of it with the true knowledge of Gods word It is of two sorts either spirituall vnderstanding or spirituall wisdome Spirituall vnderstanding is a generall conceiuing of euery thing that is to be done or not to be done out of Gods word Spirituall wisdome is a worthie grace of God by which a man is able to vnderstand out of Gods word what is to be done or not to be done in any particular thing or action according to the circumstances of person time place c. Both these are in euery Christian otherwise Paul would neuer haue praied for the Colossians That they might be fulfilled with knowledge of Gods will in all wisdome and spirituall vnderstanding In both these excelled Dauid who testified of himselfe that Gods word was a lanterne to his feete and a light to his paths and that God by his commandements had made him wiser then his enemies that he had more vnderstanding then all his teachers because Gods testimonies were his meditations that he vnderstood more then the ancient because he kept Gods precepts The properties of the mind enlightened are specially two The first is that by it a Christian sees his owne blindnes ignorance and vanitie as appeareth in Dauid who beeing a Prophet of God yet praied Open mine eyes O Lord that I may see the wonders of thy law And thence it is that the godly so much bewailed the blindnes of their minds Contrariwise the wicked man in the middest of his blindnes thinks himselfe to see The second is that the mind runneth and is occupied in a continuall meditation of Gods word So Dauid saith the righteous mans delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night XXXV The memory also is sanctified in that it can both keepe and remember that which is good and agreeable to Gods will whereas naturally it best remembreth lewdnes and wickednes and vanitie This holy memorie was in Dauid I haue hid thy promises in mine heart that I might not sinne against thee And Marie kept all the sayings of Christ and pondered them in her heart And to the exercise of this memorie Salomon hath a good lesson My sonne hearken vnto my words incline thine eares vnto my sayings let them not depart from thine eyes but keepe them in the middest of thine heart XXXVI Furthermore the will of a Christian is renued and purified by Christ which appeareth in that it is so far forth freed from sin that it can will choose that which is good and acceptable to God and refuse that which is euil according to that of Paul It is God which worketh in you the will and the deede euen of his good pleasure Now if a man be considered as he is naturally he can neither will nor performe that which is good but onely that which is euill for he is sold vnder sin as the oxe or the asse committeth iniquitie as the fish draweth in water yea he is in bondage vnder Satā who inspireth his mind with vile motions and boweth his will affections and the members of his bodie to his cursed will so that for his life he is not able to doe any thing but sinne rebel against God And it must be remembred that although the Christian mans will be freed in part from the bondage of sinne in this life yet it shall not be free from the power of sinne vntill the life to come for Paul that worthie Saint saith of himselfe beeing regenerate that he was carnall and sold vnder sinne XXXVII Sanctified affections are knowne by this that they are mooued inclined to that whiah is good to embrace it are not commonly affected and stirred with that which is euill vnlesse it be to eschew it Examples hereof are these which follow To reioyce with them that reioyce And to weepe with them that weepe To reioyce because a mans name is written in heauen To desire Gods presence and fauour as the drie land desireth water To feare and tremble at Gods word To long and to faint after the places where God is worshipped To be vexed in soule from day to day in seeing and hearing the vnlawfull deedes of men and to shed riuers of teares because men breake Gods commandements In feruencie of spirit to serue the Lord. To put on the bowels of compassion towards the miseries of men To be angrie and sinne not To sorrow for the displeasing of God To loue the brethren i◠Christ. To admire at the word of God To loue Gods commandements aboue gold To admire the graces of God in others In feare to serue God and to reioyce in trembling To walke in the feare of God and to be filled with the ioy of the holy Ghost To be heauie through manifold temptations To reioyce in beeing partaker of the sufferings of Christ. To waite on the Lord to reioyce in him and to trust in his holy name To waite for the full redemption To sigh desiring to enioy eternall life To loue the habitation of Gods house and the place where his honour dwelleth To esteeme all things as losse and dung in respect of Christ. XXXVIII But among all these sanctified affections there are foure specially to be marked The first is a zeale for Gods glorie by which a Christian is thus affected that rather then God should loose his glorie he could be content to haue his own soule damned As it was with Moses who feared least God should loose his glorie if he did vtterly destroy the Israelites for their idolatrie whome he had chosen to be his people therefore in this respect praied vnto the Lord Therefore now if thou pardon their sinne thy mercie shall appeare but if thou wilt not I pray thee rase me out of the booke which thou hast written And Paul could haue wished with all his heart to be cut off from all fellowship with Christ and to be giuen vp to eternall destruction for his countrie men the Iewes and for Gods glorie specially Some may say this affection is not common to all but particular to such as are lead with such an exceeding affection as these holy men were and which haue their hearts so pierced and kindled with diuine loue and so rauished with the same out of themselues that they forget all other things yea themselues hauing nothing before their eies but God and his glorie To this I answere that this affection is common to all though the measure of it be diuers in some more in some lesse which appeareth in
the last for a man must bee renewed and come to an vtter disliking of his owne sinnes before hee will turne from them and leaue them XLV By this it may appeare that there is one manner of sinning in the godly another in the vngodly though they fal both into one sin A wicked man when he sinneth in his heart he giueth full consent to the sinne but the godly though they fall into the same sins with the wicked yet they neuer giue full consent for they are in their mindes wills and affections partly regenerate and partly vnregenerate and therefore their wills doe partly will and partly abhorre that which is euil according as Saint Paul saith of himselfe I delight in the lawe of God according to the inner man but I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue c. And that the godly man neuer giueth full consent to sinne it is euident by three tokens First before he commeth to doe the sinne he hath no purpose nor desire to doe it but his purpose and desire is to doe the will of God contrarie to that sinne Secondly in the act or doing of the sinne his heart riseth against it yet by the strength of temptation and by the mightie violence of the flesh hee is haled and pulled on to doe wickednesse Paul sayeth of himselfe that hee was sold vnder sinne that is he was like a slaue who desireth to escape out of his masters handes and yet is faine in great miserie to serue him Thirdly after hee hath sinned he is sore displeased with himselfe for it and truely repenteth As Peter before the denying of his master had no purpose to doe it but rather to die in his cause In the act he had a striuing with himselfe as appeareth by this that first he answered faintly I knowe not what thou sayest and yet after whē the assault of Satan more preuailed he fell to swearing cursing and banning After his fall he repented himselfe and wept bitterly for it All was contrary in Iudas who went to betray his master with full intent and purpose for the deuil long tempting him vnto it entred into him that is made him yeelde and resolue himselfe to doe it Afterward when Christ was betrayed and condēned Iudas was not sorrowful for his sinne with a godly sorrow but in despaire of mercy hanged himselfe XLVI Fruits worthie of amēdment of life are such fruits as the trees of righteousnesse beare namely good workes for the doing of a good worke there bee three things requisite First it must proceede from iustifying faith For the worke cannot please God except the person please him and the person cannot please him without this faith Secondly it is to be done in obedience vnto Gods reuealed word To obey is better then sacrifice and to harken is better then the fat of Rams Thirdly it is to be referred to Gods glorie Whether ye eate or drinke saith Paul or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glorie of God The speciall all workes of Christians which they and none but they truely performe are these fiue which follow XLVII The first is the good hearing of the word My sheepe saith Christ heare my voice and follow me And againe he which is of God heareth his voice And this was one note of the faithfull in the primitiue Church to assemble to heare the word This good hearing of the word is the sauing hearing that bringeth life eternall In this action Christians are vsually thus disposed Before they come to heare the word of God they make themselues readie to heare it as the men of Berea did who receiued the word with all readines This preparation standeth in two points First they disburden themselues of all impediments that like vnto runners in a race they may be swift to heare these impediments are sinne and troubled affections and they come with humble hearts as fooles that they may become wise Secondly they quicken vp themselues and come vnto the assemblies hungring and thirsting after the word of God as men do after meat and drinke When they are in hearing Gods word first their mindes are fixed and attentiue onely to that which is spoken as Lydias was Secondly they truly beleeue the word of God and carefully apply it to their owne soules Thirdly they feele the liuely power of it in themselues It is as salt in them to draw out their inward corruption it is to them the sword of the spirit and as a sacrificing knife in the hand of Gods minister by which their flesh is killed they are offered vp in a liuing sacrifice to God it is spirit and life to quicken and reuiue their soules that are dead in sin and the reason of this is plaine The word of God preached is as a cup of wine the true Christian is the Lords guest but he hath sauce of his own he bringeth his sugar with him namely his true faith which he tempereth and mingleth with Gods word and so it becommeth vnto him as a cup of sweet wine and as water of life Now the hypocrit because he bringeth no faith with him drinketh of the same but he findes the wine to be sowre and tart and void of rellish and in trueth it is vnto him as a cup of ranke poyson Againe they heare the worde of God as in Gods presence and therefore their hearts are full of feare and trembling And they receiue the Worde not as from man but as from Christ Iesus the onely Doctor of the Church And they regard not so much the Embassadour or his abilitie as the Embassage of reconciliation sent from the king of heauen After they haue heard the word they are bettered in knowledge in affection they remēber it meditate vpon it cōtinually that they may frame all their doings by it Worldly men vse to buy books of statutes to haue thē in their houses to read on that they may knowe how to auoid danger of law And so the faithfull do alwaies set before thē Gods word in al their doings it is their Counseller least they should come into danger of Gods displeasure XLVIII The second worke is the receiuing of the Sacraments of Baptisme once onely when a man is openly and solemnly admitted into the Church and of the Lords supper often The first sealeth vp to the heart of a Christian that he is vnited vnto Christ hath true felloship with him in beeing fully iustified before God inwardly sanctified The second serueth to seale vp in the heart of a Christian the continuall growing and increasing of the same graces This thing euery true beleeuer shall haue often experience of either in or after the receiuing of the Sacrament and yet it shal not be so alwaies for sometimes the Church beeing brought into
perfumed with sweete odours before they can assend vp sweete and sauorie into the nosthrils of God And Paul said of himselfe he did that which he disliked not that hee was ouertaken with grosse sinns but because when he was to do his dutie the flesh hindred him that he could not do that which he did exactly soundly according to his wil desire euen as a man who hath a iourney to goe his mind is to dispatch it in all haste yet when he is in his trauell he goes but slowely by reason of a lamenesse in his ioynts III. The spirit on the contrary kindles in the heart good motions and desires and puts a man forward to good words and deedes as it was in Dauid I will praise the Lord saith he who hath giuen me counsell my reines also teach me in the night season IV. The spirit rebukes a man for his euil intents and desires represseth the force of theÌ„ as it were nips them in the head Thus Esay describeth the inward motions of the spirit And thine eares shall heare a word behind thee saying this is the way walke ye in it when thou turnest to the right hand when thou turnest to the left And Saint Iohn saith The spirit iudgeth the worlde of sinne This was in Dauid who when he did any euill his heart smote him 2. Sam. 24. 10. Out of this doctrine issueth a notable difference betwixt the wicked and the godly In the godly when they are tempted to sinne there is a fight betweene the heart and the heart that is betweene the heart and it selfe In the wicked also there is a fight when they are tempted to sinne but this fight is onely betweene the heart and the conscience The wicked man whatsoeuer he is hath some knowledge of good and euil and therefore when he is in doing any euil his conscience accuseth checketh and controuleth him and hee feeles it stirring in him as if it were some liuing thing that crauled in his body gnawed vpon his heart and therupon he is very often grieued for his sins yet for all that he liketh his sinnes very well and loueth them and could finde in his heart to continue in them for euer so that indeed when he sinneth hee hath in his heart a striuing and a conflict but that is onely betweene himselfe and his conscience But the godly haue an other kind of battel and conflict for not only their consciences pricke them and reproue them for sinne but also their hearts are so renewed that they rise in hatred and detestation of sinne when they are tempted to euill by their flesh and Satan they feele a lust and desire to doe that which is good LIV. The second temptation is a disquietnes in the heart of a Christian because he cannot according to his desire haue fellowship with Christ Iesus he is exercised in this temptation on this manner I. Christ lets him see his excellency and howe he is affected towards him II. Then the Christian considering thisâ— desireth Christ his righteousnesse III. He delighteth himselfe in Christ and hath some enioying of his benefits IV. Then he comes into the assemblie of the Church as into Gods wine-seller that in the word and Sacraments he may feele a greater measure of the loue of Christ. V. But he falls loue-sicke that is hee becomes troubled in spirit because he cannot enioy the presence of Christ in the sayd manner as he would VI. In this his spiritual sicknes he feeles the power of Christ supporting him that the spirit be not quenched and he heares Christ as it were whispering in his heart as a man speakes to his friend when hee is comming towards him a farre off VII After this Christ comes neerer but the Christian can no otherwise enioy him then a man enioyes the company of his friend who is on the other side of a wall looking at him through the grate or latteise VIII TheÌ„ his eies are opened to see the causes why Christ so withdraws himselfe to be his owne securitie and negligence in seeking to Christ his slacknes in spirituall exercises as in prayer and thanksgiuing the deceitfulnes and malice of false teachers IX Then he comes to feele more liuely his fellowship with Christ. X. Lastly he prayeth that Christ would continue with him to the end LV. The third temptation is trouble of minde because there is no feeling of Christ at all who seemeth to be departed for a time The exercise of a Christian in this tentation is this 1 The poore soule lying as a man desolate in the night without comfort seekes for Christ by priuate praier and meditation but it will not preuaile 2 He vseth the helpe counsell and prayer of godly brethren yet Christ cannot be found 3 Then he seekes to godly ministers to receiue some comfort by them by their meanes he can feele none 4 After that all meanes haue bin thus vsed and none will preuaile then by Gods great mercie when he hath least hope he findes Christ and feeles him come againe 5 Presently his faith reuiueth and laieth fast hold on Christ. 6 And he hath as neere fellowship with Christ in his heart as before 7 Then comes againe the ioy of the holy Ghost and the peace of conscience as a sweete sleepe falls vpon him 8 Then his heart ariseth vp into heauen by holy affections and praiers which do as pillars of smoake mount vpward sweete as myrrhe and incense 6 Also he is rauished therâ—â—ith the meditation of the glorious estate of the kingdome of heauen 10 Hee labours to bring others to consider the glorie of Christ and his kingdome 11 After all this Christ reueales to his seruant what his blessed estate is both in this life and in the life to come more cleerely then euer before and makes him see those graces which he hath bestowed on him 12 Then the Christian praieth that Christ would breath on him by his holy spirit that he may bring forth the fruits of those graces which are in him 13 Lastly Christ granteth him this his request LVI The fourth temptation is securitie of heart rising of ouermuch delight in the pleasures of the worlde The exercise of a Christian in this temptation is this 1 He slumbers and is halfe asleepe in the pleasures of this world 2 Christ by his word and spirit labours to withdrawe him from his pleasures and to make him more hartily receiue his beloued 3 But he delayeth to doe it beeing loath to leaue his â—ase and sweete delights 4 Then Christ awakes him and stirres vp his heart by making him to see the vanitie of his pleasures 5 He then begins to be more earnestly affected towards Christ. 6 With sorrowe he sets his heart to haue fellowship with Christ after his old manner and this
vpon the land againe then his will was free and he had power to goe whither God sent him and to what God commanded him his owne imagination laid apart for he had beene at a new schoole and in a furnace where he was purged of much refuse drosse of fleshly wisdom which resisted the wisdome of God For as farre as we be blind in Adam we cannot but seeke and will our owne profit pleasure and glorie and as farre as we be taught in the spirit we cannot but seeke and will the pleasure of God onely Then Ionas preached to Niniue and they repented then Ionas shewed again his corrupt nature for all his trying in the Whales bellie He was so displeased because the Niniuites perished not that he was wearie of his life and wished death for very sorrow that he had lost the glorie of his prophecying in that his prophecy came not to passe but he was rebuked of God as in his prophecie you may read The Apostles Christ taught them euer to be meeke and to humble themselues yet oft they striued among themselues who should be greatest the sons of Zebede would fit one on the right hand of Christ the other on the left They would pray that fire might descend from heauen and consume the Samaritans When Christ asked Who say men that I am Peter answered Thou art the sonne of the liuing God as though Peter had bin as perfect as an angel But immediatly after when Christ preached vnto them of his death and passion Peter was angrie and rebuked Christ thought earnestly that he had raued and not wist what he had saide as at another time in which Christ was so feruently busied in healing the people that he had no leasure to eate they went out to hold him supposing that he had bin beside himselfe And one that cast forth diuels in Christs name they forbad because he waited not on them so glorious were they yet And though Christ taught alway to forgiue yet Peter after long going to schoole asked whether men should forgiue seuen times thinking that eight times had beene too much And at the last supper Peter would haue died with Christ but yet within few houres after he denied him both cowardly and shamefully And after the same manner though he had so long heard that no man must auenge himselfe but rather turne the other cheeke to the smiter againe yet when Christ was in taking Peter asked whether it were lawfull to smite with the sword and taried no answer but laide on rashly So that although we be once reconciled to God yet at the first we be but children and young schollers weake and feeble and must haue leisure to grow in the spirit in knowledge loue and deedes thereof as yong children must haue time to grow in their bodies and so in like manner the sting of the serpeâ—â— is not pulled out at once but the poison of our nature is minished by little and little and cannot before the houre of death be wholly taken away Timoth. I perceiue by your godly discourse the manifold conflicts between the flesh and the spirit and that the flesh is like to a mightie gyant such a one as was Goliah strong lustie stirring enemie to God confederate with the deuill the spirit like to a little child such a one as was little Dauid new borne weake and feeble not alwaies stirring now then what meanes doe you vse to weaken the flesh and strengthen the spirit Euseb. I vse to tame my flesh with praier and fasting watching deedes of mercie holy meditations and reading the Scriptures and in bodily labour and in withdrawing all manner of pleasures from the flesh and with exercises contrarie to the vices which I finde my bodie most inclined to and with abstaining from all things that encourage the flesh against the spirit as reading of toyes and wanton bookes seeing of playes and enterludes wanton communication foolish iesting and effeminate thoughts and talking of couetousnesse which Paul forbiddeth Eph. 5. magnifying of worldly promotions If these will not mortifie my flesh then God sendeth me some troubles and so maketh me to grow and waxe perfect and fineth and trieth me as golde in the fire of tentations and tribulations Thus very often he maketh me to take vp my crosse and nayleth my flesh vnto it for the mortifying thereof Marke this if God send thee to the sea and promise to go with thee he wil raise vp a tempest against thee to prooue whether thou wilt abide his word and that thou maist feele thy faith and weaknesse and perceiue his goodnes for if it were alwaies faire weather and thou neuer brought into such ieopardie whence his mercie onely deliuereth thee thy faith should be onely a presumption thou shouldest be euer vnthankfull to God and mercilesse vnto thy neighbour If God promise riches the way thereupon is pouertie whome he loueth him he chasteneth whome he exalteth he casteth downe whome he saueth he first damneth he bringeth no man to heauen except he send him to hell first if he promise life he slayeth first when he buildeth he casteth downe all first he is no patcher he cannot abide another mans foundation he will not worke till all be past remedie and brought to such a case that men may see how that his hand his power his mercie his goodnes his truth hath wrought altogether he will let no man be partaker with him of his praise and glorie his works are wonderfull and contrarie to mans workes who euer saue he deliuered his owne son his onely sonne his deere sonne his darling vnto the death and for his enemies to win his enemies to ouercome them with loue that they might see loue and loue again and of loue likewise to doe to other men and to ouercome them with well doing Ioseph saw the sunne and the moone and seuen starres worshipping him neuerthelesse ere that came to passe God laide him where he could see neither sunne nor moone neither any starre of the skie and that many yeares and also vndeserued to nurture him to make him humble and meeke and to teach him Gods waies and to make him apt and meete for the roome and honour againe he came to it that he might be strong in the spirit to minister it well God promised the children of Israel a land with riuers of milke and honie yet he brought them forth the space of fourtie yeares into a land wherein no riuers of milke and honie were but where so mâ—ch as a drop of water was not to nurture and teach them as a father doth his sonne and to doe them good at the latter ende to subdue their cankred nature to make them strong in the spirit to vse his benefits aright Lastly God promised Dauid a kingdome and immediatly stirred vp Saul against him to persecute him and to hunt him as men doe hares with gray-hounds and to ferret him out of euery hole and that for the space of
faith which I haue in his blood God is not displeased if my body be sicke and subiect to diseases no more is he displeased at the disease and sicknes of the soule A naturall father will not slay the bodie of his child when he is sicke and abhorreth comfortable meates and my heauenly father will not condemne my soule although through the infirmitie of faith and the weaknes of the spirit I commit sinne and often loath his heauenly word the foode of my soule Nay which is a strange thing I know it by experience that God hath turned my filthie sinnes to my great profit and to the amendment of my life like as the good Phisitian of rancke poyson is able to make a soueraigne medecine to preserue life Sathan Well be it so that now thou art in the state of grace yet thou shalt not continue so but shalt before death depart from Christ. Christ. I know I am a member of Christs mysticall bodie I feele in my selfe the heauenly power vertue of my head Christs Iesus for this cause I can not perish but shal cōtinue for euer raigne in heauē after this life with him The conflicts of Sathan with the weake Christian. Sathan Thy minde is full of ignorance and blindnes thy heart is ful of obstinacie rebellion and frowardnes against God thou art wholly vnfit for any good worke wherefore thou hast no faith neither canst thou be iustified and accepted before God Christian. If I haue but one drop of the grace of God and if my faith be no more then a little graine of mustard seede it is sufficient for me God requireth not perfect faith but true faith Sathan Yea but thou hast no faith at all Christian. I haue had faith Sathan Thou neuer hadst true faith for in time past when according to thine opinion thou didst beleeue then thou hadst nothing but a shadow of faith and a foolish imagination which all hypocrites haue Christian. I will put my trust in God for euer and his former mercies shewmed me heretofore strengthen me now in this my weaknes 1 He created me when I was nothing 2 He created me a man when he might haue made me an vgly toad 3 He made me of comely body and of good discretion whereas he might haue made me vgly and deformed franticke and madde 4 I was borne in the daies of knowledge when I might haue bin borne in the time of ignorance and superstition 5 I was borne of Christian parents but God might haue giuen me either Turkes or Iewes or some other sauadge people for my parents 6 I might haue perished in my mothers wombe but he hath preserued me and prouided for me by his prouidence euen vnto this houre 7 Soone after my birth God might haue cast me into hell but contrariwise I was baptized and so receiued the seale of his blessed couenant 8 I haue had by Gods goodnes some sorrow for my sinnes past and haue called on him in hope and confidence that he would heare me 9 God might haue concealed his word from me but I haue heard the plētifull preaching of it I vnderstand it and haue receiued comfort by it 10 Lastly at this time God might powre his full wrath on me which he doth not but mercifully maketh me to feele mine owne wants that I might be humbled and giue all glorie vnto him for his blessings Wherefore there is no cause why I should be disquieted but I will trust still in the Lord and depend on him as I haue done Sathan Thou feelest no grace of the holy Ghost in thee nor any true tokens of faith but thou hast a liuely sense of the rebellion of thy heart and of thy lewd and wretched conuersation therefore thou canst not put any confidence in Christs death and sufferings Christian. Yet I will hope against all hope although according to mine owne sense and feeling I want faith yet I wil beleeue in Iesus Christ and trust to be saued by him Sathan Though the children of God haue bin in many perplexities yet neuer any of them haue beene in this case in which thou art at this present Christian. Herein thou prouest thy selfe to be a lying spirit for the prophet Dauid saith of himselfe that he was foolish and as a beast before God and yet he euen then trusted in God And Paul was so ledde captiue of sinne that he was not able to doe the good he would but did the euill which he hated and so in great pensiuenes of heart desired to be deliuered from this world that he might be disburdened of his corrupt flesh Sathan Thou miserable wretch doest thou feele thy selfe gracelesse and wilt thou beare the face of a Christian and by thy hypocrisie offend God as thou art so shew thy selfe to the world Christian. Auoide Sathan Christ hath vanquished and ouercome thee for my cause that I might also triumph ouer thee I am no hypocrite for whereas I haue had heretofore some testimonie of my faith at this time I am lesse moued though faith seeme to be absent like as a man may seeme to be dead both in his own sense and by the iudgement of the physitian and yet may haue life in him so faith may be though alwaies it doe not appeare Sathan But thou art a man starke dead in sinne God hath now quite forsaken thee he hath left thee vnto me to be ruled he hath giuen me power ouer thee to bring thee to damnation he wil not haue thee to trust in him any longer Christian. Strengthen me good Lord remember thy mercifull promises that thou wilt reuiue the humble and giue life to them that are of a contrite heart Sathan These promises concerne not thee which hast no humble and contrite but a froward a rebellious heart Christian. Good Lord forget not thy former mercies giue an issue to these temptations of mine enemie Sathan And you my brethren which know my estate pray for me that God would turne his fauourable countenance towards me for this I know that the praier of the righteous auaileth much if it be feruent HOW A MAN SHOULD APPLIE ARIGHT the word of God to his owne soule I. EVery Christian containeth in himselfe two natures flatte contrarie one to the other the flesh and the spirit and that he may become a perfect man in Christ Iesus his earnest indeauour must be to tame and subdue the flesh and to strengthen and confirme the spirit II Answerable to these two natures are the two parts of Gods word First the Law because it is the ministerie of death it fitly serueth for the taming and mastering of the rebellious flesh and the Gospell containing the bountifull promises of God in Christ is as oyle to power into our woundes and as the water of life to quench our thirstie soules and it fitly serueth for the strengthening of the spirit III Wel then art thou secure Art thou prone to
euill Feelest thou that thy rebellious flesh carrieth thee captiue vnto sinne Looke now onely vpon the lawe of God applie it to thy selfe examine thy thoughts thy words thy deeds by it pray vnto God that he would giue thee the spirit of feare that the lawe may in some measure humble and terrifie thee for as Salomon saith blessed is the man that feareth alwaies but cursed is he that hardneth his heart IV. In the Law these are most effectuall meditations to humble and bridle the flesh which follow First meditate on the greatnes of thy sinnes and of their infinite number and if it may be gather them into a catalogue set it before thee and looke vnto it that thou thinke no sinne to be a small sinne no not the bare thoughts and motions of thy heart Often with diligence consider the strange iudgements of God vpon men for their sinnes which thou shalt find partly in the Scriptures partly by daily experience Doubtlesse thou must thinke that euery iudgement of God is a sermon of repentance Thinke oft on the fearefull curse of the law due vnto thee if thou shouldest sinne neuer but once in all thy life and that neuer so little Remember that whensoeuer thou committest a sinne God is present and his holy Angels and that he is an eye-witnes that he taketh a note of thy sinne and registreth it in a booke Thinke daily of thy ende and know that God may strike thee with sodaine death euery moment and that if then thou haue not repented before that time there is no hope of saluation Thinke on the sodaine comming of our Sauiour Christ to iudgement let it mooue thee continually to watch pray If these will not mooue thee thinke on this that no creature in heauen or in earth was able to pacifie the wrath of God for thy sinnes but his owne Sonne must come downe from heauen out of his Fathers bosome and must beare the curse of the law euen the full wrath of his Father for thee V. When by these meanes thou art feared and thy minde is disquieted in respect of Gods iudgement for thy sinne haue recourse to the promises of mercie contained in the olde and new Testament Is thy conscience stung with sinne And doth the law make thee feele it With all speede runne to the brasen serpent Christ Iesus looke on him with the eie of faith and presently thou shalt be healed of thy sting or wound VI. When thou doest meditate on the promises of the Gospel diligently consider these benefits which thou enioyest by Christ. Through Adam thou art condemned to hel by Christ thou art deliuered from it Through Adam thou hast transgressed the whole law in Christ thou hast fulfilled it Through Adam thou art before God a vile and a lothsome sinner through Christ thou doest appeare glorious in his eyes By Adam euery little crosse is the punishment of thy sinne and a token of Gods wrath by Christ the greatest crosses are easie profitable and tokens of Gods mercie By Adam thou diddest leese all things in Christ all things are restored to thee againe By Adam thou art dead by Christ thou art quickned and made aliue again By Adam thou art a slaue of the deuill and the child of wrath but by Christ thou art the child of God In Adam thou art worse then a toad and more detestable before God but by Christ thou art aboue the Angels For thou art ioyned vnto him and made bone of his bone mystically Through Adam sinne and Sathan haue ruled in thee and led thee captiue by Christ the spirit of god dwelleth in thee plenteouslie By Adam came death to thee and it is an entrance to hell by Christ though death remaine yet it is only a passage vnto life Lastly in Adā thou art poore and blind and miserable in Christ thou art rich and glorious thou art a king of heauen an earth fellow heire with him and shalt as sure bee partaker of it as he is euen now Adam when hee must needs tast of the fruit which God had forbidden him he hath made vs all to rue it euen til this daie but here thou seest the fruits that grow not in the earthly paradise but on the tree of life which is within the heauenly Ierusalem Feare no danger be bolde in Christ to eate of the fruite as God hath commaunded thee it will quicken thee and reuiue thee beeing dead thou canst not doe Satan a worse displeasure then to feede on the godly fruite of this tree and to smell on the sweete leaues which it beareth continually that giue such a refreshing sauour VII Most men now a daies are secure and cold in the profession of the gospell though they haue the plentifull preaching of it And the reason is because they feele not in themselues the vertue and mightie operation of Gods word to renue them and they can not feele it because they doe not applie the word aright vnto their owne soules Plaisters except they be applied in order and time and be laid vpon the wound though they be neuer so good yet they can not heale and so it is with the worde of God and the parts of it which except they be vsed in order and time conuenient will not humble and reuiue vs as their vertue is VIII The common Christian euery where is faultie in this thing Whereas he loueth himselfe and wisheth all good that may bee to himselfe hee doth vsually apply vnto his owne soule the gospel alone neuer regarding the law or searching out his sinnes by it Tell him what ye will his song is this God is mercifull God is mercifull By this meanes it commeth to passe that he leadeth a secure life and maketh no conscience of couetousnes of vsurie of deceit in his trade of lying of swearing of fornication wantonnesse intemperancie in bibbing and quaffing c. But he plaieth the vnskilfull Chirurgian he vseth healing plaisters before his poisoned and cankered nature haue felt the power and paine of a Corasiue And it will neuer be well with him vntil hee take a newe course IX On the contrarie part many good Christians leaue to apply the comfort of the gospel to themselues and onely haue regard to their owne sinnes and Gods infinite vengeance And euen when Satan accuseth them they will not sticke to giue eare to Sathan also accuse themselues so they are brought into fearefull terrors and often draw neere to desperation X. There is a third sort called Sectaries who addict themselues to the opinion of some man These commonly neuer apply the law or the Gospell to themselues but their whole meditation is chiefly in the opinions of him whome they followe As they that followe Luther fewe of them followe his Christian life they regard not that but about consubstantiation and vbiquitie about Images and such like trumperie they infinitely trouble themselues and all Europe too And in England there is a schismatical
slender and greatly languishing yet assure thy selfe thou art indued with true faith although it be weake and therefore thou art in Christ yea and in Christ elected too Wherefore thou must not doubt of thy saluation and election by reason of thy daily slippes proceeding from thy weaknes of faith no not for hainous crimes like as neither Dauid for his adulterie and murder not Peter for his threefold deniall did despaire of their election which appeareth in that beeing plunged in the very gulfes of their temptations they held fast their faith as an anker and called vpon God This is the second prop. Lastly in no wise we must forget namely that our election is certen and immutable and therefore as it is done without respect of any works of ours so in like sort it can neuer be changed by any of our euill deserts For as it first proceeded frō the onely free purpose of God so it is grounded theron True it is we prouoke Gods wrath against vs by our sinnes and neither will God let them escape vnpunished but he chastiseth vs by diuerse both inward and outward scourges as may appeare in Dauid aboue all other Yet for all that it is his good pleasure that for his goodnes sake truth for the obedience of Christ that his purpose should remaine sure and our election So it commeth to passe that he giueth vs repentance anew to raise vs vp and to receiue vs to fauour Therfore although for the present thou feelest thy selfe to be of weake faith and to haue fallen to diuers sinnes yet wheras hertofore thou hast had many euident testimonies of thy election as the testimonie of the holy Ghost the testimonie taken from faith and the effects of faith at this present assuredly thou canst not doubt of thy election for thy sinnes committed but thou shalt much derogate from this free election also from the testimonies of thy election heretofore enioied yea those which yet thou enioyest For if thy sins displease thee and thou desirest to liue without blame only for that thy sinns displease thee why now thou hast a new testimonie of thy election for such repentance as this is is only proper vnto the elect Therfore by these three props we must vphold our faith as touching euery ones particular election And thus much as concerning the certentie with the which euery man must be perswaded that he is elected in Christ to eternall life before the foundation of the world Assertion II. Whosoeuer are predestinated to the end they are also predestinate to the meanes without which they cannot attaine to the end and therefore as the elect necessarily at length doe come vnto the ende by reason of the certentie of their election so also by reason of the same certentie it is necessarie that they should be traced through those meanes which tend to the same ende VVE must marke the ende to which we are predestinate and to which we say that one day we shall be brought for there is a double end of our election the one concerneth the elect themselues namely their glorification or their eternall life and glorie in heauen Of which is spoken Rom. 8. The other concerneth God himselfe which chuseth namely the glorie of God that is that the glorie of his grace may be knowne and eternally made manifest of which is mention made Eph. 1. Both of them are so coupled together that whosoeuer are praeelected to the first are also predestinate to the latter and the latter followeth of the former For the more we shall be made partakers of the grace of God and the heauenly glorie so much also more and more shall the glorie of God be made manifest in vs. But because the ende which concerneth God is almost all one in the reprobation of the wicked and in the predestination of the Saints namely that by the saluation of these which proceedeth of his meere goodnes the glorie of his grace is made manifest so also by the iust damnation of the other the glorie of his diuine iustice may be made knowne to all Neuerthelesse considering that the ende to which the elect shall attaine is farre diuers from that for it is eternall life vnto which the reprobates are appointed for that is eternall death therefore the ende of which we treat in this assertion is our eternall glorification and euerlasting life in heauen Let vs now see in the second place what are those meanes by which the elect are brought vnto this end and therefore to which meanes we hold that all are predestinate whosoeuer are predestinate to the ende And they are of two sorts some of them are so necessarie vnto all that without them no man simply can attaine vnto eternal life and glorie and they are Christ as he is mediatour and high priest and his obedience and iustice for without Christ no man can be saued also our effectuall calling to Christ by the holy Ghost and that which followeth this is our iustification yea and our regeneration too For these foure predestination vocation iustification and glorification are so linked togither that it is not possible to seuer the one from the other And therefore no man can be glorified which is not iustified and no man can be iustified which is not effectually called as also no man can be effectually called which is not predestinate therefore without these not so much as children and infants can be brought to this ende of eternall glorie And therefore euen all the elect infants are inwardly in a certaine peculiar manner by the holy Ghost called and iustified and glorified Now there are some certain meanes annexed vnto these which albeit they haue no place in infants by reason of their age yet they belong to all other elect howsoeuer they are found in some more plenteous liuely and in other some more slender weake As namely a liuely faith the hearing of the word a detestation of sinne the loue of righteousnes patience in aduersitie a care to doe good workes and such like all which the Apostle comprehendeth vnder the name of good works when he saith that we are created that is borne a new in Christ vnto good works which God hath prepared that we might walke in them that is that we might lead our liues in them and so walking at length might come to eternall life for without them we cannot come to eternall glorie but by them God trayleth vs thither Therefore we say that all which are elect to that ende are also predestinate to the same meanes For predestination is not onely of the ende but also of the meanes which concerne the end and all as well the ende as the meanes are the effects of predestination And therefore it is very true which Augustine saith Predestination saith he is a preparation to the graces of God by which they indeed are freed whosoeuer are freed Therefore the first gift of God that we may
brimstone from heauen by the foolish virgines who were sleeping when they should haue beene furnishing their lampes and were shut from the marriage of the lambe And to direct thee somewhat in the practise of repentance I haue penned this small treatise vse it for thy benefit and see thou be a doer of it vnlesse thou wilt be a wilfull murderer and shed the blood of thine owne soule And whereas there haue beene published heretofore in English two sermons of Repentance one by M. Bradford Martyr the other by M. Arthur Dent sermons indeed which haue doone much good my meaning is not to adde therunto or to teach any other doctrine but onely to renew and reuiue the memorie of that which they haue taught Neither let it trouble thee that the principall Diuines of this age whome in this treatise I follow may seeme to be at diffeeence in treating of repentance For some make it a fruit of faith containing two parts Mortification and Viuification some make faith a part of it by deuiding it into contrition faith newe obedience some make it all one with regeneration The difference is not in the substance of doctrine but in the logical manner of handling it And the difference of handling ariseth of the diuers acception of repentance It is taken two waies generally and particularly Generally for the whole conuersion of a sinner and so it may containe contrition faith new obedience vnder it and be confounded with regeneration It is taken particularly for the renouation of the life and behauiour and so it is a fruit of faith And this onâ—ly sense doe I follow in this treatise I haue added hereto a few lines of the combat betweene the flesh and the spirit because repentance and this combat are ioyned togither and the one is not practised without the other as appeares by resoluing Psalme 51. Spirit Haue mercie on me O God according to thy louing kindnes Flesh. Yea but this thine adulterie comprehends infinite sinnes therefore looke for no pardon Spirit According to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities Flesh. This sinne hath taken such deepe place in thee that it will be hardly pardoned Spirit Wash me throughly from mine iniquitie and clense me from my sinne Flesh. Thy speciall trespasse is against man Spirit Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned Flesh. Except this one sinne thy life is vnblameable Spirit Behold I was borne in iniquitie c. Yea the best man that is in the practise of godlines often appeares to be vnlike himselfe and the cause is this spirituall combat The flesh otherwhiles makes him wayle and mourne and goe drooping presently after the spirit puts into him as we say the heart of gresse and makes him triumph against the flesh the deuill the world Moses was couragious at the red sea but he failed at the waters of strife Iob first praiseth God and afterward blasphemeth Dauid is often fainting in miserie yet by and by reuiued Wherefore there is good cause why the consideration of repentance and the combat should goe togither that no man after he hath begun to repent might dreame of ease to his flesh as though we should goe to heauen in beds of doune but rather that we might be resolued that when we begin to doe any thing pleasing vnto God then we must looke for nothing but continuall molestation from our vile and wicked natures Written Anno 1593. the 17. of Nouember which is the Coronation day of 〈◊〉 dread Soueraigne Queene ELIZABETH whose raigne God long 〈◊〉 William Perkins CHAP. I. What Repentance is REpentance is a worke of grace arising of a godly sorrow whereby a man turnes from all his sinnes vnto God and brings forth fruits worthie amendment of life I call Repentance a worke because it seemes not to be a qualitie or vertue or habit but an action of a repentant sinner Which appeares by the sermons of the Prophets and Apostles which runne in this tenour Repent turne to God amend your liues c. Whereby they intimate that Repentance is a worke to be done Againe Repentance is not euery kind of worke but a worke of grace because it can not be practised of any but of such as be in the estate of grace Reasons are these I. No man can repent vnlesse he first hate sinne and loue righteousnes and none can hate sinne vnlesse he be sanctified and he that is sanctified is iustified and he that is iustified must needes haue that faith which vnites him to Christ and makes him bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Wherefore he that repents is iustified and sanctified and made a member of Christ by faith II. He that turnes to God must first of all be turned of God and after that we are turned then we repent Surely after I was conuerted I repented and after that I was instructed I smote vpon my thigh I was ashamed yea euen confounded because I did beare the reproch of my youth Some may obiect that repentance goes before all grace because it is first preached The first sermon that euer was made was of repentance preached by God himselfe in Paradise to our first parents And euer since the sermons of all the Prophets and Apostles and of all faithfull ministers haue had repentance for their beginning and scope The answer hereto may be this If we respect the order of nature there be other graces of God which goe before repentance because a mans conscience must in some sort be setled touching his reconciliation with God in Christ before he can begin to repent Wherefore iustification and sanctification in order of nature goe before repentance But if we respect time grace and repentance are both together So soone as there is fire so soone it is hote and so soone as a man is regenerate so soone he repents If we respect the outward manifestation of these twaine repentance goes before all other graces because it first of all appeares outwardly Regeneration is like the sappe of the tree that lies hid within the barke repentance is like the budde that speedily shewes it selfe before either blossome leafe or fruit appeare yea all other graces of the heart which are needfull to saluation are made manifest by repentance And for this cause Repentance as I take it is first preached I adde further that repentance riseth of a godly sorrow in the heart as Paul teacheth Godly sorrow causeth repentance vnto saluation neuer to be repented of It is called a godly sorrow or a sorrow according to God that it may be distinguished from worldly sorrow which is a griefe arising of the apprehension of the wrath of God and other miseries as feare of men losse of good name calamities in goods and other things which in this life follow as punishments of sinne whereas the godly sorrow causeth griefe for sinne because it is sinne And it makes any man in whome it is to be of this disposition
man it preuailes with him and turnes him to God Furthermore when God will send his owne seruants to heauen hee sends thē a contrarie waie euen by the gates of hell and when it is his pleasure to make men depend on his fauour and prouidence hee makes them feele his anger and to be nothing in themselues that they may wholly depend vpon him and be whatsoeuer they are in him This point beeing well considered it is manifest that the child of God may passe to heauen by the very gulfes of hell The loue of God is like a sea into which when a man is cast hee neither feeles bottome nor sees banke I conclude therefore that despaire whether it arise of weaknes of nature or of conscience of sinne though it fall out about the time of death can not preiudice the saluation of them that are effectually called As for other strange euents which fall out in death they are the effects of diseases Rauings and blasphemings arise of the disease of melancholie and of frensies which often happen at the ende of burning feauers the choller shooting vp to the braine The writhing of the lips the turning of the necke the buckling of the ioyntes and the whole bodie proceede of crampes and convulsions which follow after much euacuation And whereas some in sicknesse are of that strength that three or foure men cannot holde them without bondes it comes not of witchcrafts and possessions as people commonly thinke but of choller in the vaines And whereas some when they are dead become as blacke as pitch as Bonner was it may arise by a bruise or an impostume or by the blacke iaundise or by the putrefaction of the liuer and it doeth not alwaies argue some extraordinarie iudgement of God Nowe these and the like diseases with their Symptomes and straunge effects though they shal depriue man of his health and of the right vse of the parts of his bodie and of the vse of reason too yet they cannot depriue his soule of eternall life And all sinnes procured by violent diseases and proceeding from repentant sinners are sins of infirmitie for which if they know them come againe to the vse of reason they will further repent if not they are pardoned and buried in the death of Christ. And we ought not so much to stand vpon the strangenes of any mans ende when we know the goodnesse of his life for we must iudge a man not by his death but by his life And if this be true that strange diseases and thereupon strange behauiours in death may befall the best man that is wee must learne to reforme our iudgements of such as lie at the point of death The common opinion is that if a man lie quietly and goe away like a lambe which in some diseases as consumptions and such like any man may doe then he goes straight to heauen but if the violence of the disease stirre vp impatience and cause in the partie franticke behauiours then men vse to say there is a iudgement of God seruing either to discouer an hypocrit or to plague a wicked man But the trueth is otherwise For indeede a man may die like a lambe and yet go to hell and one dying in exceeding torments and straunge behauiours of the bodie may goe to heauen And by the outward condition of any man either in life or death wee are not to iudge of his estate before God The fifth obiection is this When a man is most neare death then the deuill is most busie in temptation and the more men are assaulted by Satan the more dangerous troublesome is their case And therefore it may seeme that the day of death is the worst daie of all Ans. The condition of Gods childrē in death is twofold Some are not tempted and some are Some I say are not tempted as Simeon who when he had seene Christ brake forth said Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace c. foresignifying no doubt that he should ende his daies in all manner of peace As for them which are tempted though their case be verie troublesome and perplexed yet their saluation is not further off by reason of the violence and extremitie of temptation For God is then present by the vnspeakeable comfort of his spirit and when wee are most weake he is most strong in vs because his manner is to shew his power in weaknesse And for this cause euen in the time of death the deuill receiues the greatest foile when he lookes for the greatest victorie The sixth obiection is this Violent and sudden death is a grieuous curse of all euils which befall man in this life none is so terrible therefore it may seeme that the day of suddaine death is most miserable Ans. It is true indeed that suddaine death is a curse and a grieuous iudgement of God and therefore not without cause feared of men in the world yet all things considered we ought more to be afraide of an impenitent and euill life then of suddaine death For though it be euil as death it selfe in his owne nature is yet we must not thinke it to be simplie euill because it is not euill to all men nor in all respects euill I say it is not euill to all men considering that no kinde of death is euill or a curse vnto them that are in Christ who are freed from the whole curse of the Law And therefore the holy Ghost saith Blessed are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their Labour whereby is signified that they which depart this life beeing members of Christ enter into euerlasting happinesse of what death soeuer they die yea though it be suddaine death Againe I say that suddaine death is not euill in all respects For it is not euill because it is suddaine but because it commonly takes men vnprepared and by that means makes the day of death a blacke day and as it were a very speedie downfall to the gulfe of hell Otherwise if a man be readie and prepared to die suddaine death is in effect no death but a quicke and speedie entrance to eternall life These obiections beeing thus answered it appeares to be a manifest truth which Salomon saith that the day of death is better indeede then the day of birth Now I come to the third point in which the reasons and respects are to be considered that make the day of death to surpasse the day of a mans birth and they may all be reduced to this one namely that the birth day is an entrance into all woe and miserie whereas the day of death ioyned with godly and reformed life is an entrance or degree to eternall life Which I make manifest thus Eternall life hath three degrees one in this life when a man can truly say that he liues not but that Christ liues in him and this all men can say that repent and beleeue and are iustified and sanctified and haue peace of
conscience with other gifts of Gods spirit which are the earnest of their saluation The second degree is in this life when the bodie goes to the earth and the soule is carried by the Angels into heauen The third is in the ende of the world at the last iudgement when bodie and soule reunited doe ioyntly enter into eternall happines in heauen Now of these three degrees death it selfe being ioyned with the feare of God is the second which also containeth in it two worthie steppes to life The first is a freedome from all miseries which haue their ende in death For though men in this life are subiect to manifold daungers by sea and land as also to sundrie aches paines and diseases as feauers and consumptions c. yet when death comes there is an ende of all Againe so long as men liue in this world whatsoeuer they be they doe in some part lie in bondage vnder originall corruption and the reâ—nants thereof which are doubtings of Gods prouidence vnbeleefe pride of heart ignorance couetousnesse ambition enuie hatred lust and such like sinnes which bring forth fruits vnto death And to be in subiection to sinne on this manner is a miserie of all miseries Therefore Paul when he was tempted vnto sinne by his corruption calls the very temptation the buffets of Sathan and as it were a pricke or thorne wounding his flesh and paining him at the very heart Againe in another place wearied with his owne corruptions he complaines that he is sold vnder sinne and he cries out O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death Dauid saith that his eyes gushed out with riuers of teares when other men sinned against God how much more then was he grieued for the sinnes wherewith he himselfe was ouertaken in this life And indeede it is a very hell for a man that hath but a sparke of grace to be exercised turmoiled and tempted with the inborne corruptions and rebellions of his owne heart and if a man would deuise a torment for such as feare God and desire to walke in newnesse of life he can not deuise a greater then this For this cause blessed is the day of death which brings with it a freedome from all sinne whatsoeuer For when we die the corruption of nature is quite abolished and sanctification is accomplished Lastly it is a great miserie that the people of God are constrained in this world to liue and conuerse in the companie of the wicked as sheepe are mingled with goates which strike them annoy their pasture and muddie their water Hereupon Dauid cried out Woe is me that I râ—maine in Meshech and dwell in the tents of Keâ—ar When Elias saw that Ahab and Iesabel had planted idolatrie in Israel and that they sought his life also he went apart into the wildernes and desired to die But this miserie also is ended in the day of death in as much as death is as it were the hand of God to sort and single out those that be the seruants of God from all vngodly men in this most wretched world Furthermore this exceeding benefit comes by death that it doth not onely abolish the miseries which presently are vpon vs but also pâ—euent those which are to come The righteous saith the Prophet Esay perisheth and no man considereth it in his heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away for the euill to come Example of this we haue in Iosias Because saith the Lord thine heart did melt and thou hast humbled thy selfe before the Lord when thou heardest what I spake against this place c. behold therefore I will gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be put in thy graue in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the euill whiâ—h I will bring vpon this place And Paul saith that among the Corinthians some were asleepe that is dead that they might not be condemned with the world Thus much of freedome from miserie which is the first benefit that comes by death and the first steppe to life now followes the second which is that death giues an entrance to the soule that it may come into the presence of the euerliuing God of Christ and of all the Angels and Saints in heauen The worthines of this benefit makes the death of the righteous to be no death but rather a blessing to be wished of all men The consideration of this made Paul to say I desire to be dissolued but what is the cause of this desire that followes in the next wordes namely that by this dissolution he might come to be with Christ. When the Queene of Sheba saw all Salomons wisdome and the house that he had built and the meate of his table and the sitting of his seruants and the order of his ministers and their apparrell c. shee saide Happie are thy men happie are these thy seruants which stand euer before thee and heare thy wisdome much more then may we say that they are ten thousand folde happie which stand not in the presence of an earthly King but before the King of kings the Lord of heauen and earth and at his right hand inioy pleasures for euermore Moses hath beene renowmed in all ages for this that God vouchsafed him but so much fauour as to see his hinder parts at his request O then what happinesse is this to see the glorie and maiestie of God face to face and to haue eternall fellowship with God our father Christ our Redeemer and the holy Ghost our comforter and to liue with the blessed Saints and Angels in heauen for euer Thus now the third point is manifest namely in what respects death is more excellent then life It may be here the mind of man vnsatisfied will yet further replie and say that howsoeuer in death the soules of men enter into heauen yet their bodies though they haue bin tenderly kept for meate drink and apparrell and haue slept many a night in beddes of doune must lie in darke and loathsome graues and there be wasted and consumed by wormes Answ. All this is true indeede but all is nothing if so be it we will but consider aright of our graues as we ought We must not iudge of our graues as they appeare to the bodily eye but we must looke vpon them by the eie of faith and consider them as they are altered and changed by the death and buriall of Christ who hauing vanquished death vpon the crosse pursued him afterward to his own den and foyled him there and depriued him of his power And by this means Christ in his owne death hath buried our death and by the vertue of his buriall as sweete incense hath sweetned and perfumed our graues and made them of stinking and loathsome cabbines to become princely pallaces and beddes of most sweete and happie rest farre more excellent then beddes of doune And
this absurd conceit that they are not in danger of the wrath of God though they offend And the opinion of our common people is hereunto answerable who thinke that if they haue a good meaning and doe no man hurt God will haue them excused both in this life and in the day of iudgement The third is a iust and serious examination of the conscience by the law that we may see what is our estáte before God And this is a dutie vpon which the Prophets stand very much Lam. 3.40 Man suffereth for his sinne let vs search and trie our hearts and turne againe to the Lord. Zeph. 2. 1. Fanne your selues fanne you O nation not worthie to be beloued In making examination we must specially take notice of that which doth now lie or may hereafter lie vpon the conscience And after due examination hath beene made a man comes to a knowledge of his sinnes in particular and of his wretched and miserable estate When one enters into his house at midnight he findes or sees nothing out of order but let him come in the day time when the sunne shineth and he shall then espie many faults in the house and the very motes that flie vp and downe so let a man search his heart in the ignorance and blindnesse of his minde he will straightway thinke all is well but let him once begin to search himselfe with the light and lanterne of the law and he shall finde many foule corners in his heart and heapes of sinnes in his life The fourth is a sorrow in respect of the punishment of sinne arising of the three former actions And though this sorrow be no grace for it befals as well the wicked as the godly yet may it be an occasion of grace because by the apprehension of Gods anger we come to the apprehensioÌ„ of his mercie And it is better that conscience should grieue wound vs do his worst against vs in this life while remedie may be had then after this life when remedy is past Thus much of preparation now follows the remedie and the application of it The remedie is nothing else but the blood or the merits of Christ who specially in conscience felt the wrath of God as when he said My soule is heauie vnto death and his agonie was not so much a paine and torment in bodie as the apprehension of the feare and anger of God in conscience and when the holy Ghost saith That he offered vnto God praiers with strong cries and was heard from feare he directly notes the distresse and anguish of his most holy conscience for our sinnes And as the blood of Christ is an all-sufficient remedie so is it also the alone remedie of all the sores and wounds of conscience For nothing can stanch or stay the terrrours of conscience but the blood of the immaculate lambe of God nothing can satisfie the iudgement of the conscience much lesse the most seuere iudgement of God but the onely satisfaction of Christ. In the application of the remedie two things are required the Gospell preached and faith the Gospell is the hand of God that offereth grace to vs and faith is our hand whereby we receiue it That we indeede by faith receiue Christ with all his benefits we must put in practise two lessons The first is vnfainedly to humble our selues before God for all our wants breaches and wounds in conscience which beeing vnto vs a paradise of God by our default we haue made as it were a little hell within vs. This humiliation is the beginning of all grace and religion pride and good conscience can neuer goe togither And such as haue knowledge in religion and many other good gifts without humiliation are but vnbridled vnmortified and vnreformed peâ—sons This humiliation containes in it two duties the first is confession of our sinnes especially of those that he vpon our consciences wherewith must be ioyned the accusing and condemning of our selues for then we put conscience out of office and dispatch that labour before our God in this life which conscience would performe to our eternall damnation after this life The second dutie is Deprecation which is a kind of praier made with groanes and desires of heart in which we intreat for nothing but for pardon of our sinnes and that for Christs sake til such time as the conscience be pacified To this humiliation standing on these two parts excellent promises of grace and life euerlasting are made Prou. 28. 13. He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercie 1. Ioh. 1.6 If we acknowledge our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes Luk. 1.35 He hath fiâ—led the hungrie with good things and sent the rich emptie away Which are also verified by experience in sundrie examples â— Sam. 12.13 Dauid said to Nathan I haue sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to Dauid The Lord also hath put away thy sinne 2. Chr. 33.43 When Manasses was in tribulation he praied to the Lord his God and huÌ„bled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers and praied vnto him and God heard his praier Luk. 23.43 And the thiefe said to Iesus Lord remember me when thou commest to thy kingdome Then Iesus said vnto him Verely I say vnto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise By these and many other places it appeares that when a man doth truly humble himselfe before God he is at that instant reconciled to God and hath the pardon of his sinnes in heauen and shall afterward haue the assurance thereof in his owne conscience The second lesson is when we are touched in conscience for our sinnes not to yeeld to naturall doubtings and distrust but to resist the same and to indeauour by Gods grace to resolue our selues that the promises of saluation by Christ belong to vs particularly because to doe thus much is the very commandement of God The third thing is the reformation of conscience which is when it doth cease to accuse and terrifie and begins to excuse and testifie vnto vs by the holy Ghost that we are the children of God and haue the pardon of our sinnes And this it will doe after that men haue seriously humbled themselues and praied earnestly and constantly with sighes and grones of spirit for reconciliation with God in Christ. For then the Lord will send downe his spirit into the conscience by a sweete and heauenly testimonie to assure vs that we are at peace with God Thus we see how good conscience is gotten and because it is so pretious a iewell I wish all persons that as yet neuer laboured to get good conscience now to begin Reasons to induce men thereto may be these I. you seeke daie and night from yere to yere for honours riches and pleasures which ye must leaue behind you much more therefore ought you to seeke for renewed
said religion is against the Catholike principles and groundes of the Catechisme PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT PRINTER to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1600. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPfull Sir William Bowes Knight c. Grace and peace RIght Worshipful it is a notable pollicie of the deuil which he hath put into the heades of sundrie men in this age to thinke that our religion and the religion of the present Church of Rome are all one for substance and that they may be reunited as in their opinion they were before Writings to this effect are spread abroad in the French tongue and respected of English protestants more then is meete or ought to be For let men in shew of moderation pretend the peace and good estate of the Catholike Church as long as long as they will this Vnion of the two religions can neuer be made more then the vnion of light darknes And this shall appeare if we doe but a little consider howe they of the Romane Church haue rased the foundation For though in wordes they honour Christ yet in deed they turne him to a Pseudo-Christ and an Idol of their owne braine They call him our Lord but with this condition that the Seruant of Seruants of this Lord may chaunge and adde to his commandements hauing so great a power that he may open and shut heauen to whome he will and bind the verie conscience with his owne lawes and consequently be partaker of the spiritual kingdome of Christ. Againe they call him a Sauiour but yet in Vs in that hee giues this grace vnto vs that by our merits wee may be our owne Sauiours and in the want of our own merits wee may pertake in the merits of the Saints And they acknowledge that he died and suffered for vs but with this caueat that the Fault beeing pardoned wee must satisfie for the temporall punishment either in this world or in Purgatorie In a word they make him our mediatour of Intercession vnto God but withal his Mother must be the Queene of Heauen and by the right of a Mother commaund him there Thus in worde they crie Osunna but in deede they crucifie Christ. Therefore wee haue good cause to blesse the name of God that hath freed vs from the yoke of this Romane bondage and hath brought vs to the true light libertie of the gospel And it should be a great height of vnthankfulnesse in vs not to stand out against the present Church of Rome but to yeeld our selues to plottes of reconciliation To this effect and purpose I haue penned this little Treatise which I present to your Worship desiring it might be some token of a thankfull mind for vndeserued loue And I craue withall not onely your Worshipfull which is more common but also your learned protection beeing well assured that by skill and arte you are able to iustifie whatsoeuer I haue truely taught Thus wishing to you and yours the continuance and the increase of faith and good conscience I take my leaue Cambridge Iun. 28. 1597. Your Worships in the Lord William Perkins THE AVTHOR TO THE Christian Reader BY a Reformed Catholike I vnderstand any one that holdes the same necessarie beads of religion with the Romane Church yet so as he pares off and reiects all errours in doctrine whereby the said religion is corrupted Howe this may be done I haue begun to make some little declaration in this small Treatise the intent whereof is to shewe how neere wee may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of religion and wherein we must for euer dissent My purpose in penning this small discourse is threefolde The first is to confute all such Politikes as hold and maintaine that our religion and that of the Romane Church differ not in substance and consequently that they may be reconciled yet my meaning is not here to condemne any Pacification that tends to perswade the Romane Church to our religion The second is that the Papists which thinke so basely of our religion may be wonne to a better liking of it when they shall see howe neere we come vnto them in sundrie points The third that the common protestant might in some part see and conceiue the point of difference betweene vs and the Church of Rome and know in what manner and how farre forth we condemne the opinions of the said Church I craue pardon for the order which I vse in handling the seuerall points For I haue set them downe one by one as they came to mind not respecting the lawes of method If any Papist shall say that I haue not alleadged their opinions aright I answer that their bookes be at hand and I can iustifie what I haue saide Thus crauing thine acceptation of this my paines and wishing vnto thee the increase of knowledge and loue of pure and sound religion I take my leaue and make an ende The places of doctrine handled are 1 Of Free-will 2 Of Originall sinne 3 Assurance of saluation 4 Iustification of a sinner 5 Of merits 6 Satisfactions for sinne 7 Of Traditions 8 Of Vowes 9 Of Images 10 Of Reall presence 11 The sacrifice of the Masse 12 Of Fasting 13 The state of perfection 14 Worshipping of Saints departed 15 Intercession of Saints 16 Implicite faith 17 Of Purgatorie 18 Of the supremacie 19 Of the efficacie of the Sacraments 20 Of faith 21 Of Repentance 22 The sinnes of the Romane Church REVELAT 18. 4. And I heard another voice from heauen say Goe out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and receiue not of her plagues IN the former chapter S. Iohn sets downe a description of the whore of Babylon that at large as he saw her in a vision described vnto him In the sixteenth verse of the same chapter he foretels her destruction and in the three first verses of this 18. chapter hee goeth on to propound the said destruction yet more directly and plainely withall alleadging arguments to prooue the same in all the verses following Nowe in this fourth verse is set downe a caueat seruing to forewarne all the people of God that they may escape the iudgement which shal befall the whore and the words containe two parts a commandement and a reason The commandement Come out of her my people that is from Babylon The reason taken from the euent least ye be partakers c. Touching the cōmandement first I will search the right meaning of it and then set downe the vse thereof and doctrine flowing thence In historie therefore are three Babylons mentioned one is Babylon of Assyria standing on the riuer Euphrates where was the confusion of Languages and where the Iewes were in captiuitie which Babylon is in Scripture reproched for Idolatrie and other iniquities The second Babylon is in Egypt standing on the riuer Nylus and it is now called Cayr of that mention is made 1. Pet. 5.13 as some thinke though indeede it is as likely and more commonly thought
daies lastly in pilgrimages vnto their reliques and images We likewise distinguish adoration or worship for it is either religious or ciuill Religious worship is that which is done to him that is Lord of all things the searcher and trier of the heart omnipotent euery where present able to heare and helpe them that call vpon him euery where the author and first cause of euery good thing and that simply for himselfe because he is absolute goodnes it selfe And this worship is due to God alone beeing also commanded in the first and second commandement of the fist table Ciuill worship is the honour done to men set aboue vs by God himselfe either in respect of their excellent gifts or in respect of their offices authoritie whereby they gouerne others The right ende of this worship is to testifie and declare that we reuerence the gifts of God and that power which hee hath placed in those that be his instruments And this kind of worship is commanded onely in the second table and in the first commandement thereof Honour thy father and mother Vpon this distinction wee may iudge what honour is due to euery one Honour is to bee giuen to God and to whome hee commandeth He commandeth that inferiours should honour or worshippe their betters Therefore the vnreasonable creatures and among the rest images are not to be worshipped either with ciuill or religious worship being indeede far baser then man himselfe is Againe vncleane spirits the enemies of God must not be worshipped yea to honour them at all is to dishonour god Good angels because they excell men both in nature and gifts when they appeared were lawfully honoured yet so as when the least signification of honour was giuen that was proper to god they refused it And because they appeare not now as in former times not so much as ciuil adoration in any bodily gesture is to be done vnto them Lastly gouernours and Magistrates haue ciuill adoration as their due and it can not be omitted without offence Thus Abraham worshipped the Hittites Gen. 23. and Ioseph his brethren Gen. 50. To come to the very point vpon the former distinction we denie against the Papists that any ciuil worship in the bending of the knee or prostrating of the bodie is to be giuen to the Saints they being absent from vs much lesse any religious worship as namely inuocation signified by any bodily adoratiō For it is the very honour of God himselfe let them call it latria or doulia or by what name they will Our reasons Reason I. All true inuocation and praier made according to the will of God must haue a double foundation a commandement and a promise A commandement to mooue vs to pray and a promise to assure vs that we shall be heard For all and euery praier must be made in faith and without a commandement or promise there is no faith Vpon this vnfallible ground I conclude that we may not pray to Saints departed for in the scripture there is no word either commanding vs to pray vnto them or assuring vs that wee shall be heard when we praie Nay we are commanded only to cal vpon God him only shalt thou serue Mat. 4.10 And How shall we call vpon him in whom we haue not beleeued Ro. 10.14 And we haue no promise to be heard but for Christs sake Therefore praiers made to Saints departed are vnlawefull Answere is made that inuocation of Saints is warranted by miracles and reuelations which are answerable to commandements and promises Ans. But miracles reuelations had an end before this kind of inuocation tooke any place in the Church of God and that was about three hundred yeares after Christ. Again to iudge of any point of doctrine by miracles is deceitfull vnlesse three things concur the first is doctrine of faith and pietie to be confirmed the second is praier vnto God that some thing may be done for the ratifying of the said doctrine the third is the manifest edification of the Church by the two former Where any of these three are wanting miracles may be suspected because otherwhiles false prophets haue their miracles to trie men whether they will cleaue vnto God or no Deut. 13.1,3 Againe miracles are not done or to bee done for them that beleeue but for infidels that beleeue not as Paul saith 1. Cor. 14.22 Tongues are a signe not to thē that beleeue but to vnbeleeuers And to this agree Chrysostom Ambrose Isidore who saith Behold a signe is not necessarie to beleeuers which haue alreadie beleeued but to infidels that they may bee conuerted Lastly our faith is to be confirmed not by reuelations and apparitions of dead mē but by the writings of the Apostles prophets Luk. 16.29 Reason II. To pray vnto Saints departed to bowe the knee vnto them while they are in heauen is to ascribe that vnto them which is proper to God himselfe namely to knowe the heart with the inward desires and motions thereof and to know the speeches and behauiours of all men in all places vpon earth at all times The Papists answer that Saints in heauen see and heare all things vpon earth not by themselues for that were to make them Gods but in God and in the glasse of the Trinitie in which they see mens praiers reuealed vnto them I answer first that the Saints are still made more thē creatures because they are said to knowe the thoughts and all the doings of all mē at all times which no created power can well comprehend at once Secondly I answer that this glasse in which all things are said to be seene is but a forgerie of mans braine and I prooue it thus The angels themselues who see further into God then men can do neuer knewe all things in God which I confirme on this manner In the temple vnder the lawe vpon the arke were placed two Cherubins signifying the good angels of god they looked downward vpon the mercieseat couering the arke which was a figure of Christ their looking downward figured their desire to see into the mystery of Christs incarnation and our redemption by him as Peter alluding no doubt to this type in the olde Testament saith 1 Pet. 1.12 which things the angels desired to beholde and Paul saith Eph. 3.10 The manifold wisdome of God is reuealed by the Church vnto principalities and powers in heauenly places that is to the angels but howe and by what meanes by the Church and that two waies first by the Church as by an example in which the angels saw the endlesse wisdome and mercie of God in the calling of the Gentiles Secondly by the Church as it was founded and honoured by the preaching of the Apostles For it seemes that the Apostolicall ministerie in the new testament reuealed things touching Christ which the angels neuer knewe before that time Thus Chrysostome vpon occasion of this text of Paul saith that the angels learned some things by the preaching
of Iohn Baptist. Againe Christ saith that they know not the houre of the last iudgement Math. 24. 23. much lesse doe the Saints knowe al things in God And hence it is that they are said to be vnder the altar where they crie How long Lord holy and true wilt thou not reuenge our blood as being ignorant of the daie of their full deliuerance And the Iewes in affliction confesse Abraham was ignorant of them and their estate Isa 63.16 Reason III. Math. 4.10 Christ refused so much as to bowe the knee to Sathan vpon this ground because it was written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue Hence it was that Peter would not suffer Cornelius so much as to kneele vnto him though Cornelius intended not to honour him as God Therefore neither Saint nor angel is to be honoured so much as with the bowing of the knee if it carrie but the least signification of diuine or religious honour Reason IV. The iudgement of the auncient Church August Wee honour the Saints with charitie and not by seruitude neither doe we erect Churches to them And Let it not be religion for vs to worship dead men And They are to be honoured for imitation and not to be adored for religion Epiphan Neither Tecla nor any Saint is to be adored for that auncient errour may not ouerrule vs that we should leaue the liuing God and adore things made by him Againe Let Marie bee in honour let the Father Sonne and holy ghost be adored let none adore Marie I meane neither woman nor man Againe Marie is beutifull holy and honoured yet not to adoration When Iulian obiected to the Christians that they worshipped their Martyrs as God Cyrill graunts the memorie and honour of them but denies their adoration and of inuocation he makes no mention at all Ambrose on Ro. 1. Is any so mad that hee will giue to the Earle the honour of the King yet these men doe not thinke themselues guiltie who giue the honour of Gods name to a creature and leauing the Lord adore their fellowe seruants as though there were any thing more reserued for God Obiections of Papists I. Gen. 48.16 Let the angel that kept me blesse thy children Here say they it is a praier made to angels Ans. By the angel is meant Christ who is called the angel of the couenant Malac. 3.1 and the angel that guided Israel in the wildernes 1. Cor. 10.9 compared with Exod. 23.20 Obiect 11. Exod. 23.13 Moses praieth that God would respect his people for Abrahams sake and for Isaac and Israel his seruants which were not then liuing Ans. Moses praieth God to bee mercifull to the people not for the intercession of Abraham Isaac and Iacob but for his couenants sake which he had made with them Psal. 123.10,11 Againe by popish doctrine the fathers departed knew not the estate of men vpon earth neither did they pray for them because then they were not in heauen but in Limbo Patrum III. Obiect One liuing man makes intercession to God for another therefore much more doe the Saints in glorie that are filled with loue pray to god for vs and we pray to them no otherwise then we desire liuing men to pray for vs. Ans. The reason is naught for we haue a commandement one liuing man to pray for another and to desire others to pray for vs but there is no warrant in the word of God for vs to desire the praiers of men departed Secondly there is great difference betweene these two To request our friend either by word of mouth or by letter to praie for vs and by Inuocation to request them that are absent from vs departed this life to pray for vs for this is indeede a worship in which is giuen vnto them a power to heare and helpe all that call vpon them at what place or time soeuer yea though they be not present in the place in which they are worshipped and consequently the seeing of the heart presence in all places and infinit power to helpe all that pray vnto them which things agree to no creature but God alone Thirdly when one liuing man requests an other to pray from him hee onely makes him his companion and fellow member in his praier made in the name of our mediatour Christ but when men inuocate Saints in heauen they being then absent they make them more then fellow members euen mediators between Christ and them The XV. point Of intercession of Saints Our Consent Our consent with thē I will set down in two conclusions Conclus I. The saints departed pray vnto God by giuing thanks vnto him for their owne redēption for the redēption of the whole church of God vpon earth Rev. 5. 8. The foure beasts and the foure and twentie elders fell downe before the Lambe 9. and they song a newe song Thou art worthie to take the booke and to open the seales thereof because thou wast killed and hast redeemed vs to God .13 And all the creatures which are in heauen heard I saying Praise and honour and glorie and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for euermore II. Conclus The Saints departed pray generally for the state of the whole church Reu. 6.9 And I saw vnder the altar the soules of them that were killed for the word of God and they cried 10. How long Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge and aueuge our blood on them that dwell on the earth whereby we see they desire a finall deliuerance of the church and a destruction of the enemies thereof that they themselues with all the people of God might be aduanced to fulnesse of glorie in bodie and soule yea the dumbe creatures Rom. 8. 23. are said to grone and sigh waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies much more then doe the Saints in heauen desire the same And thus farre we consent The dissent or difference They hold and teach that the Saints in heauen as the virgin Marie Peter Paul c. doe make intercession to God for particular men according to their seuerall wants and that hauing receiued particular mens praiers they present them vnto God But this doctrine we flatly renounce vpon these grounds and reasons I. Isa. 63.16 The Church saith to God doubtles thou art our father though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel knowe vs not Nowe if Abraham knewe not his posteritie neither Marie nor Peter nor any other of the Saints departed knowe vs and our estate and consequently they cannot make any particular intercession for vs. If they say that Abraham Iacob were then in Limbo which they will haue to be a part of hell what ioy could Lazarus haue in Abrahams bosome Luk. 16.25 with what comfort could Iacob say on his death bed O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation Gen. 46.18 II. Reason 2. King 22.20 Huldah the prophetesse telleth Iosias he
must be gathered to his fathers and put in his graue in peace that his eies may not not see all the euill which God would bring on this place Therefore the Saints departed see not the state of the Church on earth much lesse doe they know the thoughts and praiers of men This conclusion Augustine confirmeth at large III. Reason No creature Saint or Angel can be a mediatour for vs to God sauing Christ alone who is indeede the onely Aduocate of his church For in a true and sufficient Mediatour there must be three properties First of all the word of God must reueale and propound him vnto the Church that we may in conscience be assâ—red that praying to him to God in his name we shall be heard Now there is no Scripture that mentioneth either Saints or Angels as mediatour in our behalfe saue Christ alone Secondly a mediatour must be perfectly iust so as no sinne be found in him at all 1. Ioh. 2.1 If any man â—inne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righâ—eous Now the Saints in heauen howsoeuer they be fully sanctified by Christ yet in themselues they were conceiued and borne in sinne and therefore must needes eternally stand before God by the mediation and merit of an other Thirdly a mediatour must be a propitiatour that is bring something to God that may appease and satisfie the wrath and iustice of God for our sinnes therfore Iohn addeth and he is a propitiation for our sinnes But neither Saint nor Angel can satisfie for the least of our sinnes Christ onely is the propitiation for them all The virgin Marie and the rest of the Saints beeing sinners could not satisfie so much as for themselues IV. Reason The iudgement of the Church Augustine All Christian men commend each other in their prayers to God And who praies for all and for whom none praies he is that one and true mediatour And This saith thy Sauiour thou hast no whither to goe but to me thou hast no way to goe but by me Chrysostome Thou hast no neede of Patrons to God or much discourse that thou shouldest sooth others but though thou be alone and want a Patron and by thy selfe pray vnto God thou shalt obtaine thy desire And on the saying of Iohn If any sinne c. Thy praiers haue no effect vnlesse they be such as the Lord commends vnto thy father And Augustine on the same place hath these words He beeing such a man said not ye haue an Aduocate but if any sinne we haue he saide not ye haue neither saide he ye haue me Obiections of Papists I. Reu. 5.8,9 The foure and twentie Elders fall downe before the lambe hauing euery one harpes and golden vyals full of odours which are the praiers of the Saints Hence the Papists gather that the Saints in heauen receiue the praiers of men on earth and offer them vnto the Father Ans. There by praiers of the Saints are meant their owne praiers in which they sing praises to God and to the Lambe as the verses following plainely declare And these praiers are also presented vnto God onely from the hand of the Angel which is Christ himselfe II. Obiect Luk. 16.27 Diues in hell praieth for his brethren vpon earth much more doe the Saints in heauen pray for vs. Ans. Out of a parable nothing can be gathered but that which is agreeable to the intent and scope thereof for by the same reason it may as well be gathered that the soule of Diâ—es beeing in hell had a tongue Againe if it were true which they gather we may gather also that the wicked in hell haue compassion and loue to their brethren on earth and a zeale to Gods glorie all which are false III. Obiect The angels in heauen know euery mans estate they know when any sinner repenteth and reioyceth thereat pray for particular men therefore the Saints in heauen doe the like for they are equall to the good angels Luk. 20.36 Ans. The place in Luke is to be vnderstood of the estate of holy men at the day of the last iudgement as appeares Math. 22.30 where it is saide that the seruants of God in the resurrection are as the angels in heauen Secondly they are like the angels not in office and ministerie by which they are ministring spirits for the good of men but they are like them in glorie Secondly we diâ—â—ent from the Papists because they are not content to say that the Saints departed pray for vs in particular but they adde further that they make intercession for vs by their merits in heauen New Iesuits denie this but let them here Lumbard I thinke saith he speaking of one that is but of meane goodnes that he as it were passing by the fire shall be saued by the merits and intercessions of the heauenly Church which doth alwaies make intercession for the faithfull by request and merit till Christ shall be compleate in his members And the Romane Catechisme saith as much Saints are so much the more to be worshipped and called vpon because they make praiers daily for the saluation of men and God for their merit and fauour bestowes many benefits vpon vs. We denie not that men vpon earth haue helpe and benefit by the faith and pietie which the Saints departed shewed when they were in this life For God shewes mercie on them that keepe his commandements to a thousand generations And Augustine saith it was good for the Iewes that they were loued of Moses whome God loued But we vtterly denie that we are helped by merits of Saints either liuing or departed For Saints in glorie haue receiued the full reward of all their merits if they could merit and therefore there is nothing further that they can merit The 16. point Of implicite or infolded faith Our consent We hold that there is a kind of implicite or vnexpressed faith yea that the faith of euery man in some part of his life as in the time of his first conuersion and in the time of fome grieuous temptation or distresse is implicite or infolded The Samaritans are saide to beleeue Ioh. 4. 14. beâ—ause they tooke Christ for the Messias and thereupon were content to learne and obey the glad tidings of saluation And in the same place v. 51 the Ruler with his familie is said to beleeue who did no mâ—â—e but generally acknowledge that Christ was the Messias and yeelded himselfe to beleeue and obey his holy doctrine beeing mooued thereunto by a miracle wrought vpon his yong sonne And Rahab Heb. 11.13 is said to beleeue yea shee is commended for faith euen at the time when shee receiued the spies Now in the word of God we cannot finde that shee had any more but a confused generall or infolded faith wherby shee beleeued that the God of the Hebrewes was the true God and his word to be obeied And this faith as it seemes was wrought in her by the
God they ouerturne that which they haue well maintained And thus I say that the very religion of the Church of Rome is a kinde of Atheisme For whereas it makes the merit of the works of men to concurre with the grace of god it ouerthrowes the grace of God Rom. 11. In worde they acknowledge the infinite iustice and mercie of God but by consequent both are denied How can that be infinite iustice which may any way be appeased by humane satisfactions And howe shall Gods mercie bee infinite when wee by our satisfactions must adde a supply to the satisfaction of Christ Againe He that hath not the sonne hath not the father and he that hath neither father nor sonne denies God Nowe the present Romane religion hath not the sonne that is Iesus Christ God and man the Mediatour of mankind but hath traâ—sformed him into a fained Christ. And I shew it thus For one Iesus Christ in al thingâ— like vnto vs in his Humanitie sinne onely excepted they haue framed a Christ to whome they ascribed two kindes of existing one naturall whereby he is visible touchable and circumscribed in heauen the other not onely aboue but also against nature by which he is substantially according to his flesh in the handes of euery priest in euery host and in the mouth of euery communicant inuisible vntouchable vncircumscribed And thus in effect they abolish his manhood Yea they disgrade him of his offices For one Iesus Christ the onely king lawgiuer and head of the Church they ioyne vnto him the Pope not onely as a Vicar but also as a fellowe in that they giue vnto him power to make lawes binding conscience to resolue and determine vnfallibly the sense of holy scripture properly to pardon sin both in respect of fault and temporall punishment to haue authoritie ouer the whole earth and a part of hell to depose kings to whome vnder Christ euery soule is to be subiect to absolue subiects from the oath of allegiance c. For one Iesus Christ the onely reall priest of the new testament they ioyne many secondary priests vnto him which offer Christ daiely in the masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead For one Iesus Christ the al-sufficient Mediatour of intercession they haue added many fellowes vnto him to make request for vs namely as many Saints as be in the Popes Kalender Lastly for the onely merits of Christ in whome alone the Father is well pleased they haue deuised a treasurie of the Church containing beside the merits of Christ the ouerplus of the merits of Saints to be dispensed to men at the discretion of the Pope And thus wee see that Christ and coâ—sequently God himselfe to bee worshipped in Christ is transformed into a phantasie or idol of mans conceit Againe there is alwaies a proportion betweene the worship of God our perswasion of him and men in giuing vnto God any worshippe haue respect to his nature that both may be sutable and he well pleased Let vs then see what manner of worship the Romane religion affoardeth It is for the greatest part meere wil-worship without any allowance or commandement from God as Durande in his Rationale in effect acknowledgeth It is a carnall seruice standing of innumerable bodily rites and ceremonies borrowed partly from the Iewes and partly from the heathen it is diuided betweene God and some of his creatures in that they are worshipped both with one kind of worship let them paint it as they can Thus then if by their manner of worshipping God we may iudge howe they conceiue of him as we may they haue plainely turned the true God into a phantasie of their owne For God is no otherwise to be conceiued then hee hath reuealed himselfe in his creatures word and specially in Christ who is the ingrauen image of the person of the Father The second sin is Idolatrie and that as grosse as was euer among the heathen And it is to be seene in two things First that they worshippe the Saints with religious worship which without exception is proper to God Yea they transforme some of them into detestable idols making them in trueth mediatours of redemption specially the Virgin Marie whome they call a Ladie a Goddesse a queene whom Christ her sonne obeyeth in heauen a mediatresse or life hope the medicine of the diseased and they pray vnto her thus Prepare thou glory for vs defende vs from our enemies in the houre of death receiue vs loose the bonds of the guiltie bring light to the blind driue away all deuils Shewe thy selfe to be a mother Let him receiue the prayers Againe their idolatrie is manifest in that they worship God in at before images hauing no commandement so to do but the contrarie They alleadge thâ—t they vse and worship images only in a remembrance of God But this is al one as if an vnchast wife should receiue many louers into her house in the absence of her husbandâ— and beeing reprooued should answer that they were the friendes of her husband and that shee kept them onely in remembrance of him Thirdly their Idolatrie exceedes the Idolatrie of the heathen in that they worship a Breadengod or Christ in and vnder the formes of bread and wine And if Christ according to his humanitie be absent froÌ„ the earth as I haue prooued the Popish hoste is as abominable an idol as euer was The third sinne is the maintenance of Adulterie And that is manifest first of all in the Toleration of the stewes flat against the commandement of God Deut. 23.17 There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel neither shal there be a whore keeper of the sonnes of Israel And this toleration is an occasion of vncleannes to many young men women that otherwise would abstaine from all such kinde of filthines And what an abomination is this when brother and brother father and sonne nephew and vncle shall come to one and the same harlot one before or after the other Secondly their Lawe beyond the fourth degree allowes the marriage of any persons and by this meanes they sometime allowe incest For in the vnequall collaterall line the person next the common stock is a father or mother to the brothers or sisters posteritie as for example Here Anne and Nicholas are brother and sister and Anne is distant from Iames sixe degrees he being her neecca farre off and the mariage between them is allowed by the Church of Rome they not beeing within the compasse of foure degrees which neuerthelesse is against the law of nature For Anne beeing the sister of Nicholas is in stead of a mother to all that are begotten of Nicholas euen to Iames and Iames posteritie Yet thus much I graunt that the daughter of Anne may lawfully marrie Iames or Anthonie the case beeing altered because they are not one to an other aâ— parents and children The fourth sin is Magicke â—orcerie or witchcraft in the
the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God Hence it is that Christ is saide to sanctifie himselfe as he is man Ioh. 17.19 For their sakes sanctifiâ— I my selfe Math. 23.17 As the altar the gift and the temple the gold Math. 23.17 Christ is the Priest as he is God and man Heb. 5.6 Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedec 1. Tim. 2.5,6 One Mediatour betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe a ransome for all men to be a testimonie in due time III. God the fathers acceptation of that his sacrifice in which he was wel pleased For had it beene that God had not allowed of it Christs suffering had beene in vaine Matth. 3.17 This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased Eph. 5.1 Euen as Christ loued vs and gaue himselfe for vs to be an offering and a sacrifice of a sweete smelling sauour to God IV. Imputation of mans sinne to Christ whereby his Father accounted him as a transgressour hauing translated the burden of mans sinnes to his shoulders Esai 53. 4. He hath borne our infirmities and caried our sorrowes yet we did iudge him as plagued and smitten of God and humbled But he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities c. and v. 12. He was counted with the transgressours and he bare the sinnes of many 2. Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sinne for vs which knew no sinne that we should be made the righteousnes of God in him V. His wonderfull humiliation consisting of two parts I. In that he made himselfe of small or no reputation in respect of his Deitie Philip. 2.7,8 He made himselfe of no reputation c. he humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse We may not thinke that this debasing of Christ came because his diuine nature was either wasted or weakened but because his Deitie did as it were lay aside and conceale his power and maiestie for a season And as Irenaeus saith The Word rested that the humane nature might be crucified and dead II. In that he became execrable which is by the law accursed for vs. Gal. 3.10 Cursed is euery one that remaineth not in all things written in the booke of the Law to doe them This accursednesse is either inward or outward Inward is the sense of Gods fearefull anger vpon the crosse Revel 19. 15. He it is that treadeth the winepresse of the fiercenes and wrath of Almightie God Esai 53.5 He is grieued for our transgressions the chastisment of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we were healed This appeared by those droppes of bloode which issued from him by his cryings to his Father vpon the crosse and by sending of Angels to comfort him Hence was it that he so much feared death which many Martyrs entertained most willingly His outward accursednes standeth in three degrees I. Death vpon the crosse which was not imaginarie but true because blood and water issued froÌ„ his heart For seeing that water and blood gushed forth together it is very like the casket or coate which inuesteth the heart called Pericardion was pierced As Columbus obserueth in his Anatomie 7. booke Ioh. 19â—4 His death was necessarie that he might confirme to vs the Testament or Couenant of grace promised for our sakes Heb. 19.15,16 For this cause is he the Mediator of the new Testament that through death c. they which were called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritance for where a testament is there must be the death of him that made the testament c. ver 17. II. Buriall to ratifie the certentie of his death III. Descension into hell which we must not vnderstand that he went locally into the place of the damned but that for the time of his abode in the graue he was vnder the ignominious dominion of death Act. 2.24 Whome God hath raised vp and loosed the sorrowes of death because it was vnpossible that he should be holden of it Ephes. 4.9 In that he ascended vvhat vvas it but that he also he descended first into the lowest part of the earth It was necessarie that Christ should be captiuated of death that he might abolish the sting that is the power thereof 1. Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victorie Thus we haue heard of Christs maruelous passion whereby he hath abolished both the first and second death due vnto vs for our sinnes the which as we may further obserue is a perfect ransom for the sinnes of all and euery one of the Elect. 1. Tim. 2.6 Who gaue himself a ransome for all men For it was more that Christ the onely begotten Sonne of God yea God himselfe for a small while should beare the curse of the Law then if the whole world should haue suffered eternall punishment This also is worthie our meditation that then a man is wel grounded in the doctrine of Christs passion when his heart ceaseth to sinne is pricked with the griefe of those sinnes whereby as with speares he pierced the side of the immaculate lambe of God 1. Ioh. 3.6 Who so sinneth neither hath seene him nor knowne him Zach. 12.10 And they shall looke vpon him whome they haue pierced and they shall lament for him as one lamenteth for his onely sonne and be sorie for him as one is sorie for his first borne After Christs passion followeth the fulfilling of the Law by which he satisfied Gods iustice in fulfilling the whole Law Rom. 8. 3,4 God sent his owne Sonne that the righteousnes of the Law might be fulfilled by vs. He fulfilled the Law partly by the holines of his humane nature and partly by obedience in the works of the Law Rom. 8.2 The Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed me from the Law of sinne and of death Matth. 3. 15. It becommeth vs to fulsill all righteousnes c. Ioh. 17.19 Now succeedeth the second part of Christs priesthood namely intercession whereby Christ is an Aduocate and intreater of God the Father for the faithfull Rom. 8.34 Christ is at the right hand of God and maketh request for vs. Christs intercession is directed immediately to God the Father 1. Ioh. 2.1 If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father euen Iesus Christ the iust Now as the Father is first of the Trinitie in order so if he be appeased the Sonne and the holy Ghost are appeased also For there is one and the same agreement and will of all the persons of the Trinitie Christ maketh intercession according to both natures First according to his humanitie partly by appearing before his Father in heauen partly by desiring the saluation of the Elect. Hebr. 9.24 Christ is entred into very heauen to appeare now in the sight of God for vs. and chap. 7. 25.
want 1. Ioh. 5.14 This is the assurance that we haue in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. In euery petition we must expresse two things I. A sense of our wants II. A desire of the grace of God to supplie those wants 1. Sam. 1. 10. Shee was troubled in her minde and praied vnto the Lord and wept sore Dan. 9. 4. And I praied to the Lord my God and made my confession saying 5. We haue sinned and haue committed iniquitie c. 16. O Lord according to thy righteousnes I beseech thee let thine anger and thy wrath be turned from thy citie Ierusalem c. to the 20. verse Psal. 130.1 Out of the deepe I called to thee O Lord. 1. Sam. 1.15 Then Hannah answered and said Nay my lord but I am a woman troubled in spirit I haue drunken neither wine nor strong drinke but haue powred out my soule before the Lord c. to the 16. verse psal 143. 6. I stretch forth mine hands vnto thee my soule desireth after thee as the thirstie land Assent is the second part of prayer whereby we beleeue and professe it before God that he in his due time will grant vnto vs those our requests which before we haue made vnto his maiestie 1. Ioh. 5. 14 15. This is the assurance that we haue in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. And if we know that he heareth vs whatsoeuer we aske we kâ—â—w that we haue the petitions that we haue desired of him Math. 6.13 Lead vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill For thine is the kingdome thine is the power and thine is the glorie for euer and euer Amen As for the faithfull howsoeuer they in their praiers bewray many infirmities yet no doubt they haue a notable sense of Gods â—auour especially when they pray zealously and often vnto the Lord. Iam. 5. 16. Pray one for another that ye may be healed for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent Luk. 1.13 The Angel said vnto him Feare not Zacharias for thy prayer is heard Ionah 4.1 It displeased Ionah exceedingly and he waâ— angrie 2. And Ionah praied vnto the Lord and saide I pray thee O Lord was not this my saying when I was yet in my countrey therefore I preuented it to flee vnto Tarshish for I knew that thou art a gratious God and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnes and repentest thee of the euill Rom. 8.26 Gen. 19.18 Lot saide vnto them Doe not so I pray you my lords c. psal 6.1 O lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chastise me in thy wrath c. v. 2,3,4,5 psal 8.9 psal 20.5 psal 35.9.18.28 psal 16.7 Thanksgiuing is a calling vpon Gods name whereby we with ioy and gladnes of heart doe praise God for his benefits either receiued or promised psal 45.1 Mine heart will vtter forth a good matter I will intreat in my words of the King my tongue is as the pen of a swift writer Eph. 5.20 Giuing thanks alwaies for all things vnto God euen the father in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ. psal 36.8,9 How excellent is thy mercie O God therefore the children of men trust vnder the shadow of thy wings They shall be satisfied with the fatnesse of thine house and thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuer of thy pleasures Coloss. 3.16 CHAP. 46. Of Christian Apologie and Martyrdome THe profession of Christ in dangers is either in word or deede Profession in word is Christian Apologie or the confession of Christ. Rom. 10. 10. With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation psal 22.23 I will declare thy name vnto my brethren in the middes of the congregation will I praise thee Christian Apologie is the profession of Christ in word when as we are readie with feare and meeknes to confesse the truth of Christian religion so often as neede requireth and the glorie of God is endangered euen before vnbeleeuers especially if they be not past all hope of repentance 1. Pet. 3. 15. Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be readie alwaies to giue an answer to euery man tâ—â—t asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you 16. And that with meeknesse and reuerence hauing a good conscience that when they speake euill of you as of euill doers they may be ashamed which blame your good conuersation in Christ. Act. 7. the whole chap. Steuen there maketh an Apologie for himselfe Math. 7.6 Giue not that which is holy to dogs nor cast your pearles before swine least they tread them vnder their feete and turning againe all to rent you Profession which is in deede is called Martyrdome Martyrdome is a part of Christian profession when as a Christian man doth for the doctrine of faith for iustice and for the saluation of his brethren vndergoe the punishment of death imposed vpoÌ„ him by the aduersaries of Christ Iesus Mar. 6.18 27,28 Iohn tolde Herod It is not lawfull for thee to haue thy brothers wife And immediately the King sent the hangman and gaue him charge that his head should be brought so he went and beheaded him in the prison 2. Cor. 12. 15. I will most gladly bestow and be bestowed for your soules though the more I loue you the lesse am I loued Notwithstanding it is lawfull for Christians to flie in persecution if they finde themselues not sufficiently resolued and strengthened by Gods spirit to stand Math. 10.23 When they persecute you in one citie flee into another Verely I say vnto you ye shall not haue finished all the cities of Israel till the Sonne of man come Ioh. 10.39 Againe they studied to apprehend him but he escaped out of their hands Act. 9.30 When the brethren knew it they brought him to Cesarea and sent him forth to Tarsus 1. King 18.23 Was it not told my lord what I did when Iesabel slue the Prophets of the Lord how I hid an hundred men of the Lords Prophets by fifties in a caue and fedde them with bread and water Act. 20.22 Now behold I goe bound in the spirit vnto Ierusalem and know not what things shall come vnto me there CHAP. 47. Of Edification and Almes among the faithfull THat profession of Christ which concerneth his members namely the Saints and faithfull ones is either Edification or Almes Edification is euery particular dutie towards our brethren whereby they are furthered either to grow vp in Christ or else are more surely vnited to him Rom. 14. 19. Let vs follow those things which concerne peace and wherewith one may edifie another To Edification these things which follow appertaine I. To giue good example Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen 1. Pet. 2.12 Haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles that
they which speak euill of you as of euill doers may by your good works which they shall see glorifie God in the day of thy visitation II. To exhort Heb. 3. 13. Exhort one another daily while it is called to day least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinne Rom. 1.12 That I might be comforted togither with you through our mutuall faith both yours mine III. To comfort 1. Thess. 5.14 Comfort the feeble minded beare with the weake be patient towards all men Iam. 5. 16. Acknowledge your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed 20. He that conuerteth a sinner from going astray out of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes 1. Thess. 4. 18. Comfort your selues one another with these words IV. To admonish Rom. 15. 14. I my selfe am perswaded of you brethren that yee also are full of goodnes and filled with all knowledge and are able to admonish one another 1. Thess. 5. 14. We desire you brethren admonish them that are vnruly They shall obserue an holy manner of admonition who in the spirit of meeknes and as it were guiltie of the like infirmitie themselues doe admonish forthwith all their brethren of such faults as they certenly know by them and that out of Gods word Gal. 6.1 Brethren if any man by occasion be fallen into any fault yee which are spirituall restore such an one in the spirit of meeknes considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted Matth. 5. 7. Thou hypocrite cast out first the beame out◠of thine owne eye and then shalt thou see to take the mote out of thy brothers eye 2. Tim. 4.2 Preach the word be instant in season and out of season improoue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine Math. 18. 15. If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone if he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother Rom. 15.14.2 Tim. 4.2 Leuit. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart but thou shalt plainely rebuke thy neighbour and suffer him not to sinne Reliefe peculiar to the godly among themselues is a dutie whereby the rich doe out of their plentie supplie the wants of the poore both according to their abilitie and sometimes beyond their abilitie 2. Cor. 8.3 To their power I beare record yea beyond their power they were willing Act. 2.44,45 All that beleeued were in one place and had all things common and they solde their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as euery one had neede CHAP. 48. Of the fourth degree of the declaration of Gods loue and of the estate of the Elect after this life THe fourth degree of the declaration of Gods loue is Glorification Roman 8.30 Glorification is the perfect transforming of the Saints into the image of the Sonne of God Philip. 3.21 Who shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie according to the working whereby he is able euen to subdue all things vnto himselfe 1. Cor. 15.44 It is sowne a naturall bodie and is raised a spirituall bodie there is a naturall bodie and there is a spirituall bodie 45. And it is also written The first man Adam was made a liuing soule the last Adam was made a quickning spirit 49. And as we haue borne the image of the earthly so shall we beare the image of the heauenly Psal. 17. 15. I will behold thy face in righteousnes and when I awake I shall be satisfied with thine image The beginning of Glorification is in death but it is not accomplished and made perfect before the last day of iudgement The death of the Elect is but a sleepe in Christ whereby the bodie and soule is seuered The bodie that after corruption it may rise to greater glorie The soule that it being fully sanctified may immediatly after departure frō the bodie be transported into the kingdom of heauen Against the feare of death note these preseruatiues I. Death it freeth the godly from the tyrannie of Satan sinne the world the flesh and eternall damnation yea from infinite both perills and losses and doth place vs both safe and happie vnder the shadow as it were of Christs wings II. Christ by his death hath sanctified vnto vs both death and the graue III. Christ is both in life and death gaine to the godly Phil. 1.12 IV. Those consolations which the spirit of Christ doth suggest to the soules of the faithfull doe by many degrees surmount the dolours of death V. The desire of that most bright and glorious beholding of God and the presence of those Saints which are departed before vs. VI. In stead of our bodies we shall be clothed with glorie 2. Cor. 5.1 VII The stings of death namely sinne is then so taken away as that that serpent can no more hurt vs. 1. Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie Heb. 2.15 That he might deliuer all them which for feare of death were all their life time subiect to bondage VIII We should not so much thinke of our death as to take an exact account of our life For that man can not die ill who hath liued well and he seldome dieth well that hath liued badly IX The Angels they stand at our elbowes that so soone as a Saint departeth they may with all speede immediatly transport his soule into heauen Soules being once in heauen remaine there till the last day of iudgement where they partly magnifie the Name of God and partly doe waite and pray for the consummation of the kingdom of glorie and full felicitie in body and soule Reuel 5.8 And when he had taken the booke the foure beasts and the foure and twentie Elders fell downe before the Lambe hauing euery one harpes and golden vials full of odours which are the prayers of the Saints 9. And they sang a new song saying Thou art worthie to take the booke and to open the seales thereof because thou wast killed and hast redeemed vs to God by thy blood out of euery kinred and tongue and people and nation Reuel 14. 2. I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps 3. And they sung as it were a new song before the throne and they cried with a loud voice saying How long Lord holy and true doest not thou iudge and auenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth CHAP. 49. Of the estate of the Elect at the last day of iudgement THe last day of iudgement shall be on this manner I. Immediatly before the comming of Christ the powers of heauen shall be shaken the Sunne and Moone shall be darkned and the starres shall seeme to fall from heauen at which sight the Elect then liuing shall reioyce but the reprobate shall shake euery ioynt of them II. Then the heauens beeing all set on fire shall with a